Menopause among topics discussed at 31st annual Obstetrics and Gynecology conference

Lyndsey Harper, M.D., associate professor of OB-GYN

at Texas A&M University, was among the guest speakers.

To better meet the complex gynecological needs of women, more than 100 physicians, nurse practitioners, and other healthcare providers gathered April 3-4 for USA Health’s 31st annual Obstetrics and Gynecology Education Conference in Biloxi, Mississippi. 

“Things in medicine change so quickly that it’s a good idea for us to share updates on the latest trends and advances,” said Mary (Mimi) B. Munn, M.D., a maternal-fetal medicine physician and professor and chair of obstetrics and gynecology at USA Health. “And with the closure of so many OB-GYN practices in rural areas, it’s critical for USA Health to continue to foster collaborations and partnerships in this time of decreasing resources.”   

Held at the Golden Nugget Biloxi Hotel & Casino, the symposium featured presentations on topics ranging from menopause and menopause hormone therapy to medical management of obesity and the success of an at-home blood pressure monitoring program at Children’s & Women’s Hospital. 

More than a dozen members of the USA Health OB-GYN staff made presentations, along with other guest speakers including additional faculty members from the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine at the University of South Alabama and Texas A&M University.  

Constance Collins Dabezies, M.D., FACOG, MSCP, a board-certified OB-GYN who sees patients at USA Health’s medical offices in Spanish Fort, discussed the health concerns that can come with menopause and the evidence-based guidelines that physicians can follow to help their patients better navigate that stage of life.  

An estimated 2 million women reach menopause each year in the United States. The onset is typically described as a point in time 12 months after a woman's last menstrual cycle, according to the National Institute on Aging, noting that the years leading up to that point — when women may have changes in their monthly cycles, hot flashes, or other symptoms — are called the menopausal transition or perimenopause.  

For many women, the menopausal transition often begins between ages 45 and 55. It typically lasts seven years but can span 14 years or longer, research indicates.  

Dabezies urged those gathered not to be dismissive of a patient’s symptoms and to offer individualized and collaborative care, including shared decision making.  

When it comes to treatment options for those suffering from symptoms related to menopause, Dabezies said there is “evidence-based data to support the use of menopause hormone therapy.” She offered additional resources for attendees, including a 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement of the Menopause Society, and answered multiple questions following the presentation.  

Dabezies is among a small group of healthcare providers in Alabama to hold the NAMS Certified Menopause Practitioner designation from the Menopause Society.  

“We hope those who attended will be inspired by the presentations,” Munn said, “and go back to their practices equipped with more tools and strategies to better help their patients deal with the unique and challenging health issues women often face.”   

Medical students team up with kids in Buddy Ball league

Second-year medical student Jensen Hammons

serves as a buddy to Carson during a game.

Photo courtesy of Helen Joyce Photography. 

During baseball season, a group of medical students from the Whiddon College of Medicine can be found cheering on players at Miracle League of West Mobile: Schmidt Family Park, where the students volunteer with the local Buddy Ball league.  

The program pairs kids with physical, intellectual or developmental disabilities with volunteer “buddies” to engage in physical activities. The goal of Buddy Ball is to create a supportive and adaptive environment where everyone, regardless of ability, can participate, enjoy the game, and develop skills.

“The most rewarding part of the experience is just watching the kids have fun and be active,” said Erin Powell, a second-year medical student. “It's also great to see how the kids interact with each other and watch them learn what it means to work as a team.” 

Powell and her classmates Joseph Tucker and Chip Ogles coach one of the teams in the league. Second-year student Jensen Hammons and first-year student Will Carothers also volunteer with the league as buddies. 

This year, there are four teams and 62 participants on the roster. The teams usually play one or two games a week, and they try to get in extra practice during the week. During games, the coaches “buddy up” the young athletes with volunteers, keep a running sheet for the batting order, pitch to the kids, and, most importantly, ensure everyone is having a good time. Volunteers sit with their buddies for the entirety of games and help them bat, run bases, and chase down balls. 

“I think these kids serve as a reminder to all of us that you can do anything you set your mind to, and all it takes is a positive attitude,” Powell said.

The students heard about Buddy Ball at the club fair during their M1 orientation. “All of us love kids and enjoy being active,” Powell said, “so being a part of a club where we could combine those two passions was really a no-brainer.

The baseball field at the recently opened Miracle League of West Mobile: Schmidt Family Park is the first of its kind in Mobile County. It features a synthetic rubberized surface to accommodate wheelchairs and other assistive devices, with double-wide base paths for extra maneuverability.

The coaches said they are always looking for more medical students to volunteer with the Buddy Ball program. For more information or to volunteer, join the Buddy Ball GroupMe. 

Whiddon College of Medicine establishes Aequitas Health Medical Honor Society chapter

The Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine is pleased to announce the establishment of its chapter of the Aequitas Health Medical Honor Society, a national society that recognizes medical student fellows committed to eliminating health disparities in all forms. This prestigious honor society celebrates and supports future physicians who demonstrate leadership, community engagement, and a personal commitment to advancing health equity throughout their medical education.

Founded in 2021 at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, Aequitas Health was born from a collective awareness of the deep-rooted health inequities highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The society seeks to build a nationwide community of medical students and professionals actively working to dismantle systemic disparities affecting underserved populations. The Whiddon College of Medicine chapter continues this mission with a focus on our region’s unique health equity challenges and strengths.

Ashley Williams Hogue, M.D.

The development of the Whiddon College of Medicine chapter was initiated in fall 2023 by Ryan Ford, a member of the Class of 2026 and co-chair of a student advisory committee. The chapter is supported by the Whiddon COM Office of Health Advancement. 

Ashley Williams Hogue, M.D., was named the inaugural president of the chapter. She is an assistant professor of surgery, director of the USA Health Center for Healthy Communities, and founder of Project Inspire. 

“Her leadership and dedication to community-centered health advancement will serve as a guiding light for the chapter,” said Franklin Trimm, M.D., associate dean of health advancement at the Whiddon College of Medicine.

The inaugural fellows from the Class of 2025 exemplify the values of the Aequitas Health Medical Honor Society through sustained efforts in leadership, advocacy and service:

• 
  Mary Claire Carlton
• Claire Chastain
• Emily Cleveland
• Altonnesha Darby
• Warren Law III
• Rachael Motamed
• Ryleigh Randall
• Natalie Simpkins

“These students represent the future of medicine well — one where compassion, a focus on the needs of individual patients and of the communities in which they live, leadership and service are central to healthcare delivery and professional identity,” Williams Hogue said. “Their induction into the Aequitas Health Medical Honor Society is both a recognition of their accomplishments and a call to continued leadership in promoting the best health possible for all. We celebrate their contributions and look forward to the work ahead.”

Class of 2025 looks to honors breakfast, hooding and commencement ceremonies

Students completing medical and doctoral degrees at the Whiddon College of Medicine have several events leading up to graduation.

An honors breakfast and ceremony are planned for medical students who are receiving awards and honors cords on Friday, April 25, in the Student Center Ballroom. Breakfast will begin at 9 a.m., followed by the awards ceremony at 9:30 a.m.

The Academic Hooding Ceremony for all graduates of the Whiddon College of Medicine will be held at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, May 8, at the USA Mitchell Center. Sixty-eight graduating medical students will take the Hippocratic Oath and be hooded by someone of their choosing. Two graduating students in the Basic Medical Sciences Graduate Program will be awarded doctoral hoods by their major professors. The military commissioning ceremony for M.D. graduates will follow. The event will be streamed live on the Mitchell Center's YouTube channel. 

USA's Spring Commencement Ceremony will celebrate graduates and confer degrees from the Whiddon College of Medicine and other colleges at the university. Commencement is set for 9:30 a.m. Friday, May 9, at the Mitchell Center. The Class of 2025 will be the 50th class to receive medical degrees from the Whiddon College of Medicine. Graduates present at the ceremony will be announced and walk across the stage. Commencement will be streamed live on the Mitchell Center's YouTube channel. 

For more information on graduation, visit the Registrar’s Commencement page.

USA scientist challenges study on mitochondrial DNA inheritance

Mikhail Alexeyev Ph.D., center, and research technologists Natalya Kozhukhar, Ph.D., and Rafik Fayzulin, Ph.D., study mitochondrial DNA in the lab.

By Lindsay Hughes 

A scientist at the University of South Alabama has challenged a key conclusion of a 2023 study on the maternal inheritance of mitochondrial DNA. 

Mikhail Alexeyev, Ph.D., a professor of physiology and cell biology at the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine, provides a critical analysis of the study in Nature Genetics, a high-impact scientific journal. His article, “An alternative model for maternal mtDNA inheritance,” is published in the journal’s March 2025 issue.

Understanding how mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is inherited “will inform our approaches to genetic counseling for mitochondrial disease and male infertility, as well as the development of gene therapy strategies for treating mitochondrial disorders,” Alexeyev said.

In most species, mtDNA is inherited from a single parent. The current understanding is that, in humans, mtDNA is inherited exclusively from the mother. Scientists have identified several mechanisms in different species that ensure uniparental inheritance of mtDNA. However, it is still unclear how these mechanisms work in humans. Interestingly, studies have shown that mtDNA content in human sperm inversely correlates with fertility: As the amount of mtDNA in sperm increases, fertility tends to decrease. 

The study that Alexeyev challenges was conducted by researchers at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and published in the September 2023 issue of Nature Genetics. The authors demonstrated that human sperm contains little to no mtDNA, less than previously thought. They also confirmed earlier findings that sperm were missing two proteins – POLG and POLRMT – that are essential for maintaining mtDNA. 

Another important finding in the Jefferson University study involved a protein called TFAM. Normally, TFAM is found in the mitochondria, the energy-producing parts of cells, where it plays a key role in maintaining and regulating mtDNA. However, in sperm, TFAM is primarily located in other areas of the cell, like the nucleus (the cell’s control center) and cytosol (the fluid in the cell that surrounds the organelles). 

The researchers also found that TFAM is chemically modified through phosphorylation, a process in which a phosphate group is added to the protein. They suggest that this modification prevents TFAM from entering the mitochondria, which may account for the loss of mtDNA in sperm. In other words, this alteration in TFAM’s location and function could explain why sperm don’t pass on mitochondrial DNA. 

In his critique of the Jefferson University study, Alexeyev invokes Occam’s razor, a principle that suggests the simplest explanation – the one that requires the fewest assumptions – is usually the best. He proposes a more straightforward model: “Sperm lacks mtDNA because it is missing POLG and POLRMT, as well as two other proteins, TFB2M and TWNK,” he explained. “In the absence of any of these four proteins, mtDNA is lost, and the combined loss of all four presents a compelling argument – one that our reviewers acknowledged.”

Alexeyev said the Jefferson University model is difficult to prove but can be easily falsified. “For example, the paper provides evidence that as many as three proteins (TFAM, POLG and POLRMT) and potentially as many as five (adding TFB2M and TWNK) essential for mtDNA maintenance might be missing from sperm mitochondria. If so,” he asks, “why would TFAM alone be responsible for mtDNA loss?”

In response to Alexeyev’s criticism, the authors put forward a hypothesis that TFAM, unlike the other four proteins, physically shields mtDNA from nucleases. Nucleases are enzymes that are designed to break apart the nucleotides that make up the nucleic acids DNA and RNA. Therefore, TFAM relocalization from mitochondria would have the additional consequence of making mtDNA vulnerable to attack by nucleases, which leads to accelerated mtDNA loss.

“In our rebuttal, we point out that this assumption is contradicted by experimental evidence,” Alexeyev said. “Indeed, mtDNA remains accessible to mitochondrially expressed nucleases. We and others have used this accessibility to develop methods for mtDNA elimination from cells.”

Recently, the Alexeyev lab used the GeneSwap method, as described in their paper “A method for in situ reverse genetic analysis of proteins involved in mtDNA replication,” to substitute normal TFAM in cells with mutant forms that mimic the phosphorylated version found in sperm. These modified cells retain mtDNA, contradicting the model proposed by the Jefferson University team.

Alexeyev's work, including his use of innovative gene-editing techniques, may help refine our understanding of mtDNA inheritance and its role in human health. If researchers can uncover the precise mechanisms behind mtDNA inheritance, it could open new avenues for gene therapy and treatment strategies.

Read the full article in Nature Genetics: “An alternative model for maternal mtDNA inheritance.”