I am happy to report that the Basic Science Department Realignment is well underway and most faculty have now selected a department home. Our next focus is to work on the budget reallocation and staff placement. The Realignment Coordinating Committee is doing an excellent job of shepherding the entire process.

This past Monday, Filo Maldonado and I spoke at a dinner for the Tyler A&M Club, which included former College of Medicine students, Aggies and prospective A&M and College of Medicine students. It was a great opportunity to visit with lots of Aggies and form connections for the future. The audience was attentive and I feel that we conveyed a great deal about who we are and what we're all about at the college.

Our development officer, Tom Pool is doing a great job bringing in money for scholarships. We recently received $125,000 in gifts for two endowed scholarships, the Sue and Joe H. Reynolds Endowed Scholarship and the Ted '41 and Dee Saba Endowed Scholarship . Keep up the good work, Tom!

Dr. Roy Smythe and I had the privilege of serving on the Corps Review Stand during the Texas A&M vs. Baylor football game. Dr. Smythe is a former player at Baylor, so it made for an interesting game, especially since it was such a close one!

Student Affairs sponsored a Parents Weekend for parents of our M1 and M2 students the weekend of October 22. It was a very nice event, and well-attended by parents and students. Friday night activities included a dinner at the Hilton with entertainment, and I discovered that we have some very talented students. Saturday morning I had the opportunity to meet more of the parents at the Dean's Reception, which was a very nice event as well. A special thanks to Casey Huckaby, Brenda Long and Rikki Hockenberry for their work. They put in many extra hours to make these events special for our students and their families.

On Saturday, October 29, the PVAMU Undergraduate Medical Academy held a White Coat Ceremony. Our own Drs. Alan Parrish, Ed Childs and Kelly Hester were part of the program. Dr. Childs was the speaker for the event, Dr. Parrish said a few words and introduced Dr. Childs, and Dr. Hester reviewed the history of the white coat. The ceremony was great, and I want to personally acknowledge and thank Drs. Parrish, Childs and Hester for all they are doing to promote the relationship with PVAMU. They are working hard to improve our recruitment of students for the future.

Hurricane Rita Brings COM Students Unexpected Hands-On Training

College of Medicine students had planned to spend the weekend of September 24 cramming for gross anatomy and basic block tests that had been scheduled for the following Monday. Mother Nature had other ideas, however, as category 5 Hurricane Rita bore down on the Texas and Louisiana coasts.

With visions of the recent devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina, residents from Houston and Galveston went scrambling to evacuate the region, bringing approximately 10,000 evacuees to the Bryan-College Station area. Many were seeking shelter from the storm, but there were also hundreds of sick and elderly people that had been evacuated from hospitals, clinics and nursing homes.

Approximately 90 A&M College of Medicine students collectively spent more than 700 hours volunteering in evacuee shelters during Hurricane Rita.

For the full story, visit: http://medicine.tamhsc.edu/communications/index.html#news100605

Tulane Medical Student Becomes "Aggie Doc in Training" for a Month

When asked where he's from, Niels Olson simply replies, "All over the place." He attended the U.S. Naval Academy in Maryland and was stationed in San Diego with the Navy for several years before settling in New Orleans with his wife and children. Olson started medical school at Tulane University School of Medicine August 9, just 20 days before Hurricane Katrina would devastate the Central Gulf Coast. Luckily for Olson and his family, his parents had moved into their new home in College Station just three days before they evacuated New Orleans on Saturday, August 27.

As the storm approached, Olson and his wife Brooke had two choices when deciding where to evacuate their family: her aunt and uncle in Tennessee or his parents in Texas. As fate would have it, evacuees could only go south from their section of the city. That sent them packing for College Station, where there just happened to be a medical school in the form of The Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine.

For the full story, visit: http://medicine.tamhsc.edu/communications/index.html#news10040502

Cardiovascular Research Institute Hosts Scientific Retreat

The Cardiovascular Research Institute (CVRI) hosted the First Annual Scientific Retreat October 27-28 at the College of Medicine's Education Building at Scott & White in Temple. More than 110 faculty, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and research staff attended the event.

The purpose of the event was to foster scientific exchange and collaboration between CVRI investigators consisting of 63 faculty members representing the A&M College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Colleges of Veterinary Medicine, Engineering and Agriculture, as well as the Texas A&M Health Science Center Institute of Biosciences and Technology. Many of the oral and poster presentations were given by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows conducting research under supervision of CVRI scientists. Winners are listed below.

Keynote speakers were Gary K. Owens, Ph.D., professor in the Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics department at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and Robert J. Schwartz, Ph.D., acting director of the Institute of Biosciences and Technology and director of the Center for Molecular Development and Diseases.

Oral Presentation Winners:

First Place Winner: Mazen Kurdi, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Associate, Division of Molecular Cardiology, A&M College of Medicine

Second Place Winner: J. Brandon Dixon, Graduate Assistant Research, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University

Third Place Winner: Eric Bridenbaugh, Graduate Assistant Research, Department of Medical Physiology, Division of Lymphatic Biology, A&M College of Medicine

Poster Winners:

First Place Winner: Erion Qamirani, Graduate Student, Department of Medical Physiology, A&M College of Medicine

Second Place Winner: Rakeshwar Guleria, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Associate, Division of Molecular Cardiology, A&M College of Medicine

Third Place Winner: Gang Chen, Graduate Student, Department of Medical Pharmacology & Toxicology, A&M College of Medicine

College of Medicine Hosts Faculty Research Colloquium

Sponsored by the Faculty Advisory Committee, the College of Medicine will be hosting the first Faculty Research Colloquium Monday, November 21 at 5 p.m. The event will be held in Lecture Hall 1 at the Reynolds Medical Building on the College Station campus, and will be simulcast to the college's Temple campus at Scott & White in the Mayborn Auditorium.

The Faculty Research Colloquium will be held quarterly, alternating between the College Station and Temple campuses. The inaugural colloquium features two College of Medicine faculty researchers, Dr. David McMurray and Dr. Farida Sohrabji, as speakers. Dr. McMurray will present "Studies of an ancient disease by an ancient scientist: Pulmonary TB in the guinea pig" and Dr. Sohrabji will present “Studies of the aging female by a rapidly aging female scientist: Menopause and the brain?"

A reception will follow the colloquium. For more information, contact Monica Krenz at mlkrenz@medicine.tamhsc.edu or 979-862-3891.

College of Medicine Hosts Constitution Day for Students, Residents and Faculty

Mary Elizabeth Herring, J.D., assistant professor in the Humanities in Medicine Department, served as speaker at the inaugural College of Medicine 2005 Constitution Day on Monday, September 12. Entitled "Liberty vs. Welfare: The Right to Healthcare and the U.S. Constitution," the lunch program was held in Temple and videoconferenced to College Station. Approximately 115 people attended the program, and attendees participated in a lively discussion regarding whether healthcare is a right or privilege of U.S. citizenship. Also discussed was the proposed constitutional amendment to require healthcare of equal high quality for all U.S. citizens.

A bit of background on Constitution Day for the history buffs?Senator Robert C. Byrd, a West Virginia Democrat and the United States Congress unofficial constitutional scholar, believes that American primary, secondary and post-secondary students lack significant knowledge regarding the U.S. Constitution. In December 2004, Senator Byrd offered an amendment that was passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate in an attempt to increase constitutional knowledge. The legislation requires that all educational institutions receiving federal funds implement educational programs relating to the U.S. Constitution on September 17 of each year (provisions were made for when this date falls on a weekend or federal holiday). This date because on September 17, 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention met for the last time to sign the U.S. Constitution and presented it to the American public.

IT Educational Tip: Cutting Down on Junk Email

Tired of getting junk mail in your GroupWise inbox? The Junk Mail feature can alleviate the amount of spam you receive. To utilize the Junk Mail feature, follow these steps:

Right click on the junk email in your Inbox.

Select "Junk sender" under the Junk Mail option.

Double-check the email address.

Click the "Junk email from this address" radio button -OR- if you never want to receive email from a specific internet domain, you can select that option as well.

Check the “Move item to the Junk Mail folder?box.

Click "OK".

Messages from the junked email addresses or domains will now be sent to the Junk Mail folder. If you need help using this function, contact the HSC Help Desk at 800-799-7HSC (800-799-7472).

Texas A&M System Experts Host Avian Influenza Media Teleconference

Texas A&M University System experts, including the College of Medicine's own Dr. John Quarles, hosted a two-hour Avian Influenza Media Teleconference, Monday, October 17. Each expert gave an overview on avian influenza, as well as a short presentation about the disease, how it could affect human health and the state's poultry industry, and review current research. They also answered media questions.

Experts on the panel were:

Dr. John El-Attrache, assistant professor, College of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Blanca Lupiani, assistant professor in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology.

Dr. John Carey, associate head of the Department of Poultry Science and Texas Cooperative Extension specialist.

Dr. Markus Peterson, wildlife researcher, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station.

Dr. John Quarles, professor and department head of Medical Microbiology & Immunology at the College of Medicine.

Dr. Tom Lester, head of Diagnostic Microbiology and a virologist for the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratories (TVDML).

Agricultural Communications at Texas A&M and the National Center for Foreign Animal and Zoonotic Disease Defense sponsored the event.

Jeannie Galindo Named Employee of the Month

Jeannie Galindo, Office Associate in the Learning Resources Unit, has been has been named the Employee of the Month for November. Jeannie is the "frontline" person at the LRU. That job can get busy when 80+ students come in after lecture to use computers, buy copy cards, eat lunches provided by parents, etc. Jeannie has great back-up from her LRU colleagues, but she is the one who interacts the most with students. She really thrives on this part of her job and works hard to make the LRU an inviting and important place for students to relax and study. Most people don't know this, but Jeannie also supervises the night monitors who keep the LRU open and its services available. We appreciate Jeannie's contribution to the LRU!

Winners of the Employee of the Month honor receive a congratulatory letter, a reserved parking space for the month and a free portrait package from HSC Communications.

HUMANITIES IN MEDICINE

Humanities Faculty Featured in AMWA Journal

Barbara Gastel, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor in the Humanities in Medicine Department at The Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, was featured in the most recent issue of the American Medical Writers Association Journal . In addition to her appointment at the College of Medicine, Dr. Gastel is also currently an associate professor of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences and Biotechnology at Texas A&M University.

For the full story and to see the article, visit: http://medicine.tamhsc.edu/communications/index.html#news100405

11th Annual McGovern Award Lectureship

Humanities in Medicine hosted the Eleventh Annual McGovern Award Lectureship in the Art and Science of Medicine Tuesday, October 25. Dr. Robert Kiser, M.D., M.A., F.A.A.F.P., Captain, Medical Corps, United States Navy was the guest speaker. Over the years, Dr. Kiser has been our most popular guest speaker for our First Year Humanities course, so it is fitting to honor him this year. The McGovern Award Lecture in the Art and Science of Medicine was established by an endowment from John P. McGovern, M.D., Founder/Consultant, McGovern Allergy Clinic and President and Chairman, John P. McGovern Foundation and the McGovern Fund for the Behavioral Sciences, Houston, Texas.

The McGovern Award Lectureship in the Art and Science of Medicine is dedicated to the central mission of the doctor: caring and healing. Reaffirming the validity of the oldest description of medical practice, "the healing art," the award stresses the importance of blending intrinsic healing attributes of those who practice the art with the highest scientific skills. Without the fusion of the healer and the scientist, there can be no "complete" physician, for only the "complete" physician can be a person of science when facing the disease, a person of compassion or empathy when facing the patient, and a person of leadership when facing the community.

OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Dr. Jose Pliego, M.D., Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs and Medical Director for Clinical Simulation at the College of Medicine, and Dr. Kim van Walsum, Ph.D., Director of Standardized Patient Program and Educational Research in Clinical Simulation, have had several abstracts accepted for presentation at the APGO/CREOG annual conference, which will be held at Grande Lakes Orlando in Orlando, Florida, March 2 - 5, 2006. The abstracts are titled "Addressing Gaps in the CREOG Curriculum: OB/GYN BOOTCAMP Using High Fidelity Human Simulators" and "Taking Noelle to a New Level in Teaching Management of Common Obstetrical Emergencies."

Dr. Pliego is the principal investigator and Dr. van Walsum, Ph.D., Dr. Paul Ogden, M.D. and Martha Howell, M.Ed. are co-investigators on a grant proposal titled "Enhancing Patient Safety: The Development of Reliable and Valid Competency Assessment Tools for Low Frequency High Risk Clinical Events Using High Fidelity Clinical Simulation" for the NBME's prestigious Stemmler Fund for Innovation in Assessment in Medical Education.

Dr. Charles W. Sanders, M.D., Head of the Department of Humanities in Medicine, is Principal Investigator, and Dr. Gene Terry, M.D., Dr. Kenneth Torrington, M.D., and Dr. van Walsum, Ph.D. are co-investigators on a proposal entitled "Keep the Soul in Medicine" for an AMA Planning Grant focused on teaching & evaluating “Art of Medicine" competencies across the continuum of medical education and practice.

In addition, Dr. Pliego has been selected to represent Temple, Texas in the Empire Who's Who Among Executives and Professionals in Medicine & Healthcare, "Honors Edition." The Registry has been designed to spotlight Medical Professionals and Administrators who have demonstrated success and leadership in their profession, as well as to provide the opportunity to network, collaborate, and share information with other medical professionals from around the globe.

OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY

Dr. Tristi Muir has joined the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine faculty in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is appointed to the Section of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery. She graduated from Mayo Medical School, completed her residency at Scott & White where she was selected Outstanding Resident Teacher two years in a row.

Dr. Muir completed a fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery. She was Clerkship Coordinator for Third Year Medical Students, Chief of Ambulatory Gynecology and Assistant Chief for the Division of Female Pelvic Medicine/Pelvic Reconstruction during her years at Wilford Hall Medical Center and Brooke Army Medical Center. We welcome Dr. Tristi Muir to our Ob/Gyn group as a clinician, educator and researcher

PHARMACOLOGY AND TOXICOLOGY

George C.Y. Chiou, professor and head of Pharmacology and Toxicology was elected the Vice President of the Ophthalmology Committee for the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Society on October 22. Dr. Chiou will accept the certificate in November when he visits Beijing. Congratulations to Dr. Chiou on this honor!

RESEARCH

Medical Pharmacology and Toxicology

Dr. Paul Brandt received the Texas A&M University Computer Access Fee Fund, "Medical School Video Conferencing Improvements for Patient Case Presentations and Lectures from Clinical Campuses" $25,000 direct.

Dr. William Griffith received the third year funding of his NIH research grant R01-AG007805 entitled "Physiology of cholinergic basal forebrain neurons," for $175,000 (direct costs) for the period 9/01/05 to 9/01/06.

FACULTY

Human Anatomy and Medical Neurobiology

Dr. David Earnest was invited to present "Effects of Ethanol on Brain Development and Circadian Rhythms" at the Symposium on Circadian Rhythm Regulation and Melatonin Action, at the International Congress of Therapeutics in Caracas, Venezuela, October 26-30.

Humanities in Medicine

Mary Elizabeth Herring, J. D., Assistant Professor in Humanities in Medicine, recently presented a scholarly paper at Kennesaw State University in Atlanta, Georgia, for the Illuminating Ethical Leadership: Faculty and Administrative Roles. The title of the paper was "Ethical Responsibilities and Dilemmas Confronting IRB Members." Institutional Review Boards focus on protection of human rights and this session examined how an IRB can fulfill its expanding obligations, while encouraging researchers in ethical matters.

Medical Physiology

Dr. Cindy Meininger and members of her research team presented "Oxidized LDL stimulates superoxide production but decreases nitric oxide synthesis in endothelial cells by reducing tetrahydrobiopterin" at the Joint Meeting of the British Microcirculation Society and The Microcirculatory Society in Durham, New Hampshire, September 11-13.

Dr. David Zaweija and members of his research team presented "Detection of TRPV channel expression in rat lymphatic vessels" at the XX International Congress of Lymphology in Salvador, Brazil in September. He also collaborated with Dr. Muthuchamy on "Differential expression of caldesmon and calponin in various rat lymphatics" at the same meeting.

RESEARCH

Medical Physiology

Dr. Gianfranco Alpini and Dr. Cindy Meininger received a $1,018,500 National institutes of Health grant entitled "Regulation of bile duct growth in bile duct ligated rats" for the period 07/01/05-06/30/09.

Dr. Emily Wilson and Dr. Warren Zimmer received a $124,000 American Heart Association, Texas Affiliate Grant-in-Aid entitled “Matrix-dependent modulation of SRF-mediated transcription by cyclic stretch in vascular smooth muscle."

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Human Anatomy and Medical Neurobiology

Nahm, S.S., Farnell, Y.Z., Griffith, W.H. and Earnest, D.J. Circadian regulation and function of voltage-dependent calcium-channels in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Neuroscience 25: 9304-9308, 2005.

Medical Education

Ogden, P.E., Wu, E.H., Elnicki, M.D., Battistone, M.J., Cleary, L.M., Fagan, M.J., Friedman, E., Gliatto, P.M., Harrell, H.E., Jennings, M.S., Ledford, C.H., Mechaber, A.J., Mintz, M., O'Brien, K., Thomas, M.R. and Wong, R.Y. Do Attending Physicians, Nurses, Residents, and Medical Students Agree on What Constitutes Medical Student Abuse? Academic Medicine ; Vol. 80, No. 9: 80-83 (2005).

Medical Physiology

Trache, A., Trzeciakowski, J.P., Gardiner, L., Sun, Z., Muthuchamy, M., Guo, M., Yuan, S.Y., Meininger, G.A. Histamine effects on endothelial cell fibronectin interaction studied by atomic force microscopy. Biophys J 89: 2888-2898 (2005).
 
Dates to Remember

• November 4-9: AAMC Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C.

• November 21: Harvest Luncheon, Reynolds Medical Building lobby; 11:30 a.m. ?1:30 p.m.

• November 24-25: Thanksgiving Break

• December 1: Executive Committee and Academic Council meetings, Room 162, 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.

• December 5: Town Hall meeting (College Station campus), Lecture Hall 1, 4 p.m.

• December 6: Town Hall meeting (Temple campus), Mayborn Auditorium, 5 p.m.

• December 16: Dean's Holiday Reception, Reynolds Medical Building Lobby

Christopher C. Colenda, M.D., M.P.H.
Dean, College of Medicine
The Texas A&M University Health Science Center
147 Joe H. Reynolds Medical Building College Station, TX 77843-1114
Phone:979-845-3431
Fax:979-847-8663
Email: Colenda@medicine.tamhsc.edu