91影库

In Memoriam

In memoriam: Roger Thibert

Christopher Radka
Sept. 30, 2024

Roger J. Thibert, a professor emeritus of clinical biochemistry at the University of Windsor, an expert on assay development for medical laboratory diagnostics and a member of the 91影库 and Molecular Biology since 1970, died May 30 in Windsor, Ontario Canada. He was 94.

Roger Thibert

Thibert was born Aug. 29, 1929, in Tecumseh, Ontario, Canada. He attended Assumption College High School and matriculated to Assumption College where he graduated with a BA in 1951. He earned a master’s degree in science from the University of Detroit in 1954 and  completed a doctorate at Wayne State University in Detroit in 1958. Thibert received advanced training through a radioisotope technique source at Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies and a computer science course at the University of Windsor, where he would spend the entirety of his 41-year career.

Thibert authored 130 publications, of which his most cited work focuses on clinical diagnostic chemistry. A described deducing the chemical structure of the red Jaff茅 chromogen used to measure creatinine in amniotic fluid or the serum of kidney transplant patients. At the time, reliability of the Jaff茅 colorimetric assay was affected by contaminating chromogenic interferences, and elucidation of the Jaff茅 chromogen structure could help optimize the assay conditions.

A described a longitudinal study that found carbamylated plasma protein and carbamylated hemoglobin are consistently elevated in blood samples from patients undergoing renal dialysis, demonstrating the viability of carbamylated protein as stable uremic markers.

During his tenure at the University of Windsor, Thibert mentored eight postdoctoral fellows, 25 doctoral students and 35 master’s students, and lectured thousands of students. He created the first clinical chemistry doctoral program in North America and received the Union Carbide Award for Chemical Education from the Chemical Institute of Canada in 1978 and the American Association of Clinical Chemistry Award for Outstanding Efforts in Education and Training in 1980, which was sponsored by SmithKline Clinical Laboratories.

Since 2011, the University of Windsor has awarded Roger Thibert Teaching Excellence Awards for science instructors who show excellence in undergraduate and/or graduate teaching, curriculum development or educational leadership. Eighteen recipients have received the award in the past 13 years.

“I officially retired in 1994 by government mandate, but I’ve never really left,” Thibert said in at the university. “I was still supervising graduate students gratis for five years after that. We teach students of course, but mentoring is also very important — caring about the student as a whole person while they are at the University and beyond. That’s what we’re all about here. Our motto is ‘Teach me goodness, discipline and knowledge,’ that is our mandate, to care not only about yourself but also about your community and others.”

An accomplished jazz guitarist, according to a , Thibert knew hundreds of standards and was skilled in the manouche style. He also enjoyed watching sports and playing chess.

Thibert is survived by his wife of 70 years, Audrey; sons, Mark Roger and wife Janice and Robert Francis and wife Ilona; four grandchildren; and two great grandchildren.

Enjoy reading 91影库Today?

Become a member to receive the print edition four times a year and the digital edition monthly.

Learn more
Christopher Radka

Christopher D. Radka is an assistant professor studying lipid biochemistry in the microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics department at the University of Kentucky. He is also an 91影库Today volunteer contributor.

Related articles

In memoriam: Thomas Devlin
Elisabeth Adkins Marnik
In memoriam: Bacon Ke
Christian McDonald
In memoriam: John DeMoss
Nipuna Weerasinghe

Get the latest from 91影库Today

Enter your email address, and we鈥檒l send you a weekly email with recent articles, interviews and more.

Latest in People

People highlights or most popular articles

Fliesler wins scientific and ethical awards
Member News

Fliesler wins scientific and ethical awards

July 21, 2025

He is being honored by the University at Buffalo and the American Oil Chemists' Society for his scientific achievements and ethical integrity.

Hope for a cure hangs on research
Essay

Hope for a cure hangs on research

July 17, 2025

Amid drastic proposed cuts to biomedical research, rare disease families like Hailey Adkisson鈥檚 fight for survival and hope. Without funding, science can鈥檛 鈥渃atch up鈥 to help the patients who need it most.

Before we鈥檝e lost what we can鈥檛 rebuild: Hope for prion disease
Feature

Before we鈥檝e lost what we can鈥檛 rebuild: Hope for prion disease

July 15, 2025

Sonia Vallabh and Eric Minikel, a husband-and-wife team racing to cure prion disease, helped develop ION717, an antisense oligonucleotide treatment now in clinical trials. Their mission is personal 鈥 and just getting started.

91影库members recognized as Allen investigators
Member News

91影库members recognized as Allen investigators

July 14, 2025

Ileana Cristea, Sarah Cohen, Itay Budin and Christopher Obara are among 14 researchers selected as Allen Distinguished Investigators by the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.

AI can be an asset, 91影库educators say
Advice

AI can be an asset, 91影库educators say

July 9, 2025

Pedagogy experts share how they use artificial intelligence to save time, increase accessibility and prepare students for a changing world.

91影库undergraduate education programs foster tomorrow鈥檚 scientific minds
Feature

91影库undergraduate education programs foster tomorrow鈥檚 scientific minds

July 8, 2025

Learn how the society empowers educators and the next generation of scientists through community as well as accreditation and professional development programs that support evidence-based teaching and inclusive pedagogy.