TEXT OF THE INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS DELIVERED BY PROFESSOR CORMAC TAYLOR, School of Medicine and Medical Science, University College Dublin on 16 June 2010, on the occasion of the conferring of the Degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa on MARTIN CAREY
Martin Carey was born in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary on June 18th 1939 (which incidently means his birthday is on Friday so happy birthday in advance Martin). Professor Carey graduated with a degree in Medicine from UCD in 1962 before undertaking clinical training here in Dublin in St. Vincent’s, St. Luke’s and the National Maternity Hospital before specializing in obstetrics at Queen Charlotte’s Hospital in London. However, his career as an obstetrician was brief and he soon found himself drawn into the worlds of Gastroenterology and Physical Chemistry. In 1967, Martin traveled to Boston to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship in Gastroenterology and Biophysics (a unique combination which was to define his forthcoming research interests) at Boston University. Following this period, he joined the faculty in Harvard Medical School in 1973 as an Assistant Prof., He rapidly rose up through the ranks and was promoted to Associate Professor in 1979 and Full Professor in 1988. As many of you will know, it is rarity for an academic to be promoted within the Harvard system. In fact Professor Carey is one of only two Full Professors of Irish origin (other being Nobel Laureate Seamas Heany). Professor Carey also holds an affiliated Professorship at the Massachucettes Institute of Technology or MIT (Division of health sciences and technology).
Because of the restrictions in time today I can give but a flavour of the many internationally acclaimed research achievements that Prof. Carey has led or contributed to during his scientific career to date including the :
- Discovery of the use of folic acid in the prevention of neurologic birth defects.
- World renowned research on defining the physical-chemical state of bile lipids as well as the discovery of the 23 Lith gene which has impacted greatly on our understanding and treatment of gallstones.
- Uncovering physical-chemistry of dietary fat digestion.
These are but examples of work that includes 146 Original research articles (Science, JCI, NEJM), 134 reviews and innumerable invited seminars and prestigious visiting professorships around the globe, editorships of multiple prestigious journals and prizes including honorary degrees from NUI, Harvard and the Royal Irish Academy.
Perhaps the greatest legacy of a researcher is the cohort of people they train. Martin was mentor to 61 Scientists and Physician Scientists to date. Of these, 19 are now themselves full professors in internationally renowned institutes and universities. This is a true reflection of Martins contribution to medicine and medical research. The diaspora of the ex-Carey lab fellows is found scattered accross the globe including exotic locations as far flung as Barcelona, Soeul, Osaka, New York, Quebec, Rome, Tel Aviv, New Deli, Mexico City and Mullingar.
Among his unrecorded mentorship roles were the countless Irish clinical and research fellows who spent time during their training in Harvard Medical School who Martin advised and supported in a more informal way. In fact, on a personal note, I myself was one such recipient of Martins support and advice which was delivered over a couple of pints of Guinness in Flann O’Briens’s pub in Brigham Circle, the local for those of us in Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
To complete the triad of Professor Carey’s contributions, parallel to his career as a researcher and mentor, Professor Carey has had a stellar career as a practicing clinician and held a post as Senior Physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Anyone who knows Martin, knows that a description of his career would be incomplete without reference to his extensive extracurricular activities. Martin is an active member of St. Botolph’s drama club in Boston and his most recent starring role was the role of Cyrano in Cyrano de Bergerac. This was in 2009…
Martin has also been working (for decades I am reliably informed) on a critical biography of Dublin born pianist and composer John Field who relocated to St. Petersburg in 1802 which necessitates multiple trips to Russia. Martin has lectured on Field at Yale, Harvard, Toronto and Dublin.
Although the Field Biography is awaiting completion, a Martin is currently working on a first biography of Agnes Pockles, a German pioneer in surface chemistry who had no university education but published 18 pioneering papers largely based on experiments carried out in her kitchen sink!!
Unfortunately, in this short time I cannot do justice to the full extent of the achievements of Professor Martin Carey but it is suffice to say that his career as a researcher, mentor and physician (as well I am sure as part-time biographer and actor) make him a truly deserving awardee of the honorary degree of Dr. of Science from his Alma Mater.
Praehonorabilis Praeses, totaque Universitas,
Praesento vobis hunc meum filium, quem scio tam moribus quam doctrina habilem et idoneum esse qui admittatur, honoris causa, ad gradum Doctoratus in Scientiae; idque tibi fide mea testor ac spondeo, totique Academiae.