UVA Health

UVA’s new Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology will put us at the forefront of cutting-edge medicine, ensuring no Virginian will need to leave the state for even the most complex care. Learn more: uvahealth.com/driven #UVAHealth #UVAHealthDriven

We’re sad to announce that Bob Klesges, PhD, died unexpectedly on July 2. He had been part of our UVA School of Medicine faculty since 2017. He was the director of the Center for Addiction & Prevention Research and a professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences. Prof. Klesges was passionate about helping people with addiction and was one of the nation’s top experts in smoking cessation. His extensive career included: - More than 300 peer-reviewed publications along with two patents - A grant portfolio of more than $50 million - Contributions to reports on smoking from the U.S. Surgeon General and Institute of Medicine - Serving on or chairing multiple NIH study sections While at UVA Health, Prof. Klesges worked with cancer survivors and on projects related to binge drinking on college campuses and opiate addiction. Our thoughts are with his family members and his many colleagues and friends. Read more about him and his career: https://bit.ly/4f1zPnu

We're partnering with The Haven – a multi-resource day shelter and housing resource center in Charlottesville – to provide opioid-use disorder care for unhoused members of the community. Backed by a grant from the state Opioid Abatement Authority, the SmART (street medicine, access, reduction and treatment) program has launched at The Haven. A UVA Health physician, nurse and social worker will come to The Haven once a week, building on the services offered through an existing UVA Health clinic at The Haven. The SmART program team will also visit other locations, including additional shelters, to connect unhoused people with treatment options. “We aim to deliver integrated and compassionate care to individuals experiencing opioid-use disorder who are otherwise unhoused and unable to seek care,” said Nassima Ait-Daoud Tiouririne, MD, a UVA Health psychiatrist and specialist in addiction medicine who is leading the program.

We’re mourning the loss of longtime pediatrician James (Jim) Plews-Ogan, MD, who died on July 3. He joined UVA Health in 2012 and founded By Your Side, which provides coordinated care, including house calls, for kids with complex medical conditions. Dr. Plews-Ogan was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2021 and retired in 2022. Determined to improve ALS care for himself and others, he and his wife started the Hummingbird Fund. “Hummingbirds have stamina. But they’re also delicate and beautiful,” he said. “We loved that symbolism for people with ALS.” Dr. Plews-Ogan’s wife, Peggy, is an internal medicine physician and chief of our School of Medicine’s Division of General Medicine, Geriatrics, and Palliative Medicine. Our hearts are with his family, including Peggy and their two children, and all the friends, colleagues, patients, and families he touched. Read more about his Hummingbird Fund work in this 2022 article: https://bit.ly/45Yo3Wx

Meet Christopher Moskaluk, PhD, MD, professor of pathology and medical director of the clinical laboratories at UVA School of Medicine. His cancer research is identifying potential new therapeutics in a clinical trial.

Francis Shen, MD, and Adam Shimer, MD, have been named to Newsweek’s list of America’s Best Spine Surgeons 2024. “This is a well-earned honor for Dr. Shen and Dr. Shimer,” said Bobby Chhabra, MD, chair of UVA Health’s Department of Orthopedic Surgery. “Their skill and commitment – backed by our team at UVA Health – have helped thousands of patients from across Virginia and beyond with significant back conditions.”

A randomized controlled trial found that four weeks of gait training outdoors, in addition to home exercises often prescribed for shin splints, led to improved running biomechanics even when the runners were using a treadmill. “This is an important finding for clinicians, as this gives us a tool to use to help these runners,” running medicine specialist David Hryvniak, DO, said. “These gait-training cues can be an easy thing to add into a rehab program to help patients improve running mechanics that can underlie many common running injuries.” #RunningMedicine #SportsMedicine #rehabilitation

Meet gynecologic oncologist Paola Gehrig, MD, chair of the Department of OB-GYN. Dr. Gehrig’s research focuses on endometrial cancer, which is seeing increased incidence. As a result of this research, we'll be opening a clinical trial to see if a novel therapy will improve the outcomes of patients with a specific gene mutation.

Working under the guidance of Chelsea Marie, PhD, University of Virginia undergraduate student Rebecca Pierce found kids with Crohn's disease had a persistent disruption of their microbiomes, even after successful treatment. Her research may open the door to new ways to treat or even cure Crohn's, which can be debilitating and even life-threatening.

UVA Health Prince William Medical Center is proud and excited to celebrate 60 years as a community hospital! "I am struck by (the medical center's) profound impact on our community, made possible by the past and present contributions of our exceptional and dedicated staff," says Erik Shannon, chief executive officer of UVA Health’s medical centers in Manassas, Haymarket, and Culpeper. Meet some of our team members who have worked at the medical center for 40+ years: https://bit.ly/3XE1BQs