John Menkes, Austrian-American pediatric and writer (died 2008)

John Hans Menkes was an Austrian-American pediatric neurologist and author of fictional novels and plays. He identified two inherited diseases: maple syrup urine disease which is a defect in amino acid metabolism, and a defect in copper transport which bears his name. In addition to a career in academic medicine, he pursued a career in writing, publishing novels and plays.

December 20 is the 354th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 11 days remain until the end of the year.