Dr. Donald J. D'Amico Meets the Pope
Dr. Donald J. D'Amico meets His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
Dr. Donald J. D'Amico, the Betty Neuwirth Lee and Chilly Professor in Stem Cell Research, professor of Ophthalmology and chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at Weill Cornell Medical College and chief of ophthalmology at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, met His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI May 2.
Dr. D'Amico was invited to the Vatican to participate in a congress on the prevention of blindness in the world, and he presented his perspectives on the increasing importance of retinal diseases, particularly diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration. The congress was sponsored by the Pontificio Consiglio per gli Operatori Sanitari, Fondazione "Il Buon Samaritano," and included leaders of international charitable organizations, experts on global blindness, industry executives and religious leaders from many faiths. There were also performances from blind musicians and arts as well as other important contributions from organizations for the blind.
Dr. D'Amico outlined various strategies to reduce the suffering due to retinal diseases and highlighted some of his department's ongoing efforts in Tanzania and Weill Bugando Medical Center.
Professor in OBGYN Honored by the Hellenic Medical Society of New York
Dr. Thomas Caputo, professor of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology at Weill Cornell Medical College
Dr. Thomas Caputo, professor of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology at Weill Cornell Medical College and attending obstetrician and gynecologist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, was honored by Hellenic Medical Society of New York at the Dr. George N. Papanicolaou Award Symposium 2012.
The Hellenic Medical Society of New York, founded in 1936, was inspired by Dr. Papanicolaou and maintains an extensive network of Greek-American physicians and healthcare professionals in the Tri-State area, promoting it mission of education, scholarship support and professional collaboration in the public interest. As a member of the WCMC faculty, the late Dr. Papanicolaou, is credited with discovering the smear test for uterine cancer, which to this day is still referred to as the "Pap" test, and laying the foundation for diagnostic cytology.
Dr. Caputo gave the keynote address, The Pap Smear, What it has Meant to Women in the World, at the symposium which took place on May 17th at the Weill Auditorium Conference Center.
Dr. Caputo is a renowned physician in his field and has been named several times as one of the "Best Doctors in New York" by New York Magazine. He has won many awards for excellence in teaching and research. Dr. Caputo has delivered many presentations and seminars and published dozens of peer-reviewed journal articles on gynecologic oncology.
Postdoctoral Associate in Public Health Named a Winner of the Women in Science Award: Nurturing Nobels
Dr. Bianca Acevedo, postdoctoral associate in the Department of Public Health, Division of Prevention and Health Behavior, was one of 10 winners of the Women in Science Award: Nurturing Nobels. The award ceremony took place March 8, International Women's Day, at the University College of London's Dana Centre in London, England.
Dr. Acevedo and nine other recipients received a jewelry heirloom designed by students at the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. The heirlooms are a part of the Medical Research Council's Suffrage Science project which commemorates 100 years of women pioneers in science. Within a year, the heirlooms, which are meant to inspire and encourage, will be passed on to another woman in science.
Dr. Acevedo has been quoted by the New York Times for her research examining functional magnetic resonance imaging and the neural correlates of long-term intense romantic love. She also authored a study using the fMRI to measure brain activity in marriages. This study showed those in the happiest marriages had more activity in several brain regions.
Additional Awards and Honors
Dr. Stephen T. Chasen, associate professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, has been nominated to join the Board of Directors of Planned Parenthood of New York City.
Dr. Frank Chervenak, the Given Foundation Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, received the Doctor Hondris Causa honor Jan. 31 from the Siberian State Medical University in Tomsk, Russia. In addition, he received a special recognition from the World Congress of Perinatal Medicine of Developing Countries March 29. The award was received during a meeting hosted in Alexandria, Egypt.
Dr. Jeffrey Greenfield, the Victor and Tara Menezes Clinical Scholar in Neuroscience, an assistant professor of Neurological Surgery and assistant professor of neurological surgery in Pediatrics, received new Candidate Membership to the American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgeons in January.
Dr. Tim Hla, professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, will become a member of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.'s Advisory Board for the Cardiovascular Effects of Gilenya this weekend. In addition, he is finishing up a one-year term as president of the North American Vascular Biology Organization.
Dr. Michael Kaplitt, associate professor of Neurological Surgery, associate professor of neurological surgery in Otolaryngology and associate professor of neurological surgery in Neurology, was appointed in April as a representative of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and American Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery to the National Quality Forum's Neurology Steering Committee. Dr. Kaplitt is the only neurosurgeon on the new national steering committee focused on quality improvement in all areas of neurological disease. In March, he was one of the keynote speakers at the first annual Paul M. Bass Symposium on Neurosurgical Innovation at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
Dr. Jason Kofinas, a resident at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, received the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Research Grant in Oral Contraceptive Risk for 2012-2013 on May 6 in San Diego, Calif. It is a very special honor for a resident to receive this award.
Dr. Gary Lelli, assistant professor of Ophthalmology, was appointed to serve on the education committee for the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
Dr. Vinod Malhotra, professor of clinical Anesthesiology and professor of anesthesiology in clinical Urology, has become chair of the World Federation of Societies of Anesthesiologists' Constitution Committee and a member of its executive committee for four-year terms beginning this year. Additionally, he became chair of the American Society of Anesthesiologists' Abstract Reviews: Patient Safety and Quality subcommittee, as well as a member of the Society's Scientific Advisory Committee this year for one-year terms. He was also the session chairman for the World Federation of Societies of Anesthesiologists during the March 29 meeting of the World Congress of Anesthesiologists in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Dr. Joseph Montano, associate professor of audiology in clinical Otolaryngology, was appointed this year to the advisory board of Hearing Education and Awareness for Rockers. This is a national organization that promotes hearing protection for those involved in the music industry, including artists, tour staff, and waiters and waitresses at venues.
Dr. Mukesh Prasad, associate professor of clinical Otolaryngology, won the Patients' Choice award from Vitals.com, which recognizes doctors who make a difference in the lives of their patients. This honor is given to those physicians who have received near perfect scores on Vitals.com as voted by their patients. In addition, Dr. Prasad won Compassionate Doctor certification, part of the Patients' Choice award where patients rate and vote for their favorite doctors.
Dr. William Reisacher, assistant professor of Otolaryngology, won first place in the poster competition at the Combined Otolaryngology Spring Meetings hosted April 18-April 22 in San Diego, Calif., for his poster titled, "Risk factors for orbital infections in the pediatric population."
Dr. S. Robert Rozbruch, associate professor of clinical Orthopaedic Surgery, was awarded Best Foot and Ankle Poster, titled, "Ankle Distraction Arthroplasty: How Much is Enough?" at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons annual meeting in February in San Francisco, Calif. In addition, Dr. Rozbruch received the Mimics Innovation Award in March for "Development and Verification of a Computational Model of the Knee Joint for the Evaluation of Surgical Treatment of Osteoarthritis."
Dr. Theodore Schwartz, professor of Neurological Surgery, associate professor of neurological surgery in Neurology and professor of neurological surgery in Otolaryngology, was an honored guest of the Neurosurgical Department of Changzheng Hospital in Shanghai, China for its First International Forum on Skull Base Trauma and Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery in March. Dr. Schwartz was also named to the Editorial Board of Frontiers in Neuro-Oncology in April.
Dr. Robert Ward, professor of Otolaryngology and professor of otolaryngology in Pediatrics, was the keynote speaker at the Israeli National Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Meeting March 14-16 in Eilat, Israel. In addition, he is the new president-elect of the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology.
Dr. Steve Witkin, professor of immunology in Obstetrics and Gynecology, is the first recipient of The William J. Ledger Chair of Infection and Immunology in Obstetrics and Gynecology endowed professiorship. Established in April, the professorship is named after Dr. William J. Ledger, The Given Foundation Professor Emeritus of Obstetrics and Gynecology.