<![CDATA[UVM News]]> http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/ en-us Mon, 20 May 2013 05:22:51 -0400 <![CDATA[College of Medicine Class of 2013 Receives M.D. Degrees at Commencement]]> http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=16139&category=comall Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=16139&category=comall A total of 106 students were conferred medical degrees by University of Vermont President Tom Sullivan, J.D., at the College of Medicine's Commencement Ceremony in Ira Allen Chapel on Sunday, May 19, 2013.

A little more than 13 percent of the University of Vermont College of Medicine’s Class of 2013 will remain in Vermont for residency training. Pediatrics is the most popular specialty this year, with 18 class members pursuing that field, and four of them doing a residency at UVM/Fletcher Allen. Nearly as popular is family medicine, a specialty chosen by 16 students, with two of them remaining in Vermont. Internal medicine is the third most popular, with 14 students doing that residency after graduation, one of them at Fletcher Allen. In addition, two students will do residencies in psychiatry, two in surgery, one in anesthesiology, one in obstetrics/gynecology, and another in pathology at UVM/Fletcher Allen.

Among those students staying in Vermont for residency is Shrewsbury, Vt. native Delia Horn, M.D., who will be specializing in pediatrics. Born small with multiple health complications at birth and through childhood, she underwent seven surgeries before graduating from Vassar College with an English degree. “I did not have an epiphany during any one of my hospitalizations that led me to want to become a doctor,” says Horn, who completed UVM’s post-baccalaureate pre-medical program after realizing that “I would only be happiest and most fulfilled as a doctor.” Once decided, she fully embraced this path, receiving a Schweitzer Fellowship and two scholarships. “I want to look at systems of care delivery and public health policy, even federal law to determine how to improve children’s health care,” she says.

The Class of 2013 also includes:

• Monkton, Vt. native Gwen Fitz-Gerald, M.D., has wanted to be a doctor since the third grade. “I have always felt the need to help people,” says the future family physician who volunteered at a nursing home, hospital, blood drives and became an EMT after participating in the Area Health Education Centers’ MedQuest summer program for high school students interested in health careers. As a UVM undergraduate (her siblings, father, grand- and great-grandparents are also alums), she was accepted into the Premedical Enhancement Program and shadowed doctors and was mentored by a medical student. “One of my goals has always been to give back to the community, and family medicine is deeply entrenched within the community it serves,” says Fitz-Gerald, who hopes to return to Vermont after a residency in Denver, Colo.

• UVM undergraduate alumnus and Windsor, Vt., native Haddon Pantel, M.D., recently received the Atherton Award, along with his wife, from Burlington, Vt.’s Dismas House, a residential program that aims to reconcile prisoners with society and society with prisoners. Pantel, who will be doing a surgery residency at the Lahey Clinic in Mass., has been volunteering there making dinners for the residents, for about five years. “The experience has truly kept me grounded during medical school,” he says.

In addition to Dean Frederick C. Morin III, M.D., and UVM President Tom Sullivan, J.D., presenters at the ceremony included keynote speaker William Hopkins, M.D., UVM associate professor of medicine and award-winning course director and teacher in the College’s Cardiac, Renal and Respiratory course; Class of 2013 student speaker Jeffrey McClaren, M.D., an Essex, Vt. native, semi-pro box lacrosse player and high school coach who will be doing an anesthesiology residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Mass.

The ceremony also included honoring the College of Medicine’s retiring faculty members. Professor of Neurological Sciences and former Chair of Anatomy and Neurobiology Rodney Parsons, Ph.D., read citations for Elizabeth Ezerman, Ph.D., assistant professor of neurological sciences, Jerome Fiekers, Ph.D., associate professor of neurological sciences, and Professor of Neurological Sciences and former Chair of Neurology Robert Hamill, M.D.

In addition to the medical degrees that were conferred at the ceremony, 27 students who earned a Ph.D. and eight who earned an M.S. degree from the College of Medicine were hooded at the Graduate College’s ceremony on Saturday, May 18, 2013.

More information about Commencement.

]]> <![CDATA[Honors Night Focuses on Student Excellence]]> http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=16128&category=comall Wed, 15 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=16128&category=comall For the members of the Class of 2013 of the University of Vermont College of Medicine, who will receive their medical degrees next Sunday at Ira Allen Chapel, Tuesday’s Honor’s Night event represented another opportunity for the public recognition of student accomplishment.

This year’s Honors Night took place in the Emerald Ballroom of the Sheraton Hotel & Conference Center in Burlington. Professor of Medicine Virginia Hood, M.B.B.S., M.P.H., presented the keynote address of the evening, titled “The Road Less Traveled…”

Twenty-two individual awards were given to class members who distinguished themselves academically and through service to patients and the community.

The newest award presented was the Mildred A. Reardon, M.D. Award for service to the University of Vermont College of Medicine. The winner of the inaugural Reardon Award was Mayo Fujii, a Vermont native who received her undergraduate degree in neuroscience from Middlebury College. Fujii has been a member of the Student Education Group at the College of Medicine for the past four years, during which she helped redesign the clerkship website for use by future classes. She also took an active role in the recent process of re-accreditation of the College by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), serving as the co-chair of the LCME Student Self Study. Fujii will begin her residency in General Surgery at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington later this summer.

Fujii received her award directly from Professor of Medicine Emerita Mildred A. “Mimi” Reardon, M.D. Reardon earned her M.D. from the College of Medicine in 1967, and has been a driving force in serving the health care needs of Vermonters for decades. In 1993 Dr. Reardon was named the College of Medicine’s first Associate Dean for Primary Care, a position she held for the next 13 years. She pioneered the formation of the statewide Area Health Education Center (AHEC) program in 1996, and also was an important driver in the formation of the Vermont Program for Quality Health Care, the Freeman Medical Scholars Program at the College of Medicine, and the Premedical Enhancement Program at UVM . Reardon has been a loyal and active alumna of her medical alma mater, work that was recognized in 1999 with the UVM Medical Alumni Association’s highest honor, the A. Bradley Soule Award. In 1998, she was presented with a Mastership for the American College of Physicians, becoming at the time only the third Vermont physician so honored since the program’s inception in 1923. In 2006, the National Library of Medicine named Dr. Reardon a “Local Legend.”

Also during the Honors Night event, 18 members of the College’s Class of 2013 were inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. Students elected to this society, in the opinion of their classmates and the faculty of the College, have shown promise of becoming leaders in their profession.

Twenty members of the class were elected to the Gold Humanism Honor Society. Students chosen for this society are recognized for their excellence in clinical care, leadership, compassion, and dedication to service.

Six awards were presented by vote of the class to honor faculty and staff members who contributed to the students’ medical education in significant ways. View the full list of honorees from the event.

]]> <![CDATA[Ph.D. Students Celebrate their Accomplishments May 18]]> http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=16111&category=comall Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=16111&category=comall On Saturday, May 18, at 1 p.m., graduate students from across the University of Vermont will receive diplomas and hoods in the Graduate College Commencement Ceremony at the Patrick Gymnasium. Among them will be graduates of programs affiliated with the College of Medicine in the areas of  biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, microbiology and molecular genetics, pharmacology, molecular physiology and biophysics, clinical and translational science, and neuroscience. In total, 27 Ph.D. students from the College of Medicine will be recognized at the ceremony. Another eight will be receiving a Master of Science degree.

Students in all of these programs complete thesis projects in close collaboration with faculty mentors. Many contribute leading-edge research to their fields. In total, 575 Ph.D., master’s degree, and graduate certificate students from across UVM are eligible to participate in Saturday’s ceremony. David Lyden, M.D., Ph.D.’86, the Stavros S. Niarchos Chair and an associate professor of pediatrics and cell and developmental biology at Weill Cornell Medical College and a pediatric neuro-oncologist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, is the guest speaker. UVM President Tom Sullivan will confer degrees, and students will be hooded by their faculty mentors.

Three Ph.D. students graduating from programs affiliated with the College of Medicine are good examples of young scientists who have already made important contributions to the fields of neuroscience and cell and molecular biology:

Working in the lab of Professor of Microbiology & Genetics and Pathology Nicholas Heintz, Ph.D., Kheng Newick conducted research on novel  therapy targets for treatment of mesothelioma, a rare but deadly cancer. As part of a team that included pathology faculty members and fellow graduate student Brian Cunniff, she explored the cell biology of the disease and combinatorial approaches for treatment. Newick received a travel grant to attend the International Mesothelioma Interest Group meeting in Boston in September of 2012, where she presented a poster on her work. This meeting draws renowned researchers from around the world to learn about new advances in the field of mesothelioma research. In addition to presenting at several other national conferences, Newick was first author on a paper recently published in PLoS ONE. Newick successfully defended her thesis in March, and graduates with a Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology. She has accepted at post-doctoral position at the University of Pennsylvania.

Although Jane Roberts will celebrate the completion of the neuroscience Ph.D. program May 18, as an M.D./Ph.D. student she will continue her medical education at the College of Medicine until May 2014. Roberts received an English/creative writing degree from Princeton University before coming to the College. Her faculty mentor in neuroscience, Professor of Neurological Sciences Gary Mawe, Ph.D., is renowned for his research in several areas, including nervous system regulation of motor activity in the intestines. Roberts has made significant contributions to this work, focusing on how free radical scavengers may improve motility in the gastrointestinal tract after inflammation. This research may eventually lead to new therapies for illnesses such as Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis. In 2012, Roberts was selected from thousands of participants to present her abstract at the Neurogastroenterology and Motility 2012 Conference in Bologna, Italy. She was also a co-author of a paper published in Nature Medicine in 2012.

Understanding the genetics of multiple sclerosis, a complex disease that often strikes people in their early to mid-20s, has been the focus for Naresha Saligrama, a Ph.D. student graduating from the cell and molecular biology program. He has been working in the lab of Professor of Medicine and Pathology Cory Teuscher, Ph.D., who studies the genetic susceptibility to infectious and autoimmune diseases. Using a mouse model for multiple sclerosis, Saligrama focused on the role of histamine receptors – which bind histamine molecules, and cause different effects depending on cell type. He received the Young Investigator Award from the European Histamine Research Society (EHRS), the largest society in the world for researchers focused on histamine and histamine receptors. He submitted three abstracts for the annual meeting in Belfast, Ireland: one was accepted for an oral presentation, the other was accepted for a poster presentation, and the third garnered him the Young Investigator Award.  He was a first author on several published articles, with one in press. He was also co-author on seven published papers. Saligrama is headed to Stanford University, California, for a post-doctoral position in the lab of Mark M. Davis, Ph.D., a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator.

Visit the Graduate College Commencement website for more information about the May 18 ceremony.

]]> <![CDATA[Senior Medical Students Hold Scholarly Projects Presentation Event ]]> http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=16087&category=comall Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=16087&category=comall The University of Vermont College of Medicine held the Seventh Annual Scholarly Projects Presentation on May 13, 2013 in Davis Auditorium on Fletcher Allen Health Care's Ambulatory Care Center campus.  Oral presentations began at 12 p.m. followed by poster presentations at 2 p.m.  View the event program.

The Vermont Integrated Curriculum Scholarly Projects course was designed to develop students and help them gain an understanding of the processes and methods involved in scientific inquiry.  Many of the manuscripts have been published and/or presented at meetings across the country and include a broad range of topics from basic science and clinical research to development of curricular units for medical education.

 For more information, contact Eileen CichoskiKelly, Ph.D., director of education instruction and scholarship.

 

]]> <![CDATA[Shapiro and Colleagues Identify New and Surprising Gene for Migraine]]> http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=16037&category=comall Tue, 07 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=16037&category=comall A team co-led by Robert E. Shapiro, M.D., Ph.D., professor of neurological sciences at the University of Vermont College of Medicine, has discovered a new gene for migraine. Migraine is a highly disabling headache disorder which affects up to 60 million Americans each year. While migraine often runs in families, only a handful of genes has so far been identified that confer some susceptibility to variants of the disease.

Shapiro and colleagues initially identified a Vermont family with multiple members who experience migraine along with an unusual sleep/waking disorder called Advanced Sleep Phase Syndrome (ASPS). ASPS is a disorder of the body’s internal clock leading to an urgent need to fall asleep too soon each evening and awaken too early each morning. In collaboration with investigators from University of California, San Francisco and University of Utah, the team found a mutation in affected members of this family in a gene called casein kinase 1 delta (CK1δ). CK1δ had previously been shown to be pivotal in body clock regulation. Joined by investigators at University of California, Los Angeles and Brigham Young University, the group subsequently found a second family whose members also had ASPS along with migraine, and who also had a mutation in CK1δ, but one that was different from the mutation found in the Vermont family. The investigators created mice with the Vermont family’s CK1δ mutation which proved to have sleep/waking behaviors comparable to ASPS, as well as multiple behavioral and physiological changes strongly associated with migraine. These migraine-like traits in the mice included heightened sensitivity to touch and temperature, and an exaggerated excitability of the brain called CSD which is known to occur during the visual phenomenon of migraine called ‘aura’.

Taken together, the studies of families with two different human CK1δ mutations and the observations of mice with one of these mutations, provide solid evidence that altered functioning of CK1δ can increase susceptibility to migraine. These findings open new lines of investigation towards an understanding of the causes of migraine and possible new therapies.

In recognition of these research studies, the American Headache Society awarded Shapiro the 2012 Harold G. Wolff Lecture Award for “the best paper on headache, head or face pain, or the nature of pain itself.” The CK1δ migraine studies were published as the cover story in the May 1, 2013 edition of the journal Science Translational Medicine, and the CK1δ ASPS studies were originally reported in the journal Nature in 2005. Other members of the team include K.C. Brennan, M.D., and Christopher R. Jones, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Utah, Emily Bates, Ph.D., of Brigham Young University, Andrew Charles, M.D., of UCLA, and Louis J. Ptáček, M.D., and Ying-Hui Fu, Ph.D., of UCSF.

In March 2013, Shapiro was also elected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology and received the Academy’s Kenneth M. Viste, Jr., M.D., Patient Advocate of the Year Award in recognition of his “sincere interest and investment in working on behalf of patients with neurologic conditions.” In 2008, Shapiro founded the Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy, a national alliance of 12 national and regional non-profit organizations working on behalf of Americans with disabling headache disorders. For the past six years, he has organized an annual congressional advocacy event in Washington, D.C., to urge federal attention to these disorders. The most recent event on April 9th, brought 64 people from 28 states to visit 129 congressional offices. The Headache Cooperative of New England also recently recognized Shapiro’s overall contributions with their 2013 Annual Lifetime Achievement Award.

]]> <![CDATA[Cushman Presents Study on Impact of Lifestyle Changes on Reducing Blood Clot Risk]]> http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=16035&category=comall Mon, 06 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=16035&category=comall Blood clots in the legs or lungs – called deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism respectively – kill an American about every five minutes, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). New research presented by Mary Cushman, M.D., University of Vermont professor of medicine and pathology, at the AHA’s Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology 2013 Scientific Sessions May 2 found that adopting seven simple lifestyle steps could help an individual reduce his/her risk of these potentially deadly blood clots.

In a large, long-term study, researchers followed 30,239 adults who were 45 years or older for 4.6 years. Researchers rated participants’ heart health using the seven health indicators from the AHA’s Life’s Simple 7. These measures include: get active; control cholesterol; eat better; manage blood pressure; lose weight; reduce blood sugar; and stop smoking. The researchers then compared the incidence of blood clots among those whose heart health rated as inadequate, average and optimum.

Among participants with optimum health, the risk of blood clots was 44 percent lower than those with inadequate health. Those with average health had a 38 percent lower risk.

Maintaining ideal levels of physical activity and body mass index were the most significant lifestyle changes related to lower risk of blood clots.

(This article is based on a news tip created by Darcy Spitz of the American Heart Association.)

]]> <![CDATA[Surgery Senior Majors Present at Annual Scientific Program]]> http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15996&category=comall Wed, 01 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15996&category=comall Led by Ted James, M.D., University of Vermont College of Medicine professor of surgery and director of the Surgery Senior Major Project, the 43rd Annual Surgery Senior Major Scientific Program showcased scholarly work completed by 17 senior medical students who will be entering residencies in surgery after their graduation in May. The event was held on Thursday, May 2, 2013, at 8 a.m. in Fletcher Allen Health Care’s Austin Auditorium. 

Following the presentations, an awards banquet and poster session was held  at noon in the Hoehl Gallery in the College of Medicine’s Health Science Research Facility.

Ten students from the College’s Class of 2013 delivered manuscript presentations in Austin Auditorium, including:  Nkem Aziken; Griffin Boll; Matthew Davies; Daryl Whitney; Lindsay Kleeman; Haddon Pantel; Sarah Persing; Cristine Velazco; Luke Vierthaler; and Mohammad Jafferji. Another seven senior medical students presented posters, including: Mohammed Almzayyen; Charles Ashley; Mayo Fujii; Jeff McLaren with Haddon Pantel; Lynsey Rangel; Amanda Schwartz; and Katie Murray Shean.  The awards portion of the banquet followed the poster presentations.

Results of the program were:

1st Prize for manuscript and oral presentation: Nkem Aziken

2nd Prize: Matthew Davies

3rd Prize: Darryl Whitney

The Poster Presenttion produced a tie for best entry: Amanda Schwartz and Charles Ashley.


Surgery Senior Major Scientific Program agenda.

]]> <![CDATA[VT Health Lab Groundbreaking Marks First Step towards Establishing UVM-State Scientific Campus in Colchester]]> http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15989&category=comall Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15989&category=comall A groundbreaking ceremony was held April 29, 2013 at the Colchester Business and Technology Park for a state-of-the-art new laboratory for the Vermont Department of Health. The 47,844-square-foot building, which will replace the Health Department’s 60-year-old, 32,695-square-foot laboratory on Colchester Ave. in Burlington, will be completed in the summer of 2014.

The current lab must be replaced because it has outgrown its space and the structure is outdated. Planning for the new facility has been in process for more than 10 years.

The building will be co-located and connected to the University of Vermont’s Colchester Research Facility and was designed, in part, to facilitate collaboration between university researchers and public health scientists. A number of scientists from the UVM College of Medicine Departments of Biochemistry, Medicine, Pathology, and Pediatrics are conducting work in the basic sciences and population science in laboratories at the Colchester Research Facility.

The state health lab routinely performs a wide range of analyses to detect biological, toxicological, chemical and radiological threats to the health of the population – from testing for blood lead levels, rabies, pertussis and salmonella to drinking water contaminants, toxic contaminants, and to support disease outbreak investigations.

The lab also has capabilities to respond rapidly to public health emergencies such as novel strains of flu, suspicious substances containing anthrax or ricin, and unusual events like the tritium leak at Vermont Yankee or widespread flooding after Tropical Storm Irene. More than 50,000 tests are performed at the facility every year.

“This is a great new facility that will serve the state well,” said Governor Peter Shumlin. “And the collaboration between the Health Department and UVM scientists will advance public health, medical research, health care and policy in the healthiest state.”

“This is a great day for public health,” said Health Commissioner Harry Chen, M.D. “The lab is a cornerstone of our ability to protect and promote the health of Vermonters. The new facility will give our professionals the modern scientific environment and space for the new technologies that are essential to support the daily work of disease investigation and environmental testing and monitoring.”

“I’m proud of the part UVM is playing in helping create a state-of-the-art public health facility for Vermont,” said Tom Sullivan, J.D., UVM president. “This critically important facility is an example of what can happen when the university and the state partner to achieve common goals.”

State health lab one of oldest in country

The state health lab dates back to 1898, when the Vermont State Laboratory of Hygiene was established by the Legislature, just the third of its kind to be organized in the U.S. The Health Department’s current lab facility is now one of the oldest in the country. Built in 1952, it originally housed administrative offices as well as the lab. The building was renovated in 1985 to serve exclusively as a lab, but the renovations did not replace the antiquated heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems. There is also no additional space for new instrumentation.

Because of these limitations, it has become increasingly difficult to adapt the current facility to accommodate changing scientific technology that requires special facility design, such as safe specimen receipt/processing areas, “clean room” areas for preparing specimens for testing by molecular biology or low level contaminant chemistry procedures, and temperature/humidity and controls.

Co-located labs will bring tangible benefits

The new building was designed collaboratively by the Health Department and UVM to maximize the advantages of having the two buildings in close proximity. The new building will be physically connected to the Colchester Research Facility and the two buildings will share a front door.

“The goal is to create a state scientific campus,” said Chen. “This collaboration is very much in line with the national trend in health sciences research to build facilities that bridge the distance from the research bench to the community to health policy. This positions us to meet the future challenges of emerging diseases and health threats.”

“The co-location allows us to bring professionals at the Health Department who are actively engaged in public health issues together with UVM faculty who work nationally and internationally to investigate patterns of disease and look for new diagnostics and treatments,” said John Evans, Ph.D., UVM senior advisor for business engagement.

Health and UVM officials cited a number of mutual benefits, such as the ability to partner on specialized medical research, the potential for increasing research funding and enhanced recruitment, and cost economies for both resulting from sharing facilities.

From the Health Department’s point of view, being connected to a major medical research facility keeps public health on the leading edge of the health sciences, expands the training ground for future laboratorians, and provides surge capacity with specialized labs, instruments and personnel in the event of a public health emergency that requires 24/7 response.

For UVM, there are many benefits from sharing specialized space for biomedical research with health department scientists, including expanded opportunities for cooperative projects and increased external funding. In addition, the state-of-the-art facilities provide training and internships in research and public health for undergraduate, graduate and medical students.

Among the vendors involved in the Department of Health Lab project are:

Design Team                                     

Architects and engineers from HDR Architects Engineers Planners, Princeton, N.J.; civil engineers from Krebs and Lansing Consulting Engineers, Colchester, Vt., exterior envelope experts from Scott and Partners Architects, Essex Junction, Vt.; soils engineers from Civil Engineering Associates, South Burlington, Vt.; geo-technical engineers from GeoDesign, Inc., South Burlington, Vt.

Construction Team                          

General Contractor: PC Construction, Inc., So. Burlington, Vt.; concrete: S.D. Ireland Concrete Construction, Williston, Vt.; curtain wall & storefront: St. Albans Glass Company, Inc., St. Albans, Vt.; drywall/metal framing/acoustical ceilings: Denis White Interior Contractors, Williston, Vt.; electrical: Omega Electric Construction, South Burlington, Vt.; fireproofing: Thermal & Water Barriers of VT, Fairfax, Vt.; H-Piles & Steel Erection: CCS Constructors, Inc., Morrisville, Vt.; masonry: Ziter Masonry, Inc., Barre, Vt.; mechanical/plumbing/controls: Vermont Heating & Ventilating Co., Winooski, Vt.; metal stairs & misc metals: Charles Leonard Steel Services LLC, Concord, N.H.; painting: Russ/Wood Decorating, Inc., Richmond, Vt.; Roofing & Metal Panels: Monahan Brothers, Inc., Plattsburgh, N.Y.; site work: S.D. Ireland Brothers Corp., South Burlington, Vt.; spray foam insulation: East Shore Drywall, Colchester, Vt.; structural steel fabrication: Canatal Industries Inc., Thetford Mines, QC; waterproofing: Nicom Coatings Corporation, Barre, Vt.

(This article was produced from a press release written by the Vermont Department of Health.)

]]> <![CDATA[Mawe Receives International GI Disorders Research Award]]> http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15956&category=comall Fri, 26 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15956&category=comall University of Vermont Professor of Neurological Sciences Gary Mawe, Ph.D., was recently honored by the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD) for his role in the scientific advancement in the area of chronic digestive disorders. Mawe, who was one of eight 2013 Research Award recipients who were recognized at the 10th International Symposium on Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders held in Milwakee, Wisc., April 12 to 14, 2013. Mawe was the awardee in the Senior Basic Investigator category.

Since 2003 IFFGD, a nonprofit research and education organization, has presented awards to 38 active investigators who are working to advance scientific knowledge of functional gastrointestinal (GI) and motility disorders (FGIMDs). The organization relies on donor support to fund research and provide reliable information and ongoing support to the millions of people whose lives are impacted by these chronic digestive conditions.

“We are pleased to recognize these dedicated investigators for their contributions to functional gastrointestinal and motility research,” said Nancy Norton, president and founder of IFFGD. “Continued scientific advancement will allow us to better understand the complexities of chronic digestive disorders and improve the quality of life for those that are affected by their symptoms.”

Mawe, who joined the UVM faculty in 1988, has secondary appointments in the departments of pharmacology and medicine, and serves as an adjunct professor of physiology and pharmacology at the University of Calgary. He is recognized internationally for the translational research program he has established at UVM, which focuses on how the nervous system regulates motor activity in the intestines and the biliary tract. His research interests include the understanding of signaling by the neurotransmitter serotonin in the digestive tract; changes in the gut (enteric) nervous system in response to and following inflammation; and the mechanism by which smooth muscle function is disrupted in gallstone disease. He and his colleagues have made discoveries that provide fundamental information about how the digestive organ systems work, and insight about changes that occur in inflammatory and functional/motility disorders. His research has been consistently funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as well as supported by pharmaceutical companies such as Novartis, Takeda, and Proctor and Gamble.

His many awards include the Janssen Award for Gastrointestinal Research and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America Foundation Award in Excellence; the Basmajian/Williams & Wilkins Award from the American Association of Anatomists, which recognizes individuals who balance the rigors of teaching gross anatomy with a vigorous research program; and he was named a University Scholar at UVM in 2006. In addition, Mawe serves as a frequent reviewer for NIH, and has reviewed manuscripts for over 40 different journals; he is currently an Editor for The Journal of Physiology, and the Reviews Editor for the journal, Neurogastroenterology and Motility.

Recurrent themes of Mawe’s research activities include the development of junior investigators through active, thoughtful mentoring, and fruitful collaborations with expert colleagues such as Mark Nelson, Ph.D., UVM professor and chair of pharmacology; Peter Moses, M.D., UVM professor of medicine; Keith Sharkey, Ph.D., professor of physiology and pharmacology at the University of Calgary; and Michael Gershon, M.D., professor and chair of anatomy and cell biology at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons. Former trainees from Mawe’s laboratory are currently faculty members or fellows at numerous prestigious institutions, including The Cleveland Clinic, The Mayo Clinic, Yale, Dartmouth, Tennessee, Pittsburgh, and UCLA.

There are more than two dozen FGIMDs, which involve troubles within the esophagus (food tube), stomach, and intestines. The conditions, some of which are life threatening, involve acute or chronic pain and improper functioning of the nerves, muscles, and other related mechanisms of the digestive tract and have few treatment options. Symptoms of these chronic disorders impose a tremendous burden on those afflicted, as well as their families, diminishing quality of life and productivity levels, while also having significant social and economic impacts on society.

Learn more about the IFFGD.

(This article was adapted from a news release produced by the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders.)

]]> <![CDATA[Tracy and Colleagues Find Increased Heart Attack Risk in HIV-Infected Individuals]]> http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15938&category=comall Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15938&category=comall While potent combination antiretroviral therapy “cocktails” have been truly lifesaving for HIV patients – transforming the formerly fatal diagnosis to a manageable chronic condition over the past fifteen years – a new study of more than 80,000 veterans published in JAMA Internal Medicine Online First shows that increased heart disease risk may be an unexpected side effect. University of Vermont Professor of Pathology and Biochemistry Russell Tracy, Ph.D., served as a coauthor on the paper, which reported that HIV infection is associated with a 50 percent higher risk of heart attack beyond the risk associated with recognized cardiovascular risk factors.

When HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) was first identified in the U.S. in the 1970s, and for 20 years thereafter, it was considered a death sentence, because it led to the fatal AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). However, successful treatment of the condition has contributed substantially to the longevity of this population, which, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, totals an estimated one million people in the U.S.

“Many have suspected that while progression to AIDS has been lessened – or in some groups of people, essentially eliminated – a new risk for non-AIDS related chronic diseases has emerged,” says Tracy. The JAMA Internal Medicine study, he adds, utilized data from the largest cohort yet examined in what is known as the “VA Virtual Cohort.”

In order to determine any relationship between HIV and an increased risk of heart attack, Tracy, along with lead study investigator Matthew Freiberg, M.D., M.Sc., of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, senior author Amy Justice, M.D., M.Sc., Ph.D., of the Yale School of Medicine/VA Connecticut Healthcare System, and colleagues analyzed data from 82,459 veterans – both those infected with HIV and those uninfected. The researchers found that there were 871 acute myocardial infarction (AMI or heart attack) events during a follow-up of about 5.9 years, which represented many more on a percentage basis in the HIV-infected group than in the non-infected group, even after adjusting for all standard Framingham risk factors. “This confirms a substantial increased risk due to HIV infection on top of the risk due to traditional risk factors such as blood pressure and cholesterol,” says Tracy, who adds that “the source of the increased risk isn’t known with certainty.”

However, Tracy and other experts in this field do have an idea about the underlying cause. In a different, but related study, titled “Inflammatory and Coagulation Biomarkers and Mortality in Patients with HIV Infection” and published in PLoS Medicine in 2008, he and colleagues demonstrated that chronic, well-controlled HIV infection is associated with a level of inflammation consistent with increased cardiovascular disease risk.

“Despite our best medications, and since inflammation is known to be an important participant in atherosclerosis and heart attacks, this chronic pro-inflammatory state is the leading candidate,” Tracy says.

(This article includes information adapted from a JAMA Internal Medicine press release.)

]]> <![CDATA[Governor Howard Dean Presents Special Community Medical School Lecture]]> http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15901&category=comall Fri, 19 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15901&category=comall Health care costs got you down? Decreasing spending and improving health care quality and outcomes – the goal of the Accountable Care Organization model – were among the health care reform issues discussed by special guest speaker Governor Howard Dean when he spoke to an overflow crowd on Thursday, April 25 at 6 p.m. as part of the Spring 2013 Community Medical School series. This free public lecture program, presented jointly by the UVM College of Medicine and Fletcher Allen Health Care, continues on Tuesday April 30, and May 7 and 14. Lectures take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Carpenter Auditorium in the Given Building at the UVM College of Medicine and include a Q&A session following each presentation.

Spring 2013 lecture dates, topics and speakers still to come include:

  • April 30, “Hot Off the Press: The Latest News in Menopause” by Zaher Merhi, M.D., Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences
  • May 7, “My Regeneration: Using Stem Cells to Repair the Heart,” by William Hopkins, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, and Jeffrey Spees, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Medicine and Director, Stem Cell Core
  • May 14, “Cancer and Exercise: Improving Physical Function and Cardiopulmonary Health During and After Treatment” by Kim Dittus, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine, and Susan Lakoski, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine

To register, or for more information, visit the Community Medical School website or call 802-847-2886.

]]> <![CDATA[Pediatric Neurologist Bingham Blogs about Fulbright Scholar Experience in Armenia]]> http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15899&category=comall Fri, 19 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15899&category=comall In February 2013, University of Vermont Associate Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics Peter Bingham, M.D., traveled from the relatively “new” United States to the ancient Armenian capital of Yerevan to embark on a Fulbright Scholar project designed to improve access to and systems involving referrals to pediatric neurologists. To chronicle his experience, he created a blog, titled “Parpetsy Neuro-Log,” on which he shares not only clinical, but also social and cultural, observations and information.

Bingham joined his wife, Dana Walrath, Ph.D., a UVM research assistant professor of family medicine and medical anthropologist who is of Armenian descent and came to Yerevan in August 2012 as a 2012-13 Visiting Fulbright Scholar to work on her project, titled “Narrative Anthropology and Healing at Home and in the Homeland.”

His sabbatical, though purposely-timed with his wife’s trip, was prompted by Bingham’s discovery that Armenian and American pediatric neurologists face many similar access issues related to their clinical specialty. He incorporated this issue into a Fulbright proposal and was awarded a 2012-13 scholarship in late 2012. For the past two months, he has been collaborating with the pediatric neurology department at Yerevan State Medical University to develop an educational outreach program, including a novel “docudrama” to improve the delivery of subspecialty child neurology services.

As a pediatric neurologist in Vermont, Bingham sees a broad range of patients that includes those with epilepsy, headache, genetic and inflammatory diseases of the nervous system (including muscular dystrophy), autism, developmental and learning problems, tics and Tourette syndrome. His research includes National Institutes of Health-supported work on developmental assessment and promotion of feeding by premature infants, as well as studies of therapeutic applications of breath biofeedback-focused computer games for children with cystic fibrosis and asthma, which have been funded by both the NIH and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. His research programs have led to two patents in the field of pediatric neurorehabilitation.

Armenia has a long, turbulent history that includes horrific genocide resulting in more than 1.5 million deaths during World War I. Founded in 782 B.C., the Southwestern Asian city of Yerevan is located on the banks of the river Hrazdan in the Ararat valley, and did not gain its independence until 1991. In the “About Parpetsy Neuro-Log” page of his blog site, Bingham explains that “The descendant’s sense of belonging can be an infectious thing, and may also flow upstream. Though I will never be an Armenian, I somewhere believe that I am from Armenia, and that you are from Scotland, and … So I have moved to Parpetsy Street, with the help of Fulbright (your tax dollars at work), with cultural exchange and pediatric neurology systems on my agenda.”

Bingham’s blog posts are poignant, comical, honest, and insightful, and offer the reader a peek into the daily interactions of Bingham’s life in this city of a little more than 1 million residents, and its surrounding region. In his “Early Milestone” post on February 2, 2013, Bingham writes “I’ve passed several milestones of Yerevantsi citizenship: a second, 2-hour Armenian lesson with the wonderful Anahid (everbody is a “the” in this language–these folks are the definite article).” Several days later, his blog post, titled “A Little Test of Time,” recounts a patient interaction: “A 6 year old boy with speech delay sits by his mother through a 25 minute interview about his epilepsy. Normally he is pretty hyperactive at appointments, yet today he is somehow unusually quiet. He and I are joined in a silent movie, for the talk is going over our heads. Not a bad way to relate to someone though, to be restricted to their actions rather than their words. Back home, I will often introduce the notion of “Theory of Mind”– what autistic individuals lack – by asking a student to picture a silent film: see how the players anticipate each other’s action, as though they are judging each other’s intention.”A later post, in March, shares some facts about the Armenian culture: “In a society where newly-weds typically move in with the husband’s family of origin, it is the relationship between mother and paternal grandmother that is most notoriously strained. The assertive grandparents at the visits I’ve witnessed do indeed tend to be fathers’ mothers.”

Bingham will remain in Armenia through the end of June 2013.

Link to Walrath’s blog.

(Some of the information in this article was adapted from a posting on the American University of Armenia Newsroom website.)

]]> <![CDATA[Post-Doctoral Fellow Olson Receives AHA’s Roger R. Williams Award]]> http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15865&category=comall Wed, 17 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15865&category=comall Nels Olson, Ph.D.’11, a postdoctoral fellow working in the laboratory of Russell Tracy, Ph.D., professor of pathology and biochemistry, received the 2013 Roger R. Williams Award for Genetic Epidemiology and the Prevention and Treatment of Atherosclerosis from the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Council on Epidemiology and Prevention. The award was announced during the Council Dinner at the Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism 2013 Scientific Sessions, which took place March 19 to 22, 2013 in New Orleans, La.

The award is named in honor of the work of the late Roger R. Williams, M.D., who founded the division of cardiovascular genetics at the University of Utah School of Medicine and was a pioneer in the field of the genetics of inherited lipid disorders and the prevention of atherosclerosis.

To be eligible for this award, a candidate must be a member of the AHA, the first and presenting author of the abstract, and their work may not have been previously presented or published in any form. The winning abstract is the one achieving the highest average score of all applicants who submit abstracts to the category of genetic epidemiology. The Roger R. Williams Award recipient receives a cash prize of $1,500 and a plaque.

Olson’s winning abstract, titled “Common Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in the Coagulation Factor XII Gene (F12) are Associated With Endogenous Thrombin Potential via In Situ Activation of the Intrinsic System of Coagulation: the Cardiovascular Health Study,” is coauthored by several UVM colleagues, including Tracy; Saulius Butenas, Ph.D., associate professor of biochemistry; Nancy Swords Jenny, Ph.D., associate professor of pathology; and Mary Cushman, M.D., M.Sc., professor of medicine. Olson and his colleagues’ work received support from a National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) grant titled “Thrombosis Genetics, MI and Stroke in Older Adults,” led by Alex Reiner, M.D., M.Sc., at the University of Washington, of which Tracy is a co-investigator.

Olson and colleagues’ work utilized a recently developed laboratory test, called the endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) assay in samples from approximately 5,400 people participating in the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS), an NIH-funded observational study of risk factors for cardiovascular disease in older adults. The ETP test measures the generation of thrombin, an enzyme critically important in blood coagulation. Increased generation of thrombin can result in blood clots, which are the hallmark of such diseases as venous thrombosis (clots in the deep veins of the leg or in the arteries of the lungs), heart attack, and stroke.

The researchers sought to understand the contributions of genetic factors to an individual’s capacity to generate thrombin. For their study, the group analyzed genetic variation, called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), with the goal of identifying variation in genes associated with variation in thrombin generation. Results from their work identified variation in one gene, the gene for Coagulation Factor XII (FXII), as being significantly associated with higher or lower thrombin generation, depending on which allele, or copy, of the gene participants carried.

“This was a particularly exciting finding because FXII is the initiating component of what is referred to as the contact, or intrinsic, pathway of blood coagulation,” says Olson. “This pathway has long been considered unimportant in blood clotting experiments in humans. Our results suggest a previously unsuspected importance of intrinsic pathway-dependent coagulation in vivo, and may have important implications in diseases such as arterial and venous thrombosis.”

According to Olson, the laboratory group is currently investigating the ETP assay for prediction of future cardiovascular disease events in the Cardiovascular Health Study, and examining the mechanism for how genetic variation in FXII affects thrombin generation, as well as other components of the coagulation system.

Olson received his Ph.D. from UVM in 2011 and was mentored by Albert van der Vliet, Ph.D., professor of pathology. He is currently supported by the NHLBI-funded Hemostasis and Thrombosis Training Grant directed by Kenneth Mann, Ph.D., professor emeritus of biochemistry.

]]> <![CDATA[Medical Student Interest Group Presents Lecture Series in Honor of Autism Awareness Month]]> http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15909&category=comall Tue, 16 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15909&category=comall In recognition of Autism Awareness Month, University of Vermont College of Medicine students in the Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Interest Group presented several noontime programs in April as part of the College’s inaugural Autism Awareness Lunch & Lecture Series. 

The event's presentations were “Evidence Based Medicine in Autism” by William Raszka, M.D., professor of pediatrics and course director, Attacks and Defenses; a panel discussion on “The Autism Treatment Team;” and “How Autism Has Affected My Life,”which featured a panel of community members who shared their personal experiences with autism, including: Max Barrows of Green Mountain Self Advocates; Lauren Jordan, a parent advocate; and UVM College of Medicine Class of 2016 students Alice Stoddart and Brandon Childs.

Lunch was provided to all attendees. Supporters of the lectures series included: Vermont Department of Health; Vermont Speech-Language Hearing Association; University of Vermont College of Nursing and Health Sciences; Department of Pediatrics at UVM College of Medicine; Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at UVM College of Medicine; Department of Neurological Sciences at UVM College of Medicine; Attacks and Defenses Course at UVM College of Medicine; and The Klingenstein Third Generation Foundation.

]]> <![CDATA[Cushman Appointed to American Heart Association National Board of Directors]]> http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15857&category=comall Mon, 15 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15857&category=comall Mary Cushman, M.D., M.Sc., University of Vermont professor of medicine and medical director of the Thrombosis and Hemostasis program at Fletcher Allen Health Care, was elected a member of the national Board of Directors of the American Heart Association (AHA), effective May 1, 2013. The AHA is the nation’s oldest, largest voluntary organization devoted to fighting heart disease and stroke, and is second only to the federal government in money spent to fund cardiovascular and stroke research.

A fellow of the AHA, Cushman is an international expert in the field of cardiovascular disease epidemiology. She has served in a number of national, regional and local leadership roles for the organization since first volunteering for the Association in the 1990s, after receiving her first grant from the AHA’s former New Hampshire/Vermont Affiliate in 1996.

Cushman currently serves as president of the Vermont board of the AHA Founder’s Affiliate, which serves the northeast region of the US.  She chairs the AHA Council Operations Committee, and is a member of the AHA Science Advisory Coordinating Committee and the AHA National Advocacy Coordinating Committee. In addition, she is past chair of the AHA Scientific Council on Epidemiology and Prevention, which has more than 2000 members. She previously served as chair of the AHA Council on Epidemiology and Prevention’s 46th and 47th Annual Scientific Conferences and as a member of the AHA Manuscript Oversight Committee. She is also actively involved in scientific publishing as a senior guest editor of the AHA’s flagship journal Circulation.

As a member of the AHA Board of Directors, Cushman will be jointly responsible for the control and management of the affairs, funds, and property of the Association, including approval of long-range goals for the Association, approval of policies and standards and delegation of their implementation, employment and evaluation of a staff Chief Executive Officer, and final approval of the budget and other fiscal matters of the AHA National Center.

“Dr. Cushman has been a highly distinguished volunteer who has contributed to the American Heart Association mission in many critically important ways,” says AHA CEO Nancy Brown. “Through her chairmanship of our Council on Epidemiology and Prevention, her work with our scientific journals, her support of our advocacy initiatives, her leadership at the affiliate and local levels, and in many additional roles, she has strengthened our organization profoundly. We are extremely proud to welcome her to our Board of Directors.”

The AHA’s 21-member board is made up of distinguished volunteers from the fields of medicine, healthcare, academia, finance, media and advertising. AHA board members, who are nominated and elected by the AHA Nominating and Awards Committee, serve two-year terms. Cushman’s term will include the AHA’s 2013-14 and 2014-15 fiscal years, which begin on July 1. The board meets in an official capacity three times per year at the AHA’s National Center in Dallas, TX, and also holds several additional meetings by teleconference.

A nationwide organization that includes 144 local offices and nearly 2,700 employees, the AHA was founded in 1924 by six cardiologists and now includes more than 22.5 million volunteers and supporters and 30,000 science members. The organization focuses on funding innovative research, advocating for scientifically sound public health policies and providing critical tools and information to the public to help save and improve lives.

Cushman’s research and local, regional and national advocacy efforts have been closely linked to the AHA’s Life’s Simple 7 program, which promotes cardiovascular health improvement through the adoption of risk-reducing lifestyle choices, including not smoking, being physically active, maintaining a healthy body weight, eating a healthy diet, and controlling blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar. She recently participated in the Rally for Medical Research and the AHA’s Lobby Day in Washington, D.C.

]]> <![CDATA[Associate Dean for Public Health Leads the Way for New Online Graduate Certificate Program]]> http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15848&category=comall Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15848&category=comall A new online certificate of graduate study at the University of Vermont promises to train professionals in the art and science of public health, with a focus on real world application.

The idea for the program, initiated by Jan Carney, M.D., M.P.H., associate dean for public health at the College of Medicine and coordinator of the Certificate of Graduate Study in Public Health program, grew to fruition following conversations with colleagues at the UVM Graduate College and Continuing Education. The 18-credit, online certificate program is open to anyone with a bachelor’s degree. It is designed for medical and graduate students, health practitioners, researchers, and students interested in advanced study in the field. The Graduate College, in collaboration with the College of Medicine and Continuing Education, administers the program. 

There is a “pressing and urgent need” for professionals trained in public health, says Carney. With health care reform a national priority, and growing awareness about how the environment, behavior, and other social factors affect the health of a population, the program trains students to become leaders and advocates for change.

“One of the strengths of the program, by design and by our faculty, is to help students apply what they are learning,” Carney says. “We want our students to be able to hit the ground running.”

The certificate program provides a foundation in population health sciences including epidemiology, biostatistics, and environmental health. It also includes interdisciplinary and public policy-focused coursework. Students take five required courses and one elective. They also benefit from individualized advising. Faculty from the College of Medicine, the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, and the Vermont Department of Health, including experts trained at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), teach courses in the program.

One goal, says Carney, is to get students thinking about how systems work, and to make connections between fields.  For example, students may examine how a lack of access to green space influences exercise rates in a population, which in turn may affect how many go on to develop cardiovascular disease or diabetes. Other topics may include how socioeconomic status affects health, or how public policy can influence behavior trends.

“In health care you try to change the behavior of one person at a time,” Carney says. “This is about ways to change the health behaviors of an entire population.”

Carney, who served as Vermont’s health commissioner from 1987 to 2003, helped to develop important statewide public policies related to tobacco control, breast cancer screening, and many other issues. She also instituted Healthy Vermonters, a program that is going into its third decade of setting measurable public health goals for the state.

The online certificate program is a first step towards establishing a master’s degree program in public health at UVM, shares Carney. Applications are now being accepted and students can begin public health graduate certificate coursework as early as the summer of 2013.

Learn more about program eligibility, prerequisites, and application.

]]> <![CDATA[Spring Community Medical School in Full Swing]]> http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15838&category=comall Wed, 10 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15838&category=comall More than 200 attendees filled Carpenter Auditorium at the University of Vermont College of Medicine for the first Spring 2013 Community Medical School presentation on April 16. This free public lecture program, presented jointly by the UVM College of Medicine and Fletcher Allen Health Care, continues with a special presentation by guest speaker Governor Howard Dean on Thursday, April 25 at 6 p.m. and continues on Tuesday April 30, and May 7 and 14. Lectures take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Carpenter Auditorium in the Given Building at the UVM College of Medicine and include a Q&A session following each presentation.

Spring 2013 lecture dates, topics and speakers include:

  • April 16, “Top of Mind: The Brain’s Frontal Lobes and their Role in Memory” by Deborah Black, M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor of Neurological Sciences
  • April 25 (Thurs.), SPECIAL PRESENTATION: “The Coming Changes in Vermont’s Health Care Delivery System,” by Governor Howard Dean, M.D.
  • April 30, “Hot Off the Press: The Latest News in Menopause” by Zaher Merhi, M.D., Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences
  •  May 7, “My Regeneration: Using Stem Cells to Repair the Heart,” by William Hopkins, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, and Jeffrey Spees, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Medicine and Director, Stem Cell Core
  • May 14, “Cancer and Exercise: Improving Physical Function and Cardiopulmonary Health During and After Treatment” by Kim Dittus, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine, and Susan Lakoski, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine

To register, or for more information, visit the Community Medical School website or call 802-847-2886.

]]> <![CDATA[Med Student Heads to Clinton Global Initiative University Conference to Present Text Messaging Software ]]> http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15795&category=comall Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15795&category=comall What if texting – the obsessive communication mode of teens and young adults – could help prompt patients to stay on track with medication for chronic conditions like high blood pressure, HIV, diabetes, or other illnesses?

University of Vermont medical student Luke Neill, Class of 2016, is working with his long-time friend, Sam Meyer, on software that will do just that – give pharmacists and other healthcare providers a way to reach patients on a device they use all of the time – their cell phones. This low-cost idea could empower patients to take charge of their health, help to avoid additional problems or potentially life-threatening complications, and reduce the public health cost of medical non-compliance, which is estimated to total about $100 to $300 billion annually in the U.S. alone.

Although smartphone and computer applications for inputting personal medication information already exist, this software allows doctors and pharmacists to set up the messages and track compliance data. Meyer is working on the programming; Neill is developing the specific functions that will be useful for providers and patients. As a service that’s free to patients, this system is meant to reach populations that might not otherwise have access to such support.

“There’s a large problem in the U.S. with medication adherence,” Neill says. “We want to address that in a way that’s cost-effective.”

This month, the pair will have the chance to present their project at the Clinton Global Initiative University Conference at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, held April 5 to 7, 2013. Social activists, celebrities, political leaders, and experts in technology, business, and other fields – including former President Bill Clinton himself – come to this meeting to learn and support innovative ideas from students. Last year, more than 1,000 students from all 50 states were invited attend.

All invitees create a “Commitment to Action” that is specific and measureable, and geared to help on any scale – from the local to the global.

“Access to basic health information and instruction is one of the primary obstacles to improving healthcare globally,” Neill states in his Commitment to Action. “By leveraging the simplicity and ubiquity of text messages, I will be able to provide patients who lack the typical healthcare infrastructure with relevant and specific instruction and support.”

Neill’s and Meyer’s HIPAA-compliant software program allows patients to enroll at the pharmacy and then begin receiving text messages that help them understand their medications and implications for their health. The messages are not simply reminders, Neill says; they are designed to monitor behavior patterns and change habits as well.

“The best part is that we can contextualize the feedback and give it to them,” says Neill. Providers also benefit from aggregate data on compliance. Eventually, the goal is to make the software available in developing countries where access to other technology is limited, but cell phone use is widespread.

Neill set up a pilot to test the software with first-year students at the College of Medicine and help work out any bugs prior to the Clinton conference; next he plans to network with local pharmacists for a trial. All of these efforts come with a price tag – ultimately Neill and Meyer will be faced with applying for FDA approval, which can be a costly legal process.  Neill said he’s been in contact with some foundations and non-profits interested in helping support the cause.

The Clinton Global Initiative University could be beneficial on the financial front as well: More than $400,000 in seed funding is available to attendees. Neill’s commitment has also been selected for recognition prior to a panel discussion on Ensuring Medication Safety, as an exemplary approach to addressing a global public health challenge.

“It’ll be great to be at the conference and constantly surrounded by people with motivations I share,” Neill says. “Great ideas will come out of it.”

A Lake Placid, N.Y. native who attended UVM as an undergrad, Neill says he’s also hoping to build a connection between UVM and the Clinton Global Initiative University for future students. “I’m really grateful to the UVM College of Medicine,” Neill said. “I’m representing the College at the conference.”

]]> <![CDATA[Cipolla Research Identifies New Biomarker for Life-threatening Brain Injury during Preeclampsia]]> http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15814&category=comall Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15814&category=comall One of the three leading causes of maternal disease and death worldwide, preeclampsia occurs during the second half of pregnancy and is characterized by high blood pressure, protein in the urine, as well as swelling in the hands and face. The major maternal morbidity and mortality associated with preeclampsia is from brain injury. New research by Marilyn Cipolla, Ph.D., University of Vermont professor of neurological sciences, and colleagues sheds light on a new biomarker for brain injury in early-onset preeclampsia (EPE) – oxidized low-density lipoproteins (LDL).

The study appears in the March 2013 issue of The FASEB Journal.

In addition to kidney and cardiovascular damage, preeclampsia can lead to seizures (called eclampsia). According to Cipolla and her co-authors, neurological complications occur more often in EPE, in which delivery of the fetus occurs prior to 34 weeks of gestation and is viewed as more severe, than in late-onset preeclampsia (LPE). The only current “cure” for preeclampsia is delivery, which can be detrimental to the fetus if delivery is preterm.

Cipolla specializes in the blood-brain barrier (BBB) – a unique form of cells that line the many small blood vessels of the brain that is a selective barrier between the blood into the brain. She and former postdoctoral fellow Malou Schreurs, M.D., the first author on the study, were specifically interested in brain injury associated with preeclampsia and determining why this state could result in seizure.

To examine whether or not EPE plasma increases BBB permeability that could lead to seizure, the team used human blood plasma samples from normal pregnant, early-onset preeclamptic, and late-onset preeclamptic women to perfuse the cerebral vessels of nonpregnant rats.

While conducting this research, Schreurs described the EPE plasma as “gooey” to Cipolla, which provided the team with a clue to examine lipids, which are fats.

“Pregnancy is a physiologic state of hyperlipidemia,” says Cipolla. “When you add oxidative stress that occurs during preeclampsia, you get another form of low-density lipoprotein or oxidized LDL.” In the FASEB Journal article, she and her coauthors report that “BBB disruption in response to the EPE plasma was due to a 260 percent increase of circulating oxidized LDL binding to its receptor, LOX-1, and subsequent generation of peroxynitrite.”

Cipolla, who also has appointments in obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences, as well as pharmacology, says the activation of LOX-1 is what causes the BBB permeability in response to high circulating oxLDL. In the future, she says, this process could be blocked at the early-onset stage, thus preventing an increase in permeability and the risk of seizure. Cipolla adds that having a biomarker for those at risk for brain injury could impact treatment and prevention options as well as delivery decisions in women with preeclampsia.

“Marilyn Cipolla’s identification of oxLDL as a diagnostic for the neurological form of preeclampsia has potential commercial uses as a diagnostic,” says Kerry Swift, M.S., technology licensing officer in the UVM Office of Technology Commercialization. “In addition, compounds that target LOX-1 could be potential therapeutics.”

In addition to Schreurs and Cipolla, coauthors on the study include Carl Hubel, Ph.D., and Arun Jeyabalan, M.D., of the Magee-Womens Research Institute at the University of Pittsburgh, and Ira Bernstein, M.D., professor and chair of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at UVM.

Cipolla presented on the study’s findings at the Society for Gynecologic Investigation 2013 Annual Scientific Meeting March 20 to 23 in Orlando, Fla.

]]> <![CDATA[Class of 2013’s Pantel to Receive Burlington Dismas House Atherton Award]]> http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15777&category=comall Thu, 04 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15777&category=comall Fourth-year University of Vermont medical student Haddon Pantel first learned about the Burlington Dismas House, a residential program that aims to reconcile prisoners with society and society with prisoners, as a UVM undergraduate student. Later, while pursuing medical studies at UVM and looking for a local volunteer opportunity with his wife, the couple became closely linked to the program as Volunteer Cooks. On Saturday, April 6, 2013, their efforts will be recognized with the 2013 Ann Atherton Award at the 28th Annual Burlington Dismas House Dinner & Auction.

Named for a long-time Dismas volunteer, the Ann Atherton Award is presented annually to dedicated volunteers who through their efforts, make a difference in the Dismas community.

“I have been a Dismas volunteer now for about five years now,” says Pantel. “Both my wife and I cook dinner at the house once a month. I have met many people from many different backgrounds over the course of my time at Dismas.”

Dismas Vermont, which has residences in Burlington, Winooski, Rutland and Hartford, seeks to serve former prisoners in their difficult transition from prison to the community, assuring harmony in their lives and greater public safety. The Burlington Dismas House was founded in 1986.

“It has been a great way to give back to my local community and also stay in touch with many diverse people from all over,” says Pantel. “The experience has truly kept me grounded during my time in medical school.”

Pantel will receive his medical degree from the UVM College of Medicine on Sunday, May19, 2013, following which he will be serving a residency in general surgery at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Mass.

Learn more about Dismas of Vermont.

]]> <![CDATA[UVM Medical Group Selects Research Award Winners]]> http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15765&category=comall Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15765&category=comall The University of Vermont Medical Group at Fletcher Allen recently presented awards to five of its physician members in recognition of their exceptional research efforts. The UVM Medical Group consists of approximately 450 physicians from all fields of medicine devoted to advancing patient care through clinical and laboratory research, and educating the next generation of providers.

“These awards recognize the important scholarship of our members in addition to the excellent patient care they provide,” says Howard Schapiro, M.D., interim president of the UVM Medical Group and interim senior associate dean for clinical affairs and professor of anesthesiology at UVM. “The value of having an academic medical center is rooted in the expertise and professionalism our physicians develop through research and teaching, and how that expertise provides direct benefits to patients and improves the education of medical students, residents and fellows.”

Two Investigator-Initiated Research Awards, each including a $50,000 grant funded by Fletcher Allen for two years of medical research, were presented. These awards are designed to help align the academic missions of Fletcher Allen and the UVM College of Medicine and enhance multidisciplinary and multi-department projects.

This year’s award recipient teams are led by Isabelle Desjardins, M.D., UVM associate professor of psychiatry and medical director of inpatient psychiatry at Fletcher Allen, and David Krag, M.D., S.D. Ireland Professor of Surgery at UVM and a surgical oncologist at Fletcher Allen.

Desjardins’ team is developing a suicide risk assessment tool that attempts to model the critical thinking of psychologists and psychiatrists. An additional goal of the project is creating a uniform assessment tool across different hospital settings that can be used by providers who are not psychiatrists. Krag is leading a team including Bruce Tranmer, M.D.., UVM professor of surgery and chief of neurosurgery at UVM/Fletcher Allen, and Steven Emmons, M.D., UVM assistant professor of medicine and an oncologist at Fletcher Allen, that is researching the use of vaccines in treating glioblastoma, the most common and most aggressive malignant primary brain tumor.

In addition, one senior and two junior faculty members were presented with Research Recognition Awards. The Senior Researcher of the Year award recipient receives $1,500 cash and a $6,000 education grant. Junior Researchers of the Year receive a $1,000 cash prize and a $3,000 research grant.

This year’s Senior Researcher of the Year is Mary Cushman, M.D., professor of medicine and pathology at UVM and medical director of the Thrombosis and Hemostasis Program at Fletcher Allen. Recognized as a leading expert in cardiovascular disease epidemiology, she has a particular research interest in racial and ethnic disparities.

The Junior Researcher of the Year recipients include Kalev Freeman, M.D., Ph.D., UVM assistant professor of surgery and emergency medicine specialist at Fletcher Allen, and Renee Stapleton, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine and pulmonologist and critical care physician at Fletcher Allen. Freeman is principal investigator of the Trauma Physiology Laboratory and director of emergency medicine research.  His current research focus is on vascular changes following traumatic brain injury. Stapleton’s research interests include end-of-life preferences in patients with chronic illness, and the role of nutrition in critical care.

]]> <![CDATA[VT Ethics Network Presents Palliative Care and Pain Conference April 3]]> http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15755&category=comall Fri, 29 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15755&category=comall The Vermont Ethics Network, in partnership with the Palliative Care and Pain Management Task Force and the Northeastern Vermont Area Health Education Center (AHEC), presented a conference, titled “A Bridge to Healing: Insights into the Management of Pain and Suffering” on Wednesday, April 3, 2013. The University of Vermont and Fletcher Allen Health Care were among the supporters of the event, which included presentations by several UVM College of Medicine faculty members.

The event featured two special guest speakers – Jane Abrahm, M.D., and Eric Cassell, M.D.  Abrahm is a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, division chief of adult palliative Care in the Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and a hematologist/oncologist who has served as a full-time palliative medicine specialist for more than 15 years. She is author of A Physician’s Guide to Pain and Symptom Management in Cancer Patients, the third edition of which is due to be published in 2013. Cassell is a clinical professor of public health emeritus in the division of medical ethics at Weill Cornell Medical College and a retired internal medicine specialist. He is the author of The Healer's Art, The Place of the Humanities in Medicine, Changing Values in Medicine, two volumes on doctor patient communication titled Talking with Patients, Doctoring: The Nature of Primary Care Medicine, and The Nature of Suffering, now in its second edition. A new book, The Nature of Healing, is in the works.

UVM faculty who presented at the breakout sessions include Cristine Maloney, M.D., clinical assistant professor of medicine and an internist at Gifford Medical Center in Randolph, Vt.; Brian Erickson, M.D., clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and a psychiatrist at Fletcher Allen’s Center for Pain Medicine; Ursula McVeigh, M.D., assistant professor of family medicine and interim medical director of palliative care medicine at Fletcher Allen Health Care.

Learn more about the conference.

]]> <![CDATA[Kroepsch Maurice Excellence in Teaching Award Nomination Deadline April 19]]> http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15744&category=comall Thu, 28 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15744&category=comall “A sincere ally that I could rely on.” “Truly gifted.” “He has high expectations and won't settle for anything but our best.” “In school or out, she is always there for us.”

Comments about UVM College of Medicine faculty who have won the Kroepsch-Maurice Excellence in Teaching Award over the years paint a compelling picture of how these professors have made an impact on students.

Students, faculty, staff and alumni from the College of Medicine are invited submit candidates for the 2014 awards; the deadline for submission is April 19, 2013. Faculty with titles of professor, associate professor, assistant professor or lecturer (including senior lecturer and continuing education instructor) are eligible. Winners, who come from across the University, stand out for their teaching and advising skills. Some of the criteria for nomination include excellence in instruction; innovation in teaching methods; commitment to cultural diversity; and ability to motivate students. Each Kroepsch-Maurice recipient receives $1,000.

Recent College of Medicine faculty winners have demonstrated these qualities and more. In 2011, Barry Heath, M.D., professor of pediatrics, was lauded for his “teachable moments” in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, and his engaging style in the classroom.

Mario Trabulsy, M.D., associate professor of surgery, received the Kroepsch-Maurice Teaching Award in 2010. Students praised her approachable nature and the discussions she fostered as a Medical Student Leadership Group mentor for first year-students. As a Frymoyer Scholar, she developed a program of study and online module for emergency medicine that has since become a model.

Douglas Johnson, M.D., professor of microbiology and molecular genetics, and Steven Shackford, M.D., now professor of surgery emeritus, received the award in 2008 and 2005 respectively. Johnson was cited for his challenging curriculum, while Shackford’s style of questioning students – fondly named “Shack Rounds” – received praise. Other College of Medicine recipients from the past two decades include:

2001- Ellen Black, Ph.D., assistant professor of anatomy/neurobiology
1997- Jean Szilva, M.D., lecturer of anatomy and neurobiology (now assistant professor of anatomy and neurobiology emerita)
1993 - Gerald Silverstein, Ph.D., lecturer of microbiology & molecular genetics (now lecturer emeritus)

The Kroepsch-Maurice Excellence in Teaching Award memorializes Robert H. and Ruth M. Kroepsch and her parents, Walter C. and Mary L. Maurice. Robert H. Kroepsch served as registrar and dean of administration at UVM from 1946-56. His wife, Ruth, graduated from UVM in 1938 and her father, Walter Maurice, graduated from UVM in 1909. All four of them were teachers.

Link to the Kroepsch-Maurice Excellence in Teaching Information and Nomination Form.

]]> <![CDATA[College of Medicine Faculty Receive Recognition at April 4 VT Invention2Venture Conference]]> http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15718&category=comall Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15718&category=comall The annual Invention to Venture (I2V) Conference brings together academic researchers, students, entrepreneurs and business leaders from across the state to collaboratively focus on entrepreneurship, job creation, and economic growth. The 2013 event attracted a record 140 attendees and offered a new, highly interactive, roundtable discussion format offering discussion on a wide variety of topics, and an awards session at which several University of Vermont College of Medicine faculty were recognized.

Presented by the University of Vermont’s Office of Technology Commercialization, the Vermont Technology Council and the Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies, the conference is in its eighth year. The 2013 keynote presentation was delivered by Rich Tarrant, Jr., founder and CEO of MyWebGrocer.

Among the faculty members who received awards were: Peter Spector, M.D., professor of medicine, and Jason Bates, Ph.D., professor of medicine, for their newly-licensed company Visible Electrophysiology, LLC; Haematologic Technologies collaborators, including Kathleen Brummel-Zeidins, Ph.D., associate professor of biochemistry, Kenneth Mann, Ph.D., professor emeritus of biochemistry, Stephen Everse, Ph.D., associate professor of biochemistry, and Thomas Orfeo, Ph.D., research associate of biochemistry. Merecedes Rincon, Ph.D., professor of medicine, and Wendy Neveu, Ph.D., M.D.-Ph.D. student, who were inducted into the Hall of Fame for their work with BioMosaics/Anti-MCJ antibodies. In addition, a number of patent recipients were honored, including Rincon, Neveu, Mann, Cory Teuscher, Ph.D., professor of medicine, and George Wellman, Ph.D., associate professor of pharmacology.

Roundtable Discussion topics and leaders included:

I.P. Protection with Kathryn Doyle, Ph.D., J.D., Riverside Law

FDA Regulated: Process to Market with Bethany Hills, M.P.H., J.D., Partner, Hodgson Russ Attorneys

Unregulated Technologies: Proof to Concept with Tanya Kanigan, Ph.D., Chief Operating Office of Genomic Expression, Inc., and Principal and Founder, Proof of Market

Finding the Money: Vermont Financial Resources with Janice St. Onge, Deputy Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund, and President, VSJF Flexible Capital Fund, L3C; Jo Bradley, M.B.A., Chief Executive Officer, VT Economic Development Authority (VEDA); and Andrew Stickney, M.B.A., Vice President, Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies (VCET) 

Lessons Learned from a CEO with Jack Glaser, President, MBF Bioscience

SBIR/STTR/EPSCoR Phase 0 with Robert Davis, CEO and Co-Founder, Stromatec, and Patrick Clemins, Ph.D., Cyber Education Specialist, VT EPSCoR

Industry Collaboration with Lennart Lundblad, Ph.D., UVM Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine

How to Build a Business Team with Steve Arms, Principle, Swarms Ventures, LLC, and Founder and President, MicroStrain, Inc.

The Pitch: Getting to Yes with Lars Hasselblad Torres, Director, Office of the Creative Economy, Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development

Corporate Structure with Rocki Lee DeWitt, M.P.H.I., Ph.D., UVM Professor of Management, School of Business Administration, and Jeff McMahan, J.D., Partner, Dinse Knapp McAndrew Attorneys

Learn more about the I2V event and presenters.

]]> <![CDATA[Vizzard Delivers University Scholar Lecture March 27]]> http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15721&category=comall Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.uvm.edu/rss/news/?Page=news&storyID=15721&category=comall A nationally and internationally recognized expert and leader in system neuroscience related to the neural control of the lower urinary tract system, Margaret Vizzard, Ph.D., University of Vermont professor of neurological sciences, was recognized as a 2012-13 University Scholar last year. She delivered her University Scholar lecture, titled “To Pee or Not to Pee: Science Below the Belt,” on Wednesday, March 27, 2013 in the Memorial Lounge in UVM’s Waterman building.

Vizzard has developed multidisciplinary approaches and technologies that reveal new insights into the fundamental mechanisms by which the nervous system responds to injury and inflammatory processes related to the genitourinary system and beyond. With support from a variety of federal and private agencies including the National Institutes of Health, American Heart Association, American Paralysis Association, Interstitial Cystitis Association and Spinal Cord Research Foundation, she has accomplished more than 80 journal publications, as well as many invited review articles and presentations at research symposia. In addition, Vizzard also serves as a grant reviewer for NIH study sections, manuscript reviewer for numerous journals, on an editorial board for the American Journal of Physiology, and as an associate editor for other journals.

One of Vizzard’s most noted discoveries is in the area of interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome, a pelvic pain disorder characterized by bladder-associated pain, increased urination, urgency and night time urination. Her research has shown that increased expression of a protein called nerve growth factor (NGF) plays a role in urinary bladder dysfunction by facilitating the development of inflammation that causes cystitis. NGF in the bladder may be a biomarker for cystitis and other urinary bladder dysfunction. Vizzard’s findings are assisting the development of drug therapies to treat bladder disorders.

Vizzard earned a Ph.D. in physiology from Thomas Jefferson University, following which she served as a postdoctoral fellow and instructor in pharmacology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She joined the UVM faculty in 1995.

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