2024

Awards listed on this page reflect School-wide honors received in the 2024 calendar year by current members of the Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Dental Medicine, including faculty, staff, and students.

Harvard Heroes

The Harvard Heroes Recognition Program celebrates the accomplishments of Harvard staff whose work supports the mission of Harvard at the highest levels of contribution, impact and excellence.

This year’s Harvard Heroes awards ceremony, hosted by Interim President of Harvard University Alan Garber, was held on June 13 in the Sanders Theatre of Memorial Hall, Cambridge, MA.

2024 recipients:

Harvard Medical School

Marie Bao, executive director, Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology

Derek Barton, director of finance and administration, Systems Biology

Meghan Kerr, Longwood Medical Area records manager and archivist, Countway Library

Csilla Kiss, assistant director of student affairs, Office of Student Affairs

Diana Longden, administrative coordinator for the Joint Committee on the Status of Women, Office for Faculty Affairs

Matrida Neli, program manager, Committee on Microbiological Safety, Office of Biological Safety

Siu-Shan Wang, senior grants manager, Biomedical Informatics

Harvard School of Dental Medicine

Leanne Jacobellis, program coordinator, Global and Community Health

Excellence in Mentoring Awards

The Excellence in Mentoring Awards were established at HMS to recognize the value of quality mentoring relationships and the impact they have on professional development and career advancement in basic and clinical medicine, research, teaching, and administration.

This year’s awards were presented by the Office for Diversity Inclusion and Community Partnership at a ceremony on June 13.

Recipients are:

William Silen Lifetime Achievement in Mentoring Award

  • Steven M. Greenberg, HMS professor of neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital
  • Hadine Joffe, the HMS Paula Johnson, MD Professor of Psychiatry in the Field of Women’s Health at Brigham and Women’s Hospital

A. Clifford Barger Excellence in Mentoring Award

Young Mentor Award

HMS Scholars in Medicine Excellence in Student Mentoring Award

The HMS Scholars in Medicine Excellence in Student Mentoring Award was established in 2017 to recognize faculty who have carefully and skillfully guided our medical students not only in their scholarly projects but also as they train in their professions. Each year, graduating HMS students are invited to nominate their mentors. Faculty from the Scholars in Medicine Program select the finalists.

  • Manisha Bahl, HMS associate professor of radiology at Mass General
  • Amir Mohareb, HMS assistant professor of medicine at Mass General
  • Roy Phitayakorn, HMS associate professor of surgery at Mass General

Dolores J. Brown Staff Award

Keri Vitale, executive assistant in the Office of Alumni Affairs and Development, has received the 2024 Dolores J. Brown Staff Award. This award, presented by the HMS Office of Human Resources, was established by the Brown family in 2002 to honor the memory of Dolores and to commemorate her contributions to the School. Dolores worked as the assistant to Daniel C. Tosteson, HMS dean from 1985 to 1997, and dean emeritus from 1997 to 2000. This award pays tribute to an exceptional staff member at Harvard Medical School or Harvard School of Dental Medicine who exemplifies the spirit and commitment that Dolores demonstrated in her work at the School.

The Office of Human Resources acknowledges this year’s nominees, whose dedication and commitment to high performance continues to make HMS and HSDM great places to work:

  • Agnieszka "Aga" Jackson, PME OME Assessment and Evaluation
  • Cliff Kwong, HSDM HDC Clinical Operations
  • Ishita Dhiman, Cell Biology
  • Jill Adams, HSDM Administration
  • Leanne "Jake" Jacobellis, HSDM Global and Community Health
  • Marsilda Llega, HSDM HDC Clinical Operations
  • Mayra Natareno, HSDM Human Resources
  • Molly Deschenes, HSDM Dental Education
  • Paul Mazur, Biomedical Informatics
  • Rebecca Grow, Global Health and Social Medicine  
  • Sara Whiteman, Wyss Institute
  • Shakchhi Joshi, Cell Biology

Joint Committee on the Status of Women Dean’s Leadership Awards

Awards were presented by the Joint Committee on the Status of Women on June 5, 2024.

Joseph B. Martin Dean’s Leadership Award for the Advancement of Women Faculty

  • Joshua Boyce, Albert L. Sheffer Professor of Medicine in the Field of Allergic Disease, Brigham and Women's Hospital
  • Stella Kourembanas, Clement A. Smith Professor of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital

Joseph B. Martin Dean’s Leadership Award for the Advancement of Women Staff

  • Kimberly LeBlanc, senior director, Undiagnosed Diseases Network Coordinating Center, Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School
  • Angelika Fretzen, technology translation director and chief operating officer, Wyss Institute, Harvard Medical School

Shirley Driscoll Dean’s Leadership Award for the Enhancement of Women’s Careers

  • Michele Hacker, associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive biology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
  • Louisa Sylvia, associate professor of psychology, Massachusetts General Hospital

Nancy J. Tarbell Dean’s Leadership Award for an Emerging Leader in Women’s Careers

  • Antonia Chen, associate professor of orthopedic surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital
  • Kerry Reynolds, assistant professor of medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital

Learn more about the CSW Dean's Leadership Awards, including nomination guidelines and previous recipients.

Dean's Community Service Awards

Awards were presented at the Dean's Community Service Awards ceremony on May 15, 2024.

Faculty

  • Jacqueline Starr, HMS lecturer in medicine, Brigham and Women’s
    Organization: Lexington Community Farm

Trainee

  • Jennifer Shahar, resident, Department of Orthodontics, Harvard School of Dental Medicine
    Organization: American Association of Orthodontics Foundation

Staff

  • Maria-Kassandra Coronel, teacher and program coordinator, MEDScience, Harvard Medical School
    Organization: Coronel-Endaya Foundation
  • Pinar Kilicci-Kret, assistant director of Operations and Programing, Office for Diversity Inclusion and Community Partnership, Harvard Medical School
    Organization: Anaya Tipnis Foundation

Students

  • Betty Ben Dor, DMD Candidate 2025, Harvard School of Dental Medicine
    Organization: Action for Children and Teens in Oral Health Need
  • LaShyra Nolen, MD/MPP Candidate 2024, Harvard Medical School
    Organization: We Got Us
  • Richard Russel, MD candidate 2026, Harvard Medical School
    Organization: Harvard Square Homeless Shelter
  • Jessica Wang, MD Candidate 2025, Harvard Medical School
    Organization: Harvard Square Homeless Shelter
  • Michael Woodbury, MD Candidate 2024, Harvard Medical School
    Organization: BIDMC Dermatology Access Clinic
  • Sofia Milosavljevic, MD/MBA Candidate 2027, Harvard Medical School
    Organization: BIDMC Dermatology Access Clinic

Learn more about the Diversity Awards, including nomination guidelines and previous recipients.

Henry K. Beecher Prize in Medical Ethics

The Henry K. Beecher Prize in Medical Ethics celebrates Dr. Beecher's legacy of critical ethical analysis of contemporary medical issues. The 2024 prize was presented by the Center for Bioethics to HMS medical student Masih Tazhibi for exemplifying the spirit of Beecher's work in his essay, "Kant, Consciousness, and Supportive Care for Vegetative Patients."

Learn more about the Henry K. Beecher Prize in Medical Ethics, including submission guidelines and previous recipients.

Diversity Awards

Awards were presented by the Office for Diversity Inclusion and Community Partnership at a ceremony on April 10, 2024.

Harold Amos Faculty Diversity Award

  • Natasha M. Archer, assistant professor of pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital
  • Alireza Haghighi, assistant professor of medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
  • Rose L. Molina, assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Harold Amos Faculty Group Diversity Award

  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership Team
    Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital

    Program Leaders:
    Valerie E. Stone, professor of medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
    John Spiers, director of faculty affairs, Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Sharon P. Clayborne Staff Group Diversity Award

  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Working Group
    Office for External Education, Harvard Medical School

    Program Leaders:
    Tami Bolk, director of program operations, Harvard Medical School
    Francesca Coltrera, senior content writer, Harvard Health Publications
    A. Enrique Caballero, associate professor of medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Learn more about the Diversity Awards, including nomination guidelines and previous recipients.