Burr Ridge Resident Named Stritch Alumnus of the Year for Excellence in Research

Burr Ridge, Ill., resident Thomas J. Layden, MD, was honored at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine’s alumni weekend. More than 200 alumni and guests were welcomed back to campus September 5-7 for the 2014 Stritch Reunion Weekend. The program included receptions, dinners, mass, campus tours, bioethics grand rounds and other networking opportunities.

The Stritch Reunion Celebration and Awards Dinner on September 6 was held at The Hyatt Lodge, Oak Brook. Outstanding alumni were recognized for excellence in early career achievement, community service, education, research and service to patients.

Thomas J. Layden, MD ’69, Burr Ridge, Ill., was recognized for excellence in researching hepatitis C and named Alumnus of the Year for Research. His groundbreaking studies have provided critical information about the virus life cycle and the mechanism of antiviral therapy. Layden’s research has been supported by both the NIH and VA and he has been published in more than 150 scholarly journals. After serving as the head of medicine creating the infrastructure for clinical research at University of Illinois at Chicago, Layden returned to Loyola where he created the Clinical Research Office.

Other alumni of the year recipients were:
Michael Gisondi, MD, ’99, for early career achievement
Barbara Spaniak, MD, ’84, for excellence in community service
Gregory Gruener, MD, ’69, for excellence in education
William J. Keenan, MD, ’64, for excellence in service to patients