Office of Medical Communications

(JULY 22, 2022) In an interview with WCAX-TV, infectious disease specialist Timothy Lahey, M.D., M.M.Sc., professor of medicine, said the number of confirmed cases of monkeypox has likely been undercounted because people with mild or no symptoms have not gone to a doctor for a diagnosis. Vermont health officials Friday said monkeypox is likely here even though there are still no confirmed cases in the state.

(JULY 20, 2022) Robert Shapiro, M.D., Ph.D., professor of neurological sciences, joined other experts for a conversation about the impact of migraine on quality of life, as well as the pain of stigma and how advocacy can reduce stigma, in an editorial collaboration between Medscape and the American Headache Society.

(JULY 19, 2022) More than half of thyroid cancers are identified among patients with no symptoms, according to a study by Mirabelle Sajisevi, M.D., associate professor of surgery, and colleagues, HealthDay News reported.

(July 18, 2022) Despite the strong evidence for early lung cancer screening and its widespread availability, very few eligible individuals take advantage of this potentially lifesaving procedure, Beth Zigmund, M.D., associate professor of radiology, wrote in an opinion piece in VTDigger.

Three Larner College of Medicine faculty-led, interprofessional group projects have been selected to receive 2022 Frymoyer Scholars funding. The three projects focus on newborn resuscitation, building an interdisciplinary gender affirming care model, and fostering excellent clinical teachers, respectively.

(JULY 15, 2022) UVM Cancer Center director Randall Holcombe, M.D., M.B.A., told the Burlington Free Press that the center, together with the Dartmouth Cancer Center and Vermonters Taking Action Against Cancer, has launched a campaign to increase screening for lung cancer — the leading cause of cancer death in Vermont and the country.

The U.S. Public Health Service Physician Professional Advisory Committee selected Finlay Pilcher, a Class of 2024 medical student at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, to receive a 2022 Excellence in Public Health Award.

(JULY 14, 2022) A new study by Matthew Albaugh, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry, and colleagues has found that smoking marijuana as a teen likely affects the still-developing brain, Our Time Press reports.

(JULY 14, 2022) As part of its Community Rounds Workshop series, UVM's Center on Rural Addiction (CORA), led by Stacey Sigmon, Ph.D., held a webinar on July 13 about the importance of distributing naloxone in rural communities, according to the Deerfield Valley News.

(JULY 13, 2022) As Vermonters contemplate the future of COVID-19, infectious disease expert Timothy Lahey, M.D., M.M.Sc., professor of medicine, said in an interview with WCAX-TV that there are going to be peaks and valleys during the pandemic.

On July 11, E.L. Amidon Chair and Professor of Medicine Polly Parsons, M.D., began the transition to her new role as President and CEO of the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM). We sat down with Dr. Parsons to reflect on her 16 years at the helm of the department, review her accomplishments and consider the department’s growth, struggles and triumphs.

(JULY 12, 2022) John King, M.D., M.P.H., professor of family medicine, who practices in Milton, urges all high-risk patients to get screened for lung cancer, according to the Milton Independent. The Dartmouth and the University of Vermont Cancer Centers have named Milton an area of focus to promote early detection of lung cancer.

(JULY 11, 2022) Beth Zigmund, M.D., associate professor of radiology and director of lung cancer screening for UVMMC, explained the benefits of early detection and treatment as part of the UVM and Dartmouth cancer centers’ newly launched partnership with the state’s cancer coalition, NBC5 reported.

Stanford University School of Medicine anesthesiologist and expert in palliative care Rebecca Aslakson, M.D., Ph.D., has been appointed as the next chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, effective September 1, 2022, following a national search.

In a Journal of American Medical Association study, researchers - including UVM Professor and UVM Cancer Center member Brian Sprague, Ph.D. - found that 3D screening with digital breast tomosynthesis had certain benefits compared to breast cancer screening with conventional 2D digital mammography.

(JULY 6, 2022) Associate Professor of Pediatrics Rebecca Bell, M.D., spoke with Alexandra Montgomery of WCAX-TV Channel 3 for a story about updated guidance on safe sleep for babies issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine Dean Richard L. Page, M.D., and UVM Health Network Medical Group President and Larner Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs Jason Sanders, M.D., M.B.A., have announced the appointment of Ramsey Herrington, M.D., as the inaugural chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine, effective July 1, 2022.

In a formal ceremony held at the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine on June 28, 2022, Associate Professor of Surgery William Brundage, M.D., was invested as the inaugural Green and Gold Professor in the Division of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery.

More than 100 in-person and dozens of virtual participants attended the second annual Vermont Center for Cardiovascular and Brain Health (VCCBH) Symposium, held at the University of Vermont’s Davis Center June 2 to 3, 2022. The VCCBH, one of three National Institutes of Health Center of Biomedical Research Excellence-funded programs at UVM, is co-directed by Mary Cushman, M.D., M.Sc., professor and vice chair for emerging researchers in the Department of Medicine, and Mark Nelson, Ph.D., University Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacology.