NIDDK Advisory Council Gains Four

Four new members have been named to the advisory council of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and will serve until 2007.

Dr. Janis Lynne Abkowitz is professor and section head of the division of hematology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, and director of the hematology clinic of the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and University of Washington Medical Center. An NIH-funded investigator, she studies viral-induced hematologic disease and hematopoietic stem cells.

Dr. Roberto P. Coquis is chief of the nephrology section of Holy Cross Hospital, Fort Lauderdale, as well as founder and president of Nephrology Consultants of South Florida. He also founded the Artificial Kidney Centers of Broward and is medical director of the Davita Center in Broward County.

Dr. Rudolph L. Leibel is professor of pediatrics and medicine, head of the division of molecular genetics, department of pediatrics, College of Physicians and Surgeons, and co-director of the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, all at Columbia University. A long-time NIH grantee, Leibel's lab collaborated in the cloning of the leptin gene.

Dr. Ronald L. Ruecker is founder and past president of Internal Medicine Subspecialty Associates, Ltd., and has practiced internal medicine and gastroenterology in Decatur, Ill., since 1974. He also has had numerous consulting affiliations with other central Illinois hospitals during the same period.

NIDDK director Dr. Allen Spiegel (rear, r) welcomes new members of NIDDK's advisory council. They are (front, from l) Dr. Janis Abkowitz, Dr. Roberto P. Coquis, Dr. Rudolph Leibel. At rear is Dr. Ronald L. Ruecker (l).