Dr. Nadia Morgan, with Dr. Ami Shah (L) and Dr. Fred Wigley (R), following her receipt of the 2017 Scientist Development Award from the Rheumatology Research Foundation.
Editor’s notes: A memorial service for Nadia is being planned for Jan. 16, 2019, from 4:30-6:00 p.m. at Johns Hopkins Bayview Asthma and Allergy Center, Richard A. Grossi Auditorium, 5301 Hopkins Bayview Circle, Baltimore.
To honor her life and the impact she made on the Division of Rheumatology, Johns Hopkins is establishing the Dr. Nadia D. Morgan Memorial Fund. Through this endowment, a lectureship will be held to focus on the impact of African ancestry on the manifestations and course of the rheumatic diseases, and to fund support for fellows to attend national meetings in their areas of interest. Contribute online here.
In 1993, Tom Hanks received the Academy Award for his work on Philadelphia, a movie about a lawyer who was fired from his workplace after he was diagnosed with AIDS. In his acceptance speech, Mr. Hanks lamented that many of the people who helped bring the movie to fruition did not live to see him accept the award, having been taken from us far too soon. “And there lies my dilemma here tonight,” he said. “I know that my work … is magnified by the fact that the streets of heaven are too crowded with angels.”
On Dec. 15, 2018, Nadia Dominique Morgan, MBBS, was killed in a car accident. She was an instructor in medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, and a faculty member of the Johns Hopkins Scleroderma Center.
Nadia attended medical school at the University of the West Indies in Kingston Jamaica, where she received both medical and surgical honors.
She was recruited by the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, where she completed her training in internal medicine and subsequently served as chief resident. During her chief residency, the Eastern Seaboard was hit by Hurricane Sandy, which forced many New York Hospitals to close. As chief resident, Dr. Morgan was responsible for triaging and accommodating many of the patients who were displaced by the storm.
Dr. Morgan was then recruited by Johns Hopkins to complete her fellowship training in rheumatology, where she developed a strong interest in the impact of race on the rheumatic disease. She was an investigator for a multi-center cohort GRASP, which is the largest study ever conducted of African Americans with scleroderma. In November 2016, she received the Distinguished Fellow Award from the ACR, which is the highest honor offered by the ACR to a trainee. In 2017, she received a Scientist Development Award from the Rheumatology Research Foundation, in support of her work examining the role of IL-13 in the pathogenesis of lung disease among patients with scleroderma. In 2018, the Rheumatology Research Foundation also awarded her a Career Development Award, in support of her work in this area.
She was in her third year as a member of the ACR’s Standing Committee on Patient Registries; she was the first Afro-Caribbean woman to serve on this committee. She has also served on the ACR’s Fellows-in-Training Subcommittee’s roundtables on obtaining independent grant funding. In 2017, she was appointed to Alpha Omega Alpha, in recognition of her tremendous accomplishments, and she was about to be promoted to the position of assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University.
In 2016, Dr. Morgan became a U.S. citizen. Despite this, she remained tremendously proud of her Jamaican heritage. She often quoted the Jamaican motto, “out of many, one.” She used this as a way of reminding us of her Jamaican outlook, that the aspects of life that drew us together were far more important than the quirks that drew us apart. She had a fierce, independent streak and a drive to succeed, which was softened by her tremendous compassion for others, which she shared with patients and colleagues alike. She had a magnetic personality and a commanding presence; you could instantly tell when she walked into a room. Like the ginger beer she liked to drink, she was sweetness, tempered with a bit of spice. She is irreplaceable. She will be missed.
Philip Seo, MD, MHS, is an associate professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore. He is director of both the Johns Hopkins Vasculitis Center and the Johns Hopkins Rheumatology Fellowship Program.
I was Dr.Morgans patient coordinator and worked with her every day… you will be missed soooo much I have no words smh I know one day this pain will not be as bad as it is today but you will always be in my heart.. love you I will miss your voice, your smile and all the pressure you put on me daily to be the best:)
Nadia,
To say you will be missed is an understatement. You had an infectious smile and it was always bright. To have your light dimmed so soon in life is unfair and finding the words to describe it is difficult. I hope your family finds solace in the fact that you were loved by so many here at JH and in Rheumatology in particular. I know I will miss you sorely.
Rest in Peace <3
I am a Research Nurse who worked with Nadia. She used to stop into my office to share good news, discuss our work together or just to say hello. She had a very friendly caring personality and was loved by all the staff and her patients as well. She often spoke of her parents and her sister and I could tell how much she loved them and cherished the time she had with them. Nadia was more than a co-worker. She was a friend. My heart is broken at her loss. My only comfort is this is not the end. I will see her again someday.
Nadia was assigned to be my ‘big buddy’ during fellowship, which means that I had the privilege of receiving her guidance and getting to know her as a friend. Nadia always had a positive outlook and a good word to say about everyone. I admired her intelligence, her drive, and her way of handling every situation with poise. I am so lucky to have known her, and I am so grateful to her parents and family for making her the wonderful person she was.
I am a Research Coordinator in the division of Rheumatology. Although I did not work directly with Nadia, I saw her everyday. I will miss her warm smile and contagious laughter that filled the halls. I will always remember the pride in her voice when she shared a story of her father at our recent Town Hall Meeting. She was a light in our division that can never be replace, but will also never go out. We will all remember her and try to live up to the standard and example she set. Nadia you will always live in our hearts and your family will be in my prayers.
Nadia was, quite simply, the most amazing physician and person one can imagine, not only due to the ways she was advancing the care of patients in scleroderma, but also because of the warmth and compassion that she shared with others in every moment of her life. We have lost someone truly special and the world has lost such a bright soul. We will miss you, Nadia, and we will always think of you, remember you, and try to make you proud by leading lives in the way that you led yours.
Nadia’s caring nature overflowed into everything she did, whether it was working hard for her patients or helping a trainee “navigate the system.” I was blessed to have been co-fellows with Nadia, one class beneath her, and I frequently benefited from her gracious advice along the way. Countless times she was a source of guidance and encouragement to me. She was a loving person, who loved her coworkers, friends, and family very much. She will be dearly missed.
I had the privilege of being co-fellows with Nadia. She is, quite simply, one of the most conscientious, thoughtful and caring people I have ever met. She went out of her way to nurture and guide the trainees below her, and in doing so she has left an indelible footprint on so many of us. She will be remembered as we all strive to live up to her example. She will be sorely missed.
Nadia was my classmate in fellowship. We graduated together in 2017 and joined the Hopkins Rheumatology faculty also together immediately thereafter. I am honored and privileged to have been her friend and colleague. I hurt knowing that our tight-knit entering class of 2014 family will never be whole again.
Goodbye, Morgan. We love you. We miss you. We will never forget the many wonderful ways in which you touched the world around you and made it just that much better.
— E
Nadia was like an older sister to me. We were in lockstep since coming to Baltimore for fellowship in 2014. During our three-year rheumatology fellowship, we also completed our Master’s degrees side by side. Always looking out for others, she sent daily reminders regarding class notes she wanted to share, assignments that were due, meetings not to miss.
Together we joined faculty in the summer of 2017, both within the Scleroderma Center. Never shy to point out my deficiencies (and there are many), she truly made me a better person. I was always impressed by the thoughtfulness she exhibited on a daily basis, worrying about others with whom she only interacted with once. She genuinely wished for better lives and happiness for everyone, and took concrete action to make those wishes a reality. I will always remember her, and believe her presence here at Hopkins, though tragically brief, will live on forever.
I am heartbroken to hear this news, Nadia was a year behind me in training with an interest like my own in scleroderma, and was one of those special people whose enthusiasm and love for life always made me reexamine my own priorities after our meetings. I never saw her give any less than 100% of herself to her patients, her research interests, and her colleagues. Once again now she has given me pause to step back and appreciate how blessed we are for every minute of the jobs we do and the people we are positioned to help, and how fragile all of our lives are. Even by her own superhuman standards, Nadia can be proud of all the lives that she has touched, and I look forward when we all meet again to seeing how she has shaped that place up 🙂
Nadia was the younger sister of one of my high school year mates. I also remembered her distinct voice and you could always tell that Nadia was around. I ran into her about 2 years ago, at the airport as we were both heading back to the US after spending our vacation home. We exchanged hello in passing and a quick ” where are you now” conversation. I was not surprised that she was at Hopkins. Nadia like her sister is extremely bright; and her passing is a huge loss to the field of medicine. May her soul rest in peace and may her family be comforted in knowing that Nadia accomplished a lot in her 35 years and made a difference.
What a privilege it was to know Nadia. She was a spiritual, kind, compassionate person. She lived her life as a wonderful example of the way we should treat one another, and her tragic untimely passing will forever remind us all to strive to live that same way every day. She was passionate about her research and sincere in her interactions with everyone. Nadia could light up a room with her enthusiasm. The last time I saw her, she gleefully shared her good news about receiving her grant. We hugged as we celebrated together, and the last words she said to me were, “God is good.” Your love for your family was palpable, Nadia, and despite what must be immeasurable grief, may they take comfort in knowing that they raised an amazing woman whose legacy will most certainly live on.
I had the pleasure of getting to know Nadia through fellowship. As many other commenters have pointed out, she had an incredible way of lighting up a room. She was as comfortable in roles of academic researcher, physician, good friend, advisor, or even as the unofficial social chair of the fellowship program. She was always one of those people that Forced you to step back and wonder: how does one give 110% to everything they do?
Nadia was snatched from this earth far too early, but in the time she was with us, it is amazing the number of lives that she managed to touch. She will be missed.
Nadia – One of the sweetest people I have ever met. What I admired about her was her presence, Everything she did was done with a purpose. Its as though she knew she was on a mission, and didn’t have time for mediocrity. There is no way she can ever be forgotten. I find comfort in knowing that there is a far more beautiful place, where all her skills and amazing personality are needed far more than we could ever imagine.
Rheumatology will miss you so much!
I am a Medical Office Coordinator in the Scleroderma Clinic who worked with Dr. Nadia Morgan. Dr. Morgan was very efficient. Her clinic day was Mondays, rest assured she was preparing for it on the Friday before. Consuelo and I would laugh at how busy we would be on Fridays instead of Mondays. Nadia’s smile lit up a room. She always greeted you with a smile, even when she needed to reprimand you. lol. When our last days here on earth comes to an end, we tend to focus on the day the person was born and the day they passed away. We need to focus on the dash in between those dates. Dr. Morgan’s dash spoke for itself. She left a legacy that will forever live on. I believe God is well pleased with her work down here on earth. She’s already in Heaven helping other souls. Nadia you will be missed tremendously. Sleep in Peace.
Remembering her as a child at UHWI. Sleep on Dr Morgan hugs to family and friends
“[t]he streets of heaven are too crowded with angels.” One more angel is rested in peace. Nadia, I will miss your smile!
So many emotions are with me as I write this. I also was Dr. Morgan’s coordinator but only for a short time. Indeed she was organized and on point with everything she did and she did it so well. Her sweet innocent giggle and smile can never be replaced as well as her warm spirit. I needed to share this because truly our angel is riding the stairway to heaven… FAIR ENOUGH (in my Dr. Morgan’s voice) FAIR ENOUGH! 🙂
There’s a lady who’s sure
All that glitters is gold
And she’s buying a stairway to heaven
When she gets there she knows
If the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for
Oh oh oh oh and she’s buying a stairway to heaven
There’s a sign on the wall
But she wants to be sure
‘Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings
In a tree by the brook
There’s a songbird who sings
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiving
Ooh, it makes me wonder
There’s a feeling I get
When I look to the west
And my spirit is crying for leaving
In my thoughts I have seen
Rings of smoke through the trees
And the voices of those who standing looking
Ooh, it makes me wonder
Ooh, it really makes me wonder
And it’s whispered that soon, If we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason
And a new day will dawn
For those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter
If there’s a bustle in your hedgerow
Don’t be alarmed now
It’s just a spring clean for the May queen
Yes, there are two paths you can go by
But in the long run
There’s still time to change the road you’re on
And it makes me wonder
Your head is humming and it won’t go
In case you don’t know
The piper’s calling you to join him
Dear Nadia, you hear the wind blow
And did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind
And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll
And she’s buying the stairway to heaven
Last time I saw Naudia, she was just a toddler, but over the years, I have managed to learn of all her achievements and success.
She was the child that all parents dream of having. She made her parents proud. I could see the joy and happiness of her mom as she updated me, just a few months ago.
There are no words that will comfort her parents- Alton Morgan and Dr Peggy Myers- Morgan , and I can only imagine their pain and agony at such a loss.
To her parents and family- Hope you find some comfort and be able to begin to heal from this tremendous loss.
Know that Nadia has made an immeasurable contribution to this world within her very short life of 35 years.
Her star will continue to shine brightly .
RIP sweet child.
My heartfelt sympathy goes out to her entire family, friends and co-worker.
I met Dr. Morgan this past October when I had my first appointment with her. I really liked her right away! She was so interested in me and my well being and making sure I followed up with a test I needed to have. I am so sad that she is gone. R.I.P. Dr. Morgan. I know you will make heaven a better place.
When I first met Dr. Nadia Morgan, my first impression was “Wow, she is one of the happiest physicians I have ever met.” She always had a beautiful smile on her face and had a positive presence.
I enjoyed working along side of Nadia. She was extremely intelligent, detail oriented and efficient. I admired the dedication she had for her patients. She gave each patient her undivided attention at every visit and before the patient left the room, she would make sure they fully understood their treatment plan. There were several occasions; she would ask that I reach out to the patient to make sure they understood. She was always there when I had a question and took her time explaining. Nadia was one of a kind and will be greatly missed within our Rheumatology division. She has left an amazing imprint and she will never be forgotten. My sincere condolences go out to her family.
I became a patient of Dr. Morgan in October 2017 soon after my Scleroderma diagnosis. I am so saddened by the tragic news of her passing. I feel that had she been given the chance she quite possibly could have found a cure for Scleroderma in her lifetime. I believe that she was that dedicated and intelligent. She was very kind, genuinely caring and attentive, all qualities you do not always see in healthcare anymore.
My heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to her family and to ALL who knew her. As a patient, I hope it gives some solace and peace to know how much she has impacted my life.
I don’t know why terrible things happen to such good people except to believe she is in a better place as a beautiful angel. Rest in Peace Dr. Morgan, you will be sorely missed.
I do not know Dr. Morgan in person. After learning of her death, I felt like she is someone I would love to meet. It touches me, a fellow Jamaican has gone on to heaven.
My condolences to the family and I pray that they will find comfort in the lord soon.
Rest in Peace Dr. Morgan