Dr. William A. Zamboni, a professor of surgery at the University of Nevada School of Medicine in Las Vegas, will receive the first Rudolf W. Gunnerman Silver State Award for Excellence in Science and Technology for his medical and research advances in reattaching limbs.

Dr. William A. Zamboni

The $5,000 annual award, administered by DRI, recognizes the "best and brightest" individuals working in science and technology in Nevada. The award is one of the many ways that Nevada showcases its strong support of scientific achievement and technology development. Zamboni is a graduate of Reno's Bishop Manogue High School, earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Nevada, Reno, and his medical degree from the Nevada School of Medicine. The award will be formally presented on February 12.

Zamboni's widely followed research shows that putting reattachment surgery patients into hyperbaric chambers causes the blood vessels, skin, muscle, and nerve tissues to regenerate more quickly and completely. The technique appears to reduce, or reverse, chemical changes that inhibit recovery after a patient experiences severe trauma.

Hyperbaric chambers contain 100 percent oxygen under higher than normal air pressure and are typically used to help divers recover from nitrogen narcosis-"the bends"-caused by surfacing from deep dives too rapidly. The highly concentrated oxygen, a natural antibiotic, is also used to fight infection in burn patients.

Following medical school, Zamboni performed his residency in general surgery and reconstructive and plastic surgery at Southern Illinois University, where he became chief resident. Joining the Nevada School of Medicine's faculty in Las Vegas in 1994, Zamboni started the state's first microsurgery and replantation surgery program for reattaching severed limbs. In May 1998, he performed the state's first full arm reattachment in a delicate, five-hour operation on a man injured in a dune buggy accident.

The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society recently awarded Zamboni its international 2000 Paul Bert Award for outstanding research contributions in the field of hyperbaric physiology.

The Gunnerman Award was established earlier this year by Dr. Rudolf Gunnerman to recognize Nevadans whose achievements clearly satisfied a societal need either through fundamental science or its application. The award's namesake, Gunnerman holds seven U.S. patents and over 70 international patents in the area of energy-related sciences, and has devoted a significant portion of his life to studying the effects of pollution and technological responses to these effects. He is currently chairman of Clean Fuels Technology, Inc. of Reno. The company is actively involved in promoting the use of A-55 Clean Fuels, a water-bearing emulsified fuel that reduces emissions of nitrogen oxides and particulates.

Next Story