One of South Florida’s top heart surgeons is moving his practice to the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine to join the rapidly growing cardiovascular powerhouse at the University of Miami Health System (UHealth). Donald B. Williams, M.D., is leaving Mount Sinai Medical Center on Miami Beach after 19 years and bringing his two partners to be part of the UHealth team.

William O’Neill, M.D., executive dean for clinical affairs, says the Miller School is “excited and pleased to welcome the most recognized and experienced cardiothoracic surgery practice in South Florida to University of Miami Hospital.”  O’Neill, a renowned interventional cardiologist, says incorporating Williams and his team into the UM faculty “will be a major pillar in a growing and superior cardiac center. Their expertise, in addition to the other great talent we have assembled, will quickly place the cardiac program at University of Miami Hospital among the nation’s top-tier programs.”

Signing on Williams and his colleagues is another major building block as the Miller School and University of Miami Health System establish a formidable center of excellence in cardiovascular clinical care and research. Programs already in place and growing are interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, and diagnostic imaging at University of Miami Hospital. In addition, acute stroke intervention, heart failure and transplantation will be expanded in partnership with Jackson Memorial Hospital. The Miller School’s Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute has also opened two clinical trials using stems cells to repair damaged hearts. For more on this story click here.

Scientists have long been working to uncover the mystery of what sparks the body’s immune system. Researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine have discovered a key component in that puzzle: a new molecule that recognizes a virus infection and initiates the signal to generate an immune system response. Glen N. Barber, Ph.D., professor of medicine and Eugenia J. Dodson Chair in Cancer Research (pictured at left), and Hiroki Ishikawa, Ph.D., a post-doctoral fellow, have published their findings in the September issue of the prestigious journal Nature.

Barber and Ishikawa have identified a molecule, STING (STimulator of INterferon Genes), which activates the body’s innate immune system by triggering the production of interferon. In turn, interferon generates antiviral genes, producing an immune response that kills the virus. “STING plays a very fundamentally important role in the recognition of virus infection,” explains Barber, who was the principal investigator of the two-year study. For more on this story click here.

Pascal J. Goldschmidt, M.D., senior vice president for medical affairs and dean of the UM Miller School of Medicine, invites all faculty and staff to join him at a town hall meeting, where he will discuss recent developments and future plans for the Miller School and the University of Miami Health System.

Please note that the University will be closed for Labor Day on Monday, September 1. Due to the long weekend, the deadline for the September 2 issue of e-Update is tomorrow (Wednesday) by 5 p.m. Any requests received after 5 p.m. tomorrow will not be included.

A stellar lineup of speakers, which includes an award-winning journalist and a pair of political strategists, who advised the last two presidents, will visit the University of Miami Campus this fall to discuss hot topics such as the economy, the war in Iraq and immigration, as UM unveils a dynamic schedule of events to coincide with this year's pivotal election.

Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist George Will gets the lineup going on September 10 at 6:30 p.m., when he speaks at the BankUnited Center as the University's New Student Convocation lecturer, and in the ensuing weeks, the renowned pollster John Zogby, political analysts Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein, and husband-and-wife political strategists James Carville and Mary Matalin are scheduled to visit.

As part of the ongoing construction of the parking garage and chiller plant at Bob Hope Road and NW 15th Street, UM’s Facilities Design and Construction Department will be installing new underground pipes. As a result, the road has been reduced to only two lanes, one going north and one going south. The turn lanes have also been eliminated. The project is expected to take six weeks.

If you are tired of allowing cigarettes to control your life, take back control during 2008 and seize the opportunity for a new and improved smoke-free life with UM's BeSmokeFree program. BeSmokeFree offers UM faculty and staff and their dependents, and students a myriad of innovative techniques designed to complement the program’s basic support group/classroom sessions.

Interventions include: information about the effectiveness of pharmacological treatments including the nicotine patch, gum, inhaler, lozenge, Zyban and Chantix; exercise and nutrition guidance for healthy weight management and enhanced energy levels; acupuncture treatments and hypnotherapy; individualized treatment plans; and free quit kits filled with healthful alternatives to cigarettes.

The BeSmokeFree classes, which will include seven group sessions during a six-week program, will be led by a variety of health experts. Participants in BeSmokeFree who are also enrolled in the University’s health care plan will receive full reimbursement of program fees upon completion of the program. The cost is $84 for each participant. All UM health care plan members will receive a $12 voucher for each session they attend. Members of the public are also invited to participate.

For more information on BeSmokeFree, please contact Jennifer Pinto at jpinto@med.miami.edu or 305-243-7609. The registration deadline is September 3.

Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine is now accepting applications for the Pap Corps Developmental Cancer Research Grants. Six awards will be made for a period of up to one year and a maximum of $60,000 each.

The Miller School will be offering clinical and research faculty an ongoing training program designed to meet the American Clinical Board of Nutrition requirements for the Diplomate, a certification in the specialty of clinical nutrition. 

The Division of Complementary and Alternative Medicine is now registering for a Neuro-Linguistic Psychology Training Program: "Pathway to Success in Self-Development, Business and Leadership." The program will begin Saturday, September 13, and continue for 14 Saturdays. It will concentrate on communication skills and change processes. Reduced rates are available to UM employees. 

For information on this program, please contact Jason Torres at jtorres2@med.miami.edu.

The Sponsored Programs education and training team will offer its final summer InfoEd Proposal Development walk-in session tomorrow (Wednesday) from 9 to 11 a.m. at Dominion Tower, room 1007F.

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Please join us for Pediatric Grand Rounds today (Tuesday) from 8 to 9 a.m. in the Mailman Center for Child Development, eighth-floor auditorium. Gaston Zilleruelo, M.D., professor of clinical pediatrics and chief of the Division of Pediatric Nephrology, will present “Vesicoureteral Reflux in Children: Does it Matter?”

For more information, please contact Javier Salazar at 305-585-6042 or jsalazar@med.miami.edu.

The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology will present a seminar by Kurt Schesser, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology and immunology, today (Tuesday) at noon in the R. Bunn Gautier Building, room 118. Dr. Schesser will present "Cellular Activity of Bacterial Virulence Factors."

If you would like to meet with the speaker, please contact Murray Deutscher, Ph.D., at mdeutscher@med.miami.edu.

The Employee Assistance Program is sponsoring a seminar for those interested in understanding ways to avoid foreclosure. The seminar will be given by Kevin Maher from Debt Management Credit Counseling Corp., and Ryan Smart from Consumer Credit Management Services.

The following topics, questions and concerns will be addressed:
• What caused the mortgage meltdown?
• How can you position yourself so that you won’t have this kind of trouble?
• Mortgages that can get you in trouble
• How to prioritize your debts when you’re in a bind
• Solutions for other types of debts that can give you extra money for your mortgage
• What can a HUD-certified housing counselor do for you?
• What is loss mitigation? Is it an option for you?
• The new federal bill: Who does it help and how?

There will be a Faculty Senate meeting tomorrow (Wednesday) at 3:30 p.m. at the BankUnited Center, Hurricane 100 Room. All faculty members are welcome to attend.

For more information, visit http://www.miami.edu/FacultySenate.

Join us for the next pediatrics seminar tomorrow (Wednesday) from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Pediatrics South.  J. Mark Saunders, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics, will present "Back to School Safety." The Injury-Free Coalition for Kids' injury-free bus will be visiting to help parents childproof their homes and free car seat safety inspections will be available.

For more information, please contact Aja Cole at 305-270-3495. As always, free diapers and baby wipes will be provided.

The Division of Hospital Medicine will present Grand Rounds this Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. at University of Miami Hospital’s Seminar Center. Barry J. Materson, M.D., professor of medicine, will present “Antihypertensive Treatment in Different Ethnicities.” Upon completion of this lecture, participants will understand the true meaning of race, learn that ethnicity does not identify specific genes or single nucleotide polymorphisms and how age and race used together may have predictive value for treatment success. The lecture is designed for family practitioners, emergency physicians and surgeons.

The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology will present a seminar by Michael Ibba, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology at Ohio State University, this Thursday at noon in the R. Bunn Gautier Building, room 118. 

If you would like to meet with the speaker, please contact Murray Deutscher at mdeutscher@med.miami.edu.

The Division of Gastroenterology will host GI/Hepatology Grand Rounds this Thursday at 5 p.m. at University of Miami Hospital's Seminar Center.

Marcelo Vela, M.D., assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Medical University of South Carolina, will be presenting "Impedance-pH and Electron Microscopy for the Evaluation of GERD."

Are you submitting electronic applications through Grants.gov? Join us for a Grants.gov hands-on workshop on Wednesday, September 3, from 9 a.m. to noon, at Dominion Tower, room 1003. This computer lab training course is being offered to provide hands-on instruction for NIH electronic submission of proposals through Grants.gov. The trainer will walk participants through the process and provide tips for avoiding common errors. The emphasis will be on finding and using the correct application package, following grant application instructions, and understanding the procedures for the internal routing of the proposal.

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

The Disparities and Community Outreach Core and the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service will host a seminar by Anna Giuliano, Ph.D., program leader of risk assessment, detection and intervention at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute. Dr. Giuliano will be presenting “Reducing the Risk of Cervical Cancer and Genital Warts in Girls and Women.”

The Department of Orthopaedics will host Grand Rounds on Thursday, September 4, from 7 to 8 a.m. at the Mailman Center for Child Development, eighth-floor auditorium.

Steven J. Morgan, M.D., associate professor and residency program director from Denver Health Medical Center at the University of Colorado, will present “Pelvic Fracture Hemorrhage Control – What is the Role of Pelvic Packing?”

For more information please contact Ledi Figueroa at lfigueroa@med.miami.edu or 305-243-6725.

Please join us for Surgical Grand Rounds on Thursday, September 4, from 8 to 9 a.m. in the Rosenstiel Medical Science Building, fourth-floor auditorium. Andrew Peitzman, M.D., Mark M. Ravitch Professor and vice chair of surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, will present “Nonoperative Management of Blunt Splenic Injury.” Upon completion of this lecture, participants will be able to understand indications for splenectomy, the risks of nonoperative management and the long-term risks following splenectomy.

The Department of Pathology will present Grand Rounds on Thursday, September 4, from noon to 1 p.m. at Holtz Children's Hospital, room 2034. Phillip Ruiz,  M.D., Ph.D., professor of surgery and pathology, will present a seminar titled "Immune Monitoring in Transplantation."

For further information, call 305-585-7017 or e-mail  Winnie Tang at wtang@med.miami.edu.

If you have never submitted a proposal before and would like to learn about the process, attend a roundtable seminar, "1-2-3 of Proposal Submission," to learn how to submit a proposal, get a quick overview of the pre-award process and abide by University policies and procedures. The session will take place on Thursday, September 4, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Batchelor Children's Research Institute, Baxter Conference Room.
 
Please register online at http://Ulearn.miami.edu. For more information, please contact Sofia Aymerich at saymerich@med.miami.edu.

The Employee Assistance Program is pleased to offer a seminar for those interested in understanding and developing better sleep habits. Alberto Ramos, M.D., and Salim Dib, M.D., from the UHealth Sleep Program, will present "Getting a Better Night's Sleep."

Come meet the core managers of Sylvester’s laboratory shared resources and learn about the services they offer. The event will take place on Friday, September 5, from noon to 1 p.m. at Sylvester conference room 1301.

Beverages and snacks will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Please RSVP by e-mailing Sdominguez@med.miami.edu.

The Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the Miller School is joining the national television network event, Stand Up 2 Cancer, to help raise funds for cancer research, benefitting patients in South Florida and throughout the nation. On Friday, September 5, CBS, ABC and NBC will simulcast one hour of prime time television featuring more than 50 of the biggest names in TV, film, sports and music -- all gathered to help raise funds to fight cancer. Tune in to CBS4 to see the director of Sylvester, W. Jarrard Goodwin, M.D., make a televised address before the show at 7:55 p.m.

The first DOCS health fair of the semester will be held on Saturday, September 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This fair is a great opportunity for students at all levels to perform different components of a physical exam, perform guided procedures and educate patients about their health. DOCS is expecting a large turnout of people from the Spanish-speaking community, so students with Spanish language skills are encouraged to volunteer. Student registration is now available online at http://umdocs.mededu.miami.edu/. Registration will be open until this Friday. 

For answers to specific questions, contact Kia at kslannaman@med.miami.edu.

The Jay Weiss Center for Social Medicine and Health Equity will present Grand Rounds on Tuesday, September 9, at noon in the Rosenstiel Medical Science Building, third-floor auditorium. This lecture will feature Paul H. Wise, M.D., M.P.H., Richard E. Behrman Professor of Child Health and Society, and professor of pediatrics at Stanford University. Dr. Wise will present “Child Rights and Child Health: Meeting Needs in the Poorest Places on Earth.” 

Lunch will be provided. For more information, e-mail Katie Houghton at Khoughton@med.miami.edu or visit www.jayweisscenter.org.

The Department of Orthopaedics will host Grand Rounds on Thursday, September 11, from 7 to 8 a.m. at the Mailman Center for Child Development, eighth-floor auditorium. Carl J. Basamania, M.D., from Triangle Orthopaedics Associates in North Carolina, will present “Treatment of Clavicle Fractures – Evolution or Revolution?”

For more information, please contact Ledi Figueroa at lfigueroa@med.miami.edu or 305-243-6725.

Please join us for Surgical Grand Rounds on Thursday, September 11, from 8 to 9 a.m. in the Rosenstiel Medical Science Building, fourth-floor auditorium. Carl Schulman, M.D., assistant professor of surgery, will present “Injury Prevention.” Upon completion of this lecture, participants will be able to understand how injury prevention programs are created and implemented.

Join us at Aventura Mall on Sunday, September 14, for the Strides for Safety 5K Run/1K Walk.

The race will start behind Macy’s at 7 a.m. After the race, join Sebastian the Ibis at the safety fair, where you can receive free health screenings and information on safety.

All proceeds from the race will benefit The William Lehman Injury Research Center at the Miller School.

For registration and race information, please visit www.splitsecondtiming.com. If you have questions, please call Cory Witherspoon at 305-243-9655 or Katie Richardson at 305-585-1188.

The Miami Institute for Human Genomics will host a seminar by Illumina on Tuesday, September 16, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Mailman Center for Child Development, eighth-floor auditorium. The seminar title will be “From Whole Genome to Whole Solution, Disease Analysis Tools for the Next Generation.”

Space is limited. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Matthew Schemmel at
mschemmel@illumina.com or 954-864-0333.

 The Analytical Imaging Core Facility and Oncogenomics Core will host Richard M. Levenson, M.D., from Cambridge Research and Instrumentation, Inc., for a seminar that will feature a new fluorescence Dynamic Contrast Enhancement (DyCE) for all-optical anatomical co-registration of molecular imaging of mice. The seminar will complement the bioluminescence capabilities of the Oncogenomics Core’s Xenogen IVIS Spectrum.

The seminar will be held on Tuesday, September 16, from 12:05 to 1:25 p.m. at the Diabetes Research Institute, room 6012. Please RSVP to George McNamara at gmcnamara@med.miami.edu. Seating and lunch are limited to the first 60 attendees who RSVP.

Join us for a hands-on workshop and learn how to use the InfoEd Proposal Development System. InfoEd streamlines the proposal development process. The Web-based system is accessible almost anywhere by Mac and PC users with no additional software. InfoEd populates agency forms, includes built-in 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 System. The session will take place on Wednesday, September 17, from 9 a.m. to noon at Dominion Tower, room 1003.

Register through Ulearn at http://Ulearn.miami.edu. For more information, please contact Sofia Aymerich at saymerich@med.miami.edu.

The Department of Orthopaedics will host its next Grand Rounds on Thursday, September 18, from 7 to 8 a.m. at the Mailman Center for Child Development, eighth-floor auditorium. Patrick Owens, M.D., assistant professor of orthopaedics, will present “Wrong Site, Wrong Side, Wrong Patient – Just Wrong.”

For more information, please contact Ledi Figueroa at lfigueroa@med.miami.edu or 305-243-6725.

Please join us for Surgical Grand Rounds on Thursday, September 18, from 8 to 9 a.m. in the Rosenstiel Medical Science Building, fourth-floor auditorium. Gordon Cohen, M.D., professor and chief of pediatric cardiac surgery at the University of Washington, will present “Mechanical Circulatory Support in Children.” Upon completion of this lecture, participants will be able to explain the application of mechanical support in children and distinguish the different types of support.

The Disparities and Community Outreach Core and the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service will sponsor a new seminar series featuring guest speakers who will share examples of disparities and community cancer research. The seminars will be open to faculty, staff and community partners. 
 
The first seminar will be held on Thursday, September 18, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Sylvester in room 1301. Guest speaker Laura Linnan, Sc.D, associate professor of health behavior and health education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health, will present “Addressing Cancer Disparities by Reaching People Where They Live, Work, Play and Socialize: Examples from Several Community-Based Intervention Trials."
 
Please RSVP to Marsha Stevens at mstevens2@med.miami.edu.

The Network Cancer Committee of Jackson Health System, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and University of Miami Hospital will host its annual Town Hall Meeting. This year’s topic will be prostate cancer. The event will be take place on Friday, September 19, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Jackson Memorial's Diagnostic Treatment Center, room 259. Presenters will include W. Jarrard Goodwin, M.D., director of Sylvester; Georges Hatoum, M.D.; Frank Penedo, Ph.D.; May Wahab, M.D.; Mehrdad Nadji, M.D.; and Merce Jorda, M.D., Ph.D. 

This event is free and open to the public. Breakfast will be served. To reserve a seat, please contact Gina Nunez or Aracely Lorenzo at 305-585-6038, GNunez@jhsmiami.org or ALorenzo@jhsmiami.org.

The Department of Orthopaedics will hold its next Grand Rounds on Thursday, September 25, from 7 to 8 a.m. at the Mailman Center for Child Development, eighth-floor auditorium. Hari Parvataneni, M.D., assistant professor of orthopaedics, will present “Periprosthetic Infections in Hip and Knee Arthroplasty.”

For more information, please contact Ledi Figueroa at lfigueroa@med.miami.edu or 305-243-6725.

Please join us for Surgical Grand Rounds on Thursday, September 25, from 8 to 9 a.m. in the Rosenstiel Medical Science Building, fourth-floor auditorium. Dido Franceschi, M.D., associate professor of surgery, will present “Esophageal Cancer: Current Controversies & Management.” Upon completion of this lecture, participants will be able to review current controversies in the surgical treatment of esophageal cancer.

The Department of Neurology, Cerebrovascular Division is conducting a research study to validate a Functional Outcome Measure in patients that suffered visual field loss after brain injury. For more information and eligibility criteria, please contact Iszet Campo-Bustillo at (305) 585-1851 or icampo@med.miami.edu.

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