There’s only one night a year when you can fill a banquet hall with more than 100 researchers and faculty, and April 29 was that night for the College of Medicine.
As the grand finale to the University of Florida College of Medicine 2009 “Celebration of Research” days, held April 28-29, the COM Research Administration and Compliance office brought together faculty and researchers to celebrate another year of innovative research and accomplishments and to honor those who have done extraordinary work.
“Research will continue to be a distinguish quality of the College of Medicine,” said Dr. Michael L. Good, interim dean at the College of Medicine who opened the evening with comments. “The combination of collective accomplishments of the College of Medicine is what makes us great.”
The research banquet, held at the Best Western Gateway Hotel, featured guest speaker, Darrell A. Campbell, M.D., chief of clinical affairs at the University of Michigan Health System. His presentation was titled: “The Pursuit of Surgical Quality–Lessons from the Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative.”
The Basic Science Research Award was given to Mohan K. Raizada, Ph.D., a distinguished professor in the department of physiology and functional genomics, and the Clinical Science Award was presented to Paul R. Carney, M.D., chief of the division of pediatric neurology and director of the pediatric epilepsy program, and Herwig-Ulf Meier-Kriesche, M.D., a professor of medicine and medical director of renal transplant in the department of medicine.
The Lifetime Achievement Award was awarded to James L. Talbert, M.D., a professor in the department of pediatrics, whose introduction highlighting his myriad accomplishments required more than five minutes.
“I’m surprised and overwhelmed to be on the same list as so many great researchers mentioned here tonight,” said Talbert, as he stepped on stage after receiving a standing ovation. “The reason why I’m still here is because of faculty, faculty, and faculty. I love the faculty at the College of Medicine, the Health Science Center and the university at large.”