YSM News and Recognition

Eight Yale School of Medicine (YSM) faculty members are among the leading experts in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine newly elected to the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering for 2026. Membership is based on scientific distinction achieved through significant original contributions in theory or applications and/or unusual accomplishments in the pioneering of new and developing fields of applied science and technology. The new members, who will be inducted at the academy’s 51st annual dinner on May 19, are:

• Ranjit Bindra, MD, PhD, Harvey and Kate Cushing Professor of Therapeutic Radiology and professor of pathology
• Martina Brueckner, MD, professor of pediatrics (cardiology)
• Jonathan Ellman, PhD, Eugene Higgins Professor of Chemistry and professor of pharmacology
• Georges El Fakhri, PhD, Elizabeth Mears and House Jameson Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging and professor of biomedical informatics and data science and of therapeutic radiology
• Wolfram Goessling, MD, PhD, Ensign Professor of Internal Medicine and chair of medicine
• Benjamin L. Judson, MD, MBA, chair and William H. Carmalt Professor of Surgery
• Megan C. King, PhD, professor of cell biology and of molecular, cellular, and development biology
• Katerina Politi, PhD, Joseph A. and Lucille K. Madri Professor of Pathology

Wei Shen Tan, MD, PhD, assistant professor of urology, has been awarded the Hunterian Professorship by the Royal College of Surgeons in England, one of the highest distinctions in surgical scholarship internationally, dating back to 1810. Tan is a urologic oncologist with expertise in the treatment of bladder, prostate, and kidney cancers. The Hunterian Professorship recognizes Tan's ongoing leadership in developing targeted methods for non-muscle, invasive bladder cancer. In honor of his achievements, Tan will receive a gold medal and deliver the prestigious Hunterian Lecture, titled “Optimizing the Diagnosis, Characterization, and Management of Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer: Towards Precision Pathways in Uro-oncology.”

The American Diabetes Association has presented the 2026 Albert Renold Award to Gerald I. Shulman, MD, PhD, George R. Cowgill Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology) and professor of cellular and molecular physiology. This award is presented to an individual whose career is distinguished by outstanding achievements in the training and mentorship of diabetes research scientists and in the development of communities of scientists to enhance diabetes research. Shulman was cited for transforming understanding of the molecular mechanisms of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes while pioneering the use of advanced in vivo metabolic spectroscopy to study human metabolism. He was also honored for his decades-long commitment to mentoring physician-scientists, training generations of leaders in academic medicine whose discoveries and leadership roles continue to shape the field of diabetes research worldwide.

The Yale School of Medicine Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Center Pediatric Program received a CF Care Center Recognition award at the annual meeting of the Connecticut Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation on March 3. Also at that event, Marie Egan, MD, received the Unsung Hero Award, which recognizes dedicated volunteers and community members who work behind the scenes to support the fight against cystic fibrosis. Egan is a professor of pediatrics (respiratory) and of cellular and molecular physiology; director of the Cystic Fibrosis Center; and vice chair for research in the Department of Pediatrics. The Egan lab has worked collaboratively to bring forth innovative platforms, such as gene editing, that could have great impact on CF patients.

Liane Philpotts, MD, professor of radiology and biomedical imaging, will receive the American Journal of Roentgenology Silver Reviewer Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Roentgen Ray Society (AARS), the first and oldest radiological society in the United States. Philpotts is being honored for completing over 50 high-quality reviews with an average reviewer score of equal to or greater than 3.5. She will receive the award on April 13 at the AARS annual meeting in Pittsburgh. Philpotts is a leading expert in breast cancer detection, with a focus on 3D mammography (breast tomosynthesis), screening breast ultrasound, and AI applications in breast imaging.

Sajid Khan, MD, associate professor of surgery and chief of the Section of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary & Mixed Tumors, has been appointed co-leader of the Society of Surgical Oncology’s (SSO) Surgeon-Scientist Peer Network Group. This role will enable Khan to lead an initiative by the SSO which promotes peer-driven mentorship and ongoing dialogue for cancer researchers across the globe.

Four Yale School of Medicine (YSM) staff members who have made a meaningful difference in their workplaces and communities were among the university employees who received 2026 Yale Working Women’s Network Recognition Awards. The honorees were cited in one of six categories, each defining a different role. The YSM winners are: Janine Hoffmann, senior administrative assistant in surgery oncology (Work-Life Champion); Beth Lynch, senior director, Yale Medicine Administration (Heroine); Carolina Machado, manager, education and outreach programs (Innovator/Creator); and Colleen Moriarty, MS, director of media relations and audience development (Innovator/Creator).