The Frank Wister Thomas Professorship of Medicine

Frank Wister ThomasThe Professorship was established in 1945 from the bequest of Maria G.B. Thomas to honor her late husband Frank Wister Thomas, MD, a devoted alumnus of the Perelman School of Medicine Class of 1880.

Dr. Thomas practiced medicine in the Philadelphia area for over 50 years. The Professorship, which traditionally is held by the Chairman of the Department of Medicine of Penn Medicine, stands as a tribute to a dedicated practitioner and loyal alumnus.

 

Michael S. ParmacekCurrent Chairholder
Michael S. Parmacek, MD

Michael S. Parmacek, MD is the Frank Wister Thomas Professor of Medicine and Chair of the Department of Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to his appointment at Penn, Dr. Parmacek served on the faculty of the Department of Medicine (Cardiology) at the University of Michigan (1987-92) and the University of Chicago (1992-98). In 1998, Dr. Parmacek was recruited to Penn and appointed Chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, serving in this position until 2014. In 2005, he was appointed as the Founding Director of the newly established University of Pennsylvania Cardiovascular Institute (CVI), a position he held until 2016. In 2014, Dr. Parmacek was appointed as the 25th Chair of the University of Pennsylvania Department of Medicine; the nation’s first Department of Medicine. During his tenure at Penn, the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, the Penn CVI and Penn’s Department of Medicine developed innovative collaborative programs bridging patient care, biomedical discovery, medical education and health policy.

Dr. Parmacek is internationally recognized for his pioneering research studies in cardiovascular cell and molecular biology. His laboratory identified and characterized key transcription factors that regulate development of the heart and vascular system. These fundamental studies impacted directly on understanding the molecular and genetic basis of congenital heart disease, aortic disease and atherosclerosis. Dr. Parmacek was appointed to the Advisory Council of the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute of the NIH (2009-13). He was honored as an Established Investigator by the American Heart Association and he was elected Fellow of the AHA, American College of Cardiology and American College of Physicians. He also served as President of the Association of Professors of Cardiology and Councilor of the Association of Professors of Medicine. Dr. Parmacek has been elected to the American Society of Clinical Investigation, the American Association of Physicians and the National Academy of Medicine.

Previous Chairholders

  • Francis C. Wood, MD 1947–1965
  • James B. Wyngaarden, MD 1965–1967
  • Arnold S. Relman, MD 1967–1977
  • Laurence E. Earley, MD 1977–1990
  • Edward W. Holmes, MD 1991–1997
  • Peter G. Traber, MD 1997–2000
  • Andrew I. Schafer, MD 2002–2007
  • Richard P. Shannon, MD 2007–2013