Mark Nelson, Ph.D., chair and University Distinguished Professor of pharmacology, has been selected to serve a two-year term on the Advisory Committee to the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). 

The advisory committee advises on matters related to planning, execution, conduct, support, and evaluation of biomedical research, medical science, and biomedical communications; makes recommendations concerning program development, resource allocation, NIH administrative regulation and policy, and other specific or general aspects of NIH policy; and reviews and makes recommendations on applications for grants and cooperative agreements for research and training for projects that show promise of making valuable contributions to human knowledge.

The sixth annual Celebration of Gender Equity in Medicine and Science, hosted by the Office of Inclusive Excellence, was held on March 6 at the Larner College of Medicine. Following introductory remarks by Larner Dean Richard L. Page, M.D., and Jo Conant, M.D., co-chair of the Gender Equity Steering Committee Education Workgroup, Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark, J.D.—the first woman in the state to be elected to this position—delivered the keynote, “Leading as a Woman in the 21st Century: Shattering the Glass Ceiling Without Needing Stitches.” 

Karine Sahakyan, M.D., assistant professor of radiology, and Rebecca Wilcox, M.D., associate dean for faculty affairs and professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, presented awards to Larner faculty, staff, and students who have demonstrated outstanding commitment and service to the advancement of women, transgender, and gender-diverse people beyond the scope of their job, area of research, and/or training. The awards also recognize excellence in contributions to students, colleagues, and/or the institution in the areas of gender equity and inclusion through service, program development, teaching, research, and beyond.

2025 Gender Equity Award Recipients

The Gender Equity Champion Award, for outstanding commitment and service to the advancement of women and those with underrepresented gender identities beyond the scope of their job, area of research, and/or training
Honorees: Kathy Mariani, M.D., M.P.H., and Shrey Patel, Class of 2026
Nominees: Katie Menson, Hosna Mohabbat, Anna Ricci, Angela Russo, and Christine Weinberger

The Gender Equity Outstanding Achievement in Medicine and Science Award, given to a woman or gender-diverse* faculty member within the Larner College of Medicine who has demonstrated outstanding achievement in medicine and science through research, education, and/or service
Honoree: Julie Dumas, Ph.D.
Nominees: Tracy Madsen, Maija Reblin, Margaret Vizzard, and Beth Zigmund

The Polaris Award for Outstanding Mentorship, honoring a Larner College of Medicine faculty or staff member who provides outstanding formal or informal mentorship for women or gender-diverse* college community members
Honoree: Kristen Pierce, M.D.
Nominees: Molly Barry, Katie Dolbec, L. E. Faricy, Pam Gibson, Alexandra Potter, and Janet Stein

The Rising Star Emerging Professional Award, recognizing a woman or gender-diverse** faculty or staff member at the Larner College of Medicine who is in the early stage of their career, and who demonstrates excellence in contributions to students, colleagues, and/or the institution in the areas of gender equity and inclusion through service, program development, teaching, research, and/or beyond
Honoree: Anna Ricci, Ph.D.
Nominees: Elzerie de Jager, Alyssa DiCosmo, Jeanne Gosselin, Katie Menson, and Dijana Poljak

*“Gender diverse” refers to those who identify with a gender outside of the she/her, he/him binary

The 16th installment of The Specimen Cup, a friendly hockey game between players from the UVM Larner College of Medicine and the Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine in honor of the late Bruce Fonda, was held on March 16 at UVM. (Fonda, a beloved anatomy instructor at UVM for 25 years, started the first intramural hockey team at the school; he died of brain cancer in 2005.) The games alternate between UVM and Dartmouth.

Cheered by more than 100 faculty, staff, students, families, and other fans, the traditional camaraderie was strong as the teams hit the ice to determine who would take the coveted cup home this year. With Larner’s jerseys sporting medical-themed player names on their backs, such as “Sphincter,” “Scalpel,” “Foley,” “Doppler,” “Echo,” “Scrub,” and “Flexor,” UVM led the first period with a score of 2–1. Heading into the third period, the pressure mounted as the teams tied 5–5. After a spirited competition, Larner came out on top with a final score of 8–6.

“The Specimen Cup is such a unique tradition that brings our two incredible schools together; the hard work you see on the ice is a testament to how proud we are to represent the UVM community,” said Aiden Masters ’27. “Our team is such an amazing group of people, and the friendship and camaraderie we have built are part of what makes this experience so special.”

This year’s Specimen Cup was organized by Masters, Matt Mullen ’27, and Curtis Plante ’27, along with Charles Maguire ’26 from Geisel. Members of the 2025 Larner team included medical students Tucker Angier ’26, Georgia Babb ’26, Jasmine Bazinet-Phillips ’25, Ty Bever ’25, Jake Bleau ’26, Kyle Gorman ’26, Teddy Harrington ’27, Woongki Kim ’25, Masters, Mullen, Plante, Ben Rubin ’27, Ian Strohbehn ’26, Izzy Sutherland ’26, Ryan Trus ’26, and Greg Williams ’25; and residents Arnar Ingason, M.D. (pediatrics), Bri Leahy, M.D. (pediatrics), Warren Nielson, M.D.(orthopaedics), and Ryan Dwosh, D.O. (anesthesiology). The referee was internal medicine resident Aaron O’Brien, D.O.

Jennifer Clementi, M.D., clinical assistant professor of pediatrics, has been appointed assistant dean for students at the Larner College of Medicine’s Connecticut campus. After graduating magna cum laude with a B.A. in biology from Ithaca College, she earned her M.D. at SUNY–Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and completed a pediatrics residency at Schneider Children’s Hospital in New Hyde Park, New York.

In announcing the appointment, Karen George, M.D., M.P.H., associate dean for students at Larner’s Vermont campus and associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences, stated, “We couldn’t be more excited to have her join us. Her dedication to student success and passion for fostering a supportive and inclusive campus environment makes her an excellent fit for this role ... I am confident that her leadership will greatly benefit our community and help us continue to achieve our goals.”

Larner medical students Olivia Domingue ’25, Stefanie Kelsey ’25, Kassondra Little ’25, Mikaela Mari ’26, and McLaine Rich ’25, and pediatrics resident Julie Ehrlich, M.D., joined Associate Professor of Pediatrics Rebecca Bell, M.D., at the recent national American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C., where they met with Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT).

Hundreds of AAP members from across the country gathered March 2–4 to urge Congress members to reject cuts to Medicaid. This effort came as nearly $900 billion worth of federal budget cuts are being considered, including to Medicaid. Conference participants spoke up about how vital Medicaid is for children—covering almost half of all children in the United States and 38 percent of all Washington children—and the importance of preserving Medicaid access to care.

Larner Class of 2028 medical student Madeline Cohen, with classmates Kyle Bergeron, Mirella Fernandez, and R. Henry Powell and their anatomy course instructor, Abigail Hielscher, Ph.D., associate professor of neurological sciences, presented an anatomy case report titled “Anatomical Variation of High Brachial Artery Bifurcation with Crossover of the Ulnar and Radial Arteries” on January 17 at the Teaching Academy’s 2025 Snow Season Education Retreat.

On January 25, Cohen helped coordinate the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) Region 1 Regional Conference in Boston, where she moderated a talk given by Iris Insogna, M.D., M.B.E., on “Fertility and Family Planning for Women in Medicine.” AMWA Region 1, which includes eight New England medical schools, is a medical student group committed to the advancement of women in medicine and improvement of women’s health.