Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center today announced that James C. Eisenach, M.D., professor of anesthesiology and professor of physiology and pharmacology at Wake Forest Baptist, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM)*. Eisenach is the fifth current Wake Forest School of Medicine faculty member elected to this prestigious body.
Election to the NAM is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service. Eisenach was one of 70 new members and 10 international members whose election was announced at the NAM annual meeting today.
Eisenach specializes in obstetrical and gynecological anesthesiology and was honored for his research which has had an important impact in the field of anesthesiology, especially in understanding the mechanisms of pain. His research has focused on understanding how pain - from trauma, surgery, cancer or childbirth – is perceived and how it might be better treated or even prevented.
His research has been nationally recognized through numerous previous awards including by the 2013 Excellence in Research Award from the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the Distinguished Service Award from the American Society for Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine – the society’s highest award. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) presented Eisenach with a MERIT Award, one of its highest awards, which provide recipients with up to 10 years of research funding.
The current Wake Forest Baptist faculty who are existing members of the National Academy of Medicine are Anthony Atala, M.D., director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine and chair of urology; Mark Hall, J.D., professor of public health sciences and Wake Forest School of Law; William Hazzard, M.D., professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine and John McConnell, M.D., CEO of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and professor of urology.
In addition, Thomas B. Clarkson, D.V.M., professor emeritus of pathology, and Richard Janeway, M.D., professor emeritus of neurology and former dean of the medical school, were elected to the NAM.
*The NAM was formerly known as the Institute of Medicine.
Media Relations
Mac Ingraham: mingraha@wakehealth.edu, 336-716-3487
Shannon Putnam: news@wakehealth.edu, 336-713-4587