Geisel School of Medicine News

Read article—Michael Heinz, an assistant professor of psychiatry, and Nicholas Jacobson, an associate professor of biomedical data science, talk about the potential for AI chatbots to reduce barriers to mental health support for men and others based on the findings from their Therabot clinical trial. "There still is stigma with going to seek mental health care, and these tools certainly have the ability to reduce that. You don’t have to make an appointment. You don’t have to go sit in a waiting

Read article—Comments by Ira Byock, an emeritus professor of medicine specializing in palliative care, are cited in a lesson plan encouraging students to interview older relatives, mentors or older friends about their lives. Byock explains how such an opportunity can provide the interviewee with "a sense of life completion and a sense of being heard and understood and being able to tell their story."

Read article—Moreen Ng, MED '29, is featured for her initiative teaching oral health to elementary school students across the Upper Valley as part of her Albert Schweitzer Fellowship. "I think oral health has been one of the most persistent and top unmet needs in our community," Ng said.

Four inaugural grant projects use Dartmouth’s AI Patient Actor platform to help clinicians and students practice communication skills and get instant feedback.

Read article—Marcus Shaker, a professor of medicine, is featured in an article about research suggesting that in-flight allergic reactions are significantly underreported and concerns over proposed changes to federal requirements for aircraft emergency medical kits. "I think the solution is really simple. Stock all U.S. aircraft with an adequate supply of self-injectable epinephrine," Shaker said.

At a transformative time in medicine, as wearables and interactive smartphone apps rapidly expand access to assessment and treatment beyond clinical settings, Geisel School of Medicine’s Center for Technology and Behavioral Health (CTBH) hosted its fifth annual Digital Health Summit at Dartmouth on Oct. 21.

Read article—William Torrey, chair of psychiatry, and Jennifer McLaren, a professor ofpsychiatry, co-authored an opinion piece calling for continued investment in youth mental health services in New Hampshire. They highlight Dartmouth Health's expansion of inpatient and outpatient psychiatric care for young people and urge the state to build on recent improvements in youth mental health outcomes.

Read article—Erika Moen, an associate professor of biomedical data science, is quoted in an article about research finding that just 3.4% of young women diagnosed with cancer received fertility preservation support, despite a substantial increase in services over the past decade. "It's important that women are aware of the availability of these services," Moen said.

Roy S. Herbst, director of the Dartmouth Cancer Center and a professor of microbiology and immunology and of medicine at Geisel School of Medicine, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine. One of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine, NAM recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.

Read article–Diane Roston, a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry, writes about the growing practice of deprescribing medications and the importance ofindividualized treatment decisions. "As we acknowledge the potential harm of medication, we must also recognize the potential good," Roston writes, emphasizing the need to balance medication benefits, withdrawal risks, and patient preferences.

Read article—Gabriela Andujar Vazquez, an assistant professor of medicine, is quoted in an article about the early onset of flu season in New Hampshire. "Get it now so you can get those two weeks in of building up that immunity from the vaccine," Andujar Vazquez said, urging people to get vaccinated ahead of an expected rise in cases.

Read article—A study conducted by Dartmouth researchers found that most daily cannabis consumers did not meet the diagnostic criteria for moderate or severe cannabis use disorder, despite reporting an average consumption of more than 200 mg of THC per day.

Read article—Thomas Thesen, a professor of medical education, is featured in an article examining AI's potential to improve healthcare and its limitations in clinical decision-making and medical education. "They are extremely good at recognizing patterns, but they are really bad at explaining to us what those patterns actually are," Thesen said, emphasizing the need for transparency and independent learning.

Read article—A study led by Chengxiang Qiu, an assistant professor of molecular and systems biology, is highlighted for using DNA recording technology to trace the development of a mouse embryo from its first two cells through the formation of organs and tissues. The findings reveal how different cell types develop on distinct timelines.

Read article—A study led by Chengxiang Qiu, an assistant professor of molecular and systems biology, is highlighted for using DNA Typewriter technology to trace cell lineages throughout early mouse embryonic development. The research reconstructed the developmental histories of approximately 1.3 million cells, offering new insights into how cells specialize. (Similar coverage in Scienmag.)

Read article—Dartmouth Health and Geisel are highlighted for launching Dartmouth Health at Home, a $20 million initiative to expand access to home-based primary and palliative care in rural communities. Nathan Goldstein, chair of medicine at Dartmouth Health, discusses plans to improve patient outcomes, support family caregivers and develop a financially sustainable model that could be adopted nationwide. "We will have an entire team of professionals to serve patients and their families," said G

Read article—Muhammad Z. Afzal, an assistant professor of medicine, is quoted in an article examining the link between alcohol consumption and increased breast cancer risk, along with dietary and lifestyle changes that can help lower risk. "The important thing is to understand that alcohol is one ofseveral factors that can affect breast cancer risk, and reducing your intake is one practical step you can take," Afzal said.

Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine and the Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS are pleased to announce that the first participant has enrolled in the Video Integration to Traditional Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (VITALS) trial.

Cynthia Siego MED’28 is among 29 students nationwide selected to participate in the highly competitive NIH Medical Research Scholars Program (MRSP) Class of 2026-2027.

A distinguished panel of women in medicine, business, academia and journalism gathered at the inaugural “Women: Leadership, Legacy and Lessons Learned” roundtable in Boston on Sept. 22 to discuss how they had advanced in their respective fields while each experiencing what they described as systemic biases against women.