Frawley, Mindell/Brody, Calkins, Logue Awardees Honored

Published June 18, 2019

story by dirk hoffman

Two residents, a fellow and a medical student have been awarded a trio of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences’ most prestigious awards.

Fellow Receives Frawley Award

Yara Abdou, MBBS, right, was honored at the Celebration of Scholarship event for her cancer research. At left is Roseanne C. Berger, MD, senior associate dean for graduate medical education.

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The trainee receiving support from the Thomas F. Frawley, MD, Residency Research Fellowship Fund is:

Yara Abdou, MBBS
Hematology/oncology fellow
Project Title: “Racial Differences in Expression of Cytotoxic T-Cells and Immunosuppressive Macrophages in Breast Tumors of African American and European American Women”

Honorable mentions went to:

Taha Bat, MD
Hematology/oncology fellow
Project title: “Feasibility of Using Immature Platelet Fraction (IPF) as a Predictive Tool for Platelet Transfusion Response”

Maya Khalil, MD
Hematology/oncology fellow
Project title: “Phase Ib Trial of Microbiome Modification in Patients With Metastatic NSCLC With Recent Antibiotic Exposure Prior to Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy

Michael K. Shu, MD
obstetrics and gynecology resident
Project title: “Robotic Sacrocolpoperineopexy Compared to Robotic Sacralcolpopexy with Vaginal Prolapse Repair”

The award supports medical or surgical residents, fellows and new graduates for whom research represents a primary interest and passion.

Frawley, a 1944 graduate of the medical school, was a nationally recognized endocrinology researcher, president of the American College of Physicians and chair of medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

Two Share Mindell/Brody Award

Roseanne C. Berger, MD, left, presents awards to Maha Khedr, MD, center, and medical student Vincent Wong, for their clinical translational research.

The 2019 recipients of the Eugene R. Mindell, MD, and Harold Brody, MD ’61, PhD, Clinical Translational Research Award are:

Maha Khedr, MD 
Pathology and anatomical sciences resident
Project title: “Myeloid Neoplasms Among Patients With Plasma Cell Dyscrasias; Molecular Predisposition Or Therapy-Related Phenomenon?”

Vincent Wong
Medical student
Project title: “Breast Cancer Drug Discovery Targeting TAK1 Suggests a Putative Connection with Ribosome Biogenesis”

The award recognizes junior research scientists for the best basic science research that seeks to solve a clinical problem.

Mindell chaired UB’s Department of Orthopaedics from 1964 to 1988. A past president of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, he is credited with initiating the board’s certifying process for orthopaedic surgeons.

Brody was the chair of anatomy and cell biology from 1971 to 1992. He founded UB’s Brain Museum, a world-class collection of brain specimens and slides.

Med-Peds Resident Earns Calkins Award

Patrick O. Kenney, MD, right, poses with Roseanne C. Berger, MD, left, and Evan Calkins, MD, after accepting the Calkins award.

The 2019 honoree for the Evan Calkins, MD, Community Based Research Fellowship is:

Patrick O. Kenney, MD
Internal medicine and pediatrics resident
Project Title: “Quantifying Discordance and Associated Demographic Factors in the Detection of Latent Tuberculosis Infections by Tuberculin Skin Testing and Interferon-Gamma Release Assays”

Honorable mention went to:

Hassan A. Khan, MD
Internal medicine resident
Project Title: “Improving Blood Pressure Control in an Academic Safety-Net Primary Care Clinic: Quality Improvement Project”

Taryn C. Spencer, MD
Internal medicine resident
Project title: “Improving Transition of Care for Patients With Substance Use Disorder”

The award supports residents, fellows and junior faculty who conduct community-based research or quality improvement projects.

Calkins was chair of the UB Department of Internal Medicine, division chief of geriatrics and founder of the geriatrics fellowship. He served as director of medicine at Meyer Memorial Hospital (now Erie County Medical Center) for 12 years.

The award is a product of his conviction that medical institutions have an obligation to improve the quality of — and access to — health care throughout the community.

Kothari Honored With Logue Memorial Award

Shalin Kothari, MD, a trainee in the hematology-oncology fellowship at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, is the third recipient of the Dr. Gerald L. Logue Memorial Award.

Logue was a beloved member of the university community and was a former professor of medicine and chief of hematology. In fact, his commitment to medical training was honored in 2013 when he was given the medical school’s Service Award to recognize 30 years of outstanding contribution to education in medicine and hematology.

Among his many legacies has been the creation of an endowed fund to be used for the purpose of recognizing outstanding students in the field of hematology/oncology or internal medicine.

Awards Presented at Celebration of Scholarship

The Office of Graduate Medical Education announced the award winners at this year’s Celebration of Scholarship, which took place June 8 at the Jacobs School in downtown Buffalo.