Howard J. Federoff Named Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors
Howard J. Federoff, MD, PhD, executive vice president of health sciences at Georgetown University Medical Center and executive dean of its School of Medicine, has been named a Charter Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).
Election to NAI fellow status is a professional distinction accorded to academic inventors who have demonstrated a highly prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development, and the welfare of society.
Academic inventors and innovators elected to the rank of NAI Charter Fellow were nominated by their peers for outstanding contributions to innovation in areas such as patents and licensing, innovative discovery and technology, significant impact on society, and support and enhancement of innovation.
Federoff conducts research and has several pending patent applications in the area of gene therapy and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. He has significantly contributed to the field of gene therapy, using technology he developed called the HSV-amplicon system. This system allows the delivery of genes to the nervous system and the ability to manipulate their expression, which may make possible the treatment of numerous neurological disorders. Federoff also collaborates with scientists in the field of bioinformatics to develop novel approaches towards pre-symptomatic biomarker discovery, pharmacovigilance and healthcare delivery.
The NAI Fellows Selection Committee is comprised of 14 Members who are from the National Academies (National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine), recipients of National Medals, a National Inventors Hall of Fame inductee, and senior officials from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM), the United Inventors Association and University Research Leadership.
The 98 innovators elected to NAI Fellow status represent 54 universities and non-profit research institutes. Together, they hold more than 3,200 U.S. patents.
Included in the Charter class are eight Nobel Laureates, two Fellows of the Royal Society, 12 presidents of research universities and non-profit research institutes, 50 members of the National Academies, 11 inductees of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, three recipients of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, 4 recipients of the National Medal of Science, and 29 AAAS Fellows, among other awards and distinctions.
The NAI Charter Fellows will be inducted by the U.S. Commissioner for Patents, Margaret A. Focarino during the 2nd Annual Conference of the National Academy of Inventors on Feb. 22, 2013, in Tampa, Fla.
By Karen Mallet, GUMC Office of Communications
