Body
At Physiatry '22 — the Association of Academic Physiatrists’ (AAP) annual meeting in New Orleans on May 24–28 — Prakash Jayabalan, MD, PhD, physician-scientist director, Nancy W. Knowles Strength + Endurance Lab, was honored with the Early Career Academician Award. Dr. Jayabalan was recognized by the group for excellence in research, teaching and mentorship.
“Of those three aspects, the one that has given me the most satisfaction is mentorship,” Dr. Jayabalan said. “It is my major passion, and the residents in my lab have been critical to my success.”
Currently, 12 residents from the McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University/Shirley Ryan AbilityLab PM&R Residency Program work in Dr. Jayabalan's lab on studies focused on physical activity and function in chronic musculoskeletal conditions. Residents have voted him Mentor of the Year for four consecutive years.
“I’m getting this award at the AAP conference, but I’m much more excited about the fact that I have 12 trainees presenting abstracts at the conference — three of which are podium presentations,” Dr. Jayabalan said. “I can’t wait to witness their excitement.”