Faculty Awards
Dean’s Distinguished Faculty Award and Lecture
The Dean’s Distinguished Faculty Lecture and Award is the most prestigious and celebratory honor that the School of Medicine can bestow on a faculty member. it carries not only the honor and title but a substantial financial award for the faculty member. On this occasion faculty from throughout the School come together to honor the recipient and express appreciation for his or her contributions.
Faculty are nominated by their peers and judged by a distinguished selection committee of peers who make a final recommendation to the Dean. Nominees are judged on the significance and impact of their scholarly work, the academic ideals embodied by their careers, and their ability to deliver an exemplary lecture with broad appeal
Dean’s Distinguished Lecture and Award 2006
Selection Committee
Steve Warren, PhD (Chair)
Ken Bernstein, MD
Otis Brawley, MD
Anita Corbett, PhD
Maria Csete, MD, PhD
Fadlo Khuri, MD
Chris Larsen, MD, PhD
Barbara Stoll, MD
Sharon Weiss, MD (ex officio)
Dr. Mahlon DeLong, former Chair of the Department of Neurology in the School of Medicine, was the first recipient of this award in recognition of his numerous contributions to science that have significantly altered the field of neurology by clarifying the functional organization of the basal ganglia and the role these structures play in movement disorders. Further, he has been and continues to be a national champion for the highest standards in medical and graduate education and has trained many of the national scientists, clinicians, and educators in the field.
Dean’s Distinguished Lecture and Award 2007
Selection Committee
Mahlon DeLong (Chair)
Ken Bernstein, MD
Otis Brawley, MD
Anita Corbett, PhD
Maria Csete, MD, PhD
Fadlo Khuri, MD
Chris Larsen, MD, PhD
Barbara Stoll, MD
Drs. Rafi Ahmed and Harriet Robinson, whose careers have been closely intertwined and whose scientific achievements have been complementary to one another in the areas of immunology and vaccine development, jointly received the 2007 award.
Dr. Ahmed,
a basic immunologist, has performed pioneering work on immunologic memory that elucidated how immune memory cells are created, how long they survive and how they differentiate. In addition to his scientific successes, he has served as Director of the Emory Vaccine Center, one of the largest and most successful academic vaccine centers in the world with a comprehensive portfolio spanning basic research on the immune system, translational research on vaccine development, and clinical vaccine trials.
Dr. Robinson, Chief of the Division of Microbiology and Immunology of the Yerkes national Primate Research Center and the Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Microbiology, has carried out pioneering studies on the use of DNA for vaccinations. The vaccine she has recently constructed has been successful in controlling the virulent SIV-HIV in macaques and serves as the prototype for the HIV-1 vaccine now in phase 1 human trials sponsored by the HIV Vaccine Trials network.
Administration & Faculty Affairs 
