GSM Faculty Awards
The eighth annual UT Graduate School of Medicine Faculty Awards were presented by James J. Neutens, PhD, Dean, and Eddie Moore, MD, Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education, to the following recipients during the Resident Dinner and Faculty Awards Presentation June 27 at UT Conference Center. New this year, Amy Paganelli, CPA, Assistant Dean for Finance and Administration, also presented honorees with a check to support scholarly activity.
GSM Spirit Award
Jonathan Wall, PhD
Professor, Medicine
Director, Preclinical and Diagnostic Molecular Imaging Laboratory
Dr. Wall came to the UTGSM as a post doctoral researcher in 1995 and joined the faculty in 1997. His research spans basic science, preclinical and clinical investigations and he has received multiple patents. Dr. Wall also receives tremendous extramural funding – greater than 75 percent of his funding comes from grants, and he also helps other researchers apply for grant monies. Dr. Wall often presents internationally and has numerous national and international publications. He also consistently works with postgraduate and Collmann summer students. Dr. Wall was the winner of the Excellence and Leadership in Basic Science Research award in 2006.
Timothy Panella, Chair, Medicine, commented, "He holds such esteem because of his breadth of research abilities, his funding successes, the importance of his work in ameliorating human disease, and his mix of kindness and focus."
Excellence and Leadership in Basic Science Research Award
Deidra Mountain, PhD
Assistant Professor
Vascular Research Laboratory
Dr. Mountain came to the UTGSM as a post doctoral researcher in 2007 and became a faculty member in 2008. She has been involved with more than 10 funded projects as a primary investigator or collaborator with three pending grant submissions with the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association. Annually, Dr. Mountain works with surgery fellows, residents and students on research projects and presentations, averaging five trainees per year. Since 2007, Dr. Mountain has presented more than 14 times regionally and nationally.
Excellence and Leadership in Clinical Research Award
John Dougherty, MD
Associate Professor
Medicine
Dr. Dougherty, who has been faculty since 1980, leads clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease in the Cole Neuroscience Center. He received funding from the Cole Foundation to study cognitive capacity and driving skills of Alzheimer's patients. His study is being done using driving simulation in collaboration with the UT Knoxville College of Engineering. Also, working with Department of Comparative Medicine, Dr. Dougherty has developed a questionnaire widely used to recognize memory disorders. He currently has several clinical trials to develop disease-modifying treatments in Alzheimer's disease, including a study with Dr. Alan Solomon to investigate if the 11-1F4 antibody is sensitive enough to detect amyloid protein found in Alzheimer's patients. In addition to funding from the Cole center, Dr. Dougherty has also received support from the Thompson Alzheimer's Research Fund, multiple drug company-sponsored studies, a movement disorders clinical gift fund, and a neurology gift fund. Dr. Dougherty has several articles published in peer-reviewed journals and seven recent abstracts.
Excellence in Teaching Award (Tie)
Ronald Lands, MD
Associate Professor
Family Medicine and Medicine
Dr. Lands joined the UTGSM as Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Medicine in 2007. By seeing patients for benign hematology and allowing residents to round with him, he provides unique experience to residents doing a hematology/oncology elective. Dr. Lands has worked to develop curriculum in palliative care medicine, increasing the breadth of options available at GSM. Resident comments include, "Dr. Lands brings a unique perspective and paradigm to the practice of medicine. He teaches valuable lessons for medicine as well as life," and, "We are lucky to have an attending in our program of his prestige. His depth of knowledge fascinates me and his compassion for patients and residents abounds."
Timothy Panella, Chair, Medicine, said, "His resident teaching evaluations reflect a high level of enthusiasm and excitement about teaching. He has the ability to be a role model to the residents and has developed two new rotations in Department of Medicine."
Excellence in Teaching Award (Tie)
Scott Stevens, MD
Professor
Surgery
Dr. Stevens has been a Surgery faculty member for 22 years and also completed his internship and residency training with the UT Graduate School of Medicine. His evaluations consistently recognize him at the top of the department in teaching, and he is a three-time winner of Surgery's teaching award. Dr. Stevens is named as a co-author to numerous publications, with almost all of them listing a resident or fellow as the primary author. Also, Dr. Stevens has been the course director for multiple vascular surgery meetings and symposiums.
Excellence in Teaching for Volunteer Faculty Award
Tom Thompson, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor
Surgery
Dr. Thompson worked with Surgery to develop a rural rotation at Morristown-Hamblen Hospital. He sponsors surgery and endoscopy rotations for fourth-year residents at his practice along with a gastroenterologist. Dr. Thompson has received multiple awards from Surgery. Of his rotation, residents have said, "It is a fantastic rotation for a senior-level surgery resident," and, "The technical training was superb."
