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Awards and Accolades

October 24, 2018

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International Recognition for Pioneering Work

Three Penn Medicine ophthalmology innovators -- Jean Bennett, MD, PhD; Samuel G. Jacobson, MD, PhD; and Albert M. Maguire, MD – received the 2018 António Champalimaud Vision Award for their revolutionary work leading to the first successful gene therapy to cure an inherited cause of childhood blindness. 

They were among the seven researchers who shared this year’s award for scientific advances leading to successful treatment of a condition known as Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA)—a genetic form of retinal blindness—by replacing damaged genes with healthy ones and dramatically improving patients’ vision. Their work led to the December 2017 U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of the first gene therapy for an inherited condition. The group of researchers will share the 1 million Euro prize. 

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Debbie Gordon, MSS, LCSW, Heart Transplant social worker, received the Help Award for Excellence in Social Work from the Help Hope Live Foundation, which supports community-based fundraising for people with unmet medical and related expenses.

 

 

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Jeffrey E. Henne, CHSP-FSM, Safety & Emergency manager at HUP, has been named president-elect for the American Society for Health Care Engineering, which works to optimize health care facilities and create and maintain safe healing environments.

 

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L. Scott Levin, MD, chair of Orthopedic Surgery, has been elected president of the American Society for the Surgery of the Hand (ASSH), which advances the science and practice of hand and upper extremity surgery through education, research and advocacy on behalf of patients and practitioners.

 

 

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Natalie W. Pierson, MSN, heart failure coordinator for the Heart and Vascular Center, received the 2018 Clinical Excellence in Nursing Award from the  Heart Failure Society of America, which focuses on improving heart failure care through collaboration, education, innovation, research, and advocacy.

 

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