FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 7, 2001

CONTACT: Carole Gan
(916)734-9040

JAMES J. CASTLES, LONG-TIME LEADER OF THE UC DAVIS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, RETIRES

(DAVIS, Calif.) -- James J. Castles, who served as Associate and Executive Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for 22 years, retired on February 2. A member of the medical school faculty since 1973, Castles played an integral role in the growth and development of the school's strong cadre of leading researchers and physicians. During his tenure, Castles had major roles in: the recruitment and retention of new faculty; merit advancement and promotion of faculty; faculty development and mentoring; salary administration; and diversity programs. During his service, the full-time faculty of the school doubled in number and extramural research support quadrupled. At various times, Castles also administered housestaff programs and affiliations, and he chaired two re-accreditation reviews for the school. Twice he served as Acting Dean of the School of Medicine.

Castles began his academic career at UC Davis as chief of the Division of Rheumatology/Allergy and Clinical Immunology in 1973. He rapidly recruited four faculty colleagues who developed the first adult and adolescent rheumatology program in the Sacramento Valley. The Division's physicians also developed new clinical programs in adult allergy and clinical immunology. During the 1977-78 academic year, Castles was elected chair of the school's Faculty Senate. He has also served as Team Physician for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association for the past 15 years.

Castles received his medical degree with honors from the University of Chicago in 1964. He completed both his internship and residency in medicine at

Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, followed by two years of post-doctoral study in biochemistry at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Prior to his appointment at UC Davis, he was a member of the faculty at the University of Chicago School of Medicine.

Copies of all news releases from UC Davis Health System are available on the Web at http://news.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu.

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