About the Daniel Drake Medal
In 1985, the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine celebrated the 200th anniversary of the birth of its
founder, pioneering physician Daniel Drake.
As part of that celebration, the college created a new award—the Daniel Drake Medal—to honor its
distinguished living faculty and alumni.
Nominations for the Daniel Drake Medal are based on outstanding or unique contributions to medical education,
scholarship or research.
Considered the highest honor awarded by the College of Medicine, the Daniel Drake Medals are awarded at the
college’s Honors Day (graduation) ceremony in May.
Two awards are given annually. Nominees for one will be evaluated on the basis of outstanding achievements in
biomedical science as evidenced by major significant contributions to medical research. Nominees for the other will
represent a distinguished career as a clinician-teacher.
2019 Drake Medal Recipients
Stephan A. Grupp, MD, PhD
Stephan A. Grupp, MD, PhD, is the chief of the Cellular Therapy and Transplant Section, director of the Cancer
Immunotherapy Frontier Program and medical director of the Cell and Gene Therapy Lab at the Children’s
Hospital of Philadelphia. He also serves as director of translational research at the Center for Childhood Cancer
Research and is the Yetta Deitch Novotny Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School
of Medicine. Dr. Grupp graduated from the UC College of Medicine in 1987. His primary area of clinical research is
the use of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T and other engineered cell therapies in relapsed pediatric cancers.
Gurjit K. Khurana Hershey, MD, PhD
Gurjit K. Khurana Hershey, MD, PhD, is an endowed professor of pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and the
UC College of Medicine, and the director of the Division of Asthma Research. An active clinician, educator and
researcher, Dr. Khurana Hershey is a physician scientist who has devoted her career to clinical investigation using
a combination of epidemiologic, basic, translational and clinical research to answer fundamental questions regarding
the environmental and genetic factors that contribute to the development of childhood asthma and the mechanisms by
which these factors interact and contribute to disease. Since 2012 she has been the director of the National
Institutes of Health-funded Medical Scientist (MD/PhD) Training Program at the University of Cincinnati.
Myles L.Pensak, MD, FACS
Myles L. Pensak, MD, is the Helen Bernice Broidy Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at
the UC College of Medicine. He also is a professor of neurosurgery and holds additional leadership roles as senior
associate dean for clinical affairs at the College of Medicine, CEO of UC Physicians and chief of physician services
at UC Health. A recognized international authority of diseases of the ear and skull base, he has a particular
interest in acoustic neuroma, petroclival meningioma, tumors of the jugular foramen and malignancies of the temporal
bone. Dr. Pensak has trained more than 150 residents and at least 50 neurosurgical/neurotological fellows, and
served as president of The Triological Society from 2008 to 2009.
Marvin J. Slepian, MD
Marvin J. Slepian, MD, is a Regents’ Professor at the University of Arizona in addition to being a professor
of medicine, biomedical engineering, material science and engineering and medical imaging, and the McGuire Scholar
in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. He also started and is the director of the Arizona Center for Accelerated
Biomedical Innovation. Dr. Slepian has enjoyed an extensive career leading to the development of innovative
diagnostics and therapeutics for cardiovascular diseases. A 1981 UC College of Medicine graduate, he is named as an
inventor on 52 issued patents and 46 patent applications and co-founded SynCardia Systems, manufacturer of the only
total artificial heart approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and several other medical device
companies.