In this month’s Chair’s Spotlight, we highlight the work of Kathleen Mazor, EdD, professor of medicine and interim chief in the Division of Health Systems Science.

Prior to her work as interim chief, Dr. Mazor also served as the associate director of the Meyers Health Care Institute, a joint endeavor of UMass Chan Medical School, Reliant Medical Group, and Fallon Health. This August, she will “semi-retire” after having been at UMass Chan for over 25 years.

We recently had the opportunity to speak with her about some of the highlights of her work, what has been most meaningful, and her plans as she begins her next chapter. 

In this month’s Fellow Spotlight, we feature Altaib Al Yassin, MD, DO, MS, a Gastroenterology fellow. We recently caught up with Dr. Yassin to learn more about his work, why he chose UMass for his fellowship, and a recent trip to Morocco!



Check out his full spotlight by clicking the button below.

In this month’s Resident Spotlight, we feature Victor Acosta-Rivera, MD, a rising third-year Internal Medicine resident on the primary care track. We recently caught up with Dr. Acosta-Rivera to learn more about his clinical and research interests, hobbies, and favorite Worcester activities! 

Check out his full spotlight by clicking the button below.

Nikolaos Kakouros Featured on Boston 25 News Discussing Improved Valve Replacement Procedure 

Nikolaos Kakouros, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine was recently featured in a Boston 25 News segment, discussing an improved heart valve replacement procedure.

For patients with aortic stenosis, Dr. Kakouros explains that aortic valves can now be replaced through a small incision in the groin, a procedure titled Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). Through this new procedure, cardiologists can treat aortic stenosis in many patients without more invasive surgery.  

Honghuang Lin Studies Heart Disease Risk Associated with Electrocardiogram-estimated Age 

Honghuang Lin, PhD, professor of medicine in the Division of Health Systems Science and a co-director in the Program in Digital Medicine, was recently featured in an article by UMass Chan Communications for a new study where ECGs can predict biological age, risk of death, and cardiovascular disease.  

Originally published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, the study titled “Association Between Electrocardiographic Age and Cardiovascular Events in Community Settings: The Framingham Heart Study,” led by Dr. Lin, tests the association between ECG age, death, and cardiovascular outcomes over 35 years in the community-based Framingham Heart Study. The study found that having an ECG age higher than chronological age was related to a higher risk of atrial fibrillation, myocardial infarction, heart failure, and death. An ECG age lower than chronological age was associated with decreased risk of adverse cardiac events and death.  

The Department of Medicine is preparing for another fantastic year of Medical Grand Rounds presentations featuring world-class clinicians and scientists. This year's schedule is nearly finalized, and we will soon send a preview of this year’s series, including the kick-off date, speakers, and themes.

Interested in watching our Grand Rounds presentations from the 2022-2023 season? Click the button below.