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Adam J. Gordon, MD, MPH, FACP, DFASAM
Congratulations to Adam J. Gordon, MD, MPH, FACP, DFASAM, of HSR’s Informatics, Decision-Enhancement and Analytic Sciences (IDEAS) Center, who has been named recipient of the 2024 HSR Daniel Deykin Award for Outstanding Mentor! The award honors HSR investigators who exhibit outstanding dedication in mentoring the next generation of researchers, particularly by fostering an appreciation of the vital input provided by policymakers, Veterans, and other VA stakeholders.
Dr. Gordon is Chief of Addiction Medicine and a primary care staff physician at the Salt Lake City VA Health Care System. His overarching goal is to improve the access and quality of care for vulnerable patients, particularly those who have substance use disorders. He is a previous VA Research Career Development Awardee, the founder and Emeritus Director of the Vulnerable Veteran Innovative Patient-Aligned Care Team Initiative at the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, and founder and Director of the Program for Addiction Research, Clinical Care, Knowledge, and Advocacy at the University of Utah School of Medicine. He has led dozens of VA, NIH, foundation, and other research and training grants and works closely with VA operational partners to apply his and others’ research to improve Veteran health. He has authored more than 390 peer reviewed articles in high impact journals and has received many awards over the course of his career, including HSR’s 2020 Health System Impact Award.
Even as he conducts outstanding research, Dr. Gordon has served as a mentor to a great number of researchers and clinicians, leading mentees toward a comprehensive understanding of the impact of research on Veterans, a unique population. He develops and exposes mentees to career opportunities internal and external to VA while guiding them to become fully independent investigators. His post-doctoral mentees have received research Career Development Awards and have obtained large research awards.
What his mentees say
Stefan Kertesz, MD, HSR affiliate investigator and attending physician at the Birmingham VA Health Care System: “Dr. Gordon routinely stepped forward, . . . [pointing] out new opportunities, things worth trying. . . . His role was different across [studies we worked on together, but he was] often a touchpoint, a guide, and a trusted voice on how to make sure our work could succeed, and also help Veterans. . . . He is a fountain of ideas, genuine enthusiasm, and a source of guidance on how to consider a better step than the one we took before. . . . There are a very large number of scholars for whom he plays a catalyzing role, threaded with practicality and kindness. He is a powerful and impactful scholar. But he is also someone I refer to as ‘Nurturer-in-Chief.’”
Audrey Jones, PhD, investigator and Career Development Awardee at IDEAS: “[Dr. Gordon] has had a profound impact on my professional development and success. . . . My progression to an independent research career has been consistently guided by Dr. Gordon and, during this time, my career has blossomed, [including in] 2020, [when] I applied for and received a VA Career Development Award. . . . I would not have received this accomplishment without his advice, mentorship, and timely feedback in the development of the proposal. . . . His dedication to mentorship is unmatched . . . [and] his excitement for research is contagious. . . . He has launched the careers of dozens of investigators, many in the VA, and has provided education and mentorship to hundreds of colleagues. . . . He is an exceptional mentor and colleague, and the ways my career has benefited from his guidance are countless.”
HSR is grateful for Dr. Gordon’s continuing contributions to improving the health and care of our Veterans, and for his exceptional mentorship of the next generation of dedicated researchers.
HSR also greatly appreciates the Outstanding Mentor Award Nominees, who help guide the next generation of researchers. The 2024 nominees were:
