Page 27 - 2019 Annual Report

IMPACT MEDICINE
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY & BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
Dr. Kaz Nelson Aims to Improve Medical Education
Intrigued by the people who were at the front of the classroom, Kaz Nelson, MD, always looked up to her educators.
“I was extremely inspired by these people—particularly their expertise and their ability to convey to others—and developed a desire to be that person at the front of the room,” Dr. Nelson says.
During her residency, she had the opportunity to serve as an apprentice under Tom Mackenzie, MD, until she took over his role as program director of the Psychiatry Residency Program and vice chair for Education.
“Now, I have the ability to teach those same classes that my mentors taught, and I am able to give back in a way that’s really taking student needs and perspectives into account,” she says.
DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE
Dr. Jop van Berlo’s Research Brings Life-Saving Therapies to Patients
Five years ago, Jop van Berlo, MD, PhD, arrived at the Medical School from Cincinnati, Ohio. He came here to further establish his research program on cardiac regeneration.
“I’m hoping that the work that I do will be looked back upon as having a significant impact on how we treat patients with heart failure,” Dr. van Berlo says.
Seeking to improve the medical community’s understanding of various disease processes that lead to a patient’s illness, Dr. van Berlo had discovered the path he wanted to pursue.
“Over the years, I have seen notable change in the research methods used. However, the root of the issues never change. What stays constant is a sense of curiosity and asking questions that are important and relevant,” he explains.
New techniques have improved the ability to address the questions of researchers. “The most invigorating part of my work comes from the opportunity to ask questions that no one has ever been able to ask before,” he says.
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