3 UCLA Pediatric Physician-Scientists Named Harry Winston Fellows

Harry Winston, Inc. and the UCLA Children’s Discovery and Innovation Institute have named the first three recipients of the inaugural Harry Winston Fellowships.

You may remember that the luxury jewelry and watch brand presented a $1 million gift to establish the fellowship that supports the work of young pediatric physician-scientists from Mattel Children’ s Hospital UCLA who are conducting research to prevent, treat and cure disease and illness in children.

“Through the Harry Winston Fellowship Fund, we are … supporting these young physician-scientists whose vital contributions to pediatric research will help to enable healthy and brilliant futures for children around the world,” said Nayla Hayek, Harry Winston CEO.

The Harry Winston Fellows represent physician-scientists in their second or third year of fellowship at UCLA (a period of specialized training following a doctor’s residency) who have demonstrated a commitment to a career in academic medicine. The fellows, who have all shown unparalleled excellence in clinical and research skills, are also extremely bright, exceptionally hardworking and driven by a desire to make a significant difference in their field.

Harry Winston Fellows will be chosen annually by an internal selection committee led by Dr. Sherin Devaskar, physician-in-chief of Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA and executive director of the UCLA Children’s Discovery and Innovation Institute.

“The Harry Winston Fellowship Fund will support the best and brightest subspecialty fellows toward becoming exceptional academic physician-scientists who will go on to collaborate and establish networks locally, nationally and globally,” Devaskar said.

The recipients will be formally announced at a reception held on Oct. 9 in Los Angeles.

The 2014 – 2015 Harry Winston Fellows are:

Dr. Kristina Adachi, a third-year fellow in the division of pediatric infectious diseases. Adachi’s work focuses on untreated sexually transmitted infections (STIs) during pregnancy and the deleterious impact of these infections on infants' health.

Dr. Leslie Kimura, a second year fellow in the division of pediatric endocrinology. The incidence of diabetes, particularly type 2, is on the rise, but drugs to treat it have not focused on the largest tissue utilizer of glucose—skeletal muscle.

Dr. Edward Talya, a second year fellow in the division of pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition. His research focuses on patients with short bowel syndrome, which is a disease where the patient is missing enough of the small intestine that they cannot get the nutrition they need from eating.

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