People: Faculty News


Resident and Fellow Research Drives Patient Care Forward

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The Research Day award recipients standing on a stage between the organizers and holding their certificates.

When rheumatology fellow Dr. Hira Imran meets one of her lupus nephritis patients, she knows the greatest challenge ahead of them will be figuring out which treatment will work best. The second-year fellow specializes in autoimmune diseases like lupus. And she’s improving the ability to pinpoint the most effective biologic therapy for each patient because… Read More


Dr. Aman Bajwa Awarded $3.7 Million to Develop Early Detection Test for Kidney Damage

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Headshot of Dr. Aman Bajwa

Aman Bajwa, PhD, professor of Surgery at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center has been awarded a multi-principal investigator R01 grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health. The five-year, $3.7 million award supports a groundbreaking project titled, “Utilizing Resazurin Fluorescence to… Read More


New Lab Space Doubles Capacity for Master of Cytopathology Program

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Student using equipment in the Master of Cytopathology Lab

Alicia Youngstrand has been a student in the histotechnology certificate program in the College of Health Professions at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences since January. Her bachelor’s degree is in fish, wildlife, and conservation biology, but she found jobs in the field were scarce and did not pay well. She worked briefly as a… Read More


Tennessee’s First Brain Bee Comes to Memphis, Nurturing a New Generation of Neurologists

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A student and an adult listen to a professor in a white coat while she points to bright green, blue, and yellow images printed on large pieces of shiny paper laying on desks.

Last Saturday morning, 25 Shelby County high school students came to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center campus in Memphis to compete in the state’s first-ever Brain Bee. Not all arrived believing a career in medicine was possible. By day’s end, they could picture themselves as the person in the room who had the… Read More


Leadership to Legacy: Alumnus Dr. Mitch Godat’s Mission of Mercy

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Dr. Mitch Godat at the 2026 Mid-South Mission of Mercy

Before the first patient was seated, the doors at Bellevue Baptist Church had already opened to a line of individuals seeking care. Inside, more than 1,000 volunteers prepared treatment stations, transforming the gymnasium into a fully functioning dental clinic for the 10th annual Mid-South Mission of Mercy. For Mitch Godat, DDS, MS, a graduate of… Read More


UT Health Sciences Hosts Regional Mental Health Summit in Chattanooga

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Attendees at the Mental Health Summit in Chattaooga talk with each other.

Leaders from state and local government, health care, education, and community mental health organizations gathered in Chattanooga for a Regional Mental Health Summit on Friday, February 20, hosted by The University of Tennessee Health Sciences College of Medicine-Chattanooga to gain support in creating a new psychiatry residency program. The summit featured speakers including Marie Williams,… Read More


UT Health Sciences Expands Level 1 Trauma Footprint with Regional One Health Verification

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Portrait of Dr. Andrew Kerwin in front of the Elvis Presley Trauma Center sign

Andrew Kerwin, MD, often compares a trauma center to a fire department, an essential resource people hope they never need. “Nobody ever gets up in the morning and says, ‘I’m going to slip on the ice while I’m shoveling snow and hit my head,’” he said. “But if that happens, you want to know that… Read More


Building the Foundation for Research Success: Jennifer Ferris Makes History at UT Health Sciences in Knoxville

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Jennifer Ferris headshot

When Jennifer Ferris, MHS, CCRC, received the 2025 Alston Exempt Staff Award in December, the recognition marked more than a personal milestone. It was a notable moment for the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine – Knoxville. Ferris is the first recipient from the Knoxville campus to earn the university-wide honor, an… Read More