Office of Medical Communications

The University of Vermont Department of Pharmacology’s Spring 2016 Medical Cannabis course recently appeared Seven Days. Reporter Ken Picard interviewed course co-directors Wolfgang Dostmann, Ph.D., and Karen Lounsbury, Ph.D., for the story, and attended two classes – a plant biology-focused session taught by course co-director Monique McHenry, Ph.D., and an economic development class taught by guest presenter William Cats-Baril, Ph.D., of the Grossman School of Business.

A recent update was posted regarding THINKmd’s MEDSINC app, which is a mobile platform for unskilled users in developing countries. THINKmd was co-founded by UVM Professors of Pediatrics Barry Finette, M.D., Ph.D., and Barry Heath, M.D. You can read the article, titled “App Made in Vermont for Developing Countries May Soon Benefit American Kids,” here.

WCAX-TV Channel 3’s morning news spoke with UVM and Western Connecticut Health Network Global Health Program partner and guest Robert Kalyesubula, M.D., who discussed ACCESS Uganda, the focus of his April 5 Community Medical School presentation.

The Vaccine Testing Center’s recently published work on a dengue vaccine was featured on WPTZ-TV Newschannel 5 and New England Cable News (NECN). Reporter Jack Thurston interviewed Beth Kirkpatrick, M.D., professor of medicine and director of the Vaccine Testing Center, as well as Sean Diehl, Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine, for the segment.

ABC22/Fox44 aired a news segment promoting the M.S. Society of New England’s Sat., April 2 Vermont WALK M.S. Reporter Staci DaSilva interviewed multiple sclerosis researcher Dimitry Krementsov, Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine, for the story. View a video clip of the interview here.

Robert Williams, M.D., UVM professor of anesthesiology and pediatric anesthesiologist at the UVM Children's Hospital, discusses the use of spinal anesthesia for surgery on babies amid growing concerns general anesthesia might adversely affect young brain development for an article in Burlington Free Press.

In an article about researchers debating the role of EHR use in the efforts of healthcare organizations and providers working to integrate primary care and behavioral health, UVM Research Associate Professor of Family Medicine Rodger Kessler, Ph.D., is quoted. Read the full article from EHR Intelligence.

Comments from David Rettew, M.D., UVM associate professor of psychiatry and pediatrics, were featured in a news story about the growing concerns over the safety of the scenic Queeche Gorge Bridge for local NBC affiliate WPTZ-TV Newschannel 5.

The Cryptosporidum study team at the UVM Vaccine Testing Center (VTC), which includes Beth Kirkpatrick, M.D., VTC director and UVM professor of medicine; Caroline Lyon, M.D., M.P.H., UVM associate professor of medicine; Christopher Huston, M.D., UVM associate professor of medicine; Catherine Larsson; and Mary Claire Walsh, PA-C, recently received a $3.3 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to test new therapeutic agents against Cryptosporidium. Read the announcement in Vermont Business Magazine.

Commentary authored by Jan Carney, M.D., M.P.H., UVM professor of medicine and associate dean for public health, discussing the myths and facts about e-cigarettes is featured in on VT Digger.

During its 2016 annual meeting, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons announced that David Halsey, M.D., UVM associate professor of orthopaedics and rehabilitation and director of the UVM Medical Center’s adult reconstruction service, who currently holds the title of second vice president, will assume the role of president in 2018. Read the full announcement in Orthopedic Design & Technology.

The University of Vermont Board of Trustees recently appointed three new members including UVM College of Medicine student Soraiya Thura ‘18, who succeeded UVM class of 2016 undergrad student Samantha Lucas, and will be serving a two-year term. The announcement was mentioned in Noodls, VT Digger, US News Hub and Vermont Business Magazine.

UVM College of Medicine faculty members Thomas Simpatico, M.D., professor of psychiatry and chief medical officer for the Department of Vermont Health Access; Sandra Steingard, M.D., clinical associate professor of psychiatry and chief medical officer at the Howard Center; and Jaskanwar Batra, M.D., assistant professor of psychiatry and medical director at the Department of Mental Health, are featured in an article about the disputes over force-medicating psychiatry patients for Seven Days.

UVM College of Medicine faculty members James Hudziak, M.D., professor of psychiatry, pediatrics and medicine and director of the Vermont Center for Children, Youth & Families, and Jon Porter, M.D., clinical assistant professor of family medicine and director of the UVM Center for Health & Wellbeing, are featured in an article about UVM’s Wellness Environment (WE) program on NBCNews.com.

The ALS Center at UVM Medical Center, led by Rup Tandan, M.D., F.R.C.P., professor of neurological sciences, recently received a $37,500 grant from the ALS Association of Northern New England to support patients and families struggling with Lou Gehrig’s disease, which was mentioned in Vermont Business Magazine.

UVM Professor of Pediatrics Barbara Frankowski, M.D., comments on the long-term use of over-the-counter lice treatment products creating a resistance to lice for a story on the hype surrounding a new “mutant” strain of lice resistant to usual, inexpensive treatments for a story on CNN and NBC affiliate KFOR Newschannel 4.

The Big Change Roundup, an annual change collection campaign that raises funds for the University of Vermont Children's Hospital programs and services in Burlington, made a stop at the local Wal-Mart in Malone on February 27, 2016, where UVM Professor and Chair of Pediatrics Lewis First, M.D., M.S., helped to count change collected for the campaign.

Beth Robbins, Psy.D., UVM clinical associate professor of psychiatry and clinical director of the Seneca Mood and Anxiety Disorders Clinic at The UVM Medical Center, was interviewed live on WCAX-TV Channel 3’s morning news, discussing the topic of her March 1 Community Medical School presentation, “All Stressed Out: Symptoms, Physiology and Approaches for Relief.”

Patricia Fisher, M.D., UVM assistant professor of family medicine, was featured in a story on local CBS affiliate WCAX-TV about the struggles recovering opiate addicts in Vermont face in finding aftercare treatment.

University of Vermont pediatric cardiologist Niels Giddins, M.D., is featured in a news story about the American Heart Association's February 2016 "Little Hats, Big Hearts" campaign to increase awareness about congenital heart defects in newborns. Giddins, an associate professor of pediatrics, commented that structural problems in the heart can often appear following a seemingly healthy and normal birth. The story's video footage, taken at the UVM Medical Center's Mother-Baby Unit, also featured Molly Rideout, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics.