Professor Emeritus, Pathology and Immunology

Division: Laboratory & Genomic Medicine

Education

BS: Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA (1964)

PhD: Analytical Chemistry with Professor William C. Purdy: University of Maryland, College Park, MD (1971)

Post-doctoral training in Clinical Chemistry with George N. Bowers, Jr., MD, Robert B. McComb, PhD and Robert W. Burnett, PhD: Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT (1970-1972)

Boards

Certified in Clinical Chemistry by the American Board of Clinical Chemistry, 1974 (Emeritus)

Recognition

American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) Award for Outstanding Contributions in Education, 1989

Outstanding Contributions to Clinical Chemistry Award, AACC, 1994

Gerald T. Evans Award of the Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists (ACLPS), 1999

AACC Award for Outstanding Contributions to Clinical Chemistry in a Selected Area of Research, 2002

Distinguished Service Award – Washington University Medical Center Alumni Association, 2003

Presidential Citation from Susan Evans, Ph.D., President of The American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) for Pathologists Overseas work in developing countries, 2003

Mentor of the Year Award of the Academic Women’s Network of Washington University School of Medicine, 2004

Cotlove Award Lecturer; ACLPS, 2006

WUSM Distinguished Community Service Award, 2010

Inaugural Recipient of the Chancellor’s Award for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Washington University in St. Louis, 2010

IFCC Distinguished Award for Contributions to Cardiovascular Diagnostics (Initial Winner), 2017

2nd Century Award, Washington University School of Medicine, 2018

Elected Fellow of The National Academy of Inventors, 2019

Research Interests

My laboratory has long been interested in the development of rapid, accurate techniques for the diagnosis and/or prognosis of human disease and the enhancement of basic or clinical research. Our previous work concerned the diagnosis of myocardial infarction (MI). A monoclonal antibody specific to the creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) isoenzyme was developed which did not react with CK-BB, CK-MM or mitochondrial CK. This antibody was then widely utilized in virtually all commercially available assays for CK-MB. The work was extended to the development of the first assays for Troponin I and myoglobin. We have also developed a monoclonal antibody to calmodulin, a highly conserved protein throughout animal species and plants which has proved to be a very useful reagent for research investigations. Our current work involves the development and validation of assays to improve the diagnosis of renal damage and the diagnosis and prognosis of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

For the last twenty years, I have run the clinical pathology programs for Pathologists Overseas, an organization whose mission is to help improve and provide affordable pathology and clinical laboratory services to under-served patients worldwide: http://www.pathologistsoverseas.com/. This has led to a variety of short- and long-term projects especially in the countries of Eritrea and Bhutan. These efforts, sustained by volunteers, have the goal of upgrading laboratory services, upgrading the training of laboratory personnel, extending laboratory testing to regional hospitals, clinician education, and helping to develop standardized national laboratory systems.

Diagnostic Expertise

Clinical Chemistry

Biomarkers

Laboratory Medicine in developing countries


Selected Publications


Assistant