Thomas E. Starzl. MD

Dr. Thomas E. Starzl, a distinguished service professor of surgery , is known as the “father of transplantation”. He has achieved much in his career as a decorated pioneer in the field of surgery. He went to the northwestern university medical school in Chicago where he received a masters degree in anatomy and earned both a doctoral degree in neurophysiology and a medical degree with distinction. Dr. Starzl’s career following his education and graduate work was marked by such land marks as serving as the chairman of the department of surgery for the university of Colorado school of medicine, he served as the chief of transplantation at Presbyterian university hospital, overseeing the largest and busiest transplant program in the world (Children’s hospital and the veterans hospital in Pittsburgh). He assumed the title of director of the University of Pittsburgh Transplantation institute. His work lead the institute to be renamed in his honor.

Through his career, Dr. Starzl has accumulated more than 200 awards and honors. Significant awards among these are: the David M. Hume Memorial Award from the National Kidney Foundation for his work to further the understanding of kidney diseases, transplantation and the physiology of the kidney; the King Faisal International prize for medicine; the Prince Mahidol award and the 2004 presidential national medal of science. His national and international efforts include the election as president of the Transplantation Society, founding president of the American society of transplant surgeons and founding the transplant recipients international organization.

He has published a whole host of publications, scientific articles, books and book chapters. He was inducted as one of only five American members into the renowned national French academy of Medicine. He continues to be an international medical influence using his experience to better the medical fields.