Awards & Accolades Monthly Highlights

Each month, the Dean’s Office recognizes and celebrates the achievements of our students, faculty, and staff with this summary.

Archana Chatterjee, MD, PhD, dean of Chicago Medical School and senior vice president for medical affairs, RFU, is editor and a contributing author of “Vaccinophobia and Vaccine Controversies of the 21st Century, Second Edition.” Numerous CMS students, alumni, and faculty also contributed to the book:

• Ameer Abdeljaber, CMS ’27
• Faustina Adams, MD ’25
• Brenda R. Affinati, MD, FACP, director of clinical integration and associate professor of medicine
• Jordan Affinati, CMS ’27
• Amogha Dahal, MD ’26
• Soneet Dhillon, MD ’25, MS ’25
• Marie Nunez Duarte, MD ’25
• Jordyn Greenbaum, MD ’26
• Eun Bi Kim, MPH, CMS ’27
• Jenny Lee, CMS ’28
• Madelyn Moulton, CMS ’27
• Rosanne Oggoian, DO, clinical skills course director and assistant professor of pediatrics
• Alyce Oh, CMS ’28
• Lalita Prasad-Reddy, PharmD, BCPS, assistant dean of basic science education and associate professor of cellular and molecular pharmacology
• Roxane Rohani, PharmD, BCACP, associate professor of cellular and molecular pharmacology
• Tarika Sivakumar, MD ’26
• Brittany Wilson-Mifsud, MD ’26
• Mariam Zafar-Khan, MD ’25

Nicole Ferrara, PhD, assistant professor of physiology and biophysics, Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, received a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health for her project titled “Social Experience Guides BMA Mediated Social Development.”

Dr. Ferrara also published an article in Physiology & Behavior titled “Social Instability Alters the Topography of Adolescent and Adult Social Behavior and Amygdala Function,” with CMS co-authors Rose Jasmin Montes, research technician, and Rachel Parker, graduate student.

Maria V. Gomez, MD, assistant dean of phase II medical student education and assistant professor of emergency medicine, was selected to participate in Advocate Health’s 2026 Physician and Advanced Practice Professionals Leadership Institute, an intensive 13-week professional development program designed to offer tangible skills to lead and manage change, work with and through others, and execute on strategy, with an overall emphasis on maximizing leadership abilities.

Dr. Gomez was also interviewed on the Center for Immigrant Progress’ “Soñamos” [“We Dream”] podcast, where she talked about her nonlinear path to higher education and medicine.

Izza Khurram, CMS ’28, was a recipient of the Robert and Carol Carpentier Award. This award was created to honor the legacy of Carol Carpentier, a retired social worker whose empathy and generosity touched countless lives, and Robert Carpentier, a U.S. Army veteran whose discipline, resilience, and ingenuity uplifted everyone around him. Together, they represent a life built on service, skill, and hard work, and the award honors recipients who reflect that same spirit.

Jessica M. Lewis, PhD, assistant dean of student affairs and associate professor of humanities and health care, recently published a letter to the editor in the Journal of the National Medical Association titled “Narrative Privilege: Rethinking the Personal Statement.” The publication examines how personal statements in medical school admissions may unintentionally reinforce inequities related to privilege, coaching, and the increasing use of artificial intelligence. The letter encourages continued dialogue about developing more equitable, context-sensitive approaches to holistic admissions while ensuring applicants’ lived experiences and potential remain at the forefront of the admissions process.

Kaleem A. Malik, MD ’96, MS ‘92, assistant dean for CMS global health and assistant professor of emergency medicine, has been appointed to serve on the Board of Directors at Cook County Hospital & Health System. Dr. Malik was selected for this role by Toni Preckwinkle, president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, and unanimously voted by the Commissioners. Dr. Malik is an emergency medicine/trauma physician who also serves on the national Board of Scientific Counselors at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Nutan Vaidya, MD, vice dean for faculty affairs and engagement and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, has joined the Faculty and Staff Vitality Group Leadership Steering Committee with the AAMC. This committee plays a vital role in shaping strategic priorities, fostering engagement, and driving initiatives that support the evolving needs of academic medicine professionals nationwide.

 The Faculty and Staff Vitality Group is composed of six Communities of Practice (CoP). Dr. Vaidya has also been appointed Chair of the Resilience and Well-Being CoP within the group. In this role, she will lead the group’s efforts to advance tools, strategies, and institutional approaches that support sustainable careers and overall well-being for faculty and staff.

Justin Whalley, PhD, assistant professor of microbiology and immunology, received the 2026 CMS Schweppe Scholar Award for his research project titled “Computational Alternatives to Animal Models: Benchmarking AI and Rodent Models Against Human Biology.” This one-year, $60,000 award, provided by the Schweppe Foundation, provides support for promising young faculty members in the early stages of their careers in academic medicine.

Several CMS students received grants and awards from the Aequitas Health Equity Medical Honor Society in recognition of their initiatives to advance health equity in local communities. Aequitas Health fellows complete these student-led health equity projects during their fourth year of medical school. Congratulations to the following students:

• Jonathan Lo and Jenny Lee, both CMS ’27: Chapter Project grant winners for “Beyond the Bandage: Building a Sustainable Framework for Community-Based Wound Care.”
• Madelyn Moulton, CMS ’27: Fellow Project grant winner for “From Incarceration to Care: Transforming Medical Education for a Marginalized Patient Population.”
• Ani Oganesyan, CMS ’27: Chapter Project of the Year Distinguished Finalist for “Expanding Access to Long-Acting Reversible Contraception for Uninsured Patients: Implementing Intrauterine Device Insertion at a Student-Run Free Clinic,” in collaboration with Joanna Lee, CMS ’27; Kaitlyn Sweeney, CMS ’28; Ellaina Villarreal, CMS ’28, and Kristine Burgess, MS, PA-C, CLC, assistant professor of physician assistant studies, CHP.
• Brianna Lau, CMS ’27: Chapter Project Grant Finalist for “Expanding Access to Family Planning and Fertility Resources for Uninsured Patients,” in collaboration with Ani Oganesyan, Joanna Lee and Kristine Burgess.
• Hope Horn, CMS ’27: Chapter Project Grant Finalist for “Empowering Leaders through Education, Vision, Achievement, Training, and Engagement.”
• Devon Roberts and Kyle Labak, both CMS ’27: Fellow Project Grant Finalists for “Transgender Health Curriculum Restructuring.”
• Rikhil Makwana, CMS ’27: Honorable Mention for “Assessing Spatial Inequities in Access to Healthcare via Multiple Transport Modes Using the Enhanced Two-Step Floating Catchment Area (E2SFCA) Method.”
• Brittany Morris, CMS ’27: Honorable Mention for “Beyond the Bell.”
• Krishi Korrapati, CMS ’27: Honorable Mention for “Cultivating Epistemic Disobedience in Medical Training with Alternative Epistemologies, Medical Systems, Humanities and Poetry.”