Dear Colleague: 

Private foundation, state, and institutional grants offer substantive potential for support as we consider ways to diversify our funding streams and strengthen our school.
 
While those private entities can be a powerful source of funding, it’s critically important that we consider how those private funds could affect our NIH and other federal funding support.

As a result, I have asked Adit Ginde, MD, MPH, Interim Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Research and Interim Assistant Vice Chancellor for Clinical Trials, to develop a process to help our School of Medicine investigators with their questions and to work with a campus leadership committee, which is coordinating reviews across other schools and colleges for consistency (see campus FAQ) reviewing these proposals. He’s off to a terrific start!
 
Dr. Ginde convened an expert team of seven of our senior faculty researchers from five departments led by Lilia Cervantes, MD, MSCS, Professor of Medicine.

Together, they have created a process for investigators to get help before they apply for non-federal support, including from private foundation, state, or institutional sources. This team will be able to help faculty members who are unsure whether the conditions of a private grant may expose the university to federal action related to our NIH portfolio. 

A recent memo from the U.S. Attorney General provided guidance which stated that diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at institutions that receive federal funding are subject to legal scrutiny and cannot serve as a proxy to advantage or disadvantage individuals based on a protected trait. This broadly applies to all campus activities and research, not just NIH grants or other federally funded grants. 

In August 2025, NIH clarified its stance on health disparities research. The NIH Director stated: "the NIH will prioritize research that goes beyond measuring health disparities to focusing on solution-oriented approaches."

Details on the conduct of solution-oriented approaches are outlined in the new NIH Inclusion Policy. In supporting faculty and advising leadership, the committee will leverage current federal guidance regarding health disparities research and inclusion of racial/ethnic minorities in research.

Anyone who is working on grant proposals for private foundation, state, or institutional support that may be related to executive orders or other recent federal directives should contact [email protected] early for support and guidance. Dr. Ginde, Dr. Cervantes, and their team are here to help!

Governmental Updates
Keep up on governmental news affecting our school at the CU System Federal Updates and Actions webpage and the CU Anschutz Federal Updates webpage.

To address changes in federal funding and the impact on the state budget, the Colorado General Assembly convened in a special session starting August 21. The Farley Health Policy Center plans to offer an update on the special session today, September 8, from noon to 1. To attend the updates, complete their Zoom registration form.

Medical/Legal Update
For all faculty who conduct medical/legal consulting work, please watch for notices from CU Medicine in the coming weeks.

Members of CU Medicine recently approved a change to the faculty practice bylaws that empowers members to directly handle their medical/legal work. I have directed the team to move as quickly as possible to make that happen. I expect the CU Medicine team to present the details to department administrators at their monthly meeting on September 11.

I would like to thank the CU Medicine team and our Office of Legal Counsel for supporting this effort, which received overwhelming support from our faculty.

Just Say YES!
I am pleased to announce an exciting new program that shows our school’s commitment to the neighborhoods around our campus.

With funding from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the University of Colorado Cancer Center is launching the Youth Enjoy Science (YES) Program, to inspire young people to pursue studies and careers in research.

The CU Cancer Center’s Office of Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC) received the funding. Additional funding for the program comes from the Department of Medicine and the Division of Medical Oncology.

Science teacher Scott Troy and students Rogelio Lopez Beltran and Leslie Vargas Cabrera,
all from Ranum Innovation Campus/Westminster High School, participated
in the YES pilot in summer 2025. 

Eduardo Davila, PhD, Professor of Medicine and Associate Director of CRTEC, described the program in this article in the School of Medicine newsroom.

“A pilot for this program was established in Baltimore, with the idea of, ‘If we organize a program led by faculty, medical students, and PhD students, with the intention of mentoring and helping foster the education of children, specifically children in high school, could we make a positive impact on the community by mentoring them?’” Dr. Davila explained.

“It turned out to be an incredibly fruitful program that dramatically increased graduation rates, truancy rates, and the students’ grades. The side benefit was that it was entirely based on cancer research.”

What an outstanding example of how we make a difference! Great work!

Where Dreams Live Ad Campaign
Chancellor Don Elliman and the Anschutz Medical Campus Office of Communications last week unveiled the newest phase of our campus advertising campaign, Where Dreams Live, launching Monday, September 8. The new commercial spot is called Never Dream Alone. It is the heartbeat of the Where Dreams Live ad campaign for CU Anschutz. Filmed in partnership with the world-class Colorado Symphony, Never Dream Alone underscores the power of collaboration and the CU Anschutz mission. Healing and discovery happen when we dream and work together; medicine, like music, thrives in harmony. The musical piece that powers Never Dream Alone was created especially for us by award-winning composer and Denver native Austin Wintory, and was recorded by 45 members of the Colorado Symphony. Learn more at the landing page for the Where Dreams Live campaign. The campaign runs from September 8 through November. 

Faculty Updates
Dara L. Aisner, MD, PhD, Professor of Pathology, has been awarded this year’s Meritorious Service Award from the Association for Molecular Pathology. She is recognized for her unwavering advocacy for precision medicine and her influential work in developing molecular laboratory procedures. She currently is a member of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Rulemaking Task Force. Last year, Dr. Aisner testified before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on FDA regulation of laboratory-developed tests, reflecting her commitment to policy and practice at the national level.

Brandi Freeman, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, has been elected President-Elect of the National Medical Association and will be installed as President in July 2026.

Chris Derderian, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, has received a K08 grant from the National Institutes of Health to fund five years of his research on fetal growth restriction (FGR), a condition in which a fetus’s estimated weight is below the 10th percentile for its gestational age. Dr. Derderian and his team are investigating the epigenetic regulators of FGR. This article in the Department of Surgery newsroom provides details.

Brecca Gaffney, PhD, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at University of Colorado Denver, and Jason Stoneback, MD, Associate Professor of Orthopedics, are principal investigators of a recently awarded $3.1 million NIH grant, “Influence of Prosthetic Foot Stiffness on Transtibial Osseointegrated Bone-Anchored Limb Outcomes.” It’s another win for the Orthopedics Department’s Bone-Anchored Limb Research Group.

Justin O’Hare, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology, has received a Whitehall Foundation Award, which provides $300,000 over three years to support early career investigators in basic neuroscience. His project will examine how calcium released from the endoplasmic reticulum regulates synaptic plasticity. Using advanced real-time imaging in mice, his team aims to uncover how this calcium signaling contributes to learning and is disrupted in disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

Recent Publications
Jonathan M. Samet, MD, MS, former Dean of the Colorado School of Public Health, is the corresponding author of an article, “High-Concentration Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Cannabis Products and Mental Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review,” published August 26 by Annals of Internal Medicine. Seven co-authors are from our campus, and one co-author is from CU Boulder. The article includes a video summary.

Irina Topoz, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, and Rachelle Nuss, MD, Professor of Pediatrics and Associate Director of the Colorado Sickle Cell Treatment and Research Center, are co-authors of an original investigation, “Opioid Timeliness in the Emergency Department and Hospitalizations for Acute Sickle Cell Pain,” published September 2 by JAMA Pediatrics.

Michael J. Lippincott, PhD student; Gregory P. Way, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Informatics; and Kathryn L. Colborn, PhD, MSPH, Professor of Surgery, are co-authors of an article, “A quadratic paradigm describes the relationship between phenotype severity and variation,” published September 1 by Nature Communications. Six co-authors are from the Department of Craniofacial Biology in the CU School of Dental Medicine.

Paul J. Christine, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, is corresponding author of an original investigation, “Evaluation of a Novel Patient-Centered Methadone Restart Protocol,” published August 28 by JAMA Network Open. Six co-authors are from our campus and Denver Health.

Kaitlin Whelan, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, is a co-author of an original investigation, “ADHD Diagnosis and Timing of Medication Initiation Among Children Aged 3 to 5 Years,” published August 29 by JAMA Network Open.

Anuj B. Mehta, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Medicine, and member of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Denver Health and Hospital Authority, is corresponding author of an invited commentary, “Untangling Barriers to Interhospital Transfer—More Work Is Needed,” published August 26 by JAMA Network Open.

Cathy J. Bradley, PhD, MPA, Dean of the Colorado School of Public Health and Deputy Director of the CU Cancer Center, is corresponding author of an article, “Trade-offs in the context of cancer treatment advances: debt or death or both?” published August 23 by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Connie Cole, PhD, DNP, Assistant Professor of Medicine and nurse-scientist at VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System, is corresponding author of a clinical investigation, “Patterns of Life-Sustaining Treatment Preferences Among Seriously Ill Veterans,” published August 28 by the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Four co-authors are from our campus.

Enrique Soto-Perez-de-Celis, MD, PhD, Visiting Associate Professor of Medicine, is co-author of an article, “The impact of a geriatric assessment-guided management intervention (GAIN-S) on prognostic awareness: A randomized controlled trial,” published August 21 by Cancer.

Eric M. Campion, MD, Associate Professor of Surgery with Denver Health, is co-author of an article, “Tranexamic Acid in Trauma,” published in the September 2025 Annals of Emergency Medicine.

Lorna Moore, PhD, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Colleen G. Julian, PhD, Professor of Biomedical Informatics, are co-authors of an article, “Maternal body mass index is related to fetal uptake of glucose and oxygen via fetal insulin resistance rather than fetal glucose levels,” published August 21 by Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences.

Colleen G. Julian, PhD, Professor of Biomedical Informatics, is corresponding author of a review article, “Beyond blood flow: the multifaceted role of AMPK in regulating fetal growth at high altitudes,” published August 21 by Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences.

Ingrid A. Binswanger, MD, Professor of Medicine, Deborah J. Rinehart, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine, and Jason M. Glanz, PhD, Clinical Associate Professor of Epidemiology in the Colorado School of Public Health, are co-authors of an article, “Patterns of long-term opioid therapy with prior nonpharmacologic pain management utilization,” published August 29 by Scientific Reports.

Jennifer Seifert, MPH, Biorepository Director and Program Manager of the Interdisciplinary Joint Biology Program; Andrew Clauw, Professional Research Assistant with the program; and Larry W. Moreland, MD, Professor of Medicine and Director of the program, are co-authors of an article, “Displacement-encoded MRI reveals biomechanical stiffening in rheumatoid arthritis wrists: a case control study,” published September 2 by Scientific Reports. Four co-authors are from CU Boulder.

Scott M. Thompson, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry, is corresponding author of an article, “Assessing the Potential Cardiovascular Risk of Microdosing the Psychedelic LSD in Mice,” published August 22 by ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science. Five co-authors are from our campus.

Tianjing Li, PhD, Professor of Ophthalmology, is co-author of a comment, “Cochrane corner: artificial intelligence for diagnosing exudative age-related macular degeneration,” published August 23 by Eye.

Nancy F. Krebs, MD, Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics, is a co-author of an article, “Zika in Infants and Pregnancy (ZIP) study: results from a prospective international cohort study of prenatal Zika virus infection and adverse fetal and infant outcomes,” published August 30 by BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth.

Brian L. Stauffer, MD, Professor of Medicine, is a co-author of a short report, “Circulating Endothelial Extracellular Vesicles Progressively Increase With Age And Are Associated With Endothelial Vasodilator Dysfunction,” published August 21 by the American Journal of Physiology Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. Eight co-authors are from CU Boulder.

Lauren S. Hughes, MD, MPH, MSc, MHCDS, Associate Professor of Family Medicine and State Policy Director of the Farley Health Policy Center, and Stephanie Gold, MD, Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Scholar at the Farley Health Policy Center, are co-authors of a discussion paper, “Implementing High-Quality Primary Care in 2025: Key Policy Priorities,” and a consensus study report, “Building a Workforce to Develop and Sustain Interprofessional Primary Care Teams,” both published August 2025 by the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

CU-CSU Summit
Each year, the Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CCTSI) hosts an annual research conference called the CU-CSU Summit. This year’s summit, held in mid-August, focused on novel approaches to addressing the new NIH priority area of chronic diseases. Topics included the links between plastic exposure and chronic disease risk, a novel cancer treatment tested in both golden retrievers and humans, and research and advances in cartilage regeneration. If you missed the conference, many of the presentations are posted online. You may also read more about this innovative conference in this article in the CCTSI newsroom.

The Healthcare Innovation & Entrepreneurship (HIE) Initiative is hosting a launch webinar at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, October 1. The initiative is designed to support bringing academic research to patient impact. The webinar will feature information about consulting, licensing, and launching a start-up. Chancellor Don Elliman and I will offer opening remarks and Gali Baler, PhD, Managing Director of Strategy and Operations at CU Innovations, will offer an overview of HIE. Faculty innovators Malik Kahook, MD, Professor of Ophthalmology, Cathy Bodine, PhD, Professor of Bioengineering, and David Westerly, PhD, Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology, will then make a panel presentation. RSVP required.

Grubstake Fund Applications Due
Applications are being accepted through September 15 for the 2025 Gates Grubstake Fund. Each year, Gates Institute awards up to $1.5 million in total funding to support multiple investigator-led projects. Projects should focus on the research and development of cell/gene therapy; protein biologics; and regenerative medicine-related technologies, including therapeutics, diagnostics, devices, and manufacturing solutions. Gates Institute partners with CU Innovations on the selection process. To learn more, check out the Gates Grubstake Award Program webpage.

Dean's Distinguished Speaker
David C. Lyden, MD, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medical College, will deliver the Dean’s Distinguished Seminar lecture, “Tumor-derived extracellular vesicles induce organotropic metastasis and multi-organ systemic disease,” at 3 p.m. Tuesday, September 9, in Hensel Phelps West Auditorium. A reception in the first-floor atrium will occur after the lecture. The Dean’s Distinguished Seminar Series brings notable scholars to campus to discuss their work. All are invited. You can find more information about this and other events on the campus events calendar, where you can also sign up for event notifications.

Tattered Cover Talk
Marina Good, PhD candidate in Immunology, and Jenna Guthmiller, PhD, Assistant Professor of Immunology and Microbiology, will present “Flu Fighters: How Seasonal Vaccines Have Your Back,” at the Tattered Cover Book Store, 2526 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, at 6 p.m. Tuesday, September 16. The talk will provide important information about flu and seasonal vaccines, and why it's important to get your fall shots. The talk is part of an ongoing series offered by the Office of Research Education.

Campus Block Party
The CU Anschutz Medical Campus Block Party returns for year 11 on Wednesday, September 10. Open to CU Anschutz faculty, staff, students, trainees, and campus affiliates, this annual end-of-summer celebration is a fun-filled opportunity to learn about all the amazing things happening here and within the neighboring Aurora community. Join your colleagues in Bonfils Circle for a fun gathering!

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