On Friday, the Miller School of Medicine held a videoconference bringing scientists, government agencies and technology companies together to discuss key projects and foster new collaborations.

The Fifth Encounter for Argentina and Diaspora Cooperation (ECODAR) videoconference linked 60 scientists, officials and entrepreneurs representing more than 30 organizations, official institutions and companies from Miami, California's Silicon Valley and Buenos Aires, Argentina, for several hours of talks. ECODAR is an initiative of Argentine scientists, technologists and entrepreneurs living outside of Argentina who aim to create collaborations with the government, private organizations and companies.

ECODAR V was organized by Enrique A. Mesri, Ph.D., of UM/Sylvester, and Claudia Ochatt, Ph.D., from the MD/Ph.D. Postdoctoral and Interdisciplinary Programs of the Office of Graduate Studies and the Center for Argentine Students.  For more information on ECODAR, please contact Dr. Mesri at 305-243-5659, or Dr. Ochatt at 305-243-6278.

A representative from Fidelity Investments will be at the medical campus to conduct individual counseling sessions from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 28 and July 26. To schedule an appointment, call 1-800-642-7131.

A representative from TIAA-CREF will be at the medical campus on June 29 to conduct individual counseling sessions. To schedule an appointment, visit http://www.tiaa-cref.com/moc, or call Daphne Georges-Kong at 1-866-842-3357.

All counseling sessions from these organizations will take place in the Human Resources Benefits Office, 901 NW 17th St., suite D.

Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are being recruited for a study of effects of sildenafil on exercise and breathlessness. Participants must have a firm clinical diagnosis of IPF, be 40 to 85 years of age, and not be on medication for IPF. Interested patients or physicians wishing to refer patients should call 305-575-3548, fax 305-575-3126, or e-mail rjackson2@med.miami.edu.

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology is recruiting women for the following clinical research studies:

• A new investigational medication for pelvic pain due to endometriosis. To qualify, you must be between 18 and 45 years of age with regular menstrual periods, have endometriosis diagnosed by a surgical procedure (laparoscopy or laparotomy) within the past five years, have moderate to severe pelvic pain due to endometriosis for at least three months, have not used 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 contact Marisol Sloane at 305-243-1616, or msloane@med.miami.edu. Visit http://umic.miami.edu/documents/FINAL_BROCHURE2_1.pdf to view the brochure.

• An investigational medication to treat the symptoms of menopause and prevent osteoporosis. To qualify you must be between 40 to 64 years of age, have not had a period for at least six months, and have not had a hysterectomy. Qualified participants will receive free study-related tests and investigational medication, study-related physical and gynecological exams, mammograms and bone density scans, if eligible. Compensation for time and travel is available for qualified participants. Please contact Tilky Lopez-Blanco at 305-243-1616, or tlopez7@med.miami.edu.

• An investigational vaccine for human papillomavirus. Participants should be healthy women over the age of 26 who are not breastfeeding or planning to become pregnant during the next eight months and who will be in the area for the next three years. Qualified participants will receive study related tests, physical and gynecological exams, information on women’s health issues, family planning and compensation for travel and time. Please contact Iliana Rivas at 305-243-5832 for more information.

The Department of Psychology and the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control is conducting a quality of life research intervention with advanced prostate cancer patients. Participants should have Stage III or IV prostate cancer and have recently or currently been treated with hormone therapy. Eligible participants will take part in a ten-week cognitive behavioral stress and affect management program or a health promotions program. Three psychosocial/medical assessments are also required. If you are interested in this study or would like more information, please contact Frank Penedo, Ph.D., at 305-243-3329, or fpenedo@miami.edu.

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.

The Center for Research and Education on Aging and Technology Enhancement is conducting research with family caregivers of dementia patients who speak English and are 50 years of age or older. If you are not a caregiver but are interested in participating, you may be able to help as well. Participants will receive basic training on how to use the Internet and will be asked to look for information about care-giving and dementia. If you are interested in being a part of this research study, please call 305-355-9200. You will be paid for your time and effort.

The Institute for Women’s Health, in collaboration with the Women’s Mental Heath Programs in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, is currently recruiting 92 African-American women employed at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine or Jackson Memorial Hospital to participate in a research study focus group to discuss feelings, beliefs and experiences about being overweight or obese. Volunteers for the African-American Women’s Weight Reduction Study will receive healthy snacks, valuable diet readiness feedback, and monetary compensation for their time. For more information, please call Rhonda at 305-355-9157 or e-mail rnelson@med.miami.edu.

Jennifer B. Marks, M.D., is currently recruiting patients ages 18 through 40 with type 1 diabetes mellitus with a recent diagnosis for participation in a research study to test the safety and effectiveness of an investigational medication. Patients must be taking multiple insulin injections daily and in good health. Those who are interested should contact Rogelio Suarez at 305-243-6573 or rsuarez2@med.miami.edu.

The AIDS Clinical Research Unit, directed by Margaret Fischl, M.D., is recruiting participants for the following studies:

• An investigational smallpox vaccine in patients with HIV and without HIV. The vaccine uses a modified vaccinia virus, which is not as strong as the smallpox virus and cannot grow well enough in human cells to cause disease. Participants must be 18 to 34 years of age, have never received smallpox vaccinations, and have no history of heart or skin problems. HIV patients must be taking antiretroviral therapy and have a viral load of less than 50,000 and a CD4 cell count greater than 200. Up to $275 provided and free HIV testing is done.

• An investigational CC-chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) entry inhibitor for patients with HIV. The study will look at single dose, dose escalations of a study drug (0.5 mg, 2.0 mg and 5.0 mg) and a placebo. The study will determine how well the study drug blocks CCR5 receptors and is tolerated. Participants must be 18 and older, not taking antiretroviral therapy for at least three months and have a viral load greater than 5,000 and a CD4 count greater than 250. Must be willing to do six-hour drug level monitoring. Up to $250 provided.

• A therapeutic HIV-1 vaccine study. Participants must be 18 to 50 years of age, receiving antiretroviral therapy, have an HIV-1 RNA level less than 500 copies/ml for at least two years and a CD4 cell count 500/ccm or higher. Up to $150 in food certificates provided.

• A phase I IL-7 study (IL-7 is a cytokine that aids T-cell development and improves T-cell 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 than or equal to 50,000 copies/ml, and have a CD4 cell count of 100 cells/ccm or higher. Participants must be willing to do 12-hour IL-7 blood level monitoring. Up to $200 in food certificates provided.

For more information on studies conducted by the AIDS Clinical Research Unit, contact Juan at 305-243-3838 or Leslie at L.Thompson@miami.edu.

The SPARE Study (Soy Phytoestrogens As Replacement Estrogen) is currently recruiting women 45 to 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 University of Miami Skin Research Group, directed by Brian Berman, M.D., Ph.D., is looking for people with acne, atopic dermatitis (eczema), and keloids. Participants should be 18 or older for the acne and keloid studies and ages 2 to 17 for the atopic dermatitis studies. If interested, please contact the research staff at 305-243-5519 or visit our website at www.skininvestigation.com.

The Division of Cosmetic Dermatology, directed by Leslie Baumann, M.D., is looking for teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17 to participate in a research study to determine whether injections with Botulinum toxin Type A relieve excessive underarm sweating. If interested, please contact a member of the research staff at 305-532-5552.

Bruce Rubin, M.D., is currently performing a study on trigeminal neuralgia (TN) treatment with subcutaneous injections of BOTOX® to evaluate the effectiveness of treating facial pain associated with TN. Patients must have a diagnosis of TN for more than three months and be at least 18 years of age.
 
Dr. Rubin is also seeking patients for a research study on the treatment of tightness/spasticity in the wrist, fingers, and elbow caused by a stroke while evaluating the effect of BOTOX® on pulmonary functioning. Patients must be 18 years of age, have had a stroke six months ago or longer, have a pulmonary/breathing problem and cannot have used BOTOX® or any other botulinum toxin previously for any condition. Please contact Amy L. Kaye, ARNP, at 305-243-6223 for additional information on either of these studies.