Message From The Dean

Dear Alumni, Friends, and Colleagues,

We are already midway through our academic year. Our campus is full and energized essentially, normal postpandemic.

I hope you enjoy this content-rich edition of BU Medicine celebrating Mr. Edward Avedisian’s historic, transformational $100 million gift that has renamed the School of Medicine the Boston University Aram V. Chobanian & Edward Avedisian School of Medicine. Dr. Chobanian and Mr. Avedisian both have deep ties to BU. Sadly, Mr. Avedisian—who was able to attend and enjoy the September 29, 2022, public announcement event and many of the subsequent stories about his gift and career—passed away on December 7, 2022.

Mr. Avedisian’s gift, which will arrive over the next five years, includes scholarships, professorships, and funding for excellence in education and research programs that will transform our school now and for centuries to come. Those of you who were unable to join us for the festivities can read about the news in our cover story.

Our Emerging Leaders Program for early-career faculty resumed postpandemic with a robust class of 52 faculty representing the three Medical Campus schools and, for the first time, faculty affiliated with St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center.

We feature a story on a new collaboration between the MD program offices of medical education, student affairs, and research to streamline and coordinate the available medical student research opportunities and match students and their particular fields of interest with faculty doing peer-reviewed research in those fields. The program is partially supported by the new Dr. Judith Vaitakaitis Medical Student Research Endowment as well as by generous alumni.

Some of our student achievements are celebrated with profiles on MD candidates Lindsey Claus, Rebecca Wolinsky, and Bita Naimi as well as PhD student Jhonatan Henao Vasquez.

Boston University Medicine

Boston University Medicine is published by the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Communications Office.

Maria Ober

Associate Dean, Communications design & production

Boston University Creative Services contributing writers

Joel Brown, Lisa Brown, Gina DiGravio, Doug Fraser, Alaina Mencinger photography

David Keough, Chris McIntosh, Dana J. Quigley Photography, Jackie Ricciardi

Please direct any questions or comments to:

Maria Ober

Communications Office

Boston University Medical Campus

85 East Newton Street, M810H

Boston, MA 02118

P 617-358-7869 | E mpober@bu.edu

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We introduce you to our two newest chairs, Tony Hollenberg, MD, chair of the Department of Medicine, and Venetia Zachariou, PhD, chair of Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics, and pay tribute to trailblazer Marcelle Willock, MD, our beloved professor and chair emerita of anesthesiology, who passed away in October. We will miss her dearly.

Our giving section and donor report (page 27) highlight significant investments and renovations supported by your generous gifts. We describe the legacy of endowed professorships by our former Professor and Chair of Medicine David Coleman, MD, and feature stories on the Mac Parkman Foundation support for Ann McKee, MD; a Chan Zuckerburg grant to Joshua Campbell, PhD; Alex’s Lemonade Stand for Heng Fui, PhD; and the American Heart Association grant to Katya Ravid, DSc.

Our alumni section (page 32) profiles Drs. Mary Jane England (’64), Thomas Insel (’74), Robert Jackler (’79) and Louis W. Sullivan (’58), and offers a recap of our Alumni Weekend festivities.

As always, special thanks to our donors and friends for your continued commitment to our school and your generous support for our outstanding students, faculty, and staff on the front lines of science and medicine.

Best Regards,

Karen Antman, MD Provost, Medical Campus Dean, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine