In a forthcoming memoir, actor Sam Neill of “Jurassic Park” fame reveals that he’s been battling angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, also known as AITL.
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The scholars represent the next generation of palliative care leaders and demonstrate the Foundation’s commitment to whole-person care for people with serious illness
The Cambia Health Foundation has announced the selection of 12 emerging palliative care leaders for its Sojourns® Scholar Leadership Program. In its ninth year, this program identifies, cultivates and advances the next generation of palliative care leaders.
Research Clinical Trials lymphoma
In a forthcoming memoir, actor Sam Neill of “Jurassic Park” fame reveals that he’s been battling angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, also known as AITL.
Cancer Clinical Trials cancer screening
Because early detection offers the best chance of surviving cancer, screening tests that involve one quick blood draw are generating excitement. If approved, rather than scheduling downtime and facing intimidating procedures, patients could undergo screening for multiple cancers at once, just by rolling up their sleeves during routine doctor exams.
Audrey Bergouignan, PhD, isn’t looking for people with obesity to start running marathons. She just wants them to walk across the room.
They are going to Pittsburgh and Providence, to Omaha and Oakland, to Santa Barbara and St. Louis. They will learn to be doctors at Travis Air Force Base, at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, at the Mayo Clinic.
Earlier this month, medical professionals, patient advocates, industry innovators, federal policymakers, and public health officials, including two members of the University of Colorado Cancer Center, gathered at the White House for the Cancer Moonshot Colorectal Cancer Forum.
Watch the Department of Medicine's March 15, 2023 Grand Rounds – "Building Trust in Science and Medicine: Misconceptions and Opportunities," presented by Katrina Armstrong, MD, Chief Executive Officer, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University.
Research Community Data analysis
For many, a necessary but often frustrating step in accessing health care services is determining whether a provider is in their health plan network.
Watch the Department of Medicine's March 14, 2023 Research & Innovation Conference: "Novel Methods to Improve Identification of Hereditary Cancer Syndromes," presented by Swati G. Patel, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Medicine, Director, Gastrointestinal Hereditary Cancer Center, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Watch the Department of Medicine's March 14, 2023 Research & Innovation Conference: "Expanding Treatment of Hepatitis C Among Patients with Substance Use Disorder," presented by Erin Bredenberg, MD, MPH, assistant professor of medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
For medical students, Match Day is the culmination of many years of commitment, hard work, and sacrifice as they discover the next phase of their journey to becoming future physicians.
Wells Messersmith, MD, specializes in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, or cancers of the gut. As the division head of the University of Colorado School of Medicine’s Division of Medical Oncology, Messersmith is pushing the frontiers of anticancer treatments from the intersection of precision medicine and immunotherapy.
Research Faculty Regenerative Medicine
The Gates Grubstake Fund invokes the memory of Gold Rush prospectors who received seed money, “grubstakes,” for food and supplies so they could search for treasure. The funding supports the work of modern-day prospectors – translational researchers affiliated with Gates Institute – whose work developing cell- and gene-based therapies could make a difference in human lives. In 2022, four awardees received $350,000 each to support their work.
Abigail Lara, MD, is a pulmonologist and critical care medicine specialist with a subspecialty in scarring lung diseases. As an associate professor, physician and administrator on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, Lara deftly shifts focus between the “pure adrenaline” of caring for patients in the ICU and the serene tenacity she brings to her leadership roles in the classroom and administration.
Optimism. Intelligent risk-taking. Relentless incrementalism. These are but a few hallmarks of the leadership of Vineet Chopra, MMBS, MD, MSc. Chopra’s specialty is hospital medicine, with a research focus on patient safety and preventing hospital-acquired complications.
Watch the Department of Medicine's March 7, 2023 Research & Innovation Conference: "Functional Consequences of Acetylation on Sarcomeric Proteins," presented by Kathleen Woulfe, PhD, assistant professor of medicine, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
In this issue...
Watch the Department of Medicine's March 1, 2023 Grand Rounds: "Accelerating evidence-based innovation: can we do it and what is needed?," presented by Douglas Corley, MD, PhD, Director, Delivery Science and Applied Research, The Permanent Medical Group; Associate Member, University of California, San Francisco Comprehensive Cancer Center; Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Feb. 28, 2023 Research & Innovation Conference: "Engaging Stakeholders to Design a Physical Activity Support Program for Adults with Overweight or Obesity: Preliminary Findings," presented by Danielle M. Ostendorf, PhD, assistant professor of medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Research by a team that includes two faculty members from the University of Colorado School of Medicine may change the treatment paradigm for patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), an allergic condition that causes chronic inflammation in the esophagus that can lead to esophageal narrowing and dysfunction.
Research Diversity Health equity Equity Diversity and Inclusion
It’s a fact. Health disparities exist across all levels of the healthcare system. Kamal Henderson, MD, assistant professor, Division of Cardiology, takes a pragmatic approach to his work in the clinic and his research. He’s guided by a single question:
Heart Basic Research Medical Marijuana
Not long after Colorado legalized marijuana for recreational use in 2012, Lori Walker’s daughter came home shaken from a party.
“Mom, what does pot do to the heart?” she asked Walker, PhD, an associate professor of cardiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Feb. 22 Grand Rounds: "The Impact of Health Policy on Outcomes and Equity," presented by Karen Joynt Maddox, MD, MPH, associate professor, Co-Director, Center for Health Economics and Policy, Institute for Public Health; Director, Center for Health Services and Policy Research, Washington University School of Medicine.
All Sophie Rosenberg and her parents should be worrying about is kindergarten and playdates. Instead, hospital visits and leg braces overshadow the 5-year-old’s life, and her parents dedicate their time to the search for a miracle.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Feb. 21, 2023 Research & Innovation Conference – "GrittyWork: Improving Patient, Clinician and Organizational Outcomes through Evidence-Based Hospitalist Staffing Models," presented by Marisha Burden, MD, professor of medicine, Head, Division of Hospital Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine and Angela Keniston, MSPH, assistant professor of medicine, Director, Data and Analytics, Division of Hospital Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Feb. 21, 2023 Research & Innovation Conference: "Discovering T Cell Epitopes in Granulomatous Lung Disease," presented by Michael T. Falta, PhD, assistant research professor of medicine, Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Research Community Public Health
In May 2022, the Colorado Legislature passed, and Gov. Jared Polis signed into law, House Bill 1326 – the “fentanyl accountability” bill. Among other actions, the bill introduced stricter criminal penalties for possessing smaller amounts of fentanyl or other drugs laced with fentanyl.
Dear Colleagues,
These past couple of weeks have been full of important updates. We are well on our way with the Valuing Each Other WellDOM workshops which I have been kicking off along with division members and leaders. The workshops focus on understanding how we feel valued, providing a tool that I hope we can use in our day to day interactions, and the importance of remembering that we can only do great things if we come together. I appreciate the energy and enthusiasm of these sessions and it’s great to see many of you there.
Four early career researchers from the University of Colorado Cancer Center have received Institutional Research Grants (IRGs) from the American Cancer Society (ACS) for 2023 through the parent grant awarded to the CU Cancer Center. IRGs are intended to support junior faculty members to obtain preliminary results that will enable them to compete successfully for federal research grants.
Research Patient Care Diabetes
Ramona Koren remembers “falling apart” when she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a decade ago. Her life turned upside down, and she had “no clue” what to do next.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Feb. 15, 2023 Grand Rounds: "Life After Critical Care," presented by Margaret Herridge, MD, MPH, professor of medicine, Critical Care and Respiratory Medicine, Director of Critical Care Research, University of Toronto.
Diabetes Geriatrics Alzheimer's
An ancient human foraging instinct, fueled by fructose production in the brain, may hold clues to the development and possible treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), according to researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
In this issue:
Even though the COVID-19 public health emergency classification will expire this spring, the lingering effects of the pandemic remain. A constant puzzle to solve since the first year of the pandemic has been “long COVID,” a condition in which those infected with the virus have symptoms that linger months or even years after they have cleared the initial infection.
When her PhD research project led to the discovery of a unique bacteria that might be responsible for triggering rheumatoid arthritis, Meagan Chriswell knew just what to call the newly discovered bacteria: subdoligranulumdidolesgii(Suhb-doe-lih-gran-you-luhm dee-doe-les-ghee-eye), named after the Cherokee word for arthritis and rheumatism.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Feb. 8, 2023 Grand Rounds: "APP-Physician Best Practices: Leveraging Multidisciplinary Teams to Create Thriving Systems," presented by Gaby Frank, MD, FACP, SFHM, Associate Director, Department of Medicine Denver Health & Hospital Authority; Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine and Kasey Bowden, MSN, FNP, AG-ACNP, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Community Equity Diversity and Inclusion
About one in five people worldwide will develop cancer in their lifetimes and in 2020, the most recent year for which data are available, cancer accounted for nearly 10 million deaths worldwide.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Feb. 1, 2023 Grand Rounds – "Physical Activity, Physical Function, and Frailty in CKD," presented by Kirsten L. Johansen, MD, Chief of Nephrology, Hennepin Healthcare; professor of medicine, University of Minnesota.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Jan. 31, 2023, Research and Innovation Conference, "Macrophages in the Right Ventricle," presented by Sue Gu, MD, MScPH, instructor of medicine, Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Pulmonary Research Laboratory, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Jason Persoff, MD, listens to storms in much the same way he listens to patients: unhurriedly, questioningly, observing details that indicate background and environmental elements influencing and shaping the present moment.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Jan. 25, 2023 Grand Rounds—"Updates in Nephrology," presented by Anna Jovanovich, MD, MS, associate professor of medicine; Renal Section, Rocky Mountain Regional VA; Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Jan. 24, 2023 Research and Innovation Conference: "Complement and the Kidney," presented by Joshua M. Thurman, MD, professor of medicine, Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Jan. 24, 2023 Research and Innovation Conference: "Leveraging Innovative Mixed Methods in the VA Transitions Nurse Program," presented by Christine D. Jones, MD, MS, associate professor of medicine, Interim Associate Director, Denver-Seattle Center of Innovation, Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center; Co-Director, Veterans Affairs Advanced Health Services Research and Development Fellowship Program, Divisions of Geriatric Medicine and Hospital Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
A project co-created by University of Colorado Cancer Center leader Jamie Studts, PhD, to boost lung cancer screening rates in Kentucky has proven so successful that Studts has received a grant from the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (BMSF) to create an enhanced version of the program that will roll out in two more states in the coming years.
Dear Colleagues,
Each January and February, the School of Medicine facilitates the annual PRiSM review for faculty and the equivalent annual check-in for staff. Like all faculty, I also go through this process with our Dean. For years, I have embraced the gift that is feedback and the opportunity to grow. These sessions should operate as a platform for open conversation regarding improvement, strengths and hopes for the future. As I begin the process of reviewing my direct reports, I am reminded of the incredible work that our leaders put into this each year for the benefit not only of the individuals they guide, but the teams they support. I encourage you to make effort in your own evaluation, as with so many labors – it is very much a product of the energy invested.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Jan. 18, 2023 Grand Rounds: "Case Study in Medical Care for Immigrant and Refugee Adults" presented by Janine Young, MD, FAAP, professor, Department of Pediatrics; Chief, Division of Academic General Pediatrics, Newborn Medicine, Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, University of California San Diego School of Medicine.
Innovation Patient Care Pancreatic Cancer
Bonnie Dahl knows chance and circumstance played key roles in halting her pancreatic cancer, one of the most deadly and insidious forms of the disease.
In addition to the research and clinical work she performs as a member of the University of Colorado Cancer Center, Swati Patel, MD, also just completed a one-year term as president of the Collaborative Group of the Americas on Inherited Gastrointestinal Cancer (CGA-IGC), an international professional medical organization dedicated to taking care of patients who may be at increased risk of GI cancer based on family history and genetics.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Jan. 17, 2023 Research and Innovation Conference – "Regulation of Body Weight: Relevance to Obesity," presented by Dan Bessesen, MD, professor of medicine, Director, Anschutz Health and Wellness Center, Anschutz Foundation Endowed Chair in Health and Wellness; Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Jan. 17 Research and Innovation Conference – "Innovating in Digital Education: An Online Course in Bayesian Reasoning," presented by Amiran Baduashvili, MD, associate professor of medicine, Associate Vice Chair of Education, Director, Advanced Hospital Medicine Clinical Scholars Program, Division of Hospital Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
When his mom fell off a ladder on New Year’s Eve a number of years ago, after deciding that was as good a night as any to clean the leaves from her gutters, one of the first things Ross Camidge, MD, PhD, did after she got home from the hospital was take her pulse.
The scholars represent the next generation of palliative care leaders and demonstrate the Foundation’s commitment to whole-person care for people with serious illness
The Cambia Health Foundation has announced the selection of 12 emerging palliative care leaders for its Sojourns® Scholar Leadership Program. In its ninth year, this program identifies, cultivates and advances the next generation of palliative care leaders.
2022 was a year that saw significant new hires, the opening of a state-of-the-art health and sciences building, and the launch of a new Department of Biomedical Informatics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, but it also was a year that offered plenty of challenges and new problems to solve.
Carey Candrian, PhD, associate professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, has received a five-year award from the NIH’s National Institute on Aging to develop a novel intervention to improve care for sexual and gender minority older adults in hospice.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Jan. 11 Grand Rounds: "Ethics, Bias & Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare," with Matthew DeCamp, MD, PhD, associate professor, Center for Bioethics and Humanities and Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Research Community Immunotherapy
When it comes to treating cancer, doctors have many tools in their arsenal. For decades, cancer was treated with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation — broad tools that affect healthy cells along with the cancer cells they are meant to eradicate.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Jan. 10 Research & Innovation Conference – "Standardized Risk Assessment for Perioperative Delirium," presented by Robert B. Metter, MD, assistant professor of medicine, Director, Inpatient Medicine Consult Service, Division of Hospital Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Jan. 10, 2023 Research & Innovation Conference – "Hastening Improvement in Lung Cancer Outcomes: Screening, Survivorship and Social Change," presented by Jamie Studts, PhD, professor of medicine, Division of Medical Oncology; Co-Leader, Cancer Prevention and Control; Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Research Prostate Cancer Cancer
As growing numbers of people diagnosed with cancer receive testing to have their cancer genetically sequenced, researchers and clinicians are learning volumes more about specific mutations and genetic alterations that can occur in each type of cancer.
A necessary part of the scientific process is sometimes being wrong, and Eric Pietras, PhD, was wrong. He’s the first to admit it.
When Pietras, a University of Colorado Cancer Center member and associate professor of hematology, joined the CU School of Medicine in 2015, a significant body of research suggested that inflammation activated blood-forming stem cells, which normally are dormant in bone marrow.
In this issue:
Researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine have discovered a new mechanism for slowing scarring of heart tissue — a process known as cardiac fibrosis.
Community Head and Neck Cancer
On January 2, tennis great Martina Navratilova revealed that she has been diagnosed with two unrelated cancers: stage 1 throat cancer and early-stage breast cancer.
Patients with disabilities often face medical providers who make inaccurate assumptions about their quality of life that can lead to paternalism and substandard care, according to an essay published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).
Depending on the day and the publication, the ideal number of steps to take daily is 10,000. Or 3,000. Or maybe an in between 7,000.
For many people, receiving a cancer diagnosis may require learning a new vocabulary – terms that can be useful guideposts for defining the disease and its treatment.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Dec. 21, 2022 Grand Rounds – "The Pendulum of Patient Autonomy: Looking Back and Looking Forward," with Tiffany Gardner, MD, Chief Resident of Quality and Patient Safety and Dante Mesa, MD, Chief Medical Resident, Internal Medicine Residency Program, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Dear Colleagues,
This week marks the end of our Research Listening Tour, and on behalf of our Vice Chair for Research Janine Higgins, PhD, and Associate Vice Chairs for Research Mary Weiser-Evans, PhD, and Fernando Holguin, MD, I want to sincerely thank all of you who attended sessions and gave feedback online. Your participation and input will help inform our planning as we think about how to grow our research programs and rankings in the years ahead.
Campus Life Community Students Awareness
Colorado leads the nation in auto theft, and, unfortunately, Denver and Aurora are two of the prime targets for thieves. On campus thus far in 2022, there have been 106 recorded reports of stolen vehicles and 39 attempted auto thefts, more than double from last year. The rise was especially troubling during November, when criminals stole or attempted to steal 23 vehicles.
Research Patient Care Education
Watch the Department of Medicine's State of the Department 2022, presented by Vineet Chopra, MD, MSc, Robert W. Schrier Chair of Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Research Community Palliative care
A good death can take many forms. Because each person is unique, with different personal and cultural beliefs and expectations, there is not a single definition of a good death.
Research Innovation Press Releases
The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus has been named one of the top academic institutions in the world for innovation, according to Nature’s 2022 Innovation Index report. The report ranked CU Anschutz in the top four universities globally for forging the strongest innovations links.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Dec. 13, 2022 Research & Innovation Conference – "Inter-Hospital Transfers: Provider Perspectives on Care Coordination Challenges" presented by Amy Yu, MD, assistant professor of medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Vice Chancellor for Research Thomas Flaig, MD, delivered the annual State of Research Address on Dec. 6 to an online audience of more than 500 scientists, students and staff from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
If any of the 86% of Americans lacking a current bivalent booster took a shot on the omicron-targeting vaccine right now, their chances of being sick with COVID-19 on Christmas Day would fall by as much as half.
Colorectal Cancer cancer screening
Actress Kirstie Alley, best known for her role as Rebecca Howe on the 1980s sitcom “Cheers,” died Monday at age 71. According to a representative for the actress quoted in People magazine, Alley died from colon cancer after a short battle with the disease.
Research Patient Care Esophageal Cancer cancer screening
Paul O’Hara grew up in a large Midwestern family where loyalty and toughness run deep. About nine years ago, Paulie, as he was called by his siblings, leaned into his family’s caring and stout nature when he was diagnosed with advanced esophageal cancer, which has a five-year survival rate of under 20%.
The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus today announced the creation of the Katy O. and Paul M. Rady Esophageal and Gastric Center of Excellence, made possible by a $20 million philanthropic investment from Katy O. and Paul M. Rady.
In this issue:
Watch the Department of Medicine's Nov. 30, 2022 Grand Rounds – "Evolving Crisis Standards of Care to Meet New Challenges" presented by Anuj Mehta, MD, MS, assistant professor of medicine, Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine and Denver Health and Hospital Authority.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Nov. 29, 2022 Research and Innovation Conference, "Career Development Special Topic: Starting a Research Lab" presented by Traci R. Lyons, PhD, associate professor of medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Community Cancer Magazine Leadership
Two important numbers to keep in mind are that 50.5% of the U.S. population is female, and that cancer will account for more than 606,000 deaths in the United States this year, making it the second-leading cause of death.
Press Releases Head and Neck Cancer Cancer
A new study from researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus has identified a less invasive way to treat a subset of head and neck cancers that could potentially change the standard of care for patients.
Dear Colleagues,
After coming off of a week of inpatient service, I find myself reflecting on the clinical excellence I saw on full display from members of our department. From our consultants who provide timely and helpful advice, to our residents who bring their best selves to patient care each day, and our medical students who – armed with their curiosity and talent – remind me of the privilege we have in training the next generation of doctors; we have an amazing group. What we do in our department – each and every day – is special and makes a difference in people’s lives in extraordinary ways.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Nov. 16, 2022 Grand Rounds: "Sexual Dimorphisms in Cardiopulmonary Disease: Insights Gained from the Study of Sex and Gender Differences in Pulmonary Hypertension and Right Heart Failure" with Tim Lahm, MD, professor of medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, National Jewish Health; visiting professor of medicine, Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Earlier this month, voters made Colorado the second state — after Oregon — to decriminalize psilocybin and psilocin, the psychedelic compounds found in so-called “magic mushrooms.”
Watch the Department of Medicine's Nov. 15, 2022 Research & Innovation Conference: "Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Program at CU Anschutz" with Marc S. Schwartz, MD, assistant professor of medicine, Division of Hematology, Blood Cancer and Bone Marrow Transplant Program, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Nov. 15, 2022 Research & Innovation Conference: "HLA Gene Editing to Treat Refractory Rheumatoid Arthritis" with Brian Freed, PhD, FACHI, Executive Director, ClinImmune Cell & Gene Therapy; professor of medicine and immunology, Division of Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Research Education Community Equity Diversity and Inclusion
Xander Bradeen began his undergraduate studies at the University of Colorado Boulder planning to major in neuroscience as a pre-med student, the first in his family to pursue a college education. Then he learned about prairie voles.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Nov. 8, 2022 Research & Innovation Conference, "Genetic Insights into Diabetes Complications in Clinical Biobanks" with Sridharan Raghavan, MD, assistant professor of medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Nov. 8, 2022 Research & Innovation Conference, "Methods for Evaluating Vaccine Antigen Trafficking and Archival" with Beth Jiron Tamburini, PhD, associate professor of medicine and immunology, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
University of Colorado Cancer Center member Erin Schenk, MD, PhD, has been named one of the CU School of Medicine 2022 Translational Research Scholars and received four-year grant support to facilitate exploration and new lines of research.
Patient Care Community Faculty Bladder Cancer
Gifts of significance don’t always have to be large monetary contributions. Sometimes, the most impactful gifts don’t involve money at all.
Research Patient Care Education
The Department of Medicine enjoyed an evening of celebration and togetherness as they gathered in the Donald M. Elliman Conference Center to recognize some of the department's best and brightest contributors at the 2022 Annual Faculty and Staff Recognition Event. After some long-overdue in-person mingling, Dr. Chopra, Robert W. Schrier Chair in Medicine, began the event by congratulating deserving individuals who have earned various awards in 2022.
Researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine have been awarded a $2 million grant by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to contribute to the creation of the Kidney Tissue Atlas that will help improve care to patients with life-limiting kidney diseases.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Nov. 2, 2022 Grand Rounds – Robert Eckel Invited Lecture: "Evaluating and Treating 'Residual Risk' in ASCVD," with Michael J. Blaha, MD, MPH, professor of cardiology and epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Director of Clinical Research and the Cardiometabolic Clinic, Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Nov. 1, 2022 Research & Innovation Conference – "Belzutifan for VHL-Associated Tumors: A Molecules to Medicine Success Story," with Elaine T. Lam, MD, FACP, Medical Director, Cancer Center Infusion Center, University of Colorado Hospital; Director of the Medical Oncology Kidney Cancer Program, University of Colorado Cancer Center, UCHealth Anschutz Medical Campus; Cancer Research Medical Director, UCHealth Cancer Center at Highlands Ranch Hospital; associate professor of medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus hosted its second annual Research Awards ceremony on Oct. 25. More than 125 people gathered to recognize the contributions of their fellow colleagues with cheers and standing ovations. With eight different award categories and over a dozen individual awardees, the event highlighted the significant depth, strength and teamwork of the CU Anschutz research community.
Corralling four research programs, 12 shared resources, a 28-member leadership team, and a $23 million grant is a huge job — but it’s one that Michaela Montour has performed at the University of Colorado Center with ease for more than 20 years.
Community Pediatrics Infectious disease
If it seems like many of your friends and family are sick right now, they’re not alone. Cold and flu season is off to a roaring start, and is on track to be especially fierce as respiratory viruses surge among children and older populations.
University of Colorado Cancer Center member Bryan Haugen, MD, always knew he was a science person. His question was if he wanted to be a MD or a PhD. After completing his bachelor’s degree at Saint Olaf College in Minnesota, he did a few years of research at the Mayo Clinic before starting medical school there.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Oct. 26, 2022 Grand Rounds—"Leading in Complexity: Effecting Change in an Increasingly Complex Academic Medical Center Environment," with Jean Kutner, MD, MSPH, Chief Medical Officer, University of Colorado Hospital; professor of medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, and Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine have discovered that a unique bacteria found in the gut could be responsible for triggering rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in people already at risk for the autoimmune disease.
Much of the work of health care happens because of a strong support base – the childcare, household labor, and other jobs that allow health care providers to show up every day at the clinic or hospital.
Dear Colleagues,
The October colors from Denver to Aspen are fantastic, and I hope you can take some time in the upcoming weeks to walk your neighborhood or take a trip to the mountains to witness the change in seasons.
Research Patient Care Education
Chancellor Don Elliman delivered his annual State of the Campus Address on Oct. 19 to an in-person audience for the first time since 2019.
When a Twitter follower praised Elon Musk’s new “awesome, fit, ripped and healthy” look, the billionaire entrepreneur replied that his secret was “fasting” and “Wegovy.” Given society’s obsession with celebrities and weight loss and Musk’s massive following on Twitter, a viral tweet was born.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Oct. 19 Grand Rounds – "Longitudinal Integrated Clerkships: Reform & Reward" with Jennifer Adams, MD, FACP, professor of medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Before “wellness” was a commonly discussed concept, before health care as a profession widely recognized that clinician well-being can correlate with patient well-being, Lotte Dyrbye, MD, MHPE, took a gap year between her undergraduate studies and medical school.
Colorectal Cancer Cancer cancer screening
The best screening test for colorectal cancer is the screening that gets done, because it decreases a person’s chances of getting colorectal cancer and significantly reduces their risk of dying from colorectal cancer.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Oct. 11, 2022 Research & Innovation Conference – "Stop the Start: Therapeutics Targeting C5aR1 to Treat Early Rheumatoid Arthritis as a New Pathway to Precision Medicine" with Nirmal K. Banda, PhD, MPhil, MS, research professor in the Division of Rheumatology.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Oct. 11, 2022 Research & Innovation Conference – "Pain Reprocessing Therapy: Initial Findings & Future Directions" with Joseph W. Frank, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine and Yoni K. Ashar, PhD, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine.
Diversity Clinical Research Inclusion
As lead investigator or sub-investigator on numerous clinical trials at the University of Colorado Cancer Center — many of them investigating new treatments for head and neck cancer — Jessica McDermott, MD, has been instrumental in improving access to cancer clinical trials for patients from medically underserved communities.
Education Community Fellowship
A newly established fellowship program in the University of Colorado School of Medicine will help participants prepare for administrative leadership roles in academic medical centers, with a focus on providing guidance and understanding around health care leadership.
In this issue:
Watch the Department of Medicine's Oct. 5 Grand Rounds: Are PICCs the Central Venous Catheter of the Future? with Vineet Chopra, MBBS, MD, MSc, Robert W. Schrier Chair of Medicine, professor of medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Oct. 4 Research and Innovation Conference: "The Colorado Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC) – Advancing the Science for Better Health" with Paul S. MacLean, PhD, professor of medicine and pathology, Director of the Colorado NORC, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
University of Colorado Cancer Center members Moumita Ghosh, PhD, and Eric Clambey, PhD, have received a grant from the American Lung Association (ALA) to study how epithelial progenitor cells and immune cells may impact each other to shape the outcome of lung cancer.
Researchers from the University of Colorado Cancer Center on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have created a new way of measuring cancer lesions’ response to treatment that could better inform the development of new cancer drugs.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Sept. 28, 2022 Grand Rounds: (Mucosal) Barriers for Understanding Axial Spondyloarthritis – Kristine A. Kuhn, MD, PhD, Division Head and Scoville Endowed Chair, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, associate professor of medicine and immunology and microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Research Prostate Cancer Cancer
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and, when caught and treated early, is considered curable. But when prostate cancer becomes metastatic, meaning it spreads to distant organs, it is no longer considered curable and novel treatment strategies are needed.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Sept. 27 Research & Innovation Conference – "Rhythm Management of AF Using AI: Strategies to Integrate Machine Learning Algorithms into Care Decisions" with Michael Rosenberg, MD, assistant professor of medicine, Division of Cardiology/Cardiac Electrophysiology and Colorado Center for Personalized Medicine.
Watch the Department of Medicine's Sept. 27 Research & Innovation Conference – "You Are What You Eat: Fact, Fiction, or Perception?" with Janine Higgins, PhD, Vice Chair for Research and professor, Department of Medicine; Director of Operations and Nutrition Research Director, Colorado Clinical & Translational Sciences Institute.
Dear Colleagues,
The hint of fall is in the air and as the season turns, I look ahead to many important activities that have begun or will soon launch in the Department of Medicine.
That pain when you walk could be more serious than you think. It could be a sign of peripheral artery disease (PAD), a condition in which a narrowing of the arteries results in reduced blood flow to the arms or legs. When the arms or legs — PAD typically affects the legs — don't receive enough blood flow to keep up with demand, it can cause pain when walking and other symptoms. PAD is usually a sign of a buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries, known as atherosclerosis.
The University of Colorado School of Medicine was one of 36 study sites for a clinical trial that shows that diabetes drugs liraglutide and insulin glargine, when taken with metformin, allow patients to achieve and maintain their target blood levels for a longer time compared to two other commonly used diabetes medications.
Research Patient Care Community
Among physicians who see at least one adult patient with significant intellectual disability (ID) in an average month, close to 75% of those surveyed report usually or always communicating with someone other than the patient during the visit, new research shows.
In this issue:
Research Colorectal Cancer Clinical Trials DOM Newsletter
A new phase 2 clinical trial led by University of Colorado Cancer Center member Robert Lentz, MD, may offer hope for patients with metastatic colon cancer for whom standard therapy is no longer effective. Lentz is mentored by Wells Messersmith, MD, associate director of clinical services at the CU Cancer Center.
As genetic counseling and genetic testing continue gaining importance in the world of cancer, the new co-director of hereditary cancers in the University of Colorado Cancer Center is aiming to increase awareness of these important resources for patients.
Education Community Students Diversity
Many college students enter their freshman year unsure of what they want to major in, let alone what they’ll do after they graduate. Then there are students like Hussna Yasini, who entered her first year of college at the University of Colorado Denver knowing she could earn a reserved spot at the CU School of Medicine after she completed her undergraduate studies.
Focused on warding off a cold-weather surge of coronavirus infections and on revamping the COVID-19 vaccine response, health experts approved a new and likely improved version of the vaccine for the first time since the virus emerged.
For children with pediatric-onset chronic conditions, the relationships they form early on with their doctors and care team members often turn out to be among the most important connections of their young lives.
Years later, when those youth are on the cusp of adulthood and required to transition to adult care, the doctor-patient relationship becomes even more important, and thoughtful transition of care is critical. The growing field of transitional care encourages collaboration among doctors to help young patients effectively manage the shift from pediatric to adult care, to encourage those patients to play a greater part in their own health care, and to improve health care systems to make those transitions more seamless.
Press Releases Education Faculty
Amira Del Pino-Jones, MD, associate professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, has been named the CU School of Medicine’s associate dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have discovered how to extract critical information about breast cancer tumors and disease progression by analyzing blood plasma rather than using more invasive tissue biopsies.
“This is simply a blood draw,” said the study’s senior co-author Peter Kabos, MD, associate professor of medicine in the medical oncology division at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and CU Cancer Center member. “This allows us to look under the surface to see the defining characteristics of the disease. The advantage is that we don’t need to do repeated tissue biopsies.”
Advance care planning — thinking about what kind of care you want and whom you want by your side at the end of your life — can be difficult under any circumstances. But for sexual and gender minority (SGM) patients — including individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, asexual, transgender, queer, or intersex — those conversations are often made even more difficult due to stigma, fear, and discrimination.
For many researchers, the end of a post-doctoral fellowship and entry into a junior faculty position can be a time without a map.
In November 2021, the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus was designated a Rare Disease Center of Excellence by the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). CU Anschutz experts are highlighted in the latest edition of Denver magazine 5280 for their work in research and treating rare diseases.
A cancer diagnosis can be difficult to work through in the best of circumstances, but factor in barriers related to language, insurance status, educational achievement, geographic location, income level, and more, and the cancer journey — everything from prevention and screening to diagnosis and treatment — can become nearly impossible to traverse.
Denver-area magazine 5280 recently published its list of top doctors for 2022. On this year’s list, CU School of Medicine faculty members continue to be ranked among the best. We're proud to congratulate the 193 CU School of Medicine faculty members honored with the title "Top Doctor."
This week, members of the University of Colorado School of Medicine Class of 2026 became new medical students, entering medicine at a critical and often tumultuous time.
Research Press Releases Lung Cancer
A new study from the University of Colorado Cancer Center explores which lung cancer patients are the best candidates for novel therapies that directly target a gene identified as driving certain cancers.
Education Students CU Medicine Today
For residents training in specialties such as internal medicine, pediatrics, and emergency medicine, hands-on training is vital when it comes to practicing skills like stabilizing an airway or taking a patient’s medical history. When it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), however, training all too often happens in a classroom or online, with no real-world experience to reinforce the lessons or allow for learning opportunities.
BA.5, the latest omicron variant, now accounts for nearly every new SARS-CoV-2 infection in the state, and community levels are high across the Denver metro area, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).
Research Press Releases COVID-19
Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have investigated how antiviral proteins called interferons interact with SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19. The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, focuses on how the innate arm of the immune system defends against this coronavirus. The work resulted from a collaborative effort by multiple scientists, including the laboratories of Mario Santiago, PhD, associate professor of medicine, and Eric Poeschla, MD, professor of medicine, both at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
What’s it like living when you are dying?
It’s a question palliative care provider and instructor Jonathan Treem, MD, fields so often, he derived an analogy in answer.
It’s like being in a perpetual horror movie, where a killer lurks inside your home, he says. You’re the main character, alone with the murderer, who lies in wait. As you creep from dark room to dark room, searching for a monster sure to overpower you, the dread builds.
Currently, there are no disease-modifying therapies for Parkinson’s disease that can change the progression of the disease. An international team of scientists led by faculty at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is hoping to change that.
Press Releases Community CU Medicine Today
Longtime Colorado innovation leader Lisa Neal-Graves has been named CEO of the Aurora Wellness Community (AWC), a partnership between the CU Anschutz Medical Campus and the Aurora community that aims to improve access to primary care for underserved populations in Aurora. The center also will offer services to promote physical, mental, and financial well-being within the community, with a particular focus on housing, food security, generational care, community building, and connection.
The bad news about endometrial cancer — cancer that begins in the lining of the uterus — is that it is one of the few cancers that is increasing in incidence even as most other cancers are on the decline, thanks to advances in treatment and prevention.
Research Immunotherapy lymphoma
Large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) is one of the most aggressive lymphomas and accounts for about 30% of all lymphoma diagnoses.
Research Patient Care Sarcoma Clinical Trials
Ward McNeilly thought he was a goner.
It was summer 2021, and the sarcoma that had started in the Denver resident’s left thigh seemed to be under control, subdued by radiation and chemotherapy following a surgery in 2018 to remove the initial tumor and another surgery in 2019 to remove cancerous tumors in his groin. McNeilly was doing so well, in fact, that his doctors at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital authorized a “chemo vacation” to give his body a break from some of the side effects of the treatment.
Research Community Awareness Mental Health
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, many health care professionals admit they felt tired. Despite doing work they love, the days could be long or frustrating or very, very disheartening.
Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus discovered that while exercise activates muscles, which is critical for bone health, intense exertion over long periods contributes to a metabolic cascade that may lead to a loss of bone mineral density (BMD).
Patient Care Community Faculty Clinical Trials
It takes a certain tenacity to ride a bike across the country. That's even more true when a person is suffering from a rare disease. But Glenn Frommer is doing just that, and inspiring others along the way. Frommer is riding over 5,300 miles from San Francisco to Boston to raise funding and awareness for polycystic kidney disease (PKD).
Research Patient Care Press Releases COVID-19 Vaccinations Clinical lungs
A new study published in today’s issue of PLOS Pathogens is the first to link SARS-CoV-2 specific T cells to lung function and those who suffer from long-term COVID symptoms. Long COVID currently affects hundreds of millions of Americans.
Research Faculty Rheumatoid Arthritis
Although interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a common manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), it is a difficult condition to diagnose. By the time ILD is visible in a CT scan, it is often at an advanced state and difficult to treat.
During the May 27 spring convocation, the Graduate School announced the recipients of the dean’s awards, formally recognizing graduate students and faculty who have made a positive impact on the training environment and culture at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
Today, the AB Nexus program announced its fourth round of grant awards to faculty from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and the University of Colorado Boulder. From advancing new cancer and diabetes treatments to developing AI tools to diagnose dementia, the selected teams bring together experts from multiple disciplines to advance basic science and translational research that improves human health and well-being.
The median age for receiving a bladder cancer diagnosis is 73, and a significant number of those living with the disease are in their 70s and 80s.
Research Press Releases Community CU Medicine Today
In a recent survey of more than 6,500 physicians from across the United States representing a broad spectrum of racial and ethnic diversity, nearly 30% of respondents reported experiencing discrimination and mistreatment from patients or patients’ family members or visitors.
The term burnout has been tossed around frequently the past two years.
Most people know the feeling, but what can you actually do about it? Tyra Fainstad, MD, visiting associate professor of internal medicine, and Adrienne Mann, MD, assistant professor of hospital medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine decided they wanted to do something to address the root of the problem, so they created and implemented Better Together, a physician coaching program for trainees. The duo answers common questions and addresses misconceptions about burnout.
Editor’s note: This interview was edited for clarity and brevity.
Researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine have discovered an enzyme that regulates heart stiffness, setting the stage for developing novel treatments for heart failure.
Michelle Barron, MD, presented for the Women in Leadership Speaker Series on April 27, a perfect choice by organizers seeking a woman leader during the COVID-19 pandemic. Barron, a professor of medicine in the University of Colorado School of Medicine and a top infectious diseases expert in the state, was front and center of the public health crisis during the past two and a half years.
Women's Health Rheumatoid Arthritis
Well over 1.3 million Americans are living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to the Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Network. The potentially debilitating disease turns the body’s immune system against itself, attacking tissues and joints. Left untreated, the disorder can lead to deformed joints and disability.
Research Women's Health Mental Health
A coaching program aimed at decreasing burnout among female resident physicians significantly reduced emotional exhaustion and imposter syndrome while increasing self-compassion over a six-month period, according to researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
Research Community Support Diabetes
For some people with type 2 diabetes, the E word can evoke dread: exercise.
Awareness Neuroscience CU Anschutz 360 Podcast CU Medicine Today
Moksha Patel, MD, is a busy man. He recently finished a fellowship in the Division of Hospital Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine where he is now a senior instructor. He’s been appointed lead physician informaticist for the Institute for Healthcare Quality, Safety, and Efficiency at CU Anschutz and is working toward an MBA at CU Denver.
Research Patient Care Press Releases COVID-19
Efforts by hospitals to protect people from COVID-19 by restricting them from visiting family members in ICUs may have contributed to a significant increase in stress-related disorders, according to a study led by University of Colorado School of Medicine researchers.
Each year we honor one of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus’s greatest assets – our remarkable faculty – with the faculty awards. These accolades recognize superior accomplishments in teaching and leadership.
The awards are special not only because they acknowledge outstanding performance in our core areas as a university, but also because they are recognition by colleagues and students of this exemplary work.
Patient Care Lung Cancer Prostate Cancer Melanoma Immunotherapy
To understand why Beau Gill built a mental cupboard for Jeff and Spike, first you must travel back with him to the small town of Catemaco in Mexico’s state of Veracruz.
Research Patient Care Community
U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper visited the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus on April 14, hearing from CU and UCHealth leaders on how they joined efforts in the battle against COVID-19 and touring the new Anschutz Health Sciences Building (AHSB). The senator’s aim was to take lessons learned back to the U.S. Capitol to help guide legislation and manage the country’s future health crises.
In 1986, Jill Norris had a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology in hand and pondered what to do next. She decided to pursue a doctorate in epidemiology and applied to a few schools. An invitation from a renowned figure in the field not only cemented her decision but also set her on a lifelong professional path to an elite position among her peers and now, international recognition.
Bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer among adult men. In recent decades, however, research and treatment innovation for this disease have lagged. Thomas Flaig, MD, vice chancellor of research for CU Denver and the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, recently presented findings from a 10-year-long effort to study bladder cancer biomarker development and treatment.
Though irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common condition that affects around 10% of the population, there is a lot that patients and physicians still don’t know about it. What is known is that it is more common in women and people younger than 60, and it is often associated with mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. And it can cause life-impacting symptoms if not treated properly.
James Burton, MD, a transplant hepatologist, regularly sees the ravages caused by alcohol in patients. A decade ago, most severe alcohol-related liver cases were in older patients, but increasingly, and especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, Burton and his colleagues are treating younger patients.
Adolescents with severe obesity may not pursue metabolic bariatric surgery for weight loss due to lack of information, difficulties with access to care, and because of social stigma, according to a newly published study led by a University of Colorado School of Medicine researcher.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has once again recognized the University of Colorado (CU) Cancer Center as one of the best cancer centers in the country. On March 31, the NCI officially renewed the CU Cancer Center’s “comprehensive” designation with a strong rating, the best ever received at the CU Cancer Center. The award recognizes the center’s strengths in basic, translational, clinical, and population science research, as well as leadership and resources devoted to community outreach and engagement and cancer research, training, and education.
As Americans cross their fingers, hoping the pandemic stays behind them, scientists across the country remain focused on the novel coronavirus, intent on combating its next move.
While conducting research for her doctoral dissertation, Channing Tate, PhD, MPH, spoke with 144 older Black adults about hospice care – what they knew about it, whether they’d consider it, what their experiences with hospice had been.
Research Community Awareness Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer, the third most commonly-diagnosed cancer in the United States (excluding skin cancers) and second leading cause of cancer-related mortality, is increasingly affecting people in their 20s and 30s, recently published research shows.
As a young girl in the 1940s, Helen Morris, MD, saw a world rocked by atrocities and on the brink of momentous change. Eighty years later, Morris, who was among a small group of women doctors in Colorado early in her career, sees history repeating itself.
Research Patient Care COVID-19
Two faculty members at the University of Colorado School of Medicine are key contributors to a set of COVID-19 guidance for cardiologists released today by the American College of Cardiology.
While practicing medicine at Denver Health, Lilia Cervantes, MD, researcher and associate professor of hospital medicine and director of immigrant health at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, treated socially marginalized patients with kidney failure who had no access to standard dialysis care. These patients could only receive dialysis at the emergency room when their health was in critical condition.
Whether it’s dangerous side effects with Ambien or poorer heart health with type 2 diabetes, women often react to drugs and disease differently than men. Yet studies behind these sex and gender differences in medical science are still relatively scant.
Research Melanoma Surgical Oncology
For years, surgery for patients with stage III melanoma — melanoma that has spread to the lymph nodes — involved removing those lymph nodes along with the primary tumor. Known as completion lymph node dissection (CLND), the surgery was meant to ensure that no cancer remained after surgery.
Research Public Health Clinical Research Fellowship
The strength of the CU Anschutz Medical Campus is built in part on the ties between practitioners and researchers — field experts working regularly in hospitals or clinics using what they have seen in their practice to inform their research. This is where innovation and truly life-altering discoveries are made.
The Surgical/subspecialists Clinical Outcomes Research (SCORE) Fellowship at ACCORDS is a one-of-a-kind opportunity allowing physicians to gain skills and begin their work in outcomes-based research. The fellowship is designed to train outstanding physician-researchers in clinical translational and outcomes research. Since 2014, SCORE has primarily focused on surgeons and subspecialists interested in research training.
Research Community Kidney Cancer
March is Kidney Cancer Awareness Month, and to get the latest information on the disease, we spoke with University of Colorado (CU) Cancer Center member Elaine Lam, MD, FACP, an associate professor of medicine in the Division of Medical Oncology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Patient Care Sports Medicine Clinical Affairs
CU Sports Medicine — a multidisciplinary program involving the School of Medicine’s departments of orthopedics, physical medicine and rehabilitation, emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics — serves a wide range of patients: from toddlers to seniors, elite athletes to weekend warriors. To help dispel some misconceptions about the field and highlight what sets CU’s program apart from the competition, we interviewed three experts to learn from the pros.
Patient Care Education Clinical Affairs
“Quality over quantity.” It’s a familiar piece of advice for everything from shopping habits to food choices. But the concept is especially important when it comes to health care. In fact, it’s what led a coalition of CU Anschutz Medical Campus entities — the School of Medicine, the College of Nursing, UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital, and Children’s Hospital Colorado — to establish the Institute for Healthcare Quality, Safety and Efficiency in 2012.
Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a stroke, which – if not treated quickly – often leaves victims with devastating disabilities. While clear stroke treatment guidelines in emergency departments have resulted in rapid care for years, for a unique patient population that suffers in-hospital strokes (IHS), the treatment hasn’t always been so speedy.
In celebration of Black History Month, CU Anschutz is launching the “Get To Know” series to highlight Black excellence on campus year-round – leaders, innovators and change makers who are accomplishing the extraordinary in their fields every day. The “Get To Know” series will expand throughout the year as an inclusive platform for voices on our campus.
Following up on a 2018 study that identified an epigenetic modifier known as histone deacetylase 11 (HDAC11) as a potential therapeutic target for treating obesity and diabetes, researchers from the University of Colorado School of Medicine have published new research that finds HDAC11 regulates G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) called beta-adrenergic receptors (β-ARs).
Research Patient Care Community COVID-19
For health care workers, one of the most troubling aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic is people who get and recover from the virus, only to have additional — often more severe — symptoms arise weeks or even months later. Known in medical journals by names like “post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC)” or “long-haul COVID,” the condition can have debilitating effects even among the previously young and healthy.
Asthma is a chronic condition that can cause airways in the lungs to become inflamed and narrowed. A common perception of obesity is that it involves low-grade systemic inflammation.
Press Releases Clinical Research
The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus – home to Children’s Hospital Colorado, UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital and the CU School of Medicine – has been designated as a NORD Rare Disease Center of Excellence for its research and commitment to advance care for patients with rare diseases.
In 2016, Colorado voters approved a new state law that provided medical aid in dying for terminally ill patients. This law authorizes a physician, who is identified as the attending physician, to prescribe a lethal dose of medications that results in death.
Research Rheumatoid Arthritis Autoimmune disease
Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have discovered that having one kind of autoimmune disease can lead to another.
As dawn broke over the South Pacific on Sept. 21, 1944, Jack Comstock, MD, stepped out of the officers’ quarters on his callused bare feet, wearing a G-string and little else. He stared at the specks on the pale horizon.
A troubling new variant of the COVID-19 virus first observed by South African scientists has now been found in other parts of the world, including Portugal, Botswana, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. It has been found in several U.S. states as well, including Colorado, New York, Hawaii, and Minnesota. Researchers are concerned, as the new variant — dubbed the Omicron variant by the World Health Organization — shows signs of being more contagious than previous variants. It may also be less susceptible to current COVID-19 vaccines.
Campus Life Community Students Advocacy
The wind kicked up as soon as everyone “died,” cold and fierce around the dozens of students, faculty members, and staff members lying on the concrete and browning grass.
COVID-19 Blood Clinical Research
Scientists at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, along with colleagues at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital, have discovered specific genetic biomarkers that not only show who is infected with COVID-19, but offer insights into how severe the disease might be, filling a major diagnostic gap.
Patient Care Community Geriatrics
Elder abuse and neglect are major problems – they happen to one in 10 older adults in the United States – and often hide in plain sight.
Patient Care Community COVID-19 CU Medicine Today
From the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, communities of color have been hit hardest by the worst public health crisis in the past 100 years.
Press Releases Community Faculty
Carey Candrian, PhD, knew the statistics.
“Nearly 50% of older LGBTQ adults say their doctor doesn’t know that they’re LGBTQ, and the stress of hiding takes up to 12 years off their life,” Candrian says. “Seventy-six percent of LGBTQ older adults fear having adequate support as they age. Thousands still experience discrimination, harassment, and abuse when seeking or living in senior housing. These are big numbers.”
Researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine have been awarded a $3.7 million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health to support establishing a center that specializes in the study of the causes of rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis, and other autoimmune diseases.
Research Patient Care Community COVID-19 Quality and Clinical Effectiveness
Ideas and innovation don’t always co-exist with convenience. On the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, the road to a novel mask design to address the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic took some unexpected twists and turns.
Celebrating exceptional women on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus? No problem.
Patient Care Community COVID-19
On Monday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave full approval to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 16 and older. The approval provides the FDA’s strongest endorsement to the Pfizer vaccine, which previously had been approved under an emergency use authorization.
As the country rides a new wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, it faces a riptide that’s threatening its course. The delta variant, the now-predominant strain of coronavirus, prompted President Joe Biden’s call for booster shots for all vaccinated adults on Aug. 18 and underscored discussions at a research summit that ran parallel to the president’s nationwide address.
Vineet Chopra, MD, MSc, chief of the Division of Hospital Medicine at the University of Michigan Health System, has been named chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, effective Oct. 18, 2021.
Each year, Denver-area magazine 5280 publishes its list of top doctors. On this year’s list, which came out last week, CU School of Medicine faculty members continue to be ranked among the best. We are proud to congratulate the 138 CU School of Medicine faculty members honored with the title Top Doctor.
In March of 2020, thousands of scientists from around the world, including researchers from the Colorado Center for Personalized Medicine, united to answer a pressing and complex question: What genetic factors influence why some COVID-19 patients develop severe, life-threatening disease requiring hospitalization, while others escape with mild symptoms or none at all?
In her second year on the job at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Carey Candrian, PhD, was shadowing a hospice admissions nurse as she interviewed a dying woman in the patient’s home.
Patient Care COVID-19 Vaccinations
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday recommended a nationwide pause on the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine because six women who received the vaccine have experienced a rare type of blood clot.
A lot has changed in the 20 years since University of Colorado School of Medicine researchers Meredith Mealer, PhD, RN, and Marc Moss, MD, started studying the effects of stress on critical-care nurses.
Patient Care Community COVID-19 Transplant Center
James Burton, MD, professor of medicine and medical director of liver transplantation at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, says he and his colleagues are already starting to see the effect pandemic drinking is having on patients.
Research Press Releases Education
A pilot program to offer mental health services offered resident physicians at the University of Colorado School of Medicine provides a model for confidential and affordable help, according to an article published today by the journal Academic Medicine.
Patients need and deserve the undivided attention of clinicians providing their care, but frequent interruptions and pressure to be responsive to colleagues can have detrimental impacts on the quality of care.
During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the stress and uncertainty weighed heavily on many of those on the front lines. Lilia Cervantes, MD, an associate professor of medicine at Denver Health and the University of Colorado Division of Hospital Medicine, and a physician-scientist, was one of the first to work in a COVID-19 unit. The night before her first shift at Denver Health, Cervantes, also a mother of two daughters, went online to make a will.
Innovation Patient Care Community
With the FDA emergency approval of the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer last week and Moderna approval due any day, immunizations against the deadliest pandemic in the past 100 years will begin this week.
Each year, Denver-area magazine 5280 publishes its list of top doctors. The annual list was recently released, and year after year, our CU School of Medicine faculty members were ranked among the best. We're proud to congratulate the more than 160 CU School of Medicine faculty members honored with the title top doctor.
By its definition, science is the systematic knowledge gained through repeated observations of the world around us. And, as history indicates, the first pioneers of scientists were Indigenous people, whose contributions in modern science must not be overlooked.
A research team led by scientists from the Consortium for Fibrosis Research & Translation (CFReT) at the University of Colorado School of Medicine has identified a potential target for treating heart failure related to fibrosis.
“Fifteen thousand deaths is just terrible and it kind of forces us to reflect on what's happened,” said Anuj Mehta, a pulmonary care physician at Denver Health [assistant professor of medicine at CU School of Medicine], and member of the Colorado Vaccine Equity Taskforce.
“These patients are at particularly high risk for opioid overdose, as they are not receiving the protective effects of buprenorphine,” said Jarratt Pytell of University of Colorado School of Medicine, who led the study published Wednesday by JAMA Psychiatry.
“The first bill, House Bill 1215, would prohibit clinics from covering the costs of paying their essential workers, including nurses, pharmacists, social workers, housekeeping, and others. It gives government officials the power to decide where patients get medical care. The Colorado Hospital Association estimates that most hospitals would be unable to pay their bills and hundreds of clinics would close. Layoffs would be inevitable.
“A second bill, House Bill 1243, would prohibit hospitals from counting support for research, education, and training as a community benefit. This restriction will curtail funding that supports our programs and would have an immediate and lasting negative impact on the state.
“And it’s not just us concerned about these bills. Every clinical department chair in the School of Medicine has signed on to oppose this legislation.
“Year after year, there’s always going to be someone that tells me this is the worst season yet or this season feels worse than last year,” Flavia Hoyte with National Jewish Health [and associate professor of medicine at CU School of Medicine] said.
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