USA SRFC receives grant to support 'Food as Medicine' initiative

Students volunteer at the USA Student-Run Free Clinic.

With the goal of improving patients’ food security and overall education on nutrition and healthy living, the University of South Alabama Student-Run Free Clinic recently received a $20,000 grant from The McKesson Foundation to support the “Food as Medicine” initiative.

The funding will be used to implement and expand food security screenings as measured by the U.S. Household Food Security Module, which examines the extent and severity of food insecurity and hunger in a household. The SRFC will begin to regularly collect data on food security among their patients with the goal of using this data to improve their long-term care. 

The grant also supports patient education focused on how healthy eating and lifestyle choices can affect long-term management of chronic medical conditions. 

“Overall, we are taking a holistic approach to changing human behavior when it comes to healthy living and eating with the patients we serve,” said Chandler Hinson, MBA, M.SC., a third-year medical student who serves as president of the SRFC. “We are super excited to be trialing this program to see if this type of model is sustainable and provides long-lasting benefits to patients’ healthy living habits.”

With the help of the Culinary and Lifestyle Medicine Interest Group, the SRFC plans to implement a yearlong program to include the following components:

• 12-month education program that will cover a variety of topics such as nutrition, hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, exercise, mental health, and the associations between these factors
• Cooking classes at the teaching kitchen located at University Commons
• Experiential learning opportunities through visits to grocery stores and learning how to read labels and pick out affordable and healthy foods
• Establishing a community garden at the SRFC
• Earmarked funds to increase fruits and vegetables in patients’ current meals
• Creating a cookbook that contains recipes for easy and affordable meals 

The USA Student-Run Free Clinic is a student-led initiative that provides free medical checkups and healthcare services to the most vulnerable populations in the greater Mobile community. The clinic is located at the Salvation Army, 1009 Dauphin St. in downtown Mobile. 

Learn more or sign up to volunteer at www.usasrfc.org.

Basic medical sciences graduate student receives esteemed Gilliam Fellowship

Marcy Cage, M.S., M.P.H.

Marcy Cage, M.S., M.P.H., a doctoral student in the Basic Medical Sciences Graduate Program at the Whiddon College of Medicine, is the first student from the University of South Alabama to be named a Gilliam Fellow.  

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Gilliam Fellows Program supports graduate students and their advisers in recognition of outstanding research in their respective scientific fields and their commitment to building a more inclusive scientific ecosystem. As part of this year’s cohort, each student-adviser pairing receives an annual award of $53,000 for up to three years.  

“Being named the first Gilliam Fellow from the Whiddon College of Medicine is a tremendous honor for me as an African American woman. It signifies a remarkable opportunity to access invaluable resources and mentorship, propelling my research on air pollution-related pulmonary diseases and infections,” Cage said. “Moreover, it lays a strong foundation for future generations of minority students.” 

Cage is studying how air pollutants such as ozone and particulate matter affect the health of high-school-aged children living in Mobile, specifically the contribution of gamma-secretase activating protein (GSAP) to disease and infection.  

“The Gilliam Fellowship will provide me with unique opportunities for intensive training in research, mentorship, and leadership development, while also building a network of fellow scientists who share my commitment to increasing diversity in the sciences,” Cage said. 

Her mentors are Thomas Rich, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology at the Whiddon College of Medicine; and Troy Stevens, Ph.D., professor and chair of physiology and cell biology, and director of the USA Center for Lung Biology. 

“Marcy is committed to developing an independent career that bridges basic biomedical research and community health. This scientific niche will allow Marcy to help improve access for underrepresented groups in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math),” Rich said. “The Gilliam Fellowship will help Marcy develop skillsets to further her career and network with the next generation of scientific leaders.” 

The fellowship program recognizes that advisers play an integral role in helping their students realize their high potential. For this reason, Gilliam advisers participate in a year-long mentorship development course led by facilitator-scholars from HHMI’s Scientific Mentorship Initiative. This learning experience includes monthly online interactive webinars and two in-person workshops at HHMI headquarters in Chevy Chase, Maryland – all of which are designed to teach advisers how to listen and engage across cultures. 

“The Gilliam Fellowship not only supports incredibly talented graduate students who are poised to become future leaders in science,” says Joshua Hall, senior program officer for the Gilliam Fellows Program, “but it also engages thesis advisers and institutions in the work of creating training environments in which all students can thrive.” 

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute created the Gilliam Fellowships for Advanced Study, now called the Gilliam Fellows Program, in 2004 in honor of the late James H. Gilliam Jr., a charter trustee of HHMI and a business and civic leader who spent his life nurturing excellence and diversity in science and education.  

This year’s Gilliam Fellows hail from 37 institutions across the United States. The University of South Alabama is one of eight institutions receiving its first-ever Gilliam Fellowship award.  

Learn more about the Gilliam Fellows Program and the 2023 cohort of Gilliam Fellows. 

All of Us Research Program seeks participants

Allen Perkins, M.D., M.P.H., a family medicine physician and professor of family medicine at the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine, knows firsthand the importance of studying genetics through the All of Us Research Program.

Diagnosed with tongue cancer that returned, he found out there was a strong genetic component to it. His maternal grandfather most likely had a similar neck cancer, and genetic markers determined that a certain drug would work very effectively to treat him.

“In about 20% of people, it works so effectively it will eradicate the cancer, and that was true in my case,” said Perkins, who is the principal site investigator for the project. “So, it is personalized medicine that has actually led to remission.”

Personalized medicine, also known as precision medicine, uses information about a person’s genetic makeup, environment, and lifestyle to tailor healthcare to that individual.

Creating a healthier future for everyone is the ultimate goal of the All of Us project, which is seeking more participants during upcoming enrollment events this month geared toward USA employees and students.

All of Us will have a mobile unit available on USA's main campus at the Student Center parking lot during USA’s Week of Welcome activities. On Monday, Aug. 21, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., students, parents, faculty and staff will have an opportunity to learn more about the research program, meet the team, ask questions, and complete in-person enrollment.

Participants in the program receive free genetic testing and an opportunity to learn more about their health.

Funded by the National Institutes of Health, All of Us is an ambitious effort to gather health data from 1 million or more people living in the United States to accelerate research that may improve health. The program aims to reflect the diversity of the country and to include participants from groups that have been underrepresented in health research in the past.

To learn more about the All of Us Research Program, stop by the bus on campus or visit joinallofus.org. 

USA mourns loss of Cindy Sheets, M.D., retired pediatrics faculty member

Cindy Sheets, M.D.

Cindy Sheets, M.D., FAAP, a beloved and respected pediatrician at USA Health and an adjunct assistant professor at the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine at the University of South Alabama, died last week after battling lung cancer for more than two years. 

Sheets, 66, who retired in 2022 from USA Health Pediatrics, was known as a passionate advocate for early childhood literacy. She was recognized as one of the first pediatricians in Alabama to become a Reach Out and Read program provider, an initiative she personally and professionally supported for more than 17 years, touching countless families in the Mobile community. 

“We were saddened to learn of Dr. Sheets’ passing,” said John V. Marymont, M.D., M.B.A., dean of the Whiddon College of Medicine. “Her drive and determination to care for our youngest patients and to encourage an early love of learning by providing them with new books each year are inspiring.” 

She earned a medical degree in 1981 from the University of Florida then accepted a research fellowship in obstetrics and gynecology at the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. Next, she joined the pediatrics residency program at the Yale-affiliated Bridgeport Hospital, where she served as chief resident.  

In 1986, Sheets moved to the Mobile area and held positions with Prime Health, Pediatrics Associates and, eventually, USA Health and the Whiddon College of Medicine. During her years in academic medicine, residents recognized her with Best Private Attending and Best Faculty Attending awards.  

While active in her pediatrics practice, she also was proud of her roles as a wife, mother, grandmother, and contributor to Christ the King Catholic School, where she was a math team coach for fifth graders, a Science Olympiad coach, and president of the Parent-Teacher Association.  

Sheets is survived by her husband, Jonathan Scammell, Ph.D., assistant dean for admissions, chair of comparative medicine, and professor of comparative medicine and pharmacology at the Whiddon College of Medicine; her son, Alex, and his wife, Lyndsey; her granddaughter, Aubrey; her daughter, Emily, and son, Adam. She is also survived by her mother, Elizabeth Bryan; her sisters, Melanie, Mari and Amee, and her brother, Mark. 

Her family recognized the medical teams at the Mitchell Cancer Institute and University Hospital for their care and encouragement during her illness. A memorial service is planned this fall.  

In recognition of her unwavering devotion to serving the children of Mobile, her family asks that donations be made to the Reach Out and Read program, Office of Development, 650 Clinic Drive, TRP III, Ste. 1500, Mobile, AL 36688.  

A card is available to sign at Marcina Lang's desk on the USA campus in the dean's office. New and used books for the Reach Out and Read Program are also being accepted for a donation in her honor for patients of USA Health’s Department of Pediatrics. Donations will be accepted through Thursday, Aug. 17. The donations and cards will be delivered on Friday, Aug. 18. 

Register now: CME opportunities for opioids and ethics credits

The Office of Continuing Medical Education will host the Overdose Awareness Day Conference 2023 (MATE Act Training) on Thursday, Aug. 31. This conference offers 8 hours of phenomenal training, breakfast, lunch and materials, virtually or on the USA campus at Research Park III, 650 Clinic Drive, Suite 1100. For more information, the full agenda, and registration, visit the CME Tracker.

Also, as a special offer, all those who register for this conference will receive free virtual attendance at the 7th Annual Conference on Ethics (6 hours) and Opioids (2 hours) held on Friday, Nov. 10. This is provided for those who may not be able to attend all 8 hours on Aug. 31. Learn more about the annual conference.