AcademyHealth announced its 2011 award winners in today’s Annual Research Meeting luncheon plenary, recognizing leading researchers in different stages of their careers for significant contributions for the fields of health services research and health policy. The recipient of the 2011 Distinguished Investigator Award is Vincent Mor, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Community Health at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University and the Florence Pirce Grant University Professor of Community Health. David Grabowski, Ph.D., of Harvard Medical School, presented the award to honor Dr. Mor’s significant and lasting contributions to the field of health services research through scholarship, teaching, advancement of science and methods, and leadership. Dr. Mor has been principal investigator of more than 25 NIH-funded grants focusing on the factors associated with variation in use of health services and the outcomes of the frail elderly and chronically ill experience, and has had multiple grants from federal and private funders. In his remarks, Dr. Mor touched on the importance of finding a community of researchers who share your interests like he has found with AcademyHealth. "For those of use who find the science as exciting as the policy, we are home here," he said. AcademyHealth also recognized the recipient of the 2011 Alice S. Hersh New Investigator Award, Scott Halpern, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine and epidemiology and deputy director of the Center for Health Incentives at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Presenting the award was Dr. Halpern’s colleague David Asch, M.D., M.B.A. The Alice S. Hersh New Investigator Award recognizes scholars early in their careers as health services researchers who show exceptional promise for future contributions to the field. Dr. Halpern receives this award for his research that combines empirical approaches from the fields of health services research, epidemiology, and the decision-making sciences with conceptual work grounded in moral philosophy. Dr. Halpern recognized the significant role his mentors have played in shaping his career. He acknowledged his late grandmother who provided advice on finding happiness in the academic world. "Do not aspire for power and prestige, but aspire for freedom and liberty to explore the questions you have," he shared. In addition, AcademyHealth recognized recipients of the other annual awards:

Article-of-the-Year Award Jeffrey Silber, M.D., Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Robert Kaestner, Ph.D., University of Illinois at Chicago

Outstanding Dissertation Award Julia Adler-Milstein, Ph.D., Harvard University

Outstanding Dissertation Award Honorable Mention Carrie Hoverman Colla, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley

Best Student Poster Award Erika Cottrell, Oregon Health and Science University

Congratulations to all the 2011 award winners.
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