Accolades: Awards, honors and appointments December
OHSU joins global clinical trial to advance treatment for proximal femur metastases
OHSU’s Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation is currently enrolling patients in the PERFORM (Proximal Femur Reconstruction or Internal Fixation for Metastases) clinical trial. It is a groundbreaking, multinational clinical study for patients with metastases in the proximal femur. PERFORM is sponsored by McMaster University in Toronto and represents a major advancement in cancer care research.
The PERFORM trial compares surgical approaches for managing metastatic cancer that has spread to the proximal femur, the upper portion of the thighbone, while helping maintain patient mobility and quality of life during metastatic disease management.
“OHSU is proud to be at the forefront of this important research,” said principal investigator Kenneth Gundle, M.D., an associate professor in OHSU Orthopaedic Oncology. “Our participation in the PERFORM trial reflects our ongoing commitment to finding better treatment solutions for patients facing complex bone cancers.”
The multinational scope of the PERFORM trial ensures diverse patient participation and robust data collection, which will help inform best practices for treating proximal femur metastases worldwide. OHSU’s involvement reinforces Portland’s position as a major hub for innovative cancer research and treatment.
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Sumathi Devarajan awarded American Geriatrics Society fellowship
Sumathi Devarajan, M.D., assistant professor of family medicine at OHSU, was recently inducted into the newest class of American Geriatrics Society, or AGS, fellows. AGS fellows such as Devarajan represent a distinguished cohort of geriatrics experts recognized for their deep commitment to advancing high-quality, person-centered care for older adults.
Each year, a small contingent of highly qualified AGS members earn fellowship status following a rigorous application process, which includes assessing everything from continuing education and public service to geriatrics scholarship and health care leadership. This year’s fellows hail from throughout the country and reflect the increasingly interprofessional nature of geriatrics as a field attracting influential family physicians such as Devarajan.
Throughout her more than 20-year tenure in OHSU family medicine, she has gained a national reputation in geriatric education, supporting numerous learners and curricular advancements in geriatrics, while maintaining high-intensity leadership and clinical roles, and leading to the development of high-impact services for geriatrics, nursing home care and residencies, and policy work.
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OHSU showcases lung infection research at 12th Annual NTMRC Conference
Kevin Winthrop, M.D., professor of infectious diseases and public health in the OHSU School of Medicine and the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, and his team in November shared results from a $5 million, multi-year study at the 12th annual Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Disease Research Consortium conference. The event brought together experts, patient advocates, regulators, and industry leaders to discuss the future of care and research for NTM and bronchiectasis.
The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute in 2018 awarded Winthrop and his research team $5 million to lead a major research study on lung infections. Working with 29 sites across North America, OHSU helped enroll 474 participants and managed the study design, research activities and data analysis.
The grant focuses on a longstanding controversy in the therapy of chronic pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial infections due to Mycobacterium avium complex, or MAC. Specifically, whether the multidrug regimen should contain two or three antibiotics: azithromycin + ethambutol (2-drug) versus azithromycin + ethambutol + rifampin (3-drug), hence the ‘MAC2v3’ study title. There is no standard-of-care therapy for pulmonary MAC infections; treatment was developed based on tuberculosis regimens, and it is unknown if the benefit of including rifampin, the third drug, outweighs side effects.
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Nikolaos Soldatos earns excellence award
Nikolaos Soldatos, D.D.S., Ph.D., M.S.D., associate professor of periodontics in the OHSU School of Dentistry, received the Distinction in Regenerative Excellence Award from Geistlich at the American Academy of Periodontology 111th Annual Meeting in October in Toronto, Canada.
The Geistlich Corporate Forum features dynamic regenerative experts from around the world introducing innovative and diverse treatment solutions, and Soldatos spoke on ridge preservation and ridge augmentation in the era of aseptic processing.
“This award represents a significant honor for the Graduate Periodontics Clinic at OHSU,” Soldatos said. “This recognition highlights the clinic’s commitment to advancing evidence-based regenerative therapies and integrating innovative biomaterials and techniques into clinical education and patient care. It reflects the collective efforts of faculty, residents, and staff in promoting clinical excellence, research and leadership in the field of horizontal and vertical ridge augmentation and guided tissue regeneration.”
The award also enhances the clinic’s national and international reputation as a center of excellence in bone regeneration, reinforcing its role in training the next generation of specialists to deliver cutting-edge, patient-centered care.
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Howard K. Song named inaugural Dr. Albert Starr Endowed Professor in Structural Heart Disease at OHSU
Howard K. Song, M.D., Ph.D., is the inaugural recipient of the Dr. Albert Starr Endowed Professorship in Structural Heart Disease, which will provide essential support to expand his research and advance the next generation of heart valve technologies.
Song has dedicated his career to advancing treatment options for patients with complex structural heart and aortic conditions. He and his team have played key roles in multiple National Institutes of Health- and industry-funded studies that have improved the performance of transcatheter valve replacement and repair procedures and helped establish national standards for heart surgery outcomes. Song has published over 100 peer-reviewed research articles and developed innovations that have led to three surgical device patents.
Beyond his research, he performs complex heart surgeries and directs the Advanced Adult Cardiac Surgery Fellowship. In addition, Song serves on the United Network of Organ Sharing Thoracic Transplant Review Board, the Pacific Northwest Transplant Bank, and the Oregon Medical Board.
The Dr. Albert Starr Endowed Professorship in Structural Heart Disease was established in 2025 by the Edwards Lifesciences Foundation in honor of Albert Starr, M.D., who co-invented the first artificial heart valve with Miles Lowell Edwards, founder of Edwards Lifesciences. This professorship honors Dr. Starr’s groundbreaking work in artificial heart valves and will advance structural heart research, education, training and care at OHSU.
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Willi Horner Johnson earns Margaret “Peg” Nosek award
Willi Horner Johnson, Ph.D., professor in the OHSU-Portland State University School of Public Health and in OHSU’s Institute on Development and Disability, has earned the Margaret “Peg” Nosek award from the disability section of the American Public Health Association. The APHA presents the award to a person whose work has helped expand understanding of health and participation through research for and with women with disabilities or other populations underrepresented in disability research.
Horner Johnson directs the Oregon Office on Disability and Health and is the co-director of the National Center for Disability and Pregnancy Research. She is a nationally recognized researcher focused on difficulties people with disabilities encounter when accessing health care, reproductive health of adolescents and adults with disabilities, and pregnancy care and outcomes for people experiencing disabilities. She has secured multiple NIH and other federal grants to support her work and has published nearly 100 peer-reviewed publications. She also contributes her expertise to critical national efforts aimed at promoting health equity for individuals with disabilities.
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Blair Darney named editor of Society of Family Planning journal
Blair Darney, Ph.D., M.P.H., associate professor in obstetrics and gynecology in the OHSU School of Medicine, has been named as the incoming editor-in-chief of Contraception, the official journal of the Society of Family Planning. Darney holds appointments at the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health and the National Institute of Public Health in Mexico. She is a health services researcher whose work focuses on evaluating access, utilization and outcomes of reproductive health services and policies in the U.S. and Latin America.
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William R. Hersh to Receive Inaugural AMIA Academic Forum Health Informatics Educator of the Year Award
William R. Hersh, M.D., professor of medical informatics and clinical epidemiology in the OHSU School of Medicine, was honored with the inaugural Academic Forum Health Informatics Educator of the Year Award by The American Medical Informatics Association. This prestigious accolade recognizes Hersh’s longstanding commitment to advancing and innovating education in the field of health informatics. It also highlights Hersh’s remarkable contributions to educational excellence, curriculum development, and thought leadership within health informatics.
Notably, this recognition comes just ahead of Hersh’s election to the National Academy of Medicine, further underscoring his significant impact on the field.
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Recognize team or individual achievements with OHSU Accolades
Every day, OHSU members do amazing things. We want to celebrate the significant achievements of OHSU members, units, and programs, such as awards, grants, appointments, publications, and public recognitions. We publish these announcements regularly on OHSU Now and OHSU News: Awards and Accomplishments to celebrate with all 27,000 of our members and our community. Nominate yourself, a colleague or any OHSU member using this Accolades intake form. Submissions edited for length and clarity.