Medical School honors 51 faculty members appointed to professorships in 2022

What’s in a name?

For the 51 Medical School faculty members appointed to named professorships in 2022, a lot. They were honored in a March 16 ceremony in the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Auditorium in the A. Alfred Taubman Biomedical Science Research Building. 

Dean Marschall S. Runge, M.D., Ph.D., and the executive vice deans for the Medical School led the professorship recognition celebration, which also included a strolling dinner in the Gilbert S. Omenn Atrium. They recognized faculty who were installed into professorships in four categories: full, early career, research, and legacy (formerly collegiate).

A professorship is among the highest honors that the University of Michigan can bestow on a faculty member. The Medical School has more than 425 professorships, dating to 1898 when the Bates Professorship for the Diseases of Women and Children became the first endowed professorship established by an individual anywhere at the University.

“Professorships are a prestigious recognition of both honoree and recipient,” said Runge, who also serves as executive vice president for medical affairs and CEO of Michigan Medicine. “They support programs across Michigan Medicine and enhance medical education at the University of Michigan.”

Runge added that the professorships seated in 2022 were established through the generosity of donors, friends, family, and faculty. Those who hold endowed professorships receive a percentage of the endowment proceeds to support their research and academic activities.

“All of these supporters share our confidence that the leaders and best at Michigan Medicine will not only investigate disease from every angle, but will continue the work until we have the answers to the world’s most complex health issues,” he said.

After Runge completed his opening remarks, Executive Vice Dean for Academic Affairs Debra F. Weinstein, M.D., asked the 17 honorees named to full professorships to stand as their names were displayed on the overhead screen. Full professorships are endowed at the $2.5 million level and are named in honor of a donor, donor honorees, or former or current faculty member.

“We are fortunate and thankful to have each of you as members of our community,” said Weinstein, chief academic officer for Michigan Medicine. “In addition to your impact through scholarship, and for some of you through patient care, you are important role models, mentors and advocates for other faculty and for our learners.”

Executive Vice Dean for Research and Chief Scientific Officer Steven L. Kunkel, Ph.D., similarly honored two faculty named to early career professorships and 23 who hold research  professorships. These professorships are endowed at the $1 million level and are named for donors, donor honorees, or current or former faculty.

Executive Vice Dean for Clinical Affairs and U-M Health President David C. Miller, M.D., MPH, completed the recognition process by acknowledging the nine faculty who received legacy professorships named after former faculty members. Legacy professorships are endowed at the $500,000 level and are created from a combination of gifts from alumni and other donors.

“As competitive as funding is today, the research professorship helps our scientists advance their work and their laboratories, in ways that might not otherwise have been possible,” said Kunkel. “The early career professorship focuses on our junior faculty, and provides them the support to ensure they are on the path of success.”

Added Miller: “I want to extend my gratitude to these faculty members for their contributions and service to our institution. We congratulate and celebrate you today.”

Runge concluded the ceremony by expressing his gratitude for all the honored faculty do to contribute to Michigan Medicine, and to advance health care to serve Michigan and the world. “Professorships are a bold reminder of the talent and expertise we are privileged to have at Michigan Medicine,” he said.

Here are the 51 faculty honored for their appointment to professorships in 2022:

James. E. Aikens, Ph.D.
Dr. Max and Buena Lichter Research Professorship in Family Medicine 

Ulysses J. Balis, M.D.
A. James French Professorship in Pathology Informatics 

Stephanie Bielas, Ph.D.
Morton S. and Henrietta K. Sellner Endowed Professorship in Human Genetics 

Tiffany J. Braley, M.D.
Holtom-Garrett Family Professorship in Neurology

Brian C. Callaghan, M.D.
Eva L. Feldman, M.D., Ph.D. Professorship

William D. Chey, M.D.
H. Marvin Pollard Endowed Professorship in Gastroenterology 

Grant M. Comer, M.D., M.S.
Richard and Marilyn Witham Professorship in Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences 

Matthew S. Davenport, M.D.
William Martel Collegiate Professorship in Radiology 

Mona Doshi, M.D.
Alan B. Leichtman, M.D. Collegiate Professorship in Transplant Nephrology 

Timothy L. Frankel, M.D.
Maud T. Lane Professorship in Surgical Oncology 

Shinichi Fukuhara, M.D.
G. Michael Deeb, M.D. and Nancy Deeb Research Professorship in Cardiac Surgery 

Paul G. Gauger, M.D.
Norman Thompson, M.D. Professorship in Surgery

Caren S. Goldberg, M.D., M.S.
Ruth H. Strang, M.D. Research Professorship in Pediatrics

Jolanta E. Grembecka, Ph.D.
Richard and Susan Rogel Professorship in Cancer Therapeutics 

MeiLan K. Han, M.D., M.S.
Henry Sewall Professorship in Medicine 

Kelly L. Harms, M.D., Ph.D.
Lewis and Lillian Becker Professorship in Dermatology 

Peter D. Higgins, M.D., Ph.D., M.Sc.
Timothy T. Nostrant, M.D. Collegiate Professorship in Gastroenterology 

Peter F. Hitchcock, Ph.D.
Skillman Research Professorship in Pediatric Ophthalmology 

Evan T. Keller, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Richard and Susan Rogel Professorship in Oncology

Eve A. Kerr, M.D., M.P.H.
Kutsche Memorial Chair in Internal Medicine 

Minhajuddin S. Khaja, M.D.
David M. Williams, M.D. Research Professorship 

Sachin Kheterpal, M.D., M.B.A.
Kevin K. Tremper, Ph.D., M.D. Research Professorship 

Carl Koschmann, M.D.
ChadTough Defeat DIPG Research Professorship in Pediatrics 

Jeffrey T. Kullgren, M.D., M.S., M.P.H.
Kutsche Memorial Research Professorship in Internal Medicine 

Donald S. Likosky, Ph.D.
Richard and Norma Sarns Research Professorship in Cardiac Surgery 

Sami Malek, M.D.
Maria Reinhardt DeCesare Research Professorship in Blood Cancers and Bone Marrow Transplantation 

Jason M.L. Miller, M.D., Ph.D.
James Grosfeld Professorship in Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences 

Adeyiza Momoh, M.D.
James W. Crudup Research Professorship

Geoffrey G. Murphy, Ph.D.
David F. Bohr Collegiate Professorship in Physiology 

Goutham Narla, M.D., Ph.D.
Louis Newburgh Research Professorship in Internal Medicine 

Jessica J. O’Konek, Ph.D.
William Chandler Swink Research Professorship 

Robert W. O’Rourke, M.D.
William J. Fry Professorship in Surgery 

Aditya S. Pandey, M.D.
Julian T. Hoff, M.D. Professorship in Neurosurgery 

Jillian N. Pearring, Ph.D.
Skillman Career Development Professorship in Pediatric Ophthalmology 

Jenny Radesky, M.D.
David G. Dickinson Collegiate Professorship in Pediatrics 

Nithya Ramnath, M.B.B.S.
Marylou Kennedy Research Professorship in Thoracic Oncology 

Lori Quinlan Riegger, M.D.
Sujit K. and Uma Pandit Professorship in Pediatric Anesthesiology 

Nicole Seiberlich, Ph.D.
Research Professorship in Cardiovascular Imaging 

John T. Stoffel, M.D.
Lapides Family Research Professorship 

Bradford L. Tannen, M.D., J.D., M.B.A.
Terry J. Bergstrom Collegiate Professorship for Resident Education in Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences 

Stephan F. Taylor, M.D.
Albert J. Silverman, M.D., C.M. Research Professorship in Psychiatric Disorders 

Jonathan D. Trobe, M.D.
Kenneth H. Musson, M.D. and Patricia M. Musson Research Professorship in Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

Shitanshu Uppal, M.B.B.S.
George W. Morley Collegiate Professorship in Obstetrics and Gynecology 

Ulka Nitin Vaishampayan, M.B.B.S.
Beverly S. Mitchell, M.D. Research Professorship in Cancer Research 

Xueding Wang, Ph.D.
Jonathan Rubin Collegiate Professorship in Biomedical Engineering 

Maria A. Woodward, M.D., M.S.
Alan Sugar, M.D. Research Professorship in Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences 

Jun Wu, Ph.D.
Jessica Schwartz Collegiate Professorship in the Life Sciences

Bo Yang, M.D., Ph.D.
Frankel Research Professorship in Aortic Surgery 

Gertrude Yingyu Li, M.D.
Frederick J. Fischer, M.D. Professorship in Orthopaedic Surgery 

David N. Zacks, M.D., Ph.D.
Edna H. Perkiss Research Professorship in Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences 

Yu Zuo, M.D., M.S.C.S.
Edward T. and Ellen K. Dryer Early Career Professorship in Rheumatology