Stanford Report - June 17th, 2009
Two members of the medical school faculty have been appointed to endowed professorships: Sanjiv "Sam" Gambhir, MD, PhD, and David Relman, MD.
Gambhir, professor of radiology, has been named the Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Professor in Cancer Research. The professorship was established by reallocating a portion of the Virginia & D. K. Ludwig Fund, which was formed in 1994 with funds from the Daniel K. Ludwig estate to accumulate principal for the eventual establishment of a professorship. The Ludwig estate had asked that the professorship be established for the pursuit of basic science and research into the advancement of knowledge regarding the causes, origin, prevention and cure of cancer and other neoplastic diseases. To date, Stanford has established three professorships from this fund.
Gambhir's research seeks to identify and manipulate molecules that can be used to image in vivo biological processes, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. He serves as director of the molecular imaging program, as well as head of the nuclear medicine division.
Relman, professor of infectious diseases and of microbiology and immunology, has been appointed the Thomas C. and Joan M. Merigan Professor. The professorship was established with a gift from Thomas C. Merigan, MD, the George E. and Lucy Becker Professor of Medicine, Emeritus, and his wife, Joan M. Merigan, MD. Thomas Merigan is a world-renowned researcher in the field of infectious diseases and a pioneer in HIV/AIDS research.
Relman directs the infectious diseases training program at the medical school and serves as chief of infectious diseases at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System. His research focuses on microbial pathogenesis and human microbial ecology.
