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College of Human Medicine

March College News Headlines

March 31, 2026

The Value of Research

 

Student Success

Staff & Faculty Success

  • Laura Freidhoff, senior curriculum specialist, is a 2025-26 Inclusive Excellence Awards recipient.

  • Mark DeLano, MD, chair of the Department of Radiology, has been appointed by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer to the Certificate of Need Commission.

  • A Legacy of Healing. Spectrum News featured Mona Hanna, MD, associate dean for public health and director of Rx Kids, in a piece about the history of women in medicine.

 

Healthy Communities

  • PLN Gene Symposium draws attention from West Michigan community. Charles "Chaz" Hong, MD, PhD, chair, and Allison Kuipers, PhD, vice chair of Basic and Translational Research in the Department of Medicine, spoke with WGVU and WOOD TV+ ahead of the event focused on a gene mutation particularly prevalent among individuals of Dutch ancestry. WZZM and WGVU covered the symposium. Related: Yahoo.

  • In its largest geographic expansion yet, Rx Kids officially opened to families in all 15 counties of the Upper Peninsula, tripling from five counties in the Eastern U.P. to region-wide coverage. Coverage from Detroit Free Press, WZMQ, 9&10News, and The Mining Journal.
  • Michigan Advance explored a report showing money from Rx Kids is paying for baby supplies, food, rent, and housing expenses. The report includes testimonials from parents calling the program “life changing." Related: News Break.

 

Research & Scholarship

  • The history and reputation of MSG. SELF took a deep dive into the background of the flavor enhancer. Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, added her expertise.

  • “If we can mobilize national campaigns to fight cancer and heart disease, we can address mental health with the same seriousness," said Robert C. Smith, MD, University Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Departments of Medicine and Psychiatry. Psychology Today and Flagstaff Business News reported on Dr. Smith's book titled Has Medicine Lost its Mind? Why Our Mental Health System Is Failing Us and What Should Be Done to Cure It.

  • B6, found in energy drinks and supplements, can be harmful in large doses. VeryWell Health reported on the dangers with input from Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology.

  • Bullying in academia. Morteza Mahmoudi, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Radiology and Precision Health Program, shared his expertise in this Nature article about a PhD student seeking advice about how to deal with a verbally abusive supervisor.

  • Vitamin patches, also known as stickers, are growing in popularity. But do they work? Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, offers her take in this SELF article.

  • The surprising extra health benefit of melatonin is examined in these articles in Prevention and Women’s Health. Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, offered her expertise on the topic.

  • Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to lift restrictions on peptides. Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, shared her expertise in this SELF article on the topic. Related: Yahoo Health.

  • Waking up ready. Prevention revealed the secrets to waking up refreshed and alert. Amit Sachdev, MD, MS, assistant professor and director of the Division of Neuromuscular Medicine, contributed to the piece.

  • WOOD offered continuing coverage on work done by Jennifer Johnson, PhD, chair of the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health, on suicide prevention among people recently released from pretrial jail detention. 

  • Women's Health reported Viagra is providing relief from a circulatory disorder that disproportionately affects women. Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, offered her expertise.

  • An investigative team led by Dohun Pyeon, PhD, professor in the Department of Microbiology, Genetics, & Immunology, opened a potential path to new cancer therapies for patients who currently have no effective treatment options. ScienMag and WILX reported on the work.

  • When a headache is a sign of something more. Amit Sachdev, MD, MS, assistant professor and director of the Division of Neuromuscular Medicine, showed us what to look for in this SELF article.

  • WILX and WLUC reported on a new, more resistant variant of the COVID-19 virus. Rebecca Schein, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, shared what's known about the Cicada variant.

  • Another study examined if silicone bakeware is leaching toxins into food. Jamie Alan, PhD, associate professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, cautioned readers to consider how the study was conducted in this Prevention article.

Alumni/Donors

  • Traverse City Business News featured Ryan Burke, MD, (’15) in a piece about local medical superstars and what brought them to operating rooms in Traverse City.