Office of the President

Dr. Gershen NEOMED has seen a tremendous amount of growth and change in the past year with the addition of new partnerships with Cleveland State University and Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, new graduate school programs, the start of Bio-Med Science Academy, new and ongoing construction, and many other exciting projects.

The changes and growth on our campus allow me to be truly thankful for the incredibly talented individuals who call NEOMED home. I am fortunate to have a strong Board of Trustees and
senior leadership team to help guide the University, students who embrace change, and a knowledgeable, dedicated and talented faculty and staff who make these projects a success.

We are quite proud of our recent success in faculty recruitment – adding new, experienced research faculty to our already stellar core. These world-class scientists bring new research, new connections and new ideas and will elevate the ability of NEOMED to conduct research in such important areas as heart disease, skeletal biology and arthritis. These individuals are also great scholars, teachers and role models for all of our students:

Marc S. Penn, M.D., Ph.D., FACC, joined NEOMED from the Cleveland Clinic and serves as director of research at the Summa Cardiovascular Institute at Summa Health System and professor of medicine and integrative medical sciences at NEOMED. A foremost researcher in his field, he is leading a team of scientists at NEOMED in conducting both basic science and clinical studies that focus on helping the heart repair itself after acute injury such as heart attack or while the patient is facing chronic disease including heart failure.
Fayez Safadi, Ph.D., joined the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology as a professor and Ohio Research Scholar. Formerly of Temple University, his research is primarily focused on the regulation of bone cell development and function, with specifi c emphasis on growth factors that can enhance bone formation and repair.
Tariq Haqqi, Ph.D., joins the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology as a professor after a successful tenure at Case Western Reserve University and MetroHealth in Cleveland, Ohio. He is a well-recognized scientist in the area of complementary and alternative medicine, studying how natural products can be used to treat arthritis and other related diseases.
Rebecca Z. German, Ph.D., M.Sc., will join the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology as a professor in the next few months. Her work focuses on potential interactions that exist among evolution, biomechanics, physiology, anatomy and growth. The end goal is to answer questions about the interface between form and function, particularly with respect to its impact of dysfunction and dysmorphology. She is formerly from the John Hopkins University School of Medicine.

As the University continues to evolve, we look forward to the addition of exciting new partners, talented employees and unprecedented levels of achievement.

Sincerely,

Jay A. Gershen, D.D.S., Ph.D.
President
Northeast Ohio Medical University