Dr. Michael Welsh is a pulmonologist with deep expertise in the biology of ion channels in health and disease. Well known for his research centered on cystic fibrosis—specifically the CFTR protein and ion channels—Welsh and his team have spent years studying the pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis lung disease. Their work has furthered the understanding of why defects in the CFTR protein emerge and how they subsequently impact protein function, opening the door for the development of novel treatments for CF. Welsh has received numerous accolades for his work, including the Warren Alpert Foundation Prize, the George M. Kober Medal, the 2022 Shaw Prize in Life Sciences and Medicine, and the 2023 Wiley Prize.
Welsh attended the University of Iowa for his undergrad, and stayed on to obtain his M.D. from the University of Iowa College of Medicine. He has served as President of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, and President of the Association of American Physicians. Welsh is currently an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and sits on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. He remains at the University of Iowa at the Carver College of Medicine as a Professor of Internal Medicine-Pulmonary, Critical Care and Occupational Medicine.