Monthly School News
People News
Advancing Women’s Health Through New Endowed Professorship
This newly established Linda and Jeffrey Moslow Professorship in Women’s Health and Menopause marks a significant investment in advancing women’s health at Tufts University, with Megan L. Evans, MD, MPH, named as its inaugural holder. Through her leadership in the Tufts Women’s Health and Menopause Initiative, Dr. Evans will help drive innovative research, expand educational opportunities, and enhance clinical care to better support women at every stage of life, strengthening collaboration across medicine, nutrition, and public health.
Tufts University School of Medicine recognized members of its MD Program faculty on May 13 with the 2026 Faculty Awards, honoring exceptional dedication to teaching, mentorship, and student support. From humanism in medicine to excellence across pre-clerkship and clerkship education, the awards highlight faculty who have made a lasting impact on the MD Class of 2026 and the broader academic community.
Brent Forester Honored with APA Geriatric Psychiatry Award
Professor Brent Forrester, MD, MSc has been named the 2026 recipient of the Jack Weinberg Award for Geriatric Psychiatry by the American Psychiatric Association and the APA Foundation. The award recognizes Dr. Forester’s dedication to the assessment and treatment of older adults with mental health challenges, training the next generation of geriatric mental health clinicians and advancing research for the treatment of dementia.
Tufts Excellence in Online Teaching Award
Assistant Professor Amy Schlessman, DPT, DHSc, has been named a 2026 recipient of the Tufts Excellence in Online Teaching Award, recognizing her exceptional impact on student learning, engagement, and innovation in the virtual classroom. Nominated by her students, Dr. Schlessman was praised for creating a dynamic and highly interactive online environment that fostered genuine connection, critical thinking, and a strong sense of community. Through creative use of technology, including AI-powered learning tools and collaborative platforms, she transformed complex material into meaningful, real-world applications while maintaining high academic rigor. Students also highlighted her energy, accessibility, and deep commitment to their success—both academically and personally—making her not only an inspiring instructor but also a trusted mentor.
Soumya Swaminathan Elected Fellow of the Royal Society
Adjunct Professor Soumya Swaminathan, MD, has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, one of the highest honors in global science. A pediatrician and globally renowned medical researcher, Dr. Swaminathan has spent more than four decades advancing work on tuberculosis, HIV, and public health policy, with a strong focus on translating scientific evidence into real-world impact. Her leadership as Chief Scientist at the World Health Organization, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, positioned her at the forefront of global efforts to guide evidence-based decision-making and international collaboration in a time of crisis. Her election places her among a distinguished group of scientists whose work has profoundly shaped our understanding of health and society.
Leadership Award in Cardiovascular Anesthesiology
Associate Professor Agnieszka Trzcinka, MD, was awarded the Kaplan Leadership Award by the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists. The mission of this award is to assist cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesiologists in their careers by granting funding to further their focus on leadership opportunities and development through course work and leadership specific studies.
New Leadership for Clinical Simulation
Tufts School of Medicine has appointed Gusty Colangelo, MD, as the new Director of Clinical Skills and Simulation, marking a new chapter for the School’s hands-on medical training programs. A longtime leader in clinical education, Dr. Colangelo has played a central role in teaching and curriculum development across multiple programs and will guide the continued growth of simulation-based learning. His appointment follows nearly two decades of leadership by Dr. Jesse Rideout, whose contributions helped shape the School’s nationally recognized simulation programs and facilities.
Mentoring Award Named in Honor of Dr. Helen Boucher
College of the Holy Cross has established a new mentoring award in honor of Dean Helen Boucher, recognizing her outstanding legacy of mentorship and commitment to supporting the next generation of health professionals. The award celebrates individuals who demonstrate exceptional dedication to guiding students’ academic and professional growth. Professor Gaby Avila-Bront has been named the inaugural recipient, recognized for her exemplary mentorship and unwavering support of students. The honor reflects Dr. Boucher’s lasting impact and underscores the vital role of mentorship in shaping future leaders.
Interim Leadership Appointed for Family Medicine
Amy Lee, MD, FAAFP, has been named interim chair of the Department of Family Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine, bringing decades of experience in clinical care, medical education, and mentorship to the role. A Tufts alumna, associate professor, and current dean of admissions, Dr. Lee has been a dedicated member of the faculty since 2005 and is widely recognized for her leadership in training future physicians and advancing patient-centered care.
School News
Charlton Faculty Research Awards
Applications are open for the Charlton Faculty Research Awards, offering up to three grants of $10,000 each to support early career faculty at Tufts University School of Medicine. Designed to help investigators generate preliminary data and strengthen proposals for future external funding, the awards prioritize projects aligned with the School’s key research pillars, including brain and behavior, cancer, cardiovascular disease, women’s health, and more. Apply by June 22, 2026.
Summer Cochrane Training in Talloires, France
Tufts Cochrane US will host a four-day Systematic Review Standard Author Training Workshop from July 6–9, 2026, at the Tufts European Center in Talloires, France. This in-person program is designed to equip participants with the skills needed to conduct high-quality systematic reviews and will feature comprehensive, hands-on instruction led by experts in the field.
Research News
Protein Intake and Aging Muscle
A recent study led by Associate Professor Lisa Ceglia, MD, found that simply consuming more protein does not translate into increased muscle strength for older adults who are already meeting recommended intake levels. Instead, the findings emphasize that maintaining and building muscle with age depends far more on physical activity. For those looking to preserve independence and prevent age-related decline, hitting the gym may be more effective than adding another protein boost to their daily routine.
MPH Students Study Heart Disease Inequities
Tufts Master of Public Health (MPH) students Somya Swarup, MPH26, and Marjorie Pradhan, MPH26, were part of a research team that produced a published systematic review addressing a critical public health issue: how socioeconomic disadvantage shapes outcomes for adults living with heart disease. The research was completed as their Integrative Learning Experience (ILE), the MPH capstone that brings together students’ academic, research, and applied training.
-
Ceelen DCH, Voordes GHD, Cosic L, Goldsmith SR, Burkhoff D, Gustafsson F, Frost R, Duarte K, Monzo L, Girerd N, Zannad F, Udelson JE, Fujimoto Y, Matsue Y, Gansevoort R, Ter Maaten JM, Voors AA. Thiazides attenuate the diuretic response to Pecavaptan, a dual vasopressin receptor antagonist, in hospitalized heart failure patients. J Card Fail. 2026 May 25:S1071-9164(26)00285-X. doi: 10.1016/j.cardfail.2026.05.012.
Oakes K, Port J, Furer A, Ehrhardt-Humbert L, John K, Chee J, Infeld M, Homoud M, Madias C, Chalhoub F, Heist EK, Rozen G. Proper Use of the National Inpatient Sample Database to Analyze Safety of Cardiovascular Procedures. J Am Heart Assoc. 2026 May 25:e047611. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.125.047611.
Reaves AC, Hsu CM, Weiner DE. Dialysis Facility Closures: Fraying a Fragile Lifeline for People With Kidney Failure. Am J Kidney Dis. 2026 Jun;87(6):745-747. doi: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2026.04.003. PMID: 42167831.
Sundermeyer J, Kataria R, Garan AR, Li S, Ton VK, Zweck E, Kanwar MK, Hernandez-Montfort J, Sinha SS, Abraham J, John KJ, Sangal P, Mahr C, Burkhoff D, Kapur NK; Cardiogenic Shock Working Group Academic Research Consortium. Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes in Intra-aortic Balloon Pump-Supported Cardiogenic Shock Among Patients Transferred to Tertiary Care Centers. J Soc Cardiovasc Angiogr Interv. 2026 Apr 7;5(5):104268. doi: 10.1016/j.jscai.2026.104268. PMID: 42183120; PMCID: PMC13198140.
Weiss ZF, Basu SS. Point-Counterpoint: The "obsoletogram"-are annual hospital antibiograms still relevant? J Clin Microbiol. 2026 May 22:e0047626. doi: 10.1128/jcm.00476-26.
Aslam M, Burstein D, Hannan K, Holditch Niolon P, Swedo EA, Besera G, Bethell C, Jones J, Ettinger de Cuba S, Sege R. Positive and Adverse Childhood Experiences and Adult Health and Economic Outcomes. Pediatrics. 2026 May 13:e2025074543.
Hannan K, Sege R, Bennett N, Chen Y, Holditch Niolon P, Piazza Hurley T, Burstein D. Frequency and Predictors of Physical and Psychological Intimate Partner Violence among Caregivers during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Family Violence. 2026 May 2:1-7.
Kent DM, Puttock EJ, Leung LY, Sangha NS, Madan N, Smith EE, Nguyen-Huynh MN, Chen W. Diagnostic Agreement and Prognostic Value of Clinically Interpreted CT vs MRI for Incidentally Discovered Covert Cerebrovascular Disease. Neurology. 2026 Jun 23;106(12):e218058. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000218058.
Konstam MA, Udelson JE, Mann DL, DiCarlo L, Butler J, Ardell J, De Ferrari GM, Klein HU, Filippatos G, Metra M, Anand I, Close N, Saville BR, Detry MA, Paulon G, Khandwala F, Bosse A, KenKnight B, Mindrebo S, Rice P, Trifunovic N, Popescu MI, Apostolovic S, Adler A, Parker JD, Teerlink JR; ANTHEM-HFrEF Investigators. Vagal Nerve Stimulation in Patients With Heart Failure and Reduced Ejection Fraction: The ANTHEM-HFrEF Trial. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2026 May 20:S0735-1097(26)05836-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2026.03.040.
Lapierre-Nguyen S, You Z, Gitomer B, Abebe KZ, Chapman AB, Harris PC, Perrone RD, Rahbari-Oskoui FF, Torres VE, Chonchol M, Nowak KL. Pregnancy and Kidney Disease Progression in Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2026 May 18. doi: 10.1681/ASN.0000001131.
Mou T, Bulczynski E, Greenstone H, Walters S, Doyle G, Rabinowitz J, Wong JB, Paasche-Orlow MK. Patient Decision Aids for Women With Urinary Incontinence: A Systematic Review. Urogynecology (Phila). 2026 May 20. doi: 10.1097/SPV.0000000000001880.
Rushakoff JA, Swavely AG, Edwards RM, Carroll A, Fee J, Mikitka J, Gray A, Kittipibul V, Jani V, Fudim M, Applefeld W, Aslam MI. Utility of Direct Fick Cardiac Output in Patients with Left Ventricular Assist Devices. J Card Fail. 2026 May 19:S1071-9164(26)00250-2. doi: 10.1016/j.cardfail.2026.03.033.
Sawalha K, Abughazaleh S, Gobeil K, Fox M, Rozen G, Heist EK, Chalhoub F. Safety and Outcomes of Intracardiac Versus Transesophageal Echocardiography for Left Atrial Appendage Closure in the Very Elderly: Propensity Score Matched Real-World Outcomes From a Large US Network. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol. 2026 May 20:e014864. doi: 10.1161/CIRCEP.126.014864.
Todua I. Management of salt-sensitive hypertension in clinical settings: how should we approach it?. Am J Med. Published online May 6, 2026. Doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2026.05.003.
Zakiev V, Gvozdeva A, Ushakova O. Should Aspirin Be Discontinued in Patients Taking It for Primary Cardiovascular Prevention? J Am Geriatr Soc. 2026 May 16. doi: 10.1111/jgs.70512.
Zhou YM, Swenson KE. Establishing Scope of Practice: National Trends in Tracheobronchial Stenting for Central Airway Obstruction. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2026 May 20:aaoag128. doi: 10.1093/annalsats/aaoag128.
Alpert JM, Rothberg MB, Paasche-Orlow MK, Hashmi AZ, Perez-Protto S, Fox J, Criswell V, Wittenberg E. A communication phenotype for varying information needs among caregivers of persons with dementia. Gerontologist. 2026 May 4:gnag091. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnag091.
Dagher C, O'Sullivan DM, Farber HW, Parikh R. An Abbreviated Assessment Tool for Detection of Pulmonary Hypertension in Patients With Interstitial Lung Disease. Pulm Circ. 2026 May 5;16:e70316. doi: 10.1002/pul2.70316. PMID: 42095192; PMCID: PMC13139837.
Todua I, Salem DN. Overpowered by uncontrolled hypertension: can we win this war? J Hypertens. 2026 Jun 1;44(6):931-937. doi: 10.1097/HJH.0000000000004307. Epub 2026 Mar 30. PMID: 42017536.
Udelson JE, Javaheri A, Fudim M, Damman K, Biegus J, Afzal A, Amin AN, Bensimhon D, Bischof JJ, Chung ES, Gottlieb RL, Mahler SA, Moreno JD, Ponikowski P, Rao V, Cox Z, Ivey-Miranda J, Collins S, Testani J. Fluid Management of Acute Heart Failure With the Reprieve System: The Randomized Controlled FASTR Trial. JACC Heart Fail. 2026 Apr 28:103062. doi: 10.1016/j.jchf.2026.103062.
Berchie RO, Inker LA, Heerspink HJL, Haaland B, Greene T. Implications of acute change in estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) for the effect of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i) on long-term endpoints. PLoS One. 2026 Apr 29;21(4):e0347741. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0347741. PMID: 42054403.
Davis KP, Poonawala H, Murphy C, Thorpe C, Rosato A, Aldridge BB. Restoration of daptomycin sensitivity with adjunctive cefazolin is associated with C-terminal MprF mutations in MRSA bacteremia isolates. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2026 Apr 27:e0154725. doi: 10.1128/aac.01547-25.
Mobley EM, Ji L, Psihogios A, M Ingram K, Ghazal L, Nightingale CL, Dressler EV, Kittel C, Prasad PK, Freyer DR, Miller KA, Roth ME, Parsons SK, Beauchemin MP; Landscape Committee. Availability of cancer survivorship services for adolescents and young adults: Findings from the 2022 NCI Community Oncology Research Program Landscape Assessment. J Cancer Surviv. 2026 Apr 28. doi: 10.1007/s11764-026-02018-0.
Rader A, Buckman C, Pignone M, German JC, Spratt SE, McPeek Hinz E, Brucker A, Hoeffler S, Kane RM, Drake C. Factors Associated with Produce Prescription Program Enrollment and Benefit Use Among Patients with Diabetes and At Risk for Food Insecurity. J Nutr. 2026 Apr 24:101548. doi: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2026.101548.
Van Amsterdam WAC, Oberst M, Feng J, Wiens J, Tang S, Joshi S, Ranganath R, Sendak M, Shalit U, Vogt JE, Beaulieu-Jones B, Mamdani M, Kent D, Heagerty PJ, Fleming TR, Goldenberg A. Clinical trials for continuously monitored and updated AI systems. Nat Med. 2026 Apr 28. doi: 10.1038/s41591-026-04368-9.
Recent Events
2026 School Commencement Ceremonies
Tufts University School of Medicine and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences celebrated more than 580 graduates from the Class of 2026 during commencement ceremonies on May 17. Across two events, students in medicine, research, public health, and allied health programs were recognized for their academic achievements, resilience, and commitment to advancing human health. Speakers highlighted the graduates’ readiness to navigate an evolving healthcare landscape, emphasizing the compassion, innovation, and purpose-driven leadership they will carry into the next stage of their careers.
New Frontiers in Brain and Behavior
Tufts School of Medicine and Tufts Medicine brought researchers and clinicians together on April 29 for their annual Neurosciences and Behavioral Health Research Day. Centered on translating advances in brain science into better patient care, the event highlighted ongoing work across the field while creating space to share ideas, spark collaborations, and move promising discoveries toward real-world impact. The event showcased research spanning basic neuroscience, clinical innovation, population health, and translational medicine. A unifying theme throughout the day was the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration in accelerating progress.