News

[Glenda Perez draws up a COVID-19 vaccine at the University of Arizona vaccination clinic on Monday, Sept. 19, 2023. (Photo by Hannah Cree from El Inde Arizona, stories from Southeastern Arizona by U of A School of Journalism students)]
Prepping for respiratory illness season: Key insights on RSV, flu and COVID-19

Respiratory illnesses surge in winter months, aligning with colder weather, increased indoor gatherings and seasonal travel. This prompts health officials such as Dr. Mohanad Al-Obaidi, Division of Infectious Diseases associate professor, to urge people to adopt proactive measures to limit their spread.


[Lupus Research Association image used to promote its recognition of U of A Arthritis Center director and Rheumatology division chief C. Kent Kwoh, MD]
Lupus Research Alliance Celebrates U of A’s Dr. Kent Kwoh for Native American Heritage Month

A story published online by the Lupus Research Alliance spotlights the Rheumatology division chief and U of A Arthritis Center director’s involvement with indigenous populations in Southern Arizona. Coming during Native American Heritage Month, this recognition serves as a wonderful tribute to the work being done to advance arthritis care throughout Native American populations.


[Kelsey Bernard, PhD, and Lalitha Madhavan, MD, PhD, are among U of A College of Medicine – Tucson co-authors of a paper in Experimental Neurology showing that, in an animal model, the protein PNA5 appears to have a protective effect on brain cells. The discovery could help Parkinson's patients.]
Study identifies potential new drug for Parkinson’s-related cognitive decline, dementia

Parkinson’s disease causes difficulty in movement and balance, but its cognitive symptoms receive less attention and have no good treatments. A U of A College of Medicine – Tucson team, including Lalitha Madhavan, MD, PhD, a neurology associate professor with a dual appointment in the Division of General Internal Medicine, Geriatrics & Palliative Medicine, hopes to change that.


[A collage of images showing the Hospital Clínico Viedma entrance, Dr. Hinestroza, a map showing where Cochabamba is in Bolivia, and a presentation Dr. Hinestroza gave during her rotation there.]
Infectious Diseases fellows get chance at rotation in Bolivia in 2025

The Division of Infectious Diseases and U of A GME office signed a 5-year letter of agreement with the Hospital Clínico Viedma in Cochabamba, Bolivia, for a four-week elective rotation there led by assistant professor Monica Jordan Hinestroza, MD, this February. Apply today!


[Collage of three images from the Department of Medicine’s participation in the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Arizona Chapter of the American College of Physicians, Nov. 8-9, at the Casino del Sol Resort.]
Big crowds and big wins for DOM at ACP Arizona Chapter Scientific Meeting

Department of Medicine faculty, residents and students excelled at this year’s American College of Physicians chapter event hosted in Tucson, with DOM honors for Internal Medicine Physician of the Year, Educator of the Year, and Student of the Year, plus top prizes in poster contests in four of five student categories and a resident category. Poster entries, registrants and sponsorships also broke records.


[Collage of three images from the University of Arizona Department of Medicine DEI Mixer held Nov. 4, 2024, at the UAHS Health Sciences Innovationg Building]
Modest turnout for DOM DEI Mixer with great talk, sim lab experience

Thirty people attended the 2024 Department of Medicine mixer hosted by the DEI Committee in the HSIB Forum and ASTEC simulation lab, including 10 pre-med and medical students interested in internal medicine, with an inspiring talk by UAHS DEI associate vice president Dr. Francisco Moreno. See the mini-photo gallery.


[Collage of images from the first Tucson Transplant Symposium, hosted by the U of A College of Medicine – Tucson’s Division of Nephrology and Department of Surgery with a particular focus on kidney transplants.]
Tucson Transplant Symposium spotlights chronic kidney disease

The Division of Nephrology co-hosts inaugural symposium with Department of Surgery, offering 3.0 CMEs for clinicians across southern Arizona interested in the latest information on kidney transplants, the most commonly transplanted organ. Nearly 40 clinicians attended. See the mini-photo gallery.


[NIH/NIAID microscopy image of coccidioides fungal spore, which causes Valley fever, with images of U of A's Dr. John Galgiani in his lab and two Congressmen who introduced new legislation for a human vaccine]
Bipartisan bill to accelerate human vaccine for Valley fever introduced in Congress

Two U.S. representatives, a Democrat from Phoenix and a Republican from California’s Central Valley, recently filed legislation to fund creation of a national strategy for a human vaccine for Valley fever. DOM infectious diseases professor Dr. John Galgiani is quoted.


[Collage of images and logos re: 2024 Arizona Chapter Scientific Meeting of the American College of Physicians, 11.8-9.24, in Tucson]
Tucson’s Casino del Sol to host ACP-AZ Scientific Meeting, Nov. 8-9

With a record number of posters from medical students and residents, a new Great Debates contest added to the Doctor’s Dilemma and poster/oral vignettes contests, and a point-of-care ultrasound training session, the state chapter of the American College of Physicians event is building excitement, says ACP-AZ Education Committee Chair and DOM Associate Professor Dr. Indu Partha. See the schedule, who’s speaking – and register today!


[Graphical illustration of NHLBI Workshop on Health Disparities in Pulmonary Vascular Disease]
U of A-led NHLBI Workshop explores disparities in pulmonary hypertension

A virtual national workshop, Oct. 22-23, chaired by the DOM Pulmonary division’s Dr. Franz Rischard goes beyond how much a person’s race outweighs their mixed ancestry, sex and/or social determinants of health in a disease directly affecting over 2 million people in the U.S. Read the Q&A with Dr. Rischard on why this is important.


[A collage of images from the 2nd Annual UACC Awards Dinner: (top image, from left) University of Arizona Cancer Center 2024 award winners (from left) Rachna Shroff, MD, Aaron Scott, MD, Jianqin Lu, PhD, Andrew Paek, PhD, Cynthia Thomson, PhD, Jennifer Erdrich, MD, Heidi Hamann, PhD, Clara Curiel-Lewandrowski, MD.]
U of A Cancer Center honors members at annual awards event

Four Department of Medicine faculty members were among nine awardees at the Second Annual Awards Dinner for the U of A Cancer Center, hosted Sept. 4 at The Graduate. Five more were among the nominators. See who they are.


[Image of invitation to Department of Medicine's Fall DEI Mixer at the HSIB Forum, Nov. 4, 4-7 p.m.]
Department of Medicine to host fall DEI Mixer, Nov. 4

Organizers, Drs. Christian Bime and Bijin Thajudeen, anticipate a number of pre-med and medical students to attend, as well as residents, fellows and faculty. Event includes ASTEC sim lab tour and comments by UAHS and COM-T DEI leaders, Drs. Francisco Moreno and Celia Valenzuela.


[A collage of photos from the first Pima County Medical Society Career-Building Bootcamp, Sept. 28, with the PCMS logo.]
Fulfilling Hippocratic Oath includes sharing career advice to aspiring, other physicians

Five Department of Medicine faculty participate in Pima County Medical Society Career-Building Bootcamp, Sept. 28, share their views on inaugural event and the importance of community networking with medical students, residents and other early-career physicians. In other news, PCMS Board nominations close Nov. 6.


[A collage of images related to events occuring in Tucson in late September and October 2024]
Out & About in Tucson – Getting out and staying healthy this fall

Tucson culture shines as fall brings a cooler climate with multiple festivals and other activities to the area. Many offer ways to stay healthy. See these with U of A connections to plan you and your family’s time better.


[Collage of images from UAHS Office of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion event Sept. 20 to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month 2024]
Hispanic Heritage Month to be celebrated with food, music and lectures

The Office of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at the U of A Health Sciences has worked up a series of activities for Hispanic Heritage Month, launched Sept. 20 with mariachi & salsa music, folklorico dancers and food trucks in the Hippocrates Courtyard that drew several DOM staffers. See a mini-photo gallery and other planned events.


[Medical students, residents and others gather around the DOM’s Dr. Kevin Moynahan, vice dean for education at the College of Medicine – Tucson, at the Internal Medicine Student Meet-and-Greet, Sept. 11 in the COM-T Social Hall]
Full house for Internal Medicine Medical Student Meet-and-Greet

Faculty, fellows, residents and students – 77 in all – mingled and gnoshed together at a social mixer designed for medical students to learn more about internal medicine, its specialties and the people dedicating their careers to the field. See the mini-photo gallery.


[Banner image for "Celebrating Women in Medicine Month" and the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson 2024 Women in Medicine & Science Torchbearer Awards]
Three of five 2024 Torchbearer Awards go to DOM faculty

Fifteen Department of Medicine faculty and staff joined to celebrate Drs. Lisa Alschuler, Liz Connick and Clara Curiel-Lewandrowski, who were among this year’s winners recognized by COM-T Women in Medicine & Science for Women in Medicine Month. See the mini-photo gallery.


[[Collage image of portraits of 11 new University of Arizona Department of Medicine faculty members joining the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson in September 2024, pictured alphabetically from top left linearly and interspersed with 5 repetitions of a DOM block-A logo on blue.]]
DOM gains 11 new faculty members in September

Augmented by an additional 15 new faculty in August and 11 more in July, the Department of Medicine added 37 faculty members this summer. The most recent include five hospitalists, three internists, two cardiology researchers and an oncologist. See who they are and what they’ve done.


[Masthead of DOM Internal Digest newsletter for August 2024 with collage based on stories covered]
DOM Internal Digest newsletters for July and August 2024

The August and July Internal Digest newsletters were highlighted by welcomes to new residents, fellows and faculty, the white coat ceremony for new med students, a plethora of honors and awards for DOM faculty and staff, and features on summer research intern mentors, DEI champions, Banner – UMC Tucson’s U.S. News top ranking and more.


[April Ehrlich, MD, a new geriatrics faculty member in the Department of Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson, at the opening session of the Butler-Williams Scholars Program, a summer research institute hosted at the National Institute on Aging headquarters in Bethesda, Md.]
New geriatrics faculty member selected for National Institute on Aging scholars program

With just a few weeks under her belt as a faculty member, Dr. April Ehrlich, in the Division of General Internal Medicine, Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, was off to NIA headquarters for a weeklong summer aging research symposium named for the institute’s first two directors.


[Logo for new Joint Spaces podcast for University of Arizona Arthritis Center alongside portraits of Drs. Kent Kwoh, Ernest Vina and Dylan Lee (top to bottom)]
Rheumatology, Arthritis Center add ‘Joint Space’ podcast to community outreach

Dr. Kent Kwoh, division chief and center director, kicks off the podcast – offered on multiple platforms – on topic of “Joint Pain Explained.” Also in this news item are Living Healthy With Arthritis fall calendar, including lectures by Drs. Julie Jernberg and Joshua Farr, and the Bear Down Celebration.


[A portrait of Elizabeth Connick, MD, inset into an image depicting a single human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), as it was budding from a human immune cell, which the virus had infected, and within which the HIV virus had been replicated. (Credit: NIAID, 2012)]
U of A study seeks to understand factors that allow HIV to persist during antiretroviral therapy

Infectious Diseases division chief Dr. Liz Connick received $703,000 in NIH/NIAID bridge funding for a study to identify factors in secondary lymphoid tissues that lead to continuous low-level expression of HIV in people living with HIV and receiving antiretroviral therapy, or ART.


[Zoom image of presentation by Neil Ampel, MD, at an FDA/NIH/CDC workshop on a Valley fever vaccine for humans; U of A's John Galgiani, MD, also pictured to right of Dr. Ampel]
U of A infectious diseases faculty headline federal workshop on human vaccine for Valley fever

Shortly after award of $33M in National Institutes of Health contracts to develop human vaccine, Valley Fever Center team – including Drs. John Galgiani and Fariba Donovan – presents on prospects at workshop near Washington, DC. 


[Collage image of portraits of 15 new University of Arizona Department of Medicine faculty members joining the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson in August 2024, pictured alphabetically from top left linearly.]
Fifteen new faculty to join Department of Medicine in August

Fifteen new faculty will join the DOM this month, including three pulmonologists, two hospitalists, two infectious diseases specialists, a cardiologist, dermatologist, endocrinologist, geriatrician, oncologist, and palliative medicine specialist – and two researchers, one studying GI cancers and the other the role of cellular aging (senescence) in age-related bone loss. Read all about them.


[A vehicle kicks up dust as it passes a bicyclist on a dirt road]
Pursuit of a Valley fever vaccine passes significant milestone

A human Valley fever vaccine candidate will proceed toward Phase 1 clinical trials thanks to a major investment from the National Institutes of Health, with a portion of the $33 million going to the University of Arizona through the Valley Fever Center for Excellence, led by Dr. John Galgiani.


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