Yun Fang ,PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary/Critical Care), has been inducted into 2023 Class of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering  (AIMBE) College of Fellows in recognition of his ” pioneering contributions to addressing mechano-sensitive gene regulation in vascular and pulmonary health and disease, leading to new therapeutic approaches”.  Election to the AIMBE College of Fellows is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to a medical and biological engineer. The College of Fellows is comprised of the top two percent of medical and biological engineers. College membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to “engineering and … Read More

Pulmonary fibrosis is a devastating disease characterized by progressive scarring in the lungs, killing up to half of patients within five years of a diagnosis. Little is known about whether there are differences in how the condition affects individuals of different ethnicities. New research at the University of Chicago Medicine has found that Black patients with pulmonary fibrosis are significantly younger than their Hispanic and white counterparts across a wide variety of disease metrics, including diagnosis, first hospitalization, lung transplant and death. “Pulmonary fibrosis is a deadly disease, and people are often diagnosed right around the time they retire,” said Ayodeji Adegunsoye, … Read More

Raghu Mirmira, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism) and Vice Chair for Translational Research, has been named as the recipient of the 2023 Albert Renold Award by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) in recognition of his outstanding achievements in the training and mentorship of diabetes research scientists and in the development of communities of scientists to enhance diabetes research. Dr. Mirmira is an international thought leader in the field of diabetes whose work is focused on Type 1 diabetes research—specifically on the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus and the biology of islet cells. Among his many achievements, Dr. … Read More

Immunotherapies have been successful in treating many cancer conditions. However, not much success has yet been achieved in metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). A study published March 2 in Clinical Cancer Research has revealed new insights into why immunotherapies don’t tend to work as well in prostate cancer. The team, led by Akash Patnaik, MD, PhD, MMSc, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center, discovered that the immune system promotes the growth of cancer — instead of suppressing it — through recruitment of abnormal tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) that express PD-1 into the tumor microenvironment. Therapy resistance spells trouble for … Read More

The Department of Medicine is pleased to announce the winners of the 2023 Janet D. Rowley Research Day poster competition. Over 60 posters were reviewed and scored by 3 judges each, comprised of DOM section chiefs, vice chairs & Research Day Committee members, to identify the top submission in each category: basic science research, translational research, clinical research and health service/medical education/social science research.   Please join me in congratulating the following awardees: Faculty Best Poster Winners: Samantha Gunning (Nephrology): Clinical Research – “Impact of Fluid Overload on Patients Receiving Continuous Dialysis for Acute Kidney Injury” Evgeny Izumchenko (H/O): Translational Research – “A … Read More

Gokhan M Mutlu, MD, Professor of Medicine and Chief, Section of the Pulmonary and Critical Care was appointed by the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to serve on the National Advisory Environmental Health Sciences Council (NAEHSC). The National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Research Advisory Councils are consulted by and provide advice to the NIH Director concerning pertinent programs. NAEHS is a congressionally mandated body that advises the secretary of HHS, the director of NIH, and the director of NIEHS on matters relating to the direction of research, research support, training, and career development supported by NIEHS. … Read More

Monica Peek,MD,MPH is among  six members of the University of Chicago community who has been named as a recipient of the University’s 2023 Diversity Leadership Award which recognizes University faculty, students, staff and alumni who have shown a commitment to fostering justice and equality. Dr. Peek is the the Ellen H. Block Professor of Health Justice, associate vice-chair for research faculty development in the Department of Medicine, executive medical director of community health innovations, associate director of the Chicago Center for Diabetes Translation Research, and director of research/associate director of the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics. She is a renowned … Read More

A new study finds differences in gut bacteria and metabolites among COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU, offering possibilities for preventing the worst outcomes. In early 2020, Bhakti Patel, MD, a pulmonary and critical care specialist at the University of Chicago Medicine, and Matthew Stutz, MD, who was a critical care fellow at the time, had an idea for a research project. They wanted to study the gut microbiome of patients admitted to the ICU to see if it could help them understand why some patients recover and do well after discharge from the hospital, and others continue to suffer from … Read More