Meharry Medical College School of Medicine student, Mariano Thomas, is turning a life-changing childhood experience into a passion for helping others. At just nine years old, Thomas experienced paralysis from the neck down after developing acute transverse myelitis, a rare neurological condition affecting the spinal cord. After undergoing treatment and rehabilitation, he regained mobility and found inspiration in the medical professionals who helped him recover. Today, Thomas is pursuing his medical education at Meharry with aspirations of becoming a pediatric neurologist. His journey reflects his commitment to providing compassionate care and making a difference in the lives of children facing…
Author: Theresa Morrison
Meharry Medical College and Nashville General Hospital hosted Nashville Walks for Peace Saturday, Sept. 12, bringing physicians, medical students, first responders, families and community members together for a 5K race and 2-mile walk focused on preventing gun violence and promoting safer communities. Nashville was one of 10 cities to participate in the national event led locally by Meharry pediatrician Dontal Johnson, M.D., in partnership with the National Medical Association and Project Outreach and Prevention on Youth Violence. During the event, Mothers Over Murder Founder & CEO Clemmie Greenlee (aka “Ms. Clemmie”) spoke about the impact of gun violence, leading the…
A team of Meharry Medical College students has introduced a solution showing that urban development can thrive without displacing community residents. Their plan received the first-place prize — and $10,000 — in the Compassion Challenge, a national HBCU competition hosted by We Are Values, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and CALPE Labs. The Challenge asked student teams to solve the problem of “green gentrification,” the pattern where park and greenspace investments in historically under-resourced neighborhoods inadvertently raise property values, displace longtime residents, and deepen racial and economic inequality, ultimately harming the very communities the investments were meant to help. The…
Meharry’s School of Applied Computational Sciences (SACS) will soon develop three short-term certificates in AI, cybersecurity and bioinformatics thanks to a $ 2 million Department of Education grant – Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education. The four-year grant funds the “Meharry FutureTech” program. This initiative will launch three 12 to 15 week, nine-credit-hour graduate certificates: AI and data analytics for health systems; cybersecurity for health and medical data; and bioinformatics and genomics data foundations. “These online certificates will include advising, tutoring, and support for work-based and employer-mentored learning for each participant,” said Dean Fortune S. Mhlanga, Ph.D., the grant’s principal investigator. “Their…
Nashville, TN – Meharry Medical College proudly welcomes José E. Rodríguez, MD, FAAFP, as the new Chair and tenured full professor of the Department of Family and Community Medicine. Previously, he served as Associate Vice President for Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the University of Utah Health and was a tenured professor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine. “Dr. José Rodríguez brings a rare combination of heart, scholarship, and leadership to Meharry Medical College School of Medicine,” said Dean Sonja Harris-Haywood, M.D., MS, MA. His life’s work, championing equity, amplifying underrepresented voices, and expanding access to compassionate…