On October 9 and 10, 2020, we held our first (and hopefully only) virtual MD-PhD Program Retreat via Zoom. Stefano Daniele (6th year student) was instrumental in organizing NINE alumni and faculty breakout panels on MD-PhD professional development. The topics and panelists are listed below:
I. 100% Research as an MD-PhD. (Moderator: Angeliki Louvi)
a. Mike Higley, MD, PhD: Associate Professor of Neuroscience, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine
b. Aaron Ring, MD, PhD: Assistant Professor of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine
c. Susan Baserga, MD ’88, PhD ‘88: William H. Fleming, MD Professor of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Professor of Genetics and of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale School of Medicine
II. Being a Physician-Scientist at NIH. (Moderator: Fred Gorelick)
a. Andrew Griffith, MD ‘92, PhD ’92: Senior Associate Dean of Research, Professor Otolaryngology-Head and Neck & Physiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s College of Medicine
b. Naomi Taylor, MD ‘91, PhD ’91: Senior Investigator, Pediatric Oncology Branch; Head, Basic to Translational Oncology Section, National Cancer Institute
c. Sandy Wolin, MD ‘85, PhD ‘85: Chief and Senior Investigator, RNA Biology Laboratory, Head, National Cancer Institute RNA Biology Initiative, National Cancer Institute
III. Beyond Conventional Biomedical Disciplines. (Moderator: Barbara Kazmierczak)
a. Marco Ramos, MD ‘18, PhD ‘17: Resident, Department of Psychiatry, and Lecturer, Section of the History of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine
b. David Scales, MD ’10, PhD ’10: Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College
IV. Focusing on Clinical Medicine as a Physician-Scientist. (Moderator: George Lister)
a. Amanda Quijano, MD ‘18, PhD ‘17: Resident, Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine
b. Alfred Lee, MD ‘04, PhD ’03: Associate Professor of Medicine (Hematology); Associate Director, Hemophilia Treatment Center, Medicine; Director, Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program, Yale School of Medicine
c. Thomas Murray, MD, PhD: Associate Professor of Pediatrics (Infectious Diseases), Yale School of Medicine
V. Life as a Surgeon-Scientist. (Moderator: Stefano Daniele)
a. Eyiyemisi Damisah, MD ’11: Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery, Yale School of Medicine
b. Alan Dardik, MD, PhD, FACS, DFSVS, FAHA: Professor of Surgery (Vascular) and of Cellular & Molecular Physiology, Vice Chair (Faculty Affairs) of Surgery, Yale School of Medicine
c. Maie A. St. John, MD ‘99, PhD ‘98, FACS: Professor of Head & Neck Surgery and Bioengineering, Thomas C. Calcaterra Chair in Head and Neck Surgery, Chair, Department of Head and Neck Surgery Co-Director, UCLA Head and Neck Cancer Program, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
The interconnectedness of multiple generations of graduates and trainees was inspiring and underscored the impact that alumni mentorship can have on current students.
Stefano Daniele
VI. Not Every Path is the Same—Unique Challenges Facing URM Physician-Scientists. (Moderator: Faye Rogers)
a. Damani Piggott, MD ’05, PhD ’04: Assistant Dean for Graduate Biomedical Education and Graduate Student Diversity, Assistant Professor of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
b. Sandy Chang, MD, PhD: Yale College Associate Dean for Science & Quantitative Reasoning Education and Undergraduate Research, Professor of Laboratory Medicine, Pathology and Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Associate Director, Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory
VII. Physician-Scientist Careers in Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Industries. (Moderator: Keith Choate)
a. Peter Ho, MD ‘90, PhD ‘90: Consultant for M4K Pharma, former President and Co-Founder, BeiGene Ltd., and former SVP, Oncology, GlaxoSmithKline
b. William Pao, MD ’98, PhD ‘97: Head of Pharma Research & Early Development (pRED), F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
c. Chris Takimoto, MD ‘86, PhD ‘86, FACP: Senior Vice President, Oncology, Gilead Sciences
VIII. Resilience and Wellness for Physician-Scientists. (Moderator: Alanna Kaplan, Jonathan Bogan)
a. Jonathan Bogan, MD: Associate Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology) and of Cell Biology, Assistant Director, MD-PhD Program, Yale School of Medicine
b. Rosemarie Fisher, MD: Professor Emeritus of Medicine (Digestive Diseases); Emeritus Director of Resident/Fellow Well-being, Deputy Title IX Coordinator, Office of the Provost, Yale School of Medicine
c. Ellen F. Foxman, MD, PhD: Assistant Professor of Laboratory Medicine, Yale School of Medicine
IX. Startups in Science and Medicine. (Moderator: Kingson Lin)
a. Ranjit Bindra, MD ‘07, PhD ‘05: Professor of Therapeutic Radiology and Pathology, Co-Director, Yale Brain Tumor Center, Yale School of Medicine
b. Jeff Gimble, MD ‘82, PhD ‘81: Chief Scientific Officer, LaCell LLC and Obatala Sciences, Inc.
c. Michael Rogawski, MD ‘80, PhD ‘80: Professor of Neurology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis
Stefano sums it all up, saying “During a time of profound uncertainty, the alumni panel demonstrated the strength of our Program's community and its commitment to mentorship—even beyond the walls of Sterling Hall. We owe a debt of gratitude to our alumni who graciously shook off their Zoom-fatigue to share with us the steps they took in their careers, all while helping us navigate our own paths as future physician-scientists. The interconnectedness of multiple generations of graduates and trainees was inspiring and underscored the impact that alumni mentorship can have on current students.” Thank you to all the alumni, students and faculty who made the 2020 Retreat a success, despite the challenges. We are really looking forward to being able to convene in-person next year as part of our rescheduled 50th Anniversary celebration.