2023 Dean’s Faculty Awards Honor Achievements in Academic Medicine
Eighteen faculty members from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and UHealth – University of Miami Health System were honored for their dedication to transforming lives and serving the global community at the third annual Dean’s Faculty Awards Ceremony.
The event, hosted by the Department of Faculty Affairs, recognizes faculty members for their work in education, research, community outreach and clinical care. More than 30 judges reviewed hundreds of submissions to select the recipients.
“Your contributions are emblematic of what a premier academic health system and research-focused medical school should boast: from pioneering research to compassionate clinical care, selfless community engagement and innovative pedagogy,” said Henri R. Ford, M.D., M.H.A., dean and chief academic officer of the Miller School. “Because of you, UHealth and the Miller School of Medicine represent a beacon of hope for suffering patients in our local community and around the world.”
The awardees represent various departments and specialties across the organization, with the Department of Medicine earning seven awards and the Division of Internal Medicine receiving three. Among the winners were faculty devoted to HIV care, educators of future physicians and leaders in novel translational research.
This year’s ceremony also included a new category, the Faculty Award for Service Excellence, to honor clinical faculty who earned exceptional scores on patient satisfaction surveys.
“All of you are intellectual geniuses who, like unsung heroes, chose to go on this path and do all the wonderful things that you do,” added Dipen J. Parekh, M.D., chief operating officer of UHealth, executive dean for clinical affairs and founding director of the Desai Sethi Urology Institute at the Miller School. “What you see here reflects the incredible amount of humanity, resolve and dedication you all bring to the table.”
FACULTY CITIZENSHIP AWARD
Awarded to a faculty member who has shown outstanding citizenship by active participation in the mission of our organization through service and consistent support of institutional priorities
Recipient: Sabrina Taldone, M.D. ’15, M.B.A. ’15., assistant professor and associate chief medical officer of ambulatory services at UHealth
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AWARD
Awarded to a faculty member who has demonstrated a commitment to address and advance health equity in our local communities
Recipient: Hansel Tookes, M.D. ’14, M.P.H., associate professor of medicine and clinical director of the IDEA Exchange
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION AWARD
Awarded to a faculty member who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to expanding diversity and inclusion
Recipient: Stefanie Brown, M.D., M.B.A., associate professor of medicine and pediatrics, med-peds section chief and program director of internal medicine residency
SENIOR FACULTY EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD
Awarded to a faculty member with high impact in the domains of educational excellence, including teaching, learner assessment, curricular development, advising, mentoring, leadership, administration and a scholarly approach to education
Recipient: Carmen Gomez-Fernandez, M.D., vice chair of education and director of the Head and Neck Pathology Service
FACULTY LEADERSHIP AWARD
Awarded to a faculty member who has demonstrated consistent leadership and collaborative skills in furthering institutional priorities
Recipients:
Alejandro Chediak, M.D., professor; associate chief of clinical affairs in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine; interim chief, Division of General Internal Medicine
Keyvan Nouri, M.D., M.B.A., professor, Louis C. Skinner Jr. M.D. Endowed Chair in Dermatology
CLINICAL EXCELLENCE IN MEDICINE AWARD (NON-PROCEDURAL SPECIALTY)
Awarded to a faculty member who demonstrated exceptional clinical skills, including effective communication, professionalism and humanism
Recipient: David Serota, M.D., M.Sc., associate professor of clinical medicine, director of the Severe Injection-Related Infection Team and NextGenMD longitudinal clinical educator
CLINICAL EXCELLENCE IN MEDICINE AWARD (PROCEDURAL SPECIALTY)
Awarded to a faculty member for outstanding clinical performance, excelling in their specialty in both diagnostic and procedural areas
Recipient: Yiliam Rodriguez, M.D., associate vice-chair for clinical research, professor of clinical anesthesiology, chief of cardiothoracic anesthesiology, anesthesia director for thoracic transplantation and lVAD
EXCELLENCE IN FACULTY MENTORSHIP AWARD
Awarded to a faculty member who has demonstrated exceptional dedication to mentoring colleagues, including advising, coaching, feedback, guidance and career planning
Recipient: Tatjana Rundek, M.D., Ph.D., professor of neurology and director of the Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute
SENIOR FACULTY RESEARCHER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Awarded to a faculty member for their dedication to advancing and contributing to research through consistent, high-quality and high-impact investigation
Recipient: Robert Starke, M.D., associate professor and co-director of endovascular fellowship and of endovascular neurosurgery
FACULTY AWARD FOR SERVICE EXCELLENCE
Awarded to faculty members who have gone above and beyond to provide unparalleled care to patients, demonstrating remarkable expertise and compassion
Recipients:
- Jonathan Cohen, M.D., assistant professor
- Maria Carolina Delgado-Lelievre, M.D., founding director of the Comprehensive Hypertension Center
- Natalia Jaimes, M.D., assistant professor
- C. Ola Landgren, M.D., Ph.D., chief of the Myeloma Division and leader of the Translational and Clinical Oncology Program
- Sudha Lolayekar, M.D., UHealth physician
- David Rodin, M.D., UHealth urologist
- Hiram Rodriguez, M.D., UHealth physician
- Nicole Torres, M.D., assistant professor of clinical
A gallery of photos from the event is available here.
Tags: academic medicine, Department of Faculty Affairs, medical education, University of Miami Health System