Introduction of the Archer-Doliszny Family: I am a native of Canada and a proud graduate of Queen’s University, Kingston Ontario (Meds ‘81). I am a Maritimer through and through, as I was born in Nova Scotia, raised in PEI, and graduated from high school in New Brunswick. My hobbies include playing classical guitar and old-timers hockey as well as consuming large amounts of coffee. I am married to Kathie Doliszny, who started her training as an epidemiologist at Queen’s, and together we have three children, Elizabeth, Ben, and Anya. We are delighted to be returning to Kingston to join the Queen’s community.
There and back again: I attended Queen’s largely because of the interventions of the late Padre Laverty and benefited greatly from the teaching of Dr. Ralph Clench. As a medical student, I was mentored by Drs. Ginsberg, Lott and Bryan, with assistance from many others along the way. After completing medical school, I moved to British Columbia to intern at the Royal Columbian Hospital, drawn by the desire to deliver babies, do surgery, and explore all that medicine had to offer. I subsequently completed training in medicine and cardiology at the University of Minnesota, where my mentor, Ken Weir, set me on the path to become a cardiologist and physician scientist. I joined the Faculty of the University of Minnesota in 1988 and worked at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center as Director of the Echocardiography Laboratory. In 1996-97 I served as the Visiting Professor of Physiology for the French Physiological Society in Paris and in 1997, I became Professor of Medicine at the University of Minnesota. From 1998-2007 I served as Professor of Medicine and Physiology and Director of the Cardiology Division at the University of Alberta. In 2007, I became Chief of the Cardiology and Harold Hines Jr. Professor of Medicine Section of at the University of Chicago. Throughout my career, I have aimed to foster a model of academic medicine built upon a tripartite foundation of research, administration, and patient care, a vision I will continue to uphold at Queen’s. Clinically, I am interested in pulmonary hypertension and valvular heart disease, while, from an administrative vantage, I enjoy developing multidisciplinary, rapid response health care delivery programs to shorten waiting lists and enhance patient access and satisfaction.
Research: My research lab serves as a training ground for both clinician and PhD scientists. We study basic mechanisms of oxygen sensing in the vasculature and investigate the role of mitochondria as both oxygen sensors and regulators of cell proliferation. Our recent projects have defined the role of mitochondrial fission/fusion and metabolism in pulmonary hypertension, right ventricular hypertrophy, and cancer. I also study the mechanism by which the ductus arteriosus closes at birth. The lab attempts to translate these basic science discoveries into experimental therapeutics for pulmonary hypertension, right ventricular failure, and patent ductus arteriosus. I am delighted to take the helm of a great Department and work with each of you to enhance the Department’s unity and success in patient care, education and research. Stay tuned for the next posting, Glimpse of a Vision