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.
November 2007
Click on topic to read announcement or scroll
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.
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.
Approximately $12,000 was raised for children’s health programs at “Art & A Movie” held Friday, Oct. 19, at Moody Gardens. Proceeds benefit patients and programs at Children’s Hospital. See full story
Werner A. Braun, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Stanley M. Lemon, M.D., Professor and Director of the Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, are among 471 scientists named nationally as American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellows, a distinction conferred annually upon selected AAAS members by their peers. Sixteen UTMB faculty members have received the honor. Founded in 1848, the AAAS is the world's largest general scientific society, including 262 affiliated societies and academies of science serving 10 million members worldwide. See the full story in Impact
J. Marc Shabot, M.D., Raymond L. Gregory Professor in Medicine and Vice Chair for Alumni Affairs and Development in the Department of Internal Medicine, recently was honored by the Galveston Chapter of the American Cancer Society. Dr. Shabot established the Colon Cancer Screening Program at UTMB in the early 1990s, and has continued to spearhead efforts at UTMB in the prevention of colorectal malignancy. Last year, the San Luis Salute highlighted colon cancer prevention and honored Dr. G.S. Raju and Dr. Shabot with a $100,000 contribution to support patient discounts for screening colonoscopies, and also to support educational activities emphasizing colon cancer prevention. Dr. Shabot is a member of the Advisory Committee of the Galveston Chapter of the American Cancer Society.
Jingwu Xie, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, and researcher in the Comprehensive Cancer Center, has received a five-year, $1.3 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to advance his research on the molecular basis of hedgehog signaling and its role in the development of cancers. The hedgehog signaling pathway is frequently activated in human cancers, including most basal cell skin cancers and nearly a third of non-skin tumors. A large proportion of these tumors are caused by environmental carcinogens, such as UV irradiation, auto exhaust fumes and asbestos fibers. Xie said that understanding the molecular basis of hedgehog signaling could potentially lead to new medical diagnoses and treatments for cancer.
A real-time, televised presentation and discussion of viral and bacterial lung infections was held November 9th, at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Participating were UTMB radiology residents, students and faculty, and their counterparts at the University of Sao Paulo School of Medicine in Brazil.
The lecture by Dr. Leonard Swischuk, Professor, Department of Radiology, was the first in a series of planned collaborations between university radiologists at the two medical schools made possible by UTMB’s and Sao Paulo’s advanced teleconferencing infrastructure.
The new international relationship was established by Dr. Gregory Katzman, chairman of UTMB’s Department of Radiology, and Dr. Giovanni Guido Cerri, chairman of radiology at the University of Sao Paulo, with facilitation by Koichi Sameshima, an associate professor at the University of Sao Paulo.
The physicians expect the project will expand over time from clinically based telecommunication for education to a range of activities including faculty and resident exchanges.
“Radiology practices are similar worldwide but our patients and pathologic processes are somewhat different,” Katzman said. “Sao Paulo’s Hospital da Clinicas da FMUSP with its 2,000 beds is the largest hospital in South America and last year alone radiologists there conducted more than 360,000 imaging procedures,” he said.
Katzman said he expected the wide range of clinical experience to benefit students, house staff and faculty.
The following faculty were appointed to endowed positions:
Michael E. Boulton, Ph.D., Professor, Departments of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences and Neuroscience & Cell Biology, was appointed as holder of the David Weeks Distinguished Professorship in Ophthalmology, effective November 1, 2007.
Charles Y. Lui, M.D., Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, was appointed holder of the H.H. Weinert Professorship in Internal Medicine, effective November 1, 2007.
Sanjiv Sur, M.D., Professor, Departments of Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and Microbiology & Immunology, was appointed holder of the Leon Bromberg, M.D. Professorship in Internal Medicine, effective November 1, 2007.
Register now for the Babies at Risk conference scheduled Tuesday, November 27, 2007, at the Galveston Island Convention Center. The keynote speaker and Daniel Kempner Visiting Professor will be David Barker, MD, PhD, FRS addressing: "Chronic Disease in Adults Begins in the Womb." The full agenda of the symposium and registration can be accessed at: www.UTcme.net or call the Office of Continuing Education at 772-9300.
The Fellowship Committee of the Jeane B. Kempner Scholar Award Fund is accepting applications for the 2008 postdoctoral fellowship award and for the 2008 medical student fellowship award. The award was established in the will of Daniel W. Kempner, "...for the purpose of giving financial aid to exceptionally brilliant students attending the Medical Branch of the University of Texas at Galveston, to assist and encourage them in pursing advanced studies in the field of Internal Medicine and Surgery, such assistance to be given following the student's normal undergraduate years of study..."
Candidates must have received their PhD or MD degree or equivalent within the past five (5) years to be eligible and should have strong backgrounds in research with the ability to work independently. Those students who are in their last year of graduate studies or who are recent graduates are also eligible. Candidates should have achieved academic excellence during their undergraduate and graduate career.
UTMB medical students, who have completed their second year of Medical School and are in good academic standing, may apply for a one year research Kempner fellowship to be under the supervision of a UTMB faculty member. Interested students must obtain written approval from Dr. Lauree Thomas, Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Admissions, to participate. The award is contingent upon successful completion of USMLE Step 1.
Applications are available at: http://www.som.utmb.edu/Kempner/kempnerhome. html and should only be submitted online. Deadline for receipt is January 31, 2008. Awards will be announced in March 2008. Initial funding periods are July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009. Inquiries may be directed to Dr. Giulio Taglialatela, Chair, Fellowship Committee, at gtaglial@utmb.edu.
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The American College of Legal Medicine (ACLM) announces its 2008 Student Writing Competitions. This year the ACLM is again offering 4 legal medicine writing competitions for students. The deadline for submission to all competitions is January 15, 2008.
Complete competition details are available on the following website: http://www.aclm.org/resources/swc/default.aspx
The School of Medicine has been invited to participate in the David E. Rogers Fellowship Program of The New York Academy of Medicine. The Academy will award approximately ten fellowships of $3,500 each for first year medical and dental school students nationwide to support summer 2008 projects.
Rogers Fellowship projects are intended to focus on coupling medicine and dentistry with the needs of underserved or disadvantaged patients or populations. They require the active participation of a mentor genuinely expert in the student’s field of interest.
The content of the Fellowships might range from clinical investigation through community activities or health policy analysis, to activities linking biomedicine, the social infrastructure, and human need. The deadline for submissions is March 21, 2008. Full information and application materials may be obtained online at: http://www.nyam.org/grants/rogers.shtml
The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Clinical Science M.S. & Ph.D. Program was given final approval at the fall meeting of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in Austin. It is the first such Ph.D. program at a public institution in Texas.
William W. Au, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Preventive Medicine & Community Health, has been invited to be a speaker in Thailand to celebrate the 80th birthday of the King of Thailand. Among the 30 invited speakers, two are Nobel Laureates.
Karl E. Anderson, M.D., Professor, Departments of Preventive Medicine & Community Health and Pharmacology & Toxicology, was featured on the cover of the September 2007 Houston Medical Journal.
Daniel H. Freeman, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Preventive Medicine & Community Health, presented the 2007 Children’s Report Card to the Mayor’s Comprehensive Planning Committee on Thursday, September 20th. In addition, Freeman was named in November to a three year term chairing the Advisory Committee of the Medical Follow-up Agency of the Institute of Medicine.
Robert Johnson, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., Associate Professor, Departments of Preventive Medicine & Community Health and Family Medicine, and his team, working in partnership with M.D. Anderson, have received a grant from the American Cancer Society for the General Preventive Medicine Residency to facilitate cancer prevention education into the residency experiences in Internal and Family Medicine. Each resident will have the opportunity to present their work at the annual meetings of the American College of Preventive Medicine.
Johnson and Jeffrey R. Davis, M.D., Professor, Departments of Preventive Medicine & Community Health and Family Medicine, are two of four authors of the recently published textbook, "Fundamentals of Aerospace Medicine," fourth edition (Lippincott Williams and Wilkins).
The Council on Education for Public Health recently accredited our MPH program for the maximum term of seven years. Congratulations to Laura Rudkin, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Preventive Medicine & Community Health, and the team of faculty who are responsible for this success.
The Occupational Medical Residency Program was reaccredited for another five years by the Residency Review Committee for Preventive Medicine. Congratulations to A. Nelson Avery, M.D., Professor, Departments of Preventive Medicine & Community Health and Family Medicine, and the team of faculty who helped make that possible.
Below is a listing of SOM faculty or programs in the news:
Oncology Times, Sept. 25, 2007, NCDB Study Finds Striking Underutilization of Curative Surgery in Early-Stage Pancreatic Cancer. Dr. Taylor S. Riall, a surgeon at UTMB, coauthored an editorial accompanying this article emphasizing that the situation needs remedying. Many referring physicians, including primary care physicians and medical oncologists, have nihilistic attitudes toward pancreatic cancer and surgery and feel there is no hope for a cure, Dr. Riall said.
http://www.oncology-times.com/pt/re/oncotimes/fulltext.00130989-200709250-00004.htm;jsessionid=HT0Vj6Hgz2j26Tc5gJ1njDcncJZZTQG7pbRLGpwLCpJCyGp6qHh1!-1323538283!181195628!8091!-1
PLOS Pathogens, Sept. 27, 2007, Hepatitis C Virus Induces E6AP-Dependent Degradation of the Retinoblastoma Protein. Five of the seven authors of this paper are from UTMB: Tsubasa Munakata, Yuqiong Liang, Seungtaek Kim, David R. McGivern and Stanley M. Lemon. http://pathogens.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.ppat.0030139&ct=1
Science Magazine, Sept. 28, 2007, Biosafety Breaches: Accidents Spur a Closer Look at Risks at Biodefense Labs. Dr. Clarence J. Peters, director for biodefense at UTMB’s Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, is quoted in this article about safeguards at biosafety labs. http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/317/5846/1852
Rice Thresher, Sept. 28, 2007, Welch Foundation donates $1.6 million for drug research. The Welch Foundation donated $1.6 million to UTMB this August for research on drug discovery. The donation made on behalf of the Dunn Gulf Coast Consortium for Chemical Genomics could lead to increased collaboration with Texas Medical Center in the future, Dean of Natural Sciences Kathleen Matthews said. Rice will work in tandem with researchers from UTMB, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Houston.
http://the.ricethresher.org/news/2007/09/28/welch_foundation_drug_research
Houston Business Journal, Sept. 28, 2007, Rare tropical diseases finding their way into UTMB curriculum. The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston will begin offering courses in a Global Health Track this fall. The new track aims to give medical students training identifying, treating and preventing diseases once thought to be confined to distant developing countries. The article quotes Dr. A. Clinton White, chief of the Infectious Disease Division and director of the global health track.
http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2007/10/01/focus2.html
Galveston County Daily News, Sept. 29, 2007, New discovery may treat eye condition better. An inflammatory eye condition that is one of the world’s leading causes of blindness could be treated much more effectively and easily thanks to a new discovery at UTMB. The article quotes professors Kota Ramana, senior author of a paper on the discovery published in the October issue of Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, and co-author Satish Srivastava. (A similar report appeared in Science Daily and other venues.) http://blogs.galvnews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=d97193364f6995c3
Tyler Morning Telegraph, Sept. 29, 2007, TJC Launches Homecoming Festivities. The Rev. Helen Appelberg, class of 1949, received special recognition honors at the Tyler Junior College homecoming. She was a member of the first Apache Belles precision dance and drill team. She is executive director of the William Temple Episcopal Center in Galveston and is a visiting scholar at the Sealy Center on Aging. http://www.tylerpaper.com/article/20070929/NEWS08/709290334
Baltimore Sun, Sept. 29, 2007, A warning on kids' cold doses. Responding to safety concerns from Baltimore health officials, the FDA is recommending that common cough and cold medicines never be given to infants and toddlers, and that children under 6 should not be given antihistamines. The article quotes Dr. Wayne Snodgrass, a professor of pediatrics at UTMB and chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Drugs.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/health/bal-te.fda29sep29,0,3599818.story
(This story has appeared in a variety of media.)
Galveston County Daily News, Sept. 30, 2007, Studies on video-game effects are few. The study of long-term effects of video game play is in its infancy, compared with similar surveys of television and film’s impact on young minds, said UTMB Dr. Christopher Thomas, child psychiatrist. “There is woefully little information,” said Thomas. “There is a view that violent video games can desensitize children to violence, but that belief is based primarily on findings from studies and research on how other media portray violence.” https://store.sninews.com/galveston/subscribe.lasso
San Antonio Express-News, Sept. 30, 2007, Are biodefense labs a blessing or a curse? Dr. David Walker, chairman of UTMB’s Department of Pathology, and Dr. Stanley Lemon, director of the Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, are quoted in this article detailing biodefense issues. “We are all one world right now and infectious agents don't understand political boundaries,” Lemon said. http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA093007.01A.Biodefense_Blunder.349616d.html
Galveston County Daily News, Sept. 30, 2007, UTMB children’s art Stars at Moody Gardens. Moody Gardens will feature the UTMB Children’s Hospital Art Stars Program through January. The exhibit is free and open to the public.
http://blogs.galvnews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=46f155a82fb039fd
Channel 26 Fox, Oct. 1, 2007, Heart heroes honored. While driving from Hobby airport, UTMB physician David Bessman developed chest pains. He pulled over, called 911 and received aid from EMS and treatment at Clear Lake Regional Medical Center. This story was about an awards presentation made honoring emergency workers. Dr. Bessman said he hopes his story encourages anyone suffering chest pains to call 911.
http://www.vmsdigital.com/MyFiles.aspx?Onum=6E8E9B5A-5A04-4C4D-AD15-DB34363F38C6
Galveston County Daily News, Oct. 2, 2007, No rights to be treated by untried medicines. In his Medicine & Health column, Dr. Howard Brody takes issue with those who believe terminally ill patients have a right to receive experimental drugs. “The bottom line,” he writes, “is that ‘experimental’ treatment means we don’t know if it works or not; or we don’t know if it works but causes so much harm that it should never be used.” http://blogs.galvnews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=f62887dfb472fac9
Chicago Maroon, Oct. 2, 2007, Computer network aids crucial drug network. The University of Chicago has joined forces with IBM, Argonne Labs, and the University of Texas Medical Branch to develop drugs that will treat and cure deadly diseases such as dengue, West Nile virus, and Hepatitis C. (Similar articles appeared widely in September.)
http://maroon.uchicago.edu/online_edition/?p=9311
Galveston County Daily News, Oct. 3, 2007, Culinary and cultural traditions of Ramadan. Dr. Ashraf Aly and his wife, Hala, are featured in this article about the traditions of Ramadan. Aly is director of pediatric cardiology at UTMB.
http://blogs.galvnews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=69d369ea6ae86195
Galveston County Daily News, Oct. 3, 2007, Proper nutrition is essential to your child’s development. In their Keep Kids Healthy column, Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly offer advice on feeding infants and toddlers.
http://blogs.galvnews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=2316255839e58b3d547aea01f7bc6bed
San Antonio Express-News, Oct. 3, 2007, Bexar's rate of hepatitis B is 5 times national average. Dr. Miriam Alter, a professor of infectious disease epidemiology at UTMB, is quoted in an article about the prevalence of hepatitis B in Bexar County. http://www.mysanantonio.com/salife/health/stories/MYSA100407.05B.hepatitisB.2de561d.html
(This story has appeared in multiple publications.)
Channel 11 Fox 26, Oct. 4, 2007, LeDuc discusses need for biocontainment labs. Dr. James LeDuc appeared live on the Morning Show to discuss the need for and the safety of biocontainment laboratories like UTMB’s Shope laboratory and the Galveston National Laboratory, due to open in 2008.
Houston Chronicle Bay Area, Oct. 4, 2007, Three administrators selected. The School of Medicine named three new department administrators recently. Also mentioned in this weekly column are Bosom Buddies participation in the Race for the Cure, the schedule for a continuing series of lectures on the Holocaust and the Salute to Nursing Golf Tournament and Auction Party.
Conde Nast Portfolio.com, Oct. 4, 2007, SRI wins $9.5M biothreat contract.
RI International said Thursday it was awarded a $9.5 million contract by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, an arm of the U.S. Department of Defense. SRI said it would cooperate with other groups in the research, including the U.S. Army Institute for Infectious Diseases, Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, and BioRosettex Corp.
http://www.portfolio.com/news-markets/local-news/sanjose/2007/10/04/sri-wins-95m-biothreat-contract
Calibre Macro World, Oct. 4, 2007, ReGen Therapeutics presents its most recent news and research developments. ReGen Therapeutics announced that a report commissioned by the company has indicated that Colostrinin could have antiaging and anticancer potential. Developments are still at an early stage. A study undertaken by Dr. Istvan Boldogh, an associate professor of microbiology and immunology at UTMB, has indicated that Colostrinin may have an impact on the aging process and the development of cancer in addition to its known therapeutic qualities in Alzheimer’s disease. http://calibre.mworld.com/m/m.w?lp=GetStory&id=273847721
Galveston County Daily News, Oct. 5, 2007, Medical group OKs emergency care residency. UTMB has been certified to begin a residency program in emergency medicine. Dr. Thomas A. Blackwell, associate dean of graduate medicine education, said the program eventually would help alleviate a shortage of physicians trained in emergency medicine. The article also quotes Dr. Brian S. Zachariah. http://blogs.galvnews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=b31c2e44b5ccbc13
Pharma Live, Oct. 5, 2007 NARSAD - World's Leading Mental Health Research Charity - Presents 19th Annual New York Mental Health Symposium, Oct. 19th & 20th. Dr. Robert M.A. Hirschfeld, professor and chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, will moderate a program of presentations entitled “Healing Children’s Minds” by five National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression researchers.
http://www.pharmalive.com//News/index.cfm?articleid=481795&categoryid=63
Galveston County Daily News, Oct. 7, 2007, Rosenberg Fountain to be dedicated. A replica of an original Rosenberg Fountain recently built at William Temple Episcopal Center, 427 Market St., will be dedicated on Oct. 20 in honor of the late Dr. Maurice Barnes, a 1929 graduate of the University of Texas Medical Branch. The reconstruction of this fountain was made possible by a gift from Dr. Warner Barnes, given in memory of his father.
http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=dba860449cd2b9db
Galveston County Daily News, Oct. 7, 2007, Is breastfeeding for public? There’s no debate about the nutritional advantages of breastfeeding. The debate focuses on breastfeeding in public. The article quotes Dr. Elizabeth Reifsnider, professor and associate dean for research at the School of Nursing, Dr. David Rassin, a professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Krystal Revai, a professor in the Department of Pediatrics, and Dr. Beth Auslander, a psychologist in the Department of Pediatrics. http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=5a224f91828fe2e7
Austin Business Journal, Oct. 8, 2007, Apollo Endosurgery gets $11.5 Million. Apollo Endosurgery Inc., which received initial support through a seed grant from UTMB, has secured $11.5 million in financing from PTV Sciences, H.I.G. Ventures and individual investors. The company will use the money to develop new surgical tools for minimally invasive operations. http://austin.dbusinessnews.com/shownews.php?type_news=latest&newsid=136145
Corrections Connection, Oct. 8, 2007, Serum marker magic? Targeting hepatitis C. Because of the unsteady support for treatment, the “Infectious Diseases in Corrections Report” spotlights a cutting-edge strategy by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice that identifies patients most appropriate for HCV therapy while avoiding the expense of a liver biopsy. Dr. David Paar, director of Clinical Virology at UTMB’s Correctional Managed Care, investigates why and how TDCJ uses the hepatic fibrosis serum marker, known as the AST Platelet Ratio Index, in its HCV evaluation and treatment guidelines.
http://www.corrections.com/news/article/16820
Galveston County Daily News, Oct. 9, 2007, How well do antidepressant medications really work? Research on the effectiveness of antidepressant medications doesn’t result in a ringing endorsement. Other therapies such as counseling help but cost-cutting means few patients get access, writes Dr. Howard Brody in his Medicine & Health column.
http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=aabe0afa27de49cc
Bioresearch Online, Oct. 9, 2007, Ingenuity Systems Launches New Metabolomics Solution Within IPA. Professors Larry Denner and Bruce Luxon are quoted in this article about analytical tools used to understand complex physiological processes. http://www.bioresearchonline.com/content/news/article.asp?docid={0EF45172-1224-4DC5-9CF3-192800EA5C04}
Galveston County Daily News, Oct. 10, 2007, Foundation gives $1M to endow UTMB chair. Houston’s John P. McGovern Foundation has contributed an additional $1 million to UTMB to bolster its commitment to humane, patient-centered care. The endowment has created the John P. McGovern Distinguished Chair in Oslerian Medicine, to be held by a faculty member who will work with the medical branch’s John P. McGovern Academy of Oslerian Medicine and the School of Medicine. The first holder of the distinguished chair is Dr. John D. Stobo. http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=3b438e98e3bf7902
Galveston County Daily News, Oct. 10, 2007, Potty training your child takes plenty of planning and patience. Potty training has more in common with a marathon than a sprint, advise Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly in their Keeping Kids Healthy column. http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=5bea7c7461c762fa547aea01f7bc6bed
Houston Chronicle Bay Area, Oct. 11, 2007, Doctor's allergies prompt awareness. Dr. Carlos Vital, his wife Dr. Karla Vital, a nephrologist at UTMB, and their family participated in the recent “Walk for Food Allergy: Moving Toward A Cure” event in downtown Houston. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/bay/news/5201173.html
Calibre Macro World, Oct. 11, 2007, Researchers from University of Texas discuss findings in biomolecular screening. This article refers to research by UTMB’s Dr. Santosh Kumar and colleagues who published their study in the Journal of Biomolecular Screening (“Identification of a novel laser dye substrate of mammalian cytochromes P450: application in rapid kinetic analysis, inhibitor screening, and directed evolution.”) http://calibre.mworld.com/m/m.w?lp=GetStory&id=275047091
Calibre Macro World, Oct. 11, 2007, Studies from University of Texas add new findings in the area of Rift Valley fever. This article refers to research by UTMB research assistant Rodion V. Gorchakov and colleagues who published their study in Virology (“Comparative analysis of the alphavirus-based vectors expressing Rift Valley fever virus glycoproteins.”)
http://calibre.mworld.com/m/m.w?lp=GetStory&id=274988911
Noticias, Oct. 11, 2007, Academicians at the Casa de Bello initiate collaboration with the U. Texas. Dr. Alfredo G. Torres, an assistant professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, consulted with researchers at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Chile in September. Torres shared his expertise about the E. coli genome. (The article is in Spanish.)
http://www.med.uchile.cl/noticias/2007/octubre/e_coli.html
Nanotechnology Now, Oct. 12, 2007, Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship Recognized as Leading Entrepreneurship Center. The Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship was recognized as the leading university entrepreneurship center in the United States for the creation of successful new enterprises by the National Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers on Oct. 6 in Syracuse, N.Y. More than 30 new ventures have been launched after competing at the Rice Business Plan Competition, including 2003 winner, MicroMRI from Wharton, which began its first human clinical trial at UTMB in 2006 and is now marketing its MRI technology to improve diagnosis of osteoporosis. http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=25598
Galveston County Daily News, Oct. 12, 2007, Local air quality numbers are better. Petrochemical plants in Galveston County have reduced the amount of toxic emissions in some areas of their operations but may not be measuring all the possible sources of pollution. The article quotes Dr. Jonathan Ward, a professor of toxicology at UTMB.
http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=f979d8c6a76a020f
Galveston County Daily News, Oct. 12, 2007, UTMB presents ‘Breaking the Silence.’ The Institute for the Medical Humanities Theater Outreach and Education program at UTMB, along with the Resource and Crisis Center of Galveston County, will present several performances of “Breaking the Silence,” an evening of music and theater taken from real life stories of domestic violence, written and directed by Cheryl L. Kaplan. http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=d0e3c9a2dc756811
(This story has appeared in multiple publications.)
Huntsville Item, Oct. 13, 2007, SHSU to honor five during homecoming. Dr. Melinda L. Estes, a 1978 magna cum laude graduate of UTMB, will be honored by her alma mater Sam Houston State University during its homecoming festivities on Oct. 19. Since 2003, she has served as president and CEO of Fletcher Allen Health Care in Vermont.
http://www.itemonline.com/local/local_story_286011904.html
Galveston County Daily News, Oct. 13, 2007, Exhibit of churches in art opens at Rosenberg. Dr. Charles Marc Pomerat (1905-1964), a world-renowned anatomist and cytologist who became interested in art and architecture later in life, is among six artists whose inspirational paintings and drawings of churches are on display at the Rosenberg Library. Pomerat taught at UTMB. http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=8ad732d527223a36
Victoria Advocate, Oct. 13, 2007 ,Texas' medical leadership is saving lives. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison includes UTMB’s Galveston National Laboratory among several examples of medical leadership in Texas. “The information we gain from UTMB's work will help protect Americans from potentially deadly outbreaks and bioterrorism attacks,” she wrote.
http://www.victoriaadvocate.com/676/story/136420.html
(This story has appeared in multiple publications.)
New University, Oct. 15, 2007, Conflict in the World of Medicine. Dr. Howard Brody, director of the Institute for the Medical Humanities at UTMB, gave a presentation titled “Conflict of Interest in the Academic Medical Center: Is it a Problem?” at the University of California-Irvine as part of the Howard A. Schneiderman Lecture Series.
http://www.newu.uci.edu/showArticle.php?id=6106
Galveston County Daily News, Oct. 15, 2007, End of Ramadan comes with blessings, UTMB professor Ahmed E. Ahmed writes about an historic event for American-Muslims and Muslims around the world. For the first time in history, the U.S. Congress commemorated and recognized the month of Ramadan as the Islamic holy month.
http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=ce60f09c58c78a03
Cadillac News (Mich.), Oct. 15, 2007, What happens after an insanity verdict? Professor William J. Winslade, of UTMB’s Institute for the Medical Humanities, is quoted in this article about persons who are found not guilty by reason of insanity. http://www.cadillacnews.com/articles/2007/10/15/features/business/business03.txt
Galveston County Daily News, Oct. 16, 2007, What’s that cough? It’s likely not flu. Dr. Janice Smith, associate medical director of Family Medicine at UTMB, says the best way to prevent the flu is to get a vaccination. UTMB employees and retirees can get flu shots from 3 p.m. to midnight, Monday through Thursday, through Dec. 19, at the General Clinical Research Center. http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=9a882ec40460c0a8
Galveston County Daily News, Oct. 16, 2007, The walls come tumbling down. Work crews are demolishing the old League Building at 404 Texas Ave., which was built in 1955 as a dorm for UTMB students. More recently, it served as a research facility for the Marine Biomedical Institute. (No Web link available.)
Galveston County Daily News, Oct. 16, 2007, The racial prejudice that besets medicine. Negative racial associations appear to play a role in how physicians treat black patients but they aren’t unique to the medical professions, writes Dr. Howard Brody in his Medicine & Health column. There are lessons in this for everyone, he says.
http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=1f4abee3029acbe8
Science in Africa, October 2007, Mother's milk a gift that keeps on giving. Many mothers and medical professionals may not understand that a great number of protective factors unique to human milk are provided by breastfeeding, said Dr. Armond Goldman, senior author of the paper and professor emeritus of pediatrics at UTMB. The paper appeared in Advances in Pediatrics. The article also quotes David K. Rassin, professor of pediatrics. Similar articles have appeared in other venues over the past several weeks. http://scienceinafrica.co.za/2007/october/milk.htm
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, October 2007, Adenovirus-Mediated Delivery of a Dominant-Negative Estrogen Receptor Gene in Uterine Leiomyoma Cells Abrogates Estrogen- and Progesterone-Regulated Gene Expression. UTMB’s Ayman Al-Hendy, M.D., post-doctoral fellow Memy H. Hassan, and instructor Salama A. Salama are among the co-authors of this paper. http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/92/10/3949
Galveston County Daily News, Oct. 17, 2007, Keeping up with your child’s immunizations. Keeping up with your child’s immunizations takes effort but it’s well worth it, write Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly in their Keeping Kids Healthy column. http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=db5a305798678adc547aea01f7bc6bed
CNBC, Oct. 17, 2007, Toxic Town Lures Industry While Residents Wheeze. Dr. Debra Morris, an adjunct assistant professor in Preventive Medicine and Community Health-Environmental Toxicology at UTMB, is quoted in this article about the environmental impact of the petrochemical industry on residents of Port Arthur. http://www.cnbc.com/id/21348156?__source=RSS*tag*&par=RSS
(This story has appeared in a variety of media.)
Galveston County Daily News, Oct. 18, 2007, United Way grant funds free CPR classes. The United Way of Galveston has funded a Community Investment Program grant for the Galveston Children’s Center that will help caregivers receive training in areas such as first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation at no charge. Training also includes sessions on conflict prevention. The program is offered in collaboration with the Family Service Center, UTMB’s Early Childhood Intervention Launch and the Sunshine Center. http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=b7381949add6d8a4
Galveston County Daily News, Oct. 18, 2007, Transitional Learning Center marks 25th year. The Transitional Learning Center at Galveston, a pioneer in the field of helping people regain independence after brain injury, will celebrate its 25th anniversary today. Galveston philanthropist Robert L. Moody Sr. founded the facility on Oct. 10, 1982, after his son, Russell, was badly injured in an auto accident. “Robert Moody recognized the critical need for brain injury rehabilitation facilities during Russell’s recovery,” said Dr. Brent Masel, the center’s president and medical director. Masel is a clinical associate professor at UTMB.
http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=1896e220de41ca5c
EurekAlert!, Oct. 18, 2007, UTMB researchers to be honored at 'Oscars of invention.' Two researchers who pioneered the development of an artificial immune system that mimics that of the human body and will allow researchers to speed the development of vaccines are being honored tonight at a showcase sponsored by R&D Magazine and known as “the Oscars of invention.” UTMB anesthesiology associate professor Joaquin Cortiella, M.D., and microbiology and immunology associate professor Joan Nichols, Ph.D., are being recognized at R&D Magazine’s 45th Annual R&D 100 Awards for their role in creating an “immune system in a bottle” — a test-tube version of the human immune system that will enable biomedical scientists to quickly and cheaply screen large numbers of prospective vaccines and therapeutic compounds. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-10/uotm-urt101807.php
(This story has appeared in a variety of media.)
Galveston County Daily News, Oct. 19, 2007 (Front page), Virus that targets kids, elderly hits early. A seasonal respiratory infection that can cause serious illness and even death in infants, small children and the elderly has arrived early, already causing two babies to be hospitalized at the University of Texas Medical Branch. Dr. Antonella Casola, a UTMB pediatric infectious disease specialist said early cases could be predictors of a bad season. http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=e815853801ff2407
Houston Chronicle, Oct. 19, 2007, Defense to plead insanity in microwaved baby case. An attorney for a man accused of injuring his 2-month-old daughter by putting her in a microwave oven has filed his intent to use an insanity defense. UTMB’s Dr. Michael Fuller, a professor of psychiatry, has been asked to evaluate the defendant, Joshua Mauldin. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5227707.html
(This story has appeared widely nationally and internationally.)
Thomas net, Oct. 19, 2007, Ingenuity Systems Launches New Metabolomics Solution within IPA. UTMB’s Larry Denner, Ph.D., Director of the McCo Diabetes Mass Spectrometry Laboratory and a professor of medicine at UTMB talks about a new metabolomics data system. http://news.thomasnet.com/fullstory/534194
KVUE Channel 11 (CBS), Oct. 20, 2007, Asthma: A threat to your child's education? Dr. Sharon Petronella, an environmental epidemiologist with UTMB’s Child Health Research Program, is quoted in this story about asthma and its effect on schoolchildren. http://www.kvue.com/news/state/stories/102007kvueasthma-jj.18c1a985c.html
(This story has appeared in a variety of media.)
Houston Chronicle, Oct. 21, 2007, Homeowners lured by Galveston Island. Dr. and Mrs. Michael Warren are among the couples featured in this article about Galveston Island living. Warren is a urologist in Surgery Department at UTMB. (No link available.)
Galveston County Daily News, Oct. 23, 2007, So should we be concerned about MRSA? In his Medicine and Health column, Dr. Howard Brody says that there’s no reason to panic over methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. For individuals, he suggests avoiding the use of antibiotics for minor infections and calls for an end to budget cuts for the public health system.
http://galvestondailynews.com/columns.lasso (The column was not available online as of this morning.)
KTRE-TV (ABC) Lufkin-Nacogdoches, Oct. 23, 2007, Man Recovers from Flesh-Eating Bacteria. This story recounts the Steve Gilpatrick’s fight against the flesh-eating bacteria called vibrio vulnificus. Doctors and nurses at UTMB treated Gilpatrick for several months. http://www.ktre.com/Global/story.asp?S=7255591
(This story has appeared in a variety of media.)
Biochemistry, Oct. 23, 2007, Structure of Human Synaptotagmin 1 C2AB in the Absence of Ca2+ Reveals a Novel Domain Association.
This paper was published by Kerry L. Fuson, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Miguel Montes, Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, J. Justin Robert and R. Bryan Sutton, Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics.
http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/asap.cgi/bichaw/asap/html/bi701651k.html
Medical Journal – Houston, October 2007, Researchers test old drug with new hopes for preeclampsia cure. Researchers at UTMB are trying to determine whether a drug available to heart patients, Digibind, can also be used to delay delivery to expectant mothers with severe preeclampsia. The article quotes Dr. George Saade, chief of maternal-fetal medicine, and Dr. Nicole Ruddock, the principal investigator, both of UTMB. http://www.mjhnews.com/index.htm (October issue not available online as of this morning.)
Medical Journal – Houston, October 2007, Integrative cardiology. In his column on Integrative Medicine, UTMB’s Dr. Victor S. Sierpina reports on the benefits of fish oil and fish on cardiovascular health. He also reviews of the book “Integrative Cardiology: Complementary and Alternative Medicine for the Heart.”
http://www.mjhnews.com/index.htm (October issue not available online as of this morning.)
Galveston County Daily News, Oct. 24, 2007, New study urges parents to stop using ipecac for poison control. The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued new guidelines urging parents to stop using a syrup of ipecac for poison control, write Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly in their Keeping Kids Healthy column. http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=0c221c610eabd00e
East Texas Review (Longview), Oct. 24, 2007, Hospital leaders discuss health care. Dr. Howard Brody, director of UTMB’s Institute for the Medical Humanities, warned hospitals not to shift abruptly from telling someone that everything is OK to warning that further treatment will not work in a discussion of health care providers’ obligations to the dying. Brody spoke at the Texas Hospital Association’s Annual Leadership Conference held Oct. 15-16 in Austin.
http://www.easttexasreview.com/story.htm?StoryID=4945&now=22918
WKTV (NBC) Utica, N.Y., Oct. 24, 2007, Liver Health Improves after Bariatric Surgery. Does bariatric surgery reverse the damaging effects on the liver caused by an excess of fat? The results of this study conducted at UTMB demonstrate the effects are reversed. This was not the case earlier in the history of this surgery, according to the principal investigator Dr. Rajasekhara R. Mummadi. (Similar articles have appeared widely in national media.) http://www.wktv.com/health/10766681.html
Houston Chronicle Bay Area, Oct. 25, 2007, UTMB News: New residency program approved. UTMB has been certified to begin a residency program in emergency medicine. Also mentioned are the addition of 70 faculty members at the School of Medicine, a grant received by the Center for Addiction Research, a grant received by Karen Brykczynski of the School of Nursing and a performance of “Breaking the Silence” at the Resource and Crisis Center of Galveston County.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/bay/news/5239622.html
mediLexicon, Oct. 26, 2007, Grant funds research on inflammation, kidney disease and cardiovascular disease. UTMB researcher Thomas P. Erlinger, M.D., has received a two-year $408,000 grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to advance his research on inflammation, kidney disease progression and incident cardiovascular disease.
http://www.medilexicon.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=86770
mediLexicon, Oct. 26, 2007, Synvista Therapeutics' alagebrium shows potential for use in treating diabetes-related gastrointestinal complications. Synvista Therapeutics Inc. announced the publication of preclinical data demonstrating the ability of its compound, alagebrium, to reduce serum levels of advanced glycated end products and restore neuronal nitric oxide synthase activity in rats with diabetes. Dr. Pankaj J. Pasricha, of Stanford University School of Medicine, and colleagues; Prince VS Jeyabal, Raj Kumar, Pandu R. Gangula, Dr. Mary-Adelaide Micci; of UTMB, wrote the paper, which was published in the October 2007 issue of Neurogastroenterology and Motility.
http://www.medilexicon.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=86721
Biochemistry, Oct. 26, 2007, Pre-steady-state kinetic studies of protein-template-directed nucleotide incorporation by the yeast Rev1 protein.
UTMB scientist Satya Prakash, Ph.D., Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, is a co-author of this paper.
http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/bichaw/asap/abs/bi701429v.html
Journal of Clinical Immunology, October 2007, Host defenses to rickettsia rickettsii infection contribute to increased microvascular permeability in human cerebral endothelial cells. This paper by Michael E. Woods and Dr. Juan P. Olano of UTMB’s Department of Pathology says that increased microvascular permeability associated with rickettsial infection is partly attributable to intracellular rickettsiae and partly attributable to the immune defenses that have evolved to protect the host from rickettsial spread. The paper was published in October in the Journal of Clinical Immunology.
http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/d130wg4l5g877221/?pi=3
Austin American-Statesman, Oct. 28, 2007, Don’t get distracted by slogans. Dr. Howard Brody, Dr. John D. Stobo and Laura Hermer in this commentary section article urge the public not to be distracted by slogans such as “socialized medicine” when evaluating the proposed health plans offered by presidential candidates. They suggested focusing on how the plan tries to balance the inevitable tradeoffs — maintaining high-quality care, offering a range of choices and keeping costs under control while assuring access to everyone. Brody is director of UTMB’s Institute for the Medical Humanities, Stobo is the immediate past president of UTMB and executive director for academic programs for the University of Texas System Office of Health Affairs and Hermer is an attorney and assistant professor at the Institute for the Medical Humanities.
http://www.statesman.com/search/content/editorial/stories/10/28/1028brody_edit.html
Galveston County Daily News, Oct. 28, 2007, Time for city to get the lead out. Galveston continues to get a failing grade for lead exposure every year on the Children’s Report Card published by UTMB. However, a new study, paid for by the Kempner Fund and conducted by the Baylor College of Medicine, gives city leaders a second chance to identify and clean up pockets of lead contamination. The article quotes Dr. Jonathan Ward, director of environmental toxicology at UTMB. The article notes that Dr. Wayne Snodgrass recommends a program of mandatory lead testing for all schoolchildren. http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=e4686ecf356a760e
(This story has appeared in a variety of media.)
Guidry News, Oct. 29, 2007, Telemedicine Conference in Galveston. The emerging field of telemedicine businesses will be the top topic at a national forum scheduled in Galveston. The two-day forum, “Mainstreaming Telemedicine, Understanding Sustained Operations,” will be at the Galveston Island Convention Center at the San Luis Resort beginning Nov. 12. http://www.guidrynews.com/story.aspx?id=1000005211
Alpine Avalanche, Oct. 29, 2007, Young doctors find challenge in Alpine. Neisha D'Souza and John Ray, third-year medical students at UTMB, want a taste of rural medicine. They think Alpine is the place to get hands-on, intense, real-life rural medical experience, so they're spending the next month with Dr. James “Jim” Luecke and Dr. Adrian Billings in dealing with everything that family practice can throw at them. http://www.alpineavalanche.com/articles/2007/10/25/news/news06.txt
Galveston County Daily News, Oct. 29, 2007, Eagles donate to UTMB. Members of the Fraternal Order of Eagles presented checks totaling $7,841.87 to support a variety of programs. Included in this photo are Drs. Ronald W. Lindsey, R. Glenn Smith and Randall J. Urban. (No link available.)
Galveston County Daily News, Oct. 30, 2007, Drug adverts are moving our health goalposts. In his Medicine and Health column, Dr. Howard Brody notes that more children than ever get prescriptions for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder but he wonders whether all of them really need the drugs. He asks, has advertising to consumers by pharmaceutical companies affected how the drugs are prescribed? http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=f61cc2374ca823e5
mediLexicon, Oct. 31, 2007, UTMB sets up a comprehensive transplant center. UTMB has established a comprehensive organ transplant center whose director plans to double the number of transplants currently done, broaden the type of organ transplants performed and increase the chances of Texans who are on waiting lists for a donor.
http://www.medilexicon.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=87188
(This story has appeared in a variety of media.)
Galveston County Daily News, Oct. 31, 2007, Candy and costumes: Keep it more treats than tricks. In their Keeping Kids Healthy column, Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly offer tips to ensure a safe and enjoyable Halloween of tricks and treats. http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=27d632b69f7ab77a
Journal of Pediatric Surgery, October 2007, Calcium carbonate gallstones in children. Dr. Roger D. Soloway and Donald R. Taylor from UTMB are among the coauthors of this paper, which concludes that the composition of pediatric gallstones differs significantly from that found in adults. In particular, one quarter of the children in this series had calcium carbonate stones, previously considered rare. Geographic differences are not the major reason for the high prevalence of calcium carbonate gallstones in children. http://www.jpedsurg.org/article/PIIS0022346807003600/abstract
Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapy, October 2007, The cardioprotective effect of a statin and Cilostazol combination: Relationship to Akt and endothelial nitric oxide synthase activation. Saraswathy Manickavasagam, Yumei Ye, Yu Lin, J. Regino Perez-Polo, Ming-He Huang, Charles Y. Lui, Michael G. Hughes, David J. McAdoo, Barry F. Uretsky and Yochai Birnbaum are coauthors of this paper.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/192ln47115551358/?p=ddd147d6ad0d46cdaf9cb22e734777ef&pi=1
Molecular and Cellular Biology, November 2007, Requirement of RAD52 group genes for postreplication repair of UV-damaged DNA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Venkateswarlu Gangavarapu, Satya Prakash and Louise Prakash, of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, are co-authors of this paper. http://mcb.asm.org/cgi/content/full/27/21/7758
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