[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 46 (Monday, March 24, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E424-E425]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           RECOGNIZING THE LEADERSHIP OF DR. TERRI H. FINKEL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ALAN GRAYSON

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 24, 2014

  Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, in honor of Women's History 
Month, to recognize Terri H. Finkel, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. Finkel serves as 
Chair of Pediatrics and Chief Scientific Officer at Nemours Children's 
Hospital in Lake Nona Medical City, Orlando, Florida, and Professor of 
Pediatrics and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Central Florida 
College of Medicine.
  Dr. Finkel received both her medical degree in 1982 and a Ph.D. in 
biochemistry and biophysics in 1984, from Stanford University. She 
completed pediatric residency training at Boston Children's Hospital 
and the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. She then 
completed a fellowship in pediatric

[[Page E425]]

rheumatology and postdoctoral training as a Howard Hughes Medical 
Institute (HHMI) fellow at the National Jewish Medical & Research 
Center (NJMRC). Dr. Finkel also served on the faculty at NJMRC and the 
University of Colorado.
  In 1999, she was recruited to lead the Division of Pediatric 
Rheumatology at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and to 
serve as the Joseph Lee Hollander Chair of Pediatric Rheumatology and 
Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania 
School of Medicine, where she was later promoted to Professor of 
Pediatrics. At CHOP, Dr. Finkel built the Division of Rheumatology from 
a small group to one of the largest and most academically productive 
divisions of rheumatology in the country. Her trainees are currently on 
faculty at leading academic medical centers in the United States and 
abroad. In 2011, she was recruited to help lead the building of Nemours 
Children's Hospital, which opened in October 2012.
  Dr. Finkel has devoted more than 20 years to caring for children with 
rheumatic diseases. U.S. News & World Report has ranked her in the top 
one percent of pediatric rheumatologists in the Nation for each of the 
past 4 years, a distinction held by only 15 physicians across the U.S.
  Dr. Finkel's work has been recognized by more than 100 publications 
and she has received 140 invitations to speak nationally and 
internationally. She has nine issued patents and patents pending, and 
has had continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) 
since 1990, with research grants totaling more than $12 million. Among 
Dr. Finkel's many honors and awards are those from the American Cancer 
Society, American College of Rheumatology, American Foundation for AIDS 
Research, American Medical Association, Children's Miracle Network, 
Colorado Women's Hall of Fame, Henry Kunkel Society, HHMI, Lupus 
Foundation, Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Philadelphia Magazine, State of 
Pennsylvania, and Gates Foundation.
  A strong advocate of evidence-based medicine, Dr. Finkel's research 
has helped to uncover extensive genetic overlap across many pediatric 
autoimmune diseases. Using cutting-edge genomics, she has successfully 
unmasked dozens of novel risk factors common to childhood arthritis, 
lupus, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, 
immunodeficiency, thyroid disease, and psoriasis. Dr. Finkel has led 
studies that investigate the origins of immunodeficiency and 
autoimmunity in individuals with HIV infection and AIDS. Other key 
interests include expanding caregiver sharing of electronic medical 
records and exploring faster ways to deliver new therapies to patients.
  In 2001, the Arthritis Foundation selected Dr. Finkel as one of 50 
``Research Heroes'' for her significant contributions to the field of 
rheumatology. In 2003, the Arthritis Foundation of Eastern Pennsylvania 
presented the Arthritis Hero Award to Dr. Finkel for her leadership in 
the field of arthritis. In 2004, Dr. Finkel was awarded the University 
of Pennsylvania's Lady Colyton Prize for Autoimmune Research, based on 
her research on autoimmune disorders. In 2009, she was elected to the 
prestigious Henry Kunkel Society for her contributions to the fields of 
immunology and rheumatology.
  Dr. Finkel is married to pediatric neurologist Dr. Richard Finkel. 
Among the Finkels' proudest accomplishments are their two children. 
Paul will graduate this year from Carnegie Mellon University with a 
master's degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering. Valerie is 
completing a master's degree in Philosophy at The New School in New 
York City.
  I am happy to honor Dr. Terri Finkel, during Women's History Month, 
for her leadership and contributions to the medical community.

                          ____________________