Breaking Alumni News

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Douglas E. Vaughan, MD, as the Irving S. Cutter Professor and Chair of the Department of Medicine, effective June 1.

A 1980 graduate of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dr. Vaughan completed his training in internal medicine at Parkland Memorial Hospital and the Dallas VA Medical Center in 1984. He served as a chief resident there as well under Dr. Donald W. Seldin in 1983–84. From 1984–89, he completed a fellowship in cardiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, a research fellowship in medicine at Harvard, a clinical fellowship in interventional cardiology at the Brigham, and a fellowship in the Center for Thrombosis and Vascular Research at the University of Leuven, Belgium.

Before coming to the Feinberg School, Dr. Vaughan was a faculty member at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and an attending physician at the university’s medical center since 1993. He became professor of medicine and pharmacology in 1997 and C. Sidney Burwell Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine in 1999.

Dr. Vaughan is an accomplished clinician, teacher, and investigator. His research interests include the role of the plasminogen activator system in cardiovascular disease and tissue remodeling, the biochemistry and molecular biology of mammalian fibrinolysis, and regulation of vascular gene expression. Dr. Vaughan has a long record of continuous NIH funding. He is currently principal investigator on four major grants from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) addressing research questions ranging from the basic mechanisms of cardiovascular disease to potential innovative therapies of these conditions and holds several patents relating to control of thrombosis and clot dissolution. He is principal investigator on one of three NHLBI-sponsored Specialized Centers of Clinically Oriented Research in Hemostatic and Thrombotic Diseases and also directs Vanderbilt’s participation in the NHLBI-sponsored Cardiac Cell Therapy Research Network (CCTRN). He served as a permanent member of the NHLBI’s Experimental Cardiovascular Science Study Section and chaired its Vascular Cell and Molecular Biology Study Section in 2003–04. Dr. Vaughan serves on a number of editorial boards including Circulation, the premier journal in cardiovascular medicine. Among his many honors, Dr. Vaughan has been elected to the American Society of Clinical Investigation (ASCI), the Association of American Professors (AAP), and the Association of University Cardiologists.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Vaughan to the Northwestern community. We’d also like to thank William L. Lowe Jr., MD, professor of medicine, for his service as interim chair of the Department of Medicine these past nine months. In addition, we commend Anthony Schaeffer, MD, Herman L. Kretschmer Professor and Chair of the Department of Urology for leading the search committee that identified Dr. Vaughan.

I have recently notified the Board of Trustees of my decision to retire, effective August 31, 2009, and I wanted to share that news with you today. I continue to enjoy my job immensely, but I truly believe that it is important for institutions to be refreshed regularly with new leadership. Northwestern has come to occupy a large portion of my heart and mind, and it has been an honor to serve as Northwestern’s president – and a great experience.

The successes we have had over the years are due to more people here at Northwestern than I can name. I have been privileged to work with many, many outstanding faculty, students, staff, alumni and trustees. Pat Ryan, who has been an extraordinary chairman of the board of trustees during my tenure, and Howard Trienens, who was chairman as I came, have led this institution in an exemplary fashion, and I have benefited immensely from their counsel and guidance. My colleagues on the president’s staff and among the deans have provided outstanding leadership, and I thank them for their dedicated efforts, as I do all the members of our staff. I am also extremely proud of the accomplishments of our stellar faculty and remarkable students, whose achievements have advanced significantly the reputation of Northwestern.

I also would like to thank my wife, Leigh. She has been a crucial partner with me and has made her own terrific contributions to the University and to Chicago through her involvement in a variety of activities. Through her work at the Law School and in the Chicago community, she too has been a leader at Northwestern and in the greater Chicago area.

There is still a great deal to accomplish, and I intend to be quite busy in the next 15 months. We will finalize plans for the new School of Music building, we will implement our enhanced financial aid program for students and we will continue our efforts in several curricular initiatives, including intensifying the internationalization of the University. I will be working with many of you to move these programs forward.

In conclusion, my tenure here has been a wonderful experience that I will cherish. The scripture from which Northwestern’s motto is taken urges us to "think on these things" that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of good report. I know in my heart that in regard to my Northwestern experience, I will think on these things forever.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your president and lead this great university.

We are pleased to announce that John G. Csernansky, MD, will be appointed Lizzie Gilman Professor and Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, effective March 1, 2008, pending Northwestern University Board of Trustees approval.

Dr. Csernansky comes to Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine after serving as the Gregory B. Couch Professor of Psychiatry and professor of neurobiology at Washington University in St. Louis. He earned a BA degree in chemistry at Northwestern, followed by an MD degree at New York University (NYU) School of Medicine in 1979. He completed residency at Stanford University, serving as chief resident in psychiatry from 1982-83. He gained early research experience as an assistant investigator at the Woods Hole Marine Biology Laboratory from 1976-77 and as a medical student investigator in the Millhauser Neurochemistry Laboratories at NYU. At Stanford, Dr. Csernansky served a one-year fellowship in psychopharmacology. Today his NIH-supported research investigates how structural abnormalities of the limbic system and prefrontal cortex relate to cognitive defects and responses to drug therapies in patients with schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease. Complementing this research, Dr. Csernansky conducts clinical trials of new drugs that aim to improve cognitive function and long-term outcomes. A member of the editorial boards of Schizophrenia Bulletin and Schizophrenia Research, Dr. Csernansky is an ad hoc reviewer for 19 other journals in areas of brain research, psychiatry, and neuropharmacology. He has also served on panels, committees, and review boards for the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute on Aging. Recent awards include the Exemplary Psychiatrist Award in 1998 and Mortimer Goodman Award in 2002, both from the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, and in 2004 the Award of Excellence in Human Research protection from the Health Improvement Institute. Please join us in welcoming Dr. Csernansky to the Northwestern community and in thanking Ron Krasner, MD for his exceptional service as the Interim Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry since 2002.

Effective immediately, Joan M. Anzia, MD, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, has been appointed interim department chair. Ronald F. Krasner, MD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, stepped down from the position to take a medical leave of absence. He is doing well and will return to the faculty as soon as is prudent.

Dr. Anzia earned her MD degree at Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine in 1977 and completed residency training at Northwestern and the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). She came to Northwestern in 2005 as associate professor and director of Ambulatory and Community Services at NMH. In July 2006 she was appointed director of the psychiatry residency program and medical director of NMH's Outpatient Treatment Clinic. Previously on the faculty at UIC, Dr. Anzia won several teaching awards there, and in 2006 Northwestern psychiatry residents chose her as the Richard Marohn Teacher of the Year. For the American Psychiatric Association (APA), Dr. Anzia has been on the Council on Medical Education and Lifelong Learning since 2005, is a member of the Council on Advocacy and Public Policy, and serves as the APA’s representative to the American Board of Medical Specialties. Dr. Anzia is also president of the Association for Academic Psychiatry and serves as secretary of the Association of Women Psychiatrists. In 2004-05, she was president of the Illinois Psychiatric Society. Please welcome Dr. Anzia in her new role as interim chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.

Please join me in welcoming Jane L. Holl, MD, MPH, as acting director of the Institute for Healthcare Studies, effective December 17.

In 1979 Dr. Holl received her medical degree from the Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium; she became board certified in pediatrics in 1986 and received her MPH degree from the University of Rochester in 1997. The following year, Dr. Holl joined the Northwestern faculty as assistant professor of pediatrics. She now holds the rank of associate professor of pediatrics and preventive medicine and associate professor, Institute for Healthcare Studies. She also holds an appointment in the Institute for Policy Research. In addition, she serves as medical director for patient safety and an attending physician at Children’s Memorial Hospital.

Chief among Dr. Holl’s numerous research activities is serving as principal investigator of "The National Children’s Study: Greater Chicago Study Center," the largest study of child and human health ever conducted in the United States. This seven-year, $32 million grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development makes the Feinberg School of Medicine the hub of a collaboration with the University of Chicago, University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, and National Opinion Research Center. The study focuses on assessing the effects of environmental and genetic factors on pregnant women, children, and adults, with the goal of preventing and treating serious diseases. More than 4,000 children in Cook County will be followed from before birth to age 21. The study is expected to last 25 years.

Renowned for her efforts to improve clinical care and patient safety for children in Chicago's underserved populations, Dr. Holl is a frequent presenter at meetings of the Society for Pediatric Research and AcademyHealth and has had articles published in such journals as Pediatrics, Journal of Patient Safety, and Obstetrics and Gynecology.

On behalf of the entire Feinberg School, I extend our sincere appreciation to Kevin B. Weiss, MD, MPH, for his significant accomplishments as director of the Institute for Healthcare Studies. The successful launching of the Center for Patient Safety and the master's degree and certificate programs in quality and safety will help us continue to grow as a fine academic medical center. A new leader for the Center for Health Care Equity, a key institute initiative, will be chosen soon. In addition, the newly created Health Economics Center is expected to play a major role in the institute’s future.

With this strong foundation, the Institute for Healthcare Studies is positioned for great accomplishments. I am confident that Jane will continue to make major contributions in her new leadership role.

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Abecassis, MD, MSc, MBA, as dean for clinical affairs at the Feinberg School of Medicine, effective November 1. He continues as J.Roscoe Miller Distinguished Professor, professor of surgery and microbiology-immunology, and chief of the Division of Organ Transplantation.

Dr. Abecassis is recognized as a gifted leader with an uncommon ability to articulate new ideas, generate enthusiasm and consensus in others, and successfully complete major undertakings. In his new, broader role, Dr. Abecassis will be responsible for setting the vision and overseeing the administration of clinical affairs at the medical school. He will serve as the interface with our current clinical partners and their medical staffs as well as developing relationships with potential affiliates.

A medical graduate of the University of Toronto, Dr. Abecassis underwent fellowship training there in hepatobiliary surgery and liver transplantation. He completed other specialized transplantation fellowships and then initiated a liver transplant program at the University of Iowa and served as director of the Liver Transplant and Hepatobiliary Surgery Programs. Recruited to Northwestern in 1992 as assistant professor of surgery, he directed the Liver Transplantation Program. He then helped create the pediatric liver transplantation program at Children’s Memorial Hospital. Appointed chief of organ transplantation at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in 2003, he currently serves as director of the Kidney and Liver Transplant Programs. His approach is to foster effective multidisciplinary, interdepartmental care for transplant patients.

Dr. Abecassis' research activities are extensive. He serves as principal investigator and a member of the Steering Committee of the National Institutes of Health-funded Adult-to-Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation Cohort Study. This seven-year study, involving nine top liver transplant centers in the U.S., will provide much-needed data on living donor liver transplantation. He also is principal investigator in two related studies. In another NIH-funded study, Clinical Trials in Organ Transplantation, he serves as principal investigator and Steering Committee member. This study will investigate molecular markers in the blood and serum that predict and accurately diagnose rejection and ischemia/reperfusion injury of transplanted organs. In addition, Dr. Abecassis has received uninterrupted NIH funding for 10 years for his research on cytomegalovirus infection, which may be a significant infectious complication following transplantation. Finally, Dr. Abecassis was recently

Our new dean for clinical affairs has had more than100 articles published in peer-reviewed journals and written or edited several books and book chapters in the transplantation field. He advises the Department of Health and Human Services on organ procurement and allocation, quality of care, and reimbursement. He has been named a fellow of the Canadian Royal College of Surgeons, American College of Surgeons, and American College of Physician Executives. Dr. Abecassis also holds an MBA degree from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Peter Kopp as the interim director of the Center for Genetic Medicine. Dr. Kopp obtained his MD degree from the University of Berne, Switzerland, in 1985 and then completed his clinical training in internal medicine and endocrinology at the same institution. He joined Northwestern University in 1993 as a postdoctoral research fellow, and he has been a faculty member here since 1997. Dr. Kopp is currently an associate professor of medicine in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Molecular Medicine. He brings a unique combination of basic science and clinical experience to the leadership of the Center for Genetic Medicine.

Dr. Kopp has a long-standing interest in genetic (endocrine) disorders and has made many important contributions to the understanding of the molecular basis of thyroid pathophysiology and the development of thyroid neoplasms. His research has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of Clinical Investigation, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, as well as in leading endocrine specialty journals. In collaboration with members from the Department of Preventive Medicine, he has analyzed genetic factors contributing to alterations of steroid levels in men. He is an author of chapters in major textbooks, including a chapter on Principles of Human Genetics in Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine.

Board certified in internal medicine and endocrinology, Dr. Kopp's clinical practice focuses on patients with thyroid dysfunction and thyroid cancer, and he is a member of the thyroid panel of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, which publishes guidelines for the treatment of thyroid cancer. Dr. Kopp is serving as director for the endocrine fellowship program, director of the laboratory program for the General Clinical Research Center, and is an NIH-funded investigator for his studies on Pendred’s syndrome. He is an active member of the American Thyroid Association and the Endocrine Society.

The Center for Genetic Medicine is an important component of the medical school that has enabled a large number of Feinberg School and Northwestern investigators to pursue research that takes advantage of genetics and genomics approaches. I hope you will join me in welcoming Peter to this important leadership position.

It is my pleasure to announce the appointment of Linda V. Van Horn, PhD, RD, as interim chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine at the Feinberg School of Medicine, effective immediately. After receiving her doctoral degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, Dr. Van Horn joined the Northwestern faculty in 1983. Distinguishing herself as a clinical nutrition epidemiologist, she has made major contributions to many of her department's renowned multicenter, collaborative trials.

Dr. Van Horn also has assumed increasing leadership roles both inside and outside the University including serving as associate dean for faculty development at the Feinberg School for the past two years, editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association since 2003, a member of the American Heart Association's Nutrition Committee, and past member of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Advisory Committee. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Van Horn to her newest leadership position.

On behalf of the entire Feinberg School, I offer heartfelt gratitude and best wishes to Rowland W. "Bing" Chang, MD, as he steps down after two years of service as interim chair of preventive medicine. A rheumatologist, Dr. Chang will return to his many academic and professional pursuits including serving as principal investigator on an NIH grant on exercise therapy for arthritis patients, directing the school's MPH program, providing patient care, and continuing his involvement in Arthritis Foundation activities. He has graciously agreed to remain active in department activities.

An active search for the permanent chair of preventive medicine will begin in 2008, with the goal of welcoming the new department leader in 2009.

I am pleased to announce that Daniel H. Linzer, dean of the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, has been appointed Provost of Northwestern University, effective September 1.

My pleasure in making this announcement is, of course, tempered by the knowledge that the need for this appointment arose from the recent decision of Provost Lawrence Dumas to step down from this position. As I have written previously, Larry has rendered extraordinary service during his nearly 12 years as Northwestern's chief academic officer. The University generally - and I in particular - are both greatly in his debt. I am confident that Dan Linzer will be guided by the passion, so richly demonstrated by Larry Dumas, to make a great institution still greater and the skill to realize those high ambitions.

As you will recall, in July I asked members of the faculty and staff to write me with their nominations for Provost. I am grateful for the many thoughtful messages received in response to that request. Significantly, a large number of you suggested that I consider appointing Dean Linzer to this position.

I met individually with a number of persons nominated for the position, and those discussions were followed by prospects' meetings with members of the Council of Deans and the President's Staff. Having weighed carefully the perspectives of those colleagues, and having discussed the matter with the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees, I have concluded that Dean Linzer would best fill this important administrative post.

Recipient of a bachelor's degree in molecular biophysics and biochemistry from Yale University in 1976 and a PhD in biochemical sciences from Princeton University in 1980, Dan Linzer joined Northwestern in 1984 as an assistant professor. Since 1997 he has been a professor of biochemistry, molecular biology and cell biology, conducting pioneering research on the molecular basis of hormone action. Following four very successful years as Associate Dean, he was appointed Dean of the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences in 2002.

As dean of one of the most complex academic units in the University with over 600 full-time faculty and 400 staff, Dan Linzer has demonstrated extraordinary vision in charting directions for the College and administrative talent in implementing that vision. Over the past five years, the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences has thrived under his leadership. The number of undergraduate applications to the College have increased by more than 60%, and the median SAT score of entering freshmen has gone from 1400 to 1450. New undergraduate programs with high levels of student interest have been developed, including Global Health Studies, the Kaplan Freshman Humanities Scholars Program, and the Kellogg Certificate in Financial Economics. Major changes have been made to the distribution system that expand the curricular choices for breadth in the liberal arts, and support has increased significantly for undergraduate research. Collaborations with the Chicago Botanic Garden, the A rt Institute of Chicago, the Field Museum of Natural History, and the Adler Planetarium have increased opportunities for students and faculty. In collaboration with the Graduate School, new programs have been developed in African American Studies and in Religion that are attracting top applicants from across the country, and five year funding of humanities and social science graduate students was implemented.

Dan Linzer has well understood that outstanding educational and research programs require outstanding faculty. Since 2002 the College has recruited a large number of such faculty, including five Board of Trustees professors. The College fellows program was instituted, in which new faculty who have not had the benefit of a postdoctoral period are given the option of joining Northwestern as a fellow for one year before beginning an assistant professorship. In response to the limited opportunities to obtain grants for scholarly projects in the humanities, the College began a humanities faculty research fund to ensure that all faculty have the resources to move their work forward. Initiatives that require new funding have been made possible, in part, by increased fundraising; donations to the College's annual fund have increased more than 20% each of the past two years, and situating these initiatives in College space has been made possible with the opening of several new bui ldings for the sciences and humanities.

I will be consulting with Dan Linzer regarding the interim leadership of the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences while a national search is initiated for a successor dean; we hope to be able to announce the interim dean appointment shortly. Meanwhile, I am delighted that Dan has agreed to serve as Provost. I am confident that the academic programs of the University will continue to prosper under his leadership and that you will greatly enjoy working with him.

It is with great regret that I am writing to announce that Lawrence B. Dumas has informed me of his desire to step down from the position of Provost, ideally before the beginning of the new academic year. Provost Dumas will move into a year-long leave of absence, after which he will decide whether or not to return to active professional life in the department of biochemistry, molecular biology and cell biology.

As many members of the community are aware, Larry has for the past several months been dealing with a serious health issue. Fortunately, he has responded well to treatment and his prognosis is encouraging. Nonetheless, the treatment regimen has proven to be a difficult one; and Larry has concluded that it is in the best interests of the University that his current position be filled by someone who can devote full attention and energy to the many demands of the post.

Characteristically, Larry has handled his current medical burdens with his customary grace, and his deep sense of responsibility to Northwestern, his office, and to me personally. I cannot easily say how much affection I have for Larry and how deeply in his debt I am, as is the entire Northwestern community. When the history of Northwestern is written anew, he will loom large in that history.

Prior to becoming provost, Larry served as dean of the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences for eight years. A member of the Northwestern University faculty since 1970, he was professor and chair of the department of biochemistry, molecular biology and cell biology prior to beginning service as dean. He was named an associate professor in 1975 and professor of biochemistry, molecular biology, and cell biology in 1980.

During his tenure as provost, and before that as dean of WCAS, Larry has led the efforts to strengthen collaboration among the sciences in WCAS, the McCormick School of Engineering and the Feinberg School of Medicine. His ability to build bridges between our schools has energized our research efforts, helped attract and retain outstanding faculty and guided our facilities construction.

His leadership has extended far beyond the sciences, however. Larry has truly helped shape the very basis of Northwestern’s education. He has championed strongly opportunities for undergraduate students to engage in faculty-guided research. He has encouraged cross-disciplinary approaches to teaching and learning; and he has constantly challenged all of us to reach, to push and to strive to make Northwestern an outstanding academic institution.

In recognition of Larry’s significant contributions to Northwestern, we will establish the Lawrence B. Dumas Distinguished University Professorship. The holder of the chair may be in any academic field, reflecting Larry’s own wide-ranging interests at Northwestern.

I have begun work on selecting a successor. I am pleased that Larry will maintain an office on campus and will be available for consultation. I know that his counsel will continue to prove invaluable, just as it has for the past 13 years.

I know you all join me in thanking him for his countless contributions to Northwestern University and in wishing Larry and his wife, Sally, the very best.

We are very pleased to announce the appointment of William A Muller, MD/PhD, as Chair of the Department of Pathology and tenured Professor, effective July 1, 2007.

Dr. Muller received his undergraduate education from Harvard and was awarded a PhD in 1981 from The Rockefeller University, Department of Cellular Physiology and Immunology. He received his medical degree in 1982 from Cornell University Medical College. He completed an Internship in Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and a Residency in Pathology at Brigham and Women's Hospital. He has held faculty appointments at The Rockefeller University and Cornell. Dr. Muller is currently a Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Professor in the Graduate Program in Immunology at Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences, and Attending Pathologist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Muller is presently the editor of The Journal of Experimental Medicine. His research focuses on mechanisms controlling leukocyte/endothelial cell interactions in inflammation.

We are delighted Dr. Muller has accepted this important leadership position and look forward to working with him in the future. Please join us in congratulating him.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Janardan Reddy for his outstanding service as Pathology Department Chair over the past 14 years. Every aspect of the department flourished under his outstanding leadership. We thank Jan and wish him the very best as he returns to the faculty to continue his highly successful research program. We wish him the best in the future.

We are very pleased to announce the appointment of William A Muller, MD/PhD, as Chair of the Department of Pathology and tenured Professor, effective July 1, 2007.

We are delighted Dr. Muller has accepted this important leadership position and look forward to working with him in the future. Please join us in congratulating him.

Pathology and tenured Professor, effective July 1, 2007.

Alumni News

The Galter Health Sciences Library is pleased to announce several additional resources are now available to alumni of the Feinberg School of Medicine. Staff at the library contacted and worked with several publishers to incorporate alumni access to electronic resources into our licensing agreements.

We are pleased to offer electronic access to the Journal of the American Medical Association from 1998 to the present. A number of books are now available in electronic format including: Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, Hurst's The Heart, and Schwartz’s Surgery via the Galter Library’s license with Access Medicine. DeGowin's Diagnostic Examination and Rudolph's Pediatrics are available from the provider Stat!Ref.

To use the resources listed above, you must be registered with the Galter Library web site. Registration information is available at http://www.galter.northwestern.edu/guides/alumni/alumni_form.cfm . Once you are registered, simply log in to the Galter web site and find the information you need.

For more information, a full list of resources accessible to alumni, and to register for access, visit the Alumni Gateway at http://www.galter.northwestern.edu/guides/alumni/ on the Galter Health Sciences Library web site.