LCOM & Department News

  • Tracy, Cushman Quoted in Burlington Free Press Article on COVID Vaccine Study
    (MARCH 12, 2024) Russell Tracy, Ph.D., director of the Laboratory for Clinical Biochemistry Research, and Mary Cushman, M.D., M.Sc., co-director of the Vermont Center for Cardiovascular and Brain Health, commented to the Burlington Free Press about a study of COVID-19 vaccine efficacy.
    Read full story at Burlington Free Press
  • Cunniff Tells WCAX about a Promising New Treatment for Lung Cancer
    (FEBRUARY 21, 2024) Brian Cunniff, Ph.D., assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, spoke with WCAX-TV about a promising new treatment for mesothelioma that is being tested at the UVM Cancer Center.
    Read full story at WCAX-TV
  • Cunniff Lab Data Shared at World Conference on Lung Cancer, New Sarawak Tribune Reports
    (SEPTEMBER 18, 2023) Larner’s Cunniff Laboratory, headed by Brian Cunniff, Ph.D., assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, was part of a collaboration that recently shared new preclinical data at the IASLC 2023 World Conference on Lung Cancer in Singapore, the (Malaysia) New Sarawak Tribune reported.
    Read full story at New Sarawak Tribune (Malaysia)
  • May Praises Idaho State iSTEM Workshops for ‘Proactive Approach’ to Preparing Students for the Future in Idaho State Journal Article
    (JULY 21, 2023) Sandra Thompson May, senior lab/research technician in pathology and laboratory medicine, was impressed by a recent i-STEM educator professional development workshop she participated in at Idaho State University, according to the Idaho State Journal.
    Read full story at Idaho State Journal
  • Postdoctoral Research Showcased at UVM Event
    Promising young scientists from colleges across the UVM campus gathered recently to celebrate the broad training experience, varied investigations, and collaborative community of UVM’s postdoctoral scholars. Organized by the UVM Postdoctoral Association, the event provided a chance for the scholars to present their research and network with peers.
  • Medical Students, Faculty, & Staff Recognized at Class of ’23 Honors Night
    The Larner College of Medicine medical Class of 2023 Honors Night on May 15 featured recognition and awards for graduating medical students, faculty, and staff.
  • World Today News Highlights Cushman Study on COVID-19 Vaxx and Blood Clot Risk
    (APRIL 25, 2023) Mary Cushman, M.D., M.Sc., professor of medicine and of pathology & laboratory medicine, is a co-author of a study on COVID-19 vaccines and their alleged risk of causing blood clots that was highlighted in World Today News.
    Read full story at World Today News
  • van der Vliet's Study Finds Potential New Treatment Target for Obesity-Associated Asthma
    A new study in the American Journal of Physiology-Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology by Albert van der Vliet, Ph.D., professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, and colleagues is honing in on why people with asthma often have worse symptoms if they are obese.
  • Seward Lab Lands Two-Year National Cancer Institute R21 Grant
    UVM Cancer Center member David J. Seward, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, received a prestigious two-year National Cancer Institute R21 grant to investigate why lung cancers with a certain set of mutations demonstrate immunotherapy resistance.
  • Study Finds Revised Mammography Guidelines May Have Impacted Drop in Screenings
    UVM Cancer Center researchers Sarah Nowak, Ph.D., and Brian Sprague, Ph.D., found that a 2009 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force change in guidelines led to an unintended consequence: a decline in mammography screening rates for all age groups, including the 50-74 group, which is most at risk of developing breast cancer and most in need of screenings. Their results were recently published in The American Journal of Preventative Medicine.
  • Harm Discusses Blood on NPR/VT Public’s “But Why” Kids Podcast
    (MARCH 24, 2023) A “But Why” kids podcast segment titled “Why Do We Have Blood and What Does It Do?” features a discussion between host Jane Lindholm and Sarah Harm, M.D., associate professor, division chief for laboratory medicine, and medical director for laboratory medicine in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.
    Read full story at NPR/Vermont Public
  • Cushman Discusses What Your Blood Type Says about Your Health in Labor Tribune Interview
    (MARCH 20, 2023) There are many possible reasons for why knowing your blood type could give clues to your risk of stroke and heart attack, hematologist Mary Cushman, M.D., M.Sc., professor of medicine and pathology and laboratory medicine, told the St. Louis/Southern Illinois Labor Tribune.
    Read full story at St. Louis/Southern Illinois Labor Tribune
  • Gender Equity Event Features Talk on Dismantling Dominant Culture, Celebrates Awardees
    The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont hosted the fourth annual Celebration of Gender Equity in Medicine and Science on March 2, 2023.
  • Charlotte News Lauds Janssen-Heininger as a ‘Humble Superstar’
    (JANUARY 12, 2023) Yvonne Janssen-Heininger, Ph.D., professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, is described as a “humble superstar” in an article about cancer research at UVM in The Charlotte (Vermont) News.
    Read full story at The Charlotte News
  • World Today News Notes Cushman Study on Blood Type AB and Dementia
    (JANUARY 6, 2023) A recent study led by Mary Cushman, M.D., M.Sc., professor of medicine and of pathology and laboratory medicine, found that people with blood type AB are 82 percent more likely to experience thinking and memory impairments that can lead to dementia, World Today News reported.
    Read full story at World Today News
  • UVM’s Redox Researchers Collaborate with Scholars at Japan’s Tohoku University
    Albert van der Vliet, Ph.D., professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, participated in a six-week Invited Fellowship at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan, engaging in research on environmental medicine and molecular toxicology. The fellowship coincided with a medley of scientific meetings and symposia that brought together leading scientists from around the world in the specific research fields of nitric oxide biology. Dr. van der Vliet, Yvonne Janssen-Heininger, Ph.D., and Brian Cunniff, Ph.D. participated as invited speakers. Additional Japanese federal funding supports the exchange of invited researchers, graduate students and post-doctoral scholars to collaborate on research.
  • Janssen-Heininger Probes Oxygen's Mysteries to Find Lung Disease Treatments
    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.
  • Eradicating Polio: UVM Vaccine Trials Aim to End Disease’s Historical Journey
    In the past several months, cases of polio have been reported in New York, the United Kingdom, and Israel, underscoring the need for safer and more effective vaccines. Over the past nearly two years, University of Vermont Vaccine Testing Center researchers have been conducting trials on two experimental polio vaccines poised to help accomplish global eradication.
  • Scholarly Summer: Second-Year Students' Research Explores Unmet Health Needs
    For students pursuing a degree in medicine, there’s no off-season. During a two-month break between their first and second years, many Larner College of Medicine medical students tackled projects to address unmet health needs, practice clinical skills, and immerse themselves in specialty clerkships with physician preceptors.
  • VCCBH Symposium Highlights Early Career Investigators, Innovative Multidisciplinary Research
    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.
  • Wilcox Selected for 2022-23 Class of Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Fellows
    Rebecca Wilcox, M.D., professor of pathology and laboratory medicine and associate dean for faculty affairs at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, has been selected as a member of the 2022-2023 class of fellows participating in the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine® (ELAM) Program at Drexel University College of Medicine.
  • Wojewoda Comments on Monkeypox Testing & Diagnosis in Philadelphia Inquirer
    (JUNE 23, 2022) Physicians who have never encountered monkeypox may fail to recognize it, said Christina Wojewoda, M.D., associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, in an article in the "Philadelphia Inquirer."
  • Medical Class of 2022 Honors Night Recognizes Faculty, Students & Staff
    On May 13, the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont held Honors Night for graduating medical students in the Class of 2022. Accolades presented included the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society faculty, housestaff, and community physician awards; the Arnold P. Gold Foundation's Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine faculty and student awards; Area Health Education Center Scholars; department awards to students; and awards from the Class of 2022.
  • Janssen-Heininger Honored as University Distinguished Professor
    Yvonne Janssen-Heininger, Ph.D., professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the UVM Larner College of Medicine, is a 2022 recipient of the University Distinguished Professor Award. This title is a career appointment, and is the highest academic honor that UVM can bestow upon a member of the faculty.
  • Bundock Quoted in Regional Newspapers about New England COVID-19 Death Certificates
    (FEBRUARY 24, 2022) Vermont Chief Medical Examiner Elizabeth Bundock, M.D., Ph.D., clinical assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, spoke about the importance of accuracy in death certificate records in a news story in the Providence Journal.
  • UVM Cancer Center Investigators Publish the Breast Pre-Cancer Atlas
    UVM Cancer Center researchers contributed to the establishment of a breast pre-cancer atlas, which establishes the molecular and cellular properties of early-stage breast cancer and is the result of a six-year, National Cancer Institute-funded, collaborative initiative.
  • Summer Student Research Program Trains Next Generation of Cancer Scientists
    The UVM Cancer Center Summer Student Fellowships in Cancer Research provide $3,000 stipends to graduate and medical students for cancer-related research projects, overseen by senior faculty members affiliated with the center.
  • Wilcox Appointed Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs
    Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Rebecca Wilcox, M.D., has been appointed associate dean for faculty affairs at the Larner College of Medicine.
  • Polio Vaccine Trials Highlighted in WCAX-TV Story
    (DECEMBER 15, 2021) A WCAX-TV Channel 3 (CBS) news story, titled "Team of UVM researchers on cusp of vaccine trials to eliminate polio," features interviews with Larner College of Medicine faculty members Jessica Crothers, M.D., assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, and E. Ross Colgate, Ph.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of microbiology and molecular genetics.
  • UVM Researchers Help Identify Impact of COVID-caused Delays in Breast Cancer Screening
    New research from U.S. Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium (BCSC) members, including several University of Vermont researchers, found that from March to September 2020, breast biopsies and detected cancers at U.S. BCSC facilities dropped sharply, compared with the same span a year earlier.
  • 2021 Celebration of Research Excellence Highlights Accomplishments at Larner
    The University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine held a successful Dean's Excellence in Research Celebration October 25-27, shining a light on the hard work and achievements of students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
  • Class of 2021 Medical Students, Faculty, Staff Recognized at Honors Celebration
    In a salute to graduating medical students’ accomplishments and to honor the faculty and staff who have supported them during their medical education journey, the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine launched a virtual 2021 Honors Celebration on May 6, 2021.
  • Nowak and Seward Invested as Inaugural Huber Early Career Green and Gold Professors
    Sarah Nowak, Ph.D., and David Seward, M.D., Ph.D., were invested as the inaugural holders of a Huber Early Career Green and Gold Professorship of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine during a virtual ceremony March 30. UVM Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Emerita Sally Huber, Ph.D., established two separate Green and Gold professorships, one in honor of each of her parents, that will provide crucial funding to promising assistant professors who are likely to develop into successful, independent basic scientists or physician-scientists.
  • Larner Changemakers Recognized at Celebration of Gender Equity
    The Larner College of Medicine's Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion held its second annual Celebration of Gender Equity in Medicine and Science on March 4, which featured a keynote by Diane Magrane, M.D., and an awards ceremony.
  • Virtual Online Foundations Celebration Honors Medical Class of 2023, Faculty, Staff
    Members of the Larner College of Medicine’s medical Class of 2023, leaders, medical educators, and staff gathered virtually January 28 to celebrate the students’ achievements and recognize the faculty and staff who have supported them during an online Foundations Celebration event.
  • New $5.4 Million NIH Grant Funds UVM Center for Biomedical Shared Resources ​
    A new $5.47 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine will support the creation of the UVM Center for Biomedical Shared Resources. The grant will fund completion of the Center's home on the first floor of the new Firestone Medical Research Building, which will be located on the south end of the Larner College of Medicine complex.
  • Larner Team Plays Role in NIH COVID-19 Blood Clotting Treatment Trials
    The University of Vermont (UVM) is participating in a major national research effort to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of varying types of blood thinners to treat adults diagnosed and hospitalized with COVID-19—the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2.
  • Wojewoda Quoted in Healthline Article on COVID-19 Testing
    (JULY 9, 2020) Christina Wojewoda, M.D., associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine and vice chair of the College of American Pathologists’ microbiology committee, is quoted in an article in Healthline, titled "How Accurate Are COVID-19 Diagnostic and Antibody Tests?"
  • Health Workers, Students Demonstrate Support at #WhiteCoatsforBlackLives Vigil
    More than 250 University of Vermont Medical Center staff members, Larner College of Medicine students and leaders gathered June 5 at 1 p.m. for a silent demonstration of support for racial justice in honor of George Floyd and others who have died due to racism and police brutality.
  • Class of 2020, Faculty & Staff Accomplishments Celebrated with Online Honors Celebration
    On May 11, awardees from the Larner College of Medicine Class of 2020, faculty and staff were recognized through an online Honors Celebration featuring remarks from Dean Page and videotaped presentations of each award.

 

Past Department Highlights

Mark_FungCongratulations to Dr. Mark Fung, M.D., PhD., Professor Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, on receiving the 2023 College of American Pathologists (CAP) Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Fung is a nationally recognized expert in transfusion medicine. (10/2023) 

Congratulations to Jessica Crothers, M.D., Assistant Professor Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, on achieving the Notice of Special Interest Team Science award from NIAID for: "Effects of the gut microbiota on oral vaccine response in adults and children." (10/2023)

Nicole BouffardCongratulations to Nicole Bouffard on being awarded the "Scientific Research Staff Award" for 2023. This was presented to Nicole at the September 21, 2023, LCOM Research Excellence Award Ceremony. This is a great honor for Nicole and the Department of Pathology and recognizes her contributions and importance to the department and MIC. (10/2023)

Congratulations to Brian Cunniff, Ph.D., Assistant Professor Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, on being awarded a $1.6 million R01 grant by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences to study the role of mitochondrial trafficking in regulating cell migration, a key feature of metastatic tumors. (9/2023)

Congratulations to Yvonne Janssen-Heininger, Ph.D., Professor Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, on becoming a University of Vermont Cancer Center Program Co-Leader, Cancer Cell. (9/2023)

Congratulations to the following pathology members on receiving research support funds in April 2023. Recipients were: John Kennedy, M.D., $6520 for morphologic and immunohistochemical re-evaluation of renal cell carcinomas exhibiting papillary architecture, with emphasis on tumors demonstrating "type 2" morphology. Yvonne Janssen-Heininger, Ph.D., $15,000 for a joint initiative between RBP, UVM Cancer Center, and faculty in the Department of Chemistry. Megan Tarte $745 for Stem Cells, Cell Therapies, and Bioengineering in Lung Biology and Disease Conference. Albert van der Vliet, Ph.D., $14,400 for Redox processes in macrophage activation in IPF. (9/2023)

Congratulations to the following faculty members on their promotions: Vikas Anathy, Ph.D., to Professor with tenure, Bronwyn Bryant, M.D., to Associate Professor, John DeWitt, M.D., Ph.D., to Associate Professor, Sarah Nowak Ph.D., to Associate Professor, and Christi Wojewoda, M.D., to Professor. (6/2023)

Bei Zhang, M.D., M.S., Ph.D., MLS(ASCP), associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, did an educational scholarship session titled "Activate Students Learning Outside Classroom." at the 8th International meeting of the Association of Biochemistry Educators. Dr. Zhang also conducted two additional workshops with other ABE members titled "Linking Clinical Presentations to Their Biochemistry: A novel ABE Clinical-Biochemistry Curricular Treat Mapping Educational Tool.", and "Getting to Clerkship and Beyond: Crafting Biochemistry Learning Objectives that Connect and Integrate Basic Science Concepts with Clinical Application." (5/2023)

Congratulations to Dr. Maureen Harmon, M.D., associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, and Dr. Amer Abu Alfa, M.D., assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine for being recognized by medical students for their professionalism. Dr. Harmon was recognized for social responsibility and Dr. Abu Alfa was recognized for compassion. (5/2023)

Congratulations to Mary Cushman, Ph.D., M.Sc., professor of medicine and pathology and laboratory medicine, on being named a University Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology Division, and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. (5/2023)

View the story Mammograms of a study by Sarah Nowak, Ph.D., assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, and researchers at the UVM Cancer Center showing data that fewer women being screened for breast cancer. (4/2023)

vandervliet-habibovic420x280A new study by Albert van der Vliet, Ph.D., professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, and a team of University of Vermont (UVM) researchers is honing in on why people with asthma often have worse symptoms if they are obese. This new research demonstrates that the gene DUOX1 likely contributes to the connection between obesity and asthma.  The research was published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology-Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology and was highlighted as an APSselect article for March 2023. Albert van der Vliet, Ph.D., was the senior author on the paper, along with department of pathology and laboratory medicine coauthors Aida Habibovic, lab research technician;Litiele Cruz, Ph.D., visiting scholar; Vikas Anathy, Ph.D., associate professor; University Distinguished Professor Yvonne Janssen-Heininger, Ph.D.; and additional team members and authors from UVM. Read the full LCOM News story LCOM News (4/2023)

Congratulations to Bronwyn Bryant, M.D., Assistant Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, for having your proposal, Consequential Validity of Entrustable Professional Activities in Pathology Residency Training selected to receive a Frymoyer Scholars Program project of $48,000 to be funded July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2025. (4/2023)

Congratulations to Martin Chang, M.D., Ph.D., on accepting the new role as Vice Chair for Faculty Affairs. (4/2023)

Congratulations to Joanna Conant, M.D., on becoming the new Pathology Student Fellowship Director starting July 1, 2023. (4/2023)

Congratulations to The Cunniff Lab, on receiving funding to support research focused on malignant mesothelioma. The funding was from The Butler Family Foundation Fund for Cancer Research at the University of Vermont Cancer Center. The Butler Fund was established by the Butler family in memory of two loved ones lost to mesothelioma. (03/2023)

Congratulations to the following recipients that received pathology research support funding. Nathaniel Shannon in Brian Cunniff's, Ph.D., lab was awarded $1800 towards the cost of travel to the 2022 Annual Meeting of the Society for Redox Biology and Medicine (SfRBM). Litiele Cruz, Ph.D., and faculty mentor Albert van der Vliet, PhD., were awarded $2622 for her project "Characterization of Laminin Oxidative Modifications by Peroxidasin in Pulmonary Fibrosis". Nels Olson, PhD., MPH., $14,582 for the purchase of an Agilent BioTek 405 TS Touch Microplate Washer, Model 405 TSRS. Ashley Volaric M.D., Joanna Conant M.D., and David Seward, M.D, Ph.D., were awarded $13,680 for their project, "The Effect of Epstein Barr Virus Latency on Cellular DNA Methylation Profile of Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma". (3/2023)

A number of faculty and students from the pathology and laboratory medicine department presented research at the American Heart Associations Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle, and Cardiometabolic Health (EPI/Lifestyle) Scientific Sessions 2023 in Boston February 28 - March 3. Students presenting were Maggie King, a master in science pathology degree student who was mentored by faculty scientist J. Peter Durda, Ph.D. pathology and laboratory medicine.  Maggie presented on "Complete Blood Count Analysis in the Risk Underlying Rural Areas Longitudinal (RURAL) Cohort Study with a Point of Care Instrument." Her study is supported by NHLBI. And second-year medical student and 2022 Cardiovascular Research Institute Summer Research Fellow Megan Zhou, mentored by pathology and laboratory medicine associate professor Nels Olson, Ph.D. Megan presented on  "Coagulation Factor IX and Incident Diabetes Risk: The Reasons for Geographic and Race Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study." Also, pathology and laboratory faculty members that were coauthors of presentations given, assistant professor Margaret Doyle, Ph.D., and University Distinguished Professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, Russell Tracy, Ph.D. (3/2023)

Congratulations to Dr. Bei Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., MLS(ASCP), associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, for being selected for a Distinguished Scholar Award by the Association of Biochemistry Educators for her submission entitled "Activate Students' Learning Outside Classroom". Dr. Zhang will be presenting this submission at the 2023 Association of Biochemistry Education Conference. (3/2023)

Congratulations to our 2023 Gender Equity Award Nominees. Gender Equity Champion Award nominee, Debra Leonard, M.D., Ph.D., Chair and Professor Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Our departmental nominees for The Polaris Award for Outstanding Mentorship- an award for informal or formal mentorship for women or gender diverse college community members, Rebecca Wilcox, M.D., Pam Gibson, M.D., Yvonne Janssen-Heininger, Ph.D., and Christi Wojewoda, M.D. (2/2023)  

Congratulations to Dr. Scott Anderson, M.D., on being selected to receive the Association of Pathology Chairs 2023 Margaret Grimes Distinguished Achievement Award in Graduate Medical Education. This award was made in recognition of Dr. Anderson's outstanding contributions to graduate medical education and his stature as a nationally recognized leader in pathology education. (2/2023)

Congratulations to Dr. Yvonne Janssen-Heininger, Ph.D., Dr. Kelly Butnor, M.D., Dr. David "Bebo" Seward, M.D., Ph.D., and Dr. Sharon Mount, M.D., on their news story in The Charlotte News, on their "giant steps in cancer research." Read the full article here:   Humble Superstar (1/2023)

Congratulations to Dr. Elizabeth Bundock, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Examiner of Vermont and clinical assistant professor of pathology, for her appointment by the American Board of Pathology, to the Test Development and Advisory Committee for Forensic Pathology 2023. (1/2023)

Dr. Beri Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., MLS(ASCP), associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, presented a panel, at the Snow Season Education Retreat, titled "The Pearls and Pitfalls of Publishing in Medical Education", with three clinicians Dr. Hale, Dr. Halle, and Dr. Rideout. (1/2023)

Congratulations to Dr. Bronwyn Bryant, M.D., assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine on her Awards for  Teaching and Educational Excellence, Learner Assessment, conferred at the Teaching Academy Induction and Award Ceremony on January 11, 2023. (1/2023)