Stephen Rennard, M.D., one of the world’s leading experts in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is one of 10 recipients in the country to be selected for the 2006 Pfizer Visiting Professorship in Pulmonology Award. Dr. Rennard, Larson Professor of Medicine, UNMC Pulmonary and Critical Care Section, will travel in March to the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston where he will be a visiting professor.
Over a two-day visit, Dr. Rennard will conduct four or five lectures and meet with faculty and practicing physicians from the Houston-Galveston area. He will discuss the science and management of COPD as well as career development in pulmonary medicine.
The purpose of the program is to increase opportunities for scientific exchange and education at medical schools, teaching hospitals, and other organizations. About 80 visiting professorships are awarded annually in various areas of medicine. The recipients are selected by independent academic advisory boards made up of top scholars.
“Dr Rennard has uncommon breadth of expertise, both in pulmonary disorders and asthma,” said William Calhoun, M.D., vice chair for planning research and development for the Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. “He is an ideal candidate for this award. He’s a superb academic pulmonologist, whose depth and breadth of expertise has been recognized by his peers.
“He’s widely recognized as a world leader in COPD research and maintains an active program of research evaluating novel treatments for COPD. He also has been active in efforts to prevent COPD through smoking cessation and has helped develop several cessation treatments.”
Dr. Rennard said he is flattered to receive the award. “The University of Texas, Galveston recently combined allergy, pulmonary, immunology, critical care and sleep medicine into one division. Their goal is to develop a nationally recognized, top 10 program over the next five years. Part of my role will be to assess their plans for this ambitious program,” he said.
The visiting professorships are part of Pfizer’s Medical and Academic Partnerships (MAP) grant program. Since 1984, the grants have created and supported more than 900 educational opportunities, demonstrating Pfizer’s commitment to health care scholarship and enhancing education at institutions and organizations across the United States.