U of M Medical School Excited to Welcome Top Researcher

ST. PAUL / MINNEAPOLIS (May 5, 2008) -- The University of Minnesota Medical School is honored and proud to announce it has successfully recruited Joseph M. Metzger, Ph.D., one of the top molecular and integrative physiologists in the United States.

Metzger will become professor and head of the Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology and the Maurice Visscher Endowed Chair in Physiology at the University of Minnesota Medical School beginning Aug. 15, 2008.

“Integrative Biology and Physiology embodies the next generation of discovery in biomedical sciences by embracing biological complexity from molecular building blocks to the living organism,” Metzger said. “I am honored and thrilled to accept this exciting position.”

Metzger will be bringing his highly acclaimed research expertise in cardiovascular performance in health and disease that features genetic and chemical-based therapies spanning from molecule to whole animals – which fits well with one of the key University of Minnesota research strengths.

“It’s a very exciting time to come to Minnesota,” Metzger said. “I was drawn here by the outstanding people and the tremendous new resources focused on cardiovascular research, most dramatic being the recent state funding of the new Lillehei Heart Research building. The spotlight is on Minnesota as rising star in cardiovascular research.”

Metzger is also an award-winning educator, receiving the Elizabeth Crosby Award for his outstanding teaching of medical students. Metzger has successfully mentored more than 60 undergraduate, graduate students and postdoctoral trainees and fellows, several of which have advanced to tenure-track professorships.

“We are excited to have someone of the high caliber of Metzger join the University of Minnesota Medical School team,” said Deborah Powell, M.D., dean of the Medical School. “He’s an outstanding researcher and educator, and I’m confident that he is exactly the right leader for our new Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology.”

The Minnesota native will be coming to the Medical School from the University of Michigan, where he has been a faculty member since 1991. There, he is a professor and associate chair of the Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, as well as director of the Center for Integrative Genomics.

Metzger did his post-doctoral training at the University of Wisconsin, received his doctorate at Marquette University, and graduated with a B.S. in Natural Science from St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minn. Metzger is also a graduate of St. Paul Cretin-Derham Hall High School and is returning to Minnesota with his wife Maria and two daughters Stefania and Natalie.

“Years ago my youngest daughter told me she was going to go to my old high school, which was funny as we were 700 miles away – as this is now coming true, maybe she is a visionary, too,” Metzger said.

Dedicated to excellence, diversity and service, the University of Minnesota Medical School educates the next generation of physicians, advances patient care, and discovers breakthroughs in biomedical research that enhance health in Minnesota and beyond. Its commitment to transform medical education, Rural Physician Associate Program, and success in training Native American physicians are well-known. More than 1,500 Medical School physicians and scientists provide world-class care and carry out nearly $200 million in research, which informs the treatments and care that patients receive. For more information, go to www.med.umn.edu

Contact: Nick Hanson, Academic Health Center, (612) 624-2449, hans2853@umn.edu
Molly Portz, Academic Health Center, (612) 625-2640, mportz@umn.edu