DeBakey Receives Mendel Medal

Dr. Michael E. DeBakey has received the 2001 Mendel Medal from Villanova University, where he also lectured on his ventricular assist device.

"For my Sigma A3-sponsored lecture, I presented our clinical experience with the miniaturized DeBakey Left Ventricular Assist Device, which has provided promising results in more than 65 patients. This device is used in candidates for cardiac transplantation as a bridge until a suitable donor heart can be found," said Dr. DeBakey.

Candidates for the Mendel Medal are selected in accordance with the following precepts: "The Mendel Medal is awarded to outstanding scientists who have done much by their painstaking work to advance the cause of science, and by the spirituality of their lives and their standing before the world as scientists, have given practical demonstration of the fact that between true science and true religion there is no real conflict."

In keeping with today's ecumenical spirit, the medal is awarded to a scientist of any faith whose life and work merit such recognition. The medal was first awarded in 1929 and given annually until 1943. Between 1946 and 1968, the medal was awarded eight times. In 1993 Villanova University re-established the Mendel Medal to confirm its original purpose of honoring the achievements and memory of Gregor Mendel, the Augustinian friar and father of genetics.

Dr. DeBakey is currently Chancellor Emeritus of Baylor College of Medicine. He is credited with inventing and perfecting scores of medical devices, techniques and procedures. Currently, he is working with NASA to develop a self-contained, miniaturized -artificial heart. His DeBakey-Raytheon-ITS telemedicine system uses satellites to electronically link remote sites of the world to the Texas Medical Center for medical training and treatment.

Dr. DeBakey's pioneering work includes developing Dacron arteries, arterial bypass operations, artificial hearts, heart pumps and heart transplants that have become common procedures today. Additionally, he is credited with developing the Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals, or MASH, concepts for the military, which led to saving thousands of lives during the Korean and Vietnam conflicts. The development of specialized medical and surgical centers to treat returning military personnel from these conflicts subsequently became the Veterans Administration Medical Center System.

Dr. DeBakey has served as an advisor to nearly every U.S. president for the past 50 years, as well as to heads of state throughout the world. His efforts helped to establish the National Library of Medicine, which is now the world's largest and most prestigious repository of medical archives. He has performed more than 60,000 cardiovascular procedures, has trained thousands of surgeons who practice around the world, and in 1976, his students founded the Michael E. DeBakey International Surgical Society.

Dr. DeBakey is the recipient of numerous honorary degrees from prestigious colleges and universities, as well as from educational institutions, professional and civic organizations, and governments worldwide. In 1969, Dr. DeBakey received the highest honor given to a U.S. citizen - The Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction. In 1987, he was awarded the National Medal of Science, and in 1999 was one of eight individuals chosen to commemorate the United Nations' International Day for Tolerance, receiving the prestigious UN Lifetime Achievement Award. The following year, Dr. DeBakey was similarly recognized by the U.S. Library of Congress, which designated him a Living Legend.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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