Richard Summerbell
Encyclopedia
Richard C. Summerbell is a Canadian
mycologist
, author and award-winning songwriter. He was editor in chief of an international scientific journal in mycology from 2000 to 2004. In the 1970s and 80s, he was a gay activist and an early commentator on (then) controversial topics such as AIDS
and promiscuity and attitudes to homosexuality
in organized religion.
Born in Brooks, Alberta
, Summerbell trained as a botanist
, receiving his master's degree
from the University of British Columbia
and his doctorate degree from the University of Toronto
. He has lived with his partner, Ross Fraser, since 1978 and currently resides in Toronto
, Canada.
papers in mycology
, botany
and bacteriology
, including research papers in Nature
and Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society
. Much of the research explores opportunistic fungal
pathogen
s—those that grow on (and at the expense of) humans and animals—and the unique ways in which these organisms exploit their environments. These environments are diverse. They include biofilm
s in hospital plumbing that harbour fungal pathogens which attack patients hospitalized for leukemia
or major organ transplant
s. They also include waterfront vacation properties on streams, lakes or rivers that infect otherwise healthy visitors with the often deadly disease blastomycosis
. His most cited works are on the fungi that cause human skin diseases (dermatophytes) and nail infections (onychomycosis
). , his 1989 paper on onychomycosis is the most-cited original research paper published in the over 50-year history of the journal Mycoses
.
Summerbell spent a decade as the Chief of Medical Mycology at the Ontario Ministry of Health Public Health Lab in Toronto, followed by 6 years as senior scientist at the Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures
, a mycological institute and branch of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
in Utrecht
. He was editor-in-chief of the international scientific journal Medical Mycology
from 2000 to 2004. Since 2008, he has been a faculty member of the University of Toronto
Dalla Lana School of Public Health and research director of Sporometrics, a Toronto-based microbiological testing company.
Summerbell has co-authored two textbooks in medical mycology, Identifying Filamentous Fungi (simultaneously published in French as Champignons Filamenteux D'Interêt Medical) and Laboratory Handbook of Dermatophytes.
Species (co-)described include:
. He was co-host of Coming Out, Canada's first gay and lesbian radio programme on CFRO-FM
in Vancouver
from 1978 to 1980. He was also an editor of the gay liberation magazine The Body Politic from 1982 to 1986 and a contributor to other early Canadian gay publications such as Q Magazine. As a gay activist, he was an early commentator on (then) controversial topics such as AIDS and promiscuity, and attitudes to homosexuality
in Christianity
, Judaism
and Islam
.
In 1985, he published a humorous look at gay life and culture entitled Abnormally Happy: A Gay Dictionary that satirizes stereotypical views of gays and lesbians.
Summerbell also authored an early safe sex campaign series called "Is There a Condom in Your Life?" in Toronto gay newspaper Xtra, beginning in 1987.
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
mycologist
Mycology
Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungi, including their genetic and biochemical properties, their taxonomy and their use to humans as a source for tinder, medicinals , food and entheogens, as well as their dangers, such as poisoning or...
, author and award-winning songwriter. He was editor in chief of an international scientific journal in mycology from 2000 to 2004. In the 1970s and 80s, he was a gay activist and an early commentator on (then) controversial topics such as AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
and promiscuity and attitudes to homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
in organized religion.
Born in Brooks, Alberta
Brooks, Alberta
Brooks is a city in southeast Alberta, Canada surrounded by the County of Newell. It is located on Highway 1 and the Canadian Pacific Railway, approximately southeast of Calgary, and northwest of Medicine Hat. The city has an elevation of .- History :The area that is now Brooks was originally...
, Summerbell trained as a botanist
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
, receiving his master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
from the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
and his doctorate degree from the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
. He has lived with his partner, Ross Fraser, since 1978 and currently resides in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada.
Research in Mycology
Summerbell has published over 150 peer-reviewedPeer review
Peer review is a process of self-regulation by a profession or a process of evaluation involving qualified individuals within the relevant field. Peer review methods are employed to maintain standards, improve performance and provide credibility...
papers in mycology
Mycology
Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungi, including their genetic and biochemical properties, their taxonomy and their use to humans as a source for tinder, medicinals , food and entheogens, as well as their dangers, such as poisoning or...
, botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
and bacteriology
Bacteriology
Bacteriology is the study of bacteria. This subdivision of microbiology involves the identification, classification, and characterization of bacterial species...
, including research papers in Nature
Nature (journal)
Nature, first published on 4 November 1869, is ranked the world's most cited interdisciplinary scientific journal by the Science Edition of the 2010 Journal Citation Reports...
and Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the Royal Society. The ISO abbreviation for the journal is Phil. Trans. R. Soc...
. Much of the research explores opportunistic fungal
Fungus
A fungus is a member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds , as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, Fungi, which is separate from plants, animals, and bacteria...
pathogen
Pathogen
A pathogen gignomai "I give birth to") or infectious agent — colloquially, a germ — is a microbe or microorganism such as a virus, bacterium, prion, or fungus that causes disease in its animal or plant host...
s—those that grow on (and at the expense of) humans and animals—and the unique ways in which these organisms exploit their environments. These environments are diverse. They include biofilm
Biofilm
A biofilm is an aggregate of microorganisms in which cells adhere to each other on a surface. These adherent cells are frequently embedded within a self-produced matrix of extracellular polymeric substance...
s in hospital plumbing that harbour fungal pathogens which attack patients hospitalized for leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
or major organ transplant
Organ transplant
Organ transplantation is the moving of an organ from one body to another or from a donor site on the patient's own body, for the purpose of replacing the recipient's damaged or absent organ. The emerging field of regenerative medicine is allowing scientists and engineers to create organs to be...
s. They also include waterfront vacation properties on streams, lakes or rivers that infect otherwise healthy visitors with the often deadly disease blastomycosis
Blastomycosis
Blastomycosis is a fungal infection caused by the organism Blastomyces dermatitidis...
. His most cited works are on the fungi that cause human skin diseases (dermatophytes) and nail infections (onychomycosis
Onychomycosis
Onychomycosis means fungal infection of the nail. It is the most common disease of the nails and constitutes about a half of all nail abnormalities....
). , his 1989 paper on onychomycosis is the most-cited original research paper published in the over 50-year history of the journal Mycoses
Mycoses (journal)
Mycoses: Diagnosis, Therapy and Prophylaxis of Fungal Diseases is one of the oldest medical journals specialized on mycology in the world, published bi-monthly by Wiley-Blackwell Verlag, Berlin, a company belonging to John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, NJ....
.
Summerbell spent a decade as the Chief of Medical Mycology at the Ontario Ministry of Health Public Health Lab in Toronto, followed by 6 years as senior scientist at the Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures
Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures
The Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, or CBS, is part of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. Translated into English, the name means "Central Bureau of Fungal Cultures". The Center is located in Utrecht....
, a mycological institute and branch of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences is an organisation dedicated to the advancement of science and literature in the Netherlands...
in Utrecht
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
. He was editor-in-chief of the international scientific journal Medical Mycology
Medical Mycology
Medical Mycology is a scientific journal published by the International Society of Human and Animal Mycology in eight issues per year. The journal was established in 1962 as Sabouraudia, honoring the French dermatologist/medical mycologist, Raimond Sabouraud and publishing 3 to 4 issues per year...
from 2000 to 2004. Since 2008, he has been a faculty member of the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
Dalla Lana School of Public Health and research director of Sporometrics, a Toronto-based microbiological testing company.
Summerbell has co-authored two textbooks in medical mycology, Identifying Filamentous Fungi (simultaneously published in French as Champignons Filamenteux D'Interêt Medical) and Laboratory Handbook of Dermatophytes.
Species (co-)described include:
- ArachnomycesArachnomycesThe Arachnomycetaceae are a family of fungi in the Ascomycota, class Eurotiomycetes. This is a monotypic family, consisting of the single genus Arachnomyces....
kanei (asexual state Onychocola kanei), an invader of human nails - Phaeoacremonium krajdenii, a cause of subcutaneous infection of humans
- Phaeoacremonium alvesii, a cause of subcutaneous infection of humans
- Phaeoacremonium amstelodamense, a cause of human joint infection
- Phaeoacremonium australiense, an endophyteEndophyteAn endophyte is an endosymbiont, often a bacterium or fungus, that lives within a plant for at least part of its life without causing apparent disease. Endophytes are ubiquitous and have been found in all the species of plants studied to date; however, most of these endophyte/plant relationships...
of grapevines - Phaeoacremonium griseorubrum, a cause of human fungemiaFungemia-Pathogens:The most commonly known pathogen is Candida albicans, causing roughly 70% of fungemias, followed by Candida glabrata with 10%, Aspergillus with 1% and Saccharomyces as the fourth most common. However, the frequency of infection by C. glabrata, Saccharomyces boulardii, Candida tropicalis,...
(blood infection) - Phaeoacremonium scolyti, an endophyte of grapevine, also isolated from bark beetle larvae
- Phaeoacremonium subulatum, an endophyte of grapevine
- Phaeoacremonium tardicrescens, from unspecified human medical source
- Phaeoacremonium venezuelense, from eumycetomaEumycetomaEumycetoma is a chronic, specific, granulomatous, fungal disease. It mainly affects the foot; and Mycetoma pedis is also known as Madura foot. This infection is endemic in Africa, India, and Central and South America.-Causes and presentation:...
of the human foot - Phaeoacremonium sphinctrophorum, from fungal cyst of the human foot
- Phaeoacremonium theobromatis, from stem of wild mountain cocoa (TheobromaTheobromaTheobroma is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae, that is sometimes classified as a member of Sterculiaceae. It contains roughly 20 species of small understory trees native to the tropical forests of Central and South America...
gileri) in Ecuador - NeocudoniellaNeocudoniellaNeocudoniella is a genus of fungi in the family Helotiaceae. The genus contains 2 species.-External links:* at Index Fungorum...
radicella, ectomycorrhizal with black spruce (Picea mariana) - Teberdinia hygrophila a northern and alpine soil fungus
- AcremoniumAcremoniumAcremonium is a genus of Fungi in the Hypocreaceae family; it was previously known as "Cephalosporium".-Description:Acremonium species are usually slow growing and are initially compact and moist. Acremonium hyphae are fine and hyaline and produce mostly simple phialides. Their conidia are usually...
fuci, an endophyte of brown marine algae in the genus FucusFucusFucus is a genus of brown algae found in the intertidal zones of rocky seashores almost throughout the world.-Description and life cycle:... - Acremonium exuviarum, from shed skin of lizard
- FusariumFusariumFusarium is a large genus of filamentous fungi widely distributed in soil and in association with plants. Most species are harmless saprobes, and are relatively abundant members of the soil microbial community. Some species produce mycotoxins in cereal crops that can affect human and animal health...
delphinoides, from diseased succulent plant Hoodia gordoniiHoodia gordoniiHoodia gordonii is a leafless spiny succulent plant with medicinal uses. It grows naturally in South Africa and Namibia. The flowers smell like rotten meat and are pollinated mainly by flies. The indigenous Bushmen call this plant ǁhoba ....
and from human eye infection - Fusarium biseptatum, from South African soil
- Fusarium penzigii, from decayed wood and human eye infection
- Phialosimplex caninus, cause of fatal infections in dogs
- Phaeomoniella pinifoliorum, a surface colonizer of pine needles
- Phaeomoniella zymoides, also from pine needles
Gay activism
Summerbell began working as a gay activist in 1979 when he became president of the gay and lesbian student association at the University of British ColumbiaUniversity of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
. He was co-host of Coming Out, Canada's first gay and lesbian radio programme on CFRO-FM
CFRO-FM
CFRO-FM, licensed and owned by Vancouver Co-operative Radio, is a non-commercial community radio station in Vancouver, British Columbia, in Coast Salish territory. It is a legally registered co-operative and is branded as Co-op Radio. They broadcast on 102.7 megahertz FM...
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
from 1978 to 1980. He was also an editor of the gay liberation magazine The Body Politic from 1982 to 1986 and a contributor to other early Canadian gay publications such as Q Magazine. As a gay activist, he was an early commentator on (then) controversial topics such as AIDS and promiscuity, and attitudes to homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
in Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
and Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
.
In 1985, he published a humorous look at gay life and culture entitled Abnormally Happy: A Gay Dictionary that satirizes stereotypical views of gays and lesbians.
Summerbell also authored an early safe sex campaign series called "Is There a Condom in Your Life?" in Toronto gay newspaper Xtra, beginning in 1987.
Music
As a songwriter and musician, Summerbell released an independent CD, Light Carries On, in 2004. One song from the CD, Thank you for being My Dog, won the 7th Annual Great American Song Contest in the Special Music category and won Summerbell a place in the Great American Song Hall of Fame. Songs by Summerbell have been included in several popular compilations of music by gay musicians. He has also written contemporary lyrics for the Huron CarolHuron Carol
The "Huron Carol" is a Canadian Christmas hymn , written in 1643 by Jean de Brébeuf, a Jesuit missionary at Sainte-Marie among the Hurons in Canada. Brébeuf wrote the lyrics in the native language of the Huron/Wendat people; the song's original Huron title is "Jesous Ahatonhia"...
.
Books
- Identifying Filamentous Fungi, G. St. Germain & R. C. Summerbell, Star Publishing, Belmont CA, 1995, ISBN 978-0898631777
- Champignons Filamenteux D'Interêt Medical, G. St. Germain & R.C. Summerbell, Star Publishing, Belmont CA, 1995, ISBN 978-0898631791
- Laboratory Handbook of Dermatophytes, J. Kane, R. C. Summerbell, et al., Star Publishing, Belmont CA, 1996, ISBN 978-0898631579
- Abnormally Happy: A Gay Dictionary, Richard Summerbell, New Star Books, Vancouver BC, 1985, ISBN 978-0919573413
External links
- Richard Summerbell on Google Scholar
- Identifying Filamentous Fungi (St. Germain, G. & R. C. Summerbell, Star Publishing, Belmont CA, 1996) ISBN 978-0898631777
- Champignons Filamenteux D'Interêt Medical (St. Germain, Guy & R.C. Summerbell, Star Publishing, Belmont CA, 1996, ISBN 978-0898631791
- Laboratory Handbook of Dermatophytes (Kane, J., R. C. Summerbell, L. Sigler, S. Krajden, & G. Land, Star Publishing, Belmont CA, 1996) ISBN 978-0898631579
- Richard Summerbell on Wikiquote
- Richard Summerbell's music on CBC Radio 3
- Gay music compilations featuring music written by Richard Summerbell
- Rewritten rock music version called The Lake Huron Carol set in the modern Lake Huron area
- Richard Summerbell's Myspace page