Issue No. 63 | August 2017
Student Spotlight
Adventure seeker sets eyes on global health

Fourth-year medical student Annie LaVigne is a world traveler. In South Africa, she worked with great white sharks. In Botswana, she assisted the country's only palliative care-trained physician. Each global experience has strengthened her desire to help others. 

"I witnessed quality-of-life disparities in the social and economic landscape that further strengthened my capacity for empathy," she said.   Read more
Reunion Weekend 2018 - We're going annual!
Next year marks a transition to an  annual  reunion and celebration of the school of  medicine's 125th anniversary! Save the  date: June 1-2, 2018 - with special honor to  alumni whose graduation years end in 3 or 8!
Better Together
Reflecting on Johns Hopkins' Founding Letter
 
Nearly a century and a half ago, Mr. Johns Hopkins wrote a letter to the trustees in which he established his vision for the medical center and the principles that would guide the enterprise. Those values - respect, dignity, integrity, inclusion, excellence and diversity - have stood the test of time and continue to provide us with inspiration and direction today. As a reminder of our charge from our founder, view a short video message that reflects on our history, our promise and our future. Watch
National Leader in Care
U.S. News & World Report  ranks Hopkins #3 in nation

U.S. News & World Report has ranked The Johns Hopkins Hospital #3 in the nation and #1 in the state of Maryland for 2017-18. This-coupled with the recent pediatric ranking in which U.S. News named Johns Hopkins Children's Center #5 nationally - makes Johns Hopkins the nation's top-ranked hospital combined for both adult and pediatric care. O f the 28 years of U.S. News rankings , Hopkins is the only hospital to rank #1 in the  nation 22 times.  Learn more
Diversifying Biomedical Education
Former fellow named assistant dean 

Damani Piggott, M.D., Ph.D., who completed his infectious diseases fellowship at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 2012, has been named A ssistant Dean for Graduate Biomedical Education and Graduate Student Diversity effective Sept. 1. 

In this role, he will serve as an advisor, advocate and role model for graduate students, supporting their academic achievement and career development. He will work to strengthen the recruitment and success of a diverse graduate student community at the school of medicine and implement initiatives designed to create a culture that values inclusion, diversity and the well-being of graduate students. Read more
Tackling TB
Alumnus finds new ways to fight ancient disease
 
After losing his grandfather to tuberculosis in Nepal, infectious disease expert Gyanu Lamichhane, Ph.D. works to eradicate one of the world's top infectious killers by trying to understand how to exploit TB bacteria weaknesses. "I couldn't save my grandfather, but if I could save someone else, that would be my way of saying I'm sorry," said Lamichhane, a 2004 graduate of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Learn more
Pregnancy in Prison
Alumna leads study on women's health equity

Gyn/Ob Carolyn Sufrin, M.D., a 2003 graduate of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine,  studies female prisoners - who live out of public view, without visibility or voice, and who may be pregnant while behind bars. 

"Prisoners have a constitutional right to health care, but there are no guidelines about what that looks like," Sufrin said. "We need standardization of care."  Learn more
Correction:  An article in the July issue of this e-newsletter incorrectly used the plural form, alumni, in an article about Ph.D. alumnus  Michael Miller, Ph.D. , who became director of the Department of Biomedical Engineering on July 1. 

For correction requests or other comments, please email jhmalumni@jhmi.edu.