Kudos

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Awards and Honors

Robert L. Hunter, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair, and Chinnaswamy Jagannath, Ph.D., associate professor, both in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical School (MS) and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS), were invited to participate in the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Tuberculosis Genetics Working Group Sept. 27- 28 in Washington, D.C. Hunter, who holds the Distinguished Chair in Molecular Pathology, presented his findings on the "Induction of Caseating Granulomas in Mice," and Jagannath presented "A Th1 to Th2 Shift Model in Mice to Study Lung Tuberculosis." The group discussed developments in the field, identified strengths and weaknesses in ongoing research, and recommended future fields of research in the biology of lung and tuberculosis.

Leticia Perezous, D.D.S., assistant professor in the Department of Prosthodontics, Dental Branch (DB), won first place in the 2004 American College of Prosthodontists John J. Sharry Competition, which took place in Ottawa, Ontario. Deemed the most prestigious prosthodontics award, it honors "the culmination of both excellent written and oral presentations of completed research in the field of prosthodontics and related sciences." Perezous presented her research on "The Effect of Complete Dentures with a Metal Pallet on CandidaSpecies in H.I.V. Infected Patients." Members of her thesis committee were Millicent Goldschmidt, Ph.D., professor of periodontics, DB and GSBS; Catherine Flaitz, D.D.S., dean, DB; Robert Engelmeier, D.M.D., associate professor of prosthodontics, DB; Gene Stevenson, D.D.S., assistant professor of diagnostic sciences, DB; and Mark Nichols, D.D.S., director of the Bering Omega Dental Clinic. The research will be published in an upcoming edition of the Journal of Prosthodontics.

The Texas Gulf Coast Chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America recognized John D. Reveille, M.D., professor of medicine and director of the Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunogenetics, MS and GSBS, Oct. 2 for his service to the lupus community. During the last decade, Reveille has been co-principal investigator of the "Lupus in Minorities, Nature versus Nurture" study, which is examining genetic versus environmental factors that affect the prognosis of lupus patients. He also leads a multicenter study that is examining how genes influence specific manifestations of lupus. Both studies are funded by the National Institutes of Health.

The scientific poster, "The Effect of Body Position on Sleep Apnea in Children Less than Three Years of Age," won first prize for scientific posters at the Sept. 19-22 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in New York. The authors were Jeremy C. Roebuck, M.D., resident; Lori K. Howell, fourth-year medical student; and Kevin D. Pereira, M.D., associate professor, all from the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, MS.

Austin G. Stack, M.B.B.Ch., assistant professor of internal medicine, Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension, MS, received the Patrick Meenan Medal for Research in Medicine in Septemberat the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Medical Graduates Association and North American Alumni Association at University College Dublin, Ireland. Stack, a graduate of that medical school, received the award for his contributions to the understanding of the outcomes of patients who receive dialysis therapy in the United States.

Presentations

Thomas O. Clanton, M.D., professor and chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, MS, gave 23 presentations at the Oct. 15-16 Eighth International Foot and Ankle Surgery Course in Bad Homburg, Germany.

Jasenka Demirovic, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of epidemiology, School of Public Health (SPH), was invited by PREMEDIA of Dallas to prepare a video training program on epidemiology of myocardial infarction in the elderly. The program was taped in October and will be used for training physicians, other health care professionals and health administrators nation-wide. Two-thirds of all heart attacks occur in persons 65 years of age and older. Demirovic is well recognized for her work in epidemiology and prevention of cardiovascular diseases and epidemiology of aging.

Rena D'Souza, D.D.S., Ph.D., professor of orthodontics, DB and GSBS, was invited to lecture Oct. 6 at the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Her lecture was on "Protein-Protein Interactions During Tooth Development."

The School of Nursing (SON) was well represented at the Congress on the State of the Science in Nursing Research Oct. 7-9 in Washington, D. C.

Lorraine Frazier, D.S.N., associate professor of nursing systems and technology and director of TexGen, was the lead on a symposium on "Reducing Disparities in Access to Genetic Healthcare in Vulnerable Populations." In this symposium Frazier; Amy Calvin, Ph.D., assistant professor of acute and continuing care; and Marlene Z. Cohen, Ph.D., the John S. Dunn Sr. Distinguished Professor in Oncology Nursing, reported the findings of a study funded by PARTNERS: "Elderly Persons of Diverse Cultural Backgrounds and Genetic Understanding."

At a symposium on "Maximizing the Power of Story to Promote Health from Adolescent to Elder Years," Lynette Summers, D.S.N., alumna, and Jacqueline Williams, D.S.N. student from the El Paso outreach program, were coauthors on "Stories of Pressing Concerns of Adolescents after an Urgent Care Visit." Calvin presented "Stories about End-of-Life Decisions for People with End Stage Renal Disease." Summers was among coauthors of the presentation "Stories about Health from Japanese Elders who Have Had a Stroke."

Sandra K. Hanneman, Ph.D., the Jerold B. Katz Distinguished Professor for Nursing Research, was the lead for a symposium on "Application of Chronobiology Theory and Methods to Health Issues." Presentations included: Michael H. Smolensky, Ph.D., professor of environmental and occupational health, SPH, "Biological Rhythms: Mechanisms, Concepts and Applications to Nursing Research"; Cynthia A. McCarley, D.S.N., alumna, "Temporal Variations of Dyspnea, Fatigue and Lung Function in Chronic Lung Disease"; Hanneman, "Biomarkers of Circadian Rhythmicity"; and Nikhil Padhye, Ph.D., assistant professor of nursing, Center for Nursing Research, "Chronobiological Data Modeling."

Presenting posters were: Jeanette McNeill, Dr.P.H., assistant dean and chair, Department of Nursing for Target Populations; Gwen Sherwood, Ph.D., professor and executive associate dean; and international colleagues, "Comparing the Acute Pain Experience of Hispanics: A Multinational Study";

Sherwood and Eric Thomas, M.D., associate professor of internal medicine, MS, "Provider Descriptions of Working Together: Building a Teamwork Model to Improve Patient Safety";

M. Terese Verklan, Ph.D., associate professor of nursing systems; Padhye; and a colleague from the University of Houston, "Analysis of Fetal Heart Rate Obtained by Magnetocardiography"; Cohen; Jane S. Mahoney, D.S.N., assistant professor of nursing for target populations; Betsy Carlson, D.S.N., alumna; and two coauthors, "Understanding Experiences Related to Blood and Marrow Transplantation";

Diane Wind Wardell, Ph.D., associate professor of nursing for target populations; Zhigang Duan, M.D., former graduate research assistant in the Center for Nursing Research and current Ph.D. student in biometry, SPH; and colleagues, "A Pilot Study of a Bio-Field Therapy for Chronic Neuropathic Pain in Spinal Cord Injury."

During the American Dental Education Association Sixth National Minority Recruitment and Retention Conference Oct. 26 in Chapel Hill, N.C., Paula O'Neill, Ed.D., associate dean for educational research and professional development, DB, presented "Creating the Inclusive Environment"; Douglas M. Simmons, D.D.S., associate professor of restorative dentistry, DB, presented "Rx for Success: Sustainable Partnership Models"; and Ronald Johnson, D.D.S., professor of pediatric dentistry, DB, and vice president for strategic planning, health science center, spoke on "Skills for Student Success - Once we get them, How do we keep them?"

Publications

Kristin Ownby, Ph.D., assistant professor of nursing for target populations, SON, is an author of "The Effect of Seated Exercise on Fatigue and Quality of Life in Women with Advanced Breast Cancer," published in September in Oncology Nursing Forum. Fellow author Judy Headley, Ph.D., was a faculty member in the same department at the time of the study. Funded with a grant from the Oncology Nursing Foundation and a SON Dean's Research Award, the study showed that seated exercise may be a feasible exercise program for women with advanced cancer for controlling fatigue and improving physical well-being.

David Huang,M.D., a fellow in the Division of Infectious Diseases in the Department of Internal Medicine, MS; Stephen K. Tyring, M.D., Ph.D., professor of dermatology, MS; and other authors published "A Review of Licensed Viral Vaccines, Some of their Safety Concerns, and the Advances in the Development of Investigational Viral Vaccines" in the October issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases.