Gerd A. Blobel, The Frank E. Weise III Professor of Pediatrics, is the winner of this year’s Stanley N. Cohen Biomedical Research Award, which recognizes a member of the Perelman School of Medicine faculty for a body of work with an emphasis on biomedical research. His groundbreaking research, linking chromatin biology and chromosome structure to normal and malignant hematopoiesis, has potential clinical applications to the treatment of Sickle Cell Disease and other significant medical disorders. His proof of concept demonstration that chromatin looping can be manipulated to mitigate the devastating impact of Sickle Cell Disease is a testament to the importance of Dr. Blobel’s work. Equally impressive is his dedication to the development of young scientists, both in his research group and in the greater Penn community. Numerous graduate students who have been mentored by Dr. Blobel have gone on to successful scientific careers. He is one of the most sought after scientists at Penn by faculty and students alike as a teacher and scientific advisor. His colleagues consider him to be an innovative force in the competitive field of chromatin biology as his work is incisive and definitive and sets paradigms for others in the field.

James M. Wilson, director of the gene therapy program, interim director of the Center for Orphan Disease Research and Therapy and a professor in the department of pathology & laboratory medicine, is the winner of this year’s William Osler Patient Oriented Research Award. This award is granted to a member of the Perelman School of Medicine faculty for a body of work with an emphasis on clinical research. During his 21 year career at Penn, Dr. Wilson revolutionized the preclinical use of gene transfer as a biological tool in basic and translational research, which rapidly advanced the progress of clinical gene therapy. His discovery of novel adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotypes and demonstration of the ability of gene transfer vectors to provide remarkably high transduction efficiency and stability of expression, with little to no immunogenicity, has changed the field of clinical gene therapy. His most recent contribution is the discovery of an expanded family of AAVs from primates, including humans, and their development as gene therapy vectors. Of the AAV gene therapy trials submitted to the NIH’s Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee over the last two years, 75% of them involved vectors discovered by Dr. Wilson. Dr. Wilson is the epitome of a physician-scientist who has transformed clinical research and the treatment of many diseases.   

Rachel M. Werner, associate professor of medicine and associate professor of health care management, is the winner of this year’s Samuel Martin Health Evaluation Sciences Award.  This award is granted to a member of the Perelman School of Medicine faculty for a body of work with an emphasis on health services research. Dr. Werner is one of the few physician scientists in the nation who is trained as an economist.  Her research focuses on the use of quality measurement and incentives, such as public reporting and pay-for-performance, to improve health care quality. Her research has informed national health care policy surrounding the planning, implementation and use of these measures and incentives in health care. Because of her research, public reporting and pay-for-performance programs now undergo more rigorous evaluation and are more evidence-based. Dr. Werner routinely advises high-level officials in the Department of Health and Human Services regarding the ongoing implementation related to payment reform under the Affordable Care Act. Few investigators, at any career stage, can lay claim to such a profound and immediate impact on health policy.

Ekaterina L. Grishchuk, assistant professor of physiology, is the winner of this year’s Michael S. Brown New Investigator Research Award, which recognizes emerging faculty investigators engaged in innovative discoveries.  With a combination of cellular, molecular and biophysical approaches, Dr. Grishchuk has made outstanding contributions to the understanding of mechanisms that drive chromosomal motion during mitosis. Her work at Penn has focused on three themes. The first explores different molecular tethers that couple kinetochores to microtubules in the mitotic spindle and how these protein complexes allow the cell to use the energy released by microtubule depolymerization to drive chromosome motility. The second focus of her work incorporates single molecule approaches to investigate the kinetochore kinesin motor protein CENP-E. Finally, she has developed detailed quantitative models for kinetochore dynamics during mitosis. Her work in these areas has produced some of the most mechanistic modeling of kinetochore-microtubule interface.

James L. Riley, research associate professor of microbiology is this year’s Lady Barbara Colyton Autoimmune Research Award. This award recognizes a Perelman School of Medicine faculty member who has been engaged in innovative discoveries and outstanding research in the area of autoimmune diseases. Dr. Riley’s basic and translational contributions to autoimmune disease research and therapies have established him as a leader in the field. He has developed an international reputation through his almost exclusive use of primary human T cells to unravel the connection between autoimmune disease and T regulatory cells. An important feature of Dr. Riley’s impact in autoimmune research is his tremendous collaborative approach and ability to translate results to the clinic. His work will lead to new modalities to treat patients with autoimmune disease. 

Victoria A. Miller, assistant professor of pediatrics, is the winner of this year’s Marjorie A. Bowman New Investigator Research Award, which recognizes a junior faculty member whose research has illuminated a fundamental clinical problem or improved the organization and delivery of health care. Dr. Miller’s research examines affective and relational aspects of child, parent and family decision making. One focus of her work is independent self-management of chronic illness, with an emphasis on the parent-child relationship as an important context in which decision making independence and competence develop. The second focus of Dr. Miller’s research is on informed consent and assent for medical research. She has developed two new measurement tools to assess aspects of decision making in these areas. The Decision Making Involvement Scale (DMIS) measures children’s involvement in decisions about chronic illness management, and the Decision Making Control Instrument (DMCI) assesses the voluntariness of parents making decisions for their seriously ill children. Dr. Miller is the director of research in the division of adolescent medicine at CHOP, associate editor of AJOB Empirical Bioethics and an editorial board member of the Journal of Pediatric Psychology. She has had continuous funding from NIH since 2007, as PI on K23, R01 and R21 grants. Dr. Miller has established herself as a nationally-recognized investigator who will continue to shape the direction of thought, investigation and clinical practice related to child, parent and family decision making in pediatric medical settings.

David A. Asch and Kevin G. Volpp are the joint recipients of this year’s Luigi Mastroianni, Jr., Clinical Innovator Award for their joint development of the Way to Health technology platform. This award recognizes a clinician who has pioneered the invention and development of new techniques, procedures and approaches which change medical practice. Together, Drs. Asch and Volpp created a platform that incorporates principles from behavioral economics in interventions to improve patients’ health. The premise of the program is that most patients want to be better stewards of their health, but may need help along that path. The Way to Health program guides patients toward better compliance in their own care with regard to taking their statins, beta blockers and aspirin after a heart attack and provides support for those attempting to quit smoking; exercise more; lose weight; reach their blood sugar goals and use their CPAP machines. Drs. Asch and Volpp have blended clinical medicine with an understanding of human behavior and technology. In doing so, they have created a truly foundational change in health care, one that extends the reach of health delivery systems beyond their four walls and into patients’ lives.

Daniel M. Feinberg, associate professor of clinical neurology and chief medical officer at Pennsylvania Hospital, is the winner of this year’s Alfred Stengel Health System Champion Award. This award is granted to a physician who has contributed significantly to the clinical integration of the Health System. Dr. Feinberg is an expert in patient safety, quality improvement and medical informatics. He has been nominated in recognition of his impressive administrative performance as chief medical officer and for his ability to efficiently form and streamline risk reduction initiatives at Pennsylvania Hospital. His ability to incorporate the real world of hospital operations with the knowledge of how organizations function best and merge them to establish effective risk reduction initiatives across the system makes him the perfect recipient for this award.  

L. Scott Levin, Paul B. Magnuson Professor of Bone and Joint Surgery, professor of orthopaedics and chair of the department of orthopaedic surgery and professor of surgery, division of plastic surgery, is the winner of this year’s I.S. Ravdin Master Clinician Award. This award recognizes an active clinician who is regarded by his colleagues as a masterful practitioner. Dr. Levin was instrumental in developing the Hand Transplant Program at Penn. In this leadership role, along with Dr. Abraham Shaked, he became one of the first surgeons in the United States to perform a successful bilateral hand transplant. In preparation for such an endeavor and medical accomplishment, he first needed to develop the Penn Human Tissue Laboratory, a state-of-the-art-facility where medical students, residents and attending physicians could perform advanced surgical training on fresh tissue. This facility was instrumental in training the surgical team and facilitating the coordination required for this first bilateral hand transplant. Dr. Levin is not only a highly accomplished orthopaedic surgeon, he is also a nationally recognized plastic surgeon and a role model for future master clinicians.

Eliot H. Nierman, associate professor of clinical medicine, is the winner of this year’s Sylvan Eisman Outstanding Primary Care Physician Award. This award recognizes a Health System primary care physician who goes beyond the norm and exemplifies the Health System’s excellent care. Dr. Nierman’s colleagues often refer to him as an “old fashioned internist,” a doctor who is responsible for all aspects of a patient’s care and well-being who often addresses a large number of problems during a single visit. Dr. Nierman sets the standard for availability and communication with his patients; he has the highest use of the myPennMedicine tool of anyone in the Health System, using it to communicate regularly with his patients. He also sets an example for students, residents and colleagues as an outspoken proponent of evidence based medicine. Known for being up on the current literature, he is always implementing the most up-to-date information and protocols, thus ensuring that his patients always receive the best possible care. He is a caring, hard-working and dedicated physician who is always striving to improve patient care.

Lynn N. Schuchter, C. Willard Robinson Professor of Hematology-Oncology, professor of medicine and division chief of hematology-oncology, is the winner of this year’s Louis Duhring Outstanding Clinical Specialist Award. This award goes to a teaching and practicing physician in a clinical or ancillary department who combined biomedical research with clinical insight and knowledge to provide leading-edge service and creative care to patients and colleagues. Dr. Schuchter is a national and international authority and advocate in the treatment of melanoma. While her academic career in clinical translational research is well documented, as are her string of major administrative accomplishments within the Division and Abramson Cancer Center, she clearly identifies her most important work as being a physician caring for patients with cancer. Dr. Schuchter’s unwavering attention to patients and their families is well known, and she is able to achieve a balance as a clinician, providing state-of-the-art treatment, an empathetic listener and someone who is always there for her patients and their families. Despite the severity of melanoma, she has brought hope and optimism to the lives of many; she serves as an enduring example of an outstanding clinical specialist.

J. Richard Landis, professor and director of biostatistics in the department of biostatistics and epidemiology and in the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, is the recipient of this year’s Arthur Asbury Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award. This award recognizes a faculty member who has fostered the professional development of others by providing inspiring and effective counsel and opportunities for achievement. Dr. Landis’s colleagues cited his unwavering commitment and ability to serve as an outstanding mentor to students and faculty colleagues, junior and senior, alike. He has also been effective in identifying opportunities for faculty to take on leadership roles in major research projects, advancing their own careers and professional development. Citing his extraordinary generosity and skill as a mentor, it is no coincidence that Dr. Landis recently won two other prestigious leadership awards. He was the first man to win the 2010 Penn FOCUS Award for the Advancement of Women in Medicine, and he was also granted the 2011 Marvin Zelen Leadership Award in Statistical Science from Harvard University.