Ann K. Shinn, MD, MPH, is the 2022 recipient of the Thomas A. McMahon Mentoring Award from the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology (HST). Shinn is the director of clinical research for McLean Hospital’s Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Research Program.
The McMahon Award was established in 1999 in honor of Thomas A. McMahon, PhD. The annual award is given to the person who, through the warmth of their personality, inspires and nurtures HST students in their scientific and personal growth, and through honest advice and generosity to all students and colleagues sets an admirable example of excellence in mentoring.
“I have been fortunate to have Ann as my HST advisor for the past five years. From our first meeting, Ann has shown an unparalleled personal warmth and genuine interest in my academic and personal well-being,” one of her nominators wrote.
“One thing that has always struck me during our group meetings is how Ann encourages older students to advise the younger students in the group. If a younger student expresses anxiety or uncertainty about a course or a clerkship, Ann will guide an older student to talk through that experience so that the younger student can benefit. Though Ann herself is a wonderful source of wisdom, she always seeks to elicit leadership and mentorship skills in the students first and foremost.”
Dr. Ann K. Shinn
Another nominator added, “By sharing experiences from her research, medical practice, and family life, she has inspired me to envision my future goals in all areas of my life… Her warmth and generosity has set the standard that I aspire to emulate in all my mentorship relationships.”
Shinn will be presented with the award at the HST Community Awards ceremony on Thursday, May 5, at 5pm at Harvard Medical School.
HST is an inter-institutional collaboration between MIT, Harvard, and local teaching hospitals. The program is dedicated to fostering academic excellence, scientific rigor, and clinical expertise. It is one of the world’s oldest interdisciplinary educational programs focused on translational medical science and engineering.
Shinn is also the principal investigator of a federally funded research grant (K23 award). The grant allows her to investigate how auditory, speech, and language regions are connected in the brains of individuals with psychotic disorders who hear voices.
Shinn is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with psychosis, especially in early stages of illness. She teaches psychiatry residents about early psychosis.
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