Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology

Department of Medicine

Cardiac remodeling, chronic kidney disease, brain cell energy generation, hypertension and stroke risk, and socioeconomic status and cardiac rehabilitation outcomes, were the topics presented at the Cardiovascular Research Institute of Vermont’s annual Viridis Montis Early Career Investigator Challenge on February 2, 2022.

In a ceremony held January 12, 2021, an outstanding early career physician-scientist in the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, Diego Adrianzen Herrera, M.D., was invested as the inaugural holder of the Early Career Green and Gold Professor of Medicine.

(NOVEMBER 24, 2021) Jan Carney, M.D., M.P.H., associate dean for public health and health policy, and Mark Levine, M.D., Vermont Commissioner of Health and professor of medicine, are both quoted in an article in The Atlantic, titled "America’s Pandemic Star Loses Some Luster," regarding the surge in COVID-19 cases in Vermont.

New research from U.S. Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium (BCSC) members, including several University of Vermont researchers, found that from March to September 2020, breast biopsies and detected cancers at U.S. BCSC facilities dropped sharply, compared with the same span a year earlier.

With $3 million in support from a longtime major supporter of the University of Vermont Cancer Center, Randall F. Holcombe, M.D., M.B.A., was invested as the inaugural J. Walter Juckett Chair in Cancer Research in the Larner College of Medicine on November 3.

The University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine held a successful Dean's Excellence in Research Celebration October 25-27, shining a light on the hard work and achievements of students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

(OCTOBER 15, 2021) Tim Lahey, M.D., M.M.Sc., professor of medicine, authored a "First Opinion" column, titled "Feeling guilty about getting a booster shot? Here’s something you can do." The piece explores the fact that some people are reluctant to receive a booster shot due to vaccine equity issues.

The University of Vermont Cancer Center hosted the 24th annual Women’s Health and Cancer Conference on October 1 from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The virtual event, which was free and open to the public, was sponsored by the Victoria Buffum Fund with an aim to empower and support individuals and communities with knowledge about cancer prevention, detection, treatment, and survivorship.

(AUGUST 25, 2021) Randall Holcombe, M.D., M.B.A., director of the UVM Cancer Center and Juckett Professor of Cancer Research, commented on the role of mRNA in cancer treatment research.

Bob Gramling, M.D., D.Sc., has witnessed grief in its many forms. As the inaugural Holly and Bob Miller Chair in Palliative Medicine and a professor of family medicine, he counsels seriously ill patients and their families while they navigate the challenging terrain between life and death.

Patricia King, M.D., Ph.D., UVM professor of medicine and former chair of the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), led and created the Workgroup on Physician Sexual Misconduct, which conducted a deep review of all available U.S. sexual misconduct disciplinary data, and state medical board physician sexual misconduct laws, policies and procedures might be contributing to this dire problem. Their findings were reported in 2020 and featured in an April 27, 2021 JAMA Viewpoint article.

Not only is Vermont small and rural, but it’s also old. Currently, the state is ranked fourth in the nation for the relative number of residents over 65 years old – a whopping nearly 20 percent of Vermont’s population and rising. And with that status comes a disproportionately large share of heart disease, as well as blood vessel diseases and brain circulation problems that can lead to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

New trial results from the University of Vermont and an international team of researchers show that administering a full dose of a standard blood thinner early to moderately ill hospitalized patients with COVID-19 could reduce the risk of severe disease and death.

Investigators from across the globe came together virtually July 12-15, 2021 for the University of Vermont-hosted ninth biennial "Stem Cells, Cell Therapies, and Bioengineering in Lung Biology" conference to share the latest research in the field and set priorities for their work in the future.

(JUNE 14, 2021) UVM Professor of Medicine Mary Cushman, M.D., M.Sc., co-principal investigator for the Vermont Center on Cardiovascular and Brain Health, was interviewed by anchor Lauren Maloney on Vermont's Local 22 ABC affiliate's "What Matters This Week" program.

Despite a record number of over 400 million cases in 2019, vaccine development for the mosquito-borne dengue virus has been challenging due to the need to protect equally against all four dengue strains. The discovery of new possible biomarkers to predict clinical and immune responses to dengue virus infection could be critical to informing future vaccines.

In a salute to graduating medical students’ accomplishments and to honor the faculty and staff who have supported them during their medical education journey, the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine launched a virtual 2021 Honors Celebration on May 6, 2021.

The University of Vermont Graduate College has announced that Beth Kirkpatrick, M.D., professor and chair of microbiology and molecular genetics, has been named one or three 2021-2022 University Scholars. The University Scholars program recognizes distinguished UVM faculty members for sustained excellence in research, scholarship, and creative arts.