Department of Family Medicine at IU School of Medicine

🌞 Cookout in the Courtyard Recap: June 18
What a fantastic afternoon in the Lockefield Village Courtyard! Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Department of Family Medicine Cookout for great food, music, games, and even better company!

A special thank you to everyone who contributed food, brought chairs, and helped make this event such a success. It was a wonderful celebration of our DFM community, connection, and creativity.

The Department of Family Medicine is building the future of primary care! 🩺

The first-ever Primary Care Residency & Career Fair on May 30th connected students with programs in family medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine & OBGYN. Throughout the day, students networked with sponsors and explored opportunities across Indiana as they continue their path as primary care providers. We are grateful to showcase the work of our residency program, and look forward to supporting students along their journey!

Thank you to @ and for sponsoring this fair.

In a special edition of the Inside Family Medicine podcast, sponsored by Roche Diagnostics, host Darren Sextro talks with brain health experts Deanna Willis, MD, MBA, a board-certified family physician, and Jared Brosch, MD, board-certified neurologist, on the use of blood-based biomarkers (BBBMs) in primary care settings for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Their discussion explores how BBBMs can make referrals more efficient and enhance the evaluation of patients with cognitive decline. Congratulations to Drs. Willis and Brosch for participating in this opportunity to discuss their research!

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/0BqZ4Hoo8dk?si=zHnlJespIgvs8q1N
Listen to the podcast: https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/41253750

Learn more about the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) here.

🎉We’re celebrating the close of the ninth cohort of the NIH‑funded Advanced Course on Cancer‑Related Health Disparities Research, Mentoring, and Leadership—proudly co‑sponsored by and !

This week brought together participants from coast to coast for hands‑on study design sessions, a Huntsman Cancer Institute tour, and impactful workshops. Beyond the classroom, participants connected through networking, skill-building activities, and time to collaborate and recharge in the beautiful Utah landscape.

👏 Thank you to all participants for making this an impactful and energizing week!

Learn more about the program: https://medicine.iu.edu/family-medicine/cancer-health-disparities-course

The Department of Family Medicine is proud to be represented at this year's Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) Annual Spring Conference! 🎉

Several faculty members have been attending sessions, sharing scholarship, and connecting with colleagues from across the country to advance innovation in family medicine education and care. From medical education and research to leadership development and community impact, STFM is a space to learn, collaborate, and bring new ideas back home.

Thank you to for facilitating this opportunity for our clinical educators to learn and grow together!

Learn more about the conference here: https://www.stfm.org/conferences/annual/overview/

The Department of Family Medicine has earned a #29 ranking for NIH funding among family medicine departments nationwide—a testament to outstanding scholarship and impact.

NIH-funded research projects include the Advanced Course on Cancer-Related Health Disparities Research, Mentoring, and Leadership, of which Family Medicine Chair Dr. Kola Okuyemi is Principal Investigator. Congratulations to our researchers and research teams for your dedication to research and innovation!

🔗 Read the IUSM Feature: https://medicine.iu.edu/news/2026/02/2026-nih-funding-ranking

🎉 Research Spotlight: I-StARR Program 🎉

Congratulations to Dr. Daniel Navarro‑Martinez, Internal Medicine PGY‑2, for an outstanding research block under the mentorship of Dr. Khadijah Breathett (Division of Cardiology).

🔬 3‑Month Research Block Outcomes:

✅ Poster presentation at the American College of Cardiology (ACC)
✅ Multiple manuscripts under review
📰 Recent publication in the American Journal of Theraputics:
> "SGLT‑2 Inhibitors After Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Preventive Approach for Heart Failure‑Related Complications: A Meta‑Analysis"
> https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41065667/

👏 We are proud of Dr. Navarro‑Martinez’s contributions to research, and look forward to seeing him succeed in the I-StARR program and beyond!

Learn more about the I-StARR Residency Program:
👉 https://medicine.iu.edu/research/training-programs/residency

The Creativity in Practice and Education Award was recently presented to providers from the IU Health Primary Care – Indianapolis’ team-based care clinic, the Comprehensive Pain Assessment Clinic (CoPAC)! This award was presented at the annual National Academies of Practice (NAP) Forum and Banquet.

Dr. Carol Dellinger, pain specialist family medicine physician, and Dr. April D. Newton, physical therapist, received the award on behalf of CoPAC from NAP President Dr. Tony Breitbach. Other team members present were Dr. Harold Avila, dentist; Ms. Haley Cabrera, nurse; Dr. Terry Loghmani, physical therapist, Ms. Maeg Sauers, clinical coordinator along with Life Health Science interns Ms. Sara Ali and Ms. Sukhleen Dhami. Read about this honor below:
https://ipe.iu.edu/news-and-media/latest/copac-honored-by-nap

Providers not pictured: Rev. Dustin Hite, chaplain, Dr. Seth Hunter, family medicine physician, and Dr. Deanna R. Willis, family medicine physician.