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College of Human Medicine

October College News Headlines

October 30, 2025


OCT-2025-college-news-meta-thumbnail.pngEarlier this month, Tonya Darner, market chief executive officer of UP Health System – Marquette, welcomed participants of the Spartan Bus Tour. Afterwards, Stuart Johnson, DO, community assistant dean of the UP Campus, Andrea Wendling, MD, senior associate dean of academic affairs, and Supratik Rayamajhi, interim dean, shared insights into rural health care and medical education. Photo credit: Derrick L. Turner, Michigan State University

College News

  •  The college’s Rural Physician Program was highlighted during a stop on Spartan Bus Tour. Stuart Johnson, DO, community assistant dean for the Upper Peninsula Region Campus and Abby Prentice, MD, clinical assistant professor, were interviewed in Marquette for this story by WZMQ. Related: Radio Results Network.

Student Success

  • Ross Schmiedeknecht (M4) was the SHM-MI Overall Medical Student Abstract winner with his entry “Navigating Conflicting Guidelines in Pregnancy: Shared Decision-Making in a Patient with Sickle Cell Disease” at the 2025 MI-ACP and SHM-MI Annual Scientific Meeting.

Staff +Faulty Success

  • Michelle T. Pham, PhD, and Megh Marathe, PhD, both assistant professors in the Center for Bioethics & Social Justice, have been awarded the MSU Ethics Institute Research Fellowship for their project titled "Reimagining Human Subjects: Protections in Neural Device Research."

  • Muhammad Nabeel, MD, associate professor in the Department of Medicine, achieved the Fellow of Hospital Medicine (FHM) designation from the Society of Hospital Medicine.

  • Lisa Lowery, MD, MPH, assistant dean for Inclusive Learning Environment, has been awarded the Dr. Rhae-Ann Booker Award for Inclusive Excellence.

  • Ted R. Miller, PhD, professor in the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health, has won the Huelke Award which honors an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine.

  • Rosalynn Bliss, MSW, assistant dean and chief external relations officer, joined Macatawa Bank’s Board of Directors as reported by Crain’s Grand Rapids and WHTC.

  • Chaz Hong, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Medicine, presented “Training for Impact” at the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan on October 21. He addressed experiences of medical practitioners in the community, the role they play in creating a healthy West Michigan, and the Michigan State University initiatives already under way increasing the impact for the greater good.

Healthy Communities

  • “At its core, this paper reaffirms that perinatal poverty is treatable—with the right prescription at the right time,” said Mona Hanna, MD, associate dean for public health and director of Rx Kids, in this Wall Street Journal article.

  • Rx Kids received $270 million in newly approved state budget. It's a "massive investment in our kids," said Mona Hanna, MD, associate dean for public health and director of Rx Kids. Detroit Free Press, Crain’s Detroit, Bridge, MLive, WKAR, Battle Creek Enquirer provided coverage. Related: Healio, BBC.

Research + Scholarship

  • Talking to children after tragedy. Crystal Cederna, PsyD, associate professor in the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health, offered advice to parents after the Minneapolis school shooting in this article in MLive.

  • Cannabis use occurs in at least one in six pregnancies in Michigan. Ban Al-Sahab, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine, is the lead author on the research which was reported by WLNS, Michigan News Source, and WOOD.

  • “So many people will talk about their own experiences with family members that have Alzheimer’s… so it’s that driving toward developing that cure that really inspires us,” said Benjamin Combs, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Translational Neuroscience, in this piece from WOOD about how the Walk to End Alzheimer’s supports research in West Michigan.

  • The challenge of filling prescriptions for opioid use disorder in Michigan. Cara Poland, MD, addiction specialist and associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, offered her expertise on the topic in this report from WCMU.

  • Could a cancer drug be used to treat the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder? Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, weighed in on the discussion surrounding leucovorin in this Prevention article. Related: Yahoo.

  • Alice in Wonderland syndrome (AIWS) and its connection to migraines. Ashhar Ali, DO, clinical associate professor, offered his expertise in this article in Brain&Life.

  • What pollution means for our pets. Robert Wahl, DVM, MS, assistant professor in the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health, lends his expertise in this New York Times article. 

  • Collaboration on Grand Rapids’ Medical Mile was highlighted in this Maranda Where You Live segment featuring Jeffrey MacKeigan, PhD, senior advisor for Michigan State University Office of Research and Innovation.

  • Using the mind-body approach to relieve pain. Howard Schubiner, MD, clinical professor in the College of Human Medicine, shared his advice with the host of Vital Signs on NTD.

  • “From a health and environmental standpoint, it seems like ditching the bottles when possible is the way to go,” said Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, in this Women’s Health article examining microplastics in disposable water bottles. Related: Yahoo, AOL.

  • Healthcare Michigan took a closer look at a study showing how opioid harm reduction programs and agencies reduce deaths and hospitalizations. Cara Poland, MD, associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, added her expertise.

  • Why you might want to add nasal spray to your daily routine as COVID season ramps up. Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, weighed in on the advice in this Prevention article. Related: Yahoo.

  • "If a color looks different, we naturally kind of think, 'Huh, I should be questioning that,’” said Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, in this USA Today article exploring how eating habits may shift as artificial food dyes are phased out.

  • Natalie Kasiborski, PhD, MPH, assistant professor in the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health, offered her expertise as people brace for the loss of food assistance programs during the government shutdown in this story by WILX.

  • How much lead is in your protein powder? Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, examined the risk in this SELF article.

  • Crystal L. Cederna, PsyD, associate professor in the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health, spoke about funding for Project Thrive which offers mental health resources to teens in Flint in these stories by WEYI and Flint Courier News.

  • “Because the rate of vaccination has gone down, we are seeing an increase of bad outcomes,” said Rebecca Schein, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, in this WILX piece about falling immunization rates.

  • “You can still have the coffee, but drink it one hour before or two hours after any of these medications,” said Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, in this Yahoo Health article.

Upcoming Events

  • What’s Happening webinar from the Center for Bioethics and Social Justice featuring Chief Medical Executive for the State of Michigan, Natasha Bagdasarian, MD, MPH, will explore the current landscape of vaccine policy, access, and equity in Michigan. Wednesday, December 3, 12-1 p.m. 

  • 2025 Willis Lecture will feature Marschall Runge, MD, PhD, former CEO of Michigan Medicine and dean, University of Michigan Medical School. Monday, November 17, 12-1 p.m.