Edward D. Freis (May 13, 1912 – February 1, 2005) was an American physician and researcher, who received the Albert Lasker Award for his studies of the treatment of hypertension.
Early life
Edward David Freis was born in Chicago, Illinois on May 3, 1912 to Lithuanian immigrants Roy and Rose Freis. He had his eyes set on becoming an actor, but after a few shows, he realized that acting was not for him, and he decided to become a doctor.
Freis obtained his BS from the University of Arizona in 1936, and his M.D. from the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University. After graduation, an internship, and a one-year residency in Boston-area hospitals, he joined the United States Army Air Corps, serving as assistant chief, then chief, of the laboratory service at Lincoln Air Force Base from 1942-1944, and the laboratory service for the USAAF Rheumatic Fever Research Program at Gowen Field from 1944-1945. When the war ended, Freis returned to Boston, completing another residency and a research fellowship at Evans Memorial Hospital, where he worked under Robert Wilkins.