June 11, 2007

What is your hometown?

Marcus, Iowa

When did you join the UI faculty?

1998

How/when did you become interested in science and medicine?

I have been interested in science and how things work since I was very young.  I did not do any real research until after college graduation when I worked in a lab for a year.  I still recall taking pregnant mice home with me because I needed to be present when the pups were born.  This effort paid off as we discovered something very interesting about why these pups were dying and this lead to a Nature publication.   I have been hooked on science ever since. 

What interested you to pursue a career in pathology?

Pathology is at the interface between science and medicine in many ways, so I sought to pursue a career in pathology as I felt it would best allow me to remain actively engaged in basic scientific investigation while remaining on the cutting edge of many aspects of medicine.    

Is there a teacher or mentor who helped shape your career?

I had two outstanding mentors. Kevin Campbell and Stan Korsmeyer helped me develop a passion for scientific inquiry and taught me the skills to be a successful independent scientist. 

How or why did you choose the UI?

Many reasons including but not limited to the following; outstanding colleagues offering a rich and collaborative environment; excellent facilities; a livable and stimulating community

What kinds of professional opportunities or advantages does being a faculty member at Iowa provide? What about challenges?

I like the freedom I have at Iowa to pursue my interests.  The quantity, quality and unselfishness of the people at Iowa also make it a great place to do research.  Challenges are not unique to Iowa and include obtaining funding and juggling the many hats as researchers, teachers, administrators and clinicians. 

Please describe your professional interests.

I am interested in the pathways involved in cell death and their role in oncogenic transformation.  Recent studies suggest an unexpected link between these pathways that we think will provide insight into basic mechanism of cancer.   

What are some of your outside interests?

Spending time with my Kids; going to there games/activities; golfing, tailgating;  I have turned into an amateur digital photographer\movie maker- I guess I want to emulate my brother-in-law who has won 7 academy awards. 

Do you have an insight or philosophy that guides you in your professional work?

Ask important questions and devise approaches that will give informative answers that will either prove or disprove your theory. 

If you could change one thing about the world (or the world of medicine), what would it be?

I believe we should have Universal health Care; how we do it I am not sure but I am embarrassed to live in the greatest country in the world and yes we still have more than 35 million people without health insurance.  We should fix our own problems before we tackle world wide health problems.

What is the biggest change you've experienced in your field since you were a student?

The growth of “Genomics and DNA technology”; Sequencing technology, PCR, Human\mouse genome projects all have impacted tremendously on science and are just starting to impact on medicine. 

What one piece of advice you would give to today's students?

Embrace change and technology; as dramatic as research has changed in the last 20 years, I believe the changes in the next 20 will be even more dramatic.

What do you see as "the future" of medicine?

Increasing use of molecular medicine and genomics; ranging from siRNA treatments to molecular diagnostics for a multitude of disorders.

In what ways are you engaged with the greater Iowa public (i.e. population based research, mentoring high school students, sharing your leadership/expertise with organizations or causes, speaking engagements off campus, etc.)?

I have been on the Coralville Parks and Rec Board for 4 years which stems from my desire to have excellent community facilities for recreation. This interest stems from my belief that recreation is an important component of both physical and mental health.