Dear Medical College of Georgia Friends,
Dr. Neal Weintraub receives Lifetime Achievement Award from AU Research Institute
This week reminded me – again – why our mission matters so much and how our people make it possible. Dr. Neal Weintraub received this year’s AU Research Institute Lifetime Achievement Award, a recognition that highlights not only his remarkable career but the very type of innovation and mentorship that has shaped our medical school for two centuries. From the early science behind beta blockers to new treatments for recurrent brain tumors in children, MCG’s history is filled with discoveries that have changed lives—and with people who inspire the next generation to push even further. Dr. Weintraub is certainly one of those people.
A native of Albany, Georgia, he has built a career that strengthens both the science we do and the people we are privileged to train. He serves as the Georgia Research Alliance Herbert S. Kupperman, M.D. Eminent Scholar Distinguished University Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine, chief of the Division of Cardiology, and as associate director of our Vascular Biology Center. These roles have allowed him not just to advance discovery and patient care but to mentor others to do the same.
Dr. Weintraub’s work has advanced our understanding of cardiometabolic disease
His impact on education is impressive. He has taught more than 225 courses for future physicians and physicianscientists, and his over 250 peerreviewed papers have moved the needle on our understanding of vascular and adipose biology. His work on inflammation, oxidative stress, obesity, stem cell biology, atherosclerosis, and abdominal aortic aneurysm has helped deepen our understanding of cardiometabolic disease.
He also helped launch our cardiooncology research program, funded by the American Heart Association, which explores the complex relationship between cardiovascular disease and cancer. It’s an area of growing importance, and his leadership has strengthened both MCG and our teaching hospital’s role in that field. And throughout his career, he has maintained a long, successful track record of NIH funding.
He is not only a friend, colleague, and collaborator, but also an inspiration to the generations of physicians and scientists who will follow in his footsteps. This week’s recognition was certainly well deserved.
Drs. Zheng Dong, Ranya El Sayed, also honored with AURI Awards
In addition to celebrating Dr. Weintraub, two researchers from our Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy were also recognized for their outstanding work. Dr. Zheng Dong, Regents’ Professor, a Leon H. Charbonnier Endowed Chair, as well as a senior research career scientist and director of Research Development at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, received the Distinguished Researcher Award. His work is focused on understanding how kidney cells die, how they can be protected, and how they regenerate after injury – insights that are moving us toward better treatments for kidney disease. Dr. Dong has a sustained record of extramural funding, national and international impact, and long record of mentoring the next generation.
Dr. Ranya El Sayed, whose primary appointment is in the Dental College of Georgia Department of Periodontics, but who also serves on the faculty in CBA, received the Emerging Scientist Award for her promising research exploring the connections between the oral microbiome, periodontitis, and Alzheimer’s disease. This award honors earlycareer faculty who are already making meaningful contributions to their fields, and Dr. El Sayed’s growing body of work certainly reflects the strong potential she brings to her field.
Dr. E. Nicole Meyer, a professor in AU’s Pamplin College, whose studies are focused on French literature, received the AURI Outstanding Research, Scholarship, and/or Creative Activity Award. Congratulations to all of you!
Exemplary teaching faculty honored across the state
I’ll tell anyone who will listen: Our faculty are among the best at what they do. This year’s Exemplary Teaching Award honorees are another great example. Nearly 300 MCG faculty across our nine campuses have been recognized by our Office of Faculty Development for their work during the 2024–25 academic year. Many of these educators, across our expansive statewide network, even volunteer their time to teach our students, a reflection of the deep sense of service that is part of the very fabric of this medical school. For those teaching in the undergraduate medical curriculum, this honor carries special significance: recipients must rank in the top 20% of their teaching category based on student evaluations and have at least three evaluations on record, making it a recognition given directly by the learners they are privileged to teach. Our GME faculty were selected by their departments and programs for their outstanding contributions to resident and fellow education, and our residents and fellows who received awards were likewise chosen for their excellence in teaching both UME and GME learners. These honorees are an integral part of what makes MCG such an exceptional place to learn and train. My thanks and congratulations to all of you!
Study from Harvard, Mass Gen and MCG shows daily multivitamin may slow biological aging
And because discovery is every bit as central to our mission as education, I wanted to highlight a study that’s been getting a lot of national attention of late. It comes from data from the COSMOS trial — a large, longrunning randomized study that looked at whether a simple daily multivitamin could influence “biological age,” the rate at which our cells age. Biological age doesn’t always match the number on your driver’s license, and in this study, recently published in Nature Medicine, participants who took a multivitamin for two years showed a slowing of biological aging by about four months. The effect was even stronger in people whose cells were aging faster than their chronological age. The study used epigenetic clocks — tiny DNA methylation changes that help track the pace of aging — to measure the impact.
This study was led by Harvard and Mass General Brigham, and MCG’s own Yanbin Dong, a geneticist and cardiologist who directs our Georgia Prevention Institute, served as coauthor and collaborator and will now help lead followup studies to see whether these changes persist. It’s a great example of how our faculty contribute to discoveries that reach far beyond our campus and into national conversations.
Nearly 200 potential students come back to MCG for a second look
It’s always a privilege to share the people and opportunities that make MCG such a special place. This past weekend offered an especially meaningful one when we had the chance to give potential students a deeper look at our medical school.
On Friday, the Office of Student, Alumni, and Community Engagement welcomed 24 students for the 2026 MCG Pathway Preview Day, designed specifically for firstgeneration students and those accepted through our admissions pathway programs (Assurance in Medicine Pathway, Medical Masters Pathway/Regional Campus Pathway). Through conversations with faculty, handson experiences, and time with our current students, these visitors were able to experience MCG in a more personal and supportive way.
On Saturday, the MCG Admissions Office hosted 163 accepted students for Admissions Visit Day, giving them a true sense of what life as an MCG medical student feels and looks like. From CBL sessions and simulation demonstrations to a lively meet and greet with 20 student organizations, the day truly highlighted some of the many strengths of MCG.
These events simply would not be possible without the dedication of our faculty and staff in these offices, as well as our colleagues in Academic Affairs and the SPEAR Center. Equally impressive were the more than 70 student volunteers who took time to share their experiences and explain why they chose MCG – and why they believe these potential future students will find the same sense of purpose and community here that they have.
Make plans to join us for Match Day next Friday, March 20, at SRP Park
There are plenty of important moments in the life of a medical school, and next Friday brings one of the very best days of the year at MCG: Match Day. It is the culmination of four years of hard work, growth, and resilience, and it is an incredible privilege to stand alongside our students, their families, and their friends as they learn where they will continue their training. Watching them take this next step in their journey to becoming physicians is always a joy, and I hope you will join us at SRP Park to celebrate this milestone with them. I hear this year’s theme is particularly fun – “What would you be if you weren’t a doctor?” I can’t wait to see the costumes our students come up with. Festivities start at 10 a.m.
My best to you always,
David C. Hess, MD
Dean, Medical College of Georgia
Upcoming Events
March 14 – MCG White Coat Dash 5K, 10 am, Summerville Campus
March 20 – MCG Match Day, SRP Park
April 17 – MCG Faculty Senate Meeting, noon, Natalie and Lansing B. Lee Jr. Auditorium
May 7 – MCG Hooding Ceremony, 2 p.m., Bell Auditorium
