Dean's Weekly Message
May 18, 2026
Commencement Day is here!
Congratulations to all our 2026 graduates. We have been so fortunate to have these exceptional students, caregivers, researchers, and scholars here at the CU Anschutz School of Medicine. I know they are going to make remarkable contributions to the health of patients, our communities, and the world.
This is also a day to thank family, friends, staff, and faculty who have helped our graduates through their journey. Their sacrifices and investments also contribute to making our world a better place.
Check out our full coverage of the School of Medicine Hooding and Oath Ceremony webpage.
Brain Cancer Awareness Month
May is Brain Cancer Awareness month, and we at the CU Anschutz School of Medicine are doing our part to improve care through innovative research.
Siddhartha Mitra, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and member of the CU Anschutz Cancer Center, recently received a three-year grant from the Matthew Larson Foundation for Pediatric Brain Tumors to develop CAR-M therapies to treat diffuse midline gliomas.
CAR-M therapy is similar to CAR-T, but instead of re-engineering T cells to find specific targets on a cancer cell, it modifies macrophages, specialized white blood cells that “eat” cell debris and foreign invaders, including cancer cells. Dr. Mitra describes his work and innovative approach in this article in the Cancer Center newsroom.
Another interesting project is a collaboration between Tejas Patil, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Medical Oncology and a thoracic oncology specialist, and Peter Fecci, MD, PhD, who joined CU Anschutz last year as Chair of Neurosurgery and whose research focus is solid tumor immunology, most typically as it applies to brain tumors.
With a $400,000 grant from the Global Lung Cancer Impact Challenge, they are joining forces to investigate a new way to treat leptomeningeal disease stemming from a form of lung cancer. Leptomeningeal disease is cancer in the cerebrospinal fluid and leptomeninges, membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. There isn’t a cure for leptomeningeal disease.
For the big picture of treating cancers in the brain, check out this interview with Dr. Fecci. In it, he describes advances in care and offers hope to those who need care.
“The big message, I would say, is don’t give up, and don’t presume that brain cancers are a death sentence. That’s just not true. Seek treatment. But be aware that all of the really excellent treatment options are more so going to be available at academic centers. I frequently get patients who say, ‘I was told this was inoperable,’ or ‘There was nothing they could do,’ and then, years later, they're thankful that they came to us and we were able to offer them something that many patients or providers may not even know existed. My biggest piece of advice is to get yourself to an academic center like University of Colorado.”
Featured News
Introducing a 3-Year MD Program to Address Cost, Physician Shortages
Even as we send our newest graduates into the world, we are working on ways to innovate in our training programs. Our school is one of the leading medical schools to introduce an accelerated three-year MD degree.
Jennifer Adams, MD, Professor of Medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine; Associate Dean of Medical Education, Clerkship Phase; and Director of Accelerated Pathway Programs, explained that we are introducing our program to address the projected national physician shortage and to help students reduce the cost of their education.
“There are about 35 medical schools around the country that are doing this right now,” Dr. Adams said. “We're joining a small but mighty group that is trying to address two important factors. One is rising concerns around student debt and the cost of medical education, and the second thing is physician workforce shortages.”
Our accelerated program, called the Peak-to-Peak Pathway, will matriculate its first class in summer 2027.
The core curriculum will be identical to that taken by students in the traditional four-year program; only certain electives, career preparation courses, and unstructured time that current students use to interview for residencies will be eliminated. Students can select one of five accelerated-track pathways that are linked to residency programs in Colorado that students will directly enter once they graduate.
Learn More About the Peak-to-Peak Pathway Program
Faculty Updates
Halis Akturk, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, has been selected to serve as an Associate Editor for Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics, an international peer-reviewed journal focused on medical devices, drugs, and software for diabetes management. As an Associate Editor, Dr. Akturk will provide an opportunity to contribute to the peer-review process, support high-quality scientific publication, and help advance the field of diabetes technology.
Featured Events
School of Medicine Hooding and Oath Ceremony
Monday, May 18, 10:15 a.m.
Boettcher Commons
The University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine Hooding & Oath Ceremony for the graduating MD class of 2026 will take place after the campus graduation ceremony.
Tattered Cover Talk
Wednesday, May 27, 6 p.m.
Tattered Cover Book Store, 2526 E. Colfax Ave.
Suzanna Kafer, PhD candidate, and Kristen Boyle, PhD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, will present “The Persistence of PFAS: How 'forever chemicals' slip into our lives, and into our cells.” The talk is free and open to the public and is part of an ongoing series offered by the Office of Research Education.
Health Policy Lecture with Admiral Rachel Levine, MD
Fulginiti Pavilion
Admiral Rachel Levine, MD, will deliver a lecture, “Primary Care’s Role in Improving Health Equity,” sponsored by the Farley Health Policy Center, the Department of Family Medicine, and the Public Health Ethics & Law Program. Register for the Health Policy Lecture by May 20. Following the lecture, Dr. Levine will have a fireside chat led by Public Health Ethics and Law Program Director Daniel Goldberg, JD, PhD, from 2-3 p.m. Register separately to attend the fireside chat.
New Leader Orientation
Thursday, June 4
Anschutz Health Sciences Building
The Office for Faculty Development is hosting a full-day new leader orientation event designed for new Chairs, Vice Chairs, Division and Section Chiefs, Associate and Assistant Deans, and other newly appointed institutional leaders seeking to learn more about School of Medicine infrastructure and resources across the campus. Topics covered include research funding, relationships with outside practices, finance, faculty and staff support structures, appointments and promotions processes, philanthropy, and innovations. Register or nominate a new leader for the orientation. For questions, please contact [email protected].
Postdoc Research Day (PDRD)
Thursday, July 9Donald Elliman Conference Center, Anschutz Health Sciences Building
PDRD is an annual event that brings together members of our university community to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of postdocs at CU Anschutz, CU Denver, and affiliated hospitals. This year’s theme is “The Postdoc Collective,” focusing on cross-disciplinary thinking, collaboration, and innovation in research. This event is not just for postdocs! Graduate students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to attend. Whether you are here to support colleagues, learn something new, or network with emerging scientists, your presence makes a difference.
PDRD Registration & Abstract Submission
Lightning talk abstract deadline May 15 | Poster abstract deadline June 24
PDRD Questions?
Recent Publications
Melanie G. Cree, MD, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics, is a co-author of an article, “Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, the new name for polycystic ovary syndrome: a multistep global consensus process,” published May 12 by The Lancet. An article in the campus newsroom provides additional detail about a new name for PCOS to reflect the multi system disease.
Prateeti Khazanie, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Medicine-Cardiology, authored a Leading Edge Commentary, “When the Exception Becomes the Rule: Rethinking Exception Letters in Heart Transplant Allocation,” published May 11 by JACC: Heart Failure. This health policy work was funded by Dr. Khazanie's Greenwall Foundation "Making a Difference" Grant and American Heart Association Innovative Science Award, both focused on heart failure/transplant ethics and health policy.
David A. Schwartz, MD, Distinguished Professor of Medicine, is corresponding author of an article, “Genes, other than Muc5b, are associated with bleomycin-induced lung injury,” published May 12 by Communications Biology. Ivana V. Yang, PhD, Professor of Biomedical Informatics, jointly supervised the work with Dr. Schwartz. Ten other authors are affiliated with our campus.
Michelle M. Williams, PhD, former postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Jennifer Richer, PhD, Professor of Pathology, is corresponding author of an article, “Aggressive breast cancers secrete heme metabolites to alter macrophage immune suppression and function,” published May 9 by Communications Biology. Dr. Williams is now an Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology at the University of Pittsburgh. In addition to Dr. Richer, twelve co-authors are from our campus.
Claudia A. Staab-Weijnitz, PhD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, is corresponding author of an article, “Nuclear protein 1 is a cell death regulator in primary human airway epithelial cells and reduced in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis,” published May 11, by Scientific Reports.
Angela Metcalf, MD, Fellow in Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, is corresponding author of a review article, “In Utero CFTR Modulator Therapy in Fetuses With Cystic Fibrosis,” published in the March 2026 issue of NeoReviews. Scott Sagel, MD, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics, and four others from our school are co-authors.
Prateeti Khazanie, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Medicine-Cardiology, authored a Leading Edge Commentary, “When the Exception Becomes the Rule: Rethinking Exception Letters in Heart Transplant Allocation,” published May 11 by JACC: Heart Failure. This health policy work was funded by Dr. Khazanie's Greenwall Foundation "Making a Difference" Grant and American Heart Association Innovative Science Award, both focused on heart failure/transplant ethics and health policy.
David A. Schwartz, MD, Distinguished Professor of Medicine, is corresponding author of an article, “Genes, other than Muc5b, are associated with bleomycin-induced lung injury,” published May 12 by Communications Biology. Ivana V. Yang, PhD, Professor of Biomedical Informatics, jointly supervised the work with Dr. Schwartz. Ten other authors are affiliated with our campus.
Michelle M. Williams, PhD, former postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Jennifer Richer, PhD, Professor of Pathology, is corresponding author of an article, “Aggressive breast cancers secrete heme metabolites to alter macrophage immune suppression and function,” published May 9 by Communications Biology. Dr. Williams is now an Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology at the University of Pittsburgh. In addition to Dr. Richer, twelve co-authors are from our campus.
Claudia A. Staab-Weijnitz, PhD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, is corresponding author of an article, “Nuclear protein 1 is a cell death regulator in primary human airway epithelial cells and reduced in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis,” published May 11, by Scientific Reports.
Angela Metcalf, MD, Fellow in Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, is corresponding author of a review article, “In Utero CFTR Modulator Therapy in Fetuses With Cystic Fibrosis,” published in the March 2026 issue of NeoReviews. Scott Sagel, MD, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics, and four others from our school are co-authors.
Social Spotlight
For Mental Health Awareness Month, we asked Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and member of the Student and Resident Mental Health Clinical Team, Danielle Sukenik, LMFT, to share with us some of the latest research happening here at the CU Anschutz School of Medicine. See the full Linkedin post.
Announcement
No Message Next Week
There will be no message on May 25th due to the Memorial Day 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
The Dean’s weekly message is an email news bulletin from John H. Sampson, MD, PhD, MBA, Dean of the CU Anschutz School of Medicine, that is distributed to inform CU Anschutz School of Medicine faculty members, staff, students and others about issues pertaining to the school’s mission of education, research, clinical care and community service.
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