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Mone Zaidi, MD, PhD, Named Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

Newswise — (New York, NY – December 9, 2019) – Mone Zaidi, MD, PhD, Director of the Mount Sinai Bone Program and Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Disease) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, has been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general-scientific society. Election as an AAAS Fellow is an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers.

Dr. Zaidi was selected for his seminal contributions to endocrinology and skeletal biology, particularly the discovery of pituitary-metabolic circuits that co-regulate body fat, bone mass, and energy metabolism.

“I am honored and deeply humbled by this recognition from my scientific colleagues,” said Dr. Zaidi. “I am grateful that the research conducted by my laboratory colleagues is appreciated as having an impact on the scientific community.”

Dr. Zaidi has performed pioneering research into the pathogenesis and therapy of osteoporosis, a devastating public health hazard. He has been studying the underlying causes of bone loss and weight gain. Most recently, Dr. Zaidi and his team found that blocking a single hormone whose levels rise at menopause could help build bone and burn excess fat that many women experience in middle age. The strong clinical potential of these results has been noted in Cell and Nature Medicine. Dr. Zaidi is exploring opportunities to realize the vast potential of this research through commercial partnerships.

“Dr. Zaidi’s many contributions to the study of bone health and endocrinology make him the ideal AAAS Fellow, and we congratulate him on this well-deserved honor,” said Dennis Charney, MD, the Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and President for Academic Affairs of the Mount Sinai Health System.

This year, 443 AAAS members have earned the lifetime distinction of AAAS Fellow, in honor of their invaluable contributions to science and technology. Of them, 35, including Dr. Zaidi, are in the section of medical sciences. The full list of 2019 Fellows was published in the November 29 issue of Science. New fellows will be recognized for their contributions to science and technology during the 2020 AAAS Annual meeting on Saturday, February 15.

The distinguished Mount Sinai faculty members whom Dr. Zaidi joins in earning this honor are Alison Goate, DPhil; Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD; Maria New, MD; Peter Palese, PhD; Jeffrey T. Laitman, PhD; Ravi Iyengar, PhD; Kurt Hirschhorn, MD; and Scott L. Friedman, MD.

About the Mount Sinai Health System

The Mount Sinai Health System is New York City's largest integrated delivery system, encompassing eight hospitals, a leading medical school, and a vast network of ambulatory practices throughout the greater New York region. Mount Sinai's vision is to produce the safest care, the highest quality, the highest satisfaction, the best access and the best value of any health system in the nation. The Health System includes approximately 7,480 primary and specialty care physicians; 11 joint-venture ambulatory surgery centers; more than 410 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and 31 affiliated community health centers. The Icahn School of Medicine is one of three medical schools that have earned distinction by multiple indicators: ranked in the top 20 by U.S. News & World Report's "Best Medical Schools", aligned with a U.S. News & World Report's "Honor Roll" Hospital, No. 12 in the nation for National Institutes of Health funding, and among the top 10 most innovative research institutions as ranked by the journal Nature in its Nature Innovation Index. This reflects a special level of excellence in education, clinical practice, and research. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 14 on U.S. News & World Report's "Honor Roll" of top U.S. hospitals; it is one of the nation's top 20 hospitals in Cardiology/Heart Surgery, Diabetes/Endocrinology, Gastroenterology/GI Surgery, Geriatrics, Gynecology, Nephrology, Neurology/Neurosurgery, and Orthopedics in the 2019-2020 "Best Hospitals" issue. Mount Sinai's Kravis Children's Hospital also is ranked nationally in five out of ten pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report. The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked 12th nationally for Ophthalmology, Mount Sinai St. Lukes and Mount Sinai West are ranked 23rd nationally for Nephrology and 25th for Diabetes/Endocrinology, and Mount Sinai South Nassau is ranked 35th nationally for Urology. Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Mount Sinai St. Luke's, Mount Sinai West, and Mount Sinai South Nassau are ranked regionally. For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on FacebookTwitter and YouTube.

Journal Link: Science, Nov-2019