Med School Minute February 2024

Dean Mark Cohen was chosen to deliver the keynote address at the American College of Surgeons’ 2024 Surgeons and Engineers Dialogue on Surgical Simulation. He will deliver his speech “Developing an Ecosystem of Innovation and Entrepreneurship to Advance the Future of Surgery and Academic Medicine,” on March 13 in Chicago.

Senior Associate Dean for Engagement Janet Jokela recently moderated a live virtual national panel discussion titled “Putting Adult Immunization Recommendations into Action,” hosted by the American College of Physicians. You can read an accompanying editorial here, and those who are ACP members can log in to watch the video recording.

Student feedback is key to continuous quality improvement in all phases of CI MED’s curriculum. We've updated the You Said, We Did section of  this webpage on our public website, to reflect what we have done together to strengthen our Phase 1 programs.

Student tip sheets, survey results, focus group reports and Town Hall presentations are now available on the LCME page on the Intranet. You can also access these items directly through this Box folder.

Watch for big changes in the student lounge spaces at the Carle Forum in March as they undergo an exciting remodel. Upgraded furnishings include a coffee cart, ping-pong table, and more scheduled for the Loud Lounge on March 6-8, and new furniture to be installed in the Quiet Lounge on March 25.

The University of Illinois has added to its imaging repertoire a new ultra-high-performance positron emission tomography and X-ray computed tomography scanner, opening new possibilities for cutting-edge research. The new technology is made possible by a collaborative effort between the Beckman Institute’s Molecular Imaging Laboratory and Wawrzyniec Dobrucki to secure support from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust. Research groups within and outside of the university are encouraged to use the PET-CT scanner — and other resources in the Molecular Imaging Laboratory — for their research. Interested researchers are encouraged to contact MIL staff for consultation and collaboration. Read details here.

Clinical Sciences:

James Kumar has taken on a new role as Interim Associate Department Head for Clinical Sciences.

Clinical Sciences will hold a Department Faculty Meeting in person and at the Carle Forum (Pollard Auditorium) and virtually on Tuesday, March 26 from 5:15 – 6:15 pm. We will share updates regarding the Department. Invitations have already been sent out.

Clinical Sciences will hold an education session with James Kumar about the role of an Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure Committee member. If you are interested and already have an appointment with the Clinical Sciences Department, feel free to join this session on Wednesday, March 6 from 5 – 5:30 pm. There are currently two vacant seats with the possibility of more additions. Invitations have already been sent out.

The Department of Clinical Sciences has elected the following Executive Committee Members: David Chan,  William Scott, Mark Shima,  Victor Stams, Charles Dennis, Chris Nelson, Mehmoodur Rasheed, Ashley Manlove, Audra Thomas, and Blake Weis.

The Department of Clinical Sciences welcomes the following faculty: Elizabeth Angelo, Clinical Assistant Professor;  Abou Cham, Clinical Assistant Professor; Mohammed Elshamy, Clinical Assistant Professor; Japhia Jayasingh Ramkumar, Clinical Associate Professor; Amanda Kierbs, Clinical Instructor;  Audrey Lam, Clinical Assistant Professor; Aneesh Neekhra, Clinical Assistant Professor; Gregory Polites, Clinical Professor; Elizabeth Whitton, Clinical Instructor; and Hamid Yaqoob, Clinical Assistant Professor.

CI MED and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement (OVCIA) have posted an opening for a major gift officer position to secure private support for funding priorities for the college. The Assistant Director/Associate Director/Director/Senior Director of Development will play a critical role in supporting Carle Illinois to maximize overall support and opportunities for collaborative giving. 

During FY24 to date, CI MED's Advancement team has reached a donor renewal rate of 45.6%, which exceeds industry standards. Just over 17% of those donors have upgraded their support of CI MED, giving more this year than in previous years. This is in large part due to our communications with and stewardship of these donors.

Second Look for admitted applicants is coming up April 18-19 at MSB. Applicants will attend presentations and meet with faculty, staff, and current students. Thanks to everyone who helps organize this important part of CI MED’s recruitment efforts.

The 2024 Sexual Misconduct Campus Climate Student Survey is underway. The survey is administered to all students who have been enrolled in at least one course during the 2023-2024 academic year and prompts them to complete a questionnaire concerning: relationships, sexual experiences, experiences with dating violence, and perceptions about safety at the University of Illinois during the last 12 months.

Faculty Development Events:

• Carle Foundation Hospital: Inclusive Leadership Forum on March 1, 2024, from 10 to 11 am
• CI MED Monthly FacDev Mingle: 03.13.24 Receiving Feedback Gracefully w/ Dr. Kate Hatlak
• CI MED Medical Education Research Journal Club 03.26.24
• Title IX and Access and Equity on April 12, 2024, from 7-9 am at the Medical Science Building RM 274 OR Carle Pollard Auditorium. Breakfast and CME will be provided. Register here.

March is designated Women’s History Month where we honor and observe the achievements and vital role of Women in American History.  Women’s History Month events can be found here.
Learn more about women pioneers in medical science here.

The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is still seeking faculty research mentors for our CI MED pathway programs REACH and SpHERES. Mentors will host high school and/or undergraduate students in their lab or research study to observe, learn, and participate in a summer project. If interested, contact Nicole Del Castillo for more information.

• Other Cultural and International campus events: 
  Cultural & International (illinois.edu)
• LGBTQIA+ Health Fair by the Counseling Center in collaboration with the GSRC on March 21st from 12 pm -2 pm| Illini Union 
• Inclusive resources on campus:
  • All Gender Restrooms (illinois.edu)
  • Campus Lactation Space Guide | Women’s Resources Center | UIUC (illinois.edu)
  • Religious, Spiritual, and Secular Inclusion at Illinois – Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
     (including reflection/prayer spaces and dietary resources)

Read more in the DEI Newsletter here.

The Jump Simulation Center Urbana is getting ready to run its first XR Summer Internship Program. They will also host students from NYCU (National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University in Taiwan), our partner institution in the consortium for engineering-based medical schools. Later in the summer, the center will invite undergraduate students and high school students from the Pathways Programs in the Jump Simulation Center Urbana.

New CI MED – Grainger webpage launched! The CI MED and Grainger MarCom teams have joined forces to create a landing page for an upcoming campaign to promote to top engineering schools and health care systems the powerful partnership of Carle Illinois College of Medicine and The Grainger College of Engineering. The webpage can be found here.

Deb Virant-Young has been selected for the 2024 Special Award of Appreciation from the Assembly of Osteopathic Graduate Medical Educators (AOGME). Virant-Young is being honored for exemplary effort and exceptional contributions to the osteopathic profession by enhancing the educational process and improving the quality of osteopathic medical education. The award will be presented at the annual leadership conference of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine in April.

Charee Thompson was recognized for excellence in undergraduate teaching in her home unit, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She was one of 14 individuals from LAS selected for Excellence Awards. Thompson teaches interpersonal health communication. Read more here.

Zeynep Madak Erdogan has received the prestigious 2024 Michael B. Kastan Award for Research Excellence given by the American Association for Cancer Research’s (AACR) Molecular Cancer Research (MCR) journal. The award recognizes groundbreaking work in her 2022 collaborative paper titled “Targeting Metabolic Adaptations in the Breast Cancer-Liver Metastatic Niche Using Dietary Approaches to Improve Endocrine Therapy Efficacy.” Read more here.

Mark Anastasio has been elevated to IEEE Fellow for his important contributions to the field of computational imaging. This prestigious honor is a testament to Anastasio’s dedication and groundbreaking work in medical imaging technologies. Becoming an IEEE Fellow is a significant achievement in the realm of engineering and technology, as it demonstrates not only technical expertise and dedication but also a profound impact on the field.

How long have you been with Carle Illinois, and what is your favorite part of your work at CI MED?
I joined Carle Illinois in 2021 as an engineering partner for Family Medicine and moved into the role of director of engineering education & entrepreneurship in May 2023. My favorite part of my work is collaborating with the amazing people at Carle Illinois (students, staff, and faculty) to build this unique vision of an innovation-driven medical school. 

What is your top priority in your role overseeing engineering and entrepreneurship education at CI MED?
To ensure that we are creating a supportive environment to cultivate future physician innovators. To support students in exploring their engineering and innovation passion and goals through the curricular content as well as through other student-initiated opportunities.  

Tell us about how you first caught the ‘innovator’ bug and how that informs your work at CI MED.
I will probably have to say that I started to see the bigger picture of innovation when one of my professors in a technology management course stated that “consumers don’t buy technology. They buy solutions." The example he used was that “consumers don’t buy ¼ inch drill bits (technology), they buy ¼ inch holes (need for a solution)." This started to reshape my understanding of the value and utility of technology. This is a perspective that I carry with me in my work at CI MED 

What are your interests in your time away from work? 
Besides hanging out with my family, I am also a drummer with the worship band at my church. I am also getting back into playing piano and organ, something I enjoyed doing as a child.

Wellness

The Well-being Committee invites all CI MED staff to participate in National Nutrition Month by focusing attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. The theme for National Nutrition Month 2024 is “Beyond the Table,” which addresses the farm-to-fork aspect of nutrition, from food production and distribution to navigating grocery stores and farmers markets — and even home food safety and storage practices. For more information and resources visit eatright.org.

The Carle Illinois College of Medicine Well-being Group has created a Well-Being Passport that you can use as a tool to improve your well-being. The passport allows you to keep track daily of well-being activities that you participated in purposefully and intentionally. This may include physical activity, meditation, drinking your daily consumption of water, attending a concert, and so on. You can keep track of your monthly progress and yearly progress with goals that include: 

• Monthly Activity Challenge - Bronze - 10 days of activities; Silver - 15 days of activities; Gold - 20 days of activities
• Yearly Activity Challenge: Bronze - 110 days of activities; Silver - 165 days of activities; Gold 220 days of activities

External Events:

• Carle Health Imaging Innovation Grand Rounds featuring Vilas Gulani, MD, PhD – Monday, March 4, 2024, at noon at Mills Breast Cancer Institute, third-floor conference room Teams option also available. Contact Bruce.Damon@carle.com
• In celebration of International Women’s Day Celebration, Women In Engineering and Technology Entrepreneur Center will host a panel discussion on March 4 from 4-6 pm at the Campus Instructional Facility. This event will feature inspiring stories from women engineers and entrepreneurial leaders, focusing on the 2024 theme for International Women’s Day: “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress.” RSVP here.
• Science Cafe featuring Jacinda Dariotis - "Using Mindfulness Techniques for PreK-12 Education - March 6 from 5:30-6:30 at Cafe & Co. 
• Cozad Health Innovation Track Workshop – Wednesday, March 6, 2024, from 6-7:30 pm at the Campus Instructional Facility (CIF).
• Food and Nutrition Symposium: Childhood Obesity in Mexican and Mexican-American Families - March 7, 2024, from 9-1 pm. Margarita Terán-García will speak between 10:45 and 11 am. Register here.
• Cozad New Venture Challenge Demo Day – Thursday, April 11, 2024, from 1-5 pm at the I Hotel and Conference Center.
• Healthy Aging of Brain and Mind with AI: 7^th Illinois + AI Summit - Monday, April 15, 2024, from 8:30 am to 4 pm at the Discovery Partners Institute, 200 S. Wacker Drive, Chicago. Register here.