Institute of Medicine Elects Yoel Sadovsky to Its Membership

Yoel Sadovsky, a professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences in the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and director of the Magee-Womens Research Institute, has been elected to the Institute of Medicine, an honor that is considered one of the highest in its field.

Sadovsky’s election was announced Oct. 21 during the Institute of Medicine’s 43rd annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

Institute of Medicine President Harvey V. Fineberg said, “It is an honor to welcome our highly distinguished colleagues to the Institute of Medicine. These individuals have inspired us through their achievements in research, teaching, clinical work, and other contributions to the medical field. Their knowledge and skills will deeply enrich the Institute of Medicine.”

Sadovsky’s research focuses on the development of the placenta and the function of specialized placental cells called trophoblasts. Using human placental cells as well as mouse models, he studies molecular pathways that govern placental development and adaptive responses to stress. His primary areas of research include placental uptake and processing of metabolic fuels, the role of microRNA in placental function, and placental injury and adaptation. Sadovsky completed his MD at Hebrew University–Hadassah Medical School in Jerusalem, his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Washington University in St. Louis, and his postdoctoral training at the University of California, San Francisco.

New Institute of Medicine members are elected by active members through a selective process that recognizes individuals who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care, and public health. The institute’s charter ensures diversity of talent among its membership by requiring at least one-quarter of the members to be selected from fields outside the health professions, such as engineering, social sciences, law, and the humanities.

Established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine is recognized as a national resource for independent, scientifically informed analysis and recommendations on health issues. When elected, members commit to volunteering their service on institute committees, boards, and other activities. Projects during the past year included, among others, studies of environmental factors in breast cancer; health information technology and patient safety; nutrition rating systems and graphics on food packaging; the scientific necessity of chimpanzees in research; and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder.