Remembering Dr. Stanley Crain
The epidemic of opioid addiction currently in the news would no doubt have concerned Stanley Crain, Ph.D., professor emeritus of neuroscience and of medicine at Einstein, whose passionate dedication to understanding opioid addiction led to discoveries related to the bimodal nature of opioid receptors, and a novel method to reduce opioid dependence and tolerance. Dr. Crain died last month, peacefully in his sleep, at age 95.
Stanley Crain, Ph.D.
Dr. Crain arrived at Einstein in 1965, continuing research begun at Columbia University, where he had earned his Ph.D. in biophysics following World War II. He stayed on at Columbia to conduct research and teach, and also worked briefly in private industry as section head of Abbott Laboratories, in Chicago, before again devoting his efforts to academics.
Dr. Crain also played a key role in World War II. After completing his bachelor’s degree at City College in New York City while still a teenager, he went to work on the Manhattan Project at the University of Chicago as part the secret team to develop the atomic bomb. The Secretary of War awarded him a certificate upon his discharge, honoring his assistance in ending the war.
His 143 publications in prominent journals and 14 patents, as well as numerous awards, honors, grants, and world-wide lectures led to the foundation of Pain Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnological company dedicated to translating his laboratory discoveries into pharmaceutical drugs for opioid addiction. He also went on to establish Pondera Pharmaceuticals, Inc., focused on developing nutraceutical products based on his discoveries regarding endorphins.
Dr. Crain is survived by his wife, Bea, with whom he had been married for nearly 72 years, as well as his two sons, Steven and his wife, Victoria, and Michael and his wife, Beth, and three grand-children, Joshua, Jonathan, and Matthew. An informal Celebration of Life gathering was recently held at the family’s home in State College, PA. Memorial donations may be made to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), an organization which provided extensive support for Dr. Crain’s research. Those making a donation, please send it with a cover letter to:
National Institute on Drug Abuse
Financial Management Branch
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 5102 (MSC 9583)
Bethesda, MD 20892
Posted on: Thursday, June 21, 2018