Renowned UM neurologist dies from brain tumor, remembered as a mentor to many. He was 65

Everyone knew when Dr. Ralph Sacco was in the halls.

The renowned University of Miami neurologist was like an Energizer Bunny, always on the go, weaving in and out of meetings with patients and staff, conducting research, attending lectures.

His passion for advancing stroke research and training the next generation of medical students helped fuel his endless energy.

“I was always so impressed how he would, no matter what — how busy and how many appointments he had, clinics and travels, and incredible leadership functions in professional societies around the world — he would always find time for his trainees and mentees,” said Dr. Tatjana Rundek, a UM professor of neurology who knew Sacco for more than 25 years. She’s the scientific director of the Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute and the Evelyn F. McKnight Chair for Learning and Memory in Aging at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

The beloved doctor — and the only physician to serve as president of the American Heart Association and the American Academy of Neurology — died at 65 Tuesday of a brain tumor, at his home in Long Island, New York. Loved ones say messages have poured in from across the globe, remembering a man who somehow found time to do it all.

He had “a sincere desire to help others but also, he always looked at the big picture, and wanted to know how he could move the needle forward,” said Dr. Jose Romano, who is now the acting chair of the medical school’s department of neurology.

Sacco grew up in New Jersey, where he sometimes worked in his family’s sub shop. He majored in bioelectrical engineering at Cornell University and attended Boston University’s School of Medicine, where he helped his mentor Dr. Philip A. Wolf collect and interpret data for the Framingham Heart Study, which would become the nation’s longest-running study of risk for cardiovascular disease, having begun in 1948.

He worked to address disparities in care and founded the Northern Manhattan Stroke Study, a study of underserved and understudied Black and Latino populations. His career eventually brought him to Miami, where he became chair of the University of Miami’s department of neurology. He also held the Olemburg Family Chair in Neurological Disorders, was a professor of neurology, public health sciences, human genetics and neurosurgery and became chief of neurology at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami.

He became executive director of the Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, which focuses on advancing clinical care and research in age-related memory loss and cognitive decline, co-director of the Miami Clinical and Translational Science Institute, founded the Florida Stroke Registry and became the founding principal investigator of the Florida-Puerto Rico Collaboration to Reduce Stroke Disparities and the Family Study of Stroke Risk and Carotid Atherosclerosis.

“Dr. Sacco’s outstanding achievements and contributions in research, teaching and mentorship, and patient care made a lasting impact on health care in South Florida, the nation, and the world. His work was integral to advancements in overall brain health, stroke, and cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment, and helped to advance health equity, create more targeted stroke prevention programs, improve outcomes, and enhance quality of life for stroke patients,” the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine said in an online post announcing his death. “Dr. Sacco’s collaborative research advanced the understanding of stroke and cardiovascular and brain health, and helped elucidate the impact of modifiable behaviors, such as alcohol consumption and physical activity, on stroke risk.”

He published more than 1,000 peer-reviewed articles, was editor in chief of the AHA’s peer-reviewed scientific journal Stroke and garnered awards, distinctions and achievements throughout his life.

He was an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and became the first neurologist to serve as president of the American Heart Association, from 2010 to 2011.

Despite all his accomplishments, loved ones say Sacco was a humble man who always put others first. And while he lived a busy life, he also found time for family, friends and other passions, such as architectural design.

“I am heartbroken. Twenty-two years together, and now he’s gone,” his husband, Scott Dutcher, said. “The love he gave will remain in my heart, and in the hearts of everyone he touched. He will not be forgotten.”

Memorial services are still being arranged and will be announced at a later date. Sacco is survived by his husband, Dutcher, his father and his four siblings.