Rodarte Tribute
This introduction is written as a tribute to Joseph R. Rodarte, M.D., section chief of the Pulmonary/Critical Care Section of the Department of Medicine from 1988 to 2000. Dr. Rodarte came to Baylor after almost 20 years at The Mayo Clinic where he served as head of the Thoracic Diseases Research Unit. His mission was to build the research component of a section that has always been strong clinically. His legacy is the success of that mission as can be seen in the list of externally funded activities of section faculty. He formed ties with other sections within the department and with other departments at the College in order to enhance the research program. The section now enjoys extensive support from the National Institutes of Health, and section faculty serve on NIH study sections, grant review committees as well as editorial boards. The faculty regularly present papers and abstracts at national and international scientific meetings related to clinical and basic science investigation.
Most of the section faculty were recruited by Dr. Rodarte and include several former fellows. They are based at Baylor College of Medicine's primary teaching hospitals.
The current faculty of the program and the Department of Medicine are committed to excellence in both clinical and research education. Our goal is to continue the legacy of Dr. Rodarte by improving the quality of our program, not just maintaining it.