Two University of Michigan scientists were among 18 to receive 2015 Clinical Scientist Development Awards recently from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Each award is for $486,000 over three years. The U-M recipients are Dr. Andrew D. Rhim, assistant professor of gastroenterology, Medical School, and Dr. William C. Stacey, assistant professor of neurology, Medical School, and assistant professor of biomedical engineering, College of Engineering. The awards provide funding for physician scientists as they transition to independent research careers, enabling them to secure 75 percent of their professional time for clinical research while they establish their own labs and research teams. Rhim will study a potentially new way for pancreatic cancer cells to become resistant to chemotherapy. Stacey’s research seeks to use advanced data processing tools to analyze high-resolution electroencephalogram recordings in patients with epilepsy.
The U-M Detroit Center was scheduled July 23 to honor Shawn Blanchard as the recipient of the 2015 Emerging Leader Award. Blanchard is a Mackenzie High School alumnus who earned a Bachelor of Arts in mathematical economics from U-M in 2005. He moved to New York, and earned a Master of Science in secondary math education degree from City College. He also co-founded Men of Majesty, to mentor at-risk youth, taught at Holcombe L. Rucker High School in the Bronx and served as its mathematics department chair. While leading the department, Blanchard’s school placed in the top 5 percent in the state. Upon returning to Michigan, in 2014 Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan appointed Blanchard director of youth services.
