2006 Award for Distinguished Research in the Biomedical Sciences

Francois M. Abboud, MBBCh
University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine

The AAMC Award for Distinguished Research in the Biomedical Sciences was established in 1947 and recognizes outstanding clinical or laboratory research conducted by a medical school faculty member.

Fifty years ago, when Dr. Francois M. Abboud began studying neural control of the circulation, the subject was deemed "a physiological curiosity with virtually no clinical significance." Today, because of a life well-spent on this "curiosity," Dr. Abboud has not only established its clinical significance, but say his colleagues, "virtually transformed the field of cardiovascular research." His outstanding leadership of an internationally renowned research center, pioneering research using interdisciplinary teams, and extensive influence as a medical educator, have made Dr. Abboud one of academic medicine's most prominent figures.

Born in Cairo, Egypt, Dr. Abboud is a professor of internal medicine and of molecular physiology and biophysics, the Edith King Pearson Chair of Cardiovascular Research, and associate vice president for research at the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine. He is also founder and director of the University of Iowa Cardiovascular Center, which today boasts an interdisciplinary program spanning 15 departments and four colleges, with $300 million in support.

Dr. Abboud is also former head of the department of internal medicine, a position he held for more than 26 years, making him the university's longest tenured chair of medicine. His impact on the university, the college of medicine, and hundreds of alumni worldwide, according to professors Michael Welsh, M.D., and Donald D. Heistad, M.D., "has been profound, extending a legacy of excellence and binding allegiance into the 21st century."

Beyond the Iowa City campus, Dr. Abboud is internationally recognized for his discovery that the heart plays a major role as a neurosensory organ, a finding that has advanced scientific understanding about autonomic control of circulation. As a result, biomedical researchers know more about the interplay between the nervous system and the heart, and doctors can better treat heart disease, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension and neurocardiogenic syncope. In the words of College of Medicine Dean Jean E. Robillard, M.D., Francois Abboud "epitomized the best in translational research by physician scientists before it was even known as translational research."

Dr. Abboud is also widely known for pioneering the use of multidisciplinary teams in cardiovascular research, an approach constituting "a visionary paradigm shift" for the field. Dr. Abboud's success in this regard is evidenced over and over again by the numerous teams he has led, and by the long running federal support he has received for his work. One example is the cardiovascular interdisciplinary National Institutes of Health (NIH) training grant he has directed since 1975, which was recently renewed through 2011.

Dr. Abboud holds a PNS (preliminary natural sciences) degree from the University of Cairo Faculty of Science, and a MBBCh (medical degree) from Ains Chams University Faculty of Medicine, Cairo. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Milwaukee County Hospital and fellowships at Marquette University School of Medicine (now the Medical College of Wisconsin) and the University of Iowa College of Medicine. In 1991, he received an honorary diploma from the University of Claude Bernard in Lyon, France and, in 1994, an honorary diploma from the Medical College of Wisconsin.

At the national level, Dr. Abboud has served as president of several leading national organizations, including the American Heart Association, the Association of American Physicians, the Central Society for Clinical Research, and the American Federation for Clinical Research. He has served on numerous panels, working groups and task forces within the NIH's National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, and is former chair of the institute's Program Project Research Review Committee.

Dr. Abboud is the recipient of numerous awards, including the prestigious CIBA Award for Hypertension Research conferred by the American Heart Association, and the Robert H. Williams Distinguished Chairman of Medicine Award by the Association of Professors of Medicine. Additionally, he has served on editorial boards of numerous academic publications and is former editor-in-chief of Circulation Research.

Nominate a deserving individual for the Award for Distinguished Research in the Biomedical Sciences, and view a list of previous award recipients.