News Capsules 07/26/06
NEWS
Progress continues on joint planning to develop a consolidated, world-class children’s hospital. Eight work groups including dozens of executives, physicians, and staff from Allina Hospitals & Clinics, Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, Fairview Health Services, and the University of Minnesota are studying various options to address a range of issues. “We’re seeking advice and counsel from those involved with top children’s hospitals, as well as community and neighborhood leaders,” said Frank Cerra, Senior Vice President for Health Sciences. “Ultimately, we must make the best decision possible to serve our community’s children and families and that’s what we’re looking for from this process.”
A research team led by Kevin Mayo, Medical School, has developed a non-protein form of anti-angiogenic drug -- a class of drugs that reduce blood flow to cancerous tumors and inhibit their growth. This non-protein form of the drug may possibly be administered by mouth. “Our next step is to treat people with the drug in an FDA-approved clinical trial,” Mayo said. This study appears in the July 5 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
A University study has shown that routine screening for C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and other new risk markers does not significantly improve risk assessment for future coronary artery disease in the general population. “Contrary to previously reported research, this study shows little value in routinely adding CRP and other novel risk markers to clinical assessment of future cardiovascular risk,” said investigator Aaron Folsom, School of Public Health. The study appears in the July 10 Archives of Internal Medicine.
A July 18 book signing for Stephen Miles’ Oath Betrayed: Torture, Medical Complicity, and the War on Terror drew more than 100 people to the University of Minnesota Bookstore. Miles read from his meticulously researched book that has attracted national attention for its disturbing portrait of complicity by the medical system in torture at Abu Ghraib and at other terror prisons.
PEOPLE
Karen Hsiao Ashe, Medical School, was chosen by her peers as having three of the 18 most influential papers on Alzheimer’s disease. This honor emerged when the journal Nature Medicine polled respected Alzheimer’s researchers. The July issue of the journal features the top-ranked papers.
Julia Wilson, College of Veterinary Medicine, will represent the Midwestern United States as the sole veterinarian on the board of directors of Heifer International, an organization dedicated to ending world hunger by supplying impoverished peoples with live animals and by teaching self-reliance.
David Lee is the new director of the Veterinary Medical Center. Dr. Lee comes to the University from the position of hospital director/associate professor at the James L. Voss Veterinary Medical Center at Colorado State University.
Marilyn Speedie was sworn in July 9 as president of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. She will serve for one year.
Elizabeth “Becky” Malkerson was named president and chief executive officer of the Minnesota Medical Foundation, effective August 28. Malkerson is currently senior vice president, corporate marketing and communications, at Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America.
Mary Knatterud, Department of Surgery, will be the inaugural editor of “Peer-Renewed,” a poetry column in the journal Science Editor, a bimonthly publication of the Council of Science Editors.
Michael Murphy, College of Veterinary Medicine, was appointed by Governor Tim Pawlenty to serve a four-year term on the Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine. The term ends Jan. 4, 2010.
The AHC 2006 Translational Research Grants were awarded to the following four faculty teams: Douglas Yee (Medicine) and Kalpna Gupta (Medicine); Apostolos Georgopoulos (Neuroscience) and Scott Lewis (Neurology); Michael Wilson (Lab Medicine and Pathology) and Joel Slaton (Urologic Surgery); and Paul Tuite (Neurology) and Shalom Michaeli (Radiology).
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Top neuroscientists from around the world will gather at the University of Minnesota August 7–11 for the Motor Control and Cognitive Neuroscience conference. The five-day event is sponsored by the University’s interdisciplinary Center for Cognitive Sciences, whose members represent 14 departments and 6 colleges. The conference will be held at the Radisson Hotel. Registration is free, but required. You may view conference details and access the registration form online at http://www.cogsci.umn.edu/summ_inst/summ_inst_prog.html
The Department of Neuroscience and the Graduate Program in Neuroscience will present the 2006 Presidential Symposium for Neuroscience at the McNamara Alumni Center Sept. 14 and 15. The symposium will host 12 world-renowned neuroscientists who will speak on the latest developments in their research. The online registrations deadline is August 15. For more information contact Teresa Nick at nickx002@umn.edu or go to http://www.neurosci.umn.edu/bs_registration.html
The Privacy and Security Office will roll out new online data-security training later this month; training will be required for AHC faculty, staff and students. “Public Jobs: Private Data” is a program designed to promote best practices for securing University data and is required by the HIPAA Security Rule. For more information, visit http://www.privacysecurity.umn.edu/
University policy requires all private data on laptop computers to be encrypted. To comply, AHC has selected Pointsec encryption software. The AHC Office of Information Systems (AHC-IS) will install the encryption software on AHC–IS supported laptops purchased before July 1, 2006. Call the helpline at 612-626-5100 to make an appointment for this security “tune up.”
The Obesity Consortium of Minnesota is issuing a call for proposals. Junior and senior investigators are invited to apply for one- and two-year grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000. The application deadline is August 31. Go to: http://www.obesity.umn.edu/pilot.htm to download the application guidelines and the application face page.
The School of Nursing and the Center for Adolescent Nursing are sponsoring the 2006 Summer Institute in Adolescent Health, “Engaging Youth in Health Promotion: Educating in New Directions.” The institute will run July 31–August 3 and is for educators and other youth-oriented professionals. The registration deadline is July 26. To view the brochure go to http://www.nursing.umn.edu/img/assets/22182/2006_SI_Brochure.pdf
To register go to http://ustar.ahc.umn.edu/register_event.cfm
Inventory Services is conducting a capital equipment audit of the AHC beginning July 24. Luke Madsen, Inventory Services, will lead the audit team. If you have questions, contact Tim Page at 626-8214 or email t-page@umn.edu.
The first annual George L. Adams Lectureship will be Monday, August 7 at the Campus Club in Coffman Memorial Union from 4 to 8 p.m. Henry Hoffman, professor of otolaryngology from the University of Iowa, who will speak on Tracheotomy and Other Tracheal Surgery, and Jonas Johnson, professor and chair of otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh, will speak on The Changing Paradigm in the Care of Laryngeal Cancer. Please RSVP to Joan Petersen at 612-625-2410.
The Medical School’s Department of Physiology has a new name. It is called the Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology to reflect its expanded purpose of understanding complex biological or whole organism function using the tools of biology, mathematics and engineering. David Bernlohr, Medical School, is leading the search committee for a department head.
The groundbreaking celebration for the University’s Equine Center will be Wednesday, Aug. 9, at 4 p.m. in the southwest section of the St. Paul campus (at Dudley and Field Road N.).
The Bio-Medical Library is offering classes in the remainder of July and early August, including PubMed and Ovid MEDLINE, tips and tricks for finding electronic full-text articles, electronic resources for clinicians, Beilstein (chemistry) searching, and PowerPoint for creating posters. For full information and to register, visit http://www.biomed.lib.umn.edu/workshops/bymonth.
The Institute of Technology Alumni Society (ITAS) is launching a new program for its graduates. The Young Professional Series (YPS) will hold its first networking/professional development gathering Thursday evening, July 27, at University Enterprise Laboratories, 1000 Westgate Drive, Suite 101, St. Paul. Michael Berman, former Boston Scientific executive, will be the keynote speaker. For details and registration e-mail itas@it.umn.edu, or call 612-626-1802, or visit www.it.umn.edu/alumni/itas/yps/index.html
As part of its longstanding relationship with the Medical School, the Swedish Institute extends an invitation to its exhibit of Lennart Nilsson’s photographs. Nilsson is renowned for his famous photographs of an 18-week-old living fetus published in the LIFE Magazine of April 30, 1965. More recently, he took the first photograph of the H5N1 avian flu virus. The exhibit will run through October 8. For details go to www.americanswedishinst.org
The Minnesota Medical Foundation sponsors the Pedal for Parkinson’s Fundraiser for Research September 9. The biking/in-line skating event will start in Afton, Minn. For more information call Connie Plourde at 715-247-5679 or 651-247-2883 or visit www.active.com
The Division of Health Services Research and Policy in the School of Public Health has a new name. It is now the Division of Health Policy and Management.
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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