YSM News and Recognition

Four faculty members from Yale School of Medicine (YSM) were elected as new members of the American Pediatric Society. They are: Ada Fenick, MD, professor of pediatrics (general pediatrics); Jennifer Sherr, MD, PhD, professor in pediatrics (endocrinology); Andrea Asnes, MD, MSW, professor of pediatrics (child safety, advocacy & healing); and Vincent S. Faustino, MD, MHS, professor of pediatrics (critical care). APS members are recognized child health leaders who work together to strengthen academic pediatrics by expanding the workforce, nurturing leaders, and developing innovative approaches to address child and adolescent health challenges. The new members will be formally recognized at the Pediatric Academic Societies 2026 Meeting in Boston in April.

Luisa Escobar-Hoyos, MSc, PhD, assistant professor in the Departments of Therapeutic Radiology, Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, and Medicine, has been awarded the 2025 Dr. Ralph and Marian Falk Medical Research Trust Transformational Award. The prestigious honor includes a $1 million grant to support groundbreaking scientific research with the potential to revolutionize medical treatment. Escobar-Hoyos' project, “Making Cancer Cells Look Like Bacteria: Developing Antigen-Mimicry Cancer Vaccines,” aims to create an innovative vaccine for pancreatic cancer.

Brian Fuehrlein, MD, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry, has been chosen to receive a 2025 Pillar of Excellence Award from the Addiction Policy Forum, a national nonprofit that works to eliminate addiction. The award honors leaders whose work is transforming the landscape of addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery, and criminal justice reform across the United States. Fuehrlein is director of Acute Care Psychiatry at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System and director of the psychiatric emergency room, a unit that cares for the most vulnerable veterans, many with chronic mental illness and substance use disorders.

Emre Seli, MD, professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences, took second place in the Best Poster Award for his work "Impact of Progesterone Elevation on IVF Outcome" during the 2025 American Society for Reproductive Medicine's Scientific Congress and Expo. In addition, Seli, who is also chief of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Yale School of Medicine and the medical director of Yale Fertility Center, was a finalist in the Best Oral Award for his presentation on the "Use of Zoa Binding for Sperm Selection for ICSI."

David L. Colen, MD, has been named section chief for hand surgery in the Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, following a competitive national search. Colen, who joined the Department of Surgery faculty in 2020, specializes in hand surgery and microsurgery, with expertise in both upper and lower extremity reconstruction. During his surgical training, he contributed to several bilateral hand transplants, including the world’s first pediatric case.

The Department of Surgery announced the promotion of Claudia Chujoy, MHA, to director of administration. Since joining Yale in 2020 as associate director of administration, Chujoy has been a key force in the department’s daily and strategic operations, leading major administrative and financial initiatives and championing staff development. She is credited with strengthening every part of the department through her steadfast leadership and deep commitment to the community.