Judith Medoff, Ph.D.: 1938-2022
11/04/2022
Judith Z. Medoff, Ph.D., a professor emeritus of biology at Saint Louis University, died Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. She was 83.
Medoff was born Oct. 8, 1938, in Bronx, NY. She attended Barnard College for her undergraduate degree and earned her Ph.D. from Brandeis University.
She joined the SLU faculty in 1973. As a professor, she taught courses on embryology, cell biology, and advanced biochemistry.
“Judy was a force to be contended with,” said Gerardo R. Camilo, Ph.D., associate chair of biology. “Even though I did not always see eye-to-eye with her, I always admired and respected her candor and dedication to our department, students and scholarship.”
Judith Medoff.
Medoff was a developmental biologist working on cell migration, axon growth and pathfinding in the developing nervous system. In particular, she worked on investigating the loss of cohesion of neural crest cells as they migrate away from the fusing corners of the neural folds and the extracellular signals they respond to along their chosen route.
She also studied the mechanism by which neural crest cells determine their final destination and the factors which specify where they settle down and differentiate into the spinal and autonomic ganglia of the peripheral nervous system.
She retired from SLU in 2004.
Each year, the department presents awards to graduating undergraduate biology majors and graduate students. Students are nominated by faculty for these awards, which are presented each spring at the departmental awards ceremony and include a monetary prize. One of the awards is the Judith Z. Medoff Undergraduate Teaching Award. The award has been given out since 2016.
Medoff was predeceased in death by her husband, Gerald Medoff; her parents, Nathan and Ruth Zuckerman; and her brother Gerald Zuckerman. She is survived by her sons, Benjamin (Alisia St. Florian) and Nathaniel (Sherri Berger) and her grandchildren, Julia, Alex, Jonah and Jacob.
Services were held on Friday, Sept. 30.
Latest Newslink
- Pestellos Honored With Honorary Street NameA stretch of Laclede Avenue that has undergone major development since President Fred P. Pestello, Ph.D., and First Lady Fran Pestello, Ph.D., arrived at Saint Louis University 11 years ago now has a new name.
- Disaster Assistance Center Opens to the Community in Response to the May 16 TornadoThe City of St. Louis, in partnership with the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency and Saint Louis University, opened a Disaster Assistance Center (DAC) on Monday, June 9, to serve as a central space for tornado-affected residents to connect with agencies offering guidance, resources, and assistance related to recovery and long-term support. The DAC will take place inside Chaifetz Arena.
- St. Louis Magazine Salutes SLU's Top Nursing EducatorsFour nursing educators in Saint Louis University's Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing have been honored with a St. Louis Magazine's 2025 Excellence in Nursing Award. This recognition underscores the dedication and leadership of SLU's nurse educators in advancing the profession and shaping the future of health care.
- University Trustees, Student Leaders Honor Pestello LegacyFred P. Pestello, Ph.D., has been named president emeritus, effective July 1, and the Student Government Association has launched a new scholarship in honor of Pestello and his spouse, Fran Pestello, Ph.D.
- William S. Sly, M.D.: 1932-2025William S. Sly, M.D., professor emeritus of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, died Saturday, May 31, 2025. He was 92. An alumnus of Saint Louis University, Sly was an internationally known physician and scientist. He is perhaps best known for his work on the disease that now bears his name - Sly syndrome, also called mucopolysaccharidosis type VII (MPS-VII). His research team described the first patient with the disease, and later he helped develop an FDA-approved treatment.
- SLU Professor Says Statistics Is the Everyday Math Everyone Needs to KnowR. Lauren Miller, Ed.D., assistant professor of mathematics and statistics at Saint Louis University, argues that a solid foundation in statistics provides people with numerical literacy and reduces math anxiety. Miller will present “A Case for High School Statistics” at the Curiosity by TEDx St. Louis event on Saturday, May 31, at the Missouri History Museum.
