Fritz Francois, MD, MSc, assistant professor in the Department of Medicine (Gastroenterology) and assistant dean for academic affairs and diversity, is being honored tonight with the 2011 Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award from New York University.
The award is presented annually to a humanitarian within the New York University community who embodies and exemplifies the characteristics promoted by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—“a vision of peace, persistence in purpose, and inspirational action.” Dr. Francois is being recognized for his humanitarian aid efforts in response to the disaster in Haiti. Soon after the earthquake struck in January 2010, Dr. Francois helped to establish and lead H.E.A.R.T. (Haitian Effort and Relief Team), a multidisciplinary team of physicians and a nurse, to Port-Au-Prince, where they provided acute care as part of the relief mission (learn more about the team’s experiences in Haiti here).
”I am honored and humbled by this award, and while I will accept it on behalf of NYULMC H.E.A.R.T., it does serve as a reminder that there is much work to be done to alleviate the suffering of our neighbors,” says Dr. Francois.
Dr. Francois' research interests include the role of obesity peptides in the development of esophageal disease, H. pylori and colectoral cancer screening in minority populations. He is the recipient of several national grants including an NIH career development award, a Robert Wood Foundation Clinical Investigator Award and the American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Research Award. Recently inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha, Dr. Francois has also received many honors including three American Society of GI Endoscopy Diversity Minority Research awards, the Humanism in Medicine award from the Department of Medicine, and the Academic Champion of Health Award from the National Medical Fellowships.
Since being named assistant dean for academic affairs and diversity in 2008, Dr. Francois has continued to mentor students and has launched the Patient-based Longitudinal Ambulatory Clinical Experience (P.L.A.C.E.) at the school. This program aims to put faces and stories to the diseases that students learn in the classroom and improve the cultural competency of physicians relative to the communities they serve. He also established the NYU School of Medicine Ambassador Program, which provides a forum for medical students to develop their leadership skills as they represent the school to past, current, and future students.
Division of Gastroenterology: 212-263-7109
