Academic Honors & Events

Honored Fellow — Dr. Mimi Kim has been named a 2014 Fellow of the American Statistical Association (ASA), the nation’s premier statistical society and the largest community of statisticians in the world. Dr. Kim’s honor recognizes her outstanding contributions to, and leadership in, the field of statistics. More specifically, she was recognized for her achievements in the field of biostatistics, particularly for her work on statistical analyses in medical research and her collaborative research in cancer, rheumatology and HIV/AIDS. Dr. Kim is professor of epidemiology & population health, as well as head of the division of biostatistics and director of the Biostatistics Shared Resource of the Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Research Design Core of both the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research and the Quantitative Sciences in Biomedical Research Center. She also is a Harold and Muriel Block Chair of Epidemiology & Population Health.

Recognizing Achievement — Dr. Namita Roy-Chowdhury is a recipient of the Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Samman Award presented to 30 non-resident natives of India in 2014. Overall, Dr. Roy-Chowdhury is one of only 136 recipients to have received the award, established by the Non-Resident Indian Welfare Society of India in 2003. The prestigious award is given to individuals of Indian origin who live outside of India, and honors the recipients’ outstanding services, achievements, and contributions to their fields of work. Dr. Roy-Chowdhury, who is the first Indian woman to become a full professor at Einstein, received her honor at a ceremony held in the House of Lords of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. She is professor of medicine and of genetics. 

Young Leadership Award — Dr. Adam Friedman has received the Young Leadership Award from the American Dermatologic Association, which is among the most respected dermatological societies in the field. Dr. Friedman is assistant professor of medicine and of physiology & biophysics. He is also director of Dermatologic Research in the unified division of dermatology at Einstein and Montefiore Medical Center.

Recognizing Excellence — Dr. Liise-anne Pirofski has been selected to deliver the Maxwell Finland lecture at the Infectious Diseases Society of America meeting, on October 9, in Philadelphia. The honor recognizes Dr. Pirofski’s significant research contributions to the field toward understanding infectious diseases and in addressing public health issues stemming from infectious diseases. Dr. Pirofski is professor of medicine and of microbiology & immunology, and chief of medicine’s infectious diseases division. She also holds the Selma and Dr. Jacques Mitrani Chair in Biomedical Research.

Acknowledging Innovation — The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has selected the Communication of Life Sciences Collaborative Program, submitted by Dr. Victoria Freedman and colleagues from the Bronx Science Consortium (BSC), as a winner of the 2014 Building Bridges and Spanning Boundaries Award: Innovations in Research and Research Education. The BSC is a formal partnership among Einstein, Fordham University, Montefiore Medical Center, the Wildlife Conservation Society and the New York Botanical Garden in their pursuit of common scientific interests. Outreach to the Bronx community, one of the poorest and least educated counties in the nation, and training of Einstein graduate students in the communication of life sciences to lay audiences are central goals of the program. Award winners will be formally recognized at the AAMC’s GRAND, GREAT Group and Postdoctorate Leaders Section professional development meeting in September. Dr. Freedman is associate dean for graduate programs of biomedical sciences and assistant professor of microbiology & immunology.

Honoring Significant Contributions — Dr. Susan Band Horwitz is the recipient of a 2014 John Scott Award, as part of the John Scott Legacy Medal and Premium presented annually by the Board of Directors of City Trusts of Philadelphia. Presented since 1822, the award honors those whose work contributes in a substantial way to human welfare, comfort and happiness. Dr. Horwitz’ selection recognizes her pioneering research contributing to the development of natural-product-derived drugs widely used in the treatment of cancer, her investigations to resolve the drug resistance that occurs with many cancer therapies and the substantial and enduring impact that her work has had for millions of individuals battling cancer. Dr. Horwitz joins an illustrious list of awardees that includes Marie Curie, Jonas Salk, Thomas Edison, the Wright brothers and Kary Mullis. Dr. Horwitz is distinguished professor and co-chair of molecular pharmacology. She also holds the Rose C. Falkenstein Chair in Cancer Research. 

Distinguished Leadership Award — The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development has presented its Alexander Award to Dr. Judy Aschner. The award recognizes Dr. Aschner as a distinguished leader who exemplifies the highest ideals of leadership in enhancing the training of young scientists and in promoting the career development of young faculty who have committed their careers to research and academics in perinatal medicine and biology. Dr. Aschner is professor and Michael I. Cohen, M.D., University Chair of Pediatrics as well as professor of obstetrics & gynecology and women’s health. 

Fostering Humanism in Medicine — The Arnold P. Gold Foundation selected Einstein’s chapter of the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) to receive its third-place chapter award, in recognition of action, events and research initiated by the Einstein chapter to promote humanism in medicine. Led by Mimi McEvoy and Dr. Staci Pollack, the Einstein chapter has conducted peer feedback sessions with medical students regarding their humanistic and interpersonal behaviors with patients at clinical sites; held monthly activities or discussions focused on humanism in medicine, led by a student GHHS member; and completed an annual group project. This year’s project depicted the qualities of a humanistic doctor from the perspectives of both patients and medical students. 

Executive Leadership — Dr. Chinazo Cunningham was selected as a Fellow in the 2014-2015 Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine® (ELAM) Program at Drexel University College of Medicine. Fellows are all senior women faculty who demonstrate great potential for assuming executive leadership positions at academic health centers within the next five years.The one-year ELAM program, now in its 20th year, is the only in North America dedicated to preparing women for senior leadership roles in academic health science institutions. Dr. Cunningham joins fellow Einstein faculty members Drs. Marti Grayson, Nadine Katz, Ellie Schoenbaum and Julia Arnsten as a participant in the ELAM program. She is professor of medicine and of family and social medicine and is associate chief of the division of general internal medicine (GIM) and director of the GIM Fellowship. 

Dedication to Service — The American Society of Microbiology (ASM) recently presented Dr. Arturo Casadevall its 2014 ASM Founders Distinguished Service Award, in recognition of his dedication to the ASM. Dr. Casadevall is founding editor and current editor-in-chief of mBio, ASM’s first open-access journal, serves as program chair for the ASM general meeting and is member of several ASM committees. In addition, Dr. Casadevall’s excellence as a mentor to graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty earned him ASM’s 2008 William Hinton Research Training Award. In addition to his service to ASM, he has volunteered on the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity and co-chairs the NIAID Board of Scientific Counselors. Dr. Casadevall is professor and chair of microbiology & immunology and professor of medicine. He is also director of the Center for Immunological Sciences, and holds as the Leo and Julia Forchheimer Chair in Microbiology & Immunology.