Recognizing George Tsokos

I'd like to take credit for recruiting George Tsokos to be head of rheumatology at BIDMC when I was CEO, but it was Dr. Mark Zeidel, chief of medicine, who secured the deal.  I'd like to take credit because George is an extraordinary clinician, teacher, and researcher--beloved by patients and staff alike--who has made major substantive contributions to the field of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Nonetheless, I want to share my happiness in the fact that George was just awarded the 2012 Lee C. Howley Sr. Prize for Research in Arthritis.  The award recognizes those researchers whose contributions during the previous five years have represented a significant advance in the understanding, treatment or prevention of arthritis and rheumatic diseases.

As noted by the Arthritis Foundation:

Over the past two decades at Walter Reed and Harvard University, Dr. Tsokos has systematically characterized biochemical and molecular abnormalities in immune cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and furthered the understanding of the disease’s origin. His studies have identified novel treatment targets and disease biomarkers to improve the lives of patients.

Oh, did I mention that George is a very nice person, too?  Not a bad combination!

Congratulations!