Dr. Barbara Alving to Direct National Center for Research Resources
Dr. Barbara Alving, acting director of the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) since 2005, has been appointed as the new director of the NCRR. Dr. Alving earned her undergraduate degree from Purdue University and her medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine. Following an internship in internal medicine at Georgetown, Dr. Alving completed her residency training and research fellowship in hematology at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Prior to joining the NCRR, Dr. Alving held positions with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, the Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC, and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. She is a master in the American College of Physicians and a member of the Advisory Board for Clinical Research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center. She also previously served on the Subcommittee on Hematology of the American Board of Internal Medicine and the FDA Blood Products Advisory Committee. Dr. Alving has received several accolades throughout her career, including the American Society of Hematology award for outstanding service, a Commendable Service Award from the FDA, and the US Legion of Merit of the US Army. Dr. Alving, co-inventor on two patents, has published over 100 original papers and edited three books in the areas of thrombosis and hemostasis. During her time as acting director of the NCRR, Dr. Alving has played a major role in the implementation of the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) program, a national consortium of academic health centers aimed at transforming the conduct of clinical and translational research. NIH Director Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni said, “It will be with Dr. Alving's vision, creativity, and leadership that we will be able to maximize our investment in the CTSA consortium, ensure that benefits extend to the greater research community, and that new medical advances are delivered to the people who need them.”
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Appoints New Director
Dr. Griffin P. Rodgers was recently named the new director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Dr. Rodgers, deputy director of the NIDDK since 2001, currently serves as acting director for the Institute, as well as chief of the NIDDK's Clinical and Molecular Hematology Branch. Dr. Rodgers earned his undergraduate, graduate, and medical degrees from Brown University and holds a master's degree in business administration from Johns Hopkins University. He completed his residency and chief residency in internal medicine at Barnes Hospital and the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and his fellowship training in hematology/oncology at George Washington University and the Washington Veterans Administration Medical Center. In addition to his clinical and research skills, Dr. Rodgers is well known for his role in the development of Food and Drug Administration-approved therapies for the treatment of sickle cell anemia. His work has been recognized by a number of awards, including the Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Foundation Award, the Arthur S. Fleming Award, and a mastership from the American College of Physicians. In his new position as director of the NIDDK, Dr. Rodgers will be responsible for directing the Institute's annual budget of $1.8 billion and staff of 650 scientists, physician-scientists, and administrators. The NIDDK performs and funds research on critical public health issues such as obesity, diabetes, digestive diseases, and kidney, urologic, and hematologic diseases. Additionally, the Institute sponsors educational resources aimed at disseminating research progress to the scientific community and the public-at-large. He has published more than 150 original research articles, reviews, and book chapters and has edited four books and monographs. Dr. Rodgers' appointment became effective April 1, 2007.
University of Massachusetts Medical School Recruits New Dean
The University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) has announced the appointment of Dr. Terence R. Flotte as the next dean and executive deputy chancellor of UMMS, succeeding Dr. Aaron Lazare, who has filled the positions since 1991. As dean and executive deputy chancellor, Dr. Flotte will serve as the medical school's chief academic and administrative officer. Dr. Flotte has served on the faculty of the University of Florida (UF) since 1996. He currently serves as the Nemours Eminent Scholar and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the UF College of Medicine. Dr. Flotte's tenure at UF was marked by a number of important developments, including the establishment of the Division of Cellular and Molecular Therapy, the creation of the Congenital Heart Disease Center of Excellence, and a substantial increase in the level of research grant revenue for the UF Department of Pediatrics. Dr. Flotte earned his undergraduate degree from the University of New Orleans and his medical degree from the Louisiana State University School of Medicine. He completed a residency in pediatrics, a pediatric pulmonary fellowship, and postdoctoral training in molecular virology at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Flotte, author of over 130 scholarly papers, has received research funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Dr. Flotte is a member of the American Society for Gene Therapy and the American Society of Microbiology and is a past recipient of the E. Mead Johnson Award for Outstanding Scientific Contributions from the Society for Pediatric Research and the University of Florida Faculty Research Prize in Clinical Science. Dr. Flotte's appointment officially commenced May 15, 2007.
University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston Announces New President
Dr. David L. Callender has been selected as the fifth president of the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston, succeeding Dr. John Stobo, who will resign the position in August. Dr. Callender joins UTMB from his positions as associate vice chancellor and chief executive officer of the University of California-Los Angeles Hospital System, as well as adjunct professor of surgery at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and member of the governing board of the University Health Consortium. Dr. Callender also previously served on the faculty of the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, holding multiple positions, including executive vice president and chief operating officer. Dr. Callender earned his undergraduate degree from Midwestern State University and his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine. He also holds an MBA from the University of Houston. Dr. Callender's appointment as president designate became effective July 1.
Dr. Stephen P. Spielberg to Remain Dean of Dartmouth Medical School
Dr. Stephen P. Spielberg, currently dean of the Dartmouth Medical School, has been chosen to occupy the post for a second 4-year term starting July 1, 2007. The announcement of Dr. Spielberg's reappointment came following an extensive review of his first term, which included input from overseers, administrators, faculty, and students. Dr. Spielberg's tenure as dean has been marked by a number of achievements: the successful supervision of a medical education accreditation review, initiating renovations of the basic science facilities, expanding existing relationhips with the Veterans Affairs hospital in White River Junction, Vermont, and increasing the breadth of clinical opportunities available at Dartmouth Medical School through outreach to new training sites. A pediatrician and pharmacologist, he earned his undergraduate degree from Princeton University and his MD and PhD from the University of Chicago. Prior to joining the faculty of Dartmouth Medical School in 2003, Dr. Spielberg held positions in academic medicine and in the pharmaceutical industry.
Key Leader of California Institute for Regenerative Medicine Resigns; Institute Names Interim Replacements
Dr. Zach W. Hall recently resigned his positions as president and chief scientific officer of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). Lori Hoffman and Dr. Arlene Chiu have been named as the Institute's new acting president and interim chief scientific officer, respectively. Hoffman has served as the chief finance and administrative officer for the CIRM since 2006, and Dr. Chiu has served as director of scientific activities for the Institute since 2005. The Independent Citizens Oversight Committee, the governing board of the CIRM, is expected to name a permanent successor for Dr. Hall later this year.
Dr. Alvin Powers to Lead Vanderbilt Diabetes Center
Dr. Alvin Powers, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded Vanderbilt Diabetes Research and Training Center, was recently announced as the new director of the Vanderbilt Diabetes Center (VDC), succeeding Dr. Daryl Granner, who has held the position for over 13 years. The VDC, established in 1973, serves to organize and facilitate diabetes-related activities at Vanderbilt, including research, patient care, and philanthropic activities. Dr. Powers also currently serves as director of the Vanderbilt Short-Term Research Training in Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism for medical students, chair of the Steering Committee of the NIH Islet Cell Resource Consortium, and holder of the Ruth K. Scoville Professor of Medicine, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics at the Vanderbilt School of Medicine. Dr. Powers earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia and his medical degree from the University of Tennessee Center for Health Sciences in Memphis. Following completion of training in internal medicine at Duke University Medical Center, he was a fellow in endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism at the Joslin Diabetes Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Powers has served on the Vanderbilt faculty since 1988. Dr. Powers announced intentions to recruit additional faculty, as well as work to improve diabetes training programs at the predoctoral, postdoctoral and junior faculty levels.
Ohio State University Heart Center Names New Director
The Ohio State University Board of Trustees recently approved the appointment of Dr. Thomas Ryan as the new director of the Ohio State University Heart Center. Dr. Ryan, director of the Duke University Heart Center since 1997, has served as a member of the Duke University faculty for more than a decade. At Ohio State, Dr. Ryan will also hold the John G. and Jeanne Bonnet McCoy Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine and serve as professor of internal medicine and physician-scientist leader for the medical center's heart signature program. Dr. Ryan earned his medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine and completed his residency in internal medicine and a research fellowship in cardiology at the same institution. He also holds a master of business administration degree from Duke University. Dr. Ryan's research interests center on the application of cutting-edge echocardiographic techniques to clinical diagnosis. He has served as the principal investigator on numerous clinical trials and participated in more than 30 funded research projects. Dr. Ryan has authored or coauthored over 200 published articles, book chapters, and abstracts and has served in editorial positions for American Heart Journal and Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography. Dr. Ryan also served as coauthor for the foremost textbook in the field of cardiovascular ultrasonograhy, Feigenbaum's Echocardiography. A diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine, a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, and president-elect of the American Society of Echocardiography, Dr. Ryan assumed his position at Ohio State on July 1.
University of Maryland Selects Prominent Microbiologist to Head New Institute of Genome Sciences
Claire M. Fraser-Liggett, PhD, has been chosen to lead the new Institute of Genome Sciences at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore (UMB). Dr. Fraser-Liggett joins the faculty of UMB from The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) in Rockville, Maryland, where she has served as president and director since 1998. At TIGR, Dr. Fraser-Liggett also led research teams that sequenced the genomes of many microbial organisms. Her tenure at TIGR witnessed a tripling of the Institute's annual federal funding to $60 million. An established team of scientists and staff members is expected to relocate with Dr. Fraser-Liggett, a recruitment effort that Dean of UMB Dr. E. Albert Reece expects to greatly accelerate the expansion of genomic research at the School of Medicine.
Dr. Fraser-Liggett earned her undergraduate degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, and her PhD in pharmacology from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She has received numerous awards throughout her career, including the New York Academy of Science's Diversity in Science Award for Leadership and Scientific Excellence, the Society for Industrial Microbiology's Charles Thom Award, and the Promega Biotechnology Award. Dr. Fraser-Liggett has published over 220 scientific articles and serves on the editorial boards of The Journal of Biological Chemistry and The Journal of Bacteriology. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
University of Florida Shands Cancer Center Names Associate Director for Clinical and Translational Research
The University of Florida Shands Cancer Center recently named Dr. Carmen Allegra the new associate director for clinical and translational research. Dr. Allegra will also serve as professor and chief of the hematology/oncology division at the University of Florida College of Medicine. Dr. Allegra most recently served as chief medical officer for the Network for Medical Communication and Research. He also previously served for 20 years at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), occupying such positions as senior investigator, section chief of biochemical and molecular pharmacology at the NCI's Medicine Branch, chief of the NCI's Navy Medical Oncology Branch, and vice deputy director for extramural sciences. Dr. Allegra completed his medical degree and residency at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He is board certified in internal medicine and medical oncology and has authored or coauthored over 240 publications. Dr. Allegra is a member of the Food and Drug Administration's Oncology Drug Advisory Committee, the American Society of Clinical Investigation, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the American Association for Cancer Research. Dr. Allegra's appointment became effective April 9.
Dr. Andrey Shaw Named Director of New Division of Immunobiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Dr. Andrey Shaw has been appointed director of the new Division of Immunobiology in the Department of Pathology and Immunology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (WUSTL). Dr. Shaw will also hold the title of Emil R. Unanue Professor of Immunobiology at the School of Medicine. The professorship is named for Dr. Emil Unanue, who served as head of the Department of Pathology and Immunology at WUSTL for over 21 years. Dr. Shaw earned his medical degree from Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons and completed his residency and postdoctoral training in the Department of Pathology at Yale University. He joined the faculty of WUSTL in 1991 as an assistant professor of pathology. Dr. Shaw's research has focused on the recognition and signaling that characterize interactions between T cells and other immune cells during the process of the immune response. Dr. Shaw's appointment was announced April 27 at a symposium in honor of Dr. Unanue.
Yale Cancer Center Appoints New Scientific Director
Dr. Daniel C. DiMaio, Yale faculty member since 1983, was recently announced as the new scientific director for the Yale Cancer Center (YCC). Dr. DiMaio currently serves as vice chairman of the Department of Genetics, the Waldemar Von Zedtwitz Professor of Genetics, and professor of therapeutic radiology at the Yale School of Medicine. Dr. DiMaio's new duties at the cancer center will include serving as chair of the YCC Scientific Steering Committee and supervising the Basic Science Research Program Division. Dr. DiMaio earned his undergraduate degree in biology from Yale and his MD and PhD from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University before joining the Yale faculty as an assistant professor in 1983. Dr. DiMaio's research interests center around the study of papillomaviruses, a significant cause of human cancers. He is currently the principal investigator of a multi-investigator program project grant, “The Molecular Basis of Viral and Cellular Transformation,” from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Dr. DiMaio is a recipient of a Swebilius Cancer Research Award, a National Institutes of Health MERIT Award, and the 2001 Outstanding Mentor Award in the Natural Sciences from the Yale University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. He has served in editorial positions for multiple scientific journals, including Journal of Virology and Virology. The Yale Cancer Center, an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center, is led by Dr. Richard L. Edelson.