Two Johns Hopkins Medicine faculty members have been elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), an independent organization of leading professionals from multiple scientific fields, including health, medicine and the natural, social and behavioral sciences. It serves alongside the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering to provide objective advice for the nation and international scientific communities.

The announcement of 100 new NAM members was made Oct. 20 as part of the academy's annual meeting.

New members are elected by current members through a selective process that recognizes people who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care and public health. Being elected to NAM is considered one of the highest honors in health and medicine.

The Johns Hopkins Medicine electees are Charlotte J. Sumner, M.D., a professor in the departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Genetic Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and vice chair of clinical research in the Department of Neurology, and Victor E. Velculescu, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of oncology and co-director of the Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics Program, Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.

Sumner, who was president of the Peripheral Nerve Society and is now past president, cares for patients with genetically mediated neuromuscular diseases. Her research focuses on developing gene-targeting therapeutics for individuals with motor neuron and peripheral nerve disorders, including spinal muscular atrophy and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. The colleagues who sponsored her for nomination to NAM noted in their proposal statement that Sumner is a world leader in advancing the care and treatment of these diseases.

Sumner also co-directs the Johns Hopkins Muscular Dystrophy Association Care Center, the Spinal Muscular Atrophy and the Charcot-Marie-Tooth clinics, which deliver multidisciplinary clinical care, engage in international natural history studies, and provide cutting-edge therapeutics.

“It is an honor to be elected to the National Academy of Medicine, and I am deeply grateful for the recognition by my colleagues,” Sumner says. “The work of NAM, including advocacy for scientific discovery and innovation, has never been more important than it is now.”

Velculescu led the first genome-wide sequence analysis in human cancers, identifying key genes and pathways in tumorigenesis. He developed methods for global gene expression analyses and coined the word “transcriptome" to describe the patterns that could now be obtained in cancer and other cells. This research has revealed the genomic landscape of human cancers, including in breast, colorectal, brain, pancreatic, ovarian, head and neck, and lung cancers. These analyses identified a variety of genes not previously known to be involved in neoplasia, including PIK3CA as one of the most highly mutated genes in human cancer.

His group’s discoveries have led to new Food and Drug Administration-approved therapies against PI3K and IDH1, and FDA-approved diagnostic tests for comprehensive tumor profiling. More recently, his group has created AI liquid biopsy approaches for early detection and monitoring of cancer patients.

Velculescu's work has provided new paradigms for understanding human cancer that have paved the way for precision medicine and benefited patients worldwide.

“I am deeply honored to be elected to the National Academy of Medicine,” said Velculescu. “This recognition reflects the collective efforts of an extraordinary team as well as the many colleagues and collaborators dedicated to advancing our understanding of cancer genomics and improving the lives of patients through early detection and precision medicine.”