Illinois Medicine

I L L I N O I S M E D I C I N E | 5 AWARD AWARD HYDERI LEADS CURRICULAR TRANSFORMATION, NATIONAL CONVERSATION HE COLLEGE OF MEDICINE HAS TRANSFORMED ITS CURRICULUM during the past several years to better meet the educational needs of today's medical students by focusing on experiential and team-based learning. Abbas Hyderi, MD '01, MPH, has been instrumental in that transformation in his role as associate dean for undergraduate medical education, with principal oversight of all four years of the curriculum. Hyderi also has become a national leader in team-based learning, drawing on research on medical student and residency curriculum development funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "Dr. Hyderi has been responsible for many of the most innovative things that have happened here in the College of Medicine curriculum," says Raymond Curry, MD, senior associate dean of education. "The college now is developing a much bigger footprint on the national scene in medical education and innovation." Hyderi has looked to the college's own students for guidance on how to enhance their education. "One of the areas that I'm proud about innovating in is the collaboration with the students in curriculum development and their work and learning environment," he says. In recognition of his efforts to advance innovative approaches to medical education, the college chose Hyderi as the 2016 recipient of the Emerging Innovator Award, which is given for early-career achievements by an Illinois Medicine graduate whose degree was conferred in the previous 15 years. After receiving his medical degree from the COM, Hyderi completed his residency in the combined family medicine and preventive medicine residency at Oregon Health and Science University, while also obtaining his MPH in health administration and policy. An associate professor of clinical family medicine, Hyderi continues to practice inpatient and outpatient family medicine, with a particular interest in HIV and LGBT health. "He has a tremendous amount of energy, and he puts that energy to good use every day," Curry says. SALANS TAKES UP ARMS IN BATTLE AGAINST DIABETES IABETES IS A MAJOR NATIONAL HEALTH PROBLEM, afflicting an estimated 29.1 million people in the U.S.— nearly 10 percent of the population — as of 2012, according to the American Diabetes Association. Lester Salans '59, MD '61, has spent his career as a national leader in combating the disease. As director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases from 1980 to 1985, Salans led biomedical research nationwide on diabetes and other serious diseases. Most notably, he spearheaded the institute's landmark Diabetes Control and Complications Trial, which found that maintaining blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible slowed the progression of the damage caused by diabetes. These results fundamentally changed how diabetes is managed and established what remains the standard of care today. "It's probably one of the most important clinical trials in diabetes still," Salans says. That achievement may be the pinnacle of a career frequently spent at lofty heights. Chosen to head the National Long-Range Plan to Combat Diabetes in 1975, Salans led the establishment of the Diabetes Centers of Excellence, which translated biomedical research into clinical practice; the National Diabetes Information and Education Clearinghouse; and the National Diabetes Data Group. Salans later was appointed the senior medical adviser to the congressionally established Diabetes Working Group that developed the new national plan, "Conquering Diabetes: A Strategic Plan for the 21st Century." In addition, Salans has served as dean of the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine — where he currently is a clinical professor in the department of medicine — and vice president of the Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York City. The College of Medicine chose Salans to receive the 2016 Distinguished Alumnus Award, which is given in recognition of outstanding professional achievement and service. Salans credits the College of Medicine for putting him on his path. "They instilled in me a great passion and inspired me to pursue a career in medicine and scientific research," he says. Abbas Hyderi Lester Salans E M E R G I N G I N N O V A T O R D I S T I N G U I S H E D A L U M N U S D T MEDICINE AWARDS I L L I N O I S M E D I C I N E | 39

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