Congratulations to Dr. Joe Leigh Simpson, M.D. for winning the 2011 ASRM Distinguished Researcher Award.

		The 2011 recipient of the ASRM Distinguished Researcher Award is Joe Leigh Simpson, M.D., Professor and Chair of the Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, and ExecutiveAssociate Dean of Academic Affairs at the Florida International University Herbert WertheimCollege of Medicine. Dr. Simpson has had a long and distinguished career in both obstetrics andgynecology and in human genetics. Prior to accepting his current position at FIU, he was on the faculties at Northwestern University, University of Tennessee Memphis and Baylor College of Medicine.
Dr. Simpson has written 15 major books and over 700 articles and chapters. His research encompasses many areas of genetic prenatal diagnosis and reproductive genetics. He hasreceived NIH and March of Dimes support for clinical trials on prenatal genetic diagnosis and basic work on recovering fetal cells from maternal blood. Work in prenatal genetic diagnosis focuses on recovery of intact fetal cells and cell-free DNA from maternal blood for definitivenoninvasive prenatal genetic diagnosis; the first detection of fetal trisomy in maternal blood wasmade by Dr. Simpson and colleagues. Other work in prenatal genetic diagnosis involves preimplantation geneticdiagnosis, namely single cell diagnostics. He served as President of numerous professional organizations, includingASRM (1993 – 1994). He is a member of the National Academies Institute of Medicine.

Nominations are being sought for the 2012 ASRM Distinguished Researcher Award.

This award recognizes a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine who has made outstanding contributions to clinical or basic research in reproduction published during the previous 10 years. The recipient will have demonstrated sustained long-term commitment to advancing the frontiers of research in reproductive sciences and educating future scholars in the field.

Nominations may be submitted to Andrew R. La Barbera, Ph.D., ASRM Scientific Director, by members of the Society before June 1, 2012. Each nomination must include the nominee’s curriculum vitae, bibliography and summary of research and educational accomplishments in the field of reproductive medicine and biology, and must be accompanied by letters of support from at least two additional members of the Society. The recipient will be selected by the Executive Committee and notified by September 1, 2012. Previous nominees will be considered.

The recipient will be recognized as the ASRM Distinguished Researcher Awardee by presentation of a plaque at the Annual Meeting in Orlando. In addition, the recipient will be provided with an honorarium of $1,500, which will be presented after the recipient presents a lecture at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Reproduction in State College, Pennsylvania in August 2013.

Previous recipients of the ASRM Distinguished Researcher Award:

2005 Dolores J. Lamb, Ph.D.
2006 John A. Collins, M.D.
2007 Robert N. Taylor, M.D., Ph.D.
2008 Linda C. Giudice, M.D., Ph.D.
2009 Bruce R. Carr, M.D.
2010 Richard L. Stouffer, Ph.D.
2011 Joe Leigh Simpson, M.D.