Robert B. Couch received his B.A (1952) and M.D. (1956) from Vanderbilt University and was a resident physician at Vanderbilt University Hospital from 1960-1961. Couch was appointed Chairman of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. He has also served as director of the respiratory pathogens research unit at Baylor, where he is also a distinguished service professor. An expert in viral and mycoplasmal diseases, Dr. Couch has published numerous articles in scientific journals and has authored many book chapters. Certified in internal medicine, he is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American College of Physicians, and the Infectious Diseases Society of America.