William A. Peck, M.D., executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean of the School of Medicine, has been elected to the Institute of Medicine. He also is assuming the chairmanship of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).
A component of the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine advances and disseminates scientific knowledge to improve human health, providing information and advice to the government, corporations, the professions and the public.
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Members are chosen for their major contributions to health and medicine or related fields, and they devote a significant amount of volunteer time to committees engaged in health policy studies. Current projects include studies on cancer research among minorities and the medically underserved; research and development needed to improve civilian medical response to chemical or biological terrorist incidents; and prevention of perinatal transmission of HIV.
Peck becomes chair of the AAMC at the association's 109th annual meeting, to be held Friday through Thursday, Oct. 30-Nov. 5, in New Orleans. He previously served as chair of the AAMC's Council of Deans; he has been a member of group's Executive Committee and of special committees convened to explore specific issues related to biomedical research, medical schools and teaching hospitals.
The AAMC represents the 125 accredited U.S. medical schools, the 16 accredited Canadian medical schools, more than 400 major teaching hospitals and health systems, nearly 90 academic and professional societies and the nation's medical students and residents.
Peck is an internationally recognized expert on bone metabolism and disorders. He developed the first method for directly studying the structure, function and growth of bone cells. He discovered key mechanisms by which certain hormones regulate bone cell function and investigated the causes of osteoporosis.
Peck was the founding president of the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) and a past president of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. He is a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the Association of American Physicians. He has served on numerous academic society committees, national and international scientific panels, medical journal editorial boards and pharmaceutical company advisory boards. He also serves on the board of BJC Health System and on the board of Research!America, a national nonprofit alliance that promotes medical research.
Peck's honors include a National Institutes of Health Career Program Award, a Food and Drug Administration Commissioner's Award and the NOF's Founders Award. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
He also has appeared as a spokesperson for science on local and national media, including the "McNeil Lehrer Report," "Good Morning America" and "CBS Morning News."
Born in New Britain, Conn., Peck graduated from Harvard College in 1955 with a degree in biochemical sciences. He obtained a medical degree in 1960 from the University of Rochester School of Medicine, where he was admitted to Alpha Omega Alpha, an honorary medical society. After a residency and fellowship at Barnes Hospital, he spent two years as a clinical associate at the National Institutes of Health.
He served on the faculty of the University of Rochester School of Medicine for 11 years before joining Washington University in 1976 as the John E. and Adaline Simon Professor of Medicine. He became dean and vice chancellor for medical affairs and president of Washington University Medical Center in 1989, becoming executive vice chancellor for medical affairs in 1993.
