Going beneath the surface
THE SKIN
IN THIS ISSUE
Aspects of a Learner | Barra Madden
'Baby Brenna' is now a growing girl
Dermatology Interest Group helps SIU get 'Skin Smart'
FOLIATING FACTS & FIGURES
- Skin is comprised of 3 layers: the epidermis (the waterproof barrier that creates our skin tone), the dermis (tough connective tissue, hair follicles and sweat glands) and the subcutaneous tissue (hypodermis), made up of fat and connective tissue.
- Skin accounts for about 15% of our body weight.
- The average adult has approximately 21 square feet of skin (2 meters), weighing 9 pounds, containing more than 11 miles of blood vessels.
- The average person has about 300 million skin cells.
- Our skin is thickest on our feet (1.4mm) and thinnest on our eyelids (0.2mm).
Mattson new director of Alumni Affairs
Cassie Mattson has been named director of the Office of Alumni Affairs at SIU School of Medicine.
Alumni Affairs and the Alumni Society host events and outreach opportunities for former and current SIU students. The groups encourage connections with their alma mater and each other to foster lasting relationships and advance the school’s mission.
Mattson is a certified meeting professional with extensive experience in event development and management for associations and corporations. During her career, she developed an enthusiasm for growth- and engagement-focused programs, specifically in alumni relations. Mattson previously worked as manager of events and the Future Leaders Alliance at the Illinois Bankers Association. She succeeds Julie Robbs, who retired from SIU in December.
“Cassie will be a champion for our graduate physicians and for the world-class education our medical students receive,” said Jerry Kruse, MD, MSPH, dean and provost of SIU School of Medicine.
A native of New Berlin, Mattson plans to build on existing programs while exploring new avenues for networking, growth, wellness and advocacy within the Alumni Society. I’m excited for the future,” she said. “There’s a great framework already in place, and I see potential for more collaborations connecting everyone: students, residents and alumni.
► To welcome Cassie to her new role, email cmattson53@siumed.edu or send a message to the Alumni Facebook group at facebook.com/groups/SIUSOMAlumni.
Health DEPOTS to offer more access, advocacy
A new program will improve access to health screenings, services and information by placing health care professionals in popular locations around Springfield.
The Health DEPOTS (Delivering Equity Places Outside Traditional Settings) program aims to create a safe space for individuals to take charge of their health through improved health literacy and advocacy.
The project is a collaboration between SIU School of Medicine’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and faith-based and community organizations like the Springfield Urban League and local NAACP chapter.
“Increasing access to health care in underserved areas is one of many ways that we address health inequities,” says Marcus Johnson, president and CEO of the Springfield Urban League. “COVID-19 has increased existing gaps in care. This partnership and community health care outreach strategy is designed to build a bridge that reduces it.”
“SIU School of Medicine has committed to being an antiracist institution, and we consider our partnerships with the community to be fundamental,” says Wendi El-Amin, MD, associate dean of equity, diversity and inclusion at SIU. “The new Health DEPOTS program allows us to build a greater level of trust and create more spaces for health education.”
“We want people to find us in the places they normally frequent and be able to get screened or monitored for hypertension, diabetes and obesity,” she explains.
The medical school is providing equipment for the Health DEPOTS and training health ambassadors to properly use the equipment. The DEPOTS will be located in community centers, churches, schools and other neighborhood gathering places.
“With increasing racial and ethnic diversity in our nation, it is important to use a culturally oriented approach to address the health needs of the community,” says Taiwo Akinsoji, MD, program coordinator of culturally responsive health initiatives at SIU Medicine.
New scholars program to boost student research, recognition
Over the last 50+ years, the school of medicine has produced numerous physician scientists who have improved health care through basic, translational and clinical research. SIU alumni have gone on to research roles that include acting director-level positions at the National Insitutes of Health, Harvard, Mayo Clinic and more. For many of these investigators, their interests were nurtured during their time at SIU when lab and clinical research opportunities were offered alongside medical training.
This year, the Educational Policy Council will begin offering a new opportunity within the SIU School of Medicine medical student curriculum. The Research Scholars Program is a elective program that will facilitate recognition for medical students who make a dedicated effort to complete research over their four years and allow them to graduate as an SIU School of Medicine Research Scholar, with the designation appearing in both their residency application (via ERAS) and the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (Dean's letter). Additionally, students will be recognized with a certificate at graduation.
A group of SIU medical students associated with the Research Interest Group (RIG) led the grassroots efforts to develop the new program. During the last two years, they collaborated with faculty both at SIU and at outside institutions to find a model that works best for the school of medicine curriculum. The students involved in its creation are Matt Mannion, Nic Revelt, Taylor Badger, Sam Mounce, Emma Johns, Bridget McClain and Hannah Roberts.
The purpose of this new track is to acknowledge these accomplishments and build on the research already being done. The Research Scholars Program will allow students to graduate with recognition for their research efforts and create a venue to increase accessibility to research experiences for additional learners.
The curriculum will be administered through a group of faculty associated with the RIG on the Springfield campus. In Carbondale, Dr. Diana Sarko will facilitate the program with input from faculty directors of the Mentored Professional Enrichment Experience (MPEE) and Clinical and Research Experience (CARE).
Curriculum requirements will include research projects, abstract submissions to a conference or journal, participation in the SOM Research Symposium or the Teaching and Learning Symposium and a 6-week elective in the fourth year.
► Visit forwardfunder.siumed.edu/researchscholars to make a donation. Your gift will support our medical students who are interested in pursuing research during their medical education.
Prakash named new associate dean, CMO at SIU Medicine
Vidhya Prakash, MD, has been appointed to the dual position of chief medical officer and associate dean of clinical affairs and population health at SIU Medicine.
Dr. Prakash joined SIU School of Medicine in 2014 as an assistant professor of internal medicine. She was subsequently promoted to professor. Most recently, she was the Department of Internal Medicine’s vice chair of clinical affairs and chair of the Clinical Competency Committee.
Dr. Prakash is the founder and director of the SIU Alliance for Women in Medicine and Science (AWIMS). Through that position, she has led institutional efforts for a more streamlined and equitable promotion process. She also serves as chair of the Health and Healthcare Committee, Illinois Council on Women and Girls and as chair of the Illinois Department of Public Health Diversity in Health Care Task Force. She is chair of the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) membership committee.
“Dr. Prakash has been an outstanding physician, teacher and mentor,” says SIU Dean and Provost Jerry Kruse, MD, MSPH. “Her leadership and expertise will be essential as we address the many opportunities in clinical medicine and population health, and develop systems of care that are more effective, efficient, equitable and enjoyable.”
“I am eager to work with our health care team to fulfill our mission and achieve our vision of better health for all,” says Dr. Prakash. “We are fortunate to have the best people working closely with our hospital and community partners to serve our patients in central and southern Illinois.”
A native of Cincinnati, Prakash is a U.S. Air Force veteran. She received her medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. She completed an internal medicine residency program and a fellowship in infectious disease at the San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium. She held faculty positions at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland, and at the Boonshoft School of Medicine and the School of Aerospace Medicine in Dayton, Ohio. She is also a published author, with her book “Learning to Listen: A Memoir” available on Amazon.
'No Title for Tracey' brings a valedictory moment at last
A documentary project led to a redemptive moment nearly four decades in the making this spring. Tracey Meares was the first black valedictorian of Springfield High School in 1984, but was never given the honor of the title. Meares is now one of the nation's top legal scholars and thought leaders on justice at Yale School of Law.
The documentary, 'No Title for Tracey,' was produced and directed by first-time filmmaker and long-time SIU Medicine scientific photographer Maria Ansley. Ansley learned about Meares' story at a gathering of friends that included Meares' sister, Nicole Florence, MD, an SIU School of Medicine alumna ('96). The reoccurring themes of race, recognition and the importance of representation motivated Ansley and others to pursue the project.
Following a viewing at the Hoogland Center for the Arts on April 16, a panel discussed Meares' story, the importance of acknowledgment and having meaningful conversations about the legacy of racism in education. During the forum, Springfield Public School District 186 Superintendent Jennifer Gill presented Meares with an official valedictorian medal and title.
In recognition of Meares' achievement, Michael Neumeister, MD, and other representatives of SIU Medicine's Institute for Plastic Surgery announced a new scholarship: the Tracey Meares Representation Matters Scholarship. Its goal is to give students from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine an opportunity to experience firsthand what it would be like to be an SIU plastic surgery resident.
Kenniebrew speaker shares language, options to use to support others
Sunny Nakae, PhD, offered lessons in empowerment and building skills to “become an ally” at the 2022 Dr. Alonzo Kenniebrew Lecture on February 8. Nakae is senior associate dean for equity, inclusion, diversity and partnership at California University of Science and Medicine.
Her virtual talk focused on the importance of allies in combating and correcting injustice and mistreatment in the workplace, institutions and the public sphere. She drew inspiration from her family history. Nakae’s Asian-American grandparents ran a California orchard and were sent to the U.S. internment camps during World War II. While away, a neighbor maintained their property and business.
The mindset required to be an ally in uncomfortable situations can be learned, Nakae says, when we unlearn some of our standard emotional responses.
“We can step up in these moments and act in a positive way. We can do it in ways that safeguard ourselves and our colleagues from further harm,” she says. “You are not just defending others; you are liberating yourself. Inclusive excellence is about unlocking our full potential.”
The day after the presentation, SIU School of Medicine hosted the Alonzo Homer Kenniebrew, MD Forum on Health Inequities and Disparities to expand upon Dr. Nakae’s ally building lessons. Kerri Michelle Lockhart, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics at Rush University Medical Center and Rush University Medical Group, and SIU medical school alumna (2010), moderated the online discussion. The forum encouraged community members to delve deeper into honest conversations about trust, race and health.
The events are named after the first Black physician in the United States to build and operate a private surgical hospital. Dr. Kenniebrew established the New Home Sanitarium in Jacksonville, Illinois, in 1909 after area hospitals refused him admitting privileges.
Kenniebrew Awards
At the Kenniebrew lecture, a pair of awards were announced to honor an individual and group who continue the groundbreaking work that Dr. Kenniebrew modeled.
Robert Blackwell received the Kenniebrew Trailblazer Award, “an honor that illuminates the legacy of equity ambassadors like Mr. Blackwell,” saysWendi El-Amin, MD, assistant dean for equity, diversity and inclusion at SIU School of Medicine. “His daily efforts to foster inclusiveness and fairness in state and municipal programs have improved the lives of countless citizens in Springfield and across the state of Illinois.”
Blackwell served with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) for 25 years, retiring in 2021. He was appointed chief of the Office of Racial Equity Practice in 2012, where he led the department’s efforts to address and eliminate racial disparities and disproportionality in the Illinois Child Welfare System.
From 1977 to 1984, he worked as a counselor, job developer and program director for the Springfield Urban League. In 1984, he joined DCFS, where he served in a variety of executive-level management positions until 1992. From 1992 to 2004, Blackwell served as executive director of the Springfield Housing Authority and then established the consulting firm Ujima Management Consultants, Inc. He returned to DCFS in 2004.
The SIU School of Medicine chapter of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) received the 2022 Kenniebrew Equity Award. The students of SNMA are self-described “social justice warriors” who dedicate their time to improving both the SIU community and minoritized communities in Springfield. Through numerous projects, its members have been instrumental in improving access to care in the region. “We are extremely proud of the SNMA and grateful for their innovative community outreach, especially during the pandemic,” says Dr. El-Amin.
A focus on childhood cancers
In the 1950s and '60s, being diagnosed with pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia was like a death sentence, says Greg Brandt, MD, pediatric oncologist/hematologist at SIU Medicine. Since then, survival rates have steadily climbed, and today there's even more reason to be optimistic, he says.
Dr. Brandt was interviewed as part of the PBS program "InFocus," which chronicled some of the work being done by organizations and health care professionals to help children and families in those perilous situations. Watch the program here:
2021 American College of Physicians honors
A number of SIU School of Medicine faculty, an alumna and a learner were among the recipients of the Illinois Chapter of the American College of Physicians (ACP) Awards for 2021. Peers, colleagues and mentors made the nominations; the ACP Illinois Awards Committee selected the winners. A virtual awards ceremony took place on February 17.
HONOREES:
- Christine Todd, MD - Illinois Southern Women Physician of the Year
- Gary Rull, MD - Illinois Southern Teaching and Mentorship Award
- Martha Hlafka, MD - Illinois Southern Early Career Physician
- Vidya Sundareshan, MD - Illinois Physician Hero Award
- Tyler Maggio, MS4 - Illinois Southern Outstanding Medical Student Award
- Kelly Roth, MD, Class of '19, (now w/ Carle) - Illinois Southern Outstanding Resident Award
ACGME honors Rodgers
The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education selected Jennifer Rodgers for its 2022 Institutional Coordinator Excellence Award. Rodgers is director of graduate medical education and institutional coordinator at SIU School of Medicine. Her nomination was selected from among a national field of talented institutional GME coordinators in graduate medical education. Rodgers was recognized at the ACGME Annual Educational Conference on March 30-April 1.
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Barra Madden
After graduation, fourth-year medical student and MEDPREP alumna Barra Madden is heading to Duke University to complete a psychiatry residency. Though she began with dreams of becoming a professional dancer, the multi-talented dynamo experienced personal and familial health challenges that forever changed her life – and her career path.
Tell us about your childhood.
I was born and raised in Rochester, New York. As a child, I always wanted to be an entertainer; I loved performing and dancing. I was so sure that I would be a famous dancer one day. My dream was to tour around the world with Beyoncé as a back-up dancer. My dream later switched to medicine after witnessing my grandmother’s health decline due to diabetes.
What’s the oddest or your most favorite job you had as a teen?
It’s a tie between McDonalds and Episcopal Senior Life Nursing Home. McDonalds was my first real part-time job and I enjoyed creating my own unique McFlurry and shakes. You must try Oreos, apple pie, and vanilla ice cream mixed. You will thank me later!
I also loved working at the nursing home as wait-staff, serving meals to the elderly residents. They truly became my family, and I would spend time with them on my days off. The hardest part of this job was becoming too attached and later having to attend funerals of those who I truly began to love over the years.
Tell us about your educational path.
I attended the University of Rochester in New York, and obtained a BS in molecular genetics. I did a minor in epidemiology and a cluster in American Sign Language (ASL). If I could rewind time, I would have majored in ASL because I loved learning about the culture.
I graduated from the University of Rochester in 2015 and felt extremely burnt out after school. I knew that I needed a break and sought an opportunity to work as a medical scribe in the emergency department for one year. I then enrolled in the Medical/Dental Education Preparatory Program (MEDPREP) for two years before matriculating into medical school.
What inspired you to become a doctor?
My grandmother, Lavivian Brown, is my reason for medicine. I watched her health began to deteriorate when I was a teenager. She had unmanaged diabetes that led to kidney failure, and has since been on dialysis for the past 16 years. She is the epitome of strength and my role model in life. I had a bad connotation of medicine and the health care field after attending a lot of clinical visits with her. The physician-patient relationship lacked compassion — my grandmother was her diagnosis and that alone.
My life changed in 2012 when I became a patient for the first time. At the age of 19, I had a stroke in my sleep. Through this experience, my perspective of health care and medicine was changed. The neurologist showed me compassion, talked about my education and extracurricular activities, and was truly invested in Barra as an individual — not a diagnosis. At this moment, I knew medicine was my destiny. I aspired to be the physician that could show people compassion and provide hope during the darkest moments of their life.
What are your plans after earning your MD degree?
I am going to be a psychiatrist. I came into medical school thinking emergency medicine and quickly fell in love with psychiatry. I have chosen a career in psychiatry to provide patient-centered health care to populations made medically, socially and economically vulnerable due to systemic inequities. I am committed to serving marginalized communities via social justice advocacy, health equity and mental health reform.
What might we find you doing outside of school?
I am a Zumba instructor! Outside of school, you can find me holding free classes for the community of Springfield. I started Zumba in 2019 at the YMCA and immediately loved the sense of community, fun and networking opportunities. I soon began to realize that only a certain demographic was present during most of these classes. I wanted everyone to experience the love of Zumba despite financial limitations. I began partnering with minority churches in the community, and we now hold classes on a bi-monthly basis.
What I love the most about my time spent at SIU is the opportunity to join groups and committees and make a difference at our institution. I am the past co-president of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA), an organization founded in 1964 as a subdivision of the National Medical Association. SNMA has a goal of increasing minority enrollment at medical schools across the country.
What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
People would be surprised to know that I am an introvert. I have a sociable personality and love spending time with friends, but I really value my alone time.
Also, during my gap year, I was featured in a music video dancing choreography with a dance team in Rochester, New York. That was such an amazing experience.
What’s your motto or favorite quote?
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress,” by Frederick Douglass. Through my experiences, I learned that life is not easy and there will be many challenges and setbacks. I now embrace my struggles and utilize them as tools to help me advance in my career. Every morning, I look in the mirror and say, “I am resilient, and I have the strength to overcome any challenge in life.”
My family is my everything and the biggest cheerleaders in life. My mother name is Pamela and my dad name is Barry. I have 3 siblings; Kentrayl (older brother), Takara (older sister), and Perriyone (younger brother). I also have 5 nieces and nephews. We are a close-knit family and being away in medical school (distance of 12 hours to be exact) was a challenge. We talk every day and have weekly zoom calls. I have an “invasive” family — there are no secrets between us, and I love that. Everyone is extremely outgoing, and we love to laugh. I always say that we need a TV show in the future because we are a hilarious family that loves to have fun!
GOING PLACES
Match Day reveals paths ahead
SIU’s fourth-year students learned their future medical training destinations from the National Resident Matching Program on March 18. The Class of 2022 was able to gather with family, friends and faculty at the Memorial Learning Center in Springfield. It was the first SIU Match Day open to the public since 2019.
The students have experienced a unique journey through medical school, disrupted by a pandemic that made learning more challenging and adaptability paramount. It also underscored the pressing need for more physicians and scientists within the U.S. health care system.
Erik Constance, MD, oversaw his final Match Day as associate dean of student affairs and admissions, a position he has held since 1995. He will be stepping down this summer. “The members of this class know the critical roles they have to fill – and they’ve matched into some excellent training programs,” he says.
‘Baby Brenna’ is now a growing girl
Brenna Westlake was born in December 2011 with Harlequin Ichthyosis (HI), a very rare and sometimes fatal skin disease. Babies born with HI lack a protein that moves fats to the skin’s surface layer to create a strong barrier. They develop thick, scaly skin, have trouble maintaining a consistent body temperature and are susceptible to sepsis and dehydration.
Through a united effort, a team of SIU physicians and caregivers, led by neonatologist Dharmendra Nimavat, MD, and pediatric dermatologist Joseph Conlon, assisted Brenna’s parents, Courtney and Evan Westlake, to overcome the many challenges of her condition. Brenna was released from the HSHS St. John’s Hospital NICU 38 days after her birth. She went home to meet her older brother Connor and begin what would be an extraordinary life.
The story of Brenna’s early care was chronicled in the Spring 2012 issue of Aspects. Now 10 years later, we check in with her mother Courtney to see how the precocious fifth grader and her family are doing.
Brenna is your second child. Every child’s birth brings a new dynamic to the family, but her genetic condition took it to a whole other level. How did you, Evan and Connor adjust to her special needs as an infant and toddler?
Brenna’s disorder has impacted our family in every possible way. It truly affects us every day. But it does not define us, and it does not define her. It was extremely challenging and stressful when she was young, and we were learning to care for her needs. But it became second-nature after a while, and it’s much easier today as she can communicate how she’s feeling and what she needs.
Raising Brenna has certainly changed so much of our perspective on parenting, our faith, beauty, and has really changed the way we live. But at the core, it has made our family much stronger and close-knit, too.
How were the care teams able to assist you during Brenna’s formative years? Were there times when you were learning things together?
Since Harlequin is so rare, learning to care for Brenna’s needs was definitely a team effort. We spoke with other families around the world to ask questions and share experiences, and our medical team conferred with other physicians who had more experience with ichthyosis. We have an incredible medical team who were willing to admit when they didn’t have an answer, so we could all try to find the answer together. They’ve also been open to trying new medicines or approaches, and they defer to us as the “experts” who are daily living with this condition.
What were the biggest challenges?
Because the skin is the largest organ of the body, Harlequin ichthyosis affects many facets of Brenna’s health. One of the biggest challenges over the last 10 years has been temperature concerns. Brenna is unable to sweat and has trouble maintaining her body temperature. Most times we leave the house, we bring clothing layers like a jacket and hat as well as cooling products like a spray bottle and cooling vest that she wears to keep her core body temperature down. We have really pushed Brenna to recognize when she is overheating; now that she understands that and is responsible about what she needs to do to cool off, it has eased some of our concerns during summertime outdoor activities.
Another challenge has been balancing health concerns with living a fulfilling and productive life. The most impactful way our medical team, especially Dr. (Joseph) Conlon, helped us was to encourage us to try everything we would “typically” do as a family, even if we needed to get creative on how to accommodate Brenna. Because of that support, we’ve been able to experience activities with her that we never expected when she was first born, from summertime tubing on the lake to hiking in national parks to international travel.
What is Brenna’s current health routine like?
Brenna’s health routine is actually pretty unchanged from infancy; we’re just much more used to it! When I think about listing off everything we do on a daily basis, it sounds like a lot, but at this point, it doesn’t feel like a lot.
Our most important activity each day is her bath, so her body can soak up the moisture and we can rub off all of the extra skin that has built up over the last day. This lasts around 1.5 hours, but we all love that it’s also a built-in time to connect one-on-one with her. She still receives applications of Aquaphor lotion on her entire body around 4-5 times a day, and she will always require a lot of extra calories to make up for her excess skin production – thankfully she loves to eat!
Over the years, we have tried to foster independence and healthy decision-making as much as possible. Now that she’s 10, Brenna communicates with her doctors, we talk to her about medications and what they are used for, and we ask her what she thinks she needs when her skin is itchy or uncomfortable, so that she can take ownership over her skincare as she gets older.
Can you share a story about something that has surprised you recently, when you thought you were ‘beyond surprising’?
Evan: I always thought that Brenna wouldn't be able to play team sports due to her physical limitations. In fall 2021, she decided to join a rec soccer team. She has competed for eight months to the best of her ability and truly enjoyed every game with her teammates. At the game this week, she scored a goal. We are proud to see her participate in something unexpected and far outside of her comfort zone.
Courtney: This is a more negative approach to this question, but I don’t think I will ever stop being surprised at how blatantly rude and unkind some people can be in regards to the appearance of Brenna’s skin – both adults and children. I’m grateful that God has filled her heart with His love and purpose so that she is confident in how she was created and often able to laugh off people’s pointing and disrespectful comments.
Courtney, you have channeled some of your experiences as a mom and woman of faith into your writing, in a blog and in the book “A Different Beautiful.” What therapeutic and educational values arose from it?
Personally, writing about our experiences – in my book – helped me to process what I was feeling and what we were going through. It also connected me to parents around the world who could relate to raising a child with special needs, so life didn’t feel so overwhelming or isolating in those early days. But even better, sharing helped to educate others about ichthyosis. I heard from a woman who ended up marrying her husband (affected by a different type of ichthyosis) after she read about Brenna. We became close with another family who chose to adopt two children with ichthyosis after they read about what Brenna’s daily care entailed and felt encouraged they could assume those responsibilities. We know God was working within our story to connect us to families like those, just as He has worked through so many others to help us over the years.
► Watch to learn more about what’s keeping Brenna busy right now.
SKIN ENGINEERING
Tissue and knowledge grow in SIU's Regenerative Medicine Lab
By Steve Sandstrom | Illustration by Lauren Woldanski, MD
Within an operating room, surgeons sometimes notice little things that they wish they could do better. A change that could improve the medical outcome or the patient’s post-op convalescence is not to be ignored.
For Michael Neumeister, MD, professor and endowed chair of SIU’s Department of Surgery, a recurring concern involved “borrowing.” Removing healthy tissue from one site on the anatomy to fix another is common practice in reconstructive surgery. It helps a patient’s recovery from a body trauma caused by cancer, an accident or a congenital abnormality. For instance, Dr. Neumeister would take bone and skin from a person’s leg to fix a missing section of the jaw.
As appreciative as his patients were for the repairs he had made, he knew this was causing them a new, secondary source of discomfort. Dr. Neumeister began investigating what was scientifically possible to minimize the use of these donor sites.
The process of tissue engineering had gained popularity in the ‘90s, and Dr. Neumeister made it his research focus.
“I thought, what if I could restore form and function with something created in the lab, or even better, within your own body, by allowing the fluids and growth proteins that we all have to make a scar matrix or a trachea by modifying the environment in say, the leg, to create something that we can then move up to the neck,” he says.
Twenty-five years later, what was once theory is now closer to practice. Dr. Neumeister directs research projects to build back better in SIU’s Regenerative Medicine and Microsurgical Education Laboratory. The lab’s innovations include developing hair-bearing skin using hair follicle stem cells; modifying fat to form nerve, cartilage and bone; ear and trachea reconstruction; and actual bone reconstruction.
Lab manager Carrie Harrison, researcher Michelle Randle and a team of young resident physicians are working with Neumeister to take the next steps to advance tissue engineering, and resolve the scarring left from borrowing. The translational goal is to bring this type of basic science research out of the lab and into the O.R. and clinics as quickly and safely as possible.
The corps of residents provide more than labor at the bench. Dr. Neumeister sees it as a way to invigorate the science. “I encourage them to have their own ideas, come to me with questions and together we’ll try to solve them and find the right answers.” They collaborate on grant proposals to generate funding or Neumeister will see if internal funds are available.
The surgical chair is comfortable complementing work in both clinical and basic science research. “Not everyone has an aptitude for basic science, but every one of the residents is inquisitive,” he says.
BODY REBUILDERS
Regenerative medicine is a field that promotes creative thinking and pioneering lab engagement. “But it is not just about creating new tissue. It is manipulating cells to heal themselves,” Dr. Neumeister says. The science has been revolutionized by adding the patient’s own stem cells into the formula. Adipose stem cells derived from fat or epithelial (skin) stem cells can be combined with a specific mixture of supplements to create various tissues: skin, nerves, bone or cartilage.
“We can take a biopsy of skin from the patient, take it to the lab, dissolve it down to individual cells and then grow up a confluent sheet of skin to replace skin that’s missing, for instance, to help recovery from severe burns,” he says.
The FDA has regulations about taking the cells out of a person’s body, manipulating them and bringing them back, but a few companies are licensed to do it for specific purposes.
Two of the lab’s current projects involve using proven methods to improve surgical outcomes: cold plasma technology to sterilize skin wound areas, and the creation of a tissue “tower” containing multiple structural layers. The tower can replace a deeper injured area of a patient’s wound, from the outer epidermis down to the bone.
BONE SCAFFOLDING
An earlier study proved Dr. Neumeister’s team could grow osteoid, the foundation for bone, and integrate blood vessels that would provide circulation. But the constructs lacked the normal physiological properties that give bone its regenerative strength.
His new research entails a several-step process, beginning with bone development. A collaboration with orthopedic resident Austin Beason, MD, and plastic surgery resident Danielle Olla, MD, will use stem cells, coaxing them into bone. When combined with medical-grade glue and a blood vessel inside a tube, the cells form bone tissue. The vessel delivers nutrients to the growing cells and removes the waste.
Dr. Beason is using scaffolds as an osteoconductive matrix for the stem cells to adhere to and develop into bone.
What does a bone scaffold look like?
“It’s small; it’s a little ladder that fits in a petri dish,” Dr. Beason says. The adipose-derived, spongy material can then be customized to span the bone defect.
The next step for these experiments: giving the scaffolds a reliable blood supply and adding cartilage. Drs. Neumeister and Olla will engineer the process using microsurgical techniques. The group has grant funding for a proof of concept study to pursue the work in an animal model.
COLD PLASMA
A site visit to Carbondale 20 years ago sparked Dr. Neumeister’s interest in cold plasma. In this context, “plasma” is not referring to the yellowish component in blood. Rather, it’s the substance that is all around us, similar to a gas but with an electrical charge that causes it to behave differently through electrical interactions. Cold plasma is non-thermal. A machine bombards electrodes with argon, creating a blue flame that is warm to the touch, around 97 degrees, but doesn’t burn the skin.
With the downstate research collaboration, Neumeister proved that cold plasma was able to sterilize exposed meat, giving it an anti-microbial benefit. The finding would have numerous applications in a hospital setting. It could aid patients with large burns and protect against MRSA, the antibiotic-resistant infections that are sometimes present in medical environments.
At the time of the experiments, the cold plasma machine took up most of the room in a Carbondale lab. Today, the same result is achieved from a device slightly larger than a rolling suitcase. An even smaller model resembles a hand-held pen. Cold plasma use is prevalent in Europe, but has yet to receive FDA approval in the United States.
Jim Bruce, MD, a fourth-year plastic surgery resident, is eager to change that. Working with Neumeister and Dr. Brian Mailey, Bruce is conducting corroborating studies on the benefits of cold plasma as a sterilizing method.
Burn infections are difficult to treat and a common cause of death in burn patients. “The bacteria that infect burns are notorious for rapid development of antibiotic resistance,” says Dr. Bruce. “One of the advantages of cold plasma is that bacteria and fungus can’t become resistant to it.”
Dr. Bruce’s interest in burn recovery dates back to high school, when he was a burn patient at Loyola Medical Center in Chicago. While there, he contracted a serious infection that prolonged his course of treatment. But it also inspired his interest in a career in cellular biology and medicine. While pursuing his doctorate at Loyola University, he was able to assist on research with the physician who had treated his burn.
The regenerative medicine lab’s cold plasma machine has been used in Europe for treating diabetic foot ulcers and chronically infected wounds. Bruce, Mailey and Neumeister will repeat and expand upon studies that have shown efficacy overseas, publish their results and move it another step closer to wider acceptance. “It would be amazing to be a part of the FDA approval for this,” Bruce says.
Designing and executing these projects on a small, controlled scale in the lab provides confidence in the proof of a model. With each success in the layers of research and development, a belief is strengthened: If it can be done here, it can be streamlined and reproduced within the medical community. It is not just feasible; it can be made clinically available to patients in the very near future.
A 'DREAM' DESTINATION
FOCUS AND FLEXIBILITY BUILD FORMIDABLE DERMATOLOGY RESIDENCY PROGRAM
By Steve Sandstrom
Fourth-year dermatology resident Cassandra Johnson, MD, remembers her Match Day well.
An initial interest in psychiatry waned during her time studying medicine at Loma Linda University in California, replaced by the desire to become a dermatologist.
“I opened my envelope, then I was just screaming and jumping up and down.” The Spirit Lake, Iowa, native was excited that after four years of medical school on the West Coast, her new training ground would be drivable for her and her family.
But it was bigger than that. “Derm is so competitive, most of us were nervous that we could even get into the field. I’d ranked into my dream specialty, and I really wanted to come to SIU.”
A first visit to Springfield had been just as memorable for the co-chief resident, for other reasons. In the pre-pandemic days, residency interviews were almost always in person. “I drove in a blizzard. We had dinner the night before with all the residents at someone’s house. We talked and played games, which was different than all the other places that I’d been.”
In hindsight, Dr. Johnson estimates that doing virtual residency interviews would have saved her roughly $20,000 in travel expenses. Yet she has no regrets. “I wouldn’t have got as good a sense of the program. On paper and online, there are bigger, more well-funded programs, but once you’re here, you can see it’s like a community, a family atmosphere. Everyone is very close and understanding.”
The communal spirit is cited regularly by the spectrum of residents involved in the program, and over decades it has become the tradition within the Department of Internal Medicine’s Division of Dermatology.
The current residency program director, Sacharitha Bowers, MD, credits her predecessor – division chief Lucinda Buescher, MD – with instilling it in the practice, its providers and residents back in Dr. Bowers’ formative years.
A Bloomington native, Bowers is an alumna of SIU School of Medicine (2004) and its dermatology residency program (2009). She brings a heightened sensitivity to the pressures facing medical students as they run the gauntlet of interviews leading up to Match Day. Her own experiences a generation ago were both jarring and redemptive.
“I got the call from [Associate Dean of Students] Dr. Constance on Monday of Match Week. He said, ‘Sach, you didn’t match.’ It was heartbreaking.”
Setting aside her disappointment, Bowers decided to pursue a research fellowship in Minneapolis. She reapplied to the National Residency Matching Program in the fall. Her actual Match Day was celebrated amid the fourth-year students in the Class of 2005 at the University of Minnesota, who had graciously invited her to join them. She had matched with SIU School of Medicine.
“It’s a pretty sweet comeback story,” she says. “I’m now the program director at the program where I originally didn’t match.”
PREPARED TO PRACTICE, SUCCEED
The ongoing popularity of SIU’s Dermatology Residency Program is not surprising, Bowers says. The school’s mission has always been community focused, with an emphasis on clinical care for a diverse population. There are approximately 400 applicants each year for the three residency slots. (The field used to be even tighter, with only two slots. The current PGY3 class is the first expanded to three.)
Each resident begins with a preliminary medicine intern year, offering rotations in internal medicine specialties. Years 2-4 are spent in the dermatology clinics. SIU also provides training using continuity clinics, where residents see the same patients for three years. This longitudinal learning is another reason the program’s graduates have done well, Bowers says.
The clinic’s central Illinois location draws a broad sampling of patients, many of whom farm or work outdoors. As a result, the residents see and treat a range of skin problems, with a large proportion caused by sun exposure. PGY2 resident Aliza Hasan, MD, and medical student Elek Wellman, MS4, both Springfield natives who matched to dermatology, cited the familiar, family environment as reason for ranking the “local” program so highly. “And the variety of the patient population really keeps work interesting,” Hasan says.
Once trained, the sky’s the limit.
“Our graduates have landed all across the United States, from the National Institutes of Health in Washington, D.C., to the city of Los Angeles, and in lots of towns and cities in between,” says Bowers. (L.A. is home to SIU program graduate Dr. Sandra Lee, aka ‘Dr. Pimple Popper,’ arguably the most famous dermatologists working today.)
"We are proud to have graduated academic dermatologists, private practice dermatologists, pediatric dermatologists, dermatopathologists, Mohs surgeons and researchers."
The program’s graduates also have a 100% board pass rate, a feat Bowers attributes to a myriad of factors.
“The residents are hard workers who know how to learn. The reading is intense and there’s a lot of it, but we have fewer clinical work hours, so they have more time available to focus on their studies during evenings and weekends.”
“Dr. Rebecca Larson [surgery] and Dr. Morgan Wilson [dermatopathology] both have phenomenal curricula. That’s two areas where they get an extreme amount of excellent and comprehensive targeted education. We also teach a lot on the fly, in our general dermatology, pediatric dermatology and procedural clinics. Additionally, we are always asking the residents for feedback on the curricula and their learning needs.”
The division’s success begins with selecting the right applicants, Bowers says. “We invite the people we think will thrive here. Their backgrounds pair well with our mission, as well as how we would like to grow.”
The Dermatology Residency Program was doing holistic reviews of applicants long before the practice became commonplace. “Dr. Buescher has always looked at the whole person, caring about their life experiences outside of medicine, how they’ve faced adversity. That’s a large reason for our graduates excelling.”
Bowers believes the faculty’s encouragement, support and flexibility has also been a critical factor. “Our faculty will unlock your potential,” she says.
It’s an effective formula, according to resident co-chief (and busy working mom) Emily Konopka, MD.
The Chicago native wanted to come to Springfield after meeting the faculty and residents in 2017. “Dr. Buescher and the team have created the best possible learning environment. It’s a well-rounded program, with continuous support for new endeavors and a total commitment to providing the best possible patient care.”
Dr. Lucinda Buescher likes to lead by example. “We role-model best practices in dermatology,” she says. “My colleagues show one another respect. We cover each other’s clinics and keep in mind that everyone has obligations and needs outside the office. It allows the residents and staff to thrive and reach their full potential when they enjoy and appreciate working here.”
Bowers says the top-down camaraderie breeds benefits. “It contributes to a culture of safety and well-being, which is important to health and to a healthy workplace. If you’re happy doing what you’re training to do, you’re going to have a fulfilling career.”
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MOHS SURGEON REBECCA LARSON
By Nate McGrath
Mohs surgeon Rebecca Larson, MD, knew within the first days of her dermatology rotation that she found her professional calling. The combination of the different procedures and the chance to develop lifelong relationships with patients seemed perfect.
“There’s such a variety and also the Internal Medicine aspect – it was like a little bit of every specialty I had been in. I knew this would be a good fit for me,” says Larson, a graduate of California’s Loma Linda University School of Medicine (2008) who completed her residency at SIU SOM (2012).
Since 2013, Larson has made a name for herself among patients in Springfield and the surrounding area performing Mohs surgery (also called Mohs micrographic surgery), a highly specialized surgical technique for treating many basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas, the two most common types of skin cancer.
The Mohs procedure involves removing skin cancer layer by layer and examining the tissue under a microscope until cancer-free tissue around the tumor is reached (clear margins). Because the Mohs surgeon is specially trained as a surgeon, pathologist and reconstructive surgeon, the procedure has the highest success rate of all treatments for skin cancer, and can be completed in a single day.
“We look at all the margins to get the cure rate very high, but we save tissue because we have only taken where we need to. That’s why Mohs is regarded as the gold standard,” Larson says.
Leaving with the smallest scar possible can help improve psychological well-being, according to Larson. She says some patients are not concerned about scarring at first because their focus is solely on the cancer, but the concern will come once the cancer is removed.
“It requires a lot of patient listening and careful explanation about the healing process. Being able to reassure them that their scar will be as small and imperceptible as I can possibly make it, because of the quality of the procedure they are receiving, is meaningful,” Larson says.
Another advantage of Mohs surgery is the patient knows their results right away, and they don’t usually leave the appointment until all of the skin cancer has been removed. Knowing the patient is leaving with an answer and a solution is very special for Larson.
“It makes me feel like I’m one of the luckiest cancer surgeons because I have the privilege to look at the tumor microscopically as I’m removing it so I’m not also wondering, ‘Am I getting all of it?’” Larson says.
She estimates she has performed around 7,500 procedures in the last 10 years with a success rate of approximately 98 percent for first-time standard skin tumors and around 95 percent for recurrent ones.
Larson says around 25 percent of her patients come to her after having some other form of non-Mohs treatment.
“There will always be some people that had that first treatment that just didn’t work for them so I’m there to catch ones that persist.”
The average central Illinois Mohs patient is middle-aged to elderly, fair-skinned with light colored eyes who burn easily in the sun. She says most of her patients have a significant history of sun-exposure and/or tanning.
Dermatology Interest Group helps SIU get ‘Skin Smart’
By Aaron Peach
The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention presented SIU School of Medicine (SIU SOM) its Skin Smart Campus Award in recognition of the school’s efforts to educate and protect against the disease. Medical school students and staff have pledged to promote skin cancer prevention and sun safety education and not allow indoor tanning devices on the campus and in its affiliated buildings.
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the U.S. with melanoma—the deadliest form of skin cancer—as one of the most common cancers diagnosed among young adults. The Indoor Tan-Free Skin Smart Campus (SSC) Initiative was developed in response to the 2014 U.S. Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent Skin Cancer, which drew a strong association between increased risk of skin cancer and indoor tanning use. The use of indoor tanning facilities before age 35 increases the risk for melanoma by 75 percent, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
SIU medical students Aaron Peach, Mary Dickerson and members of the SOM’s Dermatology Interest Group spearheaded the efforts to join the Skin Smart Campus Initiative. “The importance of sun safety can’t be overstated,” said Dickerson. “I feel proud that my school is actively fighting to prevent skin cancer in our patients and among ourselves.”
Skin Smart representatives had seen the Dermatology Interest Group’s social media posts and contacted them about the initiative and award. “We’ve been given a great opportunity to build on our outreach and promote better health in the communities we serve,” said Peach. “It’s rewarding to educate patients about skin cancer prevention while having sunscreen available near the clinic where we see patients.”
As part of the SSC criteria, students have created an educational web page with information about the SSC Initiative and important facts about skin cancer prevention.
The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention awards a year’s worth of sunscreen and a pair of sunscreen dispensers as part of the SSC Platinum Award. SIU SOM plans on keeping one sunscreen dispenser on the medical school campus and bringing the other to its volunteer events held in the community.
Show some love to the skin you’re in
By Lucinda Buescher, MD
Healthy skin is something that everyone wants, but it requires regular maintenance to achieve. SIU Medicine staff would like to offer some simple but effective advice to keep the body's largest organ healthy and radiant. Here are five tips from our board-certified dermatologists.
1. Wear sunscreen
You guessed it: Wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF (sun protection factor) that’s at least 30 is one of the best ways to keep your skin healthy. Sunscreen protects you against ultraviolet radiation from the sun, which can accelerate skin aging, cause wrinkles and increase your risk of skin cancer. Remember to reapply every 2 hours or after swimming or sweating.
If you have concerns about chemicals in your sunscreen, talk to your dermatologist. He or she can help you select the right product for your needs.
While you're at it, be sure to practice other sun-safe techniques—like seeking shade and wearing lightweight long layers, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses.
2. Avoid common skin no-no's
In addition to excessive sun exposure, the following things can be harmful to your skin and lead to a variety of problems that affect your skin's overall health and appearance, including wrinkles, cancer, scars and infections:
- Tanning beds
- Cigarette smoking
- Squeezing pimples
- Scrubbing or rubbing your skin too hard
3. Learn about your skin type
Not all skincare products were created equal, and what works for someone else might not work for you.
If you're not satisfied with the way your skin looks and feels, talk to a dermatologist. Your doctor can help you select the right type of products based on your skin type—sensitive, normal, dry, oily, or combination.
4. Stick to a simple skin care routine
For optimal daily health, skin should be clean, moisturized and protected from the sun. This means using a gentle cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen every day.
In addition to paying attention to what you put on your skin, be sure to pay attention to what you put in your body, too. Eating nutrient-dense whole foods and drinking lots of water nourishes your skin cells and can reduce your risk of blemishes, breakouts and excessive oil production.
5. Check your skin regularly— and know what to look for
Skin cancer is more common than any other type of cancer—and early detection is important for improving outcomes. Get in the habit of checking your skin regularly for potential changes or symptoms of concern, including:
- Moles that change size, color or shape
- Unusual rashes
- New or unusual growths or lumps
- Sores that don't heal
Alumni Society Board of Governors welcomes 2 new to crew
By Aren Dow
Diane Hillard-Sembell, MD, PT
Diane Hillard-Sembell, MD, PT, has the distinction of seeing SIU School of Medicine from just about every angle – she enrolled as a student in ’82, then matched here as an orthopedic surgery resident, before going on to serve as faculty in orthopedic surgery since 1992.
With that kind of background and a personality that patients have described as “disarmingly friendly,” Dr. Hillard-Sembell was a natural choice to join the Alumni Society Board of Governors this year.
Hillard-Sembell’s class of ‘86 was the trial group for SIU’s innovative problem-based curriculum. “We’re now a nationally recognized leader in this learning methodology,” she says. “The school has continued to grow its education programs, and has a much increased and robust research program.”
Dr. Hillard-Sembell is an orthopedic surgeon at Springfield Clinic, where she is also the senior physician leader of the clinic's sports medicine program. She previously served as the medical director of AthletiCare Sports Medicine, and most recently was appointed as medical director at University of Illinois Springfield. That appointment is a culmination of touchpoints along the way, the first being her own involvement in athletics just after Title IX passed.
While Hillard-Sembell enjoyed other pursuits, like playing flute or saxophone for the band, her true passion fell to sports. The timing for Title IX couldn’t have been more perfect – Alexis High School, just northwest of Galesburg, added the first organized sports for girls in Hillard-Sembell’s freshman year, 1974. She made sure she took advantage of every available season, signing up for volleyball, basketball and track, before continuing her involvement at Northern Illinois University where she is now a member of the NIU Sports Hall of Fame.
“Not only has Title IX improved access for women in athletics, but it also has allowed expansion of women in classrooms, academic settings and advanced educational programs,” she says. “From athlete in high school and college, to medical student, to orthopedic sports medicine surgeon, the lessons I have learned from my participation in athletics has been invaluable.”
“One of my favorite quotes is ‘A rising tide lifts all boats.’ By improving access and working toward equity, the ultimate effect will be beneficial to society.”
And one more perspective for Hillard-Sembell’s connection to the school occurred before her new trustee distinction – parent of a student. Her son Evan, a third-year medical student, is in the midst of his training to assist the people of central and southern Illinois in meeting their health care needs.
“I am very honored and humbled to have been nominated and selected to serve on the alumni board,” she says. “I hope to be able to use my energy and interest in wellness to serve and improve the quality of life for students, residents, faculty and alumni."
Michael Pick, MD
For 50 years, Michael Pick, MD, has been instrumental in the advancement of medicine in central Illinois.
Pick’s venture into medicine intersects with the very beginnings of SIU School of Medicine, as a member of its charter class. A clinical rheumatologist at Springfield Clinic, Dr. Pick treats the full scope of rheumatologic disorders, including pediatrics and adult age groups.
That complements a long list of activities to improve health care in central Illinois, from serving as president of the Medical Staff Executive Committee at Springfield Memorial Health, to chair of internal medicine at St. John’s Hospital, to serving as chairman on Springfield Clinic’s Board of Directors.
But where it all started was SIU School of Medicine. As an undergrad at the University of Illinois, Pick’s classes were mostly large didactic lectures. He found the revolutionary teaching methods envisioned for the new medical school fascinating.
“I was intrigued by this new way of learning and the smaller class size compared to other schools. I continue to feel that it was the best choice.”
Having entered the “experiment” together as the charter class, Pick is thankful that even after 50 years, there is an immediate sense of kinship with the group that paved the way for where the school is today.
“When we reach out to each other, it is like talking to an old friend. I know there are similar feelings in all of us,” he says.
Pick is looking forward to creating and reaffirming connections within the school through the Alumni Society Board, giving back to an institution that helped launch his calling.
“I have always felt that this is a special institution, and it has provided me a great career,” Pick says. “In my role as a governor, I hope to provide input that will help the board in maintaining effective communication with alumni and assist in promoting how we as alumni can further the mission of SIU School of Medicine.
CLASS NOTES
1980s
Diane Hillard-Sembell, MD, ’82, reflects on award-winning ortho surgery career in Northern Illinois University's online publication NIU Today. https://bit.ly/3uRRM2O
Cassandra Claman, MD, ’83, hosted a virtual event for alumni on February 24, “Coaching and Forest Therapy: Rediscover what Really Matters.” Through coaching and/or an immersive forest therapy experience, Dr. Claman helps physicians and other professionals learn to foster their values, encourage self-compassion, and find fulfillment.
Wesley Robinson-McNeese, MD, ’86, and Marie-Ange Sainvilus, MD, ’87, were featured in the article “Black Skepticism and Medicine throughout History”: https://bit.ly/3MdgAbm
1990s
Karina Volodka, MD, ’94, retired in 2018 after more than 20 years of service, then took a position in 2020 as a government service staff neonatologist at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, VA. Associate professor at Uniformed Services University, Health Sciences F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine – Bethesda, MD, 2004 to present; master clinician 9/2020.
2000s
Careyana Brenham, MD, ’00. A new Gender Equity and Transgender Clinic has opened at the Center for Family Medicine in Springfield. Dr. Careyana Brenham and Dr. Priyanka Bhandari coordinate the clinic, delivering high-quality, empathetic care to individuals in transition. Learn more at https://adobe.ly/3GZz7Vw.
Amanda Mulch, MD, ’03, has been named assistant dean of student affairs at SIU School of Medicine. She brings experience as an alumna, practicing physician, and award-winning mentor to students in the first-year curriculum. Welcome back, Dr. Mulch! https://bit.ly/33tIrTC
Cozumel Southern Pruette, MD, ’05, is an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She was recently elected to the board of the National Kidney Foundation Serving Maryland and Delaware. Recognized twice as a “Top Doctor” by Baltimore Magazine, she leads the Johns Hopkins Comprehensive Transplant Center’s pediatric/young adult Transition of Care program, and has established two national patient and family advisory councils. Currently, she’s principal investigator in the development and implementation of a peer-mentoring program for adolescents with kidney transplants.
2010s
Tifani Sanford, MD, ’11, was featured in a St. Louis American article: https://bit.ly/38Zm6Qv
Emma (Volkman) Eubanks, MD, ’13, was chosen by her peers as the Obstetrics and Gynecology department chair at her primary hospital, St. Joseph West Hospital, in Lake St. Louis, Missouri. Emma resides in O'Fallon with her husband, Travis, and spirited toddler, Sadie.
Safiya McNeese-Ruffin, MD, ’13, completed an AAFP Health Equity Fellowship. This spring, she plans to implement the project from her AAFP Health Equity Fellowship in three clinics the program serves.
"This is intended to create a new standard of the perinatal course that would incorporate behavioral health, supportive care through doulas and home visits," she says. "We intend to create a centering program for the pregnancy course for disadvantaged moms, and I'm hoping that this will not just be for African American women. We do have a disparity there, but I'm hoping that this will eventually create a more comprehensive course for all moms." https://bit.ly/37qCoBs
2020s
Jonathan Day, MD, PharmD, ’20, is the first recruit at Iowa for the NIH-funded Stimulating Access to Research in Residency (StARR) program. StARR provides protected, mentored time and funding for a second-year pediatrics or internal medicine resident to spend a year with dramatically reduced clinical responsibilities, allowing them a chance to explore opportunities within research. It is not the typical path for residents, but little about Day’s career path could be called “typical.” https://bit.ly/36phnqm
Student Alumni Dinners
Students and alumni met for dinner on March 9-10 in the Springfield area. The Office of Alumni Affairs facilitates this annual tradition, which allows alumni to host dinner for a group of medical students, creating valuable connections and relationships through the school of medicine.
Donation endows dermatology lectureship
Lisa and Stephen Stone, MD, have been regular givers to SIU School of Medicine since 1999. Their passion for education, the community and SIU School of Medicine runs deep.
“There is an old saying common to many traditions ... that struck Lisa and me many years ago. The Talmudic version tells of an old man being mocked for planting a tree that could not possibly bear fruit in his lifetime. He replied, ‘as my fathers planted for me, so am I planting for the next generation.’ As others have supported the schools that taught me, so am I obliged to provide for future students.”
To put this philanthropic belief into action, the couple created the Stephen P. Stone, MD, Lectureship in Dermatology Endowment to provide further educational opportunities in the field of dermatology. Learners will benefit from internationally recognized experts in the field at the annual event.
The inaugural lectureship featured Jean Bolognia, MD, professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine. “I found her to be one of the best teachers I have ever encountered,” Dr. Stone said of his experiences with her lectures.
Dr. Bolognia is also senior editor of the textbook Dermatology, which is used to educate the school of medicine learners. Dr. Bolognia has also served as president of the Medical Dermatology Society, the Women’s Dermatologic Society and the American Dermatological Association, vice-president of the Society of Investigative Dermatology, the American Board of Dermatology, and the International Society of Dermatology. She has also been elected to serve on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Dermatology and the International League of Dermatological Societies, where she also served as secretary-general.
Dr. Stone joined SIU School of Medicine as a full-time faculty member in 2000. From 1974-2000, he had a successful, private dermatology practice in Springfield. During this time, he embraced his passion for teaching medical students and served as volunteer faculty for the school and was chief of dermatology (1988-1992).
“Dr. Stone is a talented physician who has offered so much to the dermatology division during his time here,” said Lucinda Buescher, MD professor and chief of the division of dermatology. “We are so fortunate to have the support of the Stones for our department; these lectureships are vital for training our medical students and residents for years into the future.”
► If you’re interested in establishing a named lectureship in one of our divisions or departments, please contact Hal Smith at hals44@siumed.edu or 217.545.6447.
St. Louis Dinner with the Dean
Alumni gathered for Dinner with the Dean in St. Louis on March 3. Guest alumni spanned from the Class of 1978 all the way to the Class of 2020! Joining the classmates were Dean Jerry Kruse, Board of Governors President Matt Winkleman, Associate Dean for Student Affairs Rik Constance, and the new director of Alumni Affairs, Cassie Mattson.
In memoriam
Ed Moticka, PhD
By Don Torry, PhD
Edward James Moticka, PhD, former professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology (now MMICB) and former associate dean for research for the School of Medicine passed away March 4, 2022, in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Ed grew up in Brookfield, Illinois, and received his BS degree in biology from Kalamazoo College and a PhD in anatomy from University of Illinois - Chicago. Following postdoctoral experiences at UCLA, he joined the faculty at University of Texas, Southwestern Medical School. Ed joined SIU School of Medicine in Carbondale in 1978 and transferred to the Springfield campus in 1980.
In June 1992, Dr. Moticka was appointed associate dean for research and faculty affairs, a position he held for 12 years. Ed retired from SIU in October 2004 and moved to Arizona, where he served as director of research at Scottsdale Healthcare before retiring as professor and chair of basic science at A.T. Still University Osteopathic Medical School.
Ed was a well-regarded and respected educator and innovator, with numerous presentations and peer-reviewed manuscripts in autoimmunity and medical education methods. A culmination of his immunology expertise is evident in his textbook, A Historical Perspective of Evidence-Based Immunology, (Elsevier, 2016).
Stellar as his professional accomplishments are, it is his persona and friendship that most remember. Ed shared himself equally with all at the school of medicine. It didn’t matter if you were a student, new faculty member or established colleague, you could rely on Dr. Moticka’s support and mentorship. So many of us, certainly me, benefited from him during our careers. Ed was a gentle giant of a man with a deeply warm personality and a huge sense of humor. Most who crossed his path have fond memories; not the least of which includes his prowess on the diamond as a member of the infamous “SIU Geeks” softball team and as a die-hard Cubs fan. The SOM has lost another piece of our living history, but Dr. Edward J. Moticka remains a part of the foundation that we continue to enjoy today.
Ed is survived by his beloved wife, Eunice Jane Adrian (married July 26, 1992) and many loving members of his immediate family. The family requests memorials be made to the Edward C. and Vivian A. Moticka Cancer Research Endowment Fund at SIU School of Medicine. True to Ed’s core belief in research, the fund provides seed support for new and innovative projects in cancer research.
Eugene A. Rodemich III, MD, ’19, 32, of Coralville, IA formerly of Millstadt, IL, passed away on February 19, 2022. https://bit.ly/3vg1EDI
Student Day of Service | April 14, 2022
SIU medical students got out of the classrooms and clinics and into the community for the annual Student Day of Service on April 14.
Nearly 100 young learners tackled projects in the Springfield neighborhoods around the Mid-Illinois Medical District. Activities included alley clean-up, maintenance and landscaping at Enos Park, Pillsbury Mills, McClernand Elementary School, and the community gardens. Amid all the dirty work, one shining highlight: Fourth-year medical student Aaron Peach received a 2022 USPHS Public Health award for his outstanding health advocacy efforts while at SIU School of Medicine. Commander Patrick Harper, PharmD, from the United States Public Health Services, presented the award to Aaron at a ceremony during lunch at Enos Park.
Credits:
SIU Medicine | Ben Romang