A look at the UAB Transplant Program would not be complete without a tribute to its founder and long-time leader, Dr. Arnold G. Diethelm. Dr. Diethelm’s career at UAB began in 1967, when he joined the UAB Department of Surgery. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Dr. Diethelm received his B.A. degree from Washington State University in 1953, and his M.D. degree from Cornell Medical College in 1958. Joining the faculty at UAB upon completion of his two-year fellowship at Harvard, Dr. Diethelm accepted the challenge of building a nationally-recognized transplantation program from the ground up. The first kidney transplants took place in 1968, followed by the first heart transplant in the southeastern region in 1981. These milestones were followed by liver transplants (1983), the first simultaneous pancreas/kidney transplant (1988), and lung transplants (1989).
The author or co-author of over 210 publications in peer-reviewed journals, a member of 26 surgical societies, Chairman of UAB’s Department of Surgery for eighteen years (1982-1999) and honored with numerous memberships, awards, visiting professorships and appointments, Dr. Diethelm recalls one of the highlights of his career in 1974, when he was appointed Visiting Scientist in the Division of Surgical Science and Division of Cryobiology at the Clinical Research Centre in Middlesex, England. Working in the field of immunology under the distinguished Dir Peter Medawar, the experience led to his life-long interest in the field of immunological and tolerance-inducing medicine. His research led to pioneering work in the field of transplant tolerance, and because of his dedication, UAB has emerged as a leader in the exploration of new immunosuppressive agents.
Dr. Diethelm’s pioneering leadership brought world class transplant care to the southern United States.