The Walsh McDermott Medal recognizes a member for distinguished service to the NAM and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine over an extended period. Throughout his career, Adashi has been a thought leader in his primary discipline of women’s health and a scientific and policy pioneer in the area of reproductive medicine in the United States and around the world.
He was elected to NAM in 1999 and chaired the maternal and child health and human development interest group for six years. His contributions include many National Academies roles, including as a member of the Board on Health Sciences Policy. In total, Adashi has been a review coordinator for 24 consensus and workshop reports and a reviewer for 10 publications. He co-chaired the Joint Committee on Reducing Maternal and Neonatal Mortality in Indonesia and served as a member on several committees for National Academies consensus reports such as the Committee on Women’s Health Research and the Committee on Antiprogrestins: Assessing the Science, which proved critical to the ultimate approval of mifepristone by the FDA as a medical abortion alternative.
Adashi was one of three NAM members honored for their outstanding service at the meeting. Ruzena K. Bajcsy, professor emeritus, University of Pennsylvania, received the Adam Yarmolinsky Medal; and Kenneth W. Kizer, distinguished professor emeritus, UC Davis School of Medicine, and senior scholar, Clinical Excellence Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, received the David Rall Medal.
“These distinguished members are most deserving of this recognition for their decades of scientific leadership to improve health and medicine for all, and for their dedicated service to the NAM and National Academies,” said National Academy of Medicine President Victor J. Dzau. “From advancing women’s health and reproductive medicine research to seminal research in robotics and medical imaging to leading a landmark study to improve equity in the organ transplant system, it is an honor for us to recognize these individuals’ tireless efforts and profound expertise.”
On October 20, NAM also announced that Professor Emerita of Obstetrics and Gynecology Maureen G. Phipps, MD, was one of 100 new members invited to join its 2025 class. Phipps is the former chair of The Warren Alpert Medical School’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the department’s fourth faculty member to be elected to NAM.