2025 FEB. EDITION
One of the highlights of this month’s Pulse lauds the work of three of our students in a UH Interdisciplinary Population Health Case Competition. This was a University-wide effort that showcased two important facets of our research mission – collaboration with other Colleges, and our commitment to population health. As a new College of Medicine, we have little space and less funding to perform basic and translational research, but we have tremendous strengths in population health research, as well as the advantage of being located on the main UH campus where we can form collaborative research partnerships with many other Colleges such as engineering, natural science and mathematics, and liberal arts and social sciences. There are opportunities for students to undertake research projects across the University, and we are strengthening this pipeline through joint faculty hires with other departments. On the horizon, we will have a new $80 million research building open in 2028, just behind the main Fertitta College of Medicine building, which will house new programs in the basic, translational, and clinical sciences. Led by the chair of our biomedical sciences department, Kevin Rowland, Ph.D., we have selected an architect and are interviewing construction companies now, so get ready to see the next phase of our growth start to spring to life soon!
- Jon McCullers
Due to an urgent issue, our guest speaker has become unavailable to present at the Professional Development Lunch & Learn scheduled for Thursday, February 27. We will inform you of the rescheduled date for Dr. Wray's presentation as soon as it’s confirmed.
In the meantime, we invite you to mark your calendars for our next exciting event, set for Thursday, March 20th, from 12 PM to 1 PM. This engaging session will delve into “Change Management in Leadership,” presented by the esteemed Connie Kemp, Executive Director of Human Resources Services at the University of Houston.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support. Your participation is invaluable, and we are dedicated to fostering the growth and development of our team!
Congratulations to the Class of 2027 for crushing their preclinical phase. After this big accomplishment they’re on to their clerkships. Share some kind words and encouragement when you see them in the halls next!
College of Medicine students joined graduate students from eight colleges, including architecture, business, education, law, optometry, policy, and social work, for three intense rounds of competition, tackling real-world population health challenges. A shoutout to MS1s Ashley Roland and Niku Tabatabai, and MS2 Edgard Castillo for representing our College and showcasing the power of collaboration in shaping the future of health care!
As our students progress through their medical careers, they are reminded of the importance of their classmates and colleagues. Recently the Classes of 2025 and 2026 gathered together for an evening of fun and relaxation. For MS3s, this dinner served as a study break as they prepare to take Step 1. For MS4s, we were celebrating their progress through the Advanced Clerkship Phase and anticipating Match Day. Thank you to our Learning Community Professors Tameka Clemons, Ph.D., Camille Leugers, M.D., Sarat Munjuluri, M.D., M.S., Woods Nash, M.P.H., Ph.D., Steven Starks, M.D., M.B.A., DFAPA, and Miriam Vasefi, Ph.D., for a night of mentorship and connection at Aga’s.
MS2 Iman Bouchelkia attended the 2025 Association of Women Surgeons (AWS) Southwest Conference and was more than just a participant in the competition. Bouchelkia represented the College well and won 1st place in the oral presentation category. Congratulations on all of your hard work!
MS2s Aleah Frison & Elizabeth Eversole’s Student Scholarly Project (SSP) titled “Firearm Injury Trends in Texas: Regional Disparities and Emerging Challenges” was selected for a podium presentation at the South Texas Chapter American College of Surgeons Annual Meeting on February 22, 2025.
MS2, Dallas Bennett and MS3, Mathew Mendoza attended the annual Orthopedic Research Society (ORS) Conference in Phoenix, Arizona to present their joint research. Bennett had this to say of her time in Arizona, “It was a very exciting and motivating experience. Being surrounded by brilliant students and scientists from around the world provides a new perspective on the work that is being done in the field of Orthopedics. Attending a conference such as this makes a student feel involved in something bigger than their own work. I loved it and hopefully will return next year for ORS 2026."
Jamie Everett, M.D., has accepted the role of Interim Assistant Dean for Foundational Sciences, effective February 1, 2025. In this role, Everett will report to the Associate Dean for Medical Education and oversee the development, integration, and delivery of a comprehensive four-year curriculum in foundational sciences. In addition to overseeing the Phase 1 foundational science courses, she will continue collaborating with course directors, integrated thread leads, and faculty across the curriculum. With a strong commitment to student-centered learning, Everett will play a pivotal role in fostering scientific inquiry and discovery while ensuring an enriching educational experience for our students. .
Maureen Grissom, Ph.D., presented her research on “Do Medical Students Really Need to Attend Class?” at the national Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) conference on Medical Student Education in San Antonio at the end of January. Co-authors for her research are: Jerome Crowder, Ph.D., and Bich-May Nguyen, M.D., M.P.H., FAAFP, as well as Leslie Rojas and Katie Velez.
We continue to grow our dynamic team of consummate professionals. Let us welcome the newest members to join our college:
In light of recent events, we would like to emphasize our commitment to keeping our campus community safe and secure. Please note that members of the UH community have access to UHPD security escorts if they have any safety concerns, such as requesting an escort traveling to locations beginning and ending on campus.
Furthermore, the university has emergency call boxes stationed at various locations around campus. When used, the call box directly sends alerts to UHPD dispatch and can be used for emergent or non-emergent situations. The UH Go app has a feature where a member of the UH community can have their location show up on a map in our police dispatch center when they call for service.
We hope that you find this information useful. Should you have any issues on campus, please do not hesitate to call or text UHPD at 713-743-3333 or 911.
Health Commons is the College of Medicine model for community engagement. Through power-sharing, the community and the College co-create policies and programs to improve community health. We recently held a training on sociocracy, our shared governance structure, for community partners, faculty, and students.
The Humana Integrated Health Systems Science Institute and the UH Health Family Care Center recently held a Community Mental Health First Aid Training. This collaborative effort focused on equipping community residents with essential skills to recognize and respond to mental health challenges, particularly in times of crisis. A key component of the training emphasized disaster preparedness, ensuring that participants are not only able to support individuals facing mental health struggles but also respond effectively during emergencies and natural disasters. By strengthening these skills, we are fostering a more resilient and prepared community.
The Office of Outreach and Student Pathways held the Health Career Collaborative Finale presentations where Yates High School students discussed health topics relevant to their community. The program was directed by MS1 students, Credo Djeje and Raven Hollis, with assistance from many medical student mentors.
LaShaune Johnson, Ph.D., was asked to serve on the advisory council for the Neal Cancer Center at Houston Methodist. The mission of the Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center's (HMNCC) Office of Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) is to facilitate cancer research relevant to the over 7.5 million people living in the catchment area and to provide community-based services and education to those populations. Our community advisory board advises the COE with a focus on how to best support and enhance the critical mission of providing a voice for the community. This voice is to inform HMNCC’s cancer priorities and support community-engaged outreach, engagement, and research.
Thank you to all the participants, to the supporters, to the challenge encouragement facilitator Amy Garcia, and a MEGA thank you to our CEO Neena Arora, M.H.A., M.B.A. for continuing to encourage physical, mental, and workplace wellness promoted through Dr. Smith's Stair and Loop challenge.
The results were calculated, and all prizes were claimed! We had a record EIGHT TEAMS totaling 16 challengers participating in our most recent challenge. As you may recall, this team-based competition paired challengers who earned points based on loops or stair sets completed. This also included the stairs in the stairwell of the College.
| Team DZ: Mohamed Zebda, D.O., M.P.H., and Davonda Latin |
| Team FORGETMENOT: Neena Arora, M.H.A., M.B.A., and Areli Mbaye |
| Team WONDERTWIN: Lizbeth Marquez and Carmelita Ramirez |
| Team HARDWORK: Sara Elkins, Ph.D., and Danielle Brownlie |
| Team HEAVYHITTER: Loan Villon and Jeri Parker |
| Team BETTERTOGETHER: Dr. Wheeler and Tayvia Dotch |
| Team GAMETIME: Brian Reed, M.D., and Aurelia Sarco |
| Team FOOTWORK: Jon De La Rosa and Rebecca Negri |
Do you have something you’d like to share college wide? Email uhcomcom@central.uh.edu with details for consideration in next month’s edition of The Pulse.
