Penn Medicine, CHOP researchers elected to National Academy of Medicine
The honor recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.
Pioneering investigation into low-cost interventions to improve reproductive health, research into the genetic drivers of kidney disease, and discoveries decoding gene regulation in blood cells have earned three researchers from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) elections into the National Academy of Medicine (NAM).
The trio joins one of the nation’s highest honors in the fields of health and medicine, elected by current NAM members.
Epigenetic mechanisms of gene regulation and blood cell development
Gerd A. Blobel, MD, PhD, Frank E. Weise III Professor of Pediatrics at CHOP and co-director of Penn's Epigenetics Institute was recognized for his groundbreaking contributions to understanding the three-dimensional organization of the genome and how genes are controlled during blood cell development.
Blobel's research explores the molecular machinery that governs blood cell differentiation, with a particular focus on genes encoding hemoglobin. His discoveries include the identification of novel factors and mechanisms that control the switch from fetal-to-adult hemoglobin production with translational implications for the treatment of sickle cell disease and b-thalassemia.
His work has also provided fundamental insights into spatial organization of the genome within the cell nucleus and how this architecture influences gene regulation. Additionally, Blobel has uncovered epigenetic mechanisms that transmit regulatory information through cell division, advancing our understanding of how cells maintain their identity across generations.
"This recognition by the National Academy of Medicine honors the many wonderful team members I have had over the years," said Blobel.
Blobel earned his MD from the University of Heidelberg, Germany, and his PhD from The Rockefeller University in New York. He has been elected to the American Society of Clinical Investigation and the American Association of Physicians, and regularly lectures at international conferences on hematopoiesis, transcription, and epigenetics.
Leveraging biomarkers for insights into reproductive health
Enrique Schisterman, PhD, chair of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, and the Perelman Professor in Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, was recognized for his work in maternal and child health that has uncovered and addressed health inequities and influenced international clinical guidelines, resulting in greater access to reproductive care and reduced maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality in many populations.
His work is focused particularly on biomarkers that can drive insight into how the different things people are exposed to in life, such as chemicals, affect reproduction. He’s also been a champion of low-cost interventions that improve reproductive function and fertility, such as a study that showed low-dose aspirin use before conception could improve viable pregnancies in women who’d previously experienced miscarriages.
"It is an honor that I receive with enormous gratitude and with the conviction that science must serve equity in health,” Schisterman said. “From my beginnings in Argentina to my current work in the United States, I have always sought to generate knowledge that impacts people's real lives, especially in the most vulnerable populations.”
Schisterman arrived at Penn to serve as chair of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics in 2021. He earned his doctorate from the State University of New York of Buffalo and received his undergraduate degree from Haifa University in Israel. Currently, he serves as the editor in chief of American Journal of Epidemiology.
Pushing the boundaries of kidney disease research
Katalin Susztak, MD, PhD, a professor of Nephrology, Genetics and director of the Kidney Innovation Center at Penn and CHOP, was recognized for her insights into the genetic drivers of kidney disease, including the APOL1 variants that explain a major portion of kidney disease health disparities among African Americans.
Susztak led the largest study to date on the genetics of kidney function and created the first detailed map nominating kidney disease risk genes and showing how kidney genes work in humans and model systems. Using advanced computational tools, she uncovered how energy deficiencies in kidney cells contribute to chronic kidney disease. Her discoveries have pinpointed genes that are now shaping the development of new treatments
“Being part of the National Academy of Medicine is a reflection of how we have sought to redefine kidney disease is understood: by shifting the paradigm from descriptive pathology to molecular precision,” Susztak said. “I am excited to continue pushing the boundaries of what kidney medicine can become—more precise, more personalized, and more impactful for patients.”
Susztak joined the Perelman School of Medicine in 2012 as a tenured associate professor and in 2017 became a professor of Medicine and professor of Genetics. She earned her MD (1995), and PhD (1997) degrees from the Semmelweis University, in Budapest Hungary.