For immediate release: December 15, 2003
For more information, contact George Stamatis at 216-368-3635 or george.stamatis@case.edu

CLEVELAND—School of Medicine faculty member and alumnus James M. Anderson was one of 65 people elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. He joins eight other living Case faculty members elected in previous years.

James M. Anderson

"Members are elected through a highly selective process that recognizes those who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care and public health, " said IOM President Harvey V. Fineberg. "Election is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of medicine and health."

Active members elect new members from among candidates nominated for their professional achievement and commitment to service. With yesterday's announcement, the IOM's total active membership is 1,382.

Anderson, a professor of pathology, macromolecular science and biomedical engineering who earned his medical degree in 1976, is an internationally recognized scientist who has made pioneering and significant advancements in the understanding of biological interactions and biology-based design criteria for biomaterials, prostheses and medical devices. Working in the field for more than 30 years, his research has led to new designs and materials that enhance the performance of medical devices and prostheses.

As evidence of the quality of his research, he is the only recipient of a biomaterials-related MERIT (Method to Extend Research in Time) Award from the NIH's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The NIH chooses each MERIT Award recipient, who does not apply for the grant, based on his or her consistent achievements in previous NIH-funded projects and the promise that he or she will continue to be an exceptionally competent and productive researcher in the project for the grant is awarded.

Also an expert in clinical device retrieval and evaluation, and policy development, Anderson has provided leadership and contributions to the science and engineering of biomaterials and medical devices through interactions with the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, the International Standards Organization, and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. At Case, he mentors graduate and medical students in pathology, polymer science and biomedical engineering.

Anderson is the editor of the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research of the Society for Biomaterials, president of the Controlled Release Society, and a consultant to industry, the NIH and the FDA. He has authored or co-authored more than 300 publications in areas related to biomaterials.

In addition to his medical degree, Anderson holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and a Ph.D. in chemistry from Oregon State University.

Other Case faculty members who belong to the IOM:

• Janice Douglas, M.D., professor of medicine (elected in 1995);

• Richard Hanson, Ph.D., the Leonard and Jean Skeggs Professor of Biochemistry (1987);

• Ralph I. Horwitz, M.D., vice president for medical affairs, dean of the School of Medicine, and professor of medicine (1997);

• Edgar Jackson, Jr., M.D., clinical professor of medicine (1991);

• Jack Medalie, M.D., the Dorothy Jones Weatherhead Professor Emeritus of Medicine in the Department of Family Medicine (1979);

• Duncan Neuhauser, Ph.D., professor of epidemiology and biostatistics (1983);

• Kurt C. Stange, M.D., Ph.D., professor of family medicine (1999); and

• George R. Stark, Ph.D., professor of genetics (2002).

Established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences, the IOM has become recognized as a national resource for independent, scientifically informed analysis and recommendations on issues related to human health. With their election, members make a commitment to devote a significant amount of volunteer time as members of IOM committees, which engage in a broad range of studies on health policy issues.

Current projects of the IOM include an assessment of evidence on the potential benefits and risks of testosterone replacement therapy, and of whether clinical trials should be conducted and how; a review of the current state of knowledge and policy regarding spinal cord injury; a study to assess the factors responsible for the epidemic of obesity in children, and to develop an action plan to decrease its prevalence; a project examining how to address the public's lack of "health literacy"; and a study exploring patterns of malaria and malarial drug resistance, with the aim of developing policy strategies that could lead to better treatment.

In the past year, IOM members have completed these reports: Childhood Cancer Survivorship: Improving Care and Quality of Life; Microbial Threats to Health: Emergence, Detection, and Response; Financing Vaccines in the 21st Century: Assuring Access and Availability; Hidden Costs, Value Lost: Uninsurance in America; and Leadership by Example: Coordinating Government Roles in Improving Health Care Quality.

About Case Western Reserve University

Case is among the nation's leading research institutions. Founded in 1826 and shaped by the unique merger of the Case Institute of Technology and Western Reserve University, Case is distinguished by its strengths in education, research, and service. Located in Cleveland, Case offers nationally recognized programs in the Arts and Sciences, Dentistry, Engineering, Law, Management, Medicine, Nursing, and Social Sciences. http://www.case.edu.

 

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