AHC News Capsules 02/07/07
February 7, 2007
NEWS CAPSULES
is a biweekly newsletter for faculty, staff, and students of the Academic Health Center. Please send submissions to Jennifer La Forgia, lafor016@umn.edu.
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This year’s legislative session is having a significant impact on my calendar. The good news is that many of the new members are very interested in the work we do in the health sciences and they want to know how our schools impact the quality of life here in Minnesota. That’s a story I enjoy telling. And you’ve probably seen the recent news coverage about the public policy interest in biosciences. That’s an interest we’re working to encourage. Remember that the state provides close to 10 percent of the AHC budget – funding that supports important initiatives – and I encourage you to stay informed as the session progresses. Sign up at http://www1.umn.edu/groots/index.php and stay tuned for opportunities to engage.
– Frank B. Cerra
President Bruininks built a strong case for the 2008-2009 biennial budget, which includes $182.3 million in new state funding over the next two years. Presenting before the house Higher Education Committee, he argued forcefully for the competitive compensation request of $28.5 million to recruit, reward and retain world-class faculty and staff and for the $27.9 million for the education and preparation of the next generation of health professionals.
In other legislative activity, the House Biosciences and Emerging Technology Committee held two hearings on the status of biotechnology research at the U. Frank Cerra and Timothy Mulcahy were joined by faculty members in making the case for further state investment in research at the U. They emphasized the great opportunities of synergy across departments and the value of U research connecting to the business community.
The new three-story addition to Rochester’s Vincent Stabile Building will offer researchers with the U-Mayo Partnership room to expand knowledge in genomics and bioscience. Last month, representatives from the University, Mayo Clinic and the state of Minnesota gathered in Rochester to dedicate the three new floors. “The kind of space we are providing to researchers in the Stabile Building will help us to attract top talent and research dollars for the Partnership. It will serve as a catalyst for other bioscience development in Minnesota,” said Frank Cerra, Senior Vice President for Health Sciences. The three floors will house up to 300 researchers and include genomic laboratories, facilities for bioinformatics, and teleconference and meeting rooms.
The Academic Health Center and University Libraries will launch the AHC History Project with a special lecture honoring the late University of Minnesota oncologist B.J. Kennedy. Gretchen Krueger, historical consultant for the American Society of Clinical Oncology from 2003-06, will speak on “B.J. Kennedy and the Campaign for Medical Oncology,” Wednesday, Feb. 28, from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Mayo Memorial Auditorium. A reception will follow in the auditorium lobby. The AHC History Project is dedicated to preserving the rich history of the Academic Health Center and promoting the collection of its historical documents within the University Archives. For more information, go to: http://www.ahc.umn.edu/img/assets/7617/HistoryProject_Kennedy.pdf
Constance Schmitz, Michael Maddaus and Robert Acton (Medical School) recently received the 2007 Herz Faculty Teaching Development Award from the Minnesota Medical Foundation and the Medical School.
Bernard Harlow (School of Public Health) contributed to the 2007 Institute of Medicine summary report, "Assessing the Medical Risks of Human Oocyte Donation for Stem Cell Research." The report summarizes views presented at a September 2006 workshop that brought together top scientists in the field of stem cell research.
DeAnn Lazovich (Cancer Center) was recently named vice chair of the Minnesota Cancer Alliance Steering Committee and will assume her one-year position as chair in 2008. This committee is the governing body of the Minnesota Cancer Alliance and is responsible for the ongoing development, implementation, and evaluation of Cancer Plan Minnesota.
Susan Henly (School of Nursing) was named an associate editor of Nursing Research, the leading nursing research journal in the world. Her appointment runs from 2007-2009. Henly’s contributions as a nurse methodologist and her valuable contributions to the journal were cited as key reasons for her appointment.
Alexandros L. Georgiadis (Medical School) received the 2007 Zeenat Qureshi Award at the 2007 American Society of Neuroimaging conference in Miami last month.
More than 300 were on hand last week when Frank Cerra delivered the eighth annual State of the Academic Health Center address. To see the streaming video of his talk given in the newly renovated, high-tech Mayo Auditorium, go to the AHC home page (http://www.ahc.umn.edu/) under “News and Events.”
The clings are coming! Watch for 105 Driven to Discover floor mat clings that will be in place Feb. 8 in the hallways, tunnels and skyways of the Minneapolis and St. Paul campuses. Each cling will answer a Driven to Discover question. They will be in place through April 8.
To speed the transfer of U research to the commercial world, the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) has reorganized the University’s technology transfer program into the new Office for Technology Commercialization(OTC). OTC oversees all aspects of technology commercialization at the U through its twin centers: the Licensing Center (formerly Patents and Technology Marketing), which manages patent and licensing functions, and the Venture Center (formerly the Office of Business Development), which assists in the creation of U-based start-ups. Also new at the OTC is the Intellectual Property Commitment Committee as the final authority for review of all disclosed intellectual property; and Innovation Grants and Ignition Investments to support promising technologies. The Licensing Center and Venture Center are consolidated at OTC’s new location in the University Enterprise Laboratories in St. Paul. If you have intellectual property questions, contact Michael Klug, AHC technology liaison, at 612-626-8495, klugx027@umn.edu. Or, for more information on OTC, contact umotc@umn.edu or 612-624-0550 or see http://www.research.umn.edu/techcomm.
The College of Veterinary Medicine will buy a linear accelerator to treat cancer. The accelerator will allow veterinary oncologists to map tumors three-dimensionally and focus radiation on cancerous lesions, minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue. “This linear accelerator will be the only facility of its kind for veterinary use in the Upper Midwest,” said David Lee, director of the Veterinary Medical Center.
Craig Selden, director of quality assurance for the School of Dentistry, was awarded 4th place in the University’s 2007 Quality Fair for his poster presentation “Boosting Quality at the School of Dentistry.” The 2007 Quality Fair was created as a way to share ideas, transfer best practices, showcase improvements, celebrate innovation, and inspire others to do the same.
The College of Veterinary Medicine has named Julia Ponder executive director of The Raptor Center. She succeeds TRC co-founder Patrick Redig. Ponder has served as a staff veterinarian in the center and as interim associate director in 2005.
A ground-breaking stem cell conference will be held Feb. 26. This full-day conference sponsored by the Consortium on Law and Values in Health, Environment & the Life Sciences will convene top researchers and experts to explore the issues raised by SCNT (somatic cell nuclear transfer), the options open to universities, and how policy should progress. To register for the conference, "Creating Stem Cells by Research Cloning: Scientific, Ethical, Legal and Policy Challenges," go to: http://www.lifesci.consortium.umn.edu/conferences/scnt.php or e-mail lawvalue@umn.edu.
The U’s Office of Education is driving forward the interprofessional education developments in the AHC. An update meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 14, from noon to 1 p.m. in 5-125 Moos Tower will include discussion on the planning for the AHC Center for Interprofessional Education and the planning for the conference, “Collaborating Across Borders: An American-Canadian Dialogue on Interprofessional Health Education,” to be held Oct. 24-26 on the University’s Twin Cities campus. Lunch is provided. RSVP to Jen Trochinski at troc0021@umn.edu. ITV access is available for Duluth participants in 372 Kirby Plaza
The Distinguished Visiting Scholar Series in Health Disparities will host Lorretta Jemmott, Ph.D., R.N., FAAN, speaking on “Recruitment of Ethnic Minorities into Clinical Trials,” Friday, Feb. 16, from noon to 1 p.m. in 1-450G Moos Tower. Jemmott is director of the Center for Health Disparities Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing; the van Ameringen Professor in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing; and the Assistant Provost for Gender and Minority Equity Issues. (Also, see item on a roundtable discussion with Dr. Jemmott under “Opportunities” below.)
The Konopka Institute for Best Practices in Adolescent Health, a part of the Medical School’s Department of Pediatrics, will present the 26 th Konopka Lecture with Pedro Antonio Noguera speaking on “What Does It Take to Leave No Child Behind?” The lecture (free and open to the public) will be Tuesday, Feb. 13, at 10 a.m. in the 3M Auditorium of the Minnesota History Center. Noguera is a professor in the Steinhardt School of Education of New York University.
The U’s Office of Regulatory Affairs will sponsor Good Laboratory Practice (GLP), a one-day training course, Feb. 28, at the Continuing Education Conference Center in St. Paul. The course covers federal regulations for GLP (in 21 CFR Part 58) and is $250 for anyone with U affiliation. To register, go to https://onestop2.umn.edu/training/category.jsp?category=CONTSUBST . For more information, contact Dawn Walden, walde010@umn.edu or 612-624-9991.
Proposals to the Consortium on Law and Values in Health, Environment & the Life Sciences for projects addressing the broad societal implications of problems in health, environment, or the life sciences are due in February. Four types of awards are available: 1) For graduate/professional students; 2) for departments, programs, or centers; 3) for individual faculty; and 4) for Consortium/JDP members. Go to http://www.lifesci.consortium.umn.edu/rfps/ for further information, deadlines, and application instructions. For questions, call 612-626-5624 or e-mail boyle032@umn.edu.
So what are the do's and don’ts of copyrighted materials? The Libraries' Copyright Education and Information Initiative can help you learn to use copyrighted materials responsibly in your teaching, research, service and outreach activities. To learn more, visit http://www.lib.umn.edu/copyright/ or e-mail copyinfo@umn.edu. You can also contact the Health Sciences Libraries' librarian subject specialist assigned to your discipline (http://www.biomed.lib.umn.edu/about/staff/liaisons).
The Medical School’s Program in Health Disparities Research, the AHC Office of Clinical Research and the School of Nursing will host Loretta Jemmott, Ph.D., R.N., FAAN, of the University of Pennsylvania for a roundtable discussion on “The Recruitment and Career Development of Minority Investigators,” Thursday, Feb. 15, 3:15–5 p.m. in 4-180 Weaver-Densford Hall. Please send roundtable questions and your RSVP to wood0132@umn.edu or call Heather Wood at 612-625-3919. A reception will follow, 5-6 p.m., in 4-185 Weaver-Densford Hall.
The U’s Academic and Corporate Relations Center will sponsor the Life Science Business Workshop Thursday, Feb. 15, 7 a.m.–12:30 p.m., at the McNamara Alumni Center. The workshop will feature sessions on such topics as Alzheimer’s imaging, neurocell transplants for Parkinson’s, and tissue engineering. To register, e-mail Devan at futte002@umn.edu or call 612-626-3438.
PAMOJA! is an evening of "togetherness" with food, drink, music, and entertainment on Thursday, Feb. 8, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the Weisman Art Museum. The evening is sponsored by the School of Public Health Student Senate. For questions, please e-mail sphss@umn.edu.
Learn with public-health students from around the globe. The 2007 Summer Public Health Institute will be May 21–June 8. Visit http://cpheo.sph.umn.edu/institute for the complete three-week schedule including new course offerings in a workshop format. A print catalog is also available. If you are not on the mailing list, please call 612-626-4515 or email cpheo@umn.edu to request a copy.
Learn to find what you want at the library. The Bio-Medical Library’s spring semester classes can help you find funding opportunities, electronic resources for clinicians, full-text articles, health statistics and data sources. For the full class listing, go to http://www.biomed.lib.umn.edu/workshops. Classes can also be offered by special arrangement (medref@umn.edu or 612-626-3260) if you're unable to attend a scheduled session. Some of the most requested classes are now available as online recordings/videos (http://www.biomed.lib.umn.edu/workshops/archive).
Honor someone who has improved your community. Nominations are due Feb. 28 for the ninth annual Outstanding Community Service Award.Faculty, staff, and members of the greater University community are eligible. This award recognizes those who have made enduring contributions to the external community. For nomination details, go to http://www.engagement.umn.edu/awards/index.html.
The Lions Children’s Hearing Center, a multidisciplinary center based in the Department of Otolaryngology, is hosting a benefit with wine and cheese tasting and fashion show Saturday, March 3, at the Weisman Art Museum. The center addresses the complex issues surrounding childhood hearing loss. Tickets for the event are $30. Please contact Sarah Barker, 612-625-8437, or Alyssa Anderson, 612-625-7753, for information.
AHC News Capsules is a biweekly newsletter for faculty, staff, and students of the Academic Health Center. Please send submissions to Jennifer La Forgia at lafor016@umn.edu.
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