Public Health Updates
Effective March 21, if the University’s positivity rate this week remains low, wearing a mask will be optional in University-owned or operated buildings with limited exceptions. Exceptions to the mask-optional policy will include University health care facilities and on-campus testing sites, on Georgetown University Transportation Shuttles (GUTS), and individuals in or recently released from quarantine or isolation.

Guided by our Jesuit values, mutual respect and civility are encouraged as members of our community take into consideration their unique personal circumstances about whether to wear a mask. View more information.
Feature Stories
Through the development of practical algorithms, new research helps solve problems that arise from image processing and machine learning applications, such as medical image reconstruction and image editing software.
Throughout the past year, an international, interdisciplinary team has studied perhaps the most significant pandemic in human history — the bubonic plague pandemic of the 14th century, also known as the Black Death. The team’s findings, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, suggest that the Black Death may not have been as uniformly devastating as once thought.
As part of the Spirit of Georgetown storytelling series, read about Christina M. Hanna (SFS’08, M’14), a pediatric oncologist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia who volunteers at a hospital at Butaro Cancer Center in Rwanda.
As a regular feature in GUMC Update, we highlight members of our staff/AAP - all critical to our mission. Today, meet Xerxeser Kayode, program coordinator in the Department of Family Medicine.
Announcements
In a statement, Georgetown President John J. DeGioia condemned the unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine and expressed support for the Ukrainian community. As the war and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine deepen, Georgetown is expressing its support for the people of Ukraine.
Stefano Vicini, PhD, professor in the Department of Pharmacology & Physiology, will receive the President’s Award for Distinguished Scholar-Teachers at the Spring Faculty Convocation.
The 2022 Commencement website has been updated and includes details on commencement for the Class of 2020.
Give the gift of life by donating blood at an upcoming blood drive. Appointments are available to donate blood March 23 in McDonough Gymnasium. Sign up today.
On April 1 at 3:00 p.m. in the Schering Foundation Library (Medical-Dental Building, Room NE 401), Vitttorio Gallo, PhD, will give the Annual Stephen and Mary Krop Lecture in Pharmacology. Gallo, the interim chief academic officer at Children’s National Hospital, interim director of Children’s National Research Institute and director of the District of Columbia Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, will give a talk titled “Neural Circuits and Neurotransmitters in Cerebellar Development and Injury.”
This year’s MedStar Health-Georgetown University Research & Education Symposium will now be held October 3. Faculty who have already submitted abstracts will be contacted individually and will be able to resubmit abstracts for the October symposium. Learn more about the 2022 Symposium. Contact research@medstar.net with questions. 
GUMC In The News
Calendar of Events
Tuesday, March 15
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Via Zoom

Yama A. Abassi, PhD, vice president of ACEA Biosciences, presents “Crossing the Chasm: The Trials and Tribulations of Marketing and Commercializing Cutting Edge Biomedical Technologies.” Sponsored by the Office of Technology Commercialization.
Tuesday, March 15
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Via Zoom

Subramaniam Pennathur, MD, professor of medicine and molecular and integrative physiology at the University of Michigan, presents “Beyond Blood Sugar: Metabolic Basis of Diabetic Kidney Disease.” Sponsored by the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology.
Tuesday, March 15
6:00 - 7:00 p.m. 
Via Zoom

This monthly gathering is open to all students, faculty and staff at GUMC. Sponsored by the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association, the Racial Justice Committee for Change and the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.
Tuesday, March 15
7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Via Zoom

Do you want to work in clinical health care but are unsure what is the right career path for you? Join this webinar to hear from a variety of professionals providing patient care to learn more about their specialties and understand how they work together to optimize patient outcomes. Sponsored by the Georgetown University Alumni Association and Cawley Career Education Center.
Wednesday, March 16
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. 
Via Zoom

Leverage the functionality of Zoom for teaching remotely. Learn how to use Chat, Whiteboard and Polling functions, and create and manage attendance and poll reports.
Wednesday, March 16
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Via Zoom

Learn how to search the four databases available via Ovid, including Embase, one of the most comprehensive biomedical databases available, as well as best practices for searching scholarly indexed databases.
Wednesday, March 16
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Via Zoom

“Organ-on-a-Chip and 3D Printing: Emerging Paradigms in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine” with Stella Alimperti, PhD, principal investigator, Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, American Dental Association Science and Research Institute, National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Wednesday, March 16
12:00 - 1:30 p.m.
Via Zoom

Joshua M. Sharfstein, MD, vice dean for public health practice and community engagement, director of the Bloomberg American Health Initiative, professor of the practice in health policy and management at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, presents “Crisis and Public Health.” Sponsored by the M.S. Health & the Public Interest Program.
Wednesday, March 16
4:30 - 5:30 p.m.
Via Zoom

Current and prospective faculty members will learn about the criteria for faculty appointment and promotion, the application process and faculty development resources. Hosted by the Office of Faculty and Academic Affairs. Contact ofaa@georgetown.edu with questions.
Thursday, March 17
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
President's Room (across from Riggs Library), Healy Hall

Sessions are free for faculty and staff. No appointment required.
Thursday, March 17 or Friday, March 18
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Via Zoom

Georgetown University faculty and staff can receive assistance with online teaching and learning tools available to them.
Thursday, March 17
2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Via Zoom

Learn how to upload your CV, add your personal website information, upload a syllabus, publications and more.
Friday, March 18 
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
The National Press Club
529 14th Street NW
Washington, DC, 20045

Watch live at 11:45 a.m. on the School of Medicine Facebook page.
Friday, March 18
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Via Zoom

Learn how to use Poll Everywhere and Google Jamboard to promote student engagement and collaboration in face-to-face or online classes.
Friday, March 18
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Via Zoom 

The third session in the Consultation for Health Education and Evaluation Research (CHEER) program. Susmita Sarangi, MBBS, MD, assistant professor in the division of pediatric-adolescent-young adult hematology/oncology at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, and Elke Jones Zschaebitz, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, assistant professor in the Advanced Practice Nursing/ Family Nurse Practitioner Program in the School of Nursing and Health Studies, receive feedback from Teaching Academy members to improve their educational projects.
Friday, March 18
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Via Zoom

Crystal Mackall, Ernest and Amelia Gallo Family Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at Stanford University, presents “CAR T cells for Solid Cancers: Charting a Path Forward.”
Friday, March 18
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Via Zoom

Paul Kolm, PhD, associate director in the Department of Biostatistics and Biomedical Informatics at MedStar Health Research Institute, presents “Time Series Analysis.”
Friday, March 18
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Via Zoom

Explore StoryMaps, a powerful tool for narratives with embedded maps and media. Look at sample Story Maps, learn best practices and walk through the features of the platform.
Friday, March 18
5:30 p.m. 
McDonough Arena
1340 West Road, Washington, DC 20007

Deadline for the 7th Annual (Virtual) Poetry Cafe
Friday, March 18

Submit an original poem on the themes of “Reconnect, Re-engage, Renew” to Sarah Burt at sarah.a.burt@gunet.georgetown.edu to be included in this event, scheduled for April 21 at 2:00 p.m., celebrating the healing that comes through the written word. Sponsored by the Georgetown Lombardi Arts & Humanities Program & the Department of Mission & Pastoral Care.
Saturday, March 19
12:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Lower Level Darnall Hall, Room B-06

Presented by the Georgetown University Police Department and the Student Safety Advisory Board, this workshop is for women only and includes information on risk reduction as well as instruction of hands-on techniques.
Tuesday, March 22
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Via Zoom

Learn how to use collaboration features in Canvas to enhance class activities, including groups, group discussions, group assignments, peer review assignments, and the Collaborations tool with Google Docs.
Tuesday, March 22
6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Via Zoom

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccine booster benefits for you and your family, and hear about the latest developments from the Novavax vaccine trials from Siham Mahgoub, MD, of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Howard University Hospital and site principal investigator for the Novavax vaccine clinical trials.
Wednesday, March 23
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Via Zoom

Learn best practices for searching APA PsycINFO within the Ovid platform.
Wednesday, March 23
12:00 - 1:30 p.m.
Via Zoom

Featuring Derek Griffith, PhD, professor, Department of Health Systems Administration, NHS, and Department of Oncology, Georgetown Lombardi, founding co-director, Georgetown Racial Justice Institute (RJI), and founder, director, RJI Center for Men's Health Equity at Georgetown.
Wednesday, March 23
6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Via Zoom

Join this virtual screening of a documentary about the medical school journey of Caurice Wynter, Georgetown alum and fourth-year medical student at the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine, followed by remarks and discussion. Sponsored by the BGE Office of Career Strategy and Professional Development.
Thursday, March 24
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Via Zoom

VoiceThread is a media-rich interactive collaboration and sharing tool that instructors and students can use for asynchronous discussion. Learn how to create, share, view and comment on a VoiceThread and use VoiceThread in Canvas.
Thursday, March 24
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Via Zoom

“Behind the Scenes -- Maintaining an Educator Identity” is the first session in a series where education research scholars share their tips on how to prepare to be an education scholar. Co-sponsored by UCSF School of Medicine; Georgetown University School of Medicine; Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell; the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences; and George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Thursday, March 24 or Friday, March 25
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Via Zoom

Georgetown University faculty and staff can receive assistance with online teaching and learning tools available to them.
Thursday, March 24
3:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Research Building Auditorium

Kevin Ban, MD (CAS’90, M’96), chief medical officer of Walgreens, shares some of the lessons learned while leading one of the country's largest health care players through a pandemic, as well as some insights for what may be on the horizon. Open to all Georgetown University students, faculty, and alumni. Attendees must upload proof of vaccination and attest to being symptom-free. Presented by the Healthcare Leadership Track at the Georgetown University School of Medicine.
Thursday, March 24
4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Via Zoom

Featuring Mariana Kaplan, MD, senior investigator, Systemic Autoimmunity Branch, NIAMS, National Institutes of Health.
Friday, March 25
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Via Zoom

“Volume Electron Microscopy (vEM): Taking a Measure of Cell Biology in 3D” with Kedar Narayan, PhD, senior scientist and group leader, Center for Molecular Microscopy, Frederick National Laboratory. Co-sponsored by Georgetown Lombardi and the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research.
Join the Conversation