Adaora Adimora, MD, MPH, in the department of medicine, was selected for this honor for her integral work in the field of HIV prevention.
Adaora Adimora, MD, MPH, the Sarah Graham Kenan Distinguished Professor of Medicine at the UNC School of Medicine and professor of epidemiology with the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), widely considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine. The academy recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service throughout their careers.
“These newly elected members represent the most exceptional scholars and leaders whose remarkable work has advanced science, medicine, and health in the U.S. and around the globe,” said National Academy of Medicine President Victor J. Dzau, MD, in an announcement, recognizing the election of 100 new members. “Their expertise will be vital to addressing today’s most pressing health and scientific challenges and informing the future of health and medicine for the benefit of us all. I am honored to welcome these esteemed individuals to the National Academy of Medicine.”
The announcement explains that new members are elected by current members through a process that recognizes individuals who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care, and public health.
Dr. Adimora, chair of the HIV Prevention Trials Network’s Women at Risk Scientific Committee, was elected for her research on heterosexual HIV transmission among African Americans that has helped shift the HIV prevention field from its previous exclusive focus on individual behaviors to one that now recognizes the importance of social determinants in HIV transmission and the urgent need for structural interventions that change those determinants.