Congratulations to Department of Population Medicine faculty members Emily Oken and Maryam Asgari on their election to the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI).  The ASCI comprises more than 3,000 physician-scientists from all medical specialties elected to the Society for their outstanding records of scholarly achievement. The ASCI considers the nominations of several hundred physician-scientists submitted from among its members each year and elects up to 80 new members each year for their significant research accomplishments. Because members must be 50 years of age or younger at the time of their election, membership reflects accomplishments by its members relatively early in their careers.

Dr. Oken's research is focused on the health effects of nutrition and environmental toxicants on health and disease, with a particular focus on pregnancy and early childhood. She has studied the balance of risk and benefit from maternal fish consumption during pregnancy on child development, long term health effects of breastfeeding for both mother and child, and determinants and sequelae of excess gestational weight gain. Within the Department of Population Medicine, Dr. Oken is Vice-Chair, Director of the Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse (CoRAL), and Director of Faculty Development.  At Harvard Medical School, she is an Associate Director in the Oliver Wendell Holmes Society and Director of the Clinical Epidemiology and Population Health longitudinal curriculum. Dr. Oken completed residency training in both internal medicine and pediatrics. 

Dr. Asgari is a board-certified dermatologist, epidemiologist, and Mohs Micrographic surgeon.  As a dermatologic surgeon, her area of expertise is Mohs Surgery with a special focus on cosmetically sensitive areas.  Her research has focused on pharmacoepidemiology and skin cancer risk, interactions of immunity and skin cancer, high risk skin cancer, and patient-centered outcomes including patient satisfaction in skin cancer treatment. She is also known for her clinical expertise in procedural dermatology.

Oken and Asgari will be inducted to the society with a total of 80 new members from 46 different institutions at an induction dinner and ceremony on April 5, 2019 in Chicago.