Resources:
For his scientific contributions to the understanding of the role of purines in malaria and for his analyses and impact on physician-scientist training in the United States.
Email: myles.akabas@einsteinmed.edu
Phone: None available.
Myles Akabas, M.D., Ph.D. is Professor of Neuroscience and Medicine, and the Dr. George Y. and Catherine H. Wu Director of the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine for the past 22 years. He received his BA in Physics from Cornell University and his MD, PhD from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He performed residency/fellowship training in Internal Medicine/Nephrology at the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. His research has focused on membrane physiology and structure-function of ion channels and transport proteins. He developed the substituted cysteine accessibility method (SCAM) to identify water accessible residues lining channels and transport pathways. He received a Klingenstein Fellowship in Neuroscience, an Established Investigator Award from the New York City Affiliate of the American Heart Association, and the Paul F. Cranefield Award of Scientific Merit from the Society of General Physiologists. In 2000 he returned to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and became MSTP Director in 2004. He received the LaDonne Schulman Award for Excellence in Teaching from the Einstein graduate students. He has served as a member and Chair of the NIH Biophysics of Neural Systems study section, and a member and Chair of the NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences Training and Workforce Development-A study section. He was Chair of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) MD-PhD Directors Section. In 2021 he received the Dr. Bert I. Shapiro Award for Outstanding Contributions to Physician-Scientist Training from the National Association of MD-PhD Programs. Dr. Akabas’ current research focuses on the development of novel antimalarial drugs targeting the malaria transport systems and in MD-PhD program outcomes studies. He was also the co-Director of the NIH supported Einstein Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program that facilitates the transition of underrepresented minority college graduates into research-intensive PhD and MD-PhD programs.