Three faculty members of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA received National Institutes of Health High-Risk, High-Reward Research Program awards. Dr. Olujimi Ajijola (FEL ’13, ’14), assistant professor of medicine, received the New Innovator Award; Dr. Anne Andrews, Richard Metzner Endowed Chair in Clinical Neuropharmacology and professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences, received the Transformative Research Award; and Dr. Valerie Arboleda (PhD ’12, MD ’14, RES ’17), assistant professor-in-residence in pathology and laboratory medicine, received the Early Independence Award. The awards support scientists who propose innovative, high-risk or unconventional biomedical research projects with the potential for unusually broad impact.
Dr. Carrie Bearden, professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences, was named to the scientific council of the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, the nation’s top non-governmental funder of mental health research grants.
Dr. Joaquin Fuster, emeritus distinguished professor in psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences, and Dr. Otoniel Martinez-Maza (PhD ’81), professor of obstetrics and gynecology, epidemiology and microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics, have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Dr. Neal Halfon, founding director of the UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families and Communities, received the American Academy of Pediatrics’ C. Anderson Aldrich Award in Child Development.
Dr. Connie Kasari (FEL ’90), professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences and a founding member of the Center for Autism Research and Treatment in the Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, received the Acceleration Award from Autism Speaks.
Dr. Kelsey Martin, dean of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, was appointed by California Gov. Jerry Brown to the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Precision Medicine.
Dr. Vishad Nabili (RES ’07, FEL ’07), associate professor of clinical head and neck surgery and director of the Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery Residency Training Program, was named the 2018 recipient of the Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.
Dr. David Reuben (FEL ’88), chief of the Division of Geriatrics, accepted the SCAN Foundation’s first Innovation in Health Care Award on behalf of the UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program.
Dr. Jeffrey Saver, professor of clinical neurology and director of the UCLA Comprehensive Stroke Center, received a Gold Heart Award, the American Heart Association’s highest volunteer honor. In addition, Dr. Saver was presented with the association’s Meritorious Achievement award.
Dr. Michael Steinberg (RES ’81), director of clinical affairs at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, has received the American Society for Radiation Oncology 2017 Gold Medal for his lifetime contributions in the field of radiation oncology.
