The Johns Hopkins Office of Telemedicine’s medical director, Helen Hughes, M.D., in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins Telemedicine Equity Working Group, has received the 2023 Telehealth Equity Catalyst (TEC) Award from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Awardees demonstrate a positive impact on barriers associated with telehealth and health technology, and show telehealth’s potential impact on health and health care equity. The winning program was titled “Capitalizing on Momentum to Improve Telehealth Access Equity in Baltimore City.” The winners were awarded $15,000 to fund and expand the existing program through the Telemedicine Equity Working Group. The aims of the program are continued coordination with local stakeholders to refine and iterate a digital equity training program in East Baltimore and facilitate further convening of groups in collaboration with Baltimore City.

Corey Tapper, M.D., has been selected to serve on the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Item-Writing Task Force for the American Board of Internal Medicine. His term runs from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2025, and he may opt for begin another term after that. He will be working on board question development and improvement for the initial certification, re-certification and longitudinal knowledge assessment (LKA) exams. "This has been a goal of mine over the last few years, so I look forward to the opportunity," Tapper said.

Susan Mirabal, M.D., a General Internal Medicine fellow, has been honored with the Fatemeh Vahabzadeh Award for Cross-Collaborative Research. The award, which was presented by the GIM Fellowship, recognized Mirabal for her stakeholder-engaged work across multiple medical education projects. It was created by a GIM Fellowship alum, Reza Alavi, M.D., M.H.S., in honor of his grandmother, Fatemeh Vahabzadeh.

Helen Hughes, M.D., M.P.H., medical director for Johns Hopkins Medicine’s telemedicine office, medical director of pediatric telemedicine for Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and assistant professor of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, has been  named one of The Daily Record’s Leading Women Under 40. As an administrative leader, researcher and clinician, Hughes collaborates with diverse teams to bring the use of digital health tools to patients and improve their access to health care. The Daily Record’s Leading Women Under 40 awards honor work educating future leaders, advocacy and service for communities, and commitment to inspiring change.

The winners of 2023's Pride Month Achiever Awards from Johns Hopkins Medicine’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Health Equity are Allegra Kartha, neuro-oncology social worker at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital; Brandon Keith, clinical coordinator at Johns Hopkins Care at Home, and Richard “Rich” Elliot, pediatric anesthesiologist at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. The Achievers Award program recognizes and highlights people from underrepresented groups who exemplify excellence and exhibit core values of Johns Hopkins Medicine. Each award winner was nominated by colleagues for their outstanding contributions to the field of health care and the LGBTQ+ community.

Francis Creighton Jr., M.D., assistant professor of otolaryngology, and Deepa Galaiya, M.D., associate residency program co-director and assistant professor of otolaryngology, have received a Johns Hopkins Discovery Award as members of an interdisciplinary faculty team. The Discovery Awards recognize work that addresses complex problems and expands the horizons of knowledge in medicine. Creighton and Galaiya are one of 35 award-winning project teams. Their project, selected from 191 proposals, is titled Simulated Assisted Navigation for Skull Base Surgery. “This year’s Discovery Award honorees exhibit exceptional creativity and innovation in their pursuit of cross-disciplinary solutions to a multitude

John Carey, M.D., professor and chief of the Division of Otology, Neurotology and Skull Base Surgery in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, was inducted into the Distinguished Teaching Society (DTS) at Johns Hopkins on May 15. Carey is also director of the Lloyd B. Minor Center for Vestibular and Skull Base Sciences as well as program director of the Department of Otolaryngology’s Neurotology Fellowship Program. DTS is a student-organized honor society for outstanding clinical educators. The consideration process requires students to submit nominations for induction into the society. DTS uses a literature-based, student-created rubric and a rigorous review process.  Carey was selected for meeting the highest standard in clinical teaching excellence.

Carrie Nieman, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor of otolaryngology, was named a Johns Hopkins Catalyst Award recipient in May. The 37 early-career faculty members receiving the award were selected based on their accomplishments, creativity and originality, and on academic impact. The honor is accompanied by a $75,000 grant with the goal of launching the recipient on a path to a sustainable and rewarding academic career. Nieman’s research focuses on hearing health disparities among older adults and innovative, community-delivered approaches to affordable, accessible hearing care.

Amanda Lauer, Ph.D., M.S., associate professor of otolaryngology and neuroscience, has been elected as a fellow of the Acoustical Society of America. The society’s mission is to generate, disseminate and promote the knowledge and practical applications of acoustics. This honor is bestowed on nominated members who have provided outstanding service or made other notable contributions to the advancement or diffusion of the knowledge of acoustics. The overall goals of Lauer’s research are to understand the link between perceptual deficits associated with hearing loss and auditory brainstem changes, how the brain contributes to auditory dysfunction and plasticity via olivocochlear efferent feedback loops, and the comparative pathobiology of the auditory system.

Theodore DeWeese, M.D., interim dean of the School of Medicine and CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine, was congratulated in early May by Maryland Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman for being named to The Daily Record's 2023 Health Care Power List of the region's healthcare leaders. The comptroller said in a letter, "You are among the ranks of other exceptional people who have displayed unique leadership qualities in their chosen profession to advance our communities. Johns Hopkins has had a significant impact on Maryland by providing superior medical care to patients and researching illnesses and conditions that lead to scientific breakthroughs. Maryland has been enriched by your talents and skills in many ways. I truly appreciate all you do to help communities around the state reach their full potential."

Johns Hopkins Children’s Center pediatric emergency medicine physicians Justin Jeffers, M.D., M.Ed. (left), and Keith Kleinman, M.D., M.A., both assistant professors of pediatrics, have been awarded a five-year, $1.1 million grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to further develop technology for an augmented reality (AR) device designed to improve performance while doing CPR and to lay the groundwork to conduct an international multicenter study for more testing. The AR device can provide real-time feedback while it is used by emergency responders, allowing them to make adjustments to improve results.

Lisa A. Cooper, M.D., M.P.H., the James F. Fries Professor of Medicine and a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor with primary appointments in Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, School of Nursing and Bloomberg School of Public Health, has been awarded the 2023 John M. Eisenberg National Award for Career Achievement in Research by the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM). The award. one of SGIM’s highest honors, was named in memory of the late John M. Eisenberg, M.D., M.B.A., an influential leader, investigator and advocate for research in general medicine. It  recognizes the career achievements of a senior SGIM member whose innovative research has changed the way general internal medicine physicians  care for patients, conduct research, educate students and inform health policy.

Mary Catherine Beach, M.D., M.P.H., a professor of medicine, has received an Excellence in Medical Ethics Award from the Society of General Internal Medicine. The award promotes and rewards outstanding contributions to the field of medical ethics, including not only traditional scholarship such as publication of research but also viewpoint articles, educational materials, popular writing, oral presentations, and efforts to influence health policy. The selection committee noted Beach's work on patient-physician communication, respect for patients, and it said that her patient-centered care in HIV, sickle cell disease and other conditions has been pioneering and fundamental. It also pointed out that as a mentor and educator, she has had an influence that is just as wide and deep a reach.

Jeanne M. Clark, M.D., M.P.H., a professor of medicine and director of the Division of General Internal Medicine, has received the 2023 Chief’s Recognition Award from the Association of Chiefs & Leaders of General Internal Medicine. This award is given annually to the GIM division chief who most represents excellence in division leadership. Clark was nominated for the award by many of her faculty members. The selection committee noted that Clark "stood out as a dedicated leader who has continued to develop a highly successful division with many impressive programs supporting both clinician educators and clinician investigators."

Maximilian F. Konig, M.D., an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Rheumatology and physician-scientist in the Ludwig Center for Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics, has been awarded the Lupus Innovation Award from the Lupus Research Alliance. This award recognizes pioneering research to overcome major diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in lupus. Konig’s team focuses on the development and application of first-in-class precision immunotherapy approaches for antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), a major cause of thrombosis, pregnancy loss and death in patients with lupus. The research could lay the groundwork for highly optimized treatments for APS and other autoimmune diseases that would eliminate disease-causing B cells without harming normal B cells — a critical step in avoiding treatment-related complications such as infection.

Mariah Robertson, M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, has been awarded the Geriatric Academic Career Award through the Health Resources and Services Administration. This award offers $350,000 over four years to support Robertson's educational efforts in the Baltimore community. Her primary project will use arts-based teaching, specifically Visual Thinking Strategies, to help learners examine the biases and perspectives they bring to home and community environments. This work will align with the Age-Friendly Health System efforts already in place at Johns Hopkins Medicine and will help further the important educational work being done in the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology.

Matthew Johnson, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, has been named a Verywell Mind 25 honoree. Verywell Mind is a website providing health and wellness information by health professionals with a particular focus on mental health. Johnson’s primary research since 2004 has been in psychedelics and other psychoactive drugs. He has published numerous papers, been interviewed by many prominent news outlets about psychedelics and other drugs, and been featured on podcasts promoting mental health and wellbeing. The Verywell Mind 25 celebrates the top thought leaders, experts and advocates making a positive impact on mental health today. Winners were analyzed for the quality and accuracy of their work and chosen by a panel of seven judges, comprised of Verywell Mind editors and a mental health experts.

Rexford Ahima, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of medicine; director, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism; and Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Diabetes at Johns Hopkins University Schools of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing, has been elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a learned society and research center established in 1780. He is a member of Class II (Biological Sciences), Section 5 (Medical Sciences) within the academy, where he will participate in research to address complex challenges in medicine. 

Arjun Menta, a second-year medical student, has been awarded a Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, a $90,000 merit-based fellowship exclusively for immigrants and children of immigrants who are pursuing graduate studies. Fellows are chosen for their achievements and their potential to make meaningful contributions to the United States. Arjun was one of 30 fellows selected from nearly 2,000 applicants. In addition to his clinical training, Menta leads research and commercialization efforts with preeminent neurosurgical physician-innovators at the School of Medicine.

Neil Bressler, M.D., James P. Gills Professor of Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, has been named to the Power List 2023 by Ophthalmologist magazine. The list recognizes the work and the impact of the top 100 most influential people in ophthalmology. Bressler focuses on retinal diseases, with special interests in diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration.

Eva Tseng, M.D., M.P.H., an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine, has been named an SGIM Research Committee Member by the Society of General Internal Medicine. Her term on the committee will start in May and last for three years. The Research Committee’s mission is to foster the career development of generalist researchers throughout mentorship, recognition of excellence, networking and skills development, according to SGIM's website.

Uri Soiberman, M.D., an associate professor of ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, has received a Physician-Scientist Award from the organization Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB). Soiberman's award will fund his work developing the first topical medical treatment for keratoconus (a vision disorder that occurs when the cornea becomes misshapen and causes vision distortion). RPB has provided more than $400 million in research funding to the brightest scientists at the nation’s leading medical institutions, who are asking the most important questions to save sight.

Johns Hopkins Medicine historian Jeremy Greene, M.D., Ph.D., is one of 171 scientists, writers, scholars and artists awarded 2023 Guggenheim Fellowships. Greene is the William H. Welch Professor of Medicine and History of Medicine and director of the department of the history of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Greene's fellowship is in the category of the history of science, technology and economics. Guggenheim Fellows receive financial awards, and they were selected from nearly 2,500 applicants. The Guggenheim Foundation was established in 1925 by U.S. Sen. Simon Guggenheim and his wife, Olga Guggenheim, in memory of their son John. Since its creation, the foundation has provided nearly $400 million in fellowships. Greene is a noted historian of how medical technology influences our understandings of sickness and health. He has written award-winning books on the relationship of pharmaceutical marketing to medical practice, the political economy of generic drugs, and the role of electronic media in medical care. His current research project, "Syringe Tide: Disposable Technologies and the Making of Medical Waste," focuses on the scientific, social and economic basis for the increasing disposability of medical technology and solutions to reduce the global impact of medical waste.

Erica Sibinga, director of ambulatory pediatrics at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, and an associate professor of pediatrics, has been appointed to a four-year term on the National Advisory Council for Complementary and Integrative Health (NACCIH). Among the responsibilities of the 18 members of the NACCIH are advising, consulting with and making recommendations to the NACCIH director regarding research activities, functions of the council and more. Sibinga, a national and international leader in mindfulness and integrative pediatrics, was appointed to the council by the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Christiana Zhang, M.D., an assistant professor of medicine, has received the 2023 Lisa J. Heiser Award for Junior Faculty Contribution in Education from the School of Medicine's Institute for Excellence in Education (IEE). The IEE's selection committee said it was very impressed by Zhang's nomination package. Her commitment to advancing education of the highest quality in so many settings and formats at Johns Hopkins and beyond is truly remarkable and worthy of recognition, the committee said. Zhang's areas of expertise include women's primary care, internal medicine and medical education. Her Teaching Philosophy Statement is so thoughtful, the committee said, and it truly reflects the spirit of the award and the work of Lisa Heiser, a late assistant dean for faculty development and equity, Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Andrea Fava, M.D., an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Rheumatology, has been awarded the Lupus Innovation Award from the nonprofit Lupus Research Alliance. This prestigious award provides funding and support for lupus research that is considered pioneering. Lupus is an autoimmune condition that can attack multiple organ systems in the body, and the disease frequently leads to severe complications, such as kidney failure. Fava’s research focuses on exploring ways to treat and prevent kidney damage from lupus. He plans to use the funding from the alliance to develop a liquid biopsy test that will use urine samples to detect early kidney damage and inflammation. The work may lead to novel treatment and clinical management strategies that prevent severe kidney damage and kidney failure in people with lupus.

Shinjini Kundu, M.D., Ph.D., a resident and researcher in the Russell H. Morgan department of radiology and radiological science, has been named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. She joins a class of nearly 100 new Young Global Leaders from the around the world, which includes individuals with exceptional accomplishments in technology, business innovators, activists and more. Kundu’s research focuses on using artificial intelligence in medical images to identify patterns and abnormalities the human eye may not see. Using this technology, physicians are able to diagnose patients’ diseases earlier and more accurately, potentially improving treatments and health outcomes. Previously, Kundu was also named to Forbes 30 under 30 and MIT Technology Review 35 under 35 lists.

Adrienne Scott, M.D., associate professor of ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, has received a 2022 Clinical Excellence Award for Best Consulting Physician — Johns Hopkins Hospital from Johns Hopkins Medicine. Clinical Excellence Awards are given in recognition of clinicians whose work has demonstrated consistent excellence. Scott is a retina specialist who treats patients across the spectrum of vitreoretinal medical and surgical diseases, including macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachments and more.

Aaron Hauptman, M.D., a pediatric and adult neuropsychiatrist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, has received the Sidney R. Baer Jr. ANPA (American Neuropsychiatric Association) Career Development Award. Hauptman, who is also an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, was honored for his work as a clinical educator and as an advocate for pediatric neuropsychiatry. The award recognizes the outstanding accomplishments of a neuropsychiatry, behavioral neurology or neuropsychology advanced trainee or faculty member within five years of completing postgraduate education. The award was presented in March during the 33rd annual ANPA meeting, held in Boston.

Charles Della Santina, M.D., Ph.D., professor of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery and biomedical engineering, has been inducted into the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows. The AIMBE honors those who have made outstanding contributions to “engineering and medicine research, practice, or education” and to “the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of medical and biological engineering or developing/implementing innovative approaches to bioengineering education.” Della Santina was nominated and elected by peers for his “pioneering contributions to research and development of vestibular implants to aid individuals disabled by loss of inner ear function.” As director of the Johns Hopkins Vestibular NeuroEngineering Laboratory, he has led vestibular implant research for 20 years, from basic science and device engineering to a clinical trial currently active at Johns Hopkins Medicine. In that trial, which was recently detailed in the New England Journal of Medicine, is the first and only trial [at the time of this posting] in which patients receive vestibular implant stimulation as a treatment for use in daily life rather than only during brief test sessions in a clinic or laboratory. 

Robert Wood, M.D., Johns Hopkins Children’s Center director of pediatric allergy, immunology and rheumatology, has been awarded the Distinguished Clinician Award from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI). Wood, who is also a professor of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, was recognized for his commitment to patient care and clinical investigation focused on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of asthma and allergic disease. The award was presented in February at the AAAAI meeting in San Antonio.

On Friday, March 3, local Paralympian gold-medalist Tatyana McFadden presented hematologist Michael Streiff, M.D., with an Order of Ikkos medal to thank him for his excellent care in treating her blood clot. The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s Order of Ikkos medal allows medalists to honor mentors who have helped them in their journey toward world-class athletic success. The gifting, which took place at the annual Johns Hopkins Venous Thromboembolism Symposium, was a complete surprise to Streiff, who is medical director of the Johns Hopkins Hospital Special Coagulation Laboratory, and it showcased a strong, fruitful doctor-patient relationship.

School of Medicine students Rachael Workman Sparklin, Ph.D., Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology (BCMB) program, and Roger Zou, M.D.-Ph.D., Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), were named recipients of the Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center on March 1. Just 12 U.S. graduate students were selected for this prestigious award, which recognizes outstanding achievement in graduate studies in biological sciences.  Sparklin's topic of study: Investigating tracrRNA regulation in CRISPR-Cas bacterial immunity. "My research has focused on how CRISPR-Cas systems are regulated to maximize targeting of foreign agents while avoiding autoimmunity," Sparklin says. Zou's topic: CRISPR and DNA repair. "CRISPR-Cas systems have revolutionized the way scientists can edit the genomes of living organisms. My graduate research was on engineering better control over such systems, as tools to better control genome editing and as a powerful approach to study how cells can efficiently repair damage to its DNA," Zou says.

The Clinical Research Forum has honored a 2022 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (“Early Outpatient Treatment for COVID-19 with Convalescent Plasma”) with one of its 2023 Top 10 Clinical Research Achievement Awards. The study showed that plasma from patients who have recovered from COVID-19 and whose blood contains antibodies against the causative agent, SARS-CoV-2, is an effective and safe option as an early outpatient COVID-19 treatment to reduce hospitalizations. David Sullivan, M.D., and Kelly Gebo, M.D., M.P.H., co-led the multi-institutional study directed by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Johns Hopkins Medicine. Along with Sullivan and Gebo, the Johns Hopkins study team members are study senior authors Daniel Hanley, M.D.; Arturo Casadevall, M.D., Ph.D.; and Aaron Tobian, M.D., Ph.D.; along with researchers Lawrence Appel, M.D., M.P.H.; Sheriza Baksh, Ph.D., M.P.H.; Evan Bloch, M.B., Ch.B.; Stephan Ehrhardt, M.D., M.P.H.; Amy Gawad, M.P.H.; Laura Hammitt, M.D.; Douglas Jabs, M.D., M.B.A.; Nicki Karlen; Sabra Klein, Ph.D.; Karen Lane, C.C.R.P.; Bryan Lau, Ph.D.; Christi Marshall; Nichol McBee, M.P.H.; Oliver Layendecker, Ph.D.; Andrew Pekosz, Ph.D.; David Shade, J.D.; Shmuel Shoham, M.D.; Catherine Sutcliffe, Ph.D.; and Anusha Yarava, Pharm.D.

Elliot K. Fishman, M.D., professor of radiology and radiological science and director of diagnostic imaging and body computed tomography, and his team have received a $3.28 million grant from the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research. The grant is also in collaboration with Microsoft, and it will fund multiple new and continuing multidisciplinary research projects. The team seeks to investigate methods for early detection and staging of pancreatic tumors and cancer as well as understanding other pancreatic lesions and their risk factors for malignancy. Fishman and his collaborators are seeking to explore using artificial intelligence to predict at-risk patients and algorithms to analyze medical imaging data from patients with pancreatic disease, among other projects. The team, which spans the gastroenterology, oncology, pathology and surgical departments at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, hopes to use its findings to create prototype programs to expand pancreatic cancer testing and early diagnosis.

The HEPIUS Innovation Lab, which unites Johns Hopkins neurosurgeons, biomedical engineers, scientists, radiologists and other physicians to identify major clinical needs for spinal cord injury patients and drive the development of new imaging modalities, drug delivery and minimally invasive therapeutic technologies, has been recognized as one of eight local organizations to receive the Maryland Inno's 2023 Fire Award. This honor recognizes local organizations advancing the status quo by providing new technology and solutions to address critical challenges. The Fire Award is the premier recognition program for Maryland Inno, the Baltimore Business Journal's tech-focused publication. To learn more about HEPIUS, click here. 

Arik Marcell, M.D., M.P.H., adolescent medicine physician and associate professor of pediatrics, and Annemarie McCartney Swamy, M.D., M.P.H., adolescent medicine fellow, have received the 2023 Vaughn Rickert Vaccine Research Award from the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) for their abstract "A System-Level Approach to Improve Uptake of First COVID-19 Vaccine Dose Among Various Age Groups Within a Primary Care Setting: The Value of Health Educators." The award was presented March 7 during the society’s annual meeting in Chicago. Named in honor of a clinical psychologist and past SAHM president who died in 2015, the award recognizes the top-rated abstract submission focused on vaccination research.

Lisa A. Cooper, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.P., the James F. Fries Professor of Medicine and a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor with primary appointments in Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, School of Nursing and Bloomberg School of Public Health, has been named to the 2023 Women of Power list by the U.S. Black Chambers Inc. Inclusion in the list is an annual honor bestowed upon 50 women who embody the spirit of the organization — unwavering dedication to making a difference in their communities and the world at large. Cooper, who also is director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity and the Johns Hopkins Urban Health Institute,  was recognized as a Power 50 Honoree for her decades of work as a clinician and researcher in health equity. 

Mary Beth Howard, M.D., M.Sc., a pediatric emergency medicine physician and assistant professor of pediatrics, has been awarded a $70,000 grant from the American SIDS Institute to study a new method to prevent sudden infant deaths. Sudden unexpected infant death (SUID), which includes sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), is unexplained death of an apparently healthy baby that often occurs during sleep. About 3,400 babies in the United States die due to SUID each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the study, which will take place at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, Howard and her research team will incorporate SIDS prevention into a mobile health application and study whether the tool can successfully help educate families that visit the pediatric emergency department about SIDS and prevention measures, including laying babies flat on their backs and in a crib alone.

Jessica Ballou, M.D., M.P.H., chief resident in the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, has been inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) by the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She is one of six residents recognized this year for their “compassion, humanism and dedication to patients and students alike, making a deeply positive and lasting impact on their education.” According to department director Rick Redett, M.D.: “This is a tremendous honor as GHHS members are peer nominated and are the physicians that others say they would want taking care of their family.” Ballou’s professional interests focus on burn and trauma reconstruction with an emphasis on incorporating surgical palliative care.

Joel Blankson, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine and professor of molecular and comparative pathobiology, has been elected by the American Society of Microbiology (ASM) as a 2023 fellow of the organization’s American Academy of Microbiology. Election to the academy — an honorific leadership group and think tank within the ASM — is based on a person’s “record of scientific achievement and original contributions that have advanced microbiology.” Blankson’s areas of expertise include HIV pathogenesis and infectious disease, including the natural control of HIV-1 infection. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he also has increased understanding of the immune system’s response to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease.

The American Cochlear Implant Alliance (ACI Alliance) announced student scholarship award recipients for its 2023 annual meeting in Dallas in June. Emily Huang and Raymond So from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine were among the 22 students chosen for this prestigious award. ACI Alliance is a not-for-profit membership organization created with the purpose of eliminating barriers to cochlear implantation by sponsoring research, driving heightened awareness and advocating for improved access to cochlear implants for patients of all ages across the United States.

Mark Donowitz, professor in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and the Department of Physiology at Johns Hopkins Medicine, has been selected to give the 15th Hans H. Ussing Lecture on April 20 at the American Physiological Society Summit in Long Beach, Calif. This is an honorary lecture by a scientist who has made major contributions to the areas of epithelial biology and transport. It honors Hans Ussing, who developed the techniques to identify and quantitate active epithelial transport. Donowitz was selected for his studies on normal physiologic mechanisms of intestinal salt and water transport, how the process is regulated and becomes abnormal in diarrheal disease, which can lead to drug development for treating diarrhea. He joins a long list of distinguished physiologists to give the lecture, and is the second Johns Hopkins Medicine faculty member honored, after Peter Agre, M.D., who received the honor after winning the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2003.

Amir Kashani, M.D., Ph.D., the Boone Pickens Professor of Ophthalmology and an associate professor of ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, has received the National Eye Institute Director's Award and the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center CEO Award from the National Institutes of Health. The awards recognize Kashani for his contributions to delivery of an induced pluripotent stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelium monolayer into a human subject in the United States.

Oluwakemi Badaki-Makun, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics and pediatric emergency medicine physician at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, in collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital, received a $725,368 grant from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness & Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The grant will fund research to identify risks of sepsis among children by using novel biomarkers and to improve outcomes for patients who do become septic. The goal of the research is to validate the use of monocyte distribution width (MDW), a hematology biomarker available with a complete blood count test to rapidly identify children in the emergency department with early signs of severe illness from infection, particularly those with high fevers. Badaki-Makun previously published research on the use of MDW as a screening tool for sepsis and SARS-CoV-2 and influenza.

Chirag Parikh, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine and director of the Division of Nephrology, and his team have received two awards totaling around $6 million over a 5-year period to continue research in addressing and improving outcomes for patients with acute kidney injury (AKI). The Caring for OutPatients After Acute Kidney Injury Project (COPE-AKI) Trial is a multicenter trial funded by the National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) for $3.3 million. The trial aims to evaluate the impact of systematic post-discharge nephrology and pharmacy follow-up among patients with in-hospital stage 2 and 3 AKI to reduce readmissions and improve outcomes compared to the usual care of patients. Parikh was also re-funded for another 5-year cycle with NIDDK Kidney Precision Medicine Project (KPMP) Consortium for $2.7 million. The KPMP strives to create a diverse kidney tissue atlas from participants with acute kidney injury or chronic kidney disease to define disease subgroups and identify critical cells, pathways or targets for novel therapies and diagnostic testing. Johns Hopkins has been an AKI recruitment site since the initiation of the study.

Stephen D. Sisson, M.D., professor of medicine and vice president of clinical operations for the Office of Johns Hopkins Physicians, has been appointed president-elect of the  American College of Physicians (ACP) ?for April 2023-2024 and president of the ACP for April 2024-2025, effective April 29, 2023.

In an effort to improve diabetes care and mitigate disparities in diabetes-related outcomes, Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers were awarded a $1.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to implement use of a diabetes navigator in the real-world clinical setting — a person who will help improve diabetes technology use in underserved communities. Type 1 diabetes requires daily management to maintain adequate glycemic control and to prevent diabetes-related complications. Use of diabetes technologies, such as continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) that track blood sugar levels, is the standard of care, and it improves glycemic control. However, CGMs are underused, particularly among minorities and underserved communities. The principal researchers are Risa Wolf, M.D., a Johns Hopkins Children’s Center pediatric endocrinologist and an associate professor of pediatrics, and Nestoras Mathioudakis, M.D., M.H.S., a Johns Hopkins Medicine adult endocrinologist and an associate professor of medicine.

The Harriet Lane Clinic at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, in collaboration with the Maryland chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, has earned a $25,000 grant from No Kid Hungry, a national nonprofit organization that helps reduce hunger and poverty around the world. Pediatric emergency medicine physician Hanae Fujii-Rios (pictured, left); Johns Hopkins Division of General Pediatrics chief Barry Solomon (center); and Hopkins Community Connection program manager Kristin Topel (right) led the development of the proposal for the grant funding, which will help further the clinic’s work to improve food insecurity screening among families — connecting them with much-needed federal resources, through an online platform.

Lois Arend, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of pathology, has been elected president of the Renal Pathology Society (RPS) for 2023. The RPS is the only professional pathology society committed to improvement and dissemination of knowledge regarding the pathology and pathophysiology of renal disease. Arend has served the RPS as treasurer (2015-19), councilor (2019-21) and vice president (2022). At Johns Hopkins Medicine, Arend directs all clinical fellowships within the pathology department, as well as the Renal Pathology Fellowship Program. She is co-director of the Renal Pathology Diagnostic Service at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and is an internationally recognized expert in kidney diseases. As RPS president, Arend will focus on efforts to support and enhance diagnostic renal pathology services in developing countries.

David Hackam, M.D., Ph.D., surgeon-in-chief and co-director of Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, has been awarded a grant from the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund to advance the study of treatments for a common and serious intestinal condition in premature babies. The two-year, $300,000 grant will be used for engineering human intestinal stem cells to treat necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), which happens when tissue in a newborn’s intestines becomes injured or inflamed. The condition can lead to a hole in the intestinal wall in some cases and to death in others. The grant will help develop and advance NEC treatments so children can “live a life of normalcy and reach their full potential,” Hackam says. Learn more about Hackam’s NEC research here.

Darren Klugman, M.D., director of pediatric cardiac critical care at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, has been awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Society (PCICS). The award was presented during the organization’s annual international meeting in Miami in December. It recognizes someone who “has demonstrated exemplary effort and contributions to further the mission of the society,” according to the society's website. PCICS, founded in 2003 to provide an international professional forum to promote excellence in pediatric cardiac critical care medicine, is dedicated to improving the lives of patients and their families.

John Gearhart, M.D., professor of pediatrics and urology, has been awarded the Chaim Medical Resource Token of Appreciation for the care of children with complex birth defects, in the United States and abroad. The award was presented during a ceremony in October 2021. Chaim Medical Resource is a nonprofit organization that provides support to patients, including children with major birth defects, and families needing guidance to navigate health challenges. Gearhart has cared for patients in the Chaim Medical Resource program.

Pranita Tamma, M.D., M.P.H., pediatric infectious diseases specialist and researcher and associate professor of pediatrics, has been awarded the seventh annual Gale and Ira Drukier Prize in Children’s Health Research from Weill Cornell Medicine. The Drukier Prize honors one pediatric clinician-scientist annually in the United States whose research promises to make important contributions toward improving the health of children. Tamma was recognized for her work in identifying and addressing antimicrobial resistance in gram-negative bacteria. Antimicrobial resistance is on target to cause more deaths than cancer by the year 2050. Tamma received the award at a ceremony during the Gale and Ira Drukier Lecture in Children’s Health on Nov. 3, where she also gave a presentation summarizing her work.

Roger Zou, an M.D.-Ph.D. student has been named a 2022 STAT Wunderkind. This award recognizes the work of early-career scientists and clinicians. During his work in Taekjip Ha’s lab at Johns Hopkins, Zou focused on the famous CRISPR-Cas9 duo, striving to make the DNA-slicing system more accurate. Zou is set to graduate in spring 2023 and move on to his residency to continue his medical education.

Clifford Weiss, M.D., professor of radiology, radiological science and biomedical engineering, and Craig Jones, assistant research professor in the Department of Computer Science at The Johns Hopkins University, have received a Discovery grant of $311,000 from the Department of Defense. Weiss is also the director of the Johns Hopkins Vascular Anomalies Center. He is a clinical and translational researcher who focuses on embolism therapies for obesity and brain cancer as well as therapeutics and quality-of-life standards regarding vascular malformations. Jones studies artificial intelligence and imaging neural networks with MRI and CT machines, among other machines. The two-year grant will help Weiss and Jones in their efforts to create artificial intelligence tools to diagnose and assess malformations in veins, which are found in one in 100 people and cause significant pain, functional limitations and cosmetic disfigurement in adults and children. The collaborators hope the grant will be one of the first steps in using artificial intelligence to improve clinical outcomes and treatment decision-making for rare diseases such as venous malformations.

Mary Brown, M.P.H., C.H.E.P., C.E.M., director of emergency management at Johns Hopkins Hospital, received acknowledgement of her Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) designation in November at the annual conference of the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM). To receive the designation from IAEM, Brown and the other 184 newly named CEMs in the class of 2022 had to fill out an application showing emergency management experience, education, contributions to the profession, training and letters of reference, and take an exam. According to IAEM, the CEM credential showcases leaders in emergency management who have demonstrated understanding of emergency management through knowledge, experience, work history, training, education and contributions to the profession. 

Pooja Bhatia, R.N., a pediatric transport lead clinical nurse, has been awarded the Special GAMUT Quality Improvement Award for her work titled "Implementation of consistent medical direction consults during pediatric critical care interhospital transport." The award was presented during the Transport Medicine Scientific Session at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference & Exhibition in October. GAMUT, or Ground and Air Medical qUality in Transport, is a database that allows pediatric and neonatal transport programs to collaborate for quality improvement. The award goes to the project that improves the quality of the database.

Myron Weisfeldt, M.D., professor of medicine, is the recipient of the American Heart Association's 2022 Eugene Braunwald Academic Mentorship Award. The honor recognizes Weisfeldt’s outstanding and long-term contributions as a mentor for cardiovascular physicians and scientists. Throughout his career, Weisfeldt has been a leading advocate for women and people of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds in medicine. “His efforts during his tenure leading Johns Hopkins’ department of medicine resulted in a significant increase in the number of residents, fellows and faculty from underrepresented races and ethnicities,” the association wrote in a press release. “Dr. Weisfeldt believes diversity among cardiologists should reflect the diversity within the communities they serve. As a mentor, he encourages an equity-first approach to medicine, community health and science.” The American Heart Association began presenting the Braunwald award in 1999 in recognition of the many contributions of cardiologist Eugene Braunwald in teaching and mentoring the next generation of faculty researchers and educators.

Thomas V. Johnson III, M.D., Ph.D., a glaucoma specialist and the Shelley and Allan Holt Rising Professor of Ophthalmology at the Wilmer Eye Institute, has been named by Ophthalmology Management as one of 40 Ophthalmologists Under 40 to Know.

Nabila Chowdhury, M.D., a fellow in pediatric emergency medicine, has been awarded the Best In-Training Paper Award for her work titled "More than words: Language patterns indicative of unrecognized shock in children undergoing interhospital transfer." The award, which was presented during the Transport Medicine Scientific Session at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference & Exhibition in October, recognizes excellence in research by a student, resident or postgraduate fellow related to any aspect of pediatric/neonatal interhospital transport, aero-medical transport, critical care transport and transport team education/simulation. In addition to this award, Chowdhury was a finalist for the Section on Emergency Medicine’s Ken Graff Young Investigator Award, which recognizes clinical research in the field of pediatric emergency medicine. The award provides up to $15,000 for a research project that addresses issues relevant to ill or injured children, and it supports young investigators in their pursuit of quality pediatric emergency medicine research.

Lilah Morris-Wiseman, M.D., an associate professor of surgery, has been named an associate member of the American College of Surgeons' Academy of Master Surgeon Educators. Awardees (64 in the class of 2022) are recognized for having devoted their careers to surgical education and are considered premier leaders in their respective fields. Morris-Wiseman is an endocrine surgeon who serves as chief of the Division of Endocrine Surgery. 

Gina Adrales, M.D., M.P.H., an associate professor of surgery, has been named an associate member of the American College of Surgeons' Academy of Master Surgeon Educators. Awardees (64 in the class of 2022) are recognized for having devoted their careers to surgical education and are considered premier leaders in their respective fields. Adrales is director of the Division of Minimally Invasive Surgery. Her expertise includes achalasia, bariatric surgery, Barrett's esophagus, benign esophageal conditions, gallbladder diseases and gallbladder surgery.

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has selected Rachel Salas, M.D., M.Ed., as one of four recipients of the 2022 Alpha Omega Alpha (A?A) Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teacher Award. Salas is a professor of neurology and assistant medical director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep and Wellness. This award was established by the A?A medical honor society in 1988 to recognize faculty members who have distinguished themselves in medical student education. The award is named for longtime A?A executive secretary Robert J. Glaser, M.D. The recognition carries a $10,000 award given to the recipient directly so they may use it on research at their discretion, as well as $2,500 to their institution to be used for teaching activities, and $1,000 to their A?A chapter.

Shenandoah Robinson, M.D., a pediatric neurosurgeon, was unanimously chosen as president-elect of the American Academy of Neurological Surgery on Sept. 30 during the academy’s annual meeting. Robinson is the first woman to hold this position in the organization’s 84-year history. A professor of neurosurgery, neurology and pediatrics, Robinson is a nationally recognized expert in the treatment of pediatric epilepsy, spasticity and hydrocephalus. She has written dozens of peer-reviewed professional journal articles and more than 15 book chapters. She will become president of the academy in 2023 and will serve for one year. 

Rebecca Ruebner, M.D., M.S.C.E., a pediatric nephrologist at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and professor of pediatrics, has been awarded an American Journal of Kidney Diseases Editors’ Choice Award for her work published in the journal’s August issue, titled “Epidemiology and Risk Factors for Hemodialysis Access-Associated Infections in Children: a Prospective Cohort Study from the SCOPE Collaborative.” Ruebner cares for children with kidney disease and is the Children’s Center’s medical director of pediatric dialysis. Her clinical research focuses on care and outcomes for children with chronic and end-stage kidney disease. The work published in the journal, which focused on an initiative to reduce dialysis-associated infections, was one of five recipients of the Editors’ Choice Award, which recognizes outstanding articles. 

Nancy Schoenborn, M.D., associate professor of medicine specializing in geriatrics, and team have received a supplemental grant from the National Institute on Aging. The award will complement a larger R01 grant that seeks to develop effective messaging strategies to reduce inappropriate or unnecessary breast cancer screening. The grant will enable the team to examine the bioethics of using persuasion in these messages. Mary Catherine Beach, M.D., M.P.H., and Susan Hannum, Ph.D., are co-investigators.

Jennifer Dantzer, M.D., a pediatric allergy and immunology expert and associate professor of pediatrics, has joined the Healio Allergy/Asthma peer perspective board. Healio develops content and resources for medical professionals. In this role, Dantzer will help guide Healio’s coverage and provide her expert perspective on the latest advances in the allergy/asthma field. 

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine has received the Barbara Ross-Lee Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Only one of the 871 ACGME-accredited sponsoring institutions in the country receives this award each year. The award recognizes efforts to achieve diversity, equity and inclusion in the graduate medical education (GME) community. ACGME selects programs, institutions and organizations working to diversify the underrepresented physician workforce and create inclusive workplaces that foster humane, civil and equitable environments. The award honors the most innovative and exemplary initiatives that drive diversity in GME. The school of medicine and winners of other 2023 ACGME awards will be formally recognized at the 2023 ACGME Annual Educational Conference in Nashville in February 2023. 

Sarah Conway, M.D., has been selected to the Baltimore Business Journal's 2022 class of 40 Under 40, which honors individuals making a mark not just on their own organization but in the Greater Baltimore community. The letter nominating Conway for the honor stated: Sarah has taken on a series of progressive leadership roles for Johns Hopkins Medicine. Sarah recently led the development and now serves as chief medical officer of the Johns Hopkins Clinical Alliance, a clinically integrated network of physicians focused on value-based and high-quality care.  She is also the senior medical director of Physician Alignment and Integration in the Office of Johns Hopkins Physicians. She is particularly suited for this role given her ability to navigate a large and complex health system and engage with external groups to support and strengthen key organizational relationships. In recent years, she expertly led the transition of one of our largest primary care sites to a Federally Qualified Health Center offering expanded services for our East Baltimore community while simultaneously creating a novel venue for education and research to train future generations of providers.  She led the change by engaging and truly listening to all stakeholders and incorporating their feedback into a complex transition.

Johns Hopkins Medicine has been recognized as a part of the American Medical Association’s 2022 Joy in Medicine™ Health System Recognition Program. The recognition brings awareness to a health system's commitment to improving physician satisfaction and reducing burnout. Johns Hopkins Medicine’s application was submitted by Lee Daugherty Biddison, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor of medicine in the Johns Hopkins Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and Chief Wellness Officer for Johns Hopkins Medicine. In response, Biddison (pictured) noted, “This recognition acknowledges the steps Johns Hopkins Medicine is taking to address burnout. It also reminds us that we remain on a journey toward fulfilling our commitment to creating the conditions where joy, meaning and purpose are possible for our workforce. There is still plenty of work to be done.” Johns Hopkins was recognized at the bronze level, which means it met five of six required criteria, including having a formalized well-being committee and/or office of well-being and providing aggregate findings from its most recent burnout assessment within the last three years and demonstrating that these data were shared with its organization. Johns Hopkins and 27 other organizations recognized were honored at a reception at the International Conference on Physician Health, held Oct. 13-15 in Orlando, Fla.

Thanks to a $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the Armstrong Institute Center for Diagnostic Excellence has become one of 10 national Centers for Diagnostic Excellence in a new AHRQ-sponsored network. The four-year program will focus on developing and implementing approaches to achieve diagnostic excellence in the emergency department by leveraging safety science principles and strategies. The Armstrong Institute Center for Diagnostic Excellence was established in 2016 with the mandate to help eliminate preventable harms from diagnostic errors, optimize patient outcomes and diagnosis experience, and reduce waste in diagnostic assessment, with an initial focus on improving emergency department stroke diagnosis. With this project, the center seeks to consolidate prior research gains into operational improvements, expand the scope of its work within Johns Hopkins Medicine and beyond, and ensure the future growth and sustainability of these efforts. David Newman-Toker, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Armstrong Institute Center for Diagnostic Excellence and David Robinson Professor of Vestibular Neurology, and Kathryn Mack McDonald, Ph.D., co-director of the center, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor and professor of nursing and medicine, are leads on this project. 

Medical students Howard Chang and Meher Kalkat were selected as winners of the inaugural "Building Trust" essay contest held by the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation. Medical students from across the country submitted essays about how they built, lost or restored trust in a health-care setting. Submissions were evaluated by a panel of judges and scored based on the following criteria: connection to the topic of trust, quality of writing, novelty of the message and opportunity for others to learn. Armaan Rowther, Ph.D., received an honorable mention. Their essays can be found online here and were posted in the September/October edition of AMSA’s The New Physician magazine.

Constantine Lyketsos, M.D., the Elizabeth Plank Althouse Professor and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, received the 2022 Argo Award in Science from the president of the Hellenic Republic for his notable career in medicine, predominantly in the areas of Alzheimer’s disease research and clinical care. The Argo Awards recognize members of the Greek diaspora who have achieved great success and prominence and who set an example for contributions to their homeland. A native of Athens, Lyketsos is the director of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. A graduate of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, he completed his residency, chief residency and fellowship at Johns Hopkins. An active clinician and researcher, he founded and directs the Johns Hopkins Memory and Alzheimer’s Treatment Center and the Richman Family Precision Medicine Center of Excellence on Alzheimer’s Disease. A world authority on treatment development for Alzheimer’s disease, he has received multiple awards and authored more than 400 peer-reviewed articles and five books. Castle Connolly has named him one of America’s top doctors every year since 2001. 

Carrie Nieman, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor of otolaryngology, is among a highly select group of physicians to be honored with a 2022 American Medical Association Women Physicians Section Inspiration Award. The award honors and acknowledges those who have offered their time, wisdom and support throughout the professional careers of fellow physicians, residents and students. “Dr. Nieman [has] been an excellent, involved and impactful mentor,” wrote Audrey Mossman, who nominated Nieman. Mossman is currently a medical student at the University of Washington and is a former mentee and graduate of the Johns Hopkins Doctoral Diversity Program. The 2022 awards, presented in September in celebration of Women in Medicine Month, were given to nearly 70 physicians across the United States. 

John Gearhart, M.D., professor of urology and director of pediatric urology at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, has received the Richard W. Grady Humanitarian Award from the Association for the Bladder Exstrophy Community. The award honors those who have elevated the standards of care for children born with the rare medical condition of bladder exstrophy. Gearhart, a world-renowned pediatric surgeon, was recognized for providing care to more than 1,000 patients from the United States and 16 other countries during the past 35 years. The award was presented during the 2022 International Exstrophy Conference. Gearhart received a similar award from the Royal Society of Medicine a few years ago.

Johns Hopkins Children’s Center pediatric oncologist Challice Bonifant, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of oncology, Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, was awarded a $110,000 extended scholar grant from St. Baldrick’s Foundation, which supports research to find cures and better treatments for childhood cancers. The funding will be used for Bonifant’s ongoing research related to determining whether engineered T cells can provide better outcomes for young patients with cancer. Improved treatments have been developed incorporating cell therapies into standard chemotherapy treatment regimens. However, a challenge to maintenance of remission is that the engineered T cells must persist in the patient. The St. Baldrick’s funding supports Bonifant’s research studying ways to stimulate longer persistence in engineered T cells targeted to kill leukemia. 

David Kass, M.D., Abraham and Virginia Weiss Professor of Cardiology and professor in the departments of medicine, biomedical engineering, and pharmacology and molecular sciences, has been selected as a 2022 Distinguished Scientist by the American Heart Association (AHA). The Distinguished Scientist designation honors AHA members who have made major independent contributions to cardiovascular and stroke research. For more than 10 years, outstanding scientists receiving the honor have included 14 Nobel laureates. Kass was among 42 candidates across the country nominated by the AHA’s 16 scientific councils. He will be formally recognized at Scientific Sessions in Chicago during AHA’s annual meeting in November. 

Thanks to a $1.6 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, faculty from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Carey Business School will create a cutting-edge program to help substance use disorder researchers develop new treatment options. The Innovations for Substance Use Disorders Program will include a new curriculum and a Johns Hopkins Carey Business School executive education certificate designed to empower researchers to scale up their innovations and bring them to market. Phillip Phan, Ph.D., the Alonzo and Virginia Decker Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at the Carey Business School, and Kelly Dunn, Ph.D., M.B.A., M.S., associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, are leads on this project. Program graduates will gain skills to apply for translational funding, license intellectual property and launch companies. They will also be part of a virtual community of researchers and practitioners transforming the culture of academic scientists turning discovery into application. In addition to Phan and Dunn, Supriya Munshaw, Ph.D., senior lecturer at the business school, and Patrick Finan, Ph.D., associate professor at the school of medicine, will develop and run the program.

Dulce Cruz-Oliver, M.D., (pictured left) assistant professor of medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine and geriatrician in the Beacham Ambulatory Clinic; Marcela Blinka, Ph.D., (pictured center) research associate with the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology; and Danetta Sloan, Ph.D., M.S.W., M.A., (pictured right) an assistant scientist in the Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Bloomberg School of Public Health, have been awarded a $75,000 DELTA (Digital Education & Learning Technology Acceleration) grant from the Johns Hopkins Office of the Provost to develop and pilot-test culturally based educational videos for African American and Puerto Rican hospice family caregivers. This work builds on earlier findings that showed telenovelas (a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America) were more likely to be viewed, and provided better content recall and follow-up actions, compared to other digital formats. The grant will support an innovative expansion of this work that uses qualitative interviews and methodologies to produce three new telenovelas that add additional culturally sensitive family education on symptom-related issues in end-of-live caregiving. 

Mandeep Singh, M.B.B.S., M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor of ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, is one of 2022's grantees of the Louis B. Thalheimer Fund for Translational Research for his work "Cytoplasmic Transfer Cell Therapy for Vision Repair in Retinitis Pigmentosa." The Thalheimer Fund, administered through Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures, provides seed funding for vital proof-of-concept and validation studies of Johns Hopkins technologies.  

Ariel Green, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., an associate professor of medicine in the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, and Rebecca Boxer, M.D., M.S., of Kaiser Permanente Colorado’s Institute for Health Research, are principal investigators on a newly awarded R01 grant from the National Institute on Aging for a proposal titled “eAlign: A Patient Portal-based Intervention to Align Medications with What Matters Most.” The goal of the proposal is to introduce dementia patients and care partners to the idea of deprescribing medications and to empower them to ask their clinician about their medications. The hope is that this will prompt shared decision-making about deprescribing among patients, care partners and clinicians. 

Michele Bellantoni, M.D., C.M.D., an associate professor of medicine in the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology,  has been appointed to a three-year term on the board of directors of the American Board of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (ABPLM). Bellantoni is the associate director for post-acute and long-term care at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. The board oversees the certification processes for medical directors of skilled nursing facilities. The mission of ABPLM is to recognize and promote physician leadership and excellence in medical direction and patient-centered care throughout the post-acute and long-term care spectrum via certification, advancing competence and demonstrating value, thereby enhancing the quality of care.

Nakiya Showell, M.D., M.H.S., M.P.H., medical director of the Johns Hopkins Harriet Lane Clinic, has received two awards for her dedication to excellence in the medical field. Showell was named one of the National Minority Quality Forum’s 2022 40 Under 40 Leaders in Minority Health. Each year, the organization, which is dedicated to ensuring high-risk communities receive optimal health care, selects 40 recipients from the medical community who are standout individuals in the medical field. Showell also recently received the Service to Humanity Award from Harrisburg Academy, where she completed high school. Harrisburg Academy recognized her with the alumni achievement award for her work as medical director of the Harriet Lane Clinic and for spearheading COVID-19 vaccination efforts in East Baltimore.

Medical student Azmina Karukappadath, class of 2024, has been recognized as one of six winners in the ninth annual Lasker Foundation Essay Contest. This award is given to scientists and health professionals in training whose work embodies exceptional traits in the area of science communication. Each awardee will receive a $5,000 stipend. Karukappadath’s essay, titled “Two Fields, One Dream,” is a reflection on her interdisciplinary pursuits in medicine and technology. In her career ahead, she hopes to continue to use technology in her medical career as well as to help address healthcare disparities.

The Department of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology has been awarded $4 million from the National Institute on Aging to study hearing loss as a potential contributor to neuropsychiatric disorders. Esther Oh, M.D., Ph.D. (pictured right), co-director, Johns Hopkins Memory and Alzheimer's Treatment Center, and Carrie Nieman, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor of otolaryngology, are leads on this project. The term “neuropsychiatric disorder” is a blanket definition that encompasses a broad range of medical conditions that involve both neurology and psychiatry, such as seizures, anxiety, depression and migraine headaches. Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) are major manifestations of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The proposed study brings together a multidisciplinary team of investigators to examine the role of hearing care in NPS by refining and evaluating efficacy of intervention, as well as to characterize the potential underlying mechanism(s) of action between hearing loss and NPS. 

Esther Oh, M.D., Ph.D., Sarah Miller Coulson Human Aging Project Scholar and co-director, Johns Hopkins Memory and Alzheimer's Treatment Center, has been elected president of the American Delirium Society. Oh, an associate professor in the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Department of Medicine, is an Alzheimer’s disease and delirium expert. Her  research, clinical work and educational activities are grounded in seeking targeted and personalized treatment, care and cure for patients with memory disorders, with a focus on interdisciplinary and team science approaches. Her work in delirium involves risk-factor identification, prevention, treatment and long-term outcomes of delirium, especially in perioperative settings. The American Delirium Society advances an interdisciplinary approach to knowledge dissemination and innovation related to delirium, finding the most promising strategies for minimizing its human and capital costs. As president, Oh will lead a strategic planning process, enhancing the innovation ecosystem in delirium and deepening collaborations globally with partner organizations. 

Hard work and dedication have paid off for Debra Eluobaju, M.D., M.P.H., who recently matched into the Gynecology & Obstetrics Residency Program. In the summer of 2021, while Eluobaju was a medical student, she was awarded the inaugural Damewood Visiting Sub-Internship Award in Gynecology and Obstetrics at Johns Hopkins. Visiting from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Eluobaju used data to drive evidence-based improvements in health-care utilization that bridge the gap among women's rights, decolonization and compassionate medical care. She was seen as the ideal candidate for the sub-internship due to her commitment to health equity for African women as a previous Craig Research Fellow in Benin City, Nigeria. Straddling the intersection of social issues and data, she gained an invaluable experience in her Damewood Scholar rotation at Johns Hopkins. Now, as a resident, Eluobaju will train with and learn from world-class faculty members and get an exceptional educational experience, putting her at the forefront of women’s health.

Courtney Robertson, M.D., associate professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine and pediatrics, is president of the National Neurotrauma Society. Her area of clinical expertise is pediatric critical care, with a focus on traumatic brain injury and pediatric neurocritical care. The National Neurotrauma Society is the largest professional society for scientists conducting neurotrauma research and includes researchers of all specialties. The society is committed to the promotion of neurotrauma research by enhancing communications, providing a forum and increasing support nationally and internationally. During her presidency, Robertson aims to raise awareness for her specialty of pediatric neurotrauma, provide more opportunities for society members to connect, collaborate and learn, and develop pathways for junior scientists to become involved in the organization. 

Charlotte Sumner, M.D., a professor of neurology and neuroscience, has received a 2022 Landis Award for Outstanding Mentorship from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). She was recognized for her dedication to superior mentorship and training in neuroscience research. Awardees receive $100,000 in the form of a supplement to an existing NINDS grant to support their efforts to foster the career advancement of additional trainees. Sumner says that as a clinician scientist, she teaches and mentors in several settings: classroom, clinic and inpatient wards. In her research laboratory, she mentors post-baccalaureate students, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty.

Jessica Rubens, M.D., a fellow in the Eudowood Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, has earned a 2022 Emerging-Generation Award from the American Society for Clinical Investigation. Rubens is one of this year's 22 recipients of the award, which recognizes the excellence of post-M.D., pre-faculty appointment physician-scientists who are meaningfully engaged in immersive research. Rubens’ work includes studying immune responses to measles virus infection and vaccination. 

Thomas Burnett, a Ph.D. candidate in neuroscience, is one of five Johns Hopkins University Ph.D. students inducted this year into the Bouchet Society, which celebrates students who exemplify academic and personal excellence. The honor allows them to connect with a network of scholars. Burnett's experience with the Teaching Academy program in the Center for Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning has allowed him to learn and employ equitable and culturally responsive teaching practices in his work. Outside of the classroom, he volunteers and advocates for greater access to science education; his volunteer efforts have been recognized by the Martin Luther King Jr. Award for Community Service. Thomas aspires to be a leader in academics and research to make science and education a more equitable endeavor.

Natalie Joe, a Ph.D. candidate in cellular and molecular medicine, is one of five Johns Hopkins University Ph.D. students inducted into the Bouchet Society. The society celebrates students who exemplify academic and personal excellence, allowing them to connect with a network of scholars. Joe’s research focuses on anti-cancer treatments, specifically advancing therapeutics in triple-negative breast cancer through the repurposing of an antiparasitic drug. While completing her Ph.D., Joe earned the Teaching Academy certification and volunteered to co-teach science sessions to elementary school students. She aims to eventually use her experience to direct a program to empower the next generation of indigenous scientists.

Gian Carlo Molina-Castro, a Ph.D. candidate in neuroscience, is one of five Johns Hopkins University Ph.D. students inducted into the Bouchet Society. The society celebrates students who exemplify academic and personal excellence, allowing them to connect with a network of scholars.  A National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, Molina-Castro focuses his research on defining the dynamics and functional significance of remyelination in the cerebral cortex of two animal models of multiple sclerosis. In addition to his research and leadership, Molina-Castro is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, and he is currently leading the execution and implementation of a two-year career exploration, professional development and mentoring cohort-based program, as well as a networking panel series for underrepresented doctoral students at Johns Hopkins.

Thuy Ngo, D.O., M.Ed., has been honored with the 2022 Academic Pediatric Association (APA) Teaching Award for Junior Faculty. The award commends not only the quantity of teaching activities but also the quality of teaching and engagement in the broader education community. Ngo is an assistant professor of pediatrics in the pediatric emergency medicine division and the director of the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship Program. She is also a longitudinal adviser for the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine’s Colleges Advisory Program. Ngo was recognized for the award during the APA membership meeting at the 2022 Pediatric Academic Societies meeting in April. 

Edward C. Twomey, Ph.D., an assistant professor of biophysics and biophysical chemistry, has been named a 2022 Searle Scholar by the Searle Scholars Program, which makes grants to support the independent research of exceptional young faculty in the biomedical sciences and chemistry fields who recently have been appointed as assistant professors on a tenure-track appointment. This year, 15 scholars were chosen from among 186 applications that were considered from nominations by 176 universities and research institutions. The members of the new class of Searle Scholars pursue ground-breaking research in chemistry and the biomedical sciences. Each receives an award of $300,000 in flexible funding to support his, her or their work over the next three years. Twomey studies structural biology and is interested in understanding how ion channels, and the structures that regulate them, function in health and disease. 

Ahmet Hoke, M.D., Ph.D., has been named editor-in-chief of the Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology. Hoke is a professor of neurology and neuroscience, director of the Daniel B. Drachman Division of Neuromuscular Diseases and director of the Merkin Peripheral Neuropathy and Nerve Regeneration Center at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Hoke’s clinical practice focuses on peripheral neuropathies and nerve injuries. His research interest includes studies on biology of peripheral axons and Schwann cells and disorders affecting the peripheral nervous system. He is the recipient of several awards, including the Derek Denny Brown Young Neurological Scholar Award (2005) and Wolfe Neuropathy Research prize (2018). He serves on several editorial boards and is the editor-in-chief of Experimental Neurology and previously served as associate editor for Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology.

Ie-Ming Shih, M.D., Ph.D., and Rebecca Stone, M.D., of the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, have been awarded more than $10 million for a three-year, multicenter research project by Break Through Cancer, a cancer research foundation. The project’s goal is to advance women’s cancer research by investigating how to intercept ovarian cancer before it occurs. Shih (left in the photo) and Stone are collaborating with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City; Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Cambridge, Mass.; and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Shih serves as director of the TeLinde Gynecologic Pathology Laboratory in the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics and is co-director of the Women’s Malignancies Research Group at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, and Stone serves as director of the Kelly Gynecologic Oncology Service in the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics.

Alex Kolodkin, Ph.D., the Charles J. Homcy and Simeon G. Margolis Professor, the Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, a private, nonprofit institution that was established under a congressional charter in 1863. It recognizes achievement in science by election to membership, and — with the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Medicine — provides science, engineering, and health policy advice to the federal government and other organizations. Kolodkin’s research focuses on how connections among brain cells called neurons are formed during development and then maintained, and sometimes altered, in the adult. While a postdoctoral fellow he discovered a family of proteins called semaphorins that help neurons extend their armlike structures, called axons and dendrites, to their correct targets, enabling neurons to form functional circuits that influence behavior. Kolodkin joined the Johns Hopkins faculty in 1995, and his laboratory investigates how neurons connect in a variety of settings, including the visual system and the neocortex. Kolodkin is deputy director of the School of Medicine’s Institute for Basic Biomedical Sciences.

Paul B. Rothman, M.D., CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine and dean of the medical faculty for the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, has received the 2022 President's Award from MedChi, the Maryland State Medical Society. The recipient is nominated by the organization's president and the award is presented annually to acknowledge the contributions of someone who embodies MedChi’s mission in service of physicians, patients and the public health of Maryland. Rothman was chosen, the organization says, because of his extraordinary achievements and exceptional leadership of Johns Hopkins.

Jennifer Elisseeff, Ph.D., a professor of biomedical engineering, has been selected to join the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Membership in the organization, which was founded in 1780, is considered a career honor and recognizes individuals for their excellence and leadership, their distinction in working across disciplines, and their achievements in advancing the common good. Elisseeff is among 261 individuals selected for membership to the academy this year.

Jeremy Nathans, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of molecular biology and genetics, neuroscience and ophthalmology known for his landmark discoveries into the molecular mechanisms of visual system development, function and disease, is the recipient of the 2022 Mechthild Esser Nemmers Prize in Medical Science at Northwestern University. The prize, which carries a $200,000 stipend, is given to a physician-scientist whose body of research exhibits outstanding achievement in his or her discipline as demonstrated by works of lasting significance. A jury of distinguished scientists from around the United States made the final selection. Nathans, the Samuel Theobald Professor of the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins Medicine, has devoted his career to studying the vertebrate visual system. “I am humbled to be in the same company as the previous Nemmers Prize winners,” Nathans said. In connection with the award, Nathans will deliver a public lecture and participate in other scholarly activities at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in 2022.

Paul B. Rothman, dean of Johns Hopkins’ medical faculty and CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine, was inducted, along with 12 others, into the The Baltimore Sun’s Business and Civic Hall of Fame, class of 2022. Members of the group were chosen for their leadership and community endeavors, The Sun states. Effective July 1, Rothman will retire from his roles at Johns Hopkins after a 10-year tenure. In honoring Rothman, a rheumatologist and molecular immunologist, The Sun stated that he "is known as a 'passionate scientist, dedicated investigator and deeply caring physician,' according to colleagues. Among the work Dr. Rothman will be best remembered for is his development of the offices of Well-Being, and Diversity and Inclusion, as well as the institution’s laudable response to the pandemic."

The National Academies of Practice's Patient Advocacy Award recognizes yearly a patient or care partner whose lived experience transformed him or her, and who in turn is transforming healthcare to enhance the well-being of others. The award this year (2022) was presented to Anita Gupta, D.O., PharmD, MPP, an assistant professor of anesthesiology. Gupta is an accomplished physician and brings an international voice for stakeholders, including patients, physicians, policymakers and nonprofit organizations. She emphasizes that doctors need to look at situations through the eyes of the patient. Gupta brings to situations her own perspective from her personal patient journey as a rare-disease survivor and uses it as a platform to improve health systems and the patient journey. 

Albert W. Wu, M.D., a professor of health policy and management and medicine, recently joined the leadership team at the Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality as the new director of strategic collaborations. In this role, Wu develops and executes strategic priorities and initiatives within the institute and Johns Hopkins University that support relationships with institutions external to Johns Hopkins. Wu also holds joint appointments in epidemiology, international health, surgery and business. He’s director of the Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, director of the online Masters of Applied Science in Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality, and is editor-in-chief of the Journal of Patient Safety and Risk Management. Wu advises many U.S. and international organizations on patient-reported outcomes and patient safety. He served on the Institute of Medicine committee on the prevention of medication errors, and was senior adviser for Patient Safety to the World Health Organization. 

The Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality recently announced the appointment of Jill A. Marsteller, Ph.D., as director of research. In this leadership role, Marsteller oversees the academic and scholarly efforts of the Armstrong Institute and is responsible for administrative and financial functions, mentoring and research operations. Marsteller has led the institute’s Research Facilitation Council since 2011 and previously sat on the executive committee of the institute. She’s a professor in health policy and management at the Bloomberg School of Public Health and holds joint appointments in anesthesiology and critical care medicine and the Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research in the School of Medicine, and a courtesy appointment in the Carey Business School. She also serves as associate director of the Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research and leads the Behavioral, Social and Systems Science Translational Research Community within the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research. 

T. Y. Alvin Liu, an assistant professor of ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, has received a Career Development Award from Research to Prevent Blindness. The award provides outstanding early-career vision scientists with support to start and sustain an independent research program.

Robert Samuel Mayer, M.D., associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R), has been elected chair of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education’s (ACGME) Review Committee for PM&R. The ACGME is a nonprofit organization that develops standards for U.S. graduate programs in medical education, then accredits those that meet these standards. Its PM&R review committee is responsible for accrediting all of the nation’s residencies and fellowship programs in the PM&R field. Mayer has been a board-certified PM&R specialist since 1991.

Jeanne M. Clark, M.D., M.P.H., a professor of medicine and director of the Division of General Internal Medicine, has been recognized as an Expertscape Expert in Obesity by Expertscape, which objectively ranks people and institutions by their expertise in more than 29,000 biomedical topics. The citings are based on the National Institutes of Health's PubMed database. Clark was recognized for being among the top-cited experts in obesity. 

Alicia Wilson, vice president for economic development at Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Health System, has been named the AFRO Baltimore Newsmaker of the Year 2021 for breaking barriers for Baltimore youth. For Wilson, mentoring is the thing. She meets with mentees, individually and in groups, helping them find a path to college. She was recently elected chair of the CollegeBound Foundation, the first African-American and the youngest board chair in the foundation’s 30-year history, according to the AFRO. Recalling the help she received in getting into college, she works hard to repay a debt she believes she owes. “Baltimore is a city that you can do so much for, if you continue to be positive about it,” she told the AFRO.

Thomas V. Johnson III, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor of ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, has received the 2021 Artemis Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology. The award recognizes a young ophthalmologist academy member who has demonstrated caring and service of an exemplary degree to his or her patients. 

Fatemeh Rajaii, an assistant professor of ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, has been given a Physician-Scientist Award by Research to Prevent Blindness/American Academy of Ophthalmology. The award is designed to allow physicians to devote more time to clinical research activities, providing greater opportunities for specialized study with direct application to the human condition. 

Cathy Kowalewski, chief operating officer of Wilmer Eye Institute, has been appointed to a two-year term as chair of the World Association of Eye Hospitals, a global association of eye hospitals. All member-hospitals are “centres of excellence” in ophthalmology.