Abstract
We are sad to announce the passing of Robert M. Diener, DVM, Fellow, ATS and board-certified veterinary pathologist and long-time executive director of Tox/Path and Safety Evaluation at Ciba-Geigy Pharmaceuticals. Bob was most well-known to the American College of Toxicology (ACT) for his services as councillor and ultimately as president (1988). He was also the second editor-in-chief of International Journal of Toxicology. It was Bob who first lobbied for changing the name of the journal from the Journal of the American College of Toxicology to International Journal of Toxicology. He was also the editor-in-chief who was first able to obtain sufficient numbers of articles to put the journal onto a regular publication schedule, often by marketing the journal as an ideal place to publish critical symposia from other societies. He received the 2006 ACT Lifetime Achievement Award for his knowledge, interest, and impact to pharmaceutical toxicology, safety evaluation, and the ACT.
During his career, Dr Diener made many contributions to the procedures of testing various pharmaceutical agents for safety, authored over 100 publications and presentations, and served on a number of Food and Drug Administration and Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) committees on safety evaluation. He was also a charter member and past president of the Society of Toxicologic Pathologists, past fellow and diplomate of the Academy of Toxicological Sciences, and emeritus member of the American College of Veterinary Pathology, Society of Toxicology, and Middle Atlantic Reproduction and Teratology Association. He is survived by 2 sons, 2 daughters, and 6 grandchildren.
Dr Diener died at his residence in Milton, Massachusetts, on Saturday, July 16, 2016, at the age of 85 years.