OFALD Newsletter Q2-2026
Join us as we celebrate an incredible year across the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. From standout achievements and inspiring people to major milestones fueling our success, this issue highlights the momentum shaping 2026. Plus, get an exclusive first look at the exciting initiatives, innovative programs, and big developments on the horizon!
Collaborations
Spring Fling
A spring fling was hosted by Laupus Library in the Health Sciences Courtyard. The event offered participants a chance to talk with librarians and connect with faculty, staff and graduate students while gaining new information on campus resources. Refreshments, games and giveaways were enjoyed by all!
Biomedical Research Awareness Day
ECU hosted its third annual Biomedical Research Awareness Day celebration on April 16 at the Health Sciences Campus Student Center. The event brought together over 60 students, faculty and staff for a beautiful, exciting day dedicated to highlighting the incredible role animals play in biomedical research. ECU had three photos featured in the international BRAD event summary, and the university was featured in the official BRAD community newsletter. Special thanks to the Woodlief lab (Ethan Wittenborn, Anahy Lopez-Ramirez, Tracey Woodlief) for their dedication to the event and demonstration of their research techniques to participants. We look forward to continuing to grow this event in partnership with animal research laboratories in the years to come.
Committed To Serve
Drs. James deVente and Emmanuel Zervos are pictured prior to providing service to the Ahoskie community. Zervos was on General Surgery, while deVente provided OB-GYN care to women at the hospital. They believe that sharing their talent through these acts of service is essential to strengthening and supporting rural communities across eastern North Carolina.
Mentoring High School Students
Anahy Lopez-Ramirez, research specialist in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, has stepped into a strong teaching and leadership role. In collaboration with Dr. Xian Wu, Lopez-Ramirez is providing high school honors medical students the opportunity to learn core concepts and develop real laboratory skills through both technical learning and scientific thinking on a histology project. This meaningful event supports their development and confidence in biomedical science.
Publishing Research
Dr. Nicholas Broskey, associate professor in kinesiology and interim director of the East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, shared a new publication from the lab highlighting skeletal muscle mitochondrial bioenergetics in pregnancy. Broskey commended Erika Biagioni and Polina Krassaovskaia on their hard work.
MAP Program
The seventh cohort of the Mentoring Advice Program (MAP) wrapped up with each mentee presenting their final project. The program is designed to promote the career development and advancement of junior faculty at the Brody School of Medicine. Some of the faculty within this cohort were recommended for the program before their first day at BSOM. The call for applications to the next cohort will go live by July 1.
Celebrating Librarian Expertise
“Stop overlooking librarians’ expertise,” produced by Jamie E. Bloss, Kerry A. Sewell and Joseph G.L. Lee, was published in Nature. The work argues that librarians should be recognized not just as service providers but as expert research collaborators whose disciplinary knowledge improves study quality, and that librarians merit inclusion as co-investigators and funded partners from a project’s inception.
Depression Trajectory Article
The article “Polygenic depression risk, childhood parental substance abuse, and G×E interaction in divergent depression trajectories from middle to late adulthood” was published recently in ScienceDirect. The collaboration with Drs. James S. Clifford and Zikun Yang and others investigates how the interaction between polygenic risk for depression and childhood exposure to parental substance abuse is associated with depression trajectories from mid- to late adulthood.
Teaching, Research and Leadership Development Series
OFALD collaborated recently with the Simulation Lab, offering participants an interactive session presented by Director Becky Gilbird and Associate Dean Dr. Afrah Ali to learn about exciting new simulation lab technologies, recent enhancements, and emerging opportunities. Stay tuned for a series that should debut this fall.
Executive Functioning
Participants learned more about the 8 Executive Functions, determined their own executive functioning strengths and areas for improvement, and created three SMART goals to improve personal and professional outcomes. Contact Dr. Allison Flowers to schedule a session for your group or department.
DiSC
In partnership with OFALD, Christy Carraway from ECU Health presented the workshop Everything DiSC to a department within Infectious Diseases. The session shared insights with attendees on learning more about various profiles and how to better interact with their coworkers. Contact facdevsom@ecu.edu to learn more about engaging teambuilding sessions and offerings.
Paws for Therapy
Deputy Barkley, from the specialized K-9 unit of the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office, is a golden retriever who began serving in early 2025. He is the second therapy K-9 to be deployed by the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office. Barkley is a specially trained therapy dog dedicated to bringing comfort, calm, and support to those in need. Working alongside his handler, Deputy Chris Curtis, Barkley assists crime victims, helps children and witnesses during court proceedings, and provides stress relief to courthouse staff and community members alike. Whether visiting schools, senior centers or local events, Barkley is always ready to brighten someone’s day with his friendly personality, comforting presence and crowd-pleasing tricks.
Special Recognitions
ECU Scholar-Teacher Award
The ECU Scholar-Teacher Award at the Brody School of Medicine recognized faculty who effectively integrate research or creative activity with their teaching. The award honors educators who effectively integrate their academic scholarship into the classroom and mentorship experience for students. This year, Drs. Uduak Akpan (Pediatrics), Roberto Portela (Emergency Medicine), and Brian Shewchuck (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology) were selected for this honor.
Educator of Distinction
In addition to the Outstanding Staff Award presentations, BSOM Dean Jason Higginson presented the Educator of Distinction Award from the Master Educator Committee to James Spears. Medical student Quashawn Chadwick initially nominated Spears, praising his exceptional teaching, mentorship and leadership during a forensic medicine rotation. Chadwick highlighted Spears’ ability to connect medical findings with broader social and environmental factors, while creating an engaging, hands-on learning environment that encouraged curiosity and active participation. He also commended Spears’ collaborative leadership style and lasting impact on his professional growth, calling him an invaluable educator and role model in medicine.
Outstanding Staff 2026
The annual award recognizes staff members from each division who regularly go above and beyond the call of duty and those who work tirelessly to fulfill the mission of our institution and to serve the needs of our campus community. Staff were nominated by other staff members and faculty. Three recipients were selected from the Brody School of Medicine: Paige Tyson, Jennifer Mackenzie True, and Rachel Gaskins.
Brody Mission Champion
Dr. David Ryan was selected as a Brody Mission Champion. In a powerful show of appreciation, 25 medical students came together to submit a heartfelt nomination for Ryan, honoring his unwavering commitment to expanding access to addiction medicine services across eastern North Carolina. Through his inspiring leadership, dedication to teaching, and ability to build compassionate, collaborative teams, he is shaping the next generation of clinicians to meet challenges with both scientific excellence and deep empathy for the patients they serve.
Innovations
Congratulating Our Innovators
A special congratulations to Dr. Stephanie Richards, Dr. Sinan Sousan, Dr. Elizabeth Hodge, Dr. Stefan Clemens, and Dr. Kori Brewer on receiving issued U.S. patents this past year and being recognized during the ECU Research Awards.
A patent was issued to inventors Richards and Sousan for the wind tunnel invention, which is used to assess insecticide products. This is an outstanding achievement that reflects their dedication to advancing knowledge and translating ideas into real-world solutions.
We also proudly recognized Dr. Colin Burns, Dr. Allison Danell, and Dr. Jitka Virag for being named National Academy of Inventors Senior Members, a well-deserved honor highlighting their sustained contributions to innovation and discovery.
Lending Library
Dr. Lisandra de Castro Braz recently stopped by the OFALD Lending Library to check out a copy of Crucial Conversations for summer reading.
Browse our spring selection at the lending library. Titles span multiple genres, including medical education, leadership development, writing, communication and medical nonfiction. Books are also spotlighted weekly in the OFALD programming email.
Outstanding Educational Program Award
Congratulations to the Master of Public Health program at East Carolina University on being selected as the recipient of the APTR Outstanding Educational Program Award. This award honors an innovative program, department or academic institution for advancing education in prevention and public health. Recognition is given to individuals responsible for the establishment, success, growth or management of an academic program that furthers students’ interest in the field. Please join us in recognizing the team, thanking Dr. Arcari for the nomination, Dr. Lea for submitting the requested materials, Dr. Lazorick for accepting on behalf of the group and Dr. Higginson for providing a letter of support.
Teaching, Research, and Leadership Development
As part of the Teaching, Research, and Leadership Development series, participants had the opportunity to explore the simulation lab and learn more about teaching resources and learning opportunities.
Med Ed Day
The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University celebrated its 12th annual Medical Education Day on April 30, highlighting innovative research and educational initiatives that continue to shape and strengthen medical training. The event brought together faculty, staff, students and alumni for podium, poster and “shark tank” presentations focused on advancing medical education and improving patient care. Keynote speaker Dr. Taj Nasser inspired attendees with reflections on compassionate leadership, service and the importance of patient-centered care in medicine.
Mentoring Research Group (MeRG)
The current cohort has reached the halfway point of the program and is now preparing final presentations that will highlight innovative research projects and emerging contributions to the future of science and medicine. Through the workshops, participants are building critical skills in areas such as research design, IRB processes, statistics, manuscript development, grant writing and peer review, while also exploring timely topics like data visualization and cross-disciplinary collaboration. As mentees continue to grow as scholars and researchers, the program is fostering the next generation of scientific leaders dedicated to advancing discovery, improving patient care, and driving meaningful impact in their fields.
Celebrating Success
Thesis Defense
Dr. Xian Wu’s first MS student, Kamilah Na’imah Muhammad from the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, successfully defended her thesis and is beginning doctoral studies this fall. During her time with the lab, she developed a human stem cell-derived midbrain organoid and microglia co-culture model to study how micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) drive neuroinflammatory toxicity. This work helps bridge environmental exposure to mechanisms relevant to neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s. Read the recent collaborative publication, titled “Micro- and nanoplastics influences in Parkinson’s disease: lessons from human stem cell models.”
Clinical Immunology Society National Conference
Vaishnavi Siripurapu, an M4 student, presented a hypereosinophillic syndrome case report that was accepted at the Clinical Immunology Society national conference in New Orleans in May. Siripurapu was thankful for the opportunity to work with Dr. Wonjae Park and Dr. Armando Lopez on the case report. The event was Siripurapu’s first national internal medicine conference. She shared that she was very grateful for the experience and further praised Dr. Ogugua Obi for her continued mentorship and guidance, and for financial support with the registration fees.
Upcoming Events and Workshops
Join The Conversation
