Washington: Three Indian-Americans have been elected members of the prestigious Institute of Medicine (IOM), including Subra Suresh, who has become the only current university president to be elected to all three US national academies. Currently president of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based Carnegie Mellon University, Suresh is one of only 16 living Americans to be elected to all three national academies- IOM, the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering. Besides Suresh, two other Indian-Americans have also been elected as members of IOM, among 70 new members and 10 foreign associates, during its 43rd annual meeting. They are Ashish K Jha, professor, health policy and management, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, and Nirav Ramesh Shah, commissioner, New York State Department of Health, Albany.
Election to the IOM is considered one of the highest honours in the fields of health and medicine and recognises individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service. "It is an honour to welcome our highly distinguished colleagues to the Institute of Medicine," said IOM President Harvey V Fineberg. "These individuals have inspired us through their achievements in research, teaching, clinical work and other contributions to the medical field. Their knowledge and skills will deeply enrich the IOM." Suresh earlier served as director of National Science Foundation (NSF), a $7-billion independent government science agency charged with advancing all fields of fundamental science, engineering research and education.
The IOM recognised Suresh for advancing health and medicine through his research into cell mechanics related to malaria, blood diseases and certain types of cancer. In addition to the three US National Academies, Suresh has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Indian National Academy of Engineering, Indian National Science Academy, and Indian Academy of Sciences. He has been elected a fellow or honorary member of all the major materials research societies in the US and India.
