Dear Medical College of Georgia Friends,
Total NIH funding up over $11 million since last year
I often try to start these bi-weekly writings with some good news and sometimes, some lesser-known facts. Did you know that every single Monday evening around 5 p.m. our associate dean for research, Dr. David Stepp, logs into the National Institutes of Health (NIH) RePORTER database which includes new projects and changes to existing awards. He patiently waits for the weekly update so he can track our total reported NIH funding and compare us to our peer and aspirant institutions. This week, he shared the good news with me that our NIH funding is up more than $11 million over last year’s totals – $71.9 million this year, compared to $60.5 million last year. Why is that important? Because NIH RePORTER is how the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research ranks the nation’s medical schools. As you well know, ranking among the top 60 in the country is a top priority for this medical school and this university. While the Blue Ridge rankings won’t be finalized and released until early to mid-February, we are optimistic that our ranking will move up from where we currently land – at 68th. As we wait to hear, please know that I am immensely grateful for the work that you, our amazing faculty, have and continue to do to help move us toward this important goal.
Dr. Marlo Vernon appointed to Governor’s Maternal and Infant Health Advisory Commission
Speaking of impactful work, we recently learned that Dr. Marlo Vernon has been appointed by Governor Brian Kemp to the Georgia Maternal and Infant Health Advisory Commission, which is tasked with making policy recommendations on perinatal care. She was a great and obvious choice. An associate professor at the Georgia Prevention Institute, with an appointment in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dr. Vernon has set her sights, and her efforts, on improving our state’s dreadful maternal and fetal mortality rates. You may remember that she was the driving force behind VidaRPM, an app that allows new and expecting moms to track their blood pressure and mental health, and instructs them on what to do when issues arise with either. She hopes to eventually implement the app across Georgia and then nationally. And along with Dr. Chad Ray, she’s also worked to partner with Augusta Locally Grown on a Food Farmacy Program that, among other things, prescribes local fruits and vegetables to expectant and recent mothers, especially those with conditions that put them at higher risk of pregnancy complications. Thank you, Dr. Vernon, for your service and for your continued dedication to women and children in Georgia.
Postdoctoral student, Dr. Bruno Cisterna, wins preeminent photography competition
In keeping with the theme of dedication to one’s work, I wanted to share today that Dr. Bruno Cisterna, a postdoctoral fellow in our Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, recently took home the top prize in the 2024 Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition. It was his first time entering the contest and he won for a photo that took about three hours of precise observation under a microscope to catch just the right moment – not to mention the months of work of preparation that led up to that. Dr. Cisterna works with Dr. Eric Vitriol, director of the neuroscience PhD program, and captured an extraordinary image revealing the intricate architecture of neuronal cells, giving us a closer look at the mechanisms behind neurodegenerative diseases. His stunning image not only shows the beauty of science up close, but also expands how we see the tiniest details of the world.
Dr. Cisterna says he developed a deep love of microscopy during his early studies at the University of Talca in Chile, where he constructed a simple microscope from magnifying lenses, sparking his interest in the fundamental principles of microscopy and its ability to show the hidden details of the world around us. I guess it’s true what they say: Big things really do come in small packages! Congratulations Dr. Cisterna.
Annual Raft Debate is tonight
Switching gears a bit – I hope some of you will join me tonight at our annual Raft Debate in the Harrison Common. The doors open at 5:30 and the fun starts at 6 p.m. Sponsored by the MCG Alumni Association, this always entertaining event allows our students to determine which of three physician specialists should be saved when they find themselves aboard a sinking ship, and the only escape is a one-person raft. Our faculty aboard the virtual ship this year are Dr. Bradley Morganstern (representing surgery); Dr. James Grubb (representing medicine); and Dr. Richard Camino-Gaztambide (representing psychiatry). Dr. Vinata Lokeshwar, chair of biochemistry and molecular biology, is playing devil’s advocate, and the dynamic duo of Drs. Kelli Braun and Scott Barman, from our MCG Admissions Office, will serve as moderators.
You know I love history, so please allow me to share where this program began. It was started in 2003 by Dr. Paul Dainer, associate professor of medicine, and Dr. Elizabeth Holt, a 2005 graduate. Dr. Dainer saw a similar format pitting a social scientist, natural scientist and humanities professor, while earning his undergraduate degree at the College of William & Mary. Thanks to them both for instituting this two-decades old tradition that I know our students always look forward to.
White Coat Ceremony for MCG Class of 2028 is tomorrow
Continuing this weekend’s celebrations will be our annual White Coat Ceremony, at 2 p.m. tomorrow at the newly-renovated Bell Auditorium, where we get to welcome our largest incoming freshman class ever. These 305 junior colleagues are also our bicentennial class and will graduate from MCG in 2028. The White Coat Ceremony was established nationwide in 1993 by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation (MCG held its first in 1996) and one of the most important elements of the ceremony is the oath that the students write themselves and then take in front of their friends and family, medical school leadership and their peers. I look forward to hearing that each year. This year’s keynote speaker will be Dr. Anil Puri, a 2005 graduate (a classmate of Dr. Holt’s), who is an internist specializing in sleep and pulmonary medicine. He also is a former president of our MCG Alumni Association and regularly teaches our students at his practice in Milledgeville. He always brings humorous, yet sage advice. He’s a favorite among our students, and frankly, he’s one of my favorites too.
Seeing the excitement on our students’ faces as they cross the stage, put on their very first white coat and symbolically enter our profession is one of my favorite days as dean. I hope you can join us tomorrow.
Dr. Wayne Rentz retires as dean of Southeast Campus in Brunswick
I always say that part of MCG’s secret sauce is our regional campus network that allows our students to learn all over our state and experience the full spectrum of how medicine is practiced. A key ingredient to that sauce is the people who are the heart of those campuses – the campus deans, the administrative staff, and our amazing volunteer clinical community faculty who all work together to help our students navigate those crucial clinical years of their medical education. This week we said “see you later” to one of them. Dr. Wayne Rentz, who is a 1972 graduate of MCG and has served as campus associate dean at the Brunswick location of our Southeast Campus since its founding, is retiring. He is a beloved member of that coastal community and a gifted surgeon. It doesn’t take much more than a walk with him through the halls of Southeast Georgia Health System, our educational partner down that way, to know how respected he is among his colleagues there.
Dr. Rentz’ history with MCG actually started before he was born. His father was a junior medical student here when the car he was driving, with his pregnant wife in the passenger seat, was t-boned by a car full of nuns. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured, but Mrs. Rentz went into labor later in the day and the younger Rentz was born a few weeks prematurely. Growing up, MCG’s legacy was a familiar part of Dr. Rentz’ childhood and of course, he followed his father’s lead when it came time for him to apply to medical school. We are certainly glad he did. I say this is not a goodbye because Dr. Rentz is a former president and still very active in our Alumni Association. I know we will see him around soon. I wish him and his wife Mary well in his retirement. Thank you Dr. Rentz, for your service to your medical school.
My best to you always,
David C. Hess, MD
Dean, Medical College of Georgia
Upcoming Events
October 25 – MCG Faculty Senate Meeting, noon, J. Harold Harrison, MD Education Commons, GB1110
October 26 – MCG White Coat Ceremony, 2pm, William B. Bell Auditorium
November 15 – Annual Body Donor Memorial Service, 1pm, Natalie and Lansing B. Lee Jr. Auditorium
November 15 – MCG Research Day, 4-6pm, , J. Harold Harrison, MD Education Commons, GB1120-D
