Meet the 2025 Winner - Wiltz W. Wagner Jr., PhD
Professor Wagner is internationally recognized for his research on the lung. Much of his work has focused on the microscopic gas exchange vessels and how blood flow is controlled in the lung capillaries. He has developed a method for studying capillary blood flow directly in the living lung. Techniques developed by his research laboratory for video recording microcirculatory blood flow using fluorescence microscopy, laser lighting, and computer image enhancement have produced exciting new and unique data that are being analyzed by state-of-the-art mathematical techniques. After decades of work studying the normal lung, Dr. Wagner's research team has begun investigating aspects of sickle cell disease, liver cirrhosis, alterations that occur with low oxygen, and abnormalities in white blood cells, as these disorders impact on pulmonary gas exchange vessels. In a related area, Dr. Wagner has developed the only theory that explains why some species develop pulmonary hypertension at high altitude. Testing of the theory has led to travels in the wilds of South America. Dr. Wagner's interest in exercise physiology produced some of the earliest work on athletic amenorrhea.
Description
In Appreciation of a Lifetime of Leadership, Service, and Devoted Commitment to the Pursuit of Respiratory Health
Presented at the discretion of the Assembly Chair and its Executive Committee, this prestigious award honors an individual whose distinguished career has been marked by exceptional leadership, steadfast service, and deep dedication to the mission of the Pulmonary Circulation Assembly. Through sustained commitment to its programs and unwavering support of its members, the recipient has helped shape the direction of the Assembly and advanced the broader field of respiratory health. This Lifetime Achievement Award is a tribute to their enduring legacy and lasting contributions to the community.