Charles Mistretta, Ph.D., has been awarded the 2015 UW School of Medicine and Public Health (UW SMPH) Belzer Award. The award is annually bestowed to a faculty member who “embodies the spirit of dedication and commitment to the school and its missions and who is a pioneer and leader in science.” The award was presented to Dr. Mistretta by UW SMPH Dean Robert Golden, M.D., at the 2015 Middleton Society dinner.
Since his arrival in 1971, Dr. Mistretta has produced dozens of imaging innovations. Chief among them is his development of digital subtraction angiography, a revolutionary fluoroscopy technique still considered the gold standard for arterial imaging. In addition, he has generated over 40 US patents, a testament to the ingenuity and practicality of his inventions.
Standing side-by-side with his technological contributions is his devoted mentorship of nearly 60 students and fellows, many of whom have reached international prominence in the research world.
The award is named for Dr. Folkert Belzer, a UW physician and researcher who developed “UW Solution” the widely-used organ preservation fluid that can keep donated organs viable for up to 30 hours. This allows more time for a suitable match to be found, decreasing rejection rates and costs associated with organ transplant.