John Allen Clements (March 16, 1923 – September 3, 2024) was an American physician and physiologist known for his role in the discovery of

pulmonary surfactant Pulmonary surfactant is a surface-active complex of phospholipids and proteins formed by Type II cells, type II alveolar cells. The proteins and lipids that make up the surfactant have both hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions. By adsorption, adso ...

, a crucial factor in the development of life-saving treatments for neonatal respiratory distress syndrome. His research revolutionized the care of premature infants, greatly reducing infant mortality.

Early life and education

Clements was born on March 16, 1923, in

Auburn, New York Auburn is a city in Cayuga County, New York, United States. Located at the north end of Owasco Lake, one of the Finger Lakes in Central New York, the city had a population of 26,866 at the 2020 census. It is the largest city of Cayuga County, the ...

. He developed an early interest in medicine, completing his undergraduate studies at

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

. He graduated from

Weill Cornell Medical College Weill Cornell Medicine (; officially Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University), originally Cornell University Medical College, is the medical school of Cornell University, located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in Ne ...

in 1947.

Career

Clements began his career as a physiologist focused on cardiovascular research but later shifted to pulmonary medicine. In 1957, while working at the

University of California, San Francisco The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in San Francisco, California, United States. It is part of the University of California system and is dedic ...

(UCSF), he made his seminal discovery of pulmonary surfactant, a lipid-protein mixture that reduces surface tension in the lungs and prevents the collapse of

alveoli Alveolus (; pl. alveoli, adj. alveolar) is a general anatomical term for a concave cavity or pit. Uses in anatomy and zoology * Pulmonary alveolus, an air sac in the lungs ** Alveolar cell or pneumocyte ** Alveolar duct ** Alveolar macrophage * M ...

during exhalation. This discovery was pivotal in understanding the causes of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, a common condition in premature infants. Clements, before working at UCSF, had conducted pulmonary research in the early 1950s at the

Edgewood Chemical Biological Center The United States Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC) is the United States Department of Defense's principal research and development resource for non-medical chemical and biological defense (CB ...

. Clements would work at the University of California, San Francisco, for over six decades.

Pulmonary surfactant discovery

Clements's research demonstrated that the absence or deficiency of surfactant was a major cause of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome in premature infants. His findings spurred the development of synthetic surfactants, which are now routinely used in neonatal intensive care units worldwide to treat preterm infants. This breakthrough dramatically reduced infant mortality and has saved countless lives.

Later life and legacy

Clements continued to contribute to pulmonary biology and neonatal care throughout his career at UCSF, mentoring young scientists and furthering research into adult lung diseases. His contributions to medicine extended beyond his scientific discoveries, influencing generations of researchers and clinicians. Clements

turned 100 A centenarian is a person who has reached the age of 100. Because life expectancies at birth worldwide are well below 100, the term is invariably associated with longevity. The United Nations estimated that there were 316,600 living centenarian ...

in 2023, and died in Tiburon, California on September 3, 2024, at the age of 101.

Awards

*1983

Gairdner Foundation International Award The Canada Gairdner International Award is given annually by the Gairdner Foundation at a special dinner to five individuals for outstanding discoveries or contributions to medical science. Receipt of the Gairdner is traditionally considered a ...

*1994 Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award *2008 Pollin Prize for Pediatric Research

References

1923 births 2024 deaths Weill Cornell Medical College alumni American pulmonologists University of California, San Francisco faculty Scientists from the San Francisco Bay Area Recipients of the Lasker–DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award American men centenarians People from Tiburon, California {{US-physician-stub