Joseph R. Calabrese, MD, a psychiatrist with University Hospitals of Cleveland (UHC) and professor of psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, has been selected as a recipient of the 2006 Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
On the weekend of May 12, Dr. Calabrese will celebrate the honor with other medalists at a reception in New York City. He joins the prestigious ranks of past honorees such as Rosa Parks, Walter Kronkite, Muhammad Ali and Colin Powell.
Established 20 years ago by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO), the Ellis Island Medal of Honor pays tribute to the ancestry groups that comprise America’s unique cultural mosaic. They are awarded annually to outstanding American citizens from all walks of life, who have distinguished themselves through their contributions to this country. The Ellis Island Medal of Honor ranks among the nation’s most prestigious awards. The recipients are listed in the Congressional Record.
Dr. Calabrese noted, "I’m deeply honored to be one of this year’s recipients of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. Receiving this award is especially gratifying as my mother Gaetana, who was born in Sicily in 1912, immigrated to the U.S. in 1920 through Ellis Island.
"My mother’s stories were quite vivid and reflected very difficult times. As a result of her immigration experience, I learned the significance of cultural ancestry, ethnic diversity and professional service. My professional focus, which is research on underserved populations of patients with bipolar disorder, has been most gratifying and to receive this acknowledgment from NECO is again doubly rewarding.
"My special thanks to John R. Climaco, Esq., previous recipient of the Ellis Island Medals of Honor, for placing my name in nomination to NECO."
In 1989, Dr. Calabrese established the Mood Disorders Program at UHC and serves as the program’s director. He also co-directs the National Institute of Mental Health-funded (NIMH) Bipolar Research Center in Cleveland that was created in 2003 with the help of a $2.7 million grant -- the first time NIMH-funded research devoted exclusively to bipolar disorder.
Dr. Calabrese earned the National Alliance for Research Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD) Lifetime Achievement Award for Psychiatric Research in mood disorders in 2004 and was chosen by psychiatry residents to receive the ’Best Teacher of the Year Award’ three different times.
He completed his medical training, with honors, at The Ohio State University and his psychiatric residency at the Cleveland Clinic.
Dr. Calabrese has authored over 220 scientific publications focusing on bipolar disorder. His scientific focus is the development of the class of anticonvulsants and the atypical antipsychotic agents as long-term treatment with a special emphasis on rapid cycling and dual diagnosis presentations.
He has received five NIMH/Federal research grants that have helped to improve clinical outcomes in underserved populations suffering from bipolar disorder. In 1998, Dr. Calabrese’s research resulted in the FDA approval of the use of Lamotrigine, a drug originally developed for treatment of epilepsy, for the treatment of bipolar disorder.
Internationally, Dr. Calabrese has presented his findings on bipolar depression and other psychiatric conditions to medical students and physicians in eleven different countries, including Italy.
In January of this year, Dr. Calabrese began administering a $4.5 million research grant from the Department of Defense for Resilience and Risk Factors Associated with Combat-Related Post-Traumatic Psychopathology. It is the first effort designed to evaluate serious mental illness as well as normal post-deployment readjustment issues impacting military personnel, particularly Iraqi war veterans and their families.
"Dr. Calabrese has dedicated himself to his profession and exemplifies the qualities of those who have received this award in the past," said Robert Ronis, MD, L. Douglas Lenkoski Professor & Interim Chair, Department of Psychiatry, UHC/CWRU. "His placement with NECO will surely enhance the long list of deserving recipients. The award further validates his ambassadorship to the field of psychiatry and to University Hospitals of Cleveland."
According to Rosemarie Taglione, Executive Director of NECO, "NECO’s message of tolerance and harmony among diverse ethnic groups is even more important today than it was 20 years ago. We are proud each year to honor extraordinary individuals who have become part of the very fabric of this country."
To date, some 1,000 American citizens have received Ellis Island Medal of Honor, including six U.S. Presidents, many Senators and members of Congress, Nobel Prize winners, military heroes and leaders from both the public and private sectors. Previous medalists also include: U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist; Generals Norman Schwarzkopf and Colin Powell; Mayor Rudolph Giuliani; Janet Reno; Lee Iacocca; Rosa Parks; Elie Wiesel; Frank Sinatra; Bob Hope; Muhammad Ali; Tom Brokaw; Walter Cronkite; Quincy Jones and Gloria Estefan.