State institutions are required to have emergency response plans in place for catastrophic events like floods, fires, tornadoes and active shooters. A global pandemic, on the other hand, is not something for which most have prepared a detailed playbook. In March, research faculty at SIU School of Medicine found themselves creating one on the fly. The work of SIU’s scientific investigators was crucial to not only maintain important research functions, but also to channel new energy toward combatting the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus. Associate Dean for Research Donald Torry, PhD, oversees about 175

Jennifer Becker, MD, MPH, is a first-year resident in Emergency Medicine. She completed her dual degrees in May, just after she received a 2020 Excellence in Public Health Award from the U.S. Public Health Service Physician Professional Advisory Committee for projects she initiated in southern Illinois. WHAT DID YOU ENJOY ABOUT THE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND SPRINGFIELD? I don’t think I could’ve had a better group of students to go through school with, and I had a lot of tutor groups with people that I really enjoyed seeing all of the time. Third year was by far the best, getting to rotate in so

Jennifer Becker, MD, MPH, is a first-year resident in Emergency Medicine. She completed her dual degrees in May, just after she received a 2020 Excellence in Public Health Award from the U.S. Public Health Service Physician Professional Advisory Committee for projects she initiated in southern Illinois. WHAT DID YOU ENJOY ABOUT THE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND SPRINGFIELD? I don’t think I could’ve had a better group of students to go through school with, and I had a lot of tutor groups with people that I really enjoyed seeing all of the time. Third year was by far the best, getting to rotate in so

SIU Medicine urologist Bradley Schwartz, DO, FACS, performs nearly 400 surgeries each year to remove kidney stones from patients. The hard deposits are made from minerals such as calcium, infection or other constituents such as uric acid that collect in the kidneys. They are sometimes small enough to pass naturally, but when they aren’t, they can cause obstruction, discomfort and often, intense pain. For Dr. Schwartz it’s also personal; he has had three stones himself and knows the big problems these little irritants can generate. In the past year, Schwartz has added a novel procedure to his

SIU Medicine urologist Bradley Schwartz, DO, FACS, performs nearly 400 surgeries each year to remove kidney stones from patients. The hard deposits are made from minerals such as calcium, infection or other constituents such as uric acid that collect in the kidneys. They are sometimes small enough to pass naturally, but when they aren’t, they can cause obstruction, discomfort and often, intense pain. For Dr. Schwartz it’s also personal; he has had three stones himself and knows the big problems these little irritants can generate. In the past year, Schwartz has added a novel procedure to his

SIU Medicine urologist Bradley Schwartz, DO, FACS, performs nearly 400 surgeries each year to remove kidney stones from patients. The hard deposits are made from minerals such as calcium, infection or other constituents such as uric acid that collect in the kidneys. They are sometimes small enough to pass naturally, but when they aren’t, they can cause obstruction, discomfort and often, intense pain. For Dr. Schwartz it’s also personal; he has had three stones himself and knows the big problems these little irritants can generate. In the past year, Schwartz has added a novel procedure to his

Dr. Erin Hascup, director of the Dale and Deborah Smith Center for Alzheimer's Research and Treatment, sat down with NPR Illinois' Vanessa Ferguson to discuss the latest in Alzheimer's disease on the program, Community Voices.

Dr. Erin Hascup, director of the Dale and Deborah Smith Center for Alzheimer's Research and Treatment, sat down with NPR Illinois' Vanessa Ferguson to discuss the latest in Alzheimer's disease on the program, Community Voices.

Dr. Erin Hascup, director of the Dale and Deborah Smith Center for Alzheimer's Research and Treatment, sat down with NPR Illinois' Vanessa Ferguson to discuss the latest in Alzheimer's disease on the program, Community Voices.

What brought you to SIU Medicine? I was born in Springfield and spent all of my childhood here, leaving only to go to college, then medical and graduate school. I always knew I wanted to return home eventually. I am fortunate that we have an excellent academic medical program as well as an outstanding hospital system in my hometown. It was an easy decision to move back home when I finished my training to establish my career. Why did you choose neurology as a focus? I was always fascinated with infectious disease stories when I was young, and this led me to start research with Dr. Linda Toth