December 2024
Deans Message
Reflecting on 2024 at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
As 2024 draws to a close, we celebrate another remarkable year at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (VTCSOM). This year was filled with milestones that reflect the resilience, talent, and dedication of our students, faculty, and staff, as well as the support of the larger VTCSOM community.
Much like the traditions many of us are preparing to celebrate, our school has built its own cherished annual events. We began 2024 with our 12th annual Docs for Morgan basketball game, honoring the memory of Morgan Harrington. The Roanoke community joined our Admissions Office’s Multiple Mini-Interview (MMI) process, which yielded an exceptional Class of 2028. Our alumni and friends came together for a record-setting Giving Day, supporting scholarships and cutting-edge programs at the school.
Our fourth-year students showcased their outstanding work at the VTCSOM Medical Student Research Symposium, where Dr. Peter Apel was named Research Mentor of the Year. One of the year’s highlights was the incredible success of the Class of 2024 on Match Day. Achieving a 100% match rate, our graduates secured residencies across the nation in highly competitive programs. Notably, five graduates continued their journeys at Carilion Clinic.
Shortly after the Class of 2024 celebrated their graduation, we inaugurated a new tradition with our first 10-year class reunion. It was wonderful to welcome back our Charter Class from 2014 for a chance to reconnect with each other, the school and the community. It was heartening to see so many of these outstanding physicians working, and teaching, alongside us in the Roanoke region.
Over the summer we welcomed the 51 students in Class of 2028 and watched them don their white coats, a milestone on their path of becoming a physician. This class inaugurated our most substantial curricular innovations since VTCSOM opened our doors in 2010. After 18 months of visioning, planning and approvals by the Medical Curriculum Meeting and our accrediting body (LCME), Phase 1 of the curriculum launched successfully this fall. Kudos to the many faculty across VTCSOM departments, staff, students, and educational affairs team for their hard work and dedication to our new curriculum!
The HSIS department continues to develop in its third year. Extramural grant submissions by six core research-focused faculty yielded an impressive 47% hit rate in the past two years. In 2024, research grant submissions more than doubled, research awards quadrupled, and publication output tripled. We are excited about this momentum and expect it will accelerate in the years to come.
We welcomed new leaders in 2024, including Dr. Amanda Murchison, associate dean for student affairs; Dr. Lisa Uherick, chief well-being officer; and Dr. Christopher Hourigan, director of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC’s Cancer Research Center – D.C. In addition to his primary appointment with the institute, Hourigan is a professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, with VTCSOM as his tenure home.
Once again, VTCSOM received national recognition for its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion with a HEED Award. This honor underscores our dedication to creating a welcoming and supportive environment for all students. Initiatives such as the Henrietta Lacks Excellence in Medicine Scholarship, the Dean’s Diversity Champions awards, the Aequitas Health Honor Society, the Early Identification Program, and more are making an impactful difference.
This year’s achievements would not be complete without recognizing your tireless efforts in pursuit of our vision to establish the nation’s premier model of 21st century medical education and build transformative research promoting world-class clinical care. And in preparation to expand our impact we’ve embarked on plans for a new state-of-the-art facility, further cementing VTCSOM’s role as a hub for medical education and innovation.
As I reflect on these achievements, I am reminded of the strength and collaboration that define our medical school community. I wish to extend my deepest gratitude to our students, faculty, staff, and alumni who make these accomplishments possible. Your dedication and hard work not only shape the future of VTCSOM but also positively impact the world of medicine.
Warmest wishes for a happy holiday season and a prosperous 2025!
Sincerely,
Lee A. Learman
Dean
Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
Editor’s note: The next issue of Progress Notes will be published Mon., January 6th. All submissions should be sent to VTCSOMAdvancement@vt.edu no later than Mon., Dec 16th.
News Around Campus
Events
- November 11 - December 13th - Children’s Hygiene Supply Drive
- Hokies Give Back Event
- January - New Art: “Threads of Nature” – watch for details!
Humanism Notes
In this season marked by political division, acrimony and “othering” of people with whom may disagree, storyteller Neal Foard reminds us about the kindness of humans in times of crisis.
Publishing
Mengxi Zhang, assistant professor in the Department of Health Systems and Implementation Science, published “Navigating Disparities in Dental Health – A Transit-Based Investigation of Access to Dental Care in Virginia,” in Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology. Co-authors include Junghwan Kim and Shashank Karki from Virginia Tech and collaborators from Virginia Commonwealth University, The University of Alabama, and the American Dental Association.
Karima Abutaleb, class of 2027, and mentor Sumita Mishra, assistant professor at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute (FBRI) and in the Department of Internal Medicine, published the review, “Glycosphingolipids in Cardiovascular Disease: Insights from Molecular Mechanisms and Heart Failure Models,” in Biomolecules, along with a colleague from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Isaiah Yim, class of 2026, and Justin Weppner, assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, along with Carilion colleagues published, “A Survey to Determine Health Utility States after a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): Influence of a History of TBI on Disability Perceptions,” in Cureus.
Mia Edelson and James Kwok, both class of 2025, Farrell Adkins, assistant professor in the Department of Surgery, and Carilion colleagues published, “Complications associated with loop ileostomy reversal delayed greater than twelve months,” in Scientific Reports.
Abhishek Bhutada, class of 2024, along with VTCSOM Department of Neurosurgery faculty members Vaibhav Patel and Adeolu Olasunkanmi, published “Development and Validation of a Predictive Nomogram for Patients with Myxopapillary Ependymoma: A Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Retrospective Cohort Analysis,” in the Global Spine Journal. Collaborators included Carilion neurosurgery residents, Srijan Adhikari, Joshua Cuoco, and Austin Hoggarth.
Nikki Sood, class of 2018, Anthony Slonim, professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, and a collaborator published the editorial, “Mentorship for Non-academic, Mid-career Hospitalist Physicians: The Journey Taken Less Often,” in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Denis Foretia, associate professor in the Department of Surgery, published “Piloting Assessment Tool to Organize Surgical Care in Armed Conflicts: Findings from Cameroon,” in the Journal of Surgical Research, with co-authors from Indiana University School of Medicine and the Nkafu Policy Institute and University of Buea in Cameroon
Steven Poelzing, associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, at FBRI, and in the Department of Internal Medicine, and Mark Warren, adjunct faculty with FBRI, published “The calcium transient coupled to the L-type calcium current attenuates cardiac alternans,” in Frontiers in Physiology.
James Smyth, associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, at FBRI, and in the Department of Basic Science Education, and colleagues published, “Connexin 43 regulates intercellular mitochondrial transfer from human mesenchymal stromal cells to chondrocytes,” in Stem Cell Research & Therapy.
Scott Johnstone, assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, at FBRI, and in the Department of Surgery, joined co-authors from Virginia Tech and Loyola University Chicago in the publication of “Adeno-associated virus-mediated gene delivery of Perm1 enhances cardiac contractility in mice,” in the American Journal of Physiology: Heart and Circulatory Physiology.
Emergency medicine resident Daniel Doynow, along with national and international colleagues on behalf of the Resuscitative TEE Collaborative Registry (rTEECoRe) investigators, co-authored “Development and Implementation of a Multicenter Registry for Resuscitation-Focused Transesophageal Echocardiography,” in Annals of Emergency Medicine.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Update
Holidays and celebrations in December:
1: World AIDS Day
3: International Day of Persons with Disabilities
3-24: Advent
8: Immaculate Conception of Mary
8: Bodhi Day
10: International Human Rights Day
12: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
13: St. Lucia’s Day
16–24: Las Posadas
21: Yule Winter Solstice
25: Christmas Day
25-1/2: Hanukkah
26: Boxing Day
26–January 1: Kwanzaa
26: Zartosht No-Diso
26: St. Stephen’s Day
27: St. John’s Apostle and Evangelist Day, feast day for St. John
28: Feast of the Holy Innocents
30: Feast of the Holy Family
31: Watch Night/New Year's Eve
January 1: New Year's Day
Spotlight on Giving
Swing it to End It recently donated $20,000 to the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine to support the VTCSOM Center for Healthy Aging fund. This gift supports educational opportunities for medical students in coordination with the Carilion Center for Healthy Aging. The money directly benefits caregiver education related to Alzheimer’s Disease and caregiver support.
The 10th Annual Swing it to End It fund-raising golf tournament was held in August with two VTCSOM teams of students participating in the Captain’s Choice event. Thank you to everyone who has supported this important cause!
Alumni Updates
Carilion Recruitment
Interested in returning to Roanoke or the surrounding areas to work and play? Carilion Clinic has outstanding employment opportunities available in many specialties. Visit Carilionclinic.org, scroll to Careers and then Physician Careers for more information. You may also reach out to Andrea Henson, director of physician recruitment & onboarding (ahenson@carilionclinic.org) or 540-224-5241.
Take Note
HS&T Holiday Toy Drive for CHIP and the Bradley Free Clinic.
We are collecting new and unwrapped toys until Friday, December 13th. Donation boxes will be in the R2 Lobby, R4 Lobby, FBRI breakroom, and VTCSOM library. Monetary gifts are also welcome, for more information contact Courtney Powell at cbrakes@vt.edu. This toy drive is organized by the VTC Refugee and Immigrant Medical Association (RIMA) and the VTCSOM Pediatrics Interest Group (PIG).
The Last Note
During his remarks to the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors on Nov. 19, 2024, President Tim Sands offered a resolution praising the leadership and partnership of Nancy Howell Agee, who recently retired as CEO and president of Carilion Clinic. The board approved the resolution recognizing Agee’s contributions to the success of the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC. Beginning her career with Carilion Clinic as a nurse in 1973, Agee has been a transformational leader for the health system. Congratulations!