The Suit Magazine

For the past forty-eight years Biehl has been teaching at the University of Pittsburg terminal H.  He said, “I have worked on Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.”  Most recently, Biehl told us, “I got a big NIH grant, actually a joint research grant between Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins University, The University of California, San Francisco and MSNU.  We are in the process of trying to find a way in which we can attach florescent material to our drugs and monitor their actions and [their] concentration in the brain. That will be a challenging and exciting area which is fairly new.”

Biehl has always been fascinated with the applications of organic chemistry.  “I have authored professional chemical organic chemistry journals.  I made a drug 20 years ago that [has been] slightly modified and now they are in the 3rd phase of testing for a vaccine that cures cancer”, he said.  His current work on monitoring concentrations of drugs in the brain will enable that amazing drug to be administered so that, as he puts it, “we will get the chemical into the brain, the non-toxic way.  That is when I will be happy.”  That drug is only four years away from practical use.

There will also be some monetary rewards in the future for Biehl, as he told us, “We are going to make some money on licensing.”  A company has “leased” his chemicals and they are trying to set them up for production. He said, “We finally got some luck…currently we are in the process of entering phase one with several chemical compounds.”  Biehl has also had to deal with other aspects of business.  He has encountered lawyers who get involved in the process, and told us, “it is a challenge to see how they operate; [they] sometimes even sign grievances with academic people.”

The joy that Dr. Biehl experiences in his work is an outgrowth of his upbringing.  His family played an important role in his life, and Biehl credits his parents with, “allowing him to do what his heart desired.” During his adolescent years in school his teachers also played an important role in motivating his passions.  Biehl expressed gratitude for mentors such as his friend and piano teacher Mark Measler, who he describes as “the best teacher in Pittsburg.” Other people gave him the inspiration to pursue a teaching career.
And the environment has nothing to worry about from Dr. Biehl.  He said, “I’m for the new green movement, I’m for saving money, turning down [the volume, decreasing our] energy bills and relying less on oil.  I have the hybrid, Pryus and have had three different ones for the last 10 years now with no problems.” 

His views on the current disaster unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico include a bit of worldly irony.  He told us, “I think BP will not fall because they are one of the largest contributors to dividend programs and one of the 3 largest contributions to UK pension funds.”

Dr. Edward Biehl has enjoyed a satisfying and rewarding professional life.  And it is not ending any time soon.  “I’m at the top of my career and it doesn’t pay to retire early, not with all the work that still needs to be done”, he said.  It’s nice to have such people working on life-saving breakthroughs which will benefit the rest of us for generations to come.

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