Starzel of UPitt elected to National Academy

PITTSBURGH (AP) - University of Pittsburgh transplant pioneer Dr. Thomas Starzl has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

The school says in a Tuesday release that Starzl’s extraordinary contributions to medicine have saved many lives. Starzl performed the first successful liver transplant in 1967 and helped refine many other aspects of organ transplantation.

The National Academy was established by Congress in 1863 to provide independent, objective advice to the nation on science and technology issues.

The 88-year-old Starzl retired from surgical practice in 1991 but remains active in research.