Class of 1970 Commemorative Biographical Book

A L A N P E S T R O N K

Address: 6 Forest Ridge Place, Saint Louis, MO 63105 Email: pestronka@neuro.wustl.edu ● Phone: H: 314-727-0573

Alma mater: Princeton University

Postgraduate Training/Certification: Internal Medicine Intern: Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO, 1970-1971 Neurology Resident: Johns Hopkins, 1971-74 Neuromuscular Clinical and Research Fellow: Johns Hopkins, 1974-77 American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, 1978 Neuromuscular Medicine 2008, 2018 Neuromuscular Pathology 2016 Professional and Volunteer Awards and Recognition: Resident Teaching Award: Johns Hopkins Department of Neurology, 1987 Lawrence C. McHenry Award: Excellence in History of Neurology, American Academy of Neurology, 1987 Frank R. Ford Award: Outstanding Teaching, Johns Hopkins Neurology, 1988 Sven Eliasson Award: Outstanding Teaching, Washington University Neurology, 1992 Society of Scholars: Johns Hopkins, 2004 Distinguished Clinician Award: Washington University School of Medicine, 2015 Current Employment: Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis Professor, Departments of Neurology and Pathology & Immunology Director, Neuromuscular Division Director, Neuromuscular Clinical Laboratory

could deal with life realistically, and not chase rainbows. The experience taught me to be a better doctor, with personal understanding of the terrible toll that diseases take on patients and their families. A neuromuscular fellow from Australia helped us treat Ilene, and became a good friend. He returned home, and contacted me two years later in 1996: “If you ever come to Australia, we have a special woman for you to meet.” Two years later, I went to Australia. He introduced me to Lisa Taft, and he was right. Lisa, a horticulturalist with a special interest in native plants, moved to St. Louis, with her sons Ben, Josh and Dan, to be with me in 1999. Lisa, our young men, and I have lived here very happily ever after (20 years). We make annual pilgrimages back to Australia, as required in our marriage contract. My cultural interests include dance. New York City Ballet is my favorite. I served on the board of Dance St. Louis. A good hometown major league baseball team is a requirement. I grew up in New York enjoying Yankees games, and lived in Baltimore during a successful era of Orioles baseball.

Spouse or Partner’s Name: Lisa Pestronk

Name(s) of Children and Grandchildren: Suzanne, Richard, Jill & Gabrielle Nancy Edison Benjamin, Joshua & Daniel Kandy

Narrative: Personal life:

My counting statistics are two wives, seven step children, six grandchildren, and Eloise, a great grandchild. After 22 years together, my first wife, Ilene Edison, developed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a disease that I treat. It was terrifying and comforting at the same time. The good part was that we

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