New York, NY (December 8, 2025) – On Monday, December 1, New York Academy of Medicine celebrated its 178th Anniversary Discourse, Annual Awards & Meeting of the Fellows before a record crowd of over 400 guests. The celebratory evening celebrated many noteworthy milestones:
- The induction of 106 new fellows, 13 members, and 12 student members; the total of 131 fellows and members makes the 2025 class the academy’s largest ever
- A formal welcoming of five new board of trustees: Debra Albert, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, chief nursing officer, senior vice president of Patient Care Services, Lerner Director of Health Promotion; NYU Langone Health; Lorna Friedman, MD, senior partner of Health Transformation and Sustainability, Mercer Marsh Benefits; Michael P. O’Connor, EdD, MPA, executive vice dean, New York University College of Dentistry; Jen Radin, life science and healthcare principal, Deloitte; and Lily Zhou, MPA, founder, Life Story Club
- The recognition of five health leaders with awards from New York Academy of Medicine: Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA, the 18th U.S. Surgeon General, who received the Medal for Health Policy; Jennifer Doudna, PhD, Nobel laureate in chemistry, who received the Medal for Biomedical Science; Peter Jay Hotez, MD, PhD, Dean for the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine, who received the Stephen Smith Medal for Contributions in Public Health; Timothy R. B. Johnson, MD, Bates Professor of the Diseases of Women and Children and Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, who received a posthumous Stearns Medal for Clinical Practice; and Mary Woolley, president and CEO of Research! America, who received the Medal for Health Policy
- The honoring of The Carnegie Corporation of New York and The Rockefeller Foundation for their foresight in providing early funding to New York Academy of Medicine nearly a century ago with a plaque for Exceptional Service to the Academy
- Harriet Washington, author, lecturer in bioethics, Columbia University, Fellow, New York Academy of Medicine, led a rich discourse about the spread of health misinformation in an era of political polarity. This roundtable discussion included three prominent New York journalists: Dhruv Khullar, MD, MPP, associate professor of health policy and economics, Weill Cornell Medical College, and contributing writer, The New Yorker; Brian Lehrer, host, The Brian Lehrer Show, WNYC; and Apoorva Mandivalli, science and global health reporter, The New York Times
The evening was co-led by Ann Kurth, PhD, CNM, MPH, president of New York Academy of Medicine, and Wayne J. Riley, MD, MPH, MBA, MACP, chair of New York Academy of Medicine’s Board of Trustees. Dr. Kurth expressed deep gratitude to all who attended this year’s groundbreaking annual meeting.
“This year’s class of 131 total fellows, members, and student members our most diverse cohort, reflecting leaders working across all health disciplines, practice, and research settings who advance health in New York and the nation,” she explained following the annual meeting. “Our community of fellows and members are New York Academy of Medicine’s lifeblood. Their important work impacts health outcomes on a community level, and that’s the best way to ensure healthier, longer lives for all.”
New York Academy of Medicine understands that accessibility of both access to care and information is crucial for individual, family, and community health. In an era of rampant polarization, this year’s annual meeting included a thoughtful conversation about the spread of health misinformation. Wayne J. Riley, MD, MPH, MBA, MACP, spoke passionately about how the health and science community stands as a bulwark in the face of misinformation.
“Make no mistake: misinformation is contagious, and it won’t simply disappear if we try to sweep it under the rug. But like any contagion, misinformation has a cure: communicating health, medical, and scientific truths with trust and accessibility,” Dr. Riley told the gathered audience. “I consider New York Academy of Medicine to be one ingredient in the vaccine to misinformation. A vaccine that can only be effective as any other: with community input, collective effort, and a deep care for our communities.”
Periods of uncertainty can be challenging to navigate, but at New York Academy of Medicine, we understand they are not enduring. Our historic library serves as a vital resource, offering insights into health patterns throughout history, empowering us to shape a healthier and more informed future.
One of the roundtable participants, Dr. Khullar, brought clarity to this issue of institutional distrust.
“The communication that is coming out (of) the CDC or HHS cannot always be relied upon the way it could in the past,” he explained early in the conversation. “But when that is not the case, we have state health departments, local health departments, and other institutions that… are ways to continue the conversations we need to be having to inform people.”
After the conferring of awards and the roundtable discussion, the annual meeting concluded with the bestowing of new fellowships and memberships. New York Academy of Medicine is grateful to all who made the 178th Anniversary Discourse, Annual Awards & Meeting of the Fellows such a tremendous success. We look forward to ushering in a new year with our community that empowers healthier, longer lives for all.