Dear Medical College of Georgia friends,
Dr. Klaus Ley invited to serve on Sustainable Scientific Enterprise Task Force
Let’s start this week with some exciting news from the Immunology Center of Georgia: Dr. Klaus Ley, founding co-director of the center, has been invited to serve on the American Association of Immunologists’ Sustainable Scientific Enterprise Task Force, a national group charged with examining challenges in the scientific publication process and identifying ways to make the research enterprise more efficient and sustainable.
No doubt that this invitation is a result of Dr. Ley’s national reputation as a leader in the field. For more than two decades, his research has helped advance our understanding of how the immune system contributes to chronic diseases, particularly atherosclerosis, and has helped lay the groundwork for new immune-based approaches to prevention and treatment. Just recently, he was part of an international team whose research proposed recognizing atherosclerosis as an autoimmune disease.
Since coming to MCG in 2022, Dr. Ley, and his partner in life and work, IMMCG co-director Dr. Lynn Hedrick, have been instrumental in building a world-class immunology program here and recruiting more outstanding scientists to Augusta.
Congratulations on another well-deserved recognition.
Dr. Matthew Johnson joins MCG to lead program focused on new approaches to psychiatric and substance abuse disorders
Our amazing MCG faculty, including Drs. Ley and Hedrick, are always looking for new and better ways to help improve people’s lives. Whether it’s advancing treatments, preventing disease or exploring entirely new approaches to care, the spirit of discovery is alive and well at MCG. That’s one reason that I’m excited to welcome Dr. Matthew Johnson to our faculty. He recently joined our Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior from Johns Hopkins University, where he spent more than two decades helping lead groundbreaking research into psychedelic therapies and their potential role in treating psychiatric and substance use disorders.
Many patients struggling with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and addiction do not find adequate relief with existing treatments, making the search for new options especially important.
Here, Dr. Johnson will lead a new program that combines patient care, clinical trials and translational research in psychedelic and related therapeutics while creating valuable training opportunities for residents, fellows and junior faculty. At a time when mental health and substance use disorders continue to affect millions of Americans, it is important that academic medical centers like MCG and Wellstar MCG Health help advance the science behind potential new treatments. Welcome, Dr. Johnson. We’re glad you’re here.
Drs. Paul Mann and Chad Ray testify before Georgia House Blue Ribbon Study Committee
It always makes me proud when our faculty are asked to share their expertise and their work to improve healthcare and access to it for people in every part of our state. On Tuesday Dr. Paul Mann, our chief of neonatology, and Dr. Chad Ray, professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and medical director of Women’s Digital Health at Wellstar MCG Health, did just that when they testified before the Georgia House Blue Ribbon Study Committee on Community Health and Healthcare Oversight at their meeting in Macon.
Dr. Mann discussed continued opportunities to strengthen care for mothers and babies through perinatal regionalization, helping ensure routine care remains close to home while high-risk patients have access to specialized centers like the one we have here in Augusta. Dr. Ray highlighted the impact of our Digital Care Network, which connects more than 40 hospitals and clinics across Georgia, including 18 rural hospitals, expanding access to specialty care and helping patients receive care in their local communities whenever possible.
I am grateful to the legislative leaders who are taking a thoughtful look at how we can improve health outcomes across our state and support innovative programs like these. Thank you to Drs. Mann and Ray for representing MCG so well and to our Office of Government Relations for ensuring our faculty continue to have a seat at the table during these important discussions.
New MCG research journal highlights student research projects
It’s not just our incredible faculty; our awesome students making amazing contributions to our profession as well. Many of them are engaged in truly impactful research projects, and now we have a new way to show off their work: the MCG Journal of Science and Medicine. The inaugural issue features 47 peer-reviewed abstracts presented by medical students at MCG Research Day this past April and highlights the outstanding collaborations taking place between our students and faculty mentors across a wide range of specialties. Beyond showcasing our students’ great work, the open-access journal provides a permanent, citable record of research conducted at MCG and reflects our longstanding commitment to scientific inquiry, discovery and academic excellence. Having a peer-reviewed publication also gives our students another way to demonstrate their scholarly accomplishments, helping strengthen their competitiveness as they prepare for residency Match and the next stage of their medical careers.
This first issue is also a testament to the dedication of the faculty mentors, reviewers and many others who helped make it possible. I’d particularly like to thank Dr. Brittany Ange, our assistant dean of dual degrees and student research, who is laser focused on ensuring that research is always an essential part of medical education at MCG and was the brainchild behind this effort. This journal is one more way to celebrate the hard work of our learners. I can’t wait to read it.
Welcoming future physicians to MCG reminds us all of the joy and enthusiasm of incoming students
You all know that I believe we have the best medical students and faculty in the country. A couple of weeks ago, I got to do something new, and it quickly became one of my all-time favorite experiences as dean. Through our Early Decision Admissions Program, 46 exceptional students were accepted into the MCG Class of 2031. These students not only have outstanding academic credentials, but they also chose us as the only medical school to which they applied. Once accepted, they’re committed to come to MCG.
This year, Dr. LaShon Sturgis, Dr. Kelli Braun, Dr. Scott Barman and I personally called each of these newly accepted students to welcome them to MCG. The excitement, relief and joy in their voices are something I will remember for a long time. It was a privilege to share such an important moment with them and to hear firsthand how excited they are to begin their medical education here. I have no doubt this group, like all of those before them, will accomplish great things. I look forward to meeting them in person and officially welcoming them to campus next summer.
Remembering Dr. Abdullah Kutlar
I’ll close today on a more somber note. It is with deep sadness that I share the passing of Dr. Abdullah Kutlar, longtime director of our renown Sickle Cell Center. For more than four decades, Dr. Kutlar was a beloved physician, scientist, mentor and friend whose impact on MCG, his patients and the field of sickle cell disease will be felt for generations.
Dr. Kutlar was the definition of a gentleman and a scholar. Even before joining MCG in 1982, he had made extraordinary contributions to clinical care, research, education and service. During his distinguished career, he became one of the world’s foremost leaders in sickle cell disease research and clinical care. Among his many scientific contributions, he helped establish the benefits of hydroxyurea for adults with sickle cell anemia and conducted clinical research evaluating new approaches to preventing painful sickle cell crises. His work left an enduring legacy in blood science and touched the lives of countless individuals living with sickle cell disease.
Dr. David Munn, a longtime colleague and director of the Georgia Cancer Center called him “a brilliant scientist, a wonderful and caring doctor, and a truly good man.” I cannot think of a more fitting tribute.
Dr. Kutlar’s commitment to patients didn’t end with his “retirement”
Dr. Kutlar’s commitment to his patients was unwavering. Even after retirement, he continued to care for those who depended on him. At 79, he was still doing the work he loved. In the days following his passing, hundreds of current and former patients shared stories on social media about his kindness, compassion and the profound impact he had on their lives. Time and again, they wrote not only about the care he provided, but about the hope and encouragement he gave them during difficult moments.
Another colleague, Dr. Betty Pace, a fellow hematologist and sickle cell researcher said it perfectly: “It is seldom in our lifetime that we are blessed to sit in the company of giants. I will forever be grateful that I had that privilege.” I couldn’t agree more. I was fortunate to know Dr. Kutlar as a colleague, mentor and friend, and I will always be grateful for his wisdom, kindness and unwavering support.
This profound loss will be felt across our medical school, health system and the many communities Dr. Kutlar served. Yet his impact will be felt here for decades to come through the patients he cared for, the discoveries he advanced and the generations of physicians and scientists he helped inspire. Please join me in keeping his family, friends, colleagues and patients in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.
My best to you all,
David C. Hess, MD
Dean, Medical College of Georgia
Upcoming Events
September 25 – MCG Research Day, 1-4 p.m., J. Harold Harrison, MD Education Commons Lobby
October 16 – MCG Faculty Senate Meeting, noon, Natalie and Lansing B. Lee Jr. Auditorium
October 24 – MCG White Coat Ceremony, 2 p.m., Bell Auditorium
November 20 – MCG Faculty Senate Meeting, noon, Natalie and Lansing B. Lee Jr. Auditorium
