Harvard Medical School Dean Jeffrey S. Flier recognized Wayne Lencer as the inaugural incumbent of the Longwood Professorship in Pediatrics on Oct. 6 in HMS’s Gordon Hall of Medicine.
“Already a well-respected member of the professoriate, Wayne now holds the title of Longwood Professor of Pediatrics—a title that further distinguishes him as a leader in his field and among his peers in the Harvard Medical community,” said Flier.
Lencer became an instructor of pediatrics at HMS in 1987 and is now chief of the division of gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition at Boston Children’s Hospital. He is also director of the Harvard Digestive Diseases Center and the Harry Shwachman Chair of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition at Boston Children’s.
Lencer’s research focuses on how intestinal epithelial cells interact with their microenvironments in bacterial pathogenesis and mucosal host defense, and how those cells internalize and transport macromolecules into and across the epithelial barrier. Flier described how Lencer’s work in these areas has led to 14 patent awards and the founding of a biotech company that was acquired by Biogen Idec and has produced two FDA-approved drugs.
Stuart Orkin, David G. Nathan Professor of Pediatrics at HMS and associate chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology at Boston Children’s, is the ultimate namesake of the professorship. Upon his retirement from the HMS faculty, it will be renamed the Stuart H. Orkin Professorship in Pediatrics.
Orkin is well known for his research into the molecular genetics of blood diseases, stem cell biology and blood cell development, as well as his clinical work.
“Highly regarded by the Boston Children’s Hospital and larger medical community for his pioneering research and exceptional leadership, the naming of this professorship in Stuart’s honor is a fitting tribute to his incredible contributions and dedication to advancing the field of hematology during his tenure of over three decades as a Harvard faculty member,” said Flier.
Speakers at the ceremony included Associate Professor of Anesthesia at HMS and Executive Vice President of Health Affairs and Chief Operating Officer at Boston Children’s Kevin Churchwell; Leland Fikes Professor of Pediatrics at HMS and Chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology and Director of Translational Research at Boston Children’s David Williams; and Egan Family Foundation Professor at HMS and Physician-in-Chief, Pediatrician-in-Chief and Chairman of the Department of Medicine at Boston Children’s Gary Fleisher.
