TAKING OFF WITH JIM AND PRISCILLA POTTER

Balancing Act

he house. The family. The job. That volunteer project you agreed to. Hobbies? Who has time for them anymore?

Horsefeathers, say Jim and Priscilla Potter, faculty members at the School of Medicine who manage to do it all. He is professor and chairman of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology and codirector of the Executive Office of Research Leadership. She is assistant professor in the Department of Neurology and assistant dean for the medical curriculum. For fun, he pilots an aerobatic plane; she is an expert horseback rider.

What drives their enthusiasm—an ability to go without sleep? A powerful vitamin regimen? In truth, it’s the relaxation and balance achieved from living life to the fullest.

“I discovered at an early age that if I tried to work all week and all weekend, I was worthless the next week,” Jim Potter says. “I have to have a balance in life.” One of the University’s most productive researchers, he finds the extra time for his hobby by being highly focused on the job.

The same holds true for Priscilla Potter (M.D. ’93), whose days run the gamut from teaching students to seeing neurology patients. Horses have been a part of her life since the age of six. “I got my first horse when I was 13,” she says. “I’ve had horses ever since.” Now it’s a Swedish Warmblood named Essex that is bred for dressage—that is, it performs precise movements in response to barely perceptible signals from the rider. “It’s like dancing on horseback,” she explains.

She also has had horses bred for hunting, jumping, and racing. At one time she and Jim made 5 a.m. treks to Gulfstream Racetrack to train their racehorse.

During those times, Jim admits that he’d read the newspaper while Priscilla galloped the horse. His passion outside of work is flying his 1996 American Champion Aurora, a modern aerobatic version of the classic Aeronca Champ. As for aerobatic maneuvers, he says he occasionally does the “mild stuff” like rolls and loops. Even though he has several licenses, including commercial and instructor’s, primarily he flies locally in clear weather.

“It’s a tremendous relaxation for me,” he says. “I could have a horrible day at the office, yet when I go flying, it all seems irrelevant.” The relaxation brings clarity to his work. “Sometimes you need to get away and look back. When I’ve been flying, I’ve gotten useful ideas about my experiments.”

Priscilla finds the same sense of well-being when spending time with horses. “Horses rarely get mad at you,” she says. “For the most part, they love to be around people. Every day is a good time, really, when you’re out with a horse.”

A new home in southwest Miami-Dade County promises more good times for both Potters. Their property includes a horse stable, airplane hanger, and an adjacent airstrip—thus unlimited access to their avocations.

Says Jim, “My hope is that I’ll be able to hop into the plane at night or in the morning. We’ll see what actually happens!”

–Elizabeth McKey