e-Update
May 3, 2005
Weekly News Briefs
e-Update is distributed
weekly to keep faculty and staff at the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine
up-to-date on news at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center.
To submit news for publication, e-mail items to update@med.miami.edu.
THIS WEEK’S NEWS
-- Multidisciplinary Center for Post Polio Patients to Open
-- Dean’s Patient Safety Colloquium Series
-- UM/Sylvester Distinguished Lecture Series
-- Center on Aging Graduate Fellowships Available
-- Gail F. Beach Memorial 2004-2005 Visiting Lectureship Series
-- Miami Project Wristband Campaign
-- Plastic Surgery Educational Forum
-- Upcoming Calendar Events
-- Human Subjects Research Opportunities
MULTIDISCIPLINARY CENTER FOR POST POLIO PATIENTS TO OPEN
On May 13, St. Catherine’s Rehabilitation Center in North Miami will host the first clinic at a new multidisciplinary center for post polio patients. The multidisciplinary clinic will be held once a month to help post polio patients manage all aspects of their disease. Center resources include a neurologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, social worker, speech pathologist, respiratory therapist, nutritionist and nurses. Each specialty brings information and provides counseling about healthcare decisions. St. Catherine’s is located at 1050 NE 125th St. For more information, please call Andres Doble, director of rehabilitation services, at 305-586-3969, Ginger Irving, RN, hospital administrator, at 305-287-1088, or Barbara Gratis, president, Post Polio Association, at 305-230-0687.
DEAN’S PATIENT SAFETY COLLOQUIUM SERIES
Duncan Neuhauser, M.D., Ph.D., will discuss “How to Get Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Ideas Published,” as part of the Dean’s Patient Safety Colloquium Series. Dr. Neuhauser is the Charles Elton Blanchard, M.D. Professor of Health Management, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Neuhauser also holds secondary appointments in family medicine, internal medicine and organizational behavior. He received his Ph.D. in business administration from the University of Chicago. The lecture will be held on Monday, May 9, from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Mailman Center eighth floor auditorium. Please contact Shirley Brown at sbrown7@med.miami.edu for more information and to register for the colloquium. Advance registration is required since lunch will be provided.
CENTER ON AGING GRADUATE FELLOWSHIPS
The Center on Aging is pleased to announce a 2005 - 2006 graduate fellowship program. The fellowships, made possible by Forest Laboratories, are available to any interested graduate students to participate in research projects related to the topic of aging. Four awards will be funded and are limited to a maximum of $3,000. Two of these awards are restricted to issues related to mental health and older adults. For more information, please contact ajaret@med.miami.edu.
UM/SYLVESTER DISTINGUISHED LECTURE SERIES
Waun Ki Hong, M.D., head, Division of Cancer Medicine, and professor and chair, Department of Thoracic, Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, will present “Convergence of Molecular Targets for Cancer Prevention and Therapy,” as part of the UM/Sylvester Distinguished Lecture Series. The lecture will be from noon to 1 p.m. Friday at UM/Sylvester in conference room 1301. Lunch will be served. For more information, please call Diane Dames at 305-243-2287, or e-mail DDames@med.miami.edu. Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Distinguished Lecture Series
DEPARTMENT OF PEDIATRICS INTRODUCES NEW RESEARCH FORUM
Starting this month, the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Clinical Research, in conjunction with the Child Health Advocacy for Miami Pediatricians, is pleased to announce the beginning of an exciting new research forum. The weekly forum will provide an opportunity for faculty members to showcase their research topics and highlight any promising data to their colleagues. The first forum on “Pediatric HIV and Nutrition—New Directions,” presented by Tracie L. Miller, M.D., professor of pediatrics and director, Division of Pediatric Clinical Research, will be held tomorrow (Wednesday), from noon to 1 p.m., in The Coulter-Jones Family Conference Center at the Batchelor Children’s Research Institute, room 508B. Other presentations will be on May 11, 18, and 25. If you would like to attend or be a presenter, please contact Martine Cesaire-Francois at 305-243-9829, or e-mail mcesaire@med.miami.edu.
GAIL F. BEACH MEMORIAL 2004-2005 VISITING LECTURESHIP SERIES
Clifford J. Woolf, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Neural Plasticity Research Group in the Department of Anesthesia & Critical Care at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, will present " Peripheral Nerve Injury: Distinguishing Pain from Regeneration Induced Genes," tomorrow (Wednesday), at noon in the Lois Pope LIFE Center seventh floor auditorium. For more information, call 305-243-7108 or go to: http://www.miamiproject.med.miami.edu/x381.xml.
NCBI WORKSHOP SELECTIONS FINALIZED
The results and selections from the recent NCBI Workshop topics poll are listed below. As you'll see, based on your feedback, we have asked NCBI to combine two topics (originally topic nos. 3 and 4), both of which were disease-related. This enabled us to add in the structural analysis workshop.
Please e-mail Dierdre Lacativa at dierdre@miami.edu by Monday, May 9 to indicate which of the workshops below you would like to attend. In your e-mail reply, please include your name, your department or graduate program, and the number(s) of the workshop(s) you will attend.
Registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis and preference will be given to graduate students and postdocs. You may choose more than one—up to a maximum of four—but we will try to place as many people as possible in at least one workshop. We will assume that the order you give us is your order of preference. You will get a reservation confirmation e-mail back by May 16.
Workshop 1- Making Sense of DNA and Protein Sequences
Tuesday, May 24 in the Calder Library 3rd floor computer lab
9 a.m. to noon
In this mini-course, we will find a gene within a eukaryotic DNA sequence. We will then predict the function of the implied protein product by seeking sequence similarities to proteins of documented function using BLAST and other tools. Finally, we will find a 3D modeling template for this protein sequence using a Conserved Domain Database Search. During the first hour, an instructor will walk you through an analysis of an uncharacterized Drosophila melanogaster genomic sequence from the GenBank record AE003584 found in Notebook 1. During the second hour of the class, you will perform the same analysis on the genomic sequence contained in Notebook 2.
Workshop 2 - Unmasking Genes in the Human Genome
Tuesday, May 24 in the Calder Library 3rd floor computer lab
1 to 4 p.m.
This mini-course describes how to combine the output of multiple prediction programs to find genes, promoters and other transcription-factor binding sites in human DNA sequences. To illustrate the method, an instructional program called Greengene will be used to integrate the output of several gene-finding tools. Greengene also allows a coding sequence and accompanying protein translation to be assembled from the exons detected by these programs. Because the output of several programs is integrated, exon selection is more reliable.
Workshop 3 - Structure Analysis Quick Start
Wednesday, May 25 in the Calder Library 3rd floor computer lab
9 a.m. to noon
This course covers how to visualize and annotate 3D protein structures using NCBI's Cn3D, identify conserved domain(s) present in a protein, search for other proteins containing similar domain(s), explore a 3D modeling template for the query protein and find distant sequence homologs that may not be identified by BLAST.
Workshop 4 - Identification and Correlation of Disease Genes and Phenotypes
Wednesday, May 25 in the Calder Library 3rd floor computer lab
1 to 4:30 p.m.
This mini-course deals with the identification of a disease gene using NCBI's human genome assembly. The reference genome assembly, along with integrated maps, literature, and expression information comprises a powerful discovery system for exploring candidate human disease genes. We will start with EST sequences obtained from a patient, identify the gene(s) expressing them, download their sequences, determine what is known about the gene such as the exon-intron structure, function, and identify known SNPs in the ESTs, if any, that may contribute to the disease phenotype. This mini-course also demonstrates how to elucidate, if possible, the biochemical and structural basis for the function of the mutant protein leading to the disease phenotype. We will cover the integration of the NCBI tools, Map Viewer, Entrez Gene, Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Database (dbSNP), Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), Conserved Domain Database (CDD), and Cn3D to visualize 3D structure of a protein.
MIAMI PROJECT WRISTBAND CAMPAIGN
Power. Knowledge. Awareness. Education. Research. Philanthropy. These are the keys to unlocking the mystery of the human body and finding a cure for paralysis. In order to increase the public’s understanding of spinal cord injury and to raise much-needed funds, The Miami Project is launching its “cure paralysis” wristband campaign. The wristbands have turned into a pop culture phenomenon for organizations around the world. The wristbands are a great way to increase awareness and advocacy for paralysis research that all people can participate in.
Please visit: http://www.themiamiproject.org/x866.xml to purchase your wristbands.
NEW LABCORP SERVICE CENTER ON MEDICAL CAMPUS
Laboratory Corporation of America recently opened a new patient service center in Suite 500 of the Professional Arts Center. LabCorp is the laboratory facility that Humana HMO participants must use for routine lab work. This facility offers University HMO participants a convenient location for their lab work. Participants enrolled in the other Humana plans (PPO250, PPO500, EPO, Coverage First 1000, and Coverage First 3000) may use the new LabCorp patient service center or the Quest laboratory facilities also located on the medical campus for routine lab work. The LabCorp hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information, visit www.miami.edu/benefits/pdf/LabCorpflyer.pdf.
UM/JACKSON WELCOME CENTER OPENS
The Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine has opened the UM/Jackson Welcome Center on the first floor of the Alamo. The center assists patients and other guests with directions and general service issues, coordinating efforts with JMH Patient Relations and Volunteer Services, JMH Translation Services, UM/Sylvester Patient Relations and Volunteer Services, and the Miller School of Medicine's network of service ambassadors. The center is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and the telephone number is 305-585-STAR.
EAP CAN HELP WITH SUMMER CAMP PLANS
It’s not too late to make summer camp arrangements. Life Stages, a resource available through the University’s Employee Assistance Program, can help faculty and staff identify summer camps for their children. Summer camps keep kids busy and provide fun, meaningful experiences that are sure to make summer more enjoyable for everyone. For more information, contact Life Stages at the EAP at 305-284-6604.
UM IMAGING CORE FACILITY HOSTING COMPUCYTE SEMINAR
The University of Miami Imaging Core Facility will be hosting a seminar presented by the CompuCyte Corporation, developers of Laser Scanning Cytometry products for cell-based and tissue analysis. The presentation will feature the latest in technology available through CompuCyte’s instrumentation—the iCyte™ Automated Imaging Cytometer, the iCys™ Research Imaging Cytometer and iColor™ Fluoro-Chromatic Imaging Cytometer — and applications to cell- and tissue-based research. The seminar will be held on Thursday, May 26, from 2 to 3:30 p.m., in the Diabetes Research Institute first floor conference center, room 1000. For more information, please visit www.compucyte.com. RSVP by May 25 by sending e-mail to bshaw@med.miami.edu.
NIH ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION
Submitting a National Institutes of Health application for the June 1 deadline? The UM Medical Research Administration Office will facilitate the NIH electronic grants application submission process using the InfoEd and NIH electronic research administration systems. NIH only allows electronic submissions for certain grant applications with one appendix document. Your application must be a new, competing continuation or revised R01, R03 or R21 grant mechanism. Your budget must be modular, with no consortia/subcontracts. NIH has other restrictions and requirements associated with these submissions. Therefore, please consult your departmental administrator when determining if your application can be submitted electronically. If your application meets NIH's restrictions and requirements and you choose to submit your application electronically during this pilot study, Medical Research Administration must be informed of your intent by May 1. This will allow sufficient time to work with the investigator and the department to ensure your submission is received by the June 1 receipt date. If you have any questions, please contact Medical Research Administration at 305-243-6232.
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT CANCER SERIES
Arnold M. Markoe, M.D., Sc.D., chairman and professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, will present “Ask The Doctor About Radiation Therapy and Cancer Treatment,” on Thursday, from 1 to 3 p.m., at UM/Sylvester at Deerfield Beach, 1192 East Newport Center Drive, Suite 100. A snack will be served. Please call 1-800-545-2292 to register. Seating is limited.
GROWTH IN CHILDREN BORN SMALL FOR GESTATIONAL AGE
Continuing Medical Education will present a program on “Growth in Children Born Small for Gestational Age,” on Thursday, May 5 at Tuscan Steak, Miami Beach, and on Thursday, May 12 at Fleming – A Taste of Denmark in Miami. Registration begins at 6:30 p.m. for each evening’s course, and pre-registration is required as space is limited. Each course is worth one credit toward the AMA PRA. For more information, please contact CME at 305-243-6716, or e-mail: mfreedman@med.miami.edu.
INSTITUTIONAL BIOSAFETY COMMITTEE SEMINAR: IMPLICATIONS IN HUMAN SUBJECT RESEARCH
Are you an investigator, research associate or coordinator conducting research involving recombinant DNA molecules in human subjects? Then you may want to attend the Institutional Biosafety Committee’s seminar on “Implications in Human Subject Research,” on Wednesday, May 18, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Mailman Center, room 3023. Lunch will be provided. Advance registration is required as room capacity is limited. For more information regarding IBC, visit our Web site at http://miami.edu/rdna/.
To register:
1) Logon to NetLearning using your UM ID # (C-Number) at https://netlearning.miami.edu.
2) Search for class by changing the dates at the top to reflect classes offered in May.
3) Scroll to locate the May 18 class and click on Enroll located on the left.
ZUBROD MEMORIAL LECTURE
2005 UM/SYLVESTER CANCER RESEARCH POSTER SESSION/COMPETITION
The annual Zubrod Memorial Lecture will be held on Thursday, May 19. The event, hosted by the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, will include the Zubrod Memorial Lecture and the 2005 UM/Sylvester Cancer Research Poster Session/Competition, as well as the announcement of the winner of the Sylvester Award for Outstanding Cancer Research for 2005. The poster session for cancer research projects will take place at the Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Diagnostic Treatment Center, second floor, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, May 19.
Rainer F. Storb, M.D., is the 2005 Zubrod Distinguished Guest Lecturer. He will present a lecture on “Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation 1965-2005: Advancing Knowledge, Saving Lives,” from noon to 1 p.m. at DTC, second floor. Dr. Storb is program head of transplantation biology at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle.
The deadline for submission of poster abstracts is this Friday. Please submit all abstracts to Kathy Salce, ksalce@med.miami.edu, or call 305-243-2287 with questions.
MIAMI SPINE SYMPOSIUM
Nathan Lebwohl, M.D., is the program chair for the Miami Spine Symposium to be held on Saturday, May 14, at the Wyndham Resort on Miami Beach. The conference is sponsored by the Scoliosis Association Inc. and by The Joint Connection Chapter of the National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses. This one-day conference features UM faculty as well as spine surgeons from the community speaking on surgical and non-surgical treatment of the spine. The symposium is intended for physicians, nurses, orthotists, physical therapists, and allied health professionals. The conference is approved for six contact hours for nurses and CEUs are pending for physical therapists from the Florida Physical Therapy Association. Registration, which includes course materials, breakfast, and lunch, is $40 for nurses and other health professionals and $75 for physicians. Register and review the course pamphlet online at www.scoliosis-assoc.org. For more information, please contact Toni Cawley, RN, at 305 585-8225 x2.
PLASTIC SURGERY EDUCATIONAL FORUM
The Division of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery will be holding a plastic surgery educational forum on Wednesday, May 11, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., at Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Diagnostic Treatment Center room 259. Seth Thaller, M.D., Milton Armstrong, M.D., and Zubin Panthaki, M.D., will be present for questions and answers as well as the division’s para-medical aestheticians. Limited cosmetic consultations will also be provided. For more information, please contact the Division of Plastic Surgery at 305-585-5237.
SPONSORED PROGRAMS ROUNDTABLE SERIES
The goal of this monthly one-hour roundtable discussion group is to provide a forum for administrators/staff to discuss topics of interest related to sponsored programs with their colleagues. Presenters deliver a 20-minute talk followed by discussion and/or questions. Topics are announced in advance and registration is required because of space limitations. On Thursday, May 5, Tom Gill, director, research administration, will discuss “Completing the Proposal Transmittal Form… It’s Not As Easy As You Think.” Gill will talk about why the proposal transmittal form is a necessary part of the grant/contract submission process as well as address what the many fields mean and why they need to be completed. This presentation will take place at noon in the Batchelor Building, first floor conference room.
To Register:
1) Logon to NetLearning using your UM ID # (C-Number) at https://netlearning.miami.edu.
2) Search for class by changing the dates at the top to reflect classes offered.
3) Scroll to locate the May 5 class and click on Enroll located on the left.
For more information, please e-mail Maria Valero-Martinez at mvalero@med.miami.edu.
INTENSIVE GERIATRIC TRAINING PSYCHOLOGY MODULE
The Miami Area Geriatric Education Center (MAGEC) will be hosting the 2005 Intensive Geriatric Training Psychology Module. This event will be held 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 12 at the University Hospital & Medical Center Pavilion, 7525 N. University Drive, Tamarac, and from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 19 and 26 in the Diabetes Research Institute, first floor conference room. The target audience is mental health professionals serving the elderly. Please visit the MAGEC Web site for conference topics. Both conferences on May 19 and 26 will be CME/CEUs: this course has been approved for 20 CEUs for psychologists. Partial registration is available. Space is limited. UM and Jackson Memorial Hospital employees should contact MAGEC at 305-243-6270 to register. For further information about this program or MAGEC, please contact 305-243-6270 or log onto our website www.miami.edu/magec.
SAME GREAT MEDICAL CARE--DIFFERENT LOCATION
Did you know that the University of Miami Medical Group has a multi-specialty practice in the Kendall area? The Kendall Medical Center provides the same excellent medical care found on the medical campus—just farther south. Specialties are constantly being added, but currently the Kendall center has internal medicine, family medicine, neurology, ENT, pediatrics and pediatric specialties, and pulmonology. The center is located at 8932 SW 97th Ave., next to the CVS Pharmacy. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Coming soon are evening and weekend hours. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call 305-270-3400.
SPRING MEDITATION CLASSES
School of Medicine, Department of Wellness, will be offering free meditation classes on Friday, May 13, 20 and 27, from 1 to 1:40 p.m. in the Dominion Tower 10th Floor Conference Room. For more information, please call 305-243-3209.
MEDICAL WIRELESS NETWORK AVAILABILITY
The Medical Center’s Wireless Local Area Network, also referred to as WiFi, broadcasts wireless coverage called medical_wireless. It is available to any device with a working 802.11b/g capable network card. Access to the medical center wireless network is available to all indoor and outdoor facilities for all computers, laptops and hand held devices like personal digital assistants (PDAs). When devices attach to the medical center wireless network, launching an Internet browser will reveal a portal page that users can login to with their username and password. If a user does not have a medical domain account to login with, he or she can connect as a “guest” user and still use some of the features of the medical center wireless. Some security measures are taken regarding guest user access activity. For example, a guest user cannot use a site that requires SSL technology (like bank sites and anonymous e-mail sites) but can surf the Internet and launch Virtual Private Networks back to their corporate network. Users without credentials can request a medical domain account from Medical Information Technology at 305-243-5999, or at help@med.miami.edu.
CHILD CAR SEAT INSTALLATION CHECK
Did you know that most child car seats are not installed correctly? To ensure that your child car seat is installed correctly, a certified child passenger safety technician will be available on the following Wednesdays: May 4, 11 and 25; and June 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 in front of the Mailman Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The service is available to everyone who transports children under the age of 12 in their vehicle. For more information, e-mail gstepanian@um-jmh.org, or call 305-243-3928 to set up an appointment. Priority will be given to those with appointments. The Injury Free Coalition for Kids is a division of Holtz Children's Hospital/ Miller School of Medicine.
TIAA-CREF, LINCOLN FINANCIAL GROUP, AND FIDELITY INVESTMENTS VISIT THE MEDICAL CAMPUS
A representative from TIAA-CREF will be on the medical campus May 11 and June 8 to conduct individual counseling sessions. To schedule an appointment, go to http://www.tiaa-cref.org/moc, or call toll-free 1-800-842-2003 ext. 3522.
A representative from Lincoln Financial Group will be on the medical campus to conduct individual financial counseling sessions from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., April 26, May 24 and June 21. To schedule an appointment, contact Aimee Hugdahl toll-free at 866-524-2443, e-mail ahugdahl@lnc.com, or Theresa Yong at 866-772-4163, e-mail tmyong@lnc.com.
A representative from Fidelity Investments will be on the medical campus to conduct individual counseling sessions on April 20, May 19, and June 29. To schedule an appointment, call 1-800-642-7131.
All counseling sessions from these organizations will take place in the Human Resources Benefits Office, 901 NW 17th St., suite D.
QUESTIONS ABOUT COMPLIANCE?
TWO UM HELPLINES CAN ASSIST YOU
Research integrity concerns? Report concerns regarding research integrity and adherence to federal or University regulations directly to the Office of the Vice Provost for Research at 305-243-6415, or you can call the University's toll-free, anonymous compliance hotline at 866-YOURCALL. Billing concerns? Address questions to the Office of Billing Compliance at 305-243-HELP or 877-415-HELP. For information regarding training programs offered by the Office of Billing Compliance, contact Gemma Romillo or Nancy Rivero at 305-243-5842.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
THE ANNUAL ROBERT ZEPPA MEMORIAL LECTURE & BRUNCH
The DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery presents Larry M. Gentilello, M.D., FACS, chairman, Division of Burns, Trauma and Critical Care and professor of surgery at University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, as guest lecturer at the Annual Robert Zeppa Memorial Lecture and Brunch. The event will take place on Saturday, June 11, from 10 a.m. to noon in the Lois Pope LIFE Center seventh floor auditorium. Please RSVP by June 4 to gprieto@med.miami.edu, or call 305-243-4036.
HUMAN SUBJECT RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
The AIDS Clinical Research Unit, under the direction of Margaret Fischl, M.D., is recruiting participants for a therapeutic HIV-1 vaccine study. Participants must be 18 to 50 years of age, receiving antiretroviral therapy, have an HIV-1 RNA level of less than 500 copies/ml for at least two years, and have a CD4 cell count equal or greater than 500 ccm. For more information, contact Juan Caruso at 305-243-3838 or Leslie Thompson at l.Thompson@miami.edu.
The AIDS Clinical Research Unit is also recruiting participants for a phase I IL-7 study (IL-7 is a cytokine that aids T-cell development and improves T-cells survival.) Participants must be 18 to 50 years of age, receiving antiretroviral therapy for at least 12 months, have an HIV-1 RNA level less or equal to 50,000 copies/ml, and have a CD4 cell count greater or equal to 100 cells/ccm. Participants must be willing to do 12-hour IL-7 blood level monitoring. Up to $200 in food certificates provided. For more information, contact Juan Caruso at 305-243-3838 or Leslie Thompson at l.Thompson@miami.edu.
More than 5.5 million women in North America are affected by endometriosis and its symptoms, including pelvic pain. If you have endometriosis, you may be eligible to participate in a clinical research study evaluating a new investigational medication for pelvic pain due to endometriosis. To qualify, you must be a woman between 18 and 45 with regular menstrual periods, have endometriosis diagnosed by a surgical procedure (laparoscopy or laparotomy) within the past three years, have moderate to severe pelvic pain due to endometriosis for at least three months, not be using oral contraceptives for the past 30 days, be sexually active, and have not had a surgical treatment for endometriosis in the past six months. For more information, please call 305-243-1613.
Dr. Jorge Armenteros, in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, is taking part in an international clinical research program to investigate the efficacy and safety of risperidone in adolescents with schizophrenia. Risperidone has already proven effective and relatively well tolerated for treating adults with schizophrenia, but there are very few studies of risperidone or other atypical antipsychotics in adolescents. Patients must be between 13 and 17 years of age, otherwise physically healthy, and diagnosed with schizophrenia. For further information about the trial, please contact Dr. Jorge Armenteros at 305-355-7106, or Marisabel Davalos, M.S.Ed., at 305-355-7273.
The Department of Psychology, Behavioral Medicine Research Center, is recruiting
participants for several studies investigating the impact of psychological factors
such as stress on quality of life and disease progression in several older adult
(> 50 yrs. old) populations. The studies are actively recruiting men and women recently
diagnosed with head and neck cancer, HIV-positive men, and men treated for advanced
prostate cancer. For more information about these studies, please call Dr. Frank Penedo
at 305-575-7122.
The Center for Family Studies, Healthy Families Program, is recruiting HIV-positive women over the age of 18 with a recent history of substance abuse treatment. Women who participate in the study should also be willing to have at least one family member participate in their treatment. The Healthy Families program is a family therapy based intervention for HIV-positive women addressing issues such as HIV risk behavior, drug abuse relapse and HIV medication adherence. Participants will be assigned to either the family therapy based intervention or a women's HIV education group, which will take place over four months. Participants will be interviewed at baseline and then at two month intervals over the course of the 12-month study. Interested women should contact the Healthy Families Program office at 305-243-8149, or via e-mail at ralvarez4@med.miami.edu.
Sara Czaja, Ph.D., is leading a study of spinal cord injury in an aging population focusing on helping improve the quality of life of the patients and their caregivers. As Americans live longer, more people are aging with spinal cord injuries than ever before, presenting new challenges. This NIH-funded study will examine the value of a home-based program that combines psychological and social intervention, and using technology to help patients who have difficulty with mobility. For more information about the study, please call 305-355-9200.
The HPV vaccine has been developed with the goal of decreasing HPV infection and the persistence of HPV risk types responsible for cervical cancer. We are looking for healthy women between the ages of 15 to 25 who have not had prior abnormal pap smears, are not pregnant, are willing to receive the study vaccine, and are able to commit to a four- year follow up period. For more information, call Iliana Rivas at 305-243-5832.
The SPARE Study (Soy Phytoestrogens As Replacement Estrogen) is currently
recruiting women between 45-60 years of age to study the role of soy phytoestrogens
given in tablet form to prevent bone loss. Participants will be given a
physical exam at study entry, an annual mammogram and bone density test,
and will be asked to come for 10 study visits over a period of two years
for blood tests and to complete questionnaires about diet, exercise, and
well-being. Interested women should contact the SPARE Study Office at 305-243-4330
or via e-mail at aherrin@med.miami.edu.
The UM Skin Research Group, directed by Brian Berman, M.D., Ph.D., professor of dermatology and internal medicine, is conducting several research studies on keloids, hypertrophic scars, chronic idiopathic urticaria (hives) and atopic dermatitis (eczema). If you are interested in participating please contact us at 305-243-5519 or visit our website at www.skininvestigation.com
Researchers at the MRI Center need healthy subjects for a magnetic resonance imaging study. For more information please visit
http://midas.med.miami.edu/Research/MRStudies.htm.
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