Call for Proposals: Frymoyer Scholars Program

The Teaching Academy at the Larner College of Medicine has announced a Call for Proposals for applications to the Frymoyer Scholars Program for 2023. Applications are due by March 1, 2023.

Daniel Ackil, D.O., assistant professor of emergency medicine, was recently named director of simulation education in the UVM Clinical Simulation Laboratory. The director of simulation and procedural training in the Department of Emergency Medicine, he specializes in Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) and has an interest in education, resuscitation, trauma, wilderness medicine, and wellness. He also serves as director of the fourth-year medical student emergency medicine bootcamp and as an instructor in the Larner Longitudinal POCUS course, and he is a member of the Teaching Academy. Prior to joining the University of Vermont in 2018, Dr. Ackil received a doctor of osteopathy degree from the University of New England, completed a residency in emergency medicine at Kent Hospital in Warwick, Rhode Island, and completed an ultrasound fellowship at the University of Colorado at Denver.

At the UVM Cancer Center’s recent annual scientific retreat, five cross-disciplinary teams competed for $25,000 in seed funding. Each group had 30 minutes to develop an idea with an actionable research plan that aligned with one of several proposed Cancer Center initiatives to address research relevant to the populations of Vermont and northern New York. Following a vote of the membership, the funds were awarded for the “Spatialomics and Precision Medicine Pipeline” project, which will be co-led by Alan Howe, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology, and Douglas Taatjes, Ph.D., professor of pathology and laboratory medicine and director of the Center for Biomedical Shared Resources. 

Pictured at left: Dr. Taatjes (front, far left) and Dr. Howe (front, far right) pose, holding a symbolic check for $25,000, surrounded by their UVM Cancer Center colleagues.

The Cardiovascular Research Institute (CVRI) of Vermont Board of Directors recently selected Richard L. Page, M.D., dean of the Larner College of Medicine, as a CVRI Distinguished Investigator. Members of the CVRI Board of Directors and previous CVRI Distinguished Investigators nominate candidates for this award, which recognizes investigators who perform sustained, impactful cardiovascular research. Those who hold this designation are encouraged to participate in key CVRI activities and are recognized by CVRI with a reception and a commitment for funding. Dean Page will be recognized at a special CVRI reception in January 2023.

Nathaniel “Than” Moore, PA-C, M.B.A., a Class of 2024 medical student, received the 2022 Mildred Reardon Scholarship from the Vermont Medical Society’s Education and Research Foundation (VMSERF) at the society’s 209^th Annual Meeting held at the Topnotch Resort in Stowe, Vermont, on November 4, 2022. Each year, the $10,000 scholarship is awarded to a UVM medical student who demonstrates commitment to practicing medicine in Vermont and caring for the health of Vermonters. The scholarship program was created to encourage young physicians to return to Vermont after completing their residency training and is named in honor of Mildred Reardon, M.D., a retired Larner College of Medicine faculty member and Class of 1967 alumna, who was instrumental in forming the VMSERF. Moore, who has worked as an emergency medicine physician assistant at UVM Medical Center since 2015, completed his undergraduate degree at Colby College in Maine and received a master of science degree at Bay Bath College in Massachusetts and an M.B.A. at UVM prior to enrolling in medical school. Moore aims to pursue a career in Vermont in either family medicine or emergency medicine.

The Vermont Medical Society (VMS) recognized several individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the health and well-being of Vermonters and the nation during the past year. Honors were presented at the 209^th VMS Annual Meeting on November 4, 2022, in Stowe, Vermont.

Among the 2022 award recipients were five members of the Larner faculty.

Edward Borrazzo, M.D., associate professor of surgery and chief of the Division of General Surgery and Gastrointestinal Surgery at the University of Vermont Medical Center, received the Distinguished Service Award. This award is the highest award VMS can bestow upon one of its members and is given on the basis of meritorious service in the science and art of medicine and for outstanding contributions to the medical profession, its organizations, and the welfare of the public. Both Jason Brazelton, M.D., a clinical practice physician in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and a pathologist at Porter Medical Center, and Timothy Lahey, M.D., M.M.Sc., professor of medicine and an infectious diseases specialist and medical ethicist at the University of Vermont Medical Center, received the Physician of the Year Award. This award is granted annually to a physician(s) licensed in the state of Vermont who has/have demonstrated outstanding performance in the quality of care given to patients; demonstrated skillful and compassionate patient care; and demonstrated dedication to the welfare of patients in accordance with accepted principles of good medical practice. Kimberly Blake, M.D., assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology & reproductive sciences, and an advocate for substance use prevention and treatment, received the Vermont Medical Society’s 2022 Physician Award for Community Services. This award is granted annually to a physician licensed in the state of Vermont who has compiled an outstanding record of community service that reflects well on the profession. Wendy Davis, M.D., a retired Larner College of Medicine faculty member and pediatrician, received the 2022 Founder’s Award, presented to individuals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, vision, and achievement in improving the health of Vermonters and all Americans.

Read the Vermont Medical Society press release regarding the 2022 Leadership Awards.