Dr. Birkey became one of the very first preceptors of the Rural Physician Associate Program in 1971, where he mentored and trained 24 medical students for 29 years. In 2019, he donated $50,000 to create a new scholarship that supports RPAP medical students on their journeys toward becoming rural family medicine physicians.

Ruifeng (Ray) Cao, MD, PhD, in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, will investigate the unknown mechanisms of disrupted circadian rhythms that contribute to various neurological and psychiatric diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s diseases.

A 2005 graduate from the Doctor of Physical Therapy program in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Dr. Ulfers and her partner recently made a gift to the program’s diversity efforts and initiatives.

Jesse Williams, PhD, in the Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, published his team’s study in “Nature Immunology,” which defines the role of a tissue resident macrophage population in the initiation of atherosclerotic lesions within the artery and identifies new gene programs associated with their function in homeostasis and disease.

The University of Minnesota Medical School’s Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology has been selected to participate in a new national network dedicated to serological, or antibody, sciences as one of four Capacity Building Centers in the country.

A significant grant from METAvivor worth $500,000 over three years will allow Carol Lange, PhD, a professor in the Department of Medicine and Pharmacology, to analyze the biological mechanisms behind breast cancer, particularly how steroid hormone receptors impact the disease.

Christopher Warlick, MD, PhD, in the Department of Urology, leads a team in partnership with SupDoc, a virtual healthcare app, to develop a tailored module that may be helpful in reducing racial health disparities among patients with alcohol use disorder.

The Community Assessment of Military Transitions study, led by Sarah Beeler, PhD, in the Department of Family Medicine and Biobehavioral Health, is examining service member and military family experiences during the post-deployment transition to address mental health and build a stronger community support system.

Federal and state agencies have temporarily allowed unprecedented flexibility for the use of telemedicine, including audio-only visits, for encounters where opioid use disorder (OUD) medications are prescribed. Cuong Pham, MD, an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, is analyzing telemedicine’s efficacy for patients with OUD during COVID-19.

PCOS, or polycystic ovary syndrome, remains largely undiagnosed. Sarah Hutto, MD, in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health, dedicates her instruction time with medical students and residents on how to identify early warning signs of PCOS and properly evaluate and diagnose the condition before it worsens.

A collaborative team between the University of Minnesota Medical School and Van Andel Institute (VAI) will soon begin a $6.2 million study that seeks to define the molecular linkages between aging and Parkinson’s disease — an approach for new treatment targets not yet explored by many researchers. 

With reduced exposure to the operating room during the COVID-19 pandemic, simulated orthopedic training has helped fill in learning gaps for residents, including the department’s James House, MD, Hand Skills Lectureship and Educational Workshop.

Christen Ebens, MD, MPH, in the Department of Pediatrics, and Meghan Rothenberger, MD, in the Department of Medicine, co-lead the U of M site for an international study collecting samples from some of COVID-19’s most unexpected, yet sickest, patients. The research will determine if genetics plays a role in who falls ill with the disease.

Dr. Jon Hallberg, in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, partnered with Twin Cities Public Television to produce “Hippocrates Cafe: Reflections on the Pandemic,” an hour-long episode dedicated to healthcare and frontline workers that is designed to educate, entertain and inspire viewers during the pandemic.