Top international recognition for food policy's Assoc Prof Mark Huffman

The US based The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) today announced the 2019 Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine Scholars.

Mark Huffman, Associate Professor at the Food Policy Division of The George Institute, and Associate Professor of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University was named one of 10 early- to mid-career professionals from a wide range of health-related fields, from microbiology and surgery to sociology and biomedical engineering.

Young leaders in this program are selected by NAM leadership to engage in a variety of activities throughout the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (National Academies) over a three-year term, beginning on July 1, 2019, for this new class.  Activities include biannual meetings in Washington, D.C., with NAM leadership; planning an annual Emerging Leaders Forum; participating in National Academies convening activities; publishing NAM Perspectives; and attending the NAM’s annual meeting each October.

Acting Executive Director of The George Institute Professor Bruce Neal said this would provide an incredible opportunity for Assoc Prof Huffman and cemented him as one of the brightest minds in both cardiovascular and food policy research worldwide. Prof Neal said “We are incredibly fortunate to have someone of Mark’s caliber and expertise working at The George Institute and addressing some of the most pressing challenges in health and medicine.”

“Selected to the National Academy of Medicine’s Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine program for their leadership qualities, these extraordinary individuals represent the next generation of leading scientists, health care providers, public health professionals, and policymakers, who are poised to shape the future of science, medicine, and health equity,” said NAM President Victor J. Dzau. 

The Emerging Leaders program facilitates opportunities for mentorship, collaboration, and innovation among the participants, NAM members, and experts across sectors. The emerging leaders will attend the NAM Emerging Leaders Forum, to be held in Washington, D.C., July 17-18, 2019. The forum will provide an opportunity for invited participants to share their activities and insights on cutting-edge developments in a wide range of fields through collaborative work and interdisciplinary discussions among the nation’s evolving leadership in health and medicine.

The National Academy of Medicine, established in 1970 as the Institute of Medicine, is an independent organization of eminent professionals from diverse fields including health and medicine; the natural, social, and behavioral sciences; and beyond.  It serves alongside the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering as an adviser to the nation and the international community. Through its domestic and global initiatives, the NAM works to address critical issues in health, medicine, and related policy and inspire positive action across sectors. The NAM collaborates closely with its peer academies and other divisions within the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

About Mark Huffman

Mark is a Quentin D. Young Professor of Health Policy and Associate Professor of Preventive Medicine and Medicine-Cardiology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine and director of the Center for Global Cardiovascular Health within the Institute for Global Health at Northwestern. He has a secondary appointment as an Associate Professor of Food Policy at The George Institute for Global Health. He is a practicing cardiologist, researcher, and teacher interested in global cardiovascular health epidemiology, clinical trials, implementation science, health systems and policy research and training. He works across the spectrum of cardiovascular disease prevention in research on acute cardiovascular quality improvement, simplifying pharmacotherapy through fixed-dose combinations, programmatic implementation and evaluation for large-scale hypertension control, monitoring and improving the US and global food and medicine supply, and achieving tobacco endgame. Mark aims to improve global cardiovascular health and health care, especially in low- and middle-income countries, and to bring lessons learned back home to the United States.