Dean's Weekly Message
October 19, 2026
This week brings remarkable news to our school and to campus! Four of our colleagues were elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) this year, the largest federal research award in campus history was granted, and we appointed a new leader in spine services.
Realizing our Top 10 vision won’t be defined by a single milestone or an uptick in the rankings. It will be built through sustained excellence in discovery science, clinical care, education, and service—and, more importantly, through the people who make those advances possible. I hope you will take a moment to celebrate the colleagues highlighted below and the work they represent across our school.
Four Faculty Members Elected to the National Academy of Medicine
Join me in congratulating Vikhyat Bebarta, MD, Professor and Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine; Lilia Cervantes, MD, MSCS, Professor of Medicine and Director of Immigrant Health; Lauren Hughes, MD, MPH, MSc, MHCDS, FAAFP, Professor of Family Medicine and State Policy Director, Farley Health Policy Center; and Matthew Wynia, MD, MPH, FACP, Professor of Medicine and Director, Center for Bioethics and Humanities, on their election to the National Academy of Medicine.
Election to NAM is among the highest honors in medicine, recognizing individuals whose work has made outstanding contributions to the field. Their election brings our School of Medicine’s total NAM membership to 19. Beyond the distinction itself, this recognition speaks to the breadth of scholarship and leadership across our departments—and to the national impact of the work taking place on our campus. Congratulations to each of our newest members on this well-deserved honor.
I also want to thank Tracy Bale, PhD, Anschutz Foundation Endowed Chair in Women's Integrated Mental and Physical Health Research at the Ludeman Center and Professor of Psychiatry, and David Schwartz, MD, Associate Dean for Translational Sciences, for their efforts to champion the nomination process to bring more of our deserving faculty into these ranks. Please reach out to them if you have any questions about nominating a colleague for next year.
Read more about our four new NAM members in the School of Medicine newsroom.
Largest Federal Research Award in Campus History Will Advance Severe Hemorrhage Care
CU Anschutz will receive the largest federal research award in campus history, up to $120 million over three years from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The award supports DARPA’s Resuscitation and Prevention of Ischemia-Induced Dysfunction (RAPIID) program, an ambitious effort to accelerate evaluation of emerging treatments and diagnostic technologies for severe hemorrhage.
“Bleeding is the leading cause of preventable death after traumatic injury,” said Vik Bebarta, MD, Chair of Emergency Medicine and founding Director of the CU Anschutz Combat Medicine Research Center. “DARPA chose us for the testing models, clinical trial infrastructure, and combat casualty care research we’ve built on this campus. Our job now is to identify which technologies work. The ones that do could improve care for wounded service members, trauma patients, mothers with postpartum hemorrhage, and any patient facing life-threatening bleeding.”
This work will build upon our campus’ translational research efforts and leadership in the clinical trials space, with the Combat Medicine Research Center and the ATLAS Research Program playing central roles. Bebarta; Anne Ritter, DrPH, MPH, Senior Director for the Combat Medicine Research Center; and Adit Ginde, MD, MPH, Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Research, provided the leadership that helped bring this award to CU Anschutz. Read the full story in the campus newsroom.
Dr. Berry-Candelario Named Director of Spine Services at UCHealth
Congratulations to John Berry-Candelario, MD, visiting Associate Professor of Neurosurgery, on his appointment as director of spine services at UCHealth. Dr. Berry-Candelario will guide the coordination and growth of spine services across CU Anschutz, UCHealth, and partner sites in Denver and surrounding communities.
His vision centers on making complex care easier to navigate for patients while strengthening the continuum of care among neurosurgery, orthopedics, and physiatry. His team has already begun improving referral pathways so that patients with urgent needs can be seen within 48 hours. Dr. Berry-Candelario aims to advance quality and safety, support research, and strengthen training for the next generation of spine care professionals.
This appointment is a meaningful example of clinical leadership grounded in the patient experience and exemplifies the collaboration across departments to advance our clinical care mission. Read more in the newsroom article.
Dr. Epperson Helps Shape Lancôme’s International “I’m Fine” Campaign
C. Neill Epperson, MD, Professor and Chair of Psychiatry, served as the lead U.S. reproductive psychiatrist for Lancôme’s international “I’m Fine” campaign, developed with the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
“The ‘I’m Fine’ campaign brings much-needed attention to the stigma and silence surrounding women’s mental health, reminding us of the importance of looking beyond those two simple words,” said Dr. Epperson. “The campaign encourages early intervention to help women get access to effective treatment so we can better support women’s mental health at every stage of life.”
Dr. Epperson brought her expertise in the ways biological and hormonal transitions can affect brain health and emotional well-being to the campaign, which seeks to reduce stigma, share evidence-based self-help information, and encourage people experiencing significant symptoms to speak with a health care professional. Her participation illustrates how faculty expertise can inform public understanding of women’s mental health on a global scale.
Farley Health Policy Center Supports National Academy of Medicine Fellowship
The National Academy of Medicine announced the selection of seven fellows for the 2026–2027 class of its State Health Policy Fellowship (SHPF) program. Now entering its third year, the program has expanded to its largest cohort to date, with the seven fellows spending one year working with state legislative and executive branch offices in Colorado, Louisiana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin. Colorado's fellow is Jennifer Rosen, DNP, CPNP-PC, MPH, Assistant Teaching Professor, CU Anschutz College of Nursing. The Farley Center has been formative in developing the fellowship and continues to advise NAM and fellows in shaping this program and hosting fellows when visiting Colorado.
Pathology Resident Earns Top Honor at National Meeting
Ashley Denney, MD, PhD, a PGY-4 Anatomic and Clinical Pathology Resident, earned first place in the College of American Pathologists (CAP) Junior Member Abstract Program at the organization’s 2026 annual meeting. Her abstract, “Microglial-amplified inhibitory synaptopathy: convergent neuropathology in GlyR, GAD65, Kelch11, and NIF autoimmunity,” explores neuropathological features across several autoimmune conditions. Her work exemplifies the innovation, scientific rigor, and commitment to advancing pathology that continue to drive our profession forward.
Faculty Emeritus Receives Distinguished Clinical Achievement Award
Congratulations to Michael Narkewicz, MD, Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics, on receiving the Bonnie Ramsey and Richard C. Talamo Distinguished Clinical Achievement Award at the 2026 North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference in recognition of his contributions to cystic fibrosis care.
Featured News
Opioids in the Emergency Department? There Are Pain-Management Alternatives That Are Potentially Less Risky
Opioids can pose risks and side effects, and amid the ongoing opioid epidemic, emergency providers have been looking for alternatives to help patients cope with pain.
Now, emergency medicine pharmacist Lance Ray, PharmD, BCPS, BCEMP, FASHP, adjoint instructor in the Department of Emergency Medicine who practices at Denver Health, is lead author of a new review article in The American Journal of Emergency Medicine that offers a playbook for ED clinicians on using a more targeted and potentially less perilous pain-management approach guided by ultrasound imaging.
Regional anesthesia, or an ultrasound-guided nerve block, can be a win for EDs and patients, Dr. Ray says in newsroom coverage of his research, because patients may experience fewer side effects and even shorter hospital stays.
Read More About Pain Management Alternatives
Featured Events
10/22
Faculty Development Workshop: Translating Medicine, Communicating Within and Beyond Academia
Thursday, October 22, Noon–1 p.m.
Anschutz Health Sciences Building, Room 1203
Join Aimee Bernard, PhD, Associate Professor of Immunology and Microbiology, for a workshop focused on strategies for communicating complex scientific and medical information clearly, effectively, and accessibly to audiences beyond academia. Register online for this and other upcoming workshops.
10/29
Pediatric Research Day
Thursday, October 29, 11:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Education 2 South Auditorium and Lobby
The CU Anschutz Department of Pediatrics, Colorado Child Health Research Institute, and Adult & Child Center for Outcomes Research & Delivery Science will host the third annual Pediatric Research Day. This year’s keynote speaker is Matthew DeCamp, MD, PhD, from the Center for Bioethics and Humanities. Additional events include a panel about AI; a poster session; flash talks; awards; and a mission moment around tapestries made from bowties of the late Steve Berman, MD. Registration for Pediatric Research Day is now open.
11/1
Spark Tank Team Applications Open
Applications due Thursday, November 1
Find more information on the Spark Tank webpage.
The Academy of Medical Educators invites applications for Spark Tank, which is scheduled for February 11, 2027. Team applications are open for those interested in pitching innovative ideas that leverage AI to advance health professions education, with up to $15,000 in seed funding available to help bring winning projects to life.
11/7
City Park Classic
Saturday, November 7, 9 a.m.
City Park
Wings of Hope for Pancreatic Cancer Research hosts the City Park Classic 5k, 10k, and 1-mile run/walk of hope for Pancreatic Cancer Research. The event highlights that November is Worldwide Pancreatic Cancer Awareness month.
Recent Publications
Luisa Mestroni, MD, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiology, is a senior author of an article, “ Genotype and arrhythmic risk in dilated cardiomyopathy,” published October 13 by European Heart Journal. Seven co-authors are from our campus.
David Andrew Mong, MD, Associate Professor of Radiology, is a co-author of an article, “Repurposing adult AI radiograph models for neonatal care through continual learning: an international multicentre study,” published October 13 by Nature Biomedical Engineering.
Daniel J. Tollin, PhD, Professor of Physiology and Biophysics, and researchers John Peacock and Monica A. Benson, PhD, both from the Department of Physiology, are co-authors of an article, “Persistent impairment of spatial hearing and neural binaural interaction after “temporary” noise-induced hearing loss,” published October 12 by Communications Biology.
Rita S. Lee, MD, FACP, Professor of Medicine; Kristin Furfari, MD, MS, Professor of Medicine; and Micaela K. Roy, MD, PGY-1, are co-authors of an article, “Dismantling Systemic Bias and Stigma in Medical Education: A Case Review Process,” published September 22 in the Journal of Health Advocacy.
Christine Sailer, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, and Prateeti Khazanie, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Medicine, are authors of an invited editorial, “Some Assembly Required: Treatment Burden and Readmission After Heart Transplantation,” published October 11 in the Journal of Cardiac Failure. Two co-authors are from our campus.
David Andrew Mong, MD, Associate Professor of Radiology, is a co-author of an article, “Repurposing adult AI radiograph models for neonatal care through continual learning: an international multicentre study,” published October 13 by Nature Biomedical Engineering.
Daniel J. Tollin, PhD, Professor of Physiology and Biophysics, and researchers John Peacock and Monica A. Benson, PhD, both from the Department of Physiology, are co-authors of an article, “Persistent impairment of spatial hearing and neural binaural interaction after “temporary” noise-induced hearing loss,” published October 12 by Communications Biology.
Rita S. Lee, MD, FACP, Professor of Medicine; Kristin Furfari, MD, MS, Professor of Medicine; and Micaela K. Roy, MD, PGY-1, are co-authors of an article, “Dismantling Systemic Bias and Stigma in Medical Education: A Case Review Process,” published September 22 in the Journal of Health Advocacy.
Christine Sailer, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, and Prateeti Khazanie, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Medicine, are authors of an invited editorial, “Some Assembly Required: Treatment Burden and Readmission After Heart Transplantation,” published October 11 in the Journal of Cardiac Failure. Two co-authors are from our campus.
Social Spotlight
On October 7, we celebrated 72 physicians across Colorado who teach medical students as part of the school’s longitudinal integrated clerkship programs. Congratulations to all the award winners! See more photos from the annual Foothills Faculty Appreciation and Awards Dinner on LinkedIn.
Follow CU Anschutz School of Medicine on Social Media
Have a good week,
John H. Sampson, MD, PhD, MBA
Richard D. Krugman Endowed Chair
Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs
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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