Department News

20262025202420232022

Cross-Division Expertise on Display at SGIM Meeting

Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Faculty and trainees from five DOM Divisions and both residency programs were among several thousand healthcare professionals, researchers who attended the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM) annual meeting. The meeting highlighted the importance of General Internal Medicine practitioners’ using their individual voices to advocate for excellence in academic medicine.

Our faculty and trainees presented work on a wide range of topics:

Charlotte Blumrosen, MD, and Robert Fortuna, MD,
with their poster.

Charlotte Blumrosen, MD, Medicine/Pediatrics resident, presented the poster "The Impact of Social Vulnerability and Race on Colorectal Cancer Screening," which she also recently published in Population Health Management. Robert Fortuna, MD, MPH, of Primary Care, is a coauthor.

Robert Fortuna, MD, MPH, of Primary Care, presented “Artificial Intelligence, Faculty Structure and Clinical Operations in Residency Practices: Insights from the 2026 Medical Directors Survey.”

Catherine Glatz, MD, of Hospital Medicine, organized and participated in a workshop called, "From Article to Advocacy: Harnessing Digital Media to Amplify Academic Voices."

Sara Gianfagna, DO, with her poster.

Sara Gianfagna, DO, of General Medicine, presented the poster “Behind the Screens: Ten-minute teaching session for electronic medical record optimization, enhancing efficiency and decreasing stress in ambulatory medicine,” detailing implementation of her “Epic Tip of the Week” curriculum for residents.

Greg Russo, MD, Internal Medicine resident, presented the poster "Pulmonary Embolism Discharge Order Set Implementation to Improve Anticoagulation Adherence and Follow Up." DOM coauthors include Internal Medicine residents Genevieve Medina, MD, and Bisher Sultan, DO, as well as Dominick Roto, DO, of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, and Sarah Rusnak, MD, of Hospital Medicine.

Elizabeth Pope-Collins, MD, of Hospital Medicine, organized and participated in a workshop called, "Bridging the Gap: Medicine Consultation Care of Psychiatrically Ill Patients"

Mahala Schlagman, MD, and Elizabeth Pope-Collins,
MD, on Capitol Hill.

Mahala Schlagman, MD, of General Medicine, took advantage of the meeting’s location near Washington, D.C., to meet with Rep. Joseph Morelle’s office on Capitol Hill to advocate for support for primary care in an upcoming physician payment reform package.

Jared Walsh, MD, our new chief of General Medicine, participated in a workshop called, "Taking the Pain Out of Chronic Opioid Prescribing: Coaching Residents in the Complexities of Long-Term Opioid Therapy" and presented the poster, "Scholarship Without Burnout: A Win-Win QI Model for Residents and Faculty."

Ava Wexler, MD, posing at one of her posters.

Ava Wexler, MD, Internal Medicine resident, presented two posters: "When STEMI is Not Atherosclerotic: A Case of catastrophic Antiphospholipid Syndrome" and "The Peritoneal Carcinomatosis Mimic: Peritoneal Lymphomatosis Complicated by Spontaneous Tumor Lysis Syndrome." DOM coauthors includeKevin McGrody, MD, of Cardiology, Jainulabdeen Ifthikharuddin, MD, of Hematology & Oncology, Internal Medicine residents Sarah Choudhury, MD, Ashleigh Manktelow, MD, Manali Shah, DO, and Cardiovascular Disease Fellow Shamroz Farooq, MD.

Yousaf Ali, MD, of Hospital Medicine, Robert Fortuna, MD, MPH, of Primary Care, Rashmi Jasrasaria, MD, of General Medicine, and Kim Parkhurst, PhD, of Highland Hospital, also attended the meeting to learn from and support their peers and colleagues.

DOM Sets the Pace at Heart Rhythm Society Meeting

Thursday, April 30, 2026

Our Division of Cardiology has been on the cutting edge of electrophysiology for several decades, from leading the seminal trials on implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) nearly 25 years ago to launching the first Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) registry in 1979. Last weekend, Cardiology faculty and trainees presented new research on ICDs, LQTS, and much more at the annual Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) meeting.

Ilan Goldenberg, MD and Valentina Kutyifa, MD, PhD

Given the immense advances in medical therapies for heart failure over the past two decades, Ilan Goldenberg, MD, and Valentina Kutyifa MD, PhD, are reassessing the risk stratification criteria for ICDs and whether they still provide a survival benefit compared to medical therapies. They presented recent research in two core sessions. Fellow Keshav Patel, MD, shared research from the LQTS registry highlighting the sustained risk of life-threatening events for LQTS patients over age 50. Faculty members and trainees also presented research on LVADS, beta-blockers, GLP-1s, and more:

• Mehmet Aktas, MD, MBA, presented “Effect of Carvedilol versus Metoprolol on the Risk of Inappropriate Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator Therapies: Analysis from the APPRAISE-ATP Trial” and the poster “The Competing Risk of Arrhythmic Events and Non-Arhythmic Mortality by Age: Analysis from the APPRAISE-ATP Trial”
• 

  Keshav Patel, MD, and Malcolm Dix, MD

  Malcolm Dix, MD, cardiovascular disease fellow, presented the poster “Impact of Statins on the Risk of Life-Threatening Ventricular Tachyarrhythmias in Patients with Non-ischemic Cardiomyopathy”
• Dillon Dzikowicz, PhD, RN, presented two posters: “Serum Potassium and Atrial Arrhythmia Risk in ICD Patients” and “Serum Potassium Levels and ICD Therapy Incidence in a Real-World Cohort”
• Shaul Gelikas, MD, MBA, presented two posters: “The Association Between Ranolazine Treatment and Ventricular Arrhythmia Burden in Patients Without Atrial Fibrillation” and “Ranolazine Treatment is Associated with a Reduced Burden of Ventricular Tachyarrhythmias Among Patients with Elevated Brain Natriuretic Peptide Levels”
• Ilan Goldenberg, MD, presented “Limitation of Evidence: Outdated Trial Data, Inadequate Risk Stratification, and Lack of Personalization.”
• David Huang, MD, presented the poster “Impact of Heart Failure Etiology on the Burden of Sustained Ventricular Tachyarrhythmic Events Following LVAD Implant: Preliminary data from the PIVATAL Trial”
• Jefferson Hunter, MD, Internal Medicine resident, presented the poster “Association of GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Use with Atrial and Ventricular Arrhythmias in Obese Populations with Heart Failure”
• 

  From Left: Jefferson Hunter, MD, Ilan Goldenberg, MD, Valentina Kutyifa, MD,
  PhD, Nicole Guerrero, Kristina Cutter, Alexei Nakonechnyi, PhD, Dillon Dzikowicz,
  PhD, RN, Sofia Nguyen, and Anika Beierle, MD.

  Valentina Kutyifa, MD, presented “LVEF is Not Enough: Limitations of Current ICD Criteria” and “The Present and Future of Risk Stratification for and Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death: An HRS Think Tank Follow-Up (non-ACE)”
• Alexei Nakonechnyi, PhD, presented “LLM classification of clinical notes to facilitate lifestyle intervention in patients with atrial fibrillation” as part of the HRX satellite conference.
• Amole Ojo, MD, co-chaired the core session “Atrial Fibrillation and Special Populations: Treatment Dilemmas and Future Directions” and the HRS Board Review Course.
• Keshav Patel, MD, cardiovascular disease fellow, presented “Long QT Syndrome in Older Adults: Risk Factors and Outcomes After Age 50.”

Geriatrics Faculty Named PALTmed Fellows

4/14/2026

From left: Dallas Nelson, MD, Suzanne Gillespie, MD, Erin Brooks, PA-C, and Thomas Caprio, MD.
(Not pictured: Sarah Howd, MD.)

Five Geriatrics & Aging faculty members are among the inaugural class of fellows of the Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medical Association (PALTmed)—more than any other institution.

Congratulations to: Erin Brooks, PA-C, Suzanne Gillespie, MD, Sarah Howd, MD, Dallas Nelson, MD, and Thomas Caprio, MD, acting chief of the Geriatrics & Aging Division. They and 55 other fellows from across the country were recognized for their leadership and commitment to advancing the field and organization.

“This recognition reflects the depth of leadership and innovation coming out of the University of Rochester in post-acute and long-term care. Having the largest representation in this inaugural class of PALTmed fellows speaks not only to the caliber of our clinician leaders, but to our sustained commitment to advancing care for older adults across care settings nationally,” Caprio said.

PALTmed represents and supports the post-acute and long-term health care workforce and leads the way in empowering these compassionate and skilled clinicians to deliver person-centered care.

Geriatrics Faculty Named PALTmed Fellows

Tuesday, April 14, 2026

From left: Dallas Nelson, MD, Suzanne Gillespie, MD, Erin Brooks, PA-C, and Thomas Caprio, MD.
(Not pictured: Sarah Howd, MD.)

Five Geriatrics & Aging faculty members are among the inaugural class of fellows of the Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medical Association (PALTmed)—more than any other institution.

Congratulations to: Erin Brooks, PA-C, Suzanne Gillespie, MD, Sarah Howd, MD, Dallas Nelson, MD, and Thomas Caprio, MD, acting chief of the Geriatrics & Aging Division. They and 55 other fellows from across the country were recognized for their leadership and commitment to advancing the field and organization.

“This recognition reflects the depth of leadership and innovation coming out of the University of Rochester in post-acute and long-term care. Having the largest representation in this inaugural class of PALTmed fellows speaks not only to the caliber of our clinician leaders, but to our sustained commitment to advancing care for older adults across care settings nationally,” Caprio said.

PALTmed represents and supports the post-acute and long-term health care workforce and leads the way in empowering these compassionate and skilled clinicians to deliver person-centered care.

Pulmonary Team Shines Hosting Statewide Conference

Monday, April 13, 2026

Members of the Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine team

Congratulations to the Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine team, led by Manoj Mammen, MD, and Alexandra Adams, MD, successfully hosting the New York State Thoracic Society (NYSTS) conference March 26-27. Mammen is the society president and Adams is program chair.

The NYSTS annual conference brings together chest physicians from across the U.S. and beyond to share knowledge on the full spectrum of respiratory diseases and critical care medicine.

This year’s conference featured speakers from Texas to Quebec and everywhere in between. Among the many URMC presenters was DOM’s Daniel Lachant, DO, of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, who addressed the use of wearables to monitor recovery and improve outcomes following pulmonary embolism.

Other URMC presenters include Curtis Benesch, MD, MPH, of Neurology, Matthew Bender, MD, of Neurosurgery, and Debra Roberts, MD, PhD, Chief of Neuro Critical Care, who discussed stroke essentials for ICU physicians, and Nicholas Nacca, MD, of Emergency Medicine, who shared how to manage opioid dependence in the critical care setting.

The poster session featured research by the following DOM faculty and trainees:

• Gabriel Alonso, MD, Pulmonary & Critical Care fellow, “A Peculiar Case of Autoimmune Serologies: The Diagnostic Challenge of Pulmonary-Renal Syndromes.”
• John Clay MD, Internal Medicine resident, “A Case Report of Multifocal Pneumonia Without Source Demonstrating a “Reverse-Halo Sign.”
• Spencer Dahl, MD, Internal Medicine resident, “Spontaneous Pneumomediastinum and Bilateral Pneumothoraces Secondary to Bleomycin Lung Toxicity, Leading to ARDS.”
• Faris Dar Hamed, MD, Internal Medicine resident, “Progressive Encephalopathy and Shock Revealing Myxedema Coma.”
• Gagandeep Kaur, PhD, Toxicology postdoctoral research associate, “Senescent B-Cell Niches in AT2 Regions Define a Pathologic Microenvironment in COPD.”
• Ian Mathews, MD, PhD, Internal Medicine resident, “Advanced Small Cell Lung Carcinoma Presenting as Ectopic Adrenocorticotropin Hormone-Dependent Hypercortisolism.”
• Nathan Rotundo, MD, Medicine-Pediatrics resident, “A Case of Massive Pulmonary Embolism Complicated by Left Middle Cerebral Artery Stroke.”
• Mallory Rowley, MD, Medicine-Pediatrics resident, “Persistent Pneumothorax in Rheumatoid Arthritis Pulmonary Nodulosis.”
• Gregory Russo, MD, Internal Medicine resident, “Pulmonary Embolism Discharge Order Set Implementation to Improve Anticoagulation Adherence and Follow Up.”
• Xingyi Shi, MD, Pulmonary & Critical Care fellow, “Organizing Pneumonia.”
• Timothy Yang, MD, Pulmonary & Critical Care fellow, “A 25-year-old Woman with Cough and a Persistent Pulmonary Nodule.”

Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine Unifies ICU Services Across Strong, Highland

Thursday, March 19, 2026

Irene Perillo, M.D.

After over 20 years of dedicated service, Irene Perillo, MD, of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, will transition from her role as the medical director of the Highland Hospital ICU in June. The Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine (PCCM) has established a new PCCM-Medical ICU service line spanning Strong Memorial and Highland hospitals.

The new service line will establish a coordinated system for delivering critical care, ensuring consistent protocols, shared expertise, and streamlined patient transfers. Caroline Quill, MD, will oversee the service line, and Joshua Mauro, MD, will assume the role of Highland ICU medical director. Serban Staicu, MD, will serve as associate director of the Highland ICU and continue in his roles as director of Highland’s Step Down Unit and pulmonary clinic. 

Joshua Mauro, M.D.

Serban Staicu, M.D.

Caroline Quill, M.D.

“We sincerely thank Dr. Perillo for her leadership, vision, and enduring contributions to Highland Hospital and the patients and teams she has served,” said M. Patricia Rivera, MD, chief of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine. “Her visionary leadership has transformed critical care at Highland Hospital.”

Since taking on the medical director position in 2003, Perillo led creation of a 14-bed medical–surgical ICU to support higher-acuity patients. She led the formation of a dedicated multidisciplinary ICU team, including faculty, APPs, and fellows, ensuring expert coordinated care with round-the-clock coverage for critically ill patients.

Perillo also spearheaded numerous significant Highland Hospital and regional initiatives, including transitioning its ICU to an intensivist-co-managed model aligned with the Leapfrog Initiative, developing regional transfer protocols, and expanding critical care capacity during the pandemic. She helped establish several key programs, such as the Medical Emergency Response Team, Rapid Response Team, Stroke Code team, and a continuous renal replacement therapy program.

She also played a key role in developing educational programs and rotations in the Highland ICU for fellows, residents, APP trainees, and medical students across various disciplines.

Geriatrics Faculty Elected to National Leadership Positions

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Timothy Holahan, D.O.

Dallas Nelson, M.D.

Two Geriatrics & Aging faculty members were elected to leadership positions in the Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medical Association (PALTmed), the only medical specialty society representing and supporting the post-acute and long-term health care workforce. Starting April 1, Dallas Nelson, MD, will serve as vice president of PALTmed’s Board of Directors, and Timothy Holahan, DO, will be the first vice chair of the association’s House of Delegates.

PALTmed aims to empower “compassionate and skilled clinicians to deliver person-centered care in the post-acute, and long-term care continuum.” By supporting and educating current and future health care professionals, the association aims to improve the quality of life for people in post-acute and long-term care.

As vice president, Nelson will serve on PALTmed’s executive committee, which provides strategic direction for the association. She will serve as vice president for one year, followed by a year as president-elect. In 2028, she will begin a one-year term as president and chair of the board of directors, defining the organization’s focus and strategic priorities.

Holahan will serve as the inaugural vice chair of the House of Delegates, a newly established leadership role on PALTmed’s Board of Directors. In his new position, Holahan will help facilitate collaboration and policy initiatives throughout the organization and support the development of policy resolutions. As a voting board member, he will contribute to strategic discussions that guide the future of the specialty with the goal of improving care in long-term care settings.

Building Partnerships at 2026 Research in Health Equity Symposium

Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Building sustainable solutions that address community needs and improve health equity takes a village. At our 4th Annual Research in Health Equity Symposium over 200 health care providers, researchers, trainees, and community leaders gathered to exchange expertise and learn how to build partnerships across disciplines and with the community to improve health for all.

Keynote speaker Olveen Carrasquillo, MD, MPH, associate dean for Clinical and Translational Research at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine, shared his experience co-developing community health worker programs to address conditions such type 2 diabetes. Community partners shaped research questions, clinical interventions, and cultural alignment of health education.

Other panel presentations stressed the importance of working across institutions and sectors, from music therapists working with dentists to quell patients’ dental anxiety, to psychiatry residents riding along with law enforcement officers to better understand how they respond to mental health emergencies. A workshop featured research teams composed of University and community researchers, sharing strategies to build sustainable partnerships.

“This meeting exemplifies our commitment to advancing health equity, fostering collaboration, and engaging with our community to address pressing health care challenges,” said DOM Chair Ruth O’Regan, MD, who opened the meeting with a welcome message.

At the end of the day, judges selected the top projects and presentations from the symposium:

• Best Community Partnership Project:
  • Presenter: Karina Hiroshige, MD, trauma surgery research fellow at the University of Pennsylvania
  • Project: “Increasing Patient Volume at a Student-Run Free Clinic: 21-Month Follow-Up of a Two-Phase Community Outreach Initiative”
• Best Oral Presentation:
  • Presenter: Drea Hacker, fourth year undergraduate student at Hamilton College
  • Project: “Adapting Individualized Care Plans for Inpatient Sickle Cell Care(I-PIC)”
• Best Poster Presentation:
  • Presenter: London Smith, medical student at the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry 
  • Project: “Rochester Outreach Catering Dermatology Education: Outreach and Education Dermatology Initiative Serving Underserved Communities in Rochester, NY”

Congratulations to this year’s awardees and a special thank you to our conference coordinating team: Chunkit Fung, MD, DOM’s associate chair for Engagement, Enrichment, and Well-Being, Laura Stamm, PhD, assistant professor of General Medicine and Health Humanities & Bioethics, and Ahona Shirin, MBA, project manager for DOM Engagement, Enrichment, and Well-Being.

View more event photos.

Fung to Lead DOM Well-Being as Anandarajah Departs for Chief Role at Indiana

Thursday, January 29, 2026

Allen Anandarajah, MBBS

Allen Anandarajah, MBBS, who has been part of the DOM for 25 years, will start a new chapter on April 1 as chief of Rheumatology at the Indiana School of Medicine. In preparation for his move, he is stepping down as the DOM’s associate chair for Wellness and this role will be assumed by Chunkit Fung, MD, now the associate chair for Engagement, Enrichment, and Well-Being.

“I am grateful to Allen for his years of service in this role,” said DOM Chair Ruth O’Regan. “I can’t think of a better person to carry on our work in well-being than Chunkit, a proven leader in Engagement and Enrichment.”

As the new leader of Engagement, Enrichment, and Well-Being, Fung plans to take a practical approach to wellness.

Chunkit Fung, MD

“My vision for wellness is to streamline our work processes and improve team work to allow physicians and teams more time to focus on what they enjoy and what is meaningful to them,” said Fung.

Fung sees opportunities to refine workflows in systems like eRecord to reduce duplicative efforts and interruptions from excessive notifications, improve communication among teams, and to foster more collaboration among teams. His goal is to build a workplace culture where everyone feels respected and supported.

He will begin by building a wellness infrastructure within his office. Through an inclusive and transparent process, he will recruit three to four people from the department to implement wellness efforts under his leadership.

Curran Takes Acting Cardiology Chief Role as Rosero Takes Sabbatical

Monday, January 26, 2026

Thomas Curran, MD

Spencer Rosero, MD, will pursue a year-long sabbatical from his role as chief of the Division of Cardiology, and cardiologist Thomas Curran, MD, will serve as acting chief beginning February 1. Rosero will focus on advancing his research efforts in clinical cardiac electrophysiology for the next 12 months.

“Tom’s expertise in clinical care combined with his leadership skills position him well for this role and I look forward to working with him,” said Department of Medicine Chair Ruth O’Regan, MD.  

Curran is vice chief of Clinical Cardiology Services, overseeing outpatient cardiology and this additional role expands his leadership to include inpatient care.  He joined the Medical Center in 2015 along with colleagues from the former Rochester Cardiopulmonary Group. His experiences with both private practice and now being part of an academic medical center provide a solid foundation for this role.

“We have a strong team of clinical providers, and support and administrative staff dedicated to providing our patients the highest quality care,” said Curran. “I’m pleased to have the opportunity to make a positive difference in our institutional operations for our patients, faculty, and staff.”  

Mehmet Aktas, MD, vice chief of Academic Affairs, and Rosero will continue to lead the division’s education and research programs, respectively.

Rosero was appointed chief of the Division of Cardiology a year ago after five years as interim chief, guiding the department through the challenges of the pandemic and programmatic growth.

A longtime electrophysiologist and active clinician/scientist, he studies arrhythmias and is involved in the development of implantable high-tech biosensors. He will collaborate with multidisciplinary teams from the Center for Health + Technology, Clinical Cardiovascular Research Center, and Cardiovascular Research institute (CVRI). The overall goal is to further our understanding of the mechanisms underlying electrical rhythm abnormalities seen in patients with neuromuscular diseases. The knowledge will be used to advance clinical guidelines addressing the cardiac risk associated with this group of complex diseases.

Jared Walsh Appointed Chief of General Medicine

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Jared P. Walsh, MD, a former Department of Medicine faculty member, will return to the Medicine Center as the next chief of General Medicine, starting May 18. As chief, Walsh will focus on faculty development and wellness, fostering resident training, retaining graduates, and supporting a culture of equity.

Walsh’s appointment comes after a national search, during which time Catherine Gracey, MD, deftly steered the division.

“I’m delighted to welcome Dr. Walsh back to the Medical Center,” said Department of Medicine Chair Ruth O’Regan. “His previous experience in educational scholarship and quality improvement here and at Rutgers make him a great fit for chief of our General Medicine Division and I’m excited to see him take on this leadership role.”

Walsh completed his internal medicine residency here in 2017, was chief resident the following year, and served as faculty in our Division of General Medicine from 2018 to 2022. During that time, he chaired the Treatment Subcommittee of the Opioid Task Force, developed a primary care addiction medicine program, helped develop the Internal Medicine Residency Program’s ambulatory curriculum, and received the Marshall Litchman Dean’s Teaching Fellowship.

“It's incredibly meaningful coming back to the place that made me the physician I am,” said Walsh. “I have so much respect for the division and everything it's accomplished in its educational mission, clinical mission and academic mission, to be able to be a part of taking that to the next step is really very exciting.”

Walsh is an assistant professor of Medicine and associate program director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. As program director, he has redesigned the residency program to foster individualized learning and mentorship training, and to reduce the burden on faculty mentors. He has also directed quality improvement, research curriculum redevelopment, and integrated behavioral health and addiction medicine in primary care.

Walsh cares deeply about the community and has a long history of service. At Rutgers, Walsh established several community partnerships, including one between primary care and community organizations that provide food assistance that helped reduce community members’ cardiovascular risk.

When he rejoins the faculty as chief of General Medicine, he plans to repeat that trend by expanding existing community partnerships and having a greater presence in the community. He envisions developing partnerships that allow care to be delivered in the community while also partnering with community groups to address social determinants of health in our patients.

He is also dedicated to supporting faculty development and wellness. He hopes to foster collaboration across divisions, enhance development opportunities like those offered by the Harvard Macy Institute, and streamline opportunities for quality improvement and medical education scholarship.

“Rochester is a very unique place in its culture and its values,” said Walsh. “The culture really supports the idea that whatever we do, the patient's best interest must come first. That's the kind of culture and mission I want to support, because it leads to amazing care for patients, educational experiences for trainees, and faculty success.”

Remembering Esteemed Rochester Endocrinologist Alvin Ureles

Tuesday, January 6, 2026

Alvin Ureles, MD, internationally renowned thyroidologist and founder of the University of Rochester Medical Center’s Wolk Thyroid Clinic, passed away at the age of 104 on December 14. Ureles served the Rochester community for over half a century and pioneered the use of nuclear and ultrasound medicine to diagnose and treat thyroid disease.

Ureles earned his medical doctorate from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in 1945, with support from the U.S. Army. He served as captain in a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital unit in the Pacific Theater, witnessing firsthand the impact of nuclear radiation at Hiroshima.

After completing residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Ureles undertook a teaching and research fellowship at Harvard under the mentorship of famed physician Saul Hertz, MD. Together they published seminal work using radioactive iodine to treat hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer, therapies still used today.

Ureles returned to Rochester in the 1950’s and worked at Genesee Hospital for over twenty years, serving as chief of Medicine and leading the Wolk Thyroid Center. In 1967, he joined URMC bringing new technologies with him. He was one of the first endocrinologists in Rochester to offer thyroid ultrasounds and ultrasound-guided biopsies in the office.

A pillar of both the Rochester community and Medical Center, Ureles was deeply involved in philanthropic organizations that helped URMC develop and expand its Endocrinology Division. He was instrumental in establishing URMC’s Wolk Thyroid Clinic and the Louis S. Wolk Distinguished Professorship in Medicine now held by Endocrinology Chief Stephen Hammes, MD, PhD. He also bought the Endocrinology Division’s first ultrasound with his own money.

“Al is a legendary endocrinologist in the region and at URMC,” said Hammes. “He was an incredibly intelligent, well-respected, yet humble person. He was a big reason that I came to Rochester and was instrumental in building our Endocrinology program over the past several decades.”

Ureles also loved mentoring. He taught many residents and fellows over four decades at URMC and continued to teach into his 80’s. The Farash Foundation, which Ureles helped found, created a scholarship in his name to encourage URSMD medical students to emulate his high standards of medicine and dedication to patients.

“Al took me under his wing when I went into practice,” said Louis Papa, MD, a UR Medicine primary care physician. “He was retiring from his primary care practice and had me come to his office once a week for months to meet his patients individually. It was enormously reassuring for the patients and an automatic vote of confidence in me. I took care of those patients for decades and as they aged, they would still ask how Al was doing. He was truly a Rochester giant and an exemplary mentor.” 

Outside the clinic, Ureles was an avid astronomer, watching the skies through his home telescope and at the Marian and Max Farash Center for Observational Astronomy. When he moved into a retirement community, he brought his telescope with him and established an astronomy club.

Ureles was also an accomplished author, publishing several novels with a scientific or medical bent. In 2008, he pledged all proceeds from his historical fiction “Following Joe: The Patriot Doctor and the Siege of Boston” to the URMC Endocrinology Division to fund endocrine and diabetes research.

Ureles’ giving spirit lives on through several funds named in his honor, including the Ureles Research & Education Fund, the Alvin L. Ureles, M.D. Scholarship Fund, and the Palliative Care Program. If you would like to make a contribution to one of these funds in his memory, please visit the UR Advancement websiteand follow the instructions under the Obituary category. 

Learn more about Ureles.