Medical College of Georgia

10/31/2025

10/31/2025

MCG scientists investigate arthritis drug’s impact on Alzheimer’s disease.

Qin Wang, MD, PhD, professor in the Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine at MCG, recently published a study exploring how certain proteins and enzymes interact in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.

“A good thing about this is, because this is an FDA-approved drug, it's ready to be tested in Alzheimer’s patients,” says Qin Wang, MD, PhD.

10/28/2025

The recording of the white coat ceremony for the Class of 2029 is live.
The class of 304 first-year medical students received their white coats on Oct. 25 in the Bell Auditorium. https://loom.ly/yqmIkRM

10/24/2025

In today's Dean's Diary: Wellstar Children’s Hospital of Georgia lobby named in honor of MCG legend, Dr. Charlie Howell; Dr. Phillip Coule elected as second vice president of the Medical Association of GA; and First Ignite grant from the Immunology Center of Georgia awarded to Dr. Gang Zhou.
https://loom.ly/rq4U17s

October 24, 2025 October 24, 2025Dean's Diary - Medical College of GeorgiaAdrian Bozocea, Annual Raft Debate, Baris Olten, Charlie Howell, Class of 2029 White Coat Ceremony, Elizabeth Holt, Gang Zhou, MCG Alumni Association, Melissa Sparks, PAul Dainer, Phillip Coule, Pierce Bagby, Steven ColquhounD...

10/24/2025

If you can’t make it to the Bell Auditorium on Saturday at 2 p.m. for the annual White Coat ceremony, you can watch the event live stream: https://loom.ly/zX4jGBg

10/23/2025

The Immunology Center of Georgia received its first grant through Ignite, a program created to accelerate bold translational research ideas and spark collaborations between faculty and trainees.

The inaugural award supports a project aimed at strengthening CAR-T therapy, an immunotherapy that genetically engineers patients’ own T lymphocytes to recognize and eliminate cancer cells.

“Our ultimate goal is to engineer T cells that not only survive longer but also remain highly functional, giving patients more durable protection against their disease,” says Gang Zhou, PhD, head of the Georgia Cancer Center’s Cancer Immunology, Inflammation, & Tolerance Program.

“This award is exactly what we envisioned when we launched Ignite, with trainees and faculty working side by side on transformative science,” says Klaus Ley, MD.

10/20/2025

If your “cold” has fever, chills and a body ache, it might be pneumonia. Brandon Bentley, MD, explains that most people will recover from pneumonia on their own, but a trip to the physician is imperative for older adults with underlying respiratory problems.
https://loom.ly/Tc0YUiQ
As for the pneumonia vaccine, the current recommendation is for all adults 65 and older and adults aged 19 to 64 with certain underlying medical conditions to get the Prevnar 20 shot.

10/16/2025

Fellowships at Augusta University are helping strengthen health care across Georgia.

From rural health to sports medicine, fellows in the Medical College of Georgia’s Department of Family and Community Medicine gain hands-on experience caring for underserved communities. These opportunities not only enhance medical training but also help attract and retain more physicians to serve patients where they’re needed most.

“Residents and fellows are key to attracting and retaining more doctors in Georgia," says David C. Hess, MD.

10/10/2025

In today's Dean's Diary: A new rural trauma interactive simulation outreach course; pulmonary fellows from across the Southeast gather at MCG for training; and alumni reception in Charlotte gave us time to connect with some familiar faces.
https://loom.ly/ukgypVs

October 10, 2025 October 10, 2025Dean's Diary - Medical College of GeorgiaErika Mabes, Jorge Cortes, Margaret Siegel, Medical College of Georgia, Michelle Krupp, Puja Punukollu, Shaheen Islam, Sharad Ghamande, Vanessa Spearman-McCarthyDavid C. Hess, MD Dear Medical College of Georgia Friends, Dr. E...

10/08/2025

The Urology Care Foundation, the world’s leading nonprofit urological health foundation, named Ashanda R. Esdaille, MD, the recipient of the 2025 Health Equity Fellowship.

Esdaille is a urologic oncologist at the Georgia Cancer Center and serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Urology at the Medical College of Georgia.

The two-year Health Equity Fellowship was created for early-career urologists who are passionate about humanitarian work and dedicated to improving care for diverse and underserved communities.

“This opportunity will enhance my commitment to community-based education initiatives and participatory research," says Ashanda R. Esdaille, MD.

10/07/2025

In the two years since Augusta University and Wellstar Health System formally signed an agreement, the historic partnership has continued to evolve into a truly collaborative alliance.

During their panel “Advancing Healthcare Through Public-Private Partnerships,” three leaders shared with close to 1,100 attendees their insight into what makes the partnership beneficial for all and how it can be a model for advancing health care and health care education in Georgia and beyond.

“At AU and Wellstar, our culture is about never being satisfied — always looking for ways to improve patient care, education and research,” says AU President Russell T. Keen.

10/06/2025

One in three adults in the United States has metabolic syndrome, or a cluster of conditions that raise the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other life-threatening health conditions.

This is why faculty researchers at Augusta University have joined together to form a lipidomics group and have acquired state-of-the-art lipid analysis instruments to conduct research for various projects.

"If there's some sort of disorder in the body, you will see it in the fat metabolism,” says Guido Verbeck, PhD.