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College of Human Medicine

February College News Headlines

February 26, 2025

National News

  • “I think the chill will be felt immediately, but the impact is going to be lasting,” said Charles Hong, MD, PhD, chair Department of Medicine, in an article by The Scientist about NIH budget cuts.

  • “We have not stopped, but the kinds of cuts that are being discussed absolutely would stop that work,” said Aron Sousa, MD, dean of the College of Human Medicine, in this article examining proposed federal funding changes in Crain’s Grand Rapids. Related: Detroit Free Press, MLive.

  • "You get a cancer diagnosis and then you're trying to figure out are you going to have to work also? That is not the time for us to be putting more strings on people, more burdens for them. We should be helping them," said Aron Sousa, MD, in a WJRT story about potential cuts in Medicaid.

  • “We need offices. We need electricity. We need lights, heat, IT, infrastructure, people to create and sell the contracts,” said Jennifer Johnson, PhD, chair of the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health, of proposed cuts to NIH funding in The Guardian.

  • "These kinds of cuts will stop the research that gets done to help us to fund early detection and cures for Parkinson's disease or for Alzheimer's disease,” said Jack Lipton, PhD, chair, Department of Translational Neuroscience, explained in this piece by WXMI. Lipton was also interviewed by WZZM and MLive.

Healthier Communities

  • Rx Kids, the nation’s first-ever prenatal and infant cash prescription program, has expanded to Kalamazoo. Coverage by: MLive, WWMT.

  • Tackling child poverty through the Rx Kids program was discussed on the Pediatric Meltdown podcast featuring Brittany Tayler, MD, the Alice Hamilton Scholar with the Michigan State University-Hurley Children’s Pediatric Public Health Initiative.

  • Impacts on health and the environment. Brittany Tayler, MD, the Alice Hamilton Scholar with the Michigan State University-Hurley Children’s Pediatric Public Health Initiative, took a look at what’s a stake when it comes to vaping in public in this report from WXMI.

Research & Scholarship

  • Gayle Shipp, PhD, assistant professor, Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health, shares tips for healthy bone growth in girls in an article by Metro Parent.

  • What does it mean to be “California Sober?” Cara Poland, MD, addiction specialist and associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, provided insight in this report from FOX News. Related: AOL, WDBD.

  • Diagnostic delays experienced by people with epilepsy was the topic of research by Megh Marathe, PhD, assistant professor, Center for Bioethics & Social Justice. Their research was featured in MSUToday, Newswise, and Disability Studies Quarterly.

  • Five years after the COVID pandemic took hold of the world, researchers are still learning about the impacts of long COVID. Amit Sachdev, MD, MS, assistant professor and director of the Division of Neuromuscular Medicine, was tapped for his expertise in this report from WILX.

  • How exercise can ward off dementia. Amit Sachdev, MD, MS, assistant professor and director of the Division of Neuromuscular Medicine, explained how healthy movement can help the heart and the brain in this article by AOL.

  • Can a gummy lead to a toned body? Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, breaks down the ingredients in these trending supplements in this piece by Yahoo.

  • A number of college faculty shared important perspectives about experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic and note key takeaways to keep in mind as we move forward.

  • How do natural food dyes stack up against artificial? Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, take a look at the pros and cons in this Food & Wine article.

  • Aron Sousa, MD, dean of the College of Human Medicine and second-year student Andi Nations took part in the “Perspectives on Gun Violence Roundtable” contributing their perspective of gun violence as a public health issue. WXMI and WILX provided coverage.

  • “I completely believe in team science,” said Jenny Klomp, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Medicine. Klomp and Howard Crawford, PhD, research professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and senior researcher at Henry Ford Health were featured in MSUToday about how their collaborative work is changing the outlook for those battling pancreatic cancer.

  • Women’s Health took a look at the link between B12 and dementia. Amit Sachdev, MD, MS, assistant professor and director of the Division of Neuromuscular Medicine, offered his expertise.

  • Can you become addicted to ibuprofen? Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, tackles the topic in this article in Popsugar.

  • The College of Human Medicine will once again partner with Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo for Remembrance Conference 2025. The event, now in its third year, brings together two campus communities impacted by gun violence.

  • Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, talks about the synthetic dye methylene blue and how it affects the body in this article in Health.

  • 2016 alums Lara Baatenburg and Jana Baatenburg are sisters and now business partners as they have opened a concierge medicine practice as reported by Grand Rapids Magazine.

  • Is it too late in the season to get a flu shot? Victor DiRita, PhD, chair of the Department of Microbiology, Genetics, and Immunology provided advice in this piece by WILX.

  • Examining microplastics in the kitchen and takeout containers was the theme of these articles in Food & Wine and Prevention featuring expertise from Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology.

  • The connection between cannabis use in expectant mothers and smaller newborns was explored in a study by James Anthony, PhD, professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and published by Capital News Service and Planet Detroit.

  • The College of Human Medicine is partnering with MSU Extension to study opioid use disorder in rural Michigan and its connection to sleep and pain as reported by Midland Daily News and MSN.

  • Is Teflon still considered dangerous for your health? This article in AOL examines the cookware coating’s history and how you can use it safely with expert advice given by Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology.

Student Success

  • Lexi Vu, a graduate student in the Department of Microbiology, Genetics and Immunology, has received a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowship grant from NIH to study better ways of treatment when HPV cells are present.

  • “Learning more about how deeply seeded health disparities are really reinforced my passion for helping others.” Katlin Harwood-Schelb, MPH (’24), shares her experience as the inaugural recipient of the Flint Spartan Master of Public Health Scholarship.

Staff & Faculty Success