MEET LOCAL LEGEND: Marilyn K. Glassberg, M.D.

BIOGRAPHY

As a dynamic pulmonary physician who cares for patients, instructs medical students and conducts pioneering research, Marilyn Glassberg's advice to would–be doctors is direct: “You have to keep your eye on where you want to go, and what you think you're interested in, and find people to get you there.”

She also counts mentoring as extremely important to a doctor's career. “I think mentors are important throughout life. They give you hints about things you can do that you probably never thought about, and guide you into different interests.” In her case, she credits “a few men, but mostly women—marvelous teachers and mentors” with helping to inspire her work. “You have always to be looking, and you have to continue to ask questions because every project can be turned into something. When a mentor —specifically a teacher— gives you something that can be turned into a project that then you can use to go forward.”

Thanks to mentoring, to being open to new ideas and different experiences, Glassberg has become a leading researcher of lung disorders, especially to ailing women, and a specialist in pulmonary fibrosis, tuberculosis, and pulmonary lymphanhgioleiomyomatosis, a rare lung disease found in women. Her dedication to her specialty has attracted research grants to the University of Miami to further her studies. In addition to treating patients at Jackson Memorial Hospital, she teaches medical students as an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Miami—Jackson Memorial Hospital Medical Center, lectures around the county, makes Grand Rounds at institutions such as the Mayo Clinic, and continues her high–level research.

As if this weren–t enough, she has had numerous peer–reviewed research articles published in such major medical journals as the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacy, In Vitro, Journal of Applied Physiology, Circulation and many others. She also manages to balance her demanding professional schedule with being a wife and mother of four children!

Glassberg was nominated as a Local Legend by Representative Lincoln Diaz–Balart [R–FL–21] and strongly supported by Senator Bob Graham [D–FL], who said, “Through her work as a researcher, professor and clinician, Dr. Glassberg demonstrates a strong commitment to women's health issues.”

In addition to her research to prevent lung disease in at–risk populations, she has developed successful education initiatives to promote awareness of the dangers of cigarette smoking among elementary school children in Florida. She established a program in conjunction with the American College of Chest Physicians that focuses on the increasing incidence of lung disease among college-age women in Florida. Also, Glassberg serves as the Principal Investigator for five international clinical trials that will allow patients to receive new therapies for lung disease that have never been available.

Reflecting on her work as a researcher, Glassberg says, “Often in careers like mine, I think there's a frustration wondering when the work that you do in the lab is ever going to get to the patient. And is it going to get to the patient in your lifetime. It's been very exciting; I'm treating patients with drugs that are brand new, that we hope are going to improve their survival...”