Morris Ziff

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Morris Ziff (1914?-August 22, 2005) was a physician, educator and researcher specialising in arthritic and rheumatic disorders, possibly best known for helping discover the rheumatoid factor.

Ziff was born in New York and educated at New York University, where he was lab partners with Severo Ochoa. He earned a doctorate in chemistry in addition to a medical degree. His work at University of Texas Southwestern Medical School beginning in 1958 led to his establishment of the school's rheumatology unit, which would become one of the most renowned units in the United States.

During his lifetime, Ziff was awarded with the Heberden Medal, the Carol Nachman Prize in Rheumatology, and the Distinguished Service Award from the Arthritis Foundation. In 1981, he was named an Ashbel Smith professor, and retired as chairman of rheumatology, but continued to privately research and practice until 1999. At the time of his death, he was professor emeritus and held the Morris Ziff Professorship in Rheumatology.