Voices of UMass Chan

On Sunday, June 1, Chancellor Michael F. Collins delivered an optimistic message focused on the success of the graduates, in spite of the shadow that lingers from federal funding uncertainties. Listen to the full speech at UMass Chan Medical School's 52 Commencement ceremony in this new episode. Read about the ceremony at UMass Chan news: https://www.umassmed.edu/news/news-archives/2025/06/a-hope-...

National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt, PhD, delivered the 2025 Commencement address at UMass Chan Medical School on June 3. Listen to Dr. McNutt's full speech in this podcast episode. Dr. McNutt and the others also received honorary degrees during the ceremony. Learn more about the recipients on UMass Chan news: https://www.umassmed.edu/news/news-archives/2025/06/video-learn-about-u...

Lourah Kelly, PhD, discusses avatar therapy for alcohol use and suicide prevention in a new Voices of UMass Chan podcast. More resources can be found at the following link: https://www.umassmed.edu/TransitionsACR/resources/mental-health-resources/

UMass Chan expands its program for underrepresented students on their path to medical school. Since its inception more than a decade ago, the Baccalaureate MD Pathway Program has provided academic guidance, mentorship and essential resources to more than 160 students from UMass Chan’s undergraduate campuses. This year students from Worcester State University can apply into the program. Application...

In a new Voices of UMass Chan podcast, Jason Kim, PhD, professor of molecular medicine and medicine and director of the Metabolic Disease Research Center, discussed his research into the link between Alzheimer’s disease and type 2 diabetes.

In a new Voices of UMass Chan podcast, Crista Johnson-Agbakwu, MD, professor of obstetrics & gynecology and population & quantitative health sciences and executive director of the UMass Chan Collaborative in Health Equity, shares her journey from a first-generation Caribbean immigrant to accomplished physician and health equity advocate.

Chancellor Michael F. Collins kicked off a new Voices of UMass Chan podcast season by highlighting the growth and future of UMass Chan Medical School and how it is shaping the future of health care.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, director general of the World Health Organization, delivered the keynote address and received an honorary degree when UMass Chan Medical School celebrated the opening of the new education and research building. Listen to his speech.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey delivered the Commencement address at UMass Chan Medical School on June 2. She celebrated the Classes of 2024 from the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing, the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and the T.H. Chan School of Medicine. Gov. Healey was presented with a Chancellor’s Medal prior to her speech. Listen to the full speech in the podcast....

In the latest episode of Voices of UMass Chan, Cherise Hamblin, MD, delves into the critical topic of black maternal health and the significance of Black Maternal Health Week at UMass Chan Medical School. For a full list of events with registration information, head to the following link: https://www.umassmed.edu/news/news-archives/2024/03/black-maternal-health-week-at-umass-chan-to-address-dispar...

Margret Chang, MD, assistant professor of medicine and pediatrics and director of resident addiction curriculum in the Internal Medicine Residency Program at UMass Chan Medical School, and her team at Tri-River Family Health Center in Uxbridge have developed an addiction treatment program in the primary care setting. In a new Voices of UMass Chan podcast, Dr. Chang explains how their team-based ap...

In a new Voices of UMass Chan podcast, John P. Haran, MD’07, PhD’18, and Ethan Loew, MD/PhD student, shed light on their ongoing research to better understand the connection between the gut microbiome and cognitive health, particularly how it impacts older people. For more information on the study, go to: https://www.umassmed.edu/haranresearchgroup/ You can also reach the research team via email:...

In a new Voices of UMass Chan podcast, Marcus Ruscetti, PhD, assistant professor of molecular, cell & cancer biology, shares his journey into the field of science. Dr. Ruscetti’s parents, Frank and Sandy Ruscetti, are retired scientists from the National Cancer Institute, and he said he initially tried not to follow in their footsteps. Learn more about his work: https://www.umassmed.edu/ruscettila...

The Center for Accelerating Practices to End Suicide through Technology Translation (CAPES) at UMass Chan is focused on figuring out how to accelerate best practices into clinical care across a range of health care settings. Learn more at umassmed.edu/news

In a new Voices of UMass Chan podcast episode, learn about the new accelerated three-year MD Program at UMass Chan Medical School. Medical students interested in enrolling in the program can find out more info at: https://www.umassmed.edu/som/academics/aMD-AcceleratedMD/

Palliative care expert Sunita Puri, MD, associate professor of medicine, delves into the complexities surrounding cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR. Drawing from her extensive experience in the field of palliative care, Dr. Puri sheds light on the hidden harms of CPR and challenges prevailing beliefs. Read about her recent article in The New Yorker for further insights into the complexities of...

David McManus, MD’02, MSc and Neil Marya, MD’12, discuss how artificial intelligence will impact the field of medicine and research.

In a new Voices of UMass Chan podcast episode, Grace Ryan, PhD, assistant professor of population & quantitative health sciences, discusses her research into vaccine hesitancy, particularly the parallels between the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and COVID-19 vaccines rollout.

Chancellor Michael F. Collins kicked off the first episode of a new Voices of UMass Chan podcast season days after he welcomed UMass Chan Medical School’s largest medical school class in history. In the podcast, Collins sheds light on UMass Chan’s milestones and its pursuit of excellence as the community advances together.

Katie Couric, former host of NBC’s Today show and anchor of CBS Evening News, and co-founder of cancer research charity Stand Up To Cancer, was presented with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree and delivered the Commencement address for the 50th Commencement at UMass Chan Medical School. Watch the full UMass Chan Commencement on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dTcvQOMqp0 Watch a...

In a new Voices of UMass Chan podcast, Ana Maldonado-Contreras, PhD, and Heidi Leftwich, DO, discuss their research on the role the gut microbiome plays in our overall health.

On June 17, UMass Chan Medical School and Central Mass Links are inviting the local community to participate in the Multicultural Women’s Health Summit, a free family wellness event, on Saturday, June 17, at UMass Chan in Worcester. The mission of the summit is for community members to learn about a wide range of health topics, including preventive care, chronic disease management and mental healt...

Dropped on a doorstep as a baby, second-year medical student Jennifer Marino promotes reproductive rights and food security. Read about her story on UMass Chan News: umassmed.edu/news

The burden of asthma falls disproportionately among people from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds and communities of color. Children are at risk for higher asthma rates, deaths and hospitalizations due to poor use of effective treatments. In the podcast, Michelle Trivedi, MD, MPH, associate professor of pediatrics, pediatric pulmonologist and asthma clinical researcher, discusses how sch...

Lupus is an auto-immune disease that affects millions around the world. It's most common in women and causes a person's immune to attack itself resulting in pain throughout the body. Because the illness often looks different in every patient, it can go undetected for years. Roberto Caricchio, MD, the Myles J. McDonough Chair of Rheumatology, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Rheum...