06/26/26

Letter from the Chair

As my tenure as Chair comes to an end, let me thank everyone for five tremendous years of hard work and great successes.

Together we tackled the many pandemic challenges and progressed with determination. It wasn’t easy, but I’m proud of our department’s resilience and commitment to collegiality at every turn. 

We’re expanding the breadth and depth of our faculty, with more than 100 recruits since 2021, as well as opportunities for professional growth and advancement. And we’re prioritizing wellbeing, fostering an environment where everyone feels valued, engaged and fulfilled. 

Research momentum continues to build, with $38.6 million in sponsored research activity in FY26 and NIH funding growing from $28 million to $30.2 million in FY25. This growth helped improve our national NIH ranking from #49 to #47. Our investigators are advancing 463 active sponsored research projects, including 258 clinical trials, and continued investments in clinical trials infrastructure and shared resources are strengthening efficiency and expanding our capacity for high-impact research. 

And our commitment to educational excellence continues to provide the next generation of physicians, scientists and educators with unparalleled opportunities for innovation.  Faculty mentors demonstrate the power of the biopsychosocial model, foster discovery in laboratory and clinical environments, and equip learners with the skills, curiosity, and passion to become tomorrow’s leaders. 

Our accomplishments are plentiful: National Cancer Institute designation for the Wilmot Cancer Institute; research that led to approval of the first COVID-19 vaccines; awards totaling $72 million for a trio of cardiac studies from PCORI  (Patient Center Outcomes Research Institute); and expansion of training programs for young scientists interested in geriatrics and immune health through the ages, to name a few. 

We should all be proud of the strides we’ve made to fulfill our mission: to improve the health of people in our region and around the world through the highest quality patient care, education, and research. 

I’m extremely grateful for our ability to work together to educate, care, and innovate across our divisions.  It’s been an honor to lead this amazing team. 

Best,

Ruth O’Regan, MD

Caprio Named Chief of Geriatrics, Palliative Care 

Academic geriatrician Thomas Caprio, MD, will lead the divisions of Geriatrics and Palliative Care, focusing on building partnerships and maximizing efficiencies and opportunities for advancement.  Read more. 

Oh, What a Feeling: Their First White Coat 

Casulo Gets Named Professorship

•  Sofia Learns About Research: The CTSI is distributing copies of this activity book that uses coloring pages and games to explain basic concepts of health research to children. Books are available in English, Spanish, and Arabic. Click here to request copies. 

• Apply for Wilmot Early-Stage Clinical Investigator Program: October 21 is the application deadline for the ESCI program, which prepares early-stage physician-scientists at Wilmot for careers in leadership of investigator-initiated therapeutic clinical trials with a primary endpoint relevant to cancer. Download the RFA. For questions, contact Nicole O’Dell, PhD.  

Events & Lectures

• Patient Partnership in Clinical Research Competencies | September 16: This virtual presentation focuses on integrating patient partnership-related knowledge, skills, and attitudes into the Joint Task Force for Clinical Trial Competency Framework. Learn what patient partnership is, why the inclusion of patient partners as equal members on study teams is so important, and how competencies related to patient partnership are an essential part of high-functioning study teams.  Click here to register.

• Rural Health Research Virtual Seminar | October 6: The UNYTE Virtual Scientific Session explores innovative methods and strategies to overcome barriers in rural health research. Keynote speaker Christi Patten of the Mayo Clinic Center for Clinical and Translational Science will present “Advancing Rural Health Through Community Partnership and Digital Health Innovation.” 12 to 3:30 p.m.  Register now.  

• Translational Science Day | October 28: Learn how translational science and research projects find success and build connections to accelerate their own projects. There will be a research support fair, leadership workshop led by Karen Wilson, MD, MPH, presentations on successful translational projects, and more. The event is from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Saunders Research Building and Helen Wood Hall. 

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