Kudos

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Awards and Honors

An article on "Landmarks in Hepatology" in Hepatology journal paid tribute to the work of R. Palmer Beasley, M.D., who recently retired after 17 years as dean of the School of Public Health (SPH). "There can be little doubt," the article said, "that the findings from this truly landmark epidemiological study, based on an astute observation, a sound hypothesis and dogged perseverance, did as much as anything before or since to support the idea that HBV [hepatitis B virus] has a primary role in the etiology of liver cell cancer." Beasley also is a faculty member in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS).

Robert J. Hardy, Ph.D., the Allan King Professor in Public Health (Biostatistics), SPH, was elected March 12 as an honorary member of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. The board of directors selected him because of his "extraordinary commitment to the development of our subspecialty and improved care of our patients." In his research on retinopathy of prematurity, a major cause of blindness in children, Hardy has worked with members of the society for the past 20 years. He will be invited to the new members' reception at the annual meeting in March 2006.

Sheila H. Koh, D.D.S., associate professor of restorative dentistry and biomaterials, Dental Branch, was elected vice president for hospitals and advanced education programs in March at the 82nd American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Annual Session in Baltimore, Md. Koh will continue to serve on the ADEA board of directors and also is a member of the annual session planning committee.

John F. Teichgraeber, M.D., professor in the divisions of pediatric surgery and plastic and reconstructive surgery, Medical School (MS), has received the House of Charity Humanitarian of the Year Award for 2005. Teichgraeber, co-director of the Texas Cleft and Craniofacial Team, accepted the award March 12 during the House of Charity's "Angels on Earth" celebration at Milan Pavilion. The Houston-based organization, which helps children from around the world get to medical facilities for specialized care, recognized Teichgraeber for his dedication and selfless contributions. Teichgraeber serves as an adviser to the House of Charity.

Dani S. Zander, M.D., professor, vice chair, director of anatomic pathology and holder of the Harvey S. Rosenberg Chair in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, MS, was recently elected by the international membership of the American Society of Investigative Pathology (ASIP) to serve on its council. The ASIP council is responsible for strategic planning for the society. Investigative pathology uses a variety of structural, functional and genetic techniques and ultimately applies research findings to the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. ASIP is a member of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, a coalition of 18 independent societies that plays an active role in lobbying for the interests of biomedical scientists.

Publications

The online March 21 issue of Nanotech News, from the National Cancer Institute Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer, cited work by Ananth Annapragada, Ph.D., associate professor of health information sciences, Laboratory for Computational Biology and Delivery Systems, School of Health Information Sciences (SHIS); Ketan B. Ghaghada, doctoral student and research assistant, SHIS; and Jayaganesh V. Natarajan, GSBS student and SHIS research assistant. The work is detailed in a paper titled "Folate Targeting of Drug Carriers: A Mathematical Model," which has appeared online in advance of publication in the Journal of Controlled Release. Investigators from the University of Houston, Emory University and Case Western Reserve University participated in this study.

Steve Daiger, Ph.D., professor of epidemiology, SPH and GSBS, and the Thomas Stull Matney, Ph.D., Professor of Environmental and Genetic Sciences, authored an invited perspectives piece titled "Was the Human Genome Project Worth the Effort?" in the March 10 edition of Science.

Yong-Jian Geng, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of cardiology and director of the Center for Cardiovascular and Atherosclerosis Research, MS and GSBS, was senior author of "Simvastatin Attenuates Expression of Cytokine-Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase in Embryonic Cardiac Myoblasts," published in the February edition of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.