Maquat Awarded 2023 Gruber Genetics Prize

Lynne E. Maquat, PhD, founding director of the Center for RNA Biology, received the 2023 Gruber Genetics Prize for her discovery of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay, or NMD, in humans. The Gruber International Prize Program, administered by Yale University, honors scientists from around the world whose groundbreaking work leads to fundamental shifts in knowledge and benefits mankind.

Maquat has spent her career deciphering the many roles that RNA plays in health and is best known for elucidating the complexities of NMD in mammalian cells and human disease. One of the major surveillance systems in the body, NMD protects against mistakes in gene expression by targeting and eliminating deleterious mRNAs that could lead to incomplete and potentially toxic proteins.

Maquat’s lab also revealed that NMD helps our cells adjust to changes in development and in their environment as well as more rapidly respond to certain stimuli.

“Lynne’s scientific prowess and steadfast commitment to her research is exemplary and has helped catapult the field of RNA biology to the forefront of medicine over the past decade,” said Mark B. Taubman, MD, CEO of URMC and dean of the School of Medicine and Dentistry. “This is an exciting time, as Lynne and other scientists are putting her mechanistic findings related to NMD to use to design treatments. She is incredibly deserving of this honor.”

Maquat shared the award with Allan Jacobson, PhD, of the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, who was honored for his contributions in describing the mechanism of NMD in yeast.

Maquat’s lab is using its knowledge of NMD to inform the development of therapeutics for fragile X syndrome, a neurological disorder that leads to intellectual disability and severe learning problems.

Maquat, the J. Lowell Orbison Endowed Chair and Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics in SMD, is the recipient of several other significant honors, awarded the inaugural UR Aging Institute pilot grant last year—a perfect example of the type of cross-center collaboration Vertino hopes to inspire. including the Wolf Prize in Medicine (2021), Warren Alpert Foundation Prize (2021), Wiley Prize in Biomedical Sciences (2018), Vanderbilt Prize in Biomedical Science (2017), Canada Gairdner International Award (2015), and RNA Society’s Lifetime Achievement Awards in Service (2010) and in Science (2017).

Vertino takes over for Dirk Bohmann, PhD, who stepped down in late 2022.

Friedman Ross Named Inaugural Chair of the New Department of Health Humanities and Bioethics

“This new department will embody the core principles of the biopsychosocial model, focusing attention on the moral aspects of research and patient care programs,” said Mark Taubman, MD, CEO of the Medical Center and SMD dean. “As a distinguished expert in clinical medical ethics, Dr. Ross will help us further strengthen a well-respected program and build a vibrant department to address today’s ever-expanding ethical and societal questions related to health care.” to working with the many wonderful colleagues I have met, who understand and value the fundamental role that ethics, the arts, and the humanities play in promoting health.”

URMC was among the first academic medical centers in the country to have a humanities division and, now, is just one of eight with a dedicated humanities and bioethics department.

Ethical and policy issues in pediatrics, organ transplantation, genetics/genomics, clinical research ethics, and human-subject protections are the focuses of Ross’s expertise. She has published five books and more than 225 peer-reviewed journal articles and is writing a sixth book, examining ethical issues related to siblings in health care.

Lainie Friedman Ross, MD, PhD, a pediatrician and internationally renowned bioethicist recruited from the University of Chicago, has been tapped as the inaugural chair of URMC’s new Department of Health Humanities and Bioethics and director of the Paul M. Schyve, MD, Center for Bioethics.

Ross has nearly three decades of experience influencing discussion and policy around pediatric care, organ transplantation, genetics/genomics, clinical research ethics, and human-subject protections.

“I am excited to join an institution where the biopsychosocial model was developed and is rooted in every aspect of care, education, and research,” she said. I look forward

A frequent lecturer both nationally and internationally, Ross has been awarded prestigious honors and academic appointments, including the Kellogg National Leadership Fellowship, Class of XVI (1997–2000); a 2009 Hastings Fellowship; the Patricia Price Browne Prize in Biomedical Ethics in 2009; and a 2014 John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship. In 2015, she received the American Academy of Pediatrics William G. Bartholome Award for Ethical Excellence.

Baumhauer to Serve as Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Judith Baumhauer, MD, MPH, a long-time faculty leader, has been named senior associate dean for Academic Affairs.

“Judy’s deep commitment to her colleagues, to URMC, and to those we serve has long been evident, whether through her groundbreaking work with patient-reported outcomes, her leadership in clinical trials or, most recently, her service as associate dean for Academic Affairs,” said SMD Dean and URMC CEO Mark Taubman, MD. “Her experience, institutional knowledge, and track record of success make her an ideal person to fill this vital position and to ensure Academic Affairs thrives in the years ahead.”

Baumhauer, tenured professor of Orthopaedics, succeeds Jeffrey Lyness (BA ’82, MD ’86), who accepted a position as president and CEO of the Chicago-based American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

As senior associate dean, Baumhauer will oversee faculty appointments and reappointments, along with the promotion and tenure processes. She’ll spearhead professional development initiatives as well as the recruitment and onboarding of faculty leaders.

“I’m grateful to accept this role and excited by the opportunity to have a meaningful and positive impact on the growth and advancement of our outstanding faculty and staff within SMD,” said Baumhauer.

“I look forward to both building on Dr. Lyness’s positive legacy and to bringing fresh ideas forward for faculty development and processes.

“As faculty, we are here to provide the best possible care to patients, to lead and mentor others, to teach the physicians of the future, and to undertake transformative research. Academic Affairs plays a key role in fostering the vitality that makes this possible, and it is a privilege to be chosen to lead it.”