Frank Dixon, a Lasker winner and founder of the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif., died on Friday (February 8) of heart failure. He was 87 years old. Dixon was best known for his work showing that immunologic responses can cause harm, including kidney and cardiovascular diseases, among others. That research earned him the 1975 Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research. Dixon's colleagues remembered him as a "no-nonsense," focused scientist. Dixon was a "very severe, very tough man," recalled Argyrios Theofilopoulos, a professor in the department of immunology at Scripps. "He didn't want the small talk or small explanation," Theofilopoulos said. "He wanted the facts and wanted it to be straight." Dixon's focus paid off, Theofilopoulos noted: "He did very elegant and important work." Still, the scientist had moments of softness. He would invite young Theofilopoulos, who worked with Dixon for 20 years, into his office to drink...
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