Harrison Recipient of First Annual Distinguished Alumni Award

This is the first Distinguished Alumni Award of the Cardiovascular Diseases Division. Criteria are simple: Major achievements by a former fellow or faculty member, who is no longer at the University of Iowa. We look forward to receiving nominations for the Second Annual Distinguished Alumni Award.

David G. Harrison, M.D.

David Harrison was born in Oklahoma City. After completing his Medical Residency and Fellowship at Duke, Dr. Harrison was appointed a Fellow in Cardiovascular Diseases, and subsequently an Assistant and Associate Professor at UI, and Chief of Cardiology at the VA Medical Center. In 1990 he was appointed Professor of Medicine at Emory University. In 2000, he was appointed Director of Cardiology and the Bernard Marcus Professor of Medicine at Emory. David serves on several Editorial Boards, as well as NIH and AHA study sections. He has received many honors and awards for his scientific contributions, including the George E. Brown Memorial Lecture of the American Heart Association, the Robert Berne Lecture of the American Physiological Society, and the Robert F. Furchgott Lecture on Endothelium at the 8th Symposium on Mechanisms of Vasodilation. Dr. Harrison has served as chair of the AHA's Council on Circulation.

Dr. Harrison's research focuses on vascular biology, especially endothelial regulation of vasomotor tone. In the 1980s and early 1990s, Dr. Harrison investigated factors that regulate coronary collateral resistance and the role of the endothelium in coronary vascular reactivity. The studies evaluated effects of hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy, and endothelial dysfunction. His focus evolved to include regulation of nitric oxide synthase expression and function. During the past decade he has made major contributions to our understanding of vasomotor regulation and the role of oxidant stress in the development of vascular diseases. His studies have also addressed shear stress, endothelin, the role of reactive oxygen species in atherosclerosis, and angiotensin-induced hypertension.

Dr. Harrison's UI Reflections

Events that seem great at the moment often fade in importance, while events that at the moment seem routine and uninspiring gain significance with the passing years. There are so many aspects of my years at UI I'd like to mention. I developed great friendships, took long jogs around City Park, and played handball at the athletic facility. For many years I walked, rode the bus or biked to work - something you can't do in Atlanta. I loved my clinical work at the UI Hospital and the VA. Leaving Iowa City was very difficult, and I continue to have the warmest thoughts about the city, its people, and the scientific environment that has continued to influence my work.

2002 Soirée Kicks Off with David Harrison, M.D.

This year's annual dinner to welcome back graduates and faculty, and honor and send off our graduating fellows, will take place on Friday, June 21, 2002.

Once again, the entire divisions — faculty, staff and fellows, along with former fellows and faculty, are invited. Since this is 2002, we especially hope that fellows from prior classes ending in '2' and '7' will return for a reunion with their classmates. Blair Foreman, M.D., Class of 1997, will be chairing this part of the festivities.

The event will kick off with a lecture by David Harrison, M.D., at 4:00 PM, in the new Medical Education and Biomedical Research Facility. Dr. Harrison, a former UIHC faculty member, is returning from his home at Emory University to join us for this occasion.

The annual dinner has a new name this year - "soirée" which is French for an evening celebration. We will start with a 6:00 PM cocktail reception at the Levitt Center, followed by dinner at 7:00 PM and brief but important presentations to our graduating fellows and returning faculty and fellows.

The new Medical Education and Biomedical Research Facility