The National Academy of Medicine provides independent, evidence-based scientific advice to address national and global health challenges. Membership is considered to be one of the highest honors in the medical field and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service. This year, five Damon Runyon alumni were nominated for membership, bringing the total number of Damon Runyon scientists in the organization to 46.

Roger J. Davis, PhD, FRS (Fellow ’84-’85), of the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, is recognized “for his research leadership on mechanisms that mediate cellular stress responses.

Darrell J. Irvine, PhD (Fellow ’00-’01), of the University of California, Irvine, is recognized “for his groundbreaking research and theory in understanding how stress, including racism, impacts autonomic nervous system dynamics and influences disease and the process of aging.”

Robert H. Vonderheide, MD, DPhil (Clinical Investigator ’00-’05), of the University of Pennsylvania, is recognized “for developing immune combination therapies for patients with pancreatic cancer by driving proof-of-concept from lab to the clinic.”

Jedd D. Wolchok, MD, PhD (Clinical Investigator ’03-’08), of Weill Cornell Medicine, “for his commitment to understanding the role of the immune system in cancer therapy,” including the leadership of “practice-changing trials establishing the use of immune checkpoint blockade for melanoma and other cancers.”

Hongkui Zeng, PhD (Fellow ’96-’99), of the Allen Institute for Brain Science, “for her leadership in investigating cell types and connections in the mammalian brain.”