A Gift from Payton and his Pals

Payton’s Pals has donated $50,000 to the Department of Pediatrics for research on a genetic disease that strikes one in 6,000 babies and is often fatal in half of them before their second birthday. The Broward-based nonprofit volunteer organization was started by Debbie Freeman of Margate, after her son Payton was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy.

The disease affects a child’s muscular development, and Payton suffers from the most severe form, Type 1. Payton, who was diagnosed at two months of age, is now three years old and struggles daily for survival.

The Dr. John T. Macdonald Center for Medical Genetics in the Department of Pediatrics will use the money to establish a DNA testing program for the disease.
 
Training the Basic Scientists of Tomorrowe

The new class of biomedical Ph.D. students is a true representation of the diversity of the School of Medicine. Of the 45 new students, 28 are from the United States, while the others are from seven different countries including Argentina, Japan, and China. On their first day, the graduate students were welcomed to campus by Dean John G. Clarkson, who shared with them his vision for the growth of biomedical research at the School of Medicine.

The students will typically do coursework and lab rotations for about a year and a half before selecting a dissertation mentor..

Pediatrician Talks to the NAACP About Cultural Competency

Onelia Lage, M.D., assistant professor of clinical pediatrics, served as a health workshop panelist at the 94th annual convention of the NAACP on Miami Beach in July. Dr. Lage addressed the issue of cultural competence in the Hispanic community, as a representative of the National Hispanic Medical Association. She says it is important that all health care providers understand the differences among minority groups. “For instance, when it comes to making certain medical decisions, in the Hispanic community it becomes a family decision with parents, grandparents, and children getting involved, whereas in the Anglo community it might just be the patient deciding for his or her self,” Lage says .