[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1616449793646{border-radius: 2px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]

In 1993, the Women in Academic Medicine Committee, originally chaired by the late Mrs. Jane D. Claflin, Honorary Trustee, was formed to facilitate the academic careers of women in science at Massachusetts General Hospital.

This Committee, with the sponsorship of the Executive Committee on Research, established the Claflin Distinguished Scholar Awards in recognition of the fact that maintaining research productivity during child-rearing years is a significant obstacle to career advancement for of women. The awards provide $50K in support per year for two years.

Since 1993, over 100 women have received Claflin Distinguished Scholar Awards, many of whom have gone on to become leaders both at the hospital and in their respective fields of research. This year, eight new scholars were named, four of whom are included in this first post. Be sure to check out part two to get to know the other four scholars and their work.

We honor and congratulate the 2022 Claflin Scholars!

[/vc_column_text]

[vc_row_inner content_placement=”middle” css=”.vc_custom_1616450006375{padding-top: 20px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;border-radius: 2px !important;}”][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”17383″ alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow_border_circle_2″][ultimate_heading main_heading=”Maureen Leonard, MD” main_heading_color=”#3b4559″ sub_heading_color=”#3b4559″ main_heading_margin=”margin-bottom:15px;” main_heading_font_size=”desktop:22px;” sub_heading_font_size=”desktop:16px;”]2022 Claflin Distinguished Scholar[/ultimate_heading][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”2/3″ css=”.vc_custom_1616450341354{padding-left: 20px !important;}”][vc_column_text animation=”rda_fadeInRight”]“As a physician-scientist, I am honored to receive a Claflin award, which recognizes faculty for their commitment to both their research and family. I am grateful for this support, which will provide funding at a crucial time as I work towards balancing this new role of motherhood while striving to establish myself as an independent investigator.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Dr. Leonard is the Clinical Director of the Mass General Center for Celiac Research and Treatment, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School,

Her research is focused on predicting and preventing celiac disease through precision medicine—an emerging approach to disease prevention and treatment that takes into account individual variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle.

Her current work includes identifying biomarkers that can predict intestinal healing in patients with celiac disease, building translational models capable of predicting autoimmune disease in high-risk individuals and working on the NIH-funded Celiac Disease: Genomic Environment Microbiome and Metabolomic Study (CDGEMM).

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1616449793646{border-radius: 2px !important;}”][vc_column]

[vc_row_inner content_placement=”middle” css=”.vc_custom_1616450006375{padding-top: 20px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;border-radius: 2px !important;}”][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”17384″ alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow_border_circle_2″][ultimate_heading main_heading=”Miriam Udler, MD, PhD” main_heading_color=”#3b4559″ sub_heading_color=”#3b4559″ main_heading_margin=”margin-bottom:15px;” main_heading_font_size=”desktop:22px;” sub_heading_font_size=”desktop:16px;”]2022 Claflin Distinguished Scholar[/ultimate_heading][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”2/3″ css=”.vc_custom_1616450341354{padding-left: 20px !important;}”][vc_column_text animation=”rda_fadeInRight”]“It is such an honor to be among the talented recipients of the Claflin Distinguished Scholar Awards. The award is helping our lab improve understanding of the genetic pathways leading to metabolic diseases with the goal of ultimately targeting these pathways for treatment. I feel privileged to pursue a career as a physician scientist at MGH, where there is not only world-class research and patient care, but also a supportive environment that recognizes the challenges of balancing a career and family.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Dr. Udler is a practicing endocrinologist and the founding director of the MGH Diabetes Genetics Clinic, which provides genetic testing, counselling, and management to patients with monogenic (caused by a single gene) forms of diabetes.

Her team’s research focuses on genetic contribution to diabetes risk and clinical applications of genomic data, including using genetics to identify atypical forms of diabetes and to dissect disease heterogeneity.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1616449793646{border-radius: 2px !important;}”][vc_column]

[vc_row_inner content_placement=”middle” css=”.vc_custom_1616450006375{padding-top: 20px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;border-radius: 2px !important;}”][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”17416″ alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow_border_circle_2″][ultimate_heading main_heading=”Anne Neilan, MD, MPH” main_heading_color=”#3b4559″ sub_heading_color=”#3b4559″ main_heading_margin=”margin-bottom:15px;” main_heading_font_size=”desktop:22px;” sub_heading_font_size=”desktop:16px;”]2022 Claflin Distinguished Scholar[/ultimate_heading][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”2/3″ css=”.vc_custom_1616450341354{padding-left: 20px !important;}”][vc_column_text animation=”rda_fadeInRight”]“This generous award is incredibly helpful to assist my transitioning to independence as a physician-investigator. I’m excited and grateful for the opportunity to further develop the science the award will support.“[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Dr. Neilan is a physician-investigator within the Division of Global Health at Mass General for Children and Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.

Their goal is to build and foster strong partnerships for interdisciplinary research, education and clinical care aimed at improving the health of the most vulnerable children in the global community.

Dr. Neilan and her research team focus on important challenges in pediatric global health such as:

• Conducting world-class research that improves the availability of evidence-based healthcare for children, finding answers to important questions which are needed to shape health policies.
• Helping to train global health clinicians through educational opportunities and collaboration
• Building multifaceted international partnerships that foster sustainable action and impact

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1616449793646{border-radius: 2px !important;}”][vc_column]

[vc_row_inner content_placement=”middle” css=”.vc_custom_1616450006375{padding-top: 20px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;border-radius: 2px !important;}”][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”17387″ alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow_border_circle_2″][ultimate_heading main_heading=”Altaf Saadi, MD” main_heading_color=”#3b4559″ sub_heading_color=”#3b4559″ main_heading_margin=”margin-bottom:15px;” main_heading_font_size=”desktop:22px;” sub_heading_font_size=”desktop:16px;”]2022 Claflin Distinguished Scholar[/ultimate_heading][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”2/3″ css=”.vc_custom_1616450341354{padding-left: 20px !important;}”][vc_column_text animation=”rda_fadeInRight”]“I am so grateful for the Claflin Award, which is a huge boost for me as a clinician-investigator and soon-to-be mother of two! I’m especially inspired by all the remarkable award winners that have come before me who stand out as formidable researchers and mothers whose successes I want to emulate in my own career.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Dr. Saadi is the Associate Director of the Mass General Asylum Clinic and an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School.

Her research focuses on neurological health disparities and social and structural determinants of health among racial/ethnic minorities, immigrants, and refugees.

She is committed to action-oriented, community-engaged and policy-relevant research that will improve the health outcomes for marginalized populations.

[/vc_column_text]

[/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row]