Dear Colleague:  

The University of Colorado system last week emphasized the need for cybersecurity by reaffirming the university’s commitment to protecting our data and urging us to do our part.

“Universities like CU are prime targets for cybercriminals due to the valuable financial and research data we manage,” wrote CU President Todd Saliman, CU Anschutz Chancellor Don Elliman, and the chancellors at CU’s other campuses. “Our collective vigilance and proactive measures are essential as we work to safeguard our digital environment.”

Throughout October, which is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the CU Office of Information Security is hosting webinars to help you boost the protection of our computer systems and the valuable data they hold.

I encourage you to check out the Office of Information Security website for articles on best practices and for contacts if you have questions or concerns about cybersecurity. Let’s be smart and protect one another.

Faculty Updates
Jeffrey Brent, MD, PhD, distinguished clinical professor of medicine, is corresponding author of an invited commentary, “Wastewater and the Elimination of Bias,” published September 23 by JAMA Network Open. The article says analytical capabilities must be improved for wastewater sampling to make a valuable contribution to contemporary drug surveillance and public health efforts.

Laura Vargas, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry, is a co-author of a research letter published October 2 by JAMA Network Open that describes trends of firearm deaths in the United States, Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia. Laura and co-authors report that from 2015 to 2022, 111,993 youths in those countries died from firearm injuries. The vast majority – 101,250, or 90.41% – are males. The totals by country are U.S. 29,608, Mexico 15,392, Colombia 9,019, and Brazil 57,974.

The Department of Family Medicine has announced that the A.F. Williams Family Foundation is contributing an additional $1.5 million to the department’s endowment. We are grateful for the foundation’s longstanding, generous support. In 1977, the foundation purchased a building for the original A.F. Williams Family Medical Clinic. Later, the foundation funded a leadership chair, three endowed chairs, and the endowment for the department.

The Department of Surgery held its second annual research retreat on September 20. Elizabeth Kovacs, PhD, vice chair of research for surgery, spoke of the department’s research strengths, including ranking No. 13 in NIH funding according to the most recent rankings by Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research. An article in the Department of Surgery newsroom offers more detail about the event.

Staff Honor
Mehul Lakhani, vice chair of finance and administration for the Department of Radiology, has received the Outstanding Service Award from the American Association of Academic Radiology Administrators. He has served on the association’s board in multiple roles including president, secretary, membership chair, and website coordinator. Congratulations, Mehul.

NAM President Lecture
Victor J. Dzau, MD, president of the National Academy of Medicine, is delivering an invited lecture at 10 a.m. Wednesday, October 9, in the Krugman Conference Hall. The talk, “Strategic Imperatives for Health in the United States: Priorities from the National Academy of Medicine,” is sponsored by the CU Center for COMBAT Research and the Department of Emergency Medicine.

Funding Opportunities
Our school’s Program to Advance Physician Scientists and Translational Research has announced requests for applications for two funding opportunities. Letters of intent for each program are due Friday, November 1.

• The ASPIRE Program – the Anschutz Programmatic Incubator for Research Program – provides up to $100,000 per year for up to two years of support for milestone-driven collaborations between investigators on campus. The program aims to increase program project, center grants, and multi-project team science programs. The ASPIRE webpage provides more detail.
• The Translational Research Scholars Program provides $75,000 annually for up to four years to early career faculty who are pursuing new lines of exploration. The program’s web page provides more detail.

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