Monthly School News
People News
Inaugural Sherwood Professor
Professor M. Reza Vagefi, MD, has been named the inaugural Ned and Emily Sherwood Family Foundation Professor. Established through a generous gift from Ned and Emily Sherwood, M17P, the endowed professorship supports excellence in ophthalmology research, education, and patient care. A nationally recognized leader in oculofacial plastic and orbital surgery, Dr. Vagefi is noted for his contributions to surgical innovation, translational research, and mentorship, and his appointment recognizes a distinguished career dedicated to advancing eye health and medical education.
Leadership in Student Affairs
Assistant Professor Mary E. Brown, MD, has been appointed Dean of Student Affairs for the MD Program after serving as Interim Dean. A pediatrician, educator, and longtime student affairs leader, Dr. Brown has dedicated much of her career to supporting medical students’ academic, professional, and personal development. She will continue to lead the MD Office of Student Affairs and its efforts to guide students through the many milestones of medical school, from advising and wellness support to career planning and residency preparation.
Academic Affairs Leadership
Professor Deborah Erlich, MD, has been named Vice Dean of Academic Affairs for the School of Medicine. She has served in this role on an interim basis since January 2026, distinguishing herself through thoughtful leadership, sound judgment, collaboration and a deep commitment to our academic mission. Prior to becoming Interim Vice Dean, she served as Dean of Clinical Affairs and Professor of Family Medicine, where she was instrumental in strengthening clinical partnerships, enhancing student experiences across the continuum of clinical training, and supporting the growth and quality of our teaching faculty.
New Chief Clinical Officer at Tufts Medicine
Assistant Professor Nic Nguyen, MD, has been appointed Chief Clinical Officer and Chief Integration Officer at Tufts Medicine. A family physician, clinical leader, and School of Medicine alumnus, Dr. Nguyen will help lead efforts to strengthen primary care, expand access to care, and advance integration across the health system.
Helping Shape Rural Health's Future
Assistant Dean Damian Archer, MD, has been named to the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) Community Advisory Council, a 34-member body established to provide guidance as Massachusetts distributes more than $162 million in Rural Health Transformation Program funding over the next five years. The council will bring community voices, on-the-ground perspectives, and local expertise into decisions aimed at improving health care access, quality, and outcomes in rural communities across the Commonwealth. Through its feedback and insights, the council will help support community-informed decision-making and ensure rural residents have a voice in shaping investments that strengthen local health care systems.
Appointment to Ohio Physical Therapy Board
Associate Professor Cara Carramusa, EdD, MSPT has been appointed by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine to the Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board. Her term will run from September 4, 2026, through August 27, 2029, supporting the board’s work overseeing professional standards and practice across the three disciplines in Ohio.
School News
Upcoming Tufts Open Enrollment
Tufts University’s 2027 Open Enrollment period will take place from October 26 through November 13, 2026, with any changes becoming effective January 1, 2027. All benefits-eligible employees are required to make benefit elections or waive coverage during the enrollment period; guidebooks and additional enrollment resources will be available in mid-October.
Apply for 2026-27 Innovate2Impact
The Innovate2Impact (i2i) program is a six-month initiative that helps researchers translate health-related innovations into real-world impact through training, mentorship, and networking. Applications are due October 8.
Research News
Researchers at Tufts School of Medicine have developed SynAPSeg, a new open-source machine learning tool that can count and map hundreds of thousands of synapses in minutes with human-level accuracy. Created by Assistant Professor Alexei Bygrave, PhD, and PhD student Pascal Schamber, the software is designed to accelerate neuroscience research by helping scientists better understand how brain circuits change with aging and disease, while making the technology and training data freely available to researchers worldwide.
Grant to Advance Care Planning Research
Professor Michael Paasche-Orlow, MD, Director of the Center for Health Literacy Research and Practice at Tufts Medicine, will co-lead a $44 million NIH-funded clinical trial testing a new approach to advance care planning. The five-year, multi-site study will use trained social workers, nurses, and multilingual video tools to help patients discuss their goals for future medical care earlier, with a focus on improving access and ensuring care is aligned with patients’ preferences at the end of life.
New NIH Grants Support Clinical Research
Four NIH awards totaling more than $14 million were awarded to Tufts School of Medicine faculty members to support research in ophthalmology, gynecologic oncology, and maternal and infant health. The awards will support projects led by Professors Jia Yin, MD, PhD, MPH, Jason Wright, MD, and Perrie O'Tierney-Ginn, PhD, advancing research on corneal injury and disease, uterine cancer, and the effects of medication exposure during pregnancy on maternal and child health.
New Guidance for S. aureus Bacteremia
Dean Helen Boucher, MD, was part of the international expert panel that developed newly released consensus statements for the management of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia. Published jointly by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, the guidance introduces a risk-stratification framework to support diagnostic evaluation and treatment decisions for patients with these complex infections.
Expanding Access to Nutrition Support
Research led by Assistant Professor Emily Dore, PhD, MPH, found that a pandemic-era policy allowing remote issuance of WIC benefits was associated with a 10% increase in participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Using national data from 2017 to 2021, the study highlights how reducing administrative barriers can improve access to nutrition assistance programs for eligible women, infants, and young children.
Features
The Menopause Movement Is Making Waves
Tufts Women’s Health and Menopause Initiative is bringing together clinical care, research, nutrition science, and education to address longstanding gaps in menopause care and understanding. Co-led by the Linda and Jeffrey Moslow Professors in Women's Health and Menopause, Megan Evans, MD, and Larissa Calancie, PhD, the initiative is expanding specialized clinics, developing new research infrastructure, and strengthening menopause education for health professionals across disciplines.
Quick Action at the Finish Line
When a runner collapsed from cardiac arrest at the finish line of the Cambridge Half Marathon, fourth-year Tufts University School of Medicine student Leah Meyer sprang into action. Drawing on her medical training, Meyer helped provide lifesaving care alongside other bystanders, highlighting the critical role of rapid response and emergency preparedness in cardiac emergencies.
Public Health Courses in Talloires
For two weeks in July, six graduate students from Tufts University School of Medicine Public Health programs and the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy accompanied Kim Dong, associate professor at both schools and a registered dietitian, to the Talloires region of France for an accelerated three-credit course called Global Nutrition in Action.
Complex scientific research can be difficult to explain outside the lab. A new collaboration between art students and researchers is helping bridge that gap through visual storytelling. One partnership matched SMFA student Vivian Gao with Timothy Fitzgerald, a Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences PhD student in the Aldridge Lab, whose research focuses on why tuberculosis bacteria respond differently to drug treatments. Together, they transformed Fitzgerald's work into a visual narrative inspired by a museum heist, using art to explain intricate biomedical concepts and demonstrating how creative partnerships can make scientific discoveries more engaging and understandable for broader audiences.
Recent Events
Addressing Loneliness as a Public Health Challenge
Former U.S. Surgeon General and New York Times bestselling author Vivek Murthy joined Dean Helen Boucher for a Solomont Speaker Series conversation on loneliness and social connection as critical public health issues. The discussion highlighted themes from Dr. Murthy’s book Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World, which was selected as this year’s Common Book for incoming medical students through a partnership with Tisch College. The event invited students, faculty, and staff to consider the role of connection, community, and belonging in health and medicine.
New England Anesthesia Resident Conference
Tufts University School of Medicine students, residents, and faculty were well represented at the 2026 New England Anesthesia Resident Conference, held at Boston University School of Medicine. Tufts anesthesiology residents Drs. Ananya Vasudevan, Bobby Nugent, and Daniella Nunez, along with TUSM fourth-year medical student Lucia Costanza, played key roles in planning the conference, which brought together anesthesiology trainees and faculty from institutions across New England.