Awards & Recognitions: November 2024

“These extraordinary scientists are advancing the development of new treatments, cures, and methods of prevention for mental illness,” said Jeffrey Borenstein, BBRF president and CEO.

McDougle received the award at the BBRF International Mental Health Research Symposium in New York City in October. He also gave a presentation at the symposium entitled “The Psychopharmacology of Childhood-Onset Neuropsychiatric Disorders Across the Lifespan.”

Adapted from BBRF press materials.

Cynthia Morton, the HMS William Lambert Richardson Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, received the 2024 Leadership Award from the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG). The award recognizes leadership and vision in advancing the society’s mission through the promotion of genetics and genomics knowledge into the broader scientific community.

Morton was honored for her research leading to the identification of HMGA2, the first gene implicated in the development of uterine fibroids. Her research has focused on finding genes predisposing women to develop uterine fibroids as well as genes involved in human development and deafness.

“This year’s ASHG awardees are highly gifted researchers with diverse skills across the field of human genetics and genomics and model the way for the next generation of scientists,” said ASHG President Bruce Gelb. “Their dedication, innovation, and pursuit of science are what we can all strive toward.”

Morton and her fellow awardees were recognized during the ASHG annual meeting in Denver in November.

Adapted from ASHG press materials.

Jane Newburger, the HMS Commonwealth Professor of Pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital, was awarded the 2024 Eugene Braunwald Academic Mentorship Award by the American Heart Association (AHA). The award recognizes an individual whose academic career has included a long-term record of successful teaching and mentoring of the next generation of faculty researchers, educators, and health care professionals.

“We are grateful for Dr. Jane Newburger’s remarkable career as a physician, researcher, and distinguished leader who has mentored and trained countless clinicians,” said Keith Churchwell, American Heart Association 2024-2025 volunteer president.

“Her dedication and commitment to training the next generation of clinicians will have a lasting impact for years to come,” he said.

One of Newburger’s research interests is Kawasaki disease, which is typically found in children younger than 5 and can cause serious damage to both the heart and blood vessels. Her research and leadership proved essential to the AHA during the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, when a new condition, multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), presented similarly to Kawasaki disease or toxic shock syndrome in some children who had tested positive for COVID-19. Newburger was able to leverage her expertise in Kawasaki disease into researching MIS-C and its effects.

Newburger received the Braunwald Award during the AHA’s Scientific Sessions 2024 in Chicago on Nov. 17.

Adapted from AHA press materials.

Kristian Olson, HMS associate professor of medicine at Mass General, has been named one of three recipients of the 2024 Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prizes by the Tällberg Foundation. The prize recognizes leaders whose work is innovative, impactful, rooted in universal values, and global in perspective.

“These leaders demonstrate what is possible when vision combines with action. They inspire us with their achievements, their relentless energy, and their willingness to push boundaries for the greater good,” said Alan Stoga, chairman of the foundation.

Olson was recognized for his work in the United States and in low- and middle-income countries to develop innovative solutions for health care challenges through design. Olson is the director of the Consortium for Affordable Medical Technologies (CAMTech), an initiative fostering collaboration between health care workers, engineers, and patients to develop low-cost solutions for global health challenges.

The Tällberg prize comes with a $50,000 honorarium. Olson and his co-recipients will be recognized at a ceremony in January 2025 at the University of Pavia, Italy.

Adapted from Tällberg Foundation press materials.