Kenneth Kaushansky, M.D., Master of the American College of Physicians (MACP) (born October 20, 1953) is an American medical doctor, hematologist, former editor of the medical journal Blood, and served as the dean of the Stony Brook University School of Medicine from 2010 to 2021. Prior to moving to Stony Brook, he was the Helen M. Ranney Professor, and chair of the department of medicine at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.
Early life and education
Kaushansky was born on October 20, 1953, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. His father, who "always wanted to be an American", migrated with the family to the United States when Kaushansky was two years old. Kaushansky graduated from UCLA in 1975, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a B.S. in biochemistry. He stayed at UCLA to obtain his medical degree in 1979. It was here that he met his future wife Lauren who was also at the time enrolled as a student at UCLA. As he left to join the University of Washington in Seattle to complete his internship and residency, Lauren enrolled for a master's in education at Antioch University in Seattle. Kaushansky was appointed Chief Resident at the Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, Washington, in 1982. Describing himself as a "biochemist at heart", Kaushansky fell in love with hematology during his second year of residency. Curious about blood diseases and disorders, he chose to focus on the field during his fellowship between 1982 and 1986 at the University of Washington. His decision to pursue hematology was also influenced by the persuasive arguments of Dr. Clement Finch, the then Chief of Hematology at the University of Washington, who said "there is no other discipline in medicine where we know more about the biochemistry of disease than in hematology". In a Q&A session with the American Society of Hematology, Kaushansky recalled:
During his time in Seattle, he was honored with the NIH Physician Scientist Award in 1984, given to promising physician-scientists early in their careers. He was also awarded the junior faculty award by the American Cancer Society and was elected a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the Association of American Physicians.
In 2002, Kaushansky was appointed as Chair and Helen M. Ranney Professor of the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego. The Helen Ranney Chair in Medicine was the first research chair at the medical school named after a professor, the first endowed chair funded by the faculty, and the first endowed chair at UCSD named in honor of a woman professor. Helen Margaret Ranney was the first female president of Association of American Physicians, and her landmark research established one of the earliest links between genetic factors and sickle cell disease. On her demise in April 2010, Kaushansky (who had known her through his work in medical research) wrote, "Helen's career was marked by her intelligent approach to both clinical and research issues, her ability to achieve and inspire greatness, and her incredible wit".
Between 2003 and 2009, Kaushansky was named on the list of America's Top Doctors and San Diego's Top Doctors in Internal Medicine. In 2004, he was also elected a member to the prestigious Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.
Kaushansky is a past president of the American Society of Hematology (2007-2008), the American Society for Clinical Investigation (2004–2005) and the Western Society for Clinical Investigation (1998–1999). He also served a five-year term as Editor-in-Chief of the journal Blood (1998-2002) and as a major reviewer for the National Institutes of Health and many major scientific periodicals. Kaushansky has been recognized for his scientific and clinical contributions by election as a Master of the American College of Physicians, and to several honor societies and organizations, including the American Society for Clinical Investigation, the Association of American Physicians, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Science and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.