Dean's Weekly Message

January 12, 2026

Dear Colleague: 

Happy New Year!
As we begin a new year, I'm encouraged by where we are and energized by the path ahead.

The close of last year brought meaningful progress across our missions. We expanded and strengthened our leadership team, improved how we plan and track our work, and invested in technology that supports patient care. We continued to advance research, education, and innovation – and earned full accreditation for our educational program, an important achievement for our school.

Recent months have reminded me that health is never abstract. Several colleagues have faced serious illness or loss in their families, and the impact sharpens our perspective. It reinforces why this work matters, and why excellence in medicine must remain our standard.

As we move into the new year, I have renewed purpose and confidence in our direction: to keep building a school where we are proud of the care we deliver and the education we provide, confident in the care we would want for our own loved ones, and aligned in the commitment to one another and to advancing the practice of medicine.

I invite you to join me at the State of the School address Wednesday, January 28, at 4 p.m. in the Elliman Conference Center, where we will reflect on these accomplishments and how they form a strong foundation for our future. Registration is now open for in-person and virtual attendance. For those attending in person, a reception celebrating our accreditation will immediately follow.

ASCI Honors for Dr. Hsieh and Dr. Barocas
Elena Hsieh, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, and Joshua Barocas, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, have been recommended for membership in the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI).

The ASCI is a nonprofit medical honor society composed of more than 3,000 physician-scientists representing all medical specialties. The ASCI is dedicated to the advancement of research that extends understanding of diseases and improves treatment, and members are committed to mentoring future generations of physician-scientists.

Founded in 1908, the ASCI is one of the nation’s oldest medical honor societies and is among the few organizations focused on the special role of physician-scientists in research, clinical care, and medical education, as well as leadership positions in academic medicine and the life sciences industry.

Each year, the ASCI Council considers membership nominations of several hundred physician-scientists — aged 50 years or younger — and recommends up to 100 candidates for election based on outstanding scholarly achievement.

Election to the ASCI is a tremendous honor and a milestone in the physician-scientist career path, and I would like to thank David Schwartz, MD, Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Immunology and Associate Dean for Translational Sciences, for leading the effort to encourage ASCI nominations and leading the committee reviewing our faculty.

It is a priority for our school to boost recognition of our outstanding faculty with election to ASCI and other important organizations. I have asked Tracy Bale, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry, who was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2024, to organize a process that helps us bring attention to our many deserving faculty members to that and other distinguished groups. If you have questions about nominating a colleague, please reach out to Dr. Bale and to Judy Sherman, [email protected], in the Dean’s Office for more information.

Congratulations to Dr. Hsieh and Dr. Barocas on their nominations to the prestigious ASCI!

Recent Publications
Jodi Summers Holtrop, PhD, Professor and Vice Chair for Research of Family Medicine and Co-Director of the Dissemination and Implementation Core in the Adult and Child Center for Outcomes Research and Delivery Science (ACCORDS), and Brooke Dorsey-Holliman, PhD, Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Director of the Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research Core at ACCORDS, are co-authors of an article, “Navigating Qualitative Methods Choices in Dissemination and Implementation Research,” published December 17 by Implementation Science.

Eden Y. Bernstein, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine, is corresponding author of an Original Investigation, “Alcohol-Related Hospitalizations From 2016 to 2022,” published December 23 by JAMA Network Open. Gina R. Kruse, MD, MS, MPH, Professor of Medicine, is a co-author.

Joshua A. Barocas, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, is corresponding author of a Research Letter, “Potential Changes in US Homelessness by Ending Federal Support for Housing First Programs,” published December 19 by JAMA Health Forum. Co-authors include Kirk B. Fetters, MD, Chief Fellow in the Division of Infectious Diseases, and Pranav Padmanabhan, MPH, Professional Research Assistant.

Lawrence A. Haber, MD, Professor of Clinical Practice of Medicine, is corresponding author of a correspondence, “Inclusion of incarcerated individuals in wildfire exposure registries,” published in the March 2026 issue of The Lancet Regional Health – Americas. Katherine LeMasters, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, is a co-author.

Alexandria Dickson, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow in the laboratory of Jenna Guthmiller, PhD, Assistant Professor of Immunology and Microbiology, is a co-author of an article, “Type I interferon restricts mRNA vaccine efficacy through suppression of antigen uptake in cDCs,” published January 5 by npj Vaccines.

Grace L. Kulik, DPT, who is a PhD candidate in the Rehabilitation Science PhD program, and Kristine M. Erlandson, MD, Professor of Medicine, are corresponding authors of an article, “Comparing the Effectiveness of High Intensity Interval Training vs. Continuous Moderate Intensity Exercise on Physical Function Among Older Adults with HIV,” published January 6 by Open Forum Infectious Diseases. Six co-authors are from our campus.

Jon D. Vogel, MD, Professor of Surgery and Colorectal Surgery Section Head, is corresponding author of a research article, “Rectal Cancer Watch-and-Wait Management of Patients With Tumors Within Versus Beyond the Reach of Digital Rectal Examination,” published December 18 by Annals of Surgical Oncology.

Jessalyn Kelleher, PsyD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, is corresponding author of a Quality Improvement Article, “A quality improvement initiative to increase family engagement and reduce disparities in visitation via telehealth in a level III neonatal intensive care unit,” published January 5 by the Journal of Perinatology. Nine co-authors are from our campus.

David A. Schwartz, MD, Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Immunology and Associate Dean for Translational Sciences, is author of a Viewpoint article, “The Tenuous Future of Our Next Generation of Physician–Scientists,” published in the December 2025 issue of ATS Scholar.

Lawrence A. Haber, MD, Professor of Clinical Practice of Medicine, is corresponding author of a Viewpoint article, “Integrating Artificial Intelligence Into Medical Student Coaching,” published December 22 by The Clinical Teacher. Dr. Haber is Director of the COMPASS Program, which develops longitudinal relationships between students and faculty educators.

Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs
The Dean’s Office is seeking an Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs to serve as a strategic advisor to the faculty, the Senior Associate Dean for Faculty, and Dean of the School of Medicine. This Associate Dean will be a member of the senior leadership team and will provide institutional leadership for faculty affairs, including faculty appointments, promotions, professional development, policy implementation, and governance processes. This 0.5 FTE position is open to all CU faculty members with experience in health professions education and will report to the Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and will partner with other Associate Deans, Assistant Deans, and Directors reporting to Senior Associate Dean for Faculty. For additional details and a link to apply, see the position announcement.

Dean's Distinguished Speaker
Brian Nosek, PhD, Professor of Psychology and Co-Founder and Executive Director for the Center for Open Science at the University of Virginia, will deliver the Dean’s Distinguished Seminar lecture, “Shifting incentives from getting it published to getting it right,” at 3 p.m. Tuesday, January 13, in Hensel Phelps West Auditorium. A reception in the first-floor atrium will occur after the lecture. The Dean’s Distinguished Seminar Series brings notable scholars to campus to discuss their work. All are invited. You can find more information about upcoming events on the campus events calendar. You can also sign up for event notifications.

Teaching Scholars Program Applications
The Teaching Scholars Program (TSP) at CU Anschutz is now accepting applications for the 18‑month cohort starting September. Designed for faculty across the health professions, TSP strengthens your expertise in educational scholarship and curriculum development—culminating in a project you’ll design and implement. Applications due March 15. Learn more and apply.

Tattered Cover Talk
Mohammad Mansoor, PhD candidate in the Immunology Program, and Elena Hsieh, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Immunology and Microbiology, will present “From Rare Diseases to Common Pathways: Decoding Immune Mechanisms of Rare Disease Illuminates Shared Biological Concepts that Guide Precision Medicine in Common Disorders,” at the Tattered Cover Book Store, 2526 E. Colfax Ave., at 6 p.m. Wednesday, January 28. The talk is part of an ongoing series offered by the Office of Research Education.

Legislative Updates
The Farley Health Policy Center will be offering monthly updates on the Colorado legislative session, beginning on Monday, January 26. The meetings will be noon-1 p.m. on the fourth Monday of each month, January through April, and the third Monday in May. Register via Zoom to attend. Add the meetings to your calendar using the options included in your confirmation e-mail from Zoom. Questions? E-mail [email protected]. 

No Message Next Week
There will be no message next week due to the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday.

Have a good week, 

John H. Sampson, MD, PhD, MBA
Richard D. Krugman Endowed Chair
Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and
Dean, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine