MUSC Department of Medicine

Celebrating our future physician-educators! 🎉

Teaching is at the heart of medicine, and we are proud to recognize our internal medicine residents who have gone above and beyond to develop the skills needed to inspire and educate the next generation of physicians.

Through the MUSC Clinicians as Educators program, these residents have strengthened their expertise in bedside teaching, curriculum development, learner assessment, and medical education. Today, we celebrate these certificate recipients for their dedication to teaching, mentorship, and lifelong learning.

Please join us in congratulating them on this outstanding achievement and on their commitment to shaping the future of medicine. 👏🎓

From the wards to the waves 🌊☀️ Beach Week was the perfect way to celebrate another year of residency, friendship, and memories!

Science in the Feghali-Bostwick Lab at MUSC is driven by a shared goal: understanding and ultimately treating fibrotic diseases, including systemic sclerosis–associated lung fibrosis. Assistant Professor Ludivine Renaud, Ph.D., is a researcher in the lab whose work focuses on understanding the transcriptomic and cellular mechanisms that drive lung fibrosis in systemic sclerosis.

Recent first author and co-first author publications from this work include:
• “KLF4 initiates dedifferentiation of systemic sclerosis lung fibroblasts.” Renaud L*, Kotz S, Menon A, Feghali-Bostwick C. Cells. 2026;15(10):921.
• “Comparison of the transcriptomic signatures of skin and lung fibroblasts from patients with systemic sclerosis.” Kotz SE*, Renaud L*, Feghali-Bostwick CA. Fibrosis. 2026;4(2):10008.
• “Sex disparity in systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary fibrosis.” Galimba AN*, Renaud L*, Kotz SE, Herzog EL, Feghali-Bostwick C. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2026;27(10):4363.

These publications also highlight the lab's commitment to mentorship and scientific development. M.D./Ph.D. trainee Audrey Galimba is a first author and co-author on multiple publications, while high school student Samantha Kotz contributed as an author on all three papers.

Together, these accomplishments demonstrate how collaborative research environments can foster the next generation of physician-scientists and researchers while advancing the understanding of fibrotic disease.

Researchers from MUSC Hollings Cancer Center and Emory University recently published findings from a clinical trial studying an experimental drug called opaganib for patients with advanced prostate cancer that no longer responds to standard hormone therapies. While treatment options are often limited at this stage, some patients in the trial experienced disease stabilization and encouraging biological responses.

The drug itself has roots at MUSC, where years of laboratory and early clinical research helped move the therapy from discovery to patient care. Researchers are now working to identify which patients may benefit most as part of a more personalized, precision medicine approach to cancer treatment.

Every breakthrough starts with research, collaboration and patients willing to participate in clinical trials that help move cancer care forward for future survivors.

Learn more:
https://musc.co/4uVOVSu

MUSC researcher Dr. Federica del Monte is leading a groundbreaking study examining the connection between heart failure and Alzheimer's disease after discovering that the same plaques and tangles found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's can also appear in the hearts of patients with cardiomyopathy and heart failure.

The goal: identify biomarkers that could help physicians detect disease earlier and open the door to new treatment possibilities for both the heart and brain.

This innovative work reflects MUSC Health's commitment to advancing research that could transform how we diagnose and treat some of the most challenging conditions affecting older adults.

Learn more:
https://musc.co/4vk31x9

Heart failure can affect much more than a patient's heart.

For many people, it can make everyday activities like walking, climbing stairs, or staying active increasingly difficult.

Dr. Michele Esposito has received a prestigious NIH K23 Career Development Award that will support her research into why those challenges occur and how they might be addressed to improve quality of life for patients.

Learn more: https://musc.co/4vxpbw9

Celebrating Excellence in the Department of Medicine! 🎉

Each year at our Annual Awards Ceremony, we have the privilege of recognizing the exceptional faculty, staff, residents, fellows, trainees, and advanced practice providers who make a lasting impact on our department. Their dedication to advancing patient care, supporting one another, fostering innovation, and pursuing excellence helps strengthen our mission every day.

Please join us in congratulating the 2026 Department of Medicine Annual Awards recipients on this well-deserved recognition. Thank you for your outstanding contributions and for inspiring excellence across MUSC! 👏🏆

Read more about all of our awardees: https://bit.ly/3Q1tRLF