Carolyn Bondy

Peter Bondy: It is with great sorrow that I announce the passing of my mother. Carolyn Ann Bondy, world-renowned clinical investigator at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, died last month after a long battle with a brain tumor. She was 71.
Carolyn was born in New York on May 12, 1945. Her father was in the Navy, and she spent her childhood near naval facilities in Connecticut and Massachusetts. She graduated from the Windsor Mountain School in Lenox, Massachusetts, attended Smith College, earned a B.A. in History from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, then returned to teach history at Windsor Mountain School, where she and Heinz Bondy were married.
In 1977 Carolyn earned a Master of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Subsequently, she enrolled in the Boston University School of Medicine where she was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society in 1980. In 1981 she graduated at the top of her class, earning an M.D. She completed her internship and residency in internal medicine at Boston University Hospital. A research fellowship led her to the NIH; she joined the NICHD as a fellow in clinical endocrinology in 1984. She then trained in basic neuroscience with Harold Gainer in NINDS from 1985 to 1990 before being promoted as a tenured senior investigator in NICHD in 1990. As chief of the NICHD Developmental Endocrinology Branch, Carolyn mentored and otherwise inspired countless young scientists, many of whom are now scientific leaders at NICHD. She was also active in the advancement of women scientists at the NIH.

Carolyn retired from NICHD in 2012 and was promptly appointed as a scientist emerita. In her nearly 30 years at the NIH, Carolyn published more than 150 highly cited peer-reviewed papers spanning both basic and clinical research. Her earlier work concerned insulin-like growth factors in brain development and reproduction. After achieving critical successes in this line of research in the 1980s and 1990s, Carolyn changed gears to investigate how sex chromosome genes contribute to normal human development and sex-based differences in susceptibility to congenital heart, autoimmune, and coronary diseases. This led to her pioneering work in monosomy X, Turner syndrome, in which a female is partially or completely missing the X chromosome.
Carolyn’s research on Turner syndrome revealed that upwards of half of women with this condition have congenital cardiovascular defects. She hypothesized that these defects were due to a haploinsufficiency for pseudo-autosomal genes located in the Xp region. Her research led to revelations of the roles sex chromosomes play in numerous chronic diseases. Carolyn’s work also led her to become an advocate for women with Turner syndrome, which affects approximately 1 out of every 2,500 female live births worldwide. This included strategies for care as well as social support.
Carolyn was recognized for her work through numerous awards, including the Public Health Service Special Recognition Award presented by the US Department of Health and Human Services, and a lifetime recognition award for her “contributions to improve the lives of patients with Turner Syndrome,” presented by the NHLBI GenTac Investigators.
Carolyn was a caring and engaged wife and mother who always opened her heart and home to her family. She enjoyed planning adventures for her children and grandchildren that have provided her family with many fond memories. She was also an avid gardener and regularly tended her beautiful flower and vegetable gardens, whose bounty was enjoyed in many a healthy and delicious meal. She also enjoyed crafts, and many of the items she made brightened the family home.
Carolyn is survived by two sons, Peter R. Bondy and partner Jeanne James of Olney, MD and C. Eric Bondy and wife Mariana Past of Lancaster, PA, and four grandchildren, Jessica Bondy, Amanda Bondy, Ray Bondy, and Ana Bondy. She was preceded in death by her husband Heinz, with whom she celebrated 41 years of marriage at the time of his death in February 2014; and her parents, Forrest and Ann Louks.
The family wishes to extend their gratitude to the friends and caregivers who assisted Carolyn during the past two years. Their kindness made a significant difference in her life.
A memorial service will be held at Asbury Methodist Retirement Community in Gaithersburg, MD on November 12 at 2:00 pm. Memorials for Carolyn may be sent to the Turner Syndrome Society ( http://www.turnersyndrome.org ) or Maryland SPCA at http://www.mdspca.org.

Berkshire Eagle 12/1/2016: Carolyn Ann Bondy, world-renowned clinical investigator at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, recently died following a long battle with a brain tumor. She was 71.

Carolyn was born in New York on May 12, 1945. She graduated from the Windsor Mountain School in Lenox, Massachusetts, attended Smith College, earned a B.A. in History from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, then returned to teach history at Windsor Mountain School, where she and Heinz Bondy were married.

In 1977 Carolyn earned a Master of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Subsequently, she enrolled in the Boston University School of Medicine where she was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society in 1980. In 1981 she graduated at the top of her class, earning an M.D. She completed her internship and residency in internal medicine at Boston University Hospital. A research fellowship in endocrinology led her to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD in 1984. In 1990 Carolyn was promoted to tenured senior investigator. As chief of the Developmental Endocrinology Branch, she mentored and inspired countless young scientists, many of whom are now scientific leaders. Carolyn was also active in the advancement of women scientists at the NIH.

Carolyn retired from NIH in 2012 and was promptly appointed as a scientist emerita. In her nearly 30 years at the NIH, Carolyn published more than 150 highly cited peer-reviewed papers. Her earlier work concerned insulin-like growth factors in brain development and reproduction. After achieving critical successes in this line of research in the 1980s and 1990s, Carolyn investigated how sex chromosome genes contribute to normal human development and sex-based differences in susceptibility to congenital heart, autoimmune, and coronary diseases. This led to her pioneering work in Turner syndrome.

Carolyn’s research on Turner syndrome revealed that upwards of half of women with this condition have congenital cardiovascular defects. Her research led to revelations of the roles that sex chromosomes play in numerous chronic diseases. Carolyn’s work also led her to become an advocate for women with Turner syndrome, which affects approximately 1 out of every 2,500 female live births worldwide. This included strategies for care as well as social support.

Carolyn was recognized for her work through numerous awards, including the Public Health Service Special Recognition Award presented by the US Department of Health and Human Services, and a lifetime recognition award for her “contributions to improve the lives of patients with Turner Syndrome,” presented by the NHLBI GenTac Investigators.

Carolyn was a caring and engaged wife and mother who always opened her heart and home to her family. She enjoyed planning adventures for her children and grandchildren that have provided her family with many fond memories. Carolyn was an avid gardener who regularly tended her beautiful flower and vegetable gardens; their bounty was enjoyed in many a healthy and delicious meal. She cared deeply for animals and provided a loving home for many throughout her life.

Carolyn is survived by two sons, Peter R. Bondy and partner Jeanne James of Olney, MD and C. Eric Bondy and wife Mariana Past of Lancaster, PA, and four grandchildren, Jessica Bondy, Amanda Bondy, Ray Bondy, and Ana Bondy. She was preceded in death by her husband Heinz, with whom she celebrated 41 years of marriage at the time of his death in February 2014; and her parents, Forrest and Ann Louks.

SERVICES: Carolyn will be inurned with her husband at Arlington National Cemetery in early December.