Photo courtesy of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
July 27, 2022 — St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has announced that Zoltan Patay, MD, PhD, Department of Diagnostic Imaging Chair, has died at the age of 65. According to a statement released by the hospital on July 26, Patay came to St. Jude in 2007 to serve as chief of the Neuroradiology Section in the then-Diagnostic Imaging Division. The division became a department in 2015, and a year later, Patay was named interim chair. In 2017, he permanently took over the role and was granted the Endowed Chair in Diagnostic Imaging.
At St. Jude, Patay helped shape and grow Diagnostic Imaging from a division to a world-class department, setting a standard of excellence in imaging research and patient care in diagnostic radiology, according to the statement. He also recruited numerous practitioners and mentored many early-career investigators.
Known worldwide for his work in pediatric brain tumor imaging, Patay frequently shared his expertise in international forums helping improve diagnostic and therapeutic imaging-based assessments and treatments far beyond the walls of St. Jude.
Patay received a medical degree from Semmelweis University Medical School in Budapest in 1982, and a doctorate from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 1996. He trained in Hungary, France and Belgium in adult neurology, radiology, and neuroradiology. In addition, he was a consultant neuroradiologist from 1997-2001 and section head of Neuroradiology from 2011-2006 at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He was an Honorary Member of the European Society of Neuroradiology.
Patay will be remembered for his dedication to patients, commitment to advancing the diagnostic imaging field, passion for knowledge sharing – and his vibrant sense of humor, including a special fondness for Yogi Berra quotes, noted the statement. He is survived by his wife and children.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, based in Memphis, TN, is a global leader in research and treatment of pediatric cancer and life-threatening diseases of childhood. The hospital is commemorating its 60th anniversary in 2022. On July 13, the hospital announced expansion of its strategic plan to target pediatric catastrophic diseases. The 2022-27 Strategic Plan, which started on July 1, 2021, marked the institution’s largest strategic expansion in its 60-year history. The new funding, according to the hospital, will affect scientific operations, clinical care, global medicine, and infrastructure.
More information: www.stjude.org
September 26, 2023 
