Three GW Leaders Elected to the National Academy of Medicine

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Three leaders at the George Washington University were inducted in October into the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) during the academy's annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

School of Medicine and Health Sciences faculty members Andrea A. Anderson and Wanda K. Nicholson along with GW Law Dean and Harold H. Green Professor of Law Dayna Bowen Matthew were inducted into NAM, considered one of the highest honors in the health and medicine field, based on their professional achievement and commitment to service in health, disease prevention, education and research.

"I am deeply honored to welcome these extraordinary health and medicine leaders and researchers into the National Academy of Medicine," said NAM President Victor J. Dzau in a statement announcing this year's inductees. "Their demonstrated excellence in tackling public health challenges, leading major discoveries, improving health care, advancing health policy and addressing health equity will critically strengthen our collective ability to tackle the most pressing health challenges of our time."

Founded in 1970, the academy addresses critical issues in health, science, medicine and related policy, inspiring positive actions across sectors. Along with other leading associations, including the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering, NAM provides objective analysis and advice to help address complex problems and inform policy decisions.

Here are the inductees:

Andrea A. Anderson

Anderson, who serves as associate chief of the Division of Family Medicine at the GW Medical Faculty Associates and as an associate professor of family and community medicine and of medicine at SMHS, was selected for her leadership in advancing care for underserved populations.

Anderson is a subject matter expert on medical education, regulation and primary care, and currently chairs the United States Medical Licensing Examination Management Committee. She has led national medical student assessment committees, the Federation of State Medical Boards and other organizations, spearheading national standards for professionalism, assessment, professional regulation and certification. She is a member of the NAM inaugural standing committee on primary care advising primary care priorities. Anderson also is the immediate past chair of the American Board of Family Medicine, where she helped lead and shape the future of board certification and professionalism for more than 109,000 family physicians across the country.

"I am elated to be elected to the National Academy of Medicine, a profound honor and among the highest professional honors in medicine," Anderson said. "It affirms the lifelong mission that has guided my career-to advance professionalism, equity and trust in medicine."

Reflecting on the honor, she added that induction into NAM is "deeply meaningful as a first-generation physician who has devoted her life to bridging the worlds of education, policy and community health."

"It is both a personal milestone and a professional catalyst-an opportunity to collaborate across disciplines and systems, fueling my continued work to strengthen primary care and ensure that the values of family medicine shape the future of health care."

Dayna Bowen Matthew

GW Law Dean Dayna Bowen Matthew's induction highlights the intersection of law, policy and health.

As part of the rigorous selection process, members are chosen in recognition of their contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care and public health. At least one-quarter of the new members are selected from outside the health professions, from fields such as law, engineering and the humanities-like Matthew.

Matthew is a leader in public health and civil rights law. Her research interests explore how constitutional provisions like equal protection and due process affect societal outcomes such as health and economic attainment.

She has held key roles advancing public health, including co-founding the GW Center for Socioeconomic Opportunity and advising the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. At GW, she develops interdisciplinary programs connecting research in law with research in data, social and health sciences. Her NAM membership highlights her commitment to promoting GW's preeminence as a leader in generating impactful scholarship.

"I am honored to join a group of scientists and health care experts dedicated to providing decision makers around the world with the data and information necessary to shape impactful, evidence-based policy to catalyze better health outcomes for everyone everywhere," Matthew said.

"I became a believer in the collaboration between science, medicine and policymaking early in my career when I began to tackle the ways in which law can be used to address health problems and health disparities.

"As we address issues that threaten America's core ideals such as vaccine policy, long COVID, climate change, environmental injustice and gun violence, we need the work of the National Academy of Medicine now more than ever before."

Wanda K. Nicholson

Wanda K. Nicholson, professor of prevention and community health in the Milken Institute School of Public Health at GW and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at SMHS, was selected for her pioneering community-partnered research, including her work implementing interventions to reduce disparities in chronic disease among reproductive-age women and improving quality of life for women across the lifespan.

She directs the Prevention Science Lab in Women's and Perinatal Health, which generates innovative digital solutions to expand access and optimize perinatal services, as well as clinical prediction models that advance shared decision-making in benign gynecologic care.

The academy cited her leadership in "pioneering community-partnered research to develop and implement interventions to reduce health disparities in maternal diabetes and obesity and improve the health of the maternal-child dyad."

Nicholson said it is "an honor for the academy to recognize my commitment to the health of reproductive age women."

"Primarily because it recognizes the importance and impact of that work on reproductive age women," said Nicholson, who added that her selection would not have been possible without the support of her family and friends, as well as the many colleagues, collaborators and mentors she's worked with over the course of her career.

On both national and international levels, she has served as chair of the United States Preventive Services Task Force and has held board and senior volunteer leadership roles at the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Looking ahead, Nicholson said, "I'm hoping [membership in NAM] will open even more opportunities for me to provide service, impact and input on women's health. I am ready, willing and able to move forward any door that opens for me to further have an impact on women's health."