Dr. Jack Barchas, the Barklie McKee Henry Professor and chairman of the Department of Psychiatry, lectured on "Perspectives on Research on Major Mental Illness," at a special fund-raising event on May 4 at the Women's Community Building in Ithaca, N.Y. The event highlighted Mental Health Awareness Month.
Dr. Rubin Cooper, professor of clinical pediatrics and director of pediatric cardiology, was among a group of physicians and surgeons honored by Rotary District 7250 for their generosity in providing free life-saving surgery to children in need. The awards designating the honorees as Paul Harris Fellows (the highest award presented to non-Rotarians) were presented in May at the 26th annual "Gift of Life Gala" sponsored by Rotary District 7250 in Great Neck, Long Island.
Dr. Andrew Dannenberg, the Henry R. Erle M.D.–Roberts Family Professor of Medicine and director of cancer prevention for the NewYork Weill Cornell Medical Center, testified at a congressional briefing co-sponsored by the National Coalition for Cancer Research, the House Cancer Caucus, and Senate Cancer Coalition. The briefing addressed the topic "Is Cancer Research Changing the Way We Detect and Treat Cancer: Emerging Technologies for Early Treatment."
Dr. James Doundoulakis, clinical instructor in surgery (dental and oral), is president-elect of the Academy of Osseointegration (AO). With more than 4,200 members in 70 countries around the world, the AO is a multidisciplinary, international dental implant organization that acts to promote developments in the field of osseointegration among dentists, physicians, allied professionals and the public.
Dr. Jay Edelberg, assistant professor of medicine, has been named a 2001–2004 Paul Beeson Physician Faculty Scholar by the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) and the Alliance for Aging Research for his study on "Restoration of Senescent Cardiac Angiogenic Activity by Bone Marrow Transplantation." The award is a highly competitive, three-year faculty development award totaling $450,000. AFAR and the Alliance administer the Paul Beeson Physician Faculty Scholars in Aging Research Program, which is jointly sponsored by the John A. Hartford Foundation, the Commonwealth Fund, the Alliance for Aging Research, and the Starr Foundation. The Beeson Award enables each recipient to conduct independent research on the biology of aging, diseases of the later years or clinical management issues, all with the goal of enhancing the health and quality of life for older Americans. Dr. Edelberg was also the winner of this year's Department of Medicine Investigator Award, sponsored by the Michael Wolk Heart Foundation. His winning presentation on "Molecular and Cellular Restoration of Senescent Cardiac Angiogenic Activity" was presented at Medical Grand Rounds on May 31.
Ruth Gotian, program manager of the Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program for Weill Cornell, Sloan-Kettering, and The Rockefeller University, chaired a panel presentation and discussion session at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's "Workshop on Recruitment and Retention of African-Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans in Scientific Careers Relevant to Heart, Lung, Blood and Sleep Disorders: What Works, What Doesn't and What Should We Do?" on May 24–25 at the NIH. The Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program sponsors a summer initiative called Gateways to the Laboratory for underrepresented minority college students interested in pursuing a joint M.D.-Ph.D. program.
Dr. O. Wayne Isom, chairman of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, was honored for his significant achievements as a cardiothoracic surgeon on April 25 by the Texas legislature's House of Representatives in Austin, Texas. Since 1985, when he joined Weill Cornell to head the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Dr. Isom has supervised more than 20,000 open-heart procedures. Presently, his team completes about 1,500 operations a year, and Dr. Isom personally performs approximately 300 operations annually.
Drs. Jason Jacobson and Kent Stephenson, both clinical associates in medicine, are the winners of the 2001 David E. Rogers Memorial Research Award. Dr. Jacobson received the honor for his presentation on "Enhanced Biologically Based Chronotropic Biosensing," and Dr. Stephenson was honored for his presentation on "Genetic Background Determines the Extent of Atherosclerosis But Does Not Predict the Extent of Neointimal Formation After Arterial Injury in ApoE-Deficient Mice." (A noted clinician, educator and public-policy maker who was a prominent leader in the fight against AIDS, Dr. David Rogers was the Walsh McDermott University Professor at the Medical College).
Dr. Maria New, the chairman of the Department of Pediatrics and the Harold and Percy Uris Professor of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism, has received three recent honors. Dr. New's NIH MERIT (Mechanism to Extend Research in Time) Award, from the National Institute of Child Health and Development, has been extended for another five years. Dr. New has also been appointed to the Board of Governors for the Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center, the NIH's clinical research facility. In addition, Dr. New received an honorary degree from the University of Naples in June.
Dr. Michael Perelman, clinical assistant professor of psychology in psychiatry, presented a eulogy at a memorial service for Dr. W.H. Masters, who, with his partner, Virginia Johnson, pioneered research in the field of human sexuality. The memorial service was held on May 20 at Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Masters, who suffered from Parkinson's disease, died in February.
Dr. Richard Silver, clinical professor of medicine, was honored as the first recipient of the Timothy Gee Award for excellence in hematology/oncology, jointly sponsored by the Sass Foundation for Cancer Research and the Lauri Strauss Leukemia Foundation. Dr. Silver was cited for his "exceptional qualities as a clinician, his compassion for his patients, his role as teacher and mentor to generations of residents and fellows, and his major contributions as clinical investigator in advancing understanding and treatment of chronic leukemias." The award was presented to Dr. Silver at the annual dinner of the Sass Foundation for Cancer Research in May.
Dr. Andrew Talal, assistant professor of medicine, was a plenary speaker at the First International Conference of Medical Students held in Mexico in May. Dr. Talal spoke about "HIV/HCV Co-Infection." The conference was organized by the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon in Monterrey (Mexico).
August 6, 2001
