Skip to main content

College of Human Medicine

May College News Headlines

May 31, 2024

Judy Brady receiving the Lifetime Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award from the College of Human Medicine dean Aron Sousa.

Staff & Faculty Success

  • Photo above. Judith E. Brady, PhD, assistant dean for student wellness and engagement, received the Lifetime Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award from the College of Human Medicine.
  • Ken Rosenman, MD, was named “Highly Ranked Scholar - Lifetime,” ranking the 8th most-cited scientist in occupational medicine by ScholarGPS.
  • Jack Lipton, PhD, chair of the Department of Translational Neuroscience, was appointed associate dean for research analytics.
  • Anna Moore, PhD, director of the Precision Health Program, was appointed associate dean for research development.
  • Supratik Rayamajhi, MD, was named associate dean for clinical affairs, effective June 1.
  • Nakia Allen, MD, was named community assistant dean of the Detroit Campus, effective June 2.

Student Success

  • Medical student Karmyn Polakowski discusses the benefits of having EMS experience prior to applying for medical school.
  • Incoming medical student Emily Lezotte was featured by Saginaw Valley State University for her remarkable journey from GED to medical school, overcoming family illnesses, financial struggles and other challenges.
  • Congratulations to Microbiology, Genetics, & Immunology’s newest graduate, Dr. Ifeanyichukwu E. Eke! Dr. Eke was mentored by Dr. Rob Abramovitch, and the title of his defense was "Chemical genetics of new nitro-containing compounds that inhibit the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. abscessus."  Dr. Eke is heading to Stanford for postdoctoral training.

Healthier Communities

  • AAMC writes about a wider trend of piloting and studying direct cash programs in the United States, following evidence gathered in low- and middle-income countries that showed success with similar programs aimed at improving health. Mona Hanna-Attisha, MD, associate dean for public health and C. S. Mott Endowed Professor of Public Health, was interviewed about the Rx Kids program.
  • Dean Aron Sousa, MD, was interviewed by WILX TV at the Teddy Bear Health Fair in Lansing earlier this month, where kids brought their teddy bears and stuffed animals for health checkups. “It’s just a great way, a safe and non-frightening way, for them to learn a little bit about about health,” said Sousa.
  • In ongoing coverage of the Flint water crisis by Bridge Magazine, Mona Hanna-Attisha, MD, associate dean for public health, and Kent Key, PhD, assistant professor in the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health, contribute to the discussion the long-term challenges for Flint children, including trauma from the crisis.
  • Rx Kids celebrated an enrollment milestone this Mother’s Day, with nearly 700 moms and babies participating in the program and more than $1 million in cash already prescribed. Related news: Mid-Michigan Now, WNEM.
  • MSUToday writes about the development of a family health history (FHH) toolkit and the work of Kent Key, PhD, assistant professor in the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health. In 2021, Key received a five-year grant for $622,000 from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities to co-develop FHH tools with African American community members.
  • WKAR’s Russ White interviews several faculty in the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health on the work of community-embedded researchers helping with Flint’s most pressing public health issues.

Research and Scholarship

  • MSUToday writes a new endowed fund to foster the next generation of women’s health leaders. To close the gap between women’s health research and other scientific disciplines, Ward and Mari Margaret Walstrom made a $1 million gift to the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology. Related news: WLNS, WKAR.
  • In a WILX story on the Canada wildfires, environmental epidemiologist Robert Wahl, DVM, Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health, discusses the exposure to polutants and the health impacts.
  • Cara Poland, MD, addiction specialist and associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, spoke with Axios Future of Health Care about the addiction crisis. Related: Microsoft Start
  • A number of College of Human Medicine researchers are studying the potential health benefits of marijuana for various medical conditions including HIV, diabetes, and cardiac and metabolic health. The following faculty shared their perspectives on the proposed reclassification of marijuana by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration: Jamie Alan, PhD, and Norbert Kaminski, PhD, Department of Toxicology; Omayma Alshaarawy, PhD, Department of Family Medicine; James Anthony, PhD, and Kipling Bohnert, PhD, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics; and Brittany Tayler, MD, Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health. Related news: Fox 47, WNEM TV 5, WZZM 13, Click On Detroit, WILX TV, WSBT.
  • MSUToday: Several women’s health experts from the College of Human Medicine comment on the unique challenges women encounter on their wellness journey, including Charles Hong, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Medicine; Larry Charleston IV, MD, Department of Neurology; Jill Moschelli, MD, Department of Orthopedics; Ahmad Abu Limon, MD, Department of Medicine.
  • Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, comments on allergy medications in Yahoo and AOL, describing how they work and the differences between commonly used over-the-counter drugs.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

  • The collaborative research work of Libby Bogden-Lovis, academic specialist emeritum, and Karen Kelly-Blake, PhD, associate director of academic programing in the Center for Bioethics and Social Justice, regarding anti-Black racism in bioethics has been recognized as one of the top-10 cited papers published in The Hastings Center Report.

Alumni News

  • Dennis Yamamoto, MD (’78), president of the alumni board, shares the powerful story of his wife Mary’s wish to be an organ donor.
  • Paul Lange, MD ('89), was named vice president of clinical operations and medical director at Indiana Donor Network.
  • Mark DeLano, MD (’89), and his wife have made a gift to the Radiology Healing Garden Endowed Fund to support the maintenance and upkeep of the unique gardens in the main campus of MSU.
  • Norman J. Beauchamp Jr., MD (’90), MSU executive vice president for health sciences, received the Lifetime Excellence in Medicine Achievement Award from the College of Human Medicine.