Dear Medical College of Georgia Friends,

Hooding Ceremony offers opportunity to celebrate our newest colleagues

Last week, we gathered to celebrate our amazing Class of 2025 as they stepped into their careers as physicians. The annual Hooding Ceremony always gives us a moment to reflect—both on their journey from students to doctors, and on the dedication of our faculty who guided them along the way.  Educating the next generation is a privilege and a calling that I’m thankful each of you choose to answer.  While I hope many of these new physicians will one day return to serve Georgia’s communities, I know they’ll make us proud wherever their paths lead.

In addition to our graduates, their families and friends, we were honored to be joined that day by Senator Blake Tillery, who represents Georgia’s 19th district, and serves as chair of the Appropriations Committee, vice chair of the State Institutions and Property Committee, and secretary for the Judiciary Committee. Not only is he a friend to this medical school – many among us have benefited from his advocacy efforts in the legislature – he has another special connection. His wife, Ashley Nicole Tillery is a 2017 MCG graduate and an OB/Gyn in Vidalia, Georgia who also teaches our Savannah Campus students.

My thanks to our Office of Academic Affairs for a near flawless ceremony, especially Dr. Jennifer Tucker, associate dean of student affairs; and Dr. Chris Watson, assistant dean for student affairs for enrichment, who both expertly help guide our students through their medical education journey. Great work, as always.

Dr. Brooke Amero receives John F. Beard Award

A particular high point during this year’s ceremony was the awarding of the annual John F. Beard Award, Augusta University’s highest honor for a health sciences graduate. Established in 1998 by William Porter “Billy” Payne and Martha Payne it honors students who demonstrate exceptional compassion in health care. It was created in memory of Payne’s father-in-law, who died of cancer in 1997, and also recognizes President Emeritus Francis J. Tedesco and Dr. Mark F. Williams, a 1988 MCG graduate, who provided care to Mr. Beard at Wellstar MCG Health.

This year’s recipient was Dr. Brooke Amero, who has certainly exemplified compassion and a commitment to changing the world during her time at MCG. As a first-year medical student, she founded Period Augusta, which collected over 5,000 essential care products for those in need. She developed an intimate partner violence training curriculum that has educated over 400 medical students, worked with SafeHomes to support domestic violence survivors, and helped establish a free clinic for unhoused individuals in Savannah. Dr. Amero also created patient education videos on the importance of cervical cancer screening and labor pain management for our YouTube channel and provided health education to youth in the juvenile court system. This summer, she will begin her internship at Wellstar Kennestone in Marietta before moving to Emory University to complete her training in diagnostic radiology. Congratulations Dr. Amero…well-deserved. Thank you for representing MCG so well.

Dr. Jeffrey Talbert selected as inaugural chair of our Department of AI and Health

Back in August, we took a big step by establishing our 24th department—the Department of Artificial Intelligence and Health. While “artificial” is the common term, I prefer “augmented,” which I think better reflects the technology’s potential to enhance health care through efficiency, accuracy, and personalization. Establishing this department is an important step in ensuring that our students will become leaders in an evolving landscape, and unlocking funding opportunities from government agencies, private organizations, and industry partners. This addition will also strengthen our research portfolio, advancing our goal of reaching the Top 60 in NIH funding, while driving economic growth by attracting talent, investment, and partnerships.

This week, we marked another important milestone by asking Dr. Jeffery Talbert to be the department’s inaugural chair. A renowned biomedical informatics expert, Dr. Talbert joins us from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, where he wears many hats – chief of biomedical informatics in the Department of Internal Medicine; director of the Institute for Biomedical Informatics; associate director of the Center for Clinical and Translational Science; and deputy director of the Rural and Underserved Health Research Center.

I want to thank Dr. Ravi Kolhe, chair of our Department of Pathology, for chairing the search for this position, as well as the entire search committee: Gina Askar, Hank Capps, David Fallaw, Klaus Ley, Matt Lyon, Richard McIndoe, Steffen Meiler, Doug Miller, David Mysona, Alex Schwartzman, Jennifer Sullivan, Xiaoling Wang and Teresa Waters.

AI can help us better use and understand large data, which will lead to better treatments and cures

AI’s greatest strength lies in its ability to analyze vast health data sets, uncover patterns, predict treatment outcomes, and guide better decision-making. Dr. Talbert is a leader in this field, currently serving as director of biomedical informatics for a $17 million Clinical and Translational Sciences Award from the NIH, supporting groundbreaking work at the UK Center for Clinical and Translational Science. These CTSA grants accelerate the transformation of research discoveries into clinical applications—and are something we hope to add to our research portfolio very soon.

Dr. Talbert also is co-director of the Data, Informatics and Statistics Core on an $87 million NIH grant aimed at using evidence-based interventions to reduce overdoses, including expanding access to treatment, overdose prevention training, naloxone distribution, improving prescribing processes, and safe disposal of opioids. And he is the MPI of the NIH-funded Rapid Actionable Data for Opioid Response in Kentucky (RADOR-KY), an integrated, population-based, near-real time statewide surveillance system that uses data from multiple state agencies and implements advanced informatics algorithms for fast data processing, data linkage, machine learning, and predictive analytics to support opioid overdose prevention and control. 

That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Over his three-decade career, he has published more than 150 research articles, led over 100 funded projects, and served as principal investigator or multiple principal investigator on grants that represent $130 million in funding. Here, he will work with Wellstar to develop a clinical data warehouse that is “AI Actionable.” This will be a huge step forward for our MCG/AU Wellstar partnership. And as we continue our transition to the EPIC EMR system, his expertise will certainly be invaluable in helping harness patient data to drive impactful research, develop new treatments, and improve patient care.

Please join me in welcoming him when he officially joins us Sept. 1.

Dr. April Hartman appointed to Medicaid and CHIP Payment Access Commission

I know Dr. Talbert will be a perfect addition to our team, because he shares the same passion for impactful work and commitment to improving lives that all of our incredible faculty do. Here’s one example: Dr. April Hartman has dedicated her career to advocating for children’s health and well-being, with a more recent special focus on mental health. A board-certified pediatrician with over 25 years of experience, she serves as chief of our Division of General Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine and as Dorothy A. Hahn, MD, Endowed Chair in Pediatrics.

Through her leadership in Georgia’s Medicaid Task Force, Child Enrichment, Inc., and Resilient Communities of East Georgia, she has worked tirelessly to ensure children receive the care and support they need. Her appointment this month to the Medicaid and CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) is just the most recent testament to her unwavering commitment to shaping policies that protect and uplift vulnerable young patients. Dr. Hartman believes that every child deserves access to compassionate and comprehensive care, and I know her work will continue to shape health care for our smallest patients for years to come. Thank you for your commitment, Dr. Hartman.

Research team awarded $3.2M to study spinal cord pain treatment

Here’s another example of work done here that is truly making a difference for people who are suffering. A team of researchers from our Division of Rheumatology has received a $3.2 million Department of Defense grant to test a promising new drug for neuropathic pain, a common complication of spinal cord injury that can be quite debilitating. Led by Division Chief, Dr. Laura Carbone, the study focuses on an oral medication, called EC5026 for now, that works by preventing the breakdown of natural anti-inflammatory fatty acids. This allows them instead to circulate and potentially help with pain and inflammation. This research holds special significance for Dr. Carbone, inspired by her mother-in-law’s struggle with spinal cord injury-related neuropathic pain, which no doubt underscored the urgent need for more effective treatment options.

Current treatments for neuropathic pain in spinal cord injuries often prove inadequate or risky, with existing medications like antidepressants, antiepileptics, and opioids showing limited effectiveness. What makes this new drug particularly promising is its non-addictive nature and minimal side effects shown in Phase I trials with healthy volunteers. The research team also includes Dr. Rachel Elam, an assistant professor in the division, and Dr. Colton Hoffer, chief rheumatology fellow. Next steps are beginning Phase II trials at Wellstar MCG Health. My congratulations and thanks to these researchers for their hard work searching for better solutions for people enduring persistent pain.

Georgia Cancer Center hosts “Lab Crawl” to give inside look at research

There’s no doubt that groundbreaking research is happening here, and showcasing its impact on lives is always a privilege. Last week, there was an opportunity to do just that as the Georgia Cancer Center hosted a “Lab Crawl,” offering donors, prospective donors, and community leaders a behind-the-scenes look at our work. Among the distinguished guests were Representatives Rob Clifton and L.C. Myles, members of the Georgia House of Representatives, who joined others in meaningful discussions with our researchers.

The event highlighted the contributions of scientists like Dr. Malcolm Bevel, who studies how social determinants of health influence obesity-related cancer; Dr. Ahmed Chadli, whose lab is advancing breast cancer research and developing treatments for triple-negative breast cancer; and Dr. Balveen Kaur, whose drug development lab focuses on biotherapies to fight cancer. Thank you all for sharing your incredible work that I know is reshaping cancer care.

 Join us next week for our annual Faculty Senate Awards ceremony

As we close out the week, I want to remind you that next Thursday, May 22, we will gather for our annual Faculty Senate Awards Ceremony. It’s a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and recognize the dedication of our exceptional faculty, whose hard work continues to shape this medical school. The ceremony will take place at 5 p.m. in the Lee Auditorium, followed by a small reception. I look forward to sharing more about the winners next time—hope to see you there!

My best to you always,

David C. Hess, MD

Dean, Medical College of Georgia

Upcoming Events

May 22 – MCG Faculty Senate Awards Ceremony, 5pm, Natalie and Lansing B. Lee Jr. Auditorium

May 29-31 – MCG Faculty Development Conference, Jekyll Island

June 20 – MCG Faculty Senate Meeting, noon, Natalie and Lansing B. Lee Jr. Auditorium