The latest issue of the Department of Medicine Women’s Committee newsletter may be found at the link below. The newsletter highlights the remarkable achievements of the women faculty and trainees in the Department of Medicine over the past 6 months and is also a testament to the positive evolution of the working environment for women here at the University of Chicago. Enjoy this issue of Women at the Forefront. Spring/Summer 2023 Newsletter

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

2023 Janet Rowley Research Day Tuesday, March 7, 2023   The Department of Medicine’s 2023 Janet D. Rowley Research Day will be held on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. This year’s keynote speaker will be David S. Wilkes, MD,  Dean Emeritus and the James Carroll Flippin Professor of Medicine Emeritus at the University of Virginia School of Medicine  National Director of the Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Dr. Wilkes’ talk entitled “Pursuing a Career in Academic Medicine: Lessons for Success”  will take place during Medicine Grand Rounds at noon.  

The 2022 Department of Medicine Annual Report entitled “ Innovation, Impact  & Inclusion” is available for viewing here: 2022 DOM Annual Report_digital The Annual Report highlights the tremendous efforts and accomplishments of the faculty in every aspect of the tripartite mission throughout FY22 . The Report also includes awards and select publications by Section.

Blase Polite, MD,  Professor of Medicine  (Section of Hematology/Oncology) has been appointed as Chief Physician for the forthcoming  University of Chicago Medicine (UCM) multispecialty care facility in Crown Point, Indiana. UCM recently broke ground on the new facility, which is expected to open in spring of 2024 As Chief Physician, Dr. Polite will work to ensure world-class medical care is provided on a consistent basis by establishing strong clinical services and through the execution of key strategic and operational priorities. He is also charged with synchronizing the expansion of the Care Network in Northwest Indiana with the activities of the Medical … Read More

David T. Rubin,MD, the Joseph B. Kirsner Professor of Medicine; Professor of Pathology and Chief, Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition will be honored as the 2022 Champion of Mission Advancement by the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation – Illinois Carol Fisher Chapter at the “Evening of Hope” gala on 9/22/2022.  Dr. Rubin is a renowned gastroenterologist who specializes in the treatment and assessment of digestive diseases. His clinical expertise includes inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis). The Crohn’s  & Colitis Foundation is  a non-profit, volunteer-fueled organization dedicated to finding cures for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and improving … Read More

Luis Barreiro, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine (Section of Genetic Medicine) , has been appointed as chair of the Committee on Genetics, Genomics & Systems Biology (GGSB), effective June 15, 2022. Barreiro’s research focuses on linking functional genomic studies of the immune system to an evolutionarily informed understanding of human variation in immune responses to infection and susceptibility to immune-related disorders. His research has generated landmark papers showing that genetic ancestry and natural selection drive population differences in immune responses in humans and describing how the social environment and epigenetic changes play a key role in the regulation of innate immune … Read More

Yun Fang, PhD, has received a 7-year, $5.6-million grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to develop nanoparticle treatments for diseased blood vessels. The grant is an R35 Emerging Investigator Award from the NIH, designed to promote scientific productivity and innovation by providing long-term support and increased flexibility to researchers. Fang, an Associate Professor of Medicine (Section of Pulmonary/Critical Care), studies how cells sense and convert environmental mechanical stimuli into biological signals and develops new nanomedicine approaches that target disruptions in these systems that lead to vascular disease. Vascular diseases, … Read More

Approximately 40,000 oncology professionals from around the world gathered June 3-7, 2022—both in-person in Chicago and virtually—to share the latest clinical cancer advances in every area of cancer research at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. This event was especially exciting for the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center because one of their cancer leaders, Everett Vokes, MD, FASCO, was front and center of the meeting as President for the 2021-2022 term. Vokes is an internationally renowned expert in the treatment of head and neck and lung cancers. He is the John E. Ultmann Professor, chair of the Department of Medicine, and … Read More

The Department of Medicine, in conjunction with the Comprehensive Cancer Center, recently hosted a group of  international oncologists from developing countries to learn about our innovative cancer programs in clinical care, research and education, as well as our efforts in global cancer health.  The oncologists are part of ASCO’s ( American Society of Clinical Oncology)  International Development and Education Award (IDEA) program that pairs each recipient with an ASCO member mentor, with the goal of developing long-term relationships to improve cancer care in their countries. The visiting oncologists participated in clinical shadowing and presentations from some of our most distinguished … Read More