Awards and Honors Across Weill Cornell Medical College - October 10, 2012

Awards and Honors

Dr. Emil Bogdanov, assistant professor of anesthesiology, was awarded a certificate for excellent case presentation and a fellows choice award at the Open Medical Institute's Salzburg Weill Cornell Medical College Seminar about severe bleeding management hosted July 15-July 21 in Salzburg, Austria. The Salzburg Medical Seminars, established in 1993, is a postgraduate medical education program founded by the American Austrian Foundation and physicians from Weill Medical College of Cornell University to bridge the knowledge gap between East and West, North and South.

The Craniofacial Program of the Department of Neurological Surgery was in August granted accreditation for the first time by the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association. The Craniofacial Program, co-directed by Dr. Robert Ward of pediatric otorhinolaryngology, takes a multidisciplinary approach to treating craniofacial disorders. The program is dedicated to ensuring a successful outcome for every child and family. This includes a thorough evaluation of the case, selecting the best option, and utilizing the most advanced technology.

Dr. Matthew Cunningham, assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery; Dr. Aaron Daluiski, assistant professor of clinical orthopaedic surgery; Dr. Emily Dodwell, instructor in orthopaedic surgery; Dr. Lawrence Gulott, instructor in orthopaedic surgery; Dr. Stavros Memtsoudis, clinical associate professor of anesthesiology and clinical associate professor of public health of anesthesiology; and Dr. Jessica Gordon, instructor in medicine, received the 2012 Clinician-Scientist Career Development Program Awards in August from Hospital for Special Surgery as part of a new program creating a cohort of clinician scientists who will establish research careers and become future leaders in academic orthopedics, rheumatology and musculoskeletal specialties.

Dr. Joseph Fins, chief of the Division of Medical Ethics, the E. William Davis, Jr., MD Professor of Medical Ethics, professor of medicine, professor of public health and professor of medicine in psychiatry, was the featured guest on a Center of Practical Bioethics virtual town hall meeting in August on the Affordable Care Act, the future of health care reform and brain injuries. The Center for Practical Bioethics is a nonprofit, free-standing and independent organization nationally recognized for its work in practical bioethics. Since 1984, the Center has helped patients and their families, healthcare professionals, policymakers and corporate leaders grapple with ethically complex issues in medicine and research.

Dr. Steven A. Kaplan, the E. Darracott Vaughan Jr., Professor of Urology, was chair of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Review Committee of lower urinary tract grants. In addition, he was a visiting professor to Singapore Hospital.

Dr. Robert Kelly, assistant professor of psychiatry, was reappointed as chairperson of the American Psychiatric Association's Elections Committee for a one year term that commenced in May. The Association's mission is to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people's lives. The elections committee is responsible for the conduct of elections by voting members of the association, determines the results of such elections, investigates complaints about Association elections and certifies the outcomes of elections to the board of directors and council.

Dr. Ahmed N. Khan, lecturer of anatomy in cell and developmental biology, was appointed in August to the editorial board of the Journal of Cell and Developmental Biology.

Dr. Geri Kreitzer, associate professor of cell and developmental biology, will serve as a member of the National Institutes of Health's study section "Kidney Molecular Biology and Genitourinary Organ Development," where she will review grant applications in October. The study section reviews grant applications involving basic and applied aspects of normal and abnormal renal physiology, cell biology, transport biology, including osmoregulation and osmosensing, hormone action and signal transduction, vascular biology, genetic disorders, cell-matrix interactions, biophysics, and bioenergetics and basic processes underlying upper and lower genitourinary organ development.

Dr. Philip S. Li, associate research professor of urology, associate research professor of reproductive medicine and director of the microsurgical research and training program at the Center for Male Reproductive Medicine and Microsurgery at the Weill Cornell Institute for Reproductive Medicine, was co-chairman and keynote speaker at the 2012 International Adolescent and Adult Shang Ring Circumcision Symposium hosted July 30-31 in Kunming, the capital of Yannan Province in China.

Dr. Kate Elizabeth McCarn, assistant professor of otolaryngology, was named on June 19 to the educational committee of the American Academy of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery. The Academy is the world's largest organization representing specialists who treat the ear, nose, throat and related structures of the head and neck. It represents more than 12,000 otolaryngologist — head and neck surgeons who diagnose and treat disorders of those areas. Additionally, Dr. McCarn was invited July 17 to be on the American Board of Otolaryngology's task force for new materials. The Board's mission is to assures that, at the time of certification and recertification, diplomates certified by the Board have met its professional standards of training and knowledge in otolaryngology — head and neck surgery.

Dr. Joseph Montano, associate professor of audiology in clinical otolaryngology, received a service recognition award from the Hearing Loss Association of America at its annual meeting in June in Providence, R.I. The Hearing Loss Association of America is the nation's leading organization representing people with hearing loss. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 36 million — or 17 percent — American have some degree of hearing loss making it a public health issue third in line after heart disease and arthritis.

Dr. Mark Rubin, professor of pathology in urology, professor of pathology and laboratory medicine and the Homer T. Hirst Professor of Oncology in Pathology, was selected Aug. 1 as this year's winner of the Huggins Award by the Society of Urologic Oncology in recognition of his contribution to the understanding of the genomics of castration-resistant prostate cancer. Dr. Rubin will give the Huggins Lecture at the Society's winter meeting Nov. 28-30 in Bethesda, Md. The Society of Urologic Oncology was created in 1984 to enable qualified members primarily interested in the care of patients with malignant genitourinary diseases to meet for the purpose of discussion, development, and implementation of ideas to improve care.

The laboratory of Dr. Scott Rodeo, professor of orthopaedic surgery, was presented with the Cabaud Award at the annual American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine meeting July 14 for best presented research paper concerning hard or soft tissue biology, in-vitro research, laboratory or "bench-type" research, or in-vivo animal research. The paper suggests that the current rehabilitation used for patients undergoing tendon-bone repairs such as rotator cuff repair may be partially to blame for the high rates of failed healing after surgery. Experiments in a rat model of this injury suggest that immobilizing the limb for four to six weeks after surgery, rather than quickly starting physical therapy, improves healing. Additionally, Dr. Rodeo was selected as a team physician for the U.S.A. Olympic Swimming Team for the London Olympics.

Dr. Joseph Safdieh, associate professor of neurology, has been selected as the neurologic education topic chair for the Scientific Program abstract review process for the 2013 American Academy of Neurology annual meeting slated for San Diego, Calif., next March. As topic chair, he will prioritize and coordinate the Neurologic Education abstracts for the annual meeting.

Dr. Ellen Scherl, the Jill Roberts Associate Professor of Inflammatory Bowel Disease and associate professor of clinical medicine will be recognized in November as a physician mentor by the American Medical Association Women Physicians Congress at the 2012 interim meeting of the American Medical Association's House of Delegates in Honolulu.

Dr. Anthony Tortolani, professor of clinical surgery and professor of clinical cardiothoracic surgery, was honored June 9 by the Nassau Physicians' Foundation at its seventh annual fundraising event for his ongoing dedication and contribution to both breast cancer survivors and their families. The Nassau Physicians' Foundation provides a stimulating environment for physicians, partners with the community by donating time and expertise to educational and charitable endeavors pledges to be proactive to pertinent and current health issues.

Dr. Henry Wei, clinical instructor in medicine, was named in August to Aetna Inc.'s Presidential Innovation Fellows program. Dr. Wei, also senior medical director of clinical innovation at Aetna, is one of 18 Fellows selected from a group of nearly 700 applicants. Dr. Wei will be on sabbatical from Aetna for six months as a member of the three-person team working on the Blue Button for America project. Blue Button for America will spread the ability for millions of Americans to easily and securely download their own health information electronically, empowering them to take that information with them should they change insurer or provider and share it with their loved ones or doctors if they choose, all while fueling the emergence of time-saving, money-saving, and even life-saving products and the businesses and jobs that those products will support.

Dianne E. Young, international electives coordinator in the Office of Global Health Education at Weill Cornell and alumni of the University of the West Indies in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, awarded a $1,000 scholarship award to an outstanding student learning at the university. The award was presented Feb. 15 to Karine Dookeeram, who is an aspiring pediatrician.

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