Dear Colleagues,
It is with deep sadness that we share the news of Dr. Richard Maas’ passing on August 15, 2025, at the age of 70, following complications from an extended illness. A Professor of Medicine, Dr. Maas served as Chief of the BWH Division of Genetics from 1999–2021, and his profound impact on his Division, our Department, and strengthening the bridge between genomic investigation and clinical care cannot be overstated. Dick was a brilliant physician-scientist, a generous teacher and mentor, and an unfailingly supportive friend and colleague who was a tremendous force for good at BWH and in the world.
Dr. Maas earned his undergraduate degree in Chemistry from Dartmouth College in 1976, before matriculating in the MD/PhD program at Vanderbilt University. He then pursued his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at BWH, and completed his postdoctoral training with Dr. Philip Leder in the HMS Department of Genetics. Dr. Maas joined the HMS faculty in the newly-formed BWH Division of Genetics and was appointed to the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in 1989.
Dr. Maas’s research focused on the developmental genetics of vertebrate organogenesis, disease gene discovery, and the clinical implementation of genomic medicine. During his 22+ years as Chief, Dick helped to grow BWH Genetics from just four faculty to over 20 faculty at the rank of Assistant Professor or above, 250 staff, and over $25 million in annual research expenditures. He oversaw the expansion of clinical activities in the BWH Division of Genetics and helped launch the state-of-the-art BWH Genomic Medicine Service, an integrated clinical and research program enabling faculty from multiple departments to diagnose genetic disorders and discover new monogenic disease genes via whole-exome sequencing and whole-genome sequencing (WES/WGS). He also helped establish an ABIM-ABMG certified Genetic Medicine Residency Program at BWH.
Dick was a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) since 1990; was elected a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) in 1999; and was a member of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) from 1995–2020. He has served as an ad hoc reviewer for numerous scientific publications and was on the Editorial Advisory Board for Development for six years. Dick has been broadly acknowledged throughout his career for academic excellence, outstanding performance, and as a distinguished investigator and faculty member. His credentials include an NIH MERIT Award and an Honorary Professor of Genomic Medicine for Zhejiang University. Closer to home, he received the Brigham Research Institute (BRI) Director’s $500,000 Transformative Award in 2015, and in 2022 he was honored with the Award for Exemplary Service from the BWH Department of Medicine. Many of Dick’s trainees are now leaders in the biomedical sciences throughout the world, and have gone on to become successful university faculty, including department chairs, deans, institute directors, and division chiefs.
Dick’s impact on the field of Genetics at BWH and beyond transcends the numbers and the accolades; he had an infectious curiosity and true passion for sharing the wealth of knowledge, resources, and opportunity in genetic science and technology, to make us better doctors, scientists, and champions of human health. His work has changed the lives of countless patients, inspired numerous trainees and junior faculty fortunate enough to call him a mentor, and fueled the scientific pursuits of his colleagues and collaborators.
Dick is survived by his loving family: his wife, Hao Wu, PhD, Asa and Patricia Springer Professor of Structural Biology, Professor of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Boston Children’s Hospital; and his son, Gordon, and daughter, Allison.
We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues. There will be opportunities for the community to honor Dick’s memory and celebrate his professional life in the coming weeks. May we continue to be inspired by his legacy as a physician, scientist, mentor, friend, and humanitarian.
Sincerely,
Bruce and Jose
Bruce D. Levy, MD, MSc (Hon.)
Executive Vice Chair, Department of Medicine, MGB
Hersey Professor of the Theory and Practice of Physic, Harvard Medical School
Jose C. Florez, MD, PhD
Physician-in-Chief and Chair, Department of Medicine, MGB
Jackson Professor of Clinical Medicine, Harvard Medical School