Major contributors to the field of epidemiology and public health will be honored at the Epidemiology Section’s Award Session on Monday, Nov. 9 at 2:30 p.m. The Session will include platitudes for our 40- & 50-year members, presentations to our Career and Public Health Practice awardees and the Wade Hampton Frost lecture.
Highlights of the Award Session
Abraham Lilienfeld Award – Bill Jenkins, PhD, MPH, will be presented with the Lilienfeld Award at the 2009 APHA Annual Meeting. The Lilienfeld Award recognizes excellence in the teaching of epidemiology during the course of a career. Dr. Jenkins used as a means of promoting the teaching of epidemiology the development of the first MPH program at Morehouse School of Medicine in 1992. He continues to teach medical, graduate and undergraduate students in epidemiology, biostatistics and public health.
John Snow Award – Richard Kaslow, MD, MPH, will be honored with the John Snow Award at the 2009 APHA Annual Meeting. Dr. Kaslow’s epidemiologic research focuses on the immunogenetic determinants in AIDS and other infectious and immune diseases. His early work demonstrated the strong influence of multiple combinations of polymorphic markers in the HLA region on the outcome of HIV-1 infection. He is now engaged in a detailed exploration of the respective roles of HLA genes for transporters, the chemokine receptors variants and other markers in Caucasians of European origin and black Africans in order to quantify their effects on the development of infection and immunodeficiency.
Wade Hampton Frost Lecture – Eugene Gangarosa, MD, will present the Frost lecture during the Awards Session. Promoting the meeting theme of, “Water and Public Health: the 21st Century Challenge”, Dr. Gangarosa, an expert in the field, will speak of his activities relating to infectious waterborne diseases in the global arena, which included cholera, typhoid fever, bacillary dysentery, and a host of domestic pathogens. His contributions to the literature on these subjects influenced decisions that have had a profound impact on the lives of many people. Although officially retired in 2003, he continues to participate in teaching courses, mentoring students, and collaborating with CDC scientists in developing low-cost water purification technology for use throughout the world.
Public Health Practice Award for an Individual – Elise Riley, PhD, MPH, will be awarded the Public Health Practice Award at the 2009 APHA Annual Meeting. Dr. Riley uses epidemiologic principles in her practice of public health. She is committed to determining and ameliorating health risks that are specific to poor and marginally housed persons. The development and evaluation of a community syringe drop box program (Operation Drop Box) in Baltimore exemplifies her approach to public health practice. It was an inexpensive, simple yet elegant, intervention, acceptable to drug users, the community and police. It was effective in reducing risk of HIV infection through shared syringes.
Public Health Practice Award for an Organization – The Assessment, Policy Development and Evaluation unit of Public Health – Seattle & King county (PHSKC) will be awarded the Public Health Practice Award at the 2009 APHA Annual Meeting. Through the practice of community health assessments, PHSKC has been able to identify important health issues and effect a change through community involvement and appropriate interventions. A highlight of their work is the analysis and identification of trends in asthma hospitalization in King County. This led to the development of a community-based participatory research project aimed at reducing asthma health disparities. Dissemination of these studies led to the formation of an asthma coalition which has targeted low-income children, and has helped to develop housing-related interventions.
The Career Awards Committee did an outstanding job this year as the field of candidates was superb. Please thank them for their efforts: Toni Alterman, Jim Gaudino, Victor Ilegbodu, Carol Macera, John Neuberger, Stan Weiss and Michelle Williams.
The Public Health Practice Awards Committee also did an outstanding job this year in selecting winners from a pool of impressive candidates. Please thank them for their efforts: Oscar Alleyne, Kristopher Fennie, Jim Gaudino, Claudia Kozinetz, Perianne Lurie, Polly Marchbanks and Lauren Zapata.