Three Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Faculty to be Honored for Excellence in Medicine

Newswise New Brunswick, NJ Three members of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School faculty have been named 2013 recipients of the prestigious Edward J. Ill Excellence in Medicine Awards, highlighting their expertise as exceptional educators or researchers.

These honorees are: Suhayl Dhib-Jalbut, MD, professor and chair, Department of Neurology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and chief, Neurology Service, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, who will receive the Outstanding Medical Research Scientist Award for Clinical Research. Dr. Dhib-Jalbut, a resident of Princeton, conducts research in the area of multiple sclerosis, funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National MS Society. He is currently president-elect of ACTRIMS, the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis, a prestigious international organization. Smita S. Patel, PhD, professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, who will receive the Outstanding Medical Research Scientist Award for Basic Biomedical Research. Dr. Patel's recent research includes studies of helicase and polymerase enzymes in mitochondrial DNA replication and transcription, and in recognition of viruses for antiviral immune response. Dr. Patel lives in Whitehouse Station. Carol A. Terregino, MD, senior associate dean for education (interim) and associate dean for admissions and student affairs at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, who will receive the Outstanding Medical Educator Award. A Cranford native who currently lives in Mt. Laurel, Dr. Terregino also serves as the senior associate dean for admissions (interim) for the Camden regional campus.

2013 marks the fifth consecutive year in which Robert Wood Johnson Medical School faculty members will be honored for their work as medical research scientists.

Named for a New Jersey physician who pioneered the promotion of continuing education in ways that set the national standard, the Edward J. Ill Excellence in Medicine Awards--created in 1939--honors exemplary New Jersey physicians whose dedication to education, research, and public service have significantly impacted the delivery of health care state- and nationwide. Since 2003, the annual awards have been sponsored by the MDAdvantage Insurance Company of New Jersey.

In addition to the honors listed above, recognition is also given in the following categories: Outstanding Medical Executive Award, Edward J. Ill Physician's Award, Verice M. Mason Community Service Leader Award, and the Peter W. Rodino Jr. Citizen's Award. This year's awards will be presented during a May 1 ceremony at Greenacres Country Club in Lawrenceville.

More information about the awards and the upcoming ceremony can be found online at the Edward J. Ill Excellence in Medicine Foundation website, http://www.EJIawards.org, or by calling 609-803-2350.

About UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School As one of the nation's leading comprehensive medical schools, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in education, research, health care delivery, and the promotion of community health. In cooperation with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, the medical school's principal affiliate, they comprise one of the nation's premier academic medical centers. In addition, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School has 34 other hospital affiliates and ambulatory care sites throughout the region.

As one of the eight schools of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, with 2,800 full-time and volunteer faculty, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School encompasses 22 basic science and clinical departments, and hosts centers and institutes including The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, the Child Health Institute of New Jersey, the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, and the Stem Cell Institute of New Jersey. The medical school maintains educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels for more than 1,500 students on its campuses in New Brunswick, Piscataway, and Camden, and provides continuing education courses for health care professionals and community education programs. To learn more about Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, visit rwjms.umdnj.edu. Find us online at http://www.Facebook.com/RWJMS and http://www.twitter.com/UMDNJ_RWJMS. --#--