John Hawley

Message from Sohail Tavazoie, the outgoing 2022–2023 President

Posted on by John Hawley
Sohail Tavazoie
Dr. Tavazoie

During the past year, I have been incredibly honored to have served as president of ASCI, an organization with a long tradition of supporting physician-scientists in their noble mission to uncover fundamental insights into human biology and pathophysiology and to apply these insights towards tomorrow’s cures.

To better understand the challenges faced by physician scientists, we solicited survey responses from our membership this past year, receiving 588 responses. When asked about the most significant problems faced by current physician-scientists, 80% reported funding limitations, while 56% cited administrative burdens. Burnout, length of training, and clinical care overload were identified as the next most significant issues, with each being selected by approximately 40% of respondents. Notably, despite these challenges, 90% of respondents reported a high or very high level of career satisfaction. Concerning funding limitations, many respondents advocated for increased NIH funding to physician-scientists, particularly during the transition to independence and junior faculty stages. They also called for enhanced institutional startup and hard-money support for new physician-scientist faculty. Respondents believed that ASCI could help by providing mentorship advice and workshops for fellows and junior investigators. Additionally, they felt that improved networking among ASCI members across disciplines, within disciplines, and across generations could provide a much-needed support structure for our community.

So, what new initiatives is ASCI undertaking to address these formidable challenges? To enhance our society’s networking and mentorship capacity, I initiated a major overhaul of our website. A key feature of the revamped site is the membership directory, where trainees, junior faculty, and ASCI members can view the entire membership and search for members with specific scientific or clinical expertise such as biochemistry, genetics, cell biology, oncology, or infectious disease. For example, a trainee considering a fellowship in San Francisco could search for all ASCI members in the area, select their names, read their updated biographies and view their selected publications. Importantly, we are asking all members to provide a 5-minute video upload, in which they describe their career trajectories, what motivates them and brings them joy as physician-scientists, and crucially, their scientific area of focus. The new directory will increase the visibility of our membership, enable members to form disciplinary or inter-disciplinary affinity groups, help trainees identify labs, mentors, and institutions supportive of physician-scientists, and assist us in advocating for increased funding support for physician-scientists from the NIH. This comprehensive directory is a valuable resource that will showcase the remarkable accomplishments of over 3,400 leaders in biomedical research, bolstering our ability to organize and collectively advocate in support of our mission. I extend my gratitude to John Hawley for his exceptional support and management of this initiative, and I strongly encourage all of you to help us by updating your bios, submitting your select publications and uploading your 5-minute videos soon. You will be receiving a reminder in the coming weeks.

To provide targeted advice for different career-stages, we have initiated the ASCI Presidents’ Q&A sessions, a webinar series starting this June, in which current and past ASCI presidents will address any questions posed by trainees and physician-scientist faculty on a variety of topics, including grant writing, study sections, faculty chalk talks, mentorship, teaching, startup negotiations, administrative burden, leadership and the inner workings of ASCI. We will be reaching back decades to past presidents whose timeless insights will greatly benefit our society.

To support trainees at their most vulnerable stage, we will annually pair pre-faculty physician-scientists—the ASCI Emerging Generation Awardees—and early faculty physician-scientists—the ASCI Young Physician-Scientist Awardees—with newly elected ASCI members who have overlapping scientific interests. Each ASCI member will serve as a long-term career mentor or Big Sib for the junior trainee, helping them navigate the most precarious phase of the physician-scientist career path. Vice President Anna Greka has played a major role in guiding young trainee mentorship along with Christopher Williams, and I’m thrilled that we will have her continued leadership in this initiative.

To highlight exceptional mid-career physician-scientists who can serve as inspirational role models for our future leaders, I am thrilled to announce our inaugural mid-career physician-scientist awards—an initiative created under Hossein Ardehali and Lorraine Ware’s leadership. Wendy Garrett is the recipient of the Marian Ropes award, while Duane Mitchell is the recipient of the Louise Sullivan award. Wendy and Duane will present their exciting scientific work at next year’s annual meeting. Please join me in congratulating them on their achievements.

Lastly, Ben Humphreys and I are at the early stages of organizing a working group what will focus on identifying potential solutions to concerns surrounding grant funding and institutional support for junior physician-scientist faculty. These complex issues demand collective thinking, creativity, advocacy, and action. We eagerly anticipate collaborating with you on these crucial matters.

In response to what the greatest opportunities and rewards of being a physician-scientist are, 93% of our survey respondents chose the option making new discoveries. There have never been more tools available to us to for making such discoveries, and there has never been a more exciting time to be a physician-scientist! So please help us to convey our excitement and passion for this path to our young impressionable trainees.

In closing, I want to express my gratitude for the incredible honor of serving our esteemed society on Council for these past 6 years. I am grateful to my exceptional Council members and am delighted to pass the baton to our next president and exemplary leader Ben Humphreys.

I also wish to extend special thanks to two people who are the heart and soul of this exceptional organization: John Hawley, the executive director, and Karen Guth, the managing director of ASCI. John’s vast knowledge of our organization, its history, and inner workings is truly remarkable. Karen’s adept management of ASCI’s finances, investments, and sizable staff, as well as her organization of our meetings is equally astonishing. In my view, Karen and John have contributed more to the physician-scientist cause than anyone else I know, and working with them has been an absolute pleasure. This year marks the 25th anniversary of their leadership service at ASCI. On behalf of the present and past 25 Councils and the entire membership, I extend my heartfelt thanks to Karen and John for their dedication to ASCI.

Sincerely,

Sohail F. Tavazoie, MD, PhD

The 2023 Stanley J. Korsmeyer Award: Nicole Calakos, MD, PhD

Posted on by John Hawley
Dr. Calakos

Nicole Calakos, MD, PhD, is the recipient of the 2023 Stanley J. Korsmeyer Award from the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) for her contributions to understanding basal ganglia physiology and its involvement in diseases such as compulsive behavior and movement disorders.

Dr. Calakos received a bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology from University of California-Berkeley followed by graduate research in Neuroscience under the mentorship of Richard Scheller, PhD, at Stanford University. She received her MD and doctoral degrees from Stanford, completed a residency in Neurology at the University of California, San Francisco, and a postdoctoral fellowship with Robert Malenka, MD, PhD at Stanford.

The brain’s basal ganglia circuitry influences a wide range of behaviors that involve the selection and execution of action plans. A host of neuropsychiatric disorders ranging from OCD to Parkinson’s disease and dystonia are associated with basal ganglia dysfunction. Dr. Calakos’ research program focuses on mechanisms of adaptive plasticity involving the striatal circuitry of the basal ganglia. Her work has helped to reveal fundamental mechanisms by which this brain region normally adapts to experience, such as in habit learning, and how brain diseases like compulsive behavior and movement disorders arise.

Her research has revealed a crucial role for a biochemical pathway, known as the “integrated stress response” (ISR), that regulates protein synthesis in multiple inherited and sporadic forms of the movement disorder, dystonia. These insights have led to the development of new drug candidates for dystonia and uncovered non-canonical roles for the ISR in the healthy brain where it was found to be constitutively active in neuromodulatory neurons to maintain the integrity of dopamine and acetylcholine signaling. The significance of recognizing new ISR roles in the brain’s acetylcholine system also reaches beyond dystonia because ISR-inhibiting small molecules are being advanced to treat traumatic brain injury and dementia.

Her laboratory continues work to study the basic-science ramifications of this unusual cell-type specific engagement of the ISR in neuromodulatory cells as well as advance ISR-targeting therapeutic approaches for dystonia toward the clinic. Based on the discovery that the HIV protease inhibitor ritonavir may be efficacious for dystonia in preclinical models through a mechanism involving the ISR, a multi-center collaborative project supported by the Department of Defense (DOD) is ongoing to advance to human subject studies.

Dr. Calakos is the Lincoln Financial Group Distinguished Professor of Neurobiology and Chief of the Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorder division of Neurology at Duke University Medical Center. Throughout her career, she has advocated for physician-scientist development and built bridges between the scientific and medical communities to enhance translational research. She co-directs the Duke Scholars in Molecular Medicine Neurosciences track and has served on the executive committees for Duke’s Medical Scientist Training program, Strong Start program for physician-scientists, Third Year research program for medical students and the NIH/NINDS K12 career development program for pediatric neurology physician-scientists.

Her laboratory has been continuously supported by the NIH (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute of Mental Health). Her work has also been supported by the DOD and private foundations, including the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation, Tyler’s Hope for a Dystonia Cure Foundation, Bachmann-Strauss Dystonia Parkinson’s Foundation, Klingenstein Fund, McKnight Foundation for the Neurosciences, Harrington Discovery Institute, Tourette Syndrome Association, The Kahn family foundation, The Holland-Trice family foundation, the Ruth K. Broad Biomedical Research Foundation, the Chan-Zuckerberg Institute, and the Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s Foundation.

Dr. Calakos’ contributions have been recognized through a number of awards including the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (formerly NARSAD) (2007), Klingenstein Fellowship in the Neurosciences Robert H. Ebert Clinical Scholar distinction (2007), Tourette Syndrome Association Early Career Award (2009), Harrington Discovery Institute Scholar-Innovator Award (2015), and Duke Health Scholar (2016). She was elected to the American Neurological Association in 2012 (and served on its Board of Directors from 2012 to 2015), the ASCI in 2017, the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences in 2020, and the National Academy of Medicine in 2022.

Sean Agbor-Enoh, MD, PhD – full video

Posted on by John Hawley

PSEC member Dr. Patrick Nana-Sinkam interviewed lung transplantation researcher and 2023 ASCI inductee Sean Agbor-Enoh, MD, PhD (view profile). Dr. Agbor-Enoh is Laboratory Chief, NIH Lasker Clinical Tenure Track Investigator, and NIH Distinguished Scholar, Laboratory of Applied Precision Omics (APO) Division of Intramural Research, NHLBI-NIH; Lead Investigator and Director, Genomic Research Alliance for Transplantation; and Adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine, Lung Transplant Program, Johns Hopkins Hospital. His team has developed cell-free DNA (cfDNA) approaches that reliably detect transplant rejection at an earlier stage than biopsy. Dr. Agbor-Enoh relates the influences of his early background on his current work, surprises and discoveries in his research on lung transplantation, and how these findings can be applied for other medical conditions — while offering advice and encouragement to young physician-scientists and colleagues. — Posted March 2023

View video clip here.

The 2023 Harrington Prize for Innovation in Medicine: Jean Bennett, MD, PhD, and Albert M. Maguire, MD

Posted on by John Hawley
Dr. Bennett
Dr. Maguire

The tenth annual Harrington Prize for Innovation in Medicine has been jointly awarded to Jean Bennett, MD, PhD, the F.M. Kirby Emeritus Professor of Ophthalmology and Cell and Developmental Biology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and Albert M. Maguire, MD, the F.M. Kirby Professor of Molecular Ophthalmology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The award recognizes this team’s groundbreaking translational research to restore sight in inherited genetic diseases.

The Harrington Prize for Innovation in Medicine, established in 2014 by the Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals and the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), honors physician-scientists who have moved science forward with achievements notable for innovation, creativity and potential for clinical application.

Dr. Jean Bennett and Dr. Albert Maguire are pioneers in retinal gene therapies, conducting their early work at a time when there were few guideposts. Working collaboratively for the past 30 years, they are widely recognized for persistence and dedication that has led to a first fully approved breakthrough treatment for blindness.

Drs. Bennet and Maguire’s striking results in a dog model of Leber’s congenital amaurosis (LCA), a rare genetic cause of blindness, provided support for human clinical trials, which reversed blindness in children and resulted in FDA approval of gene therapy to the eye.

Building on their work in LCA, the Bennett-Maguire team initiated a clinical trial for a second inherited retinal degeneration, Choroideremia, a disease leading to complete blindness in affected men by middle age. In doing so, they opened a path from laboratory to clinic in additional blinding diseases.

“The path from proof-of-concept to delivering a safe and effective treatment to patients is one that few physician-scientists are able to experience. Drs. Bennett and Maguire have achieved many ‘firsts’ through their groundbreaking work and have opened the gates for many new treatments to follow,” said Sohail F. Tavazoie, MD, PhD, Leon Hess Professor, The Rockefeller University and 2022-2023 President of the ASCI.

“The translational work of Drs. Bennett and Maguire has impacted the standard of care for patients living with congenital blindness and offered new hope where none existed. Their extraordinary achievements are precisely what the Harrington Prize seeks to recognize,” said Jonathan S. Stamler, MD, President, Harrington Discovery Institute, Robert S. and Sylvia K. Reitman Family Foundation Distinguished Professor of Cardiovascular Innovation and Professor of Medicine and of Biochemistry at University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University.    

A committee composed of members of the ASCI Council and the Harrington Discovery Institute Scientific Advisory Board reviewed nominations from leading academic medical centers globally before selecting the 2023 Harrington Prize recipients.

In addition to sharing the Prize’s $20,000 honorarium, co-recipients Dr. Bennett and Dr. Maguire will deliver the Harrington Prize Lecture at the 2023 AAP/ASCI/APSA Joint Meeting on April 21, will be  featured speakers at the 2023 Harrington Scientific Symposium May 24-25, and will co-publish an essay in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

The Harrington Prize has recognized outstanding and diverse innovations in medicine:

  • 2014: Harry Dietz, MD, Johns Hopkins University, for his contributions to the understanding of the biology and treatment of Marfan syndrome, a disorder leading to deadly aneurysms in children and adults.
  • 2015: Douglas R. Lowy, MD, The National Cancer Institute, in recognition of his discoveries that led to the development of the Human Papillomavirus vaccine to prevent cervical cancer.
  • 2016: Jeffrey M. Friedman, MD, PhD, The Rockefeller University, for his discovery of leptin, which controls feeding behavior and is used to treat related clinical disorders.
  • 2017: Jointly awarded to Daniel J. Drucker, MD, Mount Sinai Hospital, Canada, Joel F. Habener, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Jens J. Holst, MD, DMSc, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, for their discovery of incretin hormones and for the  translation of these findings into transformative therapies for major metabolic diseases such as diabetes.
  • 2018: Helen H. Hobbs, MD, UT Southwestern Medical Center, for the discovery of the link between a gene mutation (PCSK9) and lower levels of LDL, which has improved the treatment of high cholesterol.
  • 2019: Carl H. June, MD, University of Pennsylvania, for advancing the clinical application   of CAR T therapy for cancer treatment, and for his sustained contributions to the field of cellular immunology.
  • 2020: Stuart H. Orkin, MD, Harvard University, for breakthrough discoveries on red blood cells that offer new treatments for patients with sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia, which are among the most common genetic disorders.
  • 2021: Warren J. Leonard, MD, and John J. O’Shea, MD, NIH, for their respective contributions to the field of immunology, from fundamental discovery to therapeutic impact.
  • 2022: James E. Crowe Jr., MD, and Michel C. Nussenzweig, MD, PhD, for their groundbreaking work, which has elucidated fundamental principles of the human immune response and enabled the use of human antibodies to treat COVID-19.

New Active and International members elected for 2023

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The ASCI is pleased to announce the election of 100 Active and International members for 2023.

These new members come from 49 different institutions and represent excellence across the breadth of academic medicine. They will be officially inducted into the Society at the ASCI Dinner and New Member Induction Ceremony, April 21, 2023, as part of the AAP/ASCI/APSA Joint Meeting, April 21–23, at the Swissotel Chicago.

The 2023 Active and International members (also available here):

Nominee Institution
Behdad Afzali Khoshkbijari, MD, PhD, FRCP (UK) NIH, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Sean Agbor-Enoh, MD, PhD NIH, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Olujimi A. Ajijola, MD, PhD University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine
Sandra Amaral, MD, MHS Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Fotis Asimakopoulos, MB, BChir, PhD University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine
Megan T. Baldridge, MD, PhD Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Katharine J. Bar, MD University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Nora A. Barrett, MD Harvard Medical School, Brigham & Women’s Hospital
Surya Prakash Bhatt, MD, MSPH University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine
Gerald S. Bloomfield, MD, MPH Duke University School of Medicine
Leonardo Bonilha, MD, PhD Emory University School of Medicine
Evan Luke Brittain, MD, MSc Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Irina Burd, MD, PhD University of Maryland School of Medicine
Tara I. Chang, MD Stanford University School of Medicine
Michael H. Cho, MD, MPH Harvard Medical School, Brigham & Women’s Hospital
Eugenio Cingolani, MD Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Megan Anne Cooper, MD, PhD Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Corey S. Cutler, MD, MPH Harvard Medical School, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Brian J DeBosch, MD, PhD Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Courtney D. DiNardo, MD University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Taylor Alan Doherty, MD University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine
Sara Elyse Espinoza, MD, MSc UT Health San Antonio, Joe R. & Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine
Ryan C. Fields, MD Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Birgit Frauscher, MD, PD Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University
Neel Rajnikant Gandhi, MD Emory University School of Medicine
Jose Manuel Garcia, MD, PhD University of Washington School of Medicine
Luis Andres Garza, MD, PhD Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Julie E. Goodwin, MD Yale School of Medicine
Magdalena Maria Gorska, MD, PhD National Jewish Health
Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman, MD, MS University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine
Jessica Elizabeth Haberer, MD, MS Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital
Aaron Nathaniel Hata, MD, PhD Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital
Ya-Chi Ho, MD, PhD Yale School of Medicine
Lesley Ann Inker, MD, MS Tufts Medical Center
Benjamin Izar, MD, PhD Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
Sanjay K. Jain, MBBS Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Aaron W. James, MD, PhD Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Yelena Yuriy Janjigian, MD Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Babak Javid, MB BChir, PhD University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine
Joshua Jonathan Joseph, MD, MPH, FAHA Ohio State University College of Medicine
Karen Joynt Maddox, MD, MPH Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Dinesh Khanna, MD, MS University of Michigan Medical School
Christopher Austin Klebanoff, MD Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Joanna Klubo-Gwiezdzinska, MD, PhD NIH, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Dennis C. Ko, MD, PhD Duke University School of Medicine
Melanie Koenigshoff, MD, PhD, ATSF University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Rafael Kramann, MD, PhD, FASN RWTH Aachen University Medical School
Daniela P. Ladner, MD, MPH Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Adam Scott Lauring, MD, PhD University of Michigan Medical School
Thuy Le, MD, PhD Duke University School of Medicine
Krista L. Lentine, MD, PhD St. Louis University School of Medicine
Thomas Hin-Chai Leung, MD, PhD University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Josh Levitsky, MD Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Huiping Liu, MD, PhD Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
James C. Lo, MD, PhD Weill Cornell Medicine
Anirban Maitra, MBBS University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Harmeet Malhi, MBBS Mayo Clinic
Sandeep K. Mallipattu, MD Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University
David Glenn McFadden, MD, PhD University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Heather Christy Mefford, MD, PhD St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Edward Axel Miao, MD, PhD Duke University School of Medicine
Supriya Gupta Mohile, MD, MS University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry
Adam Mor, MD, PhD Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
Saman Nazarian, MD, PhD University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Matthew David Neal, MD, FACS University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Rahmi Oklu, MD, PhD Mayo Clinic
Vishal Patel, MD University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Jonathan Paul Piccini, MD, MHS Duke University School of Medicine
Nira R. Pollock, MD, PhD, MMSc., D(ABMM) Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital
Tiffany Michele Powell-Wiley, MD, MPH NIH, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Stacey Lynn Rentschler, MD, PhD Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Katy Rezvani, MD, PhD University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Todd William Ridky, MD, PhD University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Aylin Rachel Rodan, MD, PhD University of Utah School of Medicine
Lisa Giulino Roth, MD Weill Cornell Medicine
Marco Ruella, MD University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Rajan Sah, MD, PhD Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Joshua T. Schiffer, MD, MSc Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Eric Peter Schmidt, MD Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital
Sonja W. Scholz, MD, PhD NIH, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Wesley H. Self, MD, MPH Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Cyndya Adriana Shibao, MD, MSCI Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Amit G. Singal, MD University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Rajat Singh, MD, MBBS University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine
Laura F. Su, MD, PhD University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Jennifer Katherine Sun, MD, MPH Harvard Medical School, Joslin Diabetes Center
Andrew W. Tai, MD, PhD University of Michigan Medical School
Hussein A. Tawbi, MD, PhD University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Barbara W. Trautner, MD, PhD Baylor College of Medicine
Andrew Wang, MD, PhD Yale School of Medicine
David Andrew Wellman, MD, PhD Harvard Medical School, Brigham & Women’s Hospital
Duane R. Wesemann, MD, PhD Harvard Medical School
L. Keoki Williams, MD, MPH Henry Ford Hospital
Matthew H. Wilson, MD, PhD Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Laura DeLong Wood, MD, PhD Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Gregory F. Wu, MD, PhD Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
David Sung-wen Yu, MD, PhD Emory University School of Medicine
Amir Zarrinpar, MD, PhD University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine
Shen-Ying Zhang, MD, PhD The Rockefeller University
Elad Ziv, MD University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine

For the 2023 Active and International membership nomination cycle, the Council considered the 285 nominations received and recommended 100 nominees (the maximum) for election. The Active and Senior segments of the membership voted on the recommendation, with 40% of Active and Senior voters submitting their ballots. The vote was overwhelmingly in favor of approving the recommendation.

Nominations for ASCI Council, 2023

Posted on by John Hawley

The Society seeks nominations for the following ASCI Council vacancies arising in 2023 (all terms begin and end in the spring):

  • Vice President (4-year term, 2023-2027)
  • Councilor (two positions, each 3-year terms, 2023-2026)

Members who are in the Active category, and who do not turn 56 until 2027 or later, are eligible for nomination (self-nominations are not permitted). The Society strongly encourages members to consider diversity in identifying those suitable for nomination. Nominations may be submitted by any member and must be submitted by February 2, 2023, at 11:59 PM EST (extended from January 31).

All Council members are expected to support the activities of and attend the ASCI annual meeting, and to participate in the general governance of the Society, including two in-person meetings (fall and spring, with the spring meeting occurring as part of the annual meeting) and videoconference calls (typically every other month). All Council members participate in the review of membership and Stanley J. Korsmeyer Award nominations and subsequent discussion at the fall meeting.

The Vice President transitions to President-Elect in year 2, President in year 3, and Immediate Past President in year 4. For the 2nd through 4th years of this position, this member is expected to participate significantly in matters related to the annual meeting. In the Presidential year (year 3), the member convenes a face-to-face Council meeting and oversees related review processes for nominations, notably including those to membership. The President works closely with the Association of American Physicians to create the annual meeting program and presents the traditional Presidential Address at the meeting.

The Council is supported by an Executive Director, Managing Director, and other staff members who oversee the day-to-day operations of the Society and effect initiatives as directed by the Council. For details on Officers and Councilors, see the ASCI Bylaws.

Nominators:

  • may be any ASCI member
  • must provide a statement (250-word limit) regarding the nominee

Nominees:

  • must specify the position of interest (Vice President or Councilor);
  • must provide the following:
    • a 250-word candidate statement, written in first person, for consideration by the Council and for use as the ballot statement if the nominee is selected as a candidate. The nominee must provide the statement by email to staff@the-asci.org by the deadline noted above. (Nominees may refer to candidate statements for the 2022 nomination cycle for guidance in drafting their own statements.)
    • an NIH-style biosketch;
  • and must complete the ASCI’s demographic survey.

To start a nomination:

  • Access your member account
  • Go to the “Nominations” tab
  • In the section for “Council nominations”:
    • If you are the nominee, select the “I’m the nominee” option to start your part of the nomination (only you have access to this information).
    • If you are the nominator, select “I’m the nominator” option, then search for your nominee. Only nominees who are within the age-eligibility criteria will be returned in the results.

Charles S. Dela Cruz, MD, PhD—full video

Posted on by John Hawley

PSEC member Dr. Patrick Nana-Sinkam interviewed 2022 ASCI inductee Charles S. Dela Cruz, MD, PhD (view profile), at the end of the year. Dr. Dela Cruz is Associate Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine) and Microbial Pathogenesis; Director, Center for Pulmonary Infection Research and Treatment (CPIRT); Vice Chief, Clinical and Basic Research; and Director, Physician Scientist Training Program in the Department of Internal Medicine at Yale School of Medicine. His laboratory studies the role of respiratory infection in the pathogenesis of acute and chronic lung diseases, specifically how lung infection/pneumonia contribute to inflammation, injury, and tissue repair in the lung. Dr. Dela Cruz discusses his history as a researcher and clinician, offers advice about finding a niche in both areas, and reflects on how the experience with COVID is influencing how the physician-scientist works. — Posted December 2022

Nominations open for the 2023 Seldin~Smith Award for Pioneering Research

Posted on by John Hawley

The ASCI is pleased to call for nominations for the 2023 Seldin~Smith Award for Pioneering Research. The annual award, accompanied by an unrestricted $30,000 grant to advance academic efforts, honors an early-career physician-scientist who has demonstrated exceptional creativity and accomplishments in biomedical research (see past recipients).

The deadline for receipt of nominations is December 5, 2022, at 11:59 pm Eastern (extended from November 21).

The nominee:

  • Must be an MD (or the equivalent);
  • Must be more than 2 years but not more than 6 years from first faculty (or the equivalent) appointment as of April 2023;
  • Spends substantial time in research while providing direct patient care.

A nomination must be started by the nominator, who then notifies the nominee to complete her/his part of the nomination. The nominee identifies the supporter of the nomination and notifies that person through the submission site to complete her/his support form.

Nominations will be screened to ensure they are complete and fit the nomination criteria. The Seldin~Smith Award Selection Committee reviews nominations and provides recommendations to the Seldin~Smith Award Advisory Committee to determine the recipient.

The nominator must be an ASCI member in good standing and must start the nomination:

  • Access your member account
  • Go to the “Nominations” tab, then to the “ASCI / Seldin~Smith Award for Pioneering Research” section
  • Select “I’m the nominator” option
  • Search for your nominee:
    • If found, click on “Create nomination”
    • If no result is found, provide and save the requested information (first name, last name, and email address), then click on “Create nomination” for the newly created nominee in the “Results” section
  • At the top of the nomination form, click on “Send access notification to the nominee at: <email>”
  • Provide a 500-word limit statement on the nominee’s most significant achievement
  • Submit the statement, which can be done regardless of whether the nominee’s part of the nomination is completed

The nominee receives an email with information to access her/his part of the nomination and then must:

  • Provide a birth date and address information
  • Provide a summary (100-word limit) of her/his research, followed by a notation of the percentage of time devoted to direct patient care
  • Provide detail of:
    • Degrees obtained
    • Year of first faculty or equivalent appointment
    • Current institutional affiliation
  • Upload:
    • Current NIH-style biosketch
    • Three significant publications, each with an annotation (100-word limit)
  • Identify the nomination’s supporter and sends notification to the supporter to access her/his support form
  • Complete a demographic profile
  • Submit this aspect of the nomination, which can be done regardless of whether the nominator or supporter has completed her/his statement

The supporter:

  • Does not need to be an ASCI member
  • Must be identified and notified by the nominee
  • Provides a statement (500-word limit) of the nominee’s research contributions (the statement should be distinct from that of the nominator)

 

Nominations open for the 2023 ASCI / Stanley J. Korsmeyer Award

Posted on by John Hawley

Nominations for the ASCI’s 2023 ASCI / Stanley J. Korsmeyer Award are now open. This prestigious recognition, first called the ASCI Award, was renamed in 2006 in honor of Dr. Korsmeyer, the first recipient of the Award in 1998, who passed away in 2005. The Award recognizes individuals for their advancement of knowledge in a specific field and for mentoring future generations of life science researchers. Information on all past honorees is available here.

Current Active and International ASCI members are eligible for nomination. Prior nominees may be re-nominated. However, current ASCI Council members and prior Award recipients may not be nominated.

The deadline for receipt of nominations is October 17, 2022, at 11:59 pm Eastern. Nominations will be screened to ensure they are complete and fit the nomination criteria. The Council reviews nominations, with the outcome of review expected toward the end of November 2022.

Nominators:

  • may be any ASCI member in good standing, including members of the Council, and
  • must provide a statement (250-word limit) regarding the nominee.

Nominees:

  • must currently be an Active or International member;
  • must provide a biosketch, full curriculum vitae, and a trainee table; and
  • must complete the ASCI’s demographic survey.

To start a nomination:

Nominations may be started by the nominator or the nominee:

  • Access your member account
  • Go to the “Nominations” tab
  • Go to the section for “ASCI / Stanley J. Korsmeyer Award”

 

For the nominator:

  • Select “I’m the nominator” option
  • Search for your nominee
  • Click on “Create nomination”
  • If the nominee has not already claimed her/his part of the nomination, click on “Send nominee information to access the nominee’s part of the nomination” to send the nominee an email to access and edit her/his aspect of the nomination (see above).
  • Supply the required information (see above)
  • Submit this aspect of the nomination

For the nominee:

  • Select “I’m the nominee” option
  • Supply the required information (see above)
  • Submit this aspect of the nomination

Nominations open for 2023 Honorary membership

Posted on by John Hawley

The ASCI is pleased to call for nominations for 2023 Honorary membership. Nominees for this recognition must fit the criteria as given in the ASCI bylaws:

Any distinguished person who has contributed significantly to the Society’s objectives, who has not been previously and unsuccessfully nominated for Active or International membership, and who enjoys an unimpeachable moral standing is eligible for nomination in this category.

For the nominee who meets these criteria, there is no restriction on age or degree held.

The deadline for receipt of nominations is October 17, 2022, at 11:59 pm Eastern. Nominations will be screened to ensure they are complete and fit the nomination criteria. The Council reviews nominations and submits its recommendations to Active and Senior members for approval.

Nominators:

  • may be any ASCI member in good standing, including members of the Council, and
  • must provide a statement (250-word limit) regarding the nominee.

Nominees:

  • must provide a full curriculum vitae and
  • must complete the ASCI’s demographic survey.

To start a nomination:

The nominator must initiate the process:

  • Access your member account
  • Go to the “Nominations” tab
  • In the section for “Honorary membership”:
    • Select “I’m the nominator” option
    • Search for your nominee:
      • If found, click on “Create nomination”.
      • If no result is found, enter the requested information (first name, last name, and email address), save, and then click on “Create nomination”.
    • At the top of the nomination form, click on “Send nominee information to access the nominee’s part of the nomination” to send the nominee an email to access and edit her/his aspect of the nomination (see above).