News Capules 09/28/05

NEWS

The State of the Academic Health Center address will be delivered by Frank Cerra, senior vice president for health sciences, on Wednesday, Oct. 19, 3 p.m., in 2-470 Phillips-Wangensteen Building. Cerra’s address will follow the AHC Faculty Assembly, which begins at 2 p.m. in the same room. A live Web cast will be sent to room 165 SMed on the Duluth campus and to room 458 VMC on the St. Paul campus.

The work of transforming the University of Minnesota into one of the world’s top three public universities officially kicked off Sept. 16, as 34 task forces convened. Four task forces are specific to the Academic Health Center. They are:

--Knowledge-Management Technology, co-chaired by Linda Perkowski, associate dean, Medical School, and Debra Olson, associate dean, School of Public Health
--Health Professional Workforce, co-chaired by Barbara Brandt, AHC assistant vice president for education, and Louis Ling, associate dean, Medical School
--Clinical Sciences Enterprise, co-chaired by Dean Deborah Powell, Medical School, and Bobbi Daniels, Medical School, University of Minnesota Physicians
--AHC Precinct Plan, co-chaired by Terry Bock, AHC associate vice president and chief of staff, and Ann Forsyth, director, Metropolitan Design Center.

AHC faculty and staff co-chairing other task forces include: Suzanne Bardouche (College Design: Small Colleges), director of finance, College of Pharmacy; David Bernlohr (College Design: Science/Engineering), head, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics; Tim Ebner (Graduate Reform: Student Support), head, Department of Neuroscience; Steve Ekker (Graduate Reform: Discipline Evolution), Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development; Marc Jenkins (Research Infrastructure), Medical School, Department of Microbiology; Jeffrey Kahn (Faculty Culture), director, Center for Bioethics; Mark Paller (Collaborative Research), AHC assistant vice president for research; Deborah Swackhamer (College Design: CNR/COAFES/CHE), School of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health Sciences; and Robin Wright (Undergraduate Reform: Student Support), Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development.
The list of task forces is on the Transforming the U Web site at http://www1.umn.edu/systemwide/strategic_positioning/implementation_taskforces.html.

Nominations are sought for the AHC Academy for Excellence in Health Research, which serves as 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-related research in his or her field. The submission deadline is Jan. 21, 2006. For more information, go to http://www.ahc.umn.edu/research/academy.

The Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics seek proposals for research infrastructure investment in areas related to human health and disease. The partnership intends to develop coordinated projects between the Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota, building on existing resources and enhancing combined capabilities. Projects should not duplicate resources already available at either institution, must build on existing partnership strengths, and must contribute to the success of existing and future partnership research projects. The complete RFP is available at http://www.ahc.umn.edu/research/umayo/infrastructuregrant. 

The University’s Medical Reserve Corps deployed its second team of health professionals to Louisiana earlier this week as part of Operation Minnesota LifeLine, an effort to provide health care to hurricane victims. The first team served for two weeks before returning Sept. 27. Eric Meininger, Community-University Health Care Center, started a Minnesota LifeLine daily blog, which is now being maintained by Scott Harpin, School of Nursing. To read the blog, go to http://www.mn-lifeline.blogspot.com/. For updates on Medical Reserve Corps efforts, go to http://www.ahc.umn.edu/outreach/epp/relief/home.html.

PEOPLE

Gerontological nursing students Stacey Hermanson, Victoria Ivchenko, Christine Larson, and Nora McPherson will receive full scholarships under a new program intended to bolster the capacity of nurses to care for the elderly. For more, go to http://www.nursing.umn.edu/News/GeroScholarships.html.

Claudia Schmidt-Dannert, Medical School, has been awarded the McKnight Presidential Fellow Award. The program, in its fourth year, provides support to the University’s most promising faculty members at critical stages in their careers. Schmidt-Dannert is an associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics.

Victor Bloomfield, Medical School, has been named the University’s first associate vice president for public engagement. The position, in the Office of the Vice President for System Administration, was established as a result of the president's Council on Public Engagement (COPE) initiative. Bloomfield, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, will provide leadership for and advance the U's civic contributions and involvement. For more, go to  http://www.ur.umn.edu/unsreleases/find.php?ID=2459&from=umnnews.

Marshall Hoff, AHC Office of Education, was selected as one of 20 iFellows (Innovation Fellows) at the University who will be the charged with researching, testing, and implementing new technology products at the University. The new program is supported by the Office of Information Technology. For more info, go to: http://iroc.umn.edu/ifellows.html.

Hoff and Zoi Hills, Fairview-University of Minnesota Telemedicine Network, were notified that they have reached the finals of the "Wild and Unexpected Applications" contest for unique uses of videoconferencing equipment, sponsored by Electronic Telespan, an industry newsletter. Their project was the teledermatology activity at the Minnesota State Fair.

Russell V. Luepker, School of Public Health, epidemiology, co-chaired a symposium on air pollution and cardiovascular disease at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Stockholm, Sweden on Sept. 5.

Patrick Mantyh, School of Dentistry, received the 2005 Bonica Award from the Eastern Pain Association for his contributions to pain research. The John and Emma Bonica Public Service Award recognizes distinguished contributions by an individual or an organization to the field through public education, dissemination of information, public service, or other efforts that further knowledge about pain.

Steven Miles, Medical School, Center for Bioethics, will receive the 2005 Paul and Sheila Wellstone Award for Public Health Leadership from the Minnesota Public Health Association on Oct. 5. The event will take place at the Radisson University Hotel. For more information, call 626-4515.

Jagdev M. Sharma, College of Veterinary Medicine, was informed that the journal he edits, Avian Diseases, is the ninth most-cited veterinary medicine journal, according to a survey of 150 journals, conducted by Science Watch. Avian Diseases is the official journal of the American Association of Avian Pathologists.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Phillips Neighborhood Clinic is seeking donations for its silent auction fundraiser on Nov. 2. Examples of current donation items include gift certificates, opera tickets, and artwork. The fundraising goal for this year is $7,000. The money generated will help fund patient care, improvements, and continued operation of the Phillips Neighborhood Clinic, which is a University of Minnesota student-operated health clinic. If you are interested in attending the event, or you would like to make a donation, please contact Sara Kammen at (612) 310-8095. More information is available at  http://www.ahc.umn.edu/news/releases/phillips092305/home.html.

“Dear Dr. Fisch: Children’s Letters to a Holocaust Survivor” will take place Oct. 23, 3 p.m., at Ted Mann Concert hall. The event, featuring Robert Fisch, Medical School, will include readings, music, and dance, and will also feature students from Twin Cities schools and the University of Minnesota Health Sciences Orchestra. Sponsors are the Center for Austrian Studies and the Center for Violence Prevention and Control. Admission is $12. Tickets are available at the University of Minnesota Arts Ticket Office 612-624-2345.

A conference titled Innovations in College Health: Clinical Care, Communication, and Public Health will take place Oct. 26-28 at Coffman Memorial Union, Weisman Art Museum, and Boynton Health Service. It’s the annual conference of the North Central College Health Association. Keynote speakers are Edward Creagan and Michael Osterholm. Registration ends Sept. 30. For more information, visit http://www.bhs.umn.edu/NCCHA.

Docs-on Call, a local public television show in Duluth, will begin its 24^th season on Oct. 6. This season will address high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, mental health, obesity, diabetes, and more. Hosts include Raymond Christensen, assistant dean for rural health, Medical School, Duluth campus; Ruth Westra, acting head, Department of Family Medicine, Duluth campus; and Duluth physician Jack Greene. For more information, visit http://www.wdse.org/prd_dc.asp.