Celebrating the UVM Larner College of Medicine Community

Larner medical students, postdoctoral fellows and associates, and faculty presented a record 14 research projects at the American Heart Association Epidemiology and Prevention | Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health scientific sessions in New Orleans March 6–8. The event allowed cardiovascular health researchers to share their key discoveries and network with expert peers.

Read more about Larner researchers at the AHA meeting

For Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in March, we sat down with Chris Anker, M.D., a professor of radiation-oncology and co-leader of the UVM Cancer Center’s Cancer Host and Environment Research Program, to talk about how treatments have evolved. A recent study led by Anker has influenced new national guidelines for rectal cancer treatment that focus on quality of life.

Read our full interview with Dr. Anker

The Cardiovascular Research Institute of Vermont’s Viridis Montis Early-Career Investigator Challenge, held annually in February—Heart Month—is an opportunity for UVM, Larner, and UVM Health Network researchers from diverse cardiovascular research backgrounds to showcase their outstanding work. This year’s challenge winner, selected from four finalists, was Neuroscience Graduate Program Ph.D. student Ari Kropf.

Read more about the 2025 Viridis Montis Challenge

VOICES OF THE COLLEGE

“I came back to school more committed to pursuing urology as a specialty with the confidence that the department will support me every step of the way.” —Nicholas Khoo, Class of 2027

JOIN LARNER ON BLUESKY

Please join the Larner College of Medicine in our newest social media community, Bluesky @uvmlarnermed.bsky.social. With over 32 million registered users and growing, Bluesky is a free, open social network similar to X/Twitter where everyone can highlight our incredible research to #MedSky, share news celebrating our medical community, and stay in the know. You can also connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and X.

ACCOLADES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Mark Nelson, Ph.D., chair and University Distinguished Professor of pharmacology, has been selected to serve a two-year term on the Advisory Committee to the Director of the National Institutes of Health. The committee advises on biomedical research, medical science, and biomedical communications and reviews projects that show promise of making valuable contributions to human knowledge.

The sixth annual Celebration of Gender Equity in Medicine and Science, hosted by the Office of Inclusive Excellence, was held on March 6 at the Larner College of Medicine. The event featured a keynote by Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark, J.D., and an awards ceremony recognizing excellence in contributions to students, colleagues, and/or the institution in the areas of gender equity and inclusion.

The 16th installment of the Specimen Cup, a friendly hockey game between players from the UVM Larner College of Medicine and the Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine in honor of longtime UVM anatomy instructor Bruce Fonda, was held on March 16 at UVM. After a spirited competition in front of 100 cheering fans, Larner came out on top with a final score of 8–6.

Pediatrician Jennifer Clementi, M.D., has been appointed assistant dean for students at the Larner College of Medicine’s Connecticut campus. In announcing the appointment, Karen George, M.D., M.P.H., associate dean for students at Larner’s Vermont campus, praised Clementi’s “dedication to student success and passion for fostering a supportive and inclusive campus environment.”

Larner medical students Olivia Domingue ’25, Stefanie Kelsey ’25, Kassondra Little ’25, Mikaela Mari ’26, and McLaine Rich ’25, and pediatrics resident Julie Ehrlich, M.D., joined Associate Professor of Pediatrics Rebecca Bell, M.D., at the recent national American Academy of Pediatrics Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C., where they met with Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT).

SAVE THE DATE

Match Day 2025—with the theme “Lights/Camera/Match Day!”—is on Friday, March 21, beginning at 11:45 a.m. in the Hoehl Gallery. Larner’s Class of 2025 will learn where they will begin their residencies after graduation. The event will be livestreamed.

Take the Campus Climate Survey by March 21st!—The Campus Climate Survey helps UVM understand the perceptions and experiences of our students and employees. All survey respondents can enter to win Apple AirPods (3rd gen), UVM Bookstore gift cards, UVM swag, and more

Nomination deadline for May 2025 Dean’s Awards for Professionalism—Larner faculty, staff, and students who demonstrate the tenets of our Professionalism Statement in their daily work and personal lives—is March 28 by 12 noon.

LARNER IN THE NEWS

VERMONT PUBLIC
Krag, Sharma Explain Opioid Use Disorder Research Database

VTDIGGER
Cushman Commentary Addresses Value of UVM Medical Education and Research Programs

PUBLISHED RESEARCH

Altman J, Cheung KL. Reliability of EMR to Document Serious Illness Content in Tele-palliative Care in Dialysis. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2025 Mar;69(3):e242-e244. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2024.12.011. Epub 2024 Dec 17. PMID: 39701483; PMCID: PMC11824677.

Berlot AA, Fu X, Shea MK, Tracy R, Budoff M, Kim RS, Naveed M, Booth SL, Kizer JR, Bortnick AE. Inactive Matrix Gla Protein and Cardiovascular Outcomes: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. J Am Heart Assoc. 2025 Mar 4;14(5):e036459. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.124.036459. Epub 2025 Feb 19. PMID: 39968786.

Bortnick AE, Austin TR, Hamerton E, Gudmundsdottir V, Emilsson V, Jennings LL, Gudnason V, Owens DS, Massera D, Dufresne L, Yang TY, Engert JC, Thanassoulis G, Tracy RP, Gerszten RE, Psaty BM, Kizer JR. Plasma Proteomic Assessment of Calcific Aortic Valve Disease in Older Adults. J Am Heart Assoc. 2025 Mar 4;14(5):e036336. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.124.036336. Epub 2025 Feb 26. PMID: 40008515.

Breker AN, Badger GJ, Kiapour AM, Costa MQ, Fleming EN, Ferrara SL, Chrostek CA, Fadale PD, Hulstyn MJ, Shalvoy RM, Gil HC, Fleming BC. Effect of Initial Graft Tension on Knee Osteoarthritis Outcomes After ACL Reconstruction: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial With 15-Year Follow-up. Orthop J Sports Med. 2025 Mar 4;13(3):23259671251320972. doi: 10.1177/23259671251320972. PMID: 40052176; PMCID: PMC11881935.

Gaver DP 3rd, Kollisch-Singule M, Nieman G, Satalin J, Habashi N, Bates JHT. Mechanical ventilation energy analysis: Recruitment focuses injurious power in the ventilated lung. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2025 Mar 11;122(10):e2419374122. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2419374122. Epub 2025 Mar 3. PMID: 40030025.

Liu CK, Cheung KL, Tamura MK. Diagnosis and Management of Dementia for the Nephrology Clinician. Am J Kidney Dis. 2025 Mar 3:S0272-6386(25)00710-3. doi: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2025.01.007. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40043899.

Luke MJ, Darko O, Vasan A. Using Insights from Families to Improve Social Needs Screening and Support Community Resource Connection. Acad Pediatr. 2025 Mar;25(2):102580. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2024.09.004. Epub 2024 Sep 16. PMID: 39293563; PMCID: PMC11842191.

Park A, Brillhart A, Sethi S, Abramor B, Duplessis R, Pronce R, Seufferheld J, Schlein S. Characteristics of Climbers with High Altitude Pulmonary Edema on Mount Aconcagua. Wilderness Environ Med. 2025 Mar;36(1):113-118. doi: 10.1177/10806032241303438. Epub 2024 Dec 18. PMID: 39692528.

Plavin J, Quanbeck A, Cherkin D, Grover K; Osher Collaborative Research Committee. Implementation of Evidence-Based Integrative Health Approaches-A Call to Action. J Integr Complement Med. 2025 Feb 19. doi: 10.1089/jicm.2025.0074. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39967476.

Shannon N, Raymond C, Palmer C, Homa S, Bonini M, Seward D, Cunniff B. Miro1 expression alters global gene expression, ERK1/2 phosphorylation, oxidation, and cell cycle progression. J Cell Sci. 2025 Mar 5:jcs.263554. doi: 10.1242/jcs.263554. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40067243.

Singh D, Schumacher HK, Pellegrino CA, Holmes BW, Garfield RL, Harder VS. Assessing Strengths and Well-Being in Primary Care for Adolescents With Mental Health and Substance Use Concerns. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2025 Mar;64(3):340-347. doi: 10.1177/00099228241264769. Epub 2024 Jul 24. PMID: 39049161.

Snoke DB, Atwood GS, Bellefleur ER, Stokes AM, Toth MJ. Body composition alterations in patients with lung cancer. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2025 Mar 1;328(3):C872-C886. doi: 10.1152/ajpcell.01048.2024. Epub 2025 Jan 31. PMID: 39887975.

Tarbi EC, Schuler SL, Ambrose N, Hutchinson RN, Reblin M, Cheung KL. Telehealth for the study of palliative care communication: opportunities, methodological challenges, and recommendations. BMC Palliat Care. 2025 Mar 3;24(1):55. doi: 10.1186/s12904-025-01700-x. PMID: 40033257.

Yalovitser J, Levine J, Zweber C, Tien L, Stultz M, Mitchell H, Cote E, MacLean CD. Vermont Primary Care Provider Perspectives on Psychedelics - A Cross-Sectional Study. J Psychoactive Drugs. 2025 Mar 5:1-7. doi: 10.1080/02791072.2025.2474246. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40045530.

Young B, Neklason DW, Clark K, Feng BJ, Keener MB, Tuohy TM, Wood A, McKinnon WC, Greenblatt MS, Tavtigian SV. Functional Characterization of a Genetic Variant in the 5' UTR of APC 1B Promoter in a Familial Adenomatous Polyposis Family. Am J Med Genet A. 2025 Mar 10:e63992. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.a.63992. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40062631.

Zhang Q, MacLehose RF, Collin LJ, Ahern TP, Lash TL. Parameterization of Beta Distributions for Bias Parameters of Binary Exposure Misclassification in Probabilistic Bias Analysis. Epidemiology. 2025 Mar 1;36(2):237-244. doi: 10.1097/EDE.0000000000001818. Epub 2024 Nov 26. PMID: 39588976; PMCID: PMC11785477.

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