Wake Forest University School of Medicine

06/02/2026

After the Alzheimer’s Association Western Carolina Chapter recognized Wake Forest University School of Medicine’s Laura D. Baker for her work to advance brain health through the U.S. POINTER trial, the professor of gerontology and geriatrics and internal medicine reflects on her passion for her work.

Throughout her life, Baker has had a profound respect for those who came before her. Her gratitude toward older adults, combined with a love of sports that grew during childhood as a way to make friends, eventually led to Baker’s perfect role and what she calls the highlight of her career – one of the principal investigators of the Alzheimer's Association’s U.S. Study to Protect Brain Health through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk (U.S. POINTER).

Read full story.

https://school.wakehealth.edu/features/research/dementia-prevention-researcher-laura-baker-honored-for-landmark-lifestyle-study

05/29/2026

Can a routine heart test reveal how kids grow?
New research shows AI can analyze ECGs to track biological development—offering a powerful new tool when hormone or puberty data isn’t available. The study found the data offers a more precise tool to study puberty when hormone or clinical data isn’t available.

Learn more: https://newsroom.wakehealth.edu/news-releases/2026/05/routine-heart-test-can-track-how-kids-grow-and-mature-new-study-finds

05/20/2026

From detecting heart risks earlier in pregnancy to identifying lifestyle changes that may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease, researchers across Illinois and Wisconsin are advancing care for patients at every stage of life.

Throughout April, panels convened as part of the “Celebrate Research!” program at the School of Medicine’s two campuses, as well as at sites in Illinois and Wisconsin, to showcase work across the enterprise, impacting the future of care in many healthcare specialties and bolstering Advocate Health’s commitment to discovery.

The events in the Midwest featured the ongoing collaboration between clinicians in Illinois and Wisconsin and researchers at the School of Medicine. The theme of the two panels — maternal health/pediatrics and neuroscience/aging — emphasized how this work has the potential to provide valuable insight and improve lives from as early as conception into the later years of life.

Read full story.
https://school.wakehealth.edu/features/research/maternal-health-to-alzheimers-prevention

05/19/2026

Find your people 🎓 The smiles say it all. After crossing the stage, it’s all about spotting the ones who cheered you on every step of the way. 💛

05/14/2026

White coats run in the family 🩺 This spring, siblings Mattie Harris and Zach Harris, MD, are celebrating major milestones on their medical journeys.

Mattie will graduate from Wake Forest University School of Medicine on May 17 — four years after Zach earned his degree. Now, he’s preparing to complete his residency, while Mattie will remain in Winston-Salem to begin her own in emergency medicine at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist.

From the same starting point to following similar paths, their stories reflect the next generation of physicians shaped at Wake Forest.
https://bit.ly/4dIEEmL

05/14/2026

05/01/2026

The Face Behind the Curtain: Logistics of Pre-Clerkship Education 🎙️
Day in and day out, thousands of moving parts work together to keep WFUSM running smoothly. In this episode, Rohan talks with Parker Bryant and Meghan Wiater about the behind-the-scenes work — from Canvas pages to coordinating more than 100 lecturers over 18 months. Listen in for a peek behind the curtain. https://bit.ly/4ef4ZcZ

Want to Participate? Whether you have an episode idea or want to be featured, we want to hear from you! Email [email protected] and send us your pitch.