Dear Medical College of Georgia friends,
Dr. Phillip Popovich named Executive Vice President for Research and Innovation
One of the things that has become increasingly clear during my tenure as interim Executive Vice President for Research and Innovation, and as dean of MCG, is that our success depends on attracting outstanding people who can inspire others, build partnerships and help us think bigger about what’s possible. That’s one reason I’m so pleased to share that Dr. Phillip Popovich has been named Augusta University’s next Executive Vice President for Research and Innovation, effective Feb. 1.
Dr. Popovich joins us from The Ohio State University, where he has built an international reputation as a scientist, educator and research leader. His groundbreaking work in neuroimmunology, spinal cord injury and the body’s response to trauma has advanced understanding in his field and helped create new possibilities for patients facing some of medicine’s most complex challenges.
As impressive as Dr. Popovich’s scientific accomplishments are, what stood out to me throughout the search process was his approach to leadership. President Keen, the search committee and I were all impressed by his ability to unite talented people around ambitious goals and create an environment where innovation can thrive. Throughout his career, he has built successful research programs, established nationally recognized centers, recruited and mentored outstanding faculty, and secured significant investments that have accelerated discovery and expanded impact.
His ability to bring people together around a common goal will be an asset to MCG and AU
That experience will serve Augusta University and MCG well. We are building tremendous momentum across our research mission, and I am confident Dr. Popovich is the right leader to help us continue to build on that foundation. His vision, energy and record of success will help us continue growing our research portfolio, strengthening our partnerships and translating discoveries into better health for the people and communities we are privileged to serve.
I am also pleased to share that, pending approval by the University System of Georgia, Dr. Popovich will be named a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar. This distinction reflects both his extraordinary contributions as a scientist and the opportunities ahead for him and us. I would be remiss if I didn’t thank the GRA for its continued partnership and investment in research, not just here, but across our state. I am especially grateful to Dr. Tim Denning, their president and CEO who is also a distinguished immunologist, for his strong support of Augusta University and our research enterprise. I also want to recognize Dr. Justin Burns, the GRA’s chief innovation officer and vice president for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, who served on the search committee and was a valued partner throughout the process. Their support is a reminder of the important role the GRA plays in helping Georgia attract exceptional researchers and accelerate innovation that benefits our state and beyond.
Dr. Dana McTigue named MCG Vice Dean for Research
I am equally excited to share that Dr. Popovich won’t be making the move to Augusta alone. Effective March 1, his wife, Dr. Dana McTigue, will join MCG as Vice Dean for Research. An internationally respected neuroscientist in her own right, Dr. McTigue currently serves as Vice Dean for Research at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, where she has helped guide research strategy, support interdisciplinary science and strengthen an already outstanding research community.
Dr. McTigue is widely recognized for her pioneering research on spinal cord injury, neuroinflammation, neural regeneration and repair. Her work has advanced our understanding of how the nervous system responds to injury and identified promising pathways to improve recovery and restore function. In addition to leading a highly successful, federally funded research program, she has earned a reputation as a dedicated mentor who is deeply invested in the success of students, trainees, early-career investigators and colleagues.
Dr. McTigue is also an outstanding scientist, mentor and leader
Dr. McTigue’s combination of scientific accomplishment, administrative experience and commitment to developing others will be an incredible asset to MCG. She will play an important role in strengthening our research programs, supporting faculty success and helping cultivate the next generation of physician-scientists. Working closely with Dr. David Stepp, MCG’s associate dean for research, she will help continue advancing our research priorities and further strengthen the MCG research community. She will also have a particular focus on expanding research opportunities across our regional campuses, ensuring that faculty and learners throughout Georgia have even more opportunities to participate in meaningful research and discovery.
As excited as I am about the leadership Dr. Popovich will bring to Augusta University, I am just as enthusiastic about what Dr. McTigue will bring to MCG. Both have distinguished careers marked not only by scientific achievement, but by a commitment to mentorship, service and helping others reach their full potential. I am happy to welcome them both to Augusta, and I hope you will join me in doing the same.
Drs. Anatolij Horuzsko and Laura Mulloy receive new $1.1 million grant from the Mason Trust
I am confident it won’t take Drs. Popovich and McTigue long to appreciate what I have known for many years: the Medical College of Georgia is home to some of the world’s most talented physicians, physician-scientists and researchers. Their commitment to discovery is matched only by their commitment to patients.
Here is a great example of that commitment: The work of Drs. Anatolij Horuzsko and Laura Mulloy, who recently received a new $1.1 million grant from the Carlos and Marguerite Mason Trust. The award builds on more than two decades of research focused on one of the biggest challenges in kidney transplantation: finding ways to detect rejection before a transplanted kidney suffers permanent damage.
Today, we only know that a transplanted kidney is in trouble after signs of injury begin to appear. Drs. Horuzsko and Mulloy are working to change that by developing tools that could identify the earliest warning signs of rejection, giving physicians more time to intervene and potentially helping patients keep their transplanted kidneys healthy for longer.
This new grant builds on more than two decades of research aimed at detecting and preventing transplant rejection
The grant will also support research into a newly discovered form of HLA-G, a naturally occurring molecule that helps keep the immune system in balance. HLA-G is perhaps best known for the role it plays during pregnancy, helping a mother’s immune system accept and protect a developing baby (which has foreign DNA from its father). Researchers believe the same biological process may help the body accept a transplanted kidney rather than attack it.
By studying this newly identified form of HLA-G (called HLA-G Delta Alpha 1), Drs. Horuzsko and Mulloy hope to better understand why some patients maintain healthy transplanted organs for many years while others experience rejection. That could lead to new ways to predict risk, personalize treatment and improve long-term outcomes for transplant patients, while also advancing the development of a novel pretransplant platform to optimize donor selection and improve outcomes for kidney transplant recipients. The United Network for Organ Sharing estimates that around 28,000 people in the US receive kidney transplants each year.
This kind of innovative, patient-centered research truly defines MCG and is just one more example of how our faculty are working every day to find new ways to improve people’s lives. I look forward to hearing more about these exciting potential outcomes.
MCG Class of 2029 helps plan Hippocratic Tree planting
One of the best things about academic medicine is that it’s never just about the discoveries we make today. It’s also about what we pass on to the next generation of physicians.
Last week, I had the opportunity to join President and First Lady Keen, our students, faculty, and staff for the planting of a descendant of the Hippocratic Tree, the plane tree on the Greek island of Kos where Hippocrates is believed to have taught his students more than 2,400 years ago.
The tree (small in stature for now) stands beside the Body Donor Memorial Garden, which feels like exactly the right place. Our body donors are often our students’ first teachers, helping them understand both the science and humanity of medicine. This particular tree also carries a special MCG connection. The family of a grateful patient of Dr. Edward Porubsky helped ensure MCG was one of the few select medical schools in the country to receive one of these trees from the University of Florida, and Dr. Porubsky cared for it until it was ready to be planted on campus. Many in our community know Dr. Porubsky’s legacy as professor of surgery, chief of otolaryngology and founder of MCG’s otolaryngology residency program, but I was struck by what a fitting symbol this tree is of his lasting impact as a physician, educator and mentor.
The tree descends from the plane tree where Hippocrates is believed to have taught his students
The MCG Class of 2029 really shepherded this project and their Class President Ash Dua, reminded us at the ceremony that medicine is a profession built on stewardship, with each generation building on the work of those who came before. One line in particular stood out: “The best trees are planted by people who will never sit in their shade.”
There is so much truth in that. Our faculty teach students they may never see become leaders. Researchers devote years to discoveries that may benefit patients they will never meet. Physicians change lives every day without ever fully knowing the impact they have on the people they serve.
That’s what made this ceremony special. Long after today’s students have graduated and today’s faculty have retired, this tree will remain. Future generations of learners will walk past it, gather beneath it and be reminded of the same principles that have guided physicians since the time of Hippocrates: integrity, compassion, service, lifelong learning and a commitment to leaving things better than we found them.
My thanks to the Class of 2029 for championing this project and helping create what I hope will become a place of reflection, inspiration and connection for generations of MCG students to come.
MCG Savannah, College of Coastal Georgia, Southeast Georgia Medical Center co-host community research conference
The people of this place never cease to inspire and amaze me. Here’s another example.
Last week, MCG Savannah and the College of Coastal Georgia came together in Brunswick for a joint research conference that showcased some of the outstanding work being done across coastal Georgia. Fifty-three of our medical students, 28 residents from Southeast Georgia Health System and nine College of Coastal Georgia undergraduates presented research on topics ranging from basic science and clinical care to community health.
This conference focused on partnership. Many of the presentations highlighted collaborations among academic institutions, health systems, clinicians, students and community organizations working together to address the health needs and priorities of coastal Georgia. The conference also reflects the growing partnership between our Savannah Campus and the College of Coastal Georgia and their shared commitment to expanding research opportunities for students and trainees while strengthening connections throughout the communities they serve. These collaborations are creating new opportunities for learners while also helping improve health across the region.
See what I mean by inspiring? I assure you, the future of medicine is bright.
Annual Raft Debate winner is….
Let’s wrap up today on a fun note. Our annual Raft Debate is always one of the highlights of the fall. You know the premise: three physicians find themselves aboard a sinking ship, and there’s only one spot available on the lifeboat. Their fate rests in the hands of our students, who get to decide which physician makes the best case for survival.
This year’s contestants were Dr. Jedidiah Ballard, representing adult medicine; Dr. Susan Gearhart, representing surgery; and Dr. Jerry Miller, representing pediatrics. Dr. Matthew Kridel served as the Devil’s Advocate, while Dr. Chris Fly kept things moving as moderator. It’s always a good-natured competition.
When the votes were counted, or rather when the cheers were measured, Dr. Gearhart emerged as this year’s winner and secured her place on the raft. My thanks to the MCG Alumni Association for sponsoring this annual tradition and to all our participants for being such great sports. Medicine is serious work, but this event proves there’s always room for some fun, too.
My best to you all,
David C. Hess, MD
Dean, Medical College of Georgia
Upcoming Events
November 13 – Annual Memorial Service for Body Donors, 1 p.m., Natalie and Lansing B. Lee Jr. Auditorium
November 20 – MCG Faculty Senate Meeting, noon, Natalie and Lansing B. Lee Jr. Auditorium