University of Kansas School of Medicine

09/23/2025

Two KU School of Medicine faculty are recipients of the 2025 Faculty of the Year award by the Kansas Board of Regents, the governing board of the state’s six state universities:

🔹 Dinesh Pal Mudaranthakam, Ph.D., assistant professor of biostatistics and data science and director of research information technology
🔹Sufi Mary Thomas, Ph.D., professor of otolaryngology - head and neck surgery, president of Women in Medicine & Science and associate director of basic sciences at The University of Kansas Cancer Center

The award program recognizes outstanding contributions of faculty to teaching, student success, research and communities. Congratulations, Drs. Mudaranthakam and Thomas! Learn more: https://bit.ly/3K4p1Kj

09/19/2025

In honor of National Physician Su***de Awareness Day, members of our community gathered on Sept. 17 for a memorial ceremony that offered time to reflect and honor all those who have been affected by su***de. This annual awareness day aims to foster conversations around the issue of physician su***de and encourage a culture of support and well-being.

For resources at KU Medical Center, visit: https://www.kumc.edu/about/wellness/su***de-awareness-and-prevention-resources.html

09/17/2025

Today, on National Physician Su***de Awareness Day, we honor the memory of colleagues who have died and continue to raise awareness. It's a reminder that we can all help prevent su***de. Anyone could be struggling.

The 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline provides free, confidential support and resources, and the local 24/7 su***de prevention hotline is 316-660-7500. Find more resources on our website: bit.ly/4g719BC

09/16/2025

When the new Wichita Biomedical Campus opens, students from KU School of Medicine-Wichita, Wichita State University and WSU Tech will have the opportunity to collaborate in a Simulation Center located on the fifth floor of the new building.

"That is the floor where things are truly shared," said Elisha Brumfield, D.O., medical director of the Simulation Center at KU School of Medicine-Wichita. “We already have some programming that involves collaboration. I anticipate as we get to work closer together, we’ll be able to overlap our curriculum more each year.”

Learn more about the collaboration opportunities in the state-of-the-art, 20,000-square-foot center:

“We already have some programming that involves collaboration. I anticipate as we get to work closer together, we’ll be able to overlap our curriculum more each year.” - Elisha Brumfield, D.O., medical director of the KU School of Medicine-Wichita Simulation Center

09/10/2025

The Kansas Behavioral Health Center of Excellence, a consortium of behavioral health care providers and educational institutions, has focused its efforts on Wichita and south-central Kansas. What that’s meant for KU School of Medicine-Wichita is the establishment of two new fellowship programs — one for child and adolescent psychiatry and one for addiction medicine.

“They support the majority of the costs of these two fellowships,” said Matthew Byerly, M.D., professor and acting chair in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences. “What we provide is contributions toward their mission of enhancing the mental health specialist workforce in Kansas.”

The Kansas Behavioral Health Center of Excellence has its own board of directors, including representatives of KU School of Medicine-Wichita, Wichita State University, Friends University, Newman University and Ascension Via Christi.

09/04/2025

Are you interested in attending medical school at KU, or do you have family or friends thinking about the M.D. program? Attend one of KU School of Medicine's upcoming fall open houses to learn more:
🔹KU School of Medicine-Kansas City: November 14
🔹KU School of Medicine-Wichita: September 12 and November 19
🔹KU School of Medicine-Salina: September 11 and November 12
🔹Virtual: November 10

Hosted by the University of Kansas School of Medicine Office of Admissions, these events provide prospective students with information about preparation for medical school, the application process, a Q&A panel and a tour of the campus. Learn more and register online: https://bit.ly/482RF8n

08/29/2025

👋 Meet Darren Wallace, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Internal Medicine-Nephrology Division. A KU alumnus and the 2025 Chancellors Club
Research Award honoree, Dr. Wallace has always been fascinated by the human body and its ability to adapt to various environments.

At the Jared Grantham Kidney Institute at the University of Kansas Medical Center, Dr. Wallace studies polycystic kidney disease, a genetic disorder that leads to inflammation, fibrosis, massively enlarged kidneys and progressive decline in renal function.

"Throughout my career, I've been able to collaborate with a number of investigators, not only here in the Kidney Institute, but worldwide," said Dr. Wallace. "The work that we've done here at KU Medical Center has paved the way for pre-clinical and clinical trials that led to the first FDA-approved treatment for polycystic kidney disease."

Hear from Dr. Wallace and learn more about his passion for research: https://bit.ly/3Hy5UaD

08/26/2025

08/25/2025

For the past decade, the KU School of Medicine Evidence-Based Practice, Outcomes and Impact Center (EPIC) has been assessing evidence from research studies around the world to inform health policies and clinical guidelines. This summer, EPIC became one of just 11 Evidence-based Practice Centers designated by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

EPIC is led by Reem Mustafa, M.D., Ph.D., MPH, professor of nephrology and hypertension, and Simon Lee, Ph.D., MPH, chair of the Department of Population Health. Five post-doctoral fellows are also working on the effort, along with the help of residents and doctoral and master’s students who have assisted on different projects.

"This designation is the highest level a center can reach in terms of expertise and ability to perform evidence syntheses,” said Dr. Mustafa. Learn more:

EPIC at KU School of Medicine became one of just 11 such centers in the country designated as an Evidence-based Practice Center by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

08/21/2025

The Department of Neurology hosted Elizabeth Stegemöller, Ph.D., professor of kinesiology at Iowa State University, for a pair of interactive presentations on how singing promotes movement, respiratory control and community in people with Parkinson’s disease.

Dr. Stegemöller's visit to Kansas City, facilitated by Rebecca Lepping, Ph.D., associate professor, was made possible through the Big 12 Faculty Fellowship Program, which offers travel funding to faculty with the aim “to facilitate the exchange of ideas and research” across universities in the Big 12 Conference.

The interactive presentations by Elizabeth Stegemöller, Ph.D., Iowa State University professor of kinesiology, were facilitated by Rebecca Lepping, Ph.D.

08/19/2025

The rise in early-career researchers at the University of Kansas Medical Center is helping research grow and flourish, shaping the university's future. Chelsea Kracht, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Division of Physical Activity and Weight Management in the Department of Internal Medicine, is one of six rising researchers featured in the latest edition of the Kansas Medicine + Science Magazine.

With an athletic background in rowing, Dr. Kracht has won three bronze medals from the Pan American Games and received the prestigious K99/R00 training grant. Her research focuses on combating obesity and poor health outcomes by observing how others divide their days between activity, sleeping and sedentary pursuits.

"I use innovative approaches to improve these behaviors, either through digital technology, like a mobile phone app, or by considering the policies and environments that help people be active and sleep well,” said Dr. Kracht.

Learn more about her career: https://bit.ly/46DNnng

08/15/2025

July memories 📷 Medical students across our three campuses gathered together for fun activities, training courses, milestone events and more. We can't wait to see what this semester has in store!