Meet the 2025 Winner: Mark Wurfel, MD, PhD
Dr. Wurfel holds the David J. Pierson, MD Endowed Professorship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Washington and the Medical Director of the Bronchoscopy and Pulmonary and Critical Care Consult services at Harborview Medical Center. After finishing Medical School at Weill Cornell University Medical College and a Doctorate in Immunology from the Rockefeller University he completed a Residency and Chief Residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Washington. He remained in Seattle for a Fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and has been on Faculty at the University of Washington since 2005. His research program has focused on understanding the molecular and genomic risks for organ dysfunction and death in the critically ill. His group has published extensively on the “molecular epidemiology” of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) in patients with sepsis or who have sustained major trauma. He has also performed randomized controlled trials testing the efficacy of the blockade of innate immune inflammation mediated by CD14 in severe COVID-19 and he has a particular interest in the role of innate immune inflammation in the development and severity of organ dysfunction in critical illness.
Description
This award is intended for an established, internationally recognized investigator with a record of sustained and exemplary achievement in a scientific area of interest to the AII Assembly. A single awardee is selected per year. The awardee will receive a framed certificate and give a brief presentation of their work at the annual Assembly Membership Meeting. There is no monetary award given for this recognition.
Qualifications
- The awardee must be a Primary or Secondary AII member.
- Nominees who hold a primary appointment at an academic institution, in industry, or in other settings are eligible.
- Previous awardees are not eligible for the same award.
Nominations
- Nominations must be submitted by AII Primary or Secondary Assembly members.
- Please submit a completed nomination form summarizing how the nominee has advanced science in their area of expertise and highlighting other significant contributions to the profession. Include specific examples (e.g., publications, mentoring, education, leadership, community engagement) to support why the nominee merits this honor.
- Upload the nominee’s NIH Biosketch or equivalent research CV (limit 5 pages). Ensure that the Biosketch or CV accurately reflects all the activities listed on the nomination form.