Four UChicago Medicine faculty elected to Association of American Physicians

Newswise — Four UChicago Medicine faculty members were elected to the 2024 class of the Association of American Physicians (AAP), a prestigious medical society that acknowledges the nation's leading physician-scientists. Founded in 1885 by Sir William Osler and six distinguished colleagues, the AAP only admits 70 physicians nationwide each year. This year’s class includes:

Ernst Lengyel, MD, PhD, Arthur L. and Lee G. Herbst Distinguished Service Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Ernst Lengyel is an expert in the diagnosis and treatment of gynecologic malignancies. His primary clinical focus is the treatment of ovarian cancer, including advanced surgical techniques designed to improve patient outcomes. His research laboratory in the Center for Integrative Science focuses on understanding the biology of ovarian cancer and investigating new therapies. He mentors residents and fellows, PhD students, and postdoctoral research fellows in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Stacy Tessler Lindau, MD, MAPP, FACOG, Catherine Lindsay Dobson Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Professor of Medicine

Stacy Tessler Lindau’s scholarship focuses on deciphering mechanisms through which social and sexual conditions drive health and the impact of medical care on social and sexual functioning. She founded and directs the Program in Integrative Sexual Medicine for Women and Girls with Cancer, the Bionic Breast Project, CommunityRx, WomanLab and Feed1st. She is a successful entrepreneur and dedicated mentor. As Special Advisor to the Provost, she leads projects in the provost’s highest priority strategic domains.

Kunle Odunsi, MD, PhD, AbbVie Foundation Distinguished Service Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Professor of Medicine; Director, Comprehensive Cancer Research Center; Dean for Oncology, Biological Sciences Division; Director, University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center

Kunle Odunsi is a nationally recognized expert in immunotherapy and vaccine therapy for cancer. His research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of immune recognition and tolerance in ovarian cancer and translating these findings to immunotherapy clinical trials. He pioneered the development of antigen-specific vaccine therapy and “next generation” adoptive T-cell immunotherapies to prolong remission rates in women with ovarian cancer.

Monica Peek, MD, MPH, Ellen H. Block Professor for Health Justice of Medicine; Associate Director, Chicago Center for Diabetes Translational Research

In addition to providing clinical care, Monica Peek teaches and works as a bioethicist and health equity researcher with a focus on promoting equitable doctor/patient relationships among racial minorities, integrating the medical and social needs of patients and addressing healthcare discrimination and structural racism that impact health outcomes. She has been a pioneer at investigating how multiple factors work together to cause racial health disparities and how multi-level interventions can reduce them, particularly for chronic diseases like diabetes.