FDA NEWS RELEASE

FDA's Dr. Boris Lushniak Receives AMA Award

Boris D. Lushniak, MD, MPH, Assistant Commissioner for Counterterrorism Policy, in the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has been honored by the American Medical Association (AMA) as the 2006 recipient of the Dr. William Beaumont Award in Medicine. The distinction, named after a 19th Century U.S. Army physician and scientist, is presented each year to a physician under the age of 50 in recognition of an outstanding professional or scientific achievement.

The AMA award citation praised Dr. Lushniak's performance as a leader of the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Team San Antonio following last year's hurricanes in the Gulf, including his "leadership to address public health issues following Hurricane Katrina, assisting more than 12,000 Katrina evacuees."

"This is the second time this year that I have the occasion to congratulate Dr. Lushniak on his formidable accomplishments," said Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach, Acting Commissioner of FDA. "He is an example of the high skill, dedication and quest for excellence that is the hallmark of FDA's work to protect the public health."

Dr. Lushniak's efforts during Hurricane Katrina included establishing evacuation shelters where victims could obtain health care, creating a Medical Manpower Committee to coordinate local resources, and resolving medical supply shortages.

Dr. Lushniak, who is 47, was in April promoted to the rank of Assistant Surgeon General/Rear Admiral (RADM) in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS).

Dr. Lushniak was nominated for the distinction by then-U. S. Surgeon General Vice Admiral Richard H. Carmona in recognition of Dr. Lushniak's distinguished career in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and FDA, which included emergency operations in the field as well as work on occupational skin diseases, counterterrorism, and pandemic planning.

Dr. Lushniak joined the FDA in March 2004 as the Chief Medical Officer, Office of Counterterrorism Policy and Planning in the Office of the FDA Commissioner, and was promoted to Assistant Commissioner in May 2005. His numerous professional awards include the Association of Military Surgeons of the US Sustaining Membership Award for Outstanding Contributions in the Field of Medical Research, the Secretary's (DHHS) Award for Distinguished Service and the Secretary's Recognition Award for Heroism, the FDA Commissioner's "Special Recognition Award", and PHS awards for disaster relief work in Bangladesh and for hazardous duty in Kosovo, where he assessed public health needs under wartime conditions.

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