Wayne State University School of Medicine Professor of Neurology Robert Lisak, M.D., F.R.C.P., F.A.A.N., will receive the 2013 Gold Medal for Achievements in Medical Research from the Alumni Association of Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Dr. Lisak, a 1965 graduate of Columbia, joined the WSU School of Medicine as professor and chair of Neurology in 1987. He has been a national leader in basic, clinical and translational research related to multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, immune neuropathies and neurologic complications of systemic autoimmune diseases, and is one of the Neuroimmunology field's most recognized pioneers. He also is a professor of Immunology and Microbiology.
"I view this award as a great honor in part given the long history of medical research at the College of Physicians and Surgeons and considering the contributions to medical and scientific research of so many of the prior recipients," Dr. Lisak said. "You don't do research to receive awards or membership in societies, but there is no question that it is very gratifying that your work is recognized through such awards."
The award will be presented to Dr. Lisak at a gala reception and dinner dance May 4 at New York's historic Chelsea Piers on the Hudson River, as part of the organization's 2013 Alumni Reunion weekend.
There are four Nobel Prize winners among the previous winners of the medal, including Dickinson Richards, M.D., one of the developers of cardiac catheterization; Baruch Blumberg, M.D., who identified the Hepatitis B virus; Harold Varmus, M.D., current director of the National Cancer Institute and a former director of the National Institutes of Health; and most recently, Robert Lefkowitz, M.D., who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his research on the role of receptors and signaling in cells. Other notable former honorees include Virginia Apgar, M.D.; Paul Marks, M.D.; and Arnold Relman, M.D., all household names in the academic medical community.
The award has been given annually since 1964. Dr. Lisak is only the second neurologist to receive the medal.