Dear Colleague: 

Our campus has received notification that the VA’s Health Systems Research office has awarded $7 million in funding over five years to support the Denver-Seattle Center of Innovation (COIN) for Veteran-Centered and Value Driven Care. This is excellent news for improving care for our nation’s veterans and boosts our relationship with the VA.

Christine Jones, MD, associate professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine and co-director of COIN, said that our partnership with the VA was highlighted as a strength of our renewal application and continues to be a key contributor to the COIN’s ongoing success.

The COIN, initially funded in 2013, includes 65 investigators who have led nearly 300 projects over the past five years. This funding supports research infrastructure, methodologic expertise, and mentorship activities.

Importantly, the COIN is building capacity to strengthen connections in rural communities through its Growing Rural Outreach through Veteran Engagement Center, said Joseph Frank, MD, associate professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine and an associate director of COIN. Nearly a quarter of veterans live in rural communities and 60% of them are enrolled in VA care.

Congratulations to the team at the COIN on this successful renewal!

NAM President to Speak on Campus
Victor J. Dzau, MD, president of the National Academy of Medicine, will be delivering an invited lecture at 10 a.m. Wednesday, October 9, in the Krugman Conference Hall. He is an internationally acclaimed physician scientist and leader whose work has improved health and medicine in the United States and globally. His seminal work in cardiovascular medicine and genetics laid the foundation for the development of the class of lifesaving drugs known as ACE inhibitors, used globally to treat hypertension and heart failure. RSVP requested. Sign up at the event announcement on the campus calendar.

Faculty Updates
Carey Candrian, PhD, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Internal Medicine, is co-author of a perspective article published August 10 by The New England Journal of Medicine that calls on health care professionals to improve data collection of patients’ sexual orientation and gender identity to improve the quality of care received by patients and their loved ones. An article in the School of Medicine newsroom provides additional detail about Carey’s work.

Devika Bhatia, MD, assistant professor of psychiatry, is corresponding author of an article in the August 2024 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology finding that one in five pregnant women report using cannabidiol. The report is an important first step to exploring potential risks to exposed offspring.

Sarah Tevis, MD, associate professor of surgery, is corresponding author of a viewpoint article published August 14 by JAMA Surgery that calls for surgeons to engage in electronic health record innovation to improve patient and clinician experience. Co-authors are Jeniann Yi, MD, MSCS, assistant professor of surgery, and Chen-Tan Lin, MD, professor of medicine.

David Howell, PhD, associate professor of orthopedics, is corresponding author of an original article published in the July/August issue of the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation finding that adolescents recovering from a concussion show greater sleep quality improvements if they exercise more than 150 minutes per week when compared to those who exercised below that level. Five co-authors are from our campus. David discusses the study in an article in the school newsroom.

John Thompson, PhD, associate professor of neurosurgery, is corresponding author of an article published August 9 by npj Parkinson’s Disease that highlights the potential of algorithmic solutions to overcome the subjective bias in beta peak identification. Oscillatory activity within the beta frequency range serves as a Parkinson’s disease biomarker for tailoring deep brain stimulation treatments. Currently, identifying relevant signals is a subjective process. This study presents viable options for standardizing care. Five co-authors are from our campus. John and Drew Kern, MD, associate professor of neurology, contributed equally to the article.

Kristine M. Erlandson, MD, MSc, professor of medicine, is corresponding author of an original research article published August 13 by the Annals of Internal Medicine finding that most routine laboratory tests are not reliable for diagnosing Long COVID.  Kristine discusses the findings in an article in the campus newsroom and in a report on NBC News.

Kyle C. Molina, PharmD, clinical instructor of emergency medicine, and Adit A. Ginde, MD, professor of emergency medicine, are corresponding authors of a research article published August 8 by BMC Infectious Diseases reporting that remdesivir was associated with lower hospitalization than no treatment for COVID patients during Omicron surges.

Shelley Miyamoto, MD, professor of pediatrics, is leading a research team that received funding from the American Heart Association and Additional Ventures to test whether the use of two sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors for diabetes and heart failure in adults may also be used as a treatment for single ventricle patients. Shelley’s team is one of five selected to share $13 million in funding. As mentioned in last week’s message, Stephanie Nakano, MD, associate professor of pediatrics, also received funding from this program.

Julia Dunn, PhD, assistant professor of pediatrics, section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, has received a New Innovators Award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Julia’s lab will receive five years of funding totaling $1.5 million to define unique specialization states of eosinophils in mucosal tissues. The goal of this work is to identify new therapeutic targets for eosinophilic esophagitis and other allergic conditions.

Elizabeth J. Kovacs, PhD, professor and vice chair of research of surgery, received a one-year administrative supplement to her National Institutes of Health grant, which is in year 20, to assess neuroinflammation and cognitive function in burn patients. More information on Liz’s research is included in an article in the Department of Surgery’s newsroom.

Jessica Jack, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics, has been selected to receive the Outstanding Achievement Award at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics in Orlando, Fla., next month. The award recognizes outstanding contributions toward advocating for children and child health in the community through the effective use of epidemiologic information.

Rytis Prekeris, PhD, professor of cell and developmental biology, has been named a fellow of the American Society for Cell Biology, an honor bestowed by his peers. Rytis will be recognized at the Cell Bio 2024 meeting in San Diego in December.

CU Medicine and Anthem Extend Partnership
University of Colorado Medicine and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Colorado earlier this month announced a new multiyear agreement guaranteeing Anthem members continued access to the outstanding CU Medicine clinicians who deliver medical and behavioral health services. The organizations are working together on innovative care delivery models and value-based programs that will address employer and consumer concerns about access and affordability of health care services.

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 School of Medicine