Huda Akil, Ph.D., the Gardner C. Quarton Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry, co-director of the U-M Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute and a member of the U-M Depression Center team, has been named the Henry Russel Lecturer for 2006, one of the highest faculty honors at the University of Michigan. Her selection recognizes her leadership in neuroscience research and teaching at the U-M and nationally. Akil is the fifth Medical School faculty member to receive the honor in the last decade.

Helen A. Baghdoyan, Ph.D., professor of anesthesiology, of pharmacology, and of psychiatry, recently served as a panel member at the National Institutes of Health State-of-the-Science Conference on Chronic Insomnia. After two days of hearing expert testimony about chronic insomnia and available treatments, the 12-member panel released a statement calling for a new look at commonly used treatments for the condition, as well as a broader use of cognitive and behavior therapies. The panel included educators, practitioners, researchers and statisticians.

John E. “Jack” Billi, M.D. (Residency 1981), professor of internal medicine, associate dean for clinical affairs and associate vice president for medical affairs, was elected to the 41-member Michigan State Medical Society board of directors in May for a three-year term. Billi also serves as chair of the society’s Advisory Committee on Medical Economics. The society is the statewide professional association of 14,500 medical doctors in Michigan affiliated with the American Medical Association.

Douglas W. Blayney, M.D., clinical professor of internal medicine, has been selected by the board of directors of the American Society of Clinical Oncology to serve as editor of the society’s newest publication, the bimonthly Journal of Oncology Practice. Designed to complement the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the Journal of Oncology Practice focuses on the art and science of the practice of oncology. Blayney’s current research interests include breast cancer, lymphoma and the use of electronic technology to enhance medical practice.

Darrell A. “Skip” Campbell Jr., M.D. (Residency 1978), the Henry King Ransom Professor of Surgery, assistant dean for clinical affairs and chief of staff of the University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers, received the Keystone Patient Safety and Quality Leadership Award from the Michigan Health and Hospital Association. The award recognizes individuals who demonstrate patient safety and quality improvement leadership that transcends the bounds of their own hospital or health system.

William Chandler (M.D. 1971, Residency 1977), professor of neurosurgery, has been elected chair of the American Board of Neurological Surgery through May 2006. The board is the certifying organization for fully trained clinical neurosurgeons in the U.S. Chandler formerly served as president of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, a scientific and educational organization comprised of more than 5,300 members worldwide.

Kenneth Cooke, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics and communicable diseases, was chosen to receive a 2005 Burroughs Wellcome Clinical Science Award in Translational Research, one of only seven such awards given nationally each year. The award recognizes physician-scientists whose research “bridges the gap between basic science and patient care” by developing and taking new treatments from the laboratory to the patient bedside and back again.

Ronald B. Hirschl (M.D. 1983, Residencies 1989 and 1991), professor of pediatric surgery, has been appointed head of the Section of Pediatric Surgery at the U-M Medical School and surgeon-in-chief at the U-M C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. Hirschl succeeds his colleague and mentor Arnold Coran, M.D., who served in the role since 1974 and plans to continue his surgical practice at Mott and abroad.

Michael J. Imperiale, Ph.D., professor of microbiology and immunology and chair of the U-M Institutional Biosafety Committee, has been appointed to the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity. The board provides advice to federal departments and agencies on ways to minimize the possibility that knowledge and technologies emanating from vitally important biological research will be misused to threaten public health or national security.

Kenneth A. Jamerson (M.D. 1986), professor of internal medicine, was appointed vice president of the International Society on Hypertension in Blacks Inc. for 2005-07. The society provides education, advocacy and research on high blood pressure and related risk factor in ethnic populations, and established the first-ever guidelines for treating hypertension in African-Americans.

Timothy R.B. Johnson, M.D. (Residency 1979), Bates Professor of Diseases of Women and Children, professor and chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology, received the Distinguished Service Award from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The college’s highest honor, the award recognizes significant contributions to the college and the discipline of obstetrics and gynecology. Johnson also received the 2005 Sarah Goddard Power Award, named for the late University Regent, from the U-M Academic Women’s Caucus for his contributions to the status of women.

Anna Lok, M.D., professor of internal medicine, was selected to be one of two recipients of the 2005 Bristol Myers Squibb Freedom to Discover Virology Award. The mission of the awards program is to enable preeminent scientists who are active in therapeutic and functional areas important to Bristol Myers Squibb to engage more fully in unrestricted research, and to honor scientific leaders for distinguished achievements in their fields.

Ralph Lydic, Ph.D., the Bert LaDu Professor and associate chair of Anesthesiology Research, has been invited to serve as a member of the External Advisory Committee for the National Space Biomedical Research Institute. The institute is part of NASA’s Bioastronautics effort to enhance understanding and safety of human space flight.

Mark R. Opp, Ph.D., professor of anesthesiology and of molecular and integrative physiology, is president-elect of the Sleep Research Society until June 2006, when he will assume the office of president. A member of the society’s board of directors since 2002, Opp will play a vital role with a professional association whose growing membership is comprised of more than 1,000 international researchers and academics in the field of sleep medicine.

Mary O’Riordan, Ph.D., assistant professor of microbiology and immunology, was named the 2005 Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy Young Investigator. The conference is the infectious diseases meeting for the American Society for Microbiology, and the Young Investigator Award is the society’s most prestigious for new faculty.

Bertram Pitt, M.D., professor of internal medicine, associate chair for academic/ industry programs and chief, Division of Cardiology, received the American Heart Association’s Herrick Award for 2005. The award, named for a pioneer in the field of cardiology, honors physicians whose scientific achievements have contributed profoundly to the advancement and practice of clinical cardiology.

Terry M. Silver, M.D. (Residency 1974), professor of radiology, received the 2005 Dr. Frank L. Babbott Memorial Award from the Alumni Association of the State University of New York, Downstate College of Medicine. The award, bestowed annually, honors Silver’s distinguished service to the medical profession and to the community.

William L. Smith (Ph.D. 1971), the Minor J. Coon Collegiate Professor and chair of Biological Chemistry, has been selected to receive the prestigious William C. Rose Award in Biochemistry from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. The society, founded in 1906, is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization with over 11,900 members. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to biochemical and molecular biological research and a demonstrated commitment to the training of younger scientists.

Denise G. Tate, Ph.D., professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation, was chosen as the 2005 John Stanley Coulter Lecturer by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, in recognition of professional achievements that have contributed significantly to the field of rehabilitation. The mission of the congress is to enhance the lives of persons living with disabilities through a multidisciplinary approach to rehabilitation, and to promote rehabilitation research and its application in clinical practice.

John J. Voorhees (M.D. 1963, Residency 1969), the Duncan and Ella Poth Distinguished Professor of Dermatology and chair of the Department of Dermatology, received the 2005 Stephen Rothman Memorial Award from the Society for Investigative Dermatology for exceptional contributions to the field of investigative dermatology. Voorhees is known around the world for his work describing psoriasis as a disorder driven by the immune system, and for directing research elucidating the molecular and biological mechanisms and processes involved in aging and photoaging in human skin.

Also:

Castle Elected as Fellow of AAAS

Medical School Icon Horace Davenport Dies

Jay Hess Named Chair of Pathology

Alan Saltiel Elected to Institute of Medicine

G. Robert Greenberg, Early Leader in Molecular Biology, Dies at 86

William Beierwaltes, Nuclear Medicine Pioneer, Dies at 88

Dean’s Faculty Awards 2005

Faculty Members Honored as Inaugural Holders of New Endowed Professorships