MSK Awards and Appointments October 2024

Deb Schrag and Lorenz Studer Elected to the National Academy of Medicine

Newswise — Deb Schrag, MD, MPH, Chair of the Department of Medicine, and Lorenz Studer, MD, Director of the Center for Stem Cell Biology, have been elected as members of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). Election to the Academy is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.

Neha Goel Selected for the Biden Cancer Moonshot Scholars Program

Neha Goel, MD, MPH, breast surgeon and Chief of Disparities in the Department of Surgery, is one of 11 early-career researchers and research teams selected to join the second cohort of the Biden Cancer Moonshot Scholars program. Through the National Cancer Institute, the Biden-Harris Administration is committing more than $6 million to fund the cohort of scholars’ innovative approaches to cancer prevention, treatment, and diagnosis. Dr. Goel will examine whether structural racism and perceived discrimination are associated with worse breast cancer outcomes, in part, through the regulation of genes that respond to adversity and result in more aggressive tumor biology.

Vinod Balachandran Received the 2024 Anthem Whole Health Heroes Award

Vinod Balachandran, MD, hepatopancreatobiliary surgeon and Director of the Olayan Center for Cancer Vaccines, was awarded the 2024 Anthem Whole Health Heroes Award. This award recognizes individuals and organizations in the New York Metro area innovating new drugs, treatments, and medical procedures to help patients with asthma, diabetes, cancer, and heart health; implementing employee wellness strategies within their organizations and promoting mental and overall health; advancing financial health in their communities and improving social health by using their influence in their organization and broader community.

Joshua Budhu Selected to the United Hospital Fund’s Inaugural Class of Health Equity Fellowship

Joshua Budhu, MD, MS, MPH, neurologist and neuro-oncologist, was elected to the inaugural cohort of the United Hospital Fund’s Health Equity (HEF)  Fellowship. The HEF program aims to support, catalyze, and develop the next generation of health equity leaders, empowering clinicians to address health disparities and drive systemic change in New York City. Dr. Budhu will work with the New York Immigration Coalition to address limited access to healthcare for undocumented immigrants.

Rosario Costa-Muniz Awarded the American Phycological Association Award for Outstanding Contributions to Continuing Professional Development in Psychology

Rosario Costa-Muniz, PhD, psychologist, received the American Phycological Association (APA) Award for Outstanding Contributions to Continuing Professional Development in Psychology. This award recognizes excellence and innovation in supporting lifelong education and ongoing training of psychologists. 

Daniel Coit Honored the Melanoma Research Foundation’s Humanitarian Award

Daniel Coit, MD, FACS, surgeon, received the Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF) Humanitarian Award. This award is presented to a leader in the local medical community who has committed to fighting melanoma through exemplary patient care and research.

Adrienne Boire Awarded the Mary Kay ASH Foundation Grant

Adriene Boire, MD, PhD, neurologist & neuro-oncologist, and Geoffrey Beene Junior Faculty Chair, received the 2024 Mary Kay ASH Foundation Award. This grant recognizes researchers from the nation’s top cancer research institutes and universities conducting groundbreaking research in cancers that primarily affect women. Dr. Boire received funding to further her project, “Breast Cancer Communication Across Brain Barriers.”

Christopher Jackson Awarded the ASTRO Meeting Resident Award

Christopher Jackson, MD, MS, resident, received the ASTRO Annual Meeting Resident Award in the Clinical/Basic Science Research Category. His abstract, “Risk of Radiation Myelitis after Hypofractionated Spine Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy” was one of 30 winners out of over 2,000 abstract submissions after peer review.

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The people of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) are united by a singular mission: ending cancer for life. Our specialized care teams provide personalized, compassionate, expert care to patients of all ages. Informed by basic research done at our Sloan Kettering Institute, scientists across MSK collaborate to conduct innovative translational and clinical research that is driving a revolution in our understanding of cancer as a disease and improving the ability to prevent, diagnose, and treat it. MSK is dedicated to training the next generation of scientists and clinicians, who go on to pursue our mission at MSK and around the globe. One of the world’s most respected comprehensive centers devoted exclusively to cancer, we have been recognized as one of the top two cancer hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report for more than 30 years. www.mskcc.org