John Hawley

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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).

Nominations open for new mid-career member awards, 2023

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The ASCI is pleased to call for nominations for two new awards recognizing the scholarly achievements of mid-career members:

The Marian W. Ropes, MD, Award recognizes a middle-career woman physician-scientist. The annual award honors Dr. Ropes (1903–1994), a pioneer both as a researcher on the role of synovial fluid in joint diseases and as a woman in academic medicine. She was the first woman documented to have been elected to the ASCI. The first recipient of this award receives a $10,000 honorarium, will be recognized at the ASCI’s 2023 annual meeting, and gives the Ropes Lecture at the 2024 meeting.

The Louis W. Sullivan, MD, Award recognizes a middle-career physician-scientist who is underrepresented in medicine and science. The award honors Dr. Sullivan (born 1933), a hematologist, health care advocate, and policy leader — having served as US Secretary of Health and Human Services — and who was the first Black physician-scientist elected to the ASCI. The first recipient of this award receives a $10,000 honorarium, will be recognized at the ASCI’s 2023 annual meeting, and gives the Sullivan Lecture at the 2024 meeting.

ASCI members who are within 5 years of their election year may be nominated. Additionally:

  • For the Ropes Award, only female members are eligible for nomination
  • For the Sullivan Award, only UiMS members are eligible for nomination

The deadline for receipt of nominations is September 28, 2022, at 11:59 pm Eastern. Nominations will be screened to ensure they are complete and fit the award criteria. The ASCI’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee will review nominations and submit its recommendations to the ASCI Council for approval. We expect to notify nominees about the outcome by mid-November.

Nominators:

  • may be any ASCI member, except for current members of the ASCI Council and the ASCI Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, and
  • must provide a statement regarding the nominee (500-word limit).

Nominees:

  • must fit the criteria noted above and may not be current members of the ASCI Council and the ASCI Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee;
  • may be nominated only for one ASCI award (for example, a nominee for the Ropes Award may not be nominated for the Sullivan Award, Korsmeyer Award, or Harrington Prize);
  • must provide the following:
    • a personal statement (750-word limit);
    • a full curriculum vitae;
    • 3 most-significant publications, each with a 50-word annotation, followed by the member’s role in the publication, the journal name and publication year, and the Pubmed ID noted as “PMID:12345”;
  • 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 the award of interest:
    • 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); note that this option will not be available for the Ropes Award for male members.
    • If you are the nominator, select “I’m the nominator” option, then search for your nominee. Only nominees who are within 5 years of their election year will appear in the results. Note: for the Ropes Award, you will only be able to select a nominee who is a woman; for the Sullivan Award, you may select anyone who is within 5 years of election, but nominations will be screened (based on the information the nominee provides in the demographics survey) to ensure that nominees fit the UiMS criterion.

 

 

Voters approve bylaws amendments regarding membership nominations and other items

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A ballot was issued to Active voters on July 18, 2022, that proposed the following changes to the organization’s bylaws:

  1. Temporary increase in Active and International membership nomination age limit. In Article III, Section 2a. Active and International, the proposed amendment was from “A nominee in this section must be a physician who is 50 years of age or less on January 1 of the election year, and who …” to “A nominee in this section must be a physician who is 50 years of age or less on January 1 of the election year, or who is 53 years of age or less for the 2023 and 2024 election years reporting extenuating circumstances, and who …”
  2. Committee participation. In Article VII – Committees, Section 1, the proposed amendment was from “Committee members may be active or senior members in good standing.” to “Voting committee members must be members in good standing. A committee may have participants in non-voting roles, provided each is approved by a simple majority of voting members.”
  3. Modify committee name and structure. In Article VII – Committees, Section 7, the proposed amendment was to revise a committee’s name and codify the position of Vice Chair. The Vice Chair would serve a one-year term and succeed to Chair, whose term would be revised from three years to two years. Section 7 would be revised to: “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. This committee ensures that the organization, its programs, and its mentoring mechanisms promote and recognize diversity, inclusion, and equity. A Chair serves a two-year term, after succeeding from a one-year term as Vice Chair. In the last year of a Chair’s term, the President nominates a candidate for Vice Chair, who is elected by a simple majority vote of the committee. The President, Vice President, and President Elect are standing members of the committee. Other committee members may be drawn from across the membership and are added by simple majority vote of the committee; these members serve up to 3-year terms that conclude at the start of the Society’s annual meeting or May 1, whichever is earlier.”

By the July 22, 2022, deadline, 42.4% of eligible voters responded, reaching the minimum 40% participation rate required for ballot items regarding bylaws amendments. For each proposed amendment, the percentage of voters who responded favorably was over the 75% threshold required to approve amendments.

Following the bylaw’s Ballot Review Committee section, these results were received, reviewed, and verified by Priscilla Hsue (2021-2023 ASCI Secretary-Treasurer) and two Active members identified by random selection from ballots submitted and who agreed to audit the results. Thank you to Rebecca J. Brown, MD, MHSc (NIH, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) and Sudarshan Rajagopal, MD, PhD (Duke University School of Medicine) for their service.

Nominations for Active and International membership, 2023

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Nominations for Active and International membership for 2023 are open and may be submitted through September 30, 2022, 11:59 pm Eastern. All participants in a nomination should carefully review the information below. Send questions to staff@the-asci.org.

For the 2023 cycle, the bylaws have been amended to allow nominations of otherwise qualified individuals who are age 53 or younger on January 1, 2023, and whose work has been affected by extenuating circumstances. (This amendment also applies for the 2024 cycle, after which the age limit returns to 50.)

Nominees in these categories:

  • must be physicians who have “accomplished meritorious original, creative, and independent investigations in the clinical or allied sciences of medicine” and who enjoy “unimpeachable moral standing in the medical profession” (as stated in the ASCI bylaws);
  • must be age 53 or younger on January 1, 2023:
    • for candidates age 50 or younger on January 1, 2023, no information is required regarding an extenuating circumstance that may have affected their work;
    • for those age 51-53 on January 1, 2023, they need not have been previously nominated, and they must provide information regarding extenuating circumstances that have affected their work; and
  • may not be nominated more than three times (including those age 51-53 on January 1, 2023).

Proposers are discouraged from nominating those whose qualifications may not be sufficiently advanced, or from re-nominating a candidate if the candidate’s work has changed little since their previous nominations.

The ASCI Council reviews nominations and may recommend up to 100 Active and International nominees for election. The Council presents the recommended nominee group to Active and Senior members to approve by vote. Those elected for 2023 will be recognized at the ASCI’s annual Dinner and New Member Induction Ceremony, April 21, 2023, as part of the 2023 AAP/ASCI/APSA Joint Meeting, April 21-23, 2023, at the Swissôtel Chicago.

Note that Council members may not serve in any capacity regarding nominations.

Nomination preparation guidance and instructions

A nomination requires one Proposer and one Seconder, both of whom must be ASCI members in good standing and (if applicable) current in Society dues. General Supporters are optional.

There is no limit to the number of nominations a member can propose or support (either as Seconder or General Supporter).

The Proposer is ideally from an institution different from the nominee’s institution (although this is not required) and should have a good understanding of the nominee’s work. The Proposer is responsible for:

  • starting the nomination (see “ASCI account access” below);
  • granting access to the nominee to edit certain sections of the nomination (see detail in “Nomination sections” below); please note that granting access is optional but strongly encouraged to help ensure accuracy of information and to reduce the time burden on Proposers;
  • providing the “Proposer’s general statement on the nominee” (500-word limit) and “Statement on progress and development since previous nomination” (if applicable, 500-word limit);
  • ensuring that the nomination is accurate and complete; and
  • submitting the nomination.

Nominees may, if granted access, edit certain sections of the nomination.

The Seconder is ideally from an institution different from the nominee’s institution (although this is not required) and should have a good understanding of the nominee’s work. The Seconder is responsible for completing and submitting a form that includes:

  • scores for the areas enumerated in the form;
  • comments (500-word limit) that supplement, but do not duplicate, information provided by the Proposer and deal specifically with the nominee’s original scientific contributions; and
  • description of the relationship to the nominee.

General Supporters (not required; limited to 3 per nomination) may help to provide additional context for a nominee’s contributions, and to demonstrate wider support for the nominee beyond the candidate’s own institution, particularly if the Proposer and Seconder of a nomination are from the nominee’s institution. Anyone (including any ASCI member) may serve as a General Supporter. The General Supporter completes and submits a form that includes:

  • scores for the areas enumerated in the form;
  • comments (250-word limit) that supplement, but do not duplicate, information provided by the Proposer or the Seconder and deal specifically with the nominee’s original scientific contributions; and
  • description of the relationship to the nominee.

A nomination support template may be referenced in order to aid in drafting comments. Please note, however:

  • General Supporters who are ASCI members should complete and submit the required information online through their member accounts (see “ASCI account access”).
  • General Supporters who are not ASCI members should request that the Proposer add them to the nomination, where the Proposer can send emails to such supporters that include information about accessing their specific form.

ASCI account access

  • Access your account
  • Go to the “Nominations” tab, navigate to the “Active and International membership” section, and click on “Search for a nominee”
  • Enter the nominee’s last name (you may enter a partial name)
    • If a result is found, select your role (Proposer, Seconder, or General Supporter)
    • If no result is found, provide the requested information to start the nomination

Nomination sections

  • About the nominee — nominee may edit this information.
  • Nominee’s demographic information — nominee may edit this information.
    The ASCI requests responses to questions in a brief, 9-section survey that will help provide the foundation for expanding diversity, fostering inclusion, and achieving equity in the ASCI. All response areas are voluntary, with a “Prefer not to answer” option available for each section. Anyone with access to person-specific information (such as ASCI leadership, members associated with review processes, and staff members) will be required to keep the information confidential. Depersonalized summary information of all response areas may be provided in periodic public reports.
  • Support for nomination — Only accessible to the Proposer.
    Proposers may attach a Seconder and General Supporters to the nomination by searching the ASCI member directory; for a supporter who is not an ASCI member, Proposers must supply the supporter’s name and email address in order to attach the person to the nomination. After supporters are attached to the nomination, Proposers are provided the ability to notify them regarding their support forms.
  • Nominee’s institutional affiliation — nominee may edit this information
  • Documents — nominee may edit this information:
    • Full academic curriculum vitae, including:
      • current funding (clearly indicate whether the nominee is a principal investigator),
      • past funding,
      • invited lectures,
      • patents, and
      • full bibliography (with original research separated from other types of publications and the nominee’s name presented in bold face).
    • NIH-style biographic sketch (5-page limit), following the current format available at:
      http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/biosketch.htm
    • A high-resolution headshot photograph (for use if the nominee is recommended for election)
    • Three “Most significant publications,” excluding those representing work done by the nominee as a trainee. For each of these three files, an annotation is required and consists of two aspects:
      1. List authors in the original publication sequence, with the nominee’s name in capital letters, followed by numbered notation of the nominee’s role in parentheses (1 = principal investigator, 2 = collaborator), title, journal name, volume, inclusive page numbers, year, and Pubmed ID (PMID). Example:
        “John Q. Public and JANE DOE (1). Title. Journal. 1:1-10 (2015). PMID 1234”
      2. A description (50-word limit) of the publication’s key findings and significance.
  • Extenuating circumstances — nominee may edit this information.
    A nominee who is age 51-53 as of January 1, 2023, must select at least one of the extenuating circumstances provided: “elder care/other types of caregiving”; “child care”; “illness”; or “other”. An explanation of the circumstance(s) may be provided and is encouraged, but the explanation is optional.
  • Seminal contribution(s) —  nominee may edit this information.
    Summarize the nominee’s defining seminal contribution(s) and why this work forms the basis for the nomination. 75-word limit.
  • Proposer’s general statement on the nominee — only accessible to the Proposer.
    In the Proposer’s own words (500-word limit), describe the quality, originality, and impact of the nominee’s scientific work and the consistency and importance of the nominee’s research theme. Include a statement on the level of independence from the nominee’s mentor(s) and the nominee’s productivity and stature in the field.
    • Proposers should expand upon the candidate’s seminal contribution(s), including the originality, novelty, and impact of this research on the field. Note any special circumstances (e.g., childbearing, personal or family illness) that influenced the candidate’s research activities.
    • Information regarding major awards, invitations to give plenary lectures (especially at national and international meetings), and invitations to write chapters in major textbooks should be included as applicable — the quality and quantity of work are important factors.
  • Statement on progress and development since previous nomination — only accessible to the Proposer.
    In the Proposer’s own words (500-word limit), describe the critical differences between this nomination and the previous nomination (if applicable).