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College of Human Medicine

October College News Headlines

October 30, 2024

Erika Rosebrook, Interim Director of the Master in Public Policy Program and Felicia Eshragh, in front of the Spartan Bus Tour bus.
Erika Rosebrook, Interim Director of the Master in Public Policy Program and Felicia Eshragh, in front of the Spartan Bus Tour bus.

Spartan Bus Tour

  • Several College of Human Medicine faculty shared reflections from last week's Spartan Bus Tour. During the tour's stop at the Grand Rapids Research Center, Jeffrey MacKeigan, PhD, senior advisor for Michigan State University Office of Research and Innovation, told WOOD TV “We’re doing a lot of human discovery, a lot of basic research and translational research. When we say translational research, we mean from the research bench to the hospital or to the bedside and back.” Related: WGVU News, WKAR, Yahoo News, MSUToday, MLive.

Student Success

  • WILX-TV reports that a new vending machine in the MSU Union offers emergency items like Narcan and emergency contraceptives. First-year College of Human Medicine student Arianna Paa was motivated to be part of the initiative after losing a friend to an accidental overdose in undergraduate school. Related: State News, MSU Today.
  • Up North Live reports on Michigan Hometown Healers, a College of Human Medicine student organization, working with Lake City High School to mentor future medical students.
  • Bridge Michigan reports even as Michigan has increased its medical schools and enrollment, the state struggles to hold on to its graduates. College of Human Medicine student Bethany Russell shared why she wants to stay in Michigan to practice medicine. Related: Manchester Mirror.

Staff & Faculty Success

  • Lisa Lowery, MD, MPH, assistant dean for Diversity and Cultural Initiatives, was named in Crain’s list of Notable Leaders in Health Care for 2024.
  • Farha Abbasi, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry, received the Global Leadership Award from Greater Lansing Chapter of the United Nations Association of the USA.
  • Adam Alessio, PhD, professor in the Department of Radiology, was selected to the Academy's Council of Distinguished Investigators Class of 2024 by the Academy for Radiology & Biomedical Imaging Research.
  • The Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods honored Mona Hanna, MD (’02), associate dean for public health, with the 2024 Distinguished Environmental Leadership Award at the 41st Annual Smith Nature Symposium Awards Ceremony. The award acknowledges Hanna’s solutions-oriented public health work to promote well-being, planetary health, and environmental justice while transforming the lives of so many children for the better - in Flint and beyond.
  • David Kaufman, DO, professor, assistant vice president for clinical affairs in the Office of Health Sciences, spoke with Russ White on MSU Today about his new book entitled ‘We Need You in the Locker Room’ which takes a deep dive into the topic of concussions in football.

Research and Scholarship

  • The Association for American Medical Colleges reported on doctors who care for victims of mass shootings. The article highlighted the Remembrance Conference which was a collaboration between the College of Human Medicine and the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences of the University at Buffalo.
  • Health reported on the FDA recall of more than 7,000 bottles of a popular antidepressant due to the presence of a potentially cancerous substance. Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, advised “If you are taking this medication, call your healthcare provider. Do not abruptly stop the medication.”
  • Detroit Free Press reports on the Henry Ford Health deal with Ascension, making it Michigan's second largest health system. Henry Ford's research collaboration with the College of Human Medicine was also mentioned. Related: Yahoo Finance
  • ‘We found out this gene…. could be contributed to lung fibrosis,” said Xiaopeng Li, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, in an article by WZZM about the discovery linking COVID-19 infections to lung transplants.
  • Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, provided insights into the presence of mycotoxins in coffee, in this Yahoo article debunking myths on the topic.
  • Women’s Health reports that a study published in JAMA Network Open found that slower walking speed and cognitive decline may indicate a higher risk of developing dementia. Amit Sachdev, MD, medical director of the Department of Neurology, noted ‘It does not matter why the walk has slowed. It almost always implies a decline in overall wellness is coming.’
  • Flintside examined how public health experts are joining the fight against gun violence. Aron Sousa, MD, dean of the College of Human Medicine, shared how students have launched several new initiatives. Related: Second Wave-Michigan.
  • Women’s Health reported that a study published in PNAS Nexus on October 14 explores gender differences in pain perception, potentially explaining why women are more prone to chronic pain and respond less to opioid treatments. Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, noted, “Pain is subjective, so it is very hard to quantify reliably,” and emphasized societal expectations’ role in pain reporting.
  • Food & Wine reports that two studies that found consuming fizzy drinks and fruit juice can significantly increase the risk of stroke. Amit Sachdev, MD, director in the Division of Neuromuscular Medicine, noted excessive coffee consumption may be linked to underlying health issues as well.
  • Karl Nadolsky, DO, FACE, assistant clinical professor of medicine, talked about silencing “food noise” in this AOL article.
  • In ongoing coverage on the calls for WK Kellogg to ban artificial dyes in their products grow louder, Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, commented on how the dyes can impact children in this story. Related: Fortune, AOL.
  • Feeling the heat? Michael Weiner, DO, assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, explains the reasons some people complain about being too hot or always sweaty in this Men’s Health story.
  • Saleh Aldasouqi, MD, chief, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, spoke with MSU Today’s Russ White about the dangers of daylight-saving time for those who have diabetes.
  • As the year winds down, leaders in spine care comment on what they’re concentrating on. Michael Lewis, MD, chair of the Department of Anesthesia, weighs in in this article by Becker’s Healthcare.
  • ‘Metformin is very interesting, because it has multiple ways that it works in the body,’ said Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, in an article published by Good Housekeeping exploring the claim that the drug is a ‘wonder drug.’
  • Doctors says lower vaccination rates are a factor in the rising number of whooping cough cases. Brittany Tayler, MD, the Alice Hamilton Scholar with the Michigan State University-Hurley Children’s Pediatric Public Health Initiative adds her insight to the article by WILX.
  • A plan to disband a group tasked with overseeing how over $1.5 billion in opioid settlement funds are spent in Michigan, has reportedly been in the works for months according to reporting by Bridge. Cara Poland, MD, addiction specialist and associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, and the commission’s chair defended the bipartisan group.
  • Farha Abbasi, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry, talked about the mental health crisis in Michigan as Ingham County approves money for two crisis call taker positions as reported by FOX 47.
  • ‘That level of stress that college students are experiencing is requiring unprecedented amounts of resources…simply put, the demand is so much higher than what we can supply right now,’ said Crystal L. Cederna, PsyD, associate professor in the Charles Stewart Mott Department. Cederna addresses the mental health crisis taking place on college campuses across the country in this State News article.
  • As Michigan beer and wine manufacturers team up with members of Congress to call for a study to be suspended, Brittany Tayler, MD, the Alice Hamilton Scholar with the Michigan State University-Hurley Children’s Pediatric Public Health Initiative, weighed in on healthy alcohol consumption in a story by WILX.
  • Walking pneumonia cases are on the rise in Michigan. Rebecca Shein, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, said children are more at risk in this story by WILX.

Healthier Communities

  • Mona Hanna, MD, associate dean for public health, joined The Lancet Voice podcast to discuss the inspiration for creating the Rx Kids cash prescription program, early positive outcomes consistent with extensive evidence on child cash benefits, and informing bipartisan national policy.
  • "You should move to Flint! And have another baby! And you could be part of the Rx Kids program!" said Mona Hanna, MD, associate dean for public health and C. S. Mott Endowed Professor of Public Health, as she touts the Rx Kids program she directs in this Michigan Public report.
  • "This rule is historic. It’s a game changer," said Mona Hanna, MD, associate dean for public health and C. S. Mott Endowed Professor of Public Health, in this New York Times report on the Biden Administration’s regulation mandating the replacement of nearly all lead pipes in the US within a decade. Related: EPA, Boston Globe, MSN, Daily Mail.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

  • ABC News reports researchers from Michigan State University and Rutgers University will lead the first nationally funded study on the effects of structural racism on housing, aging, and health. Dick Sadler, PhD, associate professor in the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health, explained the study will examine “how factors such as redlining, gentrification, predatory lending, urban renewal, freeway construction, segregation and more” have contributed to racial inequities. Related: MSN, AOL, Yahoo, WLNS, and others.
  • Voter-roll purging could disproportionately target underrepresented and lower-income communities according to a study coauthored by Dick Sadler, PhD, MPH, associate professor, associate chair of Research Division of Public Health as reported on MSN, MSUToday and Newswise.

Other College News

  • Steve Heacock, who was instrumental in bringing the headquarters of the College of Human Medicine to Grand Rapids, retired from the role of president and CEO of Grand Rapids WhiteWater on June 30. A profile of his career is detailed in this Crain’s Grand Rapids Business article.
  • Jerry Kooiman, assistant dean and chief external relations officer, spoke about MIDOCs, a state-funded residency program that offers up to $150,000 in loan repayment, in this Bridge Michigan article.