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Dan G. Blazer, MD, PhD, the J.P. Gibbons Professor of Psychiatry Emeritus at Duke University School of Medicine, and Mary Klotman, MD, professor of medicine and chair of the Department of Medicine, were both honored by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) this fall.

Hashim Al-Hashimi, PhD, assumed the role as director for the Center for RNA Biology, effective September 1, 2014. Dr. Al-Hashimi replaces Mariano Garcia-Blanco, MD, PhD, who is leaving Duke after more than two decades to become chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biologyat the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

Robert A. McDonald, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, spoke to a standing-room-only crowd at the Department of Medicine Grand Rounds on August 29, 2014. This was the first stop on his tour around the country to encourage physicians and other health care providers to work with veterans at VA medical centers. Pictured: Nancy C. Andrews, MD, PhD, Dean, Duke University School of Medicine Ralph Snyderman, MD, Chancellor Emeritus, Duke University Health System Bob McDonald, Secretary, Veterans Affairs Mary Klotman, MD, Chair, Department of Medicine

Twice a year the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society elects a small number of new members.  The criteria include scholastic achievement, leadership capabilities, ethical standards, fairness in dealing with colleagues, demonstrated professionalism, achievement and/or potential for achievement in medicine, and a record of service to the school and community at large. Membership in AOA is a distinction that accompanies a physician throughout his or her career.  

Michelle P.Winn, MD, Associate Professor of Nephrology in the Department of Medicine, passed away July 23, 2014, after battling pancreatic cancer for more than a year. The Duke University Division of Nephrology will hold a memorial service to honor Dr. Winn’s life and work on September 2, at 3 p.m. in the Duke Chapel.

Redford Williams, M.D., a professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and of Medicine, and the director of the Behavioral Medicine Research Center at Duke University School of Medicine, received the Lifetime Achievement Award by the International Society of Behavioral Medicine. The award, the highest honor bestowed by the international society, was presented on Aug. 20, 2014, at the ISBM’s 12th International Congress of Behavioral Medicine in Groningen, Netherlands.

Two hundred and seventy-three students started their health professions careers at Duke University School of Medicine this month. Orientations and ceremonies continue to take place for the Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Physical Therapy and Physician Assistant Programs. Statistics for the 2014 entering Medical Doctor class:

Sarah (Holly) Lisanby, MD, chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and James Blumenthal, PhD, professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, have been named J.P. Gibbons Professors of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Dr. Lisanby is an internationally recognized leader in the field of brain stimulation. A pioneer in a novel depression treatment called magnetic seizure therapy (MST), she is the co-author on more than 150 publications. Dr.

Effective July 2014, the Physical Therapy Division became part of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. Offering a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree since 1998, the division previously had its departmental home in Community and Family Medicine. While this has served the division well for many years, the division’s ever-increasing alignment with the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and its faculty make this a natural and strategic transition. It will open up new opportunities for physical therapy education, research and clinical care.