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The Academic Career Leadership Academy in Medicine (ACCLAIM), which provides leadership and career development opportunities, welcomes this year’s cohort.


The Academic Career Leadership Academy in Medicine (ACCLAIM) is a UNC School of Medicine one-year program, started in 2012, that provides leadership and career development opportunities to faculty members (ACCLAIM Scholars), with an emphasis on those underrepresented in medicine.

The curriculum for ACCLAIM is based, in part, on the model established by the Public Health Leadership Program (PHLP) in the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. ACCLAIM’s weekly sessions include guest speakers from across the university and span four areas of leadership: personal, team, organization, and population. The program begins with a three-day leadership workshop/retreat that helps scholars to understand the leadership styles and approaches of others as well as themselves.

In addition to the weekly sessions and workshop, one of the central requirements of ACCLAIM is that participants propose an idea that they will work on individually to advance research, strengthen teaching, and improve the health care system. Projects developed by the scholars are designed to span boundaries and connect disciplines at the hospital and medical school; they should also improve efficiency or effectiveness.

Scholars are chosen each year based on past leadership experience and their potential for greater leadership development. The Scholars in this year’s cohort are:

  • Dr. Roberto Blanco, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry
  • Dr. Bhisham Chera, Associate Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology, Associate Chair of Clinical Operations and Improvement and Director of Patient Safety and Quality
  • Dr. Ben Major, Assistant Professor of Cell Biology & Physiology and Assistant Professor in Department of Computer Science
  • Dr. Sabina Mir, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Director of Endoscopy
  • Dr. Carlton Moore, Associate Professor of Medicine and Associate Chief for Research and Quality Improvement in the Division of Hospital Medicine
  • Dr. Justin Myers, Clinical Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine
  • Dr. Daniel Nissman, Assistant Professor of Radiology and Division Chief of Musculoskeletal Imaging
  • Dr. Rupali Shah, Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology
  • Dr. Saira Sheikh, Assistant Professor, Director of UNC Rheumatology Lupus Clinic, and Clinical Trials Program at TARC
  • Dr. Yael Shiloh-Malawsky, Assistant Professor of Child Neurology
  • Dr. Angela Smith, Assistant Professor of Urology
  • Dr. Richard Wardrop, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics and Program Director, Combined Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Training Program

Amelia Drake, Executive Associate Dean for Academic Programs, would like to congratulate all members of this outstanding cohort. If you would like more information about ACCLAIM, please contact Drake.