Jonathan Finlay: key obituary facts
Is Jonathan Finlay dead? Yes. Jonathan Finlay died on October 26, 2026, at age 78.
Cause of death: Jonathan Finlay's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Jonathan Finlay known for?
He was a British pediatric neurooncologist.
More about Jonathan Finlay
Born: 1 January 1948.
Gender: male.
Employer: University of Pennsylvania.
Also known as: Jonathan Lester Finlay.
Jonathan Finlay, a British pediatric neuro-oncologist who specialized in brain tumors in children, adolescents and young adults, died October 26, 2026, aged 78.
Born in Manchester in 1948, he was the only son of Minnie and Mark Finlay. He attended Carmel College in Wallingford before studying medicine at Birmingham University from 1967 to 1973, earning an honors degree in biochemistry in 1970 and an MB, ChB in 1973.
From 2014 to 2020, Finlay directed neuro-oncology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio, where he also held the Elizabeth and Richard Germain Endowed Chair in Pediatric Cancer. He later held emeritus professorships in pediatrics and radiation oncology at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. A central focus of his work was reducing the long-term effects of radiation treatment for young patients with brain tumors. His Head Start clinical study protocols pursued that goal and, according to the published account of his work, showed improved survival and quality of life for pediatric brain tumor patients. The series had reached its fourth iteration, with Head Start IV being studied at more than 50 institutions. Finlay’s clinical and research work addressed treatment for young people facing brain tumors, with an emphasis on outcomes beyond immediate disease control.