The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) has selected 11 individuals for the 2025 class of the NAM Scholars in Diagnostic Excellence program. Funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, this collaborative program in partnership with the Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS) offers a one-year, part-time experience for exceptional health professionals to advance their diagnostic skills, make significant contributions to improve clinical diagnosis at the national level, and accelerate their career development as national leaders in the field. With additional support from The John A. Hartford Foundation, the program includes a scholar whose focus is on advancing diagnostic excellence for older adults.
The scholars were chosen based on their professional qualifications and accomplishments, demonstrated leadership in the field, and potential to advance diagnostic excellence. They were also chosen based on the quality and feasibility of their program proposals to improve diagnosis and reduce diagnostic errors at the national level, building upon the work of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s 2015 consensus report Improving Diagnosis in Health Care.
“We look forward to working with this new class of extraordinary scholars in our continuation of this important diagnostic excellence program,” said Victor J. Dzau, president of the NAM. “Congratulations to this exceptional group, whose work and dedication will be vital to improving diagnostic quality and safety to make a lasting impact on patients’ lives.”
The 2025 NAM Scholars in Diagnostic Excellence and their program proposals are:
- Emily Abdoler, MD, MAEd, clinical associate professor of medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Michigan Medical School/Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor
“REFLECT: Reflective Exercises for Learning diagnosis while Engaged in Clinical Training”
- Bubu A. Banini, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine, Section of Digestive Diseases, Yale School of Medicine/Yale New Haven Health System, New Haven, Conn.
“Improving Diagnosis of Steatotic Liver Diseases through an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Based Practical and Scalable Approach”
- Andrea Bradford, PhD, associate professor, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston
“Implementing Strategies for Achieving Diagnostic Excellence in Mental Health”
- Nina Gold, MD, MBI, director of prenatal medical genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
“Identification of Undiagnosed Adults at Risk for Treatable Genetic Disorders”
- Katherine E. Goodman, JD, PhD, assistant professor, Departments of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore
“‘Unlocking’ Patient Symptoms with Generative AI to Promote Diagnostic Excellence”
- Snigdha Jain, MD, MHS,* assistant professor, Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn.
“Improving Diagnostic Decision-Making for Weaning Sedation and Ventilator Support in Critically Ill Older Adults: An Electronic-Health Record Based Approach”
- Aparna Kulkarni, MBBS, MSc, director of quality improvement and outcomes, Heart Center at Cohen Children’s Medical Center at Northwell Health; and associate professor of pediatrics, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine, New Hyde Park, N.Y.
“Comprehensive Needs Identification and Enhanced Care Coordination to Support Access and Achieve Diagnostic Excellence in Echocardiogram Assessments of Fetuses with Congenital Heart Disease”
- Freddy T. Nguyen, MD, PhD, director of MIT catalyst scholars program, Office of Innovation and Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
“Developing a Patient-Centered Framework to Guide Medical Diagnostic Technology Development”
- Claire O’Hanlon, PhD, MPP, policy researcher, Department of Behavioral and Policy Sciences, RAND Corp., Santa Monica, Calif.
“Understanding Patient Delays in Cancer Diagnosis”
- Lauren M. Shapiro, MD, MS, assistant professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of California, San Francisco
“Minimizing Diagnostic and Treatment Delays in Wrist Fracture Care: A Multicenter Mixed-Methods Approach”
- R. Andrew Taylor, MD, MHS, vice chair for research and innovation, and professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville
“Bringing Diagnostic Quality Evaluation in the Emergency Department to Scale Through Artificial Intelligence”
*supported by The John A. Hartford Foundation
“I am thrilled to collaborate with this exceptional cohort of scholars dedicated to diagnostic excellence across specialties and disciplines,” said Helen Burstin, CMSS chief executive officer. “Through our strategic partnership with NAM, we’re building a powerful network of leaders who are transforming health care through groundbreaking improvements in diagnostic excellence.”
The scholars will continue in their primary posts while engaging part time over a one-year period in developing an implementation plan for their proposals as well as participating in monthly educational sessions, cohort learning activities, and professional networking opportunities through the NAM and CMSS. In addition, each scholar will be matched with a mentor or mentors who can provide professional guidance and subject matter/technical expertise for their work. A flexible research grant will be awarded to every scholar.
