Joseph Boyd Martin (born October 20, 1938 in
Bassano, Alberta) is a Canadian physician who is the Edward R. and Anne G. Lefler Professor Emeritus of Neurobiology at
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 ...
. Prior to that, he served as the Dean of
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 ...
from 1997 before stepping down on June 30, 2007.
Career
Martin completed undergraduate studies and medical school at the
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a Public university, public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexande ...
, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He was the first in his extended family to further his education beyond high school. He also completed some undergraduate studies at Eastern Mennonite College, since renamed
Eastern Mennonite University
Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) is a private Mennonite university in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The university also operates a satellite campus in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, which primarily caters to working adults. EMU's bachelor-degree holde ...
. Subsequent to his medical school graduation, he completed his residency in neurology at
Case Western Reserve University and received his Ph.D. in anatomy from the
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private university, private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants Undergraduate education, undergraduate and graduate degrees, including Doctorate, do ...
.
![Recent studies of Huntington's disease Marjorie Guthrie lecture in genetics](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Recent_studies_of_Huntington%27s_disease_Marjorie_Guthrie_lecture_in_genetics.jpg)
Martin's first faculty position was at
McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous ...
, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where he rose to become Chair of the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery at the young age of 38, only five years following completion of his Ph.D. He subsequently joined the faculty of
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 ...
, where he chaired the Department of Neurology at
Massachusetts General Hospital, succeeding renowned neurologist Raymond Adams. During his tenure at MGH, he also served as interim director of the hospital, where his administrative and leadership qualities led him to become on the short list for a number of high-ranking jobs.
In this context, Martin became Dean of the School of Medicine at the
University of California, San Francisco
The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a public land-grant research university in San Francisco, California. It is part of the University of California system and is dedicated entirely to health science and life science. It con ...
in 1989 and then became that institution's Chancellor. He spent a total of eight years there, during which he became less involved in benchtop science and clinical medicine, although both remained a passion. With respect to the former, Martin's lab at MGH, under the lead direction of
James F. Gusella, was the first to identify a biomarker that soon thereafter led to location of the gene for
Huntington's disease
Huntington's disease (HD), also known as Huntington's chorea, is a neurodegenerative disease that is mostly inherited. The earliest symptoms are often subtle problems with mood or mental abilities. A general lack of coordination and an uns ...
, a major breakthrough at the time and one of the first demonstrations of a true connectivity between genetics and disease. At UCSF he was instrumental in identifying new research space and building new research facilities despite limited available areas and significant neighborhood pushback, which Martin worked through with his characteristic ability to build consensus.
Following his time at UCSF, Martin returned to Harvard to become the 22nd Dean of that university's School of Medicine in 1997. As Dean, he was instrumental in funding and building a major new research building across the street from the quad and
Boston Latin School. The building bears a conference center in his name. Beyond his various academic and financial achievements at Harvard, his tenure was notable for his advocacy of minorities and women and for his ability to ease through the contentious aftermath of the formation of disparate hospital systems affiliated with Harvard that had occurred prior to his arrival.
During his academic career he has been an editor of ''
Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine
''Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine'' is an American textbook of internal medicine. First published in 1950, it is in its 21st edition (published in 2022 by McGraw-Hill Professional ) and comes in two volumes. Although it is aimed at a ...
'' and has published over 325 articles. Additionally, he has served on the editorial boards of the ''
New England Journal of Medicine
''The New England Journal of Medicine'' (''NEJM'') is a weekly medical journal published by the Massachusetts Medical Society. It is among the most prestigious peer-reviewed medical journals as well as the oldest continuously published one.
His ...
'', ''
Annals of Neurology
''Annals of Neurology'' is a peer-reviewed medical journal publishing articles of "broad interest in neurology, particularly those with high impact in understanding the mechanisms and treatment of diseases of the human nervous system." The journal ...
'', and ''
Science
Science is a systematic endeavor that Scientific method, builds and organizes knowledge in the form of Testability, testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earli ...
'', leading journals for clinical medicine and therapeutics, neurology, and emerging science, respectively. He has also been elected a member of multiple medical and scientific societies including the
Institute of Medicine of the
National Academy of Sciences and is a past president of the
American Neurological Association
The American Neurological Association (ANA) is a professional society of academic neurologists and neuroscientists devoted to advancing the goals of academic neurology; to training and educating neurologists and other physicians in the neurologic ...
. He has also served on the Board of Directors of several companies, including Baxter International, from which he stepped down in Spring 2011.
In May 2015, Martin was honored by receiving an endowed chair at Harvard Medical School: the Martin Family Professorship in Basic Research. It was renamed the Joseph B Martin Professorship in Basic Research upon his retirement in June 2016. It is one of only 46 such endowed chairs in the quad research area at Harvard Medical School. Martin is also the recipient of eight honorary doctorate degrees.
On December 29, 2017, Martin was appointed an officer of the Order of Canada, for "his sustained and influential leadership in academic medicine, and for his contributions to building health research institutions in North America." In 2020, he was elected into the
Canadian Medical Hall of Fame for “his ability to promote collaboration in building and expanding the institutional foundations of medical education and science in North America.”
Personal life
Martin and his wife, Rachel (maiden name Wenger), are parents of four children and have ten grandchildren. His nephew,
Jeff Shantz
Jeffrey Dale Shantz (born October 10, 1973) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. He played predominantly in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Chicago Blackhawks, Calgary Flames and the Colorado Avalanche.
Playing career
S ...
, was a
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
player for the
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division i ...
,
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
, and
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The Avalanche play thei ...
.
Martin's memoir, entitled ''Alfalfa to Ivy'', was released in August 2011. The book chronicles his rise from rural Western Canada and a one-room schoolhouse to worldwide esteem and leadership of some of the world's leading academic institutions, while also offering perspectives on current issues facing the academic and health care landscapes.
His second book, "Science, Religion and Society: A Medical Perspective", was published in July 2017. It consists of a series of lectures he has given on related topics since 1981, followed by a review of his perspectives on how these viewpoints align and at times conflict with the current medical landscape.
References
Further reading
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Joseph Boyd
1938 births
Canadian neurologists
University of Alberta alumni
University of Rochester alumni
Eastern Mennonite University alumni
Harvard Medical School faculty
Living people
Officers of the Order of Canada
Members of the National Academy of Medicine