By irene Maslowski
Masayori Inouye, PhD, of University of Medicine and Dentistry of New JerseynRobert Wood Johnson Medical School and Resident of New Brunswick Among Honorees
Carrying forward a longstanding tradition of recognizing exceptional physicians and leaders in healthcare, MDAdvantage Insurance Company of New Jersey (www.MDAdvantageonline.com) today announced the 2011 honorees for the Edward J. Ill Excellence in Medicine Awards® (www.EJIawards.org).
The Excellence in Medicine Awards are named after Edward J. Ill, MD, a New Jersey physician who was a pioneer in promoting continuing education in ways that set the national standard. Every year since 1939, exemplary New Jersey physicians and leaders whose dedication to education, research and public service have significantly impacted the delivery of healthcare in the state and around the nation have been honored. This annual event has been sponsored by MDAdvantage Insurance Company of New Jersey since 2003.
Patricia A. Costante, Chairman and CEO of MDAdvantage, stated, “At a time when there is so much uncertainty surrounding the pending healthcare reform and an anticipated physician shortage it is gratifying to have an opportunity to acknowledge the positive accomplishments made by physicians and other healthcare leaders in New Jersey. MDAdvantage is honored to sponsor this prestigious event.”
Among those being honored this year is Masayori Inouye, PhD, Distinguished Professor at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMNDJ)nRobert Wood Johnson Medical School, resident faculty member of the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine and resident of New Brunswick, who will receive the Outstanding Medical Research Scientist Award for Basic Biomedical Research. The award is presented to an individual who has carried out biomedical research leading to important advances in biotechnology or to the understanding of disease processes.
Also being honored are:
• Edward J. Ill Physician’s Award®: Mark Jay Zucker, MD, JD, Director, Heart Failure Treatment and Transplant Program, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Clinical Professor of Medicine at UMDNJnNew Jersey Medical School.
• Outstanding Medical Educator Award: Sylvia Christakos, PhD,
Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UMDNJnNew Jersey Medical School.
• Verice M. Mason Community Service Leader Award: Deborah M. Spitalnik, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics and Executive Director of The Elizabeth M. Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities at UMDNJnRobert Wood Johnson Medical School, on behalf of The Elizabeth M. Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities.
• Outstanding Medical Executive Award: Judith M. Persichilli, RN, BSN, MA, President & CEO, Catholic Health East.
• Outstanding Medical Research Scientist Award for Clinical Research:
Stephen F. Lowry, MD, MBA, Professor, Chairman of the Department of Surgery and Senior Associate Dean for Education, UMDNJnRobert Wood Johnson Medical School.
Paul J. Hirsch, MD, Chairman of the Edward J. Ill Excellence in Medicine Foundation, stated, “We are humbled by the accomplishments of this year’s honorees, and are looking forward to an outstanding awards program. Once again, profits from the event will be dedicated to fund scholarships to improve access to healthcare for New Jersey residents—an extremely worthy cause. In 2010 the Foundation donated $30,000 in scholarships, and we anticipate expanding our fundraising efforts further in the upcoming year.”
This year’s awards will be presented at the Edward J. Ill Excellence in Medicine Awards ceremony on May 4, 2011 at Greenacres Country Club in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. To purchase tickets or advertisements for the event or to join Kern, Augustine, Conroy & Schoppmann, PC, as a member of the Excellence in Medicine Scholarship Honor Roll, contact the Edward J. Ill Excellence in Medicine Foundation at 609-803-2350 or visit www.EJIawards.org.
Masayori Inouye, PhD
Masayori Inouye, PhD, Distinguished Professor at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMNDJ)nRobert Wood Johnson Medical School, is a leading scientist in the field of molecular biology and biochemistry. He earned his PhD at Osaka University, Japan and carried out postdoctoral research at Osaka University and Princeton University. He then joined State University of New York at Stony Brook as Associate Professor of Biochemistry, was promoted to Professor in 1975 and became Chair of the department in 1981. In 1987, he moved to UMDNJnRobert Wood Johnson Medical School as Chair (until 2007) and Professor of Biochemistry. In 2008, he was appointed as Distinguished Professor and currently is a resident member of the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine. He is a member of prestigious institutions, such as the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Academy of Microbiology.
Dr. Inouye has made a number of important discoveries in life science. His pioneering contributions are represented by his more than 650 publications. His research has led to significant advances in the fields of protein folding, bacterial stress response and gene regulation. Most notably, in 1984 he discovered a new principle of gene regulation by RNA, which opened an unprecedented avenue for engineering gene expression from bacteria to humans. In addition to RNA-based mRNA interference, he recently made another important discovery that gene expression can be regulated by protein-based mRNA interference by enzymes (mRNA interferases), destroying specific mRNAs in living cells. This finding has had a significant impact on the development of therapeutic methods for cancer and AIDS.

