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| Wiltz W. Wagner Jr., Ph.D. |
Wagner began his career in the early 1960s studying the pulmonary circulation under Robert F. Grover, M.D., Ph.D., in Denver, Colorado. He earned his Ph.D. in physiology and biophysics from Colorado State University in 1974, and went on to complete a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of Colorado.
Much of Wagner’s work has focused on the lung’s microscopic gas exchange vessels and how blood flow is regulated in the capillaries. He developed a pioneering method to study capillary blood flow directly in the living lung. His lab’s innovations in fluorescence microscopy, laser lighting, and computer image enhancement produced unique data still being analyzed with state-of-the-art mathematical techniques.
After decades of studying the healthy lung, Wagner’s research expanded to conditions such as sickle cell disease, liver cirrhosis, low-oxygen environments, and white blood cell abnormalities — each of which affects pulmonary gas exchange. In a related breakthrough, he developed the only existing theory that explains why some species develop pulmonary hypertension at high altitudes. His interest in exercise physiology also led to early research on athletic amenorrhea. A prolific scholar, Wagner has published more than 130 scientific papers and 160 abstracts.
Wagner joined the University of South Alabama in 2005 as a faculty member in the USA Center for Lung Biology and the Basic Medical Sciences Graduate Program. He also holds the titles of V.K. Stoelting Chair in Anesthesiology Emeritus and professor emeritus of physiology and biophysics at Indiana University School of Medicine.
Mark Gillespie, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology at the Whiddon College of Medicine, introduced Wagner before the award presentation. Gillespie completed his postdoctoral fellowship in the Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Research Laboratory at the University of Colorado under Wagner’s mentorship. In his remarks, Gillespie highlighted key moments from Wagner’s long career as a researcher, educator, mentor and historian.
Among his many leadership roles within the ATS, Wagner served two terms as chair of the Pulmonary Circulation Assembly (1999–2003). Since 1990, he has also served on the steering committee of The Grover Conference, the only international meeting in North America repeatedly focusing on subjects relevant to lung vascular biology and medicine.
