Thomas M. Annesley, Ph.D., professor of pathology, was elected to a two-year term on the board of directors of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry, from 2004-06. Publisher of Clinical Chemistry, an international journal of laboratory medicine and molecular diagnostics, the association is an international scientific/ medical society of clinical laboratory professionals, physicians, research scientists and others involved with clinical chemistry and related clinical laboratory science disciplines.

Valerie Castle, M.D. (Residency 1990), the Ravitz Foundation Professor and chair of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, was elected in May to the Society of Pediatric Research Council for a term ending in 2007. The society is an organization committed to encouraging young investigators engaged in research that benefits children and impacts pediatric research at both the national and international levels.

Ronald Chervin, M.D., director of the Sleep Disorders Clinic and associate professor of neurology, received the 2004 Sleep Science Award from the American Academy of Neurology for his work in sleep research. Chervin’s research tested a novel hypothesis that sleep-disordered breathing interrupts sleep’s restorative process on a breath-to-breath basis, not just when breathing is completely obstructed.

Arul Chinnaiyan (M.D., Ph.D. 1999), assistant professor of pathology and of urology, has been selected as the 2005 Amgen Outstanding Investigator Awardee for meritorious research in experimental pathology. As the award recipient, Chinnaiyan will be the featured speaker at the meeting of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) to be held in April 2005. This annual award is funded by Amgen, Inc., and administered by the American Society for Investigative Pathology. Chinnaiyan also received a Young Investigator Award from the Society for Basic Urologic Research at its meeting in May.

Daniel J. Clauw (M.D. 1985), professor of rheumatology in the Department of Internal Medicine, director of the Chronic Pain and Fatigue Center, and director of the Center for the Advancement of Clinical Research, was appointed assistant dean for clinical and translational research, effective September 1. Clauw will be responsible for guiding and enhancing the quality and quantity of clinical and translational research efforts in the U-M Medical School.

Jonathan B. Demb, Ph.D., assistant professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences and of molecular, cellular and developmental biology, was named an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Research Fellow in February for his work on the relationship between cellular processes in the retina and visual perception. Sloan Research Fellows are chosen as those who show the most outstanding promise of making fundamental contributions to new knowledge. Demb is investigating the cellular mechanisms for a property known as adaptation, which allows humans and animals to see under different lighting conditions.

Victor J. DiRita, Ph.D., professor of microbiology and immunology, is serving as chair of the Microbial Pathogenesis Division for the American Society for Microbiology. DiRita was also recently elected as chair-elect of the Gordon Conference on Microbial Toxins and Pathogenesis, the premier meeting on the topic. He will serve as vice chair in 2006 and as chair in 2008.

N. Reed Dunnick, M.D., the Fred Jenner Hodges Professor of Radiology and chair, Department of Radiology, has been named president of the Michigan Radiological Society for 2004-05. The goals of the society are to serve all patients — and society in general — by maximizing the value of radiology, improving radiologic services to patients and the medical community, studying the socioeconomics of radiology, promoting high medical and ethical standards, and encouraging improved communication with and continuing education for radiologists.

Dee Fenner, M.D. (Residency 1989), associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, became president of the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics in March 2004. Fenner is nationally recognized as a leader in medical education and has published on the use of problem-based learning and teaching and evaluating surgical skills. She has served as chair of the Undergraduate Education Committee for the association, as well as on its board of directors and the Task Force for Surgical Competency.

David Ferguson, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of pathology, is the recipient of a 2004 Kimmel Scholar Award for his research entitled “Genomic instability in cancer: mechanisms of gene amplification and roles of Mre11.” Kimmel Scholars, selected by The Sidney Kimmel Foundation for Cancer Research, are some of the most gifted young doctors involved in cancer research today.

James L. Ferrara, M.D., professor of internal medicine and of pediatrics and communicable diseases, has been appointed by U-M President Mary Sue Coleman to a four-year term as a senior fellow with the Michigan Society of Fellows. The society was founded in 1970 with grants from the Ford Foundation and the Horace H. and Mary Rackham Fund, and provides financial and intellectual support to individuals selected for their professional promise and interdisciplinary interests.

Gary Freed, M.D., the Percy and Mary Murphy Professor of Pediatrics and Child Health Development and professor of pediatrics and communicable diseases, has been elected vice president and president-elect of the Society of Pediatric Research. Freed assumed his appointment as vice president in May and will become president in 2006. The society is committed to encouraging young investigators engaged in research that benefits children and impacts pediatric research at both the national and international levels. Freed is also serving a four-year term on the National Vaccine Advisory Committee; members are appointed by the director of the National Vaccine Program in the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services in consultation with the National Academy of Sciences.

Vishal C. Gala (M.D. 1999), neurosurgery fellow, was elected in February as chair of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education’s Residency Review Committee Resident Council, which comprises resident representatives from all 27 of the council’s residency review committees. Gala presently serves on the Residency Review Committee for Neurosurgery. Gala’s election as chair also appoints him to a two-year term on the council’s board of directors. He is also the recipient of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons Wilder Penfield Clinical Investigation Fellowship and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in public health.

Gater

DiPonio

David R. Gater Jr., M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation and co-director of the U-M Spinal Cord Injury Care System, and Lisa DiPonio (M.D. 1995), clinical instructor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, were awarded the Margaret Weber Provider of Choice Award last spring for their work with the Veteran’s Administration Spinal Cord Injury Primary Care team. The award is named for Margaret Weber, a Women’s Army Corps volunteer during World War II who received her cancer care in VA hospitals. The award recognizes DiPonio and Gater as the best service delivery providers within the Midwest Veterans Administration region.

Janet Gilsdorf, M.D., professor of pediatrics and infectious diseases, was chosen as the recipient of this year’s Sarah Goddard Power Award. The award, which Gilsdorf received in February, is presented by the University’s Academic Women’s Caucus to a distinguished woman faculty member to recognize leadership, scholarship and mentorship on behalf of women at the University of Michigan.

David Gordon, M.D., professor of pathology and associate dean for diversity and career development, was selected as one of the Harold R. Johnson Diversity honorees for 2004. Established in 1996, the award was named in honor of Johnson, dean emeritus of the U-M School of Social Work, to recognize faculty members whose service contributes to the development of a more culturally and ethnically diverse campus community.

Green

Silveira

Carmen R. Green, M.D. (Residency 1992), associate professor of anesthesiology, and Maria J. Silveira, M.D., a lecturer in the Department of Internal Medicine, were appointed to the Michigan Visiting Nurse Corporation Board of Trustees, effective April 1. In addition, Green was awarded one of the first six Mayday Pain and Society Fellowships in August. The fellows, all from the U.S. or Canada, are established experts in a wide range of pain management disciplines. Green’s research focuses on pain management outcomes, disparities in pain care and physician variability in pain management decision-making. Silveira also was awarded the Robert Wood Johnson Generalist Scholar Award. She is exploring how to improve the provision of palliative care through primary care.

Friedhelm Hildebrandt, M.D., the Frederick G.L. Huetwell Professor of the Cure and Prevention of Birth Defects, received the 2004 E. Mead Johnson Award from the Society for Pediatric Research. The award was conferred in May during the society’s annual meeting. Since 1939, this prestigious award has honored individuals who have made the most outstanding scientific achievements in the field of pediatrics. It is the highest recognition given for research by the Pediatric Academic Societies.

Raymond J. Hutchinson, M.D., professor of pediatrics and communicable diseases, has been appointed by the National Cancer Institute to serve on the institute’s Pediatric Central Institutional Review Board, whose mandate is to review all new NCI-sponsored phase 2 and phase 3 clinical trials for children with cancer conducted by the Children’s Oncology Group. Members of the review board provide clinical, scientific and ethical expertise to the review of treatment protocols, especially the requirements to protect the safety and welfare of children participating in clinical trials.

Robert P. Kelch (M.D. 1967, Residency 1970), U-M executive vice president for medical affairs, chief executive officer of the U-M Health System and past chair of the Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, received the annual Founders’ Award from the Midwest Society for Pediatric Research at its annual meeting in St. Louis in October. The award recognizes Kelch’s contributions to the advancement of pediatric research and to the career development of pediatricians.

Theodore S. Lawrence, M.D., Ph.D., the Isadore Lampe Professor and chair of Radiation Oncology, has been appointed to the Clinical Trials Working Group of the National Cancer Advisory Board. The group’s mission is to improve the National Cancer Institute’s national clinical trial effort. Lawrence also has been asked to serve on the NCI’s Board of Scientific Counselors. This group is responsible for overseeing intramural program activities at the institute.

Howard Markel (M.D. 1986), Ph.D., the George E. Wantz Professor of the History of Medicine, professor of pediatrics and communicable diseases, and director of the U-M Center for the History of Medicine, was named in April to the leadership council of Physicians and Lawyers for National Drug Policy. A union of the nation’s leading physicians, attorneys and judges, the council works to promote a public health approach to the country’s substance abuse policies at both the state and federal levels.

David Motto, M.D., Ph.D., a lecturer in the Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, is the 2004 recipient of the American Society for Pediatric Hematology/ Oncology’s Young Investigator Award for his abstract “Targeted ADAMTS13 deficiency in Mice does not result in congenital thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP).” Motto presented his abstract at the Pediatric Academic Society’s annual meeting in May.

Jack M. Parent, M.D., assistant professor of neurology, received the 2004 Dreifuss-Penry Epilepsy Award from the American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 18,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, at the academy’s annual meeting in April. Named for two epileptologists who made outstanding contributions to the epilepsy field, the award recognizes physicians in the early stages of their careers who have made an independent contribution to epilepsy research.

Elisabeth Quint, M.D., a clinical associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, has been named assistant dean for clinical faculty, effective August 15. Quint will focus on policies and procedures related to the clinical track and the appointment and promotion processes, among other duties. She has been a member of the Advisory Committee for Clinical Track Appointments and Promotions since 2001, serving as chair from 2002-04.

James K. Richardson, M.D. (Residency 1990), associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation, was awarded the 2003 Braddom Research Award in February at the annual meeting of the Association of Academic Physiatrists. The award’s purpose is to encourage research by recognizing an individual who, over the previous decade, has conducted research that has had the most significant impact on the science and practice of physical medicine and rehabilitation.

William Smith (Ph.D. 1971), the Minor J. Coon Professor and chair of Biological Chemistry, has received the 2004 State of Michigan Scientist of the Year Award. The award is given as a part of Impression 5 Science Center’s Tribute to Science and Technology Award Program. Impression 5, located in Lansing, created the Tribute to Science and Technology Awards program in 1981 to honor individuals who have made significant contributions to science and technology in the state of Michigan. Individuals are selected for their personal standards of excellence, significant societal contributions and outstanding professional achievements.

Michele Swanson, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology and immunology, was elected vice chair for the 2006 Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) meeting on “Microbial Pathogenesis: Mechanisms of Infectious Disease.” Swanson will serve as chair of the meeting in 2008.

Denise Tate, Ph.D., a professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation and co-director of the Model Spinal Cord Injury Care System, received the Essie Morgan Excellence Award from the American Association of Spinal Cord Injury Psychologists and Social Workers at its annual meeting in September. Tate was recognized for outstanding leadership and scholarship in the areas of psychosocial adjustment and rehabilitation of persons with spinal cord impairment. The award is named for Essie Morgan, a pioneer in the field of social work who worked in the Veterans Administration system with spinal cord injury patients.

Courtney Thornburg, M.D., a lecturer in the Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, has been selected to participate in the 2004 Clinical Research Training Institute, sponsored by the American Society of Hematology. Launched in 2003, the institute is a year-long program designed to provide a small number of promising hematology and hematology/oncology trainees and junior faculty physicians with a head start in patient-oriented research.

Thomas W. Wakefield, M.D. (Residency 1984), the S. Martin Lindenauer Collegiate Professor of Vascular Surgery, has been named president-elect of the American Venous Forum for the 2005-06 academic year. Founded in 1988, the forum provides an academic colloquium to physicians interested in research, education and clinical investigation in the field of venous diseases. The mission of the forum is to improve the care of patients with venous and lymphatic disorders through education and the exchange of information.

Peter A. Ward (M.D. 1960, Residency 1963), the Godfrey D. Stobbe Professor and chair of Pathology, has been elected president of the Society for Leukocyte Biology for 2004-05, the premier society devoted to the exploration of cellular and molecular biology of leukocytes and host defense, as well as publisher of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology. In addition, the Association of Pathology Chairs has honored Ward with its Distinguished Service Award. Ward also was elected to the board of directors of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology as the representative of the American Society for Investigative Pathology for a four-year term beginning July 1.

David B. Weiss, M.D. (Residency 2001) (pictured), chief resident in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Vanika Lath, M.D., a resident in the Department of Internal Medicine, Rheumatology Section, have been named Pfizer Scholars in Pain Management. The award honors outstanding physicians for their important contributions to research and patient care in pain management.

Daniel S. Wechsler, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of pediatrics and communi-cable diseases, was recently appointed to the Cancer Molecular Pathobiology Study Section, Center for Scientific Review, at the National Institutes of Health. Wechsler will be a member of the study section through June 2006.

James O. Woolliscroft, M.D. (Residency 1980), executive associate dean, the Lyle C. Roll Professor of Medicine and professor of internal medicine, was honored by the Society of General Internal Medicine with the 2004 Career Achievements in Medical Education Award for his outstanding work as a clinician-educator. Woolliscroft was recognized for a lifetime of contributions which have profoundly advanced the art and science of medicine and medical education at the U-M Health System.

Eric Zemper, Ph.D., a research fellow in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, received the 2003 Ernest W. Johnson Excellence in Research Writing Award from the journal Excellence in Writing. The award is given for the best paper whose first author is in training as a medical student, resident or fellow. Zemper’s paper, “A Two-Year Prospective Study of Relative Risk of a Second Cerebral Concussion,” was published in the September 2003 issue of the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.

Brian Zink, M.D., associate professor of emergency medicine, is the new associate dean for student programs. Zink will provide leadership for all U-M Medical School programs which support medical students, including admissions, financial aid, orientation, counseling, graduation and medical student research. Zink has served as assistant dean for medical student career development since 1999.

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