Office of Medical Communications

(NOVEMBER 1, 2022) Pediatric critical care physician Rebecca Bell, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics, commented in the Burlington Free Press on the surge in local hospitalizations due to rhinovirus or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

The University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine held the 2022 Dean's Excellence in Research three-day celebration October 31 through November 2.

While oxygen is critical for the chemical reactions our cells need to survive, some oxygen reactions occur at the wrong locations or in the wrong proteins, which can cause damage leading to illness and death. The Yvonne Janssen-Heininger lab team has discovered new tools for determining oxidation targets, designing precise small molecules to treat lung fibrosis and cancer.

On October 27, 2022, the UVM Larner College of Medicine held a grand opening and dedication of the newest addition to the medical campus: the Firestone Medical Research Building.

Larner College of Medicine medical alum Philip A. Chan, M.D.'06, M.S., associate professor of medicine and behavioral and social sciences at Brown University's Alpert Medical School and School of Public Health, presented the 2022 Imbasciani-DiSalvo LGBTQ Health Equity Lecture on October 28.

A national cancer research event called Convergence brought experts from around the country and the world to the University of Vermont October 24-27 to discuss interdisciplinary techniques to advance cancer treatment. The experts, along with UVM Cancer Center faculty, presented information about their cutting-edge cancer research.

(OCTOBER 27, 2022) UVMMC pediatrician and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics Michelle Shepard, M.D., Ph.D., spoke to WCAX-TV’s Hailey Morgan about ongoing baby formula supply chain woes affecting Vermont parents.

(OCTOBER 27, 2022) NBC5, WCAX, and other media covered the annual Cancer Convergence Conference, which brought experts from around the country and the world to UVM and featured a Careers in Cancer event for local high school students.

(OCTOBER 26, 2022) Professor of Neurological Sciences Gary Mawe, Ph.D., director of Larner’s Anatomical Gift Program, spoke to Seven Days about the pedagogical value of having medical students dissect real human cadavers in the College’s anatomy lab. Larner receives some 30 to 50 body donations a year.

(OCTOBER 25, 2022) Research Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Yvonne Janssen-Heininger, Ph.D., has been awarded the Lung Cancer Discovery Award by the American Lung Association in Vermont, according to Vermont Business Magazine.

(OCTOBER 24, 2022) A study co-authored by Benjamin Lee, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics; Beth Kirkpatrick, M.D., professor and chair of microbiology and molecular genetics and professor of medicine; and Mary Cushman, M.D., M.Sc., professor of medicine, along with researchers from Columbia University and Boston University, concluded that post-vaccination symptoms are a good sign, CNN reported.

A study by UVM researchers of nearly 2,000 children found that those who reported playing video games for three hours per day or more performed better on cognitive skills tests involving impulse control and working memory compared to children who had never played video games.

“Remember the view, and breathe,” Sarah Schlein, M.D., FACEP, advised her student, Nina Feinberg ’23, as Feinberg prepared to descend a steep rock face in Vermont’s west Bolton woods. Clutching the rope clipped to her waist harness, Feinberg took a deep breath and backed down the crag, with fellow medical students cheering her on. After a few hesitant steps, she looked around: “Okay, I’m fine, it’s really pretty.”

(OCTOBER 20, 2022) Abby Beerman, M.P.H., education instructor in medicine and UVMMC injury prevention coordinator, commented in an article by The Other Paper on a national firearm access and safety movement.

(OCTOBER 19, 2022) Stephen Leffler, M.D., professor of emergency medicine and president and chief operating officer of the University of Vermont Medical Center, was interviewed by VT Digger about overcrowding in the hospital’s Emergency Department.

(OCTOBER 19, 2022) A Seven Days article about CoreMap, co-founded by cardiologist and Professor of Medicine Peter Spector, M.D., discusses the medical technology startup’s search for a breakthrough in detecting the source of atrial fibrillation, and solving the long-standing challenge of providing individualized treatment.

(OCTOBER 18, 2022) Julie Dumas, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry, joined Gayle Guyardo, the host of the nationally syndicated health and wellness show "Bloom," to discuss the impact menopause has on the brain and its connection to Alzheimer’s disease.

The UVM Larner College of Medicine medical Class of 2026’s White Coat Ceremony took place on October 14, 2022, at Ira Allen Chapel.

(OCTOBER 13, 2022) Sarah Schlein, M.D., associate professor of emergency medicine, is a lead investigator and co-author of research on the gender distribution of key leadership roles at the Wilderness Medical Society (WMS) published in WMS’s official journal, "Wilderness & Environmental Medicine" (WEM). The research was featured in an Elsevier article on PHYS.ORG.

(OCTOBER 12, 2022) Richard Rawson, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and research professor at the Vermont Center for Behavior and Health, spoke with Seven Days for an article on increased meth use around Burlington.