Newswise — Richard L. Gamelli, MD, FACS, senior vice president and provost of the Health Sciences Division at Loyola University Chicago, has been given the President’s Leadership Award from the American Burn Association (ABA). Dr. Gamelli is a past president of the ABA and currently serves as president of the International Society for Burn Injuries (ISBI).

Dr. Gamelli accepted the honor at the ABA annual meeting on Wednesday, April 24, in Palm Springs. The ABA Presidential Leadership Award recognizes truly distinguished and exceptional service to the ABA and to the profession of burn care. It is awarded on a periodic basis to acknowledge such leadership qualities as: vision, dedication, courage, and steadfastness in the service of ABA, burn-care professionals and burn-injured patients.

“Receiving this recognition is particularly meaningful to me because I instituted the award in 2005 to honor my associates who have pioneered burn care in the United States,” said Dr. Gamelli, who served as 37th president of the ABA. “I am deeply honored to have my name added to this legacy.”

Dr. Gamelli is one of the nation’s leading authorities on burn injury and its treatment. His research at Loyola centers on the effects of burn injury and infection on myelopoiesis, which has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for the past 20 years. He is a member of the NIH Center for Scientific Review’s Surgery, Anesthesia and Trauma Study Section.

He earned his medical degree from the University of Vermont, College of Medicine, where he was elected to the board of trustees.

Dr. Gamelli, who is editor-in-chief of the Journal of Burn Care and Research, is a member of several other editorial boards, including Shock, Annals of Surgery, BURNS, and Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

In addition to the ABA and ISBI, Dr. Gamelli holds membership in dozens of medical and scientific societies, including the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma and American Surgical Association. He also is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

At Loyola, Dr. Gamelli is the Robert J. Freeark Professor of Surgery, director of the Burn & Shock Trauma Research Institute and chief of the Burn Center at Loyola University Medical Center. Dr. Gamelli previously held the positions of chair, Department of Surgery; dean, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago.