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.
Dr. Blazer received the Walsh McDermott Medal for distinguished service over an extended period, and Dr. Klotman was elected as one of 70 new members to the prestigious Institute of Medicine.
Blazer has served on three IOM boards, chairing two. He currently chairs the Board on the Health of Select Populations and a new ad hoc committee on the public health dimensions of cognitive aging. He has been a member of 16 study committees, six of which he chaired, and four advisory committees.
“Dr. Blazer is most deserving of this prestigious award,” said Nancy C. Andrews, MD, PhD, dean of the Duke University School of Medicine. “His service to the Institute of Medicine, which has spanned many years and in many different roles, clearly demonstrates his passionate commitment to the health and well-being of people in the United States and throughout the world.”
“Election to the Institute of Medicine is considered one of the highest honors in medicine,” continued Dean Andrews. “Dr. Klotman’s election is a notable achievement and recognition of her important contributions as a leader and as a physician-scientist focused on the molecular pathogenesis of HIV-1 infection.”
Established in 1970 under the National Academy of Sciences, the IOM provides independent, evidence-based advice to policymakers, health professionals and the public. The National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council make up the National Academies.