American Society for Clinical Investigation Honors 10 Vanderbilt Physicians

Four Vanderbilt University Medical Center faculty members have been elected this year to membership in the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), the organization has announced.

Four others from VUMC have received ASCI Council Young Physician Scientist Awards this year, and two have received ASCI Emerging Generation Awards.

Founded in 1908, the ASCI is one of the oldest and most respected medical honor societies in the United States. Its mission is to support the unique role of physician-scientists in driving forward research, clinical care and medical education.

“It is a real testament to the value we place on physician-led science at all levels here at Vanderbilt,” said Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD, MMHC, the Hugh Jackson Morgan Professor of Medicine, and chair of the department. “To have recognition of these talented individuals from very early faculty to our mid-career superstars is wonderful. Each of them is a superstar.”

“Vanderbilt trainees and faculty have earned a well-deserved honor with their induction into the ASCI,” said Christopher Williams, MD, PhD, professor of Medicine and associate dean for Physician Scientist Education and Training. “This induction speaks volumes about their accomplishments and potential as physician-scientists.

“Their dedication to advancing medicine through cutting-edge research has made a lasting impact on the field,” Williams added. “We are confident that they will continue to lead and innovate, making a positive difference in the lives of countless patients. Congratulations on this outstanding recognition of their talent and hard work.”

New ASCI members from VUMC are:

• Evan Brittain, MD, MSc, associate professor of Medicine (Cardiovascular Medicine);
• Wesley Self, MD, MPH, associate professor of Emergency Medicine, and VUMC Senior Vice President for Clinical Research;
• Cyndya Shibao, MD, MSCI, associate professor of Medicine (Clinical Pharmacology); and
• Matthew Wilson, MD, PhD, professor of Medicine (Nephrology and Hypertension).

They are among 66 VUMC faculty members who have been inducted into the ASCI since 1974.

The Young Physician Scientist Award recognizes the impact that physician-scientists early in their first faculty appointments have made on human health through their scientific discoveries. This year’s recipients from VUMC are:

• Jonathan Casey, MD, MSCI, assistant professor of Medicine (Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine);
• Scott Haake, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Medicine (Hematology and Oncology);
• Andrew Terker, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Medicine (Nephrology and Hypertension); and
• Celestine Wanjalla, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases).

Additionally, two resident physicians/fellows have been honored with the Emerging Generation Award, recognizing their potential as physician-scientists. They are:

• Fabian Bock, MD, PhD, instructor in Medicine (Nephrology and Hypertension); and
• Mona Mashayekhi, MD, PhD, instructor in Medicine (Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism).

The awards and inductions will be presented in April during ASCI’s annual meeting, held jointly in Chicago with the Association of American Physicians (AAP) and the American Physician Scientist Association.

VUMC is an influential advocate for increasing the supply of physician-scientists nationally and internationally, and its faculty members contribute significantly to the mission of the ASCI.

In 2020 and 2021, Rathmell and Lorraine Ware, MD, the Ralph and Lulu Owen Professor of Medicine, served back-to-back terms as ASCI Council president.

This year Anna Hemnes, MD, associate professor of Medicine (Allergy, Pulmonary, and Critical Care Medicine), will begin a term as a co-chair of the ASCI Physician-Scientist Development Committee, which monitors, creates and supports programming for early-career physician-scientists. She succeeds Williams, who is finishing up his term as co-chair.

Julie Bastarache, MD, associate professor of Medicine (Allergy, Pulmonary, and Critical Care Medicine), is a member of the ASCI Council, and Meena Madhur, MD, PhD, associate professor of Medicine (Clinical Pharmacology), is finishing up a term on the ASCI Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.

For more information about VUMC’s commitment to physician-scientist training, see the fall 2022 issue of Vanderbilt Medicine.