Welcome to the second and third quarter FCM Research Group Newsletter for 2025! We are so excited to welcome a new Health Services Research Coordinator to the team as well as a new Translational Biology Medicine and Health graduate student and two new VTCSOM students! We have had a productive quarter and published three papers and continuing data collection for multiple studies.
We welcome two new VTCSOM students and one new TBMH masters student!
TBMH Student
Neeharika is a first year TBMH student on the Public Health Implementation Science track. She completed her bachelors in science in Biology in May of 2025. Her previous research experience was in neurovirology in HSV 1 and 2. She loves to hike, read and cook in her free time.
VTCSOM students
Grace Qian is a medical student at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. Her data science project focuses on primary care’s role in interrupting opioid prescribing cascades. Before joining FCMRG, Grace worked as a clinical research coordinator at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where she managed clinical trials in rheumatology. She earned her BA&Sc in Cognitive Science from McGill University and is from upstate New York. In her free time, she enjoys doing crossword puzzles, hiking, and making pottery.
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Cherry went to the University of Queensland for the first year of college before transferring and completing her bachelor’s degree at the University of Virginia majoring in Biology. During her time at UVA, her research work was mainly focused on the ciliary phenotype and neuronal function of diseases of the primary cilia under the mentorship of Dr. John Fu. Currently, Cherry is interested in primary care and family medicine, especially forming long term relationships with patients and preventing physician burnout. Cherry has a strong interest in academic medicine and hopes to incorporate clinic, research and teaching as part of her career in the future. In her free time, she likes singing in a choir and enjoys outdoor activities like hiking with her family and friends.
Checking in with an FCMRG graduate!
"As of July, I have started as a hematology/oncology fellow at the University of Virginia! I completed my internal medicine residency at UVA in June. I spent my residency focusing primarily on QI research, continuing to use many of the skills I developed working alongside Drs Rockwell and Epling during med school!"
FCMRG has three new published papers!
Diagnostic Accuracy of a SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Test Obtained by Mid-turbinate Nasal Swabs
Epling J W, Lowery M B, Weir A A, Tenzer MM, Locklear TM, Baffoe-Bonnie AW, Skolnik PR (July 01, 2025) Diagnostic Accuracy of a SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Test Obtained by Mid-turbinate Nasal Swabs. Cureus 17(7): e87120. doi: 10.7759/cureus.87120
Rockwell MS, Villalobos G, Bannon J, Bishop D, Kirchner S, Jonas DE, Krist AH, Davis M, Brooks EM (2025). A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Practice Facilitation to Improve Delivery of Unhealthy Alcohol Use Screening and Management Services in Primary Care: A Qualitative Study. J Prim Care Community Health. 2025;16:21501319251351144. doi:10.1177/21501319251351144
Xames MD, Topcu TG, Parker SH, Zagarese V and Epling JW (2025) Evaluating CFIR 2.0 in identifying digital twin implementation challenges in healthcare: bridging the dichotomy between engineering and healthcare communities. Front. Digit. Health 7:1611225.
doi: 10.3389/fdgth.2025.1611225
Dr. Epling has been appointed by the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Board of Directors as the Chair of the Research Committee and a member of the STFM Board of Directors. He is also leading a Task Force to develop an STFM Scholarship Academy to support mentoring and faculty development in scholarly activity across STFM's membership.
Here at home, Dr. Epling has been appointed to the Executive Research Council as Chair of the Health Systems and Implementation Research Committee.
Great opportunities abound!
Camille Mittendorf (class of 2028) was mentioned in the September 2024 progress notes for Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine!
Read more here: https://medicine.vtc.vt.edu/news/progress-notes/september-2024.html
Camille Mittendorf led a practice informational teaching session (with a healthy lunch!) to FCMRG about her research project involving a produce - prescription program!
Dr. Epling and Dr. Morrow hosted a wonderful lake day at his house on Smith Mountain Lake. It was a gorgeous day full of sunshine, food, and friends!
Enjoying a great potluck by the lake!
Barry Rockwell enjoying a windy boat ride
See you next quarter!