Voices of U of U Health
Monthly Momentos: July 2025
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.
University of Utah Hospital ranks No. 1 in the state, a new chapter begins for Huntsman Cancer Institute, celebrating 50 years of anticonvulsant drug development, and more July highlights.
Kudos
- For the 12th consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report ranked University of Utah Hospital No. 1 in Utah and the Salt Lake City metro area. Additionally, U of U Health is nationally ranked No. 9 for ophthalmology and No. 34 for rehabilitation. U.S. News also rated U of U Health “high performing” in cancer care, orthopedics, urology, neurology and neurosurgery, and pulmonology and lung surgery.
- Adriele Fugal, MPH, a PhD student at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, was selected for a one-year fellowship with the Centre for Data and Knowledge Integration for Health (CIDACS)/Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ) in Brazil. Under the mentorship of Ivette A. López, PhD, MPH, professor of public health, she will conduct a scoping review on Zika virus, an area the institute is recognized for.
- Gary Nichols, BS, former instructor in the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism in the College of Health, was inducted into the River Runner’s Hall of Fame. During his 41-year career at the U, Nichols introduced more than 10,000 students to the outdoors, with the goal of fostering appreciation for Utah's rivers to help preserve them for future generations.
Leadership Announcements
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Mary Beckerle, PhD, will step down as CEO of Huntsman Cancer Institute in September 2025, after nearly two decades of leadership. Beckerle led the institute through a period of extraordinary growth—establishing it as the only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Mountain West, helping expand access to cancer research, education, and care across the region. She will serve on the Huntsman Cancer Foundation board and continue in her role as distinguished professor of biology and oncological sciences at the University of Utah. Brad Cairns, PhD, was named the next CEO of Huntsman Cancer Institute. Cairns has been with the institute since its founding, serving as a member of the leadership team for 15 years. He is currently head of academic affairs and professor of oncological sciences.
Achievements in Clinical Care
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The Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital celebrated its five-year anniversary in June. Since opening its doors in 2020, the Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital has helped thousands of patients return to independence while achieving national recognition for excellence in rehabilitation care and patient satisfaction rates between 98% to 99%.
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As of July 2025, a team of U of U Health emergency physicians will rotate to Holy Cross, Salt Lake (HCSL), providing care alongside the current emergency department team members. This extension of services, made in partnership with CommonSpirit, gives patients at Holy Cross Hospitals access to the expertise of U of U Health physicians and providers.
Achievements in Education
- The Anticonvulsant Drug Development (ADD) Program at the College of Pharmacy commemorated 50 years of academic excellence and continuous National Institutes of Health (NIH) support with a special anniversary symposium. More than 120 attendees gathered to celebrate the program’s lasting impact, including its role in developing 11 FDA-approved antiseizure medications.
Achievements in Research
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Research led by Adrian Rothenfluh, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry and Travis Philyaw, PhD, research scientist from the University of Washington, created the first genetically modified fruit flies that can become addicted to cocaine. Results of the study, published in Journal of Neuroscience, show the flies will self-administer cocaine if given the option. This new model could prove valuable to the rapid development of new therapies to prevent and treat cocaine use disorder, which affects 1.5 million people nationwide.
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New research led by Larissa McGarrity, PhD, clinical psychologist in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, shows weight stigma—and not weight itself—has the biggest impact on mental health and healthy behaviors in the years after weight-loss surgery. The results, published in Health Psychology, suggest that interventions targeting weight stigma could significantly improve patient health.
Achievements in Community Collaboration
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The Genetic Science Learning Center hosted its first-ever Summer Science Day, drawing nearly 1,000 community members. Attendees explored nearly 90 activities—including lab tours, workshops, and talks—led by more than 50 scientists from U of U Health.