With the start of cooler temperatures and the return of students to the University of Vermont campus, the University of Vermont College of Medicine and UVM Medical Center launched the Fall 2016 Community Medical School series on Tuesday, September 6. Urologist Scott Perrapato, D.O., associate professor of surgery, presented the semester's first lecture, titled "Prostate Cancer: Innovations & Strategies for Reducing Mental and Physical Impact," to a crowd of nearly 120 attendees. Check the Community Medical School website for a video of Perrapato's presentation and in the meantime, read his recent UVM Medical Center blog post about prostate cancer here.

This free public lecture program is held the first Tuesday of the month and continues through December 6. Lectures take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Carpenter Auditorium in the Given Building at the UVM College of Medicine and include a Q&A session.

Upcoming Fall 2016 lecture dates, topics and speakers include:

• October 4 - SPECIAL PANEL PRESENTATION: “The State of Opioid Addiction in Vermont: Treatment & Research” featuring Patricia Fisher, M.D., Assistant Professor of Family Medicine; Stephen Leffler, M.D., Professor of Surgery and Chief Medical Officer; and Charles MacLean, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Associate Dean for Primary Care

• November 1, “The Dengue Fever Vaccine: How It Can Help Us Defend Against the Zika Virus,” featuring Sean Diehl, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine, and Kristen Pierce, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine and Vaccine Testing Center researchers

• December 6, “Genomic Medicine in Vermont” by Deborah G.B. Leonard, M.D., Ph.D., Chair of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.

For more information, visit the Community Medical School website or call 802-847-2886.