Arthur Canfield Upton (February 27, 1923 — February 14, 2015) was an American pathologist and radiation biologist. He was former director of the

National Cancer Institute The National Cancer Institute (NCI) coordinates the United States National Cancer Program and is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is one of eleven agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ...

and known for his research in radiation biology of cancer.

Education and career

Upton was born in

Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851, making it the List of municipalities in Michigan, fifth-most populous cit ...

. His interest in medicine was ignited after seeing his mother recover from

pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

. He studied at

Phillips Academy in Andover Phillips Academy (also known as PA, Phillips Academy Andover, or simply Andover) is a private, co-educational college-preparatory school for boarding and day students located in Andover, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. The academy enrolls a ...

, Massachusetts. Upton obtained his Bachelor's degree from

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

and his MD from the

University of Michigan Medical School The University of Michigan Medicine (branded as Michigan Medicine) is the academic medical center of the University of Michigan, a public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It consists of the university's Medical School, affiliated hos ...

in 1946. He completed his residency in 1949 in Michigan. From 1951 to 1954, Upton worked as a pathologist at the

Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a federally funded research and development centers, federally funded research and development center in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1943, the laboratory is sponsored by the United Sta ...

(ORNL). He was the Chief of the Pathology-Physiology Section of the Biology Division of the ORNL from 1954 to 1969. Afterwards, Upton was professor of pathology at

Stony Brook University Stony Brook University (SBU), officially the State University of New York at Stony Brook, is a public university, public research university in Stony Brook, New York, United States, on Long Island. Along with the University at Buffalo, it is on ...

from 1969 to 1977. He was the dean of the School of Basic Health Sciences at Stony Brook University from 1970 to 1975. Between 1965 and 1966, he was the president of the Radiation Research Society. In 1977, President

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...

appointed Upton as the director of the

, who stayed until 1980. He moved to

New York University School of Medicine The New York University Grossman School of Medicine is a medical school of New York University, a private research university in New York City. It was founded in 1841 and is one of two medical schools of the university, the other being the NYU G ...

in 1980 and became the Director of the Institute of Environmental Medicine from 1980 to 1992. He then moved to

University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; ) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. Founded in 1889 by the New Mexico Territorial Legislature, it is the state's second oldest university, a flagship university in th ...

and became a clinical professor of pathology and radiology from 1992 to 1995.

Bibliography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Upton, Arthur C. 1923 births 2015 deaths American pathologists American radiologists University of Michigan Medical School alumni Stony Brook University faculty New York University Grossman School of Medicine faculty University of New Mexico faculty Radiobiologists People from Ann Arbor, Michigan Phillips Academy alumni Members of the National Academy of Medicine