News Capsules 04/05/06
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
The University’s proposal to develop a funding authority for five new medical biosciences buildings over the next 10 years is moving forward in both houses of the Legislature. This week, Richard Pfutzenreuter presented to the House Government Operations Committee on the proposed Minnesota Biomedical Sciences Research Facilities Authority. The proposal calls for an annual transfer of state revenue, which would total up to $330 million over 30 years, to fund five new research buildings. The proposal has already cleared two House committees and one Senate committee. If approved by the Legislature and signed by the governor, it could free up funds for other University building projects as the $40 million request for a single medical biosciences building would be removed from the regular bonding bill. Stay tuned as the U may need to call on faculty, staff, students, and friends to contact legislators in support of this important measure.
In a related move, the Minnesota Senate approved $40 million for a new medical bioscience building on March 23 as part of its state capital bonding bill. This appropriation would be transferred to a new facilities authority if it were to be implemented this year. Overall, the bill includes $152.7 million in state funding for University of Minnesota building projects. The house is expected to vote on its capital bonding bill this week. For more information about the U’s request, go to http://www.umn.edu/urelate/govrel.
This week, AHC deans Patrick Lloyd, dentistry, and Jeffrey Klausner, veterinary medicine, will testify in both the House and the Senate Higher Ed committees to urge support of the University’s supplemental request for one-time funds, which includes $4.9 million for dental education equipment and $3.2 million for clinical education equipment for the Veterinary Medical Center. The requested state funding would be matched by private contributions.
NEWS
Medical School researchers for the first time have identified a substance in the brain that is proven to cause memory loss. This discovery in mice gives drug developers a target for creating drugs to treat memory loss in people with dementia. The research, led by Karen H. Ashe, neurology, was published in the March 16 issue of Nature. For more, go to http://www.ahc.umn.edu/news/releases/memory031506.
Americans are willing to spend more money to prevent future terrorist attacks, according to a national survey conducted by University economists. The survey also found that nearly 98 percent of U.S. residents believe there will be another terrorist attack in their lifetime and more than one-half believe at least one attack will occur within the next five years. The survey, which polled 4,200 respondents, was funded by the National Center for Food Protection and Defense. For more, go to http://www.ahc.umn.edu/news/releases/survey032206.
Smokers who want to quit are more likely to do so if they receive support over the telephone, according to a study by Medical School researchers. The research, led by Lawrence C. An, was published in the March 13 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. For more, go to http://www.ahc.umn.edu/news/releases/telesmoker031306.html
Eighteen high-school students from southwest and northeast Minnesota visited the School of Dentistry March 1, learning about careers in dentistry, dental hygiene, dental research, and dental education. They were teamed with current dental students for hands-on activities that included tooth preparations and restorations on a plastic tooth and placing dental sealants on a natural tooth. The student visits were coordinated by the Minnesota Area Health Education Center.
Fairview Children’s Clinic, formerly Fairview Staub Pediatric Clinic, opens April 3 in its new space, 2535 University Ave. S.E. The clinic--affiliated with University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital, Fairview--is a collaboration of community and academic medicine. Doubling in size, Fairview Children’s Clinic will add six University of Minnesota Physician pediatricians, expand its services to include radiology, and extend its hours on nights and weekends to better serve patients and families. Fairview Pharmacy will be co-located in the new space. For information, call the clinic, 612-672-2350.
PEOPLE
Three School of Public Health students will receive the 2006 Award for Student Excellence in Public Health Practice. They are: Laura Richardson, Erin O'Fallon, and Amy Becker. The award is sponsored by the Association of Schools of Public Health, the Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice.
Six Medical School residents each will receive the Arnold P. Gold Foundation’s Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award on April 7. They are Kevin Brown, neurology; Harley Dresner, otolaryngology; Angela Fischer, ob/gyn; Allison Holt, psychiatry; Kambiz Kosari, surgery; and, Paul Vietzen, surgery. The residents were selected by Year 3 and 4 University of Minnesota medical students.
Courtney Aldrich, Center for Drug Design, has been awarded a three-year NIH grant of $600,000 for his project, Design of Antituberculosis Agents that Target Siderophore Biosynthesis. Aldrich’s team includes Eric Bennett, Center for Drug Design, and Clifton Barry, NIH, who have recently published their findings on the synthesis of a new class of antibiotics for the treatment of tuberculosis.
Lisa Brosseau, School of Public Health, environmental health sciences, has received this year’s Alice Hamilton Award from the American Industrial Hygiene Association. This award recognizes outstanding women for their achievements and contributions to the field of occupational and environmental hygiene.
Jayne Fulkerson, School of Nursing, has received NIH funding for her project “Healthy Offerings via the Mealtime Environment (HOME).” Fulkerson aims to develop and test the feasibility and acceptability of HOME, an innovative home-based family-meals intervention to prevent children from becoming overweight.
Joseph Gaugler, School of Nursing, will receive funding from the University’s Cancer Center for his proposal “Cancer Caregiver Career: Pilot Study.”
Perry Logan, School of Public Health, doctoral student in environmental health sciences, received this year’s Kusnetz Award, given by the American Industrial Hygiene Association to a certified hygienist who exhibits the highest standards of health and safety protection for employees.
William Riley, health services research and policy, is the new associate dean for student affairs for the School of Public Health.
Jim Swift, School of Dentistry, is president-elect of the American Dental Education Association.
Jean Wyman, School of Nursing, will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Gerontological Nursing Association Board of Directors. The award recognizes excellence in and contributions to gerontological nursing.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The myU portal is a secure, personalized, customizable, and central location to find and share University resources, electronic tools, and up-to-the-minute news and information. And now, the myU portal offers customized views for Academic Health Center faculty, staff, and students to support efforts to teach, learn, and communicate. For more information about the myU portal and its uses, go to https://www.myu.umn.edu/metadot/index.pl?iid=613433&isa=Category.
The Bio-Medical Library has launched its new Web site, http://www.biomed.lib.umn.edu
. Visitors are encouraged to give feedback by clicking on the link “Tell us what you think.” The Library's old Web site remains available through the end of the semester, http://www.biomed.lib.umn.edu/index.html.
Medical Alley/MNBIO is now LifeScience Alley. Medical Alley and MNBIO merged in March 2005 to produce a new organization, serving as one voice for life-science organizations. Since the membership of the two organizations was diverse, stretching from health-care organizations to seed and food companies, the organization felt a new name was necessary to fit this broad spectrum. For more information, go to http://www.medicalalley.org/index.shtml.
One day. One night. One community. Relay For Life is about celebration, remembrance, and hope. Participants in this annual event honor cancer survivors, pay tribute to the lives lost to cancer, and raise money to help fight it. Register online at http://www.acsevents.org/relay/mn/uofm. For more information, contact Jenny Meslow, at meslo001@umn.edu.
The public is invited to participate in the Relay for Life Luminaria Ceremony, which takes place at 9 p.m., Friday, April 21. You may purchase a luminaria bag to honor the memory of those whose lives have been touched by cancer from 11 am to 1 pm on April 12, 13, 18, 19, 20 on the PWB concourse (next to Outside Inn). For more information, contact Jill Spencer at 626-5803 or spenc030@umn.edu.
SAVE THE DATE
“Aspirin and Vitamin E in the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: The Women’s Health Study” will be presented by Julie Buring at the 10th Martinson Lecture, April 7, 10 to 11 a.m., 2-690 Moos Tower. Buring is professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, and deputy director of the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. A reception will be held from 9:30 to 10 a.m. For more information, go to http://www.epi.umn.edu/about/index.asp#seminars.
“Principles and Practice of Pediatric Palliative Care” will be presented April 11, 7:30 a.m., in room 2-520 Moos Tower, by Stefan Friedrichsdorf, medical director of Pain and Palliative Care, and Stacy Remke, coordinator, Children’s Institute for Palliative Care, Childrens’ Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. The presentation is sponsored by the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health and University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview.
“Synthetic Prions, Mad Cows and Scientific Heresy” will be presented April 17 by Nobel Prize winner Stanley B. Prusiner, as part of the Department of Microbiology’s ninth Winford P. Larson Lecture. Prusiner is director of the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases and professor of Neurology and Biochemistry at the University of California, San Francisco. He received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1997 for discovery of an entirely new class of agents called prions. The seminar begins at noon in the Mayo Auditorium. For more information, call the department at 624-6190.
“Pathways to Health Through Nursing Research” is the title of the University’s annual Nursing Research Day, April 21, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., in McNamara Alumni Center. The event is designed for nurses in practice and academic settings who are committed to improving health outcomes for diverse individuals, families, communities, and populations.
Discover how nursing research and integrative approaches are changing how care is conceptualized and delivered at a spring series of events sponsored by the School of Nursing and the Center for Spirituality and Healing. “Days of Exploration: Pathways to Health in a Changing World,” a series of four events, takes place April 21-25 and is free and open to all health care professionals and the public. A fifth event is a reunion for School of Nursing alumni. Registration is required: go to http://www.nursing.umn.edu/SpringEvent.
The 15th Annual Max and Rose Sadoff Memorial Symposium on Pharmacy, Law, and Ethics will take place May 1, 12:15 p.m., in Coffman Memorial Union Theatre. Jeffrey Kahn, director of the Center for Bioethics, is the featured speaker. The topic of the symposium is “Stem Cell Research: An Ethics and Policy Update.” Lunch will be served. For more information, contact Amy Olson at olson017@umn.edu or 624-4671.
The turtles are coming! The 20th Annual Turtle Derby is scheduled for Thursday, June 22. If you have memories of interesting, funny, or poignant stories or photos from previous Turtle Derbies, please e-mail them to gplumbo1@fairview.org or fax them to 612-672-4002.
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