november 2009
Dean's Comments
Our recent 40th anniversary festivities were a great success. First, on the evening of September 23, about a dozen members of the School of Medicine’s very first class met at the home of former UNR President N. Edd Miller with the school’s founding dean, George Smith, M.D., and various emeritus faculty and current administrators of the School of Medicine. At the prompting of Dean Smith, each of the former medical students presented a synopsis of what had happened to them during the intervening decades. What began as an intriguing historical review turned into an amazing composite endorsement and validation of our mission. We have truly succeeded in making a contribution to the physician workforce of the United States and, especially, the west.
The following evening, September 24, we had a reception for our alumni and current and former faculty and staff. It was my privilege to hand plaques to former Deans Smith, Daugherty and McDonald, and to recognize such critical movers of our institution as Drs. Peck, Kozel and Lupan. It is no exaggeration, however, to point out that the real high point of that reception was the presentation of the class of 1982: a member of that class, Dr. Susan Desmond-Hellmann, achieved national prominence when she was named chancellor of the University of California in San Francisco this year.
The alumni reception was followed by the UNR Foundation Banquet. At a record attendance of 950 people, the event was a regular “Who’s Who” of academia in Nevada, including philanthropic supporters, politicians, faculty and friends, alumni and community partners. Here, the highlight was a speech by the renowned health care analyst and practicing surgeon, Atul Gawande, who presented an impassioned plea that excellence in health care is not only a humane mandate, but also makes public policy sense.
Finally, on September 25, the festivities concluded with a continuing medical education event sponsored by the medical school where we showcased the leaders of our clinical department faculty for an in-depth review of new developments in areas of interest to the general practice physician. The event got such rave reviews that we are encouraged to plan for an encore in 2010. I want to thank each one of the speakers – Drs. Sohn, Barsky, Stumpf, Bar-on, Wilson, Bloch, Brown, Chau and Spogen. You showed that this School of Medicine has the faculty, the teaching skills and the commitment to generate new knowledge to put us in the first tier of medical schools in the country.
I also want to emphasize the crucial role of a few dedicated individuals whose work made this two-and-a-half-day event possible. The overall guidance of Stefanie Scoppettone, our development director; the inexhaustible energy of Christina Sarman, director of alumni relations, (at one point, Christina and I handed out brochures at St. Mary’s Hospital); the organizational skills of Melissa O’Brien, director of continuing medical education and the presence of Anne McMillin, our public relations manager, were absolutely mission-critical. My most heartfelt thanks to all of them!
Ole J.Thienhaus, M.D., MBA
Dean,
University of Nevada School of Medicine
Medical Education
Bierkamper Convocation call for abstracts
All medical and graduate students are invited to submit abstracts for the 27th Annual Bierkamper Student Research Convocation by the December 4 deadline for presentation at the Jan. 19, 2010 event. Priority for abstract acceptance will be given to original unpublished basic and/or clinical research that includes development of a hypothesis, a methodical approach, collection of result and discussion.
Graduate student earns pre-doctoral fellowship
Nucharee Yokdang, a third year graduate student in Iain Buxton’s pharmacology lab studying for her doctorate, submitted a pre-doctoral fellowship proposal to the Office of Congressionally-Directed Medical Research Programs Breast Cancer Research Program. Only 81 of these awards will be funded nationally and Yokdang will receive one of these highly competitive awards.
The $120,000 award will cover salary, tuition, training and travel for the duration of her dissertation work.
In addition to the grant, her manuscript, co-authored by Robert Matz, M.S.’09 and Buxton, was accepted for publication in Cancer Letters. The manuscript entitled “Purinergic Mechanisms in Breast Cancer Support Intravasation, Extravasation and Angioenesis” describes her research in breast cancer.
Faculty
Sanford Barsky, M.D., co-authors paper published in Nature
Sanford Barsky, M.D., who holds faculty positions at the School of Medicine as chair of pathology and Nevada Cancer Institute chief of pathology, is part of a team that had a paper on transgenic mouse mammary tumors with direct relevance to human breast cancer published in the October 22 issue of the scientific journal Nature. Read more
Scott accepted to Scholars in Health Literacy program
Barbara Scott, R.D., associate professor of pediatrics in Reno, was accepted into the Scholars in Health Literacy program with an anticipated graduation of April 2010.
As a member of the program, she will deliver presentations on health literacy to students and colleagues with a goal of gaining an increased understanding and awareness of health literacy and how to apply its principles. The Scholars project began in 2008 as part of a grant awarded to the Nevada Geriatric Education Center in a federal effort to raise awareness on health literacy and geriatric health care.
For more information on participating in this training program, please contact Patti Swager at (775)327-2285.
Lazerson speaks at continuing medical education event
Jack Lazerson, M.D., professor and director of pediatric hematology, spoke on “Coagulation Factor Products as Used in the Hospital Setting” at a continuing medical education presentation on October 9 in Las Vegas.
The seminar’s learning objectives included understanding the current comprehensive approach to the care of patients with hemophilia, discussing treatment modalities for hemophilia, naming available treatment products and describing the appropriate measure required for monitoring infusion related adverse reactions.
The session was organized by the school’s pharmacology department.
Lazerson also presented a one-hour lecture on newborn screening on Sept. 19 at Desert Rose Adult High School in Las Vegas.
The lecture was sponsored by the Stork’s Nest Program, designed to promote prenatal care and health during pregnancy. The program is a community service of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority. According to the sorority, the organization sponsors more than 175 locations throughout the country and served more than 28,000 women last year.
The sorority partners with the March of Dimes to encourage women to receive prenatal care during the first trimester of pregnancy in an attempt to prevent birth defects and infant mortality.
Wang presents seminar at international conference
Robert Wang, M.D., professor and chief of head and neck surgery, presented a seminar at the recent American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Annual Meeting and OTO Expo in San Diego.
Wang spoke on “Controversies in Recurrent and Persistent Papillary Thyroid CA” which was published in the Sept. 2009 edition of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, the academy’s official journal.
According to the academy’s Web site, the meeting and expo is the world’s largest gathering of otolaryngologists. The 2009 annual meeting drew more than 9,000 attendees and more than 300 exhibitors.
Gillis writes commentary for Osler's Bedside Library
Marin Gillis, Ph.D., director of medical humanities in the Office of Medical Education, wrote a commentary for Osler’s Bedside Library – Great Writers Who Inspired a Great Physician, a companion and guide for contemporary readers featuring excerpts from literary masterpieces and other works chosen by today’s physicians.
In her commentary, Gillis discusses why the piece “The Enchiridion of Epictetus” remains relevant to the physician's education and the practice of medicine.
Family medicine faculty present at AAFP assembly
Dan Spogen, M.D., Catherine McCarthy, M.D., and David Fiore, M.D., presented at the National American Academy of Family Physicians’ scientific assembly in Boston in October.
Spogen was the chair of the scientific assembly that involved the education of more than 4,000 family physicians. He was also selected to be the chair of the Commission on Continuing Physician Development for 2009-2010, which is the main educational arm for physician development for family physicians in the nation.
Surgery department faculty publish in journal
Robert C. Wang, M.D. and Annabel E. Barber, M.D. are co-authors of "Distal facial nerve exposure: A key to partial parotidectomy," which was published in the June 2009 edition of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, the official journal of the American Academy of Otolaryngology and American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy.
Wang is professor and chief of head and neck surgery and Barber is associate professor and chief of endocrine and gastrointestinal surgery in the Department of Surgery.
Faculty to instruct at surgical techniques meeting
Faculty from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, including Nick Spirtos, M.D., Cheryl Brewer, M.D., Robert J. Futoran, M.D. and Geoffrey Hsieh, M.D., will instruct various workshops at the 4th Annual Meeting of Surgical Techniques in Gynecology, Urogynecology and Pelvis Surgery next March in Las Vegas.
This meeting is sponsored by the International Society of Clinical Gynecologic Oncologists in conjunction with Women’s Cancer Center of Nevada, Sunrise Hospital and the University of Nevada School of Medicine’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
School Notes
Clinical Simulation Center opens in Las Vegas
The 31,000 square-foot Clinical Simulation Center opened in Las Vegas at the end of August in time for students beginning the academic year. The center is the culmination of a collaborative effort between the University of Nevada School of Medicine, the UNLV School of Nursing and Nevada State College School of Nursing.
The "sim center," as many call it, is geared to enhance the learning of medical and nursing students with the latest in medical simulation technology. Students will be able to form critical skills before engaging and working with patients, which in turn will promote and enhance patient safety. The interdisciplinary nature of the center will allow medical and nursing students to work in teams. Read more
Nominations being accepted for 'Employee of the Year' award
Nominations are currently being accepted for the 2009 School of Medicine Employee of the Year award which recognizes a classified employee for providing outstanding contributions to the school. The award will be given at the Dean’s holiday party in December. Nominations forms are available from Luci Young, Office of Medical Research, at (775)784-4908 or via email.
Discovery by School of Medicine partner featured in Science
A recently identified retrovirus has been linked to a debilitating neuro-immune disease, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). The retroviral link was discovered by scientists from the Whittemore Peterson Institute, located at the University of Nevada School of Medicine and their collaborators from the National Cancer Institute and the Cleveland Clinic.
Read more
Center for Molecular Medicine takes shape on campus
A look to the north end of the University of Nevada, Reno campus garners a view of the growing skeleton of the first new research building going up at the School of Medicine in nearly 30 years.
Construction on the Center for Molecular Medicine has been underway since last December and general contractor Clark and Sullivan Construction is making tremendous progress on the $79 million research facility to be shared by the School of Medicine, the Whittemore Peterson Institute for Neuro-Immune Diseases and the University of Nevada, Reno Center for Aging. Read more, view photos, view time-lapse video and more photos
Free elder caregiver workshop offered in Yerington
The Sanford Center for Aging, the Aging and Disability Services Division and the Nevada Geriatric Education Center (a joint program between the Sanford Center for Aging and the University of Nevada School of Medicine) will hold a free workshop on caring for older adults in Yerington on Wednesday, Nov. 4 from 8:15 to 11:45 a.m. at the Yerington Senior Center, 117 Tilson Way.
Read more
Mojave Adult, Child and Family Services now offers metabolic syndrome clinic
Mojave Adult, Child and Family Services now offers a metabolic syndrome clinic at its location at 4000 East Charleston Boulevard in Las Vegas. Read more
Women in Health Sciences events planned for December
The School of Medicine is hosting a half-day seminar with presentations and workshops on Monday, Dec. 7 in the Pennington Medical Education Building, Room 12, on the UNR campus and again on Dec. 8 in Las Vegas at the dental school auditorium on the Shadow Lane campus. Both events will be held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Guest speaker will be Elizabeth Travis, Ph.D., of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center speaking on “Achieving Work-Life Balance.”
Box lunch will be provided. These Women in Health Sciences events are co-hosted by the Division of Health Sciences, the Orvis School of Nursing and the UNLV Schools of Dental Medicine and Nursing. Please sign-up with the Office of Faculty Affairs and Development by calling (775)784-6777 or via email.
Support HSAHEC through Whole Foods donation program
Support the High Sierra Area Health Education Center by participating with your reusable bag donations through Reno-area Whole Foods markets now through Jan. 17, 2010. High Sierra Area Health Education Center has been chosen as one of the featured non-profit organizations for Whole Foods’ Nickels for Non-Profits campaign.
Whole Foods customers in the Reno area are invited to donate the nickel(s) they save by using a reusable bag at the checkout counter to HSAHEC. Donations will be collected through January 17 and given to HSAHEC.
State job openings at the School of Medicine
Visit the University of Nevada, Reno Web site for a current list of state jobs at the University of Nevada School of Medicine.
In This Edition
Medical Education
Bierkamper Convocation call for abstracts
Graduate student earns pre-doctoral fellowship
Faculty
Sanford Barsky, M.D., co-authors paper published in Nature
Scott accepted to Scholars in Health Literacy program
Lazerson speaks at continuing medical education event
Wang presents seminar at international conference
Gillis writes commentary for Osler's Bedside Library
Family medicine faculty present at AAFP assembly
Surgery department faculty publish in journal
Faculty to instruct at surgical techniques meeting
School Notes
Clinical Simulation Center opens in Las Vegas
Nominations being accepted for 'Employee of the Year' award
Discovery by School of Medicine partner featured in Science magazine
Center for Molecular Medicine takes shape on campus
Free elder caregiver workshop offered in Yerington
Mojave Adult, Child and Family Services now offers metabolic syndrome clinic
Women in Health Sciences events planned for December
Support HSAHEC through Whole Foods donation program
Archive 2009
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Inside Nevada Medicine is a service of the Office of Health Science Communications, University of Nevada School of Medicine and is published monthly. Faculty, staff, residents and students are encouraged to submit items of school-wide interest to Editor Anne McMillin for publication. Deadline is the 20th of the month prior to publication. Copyright 2009 University of Nevada School of Medicine.