George F. Cahill Jr. (July 7, 1927 – July 30, 2012) was an American

scientist A scientist is a person who conducts Scientific method, scientific research to advance knowledge in an Branches of science, area of the natural sciences. In classical antiquity, there was no real ancient analog of a modern scientist. Instead, ...

who significantly advanced the

diabetes mellitus Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

research of the 20th century. He focused on metabolic research, especially concerning human

glucose Glucose is a simple sugar with the molecular formula . Glucose is overall the most abundant monosaccharide, a subcategory of carbohydrates. Glucose is mainly made by plants and most algae during photosynthesis from water and carbon dioxide, using ...

metabolism in diabetic and normal conditions; he also investigated the effect of hunger and

fasting Fasting is the abstention from eating and sometimes drinking. From a purely physiological context, "fasting" may refer to the metabolic status of a person who has not eaten overnight (see " Breakfast"), or to the metabolic state achieved after ...

on metabolic pathways and

ketose A ketose is a monosaccharide containing one ketone group per molecule. The simplest ketose is dihydroxyacetone, which has only three carbon atoms. It is the only ketose with no optical activity. All monosaccharide ketoses are reducing sugars, be ...

processes. He was author and co-author of nearly 200 articles in scientific magazines and books.

Early life

George Cahill Jr. was born in New York City. He attended the

Hotchkiss School The Hotchkiss School is a coeducational University-preparatory school#North America, preparatory school in Lakeville, Connecticut, United States. Hotchkiss is a member of the Eight Schools Association and Ten Schools Admissions Organization. It i ...

and then completed a course of studies at the

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

, graduating in 1949. In 1953, he earned a medical doctoral degree at the

Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S) is the graduate medical school of Columbia University, located at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. Founded i ...

Career

Cahill started working as a medical assistant at the Biochemical Department at the Peter Bent Bringham Hospital (today:

Brigham and Women’s Hospital Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) is the second largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and the largest hospital in the Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. Along with Massachusetts General Hospital, it is one of the two f ...

) in Boston. He was also involved in research at the Albert Baird Hastings laboratory from 1955 until 1957 before he transferred to the Joslin's Diabetes Center in 1958, after another clinical year. There, he took the place of research director when Albert Renold returned to Europe 1962. Cahill held the position until 1978. 1962 he became active in the research at the

Howard Hughes Medical Institute The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) is an American non-profit medical research organization based in Chevy Chase, Maryland. It was founded in 1953 by Howard Hughes, an American business magnate, investor, record-setting pilot, engineer, fil ...

(HHMI), since 1972 as member of the advisory board and later as research director and finally vice president. He left the HHMI in 1990. 1970 he became a

Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the graduate medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is one of the oldest medical schools in the United States and is consi ...

professor. Until 1990 he continued teaching classes, before he had been given emeritus status. Since 1989 Cahill taught a biology course for non-biologists at the

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native A ...

Personal life

Cahill married Sarah ("Sally") duPont († 2010) in 1949. They had four daughters and two sons.

Works (selection)

* Clinical and Climatological Association. Band 73, 1961, S. 22–29, . . . * G. F. Cahill, O. E. Owen: Starvation and survival. In: Transactions of the American Clinical and Climatological Association. Band 79, 1968, S. 13–20, . . . * O. E. Owen, P. Felig, A. P. Morgan, J. Wahren, G. F. Cahill: Liver and kidney metabolism during prolonged starvation. In: The Journal of clinical investigation. Band 48, No. 3, März 1969, S. 574–583, . . . . * P. Felig, E. Marliss, O. E. Owen, G. F. Cahill: Blood glucose and gluconeogenesis in fasting man. In: Archives of internal medicine. Band 123, No. 3, März 1969, S. 293–298, . . (Review). * G. F. Cahill: Starvation in man. In: The New England Journal of Medicine. Band 282, No. 12, März 1970, S. 668–675, . . . (Review). * G. F. Cahill, T. T. Aoki: Starvation and body nitrogen. In: Transactions of the American Clinical and Climatological Association. Band 82, 1971, S. 43–51, . . . (Review). * P. Felig, E. B. Marliss, G. F. Cahill: Metabolic response to human growth hormone during prolonged starvation. In: The Journal of clinical investigation. Band 50, No. 2, February 1971, S. 411–421, . . . . * G. F. Cahill, T. T. Aoki, N. B. Ruderman: Ketosis. In: Transactions of the American Clinical and Climatological Association. Band 84, 1973, S. 184–202, . . . * G. F. Cahill: Starvation in man. In: Clinics in endocrinology and metabolism. Band 5, No. 2, Juli 1976, S. 397–415, . . (Review). * G. F. Cahill: Human evolution and insulin-dependent (IDD) and non-insulin dependent diabetes (NIDD). In: Metabolism: clinical and experimental. Band 28, No. 4 Suppl 1, April 1979, S. 389–393, . . (Review). * G. F. Cahill: President’s address. Starvation. In: Transactions of the American Clinical and Climatological Association. Band 94, 1983, S. 1–21, . . . (Review). * G. F. Cahill, R. L. Veech: Ketoacids? Good medicine? In: Transactions of the American Clinical and Climatological Association. Band 114, 2003, S. 149–161, . . . (Review). * G. F. Cahill, R. L. Veech: Ketoacids? Good medicine? In: Transactions of the American Clinical and Climatological Association. Band 114, 2003, S. 149–161, . . . (Review). * G. F. Cahill: Fuel Metabolism in Starvation. In: Annual Review of Nutrition. 26, 2006, S. 1–22, .

Awards (selection)

* Young Investigator Award of the

Endocrine Society The Endocrine Society is a professional, international medical organization in the field of endocrinology and metabolism, founded in 1916 as The Association for the Study of Internal Secretions. The official name of the organization was changed ...

and the

American Diabetes Association The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is a United States-based nonprofit that seeks to educate the public about diabetes and to help those affected by it through funding research to manage, cure and prevent diabetes (including type 1 diabetes, ...

* 1963: Oppenheimer Award of the Endocrine Society * 1979:

Gairdner Foundation International Award The Canada Gairdner International Award is given annually by the Gairdner Foundation at a special dinner to five individuals for outstanding discoveries or contributions to medical science. Receipt of the Gairdner is traditionally considered a p ...

* 1980: member of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and ...

Book of Members 1780–present of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences: http://www.amacad.org/publications/BookofMembers/ChapterC.pdf.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cahill, George F. Jr. 1927 births 2012 deaths Fasting researchers Hotchkiss School alumni Yale University alumni Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons alumni American scientists