UVA School of Medicine

Medical Alumni Association and Medical School Foundation Executive Director Associate Dean for Medical Alumni Affairs Barry J. Collins Associate Director Linda Weldon Executive Assistant Harsha Solanki Associate Director for Marketing and Communications Liz C. Taylor Director for Constituent Relations Sarah Brown Rothschild Associate Director for Constituent Relations Aimee Carter Constituent Relations Associate Andrea Wasiewski Constituent Relations Assistant Iris Hosey Luck Vitals Managing Editor Liz C. Taylor Contributors Josh Barney, Linda J. Kobert, Brian Murphy, UVA Health System Marketing Photography Jackson Smith, Sarah Brown Rothschild, Aimee Carter, Iris Luck, Liz C. Taylor, Coe Sweet, UVA Health System Marketing Cover Jackson Smith Volunteer Editor Leah Gibbs Design © Anne Hilton Vitals is produced twice annually, in the spring and fall, by the University of Virginia Medical Alumni Association and Medical School Foundation. Deadline for submissions for the Spring 2016 issue is February 15, 2016. The MAA/MSF reserves the right to edit all submissions for length and content. Please send submissions and other correspondence to: Managing Editor Vitals University of Virginia Medical Alumni Association and Medical School Foundation PO Box 800776 Health System Charlottesville, VA 22908-0776 434-924-1734 medalum @ virginia.edu UVAMedAlum.org ©2015 University of Virginia Medical Alumni Association Medical School Foundation On the Cover Jonathan Kipnis, PhD, and Antoine Louveau, PhD, of UVA's Center for Brain Immunology and GLIA (BIG). Photo by Jackson Smith fromthedean I n an 1820 letter to William Roscoe, thomas Jefferson wrote, "this institution [University of Virginia] will be based on the illimitable free- dom of the human mind. For here we are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead, nor to tolerate any error so long as reason is left free to combat it." i was reminded this summer how paths to the truth are constantly, and consistently, walked here at UVa. Dr. Jonathan Kipnis, Professor of Neuroscience and director of UVa's Center for Brain, immunology and Glia (BiG), recently had a stunning discovery that overturned decades of teaching: that the brain is directly connected to the immune system by vessels previously thought not to exist. the significance of this discovery lies in the effects it could have on the study and treat- ment of neurological diseases ranging from autism to alzheimer's disease to multiple sclerosis. What we thought was fact was not. this new truth was made possible by the work of Dr. antoine lou- veau, a postdoctoral fellow in Kipnis' lab. Upon hearing of this, Dr. Kevin lee, chairman of the UVa Department of Neuroscience, said, "they'll have to change the textbooks." the school of Medicine trains the healthcare providers of the future. However, medicine and science are not the only things we must impart upon our students. Room must be made for wis- dom: thus, the Phronesis Project was born. "Phro- nesis," the Greek word for wisdom, is being spearheaded by Dr. Margaret Plews-Ogan and her team, who are bringing wisdom's underlying qualities to the forefront: compassion, ability to see situations from differing perspectives, coping with complexity and ambiguity, and having a capacity for self-reflection and self-awareness. it is outstand- ing work and i look forward to seeing their results. Details on Kipnis' discovery and Plews-Ogan's pilot project can be read in the following pages. as i write this in august, i am wrapping up the final few weeks of my tenure as interim dean. it has been an amazing year and i am excited to be passing the baton to an extraordinary physician and researcher, Dr. David s. Wilkes, the 16th Dean of the University of Virginia school of Medicine. Dr. Wilkes is a board-certified specialist in pulmonary disease and critical care medicine, who recently served as executive associate dean for research affairs at the indiana University school of Medicine. You can read more about him on page 8. thank you for your continued interest in the school of Medicine, our faculty, our students, our research, and our quest to "follow truth wherever it may lead." We value greatly your involvement and support. R.J. Canterbury, MD, Ms, DlFaPa interim Dean Wilford W. spradlin Professor UVa school of Medicine Medicine and science are not the only things we must impart upon our students. Room must be made for wisdom…

• Cover