Folkman

Folkman is a surname. The most notable bearer is Judah Folkman (1933–2008), an American physician-scientist who proposed that tumor growth is driven by angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels.

In his investigations beginning in the 1960s and 1970s, Folkman demonstrated that tumors secrete pro-angiogenic factors and that blocking blood vessel growth could slow or halt tumor progression. This work established the field of angiogenesis research and influenced the development of anti-angiogenic therapies for cancer.

This line of research helped shift the paradigm of cancer treatment toward strategies that disrupt the tumor’s blood supply, with ongoing implications for oncology and related areas of medicine. Folkman served as a professor at Harvard Medical School and directed research at institutions including the Children's Hospital Boston, contributing to translational cancer research and medical education.

His pioneering ideas fostered collaboration between basic science and clinical applications and continue to influence therapeutic approaches that target the tumor vasculature. The surname Folkman may refer to other individuals as well, but Judah Folkman remains the best-known figure associated with the name.