2026 FEB. EDITION
The last few months have seen an accelerating and intensifying push towards completing the first step of preparation for our upcoming virtual site visit by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), our accrediting body. This has meant a lot of work by a lot of faculty, highlighted by the contributions of Dr. Tere Ma and his team. The final response to the LCME, known as the briefing book, was turned in earlier this week. Now a different sort of work begins - preparation for the actual visit and the meetings with the LCME. By the end of this phase of the process, which will come to resolution in October, we expect our accreditation status to be updated from provisional to full. As you have seen in multiple communications from the Office of Medical Education under the leadership of Vice Dean for Medical Education Stephen Scott, many positive changes have resulted from the work that the briefing book describes, changes that will benefit our students and make the jobs of our faculty and staff easier. One of these changes in response to feedback from students is increased support for student research. We have continued to augment the Office of Student Research and will add more funding to its budget this coming year to support student research projects and provide travel stipends to present the results. I believe that any student who gets their research accepted for poster or platform presentation should be able to attend at least one meeting at the College’s expense, so we have budgeted funds for that. Congratulations to the team for meeting another milestone in our accreditation journey – we look forward to more positive stories coming out of this ongoing effort!
- Jon McCullers
The Humana Integrated Health Systems Science Institute focuses on research, education/training, and community engagement. Our mission is to be a leader in health systems science by producing high-impact research to inform policy, innovative inter-professional educational programs that prepare the next generation of health care clinicians, and novel programs that support population health and community transformation. Follow us on LinkedIn by searching ‘Humana Institute’ to learn more about our successes!
Brendan Rosamond was recently elected to serve as a representative on the Membership Committee for the Association for Academic Surgery (AAS). Rosamond will help the committee organize new member applications, connect with current members, and develop innovative recruitment strategies to grow the AAS. He is excited to continue expanding access to careers in academic surgery through this new position!
Abigayle Hoeft and Lyilia Falcon recently had their research on ‘Biomarker discovery and gene therapy approaches for triple negative breast cancer risk in African American women’ published in the 298th issue of Cancer Genetics. Congratulations on all of your hard work!
Isabella Marra, MS2, recently had her research over ‘Evaluating an AI-Enabled Mobile Mental Health Monitoring Tool Among Family Caregivers of Adults Living With Cancer: Single-Arm Feasibility and Acceptability Trial Protocol’ published. Marra’s Student Scholarly Project was also an analysis of data from this published research.
MS2’s put their clinical reasoning and teamwork to the test during The Great Escape Room Adventure, a hands-on challenge designed to sharpen problem-solving under pressure. The experience featured six clinically themed escape rooms that required students to collaborate, think critically, and apply medical knowledge to solve time-sensitive puzzles before the clock ran out. The activity emphasized communication, adaptability, and peer collaboration—skills essential to effective patient care. Congratulations to Esther Bonojo (left) and Tia Gordon (right), who successfully completed all six escape rooms, demonstrating exceptional teamwork and perseverance. The event was hosted by the Office of Academic Support & Wellness within Student Affairs, underscoring UH College of Medicine’s commitment to innovative learning experiences that support both academic excellence and student well-being.
For more information about Wellness initiatives, please contact the Office of Student Affairs, Dr. Ijeoma Nwaogu at inwaogu@central.uh.edu.
Amani Halawa and Sidnee Wilson presented at the College of Medicine’s monthly Research Forum in February. Their presentation examined how forensic psychiatric evaluations influence mental health outcomes in both criminal and custody contexts, demonstrating that accurate clinical clarification can redirect legal decisions toward stabilization and treatment. By reframing behavior through a psychiatric lens, forensic psychiatry functions as a systems-level intervention that reduces morbidity, protects attachment relationships, and supports long-term psychological stability.
Olutobi Sanuade, Clinical Assistant Professor, Dissemination and Implementation, in the Department of Health Systems and Population Health Sciences and the Humana Integrated Health Systems Sciences Institute. Coming from the University of Utah, Dr. Sanuade is a population health scientist with expertise in implementing hybrid trials and scaling evidence-based interventions across clinical and community settings. He brings an impressive record of grant funding, along with extensive experience in community-engaged cardiovascular and chronic disease research. Feel free to reach out to him and explore opportunities to collaborate.
The Texas Society for Public Health Education’s (TSOPHE) executive board recently voted to appoint LaShaune Johnson, Ph.D., to the general board. Congratulations to Dr. Johnson on such an amazing opportunity.
David Buck, M.D., M.P.H., Associate Dean for Community Health, recently moderated the Third Annual Texas Medical Center AI Conference. This event is dedicated to foster the vibrant, collaborative ecosystem at the Texas Medical Center, leveraging its unparalleled talent, diverse data resources, and entrepreneurial energy to translate advanced AI innovations into practical solutions for real-world biomedical and health care challenges.
We continue to grow our dynamic team of consummate professionals. Let us welcome the newest members to join our college:
Ashley Schwartz was recently promoted to director of outreach and student pathways. In this role, Ashley will continue to contribute to the efforts of the office of admissions and outreach by managing outreach programs and events, overseeing recruitment efforts, and collaborating with college and community partners to amplify the College of Medicine's mission. Congratulations on this wonderful news!
The UH Health Family Care Center team held another session for their Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Training. These sessions equip participants with the skills to recognize signs of mental health challenges and substance use concerns. Attendees learn how to approach, support, and connect individuals to appropriate resources during a mental health crisis or emerging concern. Multiple training sessions are offered year-round. To learn more about our MHFA training scan the QR code in the acompanying image or contact program manager Jon de la Rosa.
Click the image to view a larger version.
The College of Medicine would like to thank our donors for their most generous support of our students. Listed below are gifts that the college received over the previous month.
$2,195,189 raised
Additional $1,000,000 Texas Resourse Incentive Program (TRIP) monies received
$1,492,320 raised to date
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.
