Guyton Memorial - Arthur C. Guyton: The Man and His Science

The goal of this symposium is to honor Dr. Arthur C. Guyton - the man and his science. Dr. Guyton was a world-renowned leader in the field of cardiovascular research throughout the second half of the 20th century. His unique holistic vision of the interaction of components of the cardiovascular system spawned an army of disciples that spread the systems analysis approach to research laboratories worldwide. Of equal importance, Guyton's Textbook of Medical Physiology has been a powerful force in medical education for almost five decades. The sum of Arthur's contributions to physiology - as investigator, teacher, and mentor - is beyond calculation. The first phase of Dr. Guyton's distinguished career in cardiovascular research focused on cardiac output and its regulation. These groundbreaking studies emphasized the role of the peripheral vasculature and tissue metabolic need as the key determinants of the prevailing output of the heart. Later, while exploring the regulation of transcapillary fluid exchange and lymphatic flow, Dr. Guyton proposed a revolutionary new concept that the pressure of the interstitial fluid was negative or subatmospheric. In the final phase of his career, he integrated the functions of the heart, vasculature, and the kidney along with the intrinsic, neural, and hormonal mechanisms that modulate their activities into a unified concept of blood pressure regulation. The symposium will begin by a brief introduction by the chair on the life and contributions of Dr. Guyton. Following the introduction, four speakers, Drs John Hall, Allen Cowley, Gabriel Navar, and Harris Granger, will not only discuss the importance of Dr. Guyton's concepts to the field of physiology and medicine, but also how his philosophy continues to impact their own research programs.