Yale School of Medicine’s Department of Internal Medicine had a banner year. The department opened new clinical facilities, debuted novel clinical programs, showcased groundbreaking research, launched innovative educational opportunities and more.
In case you missed it, below are the top stories in Internal Medicine for 2023:
Top Three Stories of 2023
1. New Outpatient Raynaud Treatment Saves Fingers and Toes
In a new outpatient treatment at Yale, epopostrenol infusions are safely given to patients whose fingers and toes are damaged by severe Raynaud phenomenon, also known as Raynaud’s phenomenon, to prevent amputation. Previously, these patients were sent to the emergency department, where they often waited for days before receiving treatment. Read the full story here.
2. Strength Training and the Immune System: A Q&A with Ryan Steele
Ryan Steele, DO, MSc, assistant professor of clinical medicine (rheumatology, allergy and immunology) at Yale School of Medicine, cares for patients with allergic and immunologic diseases. He is program director of the Yale Allergy and Immunology Contact Dermatitis Program. Steele is interested in using a range of therapeutic options to help individuals with complex allergic and immunologic conditions. In a Q&A, he discusses the importance of strength training as part of patient care. Read the full story here.
3. The Price of Insulin: A Q&A with Kasia Lipska
In 2016, Kasia Lipska, MD, MHS, associate professor of medicine (endocrinology), encountered something concerning in her clinic: One of her patients, a 78-year-old woman with long-standing type 2 diabetes and uncontrolled glucose levels, couldn’t afford to increase the dose of insulin she was taking. Read the full story here.
January 2023
The VA Launches Largest-Ever Trial on Screening Methods for Liver Cancer
The largest clinical trial in history related to liver cancer screening is launching in 2023, funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The project is scheduled to recruit 4,700 veterans with cirrhosis from 47 VA medical centers. Cirrhosis is a major risk factor for liver cancer and affects veterans disproportionally. Read the full story here.
February 2023
MacArthur Award Offers Three Internal Medicine Faculty Ability to Pay it Forward
Of the 19 MacArthur Fellows affiliated with Yale University at the time of their award, three of them are faculty from the Department of Internal Medicine: Gretchen Berland, MD, Mary Tinetti, MD, and Emily Wang, MD, MAS. Read the full story here.
March 2023
Five Things You May Not Know About Seasonal Allergies
There’s more to seasonal allergies than the sneezing, congestion, and itchy eyes that come with spring. Below, Elise Liu, MD, PhD, associate research scientist in medicine (immunology) and instructor in medicine (rheumatology), shares five interesting observations from her research. Read the full story here.
April 2023
Integrating Chagas Disease Screening Into Primary Health Care
April 14 is World Chagas Disease Day. Since its discovery in 1909 by Brazilian researcher Carlos Ribeiro Justiniano Chagas, a Chagas disease epidemic has spread from the rural areas of Latin America to the United States. When untreated, patients are at risk for disorders including arrythmias, dilated cardiomyopathy, or heart failure, so raising awareness among healthcare providers is a priority. Read the full story here.
May 2023
Making Health Care Decisions as We Age: Q&A with Mary Tinetti
April 16 is National Healthcare Decisions Day. The day exists “to inspire, educate and empower the public and health professionals about the importance of advance care planning,” or preparing for future decisions about your medical care if you become seriously ill or unable to communicate your wishes. Read the full story here.
June 2023
Physician-Scientists Are “Endangered Species”
Jennifer M. Kwan, MD/PhD, is passionate about sharing the importance of physician-scientists in medicine, and doing her part to highlight their challenges, especially in recent years. Read the full story here.
July 2023
Addiction Medicine Team Dispenses First Three-Day Supply of Methadone at Yale
In late May, Melissa Weimer, DO, MCR, and Anne Dowton, MD, dispensed the first three-day take home supply of methadone to treat opioid use disorder on the Yale Addiction Medicine Consult Service (YAMCS) at Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH). Read the full story here.
August 2023
Dr. Chang Wins Artificial Kidney Prize Phase 2 at KidneyX S
William Chang, MD, PhD, is a recipient of Kidney Innovation Accelerator (KidneyX) Summit’s Artificial Kidney Prize Phase 2 for research on engineering bioartificial kidneys. He was one of eight recipients who will share a $9.2 million prize announced at the organization’s event in Washington, D.C. in June. Read the full story here.
September 2023
Can Small RNA Inhibitors Reverse Pulmonary Fibrosis?
Farida Ahangari, MD, assistant professor (pulmonary), leads a team in the Kaminski lab at Yale School of Medicine (YSM) investigating a new therapeutic approach for pulmonary fibrosis involving the inhibition of a small RNA molecule in the lungs. Their research project is titled, “Targeting Profibrotic Macrophages Using Mir-33 Inhibitors, a Novel Therapeutic Approach for Pulmonary Fibrosis.” Read the full story here.
October 2023
Unveiling the Link Between Insomnia and Early-Onset Atrial Fibrillation
A new research article published in the Journal of American Heart Association sheds light on the potential link between insomnia and early-onset atrial fibrillation. This study, led by Allison E. Gaffey, PhD, clinical psychologist (cardiovascular medicine), examined electronic health records from over one million young veterans followed across more than 15 years. The authors found that patients with insomnia, a common type of chronic sleep disturbance, were more likely to develop atrial fibrillation compared to patients without insomnia. Read the full story here.
November 2023
New Yale Initiative Looks Beyond Life Span to Increase Years of Health
Aging is a major risk factor for most chronic conditions, evidence shows, yet much of current research focuses on addressing specific diseases. The new translational geroscience initiative at Yale School of Medicine (YSM) seeks to change that approach by studying the effects of aging on various ailments. Read the full story here.
December 2023
New Web App for COVID-19 Immune Antibody to Help Guide Vaccine Uptake and Timing
With SARS-COV-2 infection rates rising again, you may be wondering if you should get a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot. Yale physicians have built a tool to help answer these questions. Shaili Gupta, MBBS, associate professor of medicine (general medicine), Yale School of Medicine, and Rebecca Slotkin, MD, postdoctoral fellow, Yale School of Medicine, created an algorithm to help with this decision-making, based on the research they started in 2020. Read the full story here.
Other popular stories to revisit from 2023:
Strategies for Improving Sleep in Older Adults
Increasing Diversity in Clinical Trials: A Q&A With Jennifer Miller, PhD
Dr. George Goshua appointed to Annals of Internal Medicine Editorial Board
Supporting Your Digestive System: Three Ways to Improve Gut Health
Bringing Culinary Medicine to Yale’s New Teaching Kitchen
Helping Young Adults with Sickle Cell Disease Navigate Healthcare Inequities
Internal Medicine Residency: What Medical Students Should Know
Finding a Pathway to a Human Leptospirosis Vaccine
Diet and Exercise Interventions Improve Chemotherapy Outcomes for Women With Breast Cancer: Study
Study Shows Osimertinib Improves Survival Following Surgery for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Caregiving from 460 Miles Away: A Geriatrician’s Experience Caring for His Mother
The Department of Internal Medicine at Yale School of Medicine is among the nation's premier departments, bringing together an elite cadre of clinicians, investigators, educators, and staff in one of the world's top medical schools. To learn more, visit Internal Medicine.