Robert S. Ledley, 1926–2012

In Memoriam

“…1 Bob was fascinated and spent a decade learning to program before using the computer to solve complex problems in his own research. He was an ardent believer in the prowess of computational research: ''I had previously realized that although, conceptually, physics equations could be written to describe any biomedical phenomenon, such equations would be so complex that they could not feasibly be solved in closed form.…”

“…8 His survey on ''current and potential computer use in biology and medicine'' was commissioned to help physicians surmount their hesitation to using computers. 1 Science published the results of his survey in 1959, and Ledley's call for physicians to use the tools available to them was made public. 10 While working on this study, Bob developed his famous collaboration with Lee Lusted, a radiologist and electrical engineer.…”

“…1,4 In 1998, Ledley received the Goldhaber Award from Harvard School of Dental Medicine for his leadership in research. 1 He also received the Morris F. Collen Award for lifetime achievement and contributions to the discipline of medical informatics of the American College of Medical Informatics. 1 Bob was elected to the Institute of Medicine in 1999.…”

“…Robert S. Ledley, one of the founding fathers of the field of medical decision making and the man who applied computer science to medical judgment and diagnosis, died July 24, 2012, after a prolonged struggle with Alzheimer’s. 1 Our community, as well as the medical field as a whole, has lost a pioneering genius.…”

“…8 The work Bob put into developing a computer program for this problem can be found in his paper “Digital Computational Methods in Symbolic Logic, with Examples in Biochemistry.” 9 Once it became apparent that the computation would take more than 1000 years with the most powerful machines of the time, Ledley left the group. 1…”