The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine has received approval for Palm Beach County’s first medical residency program, at JFK Medical Center in Atlantis and the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center.

The announcement of UM’s new internal-medicine residency came during a news conference on Friday at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach. Miller School Dean Pascal J. Goldschmidt, M.D., told the gathering that graduate medical education raises the level of care for everyone. "South Florida and in particular Palm Beach County will become a medical destination," Dean Goldschmidt said. "No longer will someone have to jump on a plane to access care somewhere else, because now the best medicine will be right in your backyard. You deserve it, and it’s the right thing to do."

The UM Miller School of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University Internal Medicine Residency Program will welcome its first residents in July of next year, following the recent approval by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. But that first class is only the beginning.

“Over time we will expand and support our partner Boca Raton Community Hospital as they build their new building, and we will expand to additional hospitals as training programs that support our FAU medical campus are added," said Jeanette Mladenovic, M.D., senior associate dean for graduate medical education at the Miller School of Medicine. "We hope to eventually see more than 300 residents training throughout Palm Beach County."

Ralph Sacco, M.D., M.S., Miller Professor of Neurology and Epidemiology and chairman of the Department of Neurology at the Miller School, received the 2007 Chairman’s Award of the American Heart Association. The award was presented at the opening of the Scientific Sessions 2007 in Orlando on Sunday. Dr. Sacco was recognized for his invaluable leadership in achieving the organization’s vital goals through the creation of innovative community-based programs to combat stroke.

“Dr. Sacco’s role in the development of the 'Power to End Stroke' campaign has been crucial to its success," said Gary Ellis, chairman of the American Heart Association. "Since its launch by the American Heart Association last year, this informational program has made measurable progress in spreading life-saving messages targeting minority populations, especially in riskier Southeastern states that make up the Stroke Belt."

The inaugural Chairman’s Award was handed out in 2000 by the American Heart Association. The purpose of the award is to identify and honor medical volunteers who have helped further the organization’s strategic goals in non-science areas.

“It is a great privilege and honor to be recognized by the American Heart Association with this award," said Dr. Sacco.  “I have devoted my career to raising awareness about stroke risk and prevention. Partnering with the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association has been a terrific opportunity to get the word out to the public and truly make a difference in our fight to reduce stroke and cardiovascular diseases."

If you missed the chance to get a flu shot at the Benefits Fair, flu vaccines are still available at no cost to employees, students, volunteers and contract workers. Vaccinations will be given Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Employee Health Office, Dominion Tower, suite 405, and from noon to 2 p.m. at the Medical Wellness Center, Clinical Research Building. No appointment is necessary. Please e-mail Sandra Chen-Walta at schen@miami.edu for more information.

As part of Jackson Health System's campus-wide security measures, effective immediately the Division of Public Safety will close the roll-down gates on the south side of the Park Plaza West garage (the Ronald McDonald House side) every night at 11. The gates will remain closed until 5 the following morning. During these lockdown hours, all vehicular traffic must enter and exit the garage from the north entrance (SunTrust side).

At the Park Plaza East garage, the pedestrian corridor into the building will be locked down at both the east and west entrances every night at 11. These entrances will remain closed until 5:30 the following morning. Once these gates are locked there will be no access for patrons or staff through the interior of the corridor. The northeast elevator (by the Jackson Memorial Foundation) will also be locked down once the roll-down gates are locked. If you need to exit the garage during these hours, please exit through the glass door adjacent to the northeast elevator and use the southwest elevators. 

These measures are being put in place to reduce vandalism and prevent unauthorized people from loitering in these areas and will be instrumental in maintaining a safe and secure environment for employees, visitors and patrons.

The Professional Development and Training Office now has access to an extensive contact hours library for University of Miami nurses. This library contains topics in the following areas: critical care nursing, cultural competency, disease states, emergency nursing, career advancement, obstetrics nursing, oncology nursing, patient care basics, perioperative nursing, pharmacotherapy and special populations.

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Please join us today at noon in the Rosenstiel Medical Science Building, fourth-floor auditorium for a Cell Biology and Anatomy seminar, "Oncogenic Protein Kinase C Signaling in Lung Cancer: From Prognosis to Therapy," presented by Alan P. Fields, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology and chair of the Department of Cancer Basic Research at Mayo Clinic.

The Debbie School will be hosting a scholastic book fair today and tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in  the breezeway between the Mailman Center for Child Development and the Debbie School.

For further information, please contact Kathleen C. Vergara or Mirtha Gonzalez at 305-243-3669.

The Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology's Richard Chi, Ph.D., will present a seminar "Smooth Muscle Titin Interactions With Alpha-Actinin" as part of the department's seminar series. The presentation will take place this Thursday at noon in the Rosenstiel Medical Science Building, room 6018.
 
For additional information, please contact Sara Pizano at 305-243-3419.

Please join us in welcoming Stephanie Dimmeler, Ph.D., professor of experimental medicine and head of molecular cardiology at the University of Frankfurt, and Andreas Zeiher, M.D., professor of medicine, chief of the cardiology unit and chairman for the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Frankfurt, for a Stem Cell Symposium, where they will discuss "Regulation of Adult Progenitor Cell Differentiation and Function." The symposium will take place this Thursday from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Lois Pope LIFE Center, seventh-floor auditorium. For more information, please contact Doris Fernández 305-243-1998 or dfernandez4@med.miami.edu.

Are you submitting an NIH proposal soon? Are you submitting electronically? Learn how to use the InfoEd Proposal Development System to prepare and submit your proposal electronically to the NIH by attending a special presentation by Patricia Atkinson this Thursday from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Mailman Center for Child Development, room 3003.

InfoEd streamlines the proposal development process. It is web-based and accessible almost anywhere by Mac and PC users with no additional software. InfoEd auto completes agency forms and includes agency validations, stores proposals in a secure environment and provides a database of all proposals submitted. This session will help participants create, route, submit and track proposals using the InfoEd Proposal Development System.

Please register at http://Ulearn.miami.edu, for questions, please contact Sofia Aymerich at saymerich@med.miami.edu.

Wei Li, Ph.D., assistant professor of ophthalmology, cell biology and anatomy, will discuss "Retinal Pigment Cell Phagocytosis and Retinitis Pigmentosa" in the Retter Auditorium at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute this Thursday at 12:30 p.m. Lunch will be served at noon.

Please join us for Orthopaedic Grand Rounds this Thursday at 7 a.m. in the Mailman Center for Child Development, eighth-floor auditorium.

Robert A. Pedowitz, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair in the Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine at the University of South Florida College of Medicine, will present a lecture on "Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair: Clinical Considerations and Fixation Challenges." 

This presentation is sponsored by the Department of Orthopaedics. For more information on this lecture, please contact Ledi Figueroa at lfigueroa@med.miami.edu or 305-243-6725.

The Miami Institute for Human Genomics presents "From Whole Genome Scans to Phenotype: Unraveling Inflammatory Diseases" on Thursday, Nov. 8, at noon in the Mailman Center for Child Development, eighth-floor auditorium. The lecture will be given by David A. Hafler, M.D., Jack, Sadie and David Breakstone Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School's Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Psychiatry Grand Rounds will be held this Friday from noon to 1 p.m. in the Mailman Center for Child Development, eighth-floor auditorium. 

Raymond Ownby, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, will present "Medical Errors Prevention, Part 1." This lecture will earn one continuing medical education credit and fulfill the licensure requirements for physicians who participate. Please note that this lecture does not fulfill licensure requirements for psychologists or social workers however one continuing education unit can be earned.

Please join us for a biochemistry seminar series with Neil Johnson, Ph.D., this Friday at noon in the R. Bunn Gautier Building, room 118. Dr. Johnson will present "Complex Systems, Systems Biology and Biological Networks: Can (UM) Physics Help?" 

Anyone wishing to meet with the speaker should contact Sylka Perez at 305-243-6265 or sperez6@med.miami.edu.

The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology presents a seminar by Juan Ausio, B.Sc., Ph.D., professor of biochemistry and microbiology at the University of Victoria. The lecture, "Histone H2A Variants That Modulate Nucleosome Stability and Chromatin Folding," will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 14, at noon in the R. Bunn Gautier Building, room 118. To meet the speaker, please e-mail tfletcher@med.miami.edu.

As part of the Gail F. Beach Memorial Visiting Lectureship Series, Hans Keirstead, Ph.D., associate professor of anatomy and neurobiology at the University of California, will present "Spinal Cord Injury Pathogenesis and Stem Strategies for Repair."

Along with affection and joy, sometimes the holidays and festivities bring a load of unhappy feelings. People are not always conscious of these uninvited emotions. This seminar explores the energy drains, including subtle emotions, that the holidays can bring with them. Managing the stress of difficult family encounters, too much to do and disrupted schedules are also topics of discussion, along with ways to maintain health in order to maximize happiness. Participants will be encouraged to share their own strategies to increase holiday enjoyment.

Do you have a co-worker, friend or family member you wish would stop smoking? "Adopt" them for a day and get a free lunch. The Great American Smoke-Out is a nationwide event designed to encourage smokers to kick the habit for one day.

At the University of Miami, the event will be conducted as an "Adopt a Smoker for a Day" program. UM employees can adopt a friend, family member or co-worker who smokes and treat them to lunch. Along with the feast, participants will receive information to help them prepare for the Great American Smoke-Out on November 15 with practical tips for quitting successfully.

Quit kits loaded with substitutes for smoking such as stress balls, Slinkys and chewing gum will be distributed at the luncheon and participants will learn how to provide support for their friends without nagging them.
This year, the medical campus luncheon will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 14, from noon to 1 p.m., at the Medical Wellness Center.

In past years, this event has been successful in motivating smokers to participate in the University’s national award-winning 6-week BeSmokeFree Program and kick the habit for life.

Please join us for a Sponsored Programs Education Workshop, a required institutional program for all key personnel listed on proposals, presented by Sofia Aymerich on Wednesday, Nov. 14, from 3 to 5 p.m. on the Coral Gables campus in the Fred C. and Helen Donn Flipse Building, fifth-floor conference room. 

The purpose of this workshop is to educate key personnel about fiscal and compliance issues of pre- and post-award management. Topics will include finding funding opportunities, closing an account, the roles and responsibilities of the principal investigator, established policies and procedures, and an overview of the central support services available to the investigator.

The Employee Assistance course "Setting Personal Goals for Emerging Leaders," offered by the Professional Development and Training Office, has changed the time of this course. The course will be held on Thursday, Nov. 15, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. 

The course requires a computer-based prerequisite. If you do not have access to the Internet and need to obtain the pre-work materials, or need further information on the content of the workshop, please call 305-284-6604.

The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery are proud to present a joint grand rounds lecture featuring Harvard School of Medicine psychologist, Nancy L. Etcoff, Ph.D., author of Survival of the Prettiest. Dr. Etcoff will present "Survival of the Prettiest: New Insights from the Science of Beauty and Body Image" on Thursday, Nov. 15, from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in the Mailman Center for Child Development, eighth-floor auditorium. Eva Ritvo, M.D., vice chair for professional and community development in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and associate professor of psychiatry and dermatology, is hosting the event.

Did you know that more than 20 million Americans have diabetes and that 6.2 million Americans are unaware that they have the disease?

Are you using animals for your research projects? Did you know that you need to have approval from the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee? Join us for a roundtable discussion that will cover the steps for submitting your protocol through the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee on Thursday, Nov. 15, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Fred C. and Helen Donn Flipse Building, fifth-floor conference room. Ellen Kapsalis, Ph.D., associate director of the IACUC, will present "Routing a Protocol through the IACUC."

Please register at http://ulearn.miami.edu/. For questions, please contact Sofia Aymerich at saymerich@med.miami.edu.

The Developmental Center for AIDS Research, along with the Comprehensive Drug Research Center and the Comprehensive AIDS Program present Jacques Normand, Ph.D., director of AIDS Research at the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the NIH. The lecture, "NIDA’s HIV/AIDS Program: Research Priorities in a new Budget Year," will take place from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Mailman Center for Child Development, eighth-floor auditorium on Friday, Nov. 16. Lunch will be served. To RSVP or for further information, please contact Tamy Kuper at 305-243-6430 or tkuper@med.miami.edu.

As part of the Neuroscience Center Seminar Series, Laurence Trussell, Ph.D., professor of otolaryngology at the Oregon Hearing Research Center, will present a special lecture, "Regulation of the Time Course of Glycinergic Transmission." The lecture will be held on Friday, Nov. 16, at 1 p.m. in the Lois Pope LIFE Center, seventh-floor auditorium. For more information, please call 305-243-7108 or visit the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis Web site at http://www.miamiproject.med.miami.edu/x381.xml.

Join us at Miami MetroZoo on Sunday, Nov. 18, to celebrate the miracles that happen everyday. As of July 2007, there are over 95,000 people waiting to receive a transplant. One donor can help save the lives of up to 50 people. The Miracle Walk/Run is a 5K event geared to promote organ donation in the community. In addition to the 5K, enjoy breakfast, a health fair with massage station, ice cream, music and entertainment. The registration fee is $30 for adults and $15 for children under 13. Registration also includes Miami MetroZoo admission, so you can stay and enjoy the day with family or friends.

Proceeds will benefit the Transplant Foundation, Inc., an affiliate of the Miller School, and programs that give back to the transplant community. Money will also be used to help patients pay for medication, housing, transportation and utilities. To register, please visit www.MiracleWalkRun.Kintera.org or call us at 305-817-5645.

Please join us for a special presentation, "Update on the Protection of Human Subjects in Psychiatric Research," by Richard M. Steinbook, M.D., professor and director of psychiatric residency training. The presentation will cover the current effort to incorporate the proper procedures for protection, briefly review the necessity of such research, discuss the use of these procedures in the Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness and evaluate new efforts to simplify measuring the patient’s capacity to give informed consent.

Delegation is a management approach that allows staff to use and develop their experiences to a greater potential. Delegating is an excellent way to motivate staff so their full potential is realized with on-the-job opportunities. A seminar on delegation will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 28, from 1 to 5 p.m. at Dominion Parking Garage in the Professional Development and Training Office, suite 155.

Orthopaedic Grand Rounds will be held at the Mailman Center for Child Development, eighth-floor auditorium on Thursday, Nov. 29, at 7 a.m. Peter A. W. Ostermann, M.D., Ph.D., professor of orthopaedic surgery at St. Agnes-Hospital Bocholt, will present "The MicroHip Technique--Always a Good Option?" The lecture will discuss minimally invasive total hip replacement. For more information, please contact Ledi Figueroa at lfigueroa@med.miami.edu or 305-243-6725.

Team building is a method of building positive business relationships, helping colleagues face challenges together, developing new and innovative ideas and improving the decision-making process. "Team Building for Supervisors" is a Leadership Academy course that has been developed to help supervisors increase the effectiveness of their teams to achieve top levels of operational and relational performance through collaboration and mutual respect.

The course will be held on Thursday, Nov. 29, from 9 a.m. to noon at Dominion Parking Garage in the Professional Development and Training Office, suite 155. You must complete the corresponding online computer-based learning modules prior to enrolling in the course. To register for the session and complete the online modules, visit http://ulearn.miami.edu. For more information, please contact Fredricka Williams at 305-243-3090.

Gene Cohen, M.D., Ph.D., professor and director of the Center on Aging, Health and Humanities at George Washington University, will discuss "A New View of the Aging Brain & Mind: Positive Changes Because of Aging, Not Despite Aging." Dr. Cohen's research centers on establishing new programs focused on understanding, studying and promoting creativity that accompanies aging. The lecture will be held on Friday, Dec. 14, from noon to 1 p.m. at the BankUnited Center, Hurricane Room 100. Lunch will be served following the lecture. Please RSVP via e-mail at spurcell@med.miami.edu or call 305-355-9081.

This year's Richard P. Bunge Memorial Lecture will feature William Snider, M.D., director of the University of North Carolina Neuroscience Center, presenting "Dissection of Neurotrophin Signaling Pathways by Mouse Genetics."

The lecture will be held in the Lois Pope LIFE Center, seventh-floor auditorium at 1 p.m.
Lunch will be served at 12:30 p.m. For more information, contact the neuroscience program office at neurosci@med.miami.edu or 305-243-3368.

The Department of Pediatrics is honored to host Carol Flexer, Ph.D., professor emeritus of audiology, from the University of Akron, for a full-day conference on auditory brain development. During her presentation "Auditory Brain Development: The Key to Listening, Language and Literacy," Dr. Flexer will examine the auditory basis of phonemic awareness, reading fluency and literacy development. She will also describe informal instructional strategies for facilitating listening and literacy in infants and children, and discuss the resources available to professionals working with families. Please join us on Wednesday, Jan. 30, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Retter Auditorium.

The Miami Winter Symposium on Regulatory RNA in Biology and Human Health will be held Saturday, Feb. 2, through Wednesday, Feb. 6, at the Miami Beach Resort and Spa. 
 
RNA interference is widely adopted as a powerful approach for experimental knockdown of gene expression. At this symposium, a wide group of researchers working in RNA interference, X chromosome inactivation and naturally occurring antisense transcripts will look at our current understanding of the mechanisms of action and biogenesis of small regulatory RNAs, and how this is being applied to create a new generation of therapeutics and diagnostics.
 
The poster session short reports deadline is Monday, Nov. 5. For instructions on how to prepare your two-page short report for the symposium, please e-mail Sandy Black at sblack@miami.edu. Oral presentations will be selected from the short reports received. Additionally, there will be a poster competition for students and post-docs.  Posters will be judged and winners will be selected each day of the symposium. Visit the Web site for details at www.miami.edu/mws.

The symposium is sponsored and organized by the University Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Foundation, Inc., UM/Sylvester, Nature Publishing Group and Scripps Florida.

UM/Sylvester is currently recruiting for the following studies:

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