UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

Kamalika Roy, MD, an IMG from India, shares her journey and challenges in U.S. medicine, emphasizing the need for mentorship, perseverance, and involvement in organized medicine for IMGs. She highlights the barriers such as immigration status, implicit bias, and misconceptions about IMGs, and advises IMGs to stay focused and seek support.

The U.S. Space Force funds $35M for a spacecraft combining chemical rocket power with electric propulsion efficiency, powered by a nuclear microreactor. This aims to enable high-speed maneuvers without fuel constraints, with University of Michigan leading a collaborative research effort.

The University of Michigan received a $30 million grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for health data research. TOPMed aims to improve data processing and sharing, seeking genomic data from diverse ethnic backgrounds to develop more effective treatments.

A University of Michigan-led study found that modafinil and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) significantly reduce fatigue in MS patients, with no added benefit from combining both treatments. Published in The Lancet Neurology, the research highlights the comparable effectiveness of CBT and modafinil for MS fatigue, emphasizing the importance of patient-centered treatment decisions.

74% of Americans aged 50+ distrust AI-generated health info; 84% get health advice from providers, pharmacists, or friends/family; 58% use health websites, with varying trust levels; AI advancements need reliable, accessible health resources.

U-M's TOPMed Informatics Research Center receives $30M to enhance usability of genetic and genomic health data, aiming to advance precision medicine by making data more accessible and meaningful for researchers and healthcare providers worldwide.

Members of the US Pancreatic Disease Study Group include C. Mel Wilcox, Ji Young Bang, Akwi Asombang, Chloe Bennett, Yan Bi, Wojciech Blogowski, James Buxbaum, Wei-Shen Chin, Darwin Conwell, Gregory A. Coté, Timothy B. Gardner, Pramod Garg, Nalini Guda, Robert Hawes, Yasmin G. Hernandez-Barco, Emily Jonica, Prashant Kedia, Thomas Kowalski, Vivek Kumbhari, Linda Lee, Jorge Machicado, Desiree Morgan, Thiruvengadam Muniraj, Udayakumar Navaneethan, Veeral Oza, Swati Pawa, Rajesh Puri, Amit Rastogi, D. Nageshwar Reddy, Monica Saumoy, Mandeep Sawhney, Santhi Swaroop Vege, Rupjyoti Talukdar, Paul Tarnasky, Felix Tellez-Avila, Shyam Thakkar, Nikhil Thiruvengadam, Elaina Vivian, Irving Waxman, Field F. Willingham, Shyam Varadarajulu.

Tezepelumab (Tezspire) significantly improved asthma-related sleep disturbances and activity levels in patients with severe, uncontrolled asthma, according to a post-hoc analysis of the phase III NAVIGATOR trial. At 52 weeks, patients on tezepelumab reported 40% to 62% higher odds of improvement in sleep limitations and activity compared to placebo recipients.

CELICA, a Michigan partnership with the U.S. DOE, aims to reduce energy bills for low-income communities via community solar. Community solar allows multiple customers to benefit from solar energy, often through off-site arrays. CELICA's phases have included projects with co-op utilities and low-income households, focusing on equity and positive justice outcomes. Despite lacking enabling legislation, Michigan's community solar projects have seen success with state grant funding. New financing options and federal support, like the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, further bolster community solar initiatives.

Ascentage Pharma announced that APG-2449, a FAK/ALK/ROS1 TKI, has been cleared by China's NMPA to enter two Phase III studies for NSCLC patients resistant to second-generation ALK TKIs and treatment-naïve ALK-positive NSCLC patients.