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, Chief Communications Officer, School of Medicine, jmgenove@utmb.edu.
June 2008
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HONORS AND AWARDS PROGRAM AND WHITE COAT CEREMONY
The Honors and Awards Program recognizes outstanding students and faculty; the White Coat Ceremony is the School of Medicine's formal welcoming and introduction of our incoming medical students to the profession of medicine. This event will take place on Monday, August 18, 2008 at 4:30 PM in the Levin Hall Main Auditorium.
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The University of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine awarded 187 Doctor of Medicine degrees at its 118th Commencement Exercises held on Saturday, May 31, 2008 at the Moody Gardens Convention Center in Galveston.
Read more about Commencement on the School of Medicine web site.
Dr. William D. Willis, Jr., Professor Emeritus, Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology and holder of the Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Distinguished Chair in Neuroscience, recently was elected as Director Emeritus of the Texas Pain Society. Dr. Willis has been a distinguished member of the UTMB faculty since 1970. He served for many years as Chair of the Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience and as Director of the Marine Biomedical Institute. He has achieved national and international prominence for his pioneering research, and among his many prestigious honors became the first recipient of the Purdue Pharma Prize for Pain Research. He has also received the Frederick W.L. Kerr Memorial Award from the American Pain Society and the Bristol-Myers Squibb Award for Distinguished Achievement in Pain Research.
The Texas Pain Society was established in 1989 in Houston, and its membership consists of over 250 pain practitioners involved in acute and chronic pain management of patients in Texas.
Dr. Brian S. Zachariah, Medical Director of the Division of Emergency Medicine, has been named a “Hero of Emergency Medicine” by the American College of Emergency Physicians. The award is a part of the ACEP’s 40th anniversary to recognize emergency physicians who have made significant contributions to their profession and communities. Dr. Zachariah also serves as Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, and holder of the Elaine Mantooth Fleming, M.D. Professorship in Emergency Medicine. Read more
Lisa A. Elferink, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, will be appointed as holder of the Edna Seinsheimer Levin Endowed Professorship in Cancer Studies, effective July 1, 2008. Dr. William C. Levin, President Emeritus of UTMB, and his children established the endowment in 1998 to stimulate cancer research and to honor their wife and mother, Edna Seinsheimer Levin, after her lengthy and courageous fight with the disease. The award rotates every three years to each of the four UTMB schools.
Dr. Elferink received her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Adelaide, Australia in 1987. She completed her postdoctoral training in the Departments of Biological Sciences and Molecular and Cellular Physiology at Stanford University. In 1993, she became Assistant Professor at Wayne State University in the Department of Biological Sciences and in 2000, was promoted to Associate Professor. In 2001, Dr. Elferink was recruited to the UTMB faculty in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, and as a member of the Marine Biomedical Institute and the Sealy Center for Cancer Cell Biology. Dr. Elferink is an outstanding researcher who is nationally and internationally recognized for her research in cMet signaling. She is PI on two NIH grants and has secured funding from other sources. Dr. Elferink has been very active in committee service.
Dr. S. H. Subramony, Professor, Department of Neurology, was appointed as holder of the Charlotte Warmoth Professorship in Neurology, effective June 1, 2008. The Warmoth Professorship was established in 1966 through the generosity of Miss Charlotte Warmoth of Austin, to benefit the Neurology Department's teaching and research efforts in Parkinson's Disease. Miss Warmoth died in 1962.
Dr. Subramony received his medical degree from the Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi University, New Delhi, India, in 1974. After his postgraduate work and clinical training in his home country, Dr. Subramony did further training at Macneal Memorial Hospital, Berwyn, Illinois. He completed his residency in Neurology and a fellowship in Electromyography at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Subramony came to UTMB in 2007 from the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, where he served as the Guyton Professor and Vice Chairman of the Department of Neurology. He is an internationally recognized expert in spinocerebellar ataxia and neuromuscular disease.
The Department of Pediatrics has announced the addition of four new faculty members: Shivaiah Balachandra, M.D. Assistant Professor, Pediatric Nephrology; Amalia A. Geller, M.D., Assistant Professor, Pediatric Neurology; Purushothaman Madhu, M.D., Assistant Professor, General Inpatient Pediatrics; and William Mize, M.D., Associate Professor, Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. Read their bios here:
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Dr. Amalia A. Geller |
Dr. Purushothaman Madhu |
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7.UTMB SURGEONS ASSIST CHILDREN IN FOUR-DAY MARATHON
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Dr. Taylor Smith, left, one of the founders of Operation Rainbow, and Dr. Kelly Carmichael repaired a patient’s dislocated hip. |
It was an orthopedic surgery marathon - 55 complex surgeries in four days performed on 45 children and 10 adults - in two tiny operating rooms in Machala, Ecuador. And, still, the UTMB surgeons, Jay Rapley and Kelly Carmichael, say they’d leap at the chance to do it again. As participants in an Operation Rainbow-sponsored medical mission, the duo spent 12-15 hours each day repairing club feet, femur breaks, dislocated hips, and doing other procedures such as tendon releases for eight children with cerebral palsy. Read more...
The TG Public Benefit Grant Program recently awarded a grant to the UTMB School of Medicine for the 2008-09 year in support of a project entitled, “Medical Careers Diversity Program (MCDP): Building Bridges to Success.” The goal of the project is to provide academic enrichment activities and an exposure to the medical school environment in order to facilitate the entry of minority and disadvantaged students into medical school. The program will assist 60 students during the summer months in 2009 by providing MCAT preparation, mock interviews, and clinical shadowing experiences as well as medical student mentors who will be positive role models.
Dr. Lauree Thomas, Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Admissions and PI on the grant, said that "This is an excellent opportunity and I look forward to implementing this program which has the potential to become a national model."
Congratulations to the following residents who recently received awards in recognition of their outstanding performance:
Dr. Yael Barr, Aerospace Medicine/Internal Medicine resident, has won the prestigious William K. Douglas Award from the International Academy of Aviation and Space Medicine. The scholarship will help fund Dr. Barr’s practicum year of study. Dr. Kjell Lindgren, Aerospace Medicine resident, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Preventive Medicine & Community Health, and NASA/Wyle/UTMB flight surgeon, and Dr. Jay Rapley, Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation resident, were selected as Outstanding Overall Residents at UTMB. This is quite an award since UTMB has more than 550 residents. Dr. Charles Mathers, Aerospace Medicine/Internal Medicine resident, was selected as Outstanding Intern in Internal Medicine.
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Dr. Yael Barr |
Dr. Kjell Lindgren |
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Below is a listing of SOM faculty or programs in the news:
Five School of Medicine seniors at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have been nominated for the Gold-Headed Cane Award – an honor bestowed on a student who exemplifies dedication to the health and welfare of patients. This year’s five finalists are: Conner Chan, Jennifer Flora Knudtson, Viet Pham, James E. Squires and Jennifer Gail Schopp. http://www.guidrynews.com/story.aspx?id=1000008916
(This story also appeared in the Galveston County Daily News, May 4, 2008)
More mothers breast-feed, in first months at least New York Times, May 1, 2008. About 77 percent of new mothers breast-feed their infants at least briefly, the highest rate seen in the United States in more than a decade, according to a government survey released on Wednesday. Dr. George Saade, director of the UTMB division of maternal-fetal medicine, is quoted. (This and similar articles have appeared widely in U.S. media.) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/01/health/research/01breast.html?_r=1&ref=us&oref=slogin
Houston Chronicle Bay Area, May 1, 2008. Five UTMB medical students – Shera Carlson, Yu Lee, Gloria Li, Co-May Nguyen and Francisco Pastar-Shirazi – have been selected for the Medical School training in Aging Research Program at the Sealy Center on Aging. The dermatology department will host a free skin cancer screening on May 10. The Institute for the Medical Humanities Theater Outreach and Education program will present “The Flight of the Avian Flu” at 7 p.m. today at Island etc., 2001 Postoffice St. Admission is free.
(Link unavailable.)
Six UTMB professors earn top-tier honors, Guidry News, May 1, 2008. Six of 12 inductees into an organization that was established to recognize excellence in medical education teach at UTMB. Inductees are Dr. Daniel M. Breitkopf, Robert J. Bulik, Barbara G. Ferrell, Dr. Jose L. Gonzalez, Dr. Ruth E. Levine and Dr. Karen E. Szauter.
http://www.guidrynews.com/story.aspx?id=1000008996
(This story also appeared in Medical Journal Houston (link unavailable) and Houston Chronicle Bay Area, May 15, 2008.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/bay/news/5779476.html )
Doctors vs. parents: Who decides right to life? Houston Press, May 1, 2008.
In this article about a young woman who remains in a coma following treatment in Houston, Professor William Winslade, of UTMB’s Institute for the Medical Humanities, responds to a question about the case. He is identified in the article as a “Texas ethicist.”
http://www.houstonpress.com/2008-05-01/news/doctors-vs-parents-who-decides-right-to-life/full
Eco alternatives make zapping bugs safe, easy, Galveston County Daily News, May 2, 2008. Consumers have an arsenal of chemical weapons at their disposal to battle the bugs, but one toxicology expert warns the collateral damage could be more than homeowners bargained for. The article quotes Jonathan Ward, director of UTMB’s environmental toxicology division
http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=b1696cc719aca108c8545f57966c90b3
Allergies, Medical Discovery News, May 3, 2008. Saturday’s edition of Medical Discovery News, by UTMB Professors Norbert Herzog and David Niesel, focused on allergies. Some 40 million Americans suffer from indoor allergies Asthma, a related illness, is the No. 1 childhood chronic disease, affecting 9 million children in the United States. Medical Discovery News airs at 10 a.m. on KUHF-FM in Houston. The program is aired by 48 radio stations.
http://www.medicaldiscoverynews.com/shows/sleep.html
Celebrating nurses every day, not just during National Nurses Week,
RN, May, April, 2008. In honor of National Nurses Week, Dr. Ronald W. Lindsey, chairman of orthopedic surgery and rehabilitation at UTMB, wrote: “I usually admire people who can do what I can't (or won't) ... I guess it's just human nature. Every day I'm confronted with such a group of individuals. They are the quintessence of everything that should be healthcare; they symbolize caring, trust, stability, hope, sensitivity, tenacity, and altruism. They are nurses.”
http://rn.modernmedicine.com/rnweb/Opinion/Mail-Box/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/508945
New agent strikes at respiratory syncytial virus replication, Galveston County Daily News, May 4, 2008. UTMB researchers have achieved promising results with a potential new weapon against respiratory syncytial virus, the most common cause of infant hospitalization in the United States. In an effort to find an effective antiviral therapy for RSV, the scientists tested two types of complex, custom-designed molecule to interfere with the genetic machinery that RSV uses to replicate, or copy itself, within cells.
http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=db9a9e485b6608c0
Adult orphans: When parents die, Los Angeles Times, May 5, 2008, LOS ANGELES – Examining the death of a parent, this article suggests such events may lead to positive outcomes for surviving children. UTMB’s Dr. Howard Brody is quoted in the article, marveling at the positive effect that the death of a parent had on one of his patients.
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-orphans5-2008may05,0,2452558.story
Mothers less likely to pursue HPV vaccination for youngest daughters,
Science Daily, May 5, 2008. Because the first national study of its kind has found that U.S. mothers report they are less likely to vaccinate daughters under age 13 against human papillomavirus virus, even though the vaccine is recommended for girls at age 11 and 12, it's incumbent upon the healthcare community to work to improve mom's acceptance of the vaccination for younger daughters, say researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center who conducted the study. The study included researchers from UTMB, Indiana University Galveston and Harvard University Medical School.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080504095619.htm
Dish on folic acid, CNN.com, May 5, 2008. Dr. Radek Bukowksi, of the division of maternal-fetal medicine, is quoted in this article about the role of folic acid during pregnancy.
http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2008/05/05/dishing-on-folic-acid/
The bad news: We can't afford do-everything health care, Grand Rapids Press, May 6, 2007. Dr. Howard Brody, director of UTMB’s Institute for the Medical Humanities, wrote about the financial limits of technology-driven medical care. To keep treatment affordable, he suggests dispensing with expensive high-tech care for conditions that can be treated by other, less expensive means.
http://blog.mlive.com/grpress_columnists/2008/05/the_bad_news_we_cant_afford_do.html#more
Women’s forum was a great success, Galveston County Daily News, May 7, 2008. Tia McCurdy, a community education specialist with the Senior Services Office at UTMB, lauded the many people and organizations that made the Circle of Life Women’s Forum held in Dickinson in April a success. http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=d19b60e72913e775
Protect your children from inappropriate games, Galveston County Daily News, May 7, 2008. UTMB Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly suggest that parents use a balanced approach when helping their children select appropriate video games.
http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=9034626d94c98e80
Transplantation-transmitted tuberculosis—Oklahoma and Texas, 2007, JAMA, May 7, 2008. In a report, the authors, including Dr. Kanae Ishihara of UTMB’s Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, wrote: “To reduce the risk for TB transmission associated with organ transplantation, organ recovery personnel should consider risk factors for TB when assessing all potential donors. In addition, clinicians should recognize that transplant recipients with TB might have unusual signs or symptoms.” http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/299/17/2018
Texas Medical Association awards minority scholarships, Medical News Today, May 7, 2008. Eight Texas minority college students about to enter medical school each have received a $5,000 scholarship from the Texas Medical Association. One of the recipients, Jaime Villarreal of Laredo, will attend UTMB in the fall. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/106607.php
NASA offers $5,000 a month for you to lie in bed, Wired, May 7, 2008. This article focuses on NASA’s microgravity research conducted in the Flight Analog Research Unit of UTMB’s General Clinical Research Center. http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/05/nasa-offers-500.html
Psychiatrist receives Strecker award, Houston Chronicle Bay Area, May 8, 2008. Dr. Robert M.A. Hirschfeld, chairman of the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at UTMB, was the recipient of the 45th annual Edward A. Strecker M.D. Award. This story also appeared in the Galveston County Daily News, May 26, 2008 (link unavailable). Xiaoyong Bao, a junior faculty member in the department of pediatrics, has been awarded a three-year, $150,000 Parker B. Francis Fellowship. Dr. Bernard F. Morrey of the Mayo Clinic will be the keynote speaker at the School of Medicine’s May 31 commencement
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/bay/news/5764407.html .
Two to receive distinguished alumnus award, Brownsville Herald, May 8, 2008. BROWNSVILLE – Dr. Ciro Valent Sumaya, a 1966 graduate of UTMB, received this year's Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College. Sumaya was also the commencement speaker for spring graduation at the school. He is the founding dean of the School of Rural Public Health at the Texas A&M University System Health Science Center.
http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/distinguished_86490___article.html/alumnus_texas.html
Family of UTMB physician establishes endowed position in his honor,
Guidry News, May 9, 2008. The family of Dr. Michael M. Warren, Ashbel Smith Professor of Surgery in the UTMB division of urology, has established an endowed faculty position in his honor to benefit the division.
http://www.guidrynews.com/story.aspx?id=1000009173
(This story also appeared in the Galveston County Daily News, May 14, 2008)
http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=eaaeafc29b76e7ac
Breast cancer and light, Medical Discovery News, May 10, 2008.
Saturday’s edition of Medical Discovery News, by UTMB Professors Norbert Herzog and David Niesel, focused on breast cancer and light. Noting that breast cancer rates in industrialized countries is six times that of developing countries, researchers have turned their attention to the effect that artificial light has on melatonin levels. Medical Discovery News airs at 10 a.m. on KUHF-FM in Houston. The program is aired by 48 radio stations.
http://www.medicaldiscoverynews.com/shows/cancerBreastLight.html
The next miracle pill, Chicago Tribune, May 11, 2008. CHICAGO – This article about placebos quotes UTMB’s Dr. Howard Brody. A survey of doctors in Chicago found that nearly half who responded said they’d dispensed dummy pills or other placebo treatments.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0511edit2may11,0,2158049.story
OSU honors former Stillwater physician, Stillwater News-Press, May 11, 2008. STILLWATER, Okla. – The College of Arts and Sciences at Oklahoma State University recently recognized Dr. Richard T. Jennings as its distinguished alumnus. Jennings, who practiced obstetrics and gynecology for eight years in Stillwater, is residency director of the UTMB/NASA-Johnson Space Center aerospace medicine residency program. http://www.stillwater-newspress.com/osu/local_story_132000043.html
Role of dietary protein in the sarcopenia of aging, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, May 2008. This article concludes: “There are compelling data to support the ability of dietary protein to acutely stimulate muscle protein synthesis in aging individuals. However, there is insufficient longer-term research with defined health outcomes to specify an optimal value for protein ingestion.” Lead author is Douglas Paddon-Jones, of the UTMB department of physical therapy. Dr. Elena Volpi, of the department of internal medicine, is a co-author.
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/87/5/1562S
Kathy Hooks cancer care crew for cure lifeline, Galveston County Daily News, May 12, 2008. Team members from the UTMB Cancer Center and the oncology clinical trials office took part in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life on April 25.
http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=6ef79b349fc3b7aa
UTMB preemie reunion was a marvelous idea, Galveston County Daily News, May 14, 2008. In a letter to the Word on the Street column, Leslie Koester, of Houston, wrote about her premature child who was born at UTMB. “I am so grateful to the doctors and nurses at the hospital.” http://galvestondailynews.com/letters.lasso
Positive and negative influences of TV on children, Galveston County Daily News, May 14, 2008. Television programs can affect children and teenagers in a variety of ways, from encouraging risky behaviors to health problems resulting from physical inactivity. In their Keeping Kids Healthy column, UTMB Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly offer suggestions to parents about turning some of the unsavory aspects of television viewing into a teachable moment. http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=b606c8b7d9105dcb
Poor vision may speed up mental decline in elderly, The Post, May 15, 2008. ISLAMABAD – Impaired near-range vision may speed older adults’ rate of mental decline as they age, study findings suggest. Researchers at UTMB found that among more than 2,000 elderly Mexican Americans, those with significant impairments in their near vision tended to show a steeper decline in mental functioning over 7 years. The article quotes Carlos A. Reyes-Ortiz, the study’s lead author. http://thepost.com.pk/IsbNewsT.aspx?dtlid=161271&catid=17
CDC biolab not ready after 2 1/2 years, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 15, 2008. ATLANTA – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new maximum-security laboratories in Atlanta were supposed to open in the fall of 2005. But the suite of Biosafety Level 4 labs still haven't been certified as ready to operate. Michael Holbrook, director of UTMB’s Robert E. Shope M.D. Laboratory, said that UTMB took less than seven months for its BSL-4 lab in the Shope lab to become operational after construction was finished on the building in late 2003.
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/printedition/2008/05/15/cdclabs.html
Flavivirus DNA vaccine with a kick, Nature Biotechnology, May 2008. Alan D.T. Barrett, director of UTMB’s Sealy Center for Vaccine Development, wrote this commentary on a previously published article appearing in the same journal titled “Single-round infectious particles enhance immunogenicity of a DNA vaccine against West Nile virus,” by David C Chang, of the University of Queensland (Australia). http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v26/n5/full/nbt0508-525.html
Portales man stable after heart transplant, Portales News-Tribune, May 14, 2008. A Portales man is in stable condition, after he received a heart transplant months after being diagnosed with an unknown heart virus. Charles (Charlie) Crane underwent 10 hours of surgery Tuesday at UTMB. http://www.pntonline.com/news/heart_13680___article.html/transplant_portales.html
Researchers from UTMB detail findings in gene therapy, Calibre Macroworld, May 15, 2008. A new study by UTMB researchers published in Gene Therapy (“Composition of PLGA and PEI/DNA nanoparticles improves ultrasound-mediated gene delivery in solid tumors in vivo”) states: “We found that the combination of PLGA/PEI/DNA nanoparticles with ultrasonication substantially enhanced tumor cell transfection in vivo. The overexpression of beta-gal gene was evaluated histochemically and by Western blot analysis.” The study was conducted by Olga.V. Chumakova and colleagues of UTMB’s Center for Biomedical Engineering. http://calibre.mworld.com/m/m.w?lp=GetStory&id=306641131
Researchers at UTMB pediatrics department publish new data on life sciences, Calibre Macroworld, May 15, 2008. A study by UTMB researchers (“Identification of human metapneumovirus-induced gene networks in airway epithelial cells by microarray analysis”) was published in Virology. According to the authors: “The overall result of this study provides novel information on host gene expression upon infection with hMPV and also serves as a foundation for future investigations of genes and pathways involved in the pathogenesis of this important viral infection.” The study was done by Xiaoyong Bao and colleagues of UTMB’s pediatrics department. http://calibre.mworld.com/m/m.w?lp=GetStory&id=306662711
Rainbow Connection Indoor Golf fundraiser. Galveston County Daily News, May 16, 2008. The inaugural Rainbow Connection nongolf Indoor Golf Tournament is set for today. Registration begins at 6:30 p.m. and activities start at 7 p.m. in the conference center at Hawthorne Suites at the Victorian Resort, 6300 Seawall, in Galveston. The Rainbow Connection sponsors a one-week summer camping experience for children with cancer and blood disorders who come to UTMB. http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=1ab9d17f3e02f6de
The pill camera, Medical Discovery News, May 17, 2008. Saturday’s edition of Medical Discovery News, by UTMB Professors Norbert Herzog and David Niesel, focused on a tiny wireless camera designed to help doctors detect esophageal cancer before ominous symptoms develop. They note that this year 16,000 people will be diagnosed in the United States with esophageal cancer and 14,000 will die from it. Medical Discovery News airs at 10 a.m. on KUHF-FM in Houston. The program is aired by 48 radio stations.
http://www.medicaldiscoverynews.com/shows/pillCamera.html
Dr. Jameson is Steel Oleander recipient, Galveston County Daily News, May 18, 2008. The Galveston Historical Foundation has chosen Dr. Grace K. Jameson as the next recipient of the Steel Oleander Award. The award, given annually since 1994, is bestowed upon a woman who has made significant contributions to the development of the community and to the education of the public about the role women have played in the history of the city. “I practiced medicine here in Galveston for 50 years,” said Jameson, a child and adolescent psychiatrist retired from UTMB.
http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=568cca7afbdb8299
James Charles Thompson, M.D., Galveston County Daily News, May 18, 2008. Dr. James C. Thompson, a leading surgical scientist and educator, died in his home in Galveston on May 9 of prostate cancer. He was 79 years old. From 1970 to 1995 he was professor and chairman of the UTMB Department of Surgery. He is credited with building at UTMB one of the leading surgical scientific programs in the nation. http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=0aea7ca14466cc36
Burns from campfires, trash burning or fireworks, Houston Chronicle Health, May 19, 2008. UTMB Dr. Art Sanford is quoted in this article about burn injuries from fireworks during holidays.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/health/5777476.html
Are your children mentally healthy? Galveston County Daily News, May 21, 2008. May is Mental Health Awareness Month and UTMB Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly offer advice to parents about what they can do to keep their children connected, starting with communication. http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=37fc88fde5b07f07c8545f57966c90b3
TMA bestows highest honor to Houston family physician, Medical News Today, May 21, 2008. Houston family physician Dr. Max C. Butler, who has spent nearly 50 years treating patients, is the recipient of the Texas Medical Association’s 2008 Distinguished Service Award. Butler received his medical degree from UTMB. “The day I got my acceptance to UTMB and the day I graduated are also two of my most exciting memories,” he said. He received UTMB's Ashbel Smith Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1992.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/108273.php
Partnership boosts African-American life, Galveston County Daily News, May 21, 2008. The Rev. Charles Wheat, chairman of the Galveston Island Community Research Advisory Committee, wrote about a reception planned Friday by his organization. He wrote: “The reception is designed to inform local citizens, key Galveston elected officials and UTMB officials of the work the committee has begun in partnership with UTMB, its department of obstetrics and gynecology and researchers on behalf of the community.”
http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=bdf4fd2397a82181
Integrative medicine: The comprehensive elimination diet as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool, Medical Journal Houston, May 2008. In his monthly column on integrative medicine, UTMB Dr. Victor S. Sierpina wrote about using a comprehensive elimination diet to help diagnose food allergies and sensitivities. (Link unavailable.)
Follow your own star, AAMC Reporter, May 2008. This article features UTMB pancreatic cancer surgeon Taylor S. Riall and her love of dancing. As a high school student, she was a nationally competitive diver, and later in life she dabbled in long-distance running. But nowadays, she has found success on a new playing field: The dance floor. And she’s looking to dance all the way to the top. http://www.aamc.org/newsroom/reporter/may08/backpage.htm
Prilosec delayed-release oral suspension, Pediatric News, May 2008. The FDA approved a new age range for a new formulation of Prilosec. The delayed-release oral suspension is indicated for short-term treatment of symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disorder and healing of erosive esophagitis in children aged 1-2 years. “This [official approval] makes everyone feel better because the studies are completed and we are using the medication for the right indication, versus having to extrapolate from adult data,” Dr. Xavier Villa said. “In that way it’s a very good thing. I wish more companies would get medication approvals in kids.” Villa is director of the UTMB division of pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition. http://www.pediatricnews.com/article/S0031-398X(08)70230-3/fulltext
Houston Chronicle Bay Area, May 22, 2008. Four physicians will be honored with the Ashbel Smith Distinguished Alumnus Award during the School of Medicine’s commencement on May 31. The honorees are Drs. John A. Menchaca of Fort Worth, Machelle M. Seibel of Newton, Mass., J. Marc Shabot of Galveston and the late Virginia Irvine Blocker. Dr. Eduard Orihuela has been appointed the inaugural holder of the Michael M. Warren, M.D. Distinguished Professorship in Urology. Dr. Tony S. Wen has been appointed the inaugural holder of the Howard and Lillian Becker Professorship in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Mabel E. Caban is the first to receive the Freeman Endowment Fund for the Development of Minority Faculty. Dr. John Whyte received the Robert L. Moody Prize during the eighth annual Galveston Brain Injury Conference. Whyte is from Philadelphia. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/bay/news/5795134.html
Screening patients with multi-detector computed axial tomography: When will we inform patients about the risk of radiation? Emergency Medicine Journal, June 2008. In a commentary, UTMB Dr. Jerry Baskerville wrote: “Physicians must always assure that the benefit of testing outweighs the risk of failure to diagnose, as well as morbidity and mortality from the test itself. Physicians and patients must be made aware of and understand the risks of MDCT testing. The question is — when do we begin to inform the patient and family, in an understandable and empathetic manner, of this very real risk?” http://emj.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/25/6/323
UTMB to award medical degrees to 187 new physicians, Galveston County Daily News, May 24, 2008. The state’s oldest medical school, the University of Texas Medical Branch, will award medical degrees to 187 new physicians May 31. The commencement of the 118th graduating class of the School of Medicine will be at Moody Gardens in Galveston. Dr. Bernard F. Morrey, a UTMB alumnus and the emeritus chairman of the department of orthopedics at the Mayo Clinic, will be the commencement speaker. http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=5ff8c549c159600c
The French paradox, Medical Discovery News, May 24, 2008. Saturday’s edition of Medical Discovery News, by UTMB Professors Norbert Herzog and David Niesel, discuss the French: “They smoke, eat relatively high levels of saturated fat, and yet coronary heart disease is low in France!” Polyphenols, found in red wine, may have something to do with this apparent paradox but the professors continue to recommend a balanced diet and exercise as the best route to a healthy body.
http://www.medicaldiscoverynews.com/shows/frenchParadox.html
Garland of honors, Galveston County Daily News, May 26, 2008. In her Scenes column, Frances Powell made note of the School of Medicine faculty mixer hosted by the University Women’s Club recently. Dr. Garland Anderson, new UTMB executive vice president and provost, was honored by Dr. David L. Callender, UTMB president, and others. (Link unavailable.)
Experts question placebo pill for children, New York Times, May 27, 2008. UTMB’s Dr. Howard Brody is quoted in this article about a company that sells placebo pills to the public. “The idea that we can use a placebo as a general treatment method, strikes me as inappropriate,” Brody said. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/27/health/27plac.html?_r=1&ref=science&oref=slogin
Health officials warn of bacteria in bayou, Galveston County Daily News, May 27, 2008. Alfredo Torres, a microbiology professor at UTMB, is quoted in this article about the presence of elevated concentrations of bacteria in Dickinson Bayou.http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=dc7be32125043d0d
Hospital board to swear in new members, Huntsville Item, May 27, 2008. The Walker County Hospital District Board of Managers was expected to renew a one-year contract for UTMB’s Regional Maternal and Child Health prenatal clinic in Huntsville. http://www.itemonline.com/local/local_story_148230943.html
Either-Or disease a serious infection of the attitude, Mlive.com, May 28, 2008. Dr. Howard Brody, director of UTMB’s Institute for the Medical Humanities, offers a scorecard on media coverage of two serious medical problems that involve human behavior. http://www.mlive.com/health/index.ssf/2008/05/eitheror_disease_a_serious_inf.html
IBM turns unused computers into grid to solve (some of) the world's problems, Austin American-Statesman, May 29, 2008. The World Community Grid, which harnesses the power of idle desktop computers to solve a variety of problems, was developed four years ago by IBM Corp. Now, the grid has more than 1 million registered computers worldwide, and it supports a half-dozen promising research efforts that could make the world a better place by, for example, finding treatments for diseases. The article quotes Stanley Watowich of UTMB, who leads a team that is examining about 1 million drugs to see which have promise for being effective against dengue fever, a mosquito-borne tropical disease that kills more than 25,000 people a year.
http://www.statesman.com/search/content/business/stories/technology/05/29/0529grid.html
UTMB briefs, Houston Chronicle Bay Area, May 29, 2008. Hospice Care Team Inc. has donated $3,000 to the Butterfly Room remodeling project in UTMB Children’s Hospital.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/bay/news/5806394.html
Best of the Web Today, Wall Street Journal, May 29, 2008. This article references an article published in The New York Times about a woman who has started a business to sell placebos. The article quotes UTMB’s Dr. Howard Brody, director of the Institute of the Medical Humanities. (The item on Brody is near the bottom of this WSJ column.)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121207853534129667.html
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http://www.som.utmb.edu/e-NEWS/eNEWS-TOC.htm. Thank you for your interest and time.
Copyright 2001, The University of Texas Medical Branch
