WINTER 2020
MEDICINE
Finding Tomorrow’s Cures
“Medical school is an expensive endeavor, and after finding out the military and VA options I had planned on using were not going to happen, I was a bit disheartened by the number of loans I would need to borrow. My scholarship decreases that amount drastically, and considering the interest I would have accrued it is an even bigger gift in the long run. Knowing this helps relieve a good deal of financial stress.� Anthony Reedy
Scholarships help students like Anthony succeed. JOIN THE MISSION alumni.uthsc.edu/give | 901.448.5516 UTHSC Office of Development and Alumni Affairs
LEADERSHIP
< Briefs
UTHSC Chancellor Steve J. Schwab, MD Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operations Officer Ken Brown, JD, MPA, PhD, FACHE Robert Kaplan Executive Dean and Vice Chancellor for Clinical Affairs Scott E. Strome, MD, FACS Vice Chancellor for Development and Alumni Affairs Love Collins, III, MBA Assistant Vice Chancellor for Alumni Affairs Chandra A. Tuggle Senior Director of Development, College of Medicine Kelly Davis
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A look at some of the many accomplishments of faculty and students in the CoM.
Fighting Sickle Cell > Kenneth Ataga, MD, is making great progress in his quest to ease the pain of sickle cell disease
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Communications and Marketing Sally Badoud
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Editor Peggy Reisser Designer Adam Gaines Writers Alan Burns Jackie Denton Amber Carter Peggy Reisser Photographers Jay Adkins Alan Burns Allen Gillespie Peggy Reisser
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Student researchers exhibit outstanding work
On the cover: In the lab of Valeria Mas, PhD, a team of researchers newly recruited to UTHSC search for treatments to improve outcomes for liver and kidney transplant patients. See story, Page 10.
All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment and admissions without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, or covered veteran status. Eligibility and other terms and conditions of employment benefits at The University of Tennessee are governed by laws and regulations of the State of Tennessee, and this non-discrimination statement is intended to be consistent with those laws and regulations. In accordance with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, The University of Tennessee affirmatively states that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or disability in its education programs and activities, and this policy extends to employment by the University. Inquiries and charges of violation of Title VI (race, color, national origin), Title IX (sex), Section 504 (disability), ADA (disability), Age Discrimination in Employment Act (age), sexual orientation, or veteran status should be directed to the Office of Equity and Diversity (OED), 910 Madison Avenue, Suite 826, Memphis, Tennessee 38163, telephone 901-448-7382 (V/TTY available). Requests for accommodation of a disability should be directed to the ADA Coordinator at the Office of Equity and Diversity. E073201(003-200911)
Health Care Hero >
Neil Hayes, MD, deciphers cancer at the cellular level
18 < Welcome! Meet our newest
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students
From the Executive Dean Our White Coat Ceremony in August was particularly meaningful to me â&#x20AC;&#x201D; as the Executive Dean of the College of Medicine, as a practicing physician, and as a son. I was thrilled to welcome the 170 members of the Class of 2023, who one day will assume the awesome responsibility of protecting and enhancing the health and lives of other human beings. I was also honored that my father, Dr. Marshall Strome (below left), was present to lead our new students in the Hippocratic Oath. He is an outstanding clinician, researcher, mentor, and father, who not only influenced my decision to become a physician, but also ignited my passion for research. As a student at Harvard Medical School, I had the opportunity to work with my dad â&#x20AC;&#x201D; assisting in the development of the in vivo models for his research that resulted in the first human larynx transplant. These experiences spurred my own scientific career, which focuses on harnessing the power of the immune system to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases. I have been very fortunate to participate in discoveries that now influence the way we treat cancer, and soon, optimistically, autoimmune disease. At UTHSC, I hope to translate these experiences into helping others achieve their goals of transforming ideas into treatment and diagnostic strategies to improve patient care, and to foster a climate of excitement around all of our research endeavors. In this issue of Medicine magazine, we are delighted to highlight the excellent research being done in the college, from developing a potential new drug to treat sickle cell disease, to finding new methods to reduce rejection in transplant recipients, to innovative cancer research that is moving the university toward its goal of National Cancer Institute designation. We have state-of-the-art facilities, including the Cancer Research Building, the Translational Science Research Building, and the Nash Building, which is currently undergoing complete interior renovation, that can be leveraged to achieve our goals. We also have resources on campus, including the Plough Center for Sterile Drug Delivery Solutions, a Good Manufacturing Practices facility, and the Regional Biocontainment Laboratory, a BSL3 lab, which allow UTHSC researchers to perform cutting-edge studies that are not possible at most peer institutions. We are proud of our past research accomplishments and excited for what the future holds. Thank you for what you do to support these research efforts and all the initiatives of our College of Medicine.
Scott E. Strome, MD, FACS Robert Kaplan Executive Dean of the College of Medicine
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Growing the Research Enterprise Executive Dean Strome has made expanding the College of Medicine’s research footprint a top priority. Researchers in the college are working diligently to improve health and health care for the people of Tennessee and beyond. Major grants have provided funding for research into everything from cures for the most-aggressive forms of breast cancer to the newest methods to detect glaucoma.
RECENT MAJOR GRANTS AWARDS
$21 MILLION
$3.1 MILLION
Colleen Jonsson, PhD, professor and Endowed Van Vleet Chair of Excellence in Virology, was awarded more than $21 million from the National Institutes of Health to establish a Center of Excellence for Encephalitic Alphavirus Therapeutics aimed at advancing the discovery and development of potent antiviral drug candidates targeting several harmful viruses spread to people by infected mosquitoes. Dr. Jonsson and her collaborators are specifically investigating three New World alphaviruses that cause serious illness in humans and horses: Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, Eastern equine encephalitis virus, and Western equine encephalitis virus. Currently there are no FDAapproved treatments for any of these viruses in humans, though a vaccine for horses is available. Dr. Jonsson also serves as the director of UTHSC’s Regional Biocontainment Laboratory.
Hao Chen, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, and Robert W. Williams, PhD, professor and chair in the Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, were awarded more than $3.14 million from the National Institutes of Health to establish an innovative, diverse research model to be used to define and test the mechanisms that contribute to the addiction-enhancing effects of the chemical menthol.
$2.4 MILLION Alex Dopico, MD, PhD, University Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, has been awarded more than $2.4 million from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to explore the mechanisms by which our bodies regulate arterial diameter. The goal is to develop new drug therapies to control vascular diseases. Dr. Dopico’s research specifically examines how endogenous steroids interact with certain ion channels to regulate vascular diameter.
$2 MILLION Ramesh Narayanan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Medicine-Hematology and adjunct associate professor in the Departments of Urology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, received more than $2 million from the National Institutes of Health to develop novel tools and nextgeneration drugs designed to treat aggressive forms of prostate cancer.
$1.5 MILLION Il Hwan Kim, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, has been awarded more than $1.53 million from the National Institutes of Health to identify neural circuit disfunction that may cause behavioral difficulties in several mental disorders.
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS Breast Cancer in African American Women A new investigation by Athena Starlard-Davenport, PhD, reports that African American women are not only more susceptible to the most aggressive types of breast cancer, but also more likely to die from breast cancer, compared to women from other racial groups. The assistant professor of Genetics, Genomics, and Informatics in the College of Medicine recently published a paper in Scientific Reports identifying racial differences in specific breast tissue microbiomes between non-Hispanic black and non-Hispanic white women. Dr. Starlard-Davenport and a team of colleagues used gene sequencing of tissue samples to find distinct features in breast tissue bacteria and determine if they relate to race, tumor stage, or tumor subtype. Results showed that African American women have a more distinct microbiome in their breast cancer tumors, making them more vulnerable to breast cancer’s effects.
More Kidneys Available for Transplant Transplantation of kidneys from Hepatitis C-infected donors to uninfected recipients is safe and can be successfully implemented as a standard of care, according to an observational study by physicians at UTHSC and the James D. Eason Transplant Institute at Methodist University Hospital. The practice, which has been tested in two smaller clinical trials, could expand the number of kidneys available for transplantation and reduce wait times for donors, said Miklos Z. Molnar, MD, PhD, FEBTM, FERA, FASN, associate professor of Medicine at UTHSC, transplant nephrologist at the James D. Eason Transplant Institute, and director of the Transplant Nephrology Fellowship program at UTHSC. Dr. Molnar is the principal author of the study published by the American Journal of Transplantation. All patients consented to the surgery in three separate steps, after being made aware that by receiving an infected kidney, they would be infected with Hepatitis C. All were successfully transplanted, and after receiving 12 weeks of antiviral therapy, show no signs of Hepatitis C.
Pollution and IQ New findings from a collaborative study co-authored by Frances A. Tylavsky, DrPH, professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine, propose that women who are exposed to higher levels of air pollution during pregnancy are more likely to have children with lower
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IQ’s. The paper featured contributions from nine other investigators from universities across the United States, as well as prospective data from UTHSC’s Conditions Affecting Neurocognitive Development and Learning in Early Childhood (CANDLE) Study. Dr. Tylavsky’s report used a geostatistical model that combined ground-based monitoring data and a catalog of algorithms to predict outdoor pollutant exposure during pregnancy at certain home addresses. Distance to nearest major roadway was also used as a proxy for traffic-related pollution. The group tested the evidence of air pollutant neurotoxicity and the influence of prenatal folate on these effects. Results from the study’s analytic group showed the full-scale IQ of children ages 4 to 6 years old averaged 2.5 points lower than those exposed to lower levels of pollution.
AI and Glaucoma Risk Siamak Yousefi, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and the Department of Genetics, Genomics, and Informatics was awarded an exploratory grant from the National Institutes of Health to use artificial intelligence as a tool to detect glaucoma early or in the beginning of its progression. To address this problem, Dr. Yousefi has partnered with Tobias Elze, PhD, assistant professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard University Medical School, to develop a joint artificial intelligence algorithm. The algorithm is a non-invasive procedure that will process retinal images to determine if a patient is at risk for glaucoma or in the early stages of the disease.
Outpatient Care Helps Super-utilizers Intensive post-discharge outpatient care for the most high-need, high-cost Medicaid patients after hospital stays can reduce readmissions, improve outcomes, and lower overall costs, according the SafeMed study conducted by a multidisciplinary team from UT Health Science Center and Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. The findings were published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. The SafeMed transitional care study, led by Jim Bailey, MD, MPH, professor of internal medicine and preventive medicine, was funded by a $3 million Health Care Innovations Award from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The two-year study assessed the benefits of providing intensive outpatient care, including home visits emphasizing medication adherence and rapid primary care follow-up for patients facing complex medical and social issues.
BRIEFS Meet and Greet
New Name
The College of Medicine Class of 2023 participated in the Student Organizations Fair, which saw 38 campus organizations meeting with the 170 students as part of New Student Orientation. Organizations present included the American Medical Association, UTHSC UNITE, the Association of Women Surgeons, the Black Student Association, the South Asian Medical Science Alliance, and interest groups for individual departments and divisions.
The Department of Pharmacology in the College of Medicine has changed its name to the Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science and Toxicology. The new name emphasizes the growth of expertise and research-based methodologies in the department. The change comes as a result of the new areas of knowledge and technology that are growing in importance within the national medical school curriculum that fall outside the basic science units of anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, microbiology, pathology and pharmacology. It also follows the national trend of phasing out traditional teaching and curriculum development methods and including more research-focused education initiatives.
UT Executive Leadership Institute Graduate Catherine Womack, MD, associate dean of student affairs in the College of Medicine, graduated in the first class of the UT Executive Leadership Institute. The class included 17 faculty and staff members from each of the campuses and institutes in the University of Tennessee System. The program was designed to prepare internal candidates at the various locations for senior leadership roles by focusing on executive coaching, mentoring, and experiential learning. The candidates were nominated by their supervisors and competitively selected for the program. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I believe that I was given the tools necessary to help me mentor and lead our medical students to success,â&#x20AC;? Dr. Womack said.
Summer Camp on Health The College of Medicine launched a program over the summer with the City of Memphis Parks System to educate teens on basic health issues and introduce them to careers in health care. The UTHSC M.A.R.V.E.L. Summer Science Camp was piloted at Hickory Hill Community Center, where teens, ages 13-18, met with representatives from the College of Medicine once a week through mid-July. Physicians from the college offered information about health issues, such as how to manage bleeding, how to recognize stroke, basic survival skills, and skin protection and care. The program, which is expected to continue next summer, also aims to identify teens who show particular interest and aptitude in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), or who indicate they are interested in health care careers.
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New Senior Assistant Dean for Clinical Curriculum Valerie Jameson, MD, has been named senior assistant dean for clinical curriculum in the College of Medicine. Dr. Jameson previously served as pediatric clerkship director and had been assistant dean of Clinical Curriculum. Dr. Jameson will be responsible for working with the college’s faculty, third- and fourth-year clerkship directors, the associate dean for Medical Education, and the Office of Medical Education to coordinate the clinical curriculum, schedule and oversee student evaluations for clerkships, junior internships and electives, and co-create, develop and implement new curricular innovations. She will also serve as primary liaison for coordination and oversight of the clerkship and elective programs in Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Nashville.
New Chair of Department of Medicine G. Nicholas Verne, MD, is the new chair of the Department of Medicine in the College of Medicine. Dr. Verne will hold the Lemuel W. Diggs Alumni Professorship in Medicine. Dr. Verne has served as chair of the Department of Medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine for the past five years. He has also served as chief medical officer for the Tulane University Health System. A funded investigator for more than 20 years, he is internationally recognized for his studies of epigenetic regulation of enteric neural pathways or nervous system control of intestinal function.
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PA Program’s Caruthers Honored
New Senior Assistant Dean for Basic Science Curriculum
Kara Caruthers, MSPAS, PA-C, assistant program director and associate professor in the Physician Assistant program, was recently honored by the National Coalition of 100 Black Women. Dr. Caruthers’ received the 2019 President’s Award for Excellence in Health for her program’s work in community outreach and diversity efforts.
J. Patrick Ryan, PhD, has been named senior assistant dean for Basic Science Curriculum in the College of Medicine. Dr. Ryan previously served as assistant dean for Basic Science Curriculum. He also is a professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Biochemistry and the Department of Medical Education. He coordinates the preclinical curriculum and teaches microbiology content to medical students.
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Chesney Auditorium Renovated The Russell W. Chesney Auditorium at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital has sentimental and practical ties to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. It is named after Russell W. Chesney, MD, the longtime chair of the Department of Pediatrics at UTHSC and a nephrologist at Le Bonheur. Dr. Chesney, who served for more than 23 years as chair of Pediatrics, passed away in April 2015. The auditorium was renovated this summer and re-opened in August. UTHSC donated $250,000 to Le Bonheur for the renovations.
Student Service Fourth-year medical student Andrew McBride joined the UTHSC Advisory Board as its student representative. McBride is the president of the Student Government Association Executive Council, a position that includes a spot on the advisory board. Each of the UT campuses across the state is served by an advisory board of five public members, one faculty member, and one student member.
New Chair of Orthopedic Surgery in Chattanooga Scott Steinmann, MD, has been named chair and professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at UTHSC College of Medicine in Chattanooga. Dr. Steinmann will also continue his own high-volume complex shoulder and elbow medical practice at the Erlanger Orthopedic Institute. An internationally recognized orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Steinmann joins the UTHSC College of Medicine in Chattanooga and the Erlanger Health System after serving more than 20 years with the Mayo Clinic, where he was professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery.
Physicians Give Child Voice A team of pediatric experts, led by Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center Otolaryngologist Jerome Thompson, MD, reconstructed an airway and voice box for a child, in the world’s first successful surgery of its kind. The team used a rib graft to create a voice box and establish a viable airway for 2-year-old Cooper Kilburn from Adamsville, Tennessee. He was born with no airway, no larynx and no voice or way to breathe outside the womb. His birth and early care were managed by Le Bonheur with the eventual goal being to create an anatomical airway for the child. The team at Le Bonheur included pediatric experts from ENT, neonatology, pulmonology, pediatric surgery and critical care.
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“I want to further develop the research infrastructure in collaboration with investigators at UTHSC and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. In addition, I hope to develop and expand the section of non-malignant hematology at UTHSC.” Kenneth Ataga, MD
CoM Physician Dedicated to Finding New Drug Treatments for Sickle Cell Disease By Peggy Reisser
Kenneth Ataga, MD, co-authored a paper published in June in The New England Journal of Medicine showing results from a multinational study indicating a new experimental drug, voxelotor, reduces anemia and improves the health of red blood cells in patients with sickle cell disease. In November, results from a second multinational study led by Dr. Ataga prompted the FDA to approve use of crizanlizumab, another new treatment option to reduce pain crises caused by sickle cell disease. Dr. Ataga, director of the Center for Sickle Cell Disease at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and the Memphis Consortium for Sickle Cell Disease and Non-Malignant Hematology Research, has often held the national and international spotlight for his work on sickle cell disease. The Plough Foundation Endowed Chair in Sickle Cell Disease at UTHSC, Dr. Ataga has been interested in the crippling blood disorder since his days in medical school at the University of Benin in Nigeria, where the disease was widespread. “I was surrounded by individuals affected by this inherited disease,” he said, when he joined UTHSC in 2018 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. He was a professor in the Division of Hematology/ Oncology and director of the UNC Comprehensive Sickle Cell Program at UNC. “I became acutely aware of the unmet needs in this area during my residency and fellowship training,” he said. “Despite the first description of sickle cell disease in the western world approximately 100 years ago, there was a substantial disparity in the care for patients and in the development of treatments for this disease, compared to many other disease conditions.”
He has been working ever since to find new drug treatments for the disease, which affects red blood cells, as well as for its complications, including chronic kidney disease and pulmonary hypertension. Dr. Ataga said he came to Memphis because the area has one of the largest populations of sickle cell disease patients in the country. With only three treatment options for pain crises currently approved by the FDA, the voxelotor study results are a promising development toward improving the quality of life for those with sickle cell disease. Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, is expected to move to bring voxelotor to the market. Dr. Ataga maintains a busy clinical practice along with his research and is working to expand care for the large number of patients with sickle cell disease. “I want to further develop the research infrastructure in collaboration with investigators at UTHSC and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,” he has said. “In addition, I hope to develop and expand the section of non-malignant hematology at UTHSC.” In November, Dr. Ataga led the 2019 Frank M. Norfleet Forum for the Advancement of Health, bringing clinical and research experts to Memphis for a daylong forum on sickle cell disease. He noted that improvements in drug therapies, screening for the disease at birth, better supportive care, developing gene therapy, and ongoing research have improved outcomes for those with the disease. “A lot of work still has to be done,” Dr. Ataga told the group.
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Team Science Works to Improve Outcomes for Transplant Recipients By Peggy Reisser In the year since Valeria Mas, PhD, joined the faculty of the College of Medicine at UTHSC, she has brought significant national and international attention to the university with research to improve outcomes for kidney and liver transplant recipients. Dr. Mas is the Endowed Professor of Transplant Research at UTHSC and the director of Transplant Research for the James Eason Transplant Institute, as well as a professor of Surgery and of Genetics, Genomics, and Informatics. The Transplant Institute is located at Methodist University Hospital, one of UTHSC’s primary partner teaching hospitals. She moved to Memphis with her family during the summer of 2018 from the University of Virginia. Her husband, Daniel G. Maluf, MD, a transplant surgeon, is the surgical director of liver transplantation, director of live donor transplantation for the James Eason Transplant Institute, and the Transplant Institute Endowed Professor in Liver Transplantation at UTHSC. Dr. Mas said she was drawn to Memphis by the state-ofthe-art research space at UTHSC and the opportunity to make a difference in a region with a large and growing transplant population. She immediately set about building a team of bright, early career researchers, seven so far, from institutions including Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Virginia. In a lab that takes up a major portion of a wing of the Translational Science Research Building on the Memphis campus, they are tackling the genetic and molecular unknowns dictating outcomes for transplantation. “The overall idea has been to create a research enterprise based on what is called team science, different individuals with different expertise to answer common questions,” Dr. Mas said. “My vision, the transplant institute’s vision, is to combine basic science and translational science, so I have people with expertise in both areas. We mainly apply systems biology to transplantation.” The team aims to move research from the bench to the bedside by working with surgeons at the James Eason Transplant Institute to determine at a cellular level factors to better ensure the condition of livers and kidneys upon removal from a donor, in transport, during surgery, and after. “We are using human samples from transplant patients for discovering the main pathways associated with conditions 10
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affecting the organ graft, for example those that associate with delayed function as a consequence of ischemic injury after the organ is procured and transferred to our transplant institute, and we are evaluating the most important ones using animal models,” Dr. Mas said. “After that, we’re using an independent cohort of patients to replicate those findings. From there, we are looking for new therapeutic information about the main pathways associated with injury, biomarkers to add to the clinical setting at the transplant institute.” Her team is collaborating in a nationwide clinical trial evaluating new methods for keeping harvested livers in conditions that mimic conditions in the body prior to and during transplantation. Strategies include keeping the liver at body temperature, instead of on ice, and flushing the organ with a solution more like blood to mimic physiological conditions in the body. “We are supporting surgeons with our research to identify if there is any benefit and how we can explain it in the biological arena,” she said. Dr. Mas is the principal investigator on a five-year, $3.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate ways to improve long-term outcomes in kidney transplantation. While immunosuppressants have greatly reduced chances of rejection immediately after transplantation, keeping transplanted kidneys working optimally for the lifetime of the patient remains an issue. “We are going to use a molecular evaluation to see how those kidneys that are not working well after transplant are epigenetically affected and how these modifications affect downstream pathways of injury leading to graft failure,” she said. Dr. Mas and her team will be working with investigators from the University of Pennsylvania, the University of California, San Francisco, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Northwestern University, and the University of Virginia. “Dr. Mas and her team have made an immediate impact drawing national and international attention to our Transplant Institute,” said James Eason, MD, program director of the Transplant Institute and a professor and division chief for transplant at UTHSC. “The Transplant Research Institute complements the strong reputation that the Clinical Transplant Institute has enjoyed and catapults us to the forefront as leaders in transplantation.”
â&#x20AC;&#x153;The overall idea has been to create a research enterprise based on what is called team science, different individuals with different expertise to answer common questions.â&#x20AC;? Valeria Mas, PhD
â&#x20AC;&#x153;To have the support system from the university, it really helped with preparing my application and my upcoming research project.â&#x20AC;? Kathryn Fowler
College of Medicine Committed to Training Student Researchers By Alan Burns When Kathryn Fowler found out she had received a competitive research award from the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Medical Society this summer, she was excited, honored, and relieved. “To have the support system from the university, it really helped with preparing my application and my upcoming research project,” said Fowler, a third-year medical student in Family Medicine. “It was all such a big effort, but with the help of Drs. Susan Brewer and Ankush Gosain, I’m going to be working on a research project that I’m very interested in soon.” Research is an ever-increasing component of the curriculum for students in medical school. Research requirements at UTHSC are no different, with students needing dedicated time for research in their busy schedules. Common research opportunities are found during the academic year, summer breaks, and in some cases, dedicated research years under a Scholars Year program. In order to assist students with the complicated field of research, the Student Committee on Research in Education (SCORE) was created. This student-led committee compiles resources and aims to help students participate in research while in medical school. “Before the students created the SCORE (web) page, we only had a few students coming to us for research meeting presentation support each year. Now, we’re frequently seeing a few per week, which is really exciting and shows a need for these programs,” said Mathew Ennis, PhD, chair of the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology in the College of Medicine. Dr. Ennis, working in the Offices of Student Affairs and Medical Education, helps students obtain funds for presentations at research meetings and to identify research mentors. He said research opportunities allow students to better understand both research in the biomedical field and the research grant process. Like the SCORE page, the Office of Graduate Medical Education (GME) created a repository of research projects and funding opportunities for residents. “We are seeing residency positions becoming more competitive and some now require students to have research experience in that particular specialty,” Dr. Ennis said. “Often, our students and residents will come together
on research projects and it’s great to integrate them and support their work.” In addition, the College of Medicine’s efforts include accreditation by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). The accrediting body for schools of medicine in the United States and Canada requires students to have an active participation in research and related scholarly activities. Students at UTHSC have shown they can compete in research in recent years, with two students receiving the prestigious Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship from the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, which selects around 50 awardees nationally each year from United States Medical Schools. Kathryn Fowler and Amit Jethanandi worked closely with Dr. Brewer and the Office of Student Affairs to win 2019 and 2018 awards, respectively. Dr. Brewer, who was associate dean of Student Affairs from 2015 to 2019, functioned as the AOA Chapter Councilor, helping to identify strong candidates and work with them on applying. Dr. Ennis also discussed the help that donations continue to provide to students at UTHSC. Endowments, such as the Medical Education Advancement Fund and the Deason Dunagan, MD Medical Education Fund, provide support for outstanding students to travel and present their research at medical conferences and professional meetings. Dr. Ennis noted that with the increasing numbers of students participating in research, the need for these funds is also increasing. He does not see the increased applications as an issue, though, as he considers this a great opportunity. “It is honestly one of the best things about my position, getting to help these students achieve great outcomes,” Dr. Ennis said. “They have the chance to present real research and we get the chance to help them with their careers.” Fowler said that while the students are busy, they should use the tools available at UTHSC to find and pursue research projects that interest them. “There are so many opportunities if you’re willing to go out and look for them,” she said. “The university has provided so many useful tools for finding projects in your field and interest areas, and we have a vibrant research community right there waiting for you.”
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Respected Investigator Named Chair of Preventive Medicine By Peggy Reisser
how to help them stay healthier. The study, funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), is best known for its recommendation that menopausal hormone therapy should not be started or continued for the purpose of preventing cardiovascular disease. The study found estrogen plus progestin increased the risk of breast cancer, prompting a warning on all estrogen products for postmenopausal women. The use of these products fell 50 percent afterward, and the rates of breast cancer fell worldwide. Dr. Johnson was the principal investigator at UTHSC for the landmark Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) funded by the NHLBI to determine the best blood pressure for reducing risk of cardiovascular disease. She was the national vice chair of the steering committee for the study. In August 2015, the SPRINT trial was stopped early, when the beneficial effects of intensive blood pressure management on mortality and cardiovascular disease were discovered. The findings have spurred worldwide revision of the definition of hypertension and the clinical practice guidelines for treatment.
Karen C. Johnson, MD, MPH, College of Medicine Endowed Professor in Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Health, has been a principal investigator for several groundbreaking national and international public health research studies. In June, she was named chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine. A tenured professor in the Departments of Preventive Medicine and Medicine, Dr. Johnson has brought more than $50 million in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding as a principal investigator to UTHSC over more than two decades at the university, and more than $45 million in NIH and Department of Defense funding as a co-investigator. Dr. Johnson is the principal investigator for the UTHSC site of the Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Health Initiative, a 40-site clinical trial and cohort study of more than 161,000 women that began in 1993 to look at diseases that affect women and
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In January 2019, The SPRINT MIND clinical trial, an offshoot of the SPRINT study, released findings showing that intensive lowering of blood pressure reduced the risk of mild cognitive impairment, a known risk factor for dementia. As the principal investigator for the Memphis site of the ongoing Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) study funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), Dr. Johnson has played a major role in helping to show that long-term, sustained weight loss is possible for people with diabetes. Dr. Johnson is the principal investigator for the UTHSC site of the D2d (Vitamin D and Type 2 Diabetes) study funded by the NIDDK to determine if vitamin D can prevent those at risk of diabetes from getting the disease. In 2019, the study reported findings that vitamin D supplementation does not reduce likelihood of developing diabetes for those at high risk for the disease, despite observational studies that had indicated otherwise.
CoM’s Bhattacharya Logs 40 Years as a Researcher, Mentor By Alan Burns
As he passes 40 years of service at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Syamal K. Bhattacharya, PhD, CLD, has had the privilege to influence numerous lives, departments, labs, and projects. His involvement with students and their research endeavors spans as many years. He is currently the executive director of the NIH-sponsored Medical Student Research Fellowship (MSRF) Program and the executive director of the College of Medicine Longitudinal Scholar’s Project Program. As the executive director of the MSRF Program, Dr. Bhattacharya has worked with more than 800 students as they have applied for and completed research projects at UTHSC. Since January 1980, he has helped to pair interested students with mentors and faculty research teams as they sought to complete their research project requirements during summers between their M1 and M2 years. Dr. Bhattacharya, originally from Kolkata, India, is a tenured professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, with joint appointments as a professor of Surgery, Neurology, and Pharmaceutical Sciences. A chemist by trade, he made his way into the medical field through a different route than most typically take.
During student research day, Dr. Syamal Bhattacharya, right, was joined by his wife, Keka, a research technician consultant in the Department of Medicine.
“I’m not a traditional medical doctor,” he said. “I made my way into the field via physical and nuclear chemistry and applying atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) in clinical medicine.”
California, Los Angeles, Johns Hopkins University, and the Bose Institute (Kolkata).
He has also been a mentor to Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) research fellows since 2006. In fact, he was the first faculty member from UTHSC to submit an AOA research fellowship application. Since 2010, he has also been a reviewer for the national pool of applications for the AOA Medical Honor Society’s Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship.
Dr. Bhattacharya has been involved in establishing and directing many labs at UTHSC, as well as at other universities. During his time at Washington University’s School of Medicine and St. Louis Children’s Hospital as a Visiting Scholar in Neonatology, Dr. Bhattacharya established the first AAS Lab there for clinical research involving preemies and neonates.
During his career, Dr. Bhattacharya has attended and worked at many institutions across the United States and the world, including receiving degrees from the University of Calcutta, Murray State University, Washington University in St. Louis, and the University of Memphis. He has also had the chance to serve as a visiting professor at multiple universities including Yale University, the University of
“During my time here, my most gratifying endeavor has been mentoring,” he said. “I have had the opportunity to mentor more than 120 graduate and medical students, residents, postdoctoral, and clinical fellows, as well as junior faculty members. Many of them have gone on to be sought-after and outstanding clinicians, researchers, educators, and mentors.”
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Fortieth Medical Student Research Fellowship Day Impresses By Alan Burns
For 40 years, UTHSC’s medical students have participated in summer research projects as part of the Medical Student Research Fellowship (MSRF) Program. One of the college’s major student research activities, the program offers students a chance to fulfill research requirements during the summer between their first and second years. Each year, more than 20 students are matched with faculty mentors and programs for them to conduct funded research projects before presenting their findings. This display of their investigative work before a panel is an example of the College of Medicine’s focus on training the next generation of researchers. More than 800 students have passed through the program since 1980.
These MSRF programs offer mentored research opportunities in basic, clinical/translational, or public health research. The fellowships are split into two cohorts - focused projects on diabetes, neonatal growth, hormone and kidney diseases, and focused projects on cardiovascular, neuromuscular, cancer, and others. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) funds half of these research projects each year. In August, 26 students gathered to present findings from their summer research. Topics ranged from anti-inflammatory drug therapies, optic nerves and photoreceptors, to diabetes self-care and environmental factors regarding weight loss. Here are a few of the students and their projects.
Neena John Mentor: Joseph F. Pierre, PhD Research: “Surgically-Induced Weight Loss Abrogates Tumor Progression Through Microbially-derived Bile Acids”
Isaiah Harrison Mentors: Kafait U. Malik, DSc, PhD, and Syamal K. Bhattacharya, PhD Research: “Sex Differences in NorepinephrineInduced Hypertension and Associated Pathogenesis: Contribution of Cytochrome P450 1B1”
Amanda Slade Mentor: Rajashekhar Gangaraju, PhD Research: “Defining Tuft Cell Structure and Function in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease”
Gregory Hurley Mentor: James B. Dale, MD Research: “Group A Streptococcal M Peptide-Nanoparticle Vaccines”
Julianne Cottrell Mentor: Ankush Gosain, MD, PhD Research: “Improving Intestinal Mucosal Immunity to Treat Hirschsprung-Associated Enterocolitis”
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Hayes named Health Care Hero for Cancer Research By Peggy Reisser
Neil Hayes, MD, MS, MPH, was recruited to UTHSC in 2017 to enhance the university’s cancer research program. The Van Vleet Endowed Professor in Medical Oncology and the division chief of Hematology and Oncology at UTHSC, Dr. Hayes was named a 2019 Health Care Hero in the Health Care Innovations category by the Memphis Business Journal at its 21st annual Health Care Heroes Awards in August. Dr. Hayes played a major role in developing The Cancer Genome Atlas, one of the most dramatic breakthroughs in understanding cancer to date. The Cancer Genome Atlas is a flagship team science effort of the National Institutes of Health and the National Human Genome Research Institute to understand cancer at its molecular level by using genome sequencing and extensive data analysis. The project, which began more than a decade ago, wrapped up a major phase in May 2018 with much fanfare, publishing findings identifying genomic changes or mutations in cells of 33 types of cancer from head
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and neck cancer, to breast cancer, to stomach cancer. Armed with this knowledge, researchers and clinicians can move closer to the goal of personalized treatment for cancer patients. Dr. Hayes was a leader of a site at the University of North Carolina, one of 11 sites for the study and the site that did all the sequencing of RNA, which controls abnormal genetic expressions in cancer cells. Since joining the College of Medicine at UTHSC, Dr. Hayes has become a key figure in the effort to build the university’s stature in cancer care, research, and education in pursuit of a National Cancer Institute designation. As a chemotherapy physician, he sees patients with head and neck cancers, and tumors of the mouth, throat, tonsils, tongue, and salivary glands. He also conducts and oversees research in his labs at UTHSC and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Welcome to the Class of 2023! 2019 White Coat Ceremony The College of Medicine welcomed 170 new students during its annual White Coat Ceremony at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts in Memphis in August. New students receive their first white coat during the ceremony, which occurs at the end of orientation. This class also received stethoscopes. The guest speaker was Joan Chesney, MDCM, attending physician in General Pediatrics, associate program director of the Pediatric Residency Program, and director of the Clinical Fellows Office at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital.
BY THE NUMBERS
170 95 75 24 3.72 510.55
NEW STUDENTS
MALE
• • • • •
Biochemistry Biology Chemistry Neuroscience Psychology
Top 10 Universities (Highest number of students)
FEMALE
AVERAGE AGE
AVERAGE GPA
20
Top Five Majors
AVERAGE MCAT SCORE
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• • • • • • • • • •
Lipscomb University Emory Middle Tennessee State University Rhodes College The University of Alabama The University of Memphis UT Chattanooga UT Knoxville Vanderbilt University Washington University – St. Louis
Lynn Dunagan, right, a nurse anesthetist, describes her late husband, Deason Dunagan, MD, a UTHSC alumnus, as a very giving person. The couple are shown during one of many medical missions in which they participated.
Deason Dunagan, MD, Medical Education Fund Supports Student Research By Jackie Denton
Deason Dunagan (UTHSC MD ’72) grew up in Friendship, Tennessee, where his father was a farmer and a Presbyterian minister and his mother was an English teacher. “He was so glad to have the opportunity to graduate from medical school, because not many people went to college from his hometown,” Lynn Dunagan said of her late husband. “He always said he wanted to have a scholarship for students,” she said. “He felt like this would be the best way to enable students.” That scholarship became the Deason Dunagan, MD, Medical Education Fund. It was created to further medical education in the UTHSC College of Medicine, including technology, student travel to conferences, student fellowships, and scholarship support. The fund has been instrumental in supporting student research in the college. Many graduates and current students have benefited from the fund, presenting their research and posters at the American College of Gastroenterology Conference, the American College of Physicians Conference, the American Federation for Medical Research Meeting, and the American Society of Radiation Oncology Head and Neck Cancer Symposium. The fund has also supported “Dunagan Fellows,” which are research fellowships for medical students. As residencies become more competitive, many now require applicants to have research experience. The Dunagan fund supports students who pursue summer research fellowship programs.
Dr. Dunagan found his calling in the operating room, becoming the founding physician of the Dunagan, Yates, & Alison Plastic Surgery Center. “He had a gift in surgery,” said Lynn Dunagan, who worked as a nurse anesthetist. The couple met in the operating room. “He did the most beautiful sewing I’ve ever seen. It was like watching an artist at work.” She talks of going on medical mission trips together to Honduras to work with children with cleft lips and cleft palates. “I will never forget, I would put them to sleep and he would look at them and say, ‘I don’t know how I will fix this,’ but they always came out beautiful. It would always amaze me.” Dr. Dunagan is also described as having a gift for giving. In addition to establishing the Deason Dunagan, MD, Medical Education Fund and participating in medical mission trips, he would spend Mondays at his practice providing care for cancer patients and elderly patients on Medicare in need of skin grafts or treatment for skin lesions. “People were always grateful,” she said. “His patients absolutely adored him. His funeral had patients lined outside the door and they shared many stories about his patient care and generosity.” “He was a wonderful man. I cannot tell you how wonderful,” Lynn Dunagan said. “He believed in education and giving back, and he felt very strongly about it, because he was a country boy.”
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Thank you for your support! The College of Medicine wishes to thank the following individuals and families who have made provisions specifically for the college in their will or through their estate plans.
Estate of Hermon T. Abernathy
Dr. William B. Clotworthy, Jr.
Dr. and Mrs. Jeff L. Fuqua
Estate of Reba Absher
Estate of Edwin W. Cocke, Jr.
Dr. Ted Galyon and Dr. Virginia Galyon*
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Acevedo
Estate of David D. Coleman
Estate of Daniel and Dorothy K. Gerwin
Estate of Anita O. Agnew
Estate of George D. Conger
Goldsmith Foundation, Inc.
Dr. and Mrs. A. Julian Ahler
Estate of Dr. and Mrs. E.D. Connell
Estate of Ruth R. Goltman
Estate of Nina Rice Albright
Dr. and Mrs. James Martin Cooper
Estate of C.M. Gooch
Estate of Emerson A. Alburty
Estate of George A. Coors
Estate of Marion H. Gore
Estate of Mr. and Mrs. John S. Allen
Estate of D. Richard Coriale
Estate of William W. Allen
Estate of Dr. Lewis T. Corum
Dr. Mike Greer and Mrs. Vallerie Hixson Greer
Dr. Jack B. Alperin and Ms. Lynn Manaster
Mrs. Ruth C. Coughlin
Dr. and Mrs. Rex A. Amonette
Dr. and Mrs. James T. Craig, Jr.
Dr. and Mrs. Coleman Lee Arnold
Dr. and Mrs. Alvin H. Crawford
Estate of Dr. E.R. and Anna Kathryn Atkinson
Estate of Lloyd Vernon Crawford
Dr. Nancy J. Auer
Dr. and Mrs. Jerrall P. Crook, Jr.
Estate of Dr. Troy P. Bagwell
Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence B. Crowson, Jr.
Mrs. Carolyn B. Bailey
Estate of Ruth B. Crumley
Estate of John W. Bailey
Dr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Currey
Estate of Leon T. Banakas
Dr. and Mrs. Shannon R. Curtis
Drs. Freddie T. and Marji Barron
Estate of Peggy Murphy Dawson
Drs. Randall V. and Jo Ann F. Bass
Estate of Mr. and Mrs. Mack Day
Estate of Mildred P. Bassett
Estate of Ella Ingram Deere
Estate of Joe D. Beals, Jr.
Estate of Emilie Dehellebranth
Dr. and Mrs. Peter T. Beaudette Estate of Cynthia Ann Beer
Dr. Robert G. Demos* and Mrs. Jean Case Demos
Estate of Abraham P. Behrman
Estate of Lemuel W. Diggs
Estate of Herman Bensdorf II
Estate of E. H. and G. D. Doggett
Estate of Dorothy Swan Benson
Estate of James. H. Donnell
Estate of James M. Blake
Estate of Reeva E. Donoghue
Estate of Glenn Johnson Blassingame
Dr. Sabra F. Drake
Estate of Edward H. Bloch
Estate of Mary P. Dudney
Estate of Edward J. Boling
Estate of Charles Eastridge
Estate of William Webster Bond
Estate of Tom and Kathleen Elam
Estate of William and Kathryn S. Bowld
Estate of Jacob Epstein
Mrs. Bettie Lane Barnhill Bragg
Estate of J. W. Erwin
Estate of Vera Brown
Estate of James Etteldorf
Dr. Leonard H. Hines and Mrs. Nancye E. Hines*
Estate of Mertie W. Buckman
Dr. George E. and Mrs. Jane Hardy Fant
Dr. and Mrs. J. Parks Hitch, Jr.
Estate of William L. Bullen
Drs. James R. and Glenda McCartney Feild
Dr. Perry J. Hockaday
Estate of Chloe M. Burch
Dr. and Mrs. John “Mac” Hodges
Estate of Ephraim E. Camp
Dr. Howard C. Filston and Mrs. Sandra K. Stoutt
Dr. and Mrs. Donald C. Chase
Estate of Harley Flannigan
Dr. John H. Hooker* and Mrs. Marlene Hooker
Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth W. Christenberry, Jr.
Dr. and Mrs. James Christian Fleming
Estate of R. James Hooper
Estate of Jane Alvis Clarke
Estate of Julian G. Fleming
Estate of Virginia M. Hord
Dr. and Mrs. Joel B. Clements
Mr. and Mrs. Edwin A. Fox, Jr.
Estate of George M. Houston
Estate of Emma Cleveland
Estate of Dr. Harold H. Fry, Jr.
Estate of John H. How
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Ms. Betsey Beeler Creekmore
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Dr. J. Carol Grigg and Mrs. Madeline Hope Berman Drs. Gary A. and Ann McGuire Grooms Estate of Gene A. Guinn Estate of Lois S. Haas Mr. Christopher A. and Mrs. Watson B. Hall Dr. and Mrs. John E. Hamilton Dr. Ralph S. Hamilton* and Mrs. Barbara H. Hamilton Dr. and Mrs. Herman L. Hampton, Jr. Drs. Wahid T. and Samia Hanna Estate of George W. Hansberry Dr. James H. Harris, Sr. and Mrs. Judy Harris* Dr. and Mrs. John S. Harris Estate of Jessie H. and Julian Harrison Dr. and Mrs. Don C. Harting Estate of Dr. Frederick H. and Louise Rice Hartwig Dr. Fred E. Hatch, Jr. Dr. Roberto C. Heros Estate of Dr. Roger L. and Nancy Hiatt Dr. and Mrs. Bobby C. Higgs Dr. and Mrs. David Edwin Hill Estate of C. Thomas Hill, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. George Alan Hill
Estate of Carol L. Huff
Estate of F. June Montgomery
Estate of Dr. Joseph S. Shavin
Estate of Helen Humphreys
Estate of Charles S. and Lucille H. Moon
Estate of Dr. and Mrs. Leroy Sherrill
Mr. and Mrs. Weldon R. Humphries
Estate of Mary E. Skinner
Mr. Steven L. Hurdle and Ms. Debbie L. Fulton
Honorable Kenneth L. and Mrs. Linda Moore Estate of Henry Moskowitz
Dr. Michael J. Smith
Estate of Gertrude Hurlbut
Estate of Morrie A. Moss
Estate of Norma Mary Smith
Dr. and Mrs. David M. Hurst
Estate of Grace E. Moulder
Dr. William B. Smith and Ms. Nyda S. Brook
Estate of Margaret Hyde
Estate of Sam D. Mount
Estate of William Todd Smith, Jr.
Estate of Orren W. Hyman, Jr.
Dr. John P. Nash* and Mrs. Barbara Nash
Estate of Ben M. Spears
Estate of Thomas Marion Jackson
Dr. and Mrs. Charles R. Nelms, Jr.
Estate of Everett Speer
Estate of Fannie Lou Jamison
Dr. George L. Nelson
Mrs. Mary Bishop Spengler
Estate of Rona Jefferson
Dr. and Mrs. Henry S. Nelson, Jr.
Dr. and Mrs. Bruce William Steinhauer
Estate of Dr. Elizabeth Johnston
Dr. and Mrs. Khuong Van Nguyen
Estate of Dr. William A. Stem
Estate of Dorothy Cottier Jones
Estate of Jane L. Nuckolls
Estate of Sharon Stewart
Estate of Evelyn V. and Olin C. Julian
Dr. Lloyd J. Story* and Mrs. Ranny L. Story
Dr. and Mrs. Robert J. Kaplan
Dr. Lester Carol Nunnally* and Mrs. Jeanne Nunnally
Mrs. Sue H. Kaplan
Estate of Elihu I. Orleans
Estate of Dr. Edward A. Karl
Dr. and Mrs. John G. Paty, Jr.
Estate of Dr. James A. Kaufmann
Estate of William T. F. Paul
Dr. and Mrs. Larry C. Kilgore
Estate of Louis G. Pawelek
Dr. and Mrs. Frederick A. Klein
Estate of F. Homer Payne
Dr. and Mrs. William Jay Klopstock
Estate of Iris Annette Pearce
Estate of Dr. and Mrs. Charles Kossmann
Dr. Randall E. Pedigo
Estate of Patricia Franke Kouns
Ms. Jolanda M. Penczner
Estate of Dr. Ralph Kustoff
Estate of Tillie Wilson Perry
Estate of Fred and Angeline J. Lambert
Drs. John P. Phillips and June Helen Dunbar
Dr. and Mrs. Mack Alan Land Estate of Martha C. Lansing Estate of Joanna Morris Larson Estate of Elizabeth M. Latimer Dr. and Mrs. James Douglas Link Dr. and Mrs. Melvin Litch, Jr. Estate of Walter Lorenz Dr. and Mrs. W. Allen Loy Estate of Dr. John R. Maddox, Jr. Estate of Mr. and Mrs. George Malloy Estate of Mrs. Evelyn G. Malloy Estate of Sylvia Marks Dr. and Mrs. Wayne Marley Estate of William P. Maury, Jr. Estate of Mary Garnette O. Mayberry Mr. Thomas H. McCarley, III and Ms. M.D. Moretz
Estate of Marie E. Phillips Ms. Zona Hill Phillips Dr. and Mrs. Benjamin F. Pike Estate of Arthur R. Porter Estate of Joseph O. Priestley Estate of Viola W. Quigley Estate of W. Gerald Rainer Estate of Ann S. Keith Rea Estate of R. G. Reaves, Jr. Estate of Della Faye Reichert Dr. and Mrs. Robert L. Richardson, Jr. Dr. Donald C. Riley Mrs. Jean Rothwell Mr. Michael D. Rothwell Dr. and Mrs. Jack A. Rule Dr. and Mrs. John W. Runyan, Jr.
Dr. and Mrs. John W. McCravey
Dr. Robert L. Sain
Drs. Martha A. McCravey and Alan B. Wood
Mr. Robert F. and Mrs. Diana C. Samples
Mr. Gustaf R. McIlhenny
Dr. and Mrs. Stephen F. Santi
Dr. and Mrs. William R. McKissick Estate of Edward D. Mitchell, Jr.
Dr. Marshall Sashkin and Mrs. Molly Goltman Sashkin*
Estate of Joseph N. Mitchell
Estate of Dr. Phil C. Schreier
Dr. Billy G. Mitchell* and Mrs. Juanita Mitchell
Estate of Dr. Thomas E. Scott, Jr.
Estate of Dr. Sam H. Sanders, Jr.
Dr. Bruce C. Smith
Estate of Warda Stout Dr. and Mrs. Timothy A. Strait Dr. and Mrs. Gary D. Strasberg Estate of Dr. Henry T. Stratton Estate of Florence Striegel Dr. Hiram M. Sturm and Mrs. Ruth Sturm* Estate of Dr. and Mrs. Audrey W. Talley Drs. Norman and Carmelita Teeter James Tharp Trust Dr. Michael C. Thomas Estate of R. Bernard Thompson Dr. Audrey W. Tuberville Estate of Mary Wade Vinsant Estate of A. H. Voss Estate of Dr. Parks Walker Dr. and Mrs. Hershel P. Wall Dr. John M. Wallace Estate of Mary Ellen Watkins Dr. and Mrs. Clarence B. Watridge Estate of Dorothy C. West Dr. and Mrs. James E. West Estate of Stanley R. White Estate of Robert B. Whittle Estate of Dr. Olin O. Williams Estate of Dr. Harwell Wilson Estate of May D. Wilson Estate of Earl W. Winstead Dr. and Mrs. Frank G. Witherspoon, Jr. Dr. Robert E. Younger, III Estate of Estelle Zimmerman Estate of Elsie May Zofer *Deceased
Estate of P. K. Seidman
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In Memoriam Class of 1938 Dr. Gus F. Eckhardt Class of 1944 Dr. Martin S. Davis Class of 1945 Dr. Ennis E. Moss, Jr. Class of 1946 Dr. Donald W. Bales Dr. John B. Selby, Sr. Class of 1947 Dr. Rae W. Froelich Class of 1948 Dr. Richard A. Martorell Class of 1949 Dr. Thomas L. Sweat Class of 1950 Dr. Thomas Nathan Braddock Class of 1951 Dr. Clarence M. Easley Dr. Leslie E. Traughber, Jr. Dr. Charles B. Witt, Jr. Class of 1952 Dr. Leroy Sherrill Class of 1953 Dr. Jack R. Halford Dr. Varna Mae Love Dr. John T. Purvis
Class of 1959 Dr. Cecil A. Childers Dr. Joseph P. Rowland Dr. Daniel Tonymon Dr. Lowell Michael Wiese Class of 1960 Dr. Wallace P. Begneaud, Jr. Dr. Richard G. Burns Dr. Perry B. McCallen Dr. Edwin Lee Scott Dr. William T. Watkins
Class of 1978 Dr. Janet M. Cochran
Class of 1962 Dr. Charles M. Alderson Dr. Edgar D. Baker Robert C. Barker, M.D. Dr. Robert F. Betz Dr. Lisle Wayne II
Class of 1986 Dr. Dennis Joseph Wieck
Class of 1963 Dr. Carl E. Godfrey Dr. Martin Jude Moran Dr. O. K. Smith, Jr. Dr. Jerry D. Williams Class of 1964 Dr. Joanne Sivadon
Class of 1955 Dr. T. Kyle Creson, Jr. Dr. William Ray Jouett Dr. James C. Lett
Class of 1967 Dr. Paul Bailey Francis, Jr.
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Class of 1976 Dr. Richard D. Smith
Class of 1982 Dr. Marion Berton Ridley
Class of 1965 Dr. Vern Charles Manzano
Class of 1958 Dr. Lynn F. Blake Dr. George H. Burkle III Dr. Thomas R. Duncan Dr. Warren G. Hayes Dr. Roger L. Hiatt Dr. John Edwin Hill, Jr. Dr. James Leighton Pettis, Jr. Dr. Elizabeth H. Rhea Dr. James F. Terry, Jr. Dr. Cecil D. Warren Dr. Robert F. Zumstein
Class of 1974 Dr. J. Kendall Ethridge, Sr.
Class of 1961 Dr. William K. Burkhart Dr. William C. Cain Dr. David A. Gouch Dr. Arnold L. Schroeter
Class of 1954 Dr. Wallace R. Alexander Dr. Fred T. Grogan, Jr. Dr. James T. Robertson
Class of 1957 Dr. William J. Deaton Dr. William R. Lockwood Dr. Roy T. Waltrip, Jr. Dr. Joseph Leeper Willoughby
Class of 1972 Dr. Roland W. Gray Dr. James Arthur Howard III Dr. Oscar T. Johns, Jr.
Class of 1966 Dr. Robert L. Carter
Class of 1968 Dr. Patrick H. Moulton Dr. John R. Webb Class of 1969 Dr. Robert W. Jarrett Dr. David N. Jones Dr. Harvey B. Niell Class of 1970 Dr. Bruce B. Maley Dr. E. Douglas Newton Class of 1971 Dr. Stephen L. Denton Dr. Roy O. Elam III Dr. Jack D. King, Jr. Dr. James G. Poston Dr. Winston Hall Worthington
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Class of 1984 Dr. Joe William Black III
Class of 1988 Dr. N. Lynne Taylor Class of 1990 Dr. James E. Fragetta Class of 1992 Dr. Winsome D. Whittaker Class of 2004 Dr. Glenn B. Williams
This list is inclusive from June 21, 2018 through September 25, 2019. To inform the UTHSC Office of Development and Alumni Affairs of any errors or omissions, or to make a donation in memory of a classmate or friend, please contact the office at 901.448.5516 or alumni.uthsc.edu.
Leave Your Legacy Have you thought about the legacy you will leave behind? With a Planned Gift, you can: • Simplify your estate for your family • Reduce the tax burden applied to your assets • Benefit causes you hold dear
Legacy donors become members of the Hershel “Pat” Wall Legacy Society Dr. Wall’s 50 years of dedication to UTHSC as a student, faculty member, and administrator are unsurpassed. His legacy will live forever, as will the impact made by our donors. For more information about planned gifts to UTHSC and Legacy Society membership, contact Bethany Goolsby at 901.448.5516 or estateplans@uthsc.edu.
Order your new UTHSC license plate online at uthsc.edu/license-plate and help support educational outreach!
Plus – UTHSC will pay the $35 deposit for the first 1,000 orders, so hurry to sign up!
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Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Memphis, TN Permit No. 4026 Office of Development and Alumni Affairs 62 S. Dunlap, Suite 500 Memphis, TN 38163 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
SAVE THE DATE! CoM Events for 2020
Medicine Alumni Weekend September 24-26 UTHSC Memphis Campus, other locations Outstanding Alumni Awards Dinner: September 24 | The Peabody Hotel
alumni.uthsc.edu
Golden Graduate Homecoming October 28-30 | Memphis Honoring the Class of 1970 from all six UTHSC colleges All class years prior to 1970 invited to attend. Once a Golden Graduate, always a Golden Graduate!
901.448.8580