News

VCU Center for Drug Discovery realigns to advance innovative therapies
Led by new director Yan Zhang and working with TechTransfer and Ventures, the center aims to commercialize treatments for sickle cell disease, opioid addiction, dementia and other conditions.
VCU inventors take a big step toward lifesaving therapy for premature infants in respiratory distress
The simple-to-use powder inhaler from Michael Hindle and Worth Longest shows strong test results and moves closer to market.

Class of 2025: Dentistry graduates answer the call to underserved communities
Rachael Marley and Nathan Maloney pledge to help those without access to oral health care.
Class of 2025: Austin Barnhardt is prepared to provide comprehensive care in rural communities
Barnhardt, an M.D. graduate, spent a month living on the Navajo Nation, learning the ins and outs of rural family medicine that he will bring to residency in the mountain west.
Class of 2025: With dual master’s degrees, Kelci Straka-Mai promotes public health and social work
As an aspiring therapist, she is focused on mental health and substance use in marginalized communities.
Class of 2025: Jerry John Rawlings Mensah fights disease through data science
Using AI and machine learning, the master’s student is promoting public health and community engagement.
Certain traits in romantic partners can amplify the impact of a person’s genetic risk for alcohol problems
Research led by VCU and Rutgers University provides new insights into how the people we love affect our health.
Class of 2025: Advanced nursing degree gives Brooke Gore a chance to truly graduate
She missed the traditional walk in previous ceremonies, but she takes a big professional step forward through VCU’s clinically focused doctoral program.
Class of 2025: Holly Byers blends compassion for patients with scientific discovery
A graduate of the genetics dual degree program, Byers is preparing for a career as both a genetic counselor and cancer researcher.
Class of 2025: Pharmaceutical sciences student from Brazil brings high-tech touch to health care projects
Silas Contaifer, who will earn his doctorate this spring, has built 3D simulation tools that use virtual reality to enhance education and training.
VCU-led research highlights semaglutide’s potential for treating fatty liver disease
International study suggests that the substance in Ozempic and Wegovy can reverse liver damage in patients.
Class of 2025: The spirit of brotherhood propelled Jagpal Chahal to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner
The VCU School of Nursing’s strong program lured the Canada native to Richmond to pursue his master’s degree.
‘Like a family’: Orthopaedics mentorship network supports aspiring surgeons
For students interested in orthopaedic surgery, dedicated residents and faculty guide them through research and toward the highly competitive specialty.
Class of 2025: Health Ph.D. was a harmonious fit for speech language pathologist Megan Crawford
The working professional (and devoted singer) marks a first for the College of Health Professions program, and her research into swallowing disorders embraces an interdisciplinary lens.
VCU School of Public Health hosts inaugural lecture in memory of late professor
The first Dr. David Wheeler Memorial Lecture in Spatial and Cancer Statistics honored the VCU professor, a prolific, pioneering researcher who died last year.
Researchers may have solved decades-old mystery behind benzodiazepine side effects
Identifying a key protein’s role could improve the common mental health medications and point to new treatments for inflammation-related diseases, VCU medicinal chemist Youzhong Guo says.
‘The humanities humanize us’: Students explore patient care through art
Led by School of Medicine and School of Arts faculty, the Medicine, Art and Humanities elective invites first-year medical students to the intersection of culture and medicine.
‘It feels real’: Simulation training provides safe and realistic environment for learners
At VCU’s Center for Human Simulation and Patient Safety, current and future physicians get hands-on clinical experience and practice soft skills that translate into improved patient care.
Scott M. Strayer shows the breadth of practice available to family medicine physicians
Strayer has ‘been able to take advantage of his own drive, to learn to the maximum and to have a positive impact on those around him,’ according to a mentor.
Virtual reality, real skills: Simulations are offering a fresh approach to nursing education
Immersive virtual reality lets VCU nursing students dive into high-stakes scenarios, make mistakes safely and build real-world confidence before they step into clinical practice.