The classic science fair format was flipped at UMass Chan as Worcester high school students judged research posters by graduate students and postdocs.

Nursing student Stefan Malek hopes to combine his work experience in substance use facilities with his knowledge of cardiac medicine for his DNP scholarly project.

Marcus Ruscetti, PhD, received a $750,000 2026 Pershing Square Sohn Cancer Prize to advance his lab’s pancreatic cancer research.

Toloo Taghian, PhD, a has received a $3.2 million grant to develop a gene therapy for UBA5 deficiency.  

Howard J. Sachs, MD, associate professor of medicine, delivered the Last Lecture titled “The Inevitable Journey.”

Findings from the SMART-AI trial were recently published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Ekaterina Pivovarova, PhD, is a principal investigator on a five-year, $8 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

UMass Chan is supporting a collaboration among leaders in academic medicine to strengthen nutrition training in medical education.

UMass Chan licenses gene therapy technology to treat maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) to Plowshare Therapies. 

Robert H. Brown Jr., DPhil, MD, is one of 252 people elected to the academy this year. 

Joseph Peng, a sophomore at Shrewsbury High School, is the 2026 Central Massachusetts Brain Bee winner. 

Howard J. Sachs, MD, will present his lecture, “The Inevitable Journey.”

New research by Louis Messina, MD, aims to understand why aging slows down wound healing in older adults.

Researchers at UMass Chan are looking into rapid point-of-care HPV testing that delivers results in about 30 minutes. 

A new study led by David C. Ayers, MD, finds that robotic-assisted knee replacement leads to higher patient satisfaction and better quality of life.  

As part of an initiative to help reduce unnecessary waste, students, faculty and staff participated in a 24-hour trash audit at UMass Memorial Medical Center.  

After five years of teaching middle school math and science classes, medical student Matthew Segil, MEd, enrolled in UMass Chan and UMass Lowell’s dual MD/MBA program.

Primary care education at UMass Chan ranked first in Massachusetts and among the best nationwide, according to the U.S. News & World Report.

Published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, the UMass Chan study revealed that intestinal inflammation changes how nerves are arranged in the intestine.

Developed at UMass Chan, a human monoclonal antibody to prevent Lyme disease demonstrates safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics.  

PhD candidate Hannah Rogers received an NIH grant for her research examining how composite signals from neurons work to shape behavioral responses to food.

Fen-Biao Gao, PhD, has been named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.  

Silvia Galván Peña, PhD, and Jin Zhang, PhD, are two of five recipients of a 2026 Hood Foundation Award.

T.H. Chan School of Medicine students in the Class of 2026 celebrated successfully matching into their residency programs on March 20, including a record number of couples matches.    

Two of the students in the BaccMD pathway program reflected on their journeys to and through medical school as they prepared for Match Day.  

Second-year medical student Lillian Cain joined the MassAHEC Rural and Urban Health Scholars program to give back to the community where she grew up: Worcester.  

The honor recognizes sustained efforts or leadership contributions to positively impact the career development of postdoctoral scholars.

First year MD/PhD student Connor J. Lewis performed neuroimaging for the study on GM1 gangliosidosis.  

The Angel Fund for ALS Research has awarded $800,000 to UMass Chan to accelerate research into ALS.  

The second-year student is deeply committed to supporting women of color as they navigate pregnancy and the postpartum period.  

The project is supported by a 2025 Remillard Family Community Service Fund grant.

Three T.H. Chan School of Medicine students from the Class of 2026 matched into ophthalmology residency programs ahead of the general match on March 20.  

Geriatrician Jerry Gurwitz, MD’83, offers practical strategies for older adults and families to ensure high‑quality, whole‑person care, in a piece for The Conversation.  

Nursing PhD students Jamie Bourgeois and Melissa Anne DuBois champion maternal health through their dissertation work.  

STAT News has selected a study on the 4D nucleome led by Job Dekker, PhD, to compete in its annual STAT Madness competition.  

Researchers at UMass Chan Medical School are studying how an AI-based risk assessment tool could improve early breast cancer detection.

Paul Seaver’s first Boston Marathon is a deeply personal tribute to his father, honoring a promise to help find a cure for ALS.  

Medical students Justin Nguyen and Cedrick Chiu have successfully matched into urology residency programs ahead of the general match on March 20.  

Gerald Chan, philanthropist and founder of The Morningside Foundation, will deliver the Commencement address on May 31.

Chancellor Michael F. Collins says changes to NIH funding mechanisms threaten the nation’s biomedical research infrastructure and undermine clinical advances.  

A UMass Chan-led study found that ultrasound-guided nerve blocks provide significantly better pain relief for children with severe leg fractures while reducing opioid use by nearly 75 percent, without added risk.  

UMass Chan Medical School is leading a multisite study using mindfulness and AI-driven insights to improve movement, sleep, and daily functioning for people with chronic low back pain.

Two UMass Chan medical students in the Class of 2026 have successfully matched into their top choice military residency programs at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.  

Daniel Amante, PhD, MPH, discusses how digital health tools are most effective when they’re designed with patients at the center.

The event featured the presentation of the inaugural Chancellor’s Award for Mission-Aligned Community Impact.

The students are leading “Cultivating Connections,” a monthly, hands-on culinary workshop for area residents at the Barre/Hardwick senior center.  

UMass Chan ophthalmology chair Christopher Teng, MD, MBA, led a free surgical outreach and hands-on training mission in Nepal in December.  

Dean Flotte will be presented the Larry Zaroff Man of Good Conscience Award during the AMWA Awards Gala in March.  

Technology developed at UMass Chan Medical School has been licensed by PLaN Therapeutics, a nonprofit biotechnology company owned by the PLN Foundation.

UMass Chan scientist Beth McCormick, PhD, was joined by representatives from nonprofits, human services, higher education and municipalities at the Office of Massachusetts Attorney General to talk about the Trump administration’s disruptions to federal funding. 

Zachary Binder, MD, wrote an article for The Conversation about the new flu variant driving a rise in flu cases and leading to high hospitalization rates.

A UMass Chan-led research team has nearly tripled the known number of potential regulatory elements in the genome to 2.37 million.

UMass Chan medical students have impacted the evolution of the Foster Children Evaluation Services Clinic, inspiring additional educational supports, autism resources and advocacy.

UMass Chan is one of 277 institutions nationwide to meet the criteria for the 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement.  

UMass Chan medical student Jaein Jung has launched a community health clerkship program called the Lantern Project, matching medical students with local refugee teenagers to help them acclimate to Worcester. 

The 4D Nucleome Consortium has extensively mapped and analyzed the 3-D folding of the human genome in human embryonic stem cells and immortalized fibroblasts over time.

The study found that Alzheimer’s disease and FTD MRI scans both showed degeneration very early in subcortical regions of the brain. 

Pediatric experts agree that preventive treatments for RSV are safe and highly effective at significantly reducing severe illness and hospitalizations. 

Rachael Sirianni, PhD, professor and vice chair of neurological surgery, described for The Conversation how NIH funding cuts have impacted her cancer research. 

Top story: Primary care education at UMass Chan is one of the best programs in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools 2025.

Top story: UMass Chan Medical School has launched Rare Diseases, Real Stories, a six-episode podcast series. This is Catherine's story. It is available on all major streaming platforms.

Top story: The special event included a tour and an unveiling of the donor acknowledgement plaque in the building’s main lobby.

Top story: At the 52nd Commencement at UMass Chan on June 1, 265 degrees were presented.

Top story: The visit included a tour of the new Paul J. DiMare Center and a closed-door meeting with UMass Chan faculty members.

In 2025, UMass Chan dedicated the Paul J. DiMare Center, made national headlines and celebrated families who are transforming the world of rare diseases. 

Most first-year medical students are involved in the Worcester Free Care Collaborative, which this year served more than 6,500 patients.

Emergency visits tied to cannabis use are surging among older adults. Jerry H. Gurwitz, MD’83, led a nationwide study that is shedding light on the trend. 

UMass Chan researchers are studying a magnetic stimulation therapy that may quickly relieve postpartum depression.

PhD candidate Emily Sholi has received an NIH fellowship to further her ribosome research, investigating how pathogens inhibit host ribosomes.

The awards are from the American Federation for Aging Research and the Glenn Foundation.

The award is given to a UMass Chan medical student who has demonstrated outstanding skills in leadership, advocacy and service.

Global cancer cases have doubled since 1990. UMass Chan experts point to lifestyle, environmental and alcohol-related factors as key drivers.

Fifty-six people were inducted into the Delta chapter of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society on Nov. 12, including 34 members of the T.H. Chan School of Medicine Class of 2026.

Second-year medical students Hoang Vo and Diego Marroquin spend several hours a month volunteering at Worcester Earn-a-Bike.

Enrollment in the study will start in early 2026, with a focus on patients recently initiating GLP-1 therapies in the Worcester area.

DNP student Saylee “Timmy” Phongsamphanh, RN, was inspired to specialize in pediatric cardiology to take care of patients like himself. 

MD/PhD student Bethany Berry is reprising her 2022-23 role as UMass Chan Medical School’s student representative on the UMass Board of Trustees. 

PhD candidate Katherine Murphy received a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Individual Predoctoral Fellowship for her pancreatic cancer research.

Chancellor Collins testified in favor of Gov. Maura Healey’s Discovery, Research and Innovation for a Vibrant Economy (DRIVE) legislation. 

The five-year study is funded by a $3.5 million award from the National Institutes of Health. 

UMass Chan scientists have received funding to explore gene editing technologies for treating frontotemporal dementia.

The Fredric Fay Memorial Symposium is being held on Wednesday, Nov. 4. 

The UMass Chan Cares annual charitable giving campaign launches Monday, Oct. 27. 

Postdoc Nikita Bhalerao, PhD, received the 2025 Rising Star Award from the National Pancreas Foundation and a fellowship from the Pancreatic Cancer Alliance.

Tiffany Moore Simas, MD, MPH, MEd, weighs in on the a worsening maternal health crisis driven by underfunded care, workforce shortages and hospital closures.

Martha Zimmermann, PhD, will be testing the text message intervention Reaching Calm at four obstetric practices.

Kathryn Sabella, PhD, is hoping to shed light on the social causes of increased alcohol use among women.

An intern in environmental justice at UMass Chan is engaging the campus community in conversations about environmental justice. 

Stephanie Carreiro, MD, PhD’22, received a new NIH award to advance precision medicine research in opioid use disorder and mentor junior clinician-scientists. 

The Department of Defense trial aims to repurpose metformin for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and build a network for pulmonary fibrosis research.

Jessica Spinelli, PhD, and Emma V. Watson, PhD’16, are the first UMass Chan faculty members to receive the award.

Jennifer E. Adair, PhD, received a $1.27 million National Institutes of Health Fogarty International Center Global Infectious Disease research grant.

A study by Dorothy P. Schafer, PhD, and Travis E. Faust, PhD, explains how two different cell types in the brain communicate in response to changes in sensory input.

In his first week of medical school at UMass Chan, Mukund Desibhatla, MPH, attended orientation in Worcester and donated blood stem cells in Boston.

UMass Chan Medical School received a five-year, $4.4 million National Cancer Institute grant to study how transfer RNAs may fuel the spread of melanoma.

Caterina Strambio De Castillia, PhD, received a four-year, $4 million National Science Foundation grant to support her project, Imaging-PHD. 

Melissa Fischer, MD, MEd, is one of just three UMass Chan recipients of the Glaser Award and the first in more than 25 years.

The 27th annual UMass Cancer Walk at Polar Park raised more than $450,000 to support cancer research and clinical trials at UMass Chan.

Multiple projects examining the biology of opioid use disorder and the role of sleep/circadian rhythms in relapse are underway in the lab of Ryan W. Logan, PhD.

A new study in The Lancet confirms a rabies monoclonal antibody therapy, co-developed by UMass Chan, is a safe alternative to existing rabies immune globulins.