HERE'S WHOSE MUG . . .

The first respondent to the Fall 2011 Whose Mug? challenge had no trouble identifying her mentor and colleague, as well as the man pictured with him.

“The photo . . . is of George Bernier (left) and Michael Fanger (right), probably in Michael’s old lab on the first floor of Vail,” wrote Alexandra Howell, research associate professor of medicine. “I joined Michael’s lab in February, 1983 as a post-doc, and Mike and I continue our collaboration and friendship today, more than 28 years later.”

Another respondent, David Nierenberg, professor of medicine, recalled that Bernier was the chair of medicine (from 1978 to 1987) and that he “recruited a colleague of his from Case Western named Mike Fanger.”

“Mike eventually went on to become chair of the department of immunology and microbiology here at DMS,” added Nierenberg. “They were both doing a lot of early and exciting work with monoclonal antibodies when they were reunited at DMS.”

“They appear to be discussing a new concept in immunology, a subject in which both excelled,” mused Gibbons Cornwell III, professor of medicine emeritus, in his response. Cornwell also recounted the details of Bernier’s career after DMS: “Dr. Bernier became Dean at Pittsburgh Medical School and subsequently Dean at the School of Medicine in Galveston, Tex. Unfortunately, he died in 2007 after a long illness with Parkinson’s disease.”

Bernier’s widow, Mary Jane Bernier, also wrote in because “it was wonderful to see the photo.” She added that her husband “always regarded his years at . . . the Medical School as among his happiest as a physician.” Bernier’s daughter, Elizabeth Bernier Lamont ’93, also dropped a note to identify her father and Fanger.

David Levine ’86 was among several other alumni who correctly identified Bernier and Fanger. “The contest caption note that ‘these two men, between them, spanned a period of almost 25 years at DMS’ seems an especially appropriate comment for the fall of 2011, when the Class of 1986 celebrated our 25th reunion,” wrote Levine.

Fellow alumni Peter Anderson, HS ’73-’79; and J. Robert Beck, HS ’78-’81 also had the correct answer, as did John Baron, professor of medicine. Congrats to all who recognized the “mugs” and, especially, to Bob Beck, our mug winner this time.