From the Dean

Colleagues, Faculty, Staff and Students,

We have been quite busy this month with events, service activities and administrative undertakings, and I hope you take a moment to read and share our news.

On March 17, I had the pleasure of attending my first Match Day as Dean of the College of Medicine, and I must say what a special honor it was to celebrate with the 98 students in the Class of 2011. For the first time, our Match Day ceremony included students who received their clinical training at the Round Rock campus and students who completed their entire four-year curriculum in Temple. Overall, the College of Medicine continues to produce exceptional primary care and specialty physicians for Texas and the nation, and I am deeply gratified to be a part of their medical education.

On March 22, we convened the quarterly faculty-staff meeting to update you on issues at the College level and at the Health Science Center. From oversubscription to the budget, we covered the gamut of issues. A video of that meeting is posted ONLINE.

In academic news, we have scheduled a site visit with the LCME to visit the Dallas campus on April 6 and 7. With their blessing we will move forward with our plans to rotate third-year students there in the fall. We have also launched the MD Plus program as another academic option for all future students and for the potential deferment of a portion of incoming students in 2011.

As more information becomes available from the Legislature, the LCME and the Health Science Center leadership, we will continue to keep you updated. You may also visit an updated list of HSC policies approved by the HSC Executive Committee, on which I serve.

We have much to do in the coming months, and I thank you for your continued hard work and diligence.

Sincerely,

T. Samuel Shomaker, M.D., J.D.
The Jean and Thomas McMullin Dean of Medicine and
Vice President for Clinical Affairs for the Texas A&M Health Science Center

Dates to Remember

• Dallas LCME Site Visit: April 6-7
• Executive Committee Meeting: April 7, 3-4 p.m., all locations
• Dean’s Semi-Monthly Staff Meeting: April 12, 9-10:30 a.m., all locations
• Reunion Weekend: April 29-30, Bryan and College Station, details at medicine.tamhsc.edu/reunion
• 2011 Commencement: May 21, 2 p.m., Rudder Auditorium, Texas A&M University campus

College News

Class of 2011 Embarks on Residencies at Annual Match Day

TEMPLE, TEXAS—Medical students in the Class of 2011 at the Texas A&M Health Science Center (TAMHSC) College of Medicine learned where they will spend their residency training after graduation as part of the nationwide “Match Day” on—as luck would have it, St. Patrick’s Day—Thursday, March 17 in Temple at the Cultural Activities Center.

Envelopes containing residency letters were distributed to the 98 medical students individually and randomly, and more than 200 family members and guests attended the ceremony.

See the full article at TAMHSC-NEWS

Annual Tea Highlights Stroke in Young Women

On March 10, 2011, the Texas A&M Health Science Center (TAMHSC) College of Medicine and the Texas A&M System Chancellor’s wife, Mrs. Lou Ann McKinney, hosted the college’s seventh Magnolia Tea luncheon benefiting women’s health research at the college.

More than 100 guests gathered at the Chancellor’s home, the Reed House in College Station, to celebrate healthy lifestyles and health related research at the TAMHSC-College of Medicine. Guests sported brightly colored hats, a Magnolia Tea tradition.

See the full article at  TAMHSC-NEWS

Faculty of Neuroscience Symposium on April 2

The 3rd Annual Faculty of Neuroscience Symposium, hosted by the faculty of neuroscience at the Texas A&M Health Science Center and Texas A&M University, will take place Saturday, April 2 at the Integrated Life Sciences Building in College Station.

The faculty invites undergraduate and graduate students to submit scientific posters to present.

The program includes keynote speakers Dr. Paul Micevych of the University of California Los Angeles, Dr. Bruce Trapp of the Cleveland Clinic and Dr. Tim Schallert of the University of Texas at Austin.

For registration and abstract submission please email sasky-25@neo.tamu.edu

For questions email Robyn L Balden

Family Medicine Residency Hosts Successful Blood Drive

BRYAN–On Monday, February 21 the College of Medicine’s Family Medicine Residency hosted a blood drive at their clinic at 1301 Memorial Drive in Bryan to benefit two Bryan-College Station residents.

There were 67 donors in all, about 40 more than anticipated. Thank you to all who participated!

Faculty

In Print and On Air

David Schlager, M.D., an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science in Round Rock and a psychiatrist with Lone Star Circle of Care, was quoted in March 7 Health.com and CNN.com articles on the prevalence of bi-polar disorder.

John Simmons Jr., M.D., Assistant Professor of Family & Community Medicine and Texas A&M Physician in Bryan was featured on Health.com in a February 14 article about stress and heart health. See the Full Article.

Kathryn J. Kotrla, M.D., Vice Dean for the Round Rock campus and Professor of psychiatry and behavioral science, was quoted in a Health Day.com article about marijuana use and the risk of psychotic symptoms in later life. The article was also carried on msn.com.

Ryan Loyd, M.D., Assistant Professor of Family & Community Medicine and Texas A&M Physician in Bryan, published “Update on the Evaluation and Management of Functional Dyspepsia: A review of diagnostic criteria and treatment options” in the March 1 issue of American Family Physician.

David McClellan, M.D., contributed to “A Reduction in Emergency Department Use by Children From a Parent Educational Intervention” (PDF) published in the February 2011 edition of Family Medicine. Co-authors included former Family Medicine Resident Dr. Nemat Dadfar and former faculty Dr. John Gibson.

Two Faculty Compete in Annual Armadillo Dash

Congrats to Dr. John Simmons and Dr. Kory Gill, Assistant Professors and Texas A&M Physicians, who competed in the Fifth Annual Armadillo Dash half-marathon and 5K in College Station on Saturday, March 5! Dr. Simmons placed 7th in the half-marathon's 30-34 year old age group with a time of 1:40:41. Dr. Gill placed 1st in the 5K's 30-39 year old age group with a time of 21:27. Way to go!

IAMSE Webcast Audio Seminar Series, Spring 2011

The International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE) is presenting a series of webcast audio seminars on the topic of “The Use of E-Learning in Medical Education.” The medical sciences are ideal for using computers for presenting images, movies and sounds, enriching learning materials, and providing students anytime/anywhere access to material. This series will focus on the educational aspects of these technologies and will provide relevant background as well as practical suggestions for using these tools in teaching and learning. Topics covered include: E-Lessons for Face to face, Engaging Students, Simulations, Capturing Lectures, Social Networks, and Future Digital Learning Environments.

The Office of Faculty Development will be subscribing to this series as an institutional group meeting; therefore, any interested faculty may have access to attend any of these sessions at the below listed locations. Please note that RSVPs are not required for these sessions and lunch will not be provided. If you are unable to attend a live session you may listen to and view the presentation as well as past presentations ONLINE. The IAMSE seminars are an excellent means of increasing faculty awareness of important issues and developments in healthcare education.

The series will include sessions to be held on Tuesdays from 11:00 a.m. to Noon CST

Bryan-Health Professions Education Building (HPEB) Room LL11B
College Station-Reynolds Medical Building Room (RMB) 300
Bryan-St. Joseph COM Conference Room
Temple-S&W/Medical Education Center (MEC) 202
Round Rock-S318 (except 03/08/11 – meet in S319)

Session topics include:

• Tuesday, 03/29/11 – “Integration of E-lessons into Face to Face Activities”
  Presenter: Mary E.W. Dankbaar, Eramus medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  Summary: Not provided.

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• Tuesday, 04/05/11 – “Opportunities and Challenges of Social Media in Medical Education”
  Presenter: Rachel Ellaway
  Summary: With more than 500 million unique users some claim that Facebook is now the web. Certainly it is one of the main ways our learners (and many faculty and staff) keep in touch with each other. There are many other social media impacting on contemporary medical education including LinkedIn, Biomed Experts, Blogs, Wikis, Rate my Prof/Doc/MD, geo-tagging, Flickr, YouTube, SlideShare, Second Life, Twitter and Googlewave. This presentation will build on ideas presented in an earlier IAMSE Webcast to consider the many ways that social media are impacting on contemporary health professional education. Issues such as authority and control, net-gen learners, trans-institutional student networks and digital professionalism will be discussed to both orient participants and provide them with better approaches to working in these environments.

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• Tuesday, 04/12/11 – “The Digital Learning Environment of the Future: Teaching the Next Generation”
  Presenter: J.B. McGee
  Summary: In the words of Marshall McLuhan, "We are shaped by what our technology enables us to do, see, experience and...communicate." The current and future generations of healthcare professional students are shaped by an entirely new set of technologies, very different from the technology (print, telephone, radio, television) of their teachers. In particular, Internet-based communication tools such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and their ability to you connected to the world 24/7 have had a direct effect on the Millennial generation - especially the way they interact with their peers, family and society. Immediate access to vastly greater amount of data than previous generations has had both positive and negative effects on learning and further complicates the acquisition and application of knowledge and skills for healthcare. This session will outline important differences between traditional approaches and the expectations of modern learners. We will review and discuss successful, innovative uses of new technology for learning. Finally, we will highlight the critical ingredients of effective education/learning, regardless of technology, and construct an integrated approach to teaching the next generation of healthcare providers.

Please contact Rebecca Baker for more information.

Grand Rounds to Discuss Developing an Academy of Med Educators

BRYAN, TX — The Texas A&M Health Science Center (TAMHSC) College of Medicine will host Nancy Searle, Ed.D., on Wednesday, March 30, 2011 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. in the Health Professions Education Building room LL 11A at the TAMHSC Bryan campus.

Dr. Searle’s presentation, entitled “Issues to Be Considered When Starting and Maintaining a Successful Academy of Medical Educators,” is part of Education Grand Rounds. All faculty are invited to attend.

See more information at TAMHSC-NEWS

 

 

 

Students

LRU to Relocate

At the end of this academic year, the College Station Learning Resources Unit (LRU) will be moving from its current location next to the Medical Sciences Library and Reynolds Medical Building to HPEB. Over the last several months Gale Hannigan and Bobbie Ann White have discussed the future of LRU with College of Medicine (COM) leadership. The COM values the historical role of the LRU and the contributions of LRU personnel to the teaching mission of COM. Recently, Gale and Bobbie Ann met with Paul Ogden and Mark Sadoski to discuss the transition to HPEB and the best way for LRU personnel to benefit the curriculum and classroom instruction of COM.

Starting Monday, February 21, 2011, the LRU will move administratively as a functional unit into the Office of Educational Development (OED) within Academic Affairs. The LRU will become a subdivision of the OED, and will report through the LRU director to Dr. Mark Sadoski, who is the director of OED. The LRU personnel will be asked to take lead roles in several areas including assisting faculty with curriculum design, use of technology in the classroom, and course development support. They will interface closely with the faculty development functions of OED led by Dr. Lori Graham, and will assist Dr. Sadoski with other projects that require the skills of OED.

The library functions of OED will also move to HPEB and will continue as before in a new location. However, since HPEB is an HSC building, the LRU spaces in HPEB will be utilized by the College of Nursing and other HSC components along with COM.

We welcome the LRU to OED. We are excited to add their expertise to an already excellent group. We hope that over time this interface will grow and this will be a positive benefit for the individuals working within OED and LRU, and will be a major benefit to COM as well.

Paul E. Ogden, M.D., Vice Dean of Academic Affairs and Mark Sadoski, Ph.D., Director of Office of Educational Development

TMLT Offers $10,000 Scholarships

In September 2011, Texas Medical Liability Trust will award four $10,000 scholarships from the TMLT Memorial Scholarship program. The scholarship is for Texas medical students who are interested in finding creative and effective ways to enhance patient safety. The deadline to enter is June 4, 2011. Read more about the scholarship or download the application.

If you have any questions, please contact 512-425-5898, email william-malamon@tmlt.org, or via Twitter @tmlt_tmic.

GSO 16th Annual Student Research Symposium Coming Soon

The College of Medicine Graduate Student Organization is proud to announce that we will be holding our 16th Annual Student Research Symposium on May 6, 2011 from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Health Professionals Education Building on the new Bryan campus.

We are now accepting abstracts for poster and oral presentations. All graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are encouraged to submit an abstract. We are also pleased to announce the formation of a new poster category for medical students. See below for more information. We look forward to your participation!

Call for Abstracts: Deadline is Friday, April 1, 2011

All graduate students, professional students, and postdoctoral fellows of COM, IBT, SRPH, BCD and COP are encouraged to submit a 400-word abstract. Students can participate in either a poster or oral presentation, but not both. Postdoc participants are considered for poster presentation only.

Cash awards for first, second and third place in oral, junior and senior graduate student poster, and medical student poster presentations.

Please submit your abstracts to HSCGSO@medicine.tamhsc.edu

Administration

B-CS Campus Regional Associate Dean Relocates Office

Please note that the Office of the Regional Associate Dean of the Bryan-College Station Campus has moved locations. This location change affects the Regional Associate Dean and his assistant only.

They may be reached at:
1301 Memorial Dr., Suite 100
Bryan, TX 77802
Phone: (979) 774-8217
Fax: (979) 776-6903
Email: Janet D Helgoth

McClellan to Serve as Acting Regional Chair in B-CS

(BRYAN, TEXAS) — T. Samuel Shomaker, M.D., J.D., Dean of the Texas A&M Health Science Center (TAMHSC) College of Medicine, announces the appointment of David A. McClellan, M.D., as the TAMHSC-College of Medicine Acting Regional Chair of Family & Community Medicine. Dr. McClellan is based out of the Family Medicine Center in Bryan.

As the Acting Regional Chair, Dr. McClellan will guide family and community medicine initiatives in Bryan-College Station.

See the full article at TAMHSC-NEWS

 

 

 

 

Basic Science

HUMANITIES IN MEDICINE

Medicine and Humanities Consultations 2011

March 28, 2011: Alma Golden, M.D., presents “Ethical Issues of Public Health on Family Reproductive Patterns”

May 2, 2011: Ed Eckenfelds, M.D., presents “Compassion and the Professions: The Skipjack Project”

For additional information, contact the Dept. of Humanities in Medicine at 979-845-0755.

Consultations are held in The Longhorn Room of The Stagecoach Inn in Salado, Texas from 1-6 p.m. We anticipate the approval of four hours physician Continuing Medical Education credit, Continuing Nurses Education credit and social worker Continuing Education Units for each consultation.

MICROBIAL & MOLECULAR PATHOGENESIS

Recent Publications

Jeevan A, Yoshimura T, Ly LH, Dirisala VR, McMurray DN. Cloning of guinea pig IL-4: Reduced IL-4 mRNA after vaccination or Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Tuberculosis 91: 47-56 (2011).

Hyde, J.A., Weening, E.H., and J. T. Skare. 2011. Genetic Transformation of Borrelia burgdorferi. Curr Protoc Microbiol. Unit 12C.4.1-17.

Wu, J., Weening, E. H., Faske, J., Höök, M. and J. T. Skare. 2011. Invasion of eukaryotic cells by Borrelia burgdorferi requires beta 1 integrins and Src kinase activity. Infect Immun., 79(3): 1338-1348. This article was featured as a “Spotlight” Article in the March 2011 issue.

Presentations, Conferences and Meetings

Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis presented an invited seminar entitled “Investigating the Molecular Roles of Genes of Unknown Function During Salmonella Infection” at the University of Michigan on February 3.

Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis was a Session Speaker at the 2011 WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) Conference on February 19 at TAMU.

Dr. David McMurray traveled to Camp Allen on February 13-14 for a meeting on vaccine development sponsored by the Western Regional Center of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research (WRCE). He presented a keynote talk entitled “The search for a better TB vaccine: What a long, strange trip it’s been”.

Dr. James Samuel and Dr. Laura Hendrix traveled to Camp Allen on February 13-14 to participate in the WRCE Meeting.

Service

Dr. Jeff Cirillo traveled to Los Angeles to participate in a NIH Study Section on February 10-11.

MOLECULAR & CELLULAR MEDICINE

Recent Publications

Leboeuf, B., Guo, X., and García, L.R. (2011) The effects of transient starvation persist through direct interactions between CaMKII and ether-a-go-go K+ channels in C.elegans males.Neuroscience. 175: 1-17. 2010 Dec 9. [Epub ahead of print]

Gunn, W.G., Krause, U., Lee, N., and Gregory, C.A. (2011) Pharmaceutical inhibition of glycogen-synthetase-kinase-3-beta reduces multiple myeloma-induced bone disease in a novel murine plasmacytoma xenograft model.Blood. 117(5): 1641-1651. 2010 Dec 1. [Epub ahead of print]

Kim, K., Burghardt, R.C., Barhoumi, R., Lee, S.O., Liu, X., and Safe, S. (2011) Mdm2 Regulates Estrogen Receptor {alpha} and Estrogen-responsiveness in Breast Cancer Cells.J Mol Endocrinol. 46(2): 67-79. 2010 Dec 17. [Epub ahead of print]

Pathi, S.S., Jutooru, .I, Chadalapaka, G., Sreevalsan, S., Anand, S., Thatcher, G.R., and Safe, S.H. (2011) GT-094, a NO-NSAID, Inhibits Colon Cancer Cell Growth by Activation of a Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)-MicroRNA-27a:ZBTB10-Specificity Protein (Sp) Pathway. Mol Cancer Res. 9(2): 195-202. 2010 Dec 14. [Epub ahead of print]

Lee, S.O., Liu, X., Khan, S., and Safe, S. (2011) Targeting NR4A1 (TR3) in Cancer Cells and Tumors. Expert. Opin. Ther. Targets 15(2): 195-206. 2011 Jan. 5. [Epub ahead of print]

Sawant, D.A., Tharakan, B., Hunter, F.A., Smythe, W.R., and Childs, E.W. (2011)
Role of β-Catenin in Regulating Microvascular Endothelial Cell Hyperpermeability.
J Trauma. 70(2): 481-488.

Sawant, D.A., Tharakan, B., Adekanbi, A., Hunter, F.A., Smythe, W.R., and Childs, E.W. (2011) Inhibition of VE-cadherin proteasomal degradation attenuates microvascular hyperpermeability. Microcirculation. 18(1): 46-55.

Presentations

Dr. Steve Maxwell gave a seminar entitled "Akt and 14-3-3z mediate a drug-resistant invasive phenotype in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma" at The Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas Conference on November 15, 2010 in Austin, Texas.

Dr. Nick Pace was invited to present a lecture entitled "Increasing Protein Stability and Solubility" at Pfizer, Inc. in LaJolla, CA on January 11, 2011.

Dr. Nick Pace presented a lecture entitled "Measuring and Increasing Protein Stability" at the Cambridge Healthtech institute Symposium in San Diego, CA on January 13, 2011.

Dr. James Martin presented, "Bmp-Regulated microRNAs in Development" at the University of California, San Francisco, Craniofacial Development Seminar Series on January 27, 2011.

Dr. Allison Rice-Ficht was invited to present vaccine studies entitled "Adjuvant Effects of Particle Delivery Systems" at the NIH/NIAID-sponsored "Bacterial, Waterborne and Emerging Infectious Diseases in North Africa and the Middle East" conference in Nicosia, Cyprus from January 31 to February 3, 2011.

Dr. Gregory Bix presented a research poster entitled "Perlecan Domain V is a Triple Functioning Stroke Treatment that Neuroprotects, Enhances Brain Repair, and Modulates Glial Activation and Scar Formation" on February 9, 2011 at the International Stroke Conference at Los Angeles, California. Dr. Bix was also co-chair for all of the poster sessions held at this meeting.

Dr. James Martin gave a seminar entitled "Hippo-signaling in Heart Development: a Hippo-Wnt Connection" at the Baylor College of Medicine Developmental Biology Retreat in Galveston, Texas on February 11, 2011.

Dr. Fen Wang was an invited speaker at the Pathways to Excellence Seminar series at the Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas on February 16, 2011. The presentation was titled "Fibroblast Growth Factor Signaling in Tooth Epithelial Stem Cells".

Dr. Nick Pace gave a lecture entitled "Proteins in Medicine" to the AP Biology Class at the John Cooper School in The Woodlands, Texas on February 17, 2011.

Dr. Tina L. Gumienny presented "Communication Issues: What Cells do with What They're Told (How a TGF-β Superfamily Signal is Regulated in C. elegans)" at the invitation of the Department of Biology at Baylor University in Waco, Texas on February 23, 2011.

News

Dr. Sarah Bondos and Dr. Tina Gumienny traveled to Washington, DC to participate in the NSF Graduate Research Fellowships panel on February 10-13.

Dr. James Martin has been invited to serve a three-year term on the Editorial Board of Development Biology.

Dr. James Martin has been named Chair, American Heart Association, CV Develop. Review Group, January, 2011.

Announcements

Junior/new faculty meetings:

Our best research is driven by the creativity of our group. How do we encourage and foster creativity?

Dr. Rodney Hill, Professor, Department of Architecture at Texas A&M University and founder and Director, Institute for Applied Creativity

"Creativity is the Currency of the New Millennia in an Age of Accelerating Change"

Friday, April 8, 11:30 am – 1 pm
College Station Room 230
Temple C126
Houston Alkek 202A

Dr. Hill was featured in the Texas A&M Foundation most recent edition of Spirit magazine.

“His mission is to unlock creative potential and teach students to become lifelong learners, thought leaders and knowledge creators who embrace possibilities, not subdue them.” That’s what we need to do as mentors and group leaders.

Wouldn’t you rather spend your time thinking and researching instead of dealing with personnel issues? Learn more effective management techniques to minimize problems and maximize productivity.

Drs. Dorothy Shippen and Daria Panina have agreed to return for a follow-up to their very well-received, NSF-funded

“Lab Management Workshop”

Friday May 13, 11:30 am – 1 pm
College Station Room 230
Temple C126
Houston Alkek 202A

These workshops are open to all interested people. Please RSVP to Tina L Gumienny.

NEUROSCIENCE & EXPERIMENTAL THERAPEUTICS

Seminars presented

Ian Victor Joseph Murray, Ph.D.

• Feb 14th – Lipids, Oxidation and Alzheimer’s disease, UTMB, Mitchell center seminar
• Feb 21st – Alzheimer’s disease – A metabolic disorder? Lawler, Exercise Physiology Seminar Series, Dept. of Health and Kinesiology, TAMU.

 

Grants

Mendell Rimer, Ph.D.

• NIH, 1R03NS071141-A1, Motoneuron-selective Rescue of SMA Model Mice, Rimer, 3 person/month, 50,000/year, $138,822 2/01/11-1/31/2013

 

Awards

D. Samba Reddy, Ph.D.

• 2/15/11, paper from Reddy lab “Development and persistence of limbic epileptogenesis are impaired in mice lacking progesterone receptors” (J Neuroscience 2011 Jan 12), has been selected for the Faculty of 1000 (F1000), which places this work in their library of the top 2% of published articles in biology and medicine. Faculty of 1000.

SYSTEMS BIOLOGY & TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE

Communiqués

Dr. Jiang Chang in the Center of Molecular Development and Diseases, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Houston was appointed Joint Assistant Professor in the Department of Systems Biology & Translational Medicine. Dr. Chang received his MD degree from Wuhan University School of Medicine in China and a PhD degree from the Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology at Texas A&M University. He has published extensively in the field of cardiac biology with special emphasis on the molecular basis of heart failure.

Dr. Carl Tong just received certification on Cardiovascular Disease from the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). This is achieved through the process of obtaining board certification in internal medicine, completion of cardiology fellowship, recommendation by the fellowship director for board exam, and passing the Cardiovascular Disease Certification board exam given by ABIM for 2010 on October 26-27. The results were announced January 31, 2011.

Dr. Emily Wilson was recently appointed Executive Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, Texas A&M Health Science Center.

Dr. David Zawieja was presented the Lymphatic Research Foundation-Lymphatic Research Leadership Award at the Lymphatic Research Foundation Gala Dinner-Dance, October 28, 2010.

Dr. Warren Zimmer began his service as Treasurer for the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine on January 1, 2011.

Presentations

T.J. Akl, Ellie Rahbar, Dr. Zhanna Nepiyushchikh, Dr. James E. Moore, Jr., Dr. Anatoliy Gashev, Dr. David Zawieja, and Dr. Gerard Coté presented an abstract at the Biomedical Engineering Society meeting in October 2010. The abstract was titled: “Imaging tools to study the lymphatic system.”

Drs. Soon-Mi Lim, Jerome P. Trzeciakowski and Andreea Trache presented a poster at the Texas A&M Health Science Center Research Symposium, held November 11-12, 2010 in College Station, Texas. The poster was titled: “Matrix modulated RhoA mechanical signaling in vascular smooth muscle cells.”

Drs. Cynthia Meininger, Cristine Heaps, Janet Parker, Vinod Labhasetwar, and Guoyao Wu presented at the Texas A&M Health Science Research Symposium, November 11-12, 2010, College Station, Texas. The presentation was titled: “Fighting vascular complications of disease.”

Dr. Mariappan Muthuchamy presented a talk at the 4th National Meeting of the ASIOA 2011 (Association of Scientists of Indian Origin in America) at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine - School of Pharmacy, Suwanee, Georgia, January 16, 2011. His talk was titled: “Functional dolmans of tropomyosin in the regulation of cardiac contractility.”

Ellie Rahbar, T. Akl, Dr. David Zawieja, Dr. James E. Moore, Jr., and Dr. Gerard Cote presented an abstract at BMES in October 2010. The abstract was titled: “Lymph transport in rat mesenteric lymphatics experiencing edemagenic stress.”

Dr. H. Wayne Sampson gave an invited presentation at the Tutorial on Cell Death sponsored by the Scott and White/TAMHSC Center for Cell Death and Differentiation, Mayborn Auditorium, Medical Education Center, Temple on December 2. The presentation was titled: “Morphological aspects of apoptosis.”

Dr. Carl Tong presented an oral abstract at the American Heart Association 2010 Scientific Sessions in Chicago, Illinois on November 17, 2010. The abstract was titled: “Frequency dependent phosphorylation of cardiac myosin binding protein-C mediates acceleration of myocardial relaxation to support normal diastolic function.” This work provides a new understanding on the underlying cause of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Dr. Andreea Trache gave an invited talk at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas on November 2, 1010. Her presentation was titled: “Light meets force: mechanosensing induced cellular remodeling.”

Dr. David Zawieja presented at talk at the Annual Lymphatic Research Foundation Board of Directors Meeting on October 29, 2010. His talk was titled: “Lymphatic biology: Past, present and future.”

Dr. Shenyuan Zhang gave an invited presentation at Fudan University (Shanghai, China) in October 2010. The presentation was titled “The molecular mechanism for store-operated Ca2+ entry.”

Professional Activities

Dr. Lih Kuo participated in the National Institutes of Health Vascular and Hematology Special Emphasis Panel grant review via Internet Assisted Meeting on January 10-11, 2011.

Dr. Cynthia Meininger participated in a “Molecules, Genes and Cells” Grant Review session for the Wellcome Trust, London, United Kingdom in December 2010.

Dr. Mariappan Muthuchamy chaired the Cardiovascular Biology Session at the 4th National meeting of ASIOA 2011 (American Scientists of Indian Origin Association) in Suwanee, Georgia on January 16, 2011.

Dr. Carl Tong attended certification training for management of human left ventricular assist device (LVAD) at Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego on January 5-6, 2011. The training encompasses patient assessment, device design, first-hand observation on implantation of an actual LVAD on a bovine calf, post LVAD patient care, and visitation with actual LVAD patients. This will support Dr. Tong’s upcoming participation as a cardiologist on the heart transplant and LVAD team at Scott & White Memorial Hospital.

Dr. Vincent VanBuren traveled to Washington DC to serve on a review panel at the National Science Foundation in November 2010.

Dr. David Zawieja attended a meeting in Paris of the Organizing Task Force for the joint 2012 British Microcirculation Society/ Microcirculatory Society meeting at Oxford.

Dr. David Zawieja attended the Scientists Center For Animal Welfare conference “The Evolution of your IACUC: Promoting Science and Compliance” in San Antonio, Texas on December 6-7, 2010.

Dr. Warren Zimmer was selected to Chair the Texas A&M System CRPIT/Cancer Research Task Force.

Dr. Zawieja began his service as Chair of the Lymphatic Research Foundation’s Scientific/ Medical Advisory Board in January 2011.

Dr. Zawieja was selected to serve on the Microcirculation Section of the Commission on Circulation/Respiration for the International Union of Physiological Sciences until 2015.

Dr. Zawieja was also selected to serve as a member of the International Scientific Programme Committee for the International Union of Physiological Sciences meeting to be held in Birmingham England in July 2013.

Publications

Chakraborty S, Nepiyushchikh Z, Davis MJ, Zawieja DC, Muthuchamy M. Substance P activates both contractile and inflammatory pathways in lymphatics through the neurokinin receptors NK1R and NK3R. Microcirculation. 2011 Jan;18(1):24-35. doi: 10.1111/j.1549-8719.2010.00064.x. PMID: 21166923

Flach H, Rosenbaum M, Duchniewicz M, Kim S, Zhang SL, Cahalan MD, Mittler G, Grosschedl R. IMzb1 protein regulates calcium homeostasis, antibody secretion, and integrin activation in innate-like B cells. Immunity. 2010 Nov 24;33(5):723-35. PMID: 21093319

Gashev AA, Davis MJ. Long-distance transportation of live isolated lymphatic vessels. Lymphat Res Biol. 2010 Dec;8(4):189-92. PMID: 21190490; PMCID: PMC3025767 [Available on 2011/12/1]

Lim SM; Kreipe BA; Trzeciakowski BP; Dangott L; Andreea Trache. Extracellular matrix effect on RhoA signaling modulation in vascular smooth muscle cells. Experimental Cell Research 316 (2010) 2833-2848. PMID: 20599954

Robles JC, Sturek M, Parker JL, Heaps CL. Ca2+ sensitization and PKC contribute to exercise training-enhanced contractility in porcine collateral-dependent coronary arteries. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2011 Feb 4. [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 21297028

Andreea Trache, Lim SM. Live cell response to mechanical stimulation studied by integrated optical and atomic force microscopy, Journal of Visualized Experiments, 44 (2010) 2072. PMID: 20972405. http://www.jove.com/index/details.stp?id=2072

Wang W, Zhang C, Hein TW, Liao JC, Zawieja DC, Kuo L. Oxidized low-density lipoprotein inhibits nitric oxide-mediated coronary arteriolar dilation by up-regulating endothelial arginase I. Microcirculation. 2011 Jan;18(1):36-45. doi: 10.1111/j.1549-8719.2010.00066.x. PMID: 21166924

Grants

Dr. George Davis from the University of Missouri, Principal Investigator, and Dr. David Zawieja received a non-competing continuation on their $1,4888,163 National Institutes of Health R01 grant. The title of the grant is “Molecular control of EC lumen formation by MT1-MMP.” The grant period is 01/01/08-12/31/11.

Dr. Mariappan Muthuchamy, Principal Investigator, received a non-competing continuation of his $502,145 National Institutes of Health K02 grant. The title of the grant is “Regulatory mechanisms in lymphatic muscle contraction.” The grant period is 09/01/07-07/31/12.

Dr. Muthuchamy also received a non-competing continuation of a National Institutes of Health subcontract through Washington State University with Dr. Murali Chandra, Principal Investigator. The $34,186 subcontract is titled “Calcium regulation of cardiac thin filament activation.” It is part of a larger grant entitled “Mechanistic understanding of troponin T role in cardiac thin filament activation.” The subcontract period is 04/01/11-03/31/13.

Dr. David Zawieja, Principal Investigator, and Drs. Mariappan Muthuchamy, Jerome Trzeckiakowski, and Pierre-Yves von der Weid received a non-competing continuation on their $2,106,398 National Institutes of Health R01 grant. The title of the grant is “Ionic mechanisms of stretch-activation in muscular lymphatics.” The grant period is 07/01/09-06/30/14.

Clinical Science

Latest from the Center of Excellence on Returning War Veterans

The Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War veteran’s research was featured on the front page of the Waco Tribune-Herald on February 16, 2011. The story title was “Finding new ways to combat PTSD, Researchers using brain scans, therapy to help veterans”. The scientists interviewed were: Drs. Young, Morissette, Klocek, Kimbrel, Meyer and Kruse.

The Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War veteran’s research was covered on Fox News 9 PM edition. Drs. Young and Morissette were interviews on state-of-the-art research on PTSD.

Drs. Gulliver and Joe Vanderveen presented two posters, “Differences in drinking patterns among firefights who report cigarette smoking during their first year of fire service.” And “An examination of smoking-related characteristics among individuals diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder.” at the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco February 16-19, Toronto, Ontario.

More detailed information on the posters follows:

DIFFERENCES IN DRINKING PATTERNS AMONG FIREFIGHTERS WHO REPORT CIGARETTE SMOKING DURING THEIR FIRST YEAR OF FIRE SERVICE Joseph W. VanderVeen, M.A.*1, Marc I. Kruse, Ph.D.1, Samuel H. Reyna, B.A.1, Amruta A. Mardikar, M.P.H.1, Sandra B. Morissette, Ph.D.1, Barbara W. Kamholz, Ph.D.2, James Munroe, Ph.D.2, Jeffrey Knight, Ph.D.2, Rose T. Zimering, Ph.D.2, and Suzy B. Gulliver, Ph.D.1, 1Texas A&M Health Science Center, College of Medicine, DVA VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans; 2Boston University School of Medicine/Boston VA Healthcare System

CHANGES IN CUE RESPONSE AMONG NICOTINE DEPENDENT COLLEGE STUDENTS WHO REPORT FREQUENT BINGE DRINKING Joseph W. VanderVeen, M.A.*, Noreen L. Watson, B.S., and Lee M. Cohen, Ph.D., Texas Tech University

DIVISION OF INVESTIGATIVE PATHOLOGY

Dr. Alexzander Asea

Notable Accomplishments

Filed United States Provisional Patent entitled “Therapeutic Effect of Heat Shock Proteins in Preventing Amylin Aggregation in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus”

Filed United States Provisional Patent entitled “Plant-Derived Polysaccharides for Delivery of RNA-Based Therapies”

Internal Medicine

Executive Summary of Scholarly Activity Scott & White/Texas A&M HSC COM   Department of Medicine January 2011
In order to generate an accurate count of scholarly products within the Department of Medicine, all scholarly products are counted only once and are not reported for every faculty member involved. For the purposes of this departmental report, a scholarly product will be counted under the first author’s division or program only. If the first author is not in the Department of Internal Medicine, credit will be assigned to the highest author in IM. For January 2011, Internal Medicine divisions and programs reported the following scholarly activity:
Total Numbers
5	Peer-reviewed publications
8	Manuscripts accepted/in review/in press
11	Abstracts accepted/presented
1	Book chapters
4	Presentations
3	Posters/exhibits
21	Lectures
13	Articles reviewed – Peer-reviewed journals
1	Reviewer - Conference abstracts (# of faculty reviewers)
4	Research Projects
1	Grants received
4	Grants submitted
1	Educational Projects
Reported by Division
Cardiology	See pages that follow for list of publications, etc.
1	Abstracts accepted/presented
2	Lectures
1	Reviewer – Conference abstracts
1	Articles reviewed
Cardiology- Molecular	Nothing reported for January 2011
Endocrinology	Nothing reported for January 2011
Executive Health	Nothing reported for January 2011
Gastroenterology – Lab	See pages that follow for list of publications, etc.
3	Publications
3	Manuscripts
1	Presentations
10	Articles Reviewed
4	Research Projects
Gastroenterology	Nothing reported for January 2011

Publications – Peer-Reviewed

Gastroenterology Lab

1. Munshi MK, Priester S, Gaudio E, Yang F, Alpini G, Mancinelli R, Wise C, Meng F, Franchitto A, Onori P, Glaser SS. Regulation of biliary proliferation by neuroendocrine factors implications for the pathogenesis of cholestatic liver diseases. Am J Pathol. 2011 Feb;178(2):472-84.

2. Demorrow S, Onori P, Venter J, Invernizzi P, Frampton G, White M, Franchitto A, Kopriva S, Bernuzzi F, Francis H, Coufal M, Glaser S, Fava G, Meng F, Alvaro D, Carpino G, Gaudio E, Alpini G. Neuropeptide Y inhibits cholangiocarcinoma cell growth and invasion. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2011 Jan 26. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 21270292 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

3. Dutta AK, Khimji AK, Kresge C, Bugde A, Dougherty M, Esser V, Ueno Y, Glaser SS, Alpini G, Rockey DC, Feranchak AP. Identification and functional characterization of TMEM16A, a Ca2+-activated Cl- channel activated by extracellular nucleotides, in biliary epithelium..J Biol Chem. 2011 Jan 7;286(1):766-76. Epub 2010 Nov 1.
PMID: 21041307

General Internal Medicine

1. Laffer CL, Elijovich F. A critical appraisal of the clinical effectiveness of a fixed combination of valsartan, amlodipine and hydrochlorothiazide in achieving blood pressure goals. Integrated Blood Pressure Control 4:1–5,2011 [January 18]

Hematology/Oncology

1. Hematology/Oncology, Residency Program & OMEERD:
Cable CT, Ahluwalia R, Mirkes C, Colbert CY. A case of disseminated intravascular coagulation associated with a prosthetic heart valve. Amer J of Med Sci. 2011 Jan; 341(1):83-85.

Manuscripts – In review/Accepted/In press

Collaborative Research

1. Wehbe-Janek H, Song J, Shabahang M. An Evaluation of the Usefulness of the Standardized Patient Methodology in the Assessment of Surgery Residents' Communication Skills. Journal of Surgical Education. J Surgical Educ. In press Jan 2011.

Gastroenterology Lab

1. F Meng, S Glaser, H Francis, S DeMorrow, Y Han, J Passarini, A Stokes, J Cleary, X Liu, J Venter, K Preetham, S Priester, L Hubble, D Staloch, J Sharma, C-G Liu, G Alpini. Functional characterization of microRNAs in human hepatocellular cancer stem cells. J Cellular Mol Med, in press 2011.

2. A Chu, R Diaz, J-J Hiu, K Yanger, Y Zong, G Alpini, B Z Stanger, and R G Wells. Lineage tracing demonstrates no evidence of cholangiocyte epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in murine models of hepatic fibrosis. Hepatology in press, 2011.

3. Sharon DeMorrow, Paolo Onori, Julie Venter, Pietro Invernizzi, Gabriel Frampton, Mellanie White, Antonio Franchitto, Shelley Kopriva, Francesca Bernuzzi, Heather Francis, Monique Coufal, Shannon Glaser, Giammarco Fava, Domenico Alvaro, Guido Carpino, Eugenio Gaudio, Fanyin Meng, Gianfranco Alpini. Neuropeptide Y inhibits cholangiocarcinoma cell growth and invasion. Am J Physiology, cell physiology. In press Jan 2011.

Genetics

1. Schaaf CP, Blazo M, Lewis RA, Tonini RE, Takei H, Wang J, Wong LJ, Scaglia F. Early severe neuromuscular phenotype associated with compound heterozygosity for OPA1 mutations. Journal of Medical Genetics. Accepted Jan 2011.

Geriatrics

1. Hochhalter, A., Bryant, L., Hunter, R., Rui, L., Friedman, Price, A., Sharkey, J., Reddy, S., Caprio, A., McCrystle, S. Multisite Qualitative Study of Primary Care Physicians’ and Midlevel Providers’ Self-Reported Practices and Perceptions about Maintaining Cognitive Health. The Gerontologist. In review Jan 2011.

Nephrology

1. Wesson DE, Simoni J, Broglio K, Sheather S. Acid retention accompanies reduced GFR in humans and increases plasma levels of endothelin and aldosterone. Amer J of Physiology (Renal Physiology), 2011. In Press.

Office of Medical Education, Evaluation & Research Development (OMEERD)

OMEERD & Residency Program:
1. Colbert CY, Myers JD, Cable CT, Ogden PE, Mirkes C, McNeal T, Skeen S. Residents become systems thinkers in resident clinic: Effects of the CCORE experience. Dr. Skeen was a chief resident during the course of this study. Academic Medicine. Manuscript in review Jan 2011.

Book Chapters

Genetics

1. Blazo M. Up-to Date “ Neurofibromatosis Review Topic: Type I”

Abstracts – Accepted/Presented

Cardiology

1. Detection of Autoantibodies against Cardiac Myosin Binding Protein-C in Patients with Dilated Cardiomyopathy Nandini Nair¹, Saminathan Muthusamy², Gregory J Dehmer¹ and Sakthivel Sadayappan² Division of Cardiology, Scott and White Hospital, Texas A & M HSC College of Medicine, Temple, TX 76508.2 Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology, Loyola University Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL 60153-5500.Accepted for presentation at the 31st Annual Scientific sessions of the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation at SanDiego, CA Apr 2011

Medical Education (UME/GME)

1. Mirkes C, Metting A, Guzik P, Pinnapureddy N, Colbert C. A Collaborative Integrated Curriculum in Simulation. AAMC’s Southern Group on Educational Affairs Conference, Houston, TX, April 13-16, 2011. Accepted Jan 2011 for poster presentation.

Nephrology

1. Hoang-Lan Nguyen, Luis Concepcion: “Henoch-Schonlein Purpura in an Adult with Hypersensitivity Reaction to Carbamazepine: A Case Report”. Abstract accepted for poster presentation, National Kidney Foundation Meeting, Las Vegas NV, April 26-29, 2011.

2. Geetha Seerangan, Nimrit Goraya: “A rare case of Rebif induced thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura”, accepted for poster presentation at National Kidney Foundation meeting, Las Vegas NV, April 26-29, 2011.

3. Enteric-Coated Mycophenolate Sodium (EC-MPS) Versus Mycophenolate Mofetil (MMF) in African American (AA) Renal Transplant Recipients from the Mycophenolic Acid Observational Renal Transplant (MORE) Registry: Mohanram Narayanan, Oleh Pankewycz, et al. Accepted for poster presentation at the 2011 American Transplant Congress in Philadelphia PA, April 30-May 4, 2011.

4. Fuad Shihab, Laurence Chan, Mohanram Narayanan, et al. Early Outcome Analysis of the Mycophenolic Acid Observational Renal Transplant (MORE) Registry: Comparisons of Enteric-Coated Mycophenolate Sodium (EC-MPS) and Mycophenolate Mofetil (MMF) in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus (DM) prior to Transplant: Accepted for poster presentation at the 2011 American Transplant Congress in Philadelphia PA, April 30-May 4, 2011.

Office of Medical Education, Evaluation & Research Development

1. OMEERD & Residency Program:
Colbert CY, Myers JD, Cable C, McNeal T, Mirkes C, Ogden P, Skeen S. Systems overhaul: Empowering residents for change in continuity clinic. AAMC’s Southern Group on Educational Affairs (SGEA) Conference, Houston, TX, April 13-16, 2011. Accepted Jan 2011 for poster presentation.

2. OMEERD, COM & UTMSH:
Colbert CY, Ownby AR, Ogden PE. Reconceptualizing systems-based practice to include systems thinking. AAMC’s Southern Group on Educational Affairs Conference, Houston, TX, April 13-16, 2011. Abstract accepted Jan 2011 for small group discussion.

Patient Engagement and Safety Research Program

1. Patient Engagement and Safety Research & OMEERD:
Wehbe-Janek J, McMahon E, Hochhalter AK, Sklar LC, Colbert CY. Pilot Study of the Preparing for the Best Transitional Care Preparatory Intervention. HMORN Conference, March 2011. Abstract accepted for poster presentation Jan 2011.

Pulmonary

1. Pulmonary & OMEERD:
Diaz-Guzman E, Colbert CY, Mannino DM, Davenport DL, Arroliga AC. 24/7 in-house intensivist coverage and fellowship education: A cross sectional survey of academic medical centers in the United States. American Thoracic Society Conference, Denver, CO, May 2011. Abstract accepted for oral presentation 1/2011.

2. Guerra D, Prince-Fiocco G: Diffuse Idiopathic Pulmonary Neuroendocrine Hyperplasia. American Thoracic Society Conference, Denver, CO, May 2011. Dr. Guerra is a pulmonary fellow. Abstract accepted Jan 2011 for poster presentation.

Presentations

Gastroenterology Lab

1. Talk entitled “Secretin regulation of biliary growth” at the University of New Mexico” Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Albuquerque, NM, February 3, 2011.

Nephrology

Sheldon Chaffer, MD Hypertension across the Lifespan: Sixteenth Annual Advanced Practice Symposium 2011, January 26, 2011, Mayborn Convention Center, Temple. (regional)

Mohanram Narayanan, MD Acute Renal Failure: Fundamentals of Hospital Medicine Symposium, January 12, 2011, Scott & White Temple. (regional)

Mohanram Narayanan, MD Interpreting the Urinalysis: 15th Annual Advanced Practice Symposium, January 27, 2011, Frank Mayborn Convention Center, Temple. (regional)

Posters/Exhibits

Collaborative Research

1. Wehbe-Janek H, Austin D, Pliego J. Advancing the science of simulation: Unique partnerships and innovative programs. 2011 International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare, Jan 23-26, 2011, New Orleans, LA. Work in Progress poster presentation.

2. Wehbe-Janek H, Colbert C, White BA, Govednik-Horny C, Shabahang M. Residents’ perspectives on the value of simulation in a General Surgery Residency Curriculum. 2011 International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare, Jan 23-26, 2011, New Orleans, LA. Work in Progress poster presentation.

3. Austin A, Fahey-Moran J, Horn K, Burkes D, Lambden MP, Wehbe-Janek H. A Qualitative study of nurses’ perspectives of simulation training for critical events during a pediatric internship. 2011 International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare, Jan 23-26, 2011, New Orleans, LA. Work in Progress poster presentation.

Lectures

Cardiology

1. Anderson-Myocarditis and Dilated Cardiomyopathy; Cardiology Fellows Didactic Lecture. Jan. 12, 2011.

2. Anderson- Cardiology Journal Club Host, Jan. 13, 2011

Hospital Medicine

1. Reddy S – Hyponatremia, MS3 inpatient lecture series, Jan. 3, 2011

2. Reddy S – Acute Renal Failure, MS3 inpatient lecture series, Jan. 4, 2011

3. Tran– Dyspnea, MS3 inpatient lecture series, Jan. 10, 2011

4. Tran – Fever, MS3 inpatient lecture series, Jan. 11, 2011

5. Alger – Afib, MS3 inpatient lecture series, Jan. 17, 2011

6. Mudassar – Acute GI Bleed, MS3 inpatient lecture series, Jan. 18, 2011

7. Alger – Abdominal Pain, MS3 inpatient lecture series, Jan. 24, 2011

8. Moran – CPC, inpatient lecture series, Jan. 25, 2011

9. Win – Seizures, MS3 inpatient lecture series, Jan. 31, 2011

Nephrology

1. Enoch Agunanne: HTN Aldosterone / Spironolactone, Nephrology Journal Club, January 26, 2011. Scott & White Temple. (fellows & senior staff)

2. Geetha Seerangan: “Amyloidosis”, Nephrology Morbidity & Mortality Conference, January 5, 2011. Scott & White Temple (fellows & senior staff)

3. Geetha Seerangan: “Hemodialysis Time, Ultrafiltration Survival”, Nephrology Journal Club, January 12, 2011. Scott & White Temple (fellows & senior staff).

4. Hoang-Lan Nguyen: “Fertility & Reproductive Issues Post Transplant”, Transplant Grand Rounds, Scott & White Temple, January 6, 2011. (fellows, senior staff, nurses)

5. Hoang-Lan Nguyen: “Renal Regulation of Acid-Base Balance”, Renal Physiology Conference, Scott & White Temple, January 13, 2011. (fellows & senior staff)

Pulmonary

1. Beckendorf- Intestinal Lung Disorders.

2. Beckendorf- Diagnostic Tools for evaluating patients with respiratory function.

3. Spradley- Pneumonia, 11 Jan 2011, PA Hospital Medicine Conference

4. Spradley- Pulmonary Vascular Disease, 20 Jan 2011, MS 2

5. Spradley- Pulmonary Hypertension / Sleep Apnea and Transplant, 20 Jan 2011, Renal Transplant Grand Rounds

Reviewer – Conference Abstracts

Cardiology

1. Dehmer- Annual meeting, Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, Baltimore MD, May 4-7, 2011; 30 abstracts reviewed.

Articles Reviewed – Peer-Reviewed Journals – Jan. 2011

Cardiology

1. Dehmer- American Journal of Cardiology - 1 article

Collaborative Research

1. Wehbe-Janek J. -Simulation in Healthcare – 1 article

Gastroenterology Lab

1. DeMarrow- Current Cancer drug targets (1)

2. Alpini- 1 BMC Endocrine disorders, 1 Hepatology, 1 JCI, 1 Oncogene and 1 Surgical Oncology - 5 articles reviewed

Geriatrics

1. Hochhalter, A.- Article reviewed for Clinical Gerontologist

Research Projects

Gastroenterology Lab

1. Alpini- Autocrine/Paracrine Regulation of Intrahepatic Bile Duct Growth. VA Merit Award

2. Alpini- Regulation of bile duct growth in bile duct ligated rats. NIH

3. Alpini- Growth Regulation of the Intrahepatic Biliary Tree. NIH

4. Alpini- Role of Sensory Neuropeptides in the Regulation of Biliary Function

Grants Received

Geriatrics

1. Hochhalter AK. External. Received Jan 2011. Central Texas Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging, CDSMP Workshop Coordination and Completion, $24,700, February 1-September 1, 2011

Grants Submitted

Collaborative Research

1. Bush R and Wehbe-Janek H (Project Managers) Internal: Development and Evaluation of Standardized Patient Methodology for Professionalism Assessment and Training within Organizational and Contextual-based Encounters. Scott & White Healthcare, Simulation Grant Oversight Committee.

Genetics

1. Blazo- Role and molecular mechanisms of CDC42 in Di George Syndrome

Patient Engagement and Safety Research Program

1. Wehbe-Janek (PI) External: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; “Improving Patient Safety through Simulation Research.” (R18) Other investigators: Papaconstantinou H, Bush R, Pliego J, Villamaria F, Haven L, VanZyl G, Jo C, Merlino M, Austin D, Yandell K.

Pulmonary

1. Prince-Fiocco- Ultrasound Simulation Training for PCCM training program Submitted for internal S&W Simulation Grant

Educational Projects

Genetics

1. Blazo- Pediatric Genetics Clinical Case Review

Dr. Ed Septimus’ publications in 2010:

Platt R, Takvoriau SU, Septimus E, et al.
Cluster Randomized Trials in Comparative Effectiveness Research: Randomizing hospitals to test methods for prevention of healthcare-associated infections
Medical Care 2010; 48:S52-S57

Septimus E, and Moody J.
Strategies to Eliminate Healthcare-Associated Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections in Adults
Managing Infect Control 2010; 10:48-58

Nicogossian A, Ebadirad N, Zimmerman T, Septimus E.
Influenza Immunization: Synthesizing and Communicating the Evidence
World Medical and Health Policy J 2010; 2:1-34

Polgreen PM, Septimus E, Talbot TR, et al.
Results of a National Survey of Infectious Diseases Specialists Regarding Influenza Vaccination Programs For Healthcare Workers
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2010; 31:1063-1065

Talbot T, Babcock H, Cotton C, Maragakis L, Poland G, Septimus E, Tapper M, Weber D
Revised SHEA Position Paper: Influenza Vaccination of Healthcare Personnel Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2010; 31:987-995

Nicogossian A, Kloiber O, Zimmerman T, Mayer JD, Doarn CR, Septimus EJ, Jacobs W, Beritashvili T.
Translational Research, Evidenced-Based Medicine and Medical Policy
World Medical Health Policy 2010; 2:1-4

Septimus E
Mandating Health Care Professional Influenza Vaccination; Pro
Infect Dis Children December 2010

INTERNAL MEDICINE RESEARCH

Regulation of biliary proliferation by neuroendocrine factors implications for the pathogenesis of cholestatic liver diseases.
Munshi MK, Priester S, Gaudio E, Yang F, Alpini G, Mancinelli R, Wise C, Meng F, Franchitto A, Onori P, Glaser SS.
Am J Pathol. 2011 Feb;178(2):472-84.
PMID: 21281779 [PubMed - in process]

Identification and functional characterization of TMEM16A, a Ca2+-activated Cl- channel activated by extracellular nucleotides, in biliary epithelium.
Dutta AK, Khimji AK, Kresge C, Bugde A, Dougherty M, Esser V, Ueno Y, Glaser SS, Alpini G, Rockey DC, Feranchak AP.
J Biol Chem. 2011 Jan 7;286(1):766-76. Epub 2010 Nov 1.
PMID: 21041307 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Dr. Gianfranco Alpini gave a talk on “Secretin Regulation of Biliary Growth” at the University of New Mexico on February 3, 2011.

Dr. Gianfranco Alpini was invited to serve as a member of the Hepatobiliary Pathophysiology Study Section [HBPP].

ACADEMIC MEDICINE

Division of Molecular Cardiology

Professional Service

David E. Dostal
Dr. Dostal participated as a panel member for the NIH Cardiac Contractility, Hypertrophy and Failure Study Section in Washington DC on February 7 and 8, 2011.

Publications

Guleria RS, Choudhary R, Tanaka T, Baker K, Pan J. 2010. Retinoic Acid Receptor-Mediated Signaling Protects Cardiomyoctes from Hyperglycemia Induced Apoptosis: Role of the Renin-Angiotensin System. Journal of Cellular Physiology, 226: 1292-1307, 2011.

Miller T, Yang F, Wise CE, Meng F, Priester S, Munshi MK, Guerrier M, Dostal DE, Glaser SS. Simvastatin stimulates apoptosis in cholangiocarcinoma by inhibition of Rac1 activity. Dig Liver Dis. 2011 Feb 18. [Epub ahead of print]