Campus News

After losing her best friend to malaria, PhD student Winnie Mkandawire chose to study infectious diseases to prevent others from experiencing the same loss. 

The T.H. Chan School of Medicine Class of 2025 celebrated 140 new doctors on Match Day.

UMass ALS Cellucci Fund Boston Marathon teams have raised more than $800,000 for ALS research since 2012. This year’s team hopes to add $50,000 to that.

Amid ongoing measles outbreaks, pediatric infectious disease specialist Christina Hermos explains the importance of being vaccinated against the disease.

UMass Chan supports translational research from faculty with internal funding mechanism.

The research team has found that a koala population in Australia has evolved a distinctive genomic immunity to a retrovirus.

The lecture is part of a new education and research program funded through a $200,000 gift from the Last Call Foundation to UMass Chan.

A large longitudinal study found that regular cognitive assessments improves the ability to predict whether someone will develop Alzheimer’s in their lifetime.

UMass Chan Medical School is announcing a $35 million philanthropic gift from the Paul J. DiMare Foundation to advance research and support breakthroughs in neurodegenerative and genetic diseases.  

Discussing the COVID-19 vaccine with vaccine-hesitant patients can be frustrating, a focus group of primary care providers reported in a recent study led by Kimberly Fisher, MD. But having the vaccine available in the clinic, as well as incorporating motivational interviewing techniques, may offer a way forward.  

Artists share what “Advancing Belonging Together” means to them through original artwork at a new exhibit coordinated by the Advocacy Subcommittee of UMass Chan’s Committee on Equal Opportunity and Diversity in partnership with the Lamar Soutter Library.  

Researchers in UMass Chan Medical School’s Center for Microbiome Research are exploring the causal mechanisms by which bacteria in the gut influence chronic illnesses such as Alzheimer’s and Crohn’s disease and in autoimmune disorders and other conditions.

The two UMass Chan faculty members are among 500 scientists, engineers and innovators elected this year.

UMass LIGHT, a mentorship program pairing students with faculty members, has formed meaningful bonds between industry leaders and aspiring doctors. UMass LIGHT will host a conference with keynote speakers Rochelle Walensky, MD, former CDC director, and Robert “Hoot” Gibson, former chief astronaut for NASA, on May 3. 

A study published in Lancet Public Health and led by Nancy Byatt, DO, and Tiffany Moore Simas, MD'00, found that two approaches to helping obstetric practices screen, assess and treat perinatal depression were equally effective in improving depression symptoms.

A UMass Chan study led by Jean Frazier, MD, suggests maternal inflammation may influence emotional, cognitive, behavioral problems later in life.

A new study published in Nature Cell Biology by Mark Alkema, PhD, establishes an important molecular link between specific B12-producing bacteria in the gut of the roundworm C. elegans and the production of a neurotransmitter important to memory and cognitive function.

The MISSION program combines three evidence-based practices in a multidisciplinary team approach to treating adults with substance use disorders and co-occurring mental illness.

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Anthony Rothschild, MD, will lead a study at UMass Chan to evaluate the effectiveness of psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression.

Video: In 2023, UMass Chan Medical School moved boldly forward to grow our deliberately inclusive campus, home to impactful research and the No. 1 program for primary care education in New England.

Top story: In a piece written for The Conversation, pediatrician Sydney Hartman-Munick, MD, talks about the rise in eating disorders among teens and highlights the importance of understanding some possible signs of worrisome behaviors and what to do about them.

Top story: Boston toddler Noa Greenwood, who was one of the first to receive an investigational gene therapy for Canavan disease developed at UMass Chan Medical School, delivered a very special “thank you” to the research team in a visit with her parents earlier this year.

Top story: The T.H. Chan School of Medicine at UMass Chan Medical School is best in New England and in the top 10 percent nationwide for primary care education according to the U.S News & World Report 2023-2024 Best Graduate Schools rankings.

UMass Chan Medical School and Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, part of Beth Israel Lahey Health, have received approval from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education to establish a new regional medical school campus in Burlington.

Top story: Katie Couric, former host of NBC’s Today show and anchor of CBS Evening News, delivered the Commencement address at UMass Chan on Sunday, June 4.

UMass Chan MD/PhD student Nick Bolden has discovered a pathway in the brain that could block addictive behavior. Inspired by his father, a retired judge, Bolden has devoted his career to treating addiction.

UMass Chan Medical School researchers are taking lessons learned from a pilot study on at-home COVID-19 testing and telehealth and broadening their evaluation to a larger federal Home Test to Treat program.

Jeanna Lee, PhD, brings education, experience and new ideas to the role of assistant director for equity, inclusion and campus climate.

New study led by Nils Henninger, MD, PhD'18, suggests interplay between genetic factors and traumatic brain injury in behavioral and neurological deficits related to ALS and FTD in mice.

A new study by Michelle K. Trivedi, MD’09, MPH, will examine strategies to help ensure children receive their daily asthma medicine. 

A UMass Chan research team has secured a $21 million award to conduct maternal mental health equity research.

A pilot study of technology-based interventions for emergency department patients at risk of suicide found patients rated the interventions highly, leading to further studies on clinical efficacy and potential for sustainable use.

The $200,000 award from The March of Dimes Foundation will help support and expand a clinical trial led by Margaret Parker, MD, MPH, studying the effect of support for low-income mothers of preterm infants on parental caregiving in the NICU.

UMass Chan presented “scientist-in-training” lab coats to Lake View Elementary School, one of the 11 North Quadrant schools in Worcester that are part of the UMass Chan North Quadrant Support Services Initiative.

UMass Chan Medical School joins ARPA-H Investor Catalyst Hub and Spoke Consortium

Dohoon Kim, PhD, and colleagues have shown that blocking a specific detoxifying enzyme in lung cancer cells leads to cell death, making it a viable target for drug development.

UMass Chan Medical School has been named one of The Boston Globe’s 2023 Top Places to Work in Massachusetts and recognized for its diversity, equity and inclusion practices.

Second-year students in the T.H. Chan School of Medicine are learning about the unique health care needs of military veterans through a new UMass Chan Medical School initiative with the Veterans Affairs clinic on campus.

Dr. Gibson’s leadership in CMV research and in advocacy for newborn CMV screening highlighted in inaugural Central Mass Champions of Health Care Award.

PhD student Valeria Sanabria, MD, won the Zelda Haidak Scholarship in Cell Biology, which was established to enhance training for women pursuing research careers in cell biology. Her research is focused on studying gene expression at the transcriptional level.

Vaccination against COVID-19 was linked to reduced inflammation in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to a paper co-authored by UMass Chan Medical School researcher Jonathan M. Gerber, MD.

Fourth-year medical students Naomi Stuffers and Elisa Rocha traveled to Rwanda this fall to perform obstetric fistula repairs with Cynthia Hall, MD, and the International Organization of Women and Development.

Athena Callender will speak at UMass Chan for Native American Heritage Month. Her talk will focus on building trust and relationships that allow for a free flow of information on best practices in addressing health issues in the native community. 

The annual Thanksgiving food drive is hosted by UMass Chan Department of Public Safety.

The Research Scholar Grant will support Dr. Ruscetti’s research on senescent cells and their role in tumor progression and immune suppression in prostate cancer.

Anne Larkin, MD, and David Hatem, MD, have designed the Health Education Academy for Leadership and Learning to foster the personal and professional development of those who want to make health care education a significant component of their career trajectory.

Some of the achievements at UMass Chan led by Marlina Duncan, EdD, vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion, are listed in celebration of her being named as one of Color Magazine’s Power 50 chief diversity officers. 

Military veterans face a higher risk of ALS than the civilian population, according to years of studies. UMass Chan researchers are pursuing therapies to address the biological basis for this fatal neurodegenerative disease and work with clinical partners to provide expert rehabilitation for veterans.

Students, faculty and friends of UMass Chan gathered to celebrate African Diaspora Night on campus to share the beauty, breadth and depth of African culture through fun, food and art.

UMass Chan Medical School hosted 23 science teachers from six Worcester middle schools to train them on the light microscopes recently donated to their classrooms by the Medical School, thanks to a grant from the Moderna Foundation.

UMass Chan Medical School generated more than $2 billion in economic activity in Massachusetts in 2022, according to the recently released UMass Economic Contribution Analysis report.

Zhiping Weng, PhD, the Li Weibo Chair in Biomedical Research, at UMass Chan Medical School, has been named the inaugural chair of the newly formed Department of Genomics & Computational Biology.

Learning about the unique health care needs of military veterans will be required for second-year students in the T.H. Chan School of Medicine, starting this month with an intensive two-day training at the Veterans Affairs clinic on the UMass Chan Medical School campus in Worcester.

The Diversity and Inclusion office welcomed author, trainer and life coach Kevin Neal as speaker for the Centering the Margins discussion series on Thursday, Oct. 26.

Medical student Michelle Chang has teamed up with Michael Hirsh, MD, to restore the UMass Chan Barbershop Health Network, conducting free blood pressure and glucose screenings in Worcester-area barbershops. Their efforts are funded by a Remillard Family Community Service Fund grant. 

Last year, the UMass Chan Cares campaign raised $222,000. Since its launch, UMass Chan Cares has raised nearly $1 million.

Spencer G. Lawson, PhD, has received funding for a project aimed at creating a model and building a roadmap for correctional agencies to identify and reduce racial and ethnic disparities in objective prison classification.

Representatives from UMass Chan presented on several topics and career paths, including RNA Therapeutics Institute, ScienceLive, community and government relations, diversity and inclusion and media and arts in sciences.

The study, which appeared in JAMA Network Open, presents an innovative model for community disease management, using mobile health tools with support from clinical pharmacists and community health workers.

Marlina Duncan, EdD, vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion, has been named an Outstanding Woman in Business 2023 by the Worcester Business Journal.

The Diversity and Inclusion Office at UMass Chan Medical School hosted a two-day Diversity Summit on Oct. 11 and 12, detailing progress toward meeting the institution’s strategic goal to foster diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging across campus. The event included a poster fair, plenary session, and a series of online breakout discussions.

The UMass Chan Medical School light microscopy core facility, Sanderson Center for Optical Experimentation, announced a new collaboration with Leica Microsystems.

Doctor of Nursing Practice student Cynthia Delmas, RN, established a community health initiative to help the homeless population in New Bedford. Her organization has provided preventive health care measures such as wound care and free toothpaste and clothes for the past five years.

The Delta chapter of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society recognized T.H. Chan School of Medicine students, faculty and house staff for their excellence and contributions to UMass Chan Medical School during an induction ceremony on Oct. 11.

More than 80 volunteers, including dozens of staff members from UMass Chan Medical School, cleaned out garbage and raked away debris in Boston’s Mattapan neighborhood on Wednesday, Oct. 11.

UMass Chan Medical School and UMass Lowell have received an $8.9 million award from the National Institutes of Health for renewed support of their initiative to advance the development of home-based and point-of-care health technologies.

UMass Chan Medical School scientists Phillip D. Zamore, PhD, and Roger J. Davis, PhD, FRS, were elected to the National Academy of Medicine on Oct. 9 for their distinguished contributions to medicine and health.

Elizabeth M.C. Hillman, PhD, professor of biomedical engineering & radiology at Columbia University, will present the annual lecture on high-speed 3D microscopy.

Michael Lodato, PhD, has received a 2023 National Institutes of Health Director’s New Innovator Award from the NIH Common Fund’s High-Risk, High-Reward Research program.

The Angel Fund for ALS Research has announced a $711,000 donation to support the research of Robert H. Brown Jr., DPhil, MD, at UMass Chan Medical School.

More than a dozen of Michael Green’s former colleagues, trainees and others are scheduled to speak at the symposium.

UMass Chan Medical School celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with a presentation from Aldo Garcia-Guevara, PhD, professor of history and chair of interdisciplinary studies at Worcester State University.

In a new Voices of UMass Chan podcast episode, Grace Ryan, PhD, discussed her research into vaccine hesitancy, particularly the parallels between the rollouts of the human papillomavirus (HPV) and COVID-19 vaccines.

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A new RNA therapeutic for preeclampsia is based on work by UMass Chan researchers and collaborating scientists. Researchers explain the importance of a multipronged approach to addressing factors underlying health disparities in this Science for Living article.

These highly accomplished faculty members have been appointed to endowed chairs at UMass Chan Medical School: Dale L. Greiner, PhD; Danny G. Winder, PhD; Elinor K. Karlsson, PhD; Jeannette M. Wolfe, MD; J. Kevin Donahue, MD; and John E. Harris, MD, PhD’05.

More than 2,000 people took part in the 25th annual UMass Cancer Walk presented by Harr Toyota at Polar Park on Sunday, Sept. 24. Participants raised more than $700,000 to support adult and pediatric cancer research and clinical trials at UMass Chan Medical School.

The Dynamic Futures program at UMass Chan Medical School is aimed at attracting students underrepresented in medicine to careers in the behavioral health and mental health fields.

The Centering the Margins series speakers discussed the history of racism in health care and its impact on Indigenous health.

The UMass Chan Cares annual employee charitable campaign helped fund 28 mini-grants for teachers in Worcester’s North Quadrant schools.

Medical students are visiting community spots in Worcester to spread educational information about staying safe in the sun.

Beth A. McCormick, PhD, has been named the new chair of the Department of Microbiology & Physiological Systems (MaPS), and Michael P. Stauff, MD, has been appointed chair of the Department of Orthopedics & Physical Rehabilitation.

Chancellor Michael F. Collins kicked off a new season of the Voices of UMass Chan podcast days after he welcomed UMass Chan Medical School’s largest medical school class.

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Data from the 2023 Diversity Engagement Survey, administered last spring by the Diversity and Inclusion Office, shows an increase in participation and in an overall favorable response to UMass Chan Medical School’s diversity and inclusion efforts.

Joseph Bartuah, a National Guardsman and security officer, is pursuing a career as a mental health nurse practitioner.

The 2023 UMass Cancer Walk presented by Harr Toyota marks the 25th year of commitment to cancer research. Many participants and sponsors have a personal connection to cancer and have supported the event for years.

Four faculty members were honored with chancellor’s medals and four others were invested as endowed professors at the Convocation and Investiture ceremony at UMass Chan Medical School.

The UMass Chan community gathered to celebrate 53 PhD candidates and MD/PhD students who transitioned from student to candidate for a doctoral degree during the 2022-2023 academic year.

The Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing at UMass Chan Medical School presented 59 Doctor of Nursing Practice students with white coats on Sept. 12, in a ceremony signifying the transition into clinical practice.

Joshua Croke, the guest speaker for the 11th annual LGBT Convocation Welcome Celebration, says labels can be hateful or empowering.

The ceremony recognizes the nursing students’ successful completion of educational credentials to qualify as registered nurses as they begin the Doctor of Nursing Practice curriculum.

Faculty, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from Hanoi Medical University and Hanoi Medical University Hospital are at UMass Chan this month as part of an ongoing research collaboration to curb the rising burden of noncommunicable diseases in Vietnam.

The T.H. Chan School of Medicine Class of 2027 received white coats during a ceremony at the Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts in Worcester. The White Coat Ceremony welcomes medical students to the profession as they begin their journeys toward becoming physicians.

This discovery that neurons promote axon regeneration by communicating with nearby glia cells may be useful to scientists designing new treatments for a variety of disorders, from spinal cord injury to traumatic brain injury.

Faculty, staff and students gathered to share how they are advancing medicine, science and nursing together and launch UMass Chan’s new brand.

The hydroponic farm will be open year-round, supporting nearly 13,000 plants and using less than five gallons of water each day.

The festivities begin on Friday, Sept. 8 with the annual White Coat Ceremony, welcoming the new T.H. Chan School of Medicine students into the medical community.

Nicholas Harper, a PhD candidate in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program, has received a prestigious award from the National Cancer Institute to study cell death as it relates to cancer therapies.

Doctors and medical students from UMass Chan Medical School walk with Worcester residents the first Saturday of the month to encourage exercise, build rapport and offer free medical advice.

Kurt Hager, PhD, is the lead author of a study that found the health of people with diabetes, hypertension and obesity improved when a health care professional prescribed free fruits and vegetables.

There are 200 students in the T.H. Chan School of Medicine Class of 2027. Collectively, the class can speak 40 different languages, has earned 141 honors and awards and has authored 72 publications.