AHC News Capsules - 1/10/08
January 10, 2008
NEWS CAPSULES
is a biweekly newsletter for faculty, staff, and students of the Academic Health Center. Please send submissions to Jacob Portnoy at port0179@umn.edu.
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Welcome to 2008 - a new year of great promise for the Academic Health Center and for the University of Minnesota.
Based on the experience of the past few years, we can anticipate advances in knowledge and exciting discoveries from our world-class faculty. And, again this year, we will seek new and additional support from the community and the state that will allow us to carry out our mission.
Such support was critical for renovating the building once occupied by the Minnesota Department of Health, located at 717 Delaware St., Phase one of the renovation was completed in the fall 2007 and the Institute for Therapeutics Discovery and Development moved in at that time. Phase two construction of the remaining floors is now nearly complete, and more programs and tenants have moved in, representing diverse departments in the Academic Health Center. This programmatic diversity is one goal of 717 Delaware – and other new buildings, as we build to promote collaboration among our professions and disciplines.
To celebrate the completion of the 717 Delaware renovation, all are invited to an open house, 3-5 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 16. A reception and tours of the new space will follow a short program. I look forward to seeing you there.
– Frank B. Cerra, M.D.
Sr. Vice President for Health Sciences
Researchers discover how certain genes regulate cancer cell growth and death
A University cancer researcher has discovered how key genes cause breast and ovarian cancer cells to either multiply or die. This discovery opens the door to developing drugs that target these E2F1 target genes, balance their dual functions, and give women diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer a greater chance for long-term survival. Timothy Hallstrom, Ph.D., assistant professor and scientist with the Cancer Center, collaborated with researchers at Duke University to make this discovery.
For more information, go to: http://www.ahc.umn.edu/news/releases/genescancer010808/home.html.
Research finds disordered eating less common among teen girls who regularly eat family meals
Adolescent girls who frequently eat meals with their families appear less likely to use diet pills, laxatives, or other extreme measures to control their weight five years later, according to research led by Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., lead investigator of Project Eating Among Teens (Project EAT).
For more information, go to: http://www.ahc.umn.edu/news/releases/eatdisorder010808/home.html.
Academic Health Center and Winona State University launch clinical laboratory sciences partnership
The University of Minnesota and Winona State University announced their clinical laboratory sciences (CLS) partnership, which will begin enrolling students next fall. Senior Vice President for Health Sciences Frank B. Cerra, M.D., and Winona State University President Judith A. Ramaley, Ph.D., have signed the official agreement demonstrating the shared commitment of Minnesota’s higher education institutions to meet the growing health care workforce needs across the state.
For more information, go to: http://www.ahc.umn.edu/news/releases/clspartnership010708/home.html.
James Neaton Ph.D., M.S. (School of Public Health), appeared fifth in a ranking of top NIH grant recipients for 2007. Neaton is the principal investigator of the International Network for Strategic Initiatives in Global HIV Trials.
Rahel Ghebre, M.D. (Medical School), was awarded a position as scholar on the Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health grant from the Deborah E. Powell Center for Women's Health.
Dan Voytas, Ph.D. (Medical School), is the new director of the University’s Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for Transposon Research. Voytas comes from Iowa State University where he has worked in genetic engineering since 1992.
Preparing for Enterprise Financial System (EFS)
The University is counting down to a significant shift in how we manage our financial operations with the Enterprise Financial System (EFS) change scheduled for July 2008. Training for all AHC finance employees begins in April. The AHC EFS Steering Committee leadership, including Kristy Frost-Griep and Stewart McMullan, are working to ensure all employees are signed up for the training they need. Simple message? Be kind to your finance folks – they’re going through a lot of change and training in the next six months.
Fairview News
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Board approves new children’s hospital
Fairview Health Services board members on Dec. 20 approved $175 million for construction projects that include building a new University of Minnesota Children's Hospital, Fairview facility on the Riverside campus and updating existing spaces for pediatric services. Next steps are review by the City Zoning and Planning Committee and by the Minneapolis City Council.
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Children’s Hospital seeking Level II trauma center status
University of Minnesota Children's Hospital, Fairview will seek Level II trauma center status by 2009, following a parallel process being undertaken by University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview.
Documentation of clinical trials in the medical record now required
Although it has always been a best practice, a new Fairview policy requires that all clinical research subjects at Fairview facilities have an entry in their medical record (e.g., FCIS or Allscripts) that includes the Institutional Review Board (IRB) number; principal investigator’s phone & pager number; study coordinator’s phone and pager number (if applicable); and date of patient enrollment in the study and expected length of participation. For more information, go to: http://www.fairview.org/inc/downloads/c_438147.doc
New Integrated Biosciences Ph.D. approved
The Board of Regents in December approved an all-University Integrated Biosciences Ph.D. program, culminating more than six years of planning and the collaboration of 60 scientists and faculty members. By emphasizing the new, larger integrative picture of how various biological disciplines interact with one another, scientists can employ multi-pronged approaches to study living organisms and their affect on their environments. The unique, cutting edge program will be one of only three others in the entire nation and will offer a dynamic new integrative approach to the field of biology.
For more information, go to: http://www.med.umn.edu/duluth/NewsReleases/IBS_degree.html.
Extended hours will continue at Bio-Medical library
A pilot found students took advantage of late-night hours at the Bio-Medical library and see it as a convenient study space. Beginning Jan. 22, the library will remain open until 3 a.m. every night in fall and spring semesters. The library will remain 24/7 during finals periods. A UCard will be required to access the library after regular closing hours. For more information on Bio-Medical library resources, go to: http://www.biomed.lib.umn.edu/.
Program of Mortuary Science receives endowed scholarship
Leo A. Hodroff (Class of 1937) donated $200,000 to establish a permanent scholarship in his name. The gift is the largest ever received by the Program of Mortuary Science in its 100-year history. The scholarship will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the President’s Scholarship Match Program.
Stroke Center ranks high nationally
The Zeenat Qureshi Stroke Research Center, was ranked in the top 20 academic facilities for conducting biomedical research among various institutions representing several disciplines of biological sciences in the United States by The Scientist, a magazine for life science professionals. The Zeenat Qureshi Stroke Research Center is part of the Department of Neurology and located in the Phillips-Wagensteen building.
Email changes
Several old email addresses will be terminated on May 17. Any person, group, or department sending or receiving email from one of the below addresses should transition to the University’s central email services.
NAME@ahc.umn.edu
NAME@mail.ahc.umn.edu
NAME@med.umn.edu
NAME@mail.med.umn.edu
NAME@lenti.med.umn.edu
NAME@ccgb.umn.edu
NAME@paragen.cvm.umn.edu
Contact John Crow at crow@umn.edu with questions.
2008 State of the Academic Health Center address
This annual presentation by Senior Vice President for Health Sciences Frank B. Cerra and the AHC Faculty Assembly led by AHC-FCC Chair Lois J. Heller takes place Jan. 31. The presentations will originate from the Mayo Auditorium on the TC East Bank Campus with live broadcasts to the St. Paul campus (Room 280 VDL), Duluth campus (Room 165), and Rochester campus (Room 338 University Square).
- 2:00-2:45 p.m. - AHC Faculty Assembly
- 3:00-4:00 p.m. - State of the AHC Address
“Community Forum: A Nursing Perspective on Health Care Reform”
Join nursing colleagues at this Jan. 31 event where nurse leaders will share their thoughts on what true health care reform should be. Presentation and dialogue will produce ideas that can be shared with candidates, policy makers and the public. The forum is presented by the School of Nursing and the Densford International Center for Nursing Leadership. For more information or to RSVP, go to http://www.nursing.umn.edu/densford.
Farm to table study tour in the Netherlands
The Global Food Safety Systems Leadership Initiative, Feb. 6-9, is sponsored by an international consortium of universities fostering public-private partnerships committed to a safe supply of affordable food everywhere. Please contact Meghan Taylor at 6-8434 for program itineraries, financial support applications and program registration forms.
Pharmaceutical care experiential clinic patients needed
Appointments are now being accepted for the University’s Pharmaceutical Care Experiential Clinic on the Twin Cities and Duluth campuses. This experience helps pharmacy students learn how to deliver medication therapy management services. All University employees, friends and relatives are welcome. There is no charge for your assistance, although voluntary contributions are accepted. For more information and to set up an appointment please call (612) 625-7929 or (218) 726-6800 in Duluth.
TIME CAPSULE
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Former School of Dentistry dean dies
Dr. Erwin Schaffer, dean of the School of Dentistry from 1964-1977, passed away on Dec. 25, 2007. Dr. Schaffer helped to modernize the School of Dentistry through both programming and facilities. He also played an instrumental part in the planning and re-organization of the health sciences into the present day Academic Health Center. To read a memo that captures the enthusiasm many felt for the new dean's plans in 1964, go to: http://blog.lib.umn.edu/moore144/ahcarchives/2008/01/dr_erwin_schaffer.html.
AHC News Capsules is a biweekly newsletter for faculty, staff, and students of the Academic Health Center. Please send submissions to Jacob Portnoy at port0179@umn.edu.
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