Gerald Carlson, professor emeritus in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Kansas Medical Center, will receive the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology at the annual College of Liberal Arts and Sciences alumni awards ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 3. The award recognizes outstanding alumni from the department.

Since earning a doctorate in biochemistry from Iowa State in 1975, Carlson’s career has focused on researching the interplay in skeletal muscle between glycogen catabolism and contraction, especially their simultaneous regulation by calcium ions. A study by Carlson on this topic was selected as the 2012 Paper of the Year by the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Carlson served as vice chair or chair in university biochemistry and molecular biology departments across the country until his retirement in 2018 as chair of the University of Kansas Medical Center, a position he retained for 15 years. Throughout his career, Carlson held leadership roles in numerous professional societies and earned several teaching and research awards recognizing his outstanding work.