Profile of Dr. Marcus submitted by Hugh Calkins, MD, FHRS, CCDS

Dr. Frank Marcus received his medical degree from Boston University and trained in internal medicine at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston. He received his cardiology training at the Brigham under the tutelage of master clinicians, Dr. Samuel Levine and Dr. Bernard Lown. He completed his cardiology fellowship with Dr. W. Proctor Harvey at Georgetown University Hospital. After serving as Chief Medical Resident, he was appointed Chief of the Georgetown Cardiology Division at the District of Columbia General Hospital and held that position for 8 years.

Frank I. Marcus, MD, Heart Rhythm Society 2011 Pioneer in Cardiac Pacing and Electrophysiology award recipient.

When the University of Arizona Medical School was established, he was given the opportunity to be Chief of Cardiology. He has remained at the University of Arizona Medical Center since its inception. He was Chief of Cardiology until December of 1981. From 1982 to 1999, he held an endowed chair as Distinguished Professor of Medicine and was director of the Arrhythmia Services. Since then he has been an Emeritus Professor of Medicine.

Dr. Marcus has made enormous scientific contributions to the field of cardiology and electrophysiology. He has published more than 300 manuscripts. In the early years of his research he focused on cardiac pharmacology, particularly exploring the metabolism of digoxin and drug interactions with amiodarone. The next research interest that caught his imagination was Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomoyapthy. He learned of this disease from his French colleagues while on a sabbatical in Paris. In 1982, he and his associates published the first comprehensive clinical description of this disease in 24 patients.

Since that time he has remained a leading authority on this rare but important inherited cardiomyopathy. He was the principal investigator of an NIH funded study that led to the publication of more than 55 manuscripts on ARVC. Recent achievements have been the publication of a large multicenter U.S. experience on ARVC as well as a task force revision of the diagnostic criteria for ARVC.

In 1984, Dr. Marcus pioneered the development of radiofrequency catheter ablation. In 1986, working with Dr. Steve Huang, Dr. Robert Hoyt and others, he published the first paper that systematically explored the use of radiofrequency energy for catheter ablation of arrhythmias. The following year, Drs. Marcus and Huang reported successful radiofrequency ablation of the AV node in an animal model and then in a patient. Since then, Dr. Marcus has published more than 50 manuscripts on various aspects of catheter ablation, including an initial description of the use of ultrasound energy for ablation in 1995.

Other accomplishments and honors include being the first Governor for the American College of Cardiology in Arizona and President of the Association of University Cardiologists. He received the Laureate Award from the American College of Physicians, the Distinguished Alumnus Award from his alma mater and the Masters Clinician Award from the American Heart Council on Clinical Cardiology. He continues to be involved in teaching, research and patient care.

There was an overwhelming consensus among the members of the nominating committee that Dr. Marcus merits this award based on his many contributions over a remarkably sustained period of time. His personal integrity, kindness, enthusiasm for research and willingness to mentor young investigators all were mentioned as attributes that should serve as an example to others. He goes out of his way to encourage researchers getting started in any of the areas with which he is involved. I know this from personal experience as he mentored me and nurtured my interest in Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy.

Dr. Marcus is most fortunate in having a loving, understanding wife, Janet, as well as three children and 5 brilliant grandchildren.