University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine

10/04/2026

09/29/2026

For many students with asthma, the condition can impact various aspects of life, including education.

AsthmaCOMP is a statewide partnership with school nurses that supports asthma care in schools, and helps bridge the gap between access and health care that often exists for students with asthma.

During the 2025-2026 school year, AsthmaCOMP recognized 221 schools across the state as being “asthma-friendly,” meaning they demonstrate the use of a comprehensive approach to asthma management that prioritizes well-being and improves academic achievement.

Learn more about the program:

CU Anschutz School of Medicine faculty members help students with asthma so they miss less class and perform better in school.

09/25/2026

A team of CU Anschutz School of Medicine researchers received major grant award from the U.S. Department of Defense to help translate their research into a new treatment for thyroid cancers that resist standard medications known as BRAF inhibitors.

Rebecca Schweppe, PhD, Bryan Haugen, MD, and Jennifer Richer, PhD, previously won a DOD Cancer Idea Award for their work on thyroid cancer, and this DOD Impact Award will make this crucial next phase of the work possible. Haugen says he foresees a CU Anschutz-led clinical trial a few years down the line.

Learn more about their research:

Rebecca Schweppe, PhD, Bryan Haugen, MD, and Jennifer Richer, PhD, aim to advance their work to a clinical trial for patients with certain thyroid cancers.

09/21/2026

We are excited to announce that Wells Messersmith, MD, has been named director of the University of Colorado Anschutz Cancer Center, effective October 1.

He will be the fourth director in the 41-year history of Colorado’s only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center.

"Our cancer center has played a major role in the fight against cancer for more than 40 years, and we are poised to have even greater success in the future. Our impact will be broad and transformative," Messersmith says.

Read the full announcement: https://news.cuanschutz.edu/medicine/messersmith-director-cancer-center

09/18/2026

Medical students, Victoria Gonzales, Madi Clements, and Jessica Woon, wondered if the arts could help reduce burnout and stress, encourage reflection and foster connections between students, medical providers and the community where they live and work.

They curated an exhibit at the end of the school to explore how the arts and humanities play a vital role in healthcare and doctor training.

“Our voice lends credibility to the argument that the humanities belong in medical training,” medical student Victoria Gonzales told her classmates. “Growing up, we are taught that science and arts are on two ends of a spectrum. But that’s not really true. We are a testament to that.”

Read more about art as part of the curriculum for second-year students in the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine program in Colorado Springs:

Medical school students in Colorado Springs explore the benefits of art in both their careers and their own health.

09/16/2026

Congratulations to our partners at Children’s Hospital Colorado, who have again earned national recognition on the U.S. News & World Report 2026-2027 Best Children’s Hospitals Honor Roll, a distinction awarded to only 10 children’s hospitals in the United States.

Children’s Colorado has once again earned national recognition on the U.S. News & World Report 2026-2027 Best Children’s Hospitals Honor Roll.

09/10/2026

Brandon Schlauder, who has cerebral palsy, was told he’d never be able to walk, but now he’s training for a marathon.

When pain on his right side was making it hard to walk and impacting his way of life, he underwent surgery to correct deformities.

Now, with the help of his community and Daniel Moon, MD, associate professor of orthopedics, Schlauder is training for the upcoming Boulderthon 2026.

Watch his story on CBS Colorado: https://youtu.be/EiuPFNKOIiU?si=uD5wQDsY2xUGAwvk
CU Orthopedics

A Colorado man living with cerebral palsy is training to take on a ...

09/04/2026

Doctors told artist Diane Ciampa that she would lose her eye after a roller hockey accident in 2018. A second opinion from Scott Oliver, MD, a vitreoretinal surgeon at the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center at CU Anschutz, gave her hope.

“Dr. Oliver helped save my peripheral vision, and I still have my eye,” she says. “He’s brilliant. And still, he can come down to my level and talk. His bedside manner is amazing.”

To show her gratitude, Ciampa has created several art pieces for Oliver. They serve as reminders to himself, colleagues, and patients of the transformative work being done by ophthalmologists.

Read more of Ciampa's story: https://news.cuanschutz.edu/ophthalmology/patient-eye-hockey-accident

CU Ophthalmology

09/02/2026

Join us in congratulating Edward A. Stenehjem, MD, MSc, on being named senior associate dean for Clinical Affairs, effective October 15.

“Dr. Stenehjem has been my trusted senior leadership partner at the Department of Medicine, and I am confident that he’s the absolute right person for this role,” says Vineet Chopra, MD, MSc, executive vice dean for Clinical Affairs, Research, and Quality. “He’s proven time and again that a smart and humane approach leads to outstanding care for patients and high-quality workplaces for our faculty and staff. This is a well-deserved promotion that will benefit our clinical partners and the entire school.”

Read the full announcement here: https://news.cuanschutz.edu/medicine/edward-stenehjem-senior-associate-dean-clinical-affairs

09/01/2026

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that approximately one in 38 hospital patients has at least one health care-associated infection on any given day.

Research increasingly shows that large language models are promising tools for processing the vast amounts of unstructured clinical data generated in health care that is often needed in infection prevention work.

“It’s important to remember that these algorithms are not thinking machines. AI is not here to replace a doctor, and I don't think they ever will, but they will help us improve in our workflow in infection prevention,” says Guillermo Rodriguez Nava, MD, assistant professor of infectious diseases.

Learn more: https://news.cuanschutz.edu/medicine/ai-infection-prevention