Dear Medical College of Georgia Friends,

Investiture Ceremony is next Thursday, Nov. 13

I want to start today by inviting you to join us next Thursday at 5 p.m. in the Lee Auditorium, for The MCG Investiture Ceremony recognizing nearly 40 faculty members who hold endowed chairs. This event honors the achievements of our faculty and the generosity of those who make these positions possible. Endowed chairs are supported through a powerful combination of private philanthropy and public investment, from organizations like the Georgia Research Alliance and the University System of Georgia Board of Regents. Their contributions fuel innovation, discovery, and impact across our medical school and our teaching hospital. While it would be impossible to name every endowed chair and every donor who has helped build this legacy, we hope the ceremony is a reflection of our gratitude and shared commitment to improving the lives of others.

Join us to congratulate our newest endowed chairs, but most importantly, thank the donors who made them possible

Endowed chairs are more than honors – they represent strategic investments in our people and our mission. They help us recruit and retain world-class faculty who deliver exceptional care, conduct transformative research, and educate the next generation of health care leaders. While all our amazing faculty contribute meaningfully to their fields, endowed positions provide added stability and resources that help amplify that impact. This ceremony will no doubt be a special way to recognize the donors and supporters who make these positions possible, as well as our appreciation to the MCG Foundation, the AU Foundation, and the staff in Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement for their thoughtful stewardship and tireless work in building and sustaining these relationships.

MCG leadership, faculty and students well represented at annual AAMC gathering in San Antonio

The AAMC Learn, Serve, Lead annual meeting is always one of the most well-attended and energized gatherings in academic medicine. This year in San Antonio was no different. It was great to see so many of our faculty attending, presenting, and connecting with colleagues from across the country. Faculty presenters (including poster presentations) included Dr. Kelli Braun, Dr. Henry Moon, Dr. Michelle Krupp, Dr. Ralph Gillies, Dr. Nicole Winston and Dr. Chris Drescher. Their leadership makes me so proud. Each of our four-year campuses also had leadership present, a testament to the strength of our statewide educational network. And it’s always invigorating to have students join us – We had several who presented posters at the meeting, including third-year students Leah Middleton, Anusha Aiyar and Khang-Drew Li. Ana-Sophia Chung and Maanasa Javangula, our fourth- and third-year class presidents respectively, were also there, representing us well.

For me, one of the best parts of this meeting is seeing our faculty united in their shared passion for educating the next generation and pursuing new ideas to improve how we teach, learn and serve. A couple of personal highlights: gathering with colleagues at the Yard House to watch the Georgia vs. Florida game – a nail-biter that kept us all on edge; and the next night, a nearly 30-person dinner with our faculty that featured some of the best Tex-Mex I’ve had in a long time. I’m thankful that so many of us made the trip and look forward to seeing how what we learned helps us further our educational mission.

Clinical Conversations & Educator Engagement Series continues today in Rome

One of our greatest strengths in medical education at MCG – our secret sauce as I like to say – is our statewide educational network, which is made possible in large part by the outstanding community clinical faculty who teach and mentor our students across Georgia. Our regional campuses help us provide the top-tier clinical education MCG is known for, but we also recognize that faculty working hours away from Augusta can sometimes feel disconnected from the main campus. The Clinical Conversations & Educator Engagement (CCEE) Series was created to help bridge that distance and foster stronger relationships between departments in Augusta and our community faculty through shared clinical insight, case-based learning and engagement with their peers across the state.

It’s a treat for me to be in Northwest Georgia today as the series continues with a Neurology-focused CME event – I may be a bit biased about the subject matter. Hosted in collaboration with the Northwest Regional Campus, led by Dr. Paul Brock; our Department of Neurology, chaired by Dr. Jeff Switzer; and the MCG Office for Faculty Development, led by Dr. Michelle Krupp, this session brings together Neurology faculty, community neurologists from the NW region, and NW Campus students.

More than 115 people are registered, demonstrating the value in connecting with our faculty across the state

With more than 115 registrants across a range of specialties, it’s clear these events are resonating, and reinforcing the value of connection across the state. I’m moderating a panel of faculty experts including Dr. Switzer, Dr. Daneille Weiss, an Augusta campus-based epilepsy specialist; Dr. Zachary Rohm, a 2015 graduate, who attended the Medical Partnership Campus in Athens, and came back to our faculty in Augusta after residency training at Vanderbilt; Dr. Jose Marino Granados, a Rome interventional and vascular neurologist; Dr. David Hale, a 2005 graduate who also completed his neurology training here; and Dr. Ashish Kabir, who teaches our students in Dalton. It’s also particularly exciting to have students there presenting cases – including Caleb Bazal, Karson Rosenberger, Tiffany Rutledge, Matthew Geisler, Pranav Iyer, Saxton Usry, Kaavya Gudapati, Carter Quinn, Lauren Springsteen, Catarina Cutter, Caroline Ridley, Houmam Qasab and Drashti Zalavadia.

I know there are already plans in the works to continue this series in the months ahead at other regional campuses, which is another valuable way we are strengthening MCG’s statewide mission. I want to thank here, Dr. Krupp for her leadership; as well as Vicki Wiles, the clinical rotation coordinator at the NW Campus; and Lauren Watkins, clerkship coordinator in our Office of Academic Affairs for their great help in coordinating this effort.

AOA induction recognizes excellence in nearly 65 residents, fellows, faculty and students

This week, we also celebrated a major milestone with the induction of nearly 65 residents, fellows, faculty and students into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society – marking the 100th class to be inducted at MCG. Did you know that we have the distinction of having the oldest AOA chapter in Georgia? This annual ceremony always reminds me of the excellence and service that defines our medical school. It’s always inspiring to celebrate the accomplishments of our medical learners and the faculty who invest so much in their growth. AOA recognizes not just high educational achievement, but gifted teaching, those who encourage the development of leaders in academia and the community, and those who support the ideals of humanism and promoting service to others. These values certainly define MCG.

My thanks to the guest speaker for this year’s induction ceremony, Dr. Fernando Vale, Marshall B. Allen Jr., MD Distinguished Chair in Neurosurgery (another Investiture honoree!), and to our AOA advising team – Dr. Alyce Oliver from our Division of Rheumatology; and Dr. Samuel Macomson, who serves alongside Dr. Vale in Neurosurgery.  Congratulations to all of this year’s inductees and thank you for upholding the ideals that make MCG such a special place.

New research by MCG team could lead to new treatments for Alzheimer’s

Our faculty – here at our main campus, and across the state – always inspire me with their commitment to changing people’s lives for the better, whether that be at the bedside of a patient, in a classroom with students, or in a research lab making the next big discovery or new treatment. Here’s a great example of that commitment as we wrap up today.

A new discovery by Dr. Qin Wang, who directs our Program for Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Discovery (who also is a GRA Eminent Scholar who we will honor at Investiture), and a team of researchers from the Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine reveals a promising new pathway for treating Alzheimer’s disease. It’s a discovery that could have profound impact as our population continues to age. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, an estimated 6.7 million Americans aged 65 and older already have the disease – a number that is expected to rise to 13.8 million by 2060. 

Existing arthritis drug helps reduce amyloid plaques, lower neuroinflammation and improve cognitive function

In a recent study published in Molecular Degeneration, they uncover how an enzyme called Protein kinase C iota (PKCι) contributes to the degradation of SORLA, a protein that helps regulate amyloid plaque buildup in the brain. By identifying this mechanism, the team demonstrated that an existing FDA-approved drug for arthritis, auranofin, can inhibit PKCι and restore SORLA levels. In mouse models and human neuron cells, this led to reduced amyloid plaques, lower neuroinflammation and improved cognitive function.

Congratulations on this new finding, that bridges the molecular insight possible with mass spectrometry with the new potential uses for existing therapeutics. This is the type of innovation and translational research MCG is known for. Congratulations to Dr. Wang, Dr. Wenbo Zhi, from our Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry core lab, and their collaborators in advancing the fight against this horrible disease that robs so many of their memory, independence and sense of self.

My best to you always,

David C. Hess, MD

Dean, Medical College of Georgia

Upcoming Events

November 13 – MCG Investiture Ceremony, 5 pm, Natalie and Lansing B. Lee Jr. Auditorium

November 14 – Body Donor Memorial Service, 1 pm, Natalie and Lansing B. Lee Jr. Auditorium

November 17 – MCG Savannah Community Research Conference, 9 am, MCG Savannah Georgia Southern Armstrong Campus

November 21 – MCG Faculty Senate Meeting, noon, Natalie and Lansing B. Lee Jr. Auditorium