John Hawley

Nominations for ASCI Council, 2022

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The Society seeks nominations for the following ASCI Council vacancies arising in 2022 (all terms begin and end in the spring):

  • Vice President (4-year term, 2022-2026),
  • Secretary-Treasurer Elect (3-year term, 2022-2025; first year is Councilor position, transitioning to Secretary-Treasurer for years 2 and 3), and
  • a Councilor position (3-year term, 2022-2025).

Members who will be 55 or younger in 2025 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 3, 2022, at 11:59 PM EST.

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 conference calls (typically every other month). All Council members participate in the review of membership nominations.

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.

The nominator is responsible for providing the following through her/his member account:

  • a 250-word summary of the nominee’s accomplishments
  • the nominee’s NIH-style brief biosketch (PDF)
  • the vacancy for which the nominee wishes to be considered

The nominee is responsible for providing 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 2021 nomination cycle for guidance in drafting their own statements.)

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee update — December 2021

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Dr. Paczesny

As we approach the first anniversary of the convening of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee (DEIC), I am pleased to share with you the Committee’s accomplishments.

The ASCI bylaws state that the DEIC “ensures that the organization, its programs, and its mentoring mechanisms promote and recognize diversity, inclusion, and equity.”

With these goals in mind, the Committee has developed foundational documents, the first of which is intended to establish a common understanding of key terms. This text outlines the considerations underlying the definitions of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and presents the term underrepresented in medicine and science (UiMS) in reference to populations that are underrepresented in medicine and science relative to their numbers in the general US population.

The second is the Society’s effort to collect detailed demographic information. We started this collection as part of the 2022 member nomination process  — our first data set. From here, we will endeavor to collect this information in all areas of the ASCI.

You can now provide your demographic details through your member account. The data collected will allow us to determine the current makeup of the Society’s populations, areas needing attention, and changes over time. Information will be kept confidential, and data will be deidentified for any reporting. All response areas are voluntary. We welcome your feedback (via staff@the-asci.org) and will incorporate changes as appropriate.

I look forward to bringing you news of further steps the Committee and the ASCI undertake in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Sincerely on behalf of the Committee,

Sophie Paczesny, MD, PhD
Chair, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee

Call for nominations, 2022 Emerging Generation Awards

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Nominations for the ASCI’s 2022 Emerging Generation (E-Gen) Awards are open through December 20, 2021, at 11:59 pm Eastern, the deadline for submission.

The E-Gen Awards recognize post-MD, pre-faculty appointment physician-scientists who are meaningfully engaged in immersive research, giving them access to the Joint Meeting and longitudinal programming over a 2-year period. Entry into the ASCI network at this stage is intended to provide peer support and inspiration to stay the course into a physician-scientist faculty appointment. Up to 20 Awardees will be selected.

The nominee for this recognition:

  • will have demonstrated creative promise during research training
  • is at least 3 years post MD
  • is meaningfully engaged in immersive research
  • must be nominated by an ASCI member
  • must provide a separate 250-word articulation of her/his scientific vision, by email to programs@the-asci.org with a notation regarding who is serving as the nominating ASCI member.

The nominating member must provide the following through her/his member account:

  • a completed nomination form (download Word document), including:
    • a 250-word nominating statement summarizing the nominee’s accomplishments
    • (optional) information about a supporting ASCI member who can be contacted regarding the nomination
  • the nominee’s NIH-style biosketch
  • the nominee’s completed ASCI demographics survey (download PDF)

Contact programs@the-asci.org with any questions.

Call for nominations, 2022 Stanley J. Korsmeyer Award

Posted on by John Hawley

Nominations for the ASCI’s 2022 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 Korsmeyer Award recognizes individuals for their advancement of knowledge in a specific field and mentoring of future generations of life science researchers. Information on all past honorees is available here.

Nominees for the Stanley J. Korsmeyer Award must be ASCI members who are 55 years of age or younger as of January 1, 2022. They shall have made significant contributions to biomedical science and shall have adhered to the principles of scientific excellence that the ASCI exemplifies. The nominee should have a record that reflects high standards of intellectual integrity, a deep and abiding respect for the community of biomedical scientists, and a strong commitment to mentoring the next generation of physician-scientists. Prior nominees may be re-nominated. However, current ASCI Council members and prior Award recipients may not be nominated.

Nominations consist of:

  • a summary of the nominee’s accomplishments (in plain text, not to exceed 250 words),
  • a brief NIH biosketch (as a PDF),
  • a full curriculum vitae, including all publications and invited lectures (as a PDF),
  • and a trainee table (preferred as a PDF).

Nominations must be submitted by ASCI members through their online accounts.

The deadline for nominations is October 7, 2021, at 11:59 PM Eastern.

Nominations for Active and International membership, 2022

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Nominations for 2022 membership may be submitted through October 4, 2021, 11:59 pm Eastern. Proposers and supporters of nominations should review the guide below carefully. Questions regarding nominations should be sent by email to staff@the-asci.org.

  • Nomination guide for Active and International membership (PDF). This document should be reviewed for details about the process and to ensure a complete nomination. Note: As of the 2021 cycle, a separate nomination form was eliminated, in favor of an interactive web-based process.
  • Membership nomination support template (for use by Seconders and General Supporters; Word document). This document provides a template for drafting nomination support. However, members are encouraged to submit scores and comments through their member accounts (this template matches the online form).

Submitting nominations

To ensure proper tracking of nominations, all information and documents must be supplied online.

  • To begin, access your member account
  • After you have logged in to your account, select the “Nominations” tab, then search the nominee database. Links will appear in search results to guide you in the next steps.
  • Your nominee may already be in the ASCI database because the person was previously nominated or because a nomination or support form has been started for this nomination cycle.

Proposers: Proposers are responsible for ensuring that all information provided for the nomination is accurate and complete. A Proposer may grant access to a nominee to edit certain sections of the nomination (see the guide above for details).

In their accounts, Proposers are able to identify those serving as Seconder and General Supporters of the nomination, although supporters need to provide comments via their own member accounts.

ASCI staff sends acknowledgment of submissions by email after they have been reviewed and found to be complete. Proposers can check the status of their submissions (nominations and support forms) online by accessing their member accounts.

Seconder and General Supporters: To draft and complete forms online, select the nominee from search results; or add the requested information about the nominee you are supporting. General Supporters who are not ASCI members may complete the nomination support template and email it to staff@the-asci.org for handling.

Further clarification

  • Age criterion for Active and International nominees. Nominees in these categories must be age 50 or younger as of January 1, 2022.
  • Exceptions to the age criterion cannot be made. Although the ASCI Council understands that a nominee’s progress may have been delayed because of unavoidable or extreme circumstances, the Council has on multiple occasions discussed exceptions and concluded from each discussion that no policy could be implemented fairly and durably.
  • Limit on number of nominations per nominee. The number of nominations per nominee is limited to 3, provided the nominee is age 50 or younger as of January 1, 2022.
  • Limit on number of nominations proposed, seconded, or supported. There is no limit to the number of nominations a member may propose or support (either as Seconder or General Supporter).
  • PhD-only candidates. Active and International nominations are, per the ASCI’s bylaws, restricted to physicians.
  • MD-equivalent candidates are eligible for nomination.
  • Faculty appointment versus nominee’s country of residence. The distinction between Active and International nominations is made on the basis of residence, not faculty appointment. Active nominees must reside in the US or Canada. Candidates residing elsewhere should be nominated in the International category.

Voters approve bylaws amendments regarding membership nominations and other items

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A ballot was issued to Active voters on July 12, 2021, that proposed the following changes to the organization’s bylaws:

“Article II – Objectives”: remove outdated description of the Society’s publications, “… for national and international distribution, on subscription at prices not in excess of calculated expenses and needs, …”

“Article III – Membership, Section 2, Membership nomination and election”:

  1. Increase the annual limit for Active and Foreign Associate candidates recommended for election, from 80 to 100.
  2. Re-establish the Honorary membership nomination category as distinct from the Active and Foreign Associate category, with an annual limit of 10 for election via a distinct ballot item.
  3. Allow Foreign Associate members to vote on membership recommendations.
  4. Allow Emeritus and Honorary members to serve as proposers and seconders of membership nominations.

Rename “Foreign Associate” members to “International” throughout the bylaws.

By the July 19, 2021, deadline, 44.7% 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 Joseph R. Arron, MD, PhD (Genentech) and Ravi Thadhani, MD, MPH (Mass General Brigham) for their service.

Nominations open for 9th annual Harrington Prize for Innovation in Medicine

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Harrington Discovery Institute and the ASCI collaborate to recognize an outstanding achievement of a physician-scientist globally

National and international nominations are being sought for the 2022 Harrington Prize for Innovation in Medicine, which honors a physician-scientist who has moved science forward with achievements notable for innovation, creativity and the potential for clinical application. 

The Harrington Prize, which carries a $20,000 honorarium, is a collaboration between the Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio—part of The Harrington Project for Discovery & Development—and the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), one of the nation’s oldest and most respected medical honor societies. The Harrington Discovery Institute is a nonprofit institute dedicated to helping physicians and scientists advance promising discoveries into medicines for unmet needs.

Both organizations recognize the challenges associated with translating discoveries into medicines, and they are eager to highlight those who have navigated the path successfully or whose work has led to novel treatments.

A committee composed of members of the Harrington Discovery Institute Scientific Advisory Board and the ASCI Council will review the nominations and select the awardee. In addition to the honorarium, the 2022 recipient will deliver the Harrington Prize Lecture at the 2022 Joint Meeting of the Association of American Physicians (AAP), the ASCI, and the American Physician Scientists Association (APSA); will lecture at the 2022 Harrington Discovery Institute Symposium; and will publish a personal essay in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Submitting a Nomination:

  • The deadline for nominations is September 29, 2021 (extended from September 20).
  • Multiple nominations from an institution are welcomed.
  • Teams are accepted for a nomination, but a primary nominee is required.
  • Nomination guidelines can be found at HarringtonDiscovery.org/ThePrize.

Previous Harrington Prize recipients:

  • 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: Jointly awarded to Warren J. Leonard, MD, NHLBI and John J. O’Shea, MD,  NIAMS, NIH, for their respective contributions to the field of immunology, from fundamental discovery to therapeutic impact.

For questions or more information about the nomination requirements, visit HarringtonDiscovery.org/ThePrize or contact Bronwyn Monroe, Harrington Discovery Institute Program Director, at Bronwyn.Monroe@HarringtonDiscovery.org.

Physician-scientist leaders recognize Dr. Anthony S. Fauci with a Public Service & Courage Award

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Dr. Fauci

The Association of American Physicians (AAP) and the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) recognize Anthony S. Fauci, MD, with a Public Service & Courage Award.  The foremost purpose of this award is to draw attention to Dr. Fauci’s exemplary contributions and dedication to public health. The award also recognizes Dr. Fauci’s courage in raising his voice for a science-driven approach to public health and safety despite the risk to his personal security.

During his decades-long career as Director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Dr. Fauci has overseen a multitude of programs to advance the science and treatment of infections and immune disorders. Of particular note has been his commitment to transparency and honesty in communicating with the public during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Fauci has strenuously advocated for the health of the nation based on science and data-driven information even as detractors have attempted to impugn his character.

The AAP, founded in 1885, and the ASCI, founded in 1908, represent thousands of physician-scientist leaders across the United States and internationally. Dr. Fauci was elected to the ASCI in 1976 and to the AAP in 1979; served as President of the AAP; and has previously received the AAP’s George M. Kober Medal for his enormous impact in the field of internal medicine and on the many outstanding scientists he has trained.

Additional reading on Dr. Fauci:

  • Gallin JI. 2007 Association of American Physicians George M. Kober Medal: Introduction of Anthony S. Fauci, MD. J Clin Invest. 2007;117(10):3131–3135. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI33692.
  • Fauci AS. A view from Washington through the eyes of an AAP physician-scientist: 2007 Association of American Physicians George M. Kober Medal. J Clin Invest. 2007;117(10):3136–3139. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI33691.
  • Neill US. A conversation with Tony Fauci. J Clin Invest. 2014;124(7):2814–2815. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI77277. [Part of the JCI series “Conversations with Giants in Medicine.”]

New Council members elected, 2021

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The ASCI is pleased to announce the results of a recent ballot to fill Council vacancies. Dr. Priscilla Hsue, Secretary-Treasurer Elect, oversaw the ballot; Drs. Sara E. Cosgrove and Ralph J. DeBerardinis volunteered as auditors.

The following members will join the Council at the conclusion of the upcoming AAP/ASCI/APSA Joint Meeting, April 8-10.

Vice President: Benjamin D. Humphreys, MD, PhD

Benjamin D. Humphreys, MD, PhD

Dr. Humphreys is Chief of the Division of Nephrology at Washington University in St. Louis and the Joseph P. Friedman Professor of Renal Diseases in Medicine. His research focuses on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of kidney injury and repair. Elected to the ASCI in 2013, he served as the ASCI’s 2019-2021 Secretary-Treasurer.


Councilor: Julie Anne Bastarache, MD

Julie Anne Bastarache, MD

Dr. Bastarache is a Pulmonary and Critical Care translational physician-scientist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Her research focuses on mechanisms that drive acute lung, brain and kidney injury in sepsis and critical illness. Dr. Bastarache was elected to the ASCI in 2020.


Councilor: Goutham Narla, MD, PhD

Goutham Narla, MD, PhD

Dr. Narla is the Division Chief of Genetic Medicine at the University of Michigan and an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at Michigan Medicine. His research focuses on the study of the structural and molecular basis for tumor suppressor gene inactivation in cancer initiation, development and progression. Dr. Narla was elected to the ASCI in 2016.


Councilor: Elizabeth K. Speliotes, MD, PhD, MPH

Elizabeth K. Speliotes, MD, PhD, MPH

Dr. Speliotes is the Keith Henley Endowed Professor of Gastroenterology and Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics at the University of Michigan. She conducts large-scale genomic studies of obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease to identify genetic variants that predispose to disease and define disease subtypes. Dr. Speliotes was elected to the ASCI in 2013.

Recipient of the 2021 Seldin~Smith Award for Pioneering Research: Rajan Jain, MD

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Dr. Jain

The American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) is pleased to announce Rajan Jain, MD, as the recipient of the 2021 Donald Seldin~Holly Smith Award for Pioneering Research. Dr. Jain will receive an unrestricted award of $30,000 to advance his academic efforts and will deliver a scientific talk at the 2022 AAP/ASCI/APSA Joint Meeting.

Dr. Jain’s work has revolved around understanding and deciphering how cells decide their fate and remember their identity over their lifetime. His program strives to understand the rules governing how DNA is packaged in three-dimensions in the nucleus and the importance of this organization for cellular function in health and disease. Dr. Jain’s work along with that of collaborators has shown that genome interactions with the nuclear periphery via the lamina protein network regulates differentiation of stem cells into cardiac myocytes. As a practicing cardiologist, Dr. Jain has extended his work to understanding cardiomyopathies with genetic etiologies, specifically those with mutations in LAMIN A/C (LMNA). He and colleagues recently showed that pathogenic LMNA variants disrupt three-dimensional genome organization in a tissue-specific fashion. Their work demonstrated that LMNA mutations target specific regions of the genome associated with the nuclear periphery preferentially in cardiac myocytes and result in misexpression of non-muscle genes in mutant cardiac tissues. Taken together, his work underscores a critical role for peripheral genome organization in guarding cellular identity. Dr. Jain has expanded his program’s focus into the mechanisms underlying genome-genome interactions and the implications for understanding progressive lineage restriction. Dr. Jain’s long-term goal is to use this knowledge to develop and/or improve targeted therapies for inherited as well as more common cardiac disorders.

Jonathan A. Epstein, MD, Senior Vice President, Executive Vice Dean, and Chief Scientific Officer, Penn Medicine, who supported Dr. Jain’s nomination, noted that he “is a brilliant and collaborative star who spans disciplines and acts as a connector. I am confident that his ongoing work will reshape our understanding of how gene programs are coordinated to regulate lineage restriction and cellular plasticity.”

Dr. Jain earned his BA from the University of California, Berkeley and his MD from New York University. He subsequently completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at Penn Medicine, where he continued with his clinical fellowship in cardiovascular medicine and research training. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Cell and Developmental Biology at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Jain’s research has been supported in part by the American Heart Association, Allen Foundation, Burroughs Wellcome Foundation, the National Institutes of Health (NHLBI, NIGMS, NIDA, and NIH Director’s High-Risk, High-Reward Program).

Nominations were evaluated by the Seldin~Smith Award Selection Committee: Mukesh K. Jain (Chair), Vivian G. Cheung, Charles L. Sawyers, Elizabeth M. McNally, and W. Kimryn Rathmell. Finalists were evaluated by an Advisory Committee comprising five physician-scientist luminaries: Joseph L. Goldstein (Chair), Michael S. Brown, Robert J. Lefkowitz, Christine Seidman, and Arthur Weiss.