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Eleven Harvard Medical School faculty members are among 90 new regular members elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). Membership recognizes individuals who have demonstrated major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care, and public health.
“It is my privilege to welcome this extraordinary class of new members. Their contributions to health and medicine are unmatched—they’ve made groundbreaking discoveries, taken bold action against social inequities, and led the response to some of the greatest public health challenges of our time,” said Victor Dzau, president of NAM.
Listed below are the new NAM regular members from HMS and their election citations:
Monica Bertagnolli, the Richard E. Wilson Professor of Surgery in the Field of Surgical Oncology at HMS and Brigham and Women's Hospital
For numerous leadership roles in multi-institutional cancer clinical research consortia and advancing the quality and scope of research to bring important new treatments to people with cancer.
David Clapham, the Aldo R. Castañeda Professor of Cardiovascular Research, Emeritus, at HMS
For making paradigm-shifting discoveries in the field of ion channel signaling.
Joseph Gone, professor of global health and social medicine in the Blavatnik Institute at HMS
For being a leading figure among Native American mental health researchers whose work on cultural psychology, historical trauma, Indigenous healing, and contextual factors affecting mental health assessment and treatment has been highly influential and widely recognized.
William Hahn, the William Rosenberg Professor of Medicine at HMS and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
For fundamental contributions in the understanding of cancer initiation, maintenance, and progression.
Zhigang He, HMS professor of neurology and of ophthalmology at Boston Children's Hospital
For his breakthrough discoveries regarding the mechanisms of axon regeneration and functional repair following central nervous system injuries, providing foundational knowledge and molecular targets for developing restorative therapies to treat spinal cord injury, stroke, glaucoma, and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Kenneth Mandl, the Donald A.B. Lindberg Professor of Pediatrics and professor of biomedical informatics at HMS and Boston Children’s Hospital
For creating technological solutions to clinical and public health problems.
Vamsi Mootha, professor of systems biology and of medicine at HMS and Massachusetts General Hospital
For transforming the field of mitochondrial biology by creatively combining modern genomics with classical bioenergetics.
Jane Wimpfheimer Newburger, the Commonwealth Professor of Pediatrics at HMS and Boston Children’s Hospital
For her world-renowned work in pediatric-acquired and congenital heart diseases.
Renee Salas, HMS assistant professor of emergency medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital
For rapidly advancing the medical community's understanding at the nexus of climate change, health, and health care through highly influential and transformative work, such as with the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change and the New England Journal of Medicine.
Thomas Sequist, HMS professor of medicine and of health care policy at HMS and Brigham and Women’s Hospital
For expertise in Native American health, quality of care, and health care equity.
Reisa Sperling, HMS professor of neurology at Brigham and Women's Hospital
For pioneering clinical research that revolutionized the concept of preclinical Alzheimer’s disease.
“This is also the NAM’s most diverse class of new members to date, composed of approximately 50 percent women and 50 percent racial and ethnic minorities. This class represents many identities and experiences—all of which are absolutely necessary to address the existential threats facing humanity,” Dzau said.
Ten international members were also elected. The newly elected members bring NAM’s total membership to more than 2,200 and the number of international members to approximately 172.
The National Academy of Medicine, established in 1970 as the Institute of Medicine, is an independent organization of eminent professionals from diverse fields including health and medicine; the natural, social, and behavioral sciences; and beyond. It serves alongside the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering as an adviser to the nation and the international community. Through its domestic and global initiatives, the NAM works to address critical issues in health, medicine, and related policy and inspire positive action across sectors.
Adapted from a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine news release.
