CLEVELAND, Ohio — A Duke University doctor who discovered a protein mechanism that goes wrong in many diseases will be the first Institute for Transformative Molecular Medicine director at Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals.
Dr. Jonathan S. Stamler also will be the first holder of the Robert S. and Sylvia K. Reitman Family Foundation Distinguished Chair in Cardiovascular Innovation at the Case Western Reserve University Cardiovascular Center and University Hospitals Harrington-McLaughlin Heart & Vascular Institute.
As director of the transformative molecular medicine institute, Stamler will be be responsible for catalyzing scientific discoveries in molecular medicine, formulating new patient therapies and inspiring the next generation of physician scientists. “This appointment should greatly augment our translational research activities,” said Dr. Pamela B. Davis, dean of the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, in a written statement.
A $1.5 million gift from the Reitman Family Foundation endowed the newly established chair for preeminent physician scientists who are dedicated to advancing cardiovascular medicine through compassionate patient care, clinical research, and training of fellows and residents. “We are grateful to the Reitman family for this powerful philanthropic gift that inspires a new model of innovation and collaboration, and ultimately will turn promising laboratory discoveries into new medical treatments,” Dr. Fred C. Rothstein, president of University Hospitals Case Medical Center and executive vice president of University Hospitals, said in the statement.
Stamler is recognized for his pioneering scientific studies in the role of nitric oxide in control of complex physiological responses. His discovery of a protein modification called S-nitrosylation could help speed new therapies for cardiovascular, pulmonary, musculoskeletal and neurological diseases, as well as cancer, Case and UH said in a joint statement. His work has been recognized by numerous awards, and he has published more than 250 original articles, reviews and book chapters. He also has authored more than 100 patents and applications.
Stamler completed his undergraduate studies at Brandeis University in Boston, earned his medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, and completed his medical residency and fellowship training in both cardiology and pulmonary medicine at Harvard Medical School and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He joined the faculty of Harvard Medical School as an assistant professor in October 1993. In December of that year, Stamler moved to Duke University in Durham, N.C., where he is the George Barth Geller Professor of Research in Cardiovascular Disease and Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry.
Stamler plans to join the UH Case Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine staffs in October.
