Welcome, everyone, to the first edition of the Levy Letter, a newsletter dedicated to sharing the incredible accomplishments of the department of Medicine team. While we have 14 distinct divisions, given so much collaboration and interdisciplinary research, it's time to break down any silos so we can move forward as one cohesive department. This newsletter is for you, to shine a light on your work and for you to get to know your fellow departmental members.

We are delighted to name our newsletter after Paul Levy in honor of his amazing leadership in the department. I want to thank him for his unwavering support this past year and teaching me the ropes of what it means to be chair of the department of Medicine.

As we approach Thanksgiving, I want to share how truly thankful I am for all of the great people I now have the honor of working with, and for all of your support.

Be well,
Ruth O'Regan, M.D.

Honors: Chunkit Fung, M.D. recently joined the Human Rights Campaign Board of Governors. His work strives to bring health equity to the region for our LGBTQ+ patients.

Honors: Ann Falsey, M.D. was given a high honor during ID Week as she was selected to deliver the prestigious John F. Enders Lecture.

Awards: Christopher Ritchlin, M.D., M.P.H. received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Psoriasis Foundation during the 2021 Commit to Cure Gala. (Note: Lifetime Achievement article is on the URMC intranet, VPN connection required.)

New Hire: Give a warm welcome to Laura Stamm, Ph.D., who joins us as director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for the DOM. Laura received her Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh in Film & Media Studies and Gender, Sexuality & Women's Studies. Her book The Queer Biopic in the AIDS Era is available for pre-order, coming out in December.

New Dean's Lectureship Series Highlights International Experts, URMC's Best Vera Gorbunova, Ph.D., the Doris Johns Cherry Professor of Biology and Medicine and a member of the University of Rochester Aging Institute will give the inaugural lecture of URMC's newly established Dean's Lectureship Series. Featuring outside speakers and SMD faculty, the lectures will provide our faculty, learners and staff the chance to hear from both international experts and the best that SMD has to offer on a broad range of timely and interesting topics. The series was endowed by the George D. and Freida B. Abraham Foundation. Gorbunova's talk, "Mechanisms of Longevity: Lessons from Long-Lived Mammals" will take place on December 6 at 4:00 pm in the Class of '62 Auditorium (G-9425). Read more about the lectures series here and add the event to your calendar.