In 2025, UMass Chan Medical School dedicated the Paul J. DiMare Center, made national headlines and celebrated families who are transforming the world of rare diseases. Watch our year in review video above; read on for links to our most-read stories.
In February, UMass Chan announced a $35 million philanthropic gift from the Paul J. DiMare Foundation to advance research, particularly breakthroughs in neurodegenerative and genetic diseases, especially ALS; and to recruit outstanding biomedical research faculty at all career stages. In recognition of this gift, the third largest ever received by the University of Massachusetts, UMass Chan’s newest research and education building was named the Paul J. DiMare Center during an event with the DiMare family in July.
It was a busy summer for the Medical School, as UMass Chan’s Accelerated MD program was featured on the CBS Evening News in July and UMass Chan research was featured in the New York Times, New York Times Magazine and Washington Post in August and September after federal research funding stalled. Gov. Maura Healey made a special visit to campus earlier in the year to learn firsthand about the impact of the funding shortfalls.
Meanwhile, UMass Chan faculty were recognized nationally and on a global stage in 2025.
- Jessica Spinelli, PhD, assistant professor of molecular medicine, and Emma V. Watson, PhD’16, assistant professor of systems biology, became the first UMass Chan faculty members to be named to the renowned Howard Hughes Medical Institute Freeman Hrabowski Scholars program, which launched in 2022.
- Anastasia Khvorova, PhD, the Remondi Family Chair in Biomedical Research and professor of RNA therapeutics, received the 2025 Else Kröner Fresenius Prize for Medical Research in May for her pioneering work in the field of RNA-based therapies. The award is accompanied by a $2.7 million prize.
- And in October, Melissa Fischer, MD, MEd, professor of medicine and associate vice provost for interprofessional and instructional innovation, was one of four medical education professionals to receive a 2025 Alpha Omega Alpha Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teacher Award, presented by the Association of American Medical Colleges.
Following Commencement in June, UMass Chan alumni numbered more than 8,200. The Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing opened applications for its new Direct Entry Master of Science in Nursing for Non-Nurses degree program in August. Meanwhile, the T.H. Chan School of Medicine continued to be ranked as the best medical school in the Northeast for primary care education by U.S. News and World Report. UMass Chan researchers were featured in a special six-episode podcast series launched by the Office of Communications in February; Rare Diseases, Real Stories illuminated the incredible network of scientists, clinicians, families and advocates working to drive rare disease research forward.
The Office of Well-Being welcomed the weekly farmers market back to campus in June. And they also officially opened the UMass Chan Wellness Farm at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in September. The Office of Community and Government Relations organized the first days of service in May, with more than 100 employees participating to advance community together.
Watch the year in review video above. A version with audio description is available here.
