Highlights From the Evening
Among the special recognitions presented at this year’s ceremony:
Sidney Kimmel Medical College Career Educator Award: Marc Altshuler, MD, of Family and Community Medicine, was honored for outstanding contributions to medical education both within Jefferson and across his field over the course of his career.
Sidney Kimmel Medical College Community Service Award: Munjireen Sifat, PhD, MPH, of Medical Oncology, was recognized for her work advancing the goals of medicine and science within the community.
Sidney Kimmel Medical College Outstanding Clinician Award: Four faculty members were honored for distinguished excellence in evidence-based clinical practice, the doctor-patient relationship and recognition by peers, trainees and patients:
- Wei Jiang, MD, PhD (Pathology and Genomic Medicine) — Hospital-Based Medicine
- Ashley Summer, MD (Medicine, Internal Medicine) — Primary Care
- Rakesh Gulati, MD (Medicine, Nephrology) — Subspecialty Medicine
- Talar Tatarian, MD (Surgery) — Surgery and Surgical Subspecialties
Sidney Kimmel Medical College Research Career Research Award: Lorraine Iacovitti, PhD, of Neuroscience, was honored for exceptional leadership and contributions to her field of research across an academic career of over 15 years at the professor rank.
Sidney Kimmel Medical College Early Career Investigator Award for Distinguished Achievement in Biomedical Research: Elda Grabocka, PhD, of Pharmacology, Physiology and Cancer Biology, was recognized for outstanding research in basic and/or clinical/translational research within her first 10 years of faculty appointment.
The Marjorie A. Bowman, MD ’76, Early Career Investigator Award for Primary Care Research: Krys E. Foster, MD, MPH, of Family and Community Medicine, was honored for research that has illuminated a fundamental clinical problem or improved the delivery of primary health care.
The Michael and Melinda Pellini Award for Innovation in Biomedical Sciences: Marja T. Nevalainen, MD, PhD, of Pharmacology, Physiology and Cancer Biology, was recognized for a specific discovery, technique or approach that has led to new concepts in experimentation or patient care.
Sidney Kimmel Medical College Faculty Team Achievement Award: Two faculty teams were honored for collaborative innovation in clinical care and research:
- The Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Radiology team — Lauren Delaney, PhD; Flemming Foresberg, PhD; Noreen Hickok, PhD; Christopher Kepler, MD; Priscilla Machado, MD; and Ryan Tomlinson, PhD — was recognized for interdisciplinary achievement spanning imaging and surgical innovation.
- The Pulmonary Embolism Response Team (PERT) — Carin Gonsalves, MD; Geno Merli, MD; Frances Mae West, MD, MS; and Taki Galanis, MD — was honored for its collaborative approach to complex, high-stakes patient care.
Dean’s Lifetime Distinguished Achievement Award: The evening’s most senior recognition went to Charles Pohl, MD — Senior Vice Provost for Student Affairs, Vice Dean for Student Affairs and Career Counseling at Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Professor of Pediatrics, and Executive Director of the Jefferson Japan Center — in honor of over 20 years of dedicated service to Jefferson, including more than 12 years in senior academic leadership.
Recognizing Teaching & Mentorship
Beyond the named awards, the program also honored a wide community of educators and mentors. Faculty from 15 departments and affiliate hospitals received the Sidney Kimmel Medical College Dean’s Award for Excellence in Education, recognizing superior effectiveness as teachers and contributors to courses, clerkships and training programs. Nine faculty members received the Sidney Kimmel Medical College Dean’s Award for Faculty Mentoring, in recognition of a sustained and demonstrable impact on the careers of their colleagues.
In total, the evening reflected the depth and diversity of talent that defines Sidney Kimmel Medical College — and offered a moment to pause and celebrate the people who bring its mission to life every day.
