News Capsules 05/11/05

May 11, 2005

NEWS

University of Minnesota Medical Center, a division of Fairview, is the new name for the University’s teaching hospital, effective June 1. The name change applies to both the Riverside and East Bank campus facilities. In addition, the children’s hospital--the state’s oldest and largest children’s hospital--will become University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital, a division of Fairview. All of the facilities will continue to be owned and operated by Fairview Health Services. “This new name will help patients and others recognize that the University of Minnesota Physicians and health professionals do still practice and care for patients--that it’s part of our mission on behalf of Minnesota, and that we do so in partnership with Fairview,” said Frank Cerra, senior vice president for health sciences. “It will serve as a reminder that patients here are cared for by a team that includes Minnesota’s future doctors, nurses, and pharmacists who will help to ensure patients receive the most attention, the most advanced treatments, and the highest quality care.” Cerra said that the transition reflects the success of the partnership between the University and Fairview.

Two outstanding researchers have been named to the AHC Academy for Excellence in Health Research. Their accomplishments will be formally recognized at a ceremony in September. Membership in the academy is the highest recognition of excellence in AHC faculty research. Those selected have contributed to the quality of the University  of Minnesota through sustained, nationally and internationally recognized health research in their fields. Dwight Anderson, Ph.D., School of Dentistry, has devoted his scientific energies for four decades to studying a virus, bacteriophage ø29, from its characterization after isolation from soil on the St. Paul campus, through analyzing its structural components, and into understanding its mechanisms at the atomic level. By pursuing a complete description of ø29, Anderson’s work informs general understanding of the molecular biology of all living systems. For this study, he has attracted exceptional collaborators, trained 12 doctoral students, and secured 39 years of uninterrupted funding from the National Institutes of Health. Neuroscientist Apostolos Georgopoulos, M.D., investigates neural mechanisms underlying movement. His research focusing on paradigms of mental rotation, memory scanning, copying, maze solving, space categorization, and spatial concept formation has resulted in breakthroughs in understanding of the motor cortex and the complex tasks it controls. With Kamil Ugurbil, head of the University’s Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Georgopoulos recently was selected to co-direct the Minnesota site of the MIND Institute, which supports research on brain mechanism using functional magnetic resonance imaging and magnetoencephalography.

The Board of Regents has been asked to approve Connie Delaney this week as the new dean of the School of Nursing. Delaney is a nursing professor at the University of Iowa, College of Nursing, in Iowa City. She holds a joint appointment in the School of Library and Information Science and maintains a clinical appointment in nursing informatics in the Department of Nursing, University of Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City. Delaney earned her B.S.N. from Viterbo College, LaCrosse, Wis., an M.A. in nursing from the University of Iowa, and a Ph.D. in educational administration and computer applications from the University of Iowa. In 1988, Delaney completed a postdoctoral study in nursing informatics at the University of Utah. With Regents' approval, she will join the University in August.

Wanted: Collaborative research proposals. The Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics, the University of Minnesota/Mayo Clinic research alliance, plans to issue a Request for Applications this summer. The partnership will fund new collaborative research projects and joint research infrastructure projects. Both will be peer-reviewed and competitively awarded. Criteria require joint projects that advance the understanding of a disease or disease process and that neither the Mayo Clinic nor the University of Minnesota could perform individually. All faculty members are eligible as long as the research addresses an issue in human disease prevention, diagnosis, or therapeutics. Although details, including amount of funding, will not be finalized until after the Legislature completes its session, faculty are encouraged to begin planning and developing new proposals. Questions? Contact Mark Paller (University of Minnesota; mailto:palle001@umn.edu) or Eric Wieben (Mayo Clinic; mailto:wieben.eric@mayo.edu).
--To view previously funded projects, go to http://www.mayouminnesotapartnership.org/fundedprojects.html.

--To view criteria and objectives for previous projects, go to http://www.mayouminnesotapartnership.org/requestproposals.html.

The Board of Regents has been asked to approve the McGuire Translational Research Facility as the name of the new research building, in honor of the William W. McGuire and Nadine M. McGuire Family Foundation. The foundation's $10 million contribution in 2003 triggered state bonding authority and helped ensuring that the University could proceed with construction on much-needed research space. William McGuire is the chair and CEO of UnitedHealth Group.

Linda Watson is the new director of the University’s Health Science Libraries. Watson, who begins her position Aug. 1, is currently the associate dean and director of the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library at the University of Virginia. “Watson brings tremendous vision and rich expertise to Minnesota's health science community and to the University Libraries,” said Wendy Lougee, University librarian. “We are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead under her leadership.”

Asians and Pacific Islanders have the highest average levels of iron in their blood of all other ethnic groups involved in a University study. Elevated iron levels in the blood are sometimes associated with accumulations of iron in vital body organs, which can lead to an increased risk of diabetes, arthritis, sexual dysfunction, liver disease and liver cancer, and heart disease. John Eckfeldt, Medical School, laboratory medicine and pathology, was the lead researcher on the study. For more, go to http://www.ahc.umn.edu/news/releases/ironoverload042705.

There is no evidence to support claims that cigarettes modified to reduce exposure to harmful substances actually reduce risk for disease, according to a report by the University’s Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Center. The Medical School’s Dorothy Hatsukami, lead author of the report, said that some manufacturers of these products have been claiming that they reduce exposure to cancer-causing agents and that those decreases may lead to a reduced risk of cancer or other harmful health effects. For more, go to http://www.ahc.umn.edu/news/releases/tobacco050405.

Nonsmoking restaurant and bar employees exposed to smoke at work have significantly higher levels of nicotine and cancer-causing toxins in their body on working days compared to nonworking days. “Our study found that nonsmoking employees had up to 25 times higher levels of total nicotine in their urine, and up to 4.5 times more NNAL, a by-product of a potent lung cancer-causing toxin, on days they worked at their jobs in restaurants and bars compared to days they were not at work,” said Dorothy Hatsukami, Medical School, the study’s lead researcher. For more, go to http://www.ahc.umn.edu/news/releases/smoke051005.html.

PEOPLE

AHC recipients of the University’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to Graduate and Professional Education will be honored by the Board of Regents May 12 at a special awards ceremony and reception.  The recipients are: Timothy J. Ebner, Medical School, neuroscience; Carl A. Osborne, College of Veterinary Medicine, veterinary clinical sciences; Mary Margaret Rowan, School of Nursing; Raj G. Suryanarayanan, College of Pharmacy, pharmaceutics; and Gregory M. Vercellotti, Medical School, hematology/oncology/transplantation.

The Minnesota Medical Foundation honored several Medical School faculty last month with the first-ever Lifetime Distinguished Teaching Awards. They are: Walter C. Hildebrant, radiology; Stephen A. Katz, physiology; Virginia Lupo, obstetrics and gynecology; M. Thomas Stillman, medicine; and Valerie K. Ulstad, medicine. The complete list of honored faculty and students from both campuses of the Medical School is posted at http://www.mmf.umn.edu/5_faculty/section5.cfm?ID=5f2

Dwight Anderson and Jaya Koti, School of Dentistry, oral sciences-microbiology, were featured on the cover of the April 15 issue of the journal Molecular Cell for their research on the pseudo-atomic structure of the protein capsid. Their work contributes to an understanding of the assembly of viruses, knowledge that will ultimately be used to inhibit virus replication. 

John S. Anderson, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, has received a 2005 President's Award for Outstanding Service. The annual award recognizes faculty and staff who have provided exceptional service to the University, its schools, colleges, departments, and service units.

Christine Blue, School of Dentistry,  preventive sciences-dental hygiene, has been named interim director of the Program in Dental Hygiene for the next two years, effective June 10. She assumes responsibility as the program focuses on a complete integration of the dental hygiene and doctor of dental surgery curriculums, an expansion of the degree completion program, the development of graduate training opportunities and a re-focusing on preparing dental hygienists for teaching careers.

Lisa Martin-Crawford, doctoral student in the School of Nursing, is a recipient of one of four 2005 Association of Schools of Public Health Minority Fellowship Awards. The two years of stipend and tuition she will receive will support her research seeking to understand the Ojibway adolescent's experience of living with type II diabetes. 

Patricia Ferrieri, Medical School, laboratory medicine and pathology, has received a 2005 President's Award for Outstanding Service. The annual award recognizes faculty and staff who have provided exceptional service to the University, its schools, colleges, departments, and service units.

John Koutlas, School of Dentistry, oral sciences-oral pathology, was appointed to the Fellowship Committee of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology. 

William Liljemark was selected as the School of Dentistry’s Century Club Professor of the Year. The highest honor conferred by the School of Dentistry, the award is presented in recognition of outstanding contributions in education, research, and service. “Doctor Liljemark is a consummate educator, an NIH Merit Award-winning researcher, and an individual who’s served our school and profession in nearly every position of leadership possible,” said Dean Patrick Lloyd. “He’s stepped up to the plate every time this school has needed him, and he’s given us his all.”

Beatrice B. Magee, Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, has received a 2005 President's Award for Outstanding Service. The annual award recognizes faculty and staff who have provided exceptional service to the University, its schools, colleges, departments, and service units.

Michael D. Rohrer, School of Dentistry, oral and maxillofacial pathology, was elected president-elect of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology.

Julie Ross, School of Public Health, Cancer Center, has received a $2.6 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to investigate the causes of adult myeloid leukemia in Minnesotans. The five-year research study will aim to determine why Minnesota has some of the highest rates of adult leukemia in the United States and provide new information about possible ways to prevent the disease.

Don Uden, College of Pharmacy, has been selected as the 2005 CHIP (Center for Health Interprofessional Programs) Champion. The annual award honors an AHC faculty or staff member whose commitment to interprofessional teamwork and student life enriches the education and experience of Academic Health Center students.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Center for Drug Design is hosting a grand opening celebration and mini-symposium at McNamara Alumni Center on Tuesday, May 17, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The theme of the event is “Drugs and Delivery: Designs for This Millennium.” Featured speakers include Ronald Breslow, Columbia University; Sidney Pestka, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; and John A. Secrist III, Southern Research Institute. Lunch will be provided, and a wine and cheese reception will take place at the center following the symposium. Tours will also be available. The event is free and open to the public, although space is limited. Please reply to mailto:dunkl011@umn.edu by May 13. For more information, call Elizabeth Wolfson at 624-2227 or go to http://www.cdd.umn.edu.

The Center for Bioethics will host a symposium to celebrate its 20th anniversary on May 18, 1 to 5:30 p.m., in the McNamara Alumni Center’s A.I. Johnson Room. The event will include reflections on the center's contributions to the development and growth of the field of bioethics. Featured speakers include Director Jeffrey Kahn, former director Arthur Caplan, Susan Wolf, and others. For the complete program, go to http://www.bioethics.umn.edu/news/announcements.shtml.

“The Interface of Basic Science and Clinical Otolaryngology” is the title of the Fourth Karolinska Institute-University of Minnesota Symposium, May 18-20, at McNamara Alumni Center. Presentations encompassing all aspects of otolaryngology--from head and neck cancer to stem cells, from facial reconstruction and wound healing to cochlear implants in children--will be given. The presentations are free and open to all interested individuals. For more information or to register, please e-mail John Anderson at mailto:anders00@umn.edu.

“Universities of the Future and the Future of Universities” will be presented by Billie Wahlstrom on May 19, 9:30 to 11:15 a.m. in the AHC Learning Commons, 535 Diehl Hall.  Wahlstrom will describe how technology can and should transform teaching and learning and showcase many technologies already available at the University. Discussion will focus on opportunities for integration and application of technology needed for learner achievement, as well as challenges of adopting new technologies and planning for emerging educational methodologies

“Whole Grains & Health: A Global Summit” will take place May 18-20 at the University of Minnesota. Whole grain researchers, manufactures, educators, and regulators from around the globe will meet to examine the latest data on whole grains and health. The conference aims to develop a research agenda and action plan for including more whole grains in individuals’ diets. The complete conference schedule is available at http://www.wholegrain.umn.edu/conference/index.cfm. For more information, contact Lori Engstrom at 624-2792.

“Healthy Foods, Healthy Lives: Innovations in Agricultural Biosciences” will take place June 2, beginning at 7:30 a.m., at the Cargill Building for Microbial and Plant Genomics. The healthy foods initiative applies new knowledge to combat cancer, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and other conditions linked to unhealthy diets and sedentary habits. University faculty who are key players in this effort will present at the event. The event is sponsored by Medical Alley/MNBIO. Registration is limited to 100. Learn more and register online at http://www.medicalalley.org/programs/calendar/detail.cgi?060205AGHealthyFoods

CLINICAL RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

For information on other clinical research opportunities, go to http://www.ahc.umn.edu/news/campusnews/trials.