UTHSC News

After Longstanding and Outstanding Commitment to Research and Graduate Training, Dr. Donald Thomason Returns to Mentoring and Educating Students

Written by Peggy Reisser

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Education
Portrait of Dr. Donald Thomason

After serving with great distinction and dedication since 2012 as the dean of the College of Graduate Health Sciences, effective today, esteemed leader and colleague Donald Thomason, PhD, returns to his passion and to direct activities in teaching and mentoring students.  Since becoming a faculty member at UT Health Science Center in the Department of Physiology in… Read More

Marion Dugdale, a ‘True Academic Physician,’ Pioneered Hemophilia Care in Memphis

Written by Peggy Reisser

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Clinical CareEducationResearch
Dr. Marion Dugdale headshot

When Marion Dugdale, MD, entered medical school at Harvard in the early 1950s, there were only 10 women in her class. Through much of medical school, she wasn’t sure what specialty she would choose or where she would practice. However, according to an oral history done in 2009, she was sure of one thing: “I… Read More

Pharmaceutical Sciences Student Thrives in Research and Leadership

Written by Communications and Marketing

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EducationResearch
Photo of Ishita Kathuria in the lab

Ishita Kathuria was deeply influenced by her family’s history of heart disease to pursue cardiovascular research.  “Growing up in a family prone to cardiac disorders motivated me to delve into the underlying mechanisms of these conditions with the hope of contributing to their cure,” Kathuria said. Her pursuit of pharmacy stemmed from her curiosity about… Read More

2025 UT Foundation President’s Award Honors UT Health Science Center’s Terri Catafygiotu

Written by Aimee McMillin

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Headshot of Terri Catafygiotu

Terri Catafygiotu, senior director of Alumni Programs at UT Health Science Center, is one of six University of Tennessee Foundation, Inc. (UTFI), employees honored with a 2025 UT Foundation President’s Award, announced July 15 during a virtual statewide UT Foundation celebration. The award recognizes outstanding achievements by advancement staff in promoting the services of UTFI,… Read More

Research Administrator Earns PhD to Advance Career, Help Future Students

Written by Christopher Green

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EducationResearch
Portrait of Kimberly Williams Houston

With a relentless drive for learning and a passion for advocacy, Kimberly Williams Houston, PhD, is using her expertise to drive change – both in research administration and in advocating for students like her. Dr. Houston previously earned a master’s degree from UT Health Science Center and has worked on the university’s Institutional Review Board… Read More

Faculty Senate Closes Academic Year with Thanks for Collaboration, Resilience, and Dedication

Written by Peggy Reisser

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Clinical CareEducationPublic Service
Photo of Dr. Karen Derefinko

UT Health Science Center’s Faculty Senate accomplished much over the past academic year, despite political and financial challenges, Tracy McClinton, DNP, AG-ACNP-BC, APRN, outgoing Faculty Senate president said during the group’s final meeting for the year. “We have sustained during some challenging times, some of which will continue or resurface,” Dr. McClinton, an associate professor… Read More

CANDLE Study Secures More than $4 Million in Continued Funding to Advance Child Health Research

Written by Lee Ferguson

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Research
Headshot of Dr. Qi Zhao

The Conditions Affecting Neurocognitive Development and Learning in Early Childhood (CANDLE) Study, led by Qi Zhao, MD, PhD, professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, has reached a milestone by receiving continued federal support to investigate how early-life environmental exposures affect health outcomes in children. The long-running… Read More

Alicia Barnes, DO, MPH, Named Inaugural Urban Child Institute Endowed Chair of Excellence for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Written by Peggy Reisser

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Clinical CareEducationResearch
Headshot of Dr. Alicia Barnes

Alicia Barnes, DO, MPH, has been named the inaugural Urban Child Institute (UCI) Endowed Chair of Excellence for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. As the first recipient of the endowed chair, Dr. Barnes will serve as the director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at UT… Read More