Alumni Awards

James B. Atkinson

2009 Recipient

James B. Atkinson, M.D., is professor of surgery and chief of the Division of Pediatric Surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and surgeon-in-chief at Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA. He also serves as the senior medical director of Clinical Affairs and has several other administrative responsibilities. Dr. Atkinson’s clinical research activities range from small-bowel transplantation to the application of minimally invasive and robotic techniques in children’s surgery.

For the new Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and the Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital renovation project, Dr. Atkinson is executive director of transition. He took on the responsibility for the new buildings, with so many people placing their trust in his hands, and has met the challenge with tireless enthusiasm and unparalleled expertise. Despite the mass of details, 342 patients were moved flawlessly from the old UCLA Medical Center to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in less than eight hours on June 29, 2008.

Active in the American College of Surgeons (ACS), Dr. Atkinson has served as program chair and is past president of the local chapter. He also participated on the Committee for Young Surgeons and is serving a second term as a governor of the ACS. He has been recognized internationally for his sponsorship of Pacific Rim surgeons for training in the United States. In 2001, he was president of the Pacific Association of Pediatric Surgeons, the largest international organization of pediatric surgeons. Among his other offices held, he is a panelist on the President’s Commission on White House Fellows. Moreover, Dr Atkinson has mentored an entire generation of medical students and residents who are now pediatric surgeons.

Board-certified in the American Board of Surgery, Dr. Atkinson is on the editorial review staff of three journals of pediatric surgery; has authored or sponsored the publication of more than 125 journal articles, as well as numerous book chapters; and has made 60 scientific presentations. He has received such honors as membership in Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Omega Alpha, the Golden Scalpel Award of Teaching Excellence (UCLA), and Resident Mentorship Award (UCLA). He attended Wake Forest University, the Bowman Gray School of Medicine, receiving his M.D. degree in 1976. He then completed his general surgery residency at UCLA, followed by a fellowship in pediatric surgery at the USC School of Medicine and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. Dr Atkinson remained on the faculty of USC until coming to UCLA in 1995.

Dennis J. Slamon, M.D., Ph.D.

2009 Recipient

Dennis J. Slamon, M.D., Ph.D., is being honored with the MAA Medical Science Award, which recognizes an individual who has brought distinction to the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA through outstanding achievements in medical research or education.

Dr. Slamon is director of the Revlon/UCLA Women’s Cancer Research Program and the Revlon/UCLA Women’s Health Research Program, as well as director of Clinical and Translational Research at the UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center. He also is professor of Medicine, executive vice chair for research for the UCLA Department of Medicine and chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology at UCLA and serves on numerous committees.  A well-known and highly respected cancer researcher, he conducted the laboratory and clinical research that led to Herceptin. This breakthrough molecular therapy targets a specific genetic alteration found in about 25 percent of breast cancer patients.

Board-certified in internal medicine and medical oncology, Dr. Slamon received his bachelor of arts degree in biology with honors at Washington & Jefferson College in Pennsylvania. In 1975, he was awarded his M.D. degree at the University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine and Ph.D. in cell biology at the University of Chicago, departments of Anatomy and Pathology. He was an intern, resident, and chief resident in the department of medicine at the University of Chicago Hospitals and Clinics and came to UCLA in 1979 as a fellow in the Division of Hematology/Oncology in the UCLA Department of Medicine.

Dr. Slamon has been recognized with nearly 30 awards honoring his scientific endeavors. They include the Medal of Honor for Clinical Research, the highest honor bestowed by the American Cancer Society; The Gairdner Foundation International Award; Friends of the National Library of Medicine Distinguished Medical Service Award; and his second Umberto Veronesi Award for the Future Fight against Breast Cancer. He is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Society for Clinical Investigation, American Association for Cancer Research, and American Society of Clinical Oncology. Dr. Slamon also is a scientific consultant to the National Institutes of Health and U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Breast Cancer Research Program – Integration Panel, among others.

His has produced 166 publications and has co-authored six research papers and two book chapters (on genetic engineering and cellular and molecular biology). Research continues to be Dr. Slamon’s top priority, developing additional new therapies for women with breast and ovarian cancers. In addition, he is working to help identify those women who are at high risk for developing breast cancer. Moreover, he has collaborated with other specialists to apply his findings to such conditions as lung cancer and myeloid leukemias.

Lawrence W. Bassett, M.D.

2009 Recipient

Lawrence W. Bassett, M.D, is being presented with the MAA Professional Achievement Award, which recognizes an individual who has brought distinction to the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA through exemplary achievements as a physician or through service to the broader community.

Dr. Bassett is the Iris Cantor Professor of Breast Imaging, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. In the radiology department, he is section chief for breast imaging, director of the Breast Imaging Fellowship Program (having trained more than 68 breast imaging subspecialists), and vice chair for Academic Affairs. He is assistant dean for Student Affairs in the medical school, as well. Dr. Bassett received his bachelor’s degree at the University of Southern California in 1964, graduating Phi Beta Kappa, and his M.D. at the University of California, Irvine in 1968. His internship was at Northwestern University and his residency at the UCLA Department of Radiological Sciences (1971-1974). Dr. Bassett, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy, is a diplomat of the American Board of Radiology.

At UCLA, he was appointed clinical instructor in 1974, becoming full professor in 1988. He is a member of a dozen scholarly and professional societies and 16 professional organizations in which he participates in service activities. Dr. Bassett also has served on numerous federal and state agencies and committees at the School of Medicine and Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. He has nearly 40 awards and honors, including the Leo G. Rigler Outstanding Teaching Award, UCLA Alumni Association’s Distinction in Graduate Teaching Award, Radiology’s Hartman Medal and Hartman Centennial Oration, Society of Breast Imaging’s Gold Medal, Sherman M. Mellinkoff Faculty Award, UCLA Healthcare STAR (Service & Teamwork Achieve Results) Award, and RSNA (Radiological Society of North America) Award of Honor for the Annual Oration in Diagnostic Radiology (2007).

Dr. Bassett’s current research focuses on exploring the total digital mammography environment, training fellows in breast cancer detection and diagnosis, assessing and improving radiologists’ mammography interpretive skills, and working with tomosynthesis (3-D mammography). His educational activities include the Radiology-Pathology Biopsy Concordance Conference, the Revlon/UCLA Breast Center Multidisciplinary Conference and the Clerkship in Surgery. Dr. Bassett also provides editorial services to more than a dozen scientific publications, including Radiology, American Journal of Roentgenology, Radiographics, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Journal of Women’s Imaging, Cancer, and The Breast Journal.

In addition, he has authored or co-authored 20 books, more than 160 peer-reviewed research papers, 26 case reports, 81 invited papers, and 60 chapters and monographs. Moreover, Dr. Bassett has participated in 62 scientific exhibits and has been an invited speaker at more than 500 national and international scientific assemblies, CME (Continuing Medical Education) courses, and other prestigious gatherings.

Dean Curtis Norman, ’72 M.D. ’76

2009 Recipient

Dean Curtis Norman, ’72 M.D. ’76, is being honored with the MAA Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes an individual for distinguished service to the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and its affiliated institutions over a span of years.

Dr. Norman has been the Chief of Staff (COS) at the Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles (GLA) Healthcare System since 2000 and is adjunct professor of medicine and assistant dean at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He is responsible for a multi-facility healthcare system that cares for 80,000 unique patients annually and a research program employing several hundred investigators and staff. He oversees an education program with more than 1,000 physicians and allied healthcare trainees.

In 1972, Dr. Norman earned his B.S. in physics at UCLA, where he was also awarded his M.D. in 1976. His internal medicine residency was completed at the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, followed by fellowships in infectious diseases at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (1978-80) and geriatric medicine in the VA/UCLA Multi-campus Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology (1980-1982).

Since 1982, Dr. Norman has held several important positions at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center. He is board-certified in internal medicine and infectious diseases and passed the first boards given in geriatric medicine. He has served on numerous local, regional, and national committees for clinical, research, and education programs at the VA. A member of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the American Geriatrics Society, he also has received multiple awards, including being honored as the first U.S. recipient of the Fellowship of the Hiroshima International Council for Health Care of the Radiation Exposed (HICARE) and several teaching awards.

Dr. Norman has been a reviewer of, and an editorial board member for, various geriatric medicine and infectious disease journals. He has received grants from the National Institutes of Health, pharmaceutical industry, American Heart Association grant in aid, and others. He has delivered nearly 200 lectures and presentations, has produced 56 research papers, and he has edited several textbooks and authored or co-authored many book chapters, reviews, and research abstracts.

Recently, Dr. Norman has written on late-life depression and Alzheimer’s disease: the prevalence of calcified carotid artery atheromas (swelling) of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, fever of unknown origin in older persons, clinical manifestations of infection, and other conditions related to aging and infection. His community service ranges from working with indigent patients to giving lectures on health and well-being to older persons. He is a retired karate instructor, and his hobbies include surfing and writing. He recently published his first book of fiction, The Adventures of Pinky Morita, Samurai Mouse.

Gerald S. Levey, M.D.

2009 Recipient

Gerald S. Levey, M.D., is being presented with the MAA Award of Extraordinary Merit, which recognizes individuals for contributions that have been of unusually great benefit to the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA either through unparalleled leadership or through major advances in the biomedical sciences, thus enhancing the reputation of the School.

Dr. Levey is the vice chancellor, UCLA Medical Sciences; dean, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA; and professor of medicine, department of medicine. Remarkably, for more than 15 years, he has overseen the creation of five new departments, the development of several institutes and other special programs, the revamping of the curriculum, and the recruitment of some of the most accomplished faculty and department chairs. During his tenure as vice chancellor and dean, he led the efforts that resulted in establishing more than 100 endowed chairs, attracting coveted National Institutes of Health funding, planning and constructing five research buildings, and securing the endowing and naming of the school by Mr. David Geffen.

Dr. Levey considers the endowing and naming of the school of medicine in 2002 and the 14-year project to plan, finance, and construct Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center as the highlights of his professional career. The hospital opened on June 29, 2008, as the world’s most advanced medical facility and has generated great excitement in the community. From the architects, construction crew, and faculty and staff to the transition team, volunteers and major donors, he revealed his unparalleled leadership and commitment to bring this almost overwhelming vision to fruition. It is his tremendous contribution to the future of medicine.

Previously, Dr, Levey served as senior vice president for Medical and Scientific Affairs at Merck & Co. and also was chair of the department of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He is past president of the Association of Professors of Medicine, was a member of the board of governors of the American Board of Internal Medicine, and is a member of the Association of American Physicians. In addition, Dr. Levey is a member of the medical honorary society Alpha Omega Alpha and a recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. He received his mastership from the American College of Physicians in 1997.

An internist and endocrinologist, Dr. Levey is widely known for his research on the thyroid gland and the heart. He was named a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator while at the University of Miami. He has developed a particular interest in issues regarding the nation’s physician supply and the role of generalist physicians and served as co-chair of the National Study of Internal Medicine Manpower. He is married to Barbara A. Levey, M.D., FACP, assistant vice chancellor for Biomedical Affairs at UCLA and head of the interdepartmental program in clinical pharmacology.