Accolades & Accomplishments
October 4, 2023
The Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont hosted the “Dean’s Celebration of Excellence in Research” from September 18 to 22, 2023. This weeklong event series aimed to highlight the outstanding research efforts of faculty, fellows, and graduate students. On Thursday, September 21, an awards ceremony recognized the remarkable contributions of select Larner and UVM researchers.
While all nominees displayed significant commitment to their work, a select few distinguished themselves with exceptional dedication to the advancement of medicine and science. The following individuals were honored during the award ceremony:
Dean’s Celebration of Excellence in Research Award Winners
Category: Clinical Trials
Winner: Charlotte Teneback, M.D., associate professor of medicine-pulmonary & critical care medicine
Category: Mid-career Investigator
Winner: Noah Kolb, M.D., associate professor of neurological sciences
Category: New Investigator
Winner: Osama Harraz, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmacology
Winner: Sherrie Khadanga, M.D., assistant professor of medicine-cardiovascular medicine
Winner: Christian Pulcini, M.D., M.P.H., M.Ed., assistant professor of emergency medicine
Category: Research Mentor
Winner: Christopher Berger, Ph.D., professor of molecular physiology & biophysics and biochemistry and associate dean of graduate education & postdoctoral training
Category: Senior Investigator
Winner: Hugh Garavan, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and associate professor of psychological science
Category: Clinical Research Coordinator
Winner: Kimberly Luebbers, M.S.H.S., RN, OCN, director of the Office of Clinical Trials Research and assistant dean for clinical research administration
Category: Scientific Research Staff
Winner: Nicole Bouffard, senior lab/research technician of pathology & laboratory medicine and imaging & analysis specialist in the Microscopy Imaging Center
Trainee Award Nominees for Outstanding Research Publication
Winner: Evan Hoffman, Ph.D., graduate student in medicine-pulmonary disease & critical care medicine
Winner: Samuel Short, M.D.’23, medical student in medicine-hematology & oncology
Winner: Elizabeth Corteselli, Ph.D., post-doctoral trainee in pathology & laboratory medicine
Winner: Colleen Kerrigan, M.D., resident in surgery
Showcase Award Winners
Category: Best Medical Student Research Presentation
Winner: Samuel Aldous ’24
Presentation: “Optimizing Infant Perioperative Medicine: Characterization of Awake Infant Spinal Anesthesia Using Surface Electromyography”
Runner-up: Keira Goodell ’24
Presentation: “Investigating a Role for the Orphan Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Tie1 in Cellular Metabolism”
Category: Best Junior Graduate Research Presentation
Winner: Ally Morrissey
Presentation: “Endoplasmic Reticulum Moves by hitchhiking on Golgi-derived Vesicles”
Runner-up: Jamie Reulbach
Presentation: “Effects of Chronic Hypertension and Sex on Spatial Reference and Working Memory”
Best Senior Graduate Research Presentation
Winner: Shannon Prior
Presentation: “Metabolic Rewiring Promotes Metastatic Potential in STK11 Null KRAS-driven Lung Adenocarcinoma”
Runner-up: Jennifer Oshita
Presentation: “Communication Disability Accommodation Services in Early Adopting US Healthcare Organizations”
Staff Appreciation Week, which takes place every September across the entire campus, is a way for the University of Vermont to celebrate, honor, and thank the many incredible staff members who make up the UVM community. This year, several individuals from the Larner College of Medicine reached significant milestones in their careers at UVM. Their dedication and service are immensely appreciated.
Celebrating 40 Years of Service:
Lynn Willette, Research Assistant, Microbiology & Molecular Genetics
Celebrating 35 Years of Service:
Cheryl Collins, Researcher/Analyst, Medicine-Immunobiology
Laura Merriam, Senior Lab/Research Technician, Neurological Sciences
Celebrating 30 Years of Service:
Patricia Lutton, Clinical Research Professional, Microbiology & Molecular Genetics
Celebrating 25 Years of Service:
Juvena Hitt, Research Specialist, Medicine-General Internal Medicine
Terri Messier, Researcher/Analyst, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Theresa Wellman, Senior Lab/Research Technician, Pharmacology
Celebrating 20 Years of Service:
Nicole Bouffard, Senior Lab/Research Technician, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Mark Bowman, Information Technology Professional, Office of Health Promotion Research
Rebekah Boyle, Researcher/Analyst, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Glen Briggs, Business Manager, Psychiatry
Ginny Cincotta, Financial Specialist, Pediatrics
Tiffany Delaney, Director, Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Nicole Gagne, Lab Research Technician, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Jean Hood, Business Support Generalist, Medicine-Pulmonary
Rachael McLaughlin, Outreach Professional, Pediatrics
Peter Miller, Laboratory Technician, Medicine-Infectious Disease
Sarah Tremble, Researcher/Analyst, Neurological Sciences
Celebrating 15 Years of Service:
Minara Aliyeva, Lab Research Technician, Medicine-Pulmonary
Pamela Burton, Business/Accounting Specialist, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Jeanne Hutchins, Research Center Administrator, Office of the Dean
Mark Tomase, Administrative Coordinator, Office of Clinical Trials Research
Lori Turner, Research Data Specialist, Psychiatry
Jane Walsh, Research Project Assistant, Vermont Cancer Center
Celebrating 10 Years of Service:
Sara Ardren, Research Manager, Medicine-Pulmonary
Megan Bartlett, Business Manager, Microbiology & Molecular Genetics
Catherine Peasley-Miklus, Research Specialist, Psychiatry
Brianne Rivera, Information Technology Professional, COM Information Systems
Adrian Sackheim, Lab Research Technician, Surgery
Meghan Seymour, Business Support Generalist, Pediatrics
John Turner, Creative Services Manager, COM Public Relations
Margaret Tandoh, M.D., FACS, associate professor of surgery and associate dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion, recently completed the Healthcare Executive Diversity and Inclusion Certificate (HEDIC), sponsored by the AAMC. Delivered over six months, the HEDIC program’s curriculum combines distance learning and in-residence study with a focus on applied skills designed to better implement DEI projects at medical institutions. Those who have successfully completed the program are able to successfully link diversity, equity, and inclusion directly to measurable goals of excellence at their respective institutions. In addition, certificate holders are taught methods to better develop an organizational infrastructure focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion issues. Learning to collaborate with various leaders across all levels of the institution as a means to achieving diversity, equity, and inclusion is another key aspect of the program. Finally, to complete the program, participants must develop a project plan designed to drive excellence specifically tailored to their institution. Tandoh’s project is titled “Creating a Retention Program for URiM Faculty at the Larner College of Medicine.”
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Investigators from the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont (UVM), are the first to study a promising tetravalent dengue vaccine in dengue-endemic Bangladesh. Their work, evaluating the single-dose tetravalent dengue vaccine candidate TV005, demonstrated safety and immune responsiveness in children and adults. The accompanying study was recently published in the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
As the first research team studying dengue vaccines in Bangladesh, investigators at the ICDDR,B and UVM’s Vaccine Testing Center (VTC) began their “Dengue in Dhaka Initiative” in 2015. This collaborative effort aims to advance the development of dengue vaccines throughout Bangladesh. The clinical trials and laboratory assay infrastructure—as well as a preliminary dengue prevalence study—were established and performed at the ICDDR,B in 2015.
The study was a subsequent phase II randomized and controlled clinical trial evaluating the safety, immunogenicity, and three-year durability of the TV005 tetravalent live-attenuated dengue vaccine. Investigators followed almost 200 volunteers in four age cohorts (ages 1–49 years) who received the TV005 vaccine or placebo over the course of three years beginning in 2016. TV005 was shown to be well tolerated. Antibodies to all four dengue serotypes were found in most volunteers after vaccination; individuals who had been infected previously with dengue had higher antibody counts. Although the study was not designed to evaluate efficacy, no cases of dengue were detected in vaccinated volunteers. This data moves the TV005 dengue vaccine closer to widespread use in endemic populations while garnering support for ongoing large, phase III efficacy trials.
“The TV005 vaccine is the only single-dose tetravalent dengue vaccine, which is an important feature of this vaccine,” said Beth Kirkpatrick, M.D., director of the Vaccine Testing Center, professor and chair of the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, and professor of medicine. “It also appears to prompt immune responses to all four of the dengue serotypes, which is important for any tetravalent dengue vaccine.” Investigators from UVM and ICDDR,B share the hope that the information is useful to Bangladesh and the large populations of South Asia.
Pediatric subspecialists play a crucial role in delivering quality care and driving research to enhance prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for children; however, those pursuing a career in this field—particularly individuals from underrepresented groups in medicine—often face substantial disincentives. Additionally, better collaboration with primary care clinicians is essential due to changing health care needs, increased care complexity, and access barriers to pediatric subspecialty care.
In response to these challenges, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), with support from various sponsors, established the Committee on the Pediatric Subspecialty Workforce and Its Impact on Child Health and Well-Being. This committee was tasked with recommending strategies and actions to ensure an adequate pediatric subspecialty physician workforce. The committee aims to enable broad access to high-quality subspecialty care and to promote a robust research portfolio to advance the health and health care of infants, children, and adolescents.
Executive Director of the Vermont Child Health Improvement Plan (VCHIP) Rachel Garfield, Ph.D., was chosen as one of 17 experts on this committee. Dr. Garfield’s work with VCHIP, a program at the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine that focuses on child and family health services research and quality improvement, as well as her deep experience in Medicaid policy and health care financing, led to her nomination and subsequent selection as a committee member. VCHIP collaborates with various constituencies, including public health, clinical, policy, community, and academic partners, to enhance child health practice and inform policy through measurement-based efforts.
Garfield addressed this critical issue in a NASEM report outlining a set of recommendations that, if fully implemented, will enhance the quality of pediatric medical subspecialty care by a well-supported, excellently trained, and appropriately utilized primary care, subspecialty, and physician-scientist workforce.
Kalev Freeman, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Larner College of Medicine’s Trauma Physiology Lab and associate professor of emergency medicine and pharmacology, has been awarded a significant research grant by the National Institute of Health/National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NIH/NHLBI). This grant, totaling $12,130,497, with $1,381,965 designated for the University of Vermont (UVM) over a span of five years, underscores Freeman’s pioneering work in the field of trauma-induced coagulopathy.
Freeman’s research is part of the Trans-Agency Consortium for Trauma Induced Coagulopathy (TACTIC) program, which received initial funding from NHLBI UMI, a cooperative agreement, in 2013. TACTIC has proven to be a collaborative powerhouse, resulting in over 200 peer-reviewed research publications* and groundbreaking discoveries in understanding the intricate relationship between dysregulated inflammation, coagulation, and fibrinolysis (blood clotting problems) following trauma.
Furthermore, TACTIC’s innovative approach, built on a partnership between different types of scientists, clinicians, clinical trials, and a specialized biorepository, served as the basis for the NHLBI-funded Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV4) program. Under the leadership of TACTIC investigators, ACTIV4 played a critical role in rapidly uncovering insights related to treating blood clotting thrombotic issues in COVID-19 patients, highlighting TACTIC’s ability to turn research into practical solutions.
Freeman and his team, alongside fellow researchers at Pitt Medicine, have demonstrated the life-saving potential of plasma transfusion in severe trauma cases through carefully controlled experiments; however, the precise mechanisms behind this therapy remain a puzzle. The newly awarded multi-PI R01 grant will provide TACTIC with the resources needed to unravel this important mystery.
Emergency care is a critical area for research. It is already proven that prehospital care therapies, such as thawed blood plasma administered even before the patient makes it to the hospital, can significantly increase the odds of survival. In 2018, a clinical trial led by Freeman’s collaborators at the Pitt School of Medicine successfully demonstrated that trauma patients at risk of hemorrhagic shock who received two units of blood plasma during air medical transport were 10 percent more likely to survive than those who did not.
The current project, titled “Endothelial Dysfunction and Restoration in Trauma Induced Coagulopathy,” will explore the how plasma transfusions can help restore the health of the endothelium—a specialized layer of cells lining the inside of blood vessels—and test innovative therapies aimed at improving the outcome of trauma patients. It will also help researchers better understand the role of the endothelium in regulating the body’s response to trauma-related blood clotting.
Freeman’s unwavering commitment to advancing scientific knowledge and enhancing patient care in the field of trauma-related blood clotting has garnered recognition and support. This grant represents a significant milestone in his research journey, with the potential to transform trauma care and save countless lives.
*PubMed listing of TACTIC publications to date: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?otool=umichlib&sort=pubdate&term=HL120877%5BGrant%20Number%5D
Debora Kamin Mukaz, Ph.D., M.S., postdoctoral fellow in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, was recognized by the UNCF (United Negro College Fund, a/k/a United Fund) Ernest E. Just Life Sciences Society at an event held September 17 at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., for her work with Black in Cardio. Black in Cardio and other Black in X organizations were honored for “Outstanding Leadership in Life Sciences.” Black in X is a network and a movement with a unified mission to confront anti-Black racism whenever and wherever it surfaces within communities—be it in data sciences, epidemiology, medicine, or anywhere else. Mukaz, along with Makeda Stephenson, a Ph.D. candidate at Johns Hopkins University, and Catherine Tcheandjieu, D.V.M., Ph.D., assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco, began the Black in Cardio movement on Twitter in 2020. Black in Cardio has now grown to an international group of cardiovascular scientists and trainees from diverse backgrounds and subject areas.
Osama Harraz, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmacology, was invested as the Bloomfield Early Career Professorship in Cardiovascular Research 2023–2025. The investiture took place at a ceremony on September 26 in the Hoehl Gallery. Endowed by Martin E. Bloomfield, M.D.’60, and Judith S. Bloomfield ’59, this professorship aims to encourage and support early-stage, independent investigators in developing high-quality, competitive cardiovascular research programs. Research in the Harraz Lab seeks to understand vascular signaling, blood flow control, and the changes associated with small vessel and neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Harraz is particularly interested in cognitive decline and the role of Piezo1, a protein that lives on the membranes of cells lining the blood vessels, in brain blood flow control. Named for the Greek word for “pressure,” Piezo1 is a receptor for frictional forces as the blood moves through the brain vasculature. Harraz collaborates with Ardem Patapoutian, Ph.D., a professor of neuroscience at Scripps Research and winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Medicine for the discovery of Piezo channel proteins. Harraz is a project director at the Vermont Center for Cardiovascular and Brain Health.
