Med School Minute January 2026

Claudius Conrad has been invested as the Phyllis M. Wise Endowed Professor of Medicine and Innovation, CI MED’s first named professorship. It’s one of the highest honors that a faculty member can receive. This professorship honors Conrad’s accomplishments as a world-renowned surgical oncologist, researcher, and medical innovator. The professorship is named in honor of former Chancellor Phyllis Wise, PhD, a leader in higher education and world-respected biomedical researcher. Funding was provided by donors Jane Hays and her late husband Dave Downey, who passed away on December 28, 2025. Read more here.

Surgeon-scientist, biotech entrepreneur, and academic leader Adil Haider has been appointed CI MED’s inaugural Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer (CAIO). In this newly created role, Haider will lead the strategic vision, development, and responsible deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) across the college. He will be responsible for advancing AI-enabled medical education, translational research, and clinical innovation. Read the article here.

Bruce Bunnell has officially joined CI MED as the new department head for Biomedical and Translational Sciences. Professor Bunnell previously served as Professor and Chair of the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. His research focuses on tissue engineering and regenerative medicine technologies related to translating adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for the replacement of damaged cells and tissues. His work is now advancing toward human clinical trials for treating multiple sclerosis (MS), osteoarthritis, breast cancer, and traumatic brain injury.

Executive Vice Dean Greg Polites was selected as the commencement speaker at the Missouri University of Science and Technology in December. Read more here.

Congratulations to the student teams who participated in CI MED’s inaugural Patient-Centered Health Make-a-Thon in early December. Drawing on the lived experiences of real patients for inspiration, teams led by CI MED physician-innovators collaborated with business, art and design, and engineering students to address specific gaps in health care. Team K.H.A.O.U.L.A (Kinetic Home Automated Oxygen Unit Linking Assistant) earned the top prize of $5000. More information about this year’s competition and prize-winning solutions can be found here. Special thanks to Candice Stegink and her team for organizing a great event.

CI MED’s Jump Simulation Center is piloting a new electronic medical record system that brings the clinical documentation experience to life in health care simulations and the classroom. Designed by Aditya Vaidyam, Project HER offers students early exposure to tools that parallel those used to plan and chart patient care in major hospitals and clinics. Read more and watch the video here. 

Got a startup idea? The Cozad New Venture Challenge, Illinois' largest venture creation program, offers hands-on training and the chance to compete for over $550,000 in funding and prizes. Choose from specialized tracks (including health care, sports medicine, and rural health), participate in customized workshops, and receive expert mentorship and support tailored to your venture's development. Register by Sunday, February 1, 2026, here.

Dr. Suzy Kitten has been appointed Director of Clinical Education at Carle Illinois College of Medicine, effective January 16, 2026. In this role, Dr. Kitten will have oversight of all clinical experiences within the undergraduate medical education (UME) program, including rotations, assignments, and clerkships in which our medical students engage in patient care.

CI MED’s Accreditation/Continuous Quality Improvement team is focused on our looming LCME survey visit in October of 2027. The LCME Lightning Team held its first meeting in mid-January. The team includes Gary Beck Dallaghan, Lisa Goodpaster-Lahners, Kara Johnson, Kristine Carpenter, Heather Wright, Suzanne Hallihan, and Greg Polites. They will oversee the work of different task forces that will write and edit the data collection instrument for various elements. Their goal is to have task force leaders in place by early February and a kickoff meeting in March. More to come!

A major gift to CI MED from a local physician will support the college’s ‘grand rounds’ speaker series. Dr. James Wade III has provided funding for the Wade Family Grand Rounds, which will bring in one guest seminar speaker per year. The gift will allow CI MED students to benefit from the kinds of seminars that made a lasting impact on Dr. Wade’s medical school career.

Two members of CI MED’s Class of 2026 have been selected for dual roles in the military and medicine during residency. Caleb Bowman will serve as an emergency medicine resident at the University of California-Davis, Travis Air Force Base in California; John Squire will specialize in diagnostic radiology at San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium in Texas, with a primary training site at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC). Bowman and Squire will also hold the rank of captain in the U.S. Air Force. Read more here.

Seven third-year medical students are the recipients of this year’s pre-clerkship awards. These students will be recognized at the Student Awards Reception on May 8, at the Illini Union, along with CI MED’s graduating students who earned awards. Faculty and staff are invited to attend this event, but registration is required using this form by April 5.

• Shig Yasunaga MD Student Award: Ramya Ramakrishnan
• Leadership in Inclusive Excellence Award: Oluwabusayo (Busa) Oni
• Peer Leader Award: Kyra Hulse
• Women in Medicine Leadership Award: Jona Kerluku
• Emerging Physician Innovator Award: Kathryn (Katie) Tsai
• Excellence in Anatomy Award: Debora Nya
• Award for Academic and Design Excellence (A.D.E.S): Hannah Oelschlager

CI MED students elected a new group of student government leaders for 2026. They include: President - Rebecca Pan; Vice President - Joy Ku; Treasurer - Emily Chen; Secretary - Cindy Mei. Class representatives include Shrey Patel and Kamryn Abraskin (Class of 2026); Hannah Oelschlager and Emily Vachon (Class of 2027); Gaurie Gunasekaran and Anuj Vimawala (Class of 2028); and Sophia Manlapit and Venkatesh Shenoy (Class of 2029). Other leadership roles will be filled by Alexis Watson, Charlotte Cheng, Jocelyn Chen, Asiya Falak (Events Chairs); Ameek Bindra (Research Chair): Sithmi Jayasundara (Innovation Chair); Victoria Lynch (Marketing Chair); and Winnie Gong (Wellness Chair). 

If you registered to attend the 2026 Medical Education Experience (MEdX) Conference tomorrow (1/29) at the I Hotel and Conference Center, please don’t forget to join us! You can pick up your conference materials at the registration table starting at 7:30 am (breakfast provided), and the opening plenary session begins at 8:15. Learn more here.

Upcoming events:

• Spring Retreat - March 5, 2026, at Alice Campbell Alumni Center
• C.O.M.PA.S.S. - May 1-2, 2026

Florence Adibu is the 2026 recipient of the MLK Champions Award, an honor celebrating individuals who embody the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through social action. The award was presented by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's MLK Commemorative Planning Committee.

The Office of DEI is seeking faculty, staff, and student participation in CI MED’s summer pathway programs (REACH, SpHERES, Summer Research Opportunities Program, etc). If you are interested in helping, please sign up here.

Media Mentions: 

• Janet Jokela and Sheldon Jacobson authored an op-ed piece titled “Why RFK’s Denmark-style vaccine recommendations won’t work in the US,” that appeared in The Hill on January 6, 2026. 
• Janet Jokela’s piece, “Reflecting on the significance of World AIDS Day from the 1980s to now,” was featured on the American College of Physicians’ website and on the KevinMD podcast in December.  
• Adil Haider’s new role at CI MED received extensive media coverage: MSN, The Nation, The Express Tribune

Rosalind Garcia-Tosi has been selected to participate in the 2026 Professional Staff Leadership Academy (PSLA), which utilizes superior leadership principles and applications to develop key professionals across the University of Illinois System. The program uses the knowledge of university staff, executives, academic theory, and practical applications to foster an environment where leaders can emerge. The program accepts approximately 20 participants per cohort. 

Janet Jokela has been appointed to the State of Illinois’ Immunization Advisory Committee, advising the state (including the director of public health and the governor) on immunization-related issues.

Erik Nelson has been named the Keith W. and Sara M. Kelley Endowed Professor of Immunophysiology in his home unit, the  School of Molecular and Cellular Biology within the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

Rohit Bhargava has been named a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. Bhargava was elected for numerous inventions that have formed the field of infrared chemical imaging and its applications to pathology using artificial intelligence. The 2025 Class of Fellows will be honored and presented with medals at the NAI 15th Annual Conference in June.

Ravi Mehta has been invested as the Walter H. Stellner Distinguished Professor of Marketing in Business Administration in the Gies College of Business. 

How long have you been at Carle Illinois, and where were you before?
I’ve been with CI MED for nearly two years—April 15th marks my work anniversary. Prior to joining CI MED, I spent 32 years with the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology as the Coordinator for Undergraduate Instruction, where I helped develop and lead the undergraduate advising program and advised thousands of pre-med students. Before that, I coordinated and taught microbiology laboratory courses and conducted research in molecular microbiology.

Tell me about an interesting project that you’re working on now.
Currently, I’m preparing to deliver a workshop for our M1 students focused on professional identity formation. The aim is to foster self-awareness and understanding of differences that will support students in effectively interacting with patients from diverse socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, gender, religious, and sexual orientation backgrounds. I find it especially rewarding to work with students on these critical aspects of their career development, as they are key to shaping their growth as compassionate, well-rounded future physicians.

What do you love most about working at Carle Illinois?
I genuinely love the people I work with. My student affairs colleagues are supportive, engaging, and truly care about our students’ success, as well as my professional growth and overall well-being. I also appreciate that there’s always something new to learn, which keeps the work dynamic and rewarding.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not at work?
In my free time, I enjoy walking, yoga, and Pilates, as well as spending time with my family—especially my four-year-old great-niece.

Active Searches:

• Teaching Faculty – Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences
• Office Manager – Office of Advancement and Office of Marketing and Communications

Promotions, Reclassifications, and New Hires:
Melissa Livengood has been promoted to the role of Office Administrator in the Office of Finance and Administration, providing high-level administrative and operational support to the Associate Dean for Finance and Administration and Human Resources and coordinating key aspects of the faculty and staff recruitment process.

External Events:

• Nominations for the Illinois Innovation Award and Fiddler Innovation Fellowship are due February 1, 2026. Learn more here. 
• Cozad New Venture Challenge Demo Day – Thursday, April 16, at the I Hotel and Conference Center
• Cozad Finals Event and Awards Ceremony – Friday, April 17, 2026.