Programs

Distinguished Scholars Award Program

In 2020, we launched the inaugural Distinguished Scholars Award Program, which invites assistant professors with independent research programs to apply for internal funding that can help them maintain momentum as they integrate family caretaking responsibilities into their careers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

2023 Distinguished Scholar Award Program
Fourth Annual Distinguished Scholar Award Recipients

We are pleased to announce the recipients of the Fourth Annual Distinguished Scholar Award from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, The award is sponsored by the Office of Gender Equity in Science and Medicine, with support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Fund to Retain Clinical Scientists. This year we are delighted to give awards to five clinical scientists. The awards are intended to help early-career investigators with independent research programs maintain their momentum as they integrate family caretaking responsibilities into their careers.

2023 Distinguished Scholar Awardees

Please join us in congratulating the following scholars:

  • Claire Ankuda, MD, MPH, MSc - Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine: "The Role of Medicare Advantage Plan Structures on Shaping End-of-Life Care for Older Adults with Dementia"
  • Fei Fang, PhD - Department of Orthopedics: "Therapeutic Potential of iPSCs-Derived Fibrocartilage Progenitors for Rotator Cuff Repair"
  • Leah Habersham, MD, MBA, MS - Department of Psychiatry and Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Science: "Evaluating the Impact of the Basic Obstetric Assessment Screen Initiative on Prenatal Toxicology Inequities"
  • Esra Karakose, PhD - Mount Sinai Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism Institute: "Studying the Functional Role of CBP and EP300 in Therapeutic Human Beta Cell Regeneration"
  • Maia Kayal, MD - Division of Gastroenterology: "Characterizing the Development of Crohn's Disease-like Pouch Inflammation in Ulcerative Colitis Patients After Restorative Proctocolectomy with Ileal Pouch Anal Anastomosis”

Please also congratulate our two runners-up, who will receive stipends for professional grant writing assistance:

  • Francesca Cossarini, MD - Division of Infectious Diseases: “It Takes Guts to Cure HIV: The Role of the Gastrointestinal-Associated Lymphoid Tissue in the Cure of HIV Infection”
  • Alan C. Seifert, PhD - Department of Radiology: “Direct Quantification of Myelin Concentration by Water-Suppressed Solid-State Magnetic Resonance Imaging”

New Leadership Programs

Learning as Leaders Program
The Learning as Leaders program is open to women faculty members who have held the rank of Associate Professor for at least five years or who are full-time professors. The program provides faculty with an opportunity to cultivate practical management and organizational skills while exploring novel leadership models and principles needed to thrive in academic medicine today. The six-month program offers skill-building workshops, personal reflection exercises for deeper skill cultivation, and opportunities to network with senior leaders and build community. Congratulations to our first cohort:

Robin Chemers Neustein Mid-Career Women Faculty Award
The Mid-Career Women Faculty Development Award is a program designed for women faculty members who have held the rank of Associate Professor for at least two years and are not full professors. The program provides the necessary mentorship, sponsorship, concrete tools, and support to become full professors. In addition to six months of programming, funded by Robin Chemers Neustein, the award will provide funds to be used for professional development and coaching support.

Building Gender Equity Together Initiative

In 2022, we launched the Building Gender Equity Together (BGET) Initiative. BGET was a series of facilitated dialogues where all members of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai community were invited to participate in conversations leading to the development of powerful, community-led initiatives aimed at improving gender equity across our school. 

Today, we have three Gender Equity Action Teams (GrEAT) working together to bring initiatives these conversations identified to life. These three work groups are seeking to amplify caregiving and family-friendly benefits, normalize the use of such benefits, and identify metrics for tracking gender representation. To learn more, email devin.madden@mountsinai.org.

Amplifying Equity Series

In 2021, we launched the Amplifying Equity Speaker Series featuring esteemed colleagues in the work towards advancing gender equity in our institution and beyond.

Our seminars have focused on topics ranging from equity and diversity in biomedical research to mentorship and sponsorship. We are excited to continue this powerful Speaker Series and highlight individuals internal and external to Mount Sinai with lessons to share from the field.

Check out our past Amplifying Equity events and let us know what topics or leaders in the field we should invite next!