Gary H.
Gibbons, M.D., of Morehouse School of Medicine
(MSM) received
one of the highest honors in medicine and health this
week. On
Monday, Oct. 8, Gibbons was named to the Institute of
Medicine (IOM) of the
National Academies. Gibbons,
director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute and professor
of medicine at MSM, is the
fifth IOM member from
the Atlanta-based school.
“It’s
gratifying to be elected by my peers to this very
prestigious group,” said Gibbons. “This recognizes
some of the contributions we’ve made to science and to
the health of the communities we serve. It’s also an
honor for Morehouse School of Medicine in recognition of
its national leadership in both scientific excellence
and service to the nation.”
Gibbons is
among 65 new members and four foreign associates the
Institute elected during its annual membership,
including those holding emeritus status and serving as
foreign associates, now totals 1,692. The mission of
IOM is to serve
as adviser to the nation to improve
health.
“It
is a great pleasure to welcome these distinguished and
influential individuals to the
Institute
of Medicine,”
said IOM
President Harvey V. Fineberg. “Members are elected
through a highly selective process that recognizes
people who have made major contributions to the
advancement of the medical sciences, health care, and
public health. Election is considered one of the
highest honors in the fields of medicine and
health.”
A
board-certified cardiologist with research training
expertise in molecular vascular biology, Gibbons also is
program director of both the Clinical Center of Research
Excellence and the T-32 Training Program in
Cardiovascular Science at MSM. The native of
Germantown,
Pa.,
was a member of the faculty at
Stanford
University
and Harvard
Medical
School
before joining MSM. He earned his
undergraduate degree from
Princeton
University
and graduated magna cum laude from
Harvard
Medical
School
in Boston.
He completed his residency and cardiology fellowship at
the Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital in
Boston. His
research mentors include Victor Dzau, M.D., Duke
University; the late Thomas Smith, M.D.; the late A.
Clifford Barger, M.D.; and Eugene Braunwald, M.D.,
Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Other
IOM
members from MSM
have included Eve J. Higginbotham, M.D., dean and senior
vice president for Academic Affairs; Peter R. MacLeish,
Ph.D., chair and professor, Department of Anatomy and
Neurobiology and George H.W. Bush and Barbara P. Bush
Chair of Neuroscience; David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D.,
director, Center of Excellence on Health Disparities and
Poussaint-Satcher-Cosby Chair in Mental Health; and
Louis W. Sullivan, M.D., president emeritus. Members of
MSM’s
board of trustees who also are
IOM
members include MSM
alumna Regina M. Benjamin, M.D., M.B.A., founder and
CEO,
Bayou La Batre Rural Health Clinic; John W. Rowe, M.D.,
professor, Department of Health Policy and Management,
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health; and
Jordan J. Cohen, M.D., president emeritus, Association
of American Medical Colleges.
Current
active members of the
Institute
of Medicine
elect new members from among candidates nominated for
their professional achievement and commitment to
service. Established in 1970 by the National
Academy of Sciences, IOM has become recognized as a
national resource for independent, scientifically
informed analysis and recommendations on human health
issues.
Morehouse
School of Medicine
Researcher Named To Prestigious