Discovery

Mario Ammirati, MD, director of Stereotactic Neurosurgery and Skull-base Surgery at the OSUCCC – James, was part of a 20-member panel formed by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and Congress of Neurological Surgeons that drafted the first national evidence-based, multidisciplinary treatment guidelines for brain metastases patients.

Ginny Bumgardner, MD, PhD, professor of Surgery, was recently elected to the Board of Governors of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). The AASLD is the premier society dedicated to clinical care, education, research and advocacy to improve the health of people with liver disease.

John Byrd, MD, professor of Hematology and Oncology and of Pharmacy and holder of the D. Warren Brown Designated Professorship in Leukemia Research, received the Michaele C. Christian Oncology Development Lectureship and Award for 2009. The lectureship and award, established in 2007 by the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program, recognizes the contributions of mid-career scientists involved in the development of cancer therapy agents.

Michael Caligiuri, MD, chief executive officer of Ohio State’s Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James), is now president of the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI).
Caligiuri, who also holds the John L. Marakas Nationwide Insurance Enterprise Foundation Chair in Cancer Reasearch, served two years as vice president and president-elect for the AACI, an organization of the nation’s 95 leading cancer research centers. The AACI promotes efforts to eradicate cancer through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary program of cancer research, patient care, prevention, education and community outreach.

LaRae Copley, MD, a resident in Ohio State’s Department of Psychiatry, is one of 20 in the nation selected to receive the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) Outreach Award. Copley received a stipend to participate in programmatic and mentoring activities at AACAP’s 56th Annual Meeting in Honolulu in October.

Carlo Croce, MD, chair of Ohio State’s Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology, and Medical Genetics and holder of the John W. Wolfe Chair in Human Cancer Genetics, recently received The Ernst W. Bertner Memorial Award, which is given to a physician or scientist who has made distinguished contributions to cancer research. It is the oldest award conferred by The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Steven Devine, MD, associate professor of Hematology and Oncology and director of the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at the OSUCCC – James, is one of 11 physicians nationwide selected to receive the new National Cancer Institute and American Society of Clinical Oncology Cancer Foundation’s Clinical Investigator Team Leadership Award. The award recognizes and provides funding for mid-level physician-scientists who lead cancer research programs at academic cancer centers.

Joseph Flynn, DO, clinical assistant professor of Hematology and Oncology and of Epidemiology and clinical director of Hematologic Malignancies at Ohio State, was presented with the 2009 Dr. John D. Kenny National Award by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The award recognizes members of the medical community who have contributed to the Society’s research and patient services programs.

Sudarshan Jadcherla, MD, associate professor of Pediatrics at Ohio State, was given the 2009 Masters Award in Gastroenterology by the American Gastroenterology Association (AGA) for Outstanding Achievement in Basic or Clinical Digestive Sciences Research. The AGA Masters Awards were created to recognize and celebrate the achievements of top performers in gastroenterology.

Michael Lairmore, DVM, PhD, associate director for Basic Sciences at the OSUCCC – James, was appointed president of the American College of Veterinary Pathology (ACVP). The mission of the ACVP is to foster excellence in veterinary pathology to protect and improve animal, human and environmental health to benefit society.

Randall Longenecker, MD, clinical professor of Family Medicine, assistant dean for Rural Medical Education and director of Ohio State’s Rural Family Medicine program, received the 2009 Exemplary Teaching Award from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). The award recognizes AAFP members who have excellent teaching skills and who have implemented outstanding programs or developed innovative teaching models.

John Mahan, MD, professor of Pediatrics and vice chair for Education in Ohio State’s Department of Pediatrics, has been named director of the College of Medicine’s Center for Education and Scholarship. In his new role, he will help develop strategies for faculty development in teaching, research and scholarship.

Clay Marsh, MD, senior associate vice president for Health Sciences Research, director of Ohio State’s Center for Critical Care and executive director of Ohio State’s Center for Personalized Medicine, was named to the board of directors of the Personalized Medicine Coalition (PMC) in December. The PMC is a Washington-based education and advocacy group dedicated to advancing the understanding and adoption of personalized medicine. It represents more than 170 pharmaceutical, biotechnology, diagnostics, and information technology companies, as well as major universities and government agencies. Marsh leads the planning and growth of OSUMC’s research programs, including efforts to establish Ohio State as a national leader in personalized health care.

Kathy Matney has been named to the newly created position of executive director of Service Excellence at Ohio State’s Medical Center. Matney has more than 20 years of experience assisting corporate leaders build and expand patient satisfaction programs. She previously advised academic medical centers through the consulting firm Studer Group.

Jennifer McCallister, MD, assistant professor and associate fellowship director for Ohio State’s Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, received the first Darlene Buczak Award for Innovations in Education from the Association of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Program Directors. The award recognizes excellence in the education of residents and fellows in pulmonary and critical care medicine.

Milap Nahata, PharmD, MS, has been chosen as the 2009 recipient of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy’s Paul F. Parker Medal for Distinguished Service to the Profession of Pharmacy. Nahata is associate director of Ohio State’s Department of Pharmacy, a professor of Internal Medicine and of Pediatrics in Ohio State’s College of Medicine and editor-in-chief of the journal Annals of Pharmacotherapy.

Paul Nanda, MD, clinical assistant professor of Family Medicine and global health liaison for Ohio State’s Department of Family Medicine, received the 2009 Pfizer Teacher Development Award from the American Academy of Family Practice Foundation. The award is presented to a select group of outstanding new community-based physicians who combine clinical practice with part-time teaching of family medicine.

Beth NeCamp was named chief communications officer of The Ohio State University Medical Center, a role she held in an interim capacity for 16 months. NeCamp is responsible for strategic direction and leadership of the Medical Center’s communications and marketing functions, including external and internal communications, advertising, marketing activities, branding, media relations and community partnerships.

Randy Nelson, PhD, has been named chair of Ohio State’s Department of Neuroscience. Nelson holds the Dr. John D. and E. Olive Brumbaugh Chair in Brain Research and Teaching and directs the Behavioral Phenotyping Core Lab in Ohio State’s Biomedical Research Tower. Nelson is a professor of Neuroscience and of Psychology and a member of Ohio State’s Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research. He recently served as co-director for the Neuroscience Graduate Studies Program. Nelson served from 1986-2000 on the faculty at Johns Hopkins University where he was Professor of Psychology, Neuroscience, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He joined Ohio State in the fall of 2000. Nelson was recognized as a Distinguished University Professor in February 2009, the University’s highest honor for a senior faculty member.

Sheryl Pfeil, MD, has been elected to the National Board of Governors of Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Medical Society. Pfeil is a clinical associate professor in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition in Ohio State’s Department of Internal Medicine. She has been the AOA Councilor for the Gamma Chapter of Ohio for 10 years and a member of Ohio State’s Internal Medicine faculty since 1990.

Matthew Ringel, MD, professor in Ohio State’s Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism and member of the OSUCCC – James, has been awarded the American Thyroid Association’s 2009 Van Meter Award. The award is presented to an investigator age 45 or under who has made outstanding contributions to thyroid disease research.

Marc Tassé, PhD, has been named director of The Ohio State University’s Nisonger Center, an interdisciplinary center that assists families, service providers and organizations in promoting inclusion of people with disabilities in education, health, employment and community settings. Tassé joins Ohio State from the University of South Florida, where he was associate professor of Child and Family Studies and associate director at the university’s Center for Inclusive Communities. Tassé has provided clinical services to individuals with intellectual disabilities for more than 20 years. He trained as a postdoctoral fellow at the Nisonger Center earlier in his career. Tassé has led training workshops throughout the world and is widely published. He was named a Fellow of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in 2005 and received the organization’s Service Award in 2007.

James Thomas, MD, PhD, associate professor of Hematology and Oncology and medical director of the OSUCCC – James Clinical Trials Office, was named chair of the Clinical Research Initiative of the Association of American Cancer Institutes. The Association promotes efforts to eradicate cancer through research, treatment, prevention, education and community outreach at the nation’s leading research institutions.

This section was compiled by Luke Russell.

Left to right: Michael Lairmore, DVM, PhD; Randall Longenecker, MD; Clay Marsh, MD.