Dean's Weekly Message

CU President Mark Kennedy toured the Gates Biomanufacturing Facility and the Marcus Institute for Brain Health during a visit to all four CU campuses on his first day, Monday, July 1. While visiting CU Anschutz Medical Campus, he also heard from faculty who are involved in those programs. At the Gates Biomanufacturing Facility, Terry Fry, MD, professor of pediatrics, explained cell-based therapies for children with cancer. Terry, who joined the School of Medicine from the National Cancer Institute in 2018, was among the first scientists to investigate the potential to insert modified genes into a child’s own T-cells to target CD19, a surface protein found on nearly all cells affected by acute lymphoblastic leukemia. At the Marcus Institute for Brain Health, James Kelly, MD, professor of neurology and executive director of the institute, talked about how the program assists veterans, athletes, and some civilians suffering from traumatic brain injuries. Jim originally joined the School of Medicine faculty in 1989, was recruited to Northwestern University Medical School in 1993, and he served as the director of the National Intrepid Center of Excellence at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

These are two impressive examples of outstanding work on our campus that show the power of collaboration between researchers, clinicians, and philanthropists supporting our programs. We have many partnerships addressing the challenges we face. Our efforts to improve human health, medical care, scientific understanding, and our academic environment depend on the people we attract to and retain on our campus. Through their efforts and experience, their leadership and collaborations, we are improving the quality of care and extending the reach of the Anschutz Medical Campus.

Lisa A. Brenner, PhD, professor and research director for the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, is one of the authors of the recently released Handbook of Rehabilitation Psychology, Third Edition, published by the American Psychological Association. The handbook has been updated to emphasize health outcomes and offers information about artificial intelligence, virtual reality, community rehabilitation and other innovations. Lisa, who also serves as director of the Department of Veterans Affairs Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, is one of the country’s leading experts on mental health and physical rehabilitation. She also serves as director of clinical research at the Marcus Institute for Brain Health.

UCHealth Broomfield Hospital opened an 18-bed inpatient rehabilitation unit on Monday, July 1, that is run in partnership with Boulder Community Health. Jaclyn Arends, MD, assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation, will serve as medical director of the unit. The center offers comprehensive, individualized services for patients recovering from conditions such as stroke, neurological disorders, brain or spinal cord injuries, amputation, and trauma injuries. The unit is equipped with private single-patient rooms, a rehabilitation gym with a car-transfer simulator, and full residential-style kitchen, bathroom, and laundry to conduct therapy activities related to daily living needs.

The Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CCTSI) has issued a call for posters for a daylong conference, “AI and Machine Learning in Biomedical Research.” Each year, the CCTSI’s academic conference, called the CU-CSU Summit, brings together researchers from CU Anschutz Medical Campus, CU Denver, CU Boulder, and Colorado State University in order to foster innovative, cross-campus collaborations. This year’s summit, scheduled for August 14 at the Westin Westminster, will feature a poster session with selected entries giving presentations. The deadline to register a poster is Wednesday, July 17. Details are posted on the CCTSI website.

Have a good week,

John J. Reilly, Jr., MD
Richard D. Krugman Endowed Chair
Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and
Dean, School of Medicine