A Conversation with Dr. Michael Welsh: The Science That is Saving Lives
It’s always such a privilege to feature CF icons on the podcast. Over the years, we’ve been fortunate to host some of the most influential names in cystic fibrosis research, including Dr. Francis Collins, the former director of the NIH and one of the authors of the Human Genome Project, and his longtime friend Dr. Mitch Drumm, who was working on his doctorate when the CF gene was discovered back in 1989.
I actually saw Mitch recently at a dinner, and as many of you know, Dr. Collins continues to be a tireless advocate for good science and for sharing its importance with the world.
And now, we add another legend to that list: Dr. Michael Welsh from the University of Iowa.
Dr. Welsh tells his story beautifully in the University’s film Breath by Breath: Living with Cystic Fibrosis. In it, he describes how his curiosity about the CFTR protein led to groundbreaking discoveries that ultimately laid the foundation for CF therapies, the very treatments that have changed (and saved) thousands of lives, including the lives of my daughters.
Dr. Welsh’s career is extraordinary, spanning decades of research, mentorship, and discovery. He’s the Carver Professor of Internal Medicine and Molecular Physiology and Biophysics at the University of Iowa, and from 1989 to 2024, he served as an Investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He currently directs both the Pappajohn Biomedical Institute and the Cystic Fibrosis Research Center.
We’ve linked both his full bio and the film in the show notes, and I highly encourage you to check them out. His accolades could fill pages, actually, an entire book! We had so many laughs too in this podcast! So much fun. You’ll really enjoy it.
Dr. Welsh shared insights not only into his scientific journey, but also the heart behind the work. He recently received the Lasker Award for pioneering CF research that led to life-saving therapies, a recognition that celebrates decades of persistence, curiosity, and collaboration.
We discussed so much:
- How his team began unraveling the mystery of the CFTR protein and what that breakthrough moment felt like
- What it’s like to see patients thriving because of the treatments that grew from that work
- Why the University of Iowa decided to produce Breath by Breath, and what the film means to him personally
- What new treatments and discoveries he’s exploring now
Hearing Dr. Welsh describe the intersection of science, hope, and humanity is powerful. You can tell that for him, this work isn’t just research, it’s a mission.
As the documentary shows, CF isn’t just a disease studied under a microscope. It’s a lived experience for patients and families, one that now includes real hope thanks to the breakthroughs made by scientists like Dr. Michael Welsh.
Biography:
Dr. Michael Welsh is the Carver Professor of Internal Medicine and Molecular Physiology and
Biophysics at the University of Iowa. From 1989-2024, he was an Investigator of the Howard
Hughes Medical Institute. He directs the Pappajohn Biomedical Institute and the Cystic Fibrosis
Research Center.
Dr. Welsh obtained an MD and completed an internal medicine residency at the University of
Iowa. He then trained in pulmonary medicine and research at the University of California, San
Francisco and physiology at the University of Texas, Houston.
Dr. Welsh and his colleagues discovered that the protein affected in cystic fibrosis is an anion
channel, elucidated its functional mechanisms, discovered ways that mutations disrupt function,
and showed that mutations can be rescued. This work led directly to development of medicines
that target CFTR and are highly effective for most cystic fibrosis patients. To understand disease
pathogenesis, he and his collaborators developed cystic fibrosis pigs, the first mammal, other
than mice, in which a gene was targeted to generate a disease model.
His clinical activities focused on pulmonary diseases. He has trained many physicians and
scientists and received the Distinguished Mentor Award, University of Iowa Carver College of
Medicine.
To watch the film, click here: https://uihealthcare.org/cystic-fibrosis-research-iowa#documentary
To learn more about Dr. Welsh: https://internalmedicine.medicine.uiowa.edu/profile/michael-welsh
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