Physician–Scientist as a Mentor

Abstract

I recall meeting Arthur Z. Eisen for the first time in 1972, at a Gordon Research Conference on Collagen held in New Hampshire. I knew of him, of course, but we did not interact much during the conference—after all, he was a distinguished scientist recognized for his pioneering work on human collagenase while I was at the start of my research career, working on the biosynthetic side of collagen. Dr. Eisen was also an established professor in dermatology, and I was a lowly postdoctoral fellow in biochemistry. But it was Dr. Eisen who came to mind when I was looking for a residency position in dermatology in the United States. I had made a decision to look only into programs that would be supportive of my research aspirations and in which the program director would serve as a mentor for my career. This was in 1974—before there was a match system, which the specialty uses now—so applicants contacted programs directly and made personal visits to discuss their candidacies. I first visited Duke (too rural for my taste) and then the University of Washington (labs occupied by burned-out PhDs-turned-MDs who appeared to lack fire in the belly). The experience at Washington University was different. During my first visit, Dr. Eisen was enthusiastic, even excited, about the possibility that I would join his growing connective-tissue research enterprise. I entered the residency program in 1975. At that time, the rules of the American Board of Dermatology allowed up to 50% of residency time to be spent in research—a stark contrast to current requirements! This situation, with Dr. Eisen’s continuous support and encouragement, allowed me to build my own laboratory early on, focusing on collagen biosynthesis in fibrotic diseases, enmeshed in the connective-tissue research theme in the Division of Dermatology. Dr. Eisen was, and is, truly committed to research in dermatology. He has interacted with and served as a mentor for a cadre of the current generation of dermatologists who trained at different stages of their careers at Washington University. Beside myself, the list includes Eugene Bauer, Lynn Cornelius, Thomas Kupper, Alice Pentland, Maureen Poh-Fitzpatrick, George Stricklin, Mark Udey, Howard Welgus, David Woodley, along with many others, all of whom have served—and most of whom continue to serve—in leadership positions in academic dermatology in the United States. Dr. Eisen received his own medical, dermatology, and research training at the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, and the National Institutes of Health, respectively. His faculty career started as an assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School, followed by a subsequent appointment as professor and head of the Division of Dermatology at Washington University School of Medicine. He is currently the Winfred and Emma Showman Professor of Medicine at Washington University. He has served in a number of societies, including the Society for Investigative Dermatology (SID), and among his numerous honors and awards are the William Montagna Lectureship Award, presidency of the SID and of the Association of Professors of Dermatology, and recipient of the SID’s Stephen Rothman Memorial Award. Dr. Eisen’s vision and practice as a physician–scientist are based partly on successful integration of dermatology and cutaneous biology with contemporary biochemistry and cell biology in a large research-intensive medical center. Toward this goal, he has forged relationships with the departments of biochemistry, genetics, and medicine at Washington University. I am personally grateful to Dr. Eisen for having served as my mentor and role model in the early years of my career development in academic dermatology, and this gratitude is undoubtedly shared by many other graduates of the Washington University Dermatology Program.