Each month, the Dean’s Office recognizes and celebrates the achievements of our students, faculty, and staff with this summary.

Congratulations to Archana Chatterjee, MD, PhD, dean of CMS and senior vice president for medical affairs, Â鶹ӰÒô, who was appointed president-elect
of the Institute of Medicine of Chicago (IOMC). The IOMC is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving public health through advancements in health equity. Dr. Chatterjee has previously served the IOMC in other roles, including vice president and board director.

Melissa Chen, MD, assistant dean of community health and engagement and clinical director of the Interprofessional Community Clinic; Angélica Arzuaga, CMS ’26; and Gloria Essien, CMS ’26, received the 2025 Chapter Project of the Year Award from the Aequitas Health Honor Society for their health equity project titled “The ICC Skin Equity Initiative,” which involved developing a dermatology education podcast for the ICC. The students’ project was recognized by the committee “for its innovative community-first methodology, strong partnerships with Mano a Mano and the North Chicago Think Tank, and creative safe harbor approach to reaching the community.” As part of their award, Angélica and Gloria will submit an article to the Aequitas Health Journal documenting their project and its outcomes.

Holly Hunsberger, PhD, assistant professor of neuroscience, Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and Therapeutics, co-authored a publication in collaboration with Namhee Kim, PhD, data resource core lead, Michael Reese Foundation Center for Health Equity Research, and Aidan Butler, a medical student from the University of Toledo who interned in the Hunsberger lab last summer. The article was titled “Unresolved Controversies: The Effect of Benzodiazepines on Cognition and Alzheimer’s Disease” and was published in the Journal of Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.

Hongkyun Kim, PhD, professor of cell biology and anatomy in Rosalind Franklin University’s Center for Cancer Cell Biology, Immunology and Infection, was awarded a 5-year, 1.9M grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to fund his research on molecular and cellular regulation of CaV2 voltage-gated calcium channels.

Manoj Kumar, MD, internal medicine resident, presented a poster titled “A Rare Case of Immune Thrombocytopenia Triggered by Walnut Ingestion” at the American College of Physicians Northern Illinois chapter poster competition, held November 12 in Berwyn, IL.

Judy Potashkin, PhD, professor and discipline chair of cellular and molecular pharmacology; Vidyadhara D J, PhD, assistant professor of neuroscience; and Holly Hunsberger, PhD, assistant professor of neuroscience, all from the Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and Therapeutics, co-authored a publication titled “The Impact of Lifestyle on Brain Health,” published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.

Kayla Talebi and Angélica Arzuaga, both CMS ’26, were selected as student speakers for the 2025-26 Aequitas Health Annual Conference, which will be held online in February. Medical students were invited to submit presentations showcasing their innovative approaches to addressing critical gaps in healthcare equity across diverse populations and settings.

Kayla will give a presentation titled “Mini Medical School: Parent Engagement and Take-Home Curriculum,” which showcases the Mini Medical School program’s expanded take-home curriculum for 6th and 7th graders.

Angélica will give a presentation titled “ICC Skin Equity Initiative and Bilingual Podcast Series,” which details a student-led initiative at the Interprofessional Community Clinic to address dermatological health disparities in the Latine community through a bilingual (Spanish and English) educational podcast series. The series launches in May 2026 (Melanoma Awareness Month) and will feature 15-minute pre-recorded episodes in conversational format.