Cedars-Sinai Honors Five Physicians, Investigators with Endowed Chairs
Mia Miller, MD, is the First LuEllen Margaret Edwards Chair in Otology and Neurotology
Cedars-Sinai has announced faculty appointments to five endowed chairs—including one inaugural chair—to advance research in cancer, pulmonary and critical care medicine, and otology and neurotology.
Endowed chairs are faculty honors funded by donors to support the chairholder’s research or patient care programs at Cedars-Sinai. These positions further drive our medical advancements, said Shlomo Melmed, MB, ChB, executive vice president of Medicine and Health Sciences, dean of the Medical Faculty and the Helene A. and Philip E. Hixon Distinguished Chair in Investigative Medicine at Cedars-Sinai.
“Endowed chairs are among the highest honors a medical center can bestow,” Melmed said. “Each of these healthcare professionals is a respected leader in their field and works tirelessly to make scientific discoveries that can save lives, improve health outcomes, train the next generation of physicians and scientists, and set the standard for pioneering medical science.“
The LuEllen Margaret Edwards Chair in Otology and Neurotology is a newly established chair, with Mia Miller, MD, serving as its inaugural holder. Miller is director of the Acoustic Neuroma and Lateral Skull Base Program at Cedars-Sinai. Her research focuses on disorders of the ear, inner ear and vestibular system, which affects a person’s balance and spatial orientation. The acoustic neuroma program was created to further the expertise of Cedars-Sinai specialists who treat patients diagnosed with the non-cancerous, potentially devastating tumors. These growths can lead to hearing loss and vertigo and, progressively, can impact nerves that regulate speech, swallowing, and facial and eye movement.
Neil Bhowmick, PhD, research scientist at Cedars-Sinai Cancer, has been designated the Mark Goodson Chair in Oncology Research. The chair was formerly held by Phillip Koeffler, MD. Bhowmick, a professor of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, focuses on the role of certain cells in cancer initiation, progression and therapy resistance as they relate to cancers of the lungs, bladder, pancreas and prostate.
Xue (Sean) Li, PhD, now holds the Board of Governors Chair in Cancer Research, formerly held by Leland Chung, PhD. Li is director of the Center of Sex and Gender Cancer Research at Cedars-Sinai Cancer and professor of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. His research examines gender differences in bladder cancer as well as sex hormones, sex chromosomes, immunity, metabolism, microbiome and sex epigenetics—the study of certain inherited changes in gene expression.
Anjaparavanda Naren, PhD, has been named the Geri and Richard Brawerman Chair in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, formerly held by Zab Mosenifar, MD. Naren is director of Cystic Fibrosis Research at Cedars-Sinai and a professor of Medicine. He aims to develop better therapies to treat Cystic Fibrosis, a life-threatening genetic disorder that damages the lungs and digestive system. In this work, he is studying unique Cystic Fibrosis mutations in patients identified as more at risk of experiencing those rare anomalies—and who may not respond to the most traditionally effective treatments.
Stephen Shiao, MD, PhD, now holds the Barth Family Chair in Cancer Genetics in honor of Beth Y. Karlan, MD. The chair was formerly held by Simon Gayther, PhD. Shiao is director of the Division of Radiation Biology, co-leader of the Cancer Therapeutics Program, professor of Biomedical Sciences and professor of Radiation Oncology. In his efforts, he analyzes the cells of some difficult-to-treat cancers, before and after radiation therapy combined with immunotherapy, to determine the most effective tumor-fighting immune responses prior to surgery.
“We could not make these merited distinctions without the contributions of our visionary donors,” said Arthur J. Ochoa, JD, senior vice president of Advancement and chief advancement officer for Cedars-Sinai. “They are pillars of the Cedars-Sinai community whose impact can’t be measured by the value of their contributions alone. We thank them for their respective investments in the health of our community and beyond.”
Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Newsroom: Cedars-Sinai Ranks Among Top U.S. Hospitals for 10th Consecutive Year