Charles J. Epstein, MD was born on September 3, 1933 in Philadelphia, PA. He graduated summa cum laude in chemistry in 1955 from Harvard, and then graduated first in his class at Harvard Medical School in 1959. He married his wife and classmate, Lois Epstein, MD, in 1956. Dr. Epstein moved to San Francisco in 1967, where he joined the faculty of UCSF as the chair of the medical genetics division. Dr. Epstein is survived by his wife Lois, who was also a long-time faculty member in the Department of Pediatrics, and their children David, Jonathon, Paul and Joanna.