Epidemiologist Lewis Drusin of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center has been selected by the American College of Physicians to receive the James D. Bruce Memorial Award, one of 17 awards in internal medicine for 2008.

He will receive the award in May at the annual meeting of the American College of Physicians in Washington, D.C. Past recipients include Nobel Prize winner Jonas Salk, developer of the polio vaccine; Donald Henderson, a leader in the effort to eradicate smallpox; and NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell's Walsh McDermott, who served as a mentor to Drusin.

Drusin is professor of clinical medicine and of clinical public health at Weill Cornell Medical College (WCMC) and attending physician at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, where he was formerly director of the Division of Epidemiology.

Drusin is credited with major contributions in preventing and studying nosocomial infections (infections contracted while under medical care) and sexually transmitted diseases. At WCMC, he directs a program placing public health and community medicine clerkship students in field locations, and has helped establish an endowment that offers international rotations to medical students. Since 1995 he has served as the main representative of the International Union Against Sexually Transmitted Infections to the United Nations. He has held prominent roles in many international scientific congresses and study groups related to sexually transmitted diseases.

"I am deeply honored to be considered among such esteemed company," said Drusin. "It is exciting when you make your career choices according to what's fun to do, and then you find out later that other people have appreciated what you've done."