News Capsules 05/17/06

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

The Bonding Conference Committee continues to debate the complete bonding package. Currently, the Medical Biosciences Building, for which the University has requested $40 million, is not funded in either the house or senate proposals.  In addition, the conferees have not agreed to fund the University’s Biomedical Sciences Research Facilities Authority, which would allow the University to plan for $366 million in research space into the next decade. We need to deliver the message to the conferees that now is the time for strategic infrastructure in our research facilities if we are going to help lead the nation in bioscience research.  The legislative session is scheduled to end May 22.

Please call the conferees (listed below) and urge them to make the investment this state needs to retain leadership in the biomedical sciences and support the Biomedical Sciences Research Facilities Authority. At a minimum, the University must be able to move forward this year with $40 million in the bonding package for the Medical Biosciences Building.

NEWS

“The current path we’re on is an unsustainable one.  Prevention is the only answer.”   --    U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona

Speaking at Monday’s 2006 School of Public Health Commencement Ceremony, U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona said we as a country have mastered acute care, but haven’t begun to embrace prevention, wellness and public health in a way that will allow us to deal with the disease and economic burden facing us.  To listen to Dr. Carmona’s address go to www.sph.umn.edu and click on “School of Public Health Podcasts.”  

The National Academies’ Research Council and the Institute of Medicine announced that John Wagner has been asked to serve on the Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee. Wagner, Medical School, was one of 14 named to the committee, which is charged with monitoring and reviewing the ethical, legal and policy issues related to human embryonic stem cell research and with providing guidance on revisions to the Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research. Wagner pioneered the use of embryo selection to identify a perfect tissue-matched stem cell donor in the treatment of genetic disease. 

Michael D. Resnick, Medical School and School of Public Health, has been selected to serve on the Centers for Disease Control’s National Consulting Team for the Guide to Community Preventive Services.  As a member of this team, Resnick will assist with a review of interventions designed to promote adolescent health.  

The School of Public Health has launched its Podcast channel, which offers audio recordings of the school’s recent high-profile lectures. Anyone with an Internet connection and speakers can listen to the lectures by logging onto the SPH web site (www.sph.umn.edu) and clicking on “School of Public Health Podcasts.”  Those with a portable listening device (Ipod or other MP3 player) can download audio files and listen at their leisure.

A University of Minnesota Cancer Center study shows that infants younger than one year inhale cancer-causing chemicals from secondhand smoke.  Infants who were present in settings where family members smoked on average 76 cigarettes per week in their home or car had detectable levels of the carcinogen NNAL in their urine. “There is no other way the high levels of cancer-causing chemicals associated with tobacco smoke that we found could get into an infant’s system other than by breathing in cigarette smoke,” said Stephen Hecht, the Cancer Center tobacco researcher who led the study.  The study was published in the May issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, a journal of the American Association of Cancer Research.

New research from the School of Public Health and SHADAC (State Health Access Data Assistance Center) confirms a significant gap in access to health care between state residents with and those without health insurance. High percentages of those without health insurance do not receive basic cancer screenings (for prostate, breast and cervix) and nearly half (46 percent) of uninsured Minnesotans do not see a doctor when they need to because of cost. For more information on this research go to www.shadac.umn.edu

PEOPLE

Selwyn M. Vickers will be the new chair of the Medical School’s Department of Surgery. Vickers, described by Dean Deborah Powell as “a superb researcher and surgical oncologist,” has research interests in pancreatic cancer, gene therapy for pancreatobiliary tumors, and the role of growth factors and receptors in pancreatic cancer. Vickers, who most recently served as chief of the University of Alabama’s section for gastrointestinal surgery, earned his bachelor’s and medical degrees from Johns Hopkins University.

Mark Rutherford, College of Veterinary Medicine, was awarded first prize in the Graduate School’s innovative-ideas competition.  Rutherford received the award May 9 for his proposal for increasing the graduation rate of high-quality students in the basic biological and biomedical sciences.  

The School of Dentistry’s Michael Rohrer and Nelson Rhodus will lead two of the profession’s most prestigious associations.  Rohrer, director of the school’s Hard Tissue Research Laboratory and a researcher in dental implants and bone substitutes, recently became president of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, and Rhodus, director of the Division of Oral Medicine, Diagnosis and Radiology and the lead researcher on multiple oral-cancer studies, will be president of American Academy of Oral Medicine. 

The late George Adams, head of the Department of Otolaryngology, has been awarded a Diehl Award, as have Ray Christensen, Ernest Ruiz and Warren Warwick all of the Medical School.  The Harold S. Diehl Award is a prestigious lifetime award granted by the University of Minnesota Medical Alumni Society for outstanding professional contributions to the Medical School, the University and the community.  Distinguished Alumni Awards this year will be presented to William Jacott and John E. Repine.  And, receiving the Early Distinguished Career Award for 2006 is Jon Hallberg. The Medical School awards banquet will be May 19.  For more information, contact Sue Clark at 612-626-0619 or s.clark@mmf.umn.edu

Minnesota Area Health Education Center (AHEC) announced that Mary Schmidt assumed the role of Minnesota AHEC Deputy Director May 1, and Jennifer Kertz, who served as deputy director, is now Associate to the Assistant Vice President for Education.

Martin Dworkin, Medical School, will accept the 2006 USFCC/J Roger Porter Award from the American Society for Microbiology on May 21.  The award,  supported in part by the United States Federation for Culture Collections (USFCC),  recognized Dworkin for his contributions to microbial diversity. Dworkin is a Fellow of  both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and of the American Academy of Microbiology.

Ralph DeLong, School of Dentistry, was named 2006 Century Club Professor of the Year.  This annual award is the school’s highest honor given for outstanding contributions in education, research and service.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

“Clinical Trials, Confusing Messages, and National Guidelines” will be presented by Marvin Moser, Clinical Professor of Medicine at Yale University, on Tuesday, May 23 from 12:10 to 1 p.m. in room 1-450 Moos Tower. Moser, a leader in efforts to control hypertension for more than 50 years, participated in research on almost every antihypertensive agent that became available during that time. The presentation is part of the Distinguished Visiting Scholar Series of the Academic Health Center. For more information, contact Sue Jackson at 612-626-6033 or sjackson@umn.edu

The Center for Spirituality & Healing now offers a formal track in health coaching under the graduate-level, Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Complementary Therapies and Healing Practices. The application deadline for fall 2006 is June 15. For more information, call 612-624-5166 or go to www.csh.umn.edu

Governor Tim Pawlenty proclaimed May Critical Care Month in Minnesota. Henry Mann, College of Pharmacy, and director of the Center for Excellence in Critical Care, spearheaded the effort to have the governor’s office issue the proclamation.

The University’s Center for German & European Studies will host Germany’s Minister of Health and Social Security Ulla Schmidt and her delegation for an international forum on health care delivery June 5 and 6. The topic of the American and German Healthcare forum will be “Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals – A Transatlantic Experts’ Roundtable.” Partial and full registration scholarships are available. For program details and registration information go to http://www.cges.umn.edu/outreach/healthcare.htm

The Dakota and Hennepin County Public Health Departments are seeking health care professionals to volunteer for Operation PEZ, an emergency preparedness training exercise scheduled for June 16. Exercises will be at Grace Church, Eden Prairie from 8-11:30 a.m. and at Apple Valley High School 7:45 a.m.-12 noon. For more information, contact Josh at 612-673-2910 or email joshua.carlyle@ci.minneapolis.mn.us

The 2006 Summer Public Health Institute runs May 22 through June 9. Professionals have the opportunity to immerse themselves in a chosen field of study or a single course. For more information, call 612-626-4515 or go to http://www.sph.umn.edu/publichealthplanet/events/institute/home.html

Public health pioneer Lester Breslow will lecture Friday, May 19, on “The Third Era in Health: The Pursuit of Health” from 9:30-11 a.m. in the ABC Room, Campus Club, Coffman Memorial Union. Breslow, known as “Mr. Public Health,” dedicated more than 65 years to the advancement of public health knowledge and practice. For more information contact Roxana Hedberg at 612-624-5406 or r.hedberg@mmf.umn.edu

The Science Museum of Minnesota seeks volunteers to be guest presenters at the Body Worlds exhibition. Guest presenters will be asked to volunteer for at least two 4-hour shifts on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday (9 a.m.-1 p.m. or 1-5 p.m.) or Sunday (11a.m.-3 p.m. or 3 p.m.-7 p.m.) between June 1 and September 4. Volunteers must attend training on Monday, May 22, 6-8 p.m. at the Science Museum. For more information, contact Joe Imholte at jimholte@smm.org

The University’s Law School will host an all-day forum May 19 on “Risks Posed by New Biomedical Technologies: How Do We Analyze, Communicate and Regulate Risk?” Registration is $10 for students. You may attend without paying, but lunch is not included. Online registration, the full agenda, and further information are available at http://www.lifesci.consortium.umn.edu/conferences/risks.php

The MCH Center for Leadership Education presents a one-day seminar, "Creating Effective Public Health Messages Using Strategic Frame Analysis" on May 19 from 8:45 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Continuing Education and Conference Center on the St. Paul campus. The cost is $25; scholarships are available. For a program brochure and more information, go to http://www.epi.umn.edu/mch/.

The Community-Campus Partnerships for Health’s (CCPH) ninth conference will explore where we are now and where we need to be with community-campus partnerships. The conference will be held from Wednesday, May 31 to Saturday, June 3. For more information, visit www.ccph.info.

The University’s confidential service Ureport is available to all employees who wish to report a concern regarding a violation of law or policy and are uncomfortable raising the issue through normal channels. This service, provided by an external vendor, is part of the University’s commitment to maintaining the highest standard of ethics, integrity and responsibility. Employees who wish to share a concern or raise an issue may do so by calling 866-294-8680 or going to www.ureport.ethicspoint.com

The Bio-Medical Library’s summer hours (May 14 – September 4) will be Monday-Thursday 7 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday noon-10 p.m. The reference desk will be closed Sundays. For more information go to http://www.biomed.lib.umn.edu

The Health Sciences Libraries’ trial of Exam Master Online has been extended through mid-June. Exam Master is an updated USMLE and board preparation review tool that provides thousands of basic and clinical sciences questions. To access Exam Master go to http://www.exammaster2.com/wdsentry/umn.htm