Inside Einstein ::: Albert Einstein College of Medicine


November 2007-March 2008
	Academic Honors & Events On March 27, 2008, the Einstein Graduate Division held its 12th annual Julius Marmur Research Award Symposium, which highlights exemplary student research. Three students presented their award-winning research as part of the morning session presentation and awards ceremony, followed by an afternoon session of poster presentations and a reception. The student awardees were Boris Heifets, in the laboratory of Dr. Pablo Castillo (neuroscience); Shaeri Mukherjee, in the laboratory of Dr. Dennis Shields (developmental & molecular biology); and Kyung-Min Noh, in the laboratories of Drs. Michael V.L. Bennett and R. Suzanne Zukin (neuroscience). At Davidoff Education Day 2008 faculty members Arturo Casadevall, M.D., Ph.D., Forchheimer Professor and Chair of microbiology and immunology, and Solomon Moshé, M.D., professor of neurology, neuroscience, and pediatrics, received Faculty Mentoring Awards for basic science and clinical mentoring, respectively, in recognition of the countless students, post-doctorates, and residents whom they have mentored throughout their careers at Einstein. Allen M. Spiegel, M.D., The Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz Dean, presented the awards. On January 16, 2008, Stanley G. Nathenson, Distinguished Professor of microbiology and immunology and of cell biology at Albert Einstein College, received the second annual Marshall S. Horwitz, M.D. Faculty Prize for Research Excellence during a special ceremony at the medical school. The award was established in memory of Marshall S. Horwitz, M.D., a beloved long-time member of the Einstein faculty who died in 2005. As part of the program, Dr. Nathenson, who is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, delivered the second annual Marshall S. Horwitz, M.D. Prize Lecture, which focused on his current area of research: transplant immunity and costimulation of T cells. On December 3, 2007, the Belfer Institute for Advanced Biomedical Studies awarded six postdoctoral investigators with a $5,000 Outstanding Postdoctoral Research Scholar Prize, in recognition of research projects that were published in major professional journals. The recipients were: Kausik Chattopadhyay, Ph.D., in the laboratory of Dr. Stanley Nathenson (microbiology and immunology); Attila Gacser, Ph.D., in the laboratory of Josh Nosanchuk (infectious diseases); Alexander Konev, Ph.D., in the laboratory of Dr. Dmitry Fyodorov (cell biology); Minkui Lou, Ph.D., in the laboratory of Dr. Vern Schramm (biochemistry); Thomas MacCarthy, Ph.D., in the laboratory of Dr. Aviv Bergman (pathology); and Yong-Zhen Xu, Ph.D., in the laboratory of Dr. Charles Query (cell biology). In addition, nine postdoctoral investigators were awarded $500 travel awards. The longevity research of Dr. Nir Barzilai, Rennert Professor of Aging Research and director of the Institute for Aging Research, was featured in an ACT reading comprehension test question, which included a passage from the article "Design for Living," by Polly Shulman that had appeared in the journal Scientific American in 2000. Dr. Laurie Bauman, professor of pediatrics, has received a 2008 Public Health Community Award for improving the health and well-being of children and youth in connection with her "Bronx Youth As Partners in Participatory Research." Dr. Adam Friedman, Class of 2006 and resident in medicine (dermatology) at Montefiore Medical Center has been the recipient of several honors. These include: receiving the Young Investigators Research Award at the annual Orlando Dermatology and Aesthetic Conference; being awarded honorable mention for his poster, "Resist MicrobialResistane: Overcoming Crypotcoccal Biolfilms with Chitosan," in the American Academy of Dermatology 2008 Poster Competition, with the poster just one of five honored from the more than 3,500 presented; and being awarded first place in the North American Clinical Dermatology Society's Research Competition, for which he will present on his work using novel nanotechnology for the treatment of cutaneous infections and inflammatory conditions at the Society’s international conference in Dublin, Ireland. Dr. Noboru Hiroi, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and of neuroscience, has been invited to join the editorial board of Neuropsychopharmacology, the official journal of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. Dr. Lynne Holden, assistant professor of emergency medicine, is the recipient of the Outstanding Contributions to Health Professions Education Award presented by the National Association of Medical Minority Educators, Inc. The award recognizes Dr. Holden's contributions to residents, medical students and those who aspire to careers in medicine through her work in the community and through her organization, Mentoring in Medicine. Dr. Ganjam Kalpana, the Mark Trauner Faculty Scholar in Neuro-oncology, is the recipient of a Schwannomatosis Award from the Children's Tumor Foundation, to support pioneering research into understanding the molecular basis of schwannomatosis and the identification of potential therapeutic targets. Dr. Kalpana was part of the research team that originally identified the INI1 gene associated with schwannomatosis, which is a form of neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow anywhere on peripheral nerves of the body resulting in severe, untreatable pain. In addition, Dr. Kalpana is an invited keynote speaker at this year's Neurofibromatosis Conference, organized by the Children's Tumor Foundation. Dr. Stephen H. Lazar, Assistant Dean, has been invited to deliver the commencement address at the Sackler School of Medicine, NY/American Program, at the Tel Aviv University campus, on May 22, 2008. Dr. Alan Legatt, professor of clinical neurology and director of the Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship Program, was elected president of the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society. Dr. Richard Lipton, professor and vice chair of neurology, has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Headache Consortium of New England. He also is the recipient of the National Headache Foundation Award and was recognized by Science Watch.com as the most cited author on the topic of migraine and other vascular headaches. Dr Chaim Putterman, associate professor of medicine and of microbiology and immunology, has been selected as a faculty inductee of Einstein's Alpha Omega Alpha honor society. Dr. Isabelle Rapin, professor of neurology and of pediatrics, has been selected to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award in Autism from the International Society for Autism Research. The award recognizes Dr. Rapin's many contributions to the field and includes a lecture presented by Dr. Rapin and a reception in her honor. Dr. Odelia Schwartz, assistant professor of neuroscience has been awarded an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Research Fellowship. The awards are presented annually to select faculty at colleges and universities in the United States and Canada who are conducting research at the frontiers of physics, chemistry, computational and evolutionary molecular biology, computer science, economics, mathematics, and neuroscience. Dr. Hernando Sosa, associate professor of physiology and biophysics, was selected to speak during the New and Notable Symposium at the Biophysical Society/International Union for Pure and Applied Biophysics Meeting. Upcoming... On Monday, April 14, 2008, a memorial symposium will be held in remembrance of Salome Gluecksohn-Waelsch, Ph.D., distinguished university professor emerita of molecular genetics. The symposium will take place in Lubin Dining Hall at 4 p.m. On Tuesday, April 15, 2008, the Office of Student Affairs will host the Transition to Clerkship Ceremony, which will be held in Robbins Auditorium at 5:30 p.m. This is a ceremony for second-year students, who have completed their classroom coursework and will be starting their rotations on the clinical wards of Einstein's affiliated hospitals. The 50th graduation ceremony of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine will take place on Thursday, June 5, 2008 at 2:30 p.m., at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall. Dr. Albert S. Kuperman, associate dean for educational affairs, will deliver the commencement address to Einstein's Class of 2008. On Thursday, June 12, 2008, the College of Medicine will mark the opening of the newest addition on its Jack & Pearl Resnick Campus – the Michael F. Price Center for Genetic and Translational Medicine/Harold and Muriel Block Research Pavilion. On Wednesday, June 18, 2008, the College of Medicine will host a symposium honoring Stanley G. Nathenson, M.D., Distinguished Professor of microbiology & immunology and of cell biology. The event will feature presentations by a number of the world's leading immunologists, who will offer an overview of some of the most compelling research – past and present – within the field of immunology. HOME

On March 27, 2008, the Einstein Graduate Division held its 12th annual Julius Marmur Research Award Symposium, which highlights exemplary student research. Three students presented their award-winning research as part of the morning session presentation and awards ceremony, followed by an afternoon session of poster presentations and a reception. The student awardees were Boris Heifets, in the laboratory of Dr. Pablo Castillo (neuroscience); Shaeri Mukherjee, in the laboratory of Dr. Dennis Shields (developmental & molecular biology); and Kyung-Min Noh, in the laboratories of Drs. Michael V.L. Bennett and R. Suzanne Zukin (neuroscience).

At Davidoff Education Day 2008 faculty members Arturo Casadevall, M.D., Ph.D., Forchheimer Professor and Chair of microbiology and immunology, and Solomon Moshé, M.D., professor of neurology, neuroscience, and pediatrics, received Faculty Mentoring Awards for basic science and clinical mentoring, respectively, in recognition of the countless students, post-doctorates, and residents whom they have mentored throughout their careers at Einstein. Allen M. Spiegel, M.D., The Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz Dean, presented the awards.

On January 16, 2008, Stanley G. Nathenson, Distinguished Professor of microbiology and immunology and of cell biology at Albert Einstein College, received the second annual Marshall S. Horwitz, M.D. Faculty Prize for Research Excellence during a special ceremony at the medical school. The award was established in memory of Marshall S. Horwitz, M.D., a beloved long-time member of the Einstein faculty who died in 2005. As part of the program, Dr. Nathenson, who is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, delivered the second annual Marshall S. Horwitz, M.D. Prize Lecture, which focused on his current area of research: transplant immunity and costimulation of T cells.

On December 3, 2007, the Belfer Institute for Advanced Biomedical Studies awarded six postdoctoral investigators with a $5,000 Outstanding Postdoctoral Research Scholar Prize, in recognition of research projects that were published in major professional journals. The recipients were: Kausik Chattopadhyay, Ph.D., in the laboratory of Dr. Stanley Nathenson (microbiology and immunology); Attila Gacser, Ph.D., in the laboratory of Josh Nosanchuk (infectious diseases); Alexander Konev, Ph.D., in the laboratory of Dr. Dmitry Fyodorov (cell biology); Minkui Lou, Ph.D., in the laboratory of Dr. Vern Schramm (biochemistry); Thomas MacCarthy, Ph.D., in the laboratory of Dr. Aviv Bergman (pathology); and Yong-Zhen Xu, Ph.D., in the laboratory of Dr. Charles Query (cell biology). In addition, nine postdoctoral investigators were awarded $500 travel awards.

The longevity research of Dr. Nir Barzilai, Rennert Professor of Aging Research and director of the Institute for Aging Research, was featured in an ACT reading comprehension test question, which included a passage from the article "Design for Living," by Polly Shulman that had appeared in the journal Scientific American in 2000.

Dr. Laurie Bauman, professor of pediatrics, has received a 2008 Public Health Community Award for improving the health and well-being of children and youth in connection with her "Bronx Youth As Partners in Participatory Research."

Dr. Adam Friedman, Class of 2006 and resident in medicine (dermatology) at Montefiore Medical Center has been the recipient of several honors. These include: receiving the Young Investigators Research Award at the annual Orlando Dermatology and Aesthetic Conference; being awarded honorable mention for his poster, "Resist MicrobialResistane: Overcoming Crypotcoccal Biolfilms with Chitosan," in the American Academy of Dermatology 2008 Poster Competition, with the poster just one of five honored from the more than 3,500 presented; and being awarded first place in the North American Clinical Dermatology Society's Research Competition, for which he will present on his work using novel nanotechnology for the treatment of cutaneous infections and inflammatory conditions at the Society’s international conference in Dublin, Ireland.

Dr. Noboru Hiroi, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and of neuroscience, has been invited to join the editorial board of Neuropsychopharmacology, the official journal of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology.

Dr. Lynne Holden, assistant professor of emergency medicine, is the recipient of the Outstanding Contributions to Health Professions Education Award presented by the National Association of Medical Minority Educators, Inc. The award recognizes Dr. Holden's contributions to residents, medical students and those who aspire to careers in medicine through her work in the community and through her organization, Mentoring in Medicine.

Dr. Ganjam Kalpana, the Mark Trauner Faculty Scholar in Neuro-oncology, is the recipient of a Schwannomatosis Award from the Children's Tumor Foundation, to support pioneering research into understanding the molecular basis of schwannomatosis and the identification of potential therapeutic targets. Dr. Kalpana was part of the research team that originally identified the INI1 gene associated with schwannomatosis, which is a form of neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow anywhere on peripheral nerves of the body resulting in severe, untreatable pain. In addition, Dr. Kalpana is an invited keynote speaker at this year's Neurofibromatosis Conference, organized by the Children's Tumor Foundation.

Dr. Stephen H. Lazar, Assistant Dean, has been invited to deliver the commencement address at the Sackler School of Medicine, NY/American Program, at the Tel Aviv University campus, on May 22, 2008.

Dr. Alan Legatt, professor of clinical neurology and director of the Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship Program, was elected president of the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society.

Dr. Richard Lipton, professor and vice chair of neurology, has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Headache Consortium of New England. He also is the recipient of the National Headache Foundation Award and was recognized by Science Watch.com as the most cited author on the topic of migraine and other vascular headaches.

Dr Chaim Putterman, associate professor of medicine and of microbiology and immunology, has been selected as a faculty inductee of Einstein's Alpha Omega Alpha honor society.

Dr. Isabelle Rapin, professor of neurology and of pediatrics, has been selected to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award in Autism from the International Society for Autism Research. The award recognizes Dr. Rapin's many contributions to the field and includes a lecture presented by Dr. Rapin and a reception in her honor.

Dr. Odelia Schwartz, assistant professor of neuroscience has been awarded an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Research Fellowship. The awards are presented annually to select faculty at colleges and universities in the United States and Canada who are conducting research at the frontiers of physics, chemistry, computational and evolutionary molecular biology, computer science, economics, mathematics, and neuroscience.

Dr. Hernando Sosa, associate professor of physiology and biophysics, was selected to speak during the New and Notable Symposium at the Biophysical Society/International Union for Pure and Applied Biophysics Meeting.

Upcoming...

On Monday, April 14, 2008, a memorial symposium will be held in remembrance of Salome Gluecksohn-Waelsch, Ph.D., distinguished university professor emerita of molecular genetics. The symposium will take place in Lubin Dining Hall at 4 p.m.

On Tuesday, April 15, 2008, the Office of Student Affairs will host the Transition to Clerkship Ceremony, which will be held in Robbins Auditorium at 5:30 p.m. This is a ceremony for second-year students, who have completed their classroom coursework and will be starting their rotations on the clinical wards of Einstein's affiliated hospitals.

The 50th graduation ceremony of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine will take place on Thursday, June 5, 2008 at 2:30 p.m., at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall. Dr. Albert S. Kuperman, associate dean for educational affairs, will deliver the commencement address to Einstein's Class of 2008.

On Thursday, June 12, 2008, the College of Medicine will mark the opening of the newest addition on its Jack & Pearl Resnick Campus – the Michael F. Price Center for Genetic and Translational Medicine/Harold and Muriel Block Research Pavilion.

On Wednesday, June 18, 2008, the College of Medicine will host a symposium honoring Stanley G. Nathenson, M.D., Distinguished Professor of microbiology & immunology and of cell biology. The event will feature presentations by a number of the world's leading immunologists, who will offer an overview of some of the most compelling research – past and present – within the field of immunology.