Announcing the 2025 Mayo Clinic Early and Mid-Career Awardees
Honoring alumni throughout their professional journeys

Many awards honor residents and fellows at the starting lines of their careers. Others celebrate seasoned physicians and researchers nearing their professional finish lines. But there are many Mayo Clinic alumni in the middle of their career marathons, marking the miles with exceptional contributions to medicine.
In 2024, the Mayo Clinic Alumni Association created the Mayo Clinic Early and Mid-Career Alumni Awards to recognize the important accomplishments of this group.
This year, six outstanding recipients were chosen. These individuals have made robust contributions to their areas of expertise in the realms of education, clinical practice, clinical and scientific research, and administration. Beyond their professional output, they demonstrate selfless community service and have consistently acted in a manner that is aligned with Mayo Clinic values.

Derek O’Keeffe, M.B., B.Ch., B.A.O., M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A.
Engineering digital health solutions
Nilüfer Ertekin-Taner, M.D., Ph.D.
Research motivated by human resilience

This story appears in the latest issue of Mayo Clinic Alumni magazine. You can read or download a PDF of the issue here.
Mayo Clinic alumni are entitled to the print version of the quarterly magazine. If you’re not receiving the magazine, register or log in to your online MCAA profile to make sure your address is correctly entered. Or contact the Alumni Association at mayoalumni@mayo.edu or 507-284-2317 for help.
Credit: Illustrations by Nigel Buchanan