March 27-31, 2023

WesternU COMP and COMP-Northwest celebrate 100% residency placement on Match Day

Western University of Health Sciences’ College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP) and COMP-Northwest celebrated 100% residency placement on Match Day, compared to the averages across all other medical schools with match rates of 91.6% for DO students and 93.7% for MD students. Match Day is celebrated across the U.S. as fourth-year medical students learn which U.S. residency programs they will train in for the next three to seven years.

WesternU College of Podiatric Medicine celebrates 100% match rate for 10 consecutive years

WesternU's College of Podiatric Medicine continues to keep its promise of leading the way in inspiring and preparing the next generation of podiatric physicians. For the 10th consecutive year, CPM has a residency placement rate of 100%.

On Friday, March 17, 2023, CPM students gathered at the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel in Pomona, California, as well as virtually on Zoom with their family, friends, peers, faculty, and staff. When students arrive at WesternU, faculty and administrators consider students colleagues. As they embark on their residency program, faculty and administrators extend themselves to the soon to be doctors as WesternU family and lifelong mentors.

WesternU College of Dental Medicine has strong presence at ADEA Annual Session

Western University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine (CDM) faculty, staff and students presented research and educational programs, provided valuable information to prospective dental students, were recognized for their service, and served as a key organizer at the 2023 American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Annual Session & Exhibition.

The annual ADEA event, held March 11-14, 2023 in Portland, Oregon, sets the vision for organized dental education moving forward, said WesternU CDM Professor and Associate Dean for Integration of Technology, Curriculum and Learning Environments Hubert Chan, DDS, who served as the Chair of the ADEA Annual Session Program Committee (ASPC). Dental schools and allied programs including dental hygiene and dental assisting programs all converge at this event to share expertise and knowledge and to network with one another.

“The College of Dental Medicine is very proud that we impactfully made a mark at the ADEA Annual Session,” said WesternU CDM Dean Elizabeth Andrews, DDS, MS. “Dr. Chan’s exceptional and creative style rang through the meeting, where over 2,800 attendees experienced customized and exciting programming. The networking experiences are very important, and we received many compliments from other dental school faculty on the professional and exceptional students that represented WesternU CDM. WesternU Proud!”

COMP news

COMP students Armand Yazdani, Nathaniel DeMarco, Parth Patel, Arian Abdi, Prathosh Velpuri, Rebecca Kuan, and Shilpa Nath co-authored the following publications with COMP Department of Translational Research faculty Drs. Devendra K. Agrawal, Vikrant Rai and Finosh Thankam:

Yazdani AN, DeMarco N, Patel P, Abdi A, Velpuri P, Agrawal DK, Rai V: Adverse hematological effects of COVID-19 vaccination and pathomechanisms of low acquired immunity in patients with hematological malignancies. Vaccines 2023, 11: 662 (pages 1-17).

Kuan R, Nath S, Agrawal DK, Thankam FG: Response to acute hyperglycemia and high fructose in cultured tenocytes. J Biochem. 2023 March 15; DOI: 10.1093/jb/mvad023 ; PMID: 36921293

Velpuri P, Rai V, Agrawal DK. Role of sirtuins in attenuating plaque vulnerability in atherosclerosis. Mol Cell Biochem. 2023 Mar 23. doi: 10.1007/s11010-023-04714-2. Online ahead of print. PMID: 36952068

Dr. Agrawal also published the following articles with collaborators at other institutions:

Liu M, Panagopoulos AN, Oguz UM, Samant S, Vasa CH, Agrawal DK, Chatzizisis YS: Role of Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells-1 in the Mechanotransduction Signaling Pathways that Link Low Shear Stress with Inflammation in Atherosclerosis. Sci Reports (Nature) 2023 Mar 21;13(1):4656. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31763-w ; PMID: 36944850

Supra R, Agrawal DK. Immunotherapeutic Strategies in the Management of Osteosarcoma. J Orthop Sports Med. 2023;5(1):32-40. doi: 10.26502/josm.511500076. Epub 2023 Feb 6. PMID: 36937115

Clinical Trial Opportunities: Participants Needed

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What’s Missing From Your Type 2 Diabetes Management?

Finding a type 2 diabetes treatment option that’s just right for your life can be difficult. A clinical research study is underway for adults who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes

in the past 4 years that is not fully controlled by diet, exercise, and metformin

You may be able to participate in the SURPASS-EARLY Study if you:

Are 18 years of age or older
Have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes within the last 4 years
Have been on metformin
Have a body mass index (BMI)between 25 and 45

Those who quality will receive:

Study-related treatment at no cost
Possible compensation for travel and expenses
Care and support from research doctors and their healthcare team

If you are interested in participating, contact WesternU Center for Clinical & Translational Research us at 909-469-8626

For more information, visit our website at https://www.westernuhealth.com/services/clinical-trials/

The Austin Lectureship, 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 4, 2023

Dr. Sandra S. Block will present "Meeting the Increasing Vision Challenges Facing School-Aged Children" at the Dr. Robert L. Austin Endowed Lectureship in Pediatric Medicine, Pharmacology and Health Care Policy.

The lectureship is made possible by a generous donation from Mrs. Gloria L. Austin of La Mirada, California in memory of her husband, Robert, a pediatrician and early supporter of the University.

Sandra S. Block, OD, MEd, MPH, FAAO, FCOVD, FNAP, FARVO, is a Professor Emeritus at Illinois College of Optometry. Dr. Block received her OD degree (1981) and completed a Pediatric Residency (1982) at the Illinois College of Optometry after which she taught from 1981 to 2020.

The lecture will be held at 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 4, 2023 in the Health Education Center, Lecture Hall 2, on WesternU's Pomona campus and will stream live in Lecture Hall 1 at COMP-Northwest in Lebanon.