Charles Nemeroff, M.D., Ph.D., Leonard M. Miller Professor and Chairman of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, served as program chair of the Annual Meeting of the American College of Psychiatrists held last month in Fort Lauderdale. This year the organization invited South African Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu to receive its Public Service Award.

Dr. Nemeroff presented the award to Archbishop Tutu during a special ceremony at the annual meeting. The award citation read, in part, "in official recognition of his tireless defense of human rights and his steadfast support for the world's oppressed populations." Tutu then delivered the meeting's Presidential Lecture.

Roberto C. Heros, M.D., professor and co-chair of neurological surgery, is the winner of the 2010 Cor-Vitae Award from the American Heart Association for his contributions to stroke care. 

In 1990, he became chairman of the "Decade of the Brain" task force, created by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. In this capacity, he developed and became the founding chairman of the "Brain Attack Coalition," a multidisciplinary group that lobbied the NIH to successfully obtain funding for the development of several regional stroke centers of excellence. Dr. Heros was funded by the NIH for several years to study experimental protective measures against brain ischemia. He has written extensively on stroke related topics, both experimental and clinical.

The Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center (FIAC) has honored Miller School faculty member Stephen Symes, M.D., associate professor of medicine, for his work on behalf of immigrants. Last month, Dr. Symes was given FIAC's Arthur Helton Humanitarian Award during an awards dinner in downtown Miami.

In 2009, Dr. Symes played a key role in helping an FIAC client in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody get urgently needed surgery. Dr. Symes' medical opinion, which was based on the woman's medical records, helped win a federal lawsuit ordering her treatment.

In appreciation of the dedication and outstanding work of the University's employees, the president and provost will be hosting the 2010 Family Night of baseball  on Saturday, May 1, at Sun Life Stadium.