Mark Hallett, 82, of Bethesda, Md., world-renowned scientist emeritus at the Maryland-based National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, former chief of the clinical neurophysiology laboratory at Brigham and Women\u2019s Hospital in Boston, associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, groundbreaking researcher, prolific author, mentor, and world traveler, died Sunday, Nov. 2, of glioblastoma at his home. <\/p>\n
Dr. Hallett was born in Philadelphia and reared in Lower Merion<\/a> Township. He graduated from Harriton High School in 1961 and became a pioneering expert in movement, brain physiology, and human motor control. <\/p>\n He spent 38 years, from 1984 to his retirement in 2022<\/a>, at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda and was clinical director and chief of the medical neurology branch<\/a> of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. He and his colleagues examined the human nervous system and the brain, and their decades of research helped doctors and countless patients treat dystonia, Parkinson\u2019s, and other neurodegenerative diseases. <\/p>\n \u201cWhen I met him, I was in bad shape,\u201d a former patient said on Instagram<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019d also been told \u2026 that no one would ever figure out the source of my illness. \u2026 He and his team diagnosed me, and thereby, I\u2019m pretty sure, saved my life\u201d <\/p>\n Dr. Hallett told the Associated Press in 1992: \u201cThe more that we know about the way these cells function, the better off we are.\u201d <\/p>\n He founded the NINDS\u2019 human motor control section<\/a> in 1984, cofounded the Functional Neurological Disorder Society<\/a> in 2018, and served as the society\u2019s first president. He cultivated thousands of colleagues around the world, and they called him a \u201cgiant in the field\u201d<\/a> and a \u201cglobal expert\u201d<\/a> in online tributes.<\/p>\n Barbara Dworetzky, current president of the FNDS, said Dr. Hallett was<\/a> a \u201cbrilliant scientist, visionary leader, and compassionate physician whose legacy will endure.\u201d Former NIH colleagues called his contributions<\/a> \u201castounding\u201d and said: \u201cThe scope and impact of Dr. Hallett\u2019s work transcend traditional productivity metrics.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe will be remembered for his kindness, intelligence, wonderful sense of humor, and integrity.\u201d<\/p>\n Former colleagues at the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation on Dr. Hallett<\/p>\n He chaired scientific committees and conferences, and supervised workshops for many organizations<\/a>. He earned honorary degrees and clinical teaching awards, and mentored more than 150 fellows at NIH. \u201cOur lab\u2019s demonstration of trans-modal plasticity in humans was another milestone,\u201d he told the NIH Record in 2023. \u201cAnd, of course, I am particularly proud of the fellows that I have trained and their accomplishments.\u201d<\/p>\n In a tribute<\/a>, his family said those he mentored \u201cvalued his intellect, his encouragement, his kindness, and his humor.\u201d<\/p>\n Dr. Hallett had planned to study astronomy at Harvard University after high school. Instead, he earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in biology in 1965 and a medical degree at Harvard Medical School in 1969. He completed an internship at the old Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, now part of Brigham and Women\u2019s, and joined a research program at the NIH in 1970 to fulfill his military obligation during the Vietnam War. <\/p>\n A fellowship in neurophysiology and biophysics at the National Institute of Mental Health sparked his interest in motor control, and he served a neurology residency at Massachusetts General Hospital in 1972 and a fellowship at the Institute of Psychiatry in London in 1974.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving a free hand to pursue whatever ideas I had is an unusual opportunity. I will miss having a laboratory to answer questions that might cross my mind.\u201d<\/p>\n Dr. Hallett after his retirement from the NIH in 2022 <\/p>\n He returned to Brigham and Women\u2019s in 1976 to supervise the clinical neurophysiology laboratory and rose to associate professor of neurology at Harvard. In 2019, he earned the Medal for Contribution to Neuroscience from the World Federation of Neurology, and former colleagues there recently said his work<\/a> \u201chad a lasting global impact and shaped modern clinical and research practice.\u201d <\/p>\n He also studied the scientific nature of voluntary movement and free will. He wrote or cowrote more than 1,200 scientific papers on all kinds of topics, edited dozens of publications and books, and served on editorial boards.<\/p>\n He was past president of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology and the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society, and vice president of the American Academy of Neurology.<\/p>\n At Harriton, he was senior class president, a star tennis player, and a leading man in several theatrical shows. \u201cThe only time he disobeyed his parents,\u201d his family said, \u201cwas when he decided to leave Philadelphia to attend Harvard College.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA true pioneer in his field, he\u00a0played a major role in establishing movement disorders as a subspecialty of neurology.\u201d<\/p>\n Former colleagues at the NINDS on Dr. Hallett<\/p>\n Mark Hallett<\/a> was born Oct. 22, 1943. The oldest of three children, he was a natural nurturer, a longtime summer camp counselor, and the winner of an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation national scholarship award in high school.<\/p>\n He grew up in Merion and met Judith Peller at a party in 1963. They married in 1966 and had a son, Nicholas, and a daughter, Victoria. <\/p>\n Dr. Hallett was an avid photographer and a master of the family group shot. He championed a healthy work-life balance, and his family said: \u201cHe eagerly built sand castles, skipped stones, and started pillow fights. His easy laugh was contagious.\u201d<\/p>\n He enjoyed hiking, biking, jazz bands, and organizing family vacations. \u201cHe was a natural leader,\u201d his son said, \u201cself-assured and patient of others, with a deep sincerity and a desire to help people.\u201d <\/p>\n \u00bb READ MORE: Survivors give advice about mourning their loved ones, as told to The Inquirer\u2019s obit writer<\/a><\/p>\n His daughter said: \u201cPeople were constantly turning to him for medical advice, and he was always willing and eager to help.\u201d <\/p>\n His wife said: \u201cHe was very high energy. He brought out the best and the most in young people. He made them feel good about themselves.\u201d <\/p>\n In addition to his wife and children, Dr. Hallett is survived by two granddaughters, a sister, a brother, and other relatives. <\/p>\n A memorial service is to be held later. <\/p>\n Donations in his name may be made to the Functional Neurological Disorder Society<\/a>, 555 E. Wells St., Suite 1100, Milwaukee, Wis. 53202; and the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society<\/a>, 555 E. Wells St., Suite 1100, Milwaukee, Wis. 53202. <\/p>\n