Campus News

MD/PhD student Bethany Berry is reprising her 2022-23 role as UMass Chan Medical School’s student representative on the UMass Board of Trustees. 

PhD candidate Katherine Murphy received a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Individual Predoctoral Fellowship for her pancreatic cancer research.

Chancellor Collins testified in favor of Gov. Maura Healey’s Discovery, Research and Innovation for a Vibrant Economy (DRIVE) legislation. 

The five-year study is funded by a $3.5 million award from the National Institutes of Health. 

UMass Chan scientists have received funding to explore gene editing technologies for treating frontotemporal dementia.

The Fredric Fay Memorial Symposium is being held on Wednesday, Nov. 4. 

The UMass Chan Cares annual charitable giving campaign launches Monday, Oct. 27. 

Postdoc Nikita Bhalerao, PhD, received the 2025 Rising Star Award from the National Pancreas Foundation and a fellowship from the Pancreatic Cancer Alliance.

Tiffany Moore Simas, MD, MPH, MEd, weighs in on the a worsening maternal health crisis driven by underfunded care, workforce shortages and hospital closures.

Martha Zimmermann, PhD, will be testing the text message intervention Reaching Calm at four obstetric practices.

An intern in environmental justice at UMass Chan is engaging the campus community in conversations about environmental justice. 

Kathryn Sabella, PhD, is hoping to shed light on the social causes of increased alcohol use among women.

Stephanie Carreiro, MD, PhD’22, received a new NIH award to advance precision medicine research in opioid use disorder and mentor junior clinician-scientists. 

The Department of Defense trial aims to repurpose metformin for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and build a network for pulmonary fibrosis research.

Jessica Spinelli, PhD, and Emma V. Watson, PhD’16, are the first UMass Chan faculty members to receive the award.

Jennifer E. Adair, PhD, received a $1.27 million National Institutes of Health Fogarty International Center Global Infectious Disease research grant.

A study by Dorothy P. Schafer, PhD, and Travis E. Faust, PhD, explains how two different cell types in the brain communicate in response to changes in sensory input.

In his first week of medical school at UMass Chan, Mukund Desibhatla, MPH, attended orientation in Worcester and donated blood stem cells in Boston.

UMass Chan Medical School received a five-year, $4.4 million National Cancer Institute grant to study how transfer RNAs may fuel the spread of melanoma.

Caterina Strambio De Castillia, PhD, received a four-year, $4 million National Science Foundation grant to support her project, Imaging-PHD. 

Melissa Fischer, MD, MEd, is one of just three UMass Chan recipients of the Glaser Award and the first in more than 25 years.

The 27th annual UMass Cancer Walk at Polar Park raised more than $450,000 to support cancer research and clinical trials at UMass Chan.

Multiple projects examining the biology of opioid use disorder and the role of sleep/circadian rhythms in relapse are underway in the lab of Ryan W. Logan, PhD.

A new study in The Lancet confirms a rabies monoclonal antibody therapy, co-developed by UMass Chan, is a safe alternative to existing rabies immune globulins.

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Edwin Boudreaux, PhD, discusses rising suicide rates in older men and shares prevention resources.

Roger J. Davis, PhD, FRS, has been awarded the 2026 Bert and Natalie Vallee Award in Biomedical Science from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

The pollinator habitat gardens, tended by members of the Pollination Association at UMass Chan Medical School, are home to native, pollinator-friendly plants.

PhD candidate Jessica Peura has earned a prestigious NIH grant to advance her research on pancreatic cancer. After the death of her mother, she’s determined to help prevent families from experiencing cancer-related loss. 

Commissioned Indigenous art is now on display at UMass Chan Medical School, following an unveiling event on Sept. 16. Learn about the sassafras paddle with pyrographic designs made by Nipmuc artists. 

UMass Chan Medical School has licensed worldwide rights to a long-lasting human monoclonal antibody that prevents Lyme disease to New Jersey-based Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. 

More than $28,000 in grant funding was awarded to teachers and staff at nine Worcester schools. 

The New York Times Magazine, The New York Times and Washington Post have featured UMass Chan Medical School researchers in articles and videos about the impact of delays and cuts in federal research funding. 

The 40-foot hydroponic farm can produce up to three tons of produce each year.

Four faculty members were honored with chancellor's medals at the annual Convocation and Investiture ceremony. 

During the annual Recognition Ceremony, the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences celebrated 74 PhD candidates and MD/PhD students who successfully completed their qualifying exam in 2024-2025.

White coats were presented to 55 Doctor of Nursing Practice students at a special ceremony on Sept. 10. 

The Diversity and Inclusion Office’s 13th annual Convocation Celebration was centered around the legal landscape for LGBTQIA+ health care.

The Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing at UMass Chan Medical School celebrated 35 new nurses at the Graduate Entry Pathway Pinning Ceremony on Monday, Sept. 8.  

The pilot program is expected to impact up to 600 area residents in 13 communities, including Worcester.  

The 233 UMass Chan medical students in the Class of 2029 received white coats on Sept. 5. The White Coat Ceremony is a momentous event for first-year medical students as they join the medical profession. 

These findings, published in Nature, point to potential new approaches to protect young infants from perinatal HIV transmission.

A $700,000, two-year extension of the program was finalized in July. 

UMass Chan Medical licenses exNA oligonucleotide technology to Hongene Biotech Corporation

Festivities kick off on Friday, Sept. 5, with the T.H. Chan School of Medicine White Coat Ceremony.

The study collected data from a community sample of more than 80 children and their mothers. 

UMass Chan scientists explain how proteins that regulate gene function can increase genetic mutations by competing with DNA repair operations.

Five faculty members are assisting digital health care platform startups in developing and advancing technology aimed at addressing health issues impacting underserved communities.

UMass Chan Medical School welcomed 313 new students to campus on Monday, Aug. 18, for orientation, including 233 students in the T.H. Chan School of Medicine Class of 2029, 16 students in the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing and 13 students in the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

Ghanaian DNP student Elizabeth “Lizzy” Mirekuaa Lartey, RN, has one goal in mind: helping her community. The mother of four provides free health screenings and manages a fashion line of African-inspired scrubs.

Clinical study of gene therapy for GM2 gangliosidosis, including Tay-Sachs disease, shows encouraging results

Sarabeth Broder-Fingert, MD, MPH, addresses common misconceptions about autism.

The two awards will help fund research aimed at improving pregnancy outcomes in women from low- and middle-income countries.

Eleven teams of medical students, faculty members, residents and staff are the recipients of the 2025 Remillard Family Community Service Fund grants.

Tara Delorme, PhD, received a $110,000 award from the Fonds de recherche du Québec.

Gov. Healey introduced the Discovery, Research & Innovation for a Vibrant Economy initiative.

American Academy of Nursing recognizes Jill Terrien’s contributions to opioid use disorder curriculum and interprofessional curriculum, as well as the many faculty members and staff she’s worked with during her career.

PhD student Claire Shamber has been awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship to further her research focused on investigating the untapped.  

Jennifer Tjia, MD, MSCE, will spend four months focusing on a project aimed at optimizing medication prescribing in older adults.  

Read Pukkila-Worley, MD, professor of medicine, will succeed Catarina Kiefe, MD/PhD, as the director of the Medical Scientist Training Program.

MD/PhD student and aspiring dermatologist Vincent Azzolino volunteers at Camp Discovery, a free summer camp funded by the American Academy of Dermatology, for children with chronic skin conditions. In the lab at UMass Chan, he studies enteroviruses and their drug resistance.

The special event included a tour and an unveiling of the donor acknowledgement plaque in the building’s main lobby.

The $50,000 award will support collaborative research studying how the brain and organs communicate using extracellular vesicles.

Elise Stevens, PhD, addresses the rise nicotine pouch use among teens.

UMass Chan is a recruitment site for the study and is working in partnership with teams from Boston University and UCLA.

The $505,000 five-year grant will support Dr. Orzalli’s research on the skin’s immune system and its defense against viral infections

PhD candidate Bradley Class has received a NIH grant to further his research on neuron mutations and ataxia-telangiectasia, a rare disease characterized by impaired motor function, dilated blood vessels and a weakened immune system.

Research by Sumeda Nandadasa, PhD, a scientist at UMass Chan, uncovers a molecular mechanism affecting ciliopathies such as Meckel-Gruber and Joubert syndromes and cystic kidney disease.

Patrick Gallagher, MBA, will be joining UMass Chan as the deputy executive vice chancellor, people strategy on June 30.

PhD candidate Favour Akabogu has earned a scholarship and an award to continue research developing new therapies for GIST, a rare type of cancer.

Gilles Martin, PhD, associate professor of neurobiology, wrote an article for The Conversation about a group of neurons discovered in the brain that are linked to binge drinking.

Stephanie Carreiro, MD, received a $50,000 grant from the Mass. Life Sciences Center to advance digital tools that expand access to substance use disorder care.

Kristen Matteson, MD, MPH, and Mary Munson, PhD, are two of 100 ELAM fellows in the class of 2025-26.

The University’s Board of Trustees voted to approve the establishment of six new endowed chairs, the appointment of faculty to five chairs, and the renaming of an existing chair.

UMass Chan researchers identify a neural ensemble that suppresses binge drinking.

The Office of Sustainability encourages students to recognize how health care professionals can create a more sustainable health care system.

The 52nd Commencement at UMass Chan Medical School was full of special moments, as captured in this video.

“A Day in the Life: Neurology Edition” welcomed high school juniors in the Allied Health Program at Worcester Technical High School.

At the 52nd Commencement at UMass Chan on June 1, 265 degrees were presented.

During the Deborah Harmon Hines, PhD, Commencement Celebration, graduating UMass Chan Medical School students received Kente and multicultural stoles to wear at the 52nd Commencement.

The 62 students who comprise the Class of 2025 for the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing were honored at a campus event on May 30.

More than 30 awards were presented to graduating medical students and faculty members during the ceremony.

The Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at UMass Chan Medical School honored student scientists for outstanding research and leadership qualities on May 29.

The UMass Chan Medical School chapter of the Gold Humanism Honor Society welcomed 39 new members on Wednesday, May 28.

Tammy T. Nguyen, MD, PhD, succeeds Sally C. Kent, PhD, as the Fuller Foundation Term Chair in Diabetes.

Seven faculty members were honored at UMass Chan’s 25th annual Women’s Faculty Awards.

The Junior Faculty Development Program is the longest-running professional development program at UMass Chan.

Medical student Christopher Zaro, PhD candidate Clevanne Julce, MPH, and DNP student Jennifer Konjoian, RN, are the class speakers at UMass Chan 52nd Commencement on June 1.

Degrees will be awarded to 265 students at UMass Chan’s 52nd Commencement ceremony on June 1.

UMass Chan licenses potential RNA-based treatment for fragile X syndrome to QurAlis Corporation.

Thirty-three runners and 50 volunteer administrators competed in a Medical Wilderness Adventure Race (MedWAR), spanning 13 miles and solving simulated medical emergencies. Three UMass Chan medical students Anna Cichon, Avery Pullman and Karishma Patel helped organize the event.

A siRNA therapeutic for dermatological diseases developed at UMass Chan Medical School has entered the clinical trial phase.

Mary Munson, PhD, received the 2025 Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring.

Nobel laureate Victor R. Ambros, PhD, has been named TIME100 Health, a list recognizing the100 most influential people in health.

UMass Chan Medical School scientists Jun Xie, PhD, and Guangping Gao, PhD, have received $500,000 to help advance gene therapy.

DNP student Anthony Olenski, RN, a U.S. Army infantry medic, hopes to make health care more accessible through telehealth, serving primarily children and adolescents.

The event is hosted by the Office of Well Being and the Office of Sustainability.

Mary Callery O’Brien, MD, received the 2024 Chancellor’s Medal for Distinguished Teaching and will deliver the Last Lecture.

This special edition of @umasschan magazine celebrates Victor Ambros, PhD, the newest Nobel laureate at UMass Chan Medical School.

Forty-two students from 12 local high schools competed in the 19th annual Central Massachusetts Brain Bee competition on March 29.

UMass Chan Medical School leads efforts to establish a comprehensive database of cat genomics.