Geisel School of Medicine News

Four inaugural grant projects use Dartmouth’s AI Patient Actor platform to help clinicians and students practice communication skills and get instant feedback.

Read article—Marcus Shaker, a professor of medicine, is featured in an article about research suggesting that in-flight allergic reactions are significantly underreported and concerns over proposed changes to federal requirements for aircraft emergency medical kits. "I think the solution is really simple. Stock all U.S. aircraft with an adequate supply of self-injectable epinephrine," Shaker said.

At a transformative time in medicine, as wearables and interactive smartphone apps rapidly expand access to assessment and treatment beyond clinical settings, Geisel School of Medicine’s Center for Technology and Behavioral Health (CTBH) hosted its fifth annual Digital Health Summit at Dartmouth on Oct. 21.

Read article—William Torrey, chair of psychiatry, and Jennifer McLaren, a professor ofpsychiatry, co-authored an opinion piece calling for continued investment in youth mental health services in New Hampshire. They highlight Dartmouth Health's expansion of inpatient and outpatient psychiatric care for young people and urge the state to build on recent improvements in youth mental health outcomes.

Read article—Erika Moen, an associate professor of biomedical data science, is quoted in an article about research finding that just 3.4% of young women diagnosed with cancer received fertility preservation support, despite a substantial increase in services over the past decade. "It's important that women are aware of the availability of these services," Moen said.

Roy S. Herbst, director of the Dartmouth Cancer Center and a professor of microbiology and immunology and of medicine at Geisel School of Medicine, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine. One of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine, NAM recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.

Read article–Diane Roston, a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry, writes about the growing practice of deprescribing medications and the importance ofindividualized treatment decisions. "As we acknowledge the potential harm of medication, we must also recognize the potential good," Roston writes, emphasizing the need to balance medication benefits, withdrawal risks, and patient preferences.

Read article—Gabriela Andujar Vazquez, an assistant professor of medicine, is quoted in an article about the early onset of flu season in New Hampshire. "Get it now so you can get those two weeks in of building up that immunity from the vaccine," Andujar Vazquez said, urging people to get vaccinated ahead of an expected rise in cases.

Read article—A study conducted by Dartmouth researchers found that most daily cannabis consumers did not meet the diagnostic criteria for moderate or severe cannabis use disorder, despite reporting an average consumption of more than 200 mg of THC per day.

Read article—Thomas Thesen, a professor of medical education, is featured in an article examining AI's potential to improve healthcare and its limitations in clinical decision-making and medical education. "They are extremely good at recognizing patterns, but they are really bad at explaining to us what those patterns actually are," Thesen said, emphasizing the need for transparency and independent learning.

Read article—A study led by Chengxiang Qiu, an assistant professor of molecular and systems biology, is highlighted for using DNA recording technology to trace the development of a mouse embryo from its first two cells through the formation of organs and tissues. The findings reveal how different cell types develop on distinct timelines.

Read article—A study led by Chengxiang Qiu, an assistant professor of molecular and systems biology, is highlighted for using DNA Typewriter technology to trace cell lineages throughout early mouse embryonic development. The research reconstructed the developmental histories of approximately 1.3 million cells, offering new insights into how cells specialize. (Similar coverage in Scienmag.)

Read article—Dartmouth Health and Geisel are highlighted for launching Dartmouth Health at Home, a $20 million initiative to expand access to home-based primary and palliative care in rural communities. Nathan Goldstein, chair of medicine at Dartmouth Health, discusses plans to improve patient outcomes, support family caregivers and develop a financially sustainable model that could be adopted nationwide. "We will have an entire team of professionals to serve patients and their families," said G

Read article—Muhammad Z. Afzal, an assistant professor of medicine, is quoted in an article examining the link between alcohol consumption and increased breast cancer risk, along with dietary and lifestyle changes that can help lower risk. "The important thing is to understand that alcohol is one ofseveral factors that can affect breast cancer risk, and reducing your intake is one practical step you can take," Afzal said.

Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine and the Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS are pleased to announce that the first participant has enrolled in the Video Integration to Traditional Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (VITALS) trial.

Cynthia Siego MED’28 is among 29 students nationwide selected to participate in the highly competitive NIH Medical Research Scholars Program (MRSP) Class of 2026-2027.

A distinguished panel of women in medicine, business, academia and journalism gathered at the inaugural “Women: Leadership, Legacy and Lessons Learned” roundtable in Boston on Sept. 22 to discuss how they had advanced in their respective fields while each experiencing what they described as systemic biases against women.

September Medical Student Grand Rounds at DHMC featured a Geisel School of Medicine student who shared a study examining whether social deprivation that has been linked to worse outcomes across multiple levels of medicine, also affects a more concrete outcome—how bones heal after injury and which patients may benefit from additional clinical support following surgery.

Read article—Karen Fortuna, an associate professor of community and family medicine, led a study examining early barriers to Medicare's new peer-support reimbursement codes, including limited awareness, billing complexity, and uncertainty about integrating peer specialists into clinical workflows. The study also found that stakeholders see the codes as a potential way to expand behavioral health access and reduce inappropriate hospitalizations.

On Friday, September 25, during the medical school’s annual White Coat Ceremony, 96 first-year medical students in the Geisel School of Medicine MD Class of 2030 celebrated a rite of passage in the field of medicine when they received their short white coats, symbolic of their status as physicians in training.