| Vital Signs

Tools of the Trade

Dr. Amy Zelenski drives education innovation and scholarship in new leadership role

1/6/2022

Amy Zelenski, PhD, assistant professor, General Internal Medicine, is known in the department for bringing her theater training—and specific skills like improvisation, storytelling, spontaneity and observation—to spark resident learning.

Now, in her new role as the Department of Medicine’s inaugural director of education innovation and scholarship, Zelenski will use...

Dr. Nasia Safdar to lead Madison VA’s participation in national clinical research network

1/6/2022

Thanks to leadership from Nasia Safdar, MD, PhD, professor, Infectious Disease, and colleagues, the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital will join a national network of VA medical centers dedicated to strengthening clinical research at those centers.

The Network of Dedicated Enrollment Sites (NODES) currently consists of 10 VA medical centers with...

What we published in December 2021

1/6/2022

1. Agarwal PD, Lucey MR. Management of hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence after liver transplantation. Ann Hepatol. 2021;27(1):100654.
2. Aggarwal R, Rydzewski NR, Zhang L, Foye A, Kim W, Helzer KT, Bakhtiar H, Chang SL, Perry MD, Gleave M, Reiter RE, Huang J, Evans CP, Alumkal JJ, Lang JM, Yu M, Quigley...

Byars-Winston appointed to NIH Advisory Council

12/7/2021

Angela Byars-Winston, PhD, professor, General Internal Medicine, has been appointed to the Advisory Council for the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, one of the 27 centers and institutes in the National Institutes of Health. The council performs second-level peer review of research and training grant applications to NIGMS...

Three department faculty receive UW Health Physician Excellence Awards

12/2/2021

At an awards ceremony on November 30, 2021, UW Health recognized physicians who have demonstrated exceptional performance in clinical practice, education, or regional services and displayed a commitment to the UW Health mission, vision and values. The Department of Medicine had three award winners.

Clinical Educator Award

Sam Lubner, MD...

Nimrod Deiss-Yehiely, MD, at the hospital

Fellowship Match Day 2021 is a success for residents, fellowship programs

12/2/2021

This year’s Fellowship Match Day on December 1, 2021, was a success for many of the Department of Medicine residents seeking subspecialty fellowships, as well as the department’s own fellowship programs.

Residency director, Andrew Coyle, MD, says he is excited to see so many residents remain at UW-Madison’s strong...

Dr. Amy Kind named inaugural Associate Dean for Social Health Sciences and Programs

12/2/2021

Amy Kind, MD, PhD, professor, Geriatrics and Gerontology, has been named inaugural Associate Dean for Social Health Sciences and Programs at UW SMPH.

In this role, she will oversee and create synergies among the school’s current and future initiatives focused on the underlying mechanisms and the eradication of health disparities...

At the Bench

What we published in November 2021

12/2/2021

1. Bal S, Malek E, Kansagra A, Usmani SZ, Vij R, Godby KN, Cornell RF, Kang Y, Umyarova E, Giri S, Chhabra S, Liedtke M, Callander NS, Hari P, Kumar S, Costa LJ. Treatment outcomes of triple class refractory multiple myeloma: a benchmark for new therapies. Leukemia. 2021. 2. Breyer...

At the Bench

Breaking down fungal biofilm defenses provides potential path to treating sticky infections

David Andes, MD, professor, Infectious Disease

11/16/2021

In a new study designed to better understand and combat biofilm, a sticky, armor-like goo, that encases clusters of disease-causing organisms, David Andes, MD, professor, Infectious Disease, and his collaborators identified some of the key proteins in biofilms of the fungus Candida albicans that control both how they resist antifungal...

At the Bench

What we published in October 2021

11/11/2021

1. Arias F, Alegria M, Kind AJ, Jones RN, Travison TG, Marcantonio ER, Schmitt EM, Fong TG, Inouye SK. A framework of social determinants of health for delirium tailored to older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2021. 2. Astor BC, Hirschman K, Kennedy J, Frinak S, Besarab A. Development and...

At the Bedside

UW Health treats first patient in U.S. with investigational cell therapy for heart disease

10/29/2021

Appleton resident Donald Krause became the first patient in the country last week to undergo an investigational cell therapy for a debilitating heart condition called chronic myocardial ischemia (CMI). Krause, who’s been suffering from CMI for years, volunteered to be part of the Phase III CardiAMP Cell Therapy Trial at...

Tools of the Trade

Dr. Cynthia Carlsson selected as Chair of the federal Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care, and Services

10/28/2021

Cynthia Carlsson, MD, MS, professor, Geriatrics and Gerontology, director of the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute and clinical core leader of the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center will serve as the next Chair of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care, and Services. This...

At the Bench

Perceived value of implicit bias workshop can impact faculty’s attendance, engagement

10/28/2021

Equity and inclusion in academic medicine is a highly sought-after change and big task for any department. One way organizations initiate this change is through educational interventions, like training and workshops for faculty. However, these interventions are only effective if faculty attend. That is why Molly Carnes, MD, MS, professor...

At the Bench

Fasting is required to see the full benefit of calorie restriction in mice

10/18/2021

Over the last few decades, scientists have discovered that long-term calorie restriction provides a wealth of benefits in animals: lower weight, better blood sugar control, even longer lifespans. Researchers have largely assumed that reduced food intake drove these benefits by reprogramming metabolism. But a new study led by Dudley Lamming...

Tools of the Trade

Drs. Shenikqua Bouges, Christine Sharkey, named UW School of Medicine and Public Health Centennial Scholar, Centennial Clinician

Drs. Shenikqua Bouges and Christine Sharkey

10/14/2021

Shenikqua Bouges, MD, assistant professor, Geriatrics and Gerontology, and Christine Sharkey, MD, clinical assistant professor, Rheumatology, were accepted into the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) Centennial Scholars/Centennial Clinicians Program.  The competitive program develops faculty whose diversity enhances the quality of education, clinical care and research...

Tools of the Trade

Getting to Know You: Q&As from New Faculty and Chief Residents Joining the Department of Medicine in 2020-2021

10/14/2021

Vital Signs is featuring introductions to many of the new faculty members and chief residents who joined us over the past year. Each has been invited to provide some background about their primary professional focus in clinical, research, and/or medical education, what drew them to UW-Madison, their hopes and dreams...

Tools of the Trade

Dr. Nasia Safdar named inaugural associate dean for clinical trials

9/30/2021

Nasia Safdar, MD, PhD, professor, Infectious Disease, has been named the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health’s inaugural associate dean for clinical trials and the research director of the new Wisconsin Medicine Institute for Clinical Trials, a joint venture between the school and UW Health. As associate...