Office of Medical Communications

It has now been four months since many of us made the rapid change from working on campus to working remotely. That we were able to do so, all the while maintaining our commitment to our core missions, is a testament to the hard work and ingenuity of our faculty, staff and students.

(AUGUST 8, 2020) An essay by Class of 2021 medical student Christopher Veal, titled “At the Intersection of Fear, Grief and Love,” and published July 28 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, led to Veal doing a live interview August 6 on Indiana’s WTLC AM 1310 on “The Legal Word with Kiki Gaither” radio program and a mention in MedPage Today on August 8.

(AUGUST 7, 2020) Mary Cushman, M.D., M.Sc., professor of medicine, was quoted in an MSN article, titled "Even if You Exercise Regularly, this One Habit Could Undo All Your Hard Work," about the importance of not only exercise, but also how active you are on a daily basis, to prevent blood clots and other clotting disorders.

(AUGUST 7, 2020) Timothy Lahey, M.D., M.M.Sc., professor of medicine, was quoted in an NBC5 story about a local woman who has been donating plasma, post a COVID-19 diagnosis.

The University of Vermont received $181.7 million in research funding during the 2020 fiscal year - the largest in UVM history by a wide margin. The Larner College of Medicine had the largest number of grants.

(AUGUST 4, 2020) Associate Professor of Psychiatry Stacey Sigmon, Ph.D., is featured in the September 2020 issue of Fast Company as one of the 74 “Most Creative People in Business for 2020.” Sigmon is featured under the category of "For Designing A Superior Solution" for her work developing new models of opioid treatment delivery.

Medical students at the Larner College of Medicine led a national movement in June to appeal to key national medical education organizations to advocate for a change in assessing a record of arrest stemming from social justice-related protesting. Larner students built a coalition of eight national student organizations, and crafted a letter signed by thousands of student supporters that was sent to the members of the Association of American Medical Colleges, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, and American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine.

(JULY 29, 2020) Comments from Chair and Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Beth Kirkpatrick, M.D., were featured in a July 29 article, titled "One Man's Quest to Infect People With Covid-19 for Science," in Elemental, a new Medium publication for science-backed health and wellness coverage.

Ensuring the effectiveness of policies and media campaigns targeting young people is critical to achieving substance use prevention, but state surveillance systems are often not nimble enough to capture quickly changing substance use trends. New findings from UVM researchers and colleagues highlight how a uniquely flexible survey instrument and use of incentives help capture relevant data and keep young Vermonters engaged.

(JULY 24, 2020) Andrea Villanti, Ph.D., M.P.H., associate professor of psychiatry, is featured in a July 24 WCAX-TV Channel 3 news story, titled "Collaborative effort gives insight on Vt. youth drug use, vaping."

Since it began its rapid spread in December 2019, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has altered the landscape of nearly every enterprise in the world; higher education, including medical education, has not been spared. As the pandemic continues, Larner College of Medicine faculty and staff continue to rise to the occasion – making improvements to the curriculum and learning environment based on student feedback, data collection, and guidance from local, regional, and national authorities.

(JULY 22 & 27, 2020) William Raszka, M.D., professor of pediatrics is quoted in a July 22 article in “The Cut” in The New Yorker, titled "Their Summer Camp Tried to Be Safe. Kids Still Got Sick," and in a July 27 article in WIRED, titled "Some Countries Reopened Schools. What Did They Learn About Kids and Covid?"

(JULY 10-20, 2020) Significant national and international media coverage was generated in response to the publication of a Pediatrics Commentary, titled “COVID-19 Transmission and Children: The Child Is Not to Blame,” authored by Assistant Professor of Pediatrics Benjamin Lee, M.D., and Professor of Pediatrics and Director of Pediatric Infectious Diseases William Raszka, M.D.

(JULY 15, 2020) Bonita Libman, M.D., professor of medicine and fellowship program director for the Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, is quoted in a July 15 article in The Rheumatologist, titled "COVID-19 Poses Training Challenges for Rheumatology Fellows."

Professor of Medicine Mary Cushman, M.D., M.Sc., has been named the recipient of the American Heart Association's 2020 Award of Meritorious Achievement. She will be honored with the award, which recognizes individuals who have rendered an important service to the AHA, during the association's live stream event in October.

(JULY 13, 2020) Coverage of results from a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Science Daily mentioned study coauthors Mary Cushman, M.D., M.Sc., professor of medicine, and Peter Durda, Ph.D., faculty scientist in pathology and laboratory medicine.

A commentary published in the journal Pediatrics by Benjamin Lee, M.D. and William V. Raszka, Jr., M.D., concludes that children infrequently transmit COVID-19 to each other or to adults and that many schools, provided they follow appropriate social distancing guidelines and take into account rates of transmission in their community, can and should reopen in the fall.

(JULY 10 & 14, 2020) A study preprint published on the Social Science Research Network and coauthored by Assistant Professor of Radiology Eline van den Broek-Altenburg, Ph.D., and Professor of Medicine Adam Atherly, Ph.D., was mentioned in a Wall St. Journal and Daily Kos article.

(JULY 9, 2020) Tim Lahey, M.D., M.M.Sc., professor of medicine, was featured in an article, titled "4 questions parents need to ask before sending kids back to school this fall," that appeared on TODAY online and MSN. Lahey was also featured in a July 3 WCAX-TV Channel 3 story, titled "Is it safe to work out at a gym?"

(JULY 9, 2020) A joint statement regarding venous thromboembolism research priorities issued by the International Society for Thrombosis and Haemostasis and American Heart Association was picked up by several online media outlets and includes quoted from Mary Cushman, M.D., M.Sc., professor of medicine and statement chair.