On March 23, Martin Frank returned to his Alma Mater, University of Illinois, Urbana, to receive the Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology’s Distinguished Alumnus Award. The presentation was made during the Department’s annual retreat, held at the Beckman Institute.
In presenting the award, Philip M. Best, Chair, Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology said, “The Departmental Distinguished Alumni Award was established in 1995 to recognize graduates of our Department who have made significant and lasting contributions to our discipline. Prior recipients include Gerald Wogan, Allan Lefer, Edward Perl, John Greenleaf, and Michael
Friedlander.
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Philip M. Best presents APS Executive Director Martin Frank the University of Illinois Distinguished Alumnus Award. |
“It is a great pleasure to introduce this year’s recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award, Martin Frank. Marty received his PhD in 1973 working under William Sleator who was then Department Head. Following postdoctoral work at the Michigan Cancer Foundation, Detroit, and the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at Michigan State University, Marty joined the Department of Physiology, George Washington School of Medicine, as an assistant professor. In 1978 he joined the Division of Research Grants at the NIH as Executive Secretary of the Physiology Study Section. While at the NIH he also served as a policy analyst in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health. Marty accepted his current position as Executive Director of the American Physiological Society in 1985. As Executive Director, Marty has played a critical role in the Society’s efforts to promote physiological science in the national arena. He has been involved in effective campaigns to convince the Congress to increase NIH funding and has played a key role in addressing issues related to animal use that affect our ability to carry out research. Under his leadership, the Society has increased its outreach programs for teachers and students at all levels to improve their understanding of physiological research and its importance to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of disease. He has also been instrumental in the creation of a new journal, Physiological Genomics, that publishes work describing the physiological consequences of gene expression.
“Marty’s activities in science policy and administration have significantly enhanced the stature and impact of our discipline. His contributions benefit all of us who teach and do research in physiology. Thus, it is fitting that we acknowledge him tonight with this award.”
Frank’s comments upon accepting the award are summarized in the following abstract.
Physiology in Perspective
“In choosing the title, ‘Physiology in Perspective,’ I was reflecting on Walter B. Cannon’s contribution to our understanding of physiology. Cannon incorporated techniques developed by his forbearers to study living organisms at the start of the 20th century. At the start of the 21st century, physiologists have new methodologies and opportunities to put our science in perspective. For the first time since the discoveries made by Watson and Crick, reductionists have yielded ground to those trying to gain a holistic view of cells, tissues, and organisms. Transgenic and gene-targeted mice, and other organisms, are allowing us to study the functions of single genes in a whole organism, thereby relating molecular biology to integrative physiology. The future of physiology appears to be firmly linked to the study of these genetically engineered animal models. The American Physiological Society is playing a role in efforts to put physiology in perspective through its emphasis on research related to physiological genomics and translational physiology. The meetings, publications, and educational outreach efforts of the Society are designed to meet the needs of active scientists and to prepare the next generation of physiologists. The next generation of physiologists will have numerous career options, both in academia and industry. In addition, their paths might lead them into a non-traditional career.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to predict which career path a doctoral candidate might take. As Mark Twain noted, ‘predictions are notoriously difficult to make—especially when they concern the future!’ Had I been able to predict my future, I would have anticipated that I would have become a professor of physiology, teaching and doing research. Instead, my career has followed a path that has allowed me to make contributions to physiology administratively instead of at the research bench. My selection as this year’s Distinguished Alumnus demonstrates that success is not defined solely by the number of publications and grants listed on your curriculum vitae, it can also be defined by your influence on your research field.”
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