MEET LOCAL LEGENDS: By State

"For me, the most important thing is to make a difference. I try not to see challenges as obstacles. I like to look at barriers as puzzles that I can help solve."

"In my work, I'm trying to bridge the gap between science and health. How do you take clinical research and translate it into something that helps people with diabetes?"

"I like fixing problems-in or out of the operating room. Cardiac surgery is a field where you can watch physiology in action. You see the heart beating, identify the problem and fix it, then watch the heart function better right before your eyes."

"I've always been interested in the relationship of genetics to clinical care, and I've had the good fortune to have opportunities in both genetics and medicine. I am a great believer in learning to use science wisely and well."

"The most rewarding aspect of my work is the progress we've made in managing people with HIV. People with HIV can now get on and live a full life. That's a huge difference from what it was before."

"Family medicine is a wonderful practice; it allows you to practice birth to death medicine, and be involved in the overall health of the whole family, and that's a great privilege for me."

"I've been blessed in my career. I started working on cystic fibrosis at a time when some great advances were being made. We've been able to help a lot of children, and I love working with children. They face everything with such courage--it's inspiring."