Academic Honors & Events

Advancing Leadership — Dr. Ellie Schoenbaum has been appointed the new director of medical student research at Einstein. As she undertakes this new role, she will be introducing a new program for medical students in the Class of 2016, called SOAR (Scholarly Opportunity for Academic Research), a mentor-guided scholarly concentration program. Dr. Schoenbaum developed the project over the past year, during her fellowship with the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Program for Women, at Drexel University School of Medicine. She also is professor of epidemiology & population health, as well as director of the Clinical Research Training Program and the Ph.D. program in clinical investigation.

A Matter of Academics — Dr. Neil Cobelli has been appointed chair of orthopedic surgery at Einstein. He has served as chair of the department at Montefiore, the University Hospital for Einstein, for the past decade and now extends his purview to the medical school. The appointment reflects Dr. Cobelli’s efforts to strengthen the academic side of the department, developing a laboratory research base at Einstein by collaborating with and supporting Einstein scientists whose programs relate to connective tissue biology. He has also developed one of the most competitive residency programs in the country, attracting top medical school graduates for orthopedic training.

Offering Expertise — Dr. Chinazo Cunningham has been appointed to the Behavioral and Social Consequences of HIV/AIDS Study Section at the Center for Scientific Review, of the National Institutes of Health. Members of the section review studies of behavioral and psychosocial aspects of HIV infection, the effectiveness of interventions, the consequences of infection and the effets of HIV infection and AIDS on the individual, family and community. In addition, it reviews health services and other social science research of psychosocial factors of HIV disease. Dr. Cunningham is associate professor of medicine and of family and social medicine.

Selected for Service — Dr. Amy Sanders was nominated and selected to be a member of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare Evidence Development and Coverage Advisory Committee (MEDCAC) for a two-year term. Members of the MEDCAC review and evaluate medical literature and technology assessments, and hear public testimony on the evidence available to address the impact of medical items and services on health outcomes of Medicare beneficiaries. The MEDCAC provides advice and guidance to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Dr. Sanders is assistant professor of neurology.

Spinal Traction — Dr. Alok Sharan received the Award for Best Oral Presentation at the 2012 World Forum for Spine Research, held recently in Helsinki, Finland. Dr. Sharan’s selection recognized his presentation “ A Novel Therapeutic Agent for Rescuing the Adverse Effects of Advanced Glycation End Products in the Intervertebral Disc,” and represents AOSpine’s ongoing commitment to support young researchers as part of its efforts to help develop and promote scientific innovation, collaboration and contribution. Dr. Sharan is assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Einstein and chief of the orthopedic spine service at Montefiore Medical Center.

ExCITEing News — The American Association for Cancer Research sited the paper “Overexpression of miR-21 Promotes an In Vitro Metastatic Phenotype by Targeting the Tumor Suppressor RHOB” in its AACR Journals Most Cited 2010 Papers. The paper, which was co-authored by Drs. Charles Rogler and Leslie Rogler in conjunction with collaborators Dr. Erin Connolly (of the University of South Carolina) and Dr. Koenraad Van Doorslaer (at the NIH), appeared in the May 2010 issue of Molecular Cancer Research. 

Honoring Excellence — Dr. Elizabeth Kitsis, director of bioethics education, has been selected as a visiting scholar at the Hastings Center, located in Garrison, NY. Through this distinctive honor, Dr. Kitsis will join an international group of scholars who each will be conducting independent research on issues in or related to bioethics. Dr Kitsis also is assistant professor of epidemiology & population and of medicine.

Quality Caregiver — Dr. Nicola Davis has been selected to receive the 2012 Council Award from the National Medical Association Council on Concerns of Women Physicians (CCWP), given annually to an individual who has made significant achievements in medicine and/or to issues of women's health. Each year, at its annual Muriel Petioni, M.D. Awards Luncheon - held during the NMA National Convention  ?  the CCWP honors female physicians who, through research, community service and activism, strive to eliminate healthcare disparities and provide people of color with quality healthcare. Dr. Davis is associate professor of clinical medicine and of clinical epidemiology & population health.

Groundbreaking Research — Dr. Susan Band Horwitz presented a keynote lecture, “Hear the Story of Taxol ®” as part of a special program presented in collaboration by the New York Botanical Garden and the American Society of Pharmacognosy’s International Congress on Natural Products Research. She shared her experience studying the Pacific yew tree, through which she confirmed the tree’s useful properties for developing the major anti-cancer drug, Taxol®. The drug has been given to more than one million patients for the treatment of a variety of cancers. Dr. Horwitz is distinguished professor and co-chair of molecular pharmacology and holds the Rose C. Falkenstein Chair in Cancer Research.

Offering Timely Commentary — Dr. Stephen G. Baum is a member of the editorial board for Journal Watch Infectious Diseases (JWID), one of a series of monthly Journal Watch Specialties publications produced by the publishers of the New England Journal of Medicine. JWID covers articles in the literature on topics relevant to the field of infectious diseases; in his role, Dr. Baum writes reviews of some of the interesting articles that appear each week, such as this one on whooping cough.