A research poster authored by medical students Jorge Alex Alvarez and Nathan T. Connell, along with Alex J. Mechaber, M.D., associate professor of medicine, and director, Clinical Skills Program and Doctoring Courses, and Christopher Basil, M.D. ’04, was singled out for honors at the American College of Physicians annual national meeting April 6 through 8. Of more than 1,600 abstracts submitted for the medical students and associates section, 50 were accepted for the medical student poster presentation. The Miller School of Medicine’s poster was one of the four winning posters, the only student poster from the state of Florida.

There is strong competition for talent in the Miami-Dade/Broward labor markets with the lowest unemployment rates in more than 20 years.  A recent national survey showed that employee referral programs were rated one of the highest source of external hires and are known for producing high quality applicants since employees have a vested interest in ensuring referred candidates are good matches.

Be one of the first 2,000 members to join the Medical Wellness Center and you will be entered in the raffle to win two round-trip airline tickets to anywhere in Florida or the Bahamas compliments of Continental Airline Connection.

Voluntary pre-kindergarten (VPK) gives children a jump start by preparing them for school and enhancing their reading, math, language and social skills. Families can choose either a school-year or a summer VPK program. To qualify, a child must turn four years old on or before September 1, 2006. Start preparing today to give your child an advantage. For more information, please call 305-644-4046, or visit www.vpkhelp.org.

The University of Miami's Intensive Language Institute will offer Chinese for Business courses beginning Tuesday, May 9. Each six-week, evening course focuses on survival language skills in Chinese, including communication, comprehension and cultural tips for successful business interactions. Eligible University of Miami employees receive a 40 percent discount on tuition. Visit http://www.educationmiami.com/alc for further information or to register. For more information, call the Intensive Language Institute at 305-284-4727.

The cutoff date for information technology hardware and/or product purchases through the Department of Medical Information Technology is May 5. This will ensure that all requests are processed, invoiced and billed in a timely manner prior to the end of fiscal year 2006. Every effort will be made to acquire all requested products and process the associated interdepartmental requisition forms before May 31. For more information, please contact Medical IT Procurement at 305-243-6024.

The Miami Lite program helps participants with weight loss, nutrition, controlling portion sizes, weight management techniques and guidelines for exercise. It is open to the public and is offered every Thursday from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the Diabetes Research Institute, first-floor Education Center. The cost is $20 per class or $150 for ten sessions. If you would like more information, please contact Anna M. Fraker at afraker@med.miami.edu or call 305-243-3455.

The University of Miami’s Families First Network is offering free parenting groups for parents of newborns and children through age 5. Parents will discuss ways to manage behavior, build stronger families and help their children develop and grow. Parents will receive free items related to the topics discussed and lunch will be served. Classes will be held at the Perinatal C.A.R.E. Program in Dominion Towers starting April 27. For more information or to register, call 305-243-8425 or e-mail mastacio@med.miami.edu.

Biomedical Communications is offering free tutorials designed to assist UM faculty and staff in creating posters for presentations and conferences using Microsoft PowerPoint. The workshop covers a variety of PowerPoint tools including understanding menus, basics of page setup, choosing font types and sizes, importing objects as well as other steps needed to create impressive poster exhibits. These free sessions are for individual assistance and will be held on a one-to-one basis. For more information or to make an appointment, please contact Kim Loper at 305-243-6783.
 
Biomedical Communications can help you create high impact poster sessions, business presentations, indoor and outdoor signage, or art reproductions easily and affordably. The staff can also assist with photography and graphic design, scanning, enlargement and restoration, printing, mounting and lamination. Biomedical Communications is conveniently located on the lower level of the Louis Calder Memorial Library and open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information, please visit http://calder.med.miami.edu/biomed.

To ensure that your child car seat is installed correctly, a certified child passenger safety technician will be available on Wednesdays 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.

A representative from Lincoln Financial Group will be at the medical campus to conduct individual counseling sessions from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 16 and June 20. To schedule an appointment, contact Theresa Yong at 1-866-772-4163 or tmyong@lnc.com.

• University Compliance (anonymous hotline): 866-YOURCALL
• Billing (anonymous hotline): 305-243-HELP or 877-415-HELP
• Research Integrity and Compliance: 305-243-6415
• Financial Improprieties: 305-284-2605
• Privacy Office/HIPAA: 305-243-5000 or 1-866-366-HUSH
• University Ombudsperson: 305-284-4922

Any University of Miami employee reporting or deciding whether to report activity that may be in violation of a law, rule, or regulation is protected against retaliation by the Whistleblower Protection Statement. For more information, visit the Office of Compliance site.

• Please note that submissions are due no later than 5 p.m. Thursday for publication on Tuesday.
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Margaret Byrne will present “Payments to Human Subjects Who are Participating in Research Studies” today (Tuesday) from noon to 1 p.m. in the Mailman Center, room 3023. Log on to Net Learning at https://netlearning.miami.edu to register. For more information, please e-mail Maira Abraham at Mabraham@med.miami.edu.

"Developing Leadership Academy Competencies through Effective Coaching" will be offered by The Leadership Academy today (Tuesday) from 9 a.m. to noon in Dominion Parking Garage, suite 155. Seating is limited. To register, please visit http://netlearning.miami.edu. For more information about the Leadership Academy, visit www.miami.edu/development-training/la, or call the Professional Development Training Office at 305-243-3090 or 305-284-5110.

Join Team UM for fitness and fun at the 21st Annual Corporate Walk/Run. Mark your calendar and plan to attend this fun event on Thursday, May 11. UM festivities will begin at 5:30 p.m. at Bayfront Park in downtown Miami. This is a wonderful teambuilding opportunity for your department as well as a chance to enjoy camaraderie with fellow co-workers during the post-race party. The department with the most participants (family and friends are welcome) will win a pizza party, compliments of Pizza Hut. The cost is $20 if your registration is received by tomorrow (Wednesday), or $25 if you register between April 20 and May 5. Your entry fee includes participation in the race, two t-shirts and the post-race party and raffle prize drawing. Proceeds benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America. If you have not yet received your application via interoffice mail, log on to http://wellness.med.miami.edu/x30.xml to print the registration form and event details, or call 305-243-7600.

The Sponsored Programs Education Workshop will be held tomorrow (Wednesday) from 3 to 5 p.m. in room 502 of the Flipse Building on the Coral Gables campus. The workshop is a requirement for all individuals who would like to be listed as key personnel on sponsored programs. The program will focus on the fiscal and compliance issues of pre- and post-award management, the most recent information on the grant process, explain established policies and procedures and review the PI’s role and responsibility for administering sponsored projects. The goal is to have all key personnel attend an educational session by June 30. A listing of other available dates and locations can be found at http://www.miami.edu/UMH/CDA/UMH_Main/1,1770,2425-1;36662-2;34960-2;38799-3,00.html. Log onto NetLearning at https://netlearning.miami.edu to register. For more information, please contact mvalero@med.miami.edu.

Jill Tincher, senior director, Medical Research Administration, will present “NIH Electronic Submission Requirements” on Thursday at noon in the Baxter conference room of the Batchelor Children's Research Institute. The National Institutes of Health will soon require all competing research grant applications to come in electronically via the web portal of www.Grants.gov on a new SF 424 Research and Related (R&R) application. Participants will learn how to prepare for electronic submission through Grants.gov. Log onto Netlearning at http://netlearning.miami.edu to register. For more information, please e-mail Maria Valero-Martinez at mvalero@med.miami.edu.

Charles Weissmann, M.D., Ph.D., head of the Department of Infectology, Scripps Florida, will present “Of Prions, Men and Mice” on Friday at 11:30 a.m. in Bascom Palmer Eye Institute’s Retter Auditorium. This seminar is sponsored by the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. For more information, please contact Betsy Sanchez at 305-243-6265.

Investigators, research coordinators, IRB members and IRB administrators/staff members are invited to a half-day conference sponsored by the Human Subjects Research Office on Friday in the Lois Pope LIFE Center, seventh-floor auditorium. Connie Lewin, M.D., and Marian Serge from the Food and Drug Administration will address regulations regarding the use of investigational drugs and devices. Topics will include the use of investigational drugs and devices in research and other situations such as emergency, humanitarian and compassionate uses, expanded access and custom devices. For further information and to download the registration form, please visit https://eprost.med.miami.edu/eprost/Rooms/DisplayPages/LayoutInitial?Container=com.webridge.entity.Entity%5BOID%5BF406D0453607BA47BA5559A623971A72%5D%5D. Please e-mail the completed registration form to Amanda Coltes-Rojas at acoltes@med.miami.edu, or fax it to 305-243-3328. Please contact Ms. Coltes-Rojas at 305-243-6494 with any questions. Reservations will be on a first come first serve basis.

Arthur Fournier, M.D., professor and vice chairman of the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health and associate dean for Community Health Affairs, will sign his new book The Zombie Curse at the medical bookstore on Monday, April 24 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. He will have an additional signing at the Coral Gables campus’ bookstore on Tuesday, April 25 at 6 p.m. This memoir of a physician battling the AIDS epidemic in Haiti does more than chronicle the story of a horrible disease; it is a moving tribute to the abundant courage, resilience and dignity of a people beset by tragedy. All of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to Project Medishare. For more information, please call the medical bookstore at 305-243-6068, or the Coral Gables bookstore at 305-284-4101.

Joseph A. Lucci, III, M.D., co-leader, Gynecologic Cancer Site Disease Group, professor and director, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, will present “Update on Pap Screening” on Tuesday, April  25 from noon to 1 p.m. at UM/Sylvester at Deerfield Beach, 1192 East Newport Center Drive, suite 100. This presentation is free of charge and a light lunch will be served. Seating is limited. Please call 1-800-545-2292 to register.

This workshop is designed to help attendees improve their conflict resolution and negotiation skills. It uses a blended training format where the first part of the course is completed online and the second part of the course is an interactive face-to-face skills practice session. The workshop takes place on Thursday, April 27 from noon to 2 p.m. in Dominion Parking Garage, room 155. Visit http://netlearning.miami.edu to register. For step-by-step instructions on how to register, visit http://www.miami.edu/eap/HowToRegister.doc. Please call 305-243-3090 with questions about registration, or 305-284-6604 with questions about content.

The Department of Medical Information Technology will host its next focus group on Thursday, April 27. Lunch will be provided. The small-group sessions last 90 minutes and are scheduled from noon to 1:30 p.m. If you’re interested in participating on April 27 or on a later date, visit http://it.med.miami.edu/x990.xml to read about the process and complete the form to volunteer.

This workshop will help parents and caregivers learn simple and effective discipline strategies to manage their teens’ behavior. It will be held on Thursday, May 4 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Dominion Parking Garage, room 155. Visit http://netlearning.miami.edu to register. For step-by-step instructions on how to register, visit http://www.miami.edu/eap/HowToRegister.doc. For answers about content, please call 305-284-6604 or call 305-243-3090 for registration answers.

Honors

Glen Barber, Ph.D.  , professor of microbiology and immunology, and Jean-Marie Parel, Ph.D., research associate professor at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, are two of the recipients of the 2006 Provost’s Award for Scholarly Activity.

Dr. Barber focuses on understanding mechanisms of innate immunity to viral infection and malignant disease. His laboratory’s work is crucial because gaining insight into the processes of the innate immune process could lead to the development of translational research programs involving the design of novel vaccines and therapeutics to combat disease.

Dr. Parel heads a laboratory that uses biophysical approaches to provide practical solutions for the treatment of eye diseases. Bascom Palmer’s Ophthalmic Biophysics Center, which Parel cofounded in 1970 and now directs, developed a synthetic cornea that corrects bilateral blindness. Parel, who holds a secondary appointment in the College of Engineering, also studies the biocompatibility of polymers designed to mimic the natural cornea’s optical and biomechanical properties, as well as laser surgical techniques to improve the visual acuity of ophthalmic prosthesis.

Daniel Santisteban, Ph.D., of the Center for Family Studies in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, is currently conducting a research program that would provide adolescents and/or their family treatment for free. Participants must be 14 to 17 years old, have a parent or legal guardian willing to participate, meet DSM criteria for both substance abuse disorder and borderline personality disorder, and be willing to participate in four separate but paid evaluations. If interested, please contact Henry Calderon, clinical research specialist/assessor, at 305-243-2225, or hcalderon@med.miami.edu for details.

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