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College of Human Medicine

April College News Headlines

April 30, 2025

 

Barbara Thompson, PhD, with a child research participant in the SEND Lab.

A castle made for children could hold the answers to unlocking social interaction mysteries for children with autism. WOOD reported on Barbara Thompson, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, and her research with the SEND Lab. Related: Yahoo.

Alumni News

  • Kyle Burton, MD (’24), jumped into action to help two people experiencing medical emergencies mid-flight. His heroic story was reported by MyUpNow.com.

The Value of Research

  • “If you want to invest in the greatness of the science that America uses to lead the world, it doesn’t make any sense,” said Aron Sousa, MD, dean of the College of Human Medicine, in the continuing coverage of NIH funding cuts in an article by MLive.

  • Jamie Bernard, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, shared how her mother’s breast cancer diagnosis motivated her research in these stories by WILX, WLNS, and MLive. Related: Yahoo.

  • “This is killing me. It’s not about the universities and our careers being harmed. It’s about the communities,” said Dawn Misra, PhD, chair of the Department of Epidemiology, in an article by The New Yorker on federal funding cuts.

  • “We will see a thousand Flints throughout our nation if we continue these austerity-driven measures,” said Mona Hanna, MD, associate dean for public health and Charles Stewart Mott Endowed Professor of Public Health, in this Washington Post article about how layoffs and funding delays could slow the fight against lead.

  • “I believe that for the U.S. to remain a global leader in cancer research, it will need to recommit to the model that made success possible: a balanced ecosystem of public funding, private investment and nonprofit support,” said Jeffrey MacKeigan, PhD, senior advisor in the Office of Research and Innovation, in this article in The Conversation about research funding.

  • “We've got to maintain a strong partnership with the federal government to advance the science….whether it's in medicine or agriculture or business, those communities around the country rely on great public research universities like Michigan State,” said Kevin Guskiewicz, president, Michigan State University in this article by WKAR.

Student Success

  • College of Human Medicine students taking part in clinical rotations with Henry Ford Health System are spending time at Gesher Human Services’ Clubhouse Program in Southfield. There they are able to interact and learn from people living with serious mental health conditions as reported by Michigan Mama News.

  • Second-year student Cordelia Tuan was awarded the Robert L. Decker and Benjamin Muns Friendship Memorial Scholarship through the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities.

  • First-year student Sophia Liang, received a David E. Rogers Student Fellowship Award for a project entitled, "Food Insecurity and Healthcare Utilization Among Patients with IBD in the All of Us Research Program." She will conduct this research under the mentorship of faculty member Vivienne Hazzard, PhD, assistant professor in the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health.

Staff+Faculty Success

  • Anna Moore, PhD, associate dean for research development, received the William J. Beal Outstanding Faculty Award at the All-University Awards Ceremony.

  • Governor Gretchen Whitmer appointed Arlynn Dailey, community engagement and outreach administrator for Detroit, to the inaugural Nutrition and Dietetics Board for Michigan. 

  • Linda Cornish, MBA, division administrator in the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health, received the Black Faculty, Staff and Administrators Association Contemporary Leader Support Staff Award.

  • Christopher H. Contag, PhD, director, Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering was elected to the 2025 Class of AIMBE College of Fellows.

  • Nicole Jones, PhD, assistant professor in the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health, received the Hometown Health Hero Award recognizing her accomplishments and dedication to community health and well-being.

  • Brittany Tayler, MD, the Alice Hamilton Scholar with the Michigan State University-Hurley Children’s Pediatric Public Health Initiative, received the Jean Chabut Health Policy Champion Award which is presented to individuals who have made significant contributions toward the health and well-being of Michigan citizens.

College News

  • “Our team takes great pride in being a small part of the 50 years of medical education in the Upper Peninsula. We look forward to many more years of cultivating our learners to be their best,” said Stuart Johnson, DO, community assistant dean for the Upper Peninsula Region Campus, in this article by MyUPNow.com highlighting the 50th anniversary of the campus.

  • “In my office, patients routinely invite students to witness and participate in very meaningful encounters, during which they share their stories and patiently allow students to critically think through diagnoses and treatment plans,” said Andrea Wendling, MD, senior associate dean for academic affairs, in an article by Medscape exploring how to make the most of clinical time in med school.

Research + Scholarship

  • Rebecca Schein, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, shared information on symptoms and prevention of measles on Michigan Public, as Ingham County reported its first case. Related: WSYM.

  • Sean Valles, PhD, director of the Center for Bioethics and Social Justice, offered his expertise on how Health and Human Service Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is affecting public health in the U.S. in this Salon article.

  • What’s in your toilet paper? Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, comments on how concerned we should be about the ingredients used in making the bathroom staple in this Yahoo article.

  • There’s a new study show a concerning link between anti-depressants and sudden cardiac death. Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, adds her expertise in this Prevention article.

  • “Zip code is a major determinant of overall health,” said Amit Sachdev, MD, MS, assistant professor and director of the Division of Neuromuscular Medicine, in this Women’s Health article examining a new study that shows where you live can affect your risk for dementia. Related: AOL

  • "Every hour, every day that a baby is born into and grows up in poverty is a failure on all of us. It is a failure on society, because we can do better,” said Mona Hanna, MD, associate dean for public health and C. S. Mott Endowed Professor of Public Health, in this story about RxKids reported by Detroit Free Press.

  • Amit Sachdev, MD, MS, assistant professor and director of the Division of Neuromuscular Medicine, added his thoughts to the potential that senolytics, compounds that help clear out damaged cells in the body, may help slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease as reported by Yahoo.

  • Mahmoud Salama MD, PhD, director of the Oncofertility Consortium and assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, commented in an article examining research to ensure the youngest cancer survivors can someday become parents in this Associated Press article.

  • “The best advice when it comes to exercise is that some is better than none, and it’s never too late to try,” said Amit Sachdev, MD, MS, assistant professor and director of the Division of Neuromuscular Medicine, in this Prevention article exploring how exercise can boost brain health.

  • Does when you take your collagen supplements affect how well they work? James Galligan, PhD, professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, shares his expertise in this article by mindbodygreen.

  • Could a simple blood test reveal your risk of getting dementia? Amit Sachdev, MD, MS, assistant professor and director of the Division of Neuromuscular Medicine, weighs in on the topic in this Women’s Health article.

  • Although rare, serious complications can arise from the use of contrast agents used in MRIs, said Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, in this article by Prevention.

  • Rebecca Schein, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, pointed to a drop in childhood vaccinations for a rise in whooping cough cases in this story by WXMI. Related: WJBK

  • “Natural food colors may be less colorful in appearance, more costly to produce and less shelf-stable than their synthetic counterparts and foods colored with some natural colors may be less desirable to consumers because of these factors,” Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, in this Yahoo article continuing coverage on banning synthetic food dyes.