COVID expert from UMass Medical School, Dr. Robert Finberg, dies at 71
Dr. Robert Finberg, chair of the UMass Medical School Department of Medicine
Dr. Robert Finberg, distinguished professor of medicine and chair emeritus of the Department of Medicine at UMass Medical School in Worcester, died unexpectedly on Monday at the age of 71, the school announced on Tuesday.
Finberg’s storied career in medicine included most recently serving as a leader to the medical community and state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He served as the principal investigator on more than a half-dozen COVID-19 clinical trials, including those related to the safety and effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and remdesivir, the school said in its announcement.
His response to the pandemic included serving on Gov. Charlie Baker’s COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Group.
Finberg first began working with UMass Medical School and UMass Memorial in 1999. His work has included over 40 years of continuous National Institutes of Health funding, as well as research grants from the Department of Defense, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, among others, according to the school. He contributed to more than 300 publications.
Finberg was a reliable, candid source for many news outlets as they covered the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the vaccine development and rollout, including for WBJ.
The school said Finberg insisted, when he was named distinguished professor of medicine and chair emeritus last year, that the school include in the announcement of the promotion he was, among his other accomplishments, “most proud of his contributions to the career development of the many students, residents and faculty members whose illustrious careers and achievements have brought international recognition to our medical school and health system.”
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