The Institute of Medicine has announced that UCLA’s Edward R.B. McCabe (Pacific Palisades) has been elected to join its organization. The institute, affiliated with the National Academy of Sciences, is a private, nongovernmental organization that provides information and advice concerning health and science policy.

According to the Institute of Medicine, election is both an honor and an obligation to work on behalf of the organization in its governance and studies. Members commit a significant amount of time to volunteer on committees engaged in a broad range of health-policy issues. Current members elect new members based on their major contributions to health and medicine or related fields such as social and behavioral sciences, law, administration and economics.

“I’m honored to be elected to the IOM,� McCabe said. “It’s a unique opportunity to collaborate on projects that can have a significant and positive impact on health.�

McCabe, professor and executive chair of UCLA’s Department of Pediatrics, is also physician-in-chief of the Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA.

Highlights of his extensive list of accomplishments include currently serving as president of the American College of Medical Genetics and president-elect of the Western Society for Pediatric Research. He also chairs the United States Health and Human Services Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Genetic Testing. He was co-chair of the May 1999 Newborn Screening Taskforce sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau. In addition, he is a former president of the American Board of Medical Genetics.

McCabe is one of 60 newly elected members, raising the total active membership to 632. Current Institute of Medicine projects include studies on improved health care for dying children and their families, the protection of health in the 21st century, and the safety and effectiveness of the anthrax vaccine for the U.S. military.