Elizabeth M. Jaffee, M.D. ’85, was inaugurated as president of the American Association for Cancer Research for 2018-2019.
Philip R. Cohen, M.D. ’83, added a new term to the lexicon recently: eponychogryphosis (www.cureus. com/articles/17440-curlingcuticles-of-the-great-toenails-acase-report-of-eponychogryphosis). Adelaide Nardone, M.D. ’83, reports she is thrilled to have a beautiful granddaughter, Winnie Golden Gleason.
Richard O. Nelson, M.D. ’85, received the 2018 Jefferson Award BD Health Care Professional Medallion at the New Jersey State Governor’s Jefferson Awards presentation in June, 2018. The award recognizes individuals who volunteer their time and talents to address the physical and/or psychological health care needs of those who are uninsured, unrepresented, or unable to obtain basic or specialized care on their own. Dr. Nelson worked with colleagues to co-found the Enright Melanoma Foundation after the loss of their friend, Dr. Joseph Enright, to malignant melanoma at the age of 37. Since 1999, they have passionately pursued a mission to raise sun safety awareness and prevent melanoma through preventive education and early detection. Dr. Nelson has led the organization for the past 15 years and helped launch the Enright Sun Safety Certification™ programs that have been used to educate youth, teachers, nurses, coaches and parents.
Joseph S. Cervia, M.D. ’84, M.B.A., FACP, FAAP, FIDSA, wrote A Remarkable Birthday Gift, published online ahead of print in Pediatrics. “I reflected on our experiences in caring for children and families battling HIV/AIDS and on how profoundly privileged I am to work with so many exceptional people in bringing the finest fruits of science to bear on so many young lives,” he says. 38 CCHHI R I ROONNI A I ANN2019 2019
Nandakumar C. Menon, M.D. (GME ’80), received the 2018 American College of Surgeons/ Pfizer Humanitarian Award given in recognition of surgeons who have dedicated a substantial portion of their career to ensuring the provision of surgical care to underserved populations without expectation of commensurate reimbursement.
The 70s
John Matthew Garofalo, M.D. ’79, was recently appointed assistant clinical professor, University of Vermont, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and served as director of minimally invasive gynecology at Norwalk Hospital, Western Connecticut Health Network. He had the honor of “hooding” his son, Matthew Garofalo, M.D. ’17, at NYMC’s graduation in Carnegie Hall. His son is now a second-year resident in psychiatry at Westchester Medical Center.
Myles L. Pensak, M.D. ’78, FACS, is the H.B. Broidy Professor and Chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Cincinnati Academic Health
ALUMNI PROFILE Joseph M. Miano, Ph.D. ’92 Is at the Heart of Cardiovascular Gene Therapy BY ALI JACKSON-JOLLEY, M.B.A.
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or as far back as he can recall, Joseph M. Miano, Ph.D. ’92, has always been fascinated with the human heart. “Back in the early 1970s, when I was very young, my father was a paramedic. He’d bring home these anatomy books, and I remember pouring over pictures of hearts and clogged arteries,” he recalls. “While the other kids were outside playing, I was inside listening to seventies rock music while drawing pictures of hearts and blood vessels.” Nearly four decades later, Dr. Miano is a professor in the Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute at the University of Rochester Medical Center. In his quest to better understand cardiovascular disease, he was among the first in the world to use the revolutionary CRISPR genome editing technology. The Miano lab was the first to generate a CRISPR animal model carrying subtle mutations in a control element that turns on a gene (Cnn1). “CRISPR is the new revolutionary technology which allows researchers to efficiently edit genomes, allowing scientists to precisely manipulate a DNA sequence. CRISPR is a huge game changer,” says Dr. Miano. With the emergence of CRISPR technology, heightened concerns regarding the ethical implications related to human genome editing have followed. It’s a topic about which Dr. Miano speaks publicly and with great passion. During a discussion he led at the 2017 American Heart Association’s Annual Conference on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology/Peripheral Vascular Disease (ATVB/PVD), Dr. Miano said, “These are thorny conversations in which the scientific community will be pivotal in leading discourse. Are we in the position to make decisions for people who don’t even exist yet? These are deeply philosophical questions that need to be discussed in the public realm. We must ensure that the public is informed, given voice and respected.” While Dr. Miano credits his father as the force who sparked his desire to work at the cutting edge of cardiovascular research, there have been many other mentors along the way. “I was drawn to New York Medical College because of my chosen field of study called atherosclerosis. Dr. Michael Stemerman [M.D.] was a physician scientist at NYMC who led efforts to understand basic processes associated with this prevalent disease, so I applied and was accepted to the Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences where I was able to rotate in Dr. Stemerman’s lab.” Another notable inspiration has been internationally-renowned cardiovascular researcher, Eric Olson,