Best athlete never to win Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine

[DrJay]

Other choices may be more deserving (i.e. Bannister) but I thought it was a chance to highlight Tony Waldrop's post-athletics career:

http://research.unc.edu/red/meet.php

"Tony Waldrop is Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Waldrop, a Columbus, N.C. native, was a Morehead Scholar receiving an A.B. in political science in 1974 and a Ph.D. in physiology, both from the University of North Carolina.

Prior to his current position, he was a professor of molecular and integrative physiology and Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. At the University of Illinois, he led the efforts to create a university-associated research park."

[Daisy]

How about Peter Snell?

[gh]

Delano Meriwether?

[Pego]

Eric Heiden

[bambam]

Not Heiden, for certain, though his athletics accomplishments are almost unparalleled. Peter Snell has published a lot in the field of exercise physiology over the years. Meriweather was a pioneer as the first black Duke medical student, became an oncologist, not sure how well known he became in that field. Dave Sime became a fairly well-known ophthalmologist in the Miami area.

Curt Alitz, Duke '84 Med (my class), is an orthopaedic surgeon now, director of the sports medicine fellowship at West Point. Curt ran the 1980 and 84 US Olympic marathon trials after a decent distance running career career at West Point. He also did some triathloning in the late 1980s and placed 3rd one year in the US Nationals in the Olympic distance triathlon. Another guy in my med school class was John Dietz, West Point '80, who triple jumped at West Point, and is now a fairly well-known spine surgeon in Indianapolis.

Waldrop may be a top choice, as the Nobel for "Medicine" is really a Physiology prize, and is never given to a physician MD anymore (only 3 times in history has one received it - last in the 1920 I believe). Dr. Jay, Pego, and I have no chance.

[tandfman]

Meriweather was a pioneer as the first black Duke medical student, became an oncologist, not sure how well known he became in that field.

I believe Meriwether was a hematologist. You have access to some recent material relating to Dr. M.

http://archives.mc.duke.edu/mcaoralmeriwetherw1_pdf

[bambam]

Meriweather was a pioneer as the first black Duke medical student, became an oncologist, not sure how well known he became in that field.

I believe Meriwether was a hematologist. You have access to some recent material relating to Dr. M.

http://archives.mc.duke.edu/mcaoralmeriwetherw1_pdf

Actually, you're right, he was a hematologist, although the sub-specialty and board certification is hematology/oncology (usually shortened as heme-onc), I believe. Most of them do the oncology side of it as there is, unfortunately, more of that to do.

[Pego]

Meriweather was a pioneer as the first black Duke medical student, became an oncologist, not sure how well known he became in that field.

I believe Meriwether was a hematologist. You have access to some recent material relating to Dr. M.

http://archives.mc.duke.edu/mcaoralmeriwetherw1_pdf

Actually, you're right, he was a hematologist, although the sub-specialty and board certification is hematology/oncology (usually shortened as heme-onc), I believe. Most of them do the oncology side of it as there is, unfortunately, more of that to do.

A little historical footnote here. When I entered medicine in the 50's, hem/oncs were primarily hematologists, now they are primarily oncologists.

[malmo]

Delano Meriwether?

Meriwether's story is great. Didn't run track in high or college. He "picked it up" in 1970. The rest is history.

Of course he was right in the middle of the first swine flu hysteria in 1976. Same as it ever was.