Honored World Health Researcher and Alumnus Establishes an Endowment to Encourage International Student Research
As a student at Albany Medical College, David Nalin, MD '65 had an experience that changed his life. Participating in a college-sponsored program, Nalin traveled to Guyana. Here he found a calling that would launch a distinguished career in international medical research.
Nalin's career is peppered with successes and accolades in many different areas of infectious disease; however, he is most celebrated for his contributions to oral rehydration therapy. In the mid-1960s, as a member of a team of researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Nalin traveled to Pakistan. After painstaking research, he developed a new protocol for orally administering a solution made of water, glucose, and salts to patients suffering from dehydrating diarrhea. Nalin's research saved the lives of millions, providing an accessible solution in areas where I.V. fluid was not affordable or available. For this incredible contribution to world health, he has received several awards. Most recently, along with Dr. Richard Cash and Dr. Dilip Mahalanabis, Nalin was honored as a recipient of the Prince Mahidol Award for "exemplary contributions in the field of public health." Nalin and his colleagues received the award from The Royal Family of Thailand at a ceremony at the Grand Palace in Bangkok in January 2007.
Although the experience clearly shaped a successful career, the program that allowed Nalin to study internationally no longer exists at Albany Medical College. Therefore, in 2006 he generously established the David R. Nalin '65 Endowed Fund for International Research. Endowment income from the fund will be used annually to support international, non-sectarian research for medical students. "This generous gift from Dr. Nalin will help to ensure that our students have opportunities for international study and research that will enrich their medical school experience. Furthermore, there is always the hope that the opportunity presented by this gift will stimulate a student to pursue a career path similar to Dr. Nalin's which will ultimately benefit mankind," Dean Vincent Verdile, MD '84, expresses with gratitude, also noting his pride that one of our many distinguished alumni remains committed to the College.
"There are so few places students can gain experiences that are epidemic or global in scope," explains Nalin. He hopes establishing this fund will "provide an enriching and enlightening experience during students' formative years" that will encourage some students to pursue international research as a career.
