Office of Medical Communications

(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.”

As a young math and science wiz, first-generation college student Cynthia Forehand admits she had a rocky start to her academic career, but an invitation to work in her advisor’s lab “was the beginning of a lifelong passion for inquiry-driven research,” she says, and led to more than 35 years of service as a biomedical scientist, educator, mentor, and leader at the University of Vermont.

Heather Herrington, M.D., associate professor of surgery and pediatrics, has been selected as one of 45 women to participate as a member of the 2023-24 class of fellows in the Executive Leadership in Health Care program at the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine® (ELAM®) program at Drexel University College of Medicine.

(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.

This summer, 20 summer scholars were awarded $4,000 stipends to deepen their engagement, hone their skills, and drive towards new discoveries under the guidance of a UVM Cancer Center mentor. Among the group is Kanayo Ikeh, this year’s 2023 Juckett Summer Student Scholar.

(JUNE 28, 2023) A Seven Days profile of Lisa Carlson, a Vermont author, teacher, and funeral consumer advocate who passed away on June 4, 2023, mentions the Anatomical Gift Program at the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine.

A study by UVM researchers and colleagues finds mental health care lagging after firearm injury, which increases risk for serious mental health conditions.

(JUNE 23, 2023) Professor Emeritus of Medicine Arthur Kunin, M.D.’52, and fellow Larner alum Ned MacCarty, M.D.’57, commented in a WVNY-TV story about an Alzheimer’s fundraiser held at The Residence at Quarry Hill, where they both live.

(JUNE 22, 2023) Colchester-based Vernal Biosciences is providing labs with reliably consistent mRNA, said Dev Majumdar, Ph.D., assistant professor of surgery (who is not affiliated with Vernal), in a VTDigger article on the new company.

Former New England Patriot and three-time Super Bowl champion Joe Andruzzi visited the UVM Cancer Center’s patients and care teams on June 22, 2023 as part of a road trip celebrating his namesake Joe Andruzzi Foundation’s 15th anniversary.

Five teams of Larner College of Medicine Class of 2026 medical students and the first-ever joint Larner-Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth team have been selected to participate as 2023-24 Schweitzer Fellows through the New Hampshire/Vermont (NH/VT) Schweitzer Fellows Program.

Class of 2026 Larner College of Medicine students researched Vermont’s most timely public health and social needs, revealing important findings that will help shape direction for social service agencies. The students shared their findings at community celebration in on May 31.

Celdara Medical and UVM Professor of Medicine Jason Botten, Ph.D., have received a Phase II Small Business Technology Transfer grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases that will support the ongoing development of therapeutic antibodies for the treatment of Hantavirus Cardiopulmonary Syndrome – a severe respiratory disease caused by rodent-borne hantaviruses.

(JUNE 14, 2023) Vermont Health Commissioner Mark Levine, M.D., Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine Daniel Wolfson, M.D., FACEP, and Research Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Heidi Melbostad, Ph.D., MFT, spoke to Seven Days about the state’s efforts to address opioid addiction.

A new study at the University of Vermont is exploring whether inviting Black people to help design digital recruitment approaches will better engage Black adults and increase participation in trials.

(JUNE 13, 2023) According to a study by Brian Sprague, Ph.D., professor of surgery and biochemistry, and colleagues, many women at high risk of screening mammography failure do not undergo supplemental screening after mammography, HealthDay News reported.

(JUNE 13, 2023) Like many clinicians, Timothy Plante, M.D., M.H.S., assistant professor of medicine, is excited about the potential of cuffless blood pressure monitors. However, “We’ve been burned by it before,” he told Medscape Cardiology.

On May 17, 2023, the University of Vermont’s Vermont Lung Center and the American Lung Association announced Vermont’s participation as one of 35 sites across the country conducting a first-of-its-kind large-scale study of millennial lung health - the Lung Health Cohort Study.

The Vermont Center for Cardiovascular and Brain Health supports research by early-career scientists who are investigating the mysteries of the heart-brain connection. The researchers are sharing their findings at a symposium on June 15-16 at UVM’s Davis Center.