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College of Human Medicine

July College News Headlines

July 31, 2026

College News

  • "It doesn't cover the cost of medical students' education. There's a gap between the amount of money they can borrow for that education and the cost of the education. That gap is what we're worried about," said Andrea Wendling, MD, senior associate dean for academic affairs and director of rural medicine, in this CBS Detroit piece on the erasure of Grad PLUS Loans.
  • The Medical Mile marks 20 years of impact and growth. College of Human Medicine and Secchia Center are part of this Grand Rapids Magazine story looking back on this corridor on Michigan Street known internationally for its medical research, care, innovation, and future-facing posture.

Staff and Faculty Success

  • Omayma Alshaarawy, PhD, MBBS, associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine, has been invited by the NIH Center for Scientific Review to serve as a standing member of the Lifestyle and Health Behaviors Study Section.
  • JohnBosco Chukwuorji, PhD, research associate in the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health, has been elected to the Board of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS).
  • Mona Hanna, MD, MPH, Rx Kids director and associate dean of public health, has been awarded keys to the City of Flint. WJRT, MLive, WNEM, and WSMH reported on the honor.

Healthy Communities

Research and Scholarship

  • Laurel Harduar Morano, PhD, MPH, associate professor in the Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, offered her expertise on the specific dangers those who work outside face in extreme heat and what precautions they can take during Stateside on Michigan Public.
  • In this Super Age article, Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, discussed potential links between PFAS and early menopause, along with ways to cut back on PFAS exposure.
  • Parasitic Outbreak. Rebecca Schein, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, shared her expertise as the media covers this summer's cyclosporiasis outbreak. Today Show, CNN, Reader's Digest, Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, WSYM, WILX, WWMT, and Smithsonian Magazine are a few of the outlets covering the outbreak.
  • “Ultimately, the best link we have between dementia risk and diet is through overall wellness,” said Amit Sachdev, MD, MS, assistant professor and director of the Division of Neuromuscular Medicine, in this Prevention article examining the link between ultra-processed foods and dementia.
  • Continuing coverage examining how ovarian cancer resists chemotherapy featured Sachi Horibata, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, in this story from WZZM.
  • Laurel Harduar Morano, PhD, MPH, associate professor in the Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, offered tips for staying cool and why that's important during extreme heat on the JR Morning Show on WJR.
  • Amit Sachdev, MD, MS, assistant professor and director of the Division of Neuromuscular Medicine, commented on the difficulties associated with treating the mysterious Havanna Syndrome in this Prevention article.
  • Additional coverage of the TEACH therapy program developed by Natoshia Cunningham, PhD, Red Cedar Distinguished Professor and associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine, was reported by U.S. News and World Report, BlackDoctor, Drugs.com, and MedicineNet.
  • “We’re glad to see this research being done, but we do not agree that exposure to metals from tampons is negligible. For example, there is no safe level of exposure to lead," said Kristen Upson, PhD, MPH, assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. This NBC News article reports on the FDA findings of whether metals found in tampons are potentially harmful.
  • Women's Health took a closer look at a newly discovered risk factor when it comes to dementia. Amit Sachdev, MD, MS, assistant professor and director of the Division of Neuromuscular Medicine, commented on this social determinant of health.
  • “It is tempting, sometimes, to look at TikTok videos for 30 seconds and come out with a very simple answer,” said Lucas Pozzo-Miller, PhD, the inaugural Mall Family Endowed Professor in Genetic Autism Research, in this WILX story. Pozzo-Miller and Barbara Thompson, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, were interviewed for the story at the 10th annual Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Family and Professionals Conference.
  • Ripla Arora, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, shared her research showing excess muscle building up in lung areas that impair breathing in pediatric patients with pulmonary hypertension. WILX, WOWO, and Medical Xpress reported on the findings.
  • Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, shared her expertise on food dyes in this Nature article titled “How does Make America Healthy Again hold up against scientific scrutiny?”
  • “With excess inflammation, the body may feel generally dysfunctional…..making it hard for doctors (and you) to pin down what could be behind this,” said Amit Sachdev, MD, MS, assistant professor and director of the Division of Neuromuscular Medicine, in this Women’s Health article about the subtle signs of MS that can appear early.