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Irving Zucker was born in New York City, specifically in the Bronx. His formative education was through the public school system in New York. As a young student he was always interested in science and in biology in general. Questions would pop into his mind such as, “How did I move my arm?” or “How does my heart know to increase its rate when I am running?” These questions plus family influences, such as relatives that were in the medical profession, convinced him to pursue a career in science.

New York is the Only Place to Live
Being from New York and from a middle-income family Irv didn’t even entertain leaving the city to go to college. After graduation from high school he enrolled at New York University, a good private university where he could obtain a liberal arts education. Unfortunately, New York University was quite expensive so, after the first year, he switched to The City College of New York, a public, well-respected university where the tuition was free then (1961).

Deciding on a Career
At that time Irv thought that maybe medicine was what he should do. He had an uncle who was a physician and had a great influence on Irv’s thinking in this regard. On the other hand, Irv felt that his personality was not well suited to patient interaction, long hours on call, and practicing a profession where there were so many unknowns and frustrations.

The basis for most medical practice then was rooted in the physiological sciences. It was clear to Irv that the answers for many of his questions could only come from laboratory experimentation. A true understanding of physiological process needed to follow the scientific methods for the design and interpretation of experimental results. To Irv, hypothesis-driven research became a more intriguing avenue to be engaged in than medical practice. Of all the fields in biology, physiology clearly held the promise of answers to the questions he wanted to ask.

Graduate School
Irv’s career path was rather straight forward. After graduation from college he enrolled in a Ph.D. program at New York Medical College in the Department of Physiology. There he worked under the direction of Gabor Kaley, Ph.D. who is still Chair of that department today. Irv’s Ph.D. thesis related to the central control of sodium excretion and volume regulation. This was a fortunate choice of topics because it caused him to become well versed in a variety of areas. These included renal physiology, neurophysiology, and cardiovascular physiology.

Based on his interactions with other faculty in that department, largely John and Hazel Coleridge, Irv became interested in the way the cardiovascular system “sensed” blood pressure and blood volume. This demanded that he learn neurophysiological techniques to more fully characterize the cardiovascular neural receptors.

The issue of volume regulation led him to the work and laboratory of Dr. Joseph P. Gilmore, who at the time was a professor at the University of Virginia. During the time Irv was finishing his Ph.D., Dr. Gilmore moved to became Chair of the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at the University of Nebraska College of Medicine.

A Short Stay in Nebraska . . .
After Irv obtained his Ph.D., he decided to do a 2 year post-doctoral fellowship in Dr. Gilmore’s laboratory. Dr. Zucker and his wife decided that 2 years in Omaha would not be so bad. So they packed their belongings in their 1968 Volvo and headed across the country. This was a highly productive and enjoyable time for both of them.

This 2-year stint gave Dr. Zucker the opportunity to carry out what he thought were critical experiments to understand how the neural sensory endings worked in both normal and disease states. It also gave him the opportunity to teach and interact with medical and allied health students in both a lecture and laboratory format. The latter experience proved to be critical to his professional development.

. . . Turns into a Life
As luck would have it, as the 2 years were up, Dr. Zucker was offered an Assistant Professor position in the department. The rest is history. He moved up through the ranks and in 1983 was promoted to full professor. In 1989, Dr. Gilmore decided to retire, and Dr. Zucker was asked to become Chair of the department. He remains the Chair today.

Research Areas
Dr. Zucker supervises a laboratory consisting of two postdoctoral fellows, one visiting professor, and four technicians. The research in his lab revolves around an understanding of the mechanisms that regulate sympathetic nerve activity in disease states such as heart failure, hypertension, and diabetes. They are interested in understanding what substances in the brain are responsible for abnormal sympathetic nerve activity in these disease states. These substances include such things as angiotensin II, nitric oxide, and oxidant stress.

Being Chair
As Chair, Dr. Zucker supervises an office staff and a departmental budget of over $4 million. He has the responsibility for assuring that the department’s various teaching programs meet the requirements of the State of Nebraska and the medical school.

He tries to provide innovative leadership to 12 faculty, encouraging them in their teaching, research, and professional development. A large component of his administrative responsibilities is acting on behalf of the medical school and university in the further development of research and teaching programs. These duties, while challenging, are highly satisfying when brought to fruition.

Professional Activities
Dr. Zucker also has worked as a volunteer for many professional organizations, like The American Physiological Society (APS), the American Heart Association, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Association of Chairs of Departments of Physiology (ACDP). He has been asked to be on many different committees for APS. This past year, he was elected by all the members of APS to be on the Council and help run the Society.

He was also elected to the Council of the ACDP and in 2003 he was elected to be their President.

Traveling the World
This profession has brought Dr. Zucker much joy beyond his direct experiences in the laboratory. There are many intangibles that provide a rich cultural and social lifestyle. He enjoys traveling and expanding his cultural horizons. The interactions with colleagues in various parts of the world have been invaluable to him.

Away From the Lab
Dr. Zucker loves music, good food, and socialization. He loves to cook, which for a scientist is much like being in the laboratory. He also loves theater.

Above everything, the interaction with his family sustains both his professional and non-professional life. When his children were younger and in elementary and high school, he loved to go to their schools and talk about what it was like to be a scientist and do research.

Advice for a New Investigator
For a new investigator my advice would be to write as many grants as it takes to get funding. Rely on more senior investigators who have been successful. Use other faculty as mentors as much as you can. Ask questions!

Recent Publications
Gao, L., W. Wang, Y-L. Li, H.D. Schultz, K.G. Cornish, and I.H. Zucker. Superoxide mediates sympatho-excitation in heart failure: The roles of angiotensin II and NAD(P)H oxidase. Circ. Res. 95:937-944, 2004.

Gao, L., W. Wang, Y-L. Li, H.D. Schultz, D. Liu, K.G. Cornish, and I.H. Zucker. Sympathoexcitation by central ANG II: Roles for AT1 receptor upregulation and NAD(P)H oxidase in RVLM. Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol. 288:H2271-H2279, 2005.

Mousa, T.M., L. Gao, K.G. Cornish, and I.H. Zucker. Effects of angiotensin II on autonomic components of nasopharyngeal stimulation in male conscious rabbits. J. Appl. Physiol. 98: 1607-1611, 2005.

Gao, L., W. Wang, Y-L. Li, H.D. Schultz, D. Liu, K.G. Cornish, and I.H. Zucker. Simvastatin therapy normalizes sympathetic neural control in experimental heart failure: The roles of AT1 receptors and NAD(P)H oxidase. Circulation 112:1763-1770, 2005.

Li, Y-L., Y-F. Li, D. Liu, K.G. Cornish, K.P. Patel, I.H. Zucker, K.M. Channon, and H.D. Schultz. Gene transfer of nNOS to carotid body reverses enhanced chemoreceptor function in heart failure rabbits. Circ. Res. 97:260-267, 2005.