Obituary of Marcelo A. Barreiro, MD

Marcelo Adolfo Barreiro, MD, 89, passed away May 11, 2023. A physician-scientist and athlete, he always said, "When times get tough, hit the gym and the books." A former Rugby player, runner and triathlete, he swam competitively with the Binghamton University Masters Swim Team (BUMS) as recently as this spring, winning many awards. He loved the study and practice of medicine and read history and political science extensively. Informed by his broad knowledge and fueled by unrelenting energy, he was a visionary who dreamed big and inspired those around him. Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he obtained his medical degree from the University of Buenos Aires Medical School. He was a Fellow of the Cleveland Clinic (Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology) and earned a degree in experimental medicine at McGill University (M.Sc.). Excellence in patient care, education, and research grounded him and drove many accomplishments. This legacy lives on in the gastroenterology group he founded in Binghamton with Leslie Bank, MD and Gregory P. Scagnelli, MD. He was involved with medical research throughout his career, as Investigator for many pharmaceutical trials, Director of Research at United Medical Associates, and Medical Officer at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. With Binghamton University Faculty, he conducted and published original research in functional disorders. He also served as clinical faculty with SUNY Upstate Medical University. His passion for education drove the creation of the Annual Gastroenterology Teaching Day at United Health Services (UHS) that attracted nationally prominent faculty to Binghamton for over 40 years. Most recently, his involvement with the UHS GI Fellowship Program had been one of his greatest joys. He loved Binghamton for its rolling hills, its welcoming people, and its proximity to New York City. The many friends, colleagues, and teammates whose relationships he valued comprise a list too long to recite, but high on it were his fellow BUMS, who were among his favorite people. Drs. Bank and Scagnelli were as close to him as family; indeed, their loving families are now forever extensions of his own. He is survived by his wife, Alyssa Makinajian Barreiro and their children, Francesca and Malcolm. He is survived also by his first wife, Elizabeth Carman, and their children: Patricia, Marc, Elizabeth, John, Andrea, and grandchildren. He was predeceased by his parents, Federico Adolfo Barreiro Grau and Maria Rosa Francesca Salmoiraghi de Barreiro Grau. Dr. Barreiro praised the nurses and librarians with whom he worked throughout his life, and he wished to thank them as well as his patients who inspired him; His family thanks staff who cared for him at Wilson Regional Medical Center. Final arrangements will be private. Donations in Dr. Barreiro's memory may be made to the Gastroenterology (GI) Research and Education Fund established in his honor at the United Health Services Foundation: by mail to 10-42 Mitchell Ave. Binghamton, NY 13903, or online at nyuhs.org/give-back.