Faculty & Staff News
People News
Greater Lawrence Family Health Center Leadership
Following a nationwide search, Clinical Instructor Zandra Kelley, MD, has been named the new President and CEO of Greater Lawrence Family Health Center (GLFHC). A longtime leader at GLFHC, Dr. Kelley has served as chief medical officer for the past six years and has been with the health center since 2003, after graduating from the Lawrence Family Medicine Residency Program. Widely respected for her commitment to community health and medical education, she brings decades of experience in clinical care, administration, and teaching as she steps into this leadership role.
Leadership Appointment at TUSM
Following a national search, MaryPat Lohse, PhD, has been appointed Executive Associate Dean. A seasoned higher education leader with more than 25 years of experience, Lohse has served as Interim Executive Associate Dean since December 2024 and brings a strong record of strengthening administrative operations, advancing strategic priorities, and leading complex organizational change. Since joining Tufts in 2022, she has advanced graduate program growth, cross‑university collaboration, and the expansion of innovative programs, while strengthening institutional alignment through a ‘One TUSM’ approach.
Leadership Role Renewed at Children’s Trust
Professor Robert Sege, MD, PhD, has been reappointed to the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Children’s Trust, a distinguished gubernatorial appointment. The Massachusetts Children’s Trust is dedicated to the prevention of child abuse and neglect by addressing the root causes of maltreatment through strong, coordinated systems responses.
National Recognition in Oncology Leadership
Professor Don Dizon, MD, FACP, FASCO, Jane F. Desforges, M.D., Chair in Hematology and Oncology, has been named to OncoDaily’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in Oncology, an honor that highlights global leaders shaping the future of cancer care. The recognition reflects Dr. Dizon’s sustained impact across oncology through leadership in clinical care, research, medical education, and patient advocacy, underscoring his influence on advancing the field and improving outcomes for patients worldwide.
New Editorial Board Role at Academic Medicine
Professor Laura Baecher-Lind, MD, MPH, Dean of Educational Affairs, has been appointed to a three-year term on the editorial board of Academic Medicine, one of the most influential journals in medical education. This prestigious appointment recognizes Dr. Baecher-Lind’s leadership and expertise in advancing medical education and underscores her commitment to shaping the future of academic medicine. Academic Medicine is an official, peer-reviewed journal of the AAMC.
Recognizing Excellence in Gynecology
Professor Jason D. Wright, MD, has been appointed the Louis E. Phaneuf Teaching and Research Chair in Gynecology. Established in 1959, the endowed professorship recognizes excellence in gynecology and commemorates a long‑standing legacy of leadership at Tufts. A nationally recognized physician‑scientist and academic leader, Dr. Wright brings a distinguished record of advancing gynecologic care, expanding clinical research, and strengthening training programs, furthering the School of Medicine’s mission of excellence in women’s health.
Top International Honor in Science
Professor Bernard Arulanandam, PhD, MBA, Vice Provost for Research for Tufts University, has been named a Foreign Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy, one of India’s highest scientific honors. This distinction recognizes his impactful research in immunology and infectious diseases, as well as his leadership in advancing global scientific collaboration and translating discovery into real-world impact.
School News
Tufts University and Tufts Medical Center have partnered to expand access to mental health care for young children by bringing child and adolescent psychiatry training into the preschool classroom. Through a unique rotation at the Eliot‑Pearson Children’s School, psychiatry fellows provide play‑based care in a familiar setting while gaining hands‑on experience in early childhood development—benefiting children, families, educators, and future clinicians alike.
Celebrating Continuing Education
January 23, 2026, marked Healthcare Continuing Education Professionals Day, recognizing the vital role of CE professionals in advancing medical knowledge and patient care. The TUSM Office of Continuing Education thanks the faculty, staff, and administrators who served as course directors, speakers, reviewers, and educators in 2025, and looks forward to continued collaboration in 2026 to support high‑quality healthcare education.
DPT Program Expands to Atlanta
Tufts University School of Medicine is launching a new Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program in Atlanta, Georgia, expanding its national footprint to a fourth location. The DPT‑Atlanta program will offer Tufts’ accelerated, hybrid curriculum—combining flexible online coursework with in‑person clinical skills labs—with applications opening in June 2026 and the inaugural class enrolling in Fall 2027, strengthening access to high‑quality physical therapy education in the Southeast.
Tufts Expands Pediatric Asian Clinic
Tufts Medical Center has opened an expanded Pediatric Asian Clinic on Washington Street in Chinatown, strengthening its commitment to culturally and linguistically responsive care. The teaching hospital clinic features seven exam rooms and a spacious waiting area, and is staffed by two multilingual physicians, two multilingual nurses, and front desk staff who speak Chinese and other languages. Interpreting services are also available to support patients and families.
Tufts Joins Alzheimer’s Initiative
Tufts Medicine has been selected as one of only two health systems nationwide to partner with the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative (DAC) in the newly launched U.S. Early Detection Expansion Program—an effort aimed at improving the timely identification of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease in primary care. Through the initiative, five Tufts Medicine primary care sites will pilot and refine DAC’s Early Detection Blueprint, helping to build sustainable clinical pathways and training models that can be adopted system‑wide.
Research News
Impact of Weight Stigma on Patient Care
Research led by Professor Wayne Altman, MD, in collaboration with Tufts MD students Jyothi Chunduru and Jessica Rosenblum, examines how weight stigma in healthcare undermines patient‑provider communication and harms care. Based on interviews and focus groups, the study identifies disconfirming communication behaviors—such as minimizing patients’ efforts and undermining their agency—that contribute to reduced trust, emotional distress, and disrupted care, pointing to opportunities for improving clinical communication and patient outcomes.
New Approach to Osteoarthritis Treatment
Associate Professor Li Zeng, PhD, is leading a new approach to osteoarthritis treatment that targets cartilage damage at its source. In a study published in Nature Nanotechnology, Dr. Zeng and collaborators describe a nanoparticle platform that delivers mRNA to damaged cartilage to stimulate production of the protective peptide ghrelin. Supported by the Ellison Foundation and developed with Mass General Brigham, the work offers a severity‑responsive strategy for a disease with no current disease‑modifying therapies.
Grants
Professors Joan Mecsas, PhD, Bree Aldridge, PhD, and Ralph Isberg, PhD, have been awarded a highly competitive international grant through the Gates Foundation’s Global Grand Challenges program to accelerate the discovery of new antibiotics for multidrug‑resistant infections. Selected as one of just 18 projects worldwide, the team’s work focuses on developing new approaches to combat drug-resistant Klebsiella, a critical and growing global public health threat driven by antimicrobial resistance.
Examining Cognitive Decline in Hemodialysis Patients
Associate Professor David Drew, MD, MS, has received the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Bridge Grant Pilot Program award for his research project, Hemodialysis and Cognitive Decline: A Longitudinal Study Examining Key Clinical Outcomes and Modifiable Risk Factors. By following patients over time, the study aims to identify key clinical outcomes and potentially modifiable risk factors that contribute to changes in cognitive function.
Investigating Microbial Drivers of Severe Lyme Disease
Assistant Professor Klemen Strle, PhD, has received an R01 grant from the NIH for his project, Microbial Determinants of Excessive Inflammation and Severe Lyme Disease. The award will support Dr. Strle’s research into how specific microbial factors contribute to dysregulated immune responses that drive severe manifestations of Lyme disease. By identifying the mechanisms that lead to excessive inflammation, this work aims to advance understanding of disease severity and inform the development of more targeted strategies for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
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Recent Events
Annual Heart Failure Conference
The TUSM Office of Continuing Education partnered with Tufts Medical Center’s Division of Cardiology to host the 18th Annual Heart Failure Conference on November 14, featuring the latest advances in drug and device therapies for advanced heart failure. Led since its inception by Associate Professor David DeNofrio, MD, Director of the Cardiomyopathy Center, the CME/CE‑accredited conference fosters interdisciplinary collaboration across New England and included a patient and caregiver panel highlighting real‑world perspectives on living with heart failure.
This January, TUSM’s IDEAS in Medicine Community Service Learning club welcomed middle schoolers from Chelsea, MA, and 11th graders from Cathedral High School for our 16th annual IDEAS in Medicine Field Trips. The visiting students explored the Thompson Sim Center, practiced problem-based learning, learned first aid techniques, used an ultrasound machine, and even visited the anatomy lab, getting a hands-on look at what a future in medicine can hold.
PA Capstone Poster Presentation
Tufts PA students recently showcased their scholarship and clinical insights during Capstone Poster Presentations that reflected months of hard work and collaboration. Students presented thoughtful case studies and clinical reviews spanning medical conditions, therapies, healthcare delivery systems, and patient education challenges, demonstrating their readiness to apply knowledge in ways that meaningfully advance patient care.
The Tufts Physician Assistant Program celebrated the graduation of 50 students from the Class of 2026 during a ceremony held on Saturday, January 24. The event recognized an accomplished group of graduates whose resilience, compassion, and dedication shaped their time in the program and will guide them as they begin careers advancing patient care and improving health outcomes.