Faculty Accomplishments

Cardiologist John Bisognano, M.D., Ph.D., professor of Medicine and director of Outpatient Cardiology, has been named president of the New York State Chapter of the American College of Cardiology and a member of the board of directors of the American Society of Hypertension. Bisognano, a hypertension and heart failure expert, also serves as medical director of the URMC Cardiac Rehabilitation Program and director of Clinical Preventive Cardiology. He recently published the book “Manual of Heart Failure Management,” a comprehensive guide to managing patients with heart failure.

Edward B. Brown III, Ph.D., assistant professor of Biomedical Engineering, is one of 55 scientists in the country to receive a prestigious 2009 NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, which supports exceptionally creative researchers who propose projects that have the potential for unusually high impact. Brown is investigating novel ways to analyze and predict breast cancer metastasis.

Jack G. Caton, D.D.S., M.S., professor, chair and program director of the Periodontics Division and associate director for Education at URMC’s Eastman Institute for Oral Health, has received the 2009 Award for Outstanding Periodontal Educator from the American Academy of Periodontology. This award recognizes an exemplary periodontal faculty member whose career demonstrates excellence in teaching and is an inspiration to students. Since 1973, Caton has been educating students at the Eastman Institute, formerly known as Eastman Dental Center. He has served as program director for the Periodontics Division since 1990 and also as division chair since 1998.

Sheldon D. Fields, Ph.D., R.N., associate professor at the University of Rochester School of Nursing, has been named a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Health Policy Fellow for 2009-2010. Awarded by the RWJF and administered by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies, the prestigious fellowship enables Fields to spend a year (which began Sept. 1) in Washington, D.C., enriching his understanding of public policy practices and utilizing his range of experiences to provide health policy leadership on Capitol Hill. Fields is well known for his research and experience in the prevention of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, and medical services for those with the disease. He is one of only 10 fellows selected from applications submitted by individuals from academic institutions, nonprofit health care organizations and other community-based providers; he is also one of only two nurses selected for this year’s class, and the first male nurse in the program’s history.

James P. Wilmot Cancer Center Director Richard I. Fisher, M.D., a world expert in lymphoma research, was recently honored by the Lymphoma Research Foundation, the nation’s largest organization devoted to funding lymphoma research. He and three others received The Freundlich Leadership Award on Oct. 6, at the Foundation’s annual gala in New York City. The award, one of the highest from the Foundation, was presented to leaders of the Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board, which reviews funding requests and sets research priorities. The award was named for Barbara and Jerry Freundlich, the founders of Cure For Lymphoma, an organization that later evolved into the Lymphoma Research Foundation.

An essay by Alok Khorana, M.D., associate professor of Medicine at the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center, is included in the newest edition of Best American Medical Writing 2009. The piece, “Disorientation,” describes the emotional rollercoaster of his first days as a resident, having relocated to the United States from India and missing the traditional orientation program.

Jennifer Knight, M.D., a senior instructor and fellow in the Department of Psychiatry, has just been named an awardee of the 2009 William Webb Fellowship from the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine. The Academy is a national organization representing psychiatrists, and is dedicated to the advancement of medical science, education, and health care for persons with comorbid psychiatric and general medical conditions. The Webb Fellowship fosters the career development and leadership skills of outstanding residents and fellows by providing mentorship and involvement in the work of the Academy over a 2-year period. Knight is working closely with mentors in the UR Center for Mind-Body Research, developing her research interests, which include the interplay of depression and other psychiatric conditions with medical illnesses (with special attention to the inflammatory and immune mechanisms underlying such comorbidities).

Christopher Lentz, M.D., director of the Strong Regional Burn Program and a Colonel in the United States Air Force, was chosen to Command the 315^th Aerospace Medicine Reserve Squadron at the Charleston Air Force Base in South Carolina. In his new role, Lentz will oversee the activities of 2,600 reservists, who provide medical support to the 315th Air Mobility Wing. He also will continue using video conferencing technology to teach burn care to combat medics stationed in Afghanistan.

Thomas K. McInerny, M.D., F.A.A.P., associate chair for clinical affairs in the Department of Pediatrics and pediatrician at the Panorama Pediatric Group, has been awarded the American Academy of Pediatrics Education Award. The award recognizes a member of the Academy whose educational contributions have had a broad and positive impact on the health and well-being of children and adolescents. Over the past 38 years, McInerny has precepted numerous medical students and residents, authored or co-authored more than 30 articles, and is editor-in-chief of the AAP Textbook of Pediatric Care and Pediatric Care Online.

Gary R. Morrow, Ph.D. M.S., professor of Radiation Oncology and Psychiatry, received the 2009 Senior Faculty Mentoring of Junior Faculty Award from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Arthur Moss, M.D., professor of Medicine, has won the Golden Lionel Award, which is awarded every two years at the International Workshop on Cardiac Arrhythmias (which took place this October). The conference organizing committee grants the award to recognize "eminent authority in the field of arrhythmology.” Since his first publication in 1960, he has published more than 500 scientific papers, books, chapters, and editorials, many focusing on arrhythmias (electrical malfunctions that can throw the heartbeat out of rhythm, and stop it in the worst cases). Moss has spearheaded the research that led to the use of implantable cardioverter defibrillators, which shock the heart back into proper rhythm when they sense an arrhythmia.

Peter J. Papadakos, M.D., F.C.C.M., director of Critical Care Medicine and professor of Anesthesiology, Surgery and Neurosurgery, recently had his bestselling textbook (Elsevier), Critical Care: The Requisites in Anesthesiology, translated into Chinese. The majority of the chapters are contributions from faculty at the University of Rochester (including James E. Szalados, M.D., J.D., M.B.A., a clinical professor of Anesthesiology) with representation from the departments of Medicine, Anesthesiology, Surgery and Pharmacy. Papadakos has also been named to the Board of Medical Advisors of the American Association of Respiratory Care (AARC). For more than 50 years, the AARC has led the respiratory care profession in science, education and research. Its members are committed to providing exemplary respiratory care and improving lung health worldwide.

Sandra M. Schneider, M.D., professor of Emergency Medicine, was recently named president-elect of the American College of Emergency Physicians at the ACEP annual meeting in Boston. Schneider’s term as president will begin next year. Schneider was first elected to ACEP’s board in 2004.

Jacqueline Williams, Ph.D., research associate professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology, has been elected to a position of leadership for the esteemed Radiation Research Society. The Society seeks to advance radiation research in all areas of the natural sciences by facilitating cooperative research between the disciplines of physics, chemistry, biology and medicine, and disseminating knowledge through publications, meetings and educational symposia. Williams will assume the office of Vice-President Elect beginning in 2010, with succession to Vice-President in 2011, and President in 2012.

Four URMC graduate students will be among the national honorees for outstanding research and service at the American Public Health Association (APHA) annual meeting in November. The following doctoral students are in the Division of Health Policy and Outcomes program, within the Department of Community and Preventive Medicine: N. Tracy Zheng, Shubing Cai and Maggie Holland. In addition, Lin Fan will receive the 2009 Aging and Rural Health Research Award.

Home»