Dear Colleague: 

Chancellor Don Elliman and I had the privilege of meeting with members of the Colorado congressional delegation and their staff last week. We were in Washington, D.C., with leaders from the CU System, to attend the Colorado Capital Conference, which was hosted by the CU Office of the President and Colorado Mesa University.

We appreciated the time and attention of our elected officials and their teams. In our meetings, we raised urgent concerns about federal research funding, emphasized the need to protect loan programs for students in our health professional programs, and discussed the importance of Medicaid, Medicare, and TRI-CARE. These programs help us provide care, improve health, and strengthen our economy.

Top (Left to Right): Chancellor Elliman and Dean Sampson with
Senator Bennet, and Representative Crank.
Bottom (Left to Right): Chancellor Elliman and Dean Sampson
with Representative Neguse, and Representative Pettersen. 

It was wonderful to connect with two of our medical students, Nickole Moon, MS4, and Dalton Tanner, MS2, as we shared stories about the extraordinary care, research, and training that is done on our campus. You are making Colorado and our nation healthier and stronger every day, and we made sure that our lawmakers are aware of your great work.

The news on federal government impacts on our work changes rapidly, so please check for updates at the CU System Federal Updates Transition Updates webpage and the campus webpage. These are outstanding resources for tracking the latest news.

Recent Publications

Sarah J. Wherry, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Principal Investigator with the VA’s Eastern Colorado Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, is a co-author of an original investigation, “Weighted Vest Use or Resistance Exercise to Offset Weight Loss-–Associated Bone Loss in Older Adults,” published June 20 by JAMA Network Open.

Toan C. Ong, PhD, Associate Professor of Biomedical Informatics; David Mayer, Software Engineer in Biomedical Informatics; Catia Chavez, MPH, Senior Professional Research Assistant in the Colorado School of Public Health; and Michelle Barron, MD, Professor of Medicine, are co-authors of an original investigation, “Estimated 2023-2024 COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness in Adults,” published June 25 by JAMA Network Open.

Caroline Smith, MD ‘25, is corresponding author of a basic science article, “Postnatally induced TBX4 insufficiency confers pulmonary hypertension and impairs lung development in infant mice,” published June 20 by Pediatric Research. Four co-authors, including Steven Abman, MD, Professor of Pediatrics, are listed.

Faculty, Staff, and Resident Updates

Kristen Nadeau, MD, MS, Professor of Pediatrics, has been named Section Head of Endocrinology in the Department of Pediatrics, effective July 1. She will continue her position as the department's Vice Chair for Clinical and Translational Research.

Zoe Bouchelle, MD, MSHP, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, has been appointed chair of Inpatient Pediatrics at Denver Health. Since joining Denver Health in 2023, she has been recognized as a clinical scholar and advocate for pediatric patients, serving as interim chair since fall 2024.

Joseph C. Cleveland, Jr., MD, Professor of Surgery and Chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, has been named the inaugural chairholder of the David A. Fullerton, MD, Endowed Chair in Cardiothoracic Surgery, made possible by the generosity and vision of the late Dr. Fullerton and his wife, Christine (Farrington) Fullerton. The announcement was made earlier this month by the Office of Advancement.

Griselda Pena-Jackson has been named Executive Director for the Aurora Wellness Community (AWC), effective July 1. Ms. Pena-Jackson, currently Director of Community Partnerships at the AWC, previously served as Executive Director at Aurora Community Connection and 2040 Partners in Health. She also has experience serving as Community Research Liaison Consultant for the Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, as well as membership on the Commission of Family Medicine for the Colorado Governor's Office, CU Center for Bioethics and Humanities Community Board, and the DAWN Health Board of Directors

The Program to Advance Physician Scientists and Translational Research has announced its 2025 scholars in the Stimulating Access to Research in Residency Program, which is funded by an award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The scholars, projects, and their mentors are:

• Dana Arenz, MD, resident in medicine. The purpose of Dr. Arenz’s project is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms contributing to right ventricular fibrosis in patients experiencing right heart failure. Mentor: Benjamin Kopecky, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine-Cardiology.
• Priyanka Nadar, MD, resident in medicine, will investigate disparities in statin therapy and the development of statin-associated diabetes using electronic health record data. Mentor: Michael Rosenberg, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine-Cardiology.
• Current scholar Brian Wu, MD, resident in surgery, was approved for funding for an additional year on his award. Dr. Wu’s project studies the protective role of mitochondrial transplantation in an in vivo murine middle cerebral artery occlusion stroke model. Mentor: T. Brett Reece, MD, MBA, Professor of Surgery.

World-Leading Care in Osseointegration

The University of Colorado Osseointegration/Bone-Anchored Limb (BAL) Program had a highly productive presence at the 2025 International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics World Congress in Stockholm, Sweden, earlier this month.

The team delivered multiple scientific presentations, including the results of its work on BAL prosthesis prescription. The CU Bone-Anchored Limb Research Group also led an international consensus study on optimal prosthesis prescription for transfemoral and transtibial BAL amputees.

The team also presented at a symposium titled "A Patient-Centered and Evidence-Based Approach to Bone-Anchored Limb Care for Lower Limb Amputees," which received strong attendance and engagement.

Jason Stoneback, MD, Associate Professor of Orthopedics, who was a founding board member of the ISPO Special Interest Group for Bone-Anchored Limbs, is now serving as its Vice President, following his term as inaugural secretary.

Following the Congress, Dr. Stoneback traveled to eastern Germany to deliver a keynote on BAL patient evaluation and treatment and to chair a session addressing war-related limb injuries in Ukraine, in collaboration with Ukrainian military and civilian trauma surgeons.

Our school’s BAL program is reporting impressive success and is recognized as a world leader, boasting funding from both National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Defense, and serving as the regional referral center for the VA. The team also is managing two industry-sponsored trials. Dr. Stoneback will be presenting the VA grand rounds nationally this fall.

Farewell and Thank You!

With the start of the new academic year beginning July, the Office of Medical Education shares bittersweet updates.

First, as we prepare to welcome the new medical students to campus in a few weeks, Brian Dwinnell, MD, Professor of Clinical Practice and Associate Dean for the Office of Student Life has decided to decrease his time in the office.

We are grateful for Dr. Dwinnell’s years of service to our School and especially for the hundreds of students whose lives and careers he has supported and shaped. Dr. Dwinnell is recognized for his selfless dedication to the profession of medicine having served roles in Undergraduate Medical Education, Graduate Medical Education, and now in our Office of Student Life, where students honor him almost annually at our graduation with recognition for his commitment to their success.

Dr. Dwinnell will be around the office a little less often, and hopefully a little more on the golf course. In the meantime, the strong team in office, led by Jeff SooHoo, MD, MBA, Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Admissions, is prepared and more experienced than ever in supporting our students through the process of becoming a physician.

Our MD/PhD students and faculty bid another bittersweet farewell last week to their Medical Scientist Training Program Director, Cara Wilson, MD, as she steps away from the program to focus on her research program.  

Dr. Wilson’s steadfast and innovative leadership shepherded the program through several important challenges and transitions, including the COVID pandemic, the new MD program curriculum, and the current NIH funding disruptions to scientists.

Dr. Wilson successfully renewed the MSTP T32 grant and maintained the excellence of the longstanding MSTP summer conference, a national destination for MSTP trainees and their directors from across the country. She leaves the program in excellent transition stead with Joseph Hurt, MD, PhD, as the interim Assistant Dean and Program Director. 

Dr. Hurt will continue in his role as Associate Clinical Director with Kika Sucharov, PhD, Associate Program Director for the graduate program training. We are grateful to Dr. Wilson for her dedicated service and congratulate her on the legacy of physician scientists she has trained in a time we need them most.

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