Georgetown University Medical Center Researcher Elected To Institute Of Medicine

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Also Included In: Public Health;  Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness
Article Date: 15 Oct 2008 - 3:00 PST

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The Institute of Medicine, part of the National Academy of Sciences, has announced the membership election of Lucile L. Adams-Campbell, PhD, associate director for minority health and health disparities research, and professor of oncology at Georgetown University Medical Center's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Membership in the IOM is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievements and commitment to service.

"It is a great pleasure to welcome these distinguished and influential individuals to the Institute of Medicine," says IOM president Harvey V. Fineberg in announcing the IOM's 65 new members and five foreign associates. "Members are elected through a highly selective process that recognizes people who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care, and public health."

"To be recognized by the incumbent membership of the Institute of Medicine for my scientific accomplishments in cancer health disparities and public health is incredible and overwhelming," Adams-Campbell says. "As a member of the IOM and a resident of a city with unparalleled disparities, I will strive to enhance the national focus on health disparities research and prevention education. It is an honor and a privilege to be a part of this phenomenal organization."

The Institute of Medicine is unique for its structure as both an honorific membership organization and an advisory organization on matters of health and science policy. Established in 1970 as a component of the National Academy of Sciences, the IOM has become recognized as a national resource for independent, scientifically informed analysis and recommendations on health issues. Current active members elect new members from among candidates nominated for their accomplishments and contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care, and public health.

"Lucile's election to this prestigious academy is a testament to her intellectual contributions to her field," says Howard J. Federoff, MD, PhD, executive vice president for health sciences and executive dean of the School of Medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center. "My congratulations to Dr. Adams-Campbell and for her many accomplishments -- we greatly look forward to her future work at GUMC."

Adams-Campbell joined Lombardi this year. "We celebrate the honor bestowed by the Institute of Medicine on Lucile Adams-Campbell, our newest Lombardi leader. Lucile has been a dynamic force in addressing health disparities and has taken important leadership roles in important cancer epidemiology studies," says Lombardi director Louis M. Weiner, MD.

Adams-Campbell is an internationally recognized expert on health disparities. An epidemiologist, she specializes in community health research, interventions, and outreach, and has played a leading role in the Washington, DC, cancer and public health community.

Adams-Campbell studies issues that affect populations at the greatest risk for developing cancer with a focus on prevention. She has participated and led several large cohort studies of African-American women and played a leading role in bringing to the District the Boston University Black Women's Health Study, the largest study of African-American women.

Much of Adams-Campbell's research focuses on energy balance involving diet and exercise. The District has higher than average rates of obesity, diabetes, cancer, cancer death, and heart disease, all of which may be affected by diet and exercise, she says. Through community-based interventions, she hopes to decrease obesity and mortality from these related diseases.

Adams-Campbell was born in the District, and has lived here for most of her life. Prior to joining Lombardi, she served as former director of the Howard University Cancer Center.

Adams-Campbell received her undergraduate and master's degree from Drexel University, and her PhD in epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh. She completed a National Institutes of Health-funded post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh before joining the faculty there in the Department of Epidemiology. Adams-Campbell currently serves as a reviewer or on the editorial board for eight journals and has published more than 100 peer-reviewed research papers.

Adams-Campbell is the third faculty member at Georgetown University Medical Center to be elected to the IOM. Other members include Robert S. Ledley, DDS, professor emeritus, departments of physiology, biophysics and of radiology; and Edmund D. Pellegrino, MD, professor emeritus of medicine and medical ethics, who currently serves as chair of the President's Council on Bioethics. In addition, Georgetown University's Judith Feder, PhD, MA, dean, Georgetown Public Policy Institute is an IOM member. Georgetown University's Law Center has two IOM members: Lawrence O. Gostin, JD, associate dean of research and academic programs, and O'Neill Professor of Global Health Law; and Patricia A. King, Carmack Waterhouse Professor of Law, Medicine, Ethics and Public Policy.

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About Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center

The Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of Georgetown University Medical Center and Georgetown University Hospital, seeks to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancer through innovative basic and clinical research, patient care, community education and outreach, and the training of cancer specialists of the future. Lombardi is one of only 41 comprehensive cancer centers in the nation, as designated by the National Cancer Institute, and the only one in the Washington, DC, area. For more information, go to http://lombardi.georgetown.edu/.

About Georgetown University Medical Center

Georgetown University Medical Center is an internationally recognized academic medical center with a three-part mission of research, teaching and patient care (through our partnership with MedStar Health). Our mission is carried out with a strong emphasis on public service and a dedication to the Catholic, Jesuit principle of cura personalis -- or "care of the whole person." The Medical Center includes the School of Medicine and the School of Nursing and Health Studies, both nationally ranked, the world-renowned Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Biomedical Graduate Research Organization (BGRO), home to 60 percent of the university's sponsored research funding.

Source: Karen Mallet
Georgetown University Medical Center

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