exercise and nutrition education funded by the Academic Medicine Development Co. “The kids that we are dealing with are truly morbidly obese with a body mass index above 35,” she says. “We are talking about extremes with average weights in the 300s.” Six months into the study, roughly 40 children, who had gastric banding operations, are losing weight. This is a safe and minimally invasive surgical procedure, says Fennoy.
“The band is a mechanical restrictive device (placed around the stomach) that can be adjusted. So the patient is in control of how they use this tool.” In comparison, “gastric bypass can cause malabsorption,” Fennoy explains. “If malabsorption is not appropriately monitored, it can lead to major medical problems down the line. It’s hard for some adolescents to follow through as they transition into adulthood.” Fennoy’s work will be responsible for a number of youths staying healthy and fit during their formative years. -Carolyn M. Brown
Ramona F. Swaby, M.D.
Title: Associate Member, Department of Medical Oncology and Attending
Physician, Fox Chase Cancer Center
Specialty: Medical Oncology (Breast Cancer)
Research has always been a passion for Swaby. At Fox Chase Cancer Center, her research focuses on hormone receptors and resistance to hormone therapies. She also investigates molecularly targeted therapies for breast cancer.
Anne L. Taylor, M.D.
Title: Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Physicians and Surgeons,
Columbia University Medical College
Specialty: Cardiology
Taylor leads academic affairs and faculty development for more than 4,000 faculty members in clinical practice and 299 basic sciences faculty. She was chair of the steering committee for the groundbreaking African American Heart Failure trial, which tested the efficacy of heart failure medication on African Americans.
Herman A. Taylor Jr., M.D., M.P.H.
Title: Professor of Medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center; Clinical Professor, Jackson State University; Visiting Professor of Natural Science, Tougaloo College
Specialty: Cardiology
Taylor, recognized as Physician of the Year by the American Heart Association, is an authority on heart disease and risk factors, especially those associated with African American populations. He serves as director of the Jackson Heart Study, the largest population-based study of heart and related diseases ever undertaken for African Americans.
Anthony E. Watkins, M.D.
Title: Vice President, Medical Staff Development, Washington Hospital Center
Specialty: Cardiovascular Disease
Watkins is an expert in cardiovascular diseases. With 42 years experience under his belt, the Washington, D.C., physician uses safe, painless, and cost-effective techniques to image the body and administer treatment, eliminating the need for open-heart surgery.
Karol E. Watson, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.C.
Title: Co-Director, UCLA Program in Preventive Cardiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Specialty: Cardiology
With a special interest in lipid disorders, Watson is co-director of the University of California, Los Angeles Program in Preventive Cardiology and director of the UCLA Center for Cholesterol and Hypertension Management. Additionally, she is associate professor of medicine in the division of cardiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine.
Clyde W. Yancy, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.A.H.A., F.A.C.P.
Title: Medical Director and Chief, Cardiothoracic Transplantation, Baylor Heart
and Vascular Institute, Baylor University Medical Center Specialty: Internal Medicine, Cardiology
A prominent cardiologist and heart transplant specialist, Yancy’s clinical research extends over