RESEARCH UPDATE
Barbara Staggers, MD, division chief of Adolescent Medicine at Children’s Hospital, received the 12th annual Regional Public Health Heroes Award from the University of California, Berkeley’s School of Public Health
Elliott Vichinsky, MD, director of the Hematology/Oncology program at Children’s Hospital, received the Chairman’s Award at the 35th annual national meeting of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America
Janet King, PhD, a senior scientist at Children’s Hospital’s research institute, was honored by the American Society of Nutrition twice in 2007.
Selected 2007 honors for Children's Hospital researchers and clinicians
At Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland, research is an important and sometimes overlooked part of what we do. In fact, Children's Hospital ranked sixth in National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grants to children’s hospitals, receiving 41 grants worth more than $22.5 million.
The hard work of Children’s researchers, clinicians and advocates leads to more knowledge and healthier children. It also leads to professional recognition. Some of the honors received by Children’s Hospital researchers and clinicians in 2007 are listed below.
Children’s researcher gets award for work
on world’s leading cause of blindness
Deborah Dean, MD, MPH, a Children’s Hospital researcher is a leading authority on chlamydia, the world’s major cause of preventable blindness, and the most common cause of sexually transmitted disease in the industrialized countries.
Dr. Dean was recently awarded her second International Latin America Professorship from the American Society of Microbiology. The award honors her research with colleagues in Latin America on chlamydial sexually transmitted diseases.
Part of the award covers travel to Ecuador, where Dr. Dean will continue collaborating with Ecuadorian colleagues; together they started a teaching program in microbiology.
Adolescent medicine expert at Children’s
wins UC Berkeley public health award
Barbara Staggers, MD, division chief of Adolescent Medicine at Children’s Hospital, received the 12th annual Regional Public Health Heroes Award from the University of California, Berkeley’s School of Public Health. The award recognizes her work as a leading physician and advocate for adolescent healthcare.
Nutrition expert joins agricultural research hall of fame
Janet King, PhD, a Children’s Hospital researcher and nutrition expert, was inducted into the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service Science Hall of Fame. Dr. King was honored for her national and international leadership, and achievements in human nutrition. Her studies led to new guidelines for healthful weight gain during pregnancy and new recommendations for daily zinc intake by pregnant women.
Children’s biological iron expert wins chemical society award
Elizabeth Theil, PhD, a Children’s Hospital researcher, received the 2008 Francis P. Garvan–John M. Olin Medal Award from the American Chemical Society. The award, the ACS’ third oldest and the only one specifically honoring women chemists, recognizes distinguished research and service by women chemists. Dr. Theil is being honored for her research on the chemistry of iron in biology and for her advocacy of biochemistry studies in the education of all chemists.
Clinician/researcher honored for service
to national blood advisory committee
Keith Quirolo, MD, a clinician and researcher in Hematology /Oncology, was honored for completing two years of service on the Blood Advisory Committee at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Children’s sickle cell disease expert honored
Elliott Vichinsky, MD, director of the Hematology/Oncology program at Children’s Hospital, received the Chairman’s Award at the 35th annual national meeting of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, for his work as a physician, educator and advocate for sickle cell disease. At the meeting he also delivered an annual lecture honoring sickle cell disease pioneer Charles F. Whitten, MD.
Children’s research director joins
national stem cell advisory council
Bertram H. Lubin, MD, senior vice president, research, at Children’s Hospital, has been selected to serve on the Advisory Council on Blood Stem Cell Transplantation at the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Health and Human Services Department. This national committee gives advice on cord blood activities supported by the National Cord Blood Inventory Program as well as other stem cell transplant issues.
Children’s nutrition expert honored by nutrition society
Janet King, PhD, a senior scientist at Children’s Hospital’s research institute, was honored by the American Society of Nutrition twice in 2007.
Dr. King received the Conrad A. Elvehjem Award for Public Service in Nutrition, given in recognition of specific and distinguished service to the public through the science of nutrition. She was also named a fellow of the society, joining a select group of other scientists chosen for their distinguished careers in nutrition.
Paper by Children’s researchers selected best
Children’s Hospital scientists Edward Lammer, MD, and David Iovannisci, PhD, were among the authors of a paper selected as the best published in 2006 in the scientific journal Birth Defects Research. The paper they co-authored, Selected gene polymorphisms and their interaction with maternal smoking as risk factors for gastroschisis, was awarded the 2006 James G. Wilson Publication Award.
Children’s research chief accepts alma mater’s award
A University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine graduate, Bertram Lubin, MD, Children’s Hospital’s senior vice president, research, received the school’s Philip S. Hench Distinguished Alumnus Award for 2007, in “recognition of his outstanding achievements in medicine.”
The Hench Award is the highest honor the University of Pittsburgh Medical Alumni Association can confer. Dr. Lubin was unanimously selected, based on his contributions to research, mentorship of minority graduate and undergraduate students, and advocacy for stem cell research.
In 2007, Dr. Lubin also delivered the Picchi Memorial Lecture at Samuel Merritt College in Oakland. His lecture, The Social History of Stem Cells, focused on trends in stem cell research, including embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells and cord blood stem cells.
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