of Little Rock, AR
February 17, 1949 - January 15, 2024
Dr. Martha May Moore, age 74, of Little Rock, Arkansas passed away on Monday, January 15, 2024 from complications of cancer and pneumonia.
Martha was born in Oxford, North Carolina on February 17,1949 to Dr. E. Leon Moore from Blackshear, Georgia and Dorothea (McNeal) Moore from Macon County, Illinois. She attended Springbrook High School in Silver Spring, Maryland. Martha received her undergraduate degree in Biology from Western Maryland College and her PhD in Genetics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she met her husband of 40 years, Terry D. O'Brian.
Martha was an internationally recognized expert in the use of genetic toxicology data in chemical hazard identification and mode of action, particularly as they relate to cancer risk assessment. She worked for 23 years with the US Environmental Protection Agency in North Carolina, 13 years with the US Food and Drug Administration's National Center for Toxicological Research in Jefferson, Arkansas and 6 years at Ramboll US Corporation, Little Rock, Arkansas. She more recently founded her own toxicology consulting firm.
Martha was a member of the Society of Toxicology, the Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society, the Genetic Toxicology Association and the European Environmental Mutagen Society. She received the Genetic Toxicology Association Excellence in Science Award in 2011. Martha has published more than 130 journal articles, papers and chapters. More importantly, Martha was a friend to budding scientists from around the world, particularly from China. She sponsored many students from abroad to study in her lab in Arkansas.
Martha was a loving wife to her husband, Terry and sister to her brother, Sam. She was accomplished in many aspects of living, from camping, kayaking, golf and gardening to sewing and baking. Her mind was always working on how to do things better and why things work the way they do. She used her considerable skills to take care of those around her in all aspects of her life. She was a member of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Little Rock.
She is survived by her husband, Terry D. O'Brian of Little Rock Arkansas; brother, Samuel L. Moore of Madison, Wisconsin; Sister in law, Susan (O'Brian) D'Angelo of Long Island; Brother in Law, Mickey O'Brian of NY and twenty three first cousins (mostly from Southeast Georgia and North Florida): David Moore, Cecilia (Moore) Turner, Kester Moore, Cynthia (Moore) Guinn, Kenny Moore, Zelda (Moore) McNeal, Iris (Tuten) Strickland, Larry Tuten, Diane (Waldron) Whitaker, Brenda (Waldron) Burney, Wayne Waldron, Sandra (Waldron) Stone, Norma Jean (Tuten) Napier, Gail (Tuten) Hargreaves, Daniel Tuten, Terry (Adcock) Johnson, Dr. Debra Moore, Deborah Moore, Sherrie (Moore) Mullis, Anita (Moore) Jones, Michael Moore, Kevin Moore and Brian Moore. First Cousins preceding her in death are Sylvia (Moore) Dawson, Barbara Ann Tuten and Glenda Tuten
A Celebration of Life is planned on Saturday, February 3, 2024 at 10:00 AM at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 4501 Rahling Road, Little Rock, AR 72223. Memorial services will take place, at a later date, in Blackshear, Georgia and Decatur, Illinois.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to CARTI Cancer Center in Little Rock, Arkansas.
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34 Condolence(s)
Jim Fuscoe
Sunday, February 11, 2024
I was deeply saddened at hearing the news of Martha’s death. I first met Martha in the late ‘80s when she helped me make a move to join EPA in North Carolina. Martha was an excellent branch chief and scientific collaborator who provided all those in her branch with many opportunities to do our best work. Martha became a friend and valued advisor and helped me at key points in my career, including joining NCTR. I remember her with great fondness as one of the truly good and kind people. Terry, Janine and I send our heartfelt condolences and hope your happy memories of Martha provide peace and comfort at this difficult time.
Don Newberry
Monday, February 5, 2024
Deepest condolences to the family. I knew Martha at Springbrook HS (1965) and at U. MD, College Park, 1967/68.
Blessings to all as you grieve her loss.
Susan Carver
Saturday, February 3, 2024
My sincere condolences to Terry and Martha's extended family and loved ones. Martha had a great sense of humor and was always fun to be around. She will be missed!
Melissa Schisler
Friday, February 2, 2024
Dr. Moore was a one of the kind scientist and person. I had the privilege of co-authoring a scientific publication and book chapter on the mouse lymphoma assay with her. She was a teacher, a mentor, and an extremely knowledgeable scientist. She will be deeply missed in the genetic toxicology scientific community. May her family, friends, and colleagues find peace in their wonderful memories of her.
Jim MacGregor
Thursday, February 1, 2024
I was fortunate in my career to know and work with Martha. She was an exceptional scientist who left a lasting imprint on her field and was a wonderful person to know and work with over the years. She will be missed by all who knew her.
Kerry and Gayle Dearfield
Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Martha was a true friend and wonderful colleague. From the moment we met, we hit it off both professionally and personally. We had many years of interacting about our field of genetic toxicology and risk assessment, including many publications together. Moreover, Martha and Terry became important to Gayle and me and our kids with many visits, wonderful experiences in food and travel, and just enjoying each other's company. It is hard to know we don't have Martha here anymore.
Yang Luan
Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Thank you for your help in the past, I will always remember it. Till memory fades and life departs, you live forever in our hearts
Bhaskar Gollapudi
Tuesday, January 30, 2024
Martha and I collaborated on a number of interesting and sometimes challenging genetic toxicology projects for nearly two decades. I admired her as a scientist and more importantly as a kind and compassionate human being. I will always remember her positive and practical attitude. My heartfelt condolences to Terry and all other family members for their loss.
Bhaskar
Jim Allen
Sunday, January 28, 2024
Terry, Patty and I are so sorry to hear of Martha’s passing. You and other family members have our heartfelt sympathy. I remember well when I first started working at EPA in the same Branch with Martha, she became an instant friend and colleague with whom I could always enjoy talking science. I had great respect for her as a scientist and felt lucky to eventually have her as my Branch Chief. When I needed something for my research, I knew that I could always count on Martha to make her best effort to support me. It was always stimulating and enjoyable to co-author manuscripts with Martha. She was a true friend in other ways as well… Patty and I will never forget her kindness in making our beautiful and quite delicious wedding cake. It was like a work of fine art. We will miss her, and we wish you peace.
Kurt & Gayle Otteson
Wednesday, January 24, 2024
Terry and Sam, you have our deepest condolences. We have always enjoyed our time time with Martha and you. You are all very special people and we will always consider you family. Please reach out if there is anything we can do for you.
Jerry Wang
Tuesday, January 23, 2024
I am deeply saddened by Martha's passing. Martha was my PhD advisor when I worked on my PhD dissertation at NCTR 20 years ago. She was not only a great mentor, a well-known expert to learn from, but also a wonderful person to be with. I am always grateful for her guidance and kind support over the years. It has been my privilege to get to know her, learn from her, and share many wonderful memories with her. My sincere condolences to Martha's family and may she rest in peace.
Marilyn Johnson Aardema
Tuesday, January 23, 2024
I had the pleasure of knowing Martha for decades. She was a great influence to newer scientists like myself. She had a gentle but tenacious approach when it came to bettering our field of genetic toxicology. She will be greatly missed.
Barbara Parsons
Tuesday, January 23, 2024
Martha was my mentor, Supervisor and Division Director for many years at NCTR. I will always appreciate how supportive Martha was of my work. Beyond that she provided me with practical advice on how to approach some "professional tasks" unrelated to the science that I use to this day. Martha was an amazing role model for me - a strong women scientist but one who was graceful and caring on a personal level. She will be missed. The remembrances of her speak powerfully to the impact she had on her co-workers, particularly generations of genetic toxicologists. Indeed, Martha will be remembered as an important figure in the field of genetic toxicology. My sincere condolences to Terry and all of Martha's family.
Molly McCarthy
Monday, January 22, 2024
Sorry for the loss of your sister Sam. You are in my thoughts.
Molly
Mickey Kamer
Monday, January 22, 2024
Martha was always a nice person to me. She had a smile each and everytime I would see her. She was a welcoming soul. I pray her Husband TOB and Family all find peace and enjoyment of the person she is, the many she helped, both in her work and in her personal life. She was a fine lady and I know her loved ones will miss her dearly.
Dr. Anthony DeAngelo
Saturday, January 20, 2024
Terry, I was saddened to hear of Martha's death. She was a supportive
colleague at the EPA. I have fond memories of you and Martha gardening in my back lot. May the many years of happy memories sustain you. I wish you peace
Tony DeAngelo
Andrew Kligerman
Saturday, January 20, 2024
Martha was my first branch chief when I joined the EPA in the early 190's, first as a contractor and than as a principal investigator. She had a love of fine wine and baking cakes as well as being a very good scientist and administrator. But most of all I will remember her as a kind, thoughtful person who had her heart in the right place. She will be missed.
David DeMarini
Saturday, January 20, 2024
Martha and I met more than 40 years ago, and we became friends and collaborators, and for a brief period, she was my branch chief. We collaborated on a series of projects during my early years at EPA in the 1980s, finding that the topoisomerase inhibitors were the most potent chromosomal mutagens ever discovered, even until today. We had a mutual love of cooking, and she remodeled her kitchen to a professional level, making amazing cakes for friends and family for special occasions. She trained with Don Clive at the birth of mammalian cell mutagenesis, and she brought that knowledge and experience with her to EPA and NCTR, moving into risk assessment later in her career. She remained a central figure in genetic toxicology well past her retirement, and her expertise and leadership in the field will be missed. I extend my deepest sympathies to Terry and her family. Genetic toxicology was enriched by her contributions, and she will be sorely missed by all of us who knew her and worked with her.
George Douglas
Saturday, January 20, 2024
I first met Martha many years ago when she was a still a graduate student working on the MLT, and have had the pleasure of working with her over the following years on many important international projects and fora concerning genetic toxicology and risk asessment issues. We became good friends and colleagues through these many interactions, and I will forever miss her respectful leadership, thoughtful dedication, and steadfast determination. I extend my deepest sympathy to Terry and family.
Nicole Goaley
Saturday, January 20, 2024
Terry and Sam, I am deeply saddened to hear of Martha’s passing. Although we never met in person, I had many interactions with Martha over the phone and on video calls. Martha was a fierce advocate. I admired her tenacity and appreciated her thoughtfulness. I will miss our conversations. Rest easy friend. You have touched many.
Lynn H. Pottenger
Friday, January 19, 2024
So sad to learn that Martha has left us. She was always a wonderful scientific collaborator, full of ideas for different approaches. Martha was so generous with her time, always finding ways to talk over a new project. She was also generous with her expertise, ready to discuss new and old issues and provide wise guidance. Martha knew how to be a friend, offering wisdom and support when needed, and joining in fun times whole-heartedly. She leaves an enormous hole. Hoping the memories of good times and a job well done will bring comfort to her family and friends.
Ying Chen and Tao Chen
Friday, January 19, 2024
We can't believe that Martha has gone. We have so many memories with her. Martha served as Tao' postdoc mentor in EPA, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina for two years and our supervisor in Division of Genetic and Molecular Toxicology, NCTR for many years until she retired. She was a true leader in genetic toxicology. We learnt a lot from her. It is our honor for us to be able to coauthor many manuscripts with her. Martha was also a decent and compassionate friend and helped us so much in many ways. We will miss her forever. May she rest in peace.
Ying Chen and Tao Chen
Jim MacGregor
Friday, January 19, 2024
I had the privilege of knowing and working with Martha during most of my career. Her contributions to the science and regulatory application of genetic toxicology had a major impact on the field, and her personal friendship made it a pleasure to work in this field of science.
Jim Kim
Friday, January 19, 2024
I had the pleasure of working with Martha when I was at ILSI HESI. I was still early in my career, and Martha was always so kind and patient. And as Dan noted, she had a great ability to bring consensus to disparate viewpoints with humility and patience. She is much loved by genetic toxicologists around the world, and will be missed.
J. Daniel Heck Ph.D., DABT, ATS
Friday, January 19, 2024
I was greatly saddened to hear of Dr. Moore's passing just recently. We had considerable professional interactions earlier in my own professional career as a toxicologist. Her keen insights in her areas of scientific expertise represented a major contribution to the discipline. Her very productive career has made a very real difference toward advancing contemporary cell-based toxicologic assessment techniques that have now largely replaced the use of living animals to ensure the safety of pharmaceuticals, environmental chemicals, and consumer products to protect consumers from potential genetic hazards that may arise from the use of such products of our contemporary technologies.
Dan Levy
Friday, January 19, 2024
Martha has been an inspiration and a mentor to me for the almost 25 years we have known one another. We were on many genetic toxicology workgroups together. She had a remarkable ability to gently corral colleagues with diverse viewpoints into consensus whether she was an official "chair" or was "leading from the middle". I will miss her terribly.
Dr. Geoffrey Wm. Patton, Ph.D.
Friday, January 19, 2024
I did not know Martha well, though also working at EPA and FDA. I remember her as outgoing and friendly and someone you wanted to sit with at a conference lunch table. Her work will always be highly regarded and cited as authoritative and definitive. The world of genetic toxicology is diminished by her passing.
Michael Dourson
Friday, January 19, 2024
Martha was an absolute treasure in the field of environmental risk assessment. I knew her first as a fellow employee of the US EPA, where are paths crossed any time I needed expertise in genetic toxicology (which was a lot), and then following us both leaving EPA, we kept in touch and worked together on a number of projects. She brought her NCTR lab into a cooperative agreement with our nonprofit group and generated research on cancer risk assessment that was the first of its kind, improving our understanding on how cancer develops after chemical exposures. This research has since been cited numerous times and is often quoted by our group as a significant accomplishment---due in large part to Martha's insights, efforts, and grace.
Masa Honma
Friday, January 19, 2024
I first met Martha through MLA nearly 30 years ago. Since then, she has remained a great mentor, collaborator, and good friend. I can't believe I won't see her again. I have so many unforgettable memories with her. Getting to know her is something I will treasure forever. Please rest in peace.
David Thorne
Friday, January 19, 2024
Martha was a dear friend, and coach. It was an honor to work with her on the various workshops and manuscripts over the years, as she tried to bring collaboration and standardization to the tobacco harm reduction gentox space.
She will be remembered for her passion, commitment and her relentless thirst for knowledge.
Time to rest Martha, you be sadly missed but fondly remembered. X
Debbie Seal
Thursday, January 18, 2024
Martha was such a great mentor and boss to me. But she was and an even better friend. I will truly miss her and think of her often. There will always be a special place in my heart for her.
Jeanne Anson
Thursday, January 18, 2024
My deepest sympathy to Martha’s family. She was a very kind person, talented scientist and caring colleague. It was a privilege and pleasure to work with her. May she rest.
Manju Manjanatha
Thursday, January 18, 2024
I worked with/under Martha in the Division of Genetic and Molecular Toxicology as she was our supervisor. I learned a lot from her not just genetic toxicology, but also management and administration of people. It is really sad to know she is no more. Martha, your passing is indeed a great loss to genetic toxicology community, and we will miss you and your intellect. May your soul rest in peace and may Lord give strength to Terry and your family to bear this loss and move on with their lives.
Saddened colleague,
Manju
Lei Guo
Thursday, January 18, 2024
In loving memory of Martha, our dear friend, beloved neighbor, and great mentor. We will deeply miss her, and her memory will forever hold a special place in our hearts.
Lei & Nan