Gilbert S. Omenn Fellowship
The next call for nominations will open in March 2025.
The overall purpose of the Gilbert S. Omenn Fellowship is to enable talented, early-career physician-scientists combining biomedical research, public health, and clinical medicine to participate actively in health- and medicine-related study processes of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (the National Academies), promoting the integration of public health and medicine — both scientifically and through practice and policy. The Omenn Fellowship aims to foster a cadre of physician-scientists who will integrate biomedical research, population health, and health policy and will expand the nation’s capacity for research, leadership, and policy development that advances health.
The award is named for Dr. Gilbert S. Omenn, the Harold T. Shapiro Distinguished University Professor of Computational Medicine & Bioinformatics, Internal Medicine, Human Genetics, and Public Health at the University of Michigan. He is a physician-scientist whose career bridges biomedical research, public health and public policy, and academic medical center leadership. This fellowship reflects the integrative role that is emblematic of his professional achievements.
The Omenn Fellowship is part of the NAM Fellowships for Health Science Scholars program. See all opportunities >>
Current Fellow

Ravi B. Parikh, MD, MP
2023-2025 Omenn Fellow
Ravi B. Parikh, MD, MPP, FACP, is Associate Professor in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at the Emory University School of Medicine. He serves as medical director of the Winship Data and Technology Applications Shared Resource at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. In this role, he is responsible for its overall strategic scientific management and operational oversight. He works closely with leadership to develop and integrate artificial intelligence (AI) applications to improve the care of Winship patients with cancer.
Dr. Parikh is a practicing oncologist with expertise in delivery system reform and informatics. His work has focused on two core areas: (1) the use of predictive analytics to improve routine patient care, particularly for those with advanced illnesses such as cancer, and (2) quality of life and survivorship care among individuals with cancer. He specializes in observational data analysis and pragmatic clinical trials. Dr. Parikh’s work on medical technology and advanced illness in leading academic journals including Science, The New England Journal of Medicine, The Journal of the American Medical Association, and the Journal of Clinical Oncology. He writes frequently for The Washington Post and other popular press venues, and he is a columnist at Medscape. He serves as Senior Clinical Advisor at the Coalition to Transform Advanced Care (C-TAC), was elected to the National Council of Resident/Fellow Members of the American College of Physicians and has advised for-profit and non-profit organizations including AARP Services, Inc. and the Healthy Living Center of Excellence. Dr. Parikh worked on accountable care organization implementation as a Rappaport Fellow in the Massachusetts State House in 2010; his legislative recommendations earned commendation from the Massachusetts Speaker of the House and were incorporated into landmark payment reform legislation passed in 2012.
Dr. Parikh completed his MD at Harvard Medical School, Master of Public Policy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, residency in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania. He has received the Conquer Cancer Foundation Young Investigator Award, Prostate Cancer Foundation Young Investigator Award, AMA Foundation Excellence in Medicine Leadership Award, and the American College of Physicians Joseph E. Johnson Award.
Past Fellows

Andrew A. Gonzalez, MD, JD, MPH
2021-2023 Omenn Fellow

Anaeze Offodile II, MD, MPH
2019-2021 Omenn Fellow

Ellen Eaton, MD, MSPH
2017-2019 Omenn Fellow

James Burke, MD, MS
2015-2017 Omenn Fellow

Deidra Crews, MD, ScM, FASN
2013-2015 Omenn Fellow (Elected to NAM in 2023)
Fellowship Description
The Omenn Fellowship is awarded for a two-year period. During this time, the fellow is expected to continue to work at their main academic post, while being assigned to a health- and medicine-related board of the National Academies. The boards are:
- Children, Youth, and Families,
- Food and Nutrition,
- Global Health,
- Health Care Services,
- Health Sciences Policy, and
- Population Health and Public Health Practice.
The fellowship requires a 10- to 20-percent commitment of time over two years and includes attendance at a one-week orientation to health policy, the NAM Annual Meeting in October and meetings of an assigned board. Domestic travel expenses are covered for participation in approved fellowship activities. Additionally, the fellow will participate actively in the work of an appropriate study committee or roundtable, including contributing to its reports or other products. Studies that would enable the fellow to contribute to the value of integrating medicine and public health will be identified.
This experience will introduce the Omenn Fellow to a variety of experts and perspectives, including legislators, government officials, industry leaders, executives of voluntary health organizations, scientists, and other health professionals. In addition, each fellow will be assigned an NAM member who will serve as a senior mentor during the two years of the fellowship.
A flexible research grant of $25,000 is awarded to each Omenn Fellow, which will be administered through the appropriate department in the fellow’s home institution to advance the fellow’s professional and academic career. This grant is not intended for use as a salary offset for the fellow, and no indirect costs are allowed.
Eligibility
Nominees for the Omenn Fellowship must:
- Be nominated by a member of the NAM
- Hold an M.D. or D.O. with additional study in the medical sciences, public health, and/or public policy
- Be one-to-five years out from completion of residency and fellowship training or receiving the terminal doctoral degree, in an appropriate faculty position or its equivalent
- Be able to dedicate 10 to 20 percent of time to the fellowship for two years, including all the specified experiences
- Be endorsed by the department chair, institute director, or equivalent
- Hold U.S. citizen or permanent resident status at the time of the nomination
Selection Criteria
Nominees will be evaluated by an NAM-appointed committee based on their professional qualifications, scholarship, and quality of professional accomplishments as evidenced through publications and research grants, and relevance of current field of expertise to the work of the NAM.
Nomination Packet
A complete nomination packet must be submitted electronically through the online nomination system at https://namfellows.secure-platform.com/submission and will include the following documents:
- A nomination letter from a member of the NAM
- Three (3) letters of reference
- A supporting letter from the candidate’s department chair, institute director, or equivalent
- An up-to-date curriculum vitae
- A brief one-page bio
- A one-page personal statement that describes the candidate’s reasons for wanting to be a fellow for this particular program at this phase of their career
Timeline
Fellowships will be awarded in odd years.
- March 4, 2025 | Call for nominations opens
- June 3, 2025 | Nomination packets are due at 3:00pm ET
- July 25, 2025 | Awardee is notified
- September 9-11, 2025 | Fellow orientation week at the NAM is held
- October 19-20, 2025 | Fellow is introduced to the Membership at the NAM Annual Meeting
Program Administration
Inquiries about the Omenn Fellowship should be directed to:
Yumi Phillips
Senior Program Officer
Health Policy Fellowships and Leadership Programs
National Academy of Medicine
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: (202) 334-1506
Email: yphillips@nas.edu
The Gilbert S. Omenn Fellowship was established in 2012 through an endowment from Gilbert S. Omenn, MD, PhD, and Martha Darling.