From the Editor

In the months since our last issue of Yale Medicine appeared, we’ve seen a visit from our nation’s Surgeon General (who also happens to be a recent alumnus); teenagers with diabetes climbing rock walls thanks to an artificial pancreas developed by School of Medicine faculty; hackathons that seek novel solutions to health care problems; and a new joint M.D./Ph.D. program with the University of Puerto Rico.

Exciting news also comes from beyond the corner of Cedar Street and Congress Avenue. A member of the Class of 2004 has been working with indigenous people in the Amazon rainforest to compile an encyclopedia of medicinal plants used by shamans. Another alumnus from the Class of 1949, still active at the age of 93, is seeking ways to help doctors in training cope with the personal and professional stressors of a life in medicine. A member of the Class of 1990 has taken a contrarian view of e-cigarettes—despite their dangers, he believes, they can still help people quit smoking. On a lighter note, a lunchtime painting class offers participants a brief respite from the office, lab, or clinic.

Chronicles of all these activities and more are inside the pages of our Winter issue of Yale Medicine. As ever, we strive to let you know not only what’s happening on the medical school campus, but also what our alumni, faculty, and students are accomplishing in New Haven and the world. And because there’s always more news than we can fit inside the pages of the magazine, we encourage you to visit us online for more events and discoveries from the School of Medicine.