News Briefs

Discovery Channel

Do you see numbers in colors or taste sounds? You may have synesthesia, a perceptual condition in which there is cross-talk between the senses. David Eagleman, Ph.D., assistant professor of neurobiology and anatomy at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, was interviewed on his work on synesthesia and will be featured in a documentary on the Discovery Channel in February.

The show is called “One Step Beyond.” Check TV listings for the time and date of broadcast.

Eagleman, who also is a faculty member at the UT Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, hosted the annual meeting of the American Synesthesia Association Oct 28-30 in Houston.

Public Health Practice

Linda E. Lloyd, Ph.D., has been appointed associate dean for public health practice at The University of Texas School of Public Health, Dean Guy Parcel, Ph.D., has announced.

Lloyd previously served as associate dean for academic affairs and associate professor of community health practice at the Drexel University School of Public Health in Philadelphia. She is returning to Texas, where she earned a doctorate in community health from UT Austin and held faculty appointments at UT Austin and Southwest Texas State University.

Her professional experience has included assignments as a health planner, researcher, epidemiologist (injury control), and director of the cancer registry with the Texas Department of Health. She is principal investigator for the Protect and Respect Project, which focuses on helping women with HIV/AIDS live healthier and safer lives. Other recent projects have included an HIV/AIDS needs assessment for Philadelphia and an evaluation of bicycle helmet and smoke detector programs for the state of Pennsylvania.

Pediatrics Department Chair

Giuseppe Colasurdo, M.D., has been appointed chair of the Department of Pediatrics at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Dean Stanley Schultz, M.D., announced. Colasurdo has served as interim chair since May 2005. He also serves as director for the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and has been named physician-in-chief for Memorial Hermann Children’s Hospital.

“In this short time, he has moved the department forward in new ways and has strengthened our relationship with Memorial Hermann Children’s Hospital,” Schultz said. “This is particularly important as we work together with the hospital to increase the stature and scope of our clinical offerings.”

Colasurdo is a graduate of the Gabriele D’Annunzio School of Medicine in Chieti, Italy. He joined the Medical School faculty in 1995 and is a specialist in pediatric pulmonary medicine and an established investigator in the field of pediatric asthma.

Dermatology Clinical Trials

The University of Texas Medical School at Houston’s Department of Dermatology is recruiting study volunteers for several clinical trials. For information about participating, call Maria Lopez at (713) 500-8266.

One study concerns the effectiveness of a Food and Drug Administration-approved treatment for keloids, which are scars that continue to grow after they should have stopped. Researchers also are studying a painless FDA-approved topical treatment for poison ivy. Another study is investigating the effectiveness of a safe, painless topical treatment for keratosis pilaris. About 40 percent of all adolescents and adults experience keratosis pilaris, which appears as small colorless or white bumps on the arms, thighs and buttocks.