Julie Louise Eiseman

Julie Louise Eiseman passed from this life to her heavenly home on August 15, 2026 in Frederick, MD at 78 years of age. Fredrick A. Balius, Jr., her husband of 48 years, was by her side at her death.. Julie was preceded in death by her parents Alfred F. Eiseman and Marian J. Eiseman (née Fischer). She is survived by her husband, Fred; her sons, Stuart Balius and Trent Balius (Natalie St. Fleur); her brothers, Timothy Eiseman (Irene) and Stephen Eiseman (Rene); and her best friend, Marie Gelato; as well as other family and friends.

Julie was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan on December 12, 1947. She was raised near Chelsea, Michigan, a rural community where she lived until she went to college. The rural lifestyle was part of her childhood and identity. She grew up with her family raising animals, including chickens, ducks, geese, and rabbits, cared for a pony, and actively participated in 4-H. She had many chores to do including tending a large vegetable garden, and selling produce. Her father was an avid outdoorsman; he raised Airedale Terriers as hunting dogs and was a bee keeper, Julie helped him with both the dogs and bees. Julie's mother was an elementary school teacher and encouraged her studious nature. Julie enjoyed swimming and served as a lifeguard. After she completed her education she settled in Thurmont, Maryland where she and Fred bought their first home. They maintained this home in Thurmont for the rest of her life. They did commute on weekends to and from a second home in Greensburg, PA while she worked at the University of Pittsburgh.

Julie was a trailblazer. She pursued science in a time when women were not encouraged to do so. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of Michigan; she then earned her Master’s Degree in Pharmacology from Michigan State University. After a few years working in industry and at Rockefeller University, she returned to graduate school at Cornell University Medical College to continue to study Pharmacology. She was mentored by Dr. Alvito Alvarez and received her PhD in 1980. She completed her post doctoral training at the Uniform Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD. She then worked for Hazelton Labs for two years as their toxicologist. She then worked as a faculty member at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore for sixteen years, where she taught, mentored and engaged in research on cancer and AIDS drugs. She moved to University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine where she became a Professor of Pharmacology and where she continued teaching, mentoring and performing critical research mostly for the NCI and NIH. She retired in 2017 after 18 years at the University of Pittsburgh.

Julie was a successful cancer researcher. She was a Board Certified Toxicologist. Her research focused on testing drugs, and potential drugs, for their safety and effectiveness in preclinical studies. Through her research, she worked on life saving drugs. Also, Julie was motivated to keep people safe by testing drug treatments before people received them and keeping harmful drugs off the market.. She was a member of a number of scientific societies including the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the Society of Toxicology (SOT).

Outside of her professional life, she had many talents including cooking, gardening, arts and crafts, and home improvement skills. She was active in the Saint John’s Lutheran Church in Thurmont. She served on the church council at different times over the years. She also taught Sunday school, and led the Youth Group for many years. After retiring, Julie became a member of the Thurmont Lions Club and was involved with the Lions Club’s International Art Peace Prize for middle school aged children. She was active in her children’s lives, a nurturing mother, and a strong advocate for her sons. She always made time to help and support them in childhood as well as in their adult lives. She was an animal lover and was always surrounded by a menagerie of critters. Julie also loved to travel both within the United States and abroad. She traveled to over 15 countries in the Americas and in Europe. She visited many of the National Parks and historical sites throughout the USA and most of the states in the continental US. She traveled often with her family and her best friend Marie, over the years. She also traveled for work, presenting her research findings at many national and international meetings.

Julie was a positive force in both her personal and professional life and made a lasting impression on those around her.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to these charities in honor of Julie’s research:

Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation: https://www.komen.org/

Or the American Cancer Society: https://American Cancer Society/

There will be a service and reception to celebrate Julie’s life at Saint John’s Lutheran Church, 22 N. Church St. Thurmont, MD 21788 on Saturday, September 26, 2026 at 1:30 PM.