There is much to celebrate in the Department of Medicine. On August 30, the annual Department of Medicine Honors and Awards Celebration was held to recognize the outstanding contributions of the department’s faculty and staff in their divisions, the department, the School of Medicine, and Emory University. Over 120 of our colleagues joined virtually for an evening of celebrating the department-wide accomplishments that took place over the last year. Throughout the event, attendees cheered on the award recipients as their names were called, and they wore “fun and festive hats” to keep the night light-hearted.

This year is particularly noteworthy as Kathy Griendling, our Vice Chair for Faculty Development for the past 17 years, has expanded her role at the SOM as Executive Associate Dean, Faculty Affairs and Professional Development and we want to recognize the groundbreaking, innovative work Kathy has done in the faculty development realm for our department and its faculty.  One of those key creations is our faculty awards program and so it is only fitting that we now announce the “Kathy Griendling Awards Program” to honor the outstanding contributions Kathy has made.

Department of Medicine leadership announced the following faculty and staff award winners, senior promotions, and clinical distinctions honorees. Please join us in celebrating these colleagues.

Faculty Winners

AME Teach 12
Kelly Kaysen, MD Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology

The Diversity and Inclusion Award
Jason Cobb, MD Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Renal Medicine

Educator Impact Award
Manpreet Malik, MD, Associate Professor Medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine

Nanette K. Wenger Distinguished Service Award –  Assistant Professor
Ingrid Pinzon Quiroga, MD, FACP, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine

Nanette K. Wenger Distinguished Service Award –  Associate Professor
Joyce Akwe, MD, MPH Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine

Nanette K. Wenger Distinguished Service Award – Professor
Dan Hunt, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine

Outstanding Clinician Award
Steven Keilin, MD, FASGE, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Digestive Diseases

Outstanding Scientific Citation Awards – Basic Senior Faculty
Zhiyong Lin, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology

Outstanding Scientific Citation Awards – Basic Junior Faculty
Ken Liu, PhD, Instructor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine

Outstanding Scientific Citation Awards – Clinical Senior Faculty
Colleen Kelley, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases

Outstanding Scientific Citation Awards – Clinical Junior Faculty
Sivasubramanium Bhavani, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine

Outstanding Quality Achievement Award
Vandana Niyyar, MD, FASN, FNKF, Professor of Medicine, Division of Renal Medicine

R. Wayne Alexander Excellence in Research Award
Nadine Rouphael, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases

Shanthi V. Sitaraman Silver Pear Mentoring Award – Clinical Educator
Ram Subramanian, MD, MBA, Professor of Medicine, Division of Digestive Diseases

Shanthi V. Sitaraman Silver Pear Mentoring Award – Research
Michael Woodworth, MD, MSc, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases

Hidden Gem Award
Mikhail Akbashev, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine
Alexis Bender, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology
Yelena Burklin, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine
Harold Franch, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of Renal Medicine
Sonya Haw, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Lipids
Faisal Merchant, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology
Nora Oliver, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
Kavya Sebastian, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Digestive Diseases
Jison Sim, DO, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology
Colin Swenson, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine

Staff Winners

Excellence in Academic Innovation Award 
Jasmah Hanna, Research Project Coordinator, Supervisor, Division of Hospital Medicine

Leadership Excellence Award
Blake Harrington, Administrator, Division of Cardiology

Outstanding Service Award
Pamela Lankford-Turner, Research Lab Manager, Division of Infectious Diseases

Unsung Hero
Brianne Bower, Administrative Assistant, Division of Infectious Diseases

Clinical Distinctions

Eminent Physicians

Steve Clements, Jr., MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology
Randy Patterson, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology

Distinguished Physicians

William Blake, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
Azizul Hoque, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology
Marshall Lyon, MD, MSc, Professor Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
Christopher O’Donnell, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine
Susmita Parashar, MD, MPH, MS, FAHA, FACC, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology
Jason Schneider, MD, FACP, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine
Nikrad Shahnavaz, MD, Associate Profess of Medicine, Division of Digestive Diseases
Nayyar Shamsi, MD, Assistant Professor Medicine, Division of Cardiology
Bryan Wells, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology
Henry Wu, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases

Senior Physicians

Khaalisha Ajala, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine
Abrar Chaudhry, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine
Shen Chen, MD, Assistant Professor Medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine
Kevin Day, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine
Maria Grace DeGuzman, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine
Prateek Gandiga, MD, FACP, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology
Antonio Graham, DO, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology
Tamara Haynes, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine
Erica Heiman, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine
Alia Lepere, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine
Ifeoma Onuorah, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology
Amanda Sanders, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine
Julie Yun, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine

Senior Promotions

Professor with Tenure

Jyothi Rengarajan, Infectious Diseases

Professors

Hui Cai, Renal Medicine
Chandan Devireddy, Cardiology
Annette Esper, Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine
Karen Law, Rheumatology
Gina Lundberg, Cardiology
Mary Rhee, Endocrinology
Anandi Sheth, Infectious Diseases
Srihari Veeraraghavan, Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine

Associate Professors

Yelena Burklin, Hospital Medicine
Laurence (Larry) Busse, Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine
Karen Clarke, Hospital Medicine
Maya Fayfman, Endocrinology
Prateek Gandiga, Rheumatology
Jenny Han, Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine
Sonja Haw, Endocrinology
Jason Higdon, General Internal Medicine
William (Randy) Hunt, Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine
Ulemu Luhanga, Administration
Munish Luthra, Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine
Manpreet Malik, Hospital Medicine
Faisal Merchant, Cardiology
Vaishali Patel, Digestive Diseases
Varun Phadke, Infectious Diseases
Meena Prasad, Digestive Diseases
Shreya Raja, Digestive Diseases
Paulina Rebolledo, Infectious Diseases
Michael Saenger, General Internal Medicine
Marybeth Sexton, Infectious Diseases
Maxwell Weinmann, Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine
Jason Williams, Hospital Medicine
Jennifer Zreloff, General Internal Medicine