Featured Stories
Washington and Lee University: Stephanie Sandberg Serves as Guest Editor for the Critical Stages Journal
LEXINGTON, Virginia, July 24 -- Washington and Lee University issued the following news:
* * *
Stephanie Sandberg Serves as a Guest Editor for the Critical Stages Journal
The associate professor of theater worked with Nelson Barre of Roanoke College to introduce and assess four essays about modern theater.
By Brian Laubscher
Stephanie Sandberg, associate professor of theater at Washington and Lee University, recently served as co-editor for a special section of the June 2026 edition of Critical Stages, a peer-reviewed theater journal published by the International Association of Theatre Critics
... Show Full Article
LEXINGTON, Virginia, July 24 -- Washington and Lee University issued the following news:
* * *
Stephanie Sandberg Serves as a Guest Editor for the Critical Stages Journal
The associate professor of theater worked with Nelson Barre of Roanoke College to introduce and assess four essays about modern theater.
By Brian Laubscher
Stephanie Sandberg, associate professor of theater at Washington and Lee University, recently served as co-editor for a special section of the June 2026 edition of Critical Stages, a peer-reviewed theater journal published by the International Association of Theatre Critics(IATC).
Sandberg and her co-editor, Nelson Barre from Roanoke College, introduced four essays about modern theater with a distinct progression through contemporary theater scholarship. Read together, Sandberg and Barre contend that the four essays suggest today's theater is less about a single author telling a story and more about how weaving together different elements, even in fragmented form, gives audiences a genuine path toward meaning in a technologically saturated and fragmented modern existence.
The first essay, "Towards a Meta-Technological Ecocritical Dramaturgy," focuses on automata, a show that critiques our technology-dependent future ironically, using the same digital devices it criticizes as part of the performance. The article contends that mixing these elements with human actors creates a contrast that sharpens the critique's impact on audiences.
The second essay, "Beckettian Dramaturgy and the Translation of Fragmentary Greek Tragedies," theorizes that fragmentation is a viable approach rather than trying to fill in the gaps to complete a story. It suggests that leaving the gaps open allows the audience to imagine the missing pieces themselves.
The third essay, "Technological Weavings" looks at "The Good, The God and the Guillotine," a multimedia adaptation of Albert Camus' "The Stranger." Instead of smoothly blending art forms together, the creators build in a deliberate messiness that gives the show a powerful and unsettling effect, transporting the audience into the same alienated state of mind as the novel's themes.
The fourth essay, "Digital Dramaturgy as Composite-Body Making," contends that when stage shows use technology to bring characters to life, the real skill is in how seamlessly they blend the actors, machines and images together. This blending can directly affect how much the audience believes and cares about the characters, and it should be seen as a real creative art form and not just a technical trick.
Sandberg joined the W&L faculty in 2016 after 19 years at Calvin College. She is a founding member of the New Views Theatre Company and is the creator of the documentary "Intimate Violence." Her scholarship and practice span contemporary American drama and global theatrical traditions, examining how performance across cultures interrogates race, history and identity. Sandberg holds a Bachelor of Arts in theater from Westmont College as well as a Master of Arts in dramatic art and a Ph.D. in theater history from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
IATC is a global professional organization, founded in Paris in 1956, that unites theater critics, journalists and academics from national sections worldwide. It organizes biennial congresses, symposia and training seminars for critics, publishes the web journal Critical Stages and awards the Thalia Prize to influential critical voices. Recognized as a UNESCO partner organization, IATC has grown from its European origins into a truly international body, spanning Asia, the Americas, Africa and Oceania.
* * *
Original text here: https://columns.wlu.edu/stephanie-sandberg-serves-as-a-guest-editor-for-the-critical-stages-journal/
University of Texas Dallas: Bioengineer Receives CPRIT Grants for Work on Rare Cancer
RICHARDSON, Texas, July 24 -- The University of Texas Dallas campus issued the following news:
* * *
Bioengineer Receives CPRIT Grants for Work on Rare Cancer
By Kim Horner
A University of Texas at Dallas researcher has received more than $1 million in grants from the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to develop treatments for solitary fibrous tumor, or SFT.
"I am very grateful to CPRIT for supporting my research to develop therapies for solitary fibrous tumor," said Dr. Yi Li MS'18, assistant professor of bioengineering. "As a new faculty member, this funding is transformative
... Show Full Article
RICHARDSON, Texas, July 24 -- The University of Texas Dallas campus issued the following news:
* * *
Bioengineer Receives CPRIT Grants for Work on Rare Cancer
By Kim Horner
A University of Texas at Dallas researcher has received more than $1 million in grants from the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to develop treatments for solitary fibrous tumor, or SFT.
"I am very grateful to CPRIT for supporting my research to develop therapies for solitary fibrous tumor," said Dr. Yi Li MS'18, assistant professor of bioengineering. "As a new faculty member, this funding is transformativein helping me establish my lab and jump-start research on cancers driven by gene fusions."
SFT is a rare cancer that develops when two genes, NAB2 and STAT6, become fused together, resulting in signals that initiate cancer-cell growth. The cause is unknown. While no medications have been developed specifically for SFT, treatment typically involves surgery to remove the tumor and/or radiation.
Li began researching solitary fibrous tumor at UT Dallas six years ago as a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Dr. Leonidas Bleris, professor of bioengineering and the Texas Instruments Bioengineering Chair.
Li and Bleris first became involved with the research to help their colleague Dr. Heather Hayenga, an associate professor of bioengineering who was diagnosed with SFT. Hayenga, who led SFT research at UT Dallas, died on April 5 from the disease. The research funded by the CPRIT grants is the latest effort by Li and other UT Dallas researchers to carry on her legacy to find effective treatments.
In recent years, researchers in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science used gene-editing techniques to create experimental models that made the disease easier to study and to open new paths for novel therapies. The research has developed into a large interdisciplinary collaboration.
"We've received a lot of help from the school and from the whole campus community," Li said.
The CPRIT funding makes it possible for researchers to build on their previous work.
In May, CPRIT awarded Li a $249,000 high impact/high risk grant (RP260816) to develop a potential immunotherapy treatment for SFT.
Last fall, Li received an $899,216 individual investigator award (RP260461) to develop another approach that would switch off the cancer-causing signal. The project involves creating antisense oligonucleotides, which are short synthetic strands of genetic material designed to block the activity of the cancer-driving gene fusion.
The research could pave the way for more effective treatments for SFT and other cancers caused by gene fusions.
The team has demonstrated in laboratory-grown tumor cells and in animal models that their experimental approaches can reduce gene-fusion activity. Li said the research also could benefit people with other cancers driven by similar gene fusions.
One of the challenges involves delivering the potential therapy molecules to dense cancerous tissue. Li is working with Dr. Jeremiah Gassensmith, professor of chemistry and biochemistry in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, to develop an effective way to get the medication through the outer tissue, which acts as a shield.
Dr. Shalini Prasad, professor and department head of bioengineering, said the state funding to develop treatments for solitary fibrous tumor is especially meaningful.
"CPRIT funding gives rare-cancer research the momentum it deserves by uniting UT Dallas faculty in a powerful effort to not only honor Dr. Hayenga, but also to advance Dr. Li's important work on SFT," said Prasad, the Cecil H. and Ida Green Professor in Systems Biology Science. "We're hopeful this work will create discoveries whose impact may extend far beyond one disease to improve many lives."
* * *
Original text here: https://news.utdallas.edu/health-medicine/cprit-grants-li-2026/
Trustee Gordie Beittenmiller Supports Gettysburg College's Entrepreneurial Future
GETTYSBURG, Pennsylvania, July 24 -- Gettysburg College issued the following news:
* * *
Trustee Gordie Beittenmiller supports Gettysburg's entrepreneurial future
Gordie Beittenmiller's lifelong connection to Gettysburg inspires his support for our College as a trustee, donor, entrepreneur, and filmmaker committed to strengthening the institution's future.
Gordie Beittenmiller's connection to Gettysburg College did not begin with an acceptance letter, a residence hall, or a diploma. It began with a story.
Growing up east of Gettysburg near York, Pennsylvania, Beittenmiller developed an early
... Show Full Article
GETTYSBURG, Pennsylvania, July 24 -- Gettysburg College issued the following news:
* * *
Trustee Gordie Beittenmiller supports Gettysburg's entrepreneurial future
Gordie Beittenmiller's lifelong connection to Gettysburg inspires his support for our College as a trustee, donor, entrepreneur, and filmmaker committed to strengthening the institution's future.
Gordie Beittenmiller's connection to Gettysburg College did not begin with an acceptance letter, a residence hall, or a diploma. It began with a story.
Growing up east of Gettysburg near York, Pennsylvania, Beittenmiller developed an earlyinterest in the battlefield through a high school project suggested by his American history teacher. A few years later, while attending Penn State University Park, he returned to Gettysburg as a seasonal National Park Service ranger at Gettysburg National Military Park.
"I loved that job," Beittenmiller said. "I would jump out of bed in the morning, ready to go. You're telling an epic story in a beautiful setting with people from all over every day."
Although his professional life eventually took him to Texas, where he built a career as an entrepreneur, investor, and CEO in the architecture, engineering, and construction sector, Gettysburg remained close to his heart. Beittenmiller, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Forthright Environmental, describes Gettysburg as his adopted hometown--a place that shaped his imagination, values, and sense of civic responsibility.
That affection eventually brought him closer to Gettysburg College. Growing up locally, he knew the College from a distance, but over time came to see it as one of the region's defining institutions of higher education: a center of culture, learning, employment, and community life. His involvement deepened through Gettysburg College President Emerita Janet Morgan Riggs '77, who encouraged him to consider what he could bring as a non-alumnus and business leader outside the traditional Gettysburg alumni network.
"As a believer in the power of a liberal arts and sciences education, I saw the College as a leading cultural institution and employer in my home region," Beittenmiller said. "It was easy for me to say yes."
Beittenmiller joined the Board of Trustees in 2019, bringing a deep appreciation for Gettysburg's sense of place and decades of experience leading organizations. Today, as chair of the Board's Finance Committee, he works closely with President Bob Iuliano, Chief Financial Officer Matt Price, and fellow trustees to help guide the College through significant change across higher education.
For Beittenmiller, that stewardship is both practical and aspirational.
"The Trustees are stewards and guides for engagement of the College with society, for the soul of the College community," he said.
He is clear-eyed about the pressures facing residential liberal arts colleges. Yet he also sees possibility for Gettysburg because of its emphasis on interpersonal engagement, the Guided Pathways, experiential learning, and a broad education that prepares students for lives of purpose and consequence.
In a world reshaped by artificial intelligence, digital overload, and social fragmentation, Beittenmiller believes the skills developed through a liberal arts and sciences education are more important than ever. Critical thinking, clear communication, adaptability, and the ability to work meaningfully with others are precisely the capacities students will need to navigate uncertainty and contribute to society.
"Gettysburg is not an institution frozen in time," Beittenmiller said. "It is engaging with the challenges of its sector of higher ed head-on."
That belief is central to his recent support for Gettysburg's entrepreneurship program, for which he has committed $1 million as part of a total commitment of $1.25 that Beittenmiller has made to the College. To Beittenmiller, entrepreneurship is not limited to starting companies. It is a way of thinking and acting in the world--a process of identifying problems, taking calculated risks, learning from failure, and creating something of value.
"Entrepreneurship is solving real-world problems usually with a degree of risk and often involves failure both small and large," he noted. "Our systems of secondary and higher education generally emphasize knowledge, risk-aversion, and achievement that are different than the skills and risk-taking inherent in entrepreneurship, yet entrepreneurship is central to our progress as a society."
His own career has reflected that mindset. Beittenmiller has helped build, grow, and lead companies across the architecture, engineering, construction, environmental remediation, and specialty contracting fields. By supporting entrepreneurship at Gettysburg, Beittenmiller hopes students will test ideas, engage real-world challenges, and develop the confidence to move forward when the path is uncertain.
That same spirit of creativity can be seen in another part of Beittenmiller's life: filmmaking. Beittenmiller and Jake Boritt--son of late Gettysburg History Prof. Emeritus Gabor Boritt--have continued a decade-long partnership through a new documentary exploring Michael Shaara's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "The Killer Angels" and the Shaara family legacy, which recently premiered at The Majestic Theater and will make its way to PBS in November. For Beittenmiller, the project connects back to the same impulse that animated his years as a park ranger: telling meaningful stories rooted in place, history, and human experience.
Whether through philanthropy, trusteeship, entrepreneurship, or documentary storytelling, Beittenmiller's commitment to Gettysburg is grounded in gratitude and belief. He may not be a Gettysburg College alumnus, but he sees the College as essential to a community he loves and to a future he believes can be stronger.
"I am substantially optimistic," he said. "From the standpoint of the faculty, the Board, President Iuliano, and the leadership all pulling in the same direction and doing the right kinds of things, I think our prospects are as good, if not better, than most other institutions like us."
For Beittenmiller, supporting Gettysburg College is about helping an institution rooted in history prepare students to meet the future--with courage, creativity, and the capacity to solve problems that matter.
-- By Corey Jewart
* * *
Original text here: https://www.gettysburg.edu/news/stories?id=bdf08638-a615-4dc5-9610-57d34a01aab7&pageTitle=Trustee+Gordie+Beittenmiller+supports+Gettysburg's+entrepreneurial+future
National University: California's Largest College of Education Unveils Framework for AI as a Companion to Teaching and Learning
SAN DIEGO, California, July 24 -- National University issued the following news release:
* * *
California's Largest College of Education Unveils Framework for AI as a Companion to Teaching and Learning
National University's RAISE 5 guidelines give faculty and students a clear, field-tested framework for when and how AI can be used, informing AI integration across academic programs
-
The Sanford College of Education at National University (NU) -- California's largest provider of teaching credentials and one of the ten largest education schools in the nation -- today unveiled RAISE 5 (Rules
... Show Full Article
SAN DIEGO, California, July 24 -- National University issued the following news release:
* * *
California's Largest College of Education Unveils Framework for AI as a Companion to Teaching and Learning
National University's RAISE 5 guidelines give faculty and students a clear, field-tested framework for when and how AI can be used, informing AI integration across academic programs
-
The Sanford College of Education at National University (NU) -- California's largest provider of teaching credentials and one of the ten largest education schools in the nation -- today unveiled RAISE 5 (Rulesfor AI Scholastic Engagement), a field-tested framework that establishes clear guardrails for how, when, and to what degree AI technologies can be used as a companion to teaching and learning. Developed and piloted within the college that prepares more teachers than any other university in California, the framework is designed to serve as a model for AI integration across NU's broader portfolio of academic programs and the broader field of K-12 and college instructors and instructional designers.
"As the largest college of education in California and one of the largest in the country, we have an important responsibility to test, observe, and understand the impact of AI on teaching and learning on an unparalleled scale," said Dr. Robert Lee, dean of the Sanford College of Education. "Every future teacher we train will walk into a classroom where students are already using AI. This is about ensuring they understand what it means to learn with and alongside AI responsibly -- not just as users of the technology, but as educators who will shape how an entire generation of students engages with it. What we learn here becomes a model for the rest of the university and, we hope, for higher education and K-12 classroom instruction more broadly."
A 2025 global survey by the Digital Education Council found that 86% of students use AI in their studies, with 54% doing so weekly, and nearly one in four use it daily. A 2026 JFF survey found that nearly seven in ten learners report AI is now incorporated into their coursework. Yet only about a quarter of U.S. colleges and universities have formal policies governing its use. Meanwhile, 95% of college faculty fear student overreliance on AI, with 84% saying it reduces critical thinking and deep engagement with course material.
AI is already reshaping the workforce -- eliminating jobs and disrupting the entry-level roles that have historically launched college graduates' careers. At the same time, emerging research suggests that the unstructured use of AI can erode key cognitive skills, including critical thinking, judgment, and the ability to synthesize complex information.
RAISE 5 assigns each course assignment one of five levels of AI integration -- ranging from actively encouraged use (Level 1) to full prohibition (Level 5) -- giving faculty and students a clear, mutually agreed-upon standard before work begins. The framework treats AI as a companion to the learning journey and a tool that can enhance understanding when deployed with intention, and undermine it when used as a substitute for thinking.
"AI isn't just a new tool -- it's the latest evolution in a long history of technologies that have expanded our collective intelligence," said Dr. Mark Milliron, President and CEO of National University. "From writing and the printing press to email and web 1.0, each one changed not just how we transmit knowledge but how we create it. AI has the potential to do something more dramatic than any of those shifts. But it also carries an equal capacity to erode learning if we're not intentional. RAISE 5 is our answer to that challenge -- a framework that helps students learn about AI, learn with AI, and learn alongside AI with the guardrails that keep human judgment and growth at the center."
National University graduates nearly 6,800 students a year into some of the country's most critical, hard-to-fill professions -- nursing, teaching, autism therapy, cybersecurity, and mental health counseling -- fields where AI is actively changing how work gets done and what skills employers demand. Because generative AI will continue to evolve, NU will periodically update RAISE 5 to reflect new capabilities while preserving the integrity of the learning process. What the Sanford College of Education learns in piloting the framework will inform how NU scales it across every academic discipline.
As the largest provider of teaching credentials in the state of California, National University's Sanford College of Education offers more than 15 terminal degrees and certificates, bringing to bear a unique combination of faculty expertise, online instruction, school and district partnerships, research opportunities, and holistic student support to meet the diverse needs of the K-12 education workforce.
To learn more, visit www.nu.edu/our-university/raise5/
* * *
About National University: National University, a Veteran-founded nonprofit, has been dedicated to meeting the needs of nontraditional, working, and military students by providing accessible, affordable higher education opportunities since 1971. As San Diego's largest private nonprofit university, NU offers over 150 online and on-campus programs with flexible four-week and eight-week classes and one-to-one graduate education models designed to help students reach their goals while balancing busy lives. Since its founding, the NU community has grown to 130,000 learners served per year -- 50,000 degree-seeking students and 80,000 workforce and professional development students -- and 255,000 alumni around the globe, many of whom serve in helping industries such as business, education, health care, cybersecurity, and law and criminal justice. To learn more, visit www.NU.edu.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.nu.edu/news/framework-for-ai-as-a-companion-to-teaching-and-learning/
Midwestern University Faculty Member Publishes Pediatric Antibiotic Study in JAMA Network Open
DOWNERS GROVE, Illinois, July 24 (TNSjou) -- Midwestern University issued the following news:
* * *
Midwestern University Faculty Member Publishes Pediatric Antibiotic Study in JAMA Network Open
Study led by Dr. Marc Scheetz supports guideline-recommended vancomycin monitoring
-
Children with serious bacterial infections often receive the powerful antibiotic vancomycin, but determining the right dose can be challenging. Too little medication may not effectively treat the infection, while too much can increase the risk of kidney damage.
Research led by Midwestern University faculty member
... Show Full Article
DOWNERS GROVE, Illinois, July 24 (TNSjou) -- Midwestern University issued the following news:
* * *
Midwestern University Faculty Member Publishes Pediatric Antibiotic Study in JAMA Network Open
Study led by Dr. Marc Scheetz supports guideline-recommended vancomycin monitoring
-
Children with serious bacterial infections often receive the powerful antibiotic vancomycin, but determining the right dose can be challenging. Too little medication may not effectively treat the infection, while too much can increase the risk of kidney damage.
Research led by Midwestern University faculty memberMarc H. Scheetz, Pharm.D., M.Sc., FCCP, FCP, FIDSA, published today in JAMA Network Open, suggests that a commonly used method for monitoring vancomycin levels may not provide the most accurate picture of how much medication a child is actually receiving.
Better Monitoring for Better Care
The study, "Vancomycin Trough Concentrations and 24-Hour AUC Monitoring in Pediatric Patients," compared two approaches for monitoring vancomycin therapy. One measures the drug level at a single point in time, known as a trough concentration, while the other estimates a patient's total exposure to the medication over 24 hours, called the area under the curve (AUC).
Analyzing a large international pediatric dataset, the researchers found that trough measurements alone did not reliably identify whether children met recommended AUC targets. As a result, clinicians relying only on trough values may unnecessarily increase doses for patients who are already receiving appropriate treatment, potentially exposing them to a greater risk of kidney injury.
The research reinforces current clinical guidelines that recommend AUC-guided monitoring whenever feasible, helping clinicians optimize antibiotic therapy while minimizing potential toxicity.
Supporting Guideline-Recommended Practice
"Our findings show that relying on trough concentrations alone may not accurately reflect a child's overall vancomycin exposure," said Dr. Scheetz, Associate Dean of Research and Professor in the College of Pharmacy at Midwestern University. "When clinicians use AUC-guided monitoring, they can make more informed dosing decisions that better balance effectiveness and safety for pediatric patients. These results align with what we've previously observed in adult populations and further support broader adoption of guideline-recommended monitoring strategies."
Dr. Scheetz served as the study's senior and corresponding author and played a central role in the study's conception, statistical analysis, interpretation of findings, manuscript development, and clinical framing. Midwestern University's Infectious Diseases Pharmacotherapy fellow, Justin Shiau, was the first author of the manuscript.
Research Leadership in Infectious Diseases
An internationally recognized expert in infectious diseases pharmacotherapy, Dr. Scheetz serves as Associate Dean of Research for Midwestern University's College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove, holds dual appointments as Professor in the College of Pharmacy and the College of Graduate Studies, and directs the University's Pharmacometrics Center of Excellence and maintains a clinical affiliation with Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. He has authored more than 240 original research manuscripts and review articles focused on optimizing anti-infective drug therapy.
The publication highlights Midwestern University's ongoing commitment to advancing research that improves patient care while providing faculty opportunities to lead impactful collaborations addressing complex healthcare challenges.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.midwestern.edu/news-stories/midwestern-university-faculty-member-publishes-pediatric-antibiotic-study-jama-network-open
Michigan Medicine: Gratitude Inspires Gift to Improve Survivorship Care
ANN ARBOR, Michigan, July 24 -- Michigan Medicine, the academic medical center of the University of Michigan, issued the following news release:
* * *
Gratitude inspires gift to improve survivorship care
Inspired by the care they received at Michigan Medicine, Lori and David Liner support better outcomes for patients and survivors of head and neck cancer.
-
In 2012, as David Liner was traveling from Florida to Cleveland for his son's wedding, he received a life-changing call. His doctor in Florida had been monitoring an area of concern on his tongue for some time, and David had recently undergone
... Show Full Article
ANN ARBOR, Michigan, July 24 -- Michigan Medicine, the academic medical center of the University of Michigan, issued the following news release:
* * *
Gratitude inspires gift to improve survivorship care
Inspired by the care they received at Michigan Medicine, Lori and David Liner support better outcomes for patients and survivors of head and neck cancer.
-
In 2012, as David Liner was traveling from Florida to Cleveland for his son's wedding, he received a life-changing call. His doctor in Florida had been monitoring an area of concern on his tongue for some time, and David had recently undergoneanother biopsy.
"When I got off the plane, I found a voicemail from my doctor in Sarasota," Liner says. "He said it was cancer."
He and his wife, Lori, were shocked, but somehow managed to get through the wedding weekend.
"We were frightened, but we didn't say anything to anyone because we didn't want to spoil such a joyful event," he says.
A lifeline of personalized care
David received a diagnosis of stage IV tongue cancer, a form of head and neck cancer. Living in both Florida and Michigan -- but having more of a support system in Michigan -- he got a referral to Douglas Chepeha, M.D., adjunct professor of otolaryngology at Michigan Medicine.
After reviewing David's medical records from Florida, Chepeha spoke with him on the phone and was honest but reassuring.
"He said to me, 'Listen, this is very serious, but you will be okay. You are not going to die. I will see you in my office on Tuesday,'" Liner says.
At the first appointment, Chepeha spent an hour with the Liners discussing the diagnosis and developing a treatment plan.
Comprehensive care and survivorship
David underwent a difficult course of treatment, including a long major surgery and radiation, and he has been cancer free for 14 years. Ongoing monitoring for recurrence and care for side effects remain central to his long-term plan.
After working extensively with Chepeha, the Liners also built a relationship with Carol Bradford, M.D., now professor emerita of otolaryngology. The Liners' interest in research led them to Bradford's mentee, Chad Brenner, Ph.D., associate professor of otolaryngology and a leading head and neck cancer researcher focused on new diagnostic tests and treatments. They also eventually met Molly Heft Neal, M.D., assistant professor of otolaryngology, whose research and care focuses on complex head and neck cancer diagnoses and surgical treatments for them.
The Liners continue to divide their time between Florida and Michigan but primarily use Michigan Medicine for David's survivorship care.
Motivated to give back
Grateful for the personalized treatment David received, and with the realization that head and neck cancer doesn't receive enough attention or funding, the Liners began to support research through Michigan Medicine's Head and Neck Cancer Precision Medicine Fund.
Over time, the Liners met other families affected by head and neck cancer and continued to think about what more could be done to help people affected by this diagnosis.
In 2025, the Liners met Ryan Eff, senior associate director of development in Michigan Medicine's Office of Development. After learning about the Liners' history with the Department of Otolaryngology and their interest in improving survivorship care, Eff worked with them to create a dedicated fund that would help them meet their philanthropic goals.
Fueling innovation in survivorship care
The Lori and David Liner Family Head and Neck Cancer Gift Fund supports research, education, and clinical efforts to advance head and neck cancer survivorship care.
This emphasis is particularly meaningful to the Liners, whose experience has shown them that cancer care does not end once a person is declared cancer free. Like David, patients recovering from advanced and complex diagnoses may need monitoring, rehabilitation, treatment of side effects, and other coordinated care for many years.
One area of survivorship care the Liners' fund supports is improved monitoring for recurrence.
Patients who lack reliable transportation and those who -- like David -- live far from their treatment center may have difficulty traveling for follow-up monitoring.
To address this problem, the Liners' fund is helping Heft Neal and Brenner develop blood and urine tests that offer a non-invasive way to screen for recurrence.
"This type of testing would allow for long-distance monitoring of head and neck cancer patients, which is especially important for people who live far from specialty care," Eff says. "In addition, it can help clinics focus on the in-person visits of the patients who need them most while still supporting survivors who can be monitored from home."
"Lori and David's gift is deeply meaningful because it recognizes that survivorship is an essential part of cancer care," says Brenner. "For patients with head and neck cancer, being cancer free is a tremendous milestone, but many survivors continue to need monitoring, support, and coordinated care for years. The Liners' generosity allows us to pursue new approaches that could make follow-up care more accessible, less burdensome, and more personalized for patients wherever they live."
Gifts like the Liners' are also crucial to medical research because they allow doctors and scientists to test ideas, gather data, and bridge funding gaps. For the Liners, supporting the work of Heft Neal and Brenner and other survivorship projects helps them meet their goal of advancing care for the people who need it most.
Your generosity makes a difference
Please consider making a gift to the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery or supporting head and neck cancer survivorship through a gift to the Lori and David Liner Family Head and Neck Cancer Gift Fund. For more information, contact Ryann Eff.
Thank you for your generous support.
* * *
About the Look to Michigan campaign
This gift is part of Michigan Medicine's Look to Michigan fundraising campaign, which aims to create transformative answers to health care's biggest challenges for the benefit of people in our state and beyond. Building on 175 years of leadership in medicine and as part of the University of Michigan's Look to Michigan strategic framework for impact, we are breaking new ground in patient care, research, medical and graduate education, health care facilities, and health advancement and community engagement. Together, we can improve and save lives. For more information, visit michiganmedicine.org/giving/look-to-michigan.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.uofmhealth.org/philanthropy-news/gratitude-inspires-gift-improve-survivorship-care
Binghamton University: Student Researchers Explore Frontiers in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Research
BINGHAMTON, New York, July 24 -- Binghamton University issued the following news:
* * *
Student researchers explore frontiers in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) research
Prince Karmacharya and Andrianna Poznahovska use molecular research and AI to study life-threatening lung disease
By Ethan Knox '20
Rising P3 PharmD student Prince Karmacharya and Andrianna Poznahovska, an undergraduate pursuing a degree in integrated neuroscience, are working separately with Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences Yuanjun "Steve" Shen on two projects related to pulmonary arterial hypertension
... Show Full Article
BINGHAMTON, New York, July 24 -- Binghamton University issued the following news:
* * *
Student researchers explore frontiers in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) research
Prince Karmacharya and Andrianna Poznahovska use molecular research and AI to study life-threatening lung disease
By Ethan Knox '20
Rising P3 PharmD student Prince Karmacharya and Andrianna Poznahovska, an undergraduate pursuing a degree in integrated neuroscience, are working separately with Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences Yuanjun "Steve" Shen on two projects related to pulmonary arterial hypertension(PAH), a prevalent, dangerous, and often deadly lung disease.
"Dr. Shen has been supremely helpful in getting me acclimated to the lab," Karmacharya said. "He's been very professional and friendly, and I would say that was one of the main reasons why I was drawn to working in this lab. I wanted to be a part of all those radical ideas he discussed."
Karmacharya's project aims to identify whether certain proteins activate a master protein that then triggers cells in the lungs to multiply and divide rapidly, causing the arteries there to thicken, which eventually leads to hypertension in the lung arteries. Identifying that master protein and what activates it, such as protein phosphatases (PPPs), is the first step in deactivating the root cause of the disease. A more detailed understanding of disease progression, such as how these proteins interact with each other, will help the team to design new drugs against PAH.
"I want to be able to understand how to formulate a hypothesis for why a disease occurs the way it does, and what can be done to find a medication to treat it," said Karmacharya, who presented on the disease several times during his P2 year and wanted to learn more. "Overall, I am interested in this as an opportunity to learn in general. There's a lot of preconceptions about lab work, and I wanted to engage and find out what it truly looked like here at the Shen Lab."
Poznahovska's side, while also touching on genotyping and finding targets to study, is focused on developing a digital twin model using machine learning. This digital 3D model could then be used to drill down to a vascular or cell level, with the main goal of being used as a diagnostic tool to help predict disease progression. Additionally, her projects include understanding how lung arteries become abnormal when a fetus develops congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), a disease that itself can be corrected but leads to pulmonary hypertension, which is deadly to newborns. She is currently inputting parameters to help the machine learning create a model progression for her research focuses, and is excited to have the opportunity.
"Over the summer, you definitely have more time," she said. "I don't think I would have been as able to spend as much time here during the school year, working here full time, and would not have gotten as much experience."
Poznahovska, who transferred to Binghamton and joined the lab after attending a faculty mixer where she met Shen, also has experience as an EMT. She hopes to go on and become a doctor someday; she believes that Binghamton, and experiences like this, will help her to that goal.
"Dr. Shen encourages a great learning environment, and he's friendly to talk to. There's no fear of making a mistake. I'm in this program because I don't have a lot of research experience, so he goes out of his way to make sure that I gain it," Poznahovska added. "I went from a smaller school to this giant research institution like Binghamton, and at first, it was overwhelming. But I've grown into it with this support, and it's been a great experience. I'm so grateful to be here."
* * *
Original text here: https://www.binghamton.edu/news/story/6372/student-researchers-explore-frontiers-in-pulmonary-arterial-hypertension-pah-research
