Jacob I. Sznajder, MD, Ernest S. Bazley Professor of Asthma and Related Disorders, and chief of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, was awarded Doctor Honoris Causa at the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru, in recognition of his academic and scientific achievements.
Melissa A. Simon, MD, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology, has been selected as the Institute of Medicine [IOM]’s 2011-2013 Norman F. Gant/American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology/IOM Anniversary Fellow in recognition of her work toward health equity for uninsured and publicly insured women. An obstetrician and gynecologist, Simon is director of patient navigation at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. As a fellow, Simon will work with eminent researchers, policy experts, and clinicians from across the country as they collaborate on initiatives convened by IOM to provide nonpartisan, evidence-based guidance to national, state, and local policymakers, academic leaders, health care administrators, and the public. She will also receive a research stipend of $25,000.
Lynne Wagner, PhD, associate professor of medical social sciences, was honored with the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group’s (ECOG) 2011 Young Investigator Award. ECOG is a multicenter NCI-sponsored cancer cooperative group that has been in existence for 50 years. Wagner also holds a leadership position in the group as chair of the Patient Outcomes and Survivorship Committee.
Brian Mustanski, PhD, associate professor of medical social sciences, was selected as the 2011 recipient of the Award for Distinguished Scientific Contribution by the Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues. The award recognizes distinguished theoretical or empirical contributions to lesbian, gay, or bisexual psychological issues. The society is a division of the American Psychological Association.
Reed Omary, MD, MS, professor of radiology, and Ann Ragin, PhD, research professor of radiology, were placed as permanent members of National Institutes of Health study sections at the 2011 Society of International Radiology awards.
Douglas Nordli, Jr., MD, professor of pediatrics and director of the Epilepsy Center at Children’s Memorial Hospital, was elected president of the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society.
Stanford Shulman, MD, professor of pediatrics and head of Infectious Disease at Children’s Memorial Hospital, has been chosen to be a co-recipient of the 2011 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section on Infectious Diseases Award for Lifetime Contribution to Infectious Diseases Education.
Tadanori Tomita, MD, professor of neurological surgery and Yeager Professor of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Children’s Memorial Hospital, has been named President-Elect of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery.
Tetsu Uejima MD, CPHRM, associate professor of anesthesiology, was recently appointed to the Affiliate Advisory Council representing the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation, for a new organization called SmartTots. The organization is a private/public partnership that includes the FDA to study the long-term effects of anesthesia on young children. Uejima is the director of Liver/Intestinal Transplant Anesthesia and medical director of Risk Management at Children’s Memorial Hospital.
Robert M. Golub, MD, associate professor of medicine and preventive medicine, and a member of the Division of General Internal Medicine, was recently promoted to deputy editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
James G. Adams, MD, chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine, received the Hal Jayne Educational Excellence Award from the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM). The award recognizes a member of SAEM who has made outstanding contributions to emergency medicine through the teaching of others and improving knowledge about the teaching of learners.
Jamie H. Von Roenn, MD, professor of medicine, has been named the recipient of the 2011 American Society of Clinical Oncology American Cancer Society Award for her pioneering work in palliative medicine and for her substantial contributions to oncology care and cancer pain management.
Al B. Benson III, MD, professor of medicine and associate director for Clinical Investigations at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, received the 2011 Rodger Winn Award. Presented at the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) annual meeting in March, the award is given to one NCCN Guidelines panel member each year who exemplifies Dr. Winn’s leadership, drive, and commitment to the development of evidence-based guidelines tempered by expert judgment.
Three faculty members from the Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences have received awards from the American Physical Therapy Association. David A. Brown, PT, PhD, received the Marian Williams Award for Physical Therapy Research, which is given to someone who demonstrates outstanding basic clinical and/or educational research that pertains to physical therapy, is sustained for at least 10 years, and makes a meaningful contribution to the scientific basis of physical therapy. James Elliott, PT, PhD, received the Eugene Michels New Investigator Award, which recognizes an individual within five years of completing their highest degree who has developed an independent line of research that has had or is expected to have a significant impact upon the profession. Babette S. Sanders, PT, DPT, MS, received the Marilyn Moffat Leadership Award, which recognizes an individual who has sustained positive leadership contributions over a period of fifteen years or more and has demonstrated significant leadership that has had a lasting impact on the development and progression of the physical therapy profession.
Linda Emanuel, MD, PhD, Buehler Professor of Geriatric Medicine and director of the Buehler Center on Aging, Health & Society, received the inaugural Pioneer Medal for Outstanding Leadership in Health Care from HealthCare Chaplaincy, an organization devoted to palliative care research and education.
The Department of Health and Human Services has named Karen M. Ridge, PhD, associate professor in medicine-pulmonary and cell and molecular biology, a member of its Lung Injury, Repair, and Remodeling Study Section, Center for Scientific Review. The term begins July 1, 2011 and runs through June 30, 2017. Members are selected on the basis of their demonstrated competence and achievement in their scientific discipline as evidenced by the quality of research accomplishments, publications in scientific journals, and other significant scientific activities, achievements, and honors.
John P. Flaherty, MD, professor of medicine, has been appointed to a three-year term in the Association of Specialty Professors (ASP) president track. In this role, he will serve a year as treasurer, followed by a year as president-elect, before becoming president of the organization. He will also join the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine Board of Directors. The ASP is the only organization that focuses specifically on providing training and educational opportunities for internal medicine division chiefs and fellowship training program directors.
John Pandolfino, MD, associate professor in medicine-gastroenterology, received the prestigious Master designation from the American Gastroenterological Association in recognition of his clinical research.
Frank H. Miller, MD, professor in the Department of Radiology, was named a fellow of the American College of Radiology.
Carrie E. Nelson, MD, MS, FAAFP, assistant clinical professor of family and community medicine, will chair the American Academy of Family Physicians Commission on Health of the Public and Science.
Elfriede Pahl, MD, professor of pediatrics, will chair the Pediatric Council of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. She was also appointed to the Board of directors of the newly formed Pediatric Heart Transplant Study Foundation.
Chris Robinson, MBA, CPO, ATC, instructor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, received the Orthotic and Prosthetic Education and Research Fund Educator Award. He will also receive a fellowship designation via the American Academy of Orthotists & Prosthetists.
Steven E. Rothke, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, received the 2010 Outstanding Service Award from the Illinois Psychological Association for his service as president of the organization.
John J. Sciarra, MD, PhD, professor emeritus of obstetrics and gynecology, was elected to serve on the Council of the International Academy of Human Reproduction.
Tadanori Tomita, MD, professor of neurological surgery, was named president-elect of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery.
Linda Van Horn, PhD, RD, professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine, was the recipient of the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois Women with Vision Award.
Robert Yufit, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, received the Russell J. Bent Award from the American Board of Professional Psychology for Distinguished Service and Contributions to Psychology.
Michael G. Ison, MD, MS, assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, was appointed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to be the Chair of the Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability.
Louis G. Keith, MD, PhD, ScD, professor emeritus of obstetrics-gynecology, was elected a fellow ad eundam of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in London.
Antoun H. Koht, MD, professor of anesthesiology, neurological surgery, and neurology, was named president elect of the American Society of Neurophysiological Monitoring.
Adele L. Martel, MD, PhD, professor of psychiatry, became a fellow in the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Mary McGrae McDermott, MD, professor of medicine, will chair the Peripheral Vascular Disease Council for the American Heart Association.
Robert Garofalo, MD, MPH, associate professor in pediatrics and preventive medicine, was appointed to the National Academies of Science Institute of Medicine Committee on LGBT Health Issues and Research Gaps and Opportunities.
Jonathon D. Goldman, MD, MS, assistant professor of psychiatry was appointed a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.
Christopher Gonzalez, MD, associate professor of urology, was selected as the 2010 American Urologic Association’s Gallagher Health Care Policy Fellow.
Ajna Hamidovic, DPHARM, research assistant professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine, received a 2010 NIH/NIDA Outstanding Early Career Investigator Award.
Sherif Afifi, MD, FCCM, FCCP, associate professor of anesthesiology and surgery, was inducted on the founding editorial board of the Egyptian Journal of Critical Care Trauma.
Hossein Ardehall, MD, PhD, FAHA, FACC, associate professor in cardiology, received the Most Valuable Player Award at the 2010 American Heart Association’s Basic Cardiovascular Sciences Annual Conference.
William A. Muller, MD, PhD, class=”italicgeorgia”Magerstadt Professor of Pathology, was selected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The election honors individuals for contributions in science and technology.
Stephen R. Devries, MD, associate professor in cardiology, received a Weil Foundation grant for the advancement of integrative medicine. The grant recognizes Devries’ cutting-edge preventive cardiology practice, which combines alternative approaches to treatment with conventional prevention strategies.
Tod S. Chambers, PhD, associate professor in medical humanities and bioethics and medicine, was elected a fellow of the Hastings Center, a nonpartisan research institution dedicated to bioethics and the public interest.
Dane M. Chetkovich, MD, PhD, associate professor of neurology, received the Derek Denny-Brown Young Neurological Scholar Award from the American Neurological Association. The award honors a young member of the association who has achieved a significant stature in neurological research and whose promise of continuing major contributions to the field of neurology is anticipated.
Martha Daviglus, MD, PhD, professor in preventive medicine and medicine, received the National Medical Fellowships Champion of Community Health Award.
Robert S. Feder, MD, associate professor of ophthalmology, was honored with the senior achievement award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Pamela Fiebig, AuD, senior lecturer in the Department of Otolaryngology, was awarded the Clinical Educator Award from the Illinois Academy of Audiology.
James J. Foody, MD, professor of medicine, was elected to the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors of the American College of Physicians.
Carla M. Pugh, MD, PhD, associate professor of surgery, was named one of the 25 Most Influential African American Doctors by Black Health Magazine. The national magazine promotes health awareness within the African-American community.
David W. Baker, MD, MPH, Michael A. Gertz Professor of Medicine and chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine, was elected to the board of directors of the National eHealth Collaborative. The collaborative works to enable a secure and interoperable nationwide health information exchange to advance health and improve health care.
Bharat B. Mittal, MD, chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology, was elected to the board of directors for the American Society of Radiation Oncology. The organization is the largest radiation oncology society in the world and is dedicated to improving patient care through education, clinical practice, and the advancement of science and advocacy.
Dhanesh K. Gupta, MD, associate professor of in the Departments of Anesthesiology and Neurological Surgery, was elected to the board of directors for the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (ASCPT). ASCPT is the largest scientific and professional organization serving the discipline of clinical pharmacology.
James S.T. Yao, MD, PhD, professor emeritus in the Department of Surgery, joined a distinguished group of physicians when he received the 2010 Pioneers in Performance Award, an annual recognition sponsored by W.L. Gore & Associates for physicians demonstrating an unrelenting dedication to advancing endovascular therapy and minimally invasive treatment options for patients worldwide. Yao received his award in the “Dedication to Analysis of Clinical Outcomes” category for having demonstrated a strong and ongoing commitment to improving both clinical and patient performance through active collaboration.
M. Christine Stock, MD, James E. Eckenhoff Professor and chair of the Department of Anesthesiology, became the first woman to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Critical Care Anesthesiologists (ASCCA) when she earned the honor on October 15, 2010. ASCCA’s mission is dedicated to the education of anesthesiologists in the care of critically ill patients and to foster the knowledge and practice of critical care medicine by anesthesiologists through education, advocacy, and community.
Antoun H. Koht, MD, professor of anesthesiology, neurology, and neurolgical surgery, was named president elect of the American Society of Neurophysical Monitoring. The society represents the field of interventional neurophysiological assessment and monitoring.
Linda Van Horn, PhD, RD, professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine, is one of four recipients of the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois’ (WBAI) 2010 Women with Vision Award. The annual award recognizes women who demonstrate visionary approaches in their professional endeavors and make contributions to the well-being and empowerment of women. Van Horn, a member of Feinberg’s Women Faculty Organization, was chosen because of her academic research in areas affecting women’s health and support of women faculty members and students at the medical school.
Donald Lloyd-Jones, MD/ScM, chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine, received the 2010 Chairman’s Award from the American Heart Association, the highest honor bestowed by the organization for volunteer service. Lloyd-Jones was honored for his outstanding contribution to further the AHA’s Strategic Impact Goals. He is the lead author of the AHA 2020 Strategic Impact Goal that commits to improving the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20 percent in the next decade while also reducing deaths from cardiovascular diseases and stroke by 20 percent. The focus of the goal will be preventing heart disease and stroke by helping people adopt healthier lifestyles. This will be the first time the AHA has adopted better health as a principal goal.
Christopher Getch, MD, professor of neurological surgery, was elected to a two-year term as President of the Illinois State Neurosurgical Society. He previously served as Vice President of the organization. Getch is also President-elect of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, a position that will take effect in October 2010.
Marsel Mesulam, MD, professor in the Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, received the Bengt Winblad Lifetime Achievement from the Alzheimer’s Association. Mesulam’s work addresses the connectivity of the monkey brain, the organization of human cholinergic pathways, the representation of cognitive functions by large-scale neurocognitive networks, and the neurobiology of dementias. Mesulam’s work on cholinergic pathways has been groundbreaking in understanding Alzheimer’s. He is a world expert in Primary Progressive Aphasia.
Richard McGee, PhD, associate dean for faculty recruitment and professional development, has received the Distinguished Alumni Award for Achievement from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. He earned his PhD in biochemistry from the University of Iowa in 1975.
Mark K. Eskandari, MD, was named the James S. T. Yao, MD, PhD, Professor of Education in Vascular Surgery. Eskandari established the carotid artery stenting program at the medical school in 2001. His current clinical research focuses on endovascular therapies as a minimally invasive way to treat peripheral vascular disease, particularly as it relates to carotid artery occlusive disease for stroke prevention and aortic aneurysms and dissections. Serving as the program director for the Northwestern Vascular Surgery Fellowship Program since 2005, Eskandari has trained and mentored numerous fellows, residents and students. He also recently started the new integrated vascular surgery training program, which allows medical students a five-year direct pathway to board certification in vascular surgery. He joined the Feinberg faculty in 2000.
Mark D. Morasch, MD, was honored as the John F. Marquardt, MD, Clinical Research Professor of Vascular Surgery. Morasch has extensive experience with endovascular therapy. His research interests include minimally invasive endoluminal technology for the treatment of abdominal and thoracic aortic aneurysms, traumatic injury, and dissection. He is a leader in aortic therapy. Since arriving at the medical school in 1998, he has served as principal or co-investigator in 42 studies. He has been widely published in the top journals of his field, including the Journal of Vascular Surgery and Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance. He serves on the council of cardio-thoracic and vascular surgery of the American Heart Association and is a member of numerous professional societies, including the American Association for Vascular Surgery and the Society for Vascular Surgery.
Linda Van Horn, RD, PhD, professor in Preventive Medicine, served as the chair of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Dietary Guideline Advisory Committee, which recently released new dietary guidelines for Americans.
Alexander Stegh, PhD, assistant professor in the Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, in collaboration with Chad Mirkin, PhD, George B. Rathmann Professor of Chemistry in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, was awarded continuation of Northwestern’s National Institutes of Health (NIH) U54 Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence award, a prestigious grant from the NIH.
Malcolm DeCamp Jr., MD, professor of cardiothoracic surgery, has been named the Fowler-McCormick Professor of Surgery. DeCamp’s research focuses on advanced lung diseases like emphysema, lung transplantation, and thoracic cancers. He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and 31 book chapters in print. He is a highly-sought speaker and has presented at more than 60 national and international seminars. DeCamp joined Northwestern as a professor of surgery in December 2009 to develop multi-disciplinary disease programs in thoracic oncology, swallowing disorders, complex airway, minimally invasive surgery, and advanced lung disease.
Ellen B. Mendelson, MD, FACR, was named the inaugural Lee F. Rogers, MD, Professor of Medical Education in the Department of Radiology at an investiture on May 11. Mendelson completed both her residency and her fellowship at Northwestern, and currently serves in the Department of Radiology, where she evaluates and assesses breast cancer therapies and diagnostic tools, including ultrasound, MRI, and chemotherapy.
On May 18, the Jameson Research Prize was awarded to Daniel Toft MD, PhD, and Brian Layden MD, PhD, both endocrinology fellows in the Feinberg Department of Medicine. Layden has worked in the lab of William L. Lowe, Jr., MD, professor and dean for faculty affairs at Feinberg, studying G protein coupled receptors, while Toft has worked in the lab of Vincent Cryns, MD, associate professor, translating nanotechnology discoveries into new cancer treatment paradigms. The Jameson Research Prize was established in 2007 to honor the substantial contributions of former chair of medicine J. Larry Jameson MD, PhD, vice president for medical affairs and Lewis Landsberg Dean of the medical school. Prior winners include Anne Henkel, MD, Jarrett Berry, MD, and Liviu Klein, MD.
Jacqueline S. Jeruss, MD, PhD, assistant professor in surgery-surgical oncology, was awarded a 2010 NIH K22 Career Transition Award. This award is intended to help outstanding basic or clinical investigators develop their independent research skills and establish a record of independent research. Jeruss will use her award to investigate “The Oncogenic Significance of Cyclin Overexpression and Smad3 Tumor Suppression.” The long-term goal of her investigation is to determine how changes in Smad 3 signal transduction affect breast cancer progression to help establish a molecular staging of the disease, and, ultimately, to facilitate the discovery of new treatment options.
On April 30, 2010, an investiture was held to honor the appointment of John Robert Lurain III, MD, and Julian C. Schink, MD, to named professorships. Lurian received the title of Marcia Stenn Professor of Gynecologic Oncology, while Schink was honored as the John and Ruth Brewer Professor of Gynecology and Cancer Research. Lurain is the director of the John I. Brewer Trophoblastic Disease Center and the program director for the Fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology, the only program of its kind in the state of Illinois. He was the chief of the division of Gynecologic Oncology from 1985 to 2004. Schink, chief of the division of gynecologic oncology at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, has been a principal investigator of several cooperative group clinical trials investigating ovarian cancer chemotherapy and gestational trophoblastic disease.
Five Feinberg scientists have received new cancer research grants from the Illinois Division of the American Cancer Society: Pedram Gerami, PhD; Alexander Yemelyanov, MD, PhD; Xin Tong, PhD; David Victorson, PhD; Dale Shumaker, PhD.
The Center for Global Health, along with three other Chicago medical institutions, was awarded the Global Humanitarian Award by the Institute of Medicine of Chicago (IOMC) in recognition of their collaboration and dedication to assisting the people of Haiti after the devastating earthquake on January 12, 2010. The award is given annually to a Chicago individual or organization that has provided voluntary, long-standing, and international humanitarian health services.
On April 7, 2010, Li-Qun Zhang, PhD, was invested as the Clifford C. Raisbeck, MD, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery. During the endowment ceremony, he was praised for his energy, focus on education, and passion for research and resident teaching. Zhang’s work centers on translational research to improve the treatment of elbow, ankle, and knee injuries, and the possible extension of these discoveries to help soldiers and military veterans. Raisbeck, MD ’53, endowed this professorship to support the work of a promising faculty member at the Feinberg School of Medicine.
Al B. Benson III, MD, FACP, professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology and associate director for Clinical Investigations at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, was named president of the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC). The ACCC is an organization of nearly 17,000 cancer care professionals that promotes quality cancer care through education and advocacy.
Michael S. Wolf, PhD, MPH, MA, associate professor of medicine and associate division chief, research in the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Division of General Internal Medicine, and associate professor of learning sciences in the Northwestern University School of Education and Policy, has been awarded a J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship to the United Kingdom (UK) sponsored by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
The Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University received a 2009 Commission on Cancer Outstanding Achievement Award from the College of American Surgeons. The award recognizes cancer programs that strive for excellence in providing quality care to cancer patients. All award recipients must pass an on-site evaluation during which the facility must demonstrate compliance with 35 standards of care.
Jane Wu, MD, PhD, Charles Louis Mix Professor of Neurology, was elected to the Association of American Physicians. Goals of the association include pursuit of medical knowledge, and the advancement through experimentation and discovery of basic and clinical science and their application to clinical medicine. Members exhibit excellence in attaining those goals, and their election to the association allows them to share their scientific discoveries with colleagues at the group’s annual meeting.
Richard M. Longnecker, PhD, professor of microbiology-immunology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, was elected to a fellowship in the American Academy of Microbiology. Fellows of the academy are elected annually through a highly selective, peer-reviewed process based on their records of scientific achievement and original contributions that have advanced microbiology.
