Celebrating the UVM Larner College of Medicine Community

Vermont has earned an extraordinary distinction for its commitment to maternal and infant health, becoming the only state in the nation to receive an “A” grade on the 2024 March of Dimes Report Card. This achievement reflects the state’s ongoing efforts to improve outcomes for birthing parents and babies, setting a new standard for quality care across the country.

Read more about Vermont’s “A” grade on the 2024 March of Dimes Report Card

Larner Class of 2027 medical students Cassandra Chin, Oona Davies, Ivan Davis, Aaron Dees, Nick Jowkar, and Marie Lim joined researchers in UVM’s musculoskeletal research center to explore risk factors for knee trauma and how ligament tears lead to osteoarthritis. Their insights will improve injury prevention and rehabilitation methods for this largest joint in the body.

Read more about knee research at Larner

A team of UVM scientists led by University Distinguished Professor and Larner pharmacology chair Mark Nelson, Ph.D., has uncovered a novel mechanism that reshapes our understanding of how blood flow is regulated in the brain. Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team’s discovery of electro-calcium coupling offers insights into treating stroke and dementia.

Read more about this brain blood flow research

VOICES OF THE COLLEGE

“Going forth, I will never forget this monumental achievement for UVM. Being a part of it during residency was such an honor and a humbling moment for me.”
—Than Moore, M.D. ’24, University of Vermont Medical Center
Emergency Medicine Resident, reflects on his experience as the team physician to the UVM Men’s Soccer Team during their historic NCAA championship win.

ACCOLADES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Andrew Strong, M.S., has been appointed manager of operations for the Clinical Simulation Laboratory at the Larner College of Medicine. Strong holds a B.S. in biomedical engineering from the University of Rhode Island and an M.S. in clinical engineering from the University of Connecticut. He joins UVM from Hartford HealthCare and, previously, Yale New Haven Health.

A new publication in Lancet Regional Health – Americas summarizes the effectiveness of applying a venous thromboembolism prevention program to increase blood clot education and risk assessment in community oncology practices. With Larner Professor of Medicine Steven Ades, M.D. M.Sc., as lead author, the study was co-led by UVM Cancer Center members and partners at New England Cancer Specialists. 

On January 4, a full arena of UVM Men’s Hockey fans sang happy birthday to UVM’s mascot, Rally Cat, at Gutterson Fieldhouse. To make the celebration more exciting, Rally Cat invited many iconic Vermont mascot characters, including Larner’s own Dr. Moo (played by medical student Aiden Masters ’27, assisted by a “mascot handler,” medical student Quinn Duisberg ’28).

Langdon Lawrence, M.D., M.P.H., education assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Public Health, received the 2024 Prelock Online Teaching Award for his course PH 6310 Climate Change Emergencies. This award recognizes superior online teaching, provides a model of excellence for fellow faculty, and encourages all faculty to continue to improve and advance their online teaching pedagogy.

The University of Vermont Cancer Center has released a month-by-month “highlight reel” of some—but by no means all—of the center’s newsworthy accomplishments for 2024. Titled UVM Cancer Center Story Roundup 2024, the short YouTube video touches on the work of several high-profile researchers, novel treatment therapies, Careers in Cancer Day, and UVMCC’s statewide sun safety campaign.

SAVE THE DATE

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Health Equity Lecture, “DE Why and the Why Knot: Using the Present DEI Tangle to Reimagine and Advance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Healthcare,” will be presented by Carla L. Carten, Ph.D., senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer for the UVM Health Network, on Wednesday, January 22, 5:30–7:00 p.m. in MedEdCenter 200.

All members of the Larner and UVM Health Network community are invited to attend—or better yet, participate in—the annual StorySlamRx Voices in Medicine on Thursday, January 23, 6–8 p.m. (doors open at 5:45), in the Hoehl Gallery. This year’s theme is “The Things We Carry,” stories about emotional or physical items that hold special meaning. View details and RSVP (as an attendee and/or a storyteller.)

The Center on Aging will host a Film Screening and Multigenerational Discussion on Sunday, January 26, 1:00–3:00 p.m. at the Livak Ballroom (Davis Center 417). Two inspiring short films sharing stories of social connection will be shown, followed by refreshments and a facilitated discussion about the importance of community building for health and well-being at all ages. RSVP here.

LARNER IN THE NEWS

WCAX-TV
Freeman Quoted on Slope Safety

VERMONT PUBLIC
Wolfson Comments on New OD Treatment Initiative

PUBLISHED RESEARCH

Atherly, A., van den Broek-Altenburg, E., Jacobs, A., Mueller, J., Wulfman, C., van Eeghen, C. Development of a psychometrically valid and reliable measure of primary care providers’ willingness to engage with value based payments and innovations in care coordination. BMC Health Serv Res, 24, 156 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-11983-0.

Boudreaux B, Christensen H, Porter HJ, Eaton J, Ludlow J, Holmes T, Bui MR. Oncologic outcomes for invasive squamous cell carcinoma with a clinically resolved biopsy site managed by watchful waiting: A retrospective cohort study. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2024 Dec 18:S0190-9622(24)03385-1. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2024.11.067. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39706528.

Croarkin PE, Sutherland I, Ho MF. Psychedelic Therapeutics for Adolescents: Safety, Opportunities, and Equipoise. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2024 Dec 16:S0890-8567(24)02061-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2024.12.003. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39709009.

First LR, Larson K, Puskarz J, Kemper AR. The More Things Change, One Thing Stays the Same. Pediatrics. 2025 Jan 1;155(1):e2024069567. doi: 10.1542/peds.2024-069567. PMID: 39668412.

Fleegler EW, Vargas L, Pulcini CD, Hargarten S. Bullets as Pathogen-The Need for Public Health and Policy Approaches. JAMA. 2024 Dec 9. doi: 10.1001/jama.2024.25535. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39652065.

Glasser AM, Harder VS, West JC, Roemhildt ML, Osbahr L, Williams R, Villanti AC. Effect of a State-Level Vaping Prevention Campaign on Beliefs and Behaviors in Young People. Subst Use Misuse. 2025 Jan 1:1-10. doi: 10.1080/10826084.2024.2446741. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39743729.

Ingason AB, Galenkamp AL, Jonsdottir F, An G, Sigurdsson MI. Epidemiology and Outcomes Associated with New Persistent Opioid Use after Transabdominal Surgery. J Am Coll Surg. 2025 Jan 1;240(1):73-81. doi: 10.1097/XCS.0000000000001198. Epub 2024 Dec 16. PMID: 39431619.

Ketterer B, Dingfield L, Stowers KH, Morrison K, Bailey A, Flint H, Buckholz G, Morrison LJ, Yang H, Berns S. AAHPM Assessment Workgroup: Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Assessment Needs and Directions. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2024 Dec 19:S0885-3924(24)01210-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2024.12.009. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39709136.

Laakso SM, Oh J, Raufdeen F, Jones A, Reiskanen H, Feb K, Levit E, Solomon AJ. Trigeminal neuralgia within the disease course of MS: Diagnostic and therapeutic implications from a multicenter cohort. Mult Scler. 2024 Dec 27:13524585241309257. doi: 10.1177/13524585241309257. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39727322.

Rose GL, Bonnell LN, Natkin LW, O'Rourke-Lavoie J, van Eeghen C. Case control study of access to medications during COVID-19 and longitudinal impact on health outcomes for primary care patients managing multiple chronic conditions. Fam Pract. 2024 Dec 27:cmae074. doi: 10.1093/fampra/cmae074. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39729486.

Rozema L, Cornelius SL, Shiner B, Watts BV, Vincenti M. Effect of Rurality on Type of Clinicians Delivering Psychotherapy and Prescribing Antidepressants to Veterans. Psychiatr Serv. 2024 Dec 12:appips20240186. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.20240186. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39663841.

Sutherland I, Ho MF, Croarkin PE. Psychedelic Treatments in Adolescent Psychopharmacology: Considering Safety, Ethics, and Scientific Rigor. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2025 Jan 6. doi: 10.1089/cap.2024.0082. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39761065.

Wawrzynski SE, Cloyes KG, Arasteh K, Guo JW, Linder L, Reblin M, Alderfer MA. Online Experiences, Internet-Fostered Connection, Resilience, and Adjustment Among Adolescent Siblings of Children With Cancer. Cancer Nurs. 2025 Jan-Feb 01;48(1):E1-E8. doi: 10.1097/NCC.0000000000001284. Epub 2023 Oct 20. PMID: 37862436; PMCID: PMC11031615.

Zhang-Petersen C, Sowden M, Chen J, Burns J, Sprague BL. Changes to the US Preventive Services Task Force Screening Guidelines and Incidence of Breast Cancer. JAMA Netw Open. 2024 Dec 2;7(12):e2452688. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.52688. PMID: 39729313; PMCID: PMC11681378.

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Published by the Office of Medical Communications © 2025