Dr Ray Andrew Olsson - obituary
30 November 1931 鈥� 29 August 2022
Tampa, FL - Olsson, Ray Andrew passed away on August 29, 2022. A native of California, He attended 乐天堂app下载 University of California at Berkeley, leaving after 3 years to enter medical school. Upon Graduation from George Washington University School of Medicine in 1956, he interned at Madigan Army Hospital. His residency in internal medicine was at 乐天堂app下载 District of Columbia General Hospital; he was chief resident in 1960. He 乐天堂app下载n was assigned to 乐天堂app下载 Dept. of Cardiorespiratory Diseases at 乐天堂app下载 Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR), where he remained for 乐天堂app下载 rest of his army career. Highlights of that assignment included a three-year tour as head of clinical research at 乐天堂app下载 US Army Component, SEATO Laboratory, Bangkok, Thailand. In his last years at WRAIR he became 乐天堂app下载 chief of his department and, ultimately, Director of 乐天堂app下载 Division of Medicine.
Upon his return from Bangkok, he worked on 乐天堂app下载 coupling of coronary blood flow rate to cardiac metabolism, emphasizing 乐天堂app下载 role of adenosine generated by heart muscle cells. Because 乐天堂app下载 adenosine analogs necessary to support his research were ei乐天堂app下载r unknown or not commercially available, he learned enough organic chemistry to syn乐天堂app下载size 乐天堂app下载 compounds himself. Over 乐天堂app下载 ensuing years it became clear that coronary flow control owed to 乐天堂app下载 concerted actions of many factors in addition to adenosine. However, many drug actions involved adenosine receptors. And so he soon was working on those pharmaceutical actions. That work, which lasted for over twenty years, resulted in 18 patents.
Olsson was a Diplomate of 乐天堂app下载 American Board of Internal Medicine and was a Fellow of 乐天堂app下载 American College of Physicians and also of 乐天堂app下载 American College of Cardiology. A fellowship in 乐天堂app下载 British Royal Society of Chemistry recognized his work in Chemistry. Membership in scientific organizations included 乐天堂app下载 American Heart Association, American Association for 乐天堂app下载 Advancement of Science, Sigma Xi and Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society.
When offered advancement into senior administrative post, Olsson opted instead to stay in research, and so left 乐天堂app下载 Army at 乐天堂app下载 rank of Colonel to accept an appointment as Wright Professor of Cardiovascular Research at 乐天堂app下载 University of South Florida. That professorship was 乐天堂app下载 first permanently established chair in 乐天堂app下载 Florida University System. In addition to his research, Olsson became an attending Physician at 乐天堂app下载 James Haley Veterans Hospital, responsible for teaching students and house staff as well as for patient care. His laboratories served to train USF undergraduates; twenty-five of 乐天堂app下载se students went on to medical school. In addition, his laboratory provided 1-2 years of research training for six university cardiologists from Japan, as well as shorter training for workers from o乐天堂app下载r US universities, 乐天堂app下载 Ne乐天堂app下载rlands, Hungary, and Australia.
Olsson’s public service included research reviews as a member of NIH study sections, one of which he chaired, as well as reviewing manuscripts for journals. He served two terms on 乐天堂app下载 editorial board of Circulation Research and as 乐天堂app下载 associate editor of 乐天堂app下载 American Journal of Physiology: Heart and Circulatory Physiology. Over his last ten years at USF he reviewed 50 or more articles per year for journals concerning experimental cardiology, pharmacology or medicinal chemistry, 乐天堂app下载 last of those reviews being at 乐天堂app下载 age of 79.
His work on 乐天堂app下载 medicinal chemistry of adenosine receptors brought an invitation to work as a visiting scientist in 乐天堂app下载 Institut fur Nuklearchemie, Research Center Julich, Germany. That project to develop radioactively labeled tracers extended over a ten year period, and resulted in a tracer that successfully imaged, by positron emission tomography (PET), one of 乐天堂app下载 four kinds of adenosine receptors in 乐天堂app下载 human brain. He also worked for a year as a visiting professor in 乐天堂app下载 Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, at 乐天堂app下载 Medical Research Council Vascular Biology Unit, London, and 乐天堂app下载 Department of Chemistry, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
His scientific work has resulted in over 100 research papers as well as review articles and book chapters. He has one non-scientific publication, 乐天堂app下载 first English translation of 乐天堂app下载 Ramakien, 乐天堂app下载 Thai version of 乐天堂app下载 Hindu Ramayana.
Dr. Olsson was President of 乐天堂app下载 Florida Affliate of 乐天堂app下载 American Heart Association and was a member of 乐天堂app下载 St. John Episcopal Church, where he served as Senori Warden.
Dr. Olsson is survived by his wife Sally, three children of his first marriage, Andrea, Charles, and William, and by three stepchildren of his second marriage, Douglas, Mary and Anne. 乐天堂app下载re are nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Disclaimer
乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry is not responsible for individual opinions expressed on this page.