e-Update
May 10, 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
-- School of Medicine Commencement is Saturday
-- First Ever Italian-American Medical Congress This Week
-- Plastic Surgery Educational Forum
-- Dialogues in Research Ethics
-- Human Subjects Research Seminar
-- Upcoming Calendar Events
-- Human Subjects Research Opportunities
2005 COMMENCEMENT
The Class of 2005 becomes the 50th class to graduate from the School of Medicine at this year’s commencement ceremony, Saturday at 2 p.m. at the UM Convocation Center, 1245 Dauer Drive. Physician and public policy advocate J. Michael McGinnis, M.D., M.P.P., will deliver this year’s commencement address. For more information, please call 305-243-7418.
FIRST EVER ITALIAN-AMERICAN MEDICAL CONGRESS
Project Florida, the first Italy-Americas Medical Congress, takes place on the medical campus tomorrow (Wednesday) through Friday. The conference will feature more than 100 American delegates and dozens of top physician-scientists from Italy, including leaders from the Italian Neurosurgical Society and the European Society of Cardiologists. Meetings will be held in the Lois Pope LIFE Center seventh-floor conference room and the Rosenstiel Medical Science Building fourth-floor auditorium from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Italian ambassador to the United States will attend a welcoming reception tomorrow evening at the Omni Colonnade Hotel in Coral Gables. The conference will include all medical specialties and because it is intended to create partnerships, it is free and open to everyone. For lecture schedules, a list of speakers and more, visit http://www.florida-med-italy.org/, e-mail trade@iacc-miami.com, or call 305-577-9868.
PLASTIC SURGERY EDUCATIONAL FORUM
The Division of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery will hold a plastic surgery educational forum tomorrow (Wednesday), from 12:30 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 limited complimentary cosmetic consultations. The division’s para-medical aestheticians will be on hand to provide skin care consultations and demonstrations. For more information, please contact the Division of Plastic Surgery at 305-585-5237.
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, obstetrics, gynecology, gynecological oncology and ultrasound services, 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.
MULTIDISCIPLINARY CENTER FOR POST POLIO PATIENTS TO OPEN
On May 13, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine’s Department of Neurology and St. Catherine’s Rehabilitation Center in North Miami will host the first clinic at a new multidisciplinary center for post polio patients under the leadership of medical director, Walter G. Bradley, D.M., F.R.C.P., professor and chairman. The 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 Ginna Gonzalez, RN, nurse director of the Kessenich MDA ALS Center of the Department of Neurology, at 305-243-7400, Andres Doble, director of rehabilitation services, at 305-586-3969, Ginger Irving, RN, hospital administrator, at 305-287-1088, or Barbara Gratzke, president, Post Polio Association, at 305-230-0687.
DIALOGUES IN RESEARCH ETHICS
Dialogue 7 of the Dialogues in Research Ethics series focuses on “How Should We Earn the Public’s Trust? Research at Academic Medical Centers,” by Mark Yarborough, Ph.D., of the University of Colorado at Denver, Friday at noon in room 3109 (the microbiology conference room) of the Rosenstiel Medical Science Building. Lunch will be provided. No RSVP is required to attend. This session will explore the role of institutional trustworthiness in the biomedical research enterprise. Questions to be addressed: Does compliance with rules and regulations, such as those protecting research participants or requiring disclosure of certain conflicts of interest, sufficiently foster public trust in the research enterprise? Besides compliance, what is required for a research institution to demonstrate its trustworthiness – and thereby help assure sufficient public trust? Dr. Yarborough directs the Center for Bioethics and Humanities at the University of Colorado at Denver. He chairs a working group of bioethicists and other scholars from his university and the medical schools at Baylor, Johns Hopkins and the University of Washington to identify steps for promoting trustworthiness in biomedical research. For more information, please call 305-243-5723 or e-mail ethics@miami.edu. This dialogue is in special collaboration with the Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency Foundation.
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT CANCER SERIES
Hugo F. Fernandez, M.D., associate professor of medicine and director of the Blood and Marrow Transplant program at the Miller School of Medicine, will present a dinner information session on blood cancers and marrow stem cell transplantation. The presentation will take place tomorrow (Wednesday), from 7 to 9 p.m. in UM/Sylvester conference room 1301. This session is free and open to the public, RSVP required at 305-243-1000 or 800-545-2292. Please e-mail Carthy Thomas for further information at cthomas2@med.miami.edu.
Carlos Sandoval, M.D., director of the Courtelis Center for Psychosocial Oncology, will present issues related to sexuality and cancer for men only on Monday, May 23, from noon to 1 p.m., in UM/Sylvester conference room 1301. This presentation is free and open to the public, although RSVP is required. Please call 305-243-1000 or 800-545-2292 to register, or e-mail Carthy Thomas for further information at cthomas2@med.miami.edu
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.
HUMAN SUBJECTS RESEARCH SEMINAR
The Human Subjects Research Seminar for May will feature Jeff Brosco, M.D., Ph.D., speaking on: “Before Tuskegee: The Early History of Research Ethics.” The seminar will be held from noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, May 31, at the Mailman Center, room 3023. Advance registration is required as room capacity is limited.
To Register:
1) Logon to NetLearning using your UM ID # (C-Number) 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 31 class and click on Enroll located on the left.
For more information about this seminar, e-mail Maira Abraham at Mabraham@med.miami.edu.
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.
NEUROSCIENCE CENTER SEMINAR SERIES
Virginia M.-Y. Lee, Ph.D., will present "Pathobiology of Alpha-synuclein Fibrillization in Neurodegenerative Diseases," this Friday, May 13, at 1 p.m. in the Lois Pope LIFE Center seventh-floor auditorium. Dr. Lee is director of the Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. This lecture series is sponsored by the Neuroscience Center, the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine and the Office of the Provost. An informal reception will be held at 5 p.m. For more information, call 305-243-6793.
GROWTH IN CHILDREN BORN SMALL FOR GESTATIONAL AGE
Continuing Medical Education will present a program on “Growth in Children Born Small for Gestational Age,” this Thursday at Fleming - A Taste of Denmark in Miami. Registration begins at 6:30 p.m. and pre-registration is required as space is limited. This 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 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.
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 Thursday 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.
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.
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 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 tomorrow 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., 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 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!
HUBERT L. ROSOMOFF RESEARCH DAY
The Department of Neurological Surgery presents the Fifth Hubert L. Rosomoff Research Day on Saturday, June 4, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the Lois Pope LIFE Center seventh-floor auditorium. This event showcases research by the residents, fellows, and faculty of the Department of Neurological Surgery. This year’s visiting professor will be David G. Kline, M.D., chairman of neurosurgery at Louisiana State University School of Medicine. Dr. Kline is a renowned authority on surgery of peripheral nerves. All interested members of the University community are invited to attend. For more information, please call 305-243-6946.
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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