Grateful

I first met Praveen Mathur in January 1992, in Marseilles, France, in the preoperative area of Dr Christian Boutan’s thoracoscopy suite. We were both there to observe Dr Boutan perform medical thoracoscopies. In Paris, a few days later as speakers at the First International Congress of Therapeutic Thoracic Endoscopy, we met again, shared some Parisian cuisine and even went to the Crazy Horse Review! Thus began a more than 25-year friendship, and numerous collaborations in the field of Interventional Pulmonology (IP). Praveen helped establish our pleuroscopy program at Lahey Clinic and was a fixture in our annual IP Course. Over the years we shared many podiums while addressing IP issues, collaborated on a number of publications and books, and got to know each other’s families and colleagues. So I was shocked and saddened by his sudden passing, just 2 days after receiving his email describing his attendance at the recent ATS International Congress. Praveen’s death is a tremendous loss for family and friends, yet his passing also represents a major loss to the pulmonary community, especially for his IP colleagues. Praveen was a superb clinician, always advocating for what was best for his patients. He used the tools of IP to provide the best clinical care. In fact, Praveen Mathur was one of the first to define and promote the concept of IP. Although IP arose from the description of laser bronchoscopy by Dr Jean-François Dumon in the early 1980s, IP was not defined as a separate entity until the mid-1990s. Some, including myself, were reluctant to separate IP from general pulmonology. However, Praveen had a better vision of the potential of IP. He was truly a pioneer in our specialty. He negotiated with the editors of Chest Clinics of North America to publish the first monograph on IP in 1995, which included the first definition of IP.1 It was his idea to publish the first textbook on IP in 1998.2 He was the first to introduce endobronchial cryotherapy into the United States using the flexible cryoprobe during flexible bronchoscopy. He was one of the first American pulmonologists to perform and promote medical thoracoscopy. Praveen consistently showed us that leadership requires service, involvement, and commitment. He was extremely active in a numerous medical organizations and used these forums to promote pulmonology, and especially IP. He was a founding member of the American Association for Bronchology (now AABIP) and served as its president. Within the American College of Chest Physicians he severed as Governor from Indiana, as well as on its most important committees: the Global Nominating Committee, Credentials Committee, Board of Regents, including its Executive Committee of the Council of Chest NetWorks, and Board of Trustees of the Chest Foundation. He also served on similar committees of the American Thoracic Society. The ACCP acknowledged his exceptional contributions with 2 prestigious awards: The Distinguished Fellow Award and the Pasquale Ciaglia Memorial Lecture in Interventional Medicine. After medical school in India and his internal medicine residency and pulmonary fellowship in Ontario, Canada Dr Mathur joined the pulmonary division at Indiana University, where he spent his entire clinical and academic career and advanced to the rank of Professor of Clinical Medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine. He was loved and respected at IU and served the school on multiple committees, including as President of the Faculty. He mentored medical students, residents, and pulmonary/critical care medicine fellows. He spoke at many CHEST and ATS annual meetings and at medical grand rounds and courses throughout the country and on every continent except Antarctica! Praveen was the ultimate collaborator. He coauthored books with colleagues from Europe, Asia, and the United States. He cochaired the ATS/ERS IP guidelines Committee3 and the ACCP Early Lung Cancer Guidelines committee.4 He was the editor of the Up-To-Date section on IP from its inception and served on the editorial boards of multiple journals. While mild mannered, he did not shy from controversy. His 1992 editorial in Chest5 on thoracoscopy sparked enough comments to warrant a special forum.6 Despite his tireless contributions to pulmonology, Praveen always made time for family and friends. He was a devoted husband to Pratima and a loving father and grandfather. He was a pillar within his extended Indian family, as well as the Indian pulmonary community. He was an avid reader and loved to travel. He also followed the cricket world closely. Sadly his untimely death took place during a family vacation. After recovering from a severe illness several years ago Praveen closed all his emails with the words “grateful to be alive.” Indeed, everyone he encountered throughout his life is deeply grateful that he lived. John F. Beamis, Jr, MD Santa Barbara, CA

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