Dr. Stephen G. Waxman, professor and chair of neurology at the School of Medicine and neurologist-in-chief at Yale-New Haven Hospital, has been elected to the Institute of Medicine -- IOM -- the health-care arm of the National Academy of Sciences.
He is one of 55 new IOM members, which brings the total active membership to 545. New members are elected by current members from among candidates chosen for their major contributions to health and medicine or to related fields such as social and behavioral sciences, law, administration and economics. In addition to serving as professor of neurology, neuroscience and pharmacology at Yale, Dr. Waxman founded and is the director of the PVA-EPVA Neuroscience Research Center at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System on its West Haven campus.
Dr. Waxman, who has been at Yale since 1986, is recognized internationally for elucidating the molecular architecture of nerve fibers and the glial cells that surround them, and the mechanisms by which nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord adapt to injury. His research has clarified the functions of sodium channels -- the tiny molecular batteries responsible for producing nerve impulses -- and potassium channels -- which act as brakes -- in nerve fibers.
His studies on spinal cord injury have identified the molecules that carry calcium into nerve fibers, killing them after injury; these studies may provide new treatment strategies for spinal cord injury and certain types of stroke. Dr. Waxman's research also has elucidated the molecular mechanisms underlying remissions, whereby patients recover functions such as vision in multiple sclerosis , and has led to the development of new drugs, currently under evaluation in clinical studies, that may provide new treatments for patients with MS and spinal cord injury.
Dr. Waxman has published more than 300 scientific papers and edited five books on neuroscience. He is author of a book, "Spinal Cord Compression," and a textbook, "Correlative Neuroanatomy," which has been translated into six languages. He is the editor of The Neuroscientist, serves as associate editor of the Journal of Neurological Sciences and of Muscle and Nerve, and has served on the editorial boards of numerous journals.
Established in 1970, the IOM conducts studies related to health and medicine, issues position statements, and disseminates information to the public and the relevant professions. Current IOM projects include studies on care at the end of life; on genetics, health and behavior; and on new vaccine development. Election to the IOM is considered to be both an honor and obligation to work on behalf of the organization, its governance and studies. With this election, Dr. Waxman and his colleagues make a commitment to devote significant volunteer time to committees engaged in a broad range of studies on national health-policy issues.