Academic Honors & Events

Swedish Invitations — Dr. Vern Schramm was invited to give two talks in Sweden about his specialized research in developing activity blockers (inhibitors) for proteins called enzymes. Inhibiting enzyme activity has proven to be an effective way to treat various diseases, including malaria, leukemia, and HIV-1. Dr. Schramm presented “Enzymatic Transition States, Analogues and Protein Dynamics” at the 2012 Trends in Organic Chemistry Symposium, held in Uppsala, Sweden. He then traveled to Stockholm, where he presented “Drug Design from Transition State Analysis” at the Karolinska Institute Seminar. Dr. Schramm is professor and chair of biochemistry, and the Ruth Merns Chair in Biochemistry.

Double Billing — Drs. John Condeelis and Robert Singer have been invited to speak at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2013 annual meeting, in February.   Each will discuss innovations in imaging technologies and applications that they use in their own research.  Dr. Condeelis’ presentation will focus on the use of multi-photon microscopy to image cells in the breast tumor microenvironment at single-cell resolution in vivo, while Dr. Singer will discuss the detection and imaging of individual mRNA molecules in single cells. Additionally, in connection with the AAAS meeting, they will take part in a special press conference hosted by the association.  Drs. Condeelis and Singer are each professor and co-chair of anatomy and structural biology, as well as co-director of the Gruss Lipper Biophotonics Center.

Well-Represented — Members of Einstein’s faculty and administration representing various departments within the College of Medicine were among the presenters at the recent 2012 annual meeting of the Association of American Medical Colleges.   These included:  Drs. Victoria Freedman; Felise Milan; Nilda Soto; Paul Marantz; Yvette Calderon; Genevieve Neal-Perry; Ellie Shoenbaum; Paul Gross; J. P. Sanchez; Robert Morrow; Nadine Katz; Martha Grayson; Maria Teresa Santos; Lisa Rucker; Sharon Krackov; Karen Moody; James Fausto; Pablo Joo;  Jennifer Purcell; Elizabeth Kitsis; Ms. Marlene McHugh and Einstein student Katherine Ellington. Each presented talks and engaged in discussions regarding the current state and future of medical education and healthcare in the United States.

Dr. Preetham Grandhi has co-authored a book, The Turning Point: Conquering Stress with Courage, Clarity and Confidence, offering life-enhancing advice for stress avoidance. He and co-author Dr. Balasa Prasad present personal anecdotes and real-life accounts of individuals who have identified, overcome and built lifelong immunities to stress. Dr. Grandhi is assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.

Dr. E. Stephen Amis has been appointed president of the Council on Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS), an organization for which he has served several years as an American College of Radiology representative and as a member of its board of directors. As the council’s new president, Dr. Amis will govern the representatives of the council’s 39 constituent medical societies, who act on behalf of more than 700,000 associated physicians. In addition to ensuring that CMSS maintains its voice when it comes to U.S. healthcare policies, he also intends to establish CMSS as a “major and highly subscribed source of current information on these changes.” Dr. Amis is professor and chair of radiology.

Dr. Michael Prystowsky will deliver the opening keynote address at the 2013 G2 Intelligence conference, Volume to Value: Redefining Lab Services in a Changing Market, where he will discuss the importance of researchers and pathologists demonstrating their value in order to ensure their inclusion in an evolving healthcare system. The conference takes place February 25 to 27, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Dr. Prystowsky is professor and chair of pathology.

Dr. Rubina Heptulla has been appointed to the Westchester County laboratories and research board of managers, which oversees divisions of environmental, microbiological, forensic and toxicology labs. Along with co-board members, the medical examiner and county commissioner, Dr. Heptulla will play a pivotal role in ensuring the public’s health and safety in Westchester County. Dr. Heptulla is professor of pediatrics and of medicine at Einstein, and division chief of pediatric endocrinology and diabetes at Children’s Hospital at Montefiore.

Presidential Distinction — At the close of 2012, President Barack Obama named 12 researchers as recipients of the National Medal of Science and 11 inventors as recipients of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the highest honors bestowed by the United States Government upon scientists, engineers, and inventors. Among the National Medal of Science awardees was Dr. Lucy Shapiro, former Einstein faculty member and an alumna of Einstein’s Ph.D. program, class of 1966, who in 2010 received Einstein’s Distinguished Ph.D. Alumna Award, presented by the College of Medicine’s Alumni Association.

Insightful Research — Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) has presented Dr. Nicholas Baker with its Senior Scientific Investigator Award. This grant not only acknowledges Dr. Baker as a leader in the field of eye research, it allocates $150,000 in highly sought-after, flexible support for current research conducted by an established investigator.  Dr. Baker aims to identify genes that enable some cells to prosper while neighboring cells perish. Such genes could also dictate whether a healthy eye cell will become diseased. A better understanding of the roles of these genes could reveal the causes of certain eye diseases and provide guidance for their prevention or treatment. RPB is the largest private funder of research into eye disease prevention and treatment, providing hundreds of millions of dollars in support since its inception in 1960. Dr. Baker joins a select group of 184 researchers who have been bestowed the Senior Scientific Investigator Award since its introduction in 1987. Dr. Baker is professor of ophthalmology & visual sciences, of genetics and of developmental & molecular biology.

Spotlighting Diversity — Human resources is putting the spotlight on Dr. Roy Chuck, chair of ophthalmology & visual sciences, in recognition of his accomplishments and successes. To view this quarterly issue, visit the human resources website or click on Spotlight on Diversity.  To offer suggestions for future issues, or comments, please e-mail renee.coker@einstein.yu.edu.