Voices of U of U Health
Monthly Momentos: November 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.
Gratitude runs deep this November as we celebrate new research discoveries for acute kidney injury and anxiety disorders, Southwest Airlines renews travel grant for patients, new leadership roles, and more.
Kudos
- Bob Carter, MD, PhD, chief executive officer for U of U Health and executive vice president for health sciences, was profiled in a Deseret News feature story about his journey to medicine and leadership, and his continued practice as a neurosurgeon.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) awarded $4M to Elizabeth Sloss, PhD, MBA (Nursing), Paul Estabrooks, PhD (Health & Kinesiology), Andy King, PhD (Communication), and J.D. Smith, PhD, MA (Population Health Sciences), for a project to improve health in rural communities by extending the reach and engagement of evidence-based lifestyle change interventions. The team will leverage the Mountain West Family Healthy Weight Collaborative and CDC Prevention Research Center Network to engage community members and organizations across diverse rural regions in the United States.
- Katsu Funia, PhD, associate professor of nutrition and integrative physiology, was named a University of Utah Presidential Scholar. This honor provides $10,000 per year for three years in discretionary funding. Funai’s lab studies the intracellular fate of lipids and their impact on cellular energetics, particularly the role of mitochondrial membrane lipid composition in health and disease.
- Claire Wulfman, a master of public health graduate, received the prestigious Fulbright Award for the 2025–26 academic year. The globally recognized program supports international education and cultural exchange, enabling recipients to study, teach, or conduct research. Wulfman is the first student from the Division of Public Health at the University of Utah to receive this honor.
Leadership Announcements
- Darin Ryujin, MS, MPAS, PA-C, was appointed inaugural vice chair for Advocacy, Success, and Impact in the Division of Physician Assistant Education and Sciences at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine.
- Scott Summers, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology, and Jared Rutter, PhD, professor of biochemistry, are co-directing the newly renamed Center for Metabolic Health. This interdisciplinary hub addresses some of the biggest problems in human health by uniting scientists in the study of metabolism.
Achievements in Research
- A study led by Scott Summers, PhD, distinguished professor and chair of nutrition and integrative physiology, and research assistant Rebekah Nicholsen, PhD, found that acute kidney injury could be prevented in mice through a new drug that protects mitochondria. Their findings, published in Cell Metabolism, could help save lives among the more than half of ICU patients who experience acute kidney injury, and might even help treat other diseases that damage mitochondria, like heart failure and diabetes.
- A study led by Mario Capecchi, PhD, distinguished professor of human genetics, and postdoctoral research fellow Donn Van Deren, PhD, found that two groups of immune cells in the brain act as “brakes” and “accelerators” for anxiety in mice. Their findings, published in Molecular Psychiatry, open the door to novel therapies for anxiety disorders.
Achievements in Clinical Care
- The Destination Care program has once again been awarded a travel grant from Southwest Airlines, enabling more patients and their caregivers from beyond Utah to receive specialty care and support services at U of U Health.
- As Congress considers the Reforming and Enhancing Sustainable Updates to Laboratory Testing Services Act ahead of the January 31, 2026, deadline, ARUP Laboratories is working alongside national clinical laboratory organizations to support bipartisan legislation that would prevent steep cuts to Medicare reimbursement for more than 800 common lab tests and protect patients’ access to critical diagnostic services. More than 35 Congressional leaders have signed on as cosponsors, including Rep. Mike Kennedy, R-Utah, and Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah.
Achievements in Education
- Faculty librarians at the Eccles Health Sciences Library partner with research teams across U of U Health to conduct up to 50 systematic literature reviews each year. Each review entails a rigorous, year-long syntheses of empirical evidence that shapes clinical practice, guides future research, and strengthens major grant proposals. Examples include Impact of exercise to treat postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome: a systematic review and The Role of Palliative Nursing in the Context of Immunotherapies: A Scoping Review of Patient- and Family-Centered Care Considerations.
Community Collaboration
- University of Utah Health Plans, the School of Dentistry, and Huntsman Cancer Institute joined Take Care Utah for its annual Health & Heritage Fair to provide: 22 diabetes screenings; 57 oral health screenings and 42 fluoride applications; 9 mammograms; and more than a dozen referrals to the Utah Cancer Control Voucher Program for follow-up care. Additionally, U of U Health Plans donated winter coats for local school children with help from the Hunter High School football team.