News Capsules - 2/06/08

February 6 , 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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With just days to go before the start of the state legislative session, the state and the University are in high political mode. It's at this time each year that we are reminded of a concept central to last week's State of the Academic Health Center address ? stewardship -- and how we deliver on that promise to Minnesota. We do this in partnership with the state on many levels, and this year will be no different.

When the legislature convenes on Feb. 12, the discussion of our state investment in infrastructure will be front and center. Political leaders tell us that they expect to pass a bonding bill before their Easter recess. The Academic Health Center will once again make the case for the state to also invest almost $300 million in biomedical research space on the University campus. We need an investment model that provides a level of predictability as we seek to recruit and retain leading research talent for Minnesota.

In addition, the AHC has other responsibilities. We expect to be fully engaged in the important and lively debate about how the state meets the primary care needs of its citizens. And, the issues around the Central Corridor and the path that it takes through the University campus are important to the safety and success of our education, research, and clinical enterprise. (see how you can get involved) Regardless of the issue, our stewardship means we focus on the careful and responsible management of the state's health, which is entrusted to us.

– Frank B. Cerra, M.D.
Sr. Vice President for Health Sciences

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HEADLINES —

Researchers pioneer study of potential new mono treatment
Researchers have begun studying the drug valomaciclovir to treat infectious mononucleosis. The goal is to find out if people who take the antiviral drug recover from mono faster. "Mono has an enormous impact on young adults, especially on a college campus. Reducing the severity and length of the symptoms would mean less time away from school and work," said Henry Balfour, Jr., M.D., who heads the clinical trial. For more information, go to: http://www.ahc.umn.edu/news/releases/mono012908/home.html.

Researchers discover a pathway to turn off immune system cells
Researchers have discovered a new way to turn genes off in human T cells, a type of white blood cell that helps the immune system fight infections. Turning off genes, through a process known as mRNA decay, is important for regulating the body's immune response after fighting infection. For more information, go to: http://www.ahc.umn.edu/news/releases/immunecells013108/home.html.

Minnesota Partnership team finds cocaine antidote, wins $1.5 million federal research award
After only one year of collaboration, a Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics team of Marilyn Carroll, Ph.D. (Medical School), and Stephen Brimijoin, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic, found that a modified human plasma-enzyme stopped convulsions in rats that were administered a normally lethal dose of cocaine. As a result, they garnered a $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to translate those findings to humans. For more information, go to: http://www.nature.com/npp/index.html.

Gene variations impact blood pressure drug effectiveness
Researchers Amy Lynch, Ph.D., John Eckfeldt, M.D., Ph.D., and Catherine Leiendecker- Foster, M.S. (Medical School), found that patients with hypertension and certain gene variations experienced varying results with some blood pressure medications, suggesting matching a patient's genotype with certain hypertension medications could result in more favorable outcomes. The work was published in the January 23 issue of JAMA.

Minnesota rates of uninsurance stabilize following earlier increases
A survey from the School of Public Health and Minnesota Department of Health shows that after rising between 2001 and 2004, the percentage of Minnesotans without health insurance was stable between 2004 and 2007. An estimated 7.2 percent of Minnesotans, or about 374,000 people, were uninsured in 2007. The rate of uninsurance in 2007 was statistically unchanged from 2004. National surveys, although not comparable to this study, show that Minnesota has the lowest uninsurance rate in the nation. For more information, go to: http://www.sph.umn.edu/about/news/releases/shadac013108.html.

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Judith Berman, Ph.D. (Medical School), was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for work deemed scientifically or socially distinguished.

Shana Sturla, Ph.D. (College of Pharmacy), and Kirill Martemyanov, Ph.D. (Medical School), were named McKnight Land-Grant Professors for 2008-2010. The Office of the Provost and the Graduate School co-sponsor this program to advance the careers of promising junior faculty.

Robert Kratzke, M.D. (Medical School), was awarded the Christopher Stoeckler Memorial Grant from the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. His research project, "Targeting Cap-mediated translation for mesothelioma therapy," will test the capability of a new class of chemotherapy drugs.

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UPDATES —

Power outage to affect computer resources
Children's Rehab Center will be without power 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 17. The power outage will include the server room housed in Children's Rehab. The following services will be unavailable during the outage:

• All production Oracle databases (Uvis, Research, Kronos, and all Web applications)
• www.ahc.umn.edu and intranet.ahc.umn.edu servers
• College of Pharmacy Web services (not including www.pharmacy.umn.edu)
• Cancer Center Web services
• Online Visa registration systems
• CME applications
• Meeting Maker

Network connections and phones should not be affected. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the outage, please contact Colby Reese at 6-2323.

NIH public access policy changes to take affect
The NIH public access policy ensures that the public has access to the published results of NIH-funded research. It requires scientists to submit journal articles that arise from NIH funds to the digital archive PubMed Central. For more information, go to: http://publicaccess.nih.gov/.
Important dates:

• April 7, 2008
  All articles arising from NIH funds must be submitted to PubMed Central upon acceptance for publication.
• May 25, 2008
  NIH applications, proposals, and progress reports must include the PubMed Central reference number when citing an article that falls under the policy and is authored or co-authored by the investigator, or arose from the investigator's NIH award. This policy includes applications submitted to the NIH for the May 25, 2008 due date and subsequent due dates.

Charboneau to oversee AHC BSL3 facilities
Darlene Charboneau will begin a new role as BSL3 facilities manager next month. She is currently the University's biosaftey officer. Charboneau has been heavily involved in the design of all AHC BSL3 research spaces.

Medical School welcomes vice dean for education
Lindsey C. Henson, M.D., Ph.D., will become the Medical School's first vice dean for education. The position is designed to accelerate MED 2010, the school's transformation of medical education. Henson has been involved in two other significant transformations of undergraduate medical education - one at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and one at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

School of Nursing receives $2.5 million gift
The $2.5 million endowment from the trust of Mary K. and Cyrus A. Field will support both undergraduate and graduate nursing students. The gift is eligible for additional funds through the President's Scholarship match, further enhancing the funds available to nursing students. This is the second largest gift to the School of Nursing in its 99-year history.

School of Dentistry teams up to help underserved area
The School of Dentistry and Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar recently opened a new dental clinic. While the clinic is open to all patients, its mission is to serve low-income and uninsured patients who often are unable to access or afford dental care. The clinic is also a community-based learning site for the school.

OPPORTUNITIES —

Face time with Frank
Senior Vice President for Health Sciences Frank Cerra will engage in a dialogue with each of the AHC schools and colleges this spring. All faculty and staff of each college are invited to join in the conversation during their allotted time. If you have any questions, please call Jen at 612-625-4110.

• March 31, noon-2:00 p.m. - College of Veterinary Medicine - 125 AnSci/VM
• April 2, 7:30-9:30 a.m. - College of Pharmacy - 7-135 WDH
• April 9, 7:30-9:30 a.m. - School of Nursing - 4-180 WDH
• April 16, 7:30-9:30 a.m. - School of Dentistry - 2-650 Moos
• April 17, 7:30-9:30 a.m. - Medical School - Mayo Auditorium
• April 18, 7:30-9:30 a.m. - School of Public Health - Mayo Auditorium

Two chances to hear from the new commissioner of health

• Meet and greet
  The Minnesota Public Health Association will host a meet and greet with new Commissioner of Health Sanne Magnan, M.D., Ph.D., 5:30-7:30 p.m., March 4, at the Minnesota Humanities Center in St. Paul. Magnan will present her ision and priorities for the Minnesota Department of Health and the state and take questions.
• SPH commencement address
  Magnan will speak at the School of Public graduation ceremony, 5 p.m., May 19, at Northrop Auditorium. Magnan earned an M.D. and Ph.D. from the University.

2008 AHC Faculty Seed Grant Program
Apply now for one of 15 seed grants to fund faculty research. Up to 15 awards will be funded with a maximum of $25,000 per project. These grants are designed to support new areas of research and to help develop innovative projects that will allow faculty to expand their research. Proposals from all areas of research within the AHC are welcome. The deadline for applications is April 4. For more information, go to: http://www.ahc.umn.edu/research/funding/seedgrants/home.html.

"The Aging Game" - Mini Medical School Spring 2008
Topics for this five-week series will include: What happens as we age; your aging skin; oral health; sexuality and aging; heart health; and what you should know about prescription drugs and medications. Mondays, 6-8:30 p.m., March 24-April 21, Coffman Union Theatre. For more information, go to: http://www.ahc.umn.edu/outreach/minimed.

Emergency Readiness Rounds - Minnesota Disaster Response: Lessons Learned in 2007
This seminar, noon - 1:30 p.m., March 5, at Snelling Office Park in St. Paul, will bring together multidisciplinary leaders who responded to disasters to share their experiences, lessons learned, and recommendations for future planning. For more information, contact Natalie Migliarini, MERET program associate, at 612-626-2596 or migli010@umn.edu.

Online primer for disaster volunteers
This online tool provides an overview of the National Incident Management System and an introduction to the Incident Command System. The informs volunteers about the standardized organizational structure and communication system they are likely to encounter while participating in a response effort. For more information, go to: http://cpheo.sph.umn.edu/cpheo/umncphp/online/home.html.

Global Public Health Institute?Reykjavik, Iceland
A 25-year collaboration between the University of Iceland and the University of Minnesota continues with a week-long (March 31 - April 5, 2008) Global Health Institute. The University of Iceland hosts University of Minnesota School of Public Health and School of Nursing students and faculty in this collaborative effort that includes three one-credit graduate level courses, reception and dinner, a field trip tour, and a visit to the Blue Lagoon, a world-famous geothermal spa. For more information, go to: http://www.sph.umn.edu/go/iceland.

Breathe Easier: Advances in Indoor Air Quality and Mold Recognition, Identification, and Remediation
This three-day series, March 18-20 in St. Paul, will provide an opportunity for concentrated skill development in sampling, identifying mold, and developing qualitative risk assessments based on sampling data. The event is sponsored by the School of Public Heath's Midwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety. For more information, go to: http://ustar.ahc.umn.edu/register_event.cfm.

SPH public service announcement contest
The School of Public Health is conducting its second annual "It's Global" Public Service Announcement (PSA) contest. School of Public Health (SPH) officials hope it will attract talented novice and seasoned filmmakers from across the country and beyond. For more information, go to: http://www.sph.umn.edu/film.

CALENDAR —

Feb. 07 (Thu)
12:15 p.m - 1:15 p.m.
Student Committee on Bioethics- Winter Lecture Series
The Ethics of Organ Transplantation and Possibilities for the Future
Maryam Valapour, M.D.
Location: Moos Tower - MT 2-530

Feb. 08 (Fri)
11:30 a.m - 12:30 p.m.
AAPS Chapter Invited Speaker
Generic Drug Development: Quality by Design and other Challenges
Dr. Jack Aurora from Perrigo Company
Location: Mayo Memorial - 3-125

Feb. 18 (Mon)
8 a.m ? 9 a.m.
AHC Clinical Research Conference
"Incorporation of NK Receptor Genotyping into Donor Selection
Criteria for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: The Way of the Future"
Sarah Cooley, M.D.
Location: Moos Health Sciences Tower - 1-450G

Feb, 19 (Tue)
7 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.
Ob/Gyn Grand Rounds
Pregnancy and Hepatitis B: Screening and Care Recommendations for Health Care Providers
Jeanne Anderson, RN, BSN, CIC, Perinatal Hepatitis B Program
Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Health
Location: Off Campus - The Brennan Center, Fairview Riverside East Building, Lobby Level (2nd Floor)

More events like these can be found on the AHC calendar, http://www.ahc.umn.edu/calendar. You can submit an item to the AHC calendar by going to http://www.ahc.umn.edu/submitevent.

TIME CAPSULE —

Dear Patient
By the late 1950s the University Hospitals saw an estimated 13,000 visitors a year. In order to help make their visit as pleasant as possible, each patient received a handy pocket guidebook to the services and amenities of the hospitals. Flip through the guidebook and learn when visiting hours are; how to contact a social worker; and, how to rent a TV for your room. Read the guidebook "For Your Health" at https://conservancy.umn.edu/bitstream/5626/1/ForYourHealth.pdf.

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.