Harvey E. Finkel, MD, received his undergraduate honours degree in psychology, biology, and literature at the University College of Arts and Science of New York University in 1955, his medical degree at the State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center in 1959.  The rest of his career is based in Boston: internship and medical residency at the US Public Health Service Hospital; fellowship in haematology at Tufts-New England Medical Center; chief of haematology and director of medical education at the US Public Health Service Hospital; then a move to the Boston University Medical Center in 1973, where he continued to specialize in haematology and oncology, attaining rank of clinical professor of medicine, an appointment he held until he retired in 1999.

 

Dr. Finkel has retired from full-time active medical practice, but continues actively writing and lecturing internationally about alcohol’s influence, good and bad, upon health.  In addition to many articles, he has co-authored a haematology book and one on wine, and wrote ‘In Vino Sanitas?’ on wine-and-health in 1998, second edition 2002, Japanese edition 2003, addendum 2004.

A founding member of our Forum, Harvey was a valuable and regular contributor to our critiques.  He was a proper “intellectual” and extremely knowledgeable about medicine and the interpretation of research reports.  Those of us who regularly communicated with him always admired both his intelligence and his wit. Harvey was highly respected by other members of our group, especially for his keen insight into scientific literature, and his willingness to not withhold his own succinct appraisals of papers.  He was also a great lover of wine and wrote about it beautifully in a number of newspapers.  He will be missed as a friend and as a valuable asset to our Forum.