David Servan-Schreiber facts for kids
David Servan-Schreiber (born April 21, 1961 – died July 24, 2011) was a famous French doctor, brain scientist (neuroscientist), and writer. He taught about mental health (psychiatry) at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in the United States. He also taught at a medical school in France called Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1.
Life and Work
David Servan-Schreiber was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. His father, Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber, was a well-known French journalist and politician.
David helped start and later directed a special center at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. This center focused on "integrative medicine," which means combining different types of treatments.
He was also a very active volunteer doctor. In 1991, he worked as a doctor in Iraq. After this, he helped create the U.S. branch of Médecins Sans Frontières. This is an international group also known as Doctors Without Borders. They won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999 for their important work. David also volunteered in many other countries, like Guatemala, Kurdistan, Tajikistan, India, and Kosovo.
Awards and Books
In 2002, David Servan-Schreiber received an award for his excellent work in psychiatry. He wrote two very popular books:
- Healing Without Freud or Prozac: This book was translated into 29 languages and sold over 1.3 million copies.
- Anticancer: A New Way of Life: This book was translated into 35 languages and became a New York Times best-seller. In this book, he shared his own story. He was diagnosed with a serious brain tumor when he was 31 years old. He wrote about the special plan he created to help himself alongside his regular medical treatments.
He also wrote articles for magazines like Ode.
Later Life and Legacy
David Servan-Schreiber had a brain tumor that came back twice. Because of this, he became a leading voice for using "integrative medicine" to help prevent and treat cancer. He shared his knowledge through:
- Teaching seminars
- Lectures
- Books
- A blog
- Audiobooks
He passed away on July 24, 2011, almost 20 years after he was first diagnosed with brain cancer. His work continues to inspire many people interested in health and well-being.
