Monthly Momentos: December 2024

Dec 31, 2024

This ongoing blog series celebrates people, milestones, and achievements from across our health system. Content is adapted from monthly updates shared with the University of Utah Board of Trustees.

We ended 2024 on a high note with Dan Lundergan’s 50-year work anniversary, a new partnership with CommonSpirit, designation as the nation's first Stillbirth Center of Excellence, among other achievements.

Kudos

In November, Dan Lundergan, CEO of U of U Health Hospitals & Clinics, celebrated his 50-year work anniversary. Lundergan began his career at U of U Health in 1974 working as a laundry aide while he was a student. Through 50 years of dedicated work at every level, Lundergan’s influence continues to shape the institution, ensuring a commitment to patient care and operational excellence.

Cover of Science magazine, December 2024: U of U biochemist Wesley Sundquist's HIV research named Breakthrough of the Year. — An HIV drug developed in Wesley Sundquist's, PhD, research lab at U of U Health was named Breakthrough of the Year by "Science."

Wesley Sundquist, PhD, Samuels Professor and Chair of biochemistry at the University of Utah, laid the foundation for the development of a highly effective, long-lasting prophylactic against HIV, which has been named the Breakthrough of the Year by Science, a top scientific journal. The drug lenacapavir, developed by Gilead Sciences, provides protection for half a year instead of one day and has performed extremely well in clinical trials.
Ismail Ahmed, PhD, professor of neurobiology, is one of eight scholars nationwide named as an Allen Institute 2024 Next Generation Leader. The program recognizes and supports emerging and diverse early-career researchers in neuroscience. Ahmed aims to establish an independent research group to study how neuropeptide signaling modulates physiology and behavior.
The University of Utah is part of a global health consortium led by fhi360—a large U.S. Agency for International Development contractor—that received a five-year $246 million contract to strengthen global capacity for early detection and response to infectious diseases in up to 50 countries. As the only U.S. academic partner in the consortium, the U is contributing laboratory innovation, genomic pathogen detection, wastewater surveillance, and bioinformatics ecosystem development.

Taslim Al-Hilal, PhD, associate professor of molecular pharmaceutics in the College of Pharmacy, received $2 million in research funding from the NIH and Department of Defense to develop a lung cancer treatment and predictive biomarker for ovarian cancer.
Katarina Friberg-Felsted, PhD, professor in the College of Nursing, was inducted as a fellow in the Behavioral and Social Sciences Section of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA). Fellow status, the highest category of GSA membership, is peer recognition for outstanding and sustained contributions to the field of gerontology.
Jim Sibthorp, PhD, professor of parks, recreation, and tourism in the College of Health, received the Benton H. Box Award for his commitment to preserving the natural environment and inspiring students in their quest for knowledge. Sibthorp was recognized for his transformational teaching practices and curriculum innovation that makes environmental ethics a rule of conduct.
Randal Serr, community outreach manager for University of Utah Health Plans, and Erin Rothwell, PhD, University of Utah Vice President for Research, are among the 2024 Healthcare Heroes honored by Utah Business and Roseman University of Health Sciences. Honorees are those who have made it their mission to improve the state of health in Utah.

Dan Lundergan 50th Anniversary — Micheal Good (left) presents Dan Lundergan (right) with special plaque in celebration of Lundergan's 50-year work anniversary at University of Utah Hospitals & Clinics.

Achievements in Clinical Care

CommonSpirit Health and University of Utah Health announced a strategic clinical alliance that will give patients increased access to care close to home. Through our alliance, patients at five CommonSpirit hospitals will have access to U of U Health physicians and providers—extending our capacity to provide care to more people along the Wasatch Front and the region.
U of U Health was officially designated as the nation’s first Stillbirth Center of Excellence. This groundbreaking initiative is dedicated to reducing the burden of stillbirth in the U.S. by advancing research, improving clinical care, supporting affected families, and reshaping public understanding of stillbirth.
U of U Health was recognized by Becker’s Healthcare as one of 100 hospitals and health systems with great orthopedic programs in 2024. This list features programs that are devoted to delivering comprehensive, compassionate care for patients experiencing musculoskeletal conditions and injuries.
Huntsman Cancer Institute was recognized by Becker’s Healthcare on its 2024 list of “Hospitals and Health Systems with Great Oncology Programs.” This list features cancer centers with globally renowned experts, innovative clinical trials and intensive safety protocols.
By purchasing reprocessed products such as cables and catheters, U of U Health’s Electrophysiology Lab saved $1 million dollars, diverted nearly 800 pounds of waste from the landfill, and reduced carbon dioxide emissions by more than 3,000 pounds between July 2023 and June 2024.

Achievements in Research

On November 4, NASA crew and U of U Health scientists Matthew Rondina, MD, (internal medicine and pathology) and Hansjorg Schwertz, PhD, MD, (family and preventive medicine) sent blood cells to the International Space Station to learn why astronauts have a higher risk of blood clots. Their findings could also help improve health care for clotting disorders down on Earth.
A team of researchers, led by U of U Health biochemists Paul Sigala, PhD, and Kade Loveridge, discovered a promising target for antimalarial drugs: a protein that allows malaria parasites to steal iron from red blood cells, which is essential for the parasites to survive. Their findings suggest that existing medications that block this protein could be a rapid-acting treatment for malaria.
U of U Health biochemist Helena Safavi-Hemami, PhD, is one of the scientists featured in The New York Times Magazine cover story, “Nature’s ‘Swiss Army Knife’: What Can We Learn From Venom?” The story looks at a study of Gila monster venom and venom therapeutics, highlighting Safavi-Hemami’s research into the therapeutic potential of sea snail venom.
Katharine Walter, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology, published an article in Noema about her team’s research into the transformation of parched Mojave Desert landscapes into luxury golf courses and master-planned communities—and its impact on the rise of Valley fever.

U of U biochemist Helena Safavi-Hemami, PhD, researches the therapeutic potential of sea snail venom. She is one of the scientists featured in "The New York Times Magazine" cover story about venom therapeutics.

Achievements in Education

Carter Bruett, DDS, MEd, associate professor in the School of Dentistry, received certification to practice from the American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology. Bruett joins Brian Trump, DDS, MS, FICD, the only other maxillofacial pathologist in the Mountain West. Together, they will operate Utah’s only oral biopsy pathology service, housed in U of U Health’s dermatopathology lab, to become a multi-state regional center for oral pathology and medicine.

Achievements in Community Collaboration

U of U Health’s Greenwood Health Center hosted a community health fair in collaboration with U of U Health Plans. More than 100 attendees interacted with clinical staff and providers and had access to free services, including flu shots, eye exams, and mammograms.

In November, U of U Health’s Greenwood Health Center hosted a community health fair in collaboration with U of U Health Plans. More than 100 attendees interacted with clinical staff and providers and had access to free services, including flu shots, eye exams, and mammograms. Special thanks to all our community and campus collaborators who made this event possible:

Midvale Community Building Community
Take Care Utah
Huntsman Mental Health Institute/988 Crisis Services
Eye Care 4 Kids
Alliance Community Services

Community Nursing Services
Holy Cross Ministries
Utah Transit Authority
Huntsman Cancer Institute/Cancer Screening and Education Bus
University of Utah School of Dentistry

Michael Good, MD

Michael Good is CEO of University of Utah Health and A. Lorris Betz Senior Vice President for Health Sciences. Good ensures the professional and educational success of the 25,000 talented faculty, staff, and students who comprise U of U Health, one of the nation’s premier academic health systems. He received an MD from the University of Michigan and completed residency and a research fellowship in anesthesiology at the University of Florida.

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