School of Medicine scientists join National Academy of Medicine

Four School of Medicine scientists have been inducted into the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). Three of the four inductees specialize in neuroscience, and the fourth focuses on biomedical engineering.

Ronald S. Duman, Ph.D., has heightened general understanding of neurobiological stress, stress-related disorders, and the treatment of depression within the field of neuroscience. Duman, the Elizabeth Mears and House Jameson Professor of Psychiatry and professor of neuroscience, conducts research focused on molecular and cellular changes inside the adult brain associated with stress, depression, and antidepressant treatments.

Murat Günel, M.D., chair and the Nixdorff-German Professor of Neurosurgery and chief of neurosurgery at Yale New Haven Hospital, has conducted extensive genomic research that has helped underscore genetic risks for brain aneurysms and the multitude of genes necessary for cortical development. Also professor of genetics and of neuroscience, he is considered a pioneer in massive genome analysis studies.

David A. McCormick, Ph.D., the Dorys McConnell Duberg Professor of Neuroscience and professor of psychology, has helped to identify neural circuits involved in optimal performance in animals with the goal of better understanding the roots of behavior in healthy and diseased brains. His work explores the cellular and network mechanisms of the cerebral cortex and has led to new findings in areas such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and sleep, with the ultimate goal of understanding the roots of behavior.

Laura E. Niklason, M.D., Ph.D., professor of anesthesiology and biomedical engineering, has focused on creating engineered blood vessels, lung tissue, and cardiac muscle. She is currently testing engineered arteries in patients with vascular disease and renal failure. In 2010 her research team created artificial lungs that were capable of gas exchange, a fundamental function of the lungs, in an animal model.

“I think Yale’s excellence is defined by the excellence of our faculty and the impact of what they do,” said Dean Robert J. Alpern, M.D., Ensign Professor of Medicine. “We are hiring and nurturing the right faculty at Yale.”

The 80 new worldwide members will be inducted into the NAM in October 2016. The NAM changed its name from the Institute of Medicine earlier this year.