From the Dean

To submit college, student, faculty, staff or administrative news for future editions, please Click Here. The deadline for news submission is the first Thursday of the month for inclusion in that month’s edition. The Dean’s E-News will now be published at the end of each month.

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Colleagues, Faculty, Staff and Students,

We are now less than 120 days away from our LCME accreditation site visit, and I want to thank everyone—faculty, staff and students—for your continual hard work to make us the best medical school in Texas in preparation for this critical event. We will be holdng a mock site visit on November 17 and 18 to help us get ready for the real deal and shortly afterwards our final documents are due in to the LCME.

The stakes are enormous and we must all be well prepared. I would encourage everyone to visit our website to read our institutional self study, which is our self assessment of the effectivenss of our educational program. This document will be a key focus of the site visit.

In the coming weeks you will hear more about our finalized strategic plan for the College of Medicine and our continued implementation of the College’s strategic priorities. 

In preparation for the Health Science Center’s upcoming accreditation, please be aware of the institution-wide Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), an important component of the process of reaffirming accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

The QEP topic is CARE or “Critically Appraise Relevant Evidence.”  Through CARE, students will learn to apply evidence-based decision-making and critical thinking skills in their chosen field.  Video recordings of presentations about the QEP are now available online within the TAMHSC firewall and off campus via AnyConnect VPN.

To see a synopsis of CARE’s goals or to watch the presentations, visit TAMHSC News.  For more info about QEP, visit the HSC's webpage on SACS. 

On October 10, we welcomed Andrew Robison as Director of Development in the Office of Institutional Advancement.  Andrew has many busy days ahead of him as he visits with friends of the College, prospective supporters, foundations and corporations, all in an effort to increase financial support to the College of Medicine, and he will require assistance from all of us. 

In Round Rock, Dr. Ed Sherwood has been appointed as Vice Dean for the campus, and in Bryan-College Station, Dr. Vernon Tesh has been appointed Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Curriculum Management. Visit TAMHSC News to see more about our administrative updates.

In Temple, we thank Dr. Sandra Oliver upon her retirement for nearly 25 years of service to the College of Medicine in a wide variety of roles, most recently as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family & Community Medicine. 

More than two dozen former students, alumni and current students participated in our first meeting of the Alumni Diversity Committee, a subcommittee of the Alumni Association designed to develop strategies to increase diversity in our student body, on October 8 at the Bryan campus.  Their feedback will guide existing and new outreach activities to prospective and current students as we seek to train a workforce that mirrors the population it serves.

Additionally, our first Dean’s Gathering for alumni on October 13 in Austin was attended by former students and leaders from the Round Rock-Austin area. The next Dean’s Gathering will take place in Houston in January 2012. 

Be aware that over the next few weeks some of the Health Science Center leadership will be moving to Clinical Building 1 on the Bryan campus.  The Health Science Center’s Finance and Administration division will move to space vacated by the Chancellor in south College Station. 

Please take note of all of the important upcoming activities.  We have much to do, 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

 

Stem Cell Symposium co-sponsored by the College of Medicine Institute for Regenerative Medicine: November 4, 8:30 a.m.-3:15 p.m., TIPS Auditorium, 800 Raymond Stotzer Parkway, College Station; “Moving Adult Stem Cells and the Therapeutic Proteins They Produce from the Laboratory to the Patient”

AAMC Annual Meeting: November 4-9, Denver, Colorado

Dean’s Semi-Monthly Staff Meeting: November 8, 9-10:30 a.m., all locations

LCME Mock Site Visit: November 16-18, 2011, Bryan-College Station, videoconferencing to Temple, Round Rock and Dallas

Basic Science Dept. Chairs Meeting: TENTATIVE, November 23, 12 noon, HPEB 3047B, MEC 407C, Alkek 810

NBME Workshop & Grand Rounds: December 2, 8-11 a.m., noon-1 p.m., Bryan campus with teleconferencing

 

Save the Date:

 

HSC Convocation: January 20, 2012, Rudder Auditorium, College Station

LCME SITE VISIT: February 26-March 1, 2012, Bryan-College Station, Temple, Dallas

SACS SITE VISIT:  March 6-8, 2012, locations TBD

College News

To submit college, student, faculty, staff or administrative news for future editions, please Click Here. The deadline for news submission is the first Thursday of the month for inclusion in that month’s edition. The Dean’s E-News will now be published at the end of each month.

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In Round Rock, Dr. Ed Sherwood has been appointed as Vice Dean for the campus, and in Bryan-College Station, Dr. Vernon Tesh has been appointed Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Curriculum Management. Visit TAMHSC News to see more about our administrative updates.

General Preventive Medicine Residency Program Receives Initial Accreditation

At the October 6, 2011 meeting of the Residency Review Committee for Preventive Medicine, the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine (Round Rock) General Preventive Medicine Residency Program received initial accreditation for two years.

The General Preventive Medicine Residency is the first residency program in Williamson County. The program’s next survey will occur in 2014.

 

Wellness Committee Launches Walking Groups

Based on results from the College of Medicine Wellness Program Survey, most of the college’s employees are more likely to succeed with lifestyle changes when participating with a buddy or group.  Therefore, the Wellness Program Committee launched Walking Groups at its Bryan-College Station, Temple, Round Rock and Dallas campus locations. 

 

If you are interested in getting fit and would like to walk for 15 to 30 minutes a few times a week with a buddy or group, please find the contact name below based on your geographical location. The dates and times the walking groups will meet will be based upon the availability of the participants of each group, preferably before or after work or during the lunch hour. 

 

Round Rock: Betty Sandefur, Sandefur@medicine.tamhsc.edu

Dallas, Temple or Bryan-College Station (St. Joseph’s): Joey Wylie, jdwylie@medicine.tamhsc.edu

Bryan-College Station (Bryan Medical Center): Christine Pinones, Christine-pinones@medicine.tamhsc.edu 

Bryan-College Station (Bryan campus, includes all three buildings): Rachel Levins, Levins@medicine.tamhsc.edu

 

The Wellness Program Committee is excited about wellness in the workplace and hopes to bring more fitness activities to the college in the near future.  Please visit the Wellness Program Committee's website for more information and upcoming events.

Faculty

To submit college, student, faculty, staff or administrative news for future editions, please Click Here. The deadline for news submission is the first Thursday of the month for inclusion in that month’s edition. The Dean’s E-News will now be published at the end of each month.

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Profiles in Medicine: Kayla Bayless, Ph.D.

Kayla Bayless, Ph.D., assistant professor of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, was recently selected as one of the Journal of Biological Chemistry’s Herb Tabor Young Investigator Award recipients.  The awards recognize the innovators and achievers in new generations of researchers who exemplify his values of creativity and scientific excellence.

The journal’s associate editors select promising young researchers at scientific symposia and meetings throughout the year that focus on the molecular and cellular basis of biological processes.

The awards will be issued each year to meeting participants who give outstanding oral or poster presentations. Dr. Bayless received her award at the Gordon Research Conference on Matrix Metalloproteinases in Smithfield, Rhode Island.  Her presentation was titled “Metalloproteinase Research at the Intersection of Basic Science and Applied Medicine.”

 

Office of Faculty Development Announcements

The Office of Faculty Development is pleased to announce that Dr. Kathleen Jones from the Department of Pathology at Scott & White Hospital in Temple will receive the $5,000 award to attend “A Systems Approach to Assessment in Health Professions Education,” a Harvard-Macy Institute program. 

Dr. Jones has been active in the College of Medicine for the last 12 years and has served in a number of leadership positions during that time. She continues to work in numerous roles on different committees and has received multiple educational awards. We are pleased to be able to provide this funding for Dr. Jones.  There will be additional offerings for other professional development opportunities throughout the year.  Please watch for these and take the time to apply.

 

SAVE THE DATE: Please put Friday, December 2, on your calendar as well when Dr. Aggie Butler and Dr. Steve Haist from NBME will offer a 3-hour item writing workshop and a Grand Rounds presentation. The workshop will be from 8-11 a.m. and Grand Rounds will be held from 12-1 p.m. See registration information on the Faculty Development website.

To register for the item writing workshop, visit http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Item_writing_com

To register for the EGR – NBME/USMLE Update, visit http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/egr_usmle_com

 

The Office of Faculty Development is also pleased to announce that the Faculty Development Basic Program online modules are accessible online at http://medicine.tamhsc.edu/academic-affairs/fd/module.html

CME and Faculty Development credit is available for each module.

*Per CME credit requirements, it is important to note that the modules are NOT self-paced and the time is fixed. On the website, next to the title of each module, the approximate amount of time for completion is included.*

Please make sure to complete the assessment and module evaluation at the conclusion of each module. A score of at least 80 is required for credit to be awarded, and you will receive a certificate within 30 days upon successful completion.

The entire BASIC PROGRAM (all 5 modules) will also be offered in the spring in a half-day workshop and will allow faculty to obtain 2.5 hours of CME credit through this workshop.

Contact Dr. Lori Graham at graham@medicine.tamhsc.edu or Dr. Courtney West at west@medicine.tamhsc.edu for username/password information to access the modules.  These modules will be updated annually, and we welcome your ideas and suggestions for the future.

 

VA Team Receives National Award for Liver Research

In October, the DDRC Biliary Pathophysiology team at CTVHCS in Temple Texas was nationally recognized by the Association of Medical Surgeons of the United States (AMSUS) for their contributions to research and development by The Society of the Federal Health Agencies. The team includes Dr. Gianfranco Alpini, Dr. Sharon DeMorrow, Dr. Heather Francis, Dr. Fanyin Meng and Dr. Shannon Glaser.

The team’s focus is to investigate and understand factors that influence hepatic disorders such as cirrhosis, cholestasis, liver regeneration biliary and hepatocellular carcinoma. The team has contributed greatly to the scientific community with regards to the regulation of liver disease.

This national award recognizes research and development progress and is a direct reflection of the collaboration of scientists at the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine and Scott & White working toward bringing bench to bedside to further enhance the lives of patients suffering from liver disease, specifically in the US veteran population.

A representative of the team will receive this distinguished national award at the AMSUS annual meeting November 6-9, 2011, in San Antonio, Texas.

 

Cross Receives Distinguished Service Award

On October 15, David Cross, M.D., Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, received the Distinguished Service Award from the Residents' Component House of Delegates of the American Society of Anesthesiologists at their annual meeting in Chicago.  Dr. Cross heads the Resident Education subcommittee of the American Society of Anesthesiologists' Practice Management Committee.

Of the experience, Dr. Cross says, “Residency programs in general do little to educate residents about the business side of medical practice.  By providing these conferences, the American Society of Anesthesiologists is attempting to close this knowledge gap in resident education. The Texas A&M Health Science Center and Scott & White are at the forefront of this activity.”

 

Kuppersmith Receives Helen B. Krause Trailblazer Award

In September, Dr. Ron Kuppersmith, Associate Professor of Surgery in College Station, was recognized with the inaugural Helen B. Krause Trailblazer Award by the Women in Otolaryngology Section of the American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery.

This award is presented to individuals who have made extraordinary efforts to further the cause of women in the field of otolaryngology. The award was presented at the Women in Otolaryngology luncheon at the American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery Annual Meeting in San Francisco. At the Annual Meeting, Dr. Kuppersmith completed his term as Immediate Past President on the Board of Directors of the organization.

 

MCM Welcomes Shetty and Hattiangady

The Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine is pleased to announce that Ashok K. Shetty, Ph.D. joined the department as a Professor in July 2011. Dr. Shetty is located at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine (IRM) in Temple where he serves as Director of Neurosciences. He is also a Research Career Scientist at the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System.

Dr. Shetty received his MS degree in Human Anatomy from Mysore University in 1983. He obtained his Ph.D. degree in Neuroscience from All India Institute of Medical Sciences New Delhi in 1990. Following his postdoctoral research work at Montana State University and Duke University, Dr. Shetty joined the Division of Neurosurgery (Department of Surgery) at Duke University Medical Center as an Assistant Professor in 1995. He was promoted to Associate Professor and Professor in 1999 and 2004, respectively.

His major research interests include studying neural stem/progenitor cell therapy for brain repair in neurodegenerative disease prototypes, neural stem cell plasticity and adult neurogenesis in aging and neurodegenerative diseases, and mechanisms underlying brain dysfunction in models of Gulf War illness. Dr. Shetty’s research is funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health and a Merit Award from the Department of Veterans Affairs. His work has appeared in a number of top journals including Journal of Neuroscience, Molecular Psychiatry, Stem Cells, Aging Cell, Neurobiology of Aging, Progress in Neurobiology, and Neurotherapeutics.

Dr. Shetty is currently a charter member of the NIH Study Section, Developmental Brain Disorders. He also serves on the Editorial Boards for Stem Cells, Aging Cell, Stem Cells International, Current Aging Science, Frontiers in Neurogenesis, and Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. Dr. Shetty is a Co-Editor-in-Chief of the journal, Aging and Disease. As per the Essential Science Indicators of Thompson Reuters, Dr. Shetty is among the top 1 percent of scientists worldwide in the field of Neuroscience and Behavior, in terms of citations received for published articles over a 10-year period (2001-2011).

The Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine is pleased to announce that Bharathi Hattiangady, Ph.D. joined the department as an Assistant Professor in July 2011. Dr. Hattiangady is located at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine (IRM) in Temple.

Dr. Hattiangady obtained her Master’s degree in Human Physiology from Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education in 1995. In 2003, she received her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Manipal University. In the same year, Dr. Hattiangady joined as a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Surgery (Division of Neurosurgery) at Duke University Medical Center where she worked in the laboratory of Professor Ashok K. Shetty.

Between 2008 and 2011, Dr. Hattiangady worked as a research scientist at Duke University. She has authored more than 30 publications in peer reviewed neuroscience journals, which include top journals such as Stem Cells, Molecular psychiatry, Aging Cell, Neurobiology of aging, Progress in Neurobiology, Experimental Neurology and Epilepsia.

Dr. Hattiangady’s research is focused on understanding the long-term effects of spontaneous recurrent seizures in chronic temporal lobe epilepsy on neural stem cell function as well as cognition and mood. She is developing novel cell-based therapies for the prevention of epilepsy after brain injury and enhancement of stem cell and cognitive function in the aged brain. She is also testing the efficacy of various neuroprotective compounds for blocking the development of chronic epilepsy and improving cognitive function in the aged brain after an insult, such as status epilepticus.

 

Gantt Awarded COM’s First ACGME Palmer Teaching Award

D. Scott Gantt, D.O., program director for cardiovascular disease at the College of Medicine, has been selected as one of the ACGME’s 2012 Parker J. Palmer Courage to Award recipients. The award is given annually to 10 outstanding individual program directors for their individual contributions to the teaching programs of their institution from approximately 8,000 directors nationally. This is the first time that faculty from the College of Medicine has received this designation. 

The Parker Palmer Courage to Teach Award, named after Parker Palmer and his book, Courage to Teach, is considered a prestigious designation by all those involved in the medical education efforts of residents and fellows nationally.  Applications for the award are based on individual teaching efforts, the history of the training program under the direction of the applicant, and multiple letters of support for the application.

Dr. Gantt has been actively participating in the training program in cardiovascular disease at Scott & White and the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine since 1985, as program director since 1991, and as Professor of Internal Medicine since 2004.  The program has received full accreditation, with no citations from the ACGME review process for the past eight years.  The program has had 100 percent pass rate by the graduating fellows on the American Board of Internal Medicine Board Certification Exam for the past 13 years.  Both of these metrics are indications of an outstanding program.  Along with the program metrics, the ACGME considers the individual director's dedication to teaching based on letters of support, their involvement in the development of curriculum and evaluation techniques, and their activity in mentorship and research/publications.

Of the honor, Gantt says, “This is yet one more example of the excellence in medical education and the system we have built through the years for our medical students, residents and fellows. It reflects the ongoing efforts of the faculty of Scott & White and the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine to provide a medical education process that rivals the best in the nation.”

 

In Print and On Air

Gregory Bix, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine joined Brazos Valley This Morning (KBTX, channel 3) on September 13 to promote the Texas Brain and Spine Institute's 5th Annual Neuroscience Symposium on Neuroimaging. Dr. Bix co-chaired the symposium that was held on September 23 at the College of Medicine campus in Bryan.

 

Prockop to Speak at Stem Cell Symposium in College Station

On Friday, November 4, 2011, Texas A&M Institute for Preclinical Studies (TIPS) and the TAMHSC College of Medicine Institute for Regenerative Medicine will host “Moving Adult Stem Cells and the Therapeutic Proteins They Produce from the Laboratory to the Patient.”

The Symposium will be held in the TIPS Auditorium at 800 Raymond Stotzer Parkway in College Station from 8:30 a.m. until 3:15 p.m. Dr. Darwin J. Prockop will present “Advances in Using the Proteins Produced by Adult Stem Cells to Treat Myocardial Infarction and Diseases of the Eye” at 11:15.

Please register with Marcia Wenck at (979) 845-3374 or email mwenck@tamu.edu.  Registration is $15 and includes lunch.

 

Students

To submit college, student, faculty, staff or administrative news for future editions, please Click Here. The deadline for news submission is the first Thursday of the month for inclusion in that month’s edition. The Dean’s E-News will now be published at the end of each month.

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Profiles in Medicine: M4 Torres Published in Two Journals

After hard work, dedication, and many hours of research, M4 Erick Torres, in conjunction with orthopedic surgery faculty members at Scott & White in Temple, co-authored two papers that we published in journals in April and August. Jonathan Walgama, M.D. and Jeramie Hanson, M.D., both Class of 2011, also contributed to the papers.

Of the experience, Torres says, “Hard work pays off, and first- and second-year medical students should get involved early in a research project to increase their chances of publishing before applying into residency. I am very grateful to have been allowed to get involved in such rewarding research projects. Many thanks to Christopher C. Chaput, M.D., Director of Orthopedic Research.”

Defining and Detecting Missed Ligamentous Injuries of the Occipitocervical Complex. Chaput, Christopher D. MD; Walgama, Jonathan BS; Torres, Erick BS; Dominguez, David MD; Hanson, Jeramie BS; Song, Juhee PhD; Rahm, Mark MD. Spine: 20 April 2011, Volume 36, Issue 9.

Survival of Atlanto-Occipital Dissociation Correlates With Atlanto-Occipital Distraction, Injury Severity Score, and Neurologic Status. Chaput, Christopher D. MD; Torres, Erick BS; Davis, Matthew MD; Song, Juhee PhD; Rahm, Mark MD. Journal of Trauma-Injury Infection & Critical Care: August 2011, Volume 71, Issue 2.

 

M2 McFarland Highlighted on AMA Flyer

In June, M2 Mary McFarland traveled to Chicago to participate in the National Service Project at the American Medical Association (AMA) conference. She went to an underprivileged and underserved area on Chicago's south side where she volunteered at the Benton house and assisted with health screenings, eye exams, blood pressure measurements and diabetes education.

While there, a photo was taken of her performing a fundoscopic eye exam for those who are unable to have their vision tested on a regular basis due to financial circumstances.  The photo was selected for a flyer produced by the AMA to promote opportunities for medical students.

Of the experience, McFarland says, “This conference allowed me to network with students from other medical schools across the country as well as promote [the] Texas A&M [HSC] College of Medicine on a national level.”

Administration

To submit college, student, faculty, staff or administrative news for future editions, please Click Here. The deadline for news submission is the first Thursday of the month for inclusion in that month’s edition. The Dean’s E-News will now be published at the end of each month.

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In Round Rock, Dr. Ed Sherwood has been appointed as Vice Dean for the campus, and in Bryan-College Station, Dr. Vernon Tesh has been appointed Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Curriculum Management. Visit TAMHSC News to see more about our administrative updates.

 

General Preventive Medicine Residency Program Receives Initial Accreditation

At the October 6, 2011 meeting of the Residency Review Committee for Preventive Medicine, the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine (Round Rock) General Preventive Medicine Residency Program received initial accreditation for two years. The program’s next survey will occur in 2014.

 

Web Content Providers: CMS Training Now Offered Monthly

For anyone who serves their department as a website content provider, the Texas A&M Health Science Center website content management system (CMS) training was recently modified to include hands-on, interactive exercises.

OIT’s Web Services Group regular training sessions are held the last Friday of every month. It’s a great opportunity to brush up on your content management skills and find out about useful features within Cascade Server 6.7.

Register at http://training-cms.tamhsc.edu/

In addition, the Web Services Group maintains a CMS Training Site which provides users with quick reference sheets, tutorials, frequently-asked questions, and a thorough User Guide for Cascade Server 6.7. A new feature of the site includes step-by-step videos that show how to perform specific tasks within the CMS.

If you have any questions about registration or about the site referenced, please contact Cynthia Kauder at 979-436-0916 or Kauder@tamhsc.edu 

Basic Science

Microbial and Molecular Pathogenesis

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

McMurray DN, Bonilla DL, Chapkin RS. n-3 fatty acids uniquely affect anti-microbial resistance and immune cell plasma membrane organization. Chem Phys Lipids 164: 626-635 (2011).

 

PRESENTATIONS, CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS

Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis presented an invited seminar on October 6, 2011, at Rocky Mountain Labs in Hamilton, MT.

Dr. Robert Alaniz presented an invited seminar on September 27, 2011 at the Institute for Biosciences and Technology (IBT-TAMHSC) in Houston. Title of seminar: "Microbiota-derived Tryptophan-metabolites in Gut Homeostasis and Ecology".

 

Dr. Ying Kong participated in the World Molecular Imaging Congress on September 7-10, 2011.

Dr. James Samuel participated in the BRC Programmatic meeting on September 26 -27, 2011, in Dallas.

Dr. James Samuel hosted the Western Regional Center of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research (WRCE) Annual Meeting which was held in College Station at the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center at TAMU on October 11-12, 2011.   Dr. Laura Hendrix , Dr. Christy Farris and Dr. Erin van Schaik participated in the meeting.  Dr. Farris and Dr. van Schaik presented a poster.

 

AWARDS

Dr. Robert Alaniz received a grant award as PI from the National Science Foundation Directorate for Biological Sciences for a project entitled "RIG: Microbiota-derived Metabolites in Gut Ecology and Homeostasis" for the period 10/01/2011 - 9/30/2013. The interdisciplinary project is in collaboration with Dr. Arul Jayaraman (TAMU-Chemical Engineering).

Dr. Robert Alaniz received an award as co-PI on a R01 project from the NIH-NCI entitled "Chemoprotective effects of natural products on colonic adult stem cells" for the period 09/01/2011 - 08/31/2016 (PI Dr. Chapkin, TAMU-Nutrition).

 

NEWS

Dr. Tesh received notification of re-appointment to the Infection and Immunity Editorial Board for a three-year term.

 

Dr. Robert Alaniz received seed funding from the Vice President for Research Office, the College of Medicine, and the department of Microbial and Molecular Pathogenesis to direct and develop a new Gnotobiotic Animal Core facility for the TAMHSC.

The Gnotobiotic Animal Core will be housed on the HSC-Bryan Campus in the Medical Research and Education Building vivarium. The new Core (just the 3rd in Texas) will provide novel capabilities for using germ-free and defined microbiota rodent models. The Core will be available to HSC investigators interested in gastrointestinal, mucosal immunology and ecology, and cancer research. The Gnotobiotic Animal Core facility will come online in early 2012.

 

Molecular and Cellular Medicine

Recent Publications

• Lin, X.,  Zhang, Y., Liu, L., McKeehan, W.L., Shen, Y.,  Song, S., and Wang, F. (2011) FRS2a is essential for the fibroblast growth factor to regulate the mTOR pathway and autophagy in mouse embryonic fibroblasts.  Int. J. Bio. Sci. 7(8):1114-1121. [Epub 2011 Sep 15] 
• Chintharlapalli, S., Papineni, S., Lei, P., Pathi, S., and Safe, S. (2011) Betulinic acid inhibits colon cancer cell and tumor growth and induces proteasome-dependent and independent downregulation of specificity proteins (Sp) transcription factors. BMC Cancer.  11:371.
• Kobayashi, M., Huang, Y., Jin, C., Luo, Y., Okamoto, T., Wang, F., and McKeehan, W.L. (2011) FGFR1 abrogates inhibitory effect of androgen receptor concurrent with induction of androgen-receptor variants in androgen receptor-negative prostate tumor epithelial cells. The Prostate doi: 10.1002/pros.21386. [Epub 2011 Mar 28]
• Yin, Y., Wang, F., and Ornitz, D. M. (2011) Mesothelial- and epithelial-derived FGF9 have distinct functions in the regulation of lung development.  Development 138:3160-3177.
• Bracken, J.N., Reyes, M., Gendron, J.M., Pierce, L.M., Runge, V.M., and Kuehl, T.J. (2011) Alterations in pelvic floor muscles and pelvic organ support by pregnancy and vaginal delivery in squirrel monkeys. International Urogynecology Journal 22(9): 1109-1116. [Epub 2011 May 13]

Presentations

• Dr. Sarah Bondos attended the 25^th Annual Gibbs Conference on Biothermodynamics in Carbondale, IL from Sept. 17 - Sept. 2011.  Hao-Ching Hsiao, graduate student from the Bondos lab presented a talk entitled "Ultrabithorax, an intrinsically disordered protein, selects protein interactions by topology" at the conference.  Kelly Churion, graduate student from the Bondos lab presented a poster entitled "Large conformational change upon DNA binding of the Drosophila Hox protein Ultrabithorax" at the meeting. The poster was co-authored by Y.  Liu, K.S. Matthews, and S.E. Bondos.
• Dr. Gregory Bix gave a seminar entitled "Matrix Revolutions: Perlecan Domain V as a Novel Stroke and Alzheimer's Disease Therapy" at the University of Connecticut Health Center on September 20th at the invitation of the Departments of Neuroscience and Neurology.  
• Dr. Fen Wang was invited to give a seminar at the University of Houston for the Department of Biology and Biochemistry entitled “Fibroblast growth factor signaling in prostate and prostate cancer” on September 7, 2011.

News

• Dr. Fen Wang has been appointed as an Associate Editor for In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology – Animal.

Grant

• Dr. Tina L. Gumienny was awarded an NIH R01 grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) from 09/19/11 to 07/31/16 for her project entitled "Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Intercellular Transit of TGF-beta."

Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics

George C.Y. Chiou, Ph.D.

Grants

Grants funded

• Sinphar of Taiwan, Treatment of dry AMD with MC1101, Chiou, 20 %, $1.0M to MC for clinical trials.

Intellectual Property (IP)

• US Patent Office, Treatment of dry AMD with new novel agents, Chiou, 20%, The patent is allowed after 5 years’ efforts and more than $100k spent

Review articles (full citations)

• Chiou, GCY, Pharmacological  treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Taiwan Journal of Ophthalmology, in press (2011)

Book chapters (full citations)

• Chiou, GCY Treatment of Dry Age-related Macular Degeneration In: Age Related Macular Degeneration, (book chapter),  in press (2011)

Research/Scholarly Activity

Grants submitted

• NIH NHLB, NHLB PPG: Defining the Link Between Metabolism, Circadian Clocks, and Human Health, Deborah Bell-Pedersen, 8%, Dave Earnest,  ≈$1,514,000, ≈$7,121,600 2012-2017
• NIH NHLB, How irregular sleep paterns in the modern life-style affect obesity and metabolism, Gladys Ko, 4%, Dave Earnest,  $150,000, $275,000, 2012-2014

Publications

Manuscripts accepted or in press (full citations and PMID if available)

• Ko, M. L., Shi, L., Tsai, J.-Y., Young, M.E., Neuendorff, N., Earnest, D.J. and Ko, G.Y.-P. (2011) Cardiac-specific mutation of Clock alters the quantitative measurements of physical activities without changing behavioral circadian rhythms. J. Biological Rhythms 26: 412-422.

Gerald D. Frye, Ph.D.

Research/Scholarly Activity

Grants funded

• NIH-NIAAA, R01AA12386-8 CNS Development, GABAARs & Vulnerability to Ethanol, G.D Frye., 25%, Dustin DuBois, 8-1-11 to 7-31-12; $128,464, $540,000 total direct cost; yrs 05-08 (08/01/08-07-31-12)

Publications

Manuscripts accepted or in press (full citations and PMID if available)

• Bañuelos, C, Gilbert, R., Montgomery, K., Fincher, A, Wang, H., Frye, G., Setlow, B. & Bizon, J., Altered spatial learning and delay discounting in a rat model of human third trimester binge ethanol exposure, Behav. Pharmacol., in press, 2011

Dr. Ian Murray, Ph.D.  (August and September)

Research/Scholarly Activity

Grants submitted

• Norman Hackerman-  proposal, Amyloid as a sensor of environmental stress and metabolic dysfunction, Dr Murray, 2yrs $80,000

SERVICE

• Editorial board, Current Angiogenesis

Mendell Rimer, Ph.D.
Grants submitted

• Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, (NHARP), Role of survival motor neuron (SMN) in postnatal neurons from spinal muscular atrophy model mice, Rimer, None, None, $80,000; 7/2012- 6/2014

Winzer-Serhan,Ph.D
Publications

• Huang PS, Son JH, Abbott LC, Winzer-Serhan UH. Regulated expression of neuronal SIRT1 and related genes by aging and neuronal β2-containing nicotinic cholinergic receptors. Neuroscience. 2011 Sep 12. [Epub ahead of print]

Clinical Science

Division of Investigative Pathology

DR. ALEXZANDER ASEA

MANUSCRIPTS ACCEPTED/PRESENTED

Kaur P, Hurwitz MD, Krishnan S, Asea A. 2011. Combined hyperthermia and radiotherapy for the eradication of cancer. Cancers 3: 3799-3823.

POSTERS/EXHIBITS

Adaptogens Stimulate Molecular Chaperone Hsp70 Expression in Neuroglia Cells, 59th

International Congress and Annual Meeting of the Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural

Product Research, September 4-9, 2011, Antalya, Turkey

LECTURES

“Functional Proteomics for the Discovery of Biomarkers Associated with Psychology and Neuroscience” Psychology & Neuroscience Department Colloquium. Baylor University, September 23, 2011, Waco, TX

CONFERENCES ATTENDED

Practical Tips for using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) in Challenging

Applications, September 29th Waters Corporation, Bellaire, TX

DR. PUNIT KAUR

MANUSCRIPTS ACCEPTED/PRESENTED

Kaur P, Hurwitz MD, Krishnan S, Asea A. 2011. Combined hyperthermia and radiotherapy for the eradication of cancer. Cancers 3: 3799-3823.

POSTERS/EXHIBITS

Adaptogens Stimulate Molecular Chaperone Hsp70 Expression in Neuroglia Cells, 59th

International Congress and Annual Meeting of the Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural

Product Research, September 4-9, 2011, Antalya, Turkey

CONFERENCES ATTENDED

Practical Tips for using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) in Challenging

Applications, September 29th Waters Corporation, Bellaire, TX

Division of Molecular Cardiology

Professional Service

Sudhiranjan Gupta

• Dr. Gupta reviewed and graded Abstracts for the Society for Free Radical Biology and Medicine Conference.
• Dr. Gupta reviewed manuscripts for Journal of Cellular Physiology, BMC Cardiovascular Disorder, and Journal of Molecular and Cellular Medicine.

Shaodong Guo

• Dr. Guo was invited to review a research article for Molecular Endocrinology.

Grants (submitted)

Shaodong Guo

• Dr. Guo submitted an RO1 grant to NIH, which is currently under review.

Presentations

Rajesh Kumar

• Dr. Kumar presented the invited talk entitled “The Intracellular Renin-Angiotensin System in the Heart” at High Blood Pressure Research 2011 Scientific Sessions, Orlando, FL, September 20-24, 2011.

Abstract/Poster (presented)

• A poster entitled “Aliskiren Prevents Diabetic Cardiomyopathy, Independent of Blood Pressure, in a Mouse Model: Comparison with an ACE Inhibitor and Angiotensin Receptor Blocker” was presented at the High Blood Pressure Research 2011 Scientific Sessions, Orlando, Fl, September 20-24, 2011.
  Authors: Rachid Seqqat, Candice Thomas, Qian Chen Yong, David L. Feldman, Kenneth M. Baker and Rajesh Kumar

Internal Medicine

Papers

• Role of stem cell factor and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor in remodeling during liver regeneration. Meng F, Francis H, Glaser S, Han Y, Demorrow S, Stokes A, Staloch D, Venter J, White M, Ueno Y, Reid LM, Alpini G. Hepatology. 2011 Sep 19. doi: 10.1002/hep.24673. [Epub ahead of print]
• Biliary Pathophysiology Research Team received the Research and Development Award from The Association of Military Surgeons of the United States (AMSUS) - The Society of the Federal Health Agencies.
• Dr. Gianfranco Alpini was invited to become a member of the Advisory board for The  HEPRO(1) inter-university Belgian project.
• Dr. Gianfranco Alpini was named Associate Editor of Translational Gastrointestinal Cancer.
• Dr.’s Gianfranco Alpini and Shannon Glasers’ grant entitled "Regulation of Bile Duct Growth in Bile Duct Ligated Rats" was funded by NIH – National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, in the amount of $1,113,453.00 for four years.
• Dr. Gianfranco Alpini attended HBPP (Hepatobiliary Pathophysiology Study Section) meeting, October 3-4, 2011. Washington DC.

Internal Medicine Research

View an online report of Internal Medicine Scholarly Activity (PDF)

Academic Medicine

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