[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 146 (Friday, October 17, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2078]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING PAUL C. LAUTERBUR ON HIS RECEIPT OF THE 2003 NOBEL PRIZE IN 
                                MEDICINE

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                         HON. TIMOTHY H. BISHOP

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 17, 2003

  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Paul 
C. Lauterbur, who was recently awarded the 2003 Nobel prize in medicine 
for his groundbreaking research in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). 
Dr. Lauterbur conducted his work on MRI technique during his tenure at 
the State University of New York at Stony Brook, which is located in 
the First Congressional District of New York. His research was a 
revolutionary contribution to the field of medicine, and has since 
enhanced the lives of millions of patients suffering from devastating 
illnesses in the United States and around the world.
  The development of MRI represents a breakthrough in medical 
diagnostics and research, which has led to improved treatment and 
better health for millions of patients. MRI is a medical diagnostic 
technique that can create thin-section images of any part of the body, 
including the heart, arteries, and veins, from any angle in a 
relatively short period of time. Given the level of detail MRI can 
provide a physician on a patient's anatomy and condition, its use has 
dramatically improved accuracy in medical diagnostics and has become an 
indispensable tool in medical research. The technique has proven 
especially useful for detailed study of the brain and spinal cord. 
Perhaps the most important contribution of MRI to medicine is that it 
has, in many cases, replaced the need for patients to undergo invasive 
surgery for diagnosing illnesses.
  It was Dr. Lauterbur's research in the area of nuclear magnetic 
resonance (NMR) that aided the development of modern MRI. Dr. Lauterbur 
was the first researcher to use NMR, a process in which molecules are 
entrained in a strong magnetic field and zapped with radio waves, to 
produce an image and apply it to the field of medicine. In doing so, he 
introduced gradients to the magnetic field, which, he discovered, made 
it possible to create two-dimensional images of structures that could 
not be visualized by other techniques. Among the first images that Dr. 
Lauterbur made through NMR was of a clam and two test tubes of heavy 
water in a beaker of ordinary water. In 1971, the doctor realized that 
his idea could be used for producing medical images and, in 1973, his 
findings on the technique were published. Dr. Lauterbur's work led to 
the development of the MRI scanner, and has been called the most 
significant medical diagnostic study of the 20th century.
  Dr. Lauterbur spent 22 years at Stony Brook before joining the 
University of Illinois faculty in 1985. He earned a bachelor's degree 
in chemistry in 1951 from the Case Institute of Technology in 
Cleveland, Ohio, and a doctorate in chemistry in 1962 from the 
University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Lauterbur's other achievements include 
the National Academy of Sciences Award for Chemistry in Service to 
Society (2001); the Kyoto Prize from the Inamon Foundation of Japan for 
lifelong research accomplishments in advanced chemistry (1994); and the 
National Medal of Science (1987).
  Mr. Speaker, the development of MRI has spared millions of patients 
the physical discomfort and risk associated with the surgical diagnosis 
of disease. Last year, 22,000 MRI cameras were in use worldwide, and 
more than 60 million scans were performed. Clearly, without Dr. 
Lauterbur's groundbreaking work, modern MRI might not be in existence 
today. Every patient who has been spared surgery and accurately 
diagnosed through the use of MRI has Dr. Lauterbur to thank. I am proud 
that Dr. Lauterbur conducted this important work at Stony Brook and I 
commend him for his invaluable contribution to medicine and humanity.

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