Robert Siliciano Named to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Robert Siliciano, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of medicine in the Department of Infectious Diseases, is among more than 276 scientists, scholars, writers, artists and other leaders who have been elected to the 2020 class of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The academy, which was founded in 1780, honors exceptionally accomplished individuals and engages them in advancing the public good. Siliciano studies HIV, specifically viral reservoirs that prevent the curing of the  infection, and is trying to better understand how the T-cell reservoir is established and maintained.

Grad Student Emily Han-Chung Hsiue Wins Award for Cancer Research

Emily Han-Chung Hsiue, a grad student at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, won the day-long Salisbury Award Competition in November 2019 for a cancer research project that comprises a novel antibody-based method of targeting cancer driver mutations called “MANAbodies.” Hsiue and the co-winner of the award, Jacqueline Douglass, worked on the winning project in the lab of Bert Vogelstein, M.D., and Kenneth Kinzler, Ph.D. The Salisbury Award encourages and promotes innovative scientists and early-stage start-up companies to translate their discoveries into therapies that can improve the lives of cancer patients. The awardees were honored with a cash prize and were to be introduced to the National Foundation for Cancer Research's extensive cancer scientific and biopharmaceutical industry networks.

Sarah Polk Named to Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program

Sarah Polk, M.D., an assistant professor of pediatrics, has been selected as one of 35 fellows for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program. Clinical scholars fellows are recognized for their leadership skills and collaborate on a project to address complex health problems, allowing them to gain new perspectives and expertise. Each team receives project funding and salary support of up to $525,000 over the three-year program. Team members also participate in leadership development at no cost to themselves or their institutions. Polk, whose clinical expertise includes pediatrics and adolescent medicine with a focus on mental health and sexually transmitted infections in adolescents, was recognized for her contribution on a project involving immigrant Latina mothers and their risk for depression and unmet social needs.

Timothy McCulley Named Inaugural Earl D.R. Kidwell Jr. Professor

Timothy J. McCulley, M.D., associate professor of ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, has been named the inaugural Earl D.R. Kidwell Jr. Professor of Ophthalmology. The professorship, Wilmer’s 47th, honors Kidwell, a 1973 Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine graduate. The award was presented during a dedication ceremony on Nov. 7, 2019, at the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Building by Dr. Paul Rothman, dean of the medical faculty and CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Dr. Edward Bessman Earns Award for Clinical Excellence

Edward Bessman, M.D., M.B.A., an assistant professor of emergency medicine, has been honored with the Excellence in Service and Professionalism Award from the Office of Johns Hopkins Physicians. The Johns Hopkins Medicine Clinical Awards for Physicians and Care Teams were launched in 2015 to honor physicians and care teams who embody the best in clinical excellence. Bessman was nominated by colleagues in the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center emergency department. Bessman has worked in the department for 28 years, including 20 years as chair of the department.
 

Grad Student Jacqueline Douglass Wins Award for Cancer Research

Jacqueline Douglass, a grad student at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, won the day-long Salisbury Award Competition in November 2019 for a cancer research project that comprises a novel antibody-based method of targeting cancer driver mutations called “MANAbodies.” Douglass and the co-winner of the award, Emily Han-Chung Hsiue, worked on the winning project in the lab of Bert Vogelstein, M.D., and Kenneth Kinzler, Ph.D. The Salisbury Award encourages and promotes innovative scientists and early-stage start-up companies to translate their discoveries into therapies that can improve the lives of cancer patients. The awardees were honored with a cash prize and were to be introduced to the National Foundation for Cancer Research's extensive cancer scientific and biopharmaceutical industry networks.

Nakul Shekhawat Receives Claes H. Dohlman Society Fellowship Award

Nakul Shekhawat, M.D., M.P.H., an assistant of ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, is a co-winner of the 2019 Claes H. Dohlman Society Fellowship Award. This international award, named after the surgical innovator and pioneer in corneal science and clinical education, is presented annually by the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary of Harvard Medical School to a cornea fellow who demonstrates academic, surgical and research excellence.

Bonnielin Swenor Receives Funding From Idea Lab for Diversity Proposal

Bonnielin Swenor's proposal for developing a disability coalition was one of 11 projects selected for funding by the Idea Lab’s Ten by Twenty Challenge. Swenor, M.P.H., Ph.D., an associate professor of ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, proposed establishing the Johns Hopkins Disability Coalition, which aims to bring together stakeholders from across the university to address inequities for persons with disabilities within and outside the university. The Ten by Twenty Challenge offered up to $20,000 for ideas that support the university's vision of 10 goals to be reached by 2020. Senor's proposal fell under the university's goal to enhance diversity.

John Cameron Receives 2019 Bigelow Award

John Cameron, M.D., a professor of surgery, has been awarded the 2019 Bigelow Award from the Boston Surgical Society. Cameron has had a long and distinguished career focusing on alimentary tract diseases and specifically pancreatic cancer. He is believed to have operated on more patients with pancreatic cancer and done more Whipple resections than any other surgeon in the world. He served as chief of surgery for the Johns Hopkins Hospital for 19 years and was president of the American College of Surgeons from 2008-2009.

Sammy Zakaria Receives Grant to Research Maternal Health Complications

Sammy Zakaria, M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of medicine, Division of Cardiology, has received a portion of a $300,000 grant from AMAG Pharmaceuticals Inc. as part of the company’s ongoing support of research to reduce preterm birth and preeclampsia and associated complications. Zakaria and Johns Hopkins colleagues and co-grant recipients Anum Minha, M.D., a cardiology fellow, Allison Hays, M.D., associate professor of medicine, and Arthur Vaught, M.D., assistant professor of gynecology and obstetrics, will use the funds to research novel imaging methods to understand the association of preeclampsia and cardiovascular disease. Three other groups of researchers at other institutions will also share the grant money.

Rheanna Platt Named to Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program

Rheanna Platt, M.D., an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, has been selected as one of 35 fellows for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program. Clinical scholars fellows are recognized for their leadership skills and collaborate on a project to address complex health problems, allowing them to gain new perspectives and expertise. Each team receives project funding and salary support of up to $525,000 over the three-year program. Team members also participate in leadership development at no cost to themselves or their institutions. Platt, whose whose expertise includes adult psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, child development and behavioral health, was recognized for her contribution on a project involving immigrant Latina mothers and their risk for depression and unmet social needs.

Anum Minhas Receives Grant to Research Maternal Health Complications

Anum Minhas, M.D., a cardiology fellow, has received a portion of a $300,000 grant from AMAG Pharmaceuticals Inc. as part of the company’s ongoing support of research to reduce preterm birth and preeclampsia and associated complications. Minhas and Johns Hopkins colleagues and co-grant recipients Allison Hays, M.D., associate professor of medicine, Arthur Vaught, M.D., assistant professor of gynecology and obstetrics, and Sammy Zakaria, M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of medicine, Division of Cardiology, will use the funds to research novel imaging methods to understand the association of preeclampsia and cardiovascular disease. Three other groups of researchers at other institutions will also share the grant money.

Fasika Woreta Named Physician of the Year

Fasika Woreta, M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, has been named 2019 Physician of the Year, one of six honors bestowed annually by the Johns Hopkins Medicine Clinical Awards for Physicians and Care Teams. Woreta was nominated based on her attention to continuous improvement, commitment to evidence-based medicine and focus on continuing medical education.

Mary Armanios Elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

Mary Armanios, M.D., a professor of oncology and clinical director of the Telomere Clinic at Johns Hopkins, has been elected as a 2019 fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a lifetime distinction that recognizes electees' outstanding contributions to science and technology. Armanios' research focuses on dysfunction of telomeres, the protective ends of chromosomes.

Allison Hays Receives Grant to Research Maternal Health Complications

Allison Hays, M.D., associate professor of medicine, has received a portion of a $300,000 grant from AMAG Pharmaceuticals Inc. as part of the company’s ongoing support of research to reduce preterm birth and preeclampsia and associated complications. Hays and Johns Hopkins colleagues and co-grant recipients Anum Minhas, M.D., a cardiology fellow, Arthur Vaught, M.D., assistant professor of gynecology and obstetrics, and Sammy Zakaria, M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of medicine, Division of Cardiology, will use the funds to research novel imaging methods to understand the association of preeclampsia and cardiovascular disease. Three other groups of researchers at other institutions will also share the grant money.

Edward Kuwera Earns a Star for Outstanding Service

Among the 2019 Johns Hopkins Hospital Service Stars — employees nominated by peers or patients for their exceptional service — is Edward Kuwera, M.D., an assistant professor of ophthalmology and pediatric ophthalmologist at Wilmer Eye Institute. Kuwera was recognized for his attentiveness and patience in explaining concepts and treatment options.

Arthur Vaught Receives Grant to Research Maternal Health Complications

Arthur Vaught, M.D., assistant professor of gynecology and obstetrics, has received a portion of a $300,000 grant from AMAG Pharmaceuticals Inc. as part of the company’s ongoing support of research to reduce preterm birth and preeclampsia and associated complications. Vaught and Johns Hopkins colleagues and co-grant recipients Anum Minhas, M.D., a cardiology fellow, Allison Hays, M.D., associate professor of medicine, and Sammy Zakaria, M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of medicine, Division of Cardiology, will use the funds to research novel imaging methods to understand the association of preeclampsia and cardiovascular disease. Three other groups of researchers at other institutions will also share the grant money.

Jana Mattheu Earns a Star for Outstanding Service

Among the 2019 Johns Hopkins Hospital Service Stars — employees nominated by peers or patients for their exceptional service — is Jana Mattheu, an orthoptist at the Wilmer Eye Institute. Mattheu was recognized for her attentiveness and patience in explaining concepts and treatment options.

Jennifer Nickoles Awarded Carol Emmott Fellowship

Jennifer Nickoles, M.S., vice president for Operations and System Integration, Johns Hopkins Health System, and chief of staff, Johns Hopkins Medicine, has been selected to the 2020 Carol Emmott Fellowship Program. "The Fellowship expands the leadership capacity of women who are already influential in their fields, so that they may increase their ability to make an impact and ultimately contribute to improving gender equity in health leadership through their own career advancement," according to a news release by the Carol Emmott Foundation. Nickoles was nominated for the fellowship by Johns Hopkins Medicine.

King-Wai Yau Honored for Transformative Vision Research

King-Wai Yau, Ph.D., a professor of neuroscience and ophthalmology, is the recipient of the 2019 Beckman-Argyros Award in Vision Research for his transformative contributions, spanning more than 30 years, to vision research. Yau's pioneering research on the function of the retina has led to the molecular and cellular understanding of circadian rhythms and several forms of hereditary blindness. The Beckman-Argyros Award is awarded by the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation Board of Directors.

Jennifer Thorne Receives Grant for Eye Research

Jennifer Elizabeth Thorne, M.D., Ph.D., professor of ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, and chief of the Division of Ocular Immunology, was one of four winners of 2019 grants for researchers who want to conduct big data research in ophthalmology and blindness prevention. The granting organizations were Research to Prevent Blindness and the American Academy of Ophthalmology. The four clinical researchers were selected based on the potential of their original research to advance the academy’s mission of improving patients’ lives through research and innovation. Thorne will investigate whether uveitis patients have worse surgical and visual outcomes compared with cataract patients without uveitis. She will then use IRIS Registry data to understand the factors that contribute to both better and worse visual outcomes in people who have uveitis, including whether or not it’s beneficial to use corticosteroids to prevent surgical complications.

Joseph Sakran Selected for Health Policy Fellows Program

Joseph Sakran, M.D., M.P.H., M.P.A., F.A.C.S., director of emergency general surgery and assistant professor of surgery, has been named to the 2019-2020 class of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellows by the National Academy of Medicine and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Beginning in September, Sakran and five other health professionals will spend a year in Washington, D.C., working on health-related legislative and regulatory issues with members of Congress or the executive branch. The fellows were chosen in a national competition for highly accomplished health and behavioral/social science professionals who have an interest in health policy.  Their experiences in Washington are expected to enrich their understanding of federal policy formation and how federal and state governments relate to the mission of their home institutions and local communities.  After their Washington assignment, Sakran and the other fellows will continue to receive support to sustain their development as health policy leaders.

School of Medicine Named a Qualified Provider-Led Entity

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine has been designated as a qualified provider-led entity by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The designation will allow the organization to develop diagnostic imaging appropriate use criteria. Johns Hopkins is one of 22 U.S. organizations that have been approved by CMS to develop the criteria. The initial criteria that Johns Hopkins develops will address eight clinical priority areas: chest pain, pulmonary embolism, neck pain, low back pain, shoulder pain, hip pain, lung cancer and headache. The criteria will be integrated into evidence-based guidelines in Epic and will meet CMS’ new rule requiring all health care providers to use a clinical decision support tool when ordering CT, MRI and nuclear medicine scans for Medicare patients in an ambulatory and emergency medicine setting.

Winners of the Stanley L. Blumenthal, MD, Cardiovascular Research Awards

There were six winners in the Oral Competition and six winners in the Poster Competition of the Stanley L. Blumenthal, MD, Cardiovascular Research Awards. There was a six-way tie in the oral competition: Brian Lin, Ph.D. Francoise Marvel, M.D., Virginia Hahn, M.D., Marios Arvanitis, M.D., Carine E. Hamo, M.D., and  Aditi Madan, Ph.D. The winners of the poster competition were Meera C. Viswanathan, M.S. (first place for basic science); Justin Lowenthal, B.S. (second place for basic science); Faisal Rahman, M.D. (first place for translational science); Eunice Yang, M.D. (second place for translational science); Olive Tang, A.B. (first place for population science); and Amir Heravi, B.S. (second place for population science). The awardees are all considered outstanding researchers in cardiovascular medicine.

Oren Gordon Receives Fellowship for Research on Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Oren Gordon, M.D., Ph.D., a fellow in the Department of Pediatrics, has received a fellowship grant from American Healthcare Professionals and Friends for Medicine in Israel (APF). The fellowships were established in 1951 to help train Israeli physicians in specialty care. The program continues today with the awarding of supplemental fellowship grants to gifted Israeli physicians to help them in the advancement of their education at prestigious medical centers in the United States and Canada. After finishing a residency program in general pediatrics at Israel’s Hadassah Medical Center, Gordon was accepted to a three-year fellowship program in pediatric infectious diseases at Johns Hopkins. His APF fellowship grant will provide research support as he deepens his expertise and experience in infectious diseases that afflict children.

Faculty Members, Postdocs Win TEDCO Awards for Stem Cell Research

Johns Hopkins faculty members won eight of the 14 “discovery” awards given by the Maryland Technology Development Corp. (TEDCO). The Hopkins awardees are Mohamed Farah, Ph.D., assistant professor of neurology; David Hackam, M.D., Ph.D., surgeon-in-chief at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center; Aaron James, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of pathology; Miroslaw Janowski, M.A., M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of radiology and radiological science; Chulan Kwon, M.S., Ph.D., associate professor of medicine; Xiaobo Mao, Ph.D., assistant professor of neurology; Nicholas Maragakis, M.D., director of the ALS Center for Cell Therapy and Regeneration Research; and Jamie Spangler, Ph.D., assistant professor of biomedical engineering. The awards, which totaled nearly $5 million, are intended to fund new and innovative research in the stem cell field. In addition, seven postdoctoral students won fellowships awards, each worth up to $65,000 per year, for up to two years. The awardees are Chengyan Chu, Dong Won “Thomas” Kim, Senquan Liu, Kathryn Moss, Rahel Schnellmann, Arens Taga and Renjun Zhu. The awards will fund their stem cell research in academia or industry in Maryland.

Rachel Salas Named Visiting Professor at Mayo Clinic

Rachel Salas, M.D., associate professor of neurology and director of Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice for the School of Medicine, has been named the 2019 Burton Sandok Visiting Professor of Neurological Education by the Mayo Clinic. Each year Mayo’s Department of Neurology coordinates a rigorous search to evaluate nominations from neurology departments across the country. The award recipient is chosen for his or her accomplishments and passion in the field of neurology, medical education and research. Salas was invited to spend two days at the institution in Rochester, Minn., where she presented a sleep lecture for the first-year neurology course and discussed sleep cases in a resident and fellow didactic session. In addition, she rounded on the neurology wards and provided Grand Rounds to the Department of Neurology on precision medicine at the Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep. Salas says of the experience: "I met some amazing neurologists at Mayo and loved to learn about what they are doing from the perspective of medical education and sleep medicine, all from the perspective of neurology. It was such an honor to be selected for this opportunity."

Elizabeth Tucker Receives Hartwell Individual Biomedical Research Award

Elizabeth Tucker, M.D., an assistant professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine, has received a 2018 Hartwell Individual Biomedical Research Award from the Hartwell Foundation, a philanthropic organization that provides funds for early-stage research projects that have not yet qualified for funding from traditional sources. Tucker was one of 12 investigators at 10 institutions who earned a 2018 award, which provides support for three years at $100,000 direct cost per year.  The award-winning proposals represented innovative and cutting-edge technology in medicine and biomedical engineering research that will potentially benefit children. Tucker's proposal was titled "Host-Targeted Theranostic Dendrimer to Monitor and Treat Meningitis."

Harry Dietz Awarded Mentorship Award

Harry "Hal" C. Dietz III, M.D., the Victor A. McKusick Professor of Genetics, the director of the William S. Smilow Center for Marfan Syndrome Research and a faculty member of the McKusick Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, has been awarded the 2019 Mentorship Award by the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) for his commitment to mentorship in the field of human genetics research. Dietz has mentored more than 50 students and professionals, 10 of whom have received the ASHG/Charles J. Epstein Trainee Award for Excellence in Human Genetics Research. As the recipient of the 2019 Mentorship Award, Dietz received a $10,000 prize.

Mudiaga Sowho Earns 2018 Victor McKusick Fellowship

Mudiaga Sowho, M.D., M.P.H., a sleep and genomics fellow, has been awarded a 2018 Victor McKusick Fellowship from the Marfan Foundation. Sowho, who received one of only two fellowships given, earned a $150,000, two-year research grant for his study titled “Hedodynamic Response to Upper Airway Obstruction in Marfan Syndrome.” Marfan Foundation projects seek a better understanding of and treatments for various aspects of Marfan syndrome.

Netz Arroyo Honored for Innovative Technologies

Netz Arroyo, Ph.D., an assistant professor of pharmacology and molecular sciences, has been given the Ralph E. Powe Award by Oak Ridge Associated Universities. The competitive Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards Program is for full-time assistant professors at Oak Ridge Associated Universities member institutions within two years of their initial tenure track appointment. Netz was recognized for his innovations in designing technologies to understand mechanisms of drug transport within the body via real-time monitoring of drug levels in vivo.

Wen Shen Receives Outstanding Educator Award

Wen Shen, M.D., M.P.H., an assistant professor of gynecology and obstetrics, has been honored with the 2019 NAMS/Leon Speroff Outstanding Educator Award. The award recognizes a NAM member’s excellence in menopause-related education of clinicians or the general public. In addition to developing a menopause app for all clinicians through Apple and Google, Shen has designed a menopause curriculum for gynecology residents and has taught them how to care for menopause patients in the resident Menopause Clinic.

Robert Shochet Wins ABIM Foundation’s Trust Practice Challenge

Robert Shochet, M.D., an associate professor of medicine and director of the Colleges Advisory Program, was named a winner of the 2019 ABIM Foundation’s Trust Practice Challenge. The challenge identifies and promotes practices that foster trust in health care. The Colleges Advisory Program provides every Johns Hopkins medical student with a dedicated, long-term mentor, enhancing their personal and professional growth and career development. Shochet is scheduled to present the Colleges Advisory Program as a trust practice in a plenary meeting titled "Innovations: Practices that Build Trust" at the ABIM (American Board of Internal Medicine) Foundation's 2019 forum in August.

Amanda Fader's Research Hailed as Top Oncology Advance

Research led by Amanda Fader, M.D., associate professor of gynecology and obstetrics and director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Rare Gynecologic Cancers, was called one of the top oncology advances of 2018 by the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Fader’s research showed that the drug trastuzumab extended the length of time to tumor progression by four to eight months for women with HER2+ advanced or recurrent uterine serous carcinoma. The study resulted in development of new clinical guidelines within the National Comprehensive Cancer Network for treating this cancer subtype. The study was one of five in 2018 that made significant steps in cancer care.

Rachel Salas Named Macy Faculty Scholar

Rachel Salas, M.D., an associate professor of neurology, has been named a Macy Faculty Scholar. In this role, she will create and implement the Interprofessional Exemplar Program: A Certificate Program to Recognize, Develop, and Nurture Faculty as Interprofessional Collaborative Practice (IPCP) role models. The program aims to foster the development of skills needed to be a successful IPCP role model, cultivate an educational environment that facilitates excitement and innovation around IPCP and professional identity, and develop an educational environment that promotes recognition and encourages the joy of medicine for IPCP teaching faculty across disciplines.

Xitiz Chamling Receives a W. Barry Wood Jr. Research Award

Xitiz Chamling, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, has received the 2019 W. Barry Wood Jr. Research Award for his work on “Using Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived Oligodendrocytes for the Discovery of Remyelinating Drugs.” He received the award at the annual Young Investigator's Day, which was designed to recognize outstanding contributions by School of Medicine graduate students, postdocs and fellows.  Chamling conducts his research in the lab of Donald J. Zack, M.D., Ph.D.

Alejandro Garcia Named Jay Grosfeld Scholar

Alejandro Garcia, M.D., an assistant professor of surgery and surgical director of the ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) Program, has been named a Jay Grosfeld, M.D., scholar by the American Pediatric Surgical Association Foundation. Garcia will receive $25,000 for his research titled “Improving Reperfusion Injury in Pediatric Cardiac Arrest Using a Porcine Model of ECPR.”

Rebecca Same Earns a Jonathan Freeman Scholarship

Rebecca Same, M.D., a fellow in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases (pictured right), has received a Jonathan Freeman Scholarship from the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA). The scholarship was established by SHEA to promote the training of outstanding infectious-disease fellows who demonstrate interest in healthcare epidemiology. It was established in memory of Jonathan Freeman, M.D., M.P.H., a Johns Hopkins teacher and researcher in the field of healthcare epidemiology who dedicated himself to improving the delivery of healthcare through the prevention of nosocomial infections.

Sister Karen Schneider Receives Honorary Doctorate From St. Joseph's College

Sister Karen Schneider, R.S.M., MD., M.P.H., a pediatrician and assistant professor of pediatrics, received an honorary doctorate of humane letters at the May 2019 commencement exercises of Saint Joseph’s College's in Portland, Maine. Sister Karen has been recognized for her international medical work in the service of children. She coordinates the Pediatric Tropical Medicine elective, for which she supervises clinical experiences for residents in several countries, lectures on tropical medicine to pediatric residents and updates out-of-country physicians and health workers on medical topics. She has completed more than 80 medical mission trips. Saint Joseph’s College President James Dlugos said, “Through her missionary work in Haiti, Guyana, Nigeria and Kenya, Sr. Karen Schneider has provided medical care to countless people in need of assistance and, equally importantly, has touched both young and not-so-young with her healing presence.... [W]e’re proud to welcome her to the Saint Joseph’s College family with this honorary degree.”

Megan Tschudy Receives AcademyHealth Child Health Services Research Award

Megan M. Tschudy, M.D., M.P.H., an assistant professor of pediatrics and assistant medical director of the Harriet Lane Clinic, has received an AcademyHealth Nemours Child Health Services Research Award from AcademyHealth. The national award recognizes an early-career investigator in the field of child health services, particularly someone doing research on quality improvement of pediatric health services. Tschudy's research interests include community integrated health care redesign, improving the quality of the family-centered medical home, home visitation and implementing and evaluating innovative medical education curricula.

Sophie Cai Earns Fellowship to Support Postgraduate Studies in Ophthalmology

Sophie Cai, an opthalmology resident, Wilmer Eye Institute, has received the HEED Fellowship from the HEED Ophthalmic Foundation to support her vitreoretinal fellowship at Duke University. Established by Thomas Heed in 1945, the foundation provides funding to assist young men and women in pursuing postgraduate studies in ophthalmology. Drs. Peter McDonnell, Neil Bressler and Peter Gehlbach nominated Cai for the award.

Amanda Crum Promoted to Assistant Professor

Amanda Crum, O.D., M.S., has been promoted to the rank of assistant professor of ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, by the Advisory Board of the Johns Hopkins Medical Faculty. The case report that allowed the recommendation for promotion was "Bitot's spots following bariatric surgery: An ocular manifestation of a systemic disease." For this report, Crum credits Divya Srikumaran, Elliott Myrowitz and Ashley Behrens for their support. Her area of research is in keratoconus and contact lens prescribing patterns.

James Harris Wins William I. Gardner Award

James C. Harris, M.D., director of the Developmental Neuropsychiatry Clinic at The Johns Hopkins University and the Kennedy Krieger Institute, and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and pediatrics, has been given the 2019 William I. Gardner Award by the Center for START Services, Institute on Disability. The award recognizes “a national leader who has made significant contributions in the effort to improve the lives of people with intellectual/developmental disabilities and behavioral health.” Harris' specialty is psychiatry for children with neurodevlopmental disabilities aand acquired brain injury. Harris is a past director of the Johns Hopkins Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. His nationally recognized, award-winning textbook Developmental Neuropsychiatry and his Intellectual Disability textbooks are standard works for child psychiatrists.

Colleen Christmas Receives Outstanding Mid-Career Clinician Educator Award

Colleen Christmas, M.D., has received the 2019 Outstanding Mid-Career Clinician Educator of the Year Award from the American Geriatrics Society. Christmas is an assistant professor of medicine, the director of the Primary Care Leadership Track at the School of Medicine and the associate program director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. She practices geriatric medicine primary care and consultative geriatric medicine. Christmas says of the award: "I’m delighted to be honored for something that brings me so much joy and inspiration to do already. It also feels pretty great to know that the work that many of us do as educators is so highly valued by our national organizations. I’m honored and humbled to receive the award this year, and I so much appreciate those who nominated and selected me.”

Nancy Schoenborn Receives Outstanding Junior Investigator of the Year Award

Nancy L. Schoenborn, M.D., an assistant professor of medicine and an assistant professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, has received the 2019 Outstanding Junior Investigator of the Year Award from the American Geriatrics Society. Schoenborn's clinical/research expertise is in geriatric medicine and cancer screenings in older adults that incorporate patient preferences and life expectancy. Schoenborn says, "I am honored by this recognition and want to thank my mentors and collaborators for making this possible.”

Henry Brem Honored for Mentoring Work

Henry Brem, M.D., director of the Department of Neurosurgery and a professor of neurosurgery, has been awarded the 2019 Medical Student Teaching Award by the Society of Neurological Surgeons for his "dedication to teaching and mentoring medical students" and for all he is doing "to shape the next generation of neurosurgeons."

James Ficke Named a Board Member of Orthopaedic Surgeons' Organization

James R. Ficke, M.D., director of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Robert A. Robinson Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, became a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ (AAOS) Board of Directors at the organization’s 2019 annual meeting. Ficke also is a committed volunteer with AAOS. He is currently a mentor for the Academy’s Leadership Fellows Program.

Community Physicians' Education and Training Department Earns Top Award

Johns Hopkins Community Physicians’ Education and Training Department has been named one of the 2019 Top 125 Training organizations by Training magazine. The department was No. 52 out of 125 awardees. The award recognizes high-quality organizational training by linking education and training to achievement of strategic objectives and other targets; by evaluating the human resources impact of high-quality training (less turnover, engagement, development); and benchmarking against peers.
 

Kristen Nelson: A Health Care Hero

Kristen Nelson, M.D., co-director of the Johns Hopkins Office for Pediatric Education and an assistant professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine, has been named a 2019 Health Care Hero by the Maryland Daily Record newspaper. Nelson received the Physician of the Year Award, which honors a physician whose job performance is considered exemplary by patients and peers.

Bram Lambrus Wins Graduate Student Award

Bram Lambrus, a molecular biologist and Ph.D. candidate in the laboratory of Andrew Holland, Ph.D., is one of 13 winners of the prestigious Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award, which has been given by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center for the past 20 years. Lambrus won for his discovery of a quality-control pathway that acts as a timer to measure the duration of cell division.

Panagis Galiatsatos: A Health Care Hero

Panagis Galiatsatos, M.D., M.H.S., an instructor of medicine with expertise in pulmonary and critical care medicine, has been named a 2019 Health Care Hero by the Maryland Daily Record newspaper. Galiatsatos received the Community Outreach/Education Award, which honors individuals and organizations that have helped the community they serve by providing support and education.

John Wilckens Inducted into the Miller Coulson Academy of Clinical Excellence

The Johns Hopkins Center for Innovative Medicine has inducted John Wilckens, M.D., a sports medicine division chief and associate professor of orthopaedic surgery, into the 2019 class of the Miller Coulson Academy of Clinical Excellence. The academy recognizes Johns Hopkins physicians who provide exceptional patient care and demonstrate mastery in communication, interpersonal skills, professionalism and humanism. Wilckens was inducted during the Excellence in Patient Care Symposium in April 2019.

Jackie Bhattarai Earns Credentialing Scholarship

Jackie Bhattarai, a fellow in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, has received a 2019 Early Career Psychologist Credentialing Scholarship from the National Register of Health Service Psychologists Awards Committee. The scholarships help early-career psychologists, postdoctoral trainees and doctoral students by covering the cost of their becoming credentialed by the National Register of Health Service Psychologists.

Richard Huganir Wins Neuroscience Prize

Neurobiologist Richard Huganir, Ph.D., has won the 2019 Edward Scolnick Prize in Neuroscience for his research on changes in synapses — the spaces between neurons — that affect learning and memory. The Scolnick Prize is awarded by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's McGovern Institute for Brain Research. Huganir is the Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Neuroscience and Psychological and Brain Sciences and the director of the Department of Neuroscience.

Joshua Yang Wins First Place in Healthcare Case Competition

Joshua Y. Yang, an M.D.-Ph.D. student, was part of a Johns Hopkins team that won first place in the 2019 Yale Healthcare Case Competition, an annual student-organized event that brings together interdisciplinary teams of students across multiple professional schools and programs to solve the most challenging problems in healthcare and biotechnology today. This time around, the teams were charged with "providing an implementation strategy for a novel healthcare genomic diagnostic assay for cancer patients in a private hospital system." This included addressing healthcare, ethical, financial, medical informatics and operations issues. In addition to Yang (pictured, center), the Johns Hopkins team, which won a $5,000 prize, included a student from the Carey Business School and the School of Public Health.

2019 Award for Excellence in Mentoring Goes to Megan Collins

Megan Collins, M.D., an professor of ophthalmology, is the recipient of the 2019 Award for Excellence in Mentoring sponsored by the Scholarly Concentrations Program. The award recognizes the faculty mentor who best embodies the goals of the Scholarly Concentrations Program in fostering the spirit of independent scholarship among Johns Hopkins medical students.

Peter McDonnell named to ARCS Foundation Hall of Fame

Peter J. McDonnell, M.D., director of the Wilmer Eye Institute and a professor of ophthalmology,  has been named to the ARCS Foundation Hall of Fame for making advances in ophthalmology that have improved sight for countless patients worldwide. McDonnell is an international leader in corneal transplantation, laser refractive surgery and the treatment of dry eye. ARCS Foundation is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization started and run entirely by women who boost American leadership and aid advancement in science and technology.  McDonnell was sponsored as an ARCS Scholar in 1981 and 1982, when he was a medical student at Johns Hopkins.

Lillian Tsai Earns Grant to Support Research in Cardiothoracic Surgery

Lillian L. Tsai, M.D., an assistant resident in the Department of Surgery, has been awarded a $60,000 Southern Thoracic Surgical Association Resident Research Award from the Thoracic Surgery Foundation, the charitable arm of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. The project that earned Tsai the award is titled "An Implantable Microdevice for Personalized Chemotherapy to Prevent Recurrence in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer."

Debraj Mukherjee Honored for Work as a Resident

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education has given the David C. Leach Award to Debraj Mukherjee, M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of neurosurgery. The award recognizes residents and fellows who have fostered innovation and improvement in their residency programs, advanced humanism in medicine and increased efficiency and emphasis on educational outcomes. It was given to Mukherjee for work done during his residency at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Sharon Solomon Honored by Maryland Legislators

Sharon Denise Solomon, M.D., a professor of ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, was honored in February 2019 on the floors of both the Maryland Senate and House of Delegates at the Statehouse in Annapolis with citations from the governor and the General Assembly, recognizing that she is the first African-American to be promoted to full professor in the history of the Wilmer Eye Institute. Solomon's clinical expertise includes medical and surgical treatment of age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, epiretinal membranes, macular holes, and retinal tears and detachment.

Warren Grayson Inducted into the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering's College of Fellows

Warren Grayson, Ph.D., associate professor of biomedical engineering, has been inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE). The honor is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to a medical and biological engineer. Grayson was nominated, reviewed and elected by peers and members of the College of Fellows for “outstanding contributions to musculoskeletal tissue engineering, enhancement of diversity, and educating the public and policymakers on regenerative medicine strategies,” according to an AIMBE press release. He was inducted into the college, along with 156 others, during a ceremony in Washington, D.C., in March 2019.

Susumu Tao Receives Young Author Award

Susumu Tao, M.D., Ph.D., Division of Cardiology, was one of nine young researchers who received 2019 Young Author Achievement Awards from the American College of Cardiology (ACC) in recognition of outstanding research published in one of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology’s sister journals. Tao's work, titled “Ablation Lesion Characterization in Scarred Substrate Assessed Using Cardiac Magnetic Resonance,” was published in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology. Tao was recognized during the ACC’s 68th Annual Scientific Session, held in March 2019 in New Orleans.

Cynthia Wolberger Elected to Two Prestigious Academies

Cynthia Wolberger, Ph.D., a professor of biophysics and biophysical chemistry, is among more than 200 scientists, scholars, writers, artists and other leaders who have been elected to the 2019 class of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She also is among 125 scientists who have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences. A structural biologist, Wolberger studies proteins that pack DNA into a bundle within a cell, and she studies how special tags, called ubiquitin, are attached to these proteins and help to turn genes on or off. She develops 3D models to study, in fine detail, the cellular machinery that controls DNA packaging.

Sherita Golden Named University of Virginia Distinguished Alumna

Sherita Golden, M.D., M.H.S., has been named the 2019 Distinguished Alumna of the University of Virginia by the UVA Maxine Platzer Lynn Women's Center for her "professional expertise in the field of diabetes, her dedication to her community and her inspirational leadership." Golden is the Hugh P. McCormick Family Professor of Endocrinology and Metabolism and executive vice chair of the Department of Medicine. Her research interests include diabetes and depression; diabetes epidemiology; diabetes and cardiovascular disease; and inpatient diabetes healthcare delivery.

Jonathan Callan Wins Fellowship to Study at Auschwitz

Jonathan Callan, a fourth-year medical student, was one of 14 medical students chosen for the 2019 Medical Program of the Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics (FASPE). The program offers the students the opportunity to participate in a two-week summer program in Germany and Poland, studying the conduct of physicians in Nazi-occupied Europe as a way to reflect on medical ethics today. The program underscores the reality that moral codes governing doctors can break down or be distorted with devastating consequences. Callan plans to train in emergency medicine and work in underserved, urban communities. He says he is “looking forward to participating in the FASPE medical program because I know it will give me the tools and network to be a better supporter of ethical practice, both on the wards and in the communities I wish to serve.”

Kenneth Kinzler Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Kenneth Kinzler, Ph.D., a professor of oncology, co-director of the Ludwig Center and associate director for basic research at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, is among more than 200 scientists, scholars, writers, artists and other leaders who have been elected to the 2019 class of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Kinzler was recognized for his role in uncovering the genetic alterations linked to the initiation of colon cancer; the development of novel approaches for the molecular analysis of cancer; and, more recently, for his role in deciphering the genetic blueprints of many types of cancer.

Sujatha Kannan Inducted into the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering's College of Fellows

Sujatha Kannan, M.B.B.S, M.D., professor of anesthesiology/critical care/pediatric critical care, has been inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE). The honor is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to a medical and biological engineer. Kannan was nominated, reviewed and elected by peers and members of the College of Fellows for “elucidating the role of glia in neurodevelopmental disorders and contributions bridging clinical, preclinical [and] nanotechnology/translational efforts for pediatric brain disorders,” according to an AIMBE press release. She was inducted into the college, along with 156 others, during a ceremony in Washington, D.C., in March 2019.

Emmanouil Tampakakis Wins Presidential Career Development Award

Emmanouil Tampakakis, M.D., instructor of medicine, was one of three winners of the 2019 Presidential Career Development Award given by the American College of Cardiology (ACC). Tampakakis' awarding-winning project is titled “Engineering a Power Switch to Study the Contribution of Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes on Heart Regeneration.” The purpose of the award is to encourage junior faculty in the early phases of their careers in the field of cardiology and to recognize and provide financial support for research efforts made by the winners. Each receives one year of research support.

Kavita Sharma Receives Young Author Award

Kavita Sharma, M.D., assistant professor of medicine and director of Johns Hopkins Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction Program, was one of nine young researchers who received 2019 Young Author Achievement Awards from the American College of Cardiology (ACC) in recognition of outstanding research published in one of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology’s sister journals. Sharma's work, titled “Randomized Evaluation of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction Patients with Acute Heart Failure and Dopamine (ROPA-DOP) Trial," was published in JACC: Heart Failure. Sharma was recognized the during the ACC’s 68th Annual Scientific Session, held in March 2019 in New Orleans.

Rachel Green Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Rachel Green, Ph.D., a professor of molecular biology and genetics and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, is among more than 200 scientists, scholars, writers, artists and other leaders who have been elected in 2019 to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Green focuses on a protein-building machine called the ribosome. These molecular machines connect organic building blocks, much like toy Legos, to construct proteins that are essential to the inner workings of a cell. Her laboratory uses genetic and biochemical tools to explore the function of ribosomes in bacteria, yeast and mammals.

Sewon Kang Served as Chief Editor for Fitzpatrick's Dermatology, 9th Edition

Sewon Kang, M.D., director of the Department of Dermatology and dermatologist-in-chief at Johns Hopkins Hospital, served as editor-in-chief of Fitzpatrick’s Dermatology, 9th Edition, and 15 of the department's faculty members contributed at least one major chapter or more to the two volumes. Fitzpatrick’s Dermatology is the authoritative textbook globally on dermatology.

Rebecca Gottesman Receives Mentoring Award

Rebecca Gottesman, M.D., Ph.D., professor of neurology in the Cerebrovascular Division, is the recipient of the 2019 Stroke Research Mentoring Award from the American Stroke Association. The award recognizes outstanding achievements in mentoring future generations of stroke researchers. Gottesman primarily conducts research as part of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Her research, funded primarily by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), focuses on the vascular contribution to cognitive impairment and dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.