Dr. Jennifer Downs, the Friedman Family Research Scholar in Pediatric Infectious Diseases, an assistant professor of medicine and an assistant professor of medicine in microbiology and immunology, in June received the American Medical Association's Dr. Debasish Mridha Spirit of Medicine Award for her work as a mentor and dissertation supervisor for Masters of Medicine post-doctoral students in Tanzania, which she undertook while training Weill Cornell students in Qatar. The Dr. Debasish Mridha Spirit of Medicine Award honors a U.S. physician who has demonstrated compassionate leadership while providing care to a distressed or marginalized population in an impoverished community. The award includes a $2,500 grant for Weill Cornell Medicine. Dr. Downs received the award as part of the American Medical Association Excellence in Medicine Awards, hosted during its annual meeting June 10-12 in Chicago.
Dr. Laurie Glimcher, advisor to the interim dean and provost for medical affairs, and advisor to the chairman of the board of overseers, has won the 2016 Marion Spencer Fay Award from the Drexel University College of Medicine's Institute for Women's Health and Leadership. Dr. Glimcher received the award, which includes a $10,000 honorarium, for her achievements as a basic and clinical scientist, for her groundbreaking discoveries in osteobiology, and for her scholarship and commitment to the application of basic sciences to healthcare. The award, now in its 52nd year, is given annually to an outstanding woman physician or scientist who exhibits significant future potential and has made an exceptionally significant contribution to healthcare as a practitioner, medical educator, administrator or research scientist. Dr. Glimcher will present a lecture and be honored Sept. 26 in Philadelphia. In addition, Dr. Glimcher has been awarded the Association of American Physicians' George M. Kober Medal for 2017. The medal honors the late Dr. Kober, considered a medical leader with a passion for public health, and annually recognizes other physicians whose work has significantly contributed to the progress and achievement of the medical sciences or preventive medicine. The Association of American Physicians, the American Society for Clinical Investigation, and the American Physician Scientists Association announced Dr. Glimcher's selection during their joint meeting from April 15 - April 17 in Chicago.