ASGCT Remembers Dr. Gerard "Gary" McGarrity

Dr. Gerard "Gary" McGarrity, a longtime member of the ASGCT, passed away on September 21, 2017. For several years he served as president of the Coriell Research Institute in Camden, NJ. He was an active participant in the development of somatic cell gene therapy for clinical use.

One of his principal contributions involved serving as Chair of the NIH Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee [RAC] during a seminal period when the parameters of committee review were being refined and when actual review of the first gene therapy protocols occurred. At this time, interest in the field was growing rapidly and the number of protocols for review increased quickly. Each new protocol raised its own set of challenges and the RAC deliberations were intense with frequent disagreements. In this environment Dr. McGarrity was a steady presence who demonstrated the capacity to allow sufficient debate but still bring deliberations to closure at an appropriate time. 

As a result of his public position he was accused of a conflict of interest by a well-known and vociferous opponent of biotechnology research. The charges were proven to be false and, notably, Dr. McGarrity comported himself with a most professional demeanor during the resolution of this matter. 

Gary was a respected member of the scientific community who devoted the major part of his career to the development of gene transfer research and he will be missed by his friends and colleagues.

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