Office of Primary Care and Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program

On August 7, 2023, the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont welcomed 124 new medical students in the Class of 2027 to campus. Students in the Class of 2027 were selected from a pool of more than 8,500 applicants. Just over a quarter of the new med students are Vermonters and 24 percent identify as LGBTQ+. In addition, 24 percent of UVM’s newest medical students are people underrepresented in medicine—referred to in higher education as “URiM”—a category that includes African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino/a, and Native American/Alaskan Native. The student body draws from 26 states, excluding Vermont, and two Canadian provinces.

(AUGUST 11, 2023) Sherrie Khadanga, M.D., assistant professor of medicine and director of cardiac rehabilitation at the University of Vermont Medical Center, commented to In Profile Daily on an article about the health benefits of walking.

(AUGUST 10, 2023) A study led by principal investigator Elias Klemperer, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology and psychiatry, found that Vermont’s medication program for incarcerated people with opioid use disorder has helped reduce overdoses after release, according to VTDigger.

(AUGUST 8, 2023) Research by Mark Nelson, Ph.D., chair and University Distinguished Professor of pharmacology and professor of molecular physiology and biophysics, and colleagues shines a light on the mechanism behind vascular dementia in a mouse model, which the investigators hope will lead to better treatments being developed for the neurodegenerative condition, according to Inside Precision Medicine.

(AUGUST 7, 2023) Pulmonologist David Kaminsky, M.D., professor of medicine, says it’s probably best to avoid breathing in polluted air during the cleanup following July’s record-setting flooding, according to WCAX-TV.

(AUGUST 4, 2023) Suresh Garimella, Ph.D., president of the University of Vermont, has achieved an H-index of 100 — meaning he has at least 100 papers cited a minimum of 100 times each, New India Abroad reports.

(AUGUST 3, 2023) At the 2023 International Mesothelioma Interest Group (iMig) conference in June, Brian Cunniff, Ph.D., assistant professor of pathology, presented early experience with “an exciting new therapeutic option for patients suffering with mesothelioma” to a global audience of clinicians, scientists, and allied professionals, according to Business Wire.

(JULY 31, 2023) Professor of Medicine Jan Carney, M.D., M.P.H., associate dean of public health and health policy, was interviewed by Darsh Shah, D.O., and Altamash Raja, D.O., CSCS, for their Medicine Redefined podcast series in an episode about ‘Establishing Public Health and Policy: Rewriting Medical Education.’

(JULY 28, 2023) In an opinion piece in VTDigger, W. Kemper Alston, M.D., M.P.H., chief of infectious disease at the UVM Medical Center and professor of medicine at the Larner College of Medicine, cautioned that climate change could hasten the spread of antibiotic-resistant “superbug” infections. (Click headline for more.)

(JULY 27, 2023) The Supreme Court’s rejection of considering race in college admissions leaves academic leaders — including at the Larner College of Medicine — worried about how to maintain their commitment to racial diversity among their students and, subsequently, in the medical field, according to an article in AAMC News. (Click on headline for more.)

(JULY 24, 2023) “Existing scientific studies show that, as the mercury climbs, so do hospital admissions,” writes Daniel Barkhuff, M.D., assistant professor of emergency medicine, in an opinion piece in VTDigger warning of the health effects of climate change.

(JULY 21, 2023) Sandra Thompson May, senior lab/research technician in pathology and laboratory medicine, was impressed by a recent i-STEM educator professional development workshop she participated in at Idaho State University, according to the Idaho State Journal.

(JULY 18, 2023) In the wake of recent severe flooding across Vermont and as cleanup begins, infectious disease expert Timothy Lahey, M.D., M.M.Sc., professor of medicine, spoke to WCAX-TV about the dangers of mold and the risks posed by contaminated water.

(JULY 14, 2023) Sean Diehl, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology and molecular genetics, spoke to WCAX-TV about the risk of an uptick in mosquito-borne illnesses given the amount of standing water left behind by the recent severe flooding in central Vermont.

(JULY 14, 2023) Second-year medical students Jenna Eaton and Jake Bleau helped to create and implement a Southern Vermont Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Advanced MedQuest program at Rutland Regional Medical Center recently, according to The Vermont Journal.

(JULY 13, 2023) Professor of Medicine Jan Carney, M.D., M.P.H., associate dean of public health and health policy, was interviewed by host Barbara Ann Garcia for a Healthcare UnTold podcast episode titled ‘Dr. Jan Carney, A National Public Health Leader.’

(JULY 12, 2023) Lung specialist Anne Dixon, M.A., B.M.B.Ch., professor of medicine, spoke with healthywomen.org about a demonstrated association between obesity and a higher risk of severe COVID-19.

(JULY 11, 2023) Doctoral student Bryn Loftness is working with her UVM faculty mentors Ellen McGinnis, assistant professor of psychiatry, and Ryan McGinnis, professor of biomedical engineering, to identify biomarkers associated with mental health issues in young children, Newswire reports.

(JULY 10, 2023) Endocrinologist Matthew Gilbert, M.D., professor of medicine, told iNews the surging demand for the diabetes drug Ozempic as an “off-label” weight-loss drug “is a good example of social media driving demand for a product that is effective.”

(JULY 3, 2023) Psychologist Arnold Kozak, Ph.D., clinical assistant professor of psychiatry, spoke to Women’s Health about introversion vs. extroversion as a sliding scale. Kozak believes everyone should cultivate the luxury of alone time to ensure they have a solid relationship with their inner selves.