Office of Medical Communications

(AUGUST 4, 2023) Suresh Garimella, Ph.D., president of the University of Vermont, has achieved an H-index of 100 — meaning he has at least 100 papers cited a minimum of 100 times each, New India Abroad reports.

(AUGUST 3, 2023) At the 2023 International Mesothelioma Interest Group (iMig) conference in June, Brian Cunniff, Ph.D., assistant professor of pathology, presented early experience with “an exciting new therapeutic option for patients suffering with mesothelioma” to a global audience of clinicians, scientists, and allied professionals, according to Business Wire.

(JULY 31, 2023) Professor of Medicine Jan Carney, M.D., M.P.H., associate dean of public health and health policy, was interviewed by Darsh Shah, D.O., and Altamash Raja, D.O., CSCS, for their Medicine Redefined podcast series in an episode about ‘Establishing Public Health and Policy: Rewriting Medical Education.’

(JULY 28, 2023) In an opinion piece in VTDigger, W. Kemper Alston, M.D., M.P.H., chief of infectious disease at the UVM Medical Center and professor of medicine at the Larner College of Medicine, cautioned that climate change could hasten the spread of antibiotic-resistant “superbug” infections. (Click headline for more.)

(JULY 27, 2023) The Supreme Court’s rejection of considering race in college admissions leaves academic leaders — including at the Larner College of Medicine — worried about how to maintain their commitment to racial diversity among their students and, subsequently, in the medical field, according to an article in AAMC News. (Click on headline for more.)

Today, in the era of AI, medical digital twins hold great promise for helping diagnose and treat the population in the future. UVM Professor Gary An, M.D., a surgeon and computational biology and mathematical modeling expert, has been working on developing and researching computational models for such diseases as sepsis and COVID-19 for over 20 years. His recent research has centered on developing digital twins of the human immune system.

Recognized as a prestigious gathering of the world's leading regenerative medicine researchers, the 10th biennial Stem Cells, Cell Therapies, and Bioengineering in Lung Biology and Diseases Conference took place at the University of Vermont from July 17-20, 2023. The conference serves as a powerful platform for scientific discovery and collaboration.

(JULY 24, 2023) “Existing scientific studies show that, as the mercury climbs, so do hospital admissions,” writes Daniel Barkhuff, M.D., assistant professor of emergency medicine, in an opinion piece in VTDigger warning of the health effects of climate change.

The Larner College of Medicine, in collaboration with the American Red Cross, hosted its first annual blood drive on June 21, in the Larner Classroom. More than 60 members of the Larner community donated blood.

Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education Christa Zehle, M.D., has announced the appointment of Anthony Williams, M.D., as assistant dean for admissions. In this role, Dr. Williams will provide leadership support for the recruitment and selection of Larner College of Medicine medical students.

(JULY 21, 2023) Sandra Thompson May, senior lab/research technician in pathology and laboratory medicine, was impressed by a recent i-STEM educator professional development workshop she participated in at Idaho State University, according to the Idaho State Journal.

(JULY 18, 2023) In the wake of recent severe flooding across Vermont and as cleanup begins, infectious disease expert Timothy Lahey, M.D., M.M.Sc., professor of medicine, spoke to WCAX-TV about the dangers of mold and the risks posed by contaminated water.

(JULY 14, 2023) Sean Diehl, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology and molecular genetics, spoke to WCAX-TV about the risk of an uptick in mosquito-borne illnesses given the amount of standing water left behind by the recent severe flooding in central Vermont.

(JULY 14, 2023) Second-year medical students Jenna Eaton and Jake Bleau helped to create and implement a Southern Vermont Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Advanced MedQuest program at Rutland Regional Medical Center recently, according to The Vermont Journal.

(JULY 13, 2023) Professor of Medicine Jan Carney, M.D., M.P.H., associate dean of public health and health policy, was interviewed by host Barbara Ann Garcia for a Healthcare UnTold podcast episode titled ‘Dr. Jan Carney, A National Public Health Leader.’

(JULY 12, 2023) Lung specialist Anne Dixon, M.A., B.M.B.Ch., professor of medicine, spoke with healthywomen.org about a demonstrated association between obesity and a higher risk of severe COVID-19.

Thanks to positive results from a new clinical trial in which the UVM Cancer Center and Chris Holmes, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine, played a role, the five to 25 percent of cancer patients who develop venous thrombosis will no longer need to inject themselves with a blood thinner.

(JULY 11, 2023) Doctoral student Bryn Loftness is working with her UVM faculty mentors Ellen McGinnis, assistant professor of psychiatry, and Ryan McGinnis, professor of biomedical engineering, to identify biomarkers associated with mental health issues in young children, Newswire reports.

(JULY 10, 2023) Endocrinologist Matthew Gilbert, M.D., professor of medicine, told iNews the surging demand for the diabetes drug Ozempic as an “off-label” weight-loss drug “is a good example of social media driving demand for a product that is effective.”

As a young math and science wiz, first-generation college student Cynthia Forehand admits she had a rocky start to her academic career, but an invitation to work in her advisor’s lab “was the beginning of a lifelong passion for inquiry-driven research,” she says, and led to more than 35 years of service as a biomedical scientist, educator, mentor, and leader at the University of Vermont.