After completing his Ph.D. at SUNY Buffalo, which was preeminent in the fields of renal and respiratory physiology, Dr. Robert O. Banks came to the University of Cincinnati in 1967 to join the lab of Professor Ernest C. Foulkes as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the department of Environmental Health. In 1970, the chairman of the Department of Physiology, Dr. Daniel Kline, recruited Dr. Banks as an Assistant Professor as a central part of the department’s increased emphasis on research. Dr. Banks’ research interests and expertise were in the fields of cardiovascular/renal/integrative physiology with emphasis on the control of blood pressure, renal hemodynamics, endothelium-derived factors, vasoactive agents, Na+ excretion, and heavy metals. His NIH- and AHA-funded research produced many publications and abstracts presented at national meetings. He trained numerous postdocs, Ph.D. and Master’s students, many of whom went on to illustrious careers in physiology and medicine. He was awarded tenure in 1978 and promoted to full professor in 1990.

As his research in renal physiology flourished, Dr. Banks also became deeply involved in medical education and was a major contributor in guiding the preclinical medical curriculum at the College of Medicine for almost four decades. From 1971, he served as Course Director (and lecturer) for Medical Physiology, which was one of the anchor courses of the medical school curriculum through 2011. He won numerous Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in medical student education for his lectures in renal physiology. He co-edited the textbook Essentials of Physiology and authored several chapters. In 2008, he was one of three finalists for the Guyton Educator of the Year Award, which is the highest honor bestowed by the American Physiological Society for contributions to Physiology education.

One of Dr. Banks mentees, Aviad Haramati (center in adjacent photo), founded Georgetown University’s Physiology Master’s program designed to prepare students for medical school. The program became immensely successful, and Dr. Haramati encouraged Dr. Banks (right in adjacent photo) to consider building a similar program in Cincinnati. Dr. Banks approached department chairs over the years, but it was not until the arrival of Dr. Chip Montrose (left in adjacent photo) that the idea finally took hold. To save years of state-level approval processes, Drs. Banks and Montrose adapted an existing Master’s program to form the Special Master’s Program (SMP) in Physiology. They formed collaborations with faculty in other departments and programs to deliver a diverse curriculum that included biochemistry and anatomy, in addition to the central physiology course. A major attraction of the program was the ability to take the same courses and exams as medical students and definitively demonstrate to medical school admission committees that they could be successful in a rigorous medical school. When admissions opened in 2005, the application pool was very competitive, and the class of 2007 filled quickly. The program’s early cohorts proved exceptionally strong, and the SMP quickly became recognized as one of the best in the country. This strong national reputation was backed by remarkably high success rates of its graduates in gaining admission to medical school, with acceptance rates exceeding 90%. Dr. Banks served as Program Director for the first six years, overseeing admissions, teaching, advising, and writing the crucial recommendation letters that helped students gain acceptance to medical school. Dr. Banks remained deeply involved in the program even after stepping down as Director with his 2012 retirement.

As tuition for the UC SMP program rose to medical school levels, Dr. Banks grew increasingly concerned about affordability. He wanted the program to remain accessible to talented students who lacked financial resources. This concern ultimately led Dr. Banks and his wife, Mrs. Janet G. Banks, to establish Dr. Robert O. Banks Endowed Scholarship. The $7000 scholarship, which is designed to help students in their pursuit of a career in medicine, is based on both financial need and academic standing.