Kudos

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Awards and Honors

Herbert L. DuPont, M.D., director of the School of Public Health (SPH) Center for Infectious Diseases and the Mary W. Kelsey Professor of Medical Sciences, received the Distinguished Achievement Citation from Ohio Wesleyan University in May. The award is the highest honor the university can present to alumni. DuPont graduated in 1961 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry.

Robert Engelmeier, D.M.D., associate professor of prosthodontics, Dental Branch (DB), was appointed Civilian National Consultant for Prosthodontics by the Surgeon General of the United States Air Force. Engelmeier will assist in the surveillance and continuing education program of the Air Force Medical Service and advise the Surgeon General and the Chief Air Force Prosthodontics Consultant when advancements in the specialty have an impact on the delivery of health care.

Catherine M. Flaitz, D.D.S., dean, DB, was an invited participant to the Fourth World Workshop of Oral Medicine, April 30-May 3, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Eighty oral medicine consultants from around the world met for a consensus workshop to create evidence- based, clinical management recommendations for 10 important orofacial conditions.

C. S. Raman, Ph.D., assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and director of the Structural Biology Research Center, Medical School (MS) and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS) was one of the organizers of the Fourth International Conference on Biology, Chemistry and Therapeutic Applications of Nitric Oxide, June 25-29, in Monterey, Calif. He moderated a session on Non-Mammalian NO, in which Ferid Murad, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases, MS and GSBS, spoke on “The Nitric Oxide and Cyclic GMP System in Embryonic Stem Cells.” Murad won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1998 for his discoveries about nitric oxide.

Raman also was an invited plenary speaker at the International Conference on Porphyrins and Phthalocyanines, July 2-7, in Rome.

Scott T. Walters, Ph.D., assistant professor of behavioral sciences, SPH Dallas regional campus, received the 2006 University of Cincinnati Award in July in Chicago. The annual award is given by the American Probation and Parole Association to a non-practitioner who has made a significant contribution to criminal justice technology. Walters has been working with a number of criminal justice agencies to help probation officers improve their interviewing techniques.

Presentations

Nancy Bergstrom, Ph.D., the Theodore J. and Mary E. Trumble Professor of Aging Research and director of the Center on Aging, School of Nursing (SON), spoke June 16 at the “Celebrating Nursing Science: The Research-Practice Link” conference, marking the 20th anniversary of the National Institute of Nursing Research in Bethesda, Md. She discussed wound care from the perspective of achievements in clinical nursing research and their application to practice.

Sukesh Burjonroppa, M.D., cardiology fellow, MS, presented a case report on “Right Atrial Mass” June 6 in the first Cases Competition at the 17th Annual Scientific Sessions of the American Society of Echocardiography in Baltimore. Monesha Gupta-Malhotra, M.D., assistant professor of nephrology and hypertension, MS; Ronald Portman, M.D., professor of pediatric nephrology and hypertension, MS; and visiting student Archana Dave co-authored a study presented at the same meeting. The study focused on how heart ultrasounds can identify potentially fatal pulmonary hypertension in children who are obese and have sleep apnea.

Nancy Busen, Ph.D., associate professor of nursing for target populations, SON, gave an invited paper on “Use of Depo Provera and Bone Health” at the Title X Family Planning Training Program, Gyn Refresh 2006: Conference for Clinicians, May 11-12, in Milwaukee, Wis. The paper is a result of a research study funded by the Houston Endowment.

Scott R. Lillibridge, M.D., director of the Center for Biosecurity and Public Health Preparedness, SPH, advised the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Homeland Security, May 23, about preparedness for bioterrorism and pandemic influenza.

Jeanette McNeill, Dr.P.H., professor, assistant dean and chair, Target Populations, SON, participated in an invited discussion session, “Cancer Pain Doesn’t Have to Hurt: Disparities in Cancer Pain Management,” sponsored by the Pain Management Special Interest Group at the May Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) meeting in Boston. She and co-presenters have been asked to repeat the session at Institutes of Learning, another ONS meeting, in November in Pittsburgh.

Five faculty members from the Dental Branch presented information at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Oral Medicine in San Juan, Puerto Rico, May 3-6. The theme for the meeting was “World Update on Oral Medicine.” Those from the Dental Branch were: Catherine M. Flaitz, D.D.S., dean; Charles Streckfus, D.D.S., professor of diagnostic sciences; Jerry Bouquot, D.D.S., chairman of diagnostic sciences; Kishore Shetty, D.D.S., associate professor of restorative dentistry; and Joel Napenas, D.D.S., program director of the General Practice Residency Program.

Five faculty members from the Medical School spoke, gave demonstrations and conducted tours at “Current Advances in Urology: A Symposium for Chinese University Urologist Training College” in Houston, May 14-18, sponsored by the UT Health Science Center at Houston and UT M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. UT Medical School presenters were: Run Wang, M.D., assistant professor of surgery-urology; Tung Shu, M.D., assistant professor of surgeryurology; Yang Xia, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology; Steven Canfield, M.D., assistant professor of surgery-urology; and Jiuhong Yuan, M.D., research associate in surgery-urology.

Publications

Melanie McEwen, Ph.D., associate professor of nursing systems and technology, SON, is co-author of “Called to Nursing: Perceptions of Student Nurses,” in the March-May issue of Journal of Holistic Nursing.

Ann Coker, Ph.D., associate professor of epidemiology, SPH, published “Preventing IPV: How We will Rise to This Challenge” as part of a series of articles on intimate partner violence (IPV) in the June issue of American Journal of Preventive Medicine. In Coker’s editorial, she discussed how the preventive medicine and public health communities can be advocates in the prevention of IPV, which as many as 44 percent of all women may have experienced at some time in their lives.

Linda Dune Ph.D., assistant professor of nursing, Acute and Continuing Care Department Adult Health Division, SON, and Pamela Shiao, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Target Populations, SON, had their study, “Meta-Analysis of Acu- Stimulation Effects on Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in Children,” published in the July issue of The Journal of Science and Healing.

Pedro Ruiz, M.D., and a co-author had Psychiatric Aspects of HIV/AIDS published in April by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Ruiz is professor and vice chair of psychiatric and behavioral sciences, MS.