the-aps.org middle / high school
The APS Home Careers Main Careers in Physiology Contact
http://www.the-aps.org/careers.htm
photo Middle / High School

Middle/High School

What is Physiology?
Questions 
   Physiologists Ask
Explore Physiology
Meet a Physiologist
Careers Brochure
Career Decisions
Awards Available
Minority Resources
Educators & Outreach
Related Links

Who is David Pollock?  
From University to Drug Company and Back Again


David M. Pollock was born in Indianapolis, IN on September 29, 1955 and spent his early years in the mid-sized town of Evansville, IN.  He enjoyed many subjects in school, including biology and chemistry, but he also loved music, drama, and sports.  His ability in math and science combined with the efforts of a few inspired teachers made him want to learn more.  The “quest for knowledge” as his high school chemistry teacher would say, is a noble pursuit.  Also, David’s work as a trainer for school athletic teams in high school not only allowed him to participate in sports indirectly but also led to his interest in understanding how our bodies work.

David stayed in his hometown and went to college at the University of Evansville.  He received a scholarship to continue as an athletic trainer for the college football, basketball, and baseball teams.  His first two years in college as a biology major were rather uneventful, since he was taking the usual array of introductory classes.  However, it was in his junior year when he took an advanced human physiology class that he experienced a “revelation.”  With the help of a truly inspired teacher, David discovered that physiology was the subject that really got him excited.  This experience made him want to learn more.  He knew that in order to understand more about how the body works, he would have to continue his studies in graduate school.  However, he first had to take time to get married to another biology major, Jennifer Pollock.

David enrolled in the Ph.D. program at the University of Cincinnati and graduated with a degree in physiology in 1983.  He then went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and continued his research training in the Department of Physiology.  Although when he started graduate school he thought he would end up teaching college, Dr. Pollock decided that a career as a researcher was what he truly wanted.

Using Physiology to Discover New Drugs
Dr. Pollock’s first job came in 1988 when he went to work at a research institute that was just being established by several people in the physiology department at Harvard Medical School in Boston.  The institute struggled financially and so when a job offer came along to work in the Drug Discovery Division at Abbott Laboratories a year and a half later, he took it. He got the job through a friend he had met while attending a meeting of the American Physiological Society. Working in Drug Discovery was quite exciting, and Dr. Pollock was able to use his knowledge as a physiologist to help develop several new drugs for treatment of heart failure and prostate cancer that should be approved for use soon.

Back to School
Just when it seemed like he had found his place in life, Dr. Pollock got to the point where his original desire to work at a university and teach began to grow again.  In 1995, he accepted a job at the Medical College of Georgia. In some ways, it was like starting over, but the excitement of a challenging new position was wonderful.  He has been able to pursue some research questions that he could not do at a drug company.  More importantly, however, he is able to work with students and other trainees and pass his excitement on to them.  What makes it especially enjoyable is that he gets to work closely with his wife, now Dr. Jennifer Pollock, on many research and educational activities.

Free Time
Dr. Pollock spends most of his free time with his three children, Luke, Sam, and Michaela.  They keep him busy with baseball, soccer, scouts, and other activities.  He does manage to find a little time for himself for playing on the church softball team, intramural basketball, and the occasional round of golf.

Advice for Students
For someone interested in science, but still trying to figure out where they fit, Dr. Pollock would like to encourage them to consider the exciting area of physiology.  Physiologists work at all levels, from genes to the whole organism.  Physiology touches all areas of biology and medicine.  What could be more rewarding than to figure out how things work and use these skills in ways to help others through the discovery of new knowledge?