Office of Medical Communications

Since it began its rapid spread in December 2019, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has altered the landscape of nearly every enterprise in the world; higher education, including medical education, has not been spared. As the pandemic continues, Larner College of Medicine faculty and staff continue to rise to the occasion – making improvements to the curriculum and learning environment based on student feedback, data collection, and guidance from local, regional, and national authorities.

(JULY 22 & 27, 2020) William Raszka, M.D., professor of pediatrics is quoted in a July 22 article in “The Cut” in The New Yorker, titled "Their Summer Camp Tried to Be Safe. Kids Still Got Sick," and in a July 27 article in WIRED, titled "Some Countries Reopened Schools. What Did They Learn About Kids and Covid?"

(JULY 10-20, 2020) Significant national and international media coverage was generated in response to the publication of a Pediatrics Commentary, titled “COVID-19 Transmission and Children: The Child Is Not to Blame,” authored by Assistant Professor of Pediatrics Benjamin Lee, M.D., and Professor of Pediatrics and Director of Pediatric Infectious Diseases William Raszka, M.D.

(JULY 15, 2020) Bonita Libman, M.D., professor of medicine and fellowship program director for the Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, is quoted in a July 15 article in The Rheumatologist, titled "COVID-19 Poses Training Challenges for Rheumatology Fellows."

Professor of Medicine Mary Cushman, M.D., M.Sc., has been named the recipient of the American Heart Association's 2020 Award of Meritorious Achievement. She will be honored with the award, which recognizes individuals who have rendered an important service to the AHA, during the association's live stream event in October.

(JULY 13, 2020) Coverage of results from a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Science Daily mentioned study coauthors Mary Cushman, M.D., M.Sc., professor of medicine, and Peter Durda, Ph.D., faculty scientist in pathology and laboratory medicine.

A commentary published in the journal Pediatrics by Benjamin Lee, M.D. and William V. Raszka, Jr., M.D., concludes that children infrequently transmit COVID-19 to each other or to adults and that many schools, provided they follow appropriate social distancing guidelines and take into account rates of transmission in their community, can and should reopen in the fall.

(JULY 10 & 14, 2020) A study preprint published on the Social Science Research Network and coauthored by Assistant Professor of Radiology Eline van den Broek-Altenburg, Ph.D., and Professor of Medicine Adam Atherly, Ph.D., was mentioned in a Wall St. Journal and Daily Kos article.

(JULY 9, 2020) Tim Lahey, M.D., M.M.Sc., professor of medicine, was featured in an article, titled "4 questions parents need to ask before sending kids back to school this fall," that appeared on TODAY online and MSN. Lahey was also featured in a July 3 WCAX-TV Channel 3 story, titled "Is it safe to work out at a gym?"

(JULY 9, 2020) A joint statement regarding venous thromboembolism research priorities issued by the International Society for Thrombosis and Haemostasis and American Heart Association was picked up by several online media outlets and includes quoted from Mary Cushman, M.D., M.Sc., professor of medicine and statement chair.

After careful peer review of Round 3 applications submitted in Spring of 2019, we announced the five Northern New England Clinical & Translational Research Network pilot project award winners.

(JULY 9, 2020) Kelsey Gleason, Sc.D., assistant professor in the public health program, was quoted in an article in VTDigger, titled "Following warnings, crowded scenes and few masks at Burlington’s bars."

(JULY 9, 2020) Christina Wojewoda, M.D., associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine and vice chair of the College of American Pathologists’ microbiology committee, is quoted in an article in Healthline, titled "How Accurate Are COVID-19 Diagnostic and Antibody Tests?"

After careful peer review of 29 applications submitted in April 2018, we announced the five Round 2 Northern New England Clinical & Translational Research Network pilot project award winners.

John King, M.D., M.P.H., professor and vice chair for academics and regional development in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, has been appointed associate dean for continuing medical and interprofessional education (CMIE) at the institution.

Christa Zehle, M.D., senior associate dean for medical education at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, has announced the appointment of Nathalie Feldman, M.D., as interim associate dean for admissions, effective July 1, 2020. Feldman replaces retiring Associate Dean for Admissions Janice Gallant, M.D., while a search is underway for a permanent replacement.

In late March, Professor of Surgery Gary An, M.D., and Assistant Professor of Surgery R. Chase Cockrell, Ph.D., joined an international coalition of virologists, pharmacologists, and mathematicians to help build a computer model of SARS-CoV-2 tissue that simulates the changing behavior of the virus once it enters the body.

(JUNE 25, 2020) Majid Sadigh, M.D., associate professor of medicine and director of the Global Program at the Larner College of Medicine and Nuvance Health Connecticut campus, is quoted in a Healio.com article, titled "Who declares end of the second largest Ebola outbreak in history."

(JUNE 19 & 24, 2020) Beth Kirkpatrick, M.D., chair of microbiology and molecular genetics and director of the Vaccine Testing Center, was quoted in two ABCNews.com stories - one on a potential COVID-19 vaccine and the other on the durability of COVID-19 antibodies.