Michael Welsh, MD

Director, Pappajohn Biomedical Institute and the University of Iowa Cystic Fibrosis Research Center; Roy J. Carver Chair in Biomedical Research; Professor of Internal Medicine, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, and Neurosurgery, University of Iowa

Dr. Michael Welsh earned his MD from the University of Iowa, where he also completed his residency in internal medicine. He then pursued advanced training in pulmonary medicine and research at the University of California, San Francisco, followed by additional physiology training at the University of Texas, Houston. These experiences shaped his lifelong focus on the molecular mechanisms of cystic fibrosis and other genetic lung diseases.

Dr. Welsh and his colleagues made seminal discoveries that transformed the understanding and treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF). They identified the CFTR protein as an anion channel, defined how it functions and revealed how specific mutations disrupt its activity. Crucially, his team demonstrated that many CFTR defects can be pharmacologically rescued—insights that directly enabled the development of CFTR‑modulating therapies now effective for roughly 90% of patients. To deepen understanding of disease pathogenesis, his group created the first genetically engineered mammal other than mice, a CF pig, a breakthrough model that illuminated early disease mechanisms and accelerated therapeutic development. His work has helped shift cystic fibrosis from a fatal childhood illness to a largely manageable chronic condition.

Dr. Welsh has held leadership roles in major scientific organizations, including serving as president of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the Association of American Physicians, and he has co‑founded several biotechnology companies. His most prestigious honors include the Canada Gairdner International Award and the Lasker–DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award, recognizing his fundamental discoveries that led directly to life‑saving CF therapies, including the transformative triple‑drug treatment that dramatically improves patient outcomes.