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College of Human Medicine

July College News Headlines

July 31, 2024

David Walsworth, MD, received the Michigan Family Physician of the Year Award.

Staff & Faculty Success

  • Photo above. David Walsworth, MD, received the Michigan Family Physician of the Year Award. For the past 30 years, he has worked tirelessly to promote the practice of family medicine. A long-time Spartan, he serves as associate chair for clinical affairs and medical director at MSU Health Care - Family Medicine in East Lansing.
  • Jennifer Edwards-Johnson, DO, has been appointed associate dean for community academic programs.
  • Susan Barman, PhD, professor in the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, was featured in the July issue of The Physiologist Magazine for her important work in the field.
  • Natoshia R. Cunningham, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine, received the 2024 “Outstanding Workgroup Leader Award” from the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA). This recognition honors Cunningham’s outstanding efforts and achievements to advance pediatric rheumatology research and improve the lives of kids living with pediatric rheumatic and related autoimmune diseases.
  • At the annual Summer Showcase hosted by MSU WebDev CAFE, the College of Human Medicine website received first place in the "Content" category for its improved website navigation, visual appeal and layout. Congratulations to Steven Kaatz, web content administrator, on this recognition from fellow web developers within the university.
  • Ling Wang, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Medicine, received the American Heart Association’s Transformational Project Award for her project entitled “Genetic polymorphisms as predisposed risk for apparent treatment-resistant hypertension in CKD.” This highly competitive $300,000 grant, aims to support innovative, high-impact projects that build on work in progress that will accelerate the field of cardiovascular and/or cerebrovascular research.

Student Success

  • Arynn De Leeuw, a Master of Public Health student and neuroethics research assistant in the Department of Medicine, wrote a student view on MSU Today about presenting her work at the 10th Annual NIH BRAIN Initiative Conference.
  • Julia Phillips, MD, MPH, professor and chair of the Department of Family Medicine, spoke with Medscape on medical student debt and commented on the concept of free medical school tuition.

Research and Scholarship

  • Yahoo! News featured Kristen Upson, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, regarding a study finding “more than a dozen brands of tampons contain heavy metals, including lead and arsenic.” Related: Related: NPR, WILX-TV, New Atlas, WZMQ, FemTech Insider, Women’s Health, Yahoo News Singapore, WRAL.
  • The Los Angeles Times profiles a countertop cutter diagnosed with silicosis, who faced significant challenges securing workers’ compensation. Silicosis “may show up years after someone is exposed,” and the percentage of workers’ compensation has “tumbled over time.” Kenneth Rosenman, MD, chief of the division of occupational and environmental medicine, said, “Even for clear-cut injuries, only about 50% of individuals apply for compensation.”
  • Prevention Magazine highlighted a study led by Bin Chen, MD, PhD, which found that loss of smell may be linked to an increased risk of heart failure. Related: Yahoo UK, AOL.
  • In a New York Times report on the health risks of sugar substitutes, Karl Nadolsky, DO, clinical assistant professor, said he’s seen weight loss “in many of his patients when they switch to diet beverages,” but longer-term studies on sugar substitutes “have found no weight loss benefits, and even some harms.” Related: The Straits Times
  • WZZM 13 interviewed Cara Poland, MD, addiction medicine specialist and associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, about lawmakers deciding how Michigan will spend $1.6 billion in opioid settlement funding.
  • In a recent Health story, Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, comments on findings that dark chocolate is safe for adults to consume. She reported that dark chocolate “doesn’t pose a health risk for adults, a recent study found,” however, “If people are consistently eating more than one ounce of dark chocolate a day,” the findings from the most recent study “may not be applicable.”
  • In a Women's Health story, Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, explains why nonstick pans are making people sick and how to avoid it.
  • Writing in Psychology Today, Robert C. Smith MD, University Distinguished Professor, reviewed the book ChatGPT, M.D. by Dr. Robert Pearl. Smith stated the book provides “unique insight into the problems of medicine, severe shortcomings about which most are incompletely aware, especially that a huge revolution in care must occur.”
  • At the recent TEDxMSU, Cara Poland, MD, addiction medicine specialist and associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, shared her experience of a loved one with substance use disorder and how it influenced her career as a physician. Watch the video.

Healthier Communities

  • MLive reports Rx Kids has reached $2 million in cash prescriptions since the January launch. Related: Flint Courier News, ‘Gander News.
  • The Detroit Free Press reports that Rx Kids is expected to “expand to cities across Michigan.” Dr. Mona Hanna, director of Rx Kids and associate dean of public health, called the program “a prescription for health, hope and opportunity.” Related: WCMU, Bridge Detroit.
  • Flintside reported on how public art helps to tell the Rx Kids story. “I am a firm believer in the power that the arts and humanities have in changing public opinion and reframing narratives” said Dr. Mona Hanna.