Award of Special Recognition
The Award of Special Recognition was presented to individuals for outstanding service to the field of consultation-liaison psychiatry on a local or national level. The award recognized significant contributions that advanced the mission and impact of the Academy or the broader field. Beginning in 2026, the award was removed from the Academy’s regular awards cycle. The ACLP Board of Directors may still confer this distinction at its discretion to acknowledge extraordinary service or contributions when appropriate.
2025 Award Recipients
Yesne Alici, MD
Dr Yesne Alici is the Vice Chair of Clinical Operations at the MSKCC. She is Board certified in Psychiatry, Geriatric Psychiatry, and Consultation Liaison Psychiatry. She has expertise in the neuropsychiatric sequelae of cancer and cancer treatments. Her academic focus is the neuropsychiatric outcomes of cancer and cancer treatments such as delirium, the long-term cognitive outcomes of delirium, and cognitive effects of cancer and cancer treatments. She has published multiple articles on delirium and the cognitive effects of cancer and cancer treatments. She has co-edited the International Psychosocial Oncology Society Handbook on Palliative Care, where palliative care for psycho- oncologists was comprehensively reviewed. Her CV lists 30+ peer-reviewed papers and 30+ book chapters establishing a track record in her areas of expertise.
Kurt Ackerman, MD
Kurt David Ackerman, MD, PhD is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry. Born in Long Island, New York, he completed his training at the University of Rochester, where he attended both medical school and earned his PhD in neurobiology. He started his career in psychiatry as an immunology researcher, which to this day informs his approach both to informatics innovation, and to comprehensive patient care. He is Medical Director of Behavioral Health Informatics and senior advisor to the CL service.