The e-newsletter for faculty and staff at the UTMB School of Medicine News and information (appointments, searches, events, awards, etc.) pertaining to the School of Medicine are featured in SOM e-NEWS in abstract form and are linked to the web for more detailed information. If you have information you would like published in this newsletter, please contact Denise Gonzalez, in the Dean of Medicine Office via email (djgonzal@utmb.edu) or by fax (29598). Please let us know your ideas and suggestions for this communication format. You may send your comments via email to Jackie Genovese, Director of Communications, School of Medicine, jmgenove@utmb.edu.
December 2007
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The next Faculty of Medicine Meeting is scheduled on Wednesday, December 12, 2007, 5:15 PM, Levin Hall North Auditorium. A reception honoring new School of Medicine faculty, appointed between 10/01/07-11/30/07, will be held in the Levin Hall Foyer immediately after the meeting.
Click here for a listing of meeting dates and to view a webcast of the October 4th meeting and photos of the new faculty reception.
TOWN HALL MEETING
Mark your calendar for the next Town Hall meeting. On Thursday, Dec. 13, members of the university community are invited to a UTMB Town Hall meeting hosted by President David L. Callender. Come mark the conclusion of 2007 and celebrate the holiday season. Come get a sense of the priorities and vision emerging for the institution, the result of many discussions and much input during the past 90 days. Join us to add your voice and contribute your ideas to the dialogue. Holiday refreshments will be served. The Town Hall will take place from noon to 1 p.m.in Levin Hall Main Auditorium; all are invited to attend. More info...
These lectures are sponsored by the Holocaust Museum Houston and broadcast live to UTMB and other UT campuses, every Tuesday evening, 6-8pm, Sept. 18–Dec. 11, 2007. For more information, visit the web site.
Ken Fujise, M.D., has been named Director of the Division of Cardiology effective Dec. 1. Most recently with the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, Fujise has pledged to build a comprehensive cardiology division that would provide the best possible care, research and education. Galveston and UTMB have “everything needed for success for somebody like me who would like to be a cardiologist and, at the same time, do meaningful cardiovascular research,” Fujise said. Read more in Impact.
Heidi L. Weiss, Ph.D. has been named Director of the Biostatistics Shared Resource Facility in the UTMB Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Weiss comes to UTMB from the Baylor College of Medicine, where she was a Professor in the Breast Center and Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center. Prior to working at Baylor, Dr. Weiss held faculty positions at the Comprehensive Cancer Center of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Weiss obtained a Ph.D. in Biostatistics from the School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina. She has 15 years experience as a statistician in cancer research from her affiliations with NCI-designated Cancer Centers.
The mission of the Biostatistics Shared Resource Facility within the UTMB Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC) is to establish collegial interactions with members of the CCC in the provision of scientific and statistical support to all aspects of cancer research. The ultimate goal is to promote truly collaborative relationships as evidenced by inclusion in peer-reviewed research grant support and joint publications. As the Biostatistics Shared Resource Facility’s first Director, Dr. Weiss will ensure that the resource has significant expertise in all aspects of biostatistical support specific to CCC research activities. This will include interactions early on in the planning and design of in vitro, in vivo preclinical and murine studies, and clinical studies; conceptualization of design and sample size considerations to optimize resources that will address study goals; database development and monitoring of safety, toxicity, and efficacy parameters of clinical trials; generation of interim statistical reports; and conduct and interpretation of final statistical analysis.
Barbara L. Thompson, M.D., Professor and Chair of the Department of Family Medicine, recently was elected to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Council of Academic Societies (CAS) Administrative Board. The CAS is one of three governing councils of the AAMC, along with the Council of Deans (COD) and the Council of Teaching Hospitals and Health Systems (COTH). The CAS is presently comprised of 94 academic societies devoted to biomedical and behavioral research, medical education, and patient care.
Angela J. Shepherd, M.D., Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, and colleagues have devised a "male osteoporosis risk estimation score" (MORES) that helps men determine their risk for osteoporosis. The findings have been published in the Annals of Family Medicine and Shepherd discussed the issue in a US News & World Report article.
Victor S. Sierpina, M.D., Professor, Department of Family Medicine, recently was elected as Chair of the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine, a group of 39 academic centers with active programs in Integrative Medicine.
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Janice K. Smith, M.D., Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine and Director of the PAHO/WHO Collaborating Center for Training in International Health, has been named to the University of Texas System's new Global Initiatives Advisory Group as President Callender's designated representative from UTMB.
Angela K. Gardner, M.D., an emergency physician at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, has been elected Vice President of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP).
Gardner is an Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery. She has held several ACEP leadership positions, including chairwoman of ACEP’s task force that developed a National Report Card on the State of Emergency Medicine, released in 2006.
A national speaker, educator and published author, Gardner has served as a national spokeswoman for Doctors’ for Medical Liability Reform and as a member of ACEP’s Professional Liability Task Force. In addition, she served as president of ACEP’s Texas chapter from 2003 to 2004. See full story.
Binhua P. Zhou, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, has received a five-year, $1.4 million grant from the National Cancer Institute. The funding will be used to advance Zhou's research on regulation of a transcriptional regulatory protein known as "snail" in breast cancer progression and metastasis. Snail plays a critical role in the initiation and progression of metastasis.
"Our long-term goal is to reduce the incidence of breast cancer metastasis by gaining an understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying the initial step of breast cancer metastasis," Zhou said. "The knowledge gained from this study holds great promise for novel interventions for preventing and treating breast cancer." Read more
Irina A. Pikuleva, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, has received a four-year, $1.2 million grant from the National Eye Institute to advance her research on the significance of particular enzymes in retinal function.
“This research will be critical for understanding the development of certain eye diseases that reduce vision,” said Pikuleva.
A national research team led by a UTMB investigator used the bacteria which causes food poisoning to better understand how cancer cells grow and develop. The results of this study were recently published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry and featured in Science Daily.
Lisa A. Elferink, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology and the UTMB Comprehensive Cancer Center, led a national research team in using the bacterial pathogen, Listeria Monocytogenes, to understand the mechanisms by which cancer cells develop.
The team found that a Listeria protein called InIB induces internalization and degradation of a human receptor known as Met, which has been implicated in the development of some cancers. Elferink and fellow researcher Keith Ireton from the University of Central Florida found that the ability of InIB to induce Met internationalization requires a human protein called Cbl. If scientists could figure out how to control Cbl, such knowledge might lead to the development of drugs that destroy Met and are useful in treating Met-related cancers.
“We found that Listeria actually provokes human epithelial cells (cells lining the small intestine) into ingesting bacteria,” Elferink said. “When Listeria contacts an epithelial cell, the bacterium causes changes in the cells’ cytoskeleton that allow the cell to swallow up the bacterium. We discovered that a human protein called Crkll plays a critical role in stimulating internalization of Listeria by somehow controlling the cytoskeleton.” Listeria is a potentially deadly pathogen, causing abortions in pregnant women and meningitis in those with compromised immune systems, resulting in about a 25 percent mortality rate.
Elferink’s findings are important in helping to understand and control the spread of bacteria that cause potentially fatal food poisoning. These bacteria can live outside animal hosts. Sources include dead plant matter, fruits and vegetables, unpasteurized dairy products and meats that have not been properly cooked. Pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems are particularly at risk. To avoid contamination, Elferink suggests that all meat be thoroughly cooked and that consumers avoid dairy products that are not pasteurized. She also recommends thoroughly washing all fruits and vegetables before consuming.
Elferink recently was named to the editorial board of the Journal of Experimental Therapeutics and Oncology as associate editor.
Learn more about the AAMC's AspiringDocs.org campaign to raise awareness about the critical need for more diversity in medicine and to encourage well-prepared African American, Latino/a, and Native American students to apply to and enroll in medical school. Launched in October 2006, the AspiringDocs.org web site is a free resource that provides various tools for potential medical students.
10. SCIENTIFIC WRITING FOR CLINICAL RESEARCH 2008
The Scientific Writing for Clinical Research is a series of 4 afternoon sessions beginning Tuesday, January 22, 2008 and offered by the General Clinical Research Center and Clinical Research Education Office (Constance D. Baldwin, Ph.D., Course Director). The course will help participants to develop an effective writing style for all kinds of scholarly documents, with special emphasis on research articles and grant proposals. The seminars will be taught interactively with constructive critique of writing samples contributed by previous participants.
The four seminars are presented on Tuesdays and Fridays January 22, 25, February 26 and 29, from noon to 3 p.m. in the Rebecca Sealy building. A light lunch is provided. The course registration is limited, and participation will be confirmed on a first come, first serve basis. Registrations are being accepted from UTMB faculty only, through January 4.
A brochure further describing the sessions and registration information is available at: http://intranet.utmb.edu/gcrc/education/Ed_SciWriting%20current.htm or upon request by contacting Janie Ferrell of the Clinical Research Education Office via email jferrell@utmb.edu or phone 772-1484. The course fee of $40 includes registration, letter of completion, and refreshments. The schedule of other components of the Clinical Research Education Program is available on the GCRC web page http://www.utmb.edu/gcrc/education/Ed_CREO.htm
Below is a listing of SOM faculty or programs in the news:
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 1, 2007, $12,000 raised for child health programs at UTMB. Approximately $12,000 was raised for children’s health programs during the recent Art & A Movie event at Moody Gardens.
http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=2cb0f031849412c6
Calibre macroworld, Nov. 1, 2007, Research from University of Texas provide new insights into yellow fever vaccines. This article refers to “Production of Pseudoinfectious Yellow Fever Virus with a Two-Component Genome,” published in the Journal of Virology by Alexandr V. Shustov, Peter W. Mason and Ilya Frolov, all of UTMB. According to the article: “Application of genetically modified, deficient-in-replication flaviviruses that are incapable of developing productive, spreading infection is a promising means of designing safe and effective vaccines.” http://calibre.mworld.com/m/m.w?lp=GetStory&id=278532231
House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Nov. 1, 2007, The administration’s regulatory actions on Medicaid: The effects on patients, doctors, hospitals and states. Dr. Angela K. Gardner, an emergency physician at UTMB, testified Thursday in Washington, D.C., at a hearing to examine a range of regulatory changes regarding the Medicaid program that have recently been made by the Department of Health and Human Services. Gardner was recently elected vice president of the American College of Emergency Physicians.
Testimony text: http://oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=1578
Testimony video: http://oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=1590 (To view Gardner’s testimony, set the slider to a point between the rewind and fast-forward buttons.)
Heathcare IT News, Nov. 1, 2007, Healthcare looks to bridge the distance. Dr. Glenn Hammack is quoted in this article as saying that telemedicine is no longer an experiment and cites UTMB’s record of treating patients remotely. http://www.healthcareitnews.com/story.cms?id=8065
San Francisco Chronicle, Nov. 2, 2007, Open Forum: How Congress may derail care for uninsured. Laura Hermer, an attorney and an assistant professor of bioethics and health policy at UTMB, writes about a major impediment cities such as San Francisco face from federal regulations, specifically the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, when they try to provide health care to the uninsured. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/02/ED5UT4OH5.DTL&feed=rss.opinion
Milwaukee Business Journal, Nov. 2, 2007, Compound to be tested as a shield against bioterror. UTMB is mentioned in this article about a contract for development of the drug oglufanide disodium, which an Australian company is developing as a defense against bioterrorism agents. UTMB will test the drug against glanders and melioidosis.
http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/othercities/seattle/stories/2007/11/05/story4.html?b=1194238800^1544599
Denver Business Journal, Nov. 2, 2007, Air Force allowed Smith to follow his dream of being a doctor. Scott Smith, a 1993 graduate of UTMB’s medical school, served four years in the Air Force to help pay for his medical education. The article focuses on Smith’s life since medical school.
http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/othercities/denver/stories/2007/11/05/focus4.html?b=1194238800^1544634
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 3, 2007, Locals to compete in Ironman Triathlon. Roger Vertrees, an assistant professor in UTMB’s Department of Surgery-Cardiothoracic, was among a group of Galveston area residents to compete in the recent Ironman Florida triathlon. This was Vertrees’ first time to compete in the Florida event. He trains with the Galveston Tri-Island team. http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=d2570adb0135e3fd
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 4, 2007, New inks, lasers help ease 'tattoo regret.' UTMB dermatologist Erica Kelly is quoted in this article about tattoo removal. Kelly described how she targets the tattoo with a laser at a wavelength that will break up the ink. The smaller ink particles can then be absorbed into the body where they eventually disappear.
http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=cc6003e5dff545b7b95c21416bd44ed0
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 6, 2007, Get a grip when child medicines don’t work. Grandma was right, says Howard Brody in his Medicine and Health column. Instead of using cold medicines that don’t work, parents should ensure that children with cold symptoms drink plenty of fluids, get extra rest and use a salt-water nose spray or gargle.
http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=059f2c49d5e7eec3e22e045fae6a8fce
Houston Chronicle Pasadena/Baytown, Nov. 6, 2007, Children get a fun place to wait. There's an alternative for pregnant moms who visit UTMB's Regional Maternal and Child Health Clinic in Pasadena. The 15-year-old clinic at 3737 Red Bluff Road is a joint operation of UTMB and the Harris County Health Department. In the past year, UTMB and the clinic have pioneered a service known as the CHEER! Room (Child Health Education Enrichment Resource Room). The article quotes Katherine Golden Beck, regional director for UTMB’s RMCHP, and Carolyn Nelson-Becker, administrative director.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/pasadena/news/5258855.html
Medpage Today, Nov. 6, 2007, AASLD: After Weight Loss Surgery, Liver Signs Improve. Bariatric surgery can improve liver histology as well as causing significant weight loss and improvement in other components of the metabolic syndrome Dr. Rajasekhara R. Mummadi told attendees at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases meeting in Boston.
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/Obesity/tb/7270
IT Business Net, Nov. 7, 2007, RigNet and NuPhysicia partner to provide high tech health solutions to oil and gas industry. RigNet Inc., a provider of managed communications solutions for the upstream oil and gas industry, and NuPhysicia LLC, formed a partnership this week at the Offshore Communications Conference in Houston. The companies are launching RigNet Medical, a service developed to enhance the overall health of those whose work takes them offshore or to remote locations. The article quotes Dr. Glenn Hammack, president and CEO of NuPhysicia. Hammack is assistant vice president executive director of UTMB’s Electronic Health Network. NuPhysicia is a recently formed company in partnership with UTMB. http://security.itbusinessnet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=225370
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 7, 2007, Take steps to protect your family from lead poisoning. With reference to recent findings about lead paint in many older Galveston homes, Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly, in their Keeping Kids Healthy column, outline steps parents can take to help protect their children, such as free lead screening and wiping surfaces with a high phosphorous cleaning solution. http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=1e86e2f2aca26f5a547aea01f7bc6bed
Houston Chronicle Bay Area, Nov. 8, 2007, Former attorney switches jobs, but still saving lives. From saving prisoners on death row in Illinois to saving young lives, Dr. Carroll King clearly loves life. King, a 57-year-old Houston Heights resident, recently joined the faculty at UTMB and serves as director of PICU and division head of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/bay/news/5279415.html
HPC wire, Nov. 9, 2007, TACC partners with IBM's World Community Grid. This article about IBM’s World Community Grid quotes UTMB’s Stanley Watowich whose research team is using the grid to find compounds to combat the family of viral diseases called flaviviruses, which include dengue fever, West Nile virus, hepatitis C, and yellow fever.
http://www.hpcwire.com/hpc/1877938.html
Buildings.com, November 2007, A construction project from start to finish: The impact of environmental change. UTMB’s Children's Center project team undertook a two-phase construction venture to provide a new home for its on-campus childcare services. This extensive article – an explanation and summary of a study conducted throughout the construction process – documents how the changed environment (a new building) influenced teacher/staff attitudes and perceptions, and the performance of their duties.
http://www.buildings.com/articles/detail.aspx?contentID=5407
Business Journal of Milwaukee, Nov. 9, 2007, Stem cell company BioFlow considers move to Houston. BioFlow Technologies Inc., a Michigan biotechnology company that specializes in stem cells, is mulling a possible relocation to Houston. BioFlow already has a collaboration with UTMB, where a researcher is using the company's bioreactor to create liver tissue for toxicity testing.http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/othercities/houston/stories/2007/11/12/story12.html?b=1194843600^1547862
GuidryNews.com, Nov. 12, 2007, Global health conference. Two days of activities focusing on the complex realities of global health will begin at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 14, with an opening reception and a panel discussion on “Migrant Workers and Immigrant Populations: Healthcare, Law and Ethics.” All events and activities are open to the public. http://guidrynews.com/story.aspx?id=1000005504
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 13, 2007, UTMB to participate in collaboration with Brazil. A televised discussion of viral and bacterial lung infections Friday was the first of a series involving radiology residents, students and faculty at UTMB and their counterparts at the University of Sao Paulo School of Medicine in Brazil.
http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=25d5ffbac26d1f0b
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 13, 2007, Giuliani’s cancer and misleading statistics. Former New York mayor’s comparison of prostrate cancer statistics between the United States and Great Britain is a case of apples and oranges, writes Howard Brody in his Medicine and Health column. More screening is done in the states but survival rates for both countries are about the same. http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=842d9f9fc777b4e6
KHOU – Channel 11 Houston, Diabetes hits Texas and its economy hard. Dr. Randall Urban is featured in this television report on diabetes. Report notes that money routed to Dallas in North Texas would have been used by Stark Diabetes Center to help people where diabetes is most prevalent in Texas – South Texas. Text and video:
http://www.khou.com/news/health/stories/khou071113_ac_diabetes.200d747.html
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Nov. 13, 2007, Long-Term Safety of Recombinant Human Growth Hormone in Turner Syndrome. Katrina Bolar of UTMB is listed as the main contact for this research. http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/jc.2007-1723v1
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 14, 2007, Children’s Report Card tracks progress. In this column by Sally Robinson and Keith Bly, they write about how the Children’s Report Card, compiled by UTMB, has provided tons of information for health and elected officials in trying to help the children of Galveston. http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=21ff613b77578cf6
mediLexicon, Nov. 15, 2007, Regenetech and Johns Hopkins sign stem cell agreement for diabetes. Regenetech Inc. has signed a Sponsored Research Agreement with Johns Hopkins University in order to work toward a treatment for type 1 diabetes. This is in addition to the research agreements that the company has in place with UTMB and Texas A&M University. UTMB supplies blood and cord blood stem cells to Regenetech’s laboratories.
http://www.medilexicon.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=88776
Associated Content, Nov. 15, 2007, How dangerous is a mosquito bite? More so than previously believed. Researchers at UTMB have made a discovery that gives some new insight into West Nile Virus. They have found that if a mosquito that does not have the virus bites a person and then later that person is bitten by an infected mosquito he or she would have a higher risk of the disease being worse. The lead researchers are Brad Schneider, a UTMB alumnus who is now a postdoctoral fellow at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, UTMB professor Stephen Higgs and Dr. Lynn Soong. The rest of the team is graduate students Charles E. McGee, Jeffrey M. Jordan and Heather L. Stevenson. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/449871/how_dangerous_is_a_mosquito_bite_more.html
(This story has appeared in multiple publications.)
KTRK (ABC) Houston, Nov. 16, 2007, Action 13 angels aid man who fell from roof. A man who shattered his shin in a fall from a roof last spring finally received follow-up care he needed from Dr. Ronald Lindsey, chairman of UTMB’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation. Following his injury, Galveston County resident Kevin Jeansonne wore a metal cage on his leg to help the healing process. When it came time to remove it he couldn’t afford to pay for the procedure. Lindsey stepped in and now Jeansonne is regaining his mobility. (To view the video, go to the link below and scroll down the list of programs in the video player window.) http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/front
Waco Tribune-Herald, Nov. 16, 2007, Is medical research lab viable for Waco? Last month, a local doctor got the city’s attention when he revealed he wants to turn the Hillcrest Medical Tower into a research institute. But officials from two of Texas’ top research facilities say the idea is pretty far-fetched. The article quotes William G. New, associate dean for research administration at UTMB. http://www.wacotrib.com/hp/content/news/stories/2007/11/16/11162007wacresearchmecca.html
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 17, 2007, UTMB speaker was great. In this Letter to the Editor, Liliana Ortiz, a team leader at Rosenberg Elementary School in Galveston, praises UTMB’s Dr. Lauree Thomas for a presentation she made to fifth-graders. http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=6a7dabfe7657aa7e
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 18, 2007, How do you test for lead poisoning? UTMB pediatrician Wayne Snodgrass wants to see all children tested for lead poisoning before they start school. Lead poisoning causes a reduction in a child’s IQ and has been linked to learning disabilities, attention deficit disorders and behavioral problems. The damage is irreversible, but educational therapy can help to reduce the long-term effects. http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=9e484c95fe71da85
mediLexicon, Nov. 19, 2007, $2.2M NIH grant to develop drugs to suppress cocaine cravings. The University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy has received a $2.2 million federal grant to develop therapeutics to suppress the cravings of cocaine addicts. Kenneth Johnson Jr. and Kathryn Cunningham, both professors in UTMB’s Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, are currently conducting tests in animal models at UTMB.
http://www.medilexicon.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=89231
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 20, 2007, Adherence needs docs, patients to be all abuzz. Patients should tell their physicians when they decide not to take their prescription medicines but docs need to make it easier to discuss the issues without making patients feel guilty, writes Howard Brody in his Medicine and Health column.
http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=2accaa96200f57fd
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 21, 2007, Reducing your little athlete’s risk of burnout. In their Keeping Kids Healthy column, Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly offer tips on how parents can help minimize the risk of overtraining and burnout by their athletic children. http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=d7fda1968b10985e
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 22, 2007, The gratitude factor: giving thanks can add years to life. In this article about expressing gratitude, associate professor Glenn Ostir, of the Sealy Center on Aging at UTMB, says that science supports the benefits that accrue from choosing to be a thankful person. http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=d7ecfb274605e2d5
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 23, 2007, Preventing your baby’s future heart attack. In this guest column, Dr. David K. Rassin, associate dean for Continuing Medical Education, invites the public to attend Tuesday’s “Babies at Risk” conference at the Galveston Island Convention Center. Keynote speaker Dr. David J.P. Barker will discuss his research, which provides compelling evidence that better nutrition during pregnancy may prevent heart disease and obesity. The event is free and open to the public. http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=1deb19bcd53d23fdf6997b4be07a0418
Beaumont Enterprise, Nov. 23, 2007, Area counties prepare for possible flu pandemic. Dr. Norbert Roberts, an infectious disease specialist at UTMB, is quoted in this article about pandemic influenza. Some researchers have speculated the next human flu pandemic will arise from an avian flu.
http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=19050573&BRD=2287&PAG=461&dept_id=512588&rfi=8
Washington Post, Nov. 23, 2007, A gap in knowledge about kids, medication. A decade after the government began trying to ensure that prescription drugs used to treat children work and are safe, doctors still have scant information to guide them when they administer many medications to kids. The article quotes Wayne R. Snodgrass, a professor of pediatrics at UTMB. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/22/AR2007112201525.html
Calibre Macroworld, Nov. 24, 2007, Intent to grant an exclusive license of a U.S. government-owned patent. An announcement is made of the intent to grant an exclusive, royalty-bearing, revocable license to a live-attenuated Rift Valley fever virus as a licensed human vaccine to UTMB. http://calibre.mworld.com/m/m.w?lp=GetStory&id=281934071
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Nov. 25, 2007, Report assesses industrial pollution. This report about industrial pollution in Midlothian mentions a study published in 1995 by the late Marvin Legator, an environmental toxicologist at UTMB. The study found three times more respiratory illnesses in Midlothian – home to most of Ellis County's industries – than in Waxahachie a few miles away. The study also found that the rate of cancer deaths in Ellis County was consistently higher than the rate in neighboring Tarrant County. http://www.star-telegram.com/news/story/322962.html
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 27, 2007, Stem cell advocates want life both ways. In his Medicine and Health column, UTMB’s Howard Brody chastises advocates of embryonic stem cell research who focus on promised cures when so much about the science remains to be seen. (Link not available.)
BU Today, Nov. 27, 2007, BU Unites for World AIDS Day. Artist/psychiatrist Eric Avery, an associate clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at UTMB, is among the medical professionals participating in World AIDS Day activities at Boston University Saturday. Avery’s involvement focuses on printmaking.
http://www.bu.edu/phpbin/news-cms/news/?dept=4&id=47817&template=4
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 28, 2007, No motive revealed in 2-year-old’s killing. As the gruesome details of 2-year-old Riley Ann Sawyers’ torture and death emerge, people around the country ask one thing: Why? The article quotes Michael Fuller, associate professor of psychiatry at UTMB.
http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=8255c4ed2cf22b4c
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 28, 2007, Texas City woman’s death lets 2 others live. Mary Grace Jackson, 36, began suffering from diabetes at age 8, but her long bout with the debilitating disease ended Nov. 11 after her successful double-transplant surgery at UTMB was made possible when a Texas City man fulfilled his wife’s wish to become an organ donor. http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=e6704959b29db022
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 28, 2007, Tips for buying toys this holiday season. UTMB Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly offer advice on toy offerings facing parents this holiday season in their Keeping Kids Healthy column. http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=823d8a8cba40d96f
Men’s Health, Nov. 28, 2007, Does milk do your body good? This article investigates health claims for milk citing research at UTMB that found that drinking whole milk after lifting weights boosted muscle protein synthesis – an indicator of muscle growth – 2.8 times more than drinking skim did.
See link
Medicexchange.com, Nov. 28, 2007, RSNA awards Gold Medal to Drs. Bryan, Hendee and Thrall. A graduate of the UTMB Medical School has received the Gold Medal, the highest honor conferred by the Radiological Society of North America. Dr. R. Nick Bryan, of Philadelphia, Pa., began his career as a resident at UTMB in the late 1960s. He continued his undergraduate education at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and received his medical and graduate degrees from UTMB.
http://www.medicexchange.com/mall/departmentpage.cfm/MedicExchangeUSA/_81675/3189/departments-contentview
GuidryNews.com, Nov. 29, 2007, High-tech surgery uses precise photon beams, no scalpels. A specialized form of concentrated radiation therapy using high-energy photon beams to destroy tumor cells with surgical precision, but without a surgical scalpel, is a new treatment option for patients at UTMB. UTMB is one of only three medical centers in the state to offer this advanced treatment, which is used to treat cancer and other conditions.
http://guidrynews.com/story.aspx?id=1000005792
Houston Chronicle Bay Area, Nov. 29, 2007. San Luis Salute raises funds for professorship. Proceeds totaling $100,000 from the annual Mardi Gras ball went to the first Paige and Tilman Fertitta Professorship benefiting the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation at UTMB. The San Luis Salute, hosted each year by the Fertittas, has raised money for UTMB since its inception in 1997.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/bay/news/5333517.html
Houston Chronicle Bay Area, Nov. 29, 2007, Galveston County ready for flu season. The first confirmed case of the flu this season has been reported in Galveston County, but health officials are telling residents that it's not too late to be vaccinated. The article quotes Dr. Jennifer Raley, vice chairwoman for Clinical Affairs for Family Medicine at UTMB.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/bay/news/5333510.html
Calibre Macroworld, Nov. 29, 2007, Research on encephalitis vaccines detailed by scientists at University of Texas, Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases. New investigation results, “Chimeric Sindbis/eastern equine encephalitis vaccine candidates are highly attenuated and immunogenic in mice,” are detailed in a study published in Vaccine. The researchers concluded: “These findings support the potential use of these SIN/EEEV chimeras as safe and effective vaccines.” Eryu Wang, the principal author of the paper, is a scientist in UTMB’s Department of Pathology.
http://calibre.mworld.com/m/m.w?lp=GetStory&id=282698581
Washington Post, Nov. 30, 2007, Experts 'fail' risk analysis for Boston bioterror lab. An expert panel of the nation's premier science advisory organization yesterday gave a failing grade to a federal risk analysis used to justify construction of a controversial high-security bioterror laboratory in inner-city Boston. UTMB’s Galveston National Laboratory is mentioned.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/29/AR2007112902133.html
Medwire News, Nov. 30, 2007, Nationwide cervical cancer management protocols needed. Cervical cancer prevention strategies need to be tailored to reflect differences in lifestyles, say researchers who found risk factors for the disease vary significantly from country to country. William Au, a professor in UTMB’s Division of Environmental Toxicology, is quoted.
http://www.medwire-news.md/45/71343/ObGyn/Nationwide_cervical_cancer_management_protocols_needed.html
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