The A.J. Ladman AAA/Wiley Exemplary Service Award

Abstract

The A.J. Ladman AAA/Wiley Exemplary Service Award is jointly presented by the American Association of Anatomists and John Wiley and Sons, Inc., Publishers. This award is presented to a member of the AAA who has distinguished himself or herself in the field of anatomy and who has provided exemplary service to the association. The recipient of this award for 2005 is Dr. Stephen W. Carmichael, who is currently professor and chairman of the Department of Anatomy at the Mayo Medical School. Dr. Stephen W. Carmichael Dr. Carmichael received his undergraduate education at Kenyon College and earned an AB in Biology in 1967. Dr. Carmichael went on to graduate school in the Department of Anatomy at Tulane University, receiving his PhD in 1971. During the period of 1967–1971, he was an NIH trainee in anatomy and a graduate teaching assistant in gross anatomy, histology, and neuroanatomy and he taught part-time in the Department of Biology at Delgado College on topics of human anatomy and physiology as an instructor (1968–1970) and assistant professor (1970–1971). In 1971, Dr. Carmichael started his career as an instructor in the Department of Anatomy at West Virginia University School of Medicine. He rose through the ranks, serving as an assistant professor from 1972 to 1975 and an associate professor from 1975 to 1982. In 1982, Dr. Carmichael became consultant in anatomy at the Mayo Medical Center, served as associate professor of anatomy from 1982 to 1987, was promoted to professor at Mayo in 1987, and was appointed chair of that department in 1991. In addition, he also serves as professor of orthopedic surgery and was appointed as assistant director of the Procedural Skills Laboratory in 2000. Dr. Carmichael has had two general lines of research interests. He has made numerous contributions to our understanding of the adrenal medulla. Of his almost 130 publications, including those in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, and books, over half deal with all aspects of the structure (light microscopy, histochemistry, TEM, SEM) and function (under a variety of experimental manipulations) of the adrenal medulla. These studies have investigated the adrenal medulla of a wide variety of animal forms, including human. Of special note are his studies on the structure and function of the transplanted adrenal medulla in patients suffering from Parkinson disease and the structural and biochemical changes in the adrenal medulla of patients with this disease. These observations have provided insights into this neurodegenerative disorder. Dr. Carmichael has also published many papers in the field of gross anatomy, which reflects his significant interest in anatomy as applied to medicine. Over the years, Dr. Carmichael has been successful in acquiring extramural grants support for his research efforts. He has been funded by grants from the West Virginia University Research Foundation, the NIH, the National Institute of Mental Health, the West Virginia Affiliate of the American Heart Association, and the United Parkinson Foundation. Dr. Carmichael has received a number of honors and awards These include the Fondazione Giorgio Cini Fellowship, being selected by the National Academy of Sciences for an exchange program with the Academy of Sciences of Hungary, and being selected by UNESCO as a consultant to the Zoology Department at the University of Calcutta. In addition, Dr. Carmichael has been selected as an outstanding teacher several times during his years at West Virginia and has since become a faculty member at the Mayo Medical School. As a testament to his standing in the international anatomical community, Dr. Carmichael has participated in numerous scholarly and academic pursuits at the international level. He has been invited to speak on his research interest at numerous universities and medical centers across the United States and countries such as Peru, Australia, Hungary, India, Thailand, Japan, and South Africa. Dr. Carmichael's service to his home institutions has been exemplary over the years. At the Mayo Medical Center, he has supervised over 25 committees for individuals working on PhD, 20 committees for students working on MS, and had 8 summer medical fellows. In addition, he has given his time to work with undergraduate and high school students who are particularly interested in academic pursuits. Dr. Carmichael has also worked as a member or chair of over 17 committees at the Mayo Medical School. These assignments include the First-Year Curriculum Committee, Admissions Committee, Faculty Development Committee, Medical School Education Committee, and the Research Training and Degrees Program Committee for the Graduate School. His teaching responsibilities over the years have focused on gross anatomy, primarily to medical students, but he has also taught anatomy to residents in orthopedic, physical and medicine and rehabilitation, ophthalmology, otorhinolaryngology, urology, and general surgery. His interest in gross anatomy has also been exemplified through instructional efforts to physical therapy students and through developmental anatomy to medical students and residents in neurology, neurosurgery, and urology. Dr. Carmichael's standing in the anatomical community is illustrated in a number of ways. His publications have appeared in well-known and highly regarded journals, including Journal of Anatomy, Cell and Tissue Research, Journal of Neuroscience Research, Histochemistry, Experimental Neurology, Journal of Electron Microscopic Techniques, Anatomical Record, and Anesthesiology. Dr. Carmichael has served as an external reviewer for more than 30 peer-reviewed journals over the years, such as Anatomical Record, Brain Research, Endocrinology, Journal of Membrane Biology, and Neurosurgery. He has also been invited to serve as an external grant reviewer for national and international research groups, such as the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the NIH, and the NSF. Dr. Carmichael has been invited to contribute over 90 papers to several journals, most specifically to the journals Microscopy Today and New Anatomist, Health Physics, and Clinical Anatomy. These have provided a unique opportunity to bring to the nonspecialist public information on a wide range of anatomical ideas, concepts, techniques, and methods. Dr. Carmichael has also presented papers or has been invited to speak at numerous national and international meetings over the years, such as the Society for Neuroscience, the FASEB Experimental Biology Meetings, Histochemical Society, and foreign anatomical society meetings. Within the AAA, Dr. Carmichael has been an active participate at its scientific meetings, severed as a member of the Executive Committee from 1999 to 2002, and has been a member of the Anatomical Terminology Committee since 1994. His service to the AAA has been both direct and indirect, through his work with the American Association of Clinical Anatomists (AACA). Dr. Carmichael was a founding member of the AACA, has been a member of the council since 2001, and is currently editor in chief of the society's journal Clinical Anatomy. In addition to his service to each of these organizations, he has performed a valuable role as a liaison between the two professional organizations, so that they might collaborate toward their common goals in a changing scientific and educational environment. In this respect, Dr. Carmichael has offered the unique perspective of being an active participant in both organizations. The AAA recognizes Dr. Stephen W. Carmichael for his many years of dedicated service to the field of anatomy and to our association. The AAA is pleased to honor Dr. Carmichael as the 2005 recipient of the A.J. Ladman AAA/Wiley Exemplary Service Award.