Three U-M faculty members have been elected to the Institute of Medicine, an honor considered one of the most prestigious in the health and medical fields.
Dr. John M. Carethers, the John G. Searle Professor and chair of Department of Internal Medicine; Dr. John O. DeLancey, the Norman F. Miller Professor of Gynecology in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; and Martin A. Philbert, professor of toxicology and dean of the School of Public Health, are among the 70 newly elected IOM members.
Recognized as health leaders who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service, the three join 47 past and present U-M faculty members also elected to the IOM.
Carethers
Carethers was named the chair of the Department of Internal Medicine in 2009 and has earned a reputation as one of the top gastroenterologists in the country with his study of colorectal cancers, especially among African Americans.
During Carethers’ distinguished career, he has been awarded with fellowships from the American Gastroenterological Association and the American College of Physicians. His research interests include familial cancer and polyposis syndromes, mechanisms of tumor progression tumor genetics, tumor markers, DNA mismatch repair, molecular pathology, TGF-beta superfamily signaling in cancer progression and colorectal cancer disparities.
DeLancey is an international leader in the study and treatment of pelvic floor disorders; conditions such as incontinence and prolapse that occur as a consequence of women giving birth. He co-founded the multidisciplinary Pelvic Floor Research Group at U-M, which strives to find discoveries that can enhance treatment of pelvic floor disorders. Since 1995, members in the group have been funded by the NIH, receiving more than $20 million for research efforts.
DeLancey
DeLancey has been President of the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons and American Urogynecologic Society as well as serving on the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology’s Female Pelvic Medicine/Reconstructive Surgery Division.
A neurotoxicologist, Philbert is internationally recognized for his expertise in neurotoxicology and experimental neuropathology. He maintains a continuously federally funded portfolio of basic research activities, focusing on the development of flexible polymer nanoplatforms for the optical sensing of ions and small molecules and the early detection and treatment of brain tumors. Additional research includes the mitochondrial mechanisms of chemically induced neuropathic states.
Philbert is a national advisor and consultant, widely respected for his expertise in neurotoxicology and experimental neuropathology. He chairs the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Science Board, and chaired the FDA Science Board Subcommittee on Bisphenol A. He has also served on the National Advisory Environmental Health Council of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and provides consultation to federal agencies on a variety of issues surrounding emerging nanotechnologies. He is a standing member of the U.S. FDA Science Advisory Board, and served as chair and standing member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Board of Scientific Counselors.
Philbert
He joined the U-M faculty in 1995.
New members are elected to the IOM by current active members through a selective process that recognizes individuals who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care and public health. The newly elected members raise IOM’s total active membership to 1,732 and the number of foreign associates to 112. With an additional 84 members holding emeritus status, IOM’s total membership is 1,928.
“The Institute of Medicine is greatly enriched by the addition of our newly elected colleagues, each of whom has significantly advanced health and medicine,” said IOM President Harvey V. Fineberg. “Through their research, teaching, clinical work, and other contributions, these distinguished individuals have inspired and served as role models to others. We look forward to drawing on their knowledge and skills to improve health through the work of the IOM.”
