VCU School of Medicine on the MCV Campus

More than 240 VCU Health doctors named ‘Virginia’s Top Doctors’ by Virginia Business. 🩺 This is the second year Virginia Business has compiled a list of providers from across the Commonwealth, highlighting expertise in 87 specialties. Congratulations to our faculty and colleagues on the list. Read more via VCU Health News: https://www.vcuhealth.org/news/more-than-240-vcu-health-doctors-named-virginias-top-doctors-by-virginia-business🔗

More than 240 VCU Health doctors named ‘Virginia’s Top Doctors’ by Virginia Business Choosing who you trust with your health is an important decision. While finding the right doctor might be tough, at VCU Health, we are proud to share that more than 240 of our team members have been recognized for their high-quality work in 87 specialties. Virginia Business released its 2025 edition...

When Lauren Moncayo was a kid, being a model was her “dream job.” But when her beloved grandmother was diagnosed with cancer, Moncayo set her sights on a new path: medical research. Now a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, set to graduate this spring, Moncayo is finding her place in medical research while also honoring the dreams she had as a young girl.

“A Ph.D. has been seemingly out of reach for so long and now that I’m almost done, it’s made me reevaluate what else I’ve considered ‘out of reach,’” Moncayo said. “It’s taught me that while there’s still so much to learn, there’s also so much I am capable of.”

Ananda Amstadter, Ph.D., watches the world around her through a unique lens. As a researcher who has dedicated her career to understanding the human impact of traumatic events, when she sees news reports on war, natural disasters and other tragedies, her mind goes to the survivors who are left with long-term debilitating effects and how they’ll cope.

Amstadter has been investigating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) since the beginning of her academic career. She joined the School of Medicine faculty and VCU’s Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics (VIPBG) in 2010. With dual appointments in the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, she wants to understand the causes and effects of the psychiatric disorder to inform prevention and interventional therapies.

In collaboration with researchers at Lund University in Sweden, Amstadter recently led the largest twin-sibling study of PTSD to date, which examined genetic s*x differences in relation to PTSD. According to the study, which was published a study in the American Journal of Psychiatry in early June, people assigned female at birth have a higher genetic risk of developing PTSD than those assigned male at birth. Read more via VCUSOM news: https://medschool.vcu.edu/news/search/trauma-informed-research-a-multifaceted-exploration-of-ptsd.html

Trauma-informed research: A multifaceted exploration of PTSD School of Medicine researcher Ananda Amstadter, Ph.D., studies the causes, risk factors and potential treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Can you believe it’s been five months since our M1s showed up on the MCV Campus for new student orientation?

From the white coat ceremony to community service projects to SIG events, not to mention classes, exams and simulation exercises, these future physicians dove in headfirst and are already making their mark on the School of Medicine.

Med students and grad students: Want to see your cohort represented here? Submit photos to [email protected].

As winter settles on the MCV Campus, we celebrate the season of giving as well as your incredible support. Your contributions have been crucial in reducing tuition and boosting financial aid.

We invite you to support the School of Medicine Annual Fund today to take advantage of a matching gift opportunity that will double your impact! Help alleviate medical student debt and brighten futures. Read more via go.vcu.edu/som24

In late September, Hurricane Helene, a category 4 storm, devastated the southeastern US. It hit western North Carolina, including Asheville particularly hard, causing an estimated $53 billion in damages to the city and surrounding counties. M2 Benjamin Vanderkwaak’s former high school was underwater after the storm, and many of the trees in his once heavily wooded neighborhood had fallen, including on a section of Vanderkwaak’s childhood home. Damage to roads, cellular towers and unstable Wi-Fi isolated the area and hindered communication, leaving Vanderkwaak in the dark on how his and his wife’s families were doing for multiple days.

Vanderkwaak knew he had to do something to help his hometown. Local authorities advised against traveling to the area in the aftermath of the storm, as an influx of people could hinder recovery efforts. Considering what he could do from Richmond, Vanderkwaak reached out to his classmates via GroupMe with an idea, one that he said they quickly rallied around. Read more via SOM news: https://medschool.vcu.edu/news/search/an-outpouring-of-support-students-support-hurricane-relief-efforts--and-each-other-through-community-outreach.html

“There was just an outpouring of support and desire to help,” Vanderkwaak said. “It’s hard for one broke medical student to make a difference, but when you have students that support each other, it can go a long way.”

Danielle “Dani” Noreika, M.D., a professor in the Department of Internal Medicine and section chief of VCU Health Palliative Medicine, wanted to expand on her passion for equitable patient care by earning a master's in health administration at the VCU College of Health Professions.

After Dr. Noreika died unexpectedly in October of this year, colleagues and loved ones described her as down to earth, warm, selfless, giving, thankful and “a model student in every way.” Her husband, Kevin Noreika, D.O., an emergency medicine physician, created the Dr. Danielle M. Noreika Memorial Scholarship for the Department of Health Administration.

Read more about Dr. Noreika, her impact and the new scholarship in her name: https://www.vcuhealth.org/news/because-students-remembering-dani-noreika

‘Because Students’: Remembering Dani Noreika By Jeff Kelley Well into her clinical career as a palliative care physician, Danielle Noreika, M.D., decided to build her research and leadership skills and expand her passion for equitable patient care. To achieve her goals, she joined the master of science in health administration program at Virgi...

Congratulations to Fadi N. Salloum, Ph.D., a professor and leader in the School of Medicine, who was honored as part of the 2025 Outstanding Faculty Awards, presented by the State Council of Higher Education (SCHEV) and Dominion Energy. Read more via VCU News: https://news.vcu.edu/article/2024/12/professors-win-states-outstanding-faculty-award

Salloum is the associate chair for research and a professor in the Department of Internal Medicine in the School of Medicine, as well as a professor and interim chair of the Department of Physiology and Biophysics. He also is the associate director of research mentoring and preclinical science for the Pauley Heart Center. Salloum, who earned his Ph.D. in cardiovascular physiology from VCU, has mentored numerous trainees and currently leads a multi-disciplinary translational heart failure research program. His research focuses on identifying the molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible for cardiac injury, inflammation and heart failure.

“I am truly humbled to have been selected as a recipient of the 2025 SCHEV Outstanding Faculty Award to represent the departments of Internal Medicine and Physiology and Biophysics at VCU,” Salloum said. “As someone who has spent all my graduate education, postdoctoral training and career as a faculty member at VCU, this speaks volumes to the incredible collaborative environment and support for team-teaching, team-science and team-mentoring in our School of Medicine and university.”

Professors win state’s Outstanding Faculty Award Fadi N. Salloum, Ph.D., a professor in the School of Medicine, and Xuewei Wang, Ph.D., a chemistry professor in the College of Humanities and Sciences, are among 12 faculty members honored from across Virginia this year.

Since childhood, Joey Picone has had an interest in science, especially biology and the natural world. Picone’s passion found a decidedly human shape in recent years: understanding the molecular mechanisms that impact our brain function. This month he graduates with a Ph.D. in anatomy and neurobiology from VCU School of Medicine. Read more via VCU News: https://news.vcu.edu/article/2024/12/class-of-2024-joey-picone-explores-the-neuroscience-of-addiction

At VCU, he soon started working with Peter Hamilton, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the School of Medicine’s Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology who studies how experiences with stress and drug use change the brain

“This research is so important since there are currently no FDA-approved pharmacotherapies for treating addiction to stimulants like co***ne,” Picone said. “Understanding the molecular mechanisms that drive this form of addiction is an important first step toward developing therapies for stimulant use disorder.”

Class of 2024: Joey Picone explores the neuroscience of addiction Using gene-editing tools, the doctoral student uncovered new insights into how co***ne impacts the brain.

Susan Kornstein, M.D., director of the VCU Institute for Women’s Health, attended a conference on women’s health at the White House on Wednesday, Dec. 11.

Attendees included President Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, Carolyn Mazure, Ph.D., chair of the White House Initiative on Women's Health Research; Janine Clayton, M.D., director of the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health; Eliza Chin, M.D., executive director of the American Medical Women's Association; and Carolee Lee, CEO and founder of Women's Health Access Matters.

Founded in 2022, Medical Students for Maternal Health Equity (MSMHE) is a student interest group dedicated to addressing maternal health inequity through education, community engagement and advocacy.

Last month, MSMHE hosted its second annual postpartum care packaging event, compiling 100 care packages filled with items for new moms and their babies.

“It’s about showing them that we care and that we are here for them,” M2 and MSMHE co-president Noelle Maison said. “Postpartum can be such a difficult and isolating time and this is a little way that we can hopefully make it easier.”

SIG Spotlight is an ongoing series highlighting the initiatives and engagement of School of Medicine student interest groups.

Read more via SOM news:
https://medschool.vcu.edu/news/student-life/sig-spotlight-msmhe/ 🔗

SIG Spotlight: Medical Students for Maternal Health Equity Medical student interest group members compile care packages for Richmond-area postpartum mothers.

Give the gift of opportunity this holiday season! 💛

Make a gift to the School of Medicine Annual Fund today to support medical student scholarships that fully cover in-state tuition. Your contribution will be matched dollar-for-dollar, brightening our students' futures and easing medical student debt. Give via go.vcu.edu/som24

Five School of Medicine faculty have been recognized as 2024 National/International Recognition Award scholars by the Office of the Provost. Congratulations to Ananda Amstadter, Ph.D., Paula Bos, Ph.D., Bernard Fuemmeler, Ph.D., Kurt Hauser, Ph.D. and Devanand Sarkar, Ph.D.!

Michael Rao, Ph.D., president of VCU, said in 2023 that NIRA recipients “represent the best of the best” across the university.

“The NIRA is an important new way for VCU to show appreciation to professors who demonstrate excellence in their academic discipline, elevating not only their own profile but that of the entire university.”

Read more via SOM news:
https://medschool.vcu.edu/news/search/five-school-of-medicine-faculty-recognized-as-nira-scholars.html

Five School of Medicine faculty recognized as NIRA scholars The National/International Recognition Award highlights faculty excellence across the university.

Groundbreaking research by Martin J. Mangino, M.D. of the VCU Department of Surgery could transform treatment for massive blood loss injuries. The U.S. Air Force recently awarded a $1.8 million grant to Perfusion Medical, a company co-founded by Dr. Mangino, to advance the development of PM-208, an intravenous intervention to stop bleeding in patients.

With over 40 years of research on ischemic reperfusion injuries, Dr. Mangino’s work has the potential to save countless lives in medical emergencies like heart attacks, strokes and battlefield trauma. Supported by VCU TechTransfer and Ventures, Perfusion expects to start Phase 1 trials in early 2025.

Read more via Virginia Business:
https://virginiabusiness.com/vcu-startup-grabs-military-attention-funding/

VCU startup grabs military attention, funding - Virginia Business Listen to this article A discovery by a Virginia Commonwealth University research scientist that could revolutionize the treatment of massive blood loss injuries is receiving major support from the military. In August, the U.S. Air Force awarded a $1.8 million grant to Perfusion Medical, a company c...

Discover how VCU Health and VCU’s health sciences schools are driving impact through academic excellence, innovation and compassionate care in this VCU News interview with leaders across MCV campus: https://news.vcu.edu/article/2024/10/answering-the-call-how-vcus-health-sciences-campus-is-unlike-any-other

“[Our students and faculty] come here to take on the biggest challenges in health care, whether that is serving patients with the most complicated health needs, solving the hardest research questions or identifying opportunities to advance the health of our community. People at this university are not afraid to tackle the hard things.” - Arturo Saavedra, M.D., Ph.D., dean of the VCU School of Medicine and executive vice president for medical affairs for the VCU Health System

Answering the call: How VCU’s health sciences campus is unlike any other Leaders from VCU Health and VCU’s health sciences schools share their perspectives on how a dedication to academic excellence, collaborative innovation and compassionate care impact students, patients and the greater community.

Last month, over 600 guests danced the night away at the 2024 MedBall! Check out some photos from the memorable night! 📸

Help transform a medical student’s life this year! When you support the School of Medicine Annual Fund, your gift will be matched — dollar for dollar — to help provide scholarships for students like Charles, a former EMT who is the first in his family to graduate college. Give via https://go.vcu.edu/som24 🔗

Stephen A. Levin, M’79, is giving back to the community that gave him so much.

He and his wife, Christine, endowed the Stephen A. Levin, M.D., and Mrs. Christine C. Levin Scholarship to encourage medical students to pursue primary care. The scholarship is particularly targeted to students with a commitment to practice in underserved urban or rural areas. It is expected to be awarded for the first time in the 2025-26 academic year.

https://medschool.vcu.edu/news/search/he-found-his-tribe-during-rotations-now-hes-helping-others-find-theirs.html

“It really hit me how difficult it was for some patients to access health care and I certainly saw the shortage of primary care physicians,” he said. “That’s when Chris and I started having the conversation about doing something and she saw the same need that I saw.”

He found his tribe during rotations, now he’s helping others find theirs Stephen Levin, M’79, and wife Christine established an endowed scholarship to help reduce medical school debt for students pursuing a career in primary care.