Three University of Utah Researchers Join Benning Medical Society
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University of Utah Health
Sep 23, 2026
Three University of Utah researchers have been selected to join the H.A. and Edna Benning Medical Society, a circle of 15 top-tier researchers and physicians who have demonstrated a commitment to the Society’s mission of excellence in patient care, education, research, and service.
Mary Jo Pugh, PhD, RN, is a professor of epidemiology at University of Utah Health and an investigator with the Informatics, Decision-Enhancement and Analytical Sciences (IDEAS) Center of Innovation at the VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System. Her research aims to predict the long-term health outcomes of military exposures in order to improve veteran health. By mapping the clinical interactome—the complex, dynamic network of interactions between neurotrauma, comorbidities, and lifestyle—Pugh’s research has uncovered previously unknown links between traumatic brain injury and long-term consequences, including dementia, heart disease, and suicide risk. Uncovering these interconnected patterns of risk is a critical step toward targeted interventions that help veterans stay healthy.
Mary Jo Pugh, PhD, RN.
Aaron Quinlan, PhD.
Aaron Quinlan, PhD, is a professor of human genetics and the chair of the Department of Human Genetics at University of Utah Health. Quinlan’s work focuses on the causes and consequences of genome mutation, studying how genomes change over time and how these changes affect development, fertility, aging, and human disease. For example, by studying the genomes of multi-generational families, his lab has uncovered patterns in the rate at which women and men accumulate genetic changes as they age. They have linked the rate of mutation to one's longevity and reproductive fitness. His laboratory is also known for creating many software tools to aid scientific discovery in the field of genomics. These tools are widely used and accelerate scientific progress for thousands of researchers worldwide.
Daniel Scharfstein, SCD, is a professor of biostatistics and chief of the Division of Biostatistics in the Department of Population Health Sciences at University of Utah Health. He develops statistical methods to address challenges that arise in clinical trials and observational studies, including missing or censored data, irregular assessment times, treatment non-adherence, and non-random treatment assignment. His work enables researchers to draw reliable conclusions in settings where conventional analytical approaches may yield biased results. His collaborative research spans orthopedic trauma, early childhood health programs, and personalized care for people with chronic illnesses, connecting rigorous statistical methods with practical questions in medicine and public health.
Daniel Scharfstein, SCD.
About the Benning Society
The H.A. and Edna Benning Presidential Endowment was established through a generous gift of $22.5 million to the University of Utah through the estate of Arthur E. Benning, who was president and chairman of the board of Amalgamated Sugar Company. The gift is in honor of Mr. Benning’s parents, H.A. and Edna Benning. The endowment allows the university’s medical school to recruit and retain top researchers and clinicians in a variety of fields, as well as sponsor an annual public lecture featuring leading-edge researchers throughout the United States and the world.
Currently, the Benning Society consists of fifteen chairs. These are time-limited awards (five years on the academic calendar, with the option of a second five-year term) and are intended to facilitate research activities for the chair holders. Membership in the Society requires excellence in research and a tradition of service to the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, the University of Utah, and the larger academic community. Potential candidates are nominated by their department chairs (or by other department chairs if they already hold such an appointment) in response to an annual request on those years for which chair openings are anticipated. In order to become a chair, a nominee must be a faculty member in good standing with a tenured appointment in the University of Utah School of Medicine, have achieved eminence within their field of endeavor, have demonstrated a substantial willingness to participate in and contribute to university-wide programs and events, and have demonstrated the ability to instill curiosity and future education and development of others who will enhance biomedical research.
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