Monthly School News
People News
Interim Chair of Radiology
Assistant Professor Kei Yamada, MD, has been appointed Interim Chair of Radiology at Tufts University School of Medicine and Tufts Medical Center. Yamada currently serves as chief of interventional radiology at Tufts Medical Center and has been a member of the School of Medicine faculty since 2023. He earned his MD from the University of California, San Diego and completed fellowship training in vascular and interventional radiology at Stanford Medical Center. In his interim role, he will lead the Department of Radiology in support of its clinical, educational, and research missions.
Interim Chair of Dermatology
Effective November 1, Associate Professor Sarah Robinson, MD, will assume the role of Interim Chair of Dermatology at Tufts University School of Medicine and Tufts Medical Center. A respected clinician, educator, and leader, Robinson will guide the department through its next chapter while building on a strong foundation of clinical excellence, academic achievement, and research growth. Known for her collaborative, servant-leadership approach and deep commitment to the department’s values, she will oversee departmental operations and communications during the transition and continue advancing the department’s mission of delivering outstanding patient care, education, and innovation.
Elected to American Board of Surgery Council
Professor Jason Hall, MD, has been elected by the Chairs’ Committee to serve a six-year term as a Councilor of the American Board of Surgery (ABS). The ABS Council is composed of approximately 30 surgeons representing a broad range of specialties, practice settings, and professional experiences. As a Councilor, Hall will contribute to the board’s work in supporting surgical education, training, certification, and standards of practice nationwide. He will serve on the Diplomates and Surgeons in Training Committee and the Complex General Surgical Oncology Board during his term.
Advancing Health Equity in Massachusetts
Professor Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, PhD, MPH, has been appointed to the Health Equity Compact, a coalition of Massachusetts leaders working to advance health equity across the Commonwealth. The Compact brings together leaders from diverse sectors to promote a future in which everyone, regardless of race, income, or zip code, has the opportunity to live a long and healthy life. Her appointment recognizes her leadership and expertise in addressing health disparities and maternal health equity and adds her voice to a growing movement that has expanded statewide through policy advocacy, regional forums, and cross-sector collaboration aimed at creating lasting systems change.
School News
National Recognition for Tufts Libraries
Tufts University Libraries have been invited to join the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), a distinction that recognizes leading research libraries across the United States and Canada. The achievement strengthens Tufts’ ability to support research, scholarship, and education while expanding opportunities for collaboration, leadership development, and advocacy on issues related to information access and library policy. For the Tufts community, including faculty, researchers, and students at Tufts University School of Medicine, ARL membership further enhances access to expertise, resources, and partnerships that help advance discovery and academic excellence across the university.
Tufts Marks 175 Years of Innovation
A new exhibit celebrating Tufts University's 175th anniversary highlights the discoveries, ideas, and achievements that have shaped the institution's impact over the past century and a half. Among the featured milestones are advances in the health sciences, including pioneering pathogen research, innovations in nutrition and dental education, and the development of one of the first functioning heart pumps by Tufts School of Medicine alumnus Sigmund Adam Wesolowski, M48, G51. On display at Tisch Library and online, the exhibit offers a look at the university's longstanding tradition of innovation in medicine, science, and beyond.
National Recognition for Dementia Care
Lowell General Hospital, a clinical partner of Tufts University School of Medicine, has become the first acute care hospital in the nation to earn Purple Flag Excellence in Dementia Care™ accreditation. The recognition highlights the hospital’s innovative approach to integrating person-centered dementia care into a fast-paced hospital setting, ensuring that patients living with dementia receive compassionate, dignified support while being treated for other medical conditions. Through specialized staff training, individualized care planning, family engagement, and dementia-sensitive practices, Lowell General is creating a safer and more supportive experience for patients and their families while establishing a new model for dementia care in acute care hospitals.
Research News
The Mental Health and Overdose Prevention Explorer (mHOPE) Dashboard is a new interactive platform designed to help clinicians, policymakers, researchers, and community organizations better understand opioid overdose and mental health trends across the United States. Led by Professor Tom Stopka, PhD, and developed with contributions from Tufts students, the dashboard combines data on overdose rates, treatment access, prevention efforts, and social determinants of health to support more effective, data-driven public health responses.
Mapping Tuberculosis Within the Lung
New research from the Associate Professor Shumin Tan, PhD, has developed a novel way to map how Mycobacterium tuberculosis adapts to different environments within the lung during infection. Published in Science Advances, the study tracked changes in the bacterium’s gene expression while preserving the surrounding lung tissue, allowing researchers to identify how tuberculosis responds to varying conditions across infected lesions. The findings provide new insight into how the pathogen survives and persists in the body and may help inform future strategies for combating one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases.
Chemical Exposure and Breast Development
Research led by Professor Charlotte Kuperwasser, PhD, suggests that exposure to common environmental chemicals may alter the development of normal human breast tissue. Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study used breast tissue organoids to examine how chemical exposures affect breast development at the molecular level. Researchers found that a combination of widely used bisphenols, including BPA, BPS, and BPF, disrupted normal tissue development even at levels comparable to real-world exposure. The findings provide a new framework for studying how environmental exposures may influence breast health and could help identify biomarkers for assessing future breast cancer risk.
New Insights into Trauma Recovery
New research led by Associate Professor Emily J. Mellen, PhD, found that individuals with a history of sexual violence experience significantly higher levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and slower recovery following a subsequent traumatic event compared with those without such a history. Published in JAMA Psychiatry, the longitudinal study followed more than 2,400 trauma patients across the US for one year after emergency department admission. The findings suggest that prior experiences of sexual violence may shape how people respond to later nonsexual traumas, with survivors showing persistently elevated PTSD symptoms over time. The research underscores the importance of trauma-informed care and highlights key considerations for clinicians supporting patients recovering from traumatic injuries.
Advancing Lyme Disease Prevention
A new National Institutes of Health–funded research project is advancing the development of a potential Lyme disease vaccine and new therapies for early infection. Led by Yi-Pin Lin, PhD, of Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, the five-year effort will investigate how immune responses target Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. As part of the collaborative project, Klemen Strle, PhD, research assistant professor of molecular biology and microbiology at Tufts University School of Medicine, will use blood samples from people previously infected with Lyme disease to examine how engineered antibodies work against the bacterium in humans. The findings could help researchers design more effective vaccines and identify new approaches to preventing and treating Lyme disease.
Zucker Award Supports Rare Eye Cancer Research
Assistant Professor Cornelia Peterson, DVM, PhD, is investigating the molecular drivers of sebaceous gland carcinoma, a rare and often difficult-to-diagnose cancer that most commonly affects the eyelid. Supported by a 2026 Natalie V. Zucker Research Award from Tufts University School of Medicine, Peterson’s research focuses on the role of the MYC gene and how it influences lipid production within cancer cells. Building on recent findings that identified MYC as a potential driver of tumor growth, the project aims to better understand the disease’s underlying biology and identify pathways that could inform future targeted therapies for patients with this uncommon but potentially devastating cancer.
Assistant Professor MyDzung Chu, PhD, MSPH, director of the ADAPT Coalition at the Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute, is part of a collaborative team that helped the Chinatown Community Land Trust secure a $150,000 City of Boston Community Clean Air Grant. Through the project, “Breathe Easy Chinatown: Evaluating Air Source Heat Pumps for Healthier Indoor Air,” Chu and community partners will assess the indoor air quality benefits of converting historic Chinatown row homes from gas heating systems to electric air-source heat pumps. The initiative will combine air quality monitoring with bilingual resident outreach and property owner engagement to support healthier indoor environments and advance environmental health equity in Boston's Chinatown community.
American Psychological Foundation Research Grant
Associate Professor Emily Mellen, PhD, has received the 2026 American Psychological Foundation Springfield Research Fund Grant to support research on the long-term impacts of sexual violence among LGBTQIA+ individuals. Using data from The PRIDE Study, a longitudinal cohort of more than 31,000 LGBTQIA+ adults, her project will examine intersectional risk factors for sexual violence victimization and investigate its associations with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and alcohol misuse over time. The research aims to advance understanding of identity-related violence and generate evidence to help inform prevention and intervention efforts for LGBTQIA+ communities.
Grant Supports TB Mental Health Research
Associate Professor Ramnath Subbaraman, MD, has been awarded a five-year, $2.59 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the effectiveness and implementation of a transdiagnostic therapy designed to address mental and behavioral health challenges among people with tuberculosis in India. The project aims to improve treatment outcomes by integrating evidence-based mental health care into tuberculosis services, addressing factors that can affect patients’ ability to complete treatment and recover successfully.
NIH Funds Dog Aging Project Research
Associate Professor Corlin, PhD, is part of a newly funded U19 award supporting the Dog Aging Project, a major research initiative examining how genes, environmental factors, and their interaction influence healthy aging. She is a member of Project 1, which will investigate why aging varies across individuals, with a focus on cognitive decline, physical decline, multimorbidity, and resilience. The findings are expected to advance understanding of the factors that contribute to healthy aging across the lifespan.
Features
A Legacy of Discovery and Mentorship
For more than four decades, Professor Ralph Isberg, PhD has advanced the scientific understanding of how bacterial pathogens invade and interact with human cells while helping shape the careers of dozens of emerging researchers. A recent feature examines both his groundbreaking research, which helped earn election to the National Academy of Sciences, and his lasting impact as a mentor to nearly 50 postdoctoral fellows and more than 30 graduate students. Many of his former trainees have gone on to lead research programs, make significant scientific discoveries, and mentor the next generation of scientists, creating a legacy that extends far beyond the laboratory.
A recent feature in Chief Healthcare Executive examines the impact of the Maine Track program, a partnership between Tufts University School of Medicine and MaineHealth Maine Medical Center designed to help address physician workforce needs in Maine. In the article, Dean Helen Boucher and MaineHealth CEO Andy Mueller, discuss the program's evolution, its emphasis on community-based training, and its role in preparing physicians to care for rural populations.
Recent Events
Tufts PA Students Receive White Coats
On October 16, members of the Tufts Physician Assistant Program Class of 2028 received their white coats during the program’s annual ceremony, marking an important milestone in their medical education. The event marked the beginning of the students’ professional journey and symbolized their commitment to compassionate patient care, professionalism, ethical practice, and lifelong learning. Surrounded by faculty, family, friends, and mentors, the future physician assistants reflected on the responsibilities and privileges of joining the health care profession and the impact they will have on the patients and communities they serve.
Neuroscience Symposium Highlights Research
Faculty, trainees, students, and colleagues from across Tufts gathered on October 8 for the annual Neuroscience Symposium and Shucart Lecture, a day dedicated to sharing research, fostering collaboration, and strengthening connections across the neuroscience community. The event featured presentations from trainees showcasing innovative research, engaging discussions among attendees, and participation from colleagues representing Tufts University School of Medicine, Tufts Medical Center, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, and the broader Tufts community. Organized by Maribel Rios, PhD, with support from the department’s administrative team, the symposium highlighted the collaborative spirit and scientific excellence that drive neuroscience research and education across Tufts.