Ananda Prasad, M.D., Ph.D.

David Kessel, Ph.D.

Kevin Sprague, M.D., and Carolyn Sprague, M.D.

Scott Dulchavsky, M.D., Ph.D.

Sarkis Kouyoumjian, M.D.

The Wayne State University School of Medicine Alumni Association will honor four distinguished alumni and two faculty members at the annual Medical Alumni Reunion Day on May 12.

At the annual event, members of graduating classes from across the country meet, catch up with classmates and learn about the progress of the school from Dean Valerie M. Parisi, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A.

The awards will be presented by Dean Parisi and Gino Salciccioli, M.D., (Class of 1961), president of the School of Medicine Alumni Association.

The Lawrence M. Weiner Award, which honors the outstanding contributions of non-alumni to the School of Medicine through the exceptional performance of their teaching, research or administrative duties, will be presented to Ananda Prasad, M.D., Ph.D., and David Kessel, Ph.D.

Dr. Prasad has been at Wayne State University since 1963, serving as director of the Division of Hematology for 21 years, and now as director of the Division of Research. He has been a professor of Internal Medicine at Wayne State since 1968. He was appointed a distinguished professor of medicine in 2000.

Dr. Prasad is renowned for his work related to the mineral zinc, as well as contributing significantly to the field of hematology and sickle cell disease. His pioneering studies in Iran in the early 1960s established the need for zinc to promote human health. For his work, Dr. Prasad has been honored by the American College of Physicians, received a Medal of Honor from the mayor of Lyon, France, and an honorary doctorate from the city’s Claude Bernard University. He was elected a corresponding member of the European Academy of Sciences, Arts and Humanities, and has received the American College of Physicians’ highest award for outstanding work in medical science. Dr. Prasad was inducted into the Heritage Hall of Fame of the International Institute Foundation Detroit in 2003 and into the Asian Hall of Fame in 2007.

In 2010, Dr. Prasad received the Mahidol Award from the king of Thailand in recognition of his work with zinc, and was the guest of honor at a Russian science symposium the same year. A similar symposium will take place in San Diego this April, where Dr. Prasad’s contributions to science will be honored by the American Physiological Society.

Dr. Kessel, professor of Pharmacology, has a special interest in drug development, most recently in the use of photodynamic therapy for the removal of tumors. He has served as president of the International Photodynamic Association and is a historian for the American Society of Photobiology.

He is past president of the WSU Academy of Scholars and a member of the Academic Senate’s Policy Committee. He received the School of Medicine’s Research Excellence Award in 1998, the Distinguished Graduate Faculty Award from Wayne State University in 2000 and a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Russian Academy of Sciences in 2008.

Dr. Kessel received his undergraduate degree in Chemistry from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Michigan before completing a post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School in 1962. He worked at the Children’s Cancer Research Foundation at Harvard and as an associate professor of Pharmacology at the University of Rochester before joining WSU as a professor of Pharmacology and Oncology in 1974.

Kevin Sprague, M.D.; Carolyn Sprague, M.D.; and Scott Dulchavsky, M.D., Ph.D., will receive the Distinguished Alumni Award, presented annually to alumni members who have made outstanding contributions to humanitarian and health causes, as well as for service to the School of Medicine.

Drs. Carolyn and Kevin Sprague have a 36-year history with the School of Medicine. Kevin, (Class of 1980), completed his residency in Orthopaedic Surgery in 1985 and Carolyn (Class of 1984), completed her master’s degree in Physiology at WSU in 1979 and her residency in Anesthesiology in 1987.

Carolyn is an anesthesiologist at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital. Kevin is an orthopaedic surgeon at Oakwood Southshore Medical Center in Trenton and Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital. Kevin chairs the Henry Ford Wyandotte Medical Staff Philanthropic Council.

The Spragues have served on the Medical Alumni Board of Governors at various times, including individual stints as president. The duo have worked diligently with the executive committee to secure funds for the development of the Richard J. Mazurek, M.D., Medical Education Commons, and now work with fellow alumni to contribute to the Alumni Education Fund, which provides assistance in relieving medical student debt.

Dr. Dulchavsky (Class of 1983) is professor of Surgery, Molecular Biology and Genetics at the School of Medicine. He serves as the Roy D. McClure Chair of Surgery and surgeon-in-chief at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit.

Dr. Dulchavsky completed a doctorate degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics at WSU, where he investigated the use of gene therapy to improve wound-healing related to certain diseases. He has served as research mentor to more than 20 post-doctoral fellows and is a principal investigator for NASA and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute in Houston, Texas.

His research involves teaching ultrasound techniques to the astronaut and cosmonaut crews of the International Space Station to use for medical emergencies and during spaceflight. This work has been modified for use on the Earth, where his team supports the on-site care of professional sports teams and U.S. Olympians. He also was instrumental in establishing a program at the School of Medicine in which first-year students engage in practical, hands-on experience with pioneering ultrasound equipment.

Dr. Dulchavsky has been elected to numerous professional organizations and national positions, including the Society of University Surgeons, Society of Critical Care Medicine, Central Surgical Society, American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, the Society of Clinical Surgery and the American Surgical Association. He maintains an active role in local and national medical associations, including the American College of Surgeons, where he served on the Committee on Trauma and is vice chair for technology and research. He is on the White House medical team, which provides regional care for the U.S. president when needed.

The Recent Alumni Award will be presented to Sarkis Kouyoumjian, M.D. (Class of 1998). The award is given to alumni who have received a medical degree from the School of Medicine in the last 15 years and who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement, community contributions or service to the school.

Dr. Kouyoumjian, an assistant professor of Emergency Medicine, is the clerkship director for the department. He was the keynote speaker for the Baccalaureate Class of 2011 and received the Staff Award in 2010, given by students for excellence in clinical teaching.

He completed his residency in Emergency Medicine at Detroit Receiving Hospital in 2001 and a teaching fellowship at the American College of Emergency Physicians in 2007. He has served as a clinical instructor in Emergency Medicine since 2001, teaching physical diagnosis and advanced cardio life support, and giving didactic lectures. He was named the Medical Student Teacher of Year in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2011, and was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society in 2010. Dr. Kouyoumjian is an American Board of Emergency Medicine Oral Board examiner and has been a guest speaker at the Council of Residency Directors.

View more information about Medical Alumni Reunion Day.