Neil B. Shulman posing in front of a Doc Hollywood poster.
Neil Barnett Shulman (March 18, 1945 – November 6, 2023) was an American doctor and medical writer, who was an Associate Professor in the School of Medicine at Emory University.[1] He conducted and published clinical research on hypertension and was the co-founder of the International Society on Hypertension in Blacks. He was also the author of many books promoting medical literacy for both adults and children, as well as humour and children's books. He was the associate producer of the 1991 film Doc Hollywood, based on one of his books.
Medical career
Shulman graduated from Emory University School of Medicine in 1971, after which he began teaching at the same institution. He has conducted research and published a variety of papers on the field of hypertension, funded at the level of around $8 million by the National Institutes of Health.[2]
In 1986 Shulman co-founded the International Society of Hypertension in Blacks (ISHIB) together with Wilbur Dallas Hall and Elijah Sanders. Through its annual research conference, this society brings the latest approaches to cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment to health care professionals in the West and the Third World.[3][4] Shulman also helped launch ISHIB's peer-reviewed quarterly journal, Ethnicity & Disease,[5] and the Heart to Heart Program which brought children from developing countries to the United States for life-saving heart surgery.
Shulman was chairman of the board of Patch Adams’ Gesundheit! Institute, and an advisory board member of Global H.E.E.D., a non-profit organization founded by former students of Emory University, Zain Ahmed '08C and Sonny Bandyopadhyay '07C to promote development, medicine, and public health in Guatemala.[6]
Healthcare activist
Shulman was a patient advocate who took an active role on behalf of healthcare consumers and patients with limited access to care.[7] Shulman founded the Medical Volunteerism Conference in 2010 which met at Emory University with over 2,000 international attendants in that year.[8] In 2011 the summit was held again, this time called the Global Health and Humanitarian Summit.[9] He played an active role on behalf of patients affected by the closing of the dialysis clinic at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, GA, which ultimately led to a favourable outcome for the affected patients.[7] He was a key contributor to the 2013 Global Health and Humanitarian Summit.[10] held at Emory University on April 12, 2013 – April 14, 2013.
Author, filmmaker, website developer
Shulman authored and co-authored many books on medical topics, as well as consumer medical primers for adults and children, and children's books. He self-published children's and humour books through his own company, Rx Humor.
In 1991 his book What? Dead…Again? was made into a feature film called Doc Hollywood, starring Michael J. Fox; Shulman was an associate producer on the film. He also produced, co-directed, co-wrote and co-starred in the independent feature film Who Nose? (Wet Sock Productions, 2006).
In 1999 he developed his book Your Body’s Red Light Warning Signals: Medical tips that may save your life into an interactive consumer website (www.redlightwarningsignals.com). In 2007 he developed his children's book What’s in a Doctor’s Bag? into an interactive website (www.whatsinadoctorsbag.com).
Shulman was also a comic performer on the subjects of humour and medical literacy. He often performed in fundraisers for free clinics and other charitable ventures.[2]
Personal life and death
Shulman married actress Zoe Haugo in October 2008. They had one son, Miles, born September 2006.[11]
Neil B. Shulman died on November 6, 2023, at the age of 78.[12][13]
Selected bibliography
Books
Hall, Wilbur Dallas (1985). Hypertension in Blacks: Epidemiology, pathophysiology and treatment. ISBN0-8151-4095-9. (with W. Dallas Hall and Elijah Saunders)
Three Medical Experts Tell You What You Want to Know About High Blood Pressure. (with Elijah Sanders and W. Dallas Hall)
Understanding Growth Hormone: New Discoveries to Help Very Short Children...Are They Also a Fountain of Youth?. Hippocrene Books. January 1993. ISBN0-7818-0071-4. (with Letitia Sweitzer)
The Germ Patrol: A book for all ages about shots for tots…and big kids, too!. Rx Humor. April 1998. ISBN0-9639002-8-5. (with Todd Stolp and Robin Voss)
The Black Man's Guide to Good Health: Essential Advice for the Special Concerns of African-American Men. Hilton Pub. 2001. (with James W. Reed and Charlene Shucker)
Your Body, Your Health: How to Ask Questions, Find Answers, and Work With Your Doctor. Prometheus Books. September 2002. ISBN1-59102-012-3. (with Rowena Sobczyk)
Spotless. Rx Humor. 2004.
The Great Face Off. Rx Humor. 2005. (with Allison Anderson)
Shulman, Neil; Cutter, Gary; Daugherty, Robert; Sexton, Mary; Pauk, George; Taylor, Mary Jordan; Tyler, Myra (March 1982). "Correlates of attendance and compliance in the hypertension detection and follow-up program". Controlled Clinical Trials. 3 (1): 13–27. doi:10.1016/0197-2456(82)90016-2. PMID7067470. (with Gary Cutter, Robert Daugherty, Mary Sexton, George Pauk, Mary Jordan Taylor and Myra Tyler)
