College news

SPRING NEWSLETTER 2026

Mansoor MALIK, M.D., M.S., M.B.A., DFAPA, FACP  APPOINTED CHAIR OF PSYCHIATRY

Mansoor Malik, M.D., M.S., M.B.A., DFAPA, FACP, has been appointed the new Margaret Clark Morgan Endowed Chair of Psychiatry, effective July 1, 2026.

Dr. Malik is a nationally recognized academic psychiatrist with more than 20 years of experience in public and community-focused academic medicine. He has served in key leadership roles, including residency program director and senior departmental leader. He is board certified in psychiatry, with subspecialty certifications in geriatric psychiatry, consultation-liaison psychiatry, and addiction medicine.

Most recently, Dr. Malik has served as Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University. Prior to that, he was Residency Program Director at Howard University College of Medicine, where he led transformative initiatives in undergraduate and graduate psychiatric education, with a strong emphasis on community engagement and care for underserved populations. He has held leadership positions within the American Psychiatric Association and the American College of Psychiatrists and is past president of the Washington Psychiatric Society.

Dr. Malik’s research focuses on reducing disparities in mental health treatment and strengthening the behavioral health workforce. At Johns Hopkins, he led federally funded initiatives through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) aimed at expanding and supporting the mental health workforce. He also developed peer-support and resilience programs that have been adopted across healthcare systems. In addition, he co-established the Johns Hopkins Long COVID Clinic, integrating psychiatric expertise into multidisciplinary care and clinical training environments.

Dr. Malik earned his medical degree from Punjab University in Pakistan, where he also completed a fellowship in psychiatry at the College of Physicians and Surgeons. He received an M.B.A from the University of Massachusetts and an M.S. in Physics from Howard University.

Prior to his start at NEOMED, Dr. Malik will be awarded the Chester Pierce Human Rights Award and will deliver the Chester Pierce Lecture at the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) annual meeting. APA President-Elect Rahn Bailey, M.D. stated, “Dr. Malik’s lifelong dedication to dismantling mental health disparities—through clinical innovation, institutional leadership, and global advocacy—perfectly embodies the spirit of Dr. Chester Pierce’s legacy. His work has not only transformed systems but also inspired a generation of psychiatrists to prioritize equity and justice in every facet of care.”

We look forward to welcoming Dr. Malik to campus in July!

COM Student Affairs to represent NEOMED at the 2026 Together we Lead National AAMC Conference in Orlando

Congratulations to faculty and staff from COM Student Affairs, Dean’s Office, Psychiatry and Family and Community Medicine who have posters being presented at the upcoming AAMC Together We Lead National Conference:

Posters:

1. Ongoing Evaluation of an Effective Academic & Career Advising Program – Harmony Stanger MBA, Corrie Stofcho MD, Douglas Moses MD, Carla Mattiussi Ed.S, Blake Eisnaugle M.Ed, Claudia V. Garcia MA
2. Evaluating a Brief Resilience Seminar on Burnout and Academic Efficacy in Medical Students: A Pilot Study – Jonathan Montes MS, Corrie Stofcho MD, Randon Welton MD, Douglas Moses MD, Margy Sanders MA, LSW
3. Pregnancy in Medical Training : The Medical Student Experience – Emmanuella Adjei BA, Leah Dobres BA, Vania Opoku BS, Rachel Bracken PhD, Corrie Stofcho MD
4. Preparing Learners to Serve Spanish-Speaking Communities –  Claudia V. Garcia MA,  Víctor M. Torres MA
5. Evaluation of Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) Medical Camp for College Students – Adithya Sreenivas, Jacob Fay, Pouya Susanabadifarahani, Sebastian Diaz, Patricia Thornborough, Rebecca Brabander

In addition, Harmony Stanger, Director of Student Affairs, will be presenting at the conference.

Presentation:

Transforming Stress into Story: Personal Statement Workshops that Work

Collaborators: Harmony Stanger, Brian Harrell (both NEOMED); Stephanie Calato (UIC), Corey Koperski (MSU), Brandon Zaffuto, Cameron Pawlik, Sarah Ronan-Bentle (University of Cincinnati)

COM Student Recieves award from the Lass Medical student Ophthalmology research fund

Congratulations to M2 student Seung Won (Jenna) Shin for receiving an award for her research from the Lass Medical Student Ophthalmology Research Endowment Fund. She is invited to present her research at the annual Ophthalmology Research Day on May 18th at University Hospitals.

The David and Stella Lass Medical Student Ophthalmology Research Endowment Fund was established by Dr. and Mrs. Jonathan Lass and sister Mrs. Hedvah Bressler in memory of their parents who supported Dr. Lass’ medical education and the opportunity to pursue a career in medicine and science.

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Research Forum showcases students

NEOMED Oral Research Forum showcases student scholarship

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M4 student published

Fourth-year medical student published in literary arts magazine 

New HiRes, Quarter 2

Welcome to the following employees who joined the College of Medicine recently:

• Laila Almassri, Postdoctoral Fellow, Biomedical Sciences
• Richard Wardrop, Clinical Physician and Chief Medical Officer, Family & Community Medicine (NEOMED Healthcare)
• Neekun Sharma, Ignite Scholar, Biomedical Sciences
• Mark Arredondo, Clinical Faculty Educator, COM Medical Education
• Zhiwei Guo, Research Technician, Biomedical Sciences
• Crescenzo Scheetz, Research Technician, Pediatrics
• Alisha Cobourn, Curriculum Coordinator, COM Medical Education
• Chunjian Wang, Postdoctoral Fellow, Biomedical Sciences
• Khiet Ngo, Associate Dean, COM Clinical Education
• Jaclyn Welles, Ignite Scholar, Biomedical Sciences
• Shaih Kelinman, Research Coordinator, Psychiatry
• Mikang Lee, Research Associate, Biomedical Sciences
• Gabrielle Robinson, Senior Research Assistant, Biomedical Sciences
• Alba Scheetz, Curriculum Site Coordinator, COM Medical Education
• Joy Stankowski, Clinical faculty Educator, Psychiatry
• Ottorino Costantini, Clinical Faculty Educator, Psychiatry
• Joseph Varley, Interim Chair, Psychiatry
• Brooke Babyak, Interim Co-Chair, Family & Community Medicine
• Allison Steinbrenner, Research Technician, Biomedical Sciences
• Claudia Garcia, Career Advisor, COM Academic Affairs
• Jennifer Manista, Curriculum Coordinator, COM Medical Education
• Khooshali Shah, Clinical Faculty Educator, COM Medical Education
• Deanne Girard, Administrative Coordinator, COM Dean’s Office
• Lisa Butch, Administrative Coordinator, Family & Community Medicine
• Taylor Wachholz, Research Assistant, Biomedical Sciences

faculty Grant Awardees, Quarter 2

Congratulations to the following faculty who have recently received grant awards:

• Kris Baughman, Ph.D., Family and Community Medicine
• Yeong-Renn Chen, Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences
• Jessica Ferrell, Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences
• Danelle Hupp, Ph.D., Psychiatry
• Yoon-Kwang Lee, Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences
• Yong Lu, Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences
• Ashley Morgan, Psychiatry
• Priya Raman, Ph.D, Biomedical Sciences
• Merri Rosen, Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences
• Randon Welton, M.D., Psychiatry
• Jianguo Wu, Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences

winter Newsletter 2025

Welcome Khiet Ngo, D.O., M.s., Associate Dean for clinical education

The College of Medicine is pleased to welcome Khiet Ngo, D.O., M.S., as the new Associate Dean for Clinical Education. Dr. Ngo will join NEOMED in January 2026.

In this role, Dr. Ngo will be responsible for overseeing and advancing the clinical learning opportunities for medical students in alignment with the school’s mission to provide innovative, community-focused medical education. This position will lead the design and implementation of clinical learning experiences across the medical education curriculum.

Most recently, Dr. Ngo served as Associate Dean for Clinical Skills Education and Innovation in the Department of Undergraduate Medical Education at the University of California, Riverside where he also held an Associate Professor of Pediatrics appointment and was a practicing physician in pediatrics. Dr. Ngo received his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from NOVA Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine and a Master of Science degree in biochemistry at the University of California, Riverside.

COM Program recognized by alpha omega alpha

Each year the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society recognizes ongoing programs in medical schools or other institutions that represent best practices in the education and practice of medical professionalism. This year NEOMED was recognized for the program “The patient is why I’m here”, developed by L. Austin Fredrickson, M.D., FACP, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine,  along with the NEOMED AOA chapter.  This program is a focus of the curriculum and sets the tone for students at the start of their M1 year.

The award is accompanied by a $2,000 prize which will go to support continued efforts to promote professionalism. Congratulations to Dr. Fredrickson and the entire AOA chapter and special thanks to Shaarav Ghose, M4 student, who also spearheaded the nomination!

Students in the news

Check out recent articles featuring NEOMED COM students!

• Student work recognized at national hematology conference
• Scholarship opportunity for students
• NEOMED medical student showcases multiple research projects at national conferences

LCME Accreditation update

The April 2027 LCME Accreditation cycle is moving ahead at full throttle. The members of the Student Impact Committee have completed the Independent Student Analysis and achieved an 80% response rate from each College of Medicine Class! They are now producing a formal report, which we anticipate receiving soon. The College of Medicine (COM) will continue to collect student input on ways to further improve the student experience.

The COM held an informal mock accreditation visit this past October. Nearly 80 NEOMED faculty and staff participated in this opportunity to practice meeting with accreditors and answer questions about how NEOMED satisfies all the needs of an accredited medical school. This experience both aided in identifying processes that can be further improved, and insured that the college will get the most value possible out of the anticipated formal mock visit in Fall 2026.

Select NEOMED faculty and staff involved have been invited to serve on the steering committee and subcommittees that will conduct the required Self-Study. This process will kick off in January 2026 as the subcommittees thoroughly review and report on COM’s performance by April. The steering committee will then complete a summary report by August 2026 that will help guide future Continuous Quality Improvement efforts.

For more information on the LCME accreditation process please visit our website.

COM Medical education Promotes teamwork, spreads holiday cheer

In an effort to promote and foster teamwork, Belinda Sasala, Alyssa Pryor and Cristina Basaran, curriculum operations managers, developed a holiday door decorating contest. Doors were decorated in the Dean’s office, curriculum operations suite and out at some of our clinical sites.  The result was a fun and collaborative activity that brought the team together, while spreading holiday cheer during a busy time of the school year. Check out the winners!

Dialogue with the Dean, December 2025

In case you missed the December 4th Dialogue with the Dean, you can view Dean Basson’s  presentation here.

Recent faculty Grant Awardees, Quarter 1

Congratulations to the following faculty who have received grant awards to start the fiscal year:

• Nichole Ammon, M.S.Ed. LPCC-S, Psychiatry
• Yunus Ansari, Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences
• Kris Baughman, Ph.D., Family and Community Medicine
• Rachel Bracken, Ph.D., Family and Community Medicine
• Maureen Drummond
• Rebecca Fischbein, Ph.D., Family and Community Medicine
• Debra Hrouda, Ph.D., Psychiatry
• Danelle Hupp, Ph.D., Psychiatry
• Erik Messamore, M.D., Psychiatry
• Vahagn Ohanyan, M.D., Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences
• Priya Raman, Ph.D, Biomedical Sciences
• Emily Ribnik, Psychiatry
• Margy Sanders, M.A., Family and Community Medicine
• Brett Schofield, Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences
• Ronald Seese, M.D., Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences & Psychiatry
• Harry Sivec, Ph.D., Psychiatry
• Jeff Wenstrup, Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences
• Jianguo Wu, M.D., Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences
• Jessica Zavala, Psychiatry
• Ping Zang, M.D., Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences

Congratulations to our grant recipients

We are happy to recognize faculty and staff who received grant awards over the past year!

The College of Medicine welcomes its largest class ever

We welcomed our largest class — 201 students — during the July 11 White Coat Ceremony. Eighty-one percent of the new class is from Ohio. Read the full story in the Pulse.

Scholarships awarded

Congratulations to COM Students Shaarav Ghosh and Christopher Mamone!

Each year, the Association of Indian Physicians of Northern Ohio (AIPNO) awards 1–2 scholarships to top-performing students from CASE, CCLM and NEOMED. After reviewing the applications and criteria for this year, we are pleased to announce that the following students from NEOMED have been selected as the 2025 scholarship recipients:

• Shaarav Ghosh,
• Christopher Mamone

Both individuals have demonstrated outstanding academic performance, leadership, and commitment to the values we uphold as physicians.

They will be awarded the scholarship on Oct. 4.