Honors and Prizes
Commencement Awards, May 2012
Cum laude The degree of Doctor of Medicine cum laude will be conferred on students whose academic performance shows unusual merit. Danielle Barber, Oliver Mullin Barry, Marko Boskovski, Panos George Christakis, Pete Duncan, Corey Scott Frucht, Don Hoang, Cheryl Lynn Maier Jackson, Anant Mandawat, Henry Soo-Min Park, Jill Carol Rubinstein, Alla Vickery Lescure Smith, John Michael Thomas, Anant Vasudevan
American Academy of Neurology Award Awarded to recognize a graduating medical student for excellence in clinical neurology. Benjamin Neil Blond
ACP-ASIM Internal Medicine Award Awarded to graduating students who will be entering a categorical or primary care internal medicine residency in Connecticut and have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement and community service. Lin Shen, John Michael Thomas
Norma Bailey Berniker Prize Established in 1970 by bequest of John H. Bailey, B.A. 1900, M.D. 1903. To be awarded to members of the graduating class who give promise of best exemplifying the disciplines and precepts of the Oath of Hippocrates and the Prayer of Maimonides. Ryan William Blum, Anne Colleen Cooper, Olatokunbo Musili Famakinwa, Andrew Joshua Kobets, Marie Ann Rymut Schaefer
The Campbell Prize Founded in 1900 by bequest from James Campbell, honorary M.A. 1891, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology 1886 to 1899. Awarded to the graduating students who secure the highest rank on Step Two of the National Board Examination. Alisse K. Hauspurg
Connecticut Academy of Family Physicians Award Established in 1994 to recognize outstanding students entering a career in Family Practice. Lauren Kathleen Graber, Marie Ann Rymut Schaefer
Connecticut Chapter of American College of Surgeons Prize Awarded to a graduating student for excellence in the surgical sciences. Jill Carol Rubinstein
The Cortlandt Van Rensselaer Creed Award Established in 1999 in honor of Cortlandt Van Rensselaer Creed, M.D. 1857, the first African American graduate of Yale University School of Medicine. Awarded through peer nomination to graduating, underrepresented, minority students in medicine and public health who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, exemplary leadership, and a significant commitment to the community at large. Olatokunbo Musili Famakinwa, Odayme Quesada
Miriam Kathleen Dasey Award Established in 1950 in honor of Miriam Kathleen Dasey, Registrar from 1921 to 1950. To be presented annually to students who by strength of character, personal integrity, and academic achievement give promise of fulfilling the ideal of the compassionate physician. Anne Colleen Cooper, Lauren Kathleen Graber, Kiavash Nikkhou, Michael David Otremba
The Dean’s Prize for Community Service This annual award recognizes the graduating students who, by leadership and service, have made major contributions to the School of Medicine, to the New Haven community, or to the community at large. Olatokunbo Musili Famakinwa, Lauren Kathleen Graber, Odayme Quesada
Endocrinology Society Medical Student Achievement Award Established in 1997 to recognize a graduating senior who has shown special achievement and interest in the general field of endocrinology. Charisse Marie Orme
The Selma and Karl Folkers Prize in Biomedical Research Established in 2005 by Dr. and Mrs. James D. Jamieson. This prize is awarded to graduating M.D./Ph.D. students whose thesis research has demonstrated excellence in basic cell and molecular biology. Charisse Marie Orme, Cheryl Lynne Maier Jackson
The Peter A. T. Grannum Prize Established in 1990. Awarded to outstanding African American graduates. This annual award is supported by the Shirley, Maggie and Hugh Comer Fund. Cicely Ann Williams, Rashele Patrice (Cross) Yarborough
The M.D./Ph.D. Alumni Award Awarded to graduating M.D./Ph.D. students who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievements, leadership, and service. Danielle Barber
The M.D./Ph.D. Award Awarded to outstanding members of the graduating M.D./Ph.D. class who have shown excellence in both research and clinical activities. Saif Shafique Rathore, Jill Carol Rubinstein
New England Pediatric Society Prize Awarded to that member of the graduating class entering pediatrics who in the opinion of peers and faculty best exemplifies those qualities one looks for in a pediatrician: “A competent, caring, good humored person whom I would want to take care of my children.” Alla Vickery Lescure Smith
The Parker Prize Established in 1914 by bequest from Frank J. Parker, Ph.D. 1895, M.D. 1898. Awarded annually to the graduating students who, during the course, have shown the best qualifications for a successful physician. Michael Christopher Dewan, Aaron Joshua Feinstein, Henry Soo-Min Park, Alla Vickery Lescure Smith
The Perkins Prize Awarded to the student who achieves the highest rank on Step One of the National Board Examination. John Webster Gilbert
Mila Rainof Award The Mila Rainof Award will be given each year to a graduating Yale medical student entering the field of emergency medicine who, like Mila, has contagious enthusiasm for caring for patients, while bringing attention, kindness, and compassion to each interaction. Jessica Dara Bod
The Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Award Awarded to the student who has demonstrated excellence in the specialty of emergency medicine. Carl Berdahl
The Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award Presented by The Arnold P. Gold Foundation Established to honor a graduating student who demonstrates the highest standard of compassion and sensitivity in his or her interaction with patients. Lauren Kathleen Graber
Lauren Weinstein Award Established in 1992 in memory of Lauren Weinstein (Yale medical student 1988–1989). Given to a student who displays courage, perseverance, and compassion and has dared to reach for the best in herself or himself. J. Hale Season
The Milton C. Winternitz Prize in Pathology Established in 1950 in honor of Milton Charles Winternitz, honorary M.A. 1917, Professor of Pathology and Bacteriology 1917–1925, Anthony N. Brady Professor of Pathology 1925–1950. Jocelyn Bosco Chandler
Thesis Prizes, May 2012
The American Cancer Society Prize Given by the Connecticut Chapter of the American Cancer Society and awarded to a graduating student for an outstanding thesis in the area of cancer. Henry Soo-Min Park
The Association for Academic Surgery–Novartis Research Award Awarded to the senior medical student entering a surgical field, who has done outstanding research during medical school. Hadiza Shu’aib Kazaure
The Peter F. Curran Prize Established in 1976. To be presented to a graduating medical student for an outstanding thesis. Peter F. Curran was Professor of Physiology at Yale, 1967 to 1974. Alla Vickery Lescure Smith
Wilber G. Downs, M.D., M.P.H., Prize for the Outstanding Thesis in International Health Established in 1988 for the best thesis in the area of international health. John Christopher Binford
The Ferris Prize Established in 1934 and endowed in 1937 by anonymous donors in honor of Harry Burr Ferris, A.A. 1887, M.D. 1890. Awarded to a graduating student for an outstanding thesis. Marko Boskovski
The William U. Gardner Thesis Prize Established in 1989 by Dr. Gardner’s widow and awarded to the graduating student with the most outstanding thesis in the graduating class. Badri Gunvant Modi
The Nicholas J. Giarman Prize Established in 1976. Nicholas Giarman was Professor of Pharmacology, 1949 to 1968. To be presented to a student for an outstanding thesis. Panos George Christakis
The Keese Prize Established in 1880 by bequest from Mary M. Keese in memory of her son, Hobart Keese, M.D. 1855. Awarded annually to a student who presents an outstanding thesis. Pete Duncan
The Dr. Harold H. Lamport Biomedical Research Prize Established in 1976. To be presented to a student for an outstanding thesis reporting original biomedical research. Catherine S. Yang
The Lidz Prize in Psychiatry Awarded to a graduating student for an outstanding thesis in the field of psychiatry. Benjamin Neil Blond
The M.D./Ph.D. Thesis Prize Awarded to the graduating M.D./Ph.D. student with the most outstanding dissertation. Corey Scott Frucht
Dr. Marvin Moser Prize Established in 2007 by Dr. Marvin Moser for a prize-winning thesis in preventive cardiology, lipid disorders, or hypertension. Anant Mandawat
The Dr. Louis H. Nahum Prize Founded in 1973 by bequest from Louis H. Nahum, M.D. 1916. Awarded annually to members of the senior class of the School of Medicine, who merit such award by virtue of the excellence of the thesis that they have written as required for the medical degree. John Michael Thomas, Anant Vasudevan
The John P. Peters Prize Established in 1976. To be presented to a student for an outstanding thesis in the area of internal medicine. John P. Peters was Professor of Medicine at Yale, 1927 to 1955. Narae Ko
David and Harriet Seligson Thesis Prize Established in 2011 in honor of Dr. David Seligson for the best thesis in the area of laboratory medicine. Sponsored by the Department of Laboratory Medicine. Oliver Mullin Barry
The Louis G. Welt Prize Established in 1976. To be presented to a student for an outstanding thesis. Louis Welt was Chairman and Professor of Medicine, 1972 to 1974. Don Hoang
The Abraham White Prize The Abraham White Prize is given yearly to a Yale medical student for outstanding student research. Established in 2010, the prize is in memory of Dr. Abraham White, who served as a distinguished teacher and scholar of physiological chemistry at Yale from 1931 to 1948. Kwame B. Atsina
Student Research Day Oral Presentations, May 8, 2012
Daniel Duncan. Endothelial-mesenchymal transition driven by TGF-B is a significant mediator of stenosis in tissue engineered vascular grafts (Dr. Christopher Breuer, Surgery)
Badri Modi. Langerhans cells facilitate mutagenesis and squamous cell carcinoma (Dr. Michael Girardi, Dermatology)
Marko Boskovski. The novel congenital heart disease gene, Galnt11, modifies notch to alter left-right patterning (Dr. Martina Brueckner, Pediatrics)
Don Hoang. Leptin: a novel hormone of the parathyroid gland (Dr. Deepak Narayan, Surgery)
John Thomas. Foretelling the future of prognostication: a historically inspired domain-based approach for the elderly (Dr. Terri Fried, Internal Medicine)
Corey Frucht. The role of microRNA181a in avian auditory hair cell regeneration (Dr. Dhasakumar Navaratnam, Neurology and Neurobiology)
Awards to Faculty and House Staff, May 2012
The Francis Gilman Blake Award Established in 1952 by Nu Sigma Nu. Endowed by Dr. Robert C. Kirk, B.S. 1930, as a memorial to his twin brother, Dr. Gilman D. Kirk, B.S. 1930. Awarded annually to that member(s) of the faculty of the School of Medicine designated by the senior class as the most outstanding teacher(s) of the medical sciences. Andre Sofair, M.D., M.P.H., Associate Professor of Medicine (General Medicine); and Cyrus Kapadia, M.D., Professor of Medicine (Digestive Diseases)
Charles W. Bohmfalk Prizes Established in 1989 under the terms of the Alice Bohmfalk Charitable Trust. Prestigious teaching prizes will be awarded annually to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the teaching program, one in the basic sciences and one in the clinical sciences, as judged by the faculty and students. Basic Sciences: Lawrence Rizzolo, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Surgery (Gross Anatomy) and of Ophthalmology and Visual Science. Clinical Sciences: Lloyd Cantley, M.D., C.N.H. Long Professor of Medicine (Nephrology) and Professor of Cellular and Molecular Physiology
The Alvan R. Feinstein Award Presented to a Yale University School of Medicine faculty member chosen as the outstanding teacher of the year of clinical skills by a committee of chairs of the clinical departments, associate chairs, and students. Margaret Drikamer, M.D., Professor of Medicine (Geriatrics) and Associate Professor of Nursing
The Leah M. Lowenstein Award Presented annually by the Office for Women in Medicine to members of the faculty who most clearly represent the highest degree of excellence in the promotion of humane and egalitarian medical education. Mark Mercurio, M.D., M.A., Professor of Pediatrics (Neonatology)
The Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award Presented by The Arnold P. Gold Foundation Established in 1998 to honor the faculty member who demonstrates the highest standard of compassion and sensitivity in his or her interaction with patients. David Hersh, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
The Betsy Winters House Staff Award Established in 1972 by the Fourth-Year Class and presented annually to that member or members of the House Staff of the Yale-New Haven Medical Center, designated by the graduating class, who has/have made the most significant contribution to the education of medical students. Nicholas Blondin, M.D.; and Jason Prescott, M.D., Ph.D.
