From the Dean

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a wonderful and restful holiday break. I have a few items to note this month:

Mini-Med School

The college’s 5th Annual Mini-Medical School kicks off January 22 and will run every Thursday evening for six weeks. This popular community outreach program showcases the research and knowledge of our faculty and allows Bryan-College Station residents to hear current health and wellness topics from local experts. For more information about the 2009 Mini-Medical School, along with a list of speakers and topics, visit: http://medicine.tamhsc.edu/institutional-advancement/mini-med/index.html.

The 81st Texas Legislature will be back in regular session on Tuesday, January 13. It is an important session for us, as the Health Science Center is making a concerted effort to continue the special item funding for the college. We are hopeful these requests will be granted, as the future of HSC expansion (including the College of Medicine) depends on it.

Chris Cargile, M.D. is joining the COM on the Bryan-College Station campus as an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science and Associate Chair of the department. Dr. Cargile comes to us from Little Rock, Arkansas, where he was Associate Professor and Vice Chair for the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Arkansas Health Science Center.

The COM commencement ceremony for the Class of 2009 will be held Saturday, May 9, so mark your calendars! This is a week earlier than we usually hold commencement exercises, but we were forced to change our date due to the shift in Texas A&M’s selected commencement dates.

Here’s to a great 2009!

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

Dates to Remember

• January 14: Faculty Research Colloquium (Speaker: Dr. Jon Skare) – 6 p.m.; LH 1 Reynolds Medical Building (CS) and LH 1 Medical Education Center (Temple)
• January 19: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (COM offices closed)

College News

HSC Congratulates Dr. Arthur Johnson and Dr. Charles Phillips as Newest Regents Professors

Arthur Johnson

Dr. Arthur Johnson of the College of Medicine and Dr. Charles Phillips of the School of Rural Public Health are the Texas A&M Health Science Center's latest recipients of the prestigious Regents Professor Award.

Johnson, Ph.D., and Phillips, Ph.D., M.P.H., received the award at the Dec. 4 meeting of the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents. In all, 13 A&M System faculty members were designated Regents Professors for 2007-08.

"I very much thank the regents for this honor," Dr. Johnson said. "I am very fortunate to have had a number of outstanding students, postdoctoral trainees and technicians work with me at A&M, and it is essentially their talents, accomplishments and research successes that are being recognized by this award."

For the full story, visit: http://medicine.tamhsc.edu/institutional-advancement/communications/news/04december2008.html

Chavis Joins COM as Assistant Dean for Planning and Evaluation

Karan Chavis

Karan Chavis joined the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine in December as Assistant Dean for Planning and Evaluation. In this role, Ms. Chavis’ responsibilities include planning, project management, and reporting. Her initial efforts include charting the many projects and initiatives already underway within the College of Medicine and supporting the college’s strategic planning effort.

Ms. Chavis is a graduate of Texas A&M University and has worked for the university for 24 years.   Her initial employment began in Human Resources  here she managed retirement and benefits programs, special projects, employment and recruitment programs, employee relations, mediation, employee  supervisor conflict and grievances,  disciplinary actions, Office of Civil Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity grievance responses and policy interpretation and development.

After 11 years as a Human Resources professional, Ms. Chavis moved to  an administrative role within the Division of Finance where she directed activities related to policy development, compliance, risk assessment and management, process improvement and development, property valuation, risk transfer administration, operations shut down, strategic planning, facilities and space assessment needs,  logistical operations and relocation, Tort Claim administration, foreign travel risk mitigation and bequest/gift acceptance.

Ms. Chavis is married to Craig Blakely, Ph.D., Professor of Health Care Policy and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Research at the TAMHSC-School of Rural Public Health.

Faculty and Staff Receive Service Pins, Outstanding Staff Awards

College of Medicine faculty and staff members with service anniversaries were recognized at ceremonies held in December on the College Station and Temple campuses.

Additionally, three staff members (two in College Station and one in Temple) received the 2008 Outstanding Staff Awards. Julie Venter, Amanda Schrader and Monica Ocon received the awards for 2008. Congratulations, ladies!

Julie Ventner (right)

The following faculty and staff members celebrated service anniversaries:

5 Years
Lisa Auckland -- Research Assistant, Systems Biology & Translational Medicine
Umesh Bageshwar, Ph.D. -- Associate Research Scientist, Molecular and Cellular Medicine
Willy Bonkale, Ph.D. – Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry & Behavioral Science
Christopher Colenda, M.D., M.P.H. – Professor, Psychiatry & Behavioral Science
Keely Dunn -- Management Analyst, Business Affairs
Kathryn Peebles -- Research Assistant, Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics
Crystal Perkkio -- Education Coordinator II, Academic Affairs
Yi Ren, Ph.D. – Postdoctoral Research Associate, Systems Biology & Translational Medicine
Haley Williams -- Business Administrator II, Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics
Warren Zimmer, Ph.D. -- Professor, Systems Biology & Translational Medicine

10 Years
Rebecca Baker -- Administrative Coordinator, Office of Faculty Development
Douglas Dohrman, Ph.D. -- Associate Professor, Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics
Gerald Grimsley -- Associate Research Scientist, Molecular & Cellular Medicine
Stephanie Hilliard -- Office Software Associate, Systems Biology & Translational Medicine
Janet Parker, Ph.D. -- Professor, Systems Biology & Translational Medicine

15 Years
Wei-Jung Chen, Ph.D. -- Associate Professor, Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics
Tamara Clothier – Administrative Assistant, Office of Student Affairs
J. Martin Scholtz, Ph.D. -- Professor & Head, Molecular & Cellular Medicine

20 Years
Richard DeVaul, M.D. -- Professor, Humanities in Medicine
Lih Kuo, Ph.D. – Professor, Systems Biology & Translational Medicine
Filo Maldonado -- Associate Dean for Admissions, Office of Admissions
Marlene McCue -- Senior Secretary, Office of Student Affairs

25 Years
Gerald Frye, Ph.D. -- Professor, Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics
William Griffith, Ph.D. -- Professor & Head, Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics
Donald Loftin – Building Maintenance Mechanic, Business Affairs
Donnie Self, M.A., Ph.D. -- Professor, Humanities in Medicine
Van G. Wilson, Ph.D. -- Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Studies and Professor, Microbial & Molecular Pathogenesis

30 Years
George Chiou, Ph.D. -- Professor, Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics

CTVHCS Center of Excellence Update

The Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans (COE) was established at the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System in mid-2007.  The COE is funded by the VA and will be focusing on research into the causes and treatments for substance abuse, PTSD and other problems encountered by returning war veterans.

The COE is led by Suzy Gulliver, Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at the College of Medicine. Dr Gulliver comes to central Texas from Boston University, where she led a research team investigating substance abuse and PTSD.  Dr Gulliver is a principal investigator on NIH, FEMA and other grants, such as the ongoing "NIMH Risk and Resilience in Firefighter Recruits", a prospective study of the effects of traumatic stress on firefighters in six cities across the United States and Canada.

In central Texas, Dr Gulliver and the COE research team will be studying the trajectory of PTSD and substance abuse problems in veterans, and will be developing, characterizing and implementing new treatments for these conditions. The research team will not only be focusing on mental health outcomes, but will be integrating genetic and neuroimaging modalities into the proposed clinical studies.

For the full story, visit: http://medicine.tamhsc.edu/institutional-advancement/communications/news/01december2008.html

Faculty Advisory Committee Hosts Research Colloquium on January 14

Jonathan Skare

The College of Medicine Faculty Advisory Committee is sponsoring a Faculty Research Colloquium to be held quarterly, alternating between the College Station and Temple campuses.

The colloquium will be held in College Station, Lecture Hall I Reynolds Medical Building and simulcast to Lecture Hall I Medical Education Center in Temple on Wednesday, January 14, 2009 at 6:00 pm. College of Medicine researcher Dr. Jonathan Skare will be the featured speaker and will present “Studies to Assess the Pathogenic Mechanisms of the Lyme Disease Spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi.” A reception including light snacks and adult beverages will follow the colloquium in College Station and Temple.

Please RSVP via email to Mary Ann Wolff at mawolff@medicine.tamhsc.edu before Friday, January 9, 2009 and provide the location you will be attending.

Faculty

Autism Speaks Appoints Keith A. Young as Chair of the Autism Speaks Tissue Advisory Board

Keith A. Young

Autism Speaks announced the appointment of Keith A. Young, Ph.D., as Chair of the Tissue Advisory Board (TAB) of Autism Speaks in early December. The TAB is the scientific panel that oversees the Autism Tissue Program that is a vital to Autism Speaks scientific mission to further basic biological research and the elucidation of the complex condition of the autistic spectrum.

Keith A. Young, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Vice Chair for Research for the Texas A&M Health Science Center Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, and Neuroimaging and Genetics Core Leader of the VA Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans. Dr Young is a world-recognized researcher of human brain neuroanatomy, specializing in new techniques used to quantify how the brain is altered in psychiatric, neurological and developmental brain conditions.

For the full story, visit: http://medicine.tamhsc.edu/institutional-advancement/communications/news/05december2008.html

McNew Nominated for AAMC Humanism in Medicine Award

Longtime COM faculty member Dr. Lamar NcNew was one of forty-five nominees for the AAMC’s 2008 Humanism in Medicine Award. He received a plaque in mid-December in honor of being nominated for the award. The Humanism in Medicine award is selected by the Organization of Student Representatives (OSR), presented by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and supported by Pfizer, Inc.

Congratulations, Dr. McNew!

Students

Mai Awarded National Medical Fellowship Scholarship

Kim Binh Mai

Kim Binh Mai, a second-year student based in Temple, recently received a National Medical Fellowship scholarship from the Metropolitan Life Foundation Awards Program for Academic Excellence in Medicine. The scholarship rewards “underrepresented minority students for outstanding academic achievement and demonstrated leadership.”  Since the program was founded in 1987, just 227 students have received this award.

On winning the scholarship, Kim had the following to say: 

"I applied and was nominated by Dr. Fallon for this scholarship last May. I remembered that it was around the time of my final, therefore I had to rush everything last minute. Without the help from the Temple Student Affairs staff, Dr. John Hubbard, Dr. Fallon, and my cousin Quyen, I could not have mailed out a complete package. Therefore, I would like to thank you everyone.

“For me, receiving this scholarship has been both a reward and an honor. It solves my tuition needs and motivates me to continue working hard at both the academic and community levels. I am grateful to the organizations that endowed me with this prestigious scholarship and will strive hard to be a good representative of the Metlife Foundation Scholars. Thank you!"

Desai Publishes Paper with TXBSI Faculty

Sohum Desai

Third-year student Sohum Desai recently had a paper published in Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery, entitled “Actively bleeding intracranial aneurysm demonstrated by CT angiography.” Sohum’s co-authors on the paper were Dr. Jonathan Friedman, Dr. Joseph Hlavin and Dr. Fredrick Kash, all of the Texas Brain & Spine Institute.

A PDF file of the paper is available at http://medicine.tamhsc.edu/dean/newsletter/2009/files/clin-neuro-desai.pdf.

Congratulations, Sohum!

Summer, Winter Graduate Students Recognized at December Ceremony

College of Medicine graduate students were recognized and presented framed certificates at a ceremony in December. Congratulations to the following graduates:

• Adebayo David Akintola, Ph.D.
• Taraka Ramarao Donti
• Manirath Khounlotham
• Angelika Noel Miechowski McDermott, Ph.D.
• Natasa Popovic, Ph.D.
• Haiying Wang
• Eric H. Weening, Ph.D.
• Yu-Chieh Wu

Administration

OFFICE OF RESEARCH

Alpini Wins 2008 Senior-Level Excellence in Research Award

Gianfranco Alpini (right)

Dr. Gianfranco Alpini, Professor of Internal Medicine, was awarded the 2008 Senior-Level Excellence in Research Award at a ceremony held December 9 in Temple. The award recognizes faculty members who have made outstanding contributions to their fields and in their research careers.

Dr. Alpini joined the COM in 1994 as an Assistant Professor in what was then the department of Medical Physiology.  He quickly worked his way up the ranks and was promoted 2003 to Professor in the department of Internal Medicine along with being named the Nicholas C. Hightower Centennial Chair in Gastroenterology.

Dr. Alpini currently has 3 NIH RO1 awards, a VA Merit award, and a VA Research Career Scientist award.  He has an impressive publication and presentation list, and as one reference stated is “an outstanding, world-renowned liver scientist who has made major contributions in the field of hepatology and medicine.”  Another reference concurred and states that Dr. Alpini is among the “most prominent scientific leaders in the hepatobiliary research field” and that he also “has been highly successful in mentoring young investigators, fellows, and postdoctoral trainees.”

The Excellence in Research Award consists of a medallion, a plaque and a check for $2,000.

Basic Science

MICROBIAL & MOLECULAR PATHOGENESIS

Faculty

• Dr. Jon Skare participated in a NIH Study Section in San Diego, CA from November 9-17, 2008.
• Dr. Jeff Cirillo attended the Texas Branch ASM Meeting on November 10 in Austin.
• Dr. James Samuel attended the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Meeting in New Orleans, from December 7-9, 2008.
• Dr. Van Wilson attended the Sigma Xi National Meeting in Washington, DC, from Nov. 19-22.

Recent Publications

Martinez-Moczygemba, M, Doan, ML, Elidemir, O, Fan, LL, Cheung, SW, Lei, JT, Moore, JP, Tavana, G, Lewis, LR, Zhu, Y, Muzny, DM, Gibbs, RA, Huston, DP:  Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis Due to Deletion of the GM-CSFRα Gene in the X-Chromosome Pseudoautosomal Region 1.  J Exp Med. Nov24:205(12)2711-2716 (2008).  Epub 2008 Oct 27.

Wu, YC, Roark, AA, Bian, XL and Wilson, VG. Modification of papillomavirus E2 proteins by the small ubiquitin like modifier family members (SUMOs). Virology Vol 378(2):329 338 (2008).

Scientific Presentations

Dr. David McMurray presented an invited lecture at an international TB Conference, entitled “Emerging Trends in Tuberculosis Research: Biomarkers, Drugs and Vaccines”, from December 1-3, 2008 in New Delhi, India.

MOLECULAR & CELLULAR MEDICINE

Grants Received

Dr. Siegfried Musser received an NIH/NINDS Grant withPI: Paul Cremer entitled “Creating Platforms for the Proteomics of Membrane Proteins”, $1,158,297 total cost beginning 12/1/08 for 4 years.  Role: Co-PI ($30,000 direct costs per year)

Scientific Presentations

Dr. Siegfried Musser co-chaired a session entitled "Single Molecule Studies" at the 2008 American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) Meeting in San Francisco (December 13-17, 2008). He gave a talk in the same session entitled "Export of Importin /CAS Complexes and Formation during Nuclear Import."

SYSTEMS BIOLOGY & TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE

Faculty

Dr. Andreea Trache’s research was featured in the Veeco Spotlight (Nanovations, Veeco Newsletter vol. 6 - Volume 6 : Metrology & Instrumentation, December 2008): http://www.veeco.com/library/resources/nanovations/view_news.aspx?newsId=102&issueId=6&volId=22&regionId=4&techId=51

Scientific Presentations

Dr. Andreea Trache gave an invited talk at Saturday Morning Biophysics: Image Life! Outreach Program to the Department of Teaching, Learning and Culture at Texas A&M University, November 2008.

Clinical Science

INTERNAL MEDICINE

The departmental monthly report can be viewed at http://medicine.tamhsc.edu/dean/newsletter/2009/files/im-execsummary-nov08.pdf. (PDF)

Faculty, Residents and Students Participate in American College of Physicians’ Texas Annual Meeting

Dr. Suma Pokala MD, FACP acted as Moderator for Associates' Clinical vignette competition at the American College of Physicians’ Texas (ACP-TX) chapter’s annual meeting held in Dallas, November 15-16. She also acted as co-moderator for the Doctor’s Dilemma Competition, a jeopardy game for Medical residents held by ACP-TX Chapter as part of their annual meeting in Dallas on 11/16/08. Additionally, Dr. Pokala organized and conducted a poster competition for associates at the ACP-TX Chapter's annual meeting on Nov. 15, where Drs. Stephen Sibbitt, John David Myers, Curtis Mirkes and Pawan Sikka served as judges.

Dr. Mark Elieson, Chief Resident, won the second place in the Associates Clinical Vignette Competition, while MS III Evan Hardegree won the first place in Medical Students' Clinical Vignette Competition. Evan will participate in the National Competition in Philadelphia in April 2009. Thanks to ACP-TX Chapter, all his expenses will be paid. Additionally, MS III Sepedih Mokhtari represented our college by participating in the Medical Students' Clinical Vignette Competition.

Academic Medicine

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