Dr. Neil Bertrand Ruderman

Neil B. Ruderman, M.D., D. Phil., passed away peacefully on Thursday, October 30, 2025, at the age of 88. He was the beloved husband of Sandra Ruderman for 62 years. Neil will be deeply missed by his daughter Adrienne Ruderman and her husband Dan Ketner; his son Ian Ruderman and his wife Melanie MacFarlane; and his cherished grandchildren, Henry and Will Ruderman.

Neil was born, raised, and educated in New York City. His extensive academic career included attending Columbia University, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and Oxford University. He completed an internship at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago and a residency at Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh before settling in the Boston area. He served as a researcher at the Joslin Clinic and later as a Professor of Medicine and the Director of the Diabetes Research Unit at Boston University for more than three decades.

His 60-year career in medicine was marked by a passion for clinical work, teaching, and research, with close to three hundred published or co-published papers. Dr. Ruderman's groundbreaking research provided fundamental insights into how disorders of fuel metabolism lead to disease. He was a global authority on the metabolic effects of exercise, demonstrating how physical activity can prevent or diminish the likelihood of developing Type 2 diabetes. His laboratory's pioneering work focused on the role of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and SIRT1 as key cellular energy sensors whose dysregulation is central to insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome.

While peers regarded him as a brilliant scientist, Neil took great pride in training younger researchers. In 2006, he received the prestigious Renold Award from the American Diabetes Association, recognizing his outstanding achievements in mentoring and fostering an environment for diabetes research. Friends and colleagues will remember him as a remarkably kind and generous man.

Neil’s greatest joys were found with his family, and he loved nothing more than gathering with them around the dinner table. He had a great enthusiasm for chocolate, Boston sports teams, visiting his daughter in Utah and playing with his grandsons. A lifelong competitive tennis player, he competed in the prestigious Orange Bowl Tennis Championships in Miami as a youth. As an adult, he was his club champion on numerous occasions and teamed up with his son, Ian, to win numerous father-son tournaments in New England.

Donations may be made in his memory to The American Diabetes Association at www.diabetes.org/donate or a charity of your choice.