James G. Fox, D.V.M., professor of biological engineering and director of the Division of Comparative Medicine, and Jonathan Gruber, professor of economics, have been elected to the Institute of Medicine.
Fox and Gruber were among 65 new members of the Washington-based institute, which made the announcement on Oct. 18. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) is one of the four national academies, along with the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering and the National Research Council. The IOM's committees engage in a broad range of studies related to health policy issues.
Current active members elect new members from among candidates nominated for their professional achievement and commitment to service. With their election, members make a commitment to devote a significant amount of volunteer time to a broad range of studies on health policy issues. The IOM's charter stipulates that at least one-quarter of the membership be selected from outside the health professions.
Fox's current research in biological engineering examines the mechanisms by which chronic infection with environmentally acquired pathogens causes cancer in humans. The Division of Comparative Medicine (DCM) employs 145 people; Fox serves as director and as a principal investigator in research on cancer in animals. He also is principal investigator on a program at the DCM that trains veterinarians for careers in biomedical research.
Gruber's research focuses on public finance and health economics. His recent areas of particular interest include the economics of employer-provided health insurance, the efficiency of our current system of delivering health care to the indigent, the effect of the Social Security program on retirement behavior, and the economics of smoking.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on October 27, 2004 (download PDF).
