Research
Research is at the heart of the academics, and the goal for all of our research is to improve the health of our patients and communities, with an emphasis on health equity.
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Measuring Impacts One Race at a Time
Joel Stitzel, PhD, professor of Biomedical Engineering, and his research team are leading the race to improve driver safety in NASCAR and other motorsports.
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Medicine and the Military
Timothy Sell, PhD, PT, has been awarded $4.5 million from the Department of Defense to better understand and provide recommendations on injury prevention through physical interventions and equipment modifications.
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Fifty Years of Recognized Expertise in Cancer Research
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center celebrates 50 years of NCI designation.
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Researchers TEAM Up to Better Manage Blood Pressure
Cheryl D. Bushnell, MD, leads team granted $29.9 million to study ways to improve post-acute stroke care, secondary prevention.
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AI: The Future of Health Care
Metin Nafi Gurcan, PhD, leads the Center for Artificial Intelligence Research to serve as a trusted partner and advise on the role of AI in medicine.
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LEAPs and Bounds: New Ways to Treat Obesity
Researchers Kristina Henderson Lewis, MD, and Jamy Ard, MD, revive interest in phentermine with goal to improve health equity.
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Infants and Older Adults May Hold Key to More Effective Vaccines
Martha Alexander-Miller, PhD, and the research team at the Center for Vaccines at the Extremes of Aging look for answers.
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Keeping Youth Athletes Safe
Joel Stitzel, PhD, and Jillian Urban, PhD, are pioneering research that improves the safety of youth football on and off the field.
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Zombies: Are They Already in Your Head?
Miranda Orr, PhD, is examining the role of senescent “zombie” cells in brain disease and how they impact Alzheimer’s Disease research.
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RegeneratOR Test Bed Provides Access to Emerging Technology
Leaders in regenerative medicine provide free space and a state-of-the-art facility for companies to advance discoveries.
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Community Partnership to Improve Cancer Care
$25 million grant helps researchers bring cancer clinical trials and care delivery studies to people in their communities.
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Scientists and Students Study the Risks of Space Travel
Researchers at the Jeffrey Willey Lab are working with NASA to utilize new tactics, approaches and exploration quests to keep astronauts safe and healthy throughout their missions.
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Increasing Health Equity in Alzheimer's Disease Research
MACHE leads community-engaged research efforts for a $46 million grant aimed at representing those of African ancestry and Hispanic/Latinx individuals in Alzheimer’s genetic studies.
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Advancing Care for Stroke Patients
Researchers created the Comprehensive Post-Acute Stroke Services study, the first statewide study to improve care and resources after a stroke.
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Performance Research Gets You Back on Your Feet
Atrium Health clinicians and researchers created the innovative Return to Performance Pathway Program to get people back to their desired physical activities in under six weeks.
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Innovative Teamwork Advances Medical Treatments
The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine translates scientific discoveries to revolutionize the future of health care.
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Aging Well: Discoveries Help Empower Older Adults
As leaders in discovering, sharing and implementing the latest treatments and therapies, our researchers are constantly working to advance care for older adults.
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Regular Blood Pressure Checks Can Save Your Life
Our researchers discovered that lowering blood pressure is the first intervention in history to also reduce the risk for memory loss, in addition to heart attacks and strokes.
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Youth Sports Research Scores Points with Parents
Our researchers spearheaded a first-of-its-kind youth football head injury study that has helped make youth sports safer.
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Cracking the Code to Discover Risks of Alzheimer’s Disease
Our researchers are joining forces to develop screening tools and study biomarkers to help solve the puzzle of Alzheimer’s disease.
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Improved Outcomes for Children Exposed to Opioids Before Birth
Our researchers are addressing the ongoing medical and developmental needs of children born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome.
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Regenerative Medicine Takes Research to Galactic Heights with NASA
WFIRM is working with NASA to accelerate engineering innovations and strategies for making tissues with artificial blood vessels, as well as health risks astronauts face during missions in deep space.
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Making Clinical Trials More Accessible to Underserved Populations
Through collaboration and building trust, our researchers are working to impact access to life-changing targeted cancer therapies for all.
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CUPID Research: Finding Faster Ways to Pinpoint the Deadliest Strokes
Researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Atrium Health received pilot funding to collaborate and improve patient care.
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Tackling Diabetes with Teamwork
The North Carolina Diabetes Research Center led by Don McClain, MD, PhD, leverages cross-institution collaborations to speed the process from discovery to improving health care throughout our state.
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Walk On! Research Project Takes Leap Forward
Program increases chances to improve mobility and reduce social isolation in older adults thanks to partners at Atrium Health and new funding from The Duke Endowment.
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What is an Academic Learning Health System?
The next generation of health care innovation.
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On the mPATH to Better Health and Longer Lives
Researchers place the power of health screenings directly in patients' hands.
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School Leaders Honor Veterans Health Administration
School faculty reflect on the school's affiliation with the W.G. (Bill) Hefner VA Medical Center in Salisbury in celebration of the Veterans Health Administration 75th anniversary.
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HEART Pathway
Revolutionary clinical algorithm for risk stratification of patients who present with chest pain has evolved capabilities and expanded influence since its 2016 release.
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A Geriatrician at Your Fingertips
Read how our new predictive tool, Electronic Frailty Index (eFI), enhances health care and quality of life outcomes for older adults.
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Closing the Gap: The IGLOO Story
Wake Forest demonstrates how a health care system can more quickly turn research outcomes into patient care with a new blood pressure measurement protocol that may help prevent strokes and cardiovascular events.
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Decoding Vaccine Trials
As COVID-19 vaccines are introduced to the public, a few of our biostatistics experts explain the basic design of a vaccine trial and how we determine whether a vaccine is safe.
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Filling A Critical Translation Gap
Wake Forest School of Medicine will serve as one of six sites nationally for the study Empowering the Participant Voice: Collaborative Infrastructure and Validated Tools for Collecting Participant Feedback to Improve the Clinical Research Enterprise.
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Mask Shortages and Innovative Collaboration
How do we create a better mask? Philip Brown, PhD, assistant professor of Biomedical Engineering at Wake Forest School of Medicine is looking to do just that.
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Positioned for Progress: Cancer Biology at Wake Forest Baptist
Wake Forest School of Medicine's cancer biology research team works to move cancer research forward, from cell culture to experimental animal models to human patients.
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Seeking Solutions
Wake Forest researchers are collaborating across the organization to combat the opioid crisis by investing in a range of programs and continuing rigorous research.
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Using Noninvasive Brainwave Technology to Treat PTSD Symptoms
Researchers test noninvasive brainwave technology to see if it would help military veterans who report experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Building a Better Body on a Chip
Scientists create micro-sized 3D organ structures on chip to test how organ systems react to aid drug development process.
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Data Networks Power COVID Research
Wake Forest School of Medicine researchers are contributing to the development of powerful new data networks that will provide important new information in the quest to conquer COVID-19.
Education
We offer innovative programs to educate the next generation of health care leaders, and invite learners of all ages and backgrounds to join us in our pursuit of excellence.
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RxPurpose: Medical Students Providing Hope
RxPurpose is a food recovery initiative, spearheaded by medical students, that distributes excess and unprepared hospital food to The Salvation Army Center of Hope Family Shelter which provides hot meals for 50+ shelter guests each week.
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Making an Impact: IDEA Grant
Grant encourages medical students to participate in student-led projects focused on community engagement and ways to facilitate learning and foster conversations with the local community.
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Medical Student Research Day
Annual event that fosters mentorship and provides medical students an opportunity to showcase their year-long research projects in front of faculty, staff and peers.
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Medical Student Has Immersive Training with Carolina Panthers
Fourth-year medical student recently completed a one-month clinical rotation with the Carolina Panthers as part of the NFL’s Diversity in Sports Medicine Pipeline Initiative.
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Medical Student's Health Journey Comes Full Circle
Sydney Karre has created a pipeline for her peers to support the Ronald McDonald House.
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Celebrating 50 Years of Northwest AHEC
Northwest AHEC serves as a primary resource for educational activities and services with a focus on primary care in rural communities and areas with less access to resources.
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Justice and Belonging for All
The Office of Justice and Belonging is focused on building an inclusive academic culture that embodies diversity and employs an equity-focused strategy aligned for faculty, learners and staff.
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The Kennedy-Hopkins Scholars Mentor Program
Artina Dawkins, PhD, MPA, founded the mentor program to address a gap in support for underrepresented minorities in residency and fellowship programs.
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Mentorship and Collaboration in Research
The Solberg Woods Lab is composed of researchers at varying levels of their careers.
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Charlotte Campus Progress in the Pearl
Wake Forest University School of Medicine’s second campus in Charlotte combines health care education and technology.
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Medical Students Enhancing Global Health
Certificate program prepares medical students to understand emerging health challenges.
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Ultrasound Course Prepares Students to Save Lives
Campbell Veasey, MD Class of 2024, was able to help save a patient thanks to specialized education.
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Journey from Haiti to Medical School
Vanessa Camille experienced two TBIs during her late teens and was exposed to both good and bad clinicians which ignited her passion and goal to pursue medicine.
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Teaching Compassionate Care
Dalane Kitzman, MD, advises students that compassion makes the difference in providing patient care.
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Closing the Gap: Women in Orthopaedics
Alexis Restrepo, a fourth-year medical student, was empowered to pursue orthopaedics and now wants to inspire other Spanish-speaking medical students to pursue a surgical specialty.
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Summer in the City: Students Get Innovative Experiences
The School of Medicine provides STEM and health care education programs for middle and high school-aged children, as well as internship opportunities for future researchers.
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Home Sweet Home
How Learning Communities – also known as Houses – provide support for medical students.
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Graduate School Alumni Making a Difference
From discovering the benefits to melatonin, to working at the NIH on ways to solve the mysteries of the brain and nervous system – learn how our alumni have improved health.
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Training the Next Generation of Scientists
Educating students and trainees on ways to improve patients' lives through regenerative medicine.
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Inspiring the Next Generation of Health Care Workers
Medical school students work with local high school students to teach them about various careers in health care.
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The Doctor is In: Residency and Fellowship Opportunities
With nine research centers funded by the NIH, over 3,500 research projects and more than $319 million in research funding, there are extensive research possibilities for trainees.
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Advancing Health Equity
Educating learners on health disparities and policy, social determinants of health and the care of vulnerable populations.
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Radiology Scholar Certificate Program Teaches Critical Skills
Addressing deficits in radiology education and offering students exposure to the radiology field during preclinical years.
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Integrating Integrative Medicine
Certificate program educates students on non-traditional ways to counsel patients with pain, chronic disease and mental health.
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Medical Students Collect 600+ Prescription Glasses for Underserved Communities
Students participating in Respectacle help collect and repurpose donated prescription glasses for those who may be struggling to obtain them through conventional means.
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The ART of Managing Medical School Stress
The Active Resilience Training in Medicine program provides medical students with prevention-focused tactics to promote wellness and alleviate or prevent anxiety and burnout.
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Medical Students Help Kids Become their Best SELF
Our medical students provide academic mentorship for middle and high school-aged children.
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Certificate Program Teaches Future Clinicians How to Be Good Educators
Discover how one certificate program provides medical, physician assistant (PA), and nurse anesthetist students a unique opportunity to gain focused training in medical education in an interprofessional setting.
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Wilderness Medicine: Where the Wild Things Are
Wilderness Medicine Certificate Program offers students an introduction to wilderness and austere medical care.
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Camp Med Teaches Life-Saving Skills to Future Health Care Professionals
A high school student recently saved his friend from choking after completing Camp Med training.
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Cultivating Tomorrow’s Leaders in Health Care
Read how the Wake Forest Interprofessional Leaders in Health Care (ILHC) program helps students identify their personal leadership style and build the confidence and esteem in their future careers.
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The Justice Thread: Race, Equity and Medical Education
A new generation focuses on justice as an integral part of healthcare.
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Learning While Serving
The Service-Learning Scholars (SLS) certificate helps students develop the awareness and skills they need to become community partners and advocates.
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CEAL Educates Wake Forest School of Medicine Students
The Center for Experiential and Applied Learning (CEAL) provides advanced medical school teaching facilities to improve clinical education for students and providers.
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Four Reasons to Get Your DNP Degree at a School of Medicine
Across the country, only a handful of DNP programs are offered by Schools of Medicine. Here are four advantages to getting a DNP from a School of Medicine.
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Creating Agents of Change in the Opioid Epidemic
Opioid stewardship training empowers medical students to address addiction and pain management.
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Diversifying the Pipeline
Wake Forest School of Medicine summer programs provide increased opportunities for underrepresented students who study aging, cardiovascular disease and health disparities.
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Learning a Medical Language
MAESTRO program gives medical students the cultural awareness and Spanish communication skills needed to care for Hispanic patients.
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Practice Makes Perfect
New accreditations recognize our innovative use of simulations to equip the next generation of health professionals.
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Mentoring Underrepresented Minorities
In 2018, Wake Forest School of Medicine launched the Kennedy-Hopkins Scholars Mentor Program to improve the experiences of underrepresented minority residents and fellows through mentorship.
Profiles
Meet the people who make a difference in our community through research, education and innovation.
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Pursuing Health Equity in Cancer Research
Daniel R. Carrizosa, MD, MS, researches new cancer treatments while working to increase equity and access to these therapies.
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Bridging Biomechanics to Baseball
Kristen Nicholson, PhD, oversees data collection, research and biomechanics interpretation at the Wake Forest Pitching Lab – her goal is to understand pitching efficiency and the ability to reduce injury risk while maximizing performance.
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Medicine Takes Flight
Thomas Marshburn, MD, graduated from the School of Medicine in 1989 and is an astronaut veteran of three NASA spaceflights.
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Strengthening the Health Equity Roadmap
Dr. Kimberly Montez is advancing Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion initiatives and working to cultivate community engagement and health equity for disadvantaged populations who are often marginalized and disempowered.
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West Coast to East Coast: Accelerating Neuroscience Research
Kenneth Kishida, PhD, is leading research on how the brain guides human behavior and decision-making.
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Breast Cancer Research: From Bench to Bedside
Marissa Howard-McNatt, MD, is one of the few African-American female surgeons who have full professorships in the country; as a surgical breast oncologist she’s hoping to inspire the next generation of female surgeons.
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Food for Thought: Addressing Food Insecurity
Deepak Palakshappa, MD, MSHP, is focused on improving the health outcomes of socially and economically disadvantaged populations, specifically by addressing food insecurity and other social determinants of health.
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Shaping the Future: One School, One Mission, Two Campuses
Dr. Michele Birch is developing and implementing the curriculum at Wake Forest University School of Medicine's Charlotte campus to ensure future medical students achieve excellence.
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Michael Shapiro
Michael Shapiro, DO, MCR, is at the forefront of preventive cardiology and combines traditional methods with new approaches based on research to prevent heart disease.
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Disease Prevention: Diet and Exercise as Medicine
Tina Brinkley, PhD, is providing research that showcases how nutrition and activity can prevent and treat aging-related diseases.
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Get to Know the New Dean
Ebony Boulware, MD, MPH, is dean of Wake Forest University School of Medicine and chief science officer and vice chief academic officer of Advocate Health.
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Research Exploration: From Genetic Disorders to NASA Wellness
The Porada Lab is advancing and improving the outlook of genetic disorders and progressing the wellness of NASA astronauts.
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Discovery for All: Innovative Research Monitors Vital Signs of Patients in the ICU
Ashish Khanna, MD, merges his research to improve clinical care with his digital expertise in wireless monitoring technology, hemodynamics, vasopressors and artificial intelligence with a touch of amateur podcasting.
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In Their Own Words: Stacy Jo Schmauss, EdD
Learn more about how this Assistant Dean for Teaching, Learning and Engagement devotes her time to better understanding the perspectives of learners while working to ensure a dynamic and inclusive learning environment that encourages growth for all.
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In Their Own Words: Modupeola Akinola, MBBS
Learn how this Assistant Dean of Admissions and Associate Professor of Pediatrics-Neonatology balances her time between recruiting, teaching and mentoring students while caring for The Birth Center’s tiniest patients.
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In Their Own Words: Jason Stopyra, MD
Learn how this Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Medical Director for Randolph and Iredell County EMS works to address healthcare disparities and access in rural communities.
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In Their Own Words: Tiffany Shin, MD
Learn how the director of the MAESTRO Program prepares students to address health inequities and become comprehensive healthcare professionals.
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In Their Own Words: Metin N. Gurcan, PhD
Learn how the director of the Center for Biomedical Informatics leverages data to advance healthcare technologies and why he believes the power of science can help reduce suffering around the world.
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In Their Own Words: Hossam Shaltout, PhD
Learn how Shaltout balances the demands of a major research project with his dedication to providing personalized education for students.
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In Their Own Words: Artina Dawkins, PhD
Learn how the program manager for the Orthopaedic Residency program leveraged her leadership skills and passion for inclusivity to provide greater opportunities for others.
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Sara R. Jones, PhD
Sara R. Jones, PhD, is on a mission to cure substance use disorders. Her various leadership roles, including associate dean for Basic Science Research, help her harness the combined research power of Wake Forest School of Medicine’s substance use experts to make an impact.
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In Their Own Words: Yenya Hu, MD, PhD
Hear from the Wake Forest University School of Medicine’s assistant dean of academic excellence and support about her passion for helping future physicians achieve their personal goals and reach their full potential.
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Candace Parker-Autry, MD
Candace Parker-Autry, MD, assistant professor of Urology, was inspired by her grandmother’s experiences to find ways to improve the daily life and function for women impacted by incontinence.
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In Their Own Words: Scott Rhodes, PhD
Learn about Scott Rhodes, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Social Science, on how his experiences led him to a career of translating science and evidence into concrete actions that improve lives.
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Kerry Danelson, PhD
Kerry Danelson, PhD, associate professor of orthopaedic surgery, leverages her former military training and service in conducting military safety and orthopaedic biomechanical testing to reduce the risk of injury for other service members.
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Chad Miller, MD, MS
As the Atrium Health Enterprise Service Line Leader for Emergency Medicine – Clinical, Chad Miller, MD, MS, is used to moving fast, and this need for speed also drives his desire to shorten the timeline from discovering best practices to disseminating them across the enterprise.
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In Their Own Words: Paul Yelton
Hear straight from Paul Yelton, program director of technology for the Center for Healthcare Innovation, why he is passionate to bring the best technology to transform the way we deliver care to our patients.
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In Their Own Words: Cliff Gonzales
Hear straight from Cliff Gonzales, PhD, CRNA, why he is passionate about educating the next generation of nurse anesthetists and how his hobbies keep him centered.
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Amber Brooks, MD
Amber Brooks, MD, may be an anesthesiologist by training but she’s also an educator, an advocate, a researcher, a mentor and a justice seeker. Discover how this dynamic woman is blending her passion for health care equality with her personal and professional goals.
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Miranda Orr, PhD
Miranda Orr, PhD, strives to improve the quality of life of all older adults by finding effective strategies that delay, prevent or treat Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
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Rebecca Wells, MD, MPH
When Rebecca Wells, MD, MPH, started medical school she thought she wanted to be a pediatrician, but a curiosity about the mind-body connection ultimately led her in a different direction.
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Faculty in Focus: Joey Skelton, MD
Joey Skelton, MD, a researcher, clinician and educator, has a passion for food and keeping children healthy, leading to groundbreaking work in pediatric obesity.
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Jamy Ard, MD
Jamy Ard, MD, helps people lose weight and improve their health in the clinic and through his research.
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Pam Duncan, PhD
As an award-winning researcher, Pam Duncan, professor of neurology, has been a trailblazer for improving stroke survivor outcomes.
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Faculty in Focus: Chris Miles, MD
Chris Miles, MD, a researcher, clinician and educator at Wake Forest School of Medicine, has a passion for the medicine of exercise, leading to groundbreaking work to make sports safer.
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On the Frontlines
Wake Forest School of Medicine grad Matt Russell, PA-C, shares his experiences working at the epicenter of New York City's first wave of the novel coronavirus.
Milestones
Wake Forest University School of Medicine celebrates pivotal events and achievements throughout the year.
