Dear Colleague: 

We are proud to announce that three of our School of Medicine graduate students and their faculty advisers have been awarded Gilliam Fellowships by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). This is a significant accomplishment for our students, faculty, and the leadership of our school’s Office of Research Education, which oversees biomedical PhD programs on our campus.
Congratulations to:

• Brittany Gomez, who is in the Immunology PhD program, and Linda van Dyk, PhD, professor and vice chair of immunology and biology.
• Oscar Muñoz, who is in the Molecular Biology PhD program, and Sujatha Jagannathan, PhD, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular genetics.
• Carissa Sherman, who is in the Human Medical Genetics and Genomics PhD program, and Katrina Claw, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical informatics.

Our Gilliam Fellows were among the 50 announced by HHMI last week. The achievement is particularly impressive because this is the first cohort to be named since the program transitioned from a nomination-based competition to a fully open competition. There were about 700 applicants in that competition. For our school, this excellent outcome demonstrates that we are well on our way to being recognized among the best programs in the country.

The Gilliam Fellows Program recognizes the importance of mentorship in developing scientific leaders. Our fellows will be offered leadership training, professional development, and opportunities to engage with and learn from peers, program alumni, and HHMI scientists. Their advisers also join a cohort of peers, participate in HHMI’s intensive, one-year mentorship skills development course, and receive support to promote healthy and inclusive graduate training environments at their home institution.

$5 Million Gift for Ludeman Center
The Ludeman Family Center for Women’s Health Research has received a $5 million philanthropic commitment from Dick Brown to establish the Richard N. Brown Family Fund for Curriculum Development.

In announcing this wonderful news last week, Vice Chancellor for Advancement Scott Arthur wrote: “This bold new program will be the first of its kind in the nation, with modules aimed at filling training gaps in key areas of women’s health and sex and gender differences including brain, metabolic heart and vascular health. This curriculum will help us recruit and retain the most talented scientists in women’s health research and usher in cutting-edge leaders in the field.”

In addition to the curriculum programming, the commitment will support the creation of the Richard N. Brown Family Endowed Fund for Staff Excellence to provide operational support and salary assistance for essential personnel at the Center. Resources for this endowment will bolster a secure staffing foundation, drive continued excellence, and propel growth of community programs and scientific research.   

We are very grateful for this generous support. Many thanks also to the CU team who collaborated, including Judy Regensteiner, PhD, director and co-founder of the Ludeman Family Center, and Colleen Church, MPA, deputy director of the center, Elizabeth Hepworth of the Office of Advancement and Cheryl Kisling of the Office of the President.

Faculty Updates
Cristina Cabrera-Muffly, MD, associate professor and vice chair of education for the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, has received the 2024 Presidential Citation by the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. Cristina established the OtoMentor podcast in 2019. With 40 episodes and more than 22,000 downloads, the podcast interviews practicing otolaryngologists to help mentor medical students and residents on their otolaryngology journey.

Angelo D’Alessandro, PhD, professor of biochemistry and molecular genetics, is corresponding author of an article published online July 3 by Cell Metabolism that identifies potential markers in red blood cells that could be used to improve transfusion outcomes. Seven colleagues from our Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics are co-authors.

Christine Waasdorp Hurtado, MD, MSCS, professor of pediatrics and the department’s Southern Colorado executive faculty director, is co-author of an article in press, “The Growth of Regional Children’s Campuses and Academic Departments of Pediatrics,” posted online last month by The Journal of Pediatrics, an international peer-reviewed journal.

Andrew C. Smith, PT, DPT, PhD, associate professor in the Physical Therapy Program, is corresponding author of an article published July 8 by Spinal Cord Series and Cases. The initial findings contribute valuable insights to the emergent field of MRI-based evaluation of spinal cord lesions.

Sean T. O’Leary, MD, MPH, professor of pediatrics, has been elected to the Board of Directors for the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) for a three-year term commencing July 1. Established in 1973, NFID aims to educate and involve communities, the public, and health care professionals on infectious diseases throughout all stages of life.

Marc P. Bonaca, MD, MPH, professor of cardiology and executive director of CPC Clinical Research and CPC Community Health, has been named to the clinical advisory board of IsomAb Ltd, a United Kingdom-based biotechnology company developing isoform-specific disease modifying antibody treatments for serious and life-threatening diseases.

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