The success of pediatric clinical research at the Miller School of Medicine is getting national attention as the lead article in the January issue of The Journal of Pediatrics. The article details how the Division of Pediatric Clinical Research, part of the Department of Pediatrics, grew from just five positions when it was created in 2003 to 34 positions last year, with  $93 million in research funding. More than $10 million of that is NIH funding, a 75 percent increase since 2003. The Department of Pediatrics now leads the Miller School in extramural funding.
 
“Each month the journal chooses a topic with broad interest and asks leading authorities on that particular topic to write about it, and it was quite an honor to be asked to put together this article on building a pediatric clinical research division at the Batchelor Children’s Research Institute," said Steven E. Lipshultz, M.D., professor and chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at the Miller School and one of the article’s authors.

Just a reminder that the Miller School of Medicine will be closed on Monday, Jan. 21, in recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

In preparation for Phase Five of the NW 12th Avenue Bridge Replacement Project, two southbound travel lanes will be rerouted to the new bridge on Sunday, Jan. 20. This shift will take several hours to complete and motorists should anticipate delays. Once completed, there will be two lanes open in each direction on the new bridge. The traffic pattern will remain this way for about 14 months while the old NW 12th Avenue bridge is demolished and the new three-lane southbound bridge is built.
 
Work in Phase Five includes reconstructing the western half of the NW 12th Avenue/NW 11th Street intersection. Please note that NW 11th Street will be closed to all through traffic between NW 13th Avenue and NW 12th Avenue for the duration of the work. For more details and detours, please visit http://ummcsd.med.miami.edu/SECURITY/12thAvenueBridgeNotice.pdf.

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute’s Training Program in Cardiovascular Signaling and the Cardiovascular Disease Forum announce the inaugural "UM Cardiovascular Research Symposium," featuring basic and clinical cardiovascular research presentations by UM students and fellows, a special presentation, and a panel discussion that includes Dean Pascal J. Goldschmidt, M.D., to be held on Tuesday, March 13.

Schedule:

Poster viewing, 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.; oral presentations, 12:30 to 2 p.m. at Jackson Memorial Hospital Diagnostic Treatment center, room 259.

The Institute for Women’s Health is delighted to announce the establishment of a new pathway in women’s health for medical students. This pathway will provide students with an excellent opportunity to develop their research skills under guidance of a faculty mentor and to join a special community of researchers, educators, and clinicians with an interest in women’s health. It will include monthly seminars during the second year and a three-year research project supervised by Institute for Women's Health faculty. Upon completion, students will present their research project at the Institute’s annual women’s health day and will have the opportunity to travel to a meeting to present their work. The deadline to apply for the program is Jan. 28. For more information, please visit http://womenshealth.med.miami.edu/.

Are doctors too smart to be influenced by a free lunch? Are "free" samples good for our patients? Are small gifts ethical? If you’ve ever asked yourself any of these questions or have ever wondered what type of influence the pharmaceutical industry has on how a physician practices, then join the American Medical Students Association and the American Medical Association the week of January 28 for our "Pharm Free Week." They will host speakers and panels during lunch in the Rosenstiel Medical Science Building to discuss where UM’s current "pharm" policy is and where it should go.
 
For more information, stay tuned to e-Update or contact Priyanka Handa at 305-338-9503 or phanda@med.miami.edu.

The Disaster Interest Group consists of professionals at UM and Jackson Health System who share a common interest in disaster-related research, education, clinical care, community service and policy. The group is attempting to identify other colleagues with these interests and hopes to gain an understanding of the disaster work and services taking place within the UM community. 

Just a reminder that if you are enrolled in a 2008 Humana medical plan, you should have received your new ID card at your home address. If you have not received the card, please contact Humana Customer Service at 1-888-778-8389. A temporary card is available online at www.humana.com if you need the card before you receive it in the mail.
 
If you have any questions, contact Humana directly or visit www.miami.edu/benefits/ask and complete the online form.

The Jay Weiss Center for Social Medicine and Health Equity would like to remind you that tomorrow is the deadline for first-year medical students to apply for the Student Pathway in Social Medicine. Applications are available online at www.jayweisscenter.org. Ten first-year students will be chosen to participate in the program. For additional information, please contact Katie Houghton at 305-243-8893 or khoughton@med.miami.edu.

Louis Calder Memorial Library is pleased to announce the purchase of QUOSA Information Manager for UM faculty, staff and students. QUOSA Information Manager streamlines literature searches, organizes article collections and allows all information to be shared with colleagues. 

One-hour training sessions on QUOSA Information Manager will be given this Thursday and Friday at 9 a.m., noon and 3 p.m. in the third-floor classroom at Louis Calder Memorial Library. To register for one of the six sessions, please contact the Reference Desk at 305-243-6648, Monday through Friday, between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.

To download QUOSA Information Manager go to http://www.quosa.com/downloads.html, select the subscriber version and choose Windows or Mac, which will initiate the download. After the download is complete, follow the prompts to install the program and fill out the registration form.

Last week, the new OvidSP interface replaced the Ovid software at Louis Calder Memorial Library. OvidSP offers some new features such as a ‘basic search’ option that supports natural language processing. In this 'basic search' you can enter any phrase or search question and OvidSP will effectively translate the language into a search query, limit your retrieval to no more than 500 citations, and then rank the results by relevance. The new system also contains a 'search fields' option which allows the search input to be arranged in a specific field. All usernames and saved searches in the existing system will be transferred to the new one. 

For questions about OvidSP, please contact the Reference Desk, Monday through Friday, between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. at 305-243-6648 or reference@med.miami.edu.

Bascom Palmer's Aesthetic Center now features non-surgical cosmetic enhancements including Botox, Dermal fillers and Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) for the treatment of wrinkles, age spots, sun damage and permanent hair removal. IPL treatments can be scheduled at Bascom Palmer in Miami, and at Bascom Palmer in Palm Beach Gardens.

Tickets to the UM Employee Day men's basketball game against the Virginia Cavaliers on Saturday, March 1, at 2 p.m. are still available as are tickets for the women’s basketball game versus Florida State on Thursday, Jan. 24, at 7 p.m. UM employees will receive one free ticket to each basketball game and can purchase up to five more tickets for $1 per ticket. To pick up Employee Day tickets, download and complete the registration form at http://hurricanesports.cstv.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/mifl/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/08BKemployeeform. Individuals must bring the completed form and a valid UM Employee ID to receive ticket(s).

• University Compliance (anonymous hotline): 866-YOURCALL
• Billing (anonymous hotline): 305-243-HELP or 877-415-HELP
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• 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.

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Please join us today at noon in the Rosenstiel Medical Science Building, fourth-floor auditorium for a seminar by Leopoldo Raij, M.D., professor of medicine at the Miller School and VA Medical Center. Dr. Raij will present "Interaction between Angiotensin II and Nitric Oxide: Notes from a Biology Watcher."

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 one or more of the special presentations and workshops listed below.

A weight-loss seminar will be held tomorrow at 7 p.m. in University of Miami Hospital's first-floor seminar center. Atul Madan, M.D., F.A.C.S., chief of the Division of Laparoendoscopic and Bariatric Surgery, will present a seminar on "Obesity and Your Surgical Options." Dr. Madan is a recognized expert in weight-loss surgery and has performed more than 1,000 bariatric procedures.

To register for the seminar, please call 305-325-5000. For more information, please visit www.umiamihospital.com.

The Department of Orthopaedics will continue its Thursday Grand Rounds series with a lecture by Cary B. Chapman, M.D., assistant professor of orthopaedics, this Thursday at 7 a.m. in the Mailman Center for Child Development, eighth-floor auditorium. Dr. Chapman will present "The Adult Cavovarus Foot." 

This lecture is recommended for orthopaedic surgeons, residents, fellows, practicing orthopaedists, physiatrists, physical therapists, nurses and medical students. It qualifies for one continuing medical education credit for physicians. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. For more information, please contact Ledi Figueroa at lfigueroa@med.miami.edu or 305-243-6725.

Join us this Thursday at noon in the Rosenstiel Medical Science Building, room 3109 for a microbiology and immunology seminar by Beth Garvy, Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine and associate professor of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Garvy will present "Pulmonary Host Defense in Neonatal Mice."

Learn how the CRIS Office can assist you with your clinical trials. Please join us this Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. in the Batchelor Children's Research Institute, Baxter Conference Room for a roundtable discussion on CRIS Office updates and procedures. Suzanne Page, director of CRIS, will present: "Working with Clinical Research Initiation Services (CRIS): An Overview of the Process and Services Provided."

UM/Sylvester Research Administration will host Santosh Kesari, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and assistant physician at The Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Institute. Dr. Kesari will present "Olig2 and Translational Studies in Neuro-Oncology" this Thursday, Jan. 17, at 4 p.m. in the auditorium at the Medical Training and Simulation Laboratory. No RSVP is necessary. Refreshments and snacks will be provided.

The Mailman Center for Child Development invites you to "Why a Medical Home: Physician and Parent Perspectives," a presentation of the Atlantic Coast Consortium Web Series on Families. Jeffrey P. Brosco, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of pediatrics and director of clinical services, will examine the American Academy of Pediatrics’ policy and suggested practices, as well as how and why providing a medical home is beneficial to patient care for children with chronic medical conditions or disabilities. Antoinette Hill, director of Parent and Family Leadership, will discuss what parents can do to assist physicians in the care of their children as well as how and why a medical home improves outcomes for children. 

The lecture will also be broadcast live on the Internet. Lunch will be served from 11:30 to 11:55 a.m. followed by the lecture at noon. To RSVP or for additional information, please contact Wanda Castro at wcastro@med.miami.edu or 305-243-4466.

UM/Sylvester is pleased to host the world's premier event recognizing achievement in cancer research, the sixth annual Landon-AACR Prize Lectures. Richard D. Kolodner, Ph.D., professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, the recipient of the 2007 Kirk A. Landon-AACR Prize for Basic Cancer Research, will lecture on "DNA Mismatch Repair: From Basic Genetic and Mechanistic Studies to Human Cancer Genetics."

Douglas R. Lowy, M.D., chief, and John T. Schiller, Ph.D., senior investigator, both in the  Laboratory of Cellular Oncology  at the Center for Cancer Research at the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health are the recipients of the 2007 Dorothy P. Landon-AACR Prize for Translational Cancer Research. They will lecture on "HPV Vaccines for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer." The lectures take place this Friday from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Jackson Memorial Hospital Diagnostic Treatment Center, second-floor conference center. For more information, call 305-243-2287.

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute invites you to the Grove Isle Hotel and Spa in Coconut Grove to determine the ACC Glaucoma Grovetrotter Finals champion. This final will present new strategies in the clinical practice of glaucoma, comparison of current surgical techniques, new techniques being developed and controversial topics for 2008. 

This course is intended for general ophthalmologists and glaucoma specialists. It will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. this Friday and from 7:30 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. this Saturday, Jan. 19. For more information, please contact Karen Davila at 305-326-6110 or kdavila@med.miami.edu. 

This Saturday at 8 p.m., Orchestra Miami will present a gala concert celebrating the bicentennial of the founding of Casa Ricordi, a benefit spearheaded by Camillo Ricordi, M.D., director of the Diabetes Research Institute, and seventh-generation descendant of Giovanni Ricordi, the founder of Casa Ricordi in 1808. Honorary chairs are South Florida arts patrons Patricia and Phillip Frost, and opera legend Renata Scotto and her husband Lorenzo Anselmi. In recognition of Casa Ricordi's unparalleled importance in the world of opera, Orchestra Miami director Elaine Rinaldi has invited many Metropolitan Opera stars to join Orchestra Miami in arias, duets and ensembles.

More than 400 community leaders, aviation industry executives and grateful CURED (the University of Miami’s Center for Urologic Research, Education and Diseases) patients are expected to gather this Sunday, Jan. 20 at 6 p.m. for a "High Flying Celebration" in honor of Mark S. Soloway, M.D., professor and chairman of the Department of Urology at the Miller School.

The fundraising event for CURED will be held at the Aeroservice Aviation Center and offers guests a chance to captain a flight simulator used to certify commercial pilots. The celebration also includes a reception featuring fine champagnes, delicious food selections, entertainment, and since it is NFL playoff day, televisions will be located throughout the party for all to enjoy. The evening will be capped off with a memorable tribute program honoring Dr. Soloway.

Don’t miss the next Sponsored Programs quarterly meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 22, from 1 to 2 p.m. in the Mailman Center for Child Development, eighth-floor auditorium. These meetings, which are open to all faculty and staff, take place every three months to promote communication among all departments. At the meetings, the University community learns about important updates related to UM sponsor policies and procedures, UM sponsor forms, new systems and system requirements. Attendees may ask questions about compliance issues, special circumstances and how to avoid mistakes. They will also receive information about other available resources, share experiences and find solutions to various problems.

To register, or for more information, please visit http://ulearn.miami.edu. For questions, please contact Sofia Aymerich at saymerich@med.miami.edu.

Joan A. Steitz, Ph.D., Sterling Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Yale University, will present: "RNA-Protein Complexes (RNPs): Versatile Regulators of Gene Expression in Mammalian Cells" on Wednesday, Jan. 23, at noon in the Rosenstiel Medical Science Building, fourth-floor auditorium.

The Department of Rehabilitation Medicine will host Grand Rounds on Wednesday, Jan. 23, from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. in the Lois Pope LIFE Center, seventh-floor auditorium. Mark Nash, Ph.D., FACSM, associate professor of neurological surgery and rehabilitation medicine, director of research for the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, and principal investigator for The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, will present "Cardiovascular Disease Clusters After SCI: Authoritative Guidelines for Risk Management."

The Sponsored Programs Education Workshop, a required institutional program for all key personnel listed on proposals, is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 23, from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Batchelor Children's Research Institute, Baxter Conference Room. The goal is to educate key personnel about the fiscal and compliance issues of pre- and post-award management. The workshop covers the most recent information on the grant process from finding funding opportunities to closing an account. Maria Valero-Martinez and Sofia Aymerich will review the principal investigator's role and responsibility for administering sponsored projects, explain established policies and procedures, and provide an overview of the central support services available to the investigator.

On Thursday, Jan. 24, Andrew J. Cooper, M.D., fifth-year resident, will speak on "Subtrochanteric Femur Fractures: IM Nails Versus Plate Fixation." The lecture will take place at 7 a.m. in the Mailman Center for Child Development, eighth-floor auditorium.

Are you submitting electronic applications through Grants.gov? Join us for a Grants.gov hands-on workshop on Thursday, Jan. 24, from 9 a.m. to noon, in the Louis Calder Memorial Library computer lab.

Just a reminder that the 40th annual Teaching Conference in Clinical Cardiology and Neurology, a primary care update presented by the Michael S. Gordon Center for Research in Medical Education, will be held on Friday, Jan. 25 and Saturday, Jan. 26 at the Hyatt Regency Miami. The conference will address both acute and long-term evaluation, management, practical treatment and clinical skills for nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, physical therapists and physicians. Case-based presentations will include Harvey, the cardiopulmonary patient simulator. 

The conference will also feature University of Miami faculty Michael S. Gordon, M.D., professor of clinical medicine, director and associate dean for research in medical education; S. Barry Issenberg, M.D., assistant director and assistant dean of the Gordon Center for Research in Medical Education; and Joan Baker, R.N., MSN, CCRN, CNRN. Also presenting are visiting professors Robert E. Safford, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine from the Mayo Clinic, and Jaffar Khan, M.D., assistant professor of neurology from Emory University.

A maximum of 14 continuing medical education credit hours and continuing education units can be earned by attending. Registration is still available for full-time UM employees at $100 or $150 for physicians. All learning materials for the course are included. Tuition remission is available for a limited number of registrants. The conference will begin at 8 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 25.

Please register online at http://www.gcrme.med.miami.edu/meded_conf2008.html. For more information, call 305-243-6491 or e-mail tcccn@crme.med.miami.edu.

Margaret Pericak-Vance, Ph.D., director of the Miami Institute for Human Genomics, invites you to attend a special seminar by Walter E. Nance, Ph.D, M.D., professor and chair emeritus in the Department of Human Genetics at Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr Nance will speak on "Genetic Deafness, Human Evolution and the Conflict Between Science and Theology."

The lecture will take place on Friday, Jan. 25, from 11 a.m. to noon in Bascom Palmer Eye Institute's Retter Auditorium. Following the lecture, lunch will be served at Au Bon Pain on the first-level of Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. To RSVP, or for more information, please contact Lourdes Landa at llanda@med.miami.edu or 305-243-5386.

The Department of Pathology will conduct its 33rd annual "Review and Recent Practical Advances in Pathology" course, at the Miami Beach Resort and Spa Monday, Jan. 28, through Friday, Feb. 1. This year's topics include neuropathology, prostate, pediatric, urologic, GI, and breast pathology, kidney and soft tissue tumors, automation, and cytopathology.

The conference will be attended by pathologists from across the United States and abroad. A special rate is available to Miller School faculty, fellows and residents. For more information, please contact Linda Hung at 1-866-794-9942, lhung@med.miami.edu or visit the Web site at http://pathology.med.miami.edu.

The Department of Orthopaedics invites you to the last Grand Rounds this month. Jagdeep S. Sodhi, M.D., fourth-year resident, will speak on "Review of Retrofibular Region" on Thursday, Jan. 31, from 7 to 8 a.m. in the Mailman Center for Child Development, eighth-floor auditorium.

This lecture is recommended for orthopaedic surgeons, residents, fellows, practicing orthopaedists, physiatrists, physical therapists, nurses and medical students. It qualifies for one continuing medical education credit for physicians. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. For more information, contact Ledi Figueroa at lfigueroa@med.miami.edu or 305-243-6725.

Take the first step to keeping your new year's resolutions in 2008. Join us at the first-annual Healthy Resolutions Fair on Thursday, Jan. 31, in the Medical Wellness Center and on Friday, Feb. 1, at University of Miami Hospital, seminar center. 

Representatives from the University's smoking cessation program, "Be Smoke Free," will be on hand to answer any of your questions about quitting and Medical Wellness Center staff will be available to discuss memberships and the SHAPE-Up program. The event will also feature a nutritionist to answer your questions about diet, free massages, free blood screenings and more!

You will receive your invitations via interoffice mail within the next two weeks. Be sure to keep your invite, which is also a raffle ticket. Raffle prizes include one-year Medical Wellness Center memberships and the grand prize of a Trek "Lime" bicycle.

For more information, please contact Charisse Lopez-Mason at 305-284-3004 or charisse@miami.edu.

Nordstrom, one of the nation’s leading fashion specialty retailers, will kick off the opening of its third Miami-area store with an evening gala on Wednesday, Feb. 13, at Aventura Mall. The party is expected to raise more than $300,000 for The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and UM/Sylvester. Nordstrom in Aventura Mall opens on Friday, Feb. 15.

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute invites you to the fifth angiogenesis symposium on Feb. 22 and 23 at The Ritz-Carlton on Key Biscayne, where there will be a review of the latest in angiogenesis research, and the cause and treatments of retinal exudation and degeneration. Emphasis will be placed on early drug development, the on-label and off-label use of drugs for the treatment of retinal diseases, and the impact of these drugs on the economics of healthcare.

This symposium is intended for retinal specialists, general ophthalmologists and basic scientists interested in the basic molecular mechanisms of angiogenesis and pharmacotherapy for the management of ophthalmic diseases. The event will take place from 7 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 22, and from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23. For more information, please contact Karen Davila at 305-326-6110 or kdavila@med.miami.edu.

Join the Institute for Women’s Health on Monday, March 17, for the inaugural University of Miami Women’s Health Research Day, where UM graduate students and faculty from all disciplines are invited to submit abstracts of their recent research in women’s health. 

Women’s Health Research Day is an opportunity to present research, gain feedback from peers and network with researchers. Posters will be judged by an expert panel for research originality, scientific vigor and importance to women's health. Two awards of $500 each will be given. The submission deadline is Friday, Feb. 1, and the event will be held on Monday, March 17, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lois Pope LIFE Center, seventh-floor auditorium. Lunch will be served at noon. Participation in this event qualifies for one continuing medical education credit or one continuing education unit. For submission guidelines or more information, please contact Meghan Mayhew at mmayhew@med.miami.edu.

Study to Compare the  Methods of Collecting Urine Samples for the Diagnosis of Urinary Tract Infections
The Institute for Women's Health is conducting  a research study for the treatment of urinary tract infection (UTI), a very common problem in young, healthy women that afflicts approximately one-half of women by their late 50's. Urine specimens collected for the diagnosis of urinary tract infection are often contaminated with organisms and the major purpose of this study is to compare the methods (voided versus catheter) of collecting the urine samples for the diagnosis of UTI. If you are a female between the ages of 18 to 49, currently experiencing painful urination for less than seven days and frequent trips to the restroom, you may be able to take part in this study. To find out more, call Wisvline Labrousse, Ph.D., A.R.N.P., at 305-243-2576.

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