Milissa Kaufman, MD, PhD, medical director of the Hill Center for Women and director of the Dissociative Disorders and Research Program, was recently awarded the prestigious 2017 Jonathan O. Cole Award. The annual award—established in 2006, thanks to a gift from the Fleetwing Charitable Foundation—honors Dr. Cole, a former McLean psychiatrist, and is intended to recognize individuals who embody many of Dr. Cole’s notable personal and professional qualities, including dedication to excellence, humility, compassion, innovation, perseverance, creativity, individuality, and a willingness to be unconventional.
“I cannot tell you how honored I feel to receive this award, and how grateful I am to the donor family who has made this possible,” said Kaufman. “I knew Dr. Cole as a resident, and have never, ever forgotten him. He was such an amazing man, and in the short time I knew him he really had an effect on my growth as a budding psychiatrist. It is humbling to think about him in this context, and also humbling given the others I know who have received this award, several of whom have been my mentors and also knew Dr. Cole.”
The recipient—selected by Scott L. Rauch, MD, president and psychiatrist in chief for McLean Hospital, and key leadership across the hospital—receives a discretionary $1,200 award to support clinical, research, or training activities. Previous recipients include: J. Alexander Bodkin, MD (2009), Hilary Smith Connery, MD, PhD (2011), Beth L. Murphy, MD, PhD (2013), Sherry R. Winternitz, MD (2014), and Joseph Gold, MD (2015).
Kaufman has decided to use the monetary award to support an ongoing study, “Evaluating the Neurobiological Basis of Traumatic Dissociation in a Cross-Diagnostic Sample of Women with Histories of Childhood Abuse and Neglect.”
“This is a large-scale study using neuroimaging, genetics, and psychometric techniques to help us understand the effects of childhood abuse in women with PTSD and dissociative disorders,” explained Kaufman. “To date, we have enrolled close to 90 women, and our goal to reach 150. The funding from this award will help us to reach this goal at a critical time in our work. I, along with our entire research and clinical team, am extremely grateful to the family for this support.”
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