Although the research skills of Margaret "Peggy" Wheelock, Ph.D., enabled her to land sizeable grants that transformed UNMC scientific landscape, her greatest legacy lies in the many junior faculty she mentored.
"Peggy was truly devoted to mentoring junior faculty and her only priority was making sure those she mentored succeeded," said Ali Nawshad, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the department of oral biology in the College of Dentistry who in 2005 was recruited to UNMC from Harvard by Dr. Wheelock and her husband, Keith Johnson, Ph.D.
Dr. Wheelock, a professor in the College of Dentistry’s department of oral biology and one of the medical center’s leading cell biologists, died Saturday from complications related to cancer. She was 63.
Memorial services for Dr. Wheelock will be held on Thursday at John A. Gentleman Mortuaries at 1010 N. 72nd St. in Omaha. A visitation will be held at 4 p.m. with a remembrance service to follow at 7 p.m. Dr. Wheelock’s burial services will be held later in Trimont, Minn. In lieu of flowers, her husband asked that donations be made to the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center.
"Peggy was a brilliant and passionate research leader at UNMC and an international research leader in cell biology as it relates to cancer," said John Reinhardt, D.D.S., dean of the College of Dentistry. "Her death is a huge loss for UNMC, the College of Dentistry and, most of all, for her husband, who also is a brilliant researcher in the college and the person who worked most closely with Peggy."
Dr. Reinhardt echoed Dr. Nawshad’s comments on Dr. Wheelock being a strong faculty mentor and noted that she and her husband have helped launch independent research careers for many junior faculty members.
Dr. Wheelock also took a hands-off approach to mentoring that allowed the young investigators to act independently, said Dr. Nawshad, who recently received a 2008 UNMC New Investigator Award.
"These days you hardly get mentorship like that and it really was mind blowing for me to experience that," he said. "Her death is not only a loss to the UNMC community but also to the science community as a whole."
Dr. Wheelock joined UNMC in 2001 along with her husband and research partner, Dr. Johnson, also a professor in the College of Dentistry. From the 10th floor of The Lied Transplant Center, Dr. Wheelock directed the Nebraska Center for Cellular Signaling and focused her research efforts on oral cancer.
In 2003, the Cresco, Iowa, native received a five-year grant totaling almost $9.9 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to further the understanding of cell signaling — the biochemical response of cells to their environment — in relation to a variety of cancers.
The grant — at that time the second largest in UNMC’s history — established the NIH-designated Nebraska Center for Cellular Signaling at UNMC, which focuses on the study of cell signaling and involves multidisciplinary collaboration between researchers.
Last year, the NIH approved a renewal of Dr. Wheelock’s Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (CoBRE) grant for another five years at $10.9 million.
"The grant has allowed us to bring together outstanding junior and senior faculty with similar interests, which greatly enhances the science knowledge and opportunities for collaboration," Dr. Wheelock said at the time.
Always the mentor, Dr. Wheelock was particularly proud of how the grant enabled her team to mentor seven junior investigators to obtain their own RO1 grants from the NIH.
Colleagues say Dr. Wheelock’s willingness to help is what made her successful as a mentor. She paired every junior investigator with two mentors who could help them navigate the complex world of grant writing. If necessary, she also would extend a junior investigator’s funding from the usual three years to four — to give them more time to work on their research.
"Dr. Wheelock could buy a lot of fancy equipment and fund core facilities, but instead she invested in human capital and the potential of young investigators," said Rob Lewis, Ph.D., a professor in the UNMC Eppley Institute and one of the COBRE mentors.
Named one of UNMC’s 2006 Distinguished Scientists, Dr. Wheelock worked in the field of cell adhesion for about 25 years. She earned both her bachelor of science degree in microbiology and her doctoral degree in cell biology at the University of Minnesota.
Before coming to UNMC, Dr. Wheelock spent a significant part of her time teaching at the University of Toledo in Ohio. Prior to that, she did research in Philadelphia at the Wistar Institute, an independent nonprofit biomedical research institute.
To understand the process and progression of cancer, Drs. Wheelock and Johnson studied cadherins, a family of proteins involved in the mechanism whereby cells recognize one another. Cancer becomes deadly when cancer cells metastasize, or spread to other parts of the body. Drs. Wheelock and Johnson studied the potential role cadherins have in causing cancer to spread.
Dr. Wheelock’s longtime interest in science was evident with each junior faculty member she mentored. Once, when asked what advice she would give students interested in a research career, she said: "Go for it! It will be the most exciting thing you can do."
Outside the laboratory, Dr. Wheelock spent her time biking, where she participated several times in RAGBRAI (The Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa), as well as a 500-mile bike trip in Europe. She and her husband also enjoyed traveling and walking to and from UNMC and their Memorial Park home.
UNMC is the only public health science center in the state. Its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through their commitment to education, research, patient care and outreach, UNMC and its hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center, have established themselves as one of the country’s leading centers in cancer, transplantation biology, bioterrorism preparedness, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, genetics, biomedical technology and ophthalmology. UNMC’s research funding from external sources now exceeds $82 million annually and has resulted in the creation of more than 2,400 highly skilled jobs in the state. UNMC’s physician practice group, UNMC Physicians, includes 513 physicians in 50 specialties and subspecialties who practice primarily in The Nebraska Medical Center. For more information, go to UNMC’s Web site at www.unmc.edu.
What others are saying
"Peggy was a creative researcher and outstanding faculty member whose life was cut short during her most productive time. She trained scientists in her lab who went on to be funded investigators on their own. We were all so proud of her accomplishments. I called on her frequently for special senior assignments and she always lived up to my expectations. We will all miss her dearly." UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D.
"Peggy Wheelock was as fine a person as I’ve known. She was always honest, cordial and a pleasure to work with. In addition, she was a gifted scientist. I will miss her, UNMC will miss her, and the community of scientists has lost an outstanding member. My sincerest condolences to Keith." Vice Chancellor for Research Tom Rosenquist, Ph.D.
"One key to success in science lies in identifying unique resources that help us learn how to solve the scientific problems with which we struggle, how to conduct ourselves within the scientific community, and how to lead others to accomplish a common goal. Our typical resources are published papers, lectures and bright colleagues willing to offer a thoughtful perspective. It’s relatively easy to seek out the best papers pertinent to a particular topic, slightly more problematic to access timely seminars of specific interest, but relatively rare to have daily access to intellectually gifted colleagues who will give your problems the same attention they give to their own. Peggy Wheelock was such a colleague. She was always attentive, thoughtful and gracious. But she also was no-nonsense, goal-oriented and determined. She delighted in the success of others as much as her own. She led by example. She never sought the limelight, though at times, her personal success made it unavoidable. Several of us were blessed with the opportunity to participate on a large grant she obtained to establish the Nebraska Center for Cell Signaling. Some of us served as mentors, others as mentees. Peg, as principal investigator, was the mentor’s mentor. She is irreplaceable. If there is any solace for our loss, it may come from our ability to extract from Peg’s counsel and demeanor a small portion of her optimism, of her determination and of her grace." Robert Lewis, Ph.D., professor in the Eppley Institute
"Dr. Wheelock — along with her husband, Dr. Keith Johnson — greatly enhanced the research structure of the College of Dentistry. We grieve for her along with Keith, as well as their colleagues in Omaha at the Nebraska Center for Cellular Signaling." David Shaw, Ph.D., professor and chairman of the College of Dentistry’s department of oral biology
"Peggy and her husband have been key figures in the growth of our research program in the College of Dentistry. As a mentor, she gave a lot of herself to help others receive funding from the NIH and develop as scientists. She was very friendly, very giving and just a lovely person. She was a pleasure to work with. She was very much a team player. Her loss is devastating." Jeffrey Payne, D.D.S., associate dean for research in the College of Dentistry
"I was first introduced to Peggy Wheelock when I was a graduate student under Keith Johnson. Keith and Peggy shared labs, so I knew Peggy well. Peggy was the ideal model of a successful scientist, and more specifically, as a role model for women excelling in science. She worked with all the graduate students in her lab to push them to become the best scientists possible. She was tough but fair and always looked out for her students. She was passionate about science and loved what she did. By following her example, she also taught us to seek out what we enjoy the most, to be passionate about it and then how to succeed in that passion. She taught me a great deal about science but also about living to the fullest and excelling at what you love to do. Peggy will truly be missed in the scientific community." Sarah Keim Janssen, Ph.D., instructor in the department of genetics, cell biology and anatomy
"Peggy was ‘one in a million.’ She was a talented research scientist, outstanding mentor and an inspirational role model for all women in science. I feel privileged to have known her." Paula Turpen, Ph.D., UNMC’s director of research resources