February 0 5

A NOTE FROM DEAN REECE

In each edition of the BUZZ, we designate a section devoted to announcing various COM faculty publications. These publications exhibit the work that is being done throughout the COM and display our ongoing efforts to improve and advance medicine in Arkansas and the nation.

Publishing is not about perishing, but about sharing with others the best of ourselves — our thoughts, our ideas, our interpretations and our conclusions. It is a powerful evidence of the sharing culture of an institution. We have the distinct responsibility to share our ideas and research findings with our colleagues. By doing so, we are able to work collaboratively as a team to discover new and innovative ways to improve the overall health of our society.

Every day, we are presented with publication opportunities, whether we are at the bedside, in the classroom or in the laboratory. Patient experiences, student interactions, teaching methods and committee services all provide us with information for composing articles and for sharing our findings and conclusions with our colleagues.

We must set goals for ourselves to continue to publish or share profusely, considering everything that we do as a publication opportunity. Psychologist Rollo May said, “Communication leads to community; that is, understanding, intimacy and mutual valuing.” Publishing articles allows us to communicate with our colleagues on a nationwide basis and provides us with a way to share our ideas and discoveries, ultimately promoting a sense of collegial

education and the true spirit of an academic community.

My sincerest thanks to each of you who strive to publish articles frequently, and which enhance understanding of the innovations that take place in the COM every day. Congratulations to each of you on your many accomplishments and scholarly endeavors, which together are moving us further in our pursuit of excellence.

Sincerely,

E. Albert Reece, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A.Vice Chancellor, UAMSDean, College of Medicine

PUBLISH AND SHARE: A TRUE COM SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY

Table of ContentsIt’s Offi cial .................................................. pg. 2Recent Grant Awards ................................. pg. 3Editor’s Notebook ...................................... pg. 4The Appointment Card ............................. pg. 5Spotlight ..................................................... pg. 5In the News ............................................... pg. 7Events, Lectures & Workshops ................................................. pg. 7Mark Your Calendars ................................. pg. 9Arkansas Bioventures ................................ pg. 10Did You Know ........................................... pg. 10News of Note ............................................. pg. 11Faculty Titles .............................................. pg. 12GCRC Calendar .......................................... pg. 13Contact Information .................................. pg. 14

(continued on pg. 3)P A G E T W O

OPEN FORUM

IT’S OFFICIAL — WELCOME NEW FACULTY

Nancy J. Rusch, Ph.D., has joined the College of Medicine as a professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. Rusch received her doctorate in physiology and pharmacology from

the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and did her postdoctoral training in pharmacology at the University of

Iowa and in physiology at the University of Cincinnati. She is the president-elect of the Cardiovascular Division of the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, a member and fellow of the Council on High Blood Pressure, serves on the Circulation Council of the American Heart Association and has membership in the American Physiological Society. Rusch also serves on the editorial boards of the journals Vascular Pharmacology and Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology. She is presently funded by two National Institutes of Health R01 grants and has another NIH grant under review.

William McIntyre, Pharm.D., has joined the AHEC-Southwest in Texarkana as its director. He completed his Bachelor of Science in pharmacy and his Doctor of Pharmacy at Wayne State University in Detroit, Mich. He was a clinical pharmacy resident at the Chandler Medical Center at the University of Kentucky and a research fellow in cancer/immunology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. He most recently was the dean of the College of Health Sciences and Human Services at the University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg, Texas.

Kumuda Das, Ph.D., has joined the Department of Pathology as an associate professor. He received his bachelor’s degree in zoology (chemistry) from Utkal University in Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India, his master’s in zoology (cell biology) from Gujarat University’s School of Sciences and his doctorate in veterinary medical sciences (environmental toxicology) from Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Polytechnic Institute and State University. He served as an instructor at the National Jewish Medical and Research Center and then as an assistant and associate professor of molecular biology at the University of Texas Health Center at Tyler from 1998-2004. His research interests include oxidative damage and oxidative signaling with emphasis on cancer and tissue damage. He is currently funded by an NIH R01 titled “DNA damage signaling in oxygen toxicity in lung cells.” Abid Mohiuddin, M.D., will join the Myeloma Institute in February as an assistant professor. He received his medical education at the Dow Medical College in Karachi, Pakistan. At the Civil Hospital in Karchi, he completed a medical/surgical internship as well as registrar posts with the departments of Anesthesiology and Neurology. Mohiuddin completed a residency in internal medicine at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, a hematology/oncology fellowship at Cook County Hospital and another fellowship in hematology/BMT at the University of Wisconsin. Prior to his hematology/BMT fellowship, he served as medical director for four years at the Westfi eld Family Medical Center in Westfi eld, Wis. and as an ER/staff physician at Adams County Memorial Hospital in Friendship, Wis.

IT’S OFFICIAL – CONGRATULATIONS FACULTY

Kathy Rich joined the Department of Ophthalmology on Dec.1 as its business administrator. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in business administration from Rhodes College and her Master of Health Services

An Open Forum was held on Feb. 7 to discuss the recent stress and grief related issues that the COM and the campus as a whole have faced. Dean E. Albert Reece, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., Chancellor I. Dodd Wilson, M.D., Jan Shorey, M.D., and Rick Smith, M.D., discussed the importance of recognizing signs of depression and other mental health problems in our colleagues and outlined the mechanisms that we have in place to offer assistance to them. Shorey and Smith presented a proposal for new programs that will make it easier to seek help for ourselves and for our colleagues. The new faculty assistance program will be implemented soon. This program will focus on the identifi cation of at-risk individuals, the prophylactic care program and a therapeutic intervention program. They also discussed the expanded role that the offi ce of faculty affairs is taking responsibility with keeping involved with the faculty at UAMS, ACH and the CAVHS. There was a one minute moment of quiet refl ection before the questions and comments session of the forum took place. The forum ended with a survey to help gain insight on the faculty perception on current assistance programs.

P A G E T H R E E(continued on pg. 4)

Administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She has previously served as the

business administrator in the departments of Urology and Neurology.

Joe Cook has joined the Department of Neurology as its business administrator. He earned his Master of Arts degree in management

from the University of Nebraska and his BSBA in fi nance from the University of Arkansas. He has served

a s t h e assistant dean for business affairs in the UAMS College of Nursing and as administrator for the Department of Psychiatry. He also currently serves as the administrator for Jackson T. Stephens Spine and Neurosciences Institute.

Tina Moskow has joined the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences as its business administrator. She has been in the UAMS system for the past eight years as the administrator for the Department of Physiology and Biophysics. Prior to coming to UAMS, she was with grants accounting at ACH, was an auditor and accountant in a private accounting fi rm, and was a project management analyst. She has been very involved in a number of campus-wide projects, including the development of SAP.

IT’S OFFICIAL – INFORMATION

Stacy Rudnicki, M.D., an associate professor in the Department of Neurology, has completed training at the third annual Donald M. Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum held Jan. 6-9 in Huntington Beach, Calif. The American Academy of Neurology established the Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum in 2003 to empower neurologists to advocate on behalf of their patients for sensible health care reforms on local, regional, and national levels. Participants are selected based on their leadership potential and their passion for patient and professional advocacy. The 2005 forum prepared 31 neurologists from 20 states and two countries to serve as “Advocacy Leaders” on vital local, state, and federal neurology issues. Courses covered media training, facilitating organizational change, and legislative advocacy training.

CONGRATULATIONS—RECENT GRANT AWARDS

Name and Department Type and Title AgencyTotal

Annual Cost

Leanne Whiteside-Mansell, Ed.D.COM, Partners Inclusive Communities

ResearchCross Cultural Parenting NIH $ 63,000

Galen R. Wenger, Ph.D.Pharmacology

ResearchAlcohol Preference and Cognitive Function

NIH $ 246,820

Roger G. Rank, Ph.D.Microbiology and Immunology

ResearchHost Response to Chlamydia Genital Infection in the Male

NIH/NIAID $ 355,000

William J. Evans, Ph.D.Geriatrics

ConferenceNutritional Needs of Elderly People in Long-Term Care (NIA Support for Conference Meeting)

NIH/NIA $ 35,000

Jerry Ware, Ph.D.Physiology

ResearchTransgenic Analysis of Platelet Receptor Expression

NIH/NHLBI $ 319,500

Steven C. Elbein, M.D.Endocrinology

ResearchGenetics of Type 2 Diabetes

NIH/NIDDK $ 300,880

Paul D Drew, Ph.D.Neurobiology & Developmental Science

ResearchPPAR-gamma Immune Regulation and Multiple Sclerosis

NIH/NINDS $ 306,720

Mark S. Smeltzer, Ph.D.Microbiology and Immunology

ResearchSar-Mediated Regulation in Staphylococcus Aureus

NIH/NIAID $ 284,000

Gerald A. Dienel, Ph.D.NEUR Neurology

ResearchFunctional Metabolism in Working Brain

NIH/NINDS $ 310,625

Zhimin Jimmy Zhou, Ph.D.Physiology

ResearchPhysiology of the Vertebrate Retina

NIH/NEI $ 292,000

Tammy L. Kielian, Ph.D. Neurobiology & Developmental Science

ResearchThe Pathogenesis of Brain Abscess

NIH/NINDS $ 303,525

Name and Department Type and Title AgencyTotal

Annual Cost

Curtis L. Lowery, M.D.Obstetrics and Gynecology

ResearchFetal Magnetoencephalography and Evoked Potentials

NIH/NINDS $ 928,600

Chia Lee, Ph.D.Microbiology and Immunology

ResearchGenetic Regulation of Staphylococcal Capsule

NIH/NIAID $ 248,500

Steven W. Barger, Ph.D.Geriatrics

ResearchSp1, Kappa-B Enhancers and Transcription in Neurons

NIH/NINDS $ 262,700

Shmuel Yaccoby, Ph.D.Myeloma Research Center

ResearchEffect of VELCADE on Myeloma Bone Disease and Tumor Progression in a SCID-rab Model for Primary Lymphoma

Millennium $ 31,250

Nancy Rusch, Ph.D.Pharmacology/Toxicology

ResearchRenovascular Calcium Channels in Hypertension

NHLBI $ 225,000

Galen Wenger, Ph.D.Pharmacology/Toxicology

ResearchAlcohol Preference and Cognitive Function

NIAAA $ 175,000

Gur P. Kaushal, Ph.D Nephrology

ResearchRole of Proteasome Inhibitors in Acute Renal Failure

NIH/NIDDK $ 219,885

EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK

Barry E. Brenner, M.D., Ph.D., and the ethics committee, at a meeting for Advanced Cardiac Life Support, had their study published related to procedures performed on a deceased patient in the Jan. 10 edition of Archives of Internal Medicine (2005; 165:92-96).

Greer Sullivan, M.D., has written a manuscript entitled “Needs for Services Reported by Adults with Severe Mental Illness and HIV” that has been published in Psychiatric Services (2005: 56: 99-101). His co-authors are A.S. Young, L.M. Bogart, P. Koegel and D.E. Kanouse.

P A G E F O U R(continued on pg. 5)

Two chapters in the new edition of the defi nitive ultrasound textbook Diagnostic Ultrasound were authored by UAMS pediatric radiologists.

S.B. Greenberg, J.J. Seibert and R.W. Seibert co-authored “Pediatric Head and Neck Masses.”

S.B. Greenberg, J.J. Seibert, C.M. Glasier and R.E. Leithiser co-authored “The Pediatric Chest.”

S. Bruce Greenberg, M.D., an associate professor in the Department of Radiology, Division of Pediatric Radiology, authored three chapters in the new pediatric cardiology textbook, Essential Pediatric Cardiology—“CXR,” “MRI,” and “Nuclear Medicine Tests.”

S. Bruce Greenberg, M.D.; Sadaf T. Bhutta, M.D., and Robert F. Buchmann, D.O., published an article in Pediatric Radiology titled “Gadolinium-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Angiography in Neonates and Infants Suspected of Caval or Aortic Thrombosis.”

S. Bruce Greenberg, M.D., presented a paper titled “Can Multi-Detector Computed Tomography be Used for Quantitative Ventricle Function Evaluation of Children with Heart Disease and Adults with Congenital Heart Disease?” at the European Society of Cardiac Imaging in Berlin on October 29. The abstract was published in European Radiology.

Paulette Mehta, M.D., a professor in the departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Arkansas Cancer Research Center, has written a book entitled “Pediatric Stem Cell Transplantation” that received a full-page review in the Jan. 27 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

P A G E F I V E(continued on pg. 6)

Alessandro Santin, M.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, has written a manuscript entitled “Human Kallikrein 6 (hK6): A New Potential Serum Biomarker for Uterine Serous Papillary Cancer, CCR-04-2528 Version 2” that has been accepted for publication in Clinical Cancer Research.

John Fortney, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry, has written a manuscript entitled “Are Primary Care Services a Substitute or Complement for Specialty and Inpatient Services?” that has been accepted for publication in Health Services Research. Co-authors are D. Steffi ck, J. Burgess, M. Maciejewski and L. Petersen.

Martha Phillips, Ph.D., co-authored an article titled “Evaluation of the N-O-T Smoking Cessation Program in a Real World Setting” that has been accepted for an oral presentation at the National Conference on Tobacco and Health in Chicago in May. Co-authors include C.L. Kohler, Y. Schoenberger, M.M. Phillips and D. Swann. D.

Brenda Booth, Ph.D., has co-authored a manuscript titled “Barriers and Pathways to Diffusion of Methamphetamine Use Among African Americans in the Rural South: Preliminary Ethnographic Findings” that been accepted for publication in Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse. Co-authors include R.L. Sexton, R.G. Carlson, H.A. Siegal, R.S. Falck, and C. Leukefeld.

THE APPOINTMENT CARD

Gwen Childs, Ph.D., a professor and chair of the Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, has been elected

to a two-year term on the Council for the Association of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Neurobiology Chairs (AACBNC). The group has about 70 percent of the chairs of these departments as members. There are four Council positions, and two are up for election each year.

Thomas Kieber-Emmons, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Pathology, has been appointed immunobiology section editor for DNA and Cell Biology.

Rosalia C.M. Simmen, Ph.D, a professor in the Department of Physiology & Biophysics, has been appointed to serve on the editorial board of the Journal of Endocrinology.

Bruce Smoller, M.D., a professor and chair of the Department of Pathology, was elected to the Governance Council of the United States-Academy of Pathology for a three-year term. He is the fi rst dermatopathologist to be elected to this council.

SPOTLIGHT

Dean E. Albert Reece, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., was elected to the administrative board of the National Council of Deans. The group of 10 represents the 125

deans of medical schools throughout the U.S.

Manish M. Tiwari, a Ph.D. graduate student in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, was awarded a Travel Award by the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics to attend the Experimental Biology meeting in San Diego in April. Tiwari will be presenting results from this study entitled “Bradykinin B2 Signaling

P A G E S I X(continued on pg. 7)

in Murine Proximal Tubule Epithelial Cells.” This work was supported by UAMS through the Committee for the Allocation of Graduate Student Research Funds (CAGSRF).

Alessandra Milesi-Hallé, a Ph.D. graduate student in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, was awarded a Travel Award by the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics to present her research titled “Pharmacokinetics of (+)-methamphetamine and its Metabolite (+)-Amphetamine in a Methamphetamine Self-administration Paradigm in Rats” at their annual meeting in Orlando in March.

Angela Burke Reid, a Ph.D. graduate student in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, was awarded a Travel Award by the Society of Toxicology to attend its annual meeting in New Orleans in March. She will be presenting her research entitled “Reactive Oxygen/Nitrogen Species in Acetaminophen Toxicity in Freshly Isolated Mouse Hepatocytes.”

Robert Dorman, an M.D./Ph.D. graduate student in interdisciplinary toxicology in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, was awarded the American Physiological Society Professional Opportunity Travel Award to attend the Experimental Biology meeting in San Diego in April. Dorman will be presenting his research titled “Cobalt Protoporphyrin is Hepatoprotective During Experimental Rhabdomyolysis.” This work was supported by UAMS through the Committee for the Allocation of Graduate Student Research Funds (CAGSRF).

The Teaching Scholars Health Professions Education Exhibit took place on Friday, Jan. 21. Professional development funds were awarded to two projects in the Teaching with Technology Exhibit (one award in each category) and two posters in the Educational Research Exhibit. Educational Research Poster Exhibit 1st Place Award Winners:

“Development of a Scale to Evaluate Patient-Centeredness of Physicians’ Interviewing Skills,” Debra Simmons, M.D., Kara Belue, M.D., James Clardy, M.D., Patricia O’Sullivan, Ed.D.*; Departments of Medicine and Psychiatry and OED.

Honorable Mention:

“The Contribution of Self-Effi cacy Perceptions to Medical School Success: Implications for Teaching,” L.J. Perrot, M.D., J.D., Department of Pathology, Linda A. Deloney, Ed.D., Department of Radiology, and Virginia A. Johnson, Ed.D., C.R.C., OED

“Benefi ts of a Sexual Harassment Workshop for Medical School Faculty and Students,” L.J. Perrot, M.D., J.D., Department of Pathology, Linda A. Deloney, Ed.D., Department of Radiology, and Virginia A. Johnson, Ed.D., C.R.C., Offi ce of Educational Development

Teaching with Technology ExhibitBest Practices Category:

Honorable Mention:“Teaching in the Operating Room with Personal Digital Assistants,” Frank E. Block Jr., M.D., Department of Anesthesiology.

Innovation in Teaching with Technology Category:

1st Place Award Winner:“Patient Simulator Program in Medical Physiology,” James N. Pasley, Ph.D., and Jehad Albataineh, M.D., departments of Physiology and Biophysics and Anesthesiology

P A G E S E V E N

(continued on pg. 8)

Leanne Whiteside-Mansell, Ed.D., an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics, has been asked to serve on the editorial board for a special issue of Child Development on the subject of Race, Ethnicity and Culture.

Eduardo Ochoa, M.D., and Perla Vargas, Ph.D., both assistant professors in the Department of Pediatrics, were featured in El Latino as 2005 Quien es Quien (Who’s Who) Latino leaders in Arkansas.

Terry Yamauchi, M.D., a professor in the Department of Pediatrics, was selected for inclusion in the Academic Keys Who’s Who in Medical Sciences Education.

IN THE NEWS

David A. Lipschitz, M.D., Ph.D., chair of

the Donald W. Reynolds Department of Geriatrics and the director of the Institute on Aging, was featured in The Dallas Morning News on Jan. 8. The article was titled “Guru of the Golden Years.”

Y. Wady Aude, M.D., F.A.C.C., an assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine and director, Coronary Care Units, co-director, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories, UAMS, CAVHS, was interviewed by KARN radio about the effects of obesity on the heart and by KARK Channel 4 about Chelation therapy.

Jerry G. Jones, M.D., a professor in the Department of Pediatrics and the director of the Team for Children at Risk, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, appeared on Today’s THV Channel 11 on Jan. 24 to discuss the medical evaluations of abused children in the UAMS Arkansas Children’s House.

Eduardo Ochoa, M.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics, was interviewed by KARK Channel 4 as a board member of La Casa Health Network regarding anti-immigrant legislation being proposed by legislators. Ochoa was also interviewed by KATV Channel 7 for a story on health disparities.

Robert E. Lyle, M.D., an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics, was interviewed by KARN and KARK Channel 4 News on Jan. 13 concerning methamphetamine exposure in neonates and relevance to the proposed legislation making maternal prenatal substance abuse a felony.

EVENTS, LECTURES, WORKSHOPS

Elias Anaissie, M.D., a professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy, has given the following lectures:

Sept. 9-11Advances in Aspergillosis, San Francisco, Calif.Moderator, Session on Emerging Epidemiology of Aspergillus “Preemptive Therapy in the Immunocompromised Host-The Key Issues”

Oct. 30-Nov. 244th Interscience Conference On Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy Washington, D.C. “How I Handle Candida”

Nov. 18-20 20th Scientifi c Meeting of Balamand University and St. George Hospital, Beirut Lebanon “Update on Multiple Myeloma,” “Antifungal Resistance” and “Signifi cance of Coagulase Negative Staphylococcal Blood Isolates”

45th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology, San Diego, Calif. “Infections in the Hematology Patient Principles of a Risk-Based Approach”

Oct. 7-10Leukemia 2004, Houston, Texas “How Useful are the Newer Antifungal Agents?

Oct. 27Visiting Professor and Hematology Grand Rounds, Md., Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas ”An Update on Supportive Care in Patients with Hematologic Malignancies”

The following abstracts have been accepted for oral presentation at the National Association for Rural Mental Health Annual Conference, Aug. 4-6 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Patricia B. Wright, B.S.N.; Brenda M. Booth, Ph.D.; Carl Leukefeld, D.S.W.“Risky Behavior: Sex, Drugs, and HIV/AIDS Risk In The Rural South” Brenda M. Booth, Ph.D.; Harvey Siegal, Ph.D.; Carl Leukefeld Ph.D.; Russel Falck M.A.; Robert Carlson Ph.D.; Jichuan Wang Ph.D.“Rural Methamphetamine and Cocaine Users: How Do They Differ?” John Fortney, Ph.D.; Jeff Pyne, M.D.; Mark Edlund, M.D.; Dinesh Mittal, M.D.; Dean Robinson, M.D.; Kathy Henderson, M.D.“Telemedicine Enhanced Antidepressant Management (TEAM) Study”

S. Bruce Greenberg, M.D., an associate professor in the Department of Radiology, was the visiting professor at Dayton Children’s Medical Center on January 19. He gave two lectures, including the grand rounds lecture titled “Multi-Detector Computed Tomography Angiography in 2005: What It Can Do for Children and the People Who Take Care of Them.”

Elias Anaissie, M.D., and Bart Barlogie, M.D., Ph.D., organized the 2nd annual meeting on Myeloma and Plasma Cell Disorders, which was held in Las Vegas Jan 21-22. The meeting had presentations of new basic and clinical research fi ndings from various centers nationwide. The 3rd annual meeting will be held in Miami, Fla., in Spring 2006. The following presentations were made at the meeting.

P A G E E I G H T(continued on pg.9)

“Molecular Analysis of the Transcriptome of Multiple Myeloma Defi nes Disease Subgroups and Reveals Genes Linked to an Aggressive Phenotype”John D. Shaughnessy Jr., Ph.D.

“Myeloma Micro-Environment: from Disease Development to Progression and Resistance”Joshua Epstein, D.Sc.

“Reducing the Risk of High Dose Therapy: Newer Tools and Better Math”Elias J. Anaissie, M.D.

“Mobilization Strategies in the Diffi cult to Mobilize Patient (including AMD)”Michele Cottler-Fox, M.D.

“Preventing Thrombosis: Point-Counterpoint Point: Low-molecular Weight Heparin is Key to Prevention”Maurizio Zangari, M.D.

“Autologous Transplantation: a Review of the Evidence”Guido Tricot, M.D., Ph.D.

“Combination Therapies: the Total Therapy Approach”Bart Barlogie, M.D., Ph.D.

A total of 35 presentations from Myeloma Institute faculty were made at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology Dec. 4-7 in San Diego, Calif. Twenty-six were poster presentations and nine were oral presentations.

Guido Tricot, M.D., Ph.D., a professor in the departments of Internal Medicine and Pathology and director of Clinical Research at

MIRT, will speak at the 9th Annual Winter Conference in Whistler, Canada on Feb. 16. The topic is “Prognosticating Outcome in Myeloma Using Clinical, Cytogenetic and Molecular Parameters.”

Karen Farst, M.D., an instructor in the Department of Pediatrics, and Toss Worthington, R.N.P., were invited to present at Psychosocial Grand Rounds on Jan. 10 at Arkansas Children’s Hospital as part of the Team for Children at Risk. The topic was “Methamphetamine Exposure to Children in Arkansas,” which provided an overview of the problem of the rise of methamphetamine labs in Arkansas and the potential adverse

health and developmental consequences to children living in homes in which methamphetamine is being produced.

Terry Yamauchi, M.D., a professor in the Department of Pediatrics, was invited to speak at the C. Frank Webber Lectureship at the Interim Conference of the Texas Academy of Family Physicians in Austin, Texas on Feb. 25. Her topic will be “Treating Acute Otitis Media in a Shifting Environment: the Clinician’s Perspective.”

The Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series took place on Feb. 8 in Sam Walton Auditorium. Bert O’Malley, M.D., a professor and chair of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Baylor College of Medicine, was the guest speaker. The topic of his presentation was “The Diverse Biological Functions of Steroid Receptor Coactivators.”

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

The Fifth Annual Research Education Seminar will be held March 7-11 and is sponsored by the UAMS General Clinical Research Center. The schedule consists

of topics that are particularly of interest to the research community and are facilitated by VA and UAMS subject matter experts. Issues include grant writing, statistical analysis and funding sources for investigators. The

GCRC Genomics Symposium will be held Wednesday, March 8. Presenters are from UAMS and VA and will outline uses, tools, and analysis of human genomic data. To register for either the Research Education Seminar or the Genomics Symposium, call (501) 257-4881 or register on line at http://www.uams.edu/gcrc. If you need further information, please contact Jennifer Shinn, the GCRC administrative director, at (501) 257-5890.For a calendar of events, see page 13.

The Ninth Annual Charles William Rasco III Symposium on Colorectal Cancer will take place on Saturday, March 5 from 7:30 a.m.-12 p.m. at Sam Walton Auditorium, Arkansas Cancer Research Center. The UAMS College of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to sponsor continuing medical education for physicians. The UAMS College of Medicine Offi ce of Continuing Medical Education designates this educational activity for a maximum of 3.5 category 1 credits toward the American Medical Association Physician’s Recognition Award. Application for CME credit has been fi led with the American Academy of Family Physicians. Determination of credit is pending. There is no registration fee for the

symposium, but please fi ll out and send us a registration form. For additional information, contact Diane McKinstry at (501) 686-8801.

The UAMS Faculty Friends of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and Ruth Allen will sponsor the Ruth Allen Concert in Sam Walton Auditorium on Thursday, March 10, at 4 p.m. The concert will feature Rossini’s “Due for Cello and Bass” with Dan Cline, cello, and John Dahlstrand, bass, Vivaldi’s “Concerto for Mandolin and Strings” with the Quapaw Quartet and Caterina Lichtenberg on mandolin. Caterina Lichtenberg will also play some solo mandolin pieces. Members of the

P A G E N I N E(continued on pg.10)

Bert O’Malley, M.D.

CALENDARCALENDAR

Members of the Quapaw Quartet

Quapaw Quartet are Eric Hayward, violin; Meredith Maddox, violin; Lin Chang, viola; and Melita Hunsinger, cello. This is a free concert and open to everyone.

UAMS ARKANSAS BIOVENTURES

UAMS BioVentures’ Startup Company Awarded $3M to Test Treatment for Drug Addiction

Infl eXion Therapeutics L.L.C., a new company that started its operations in UAMS

BioVentures’ biomedical business incubator, has been awarded a $3 million grant to conduct clinical trials for the fi rst antibody treatment for addiction to PCP. Working from the UAMS BioVentures facility, this company plans to develop a process of customizing antibodies to block the effects of PCP and methamphetamine on the brain.

The grant is from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and will provide the funding needed to both obtain FDA approval and conduct clinical trials on a protein-based therapy that will blunt the effects of PCP. PCP was developed in the 1950s as an intravenous anesthetic but was abandoned because of the adverse psychological effects that it caused, including hallucinations and paranoia, which have led to violent or suicidal episodes.

Michael Owens, Ph.D., director of the UAMS Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse and a professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the UAMS College of Medicine, invented this treatment. Owens is confi dent that his technology can be extended from PCP treatment to other drugs, such as methamphetamine.

The founding partners of Infl eXion include Mike Owens, chief science offi cer, and Brooks Gentry, chief medical offi cer - both are UAMS faculty; Ralph Henry, an executive vice president, is University of

Arkansas faculty at Fayetteville; and Barry Holtz, president and CEO, who previously served as a senior vice president for the biopharmaceutical fi rm Large Scale Biology Corp.

Infl exion is the thirteenth startup company to license UAMS intellectual property and begin business operations in Arkansas. UAMS BioVentures offers its startup companies access to a new 16,500 square-foot incubator facility. The startup company support in this facility includes an offi ce, wet lab, access to Arkansas’ fi rst GMP laboratory and many of UAMS’ support services.

Additional information about UAMS Arkansas BioVentures is available at either www.uamsbiotech.com or by calling the director, Tim O’Brien, at (501) 686-6696.

DID YOU KNOW

We are using a new notifi cation method for grant and award announcements. A link to the form is posted on the COM Web

site and should be used to report grants and awards for the BUZZ and campus news releases. http://www.uams.edu/com/departments/grants_honors_form.asp

The updated organizational chart is now posted on the COM Web site.http://www.uams.edu/com/admin/org_chart.jpg

The Arnold P. Gold Foundation, through a generous donation from the Leonard Tow Family, is making it possible again this year for us to recognize humanism and compassion in the delivery of medical care. One award will go to a faculty member and one award will go to a graduating student. Each award will consist of a check for $1000 and a plaque. The awardees are to be nominated by their peers. The student award will be given during Honors Convocation. The faculty award will be given during a faculty meeting to be announced by the Dean. For now, please vote on a faculty member to receive this award. Dr. Lee Archer, Dr. Joe Bissett, Dr. John Schultz, Dr. Eleanor Lipsmeyer, Dr. Michael Schmitz and Dr. Richard Nicholas were the fi rst six winners and Foundation policy will not allow them to repeat.

P A G E 1 0(continued on pg.11)

Brooks Gentry, M.D., Michael Owens, Ph.D.; Dean E. Albert Reece, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A.

Please submit the name of the nominee and DESCRIBE WHY YOU FEEL THIS PERSON DESERVES THIS AWARD. You can include a copy of their CV if you think it would be helpful to the Committee. You are welcome to submit your nomination directly to Richard Wheeler, M.D., via e-mail, or you can print it out and send it to Dr. Wheeler at slot 603. If you send it on paper, be sure to include your name and telephone number so you can be contacted for further information if necessary. The deadline for submission is March 25, 2005.

NEWS OF NOTE

The History of UAMS Display Center will be located on the fi rst fl oor of the hospital outside the College of Medicine. John Shock, M.D.; Jonathan Wolfe, M.D.; I. Dodd Wilson, M.D.; and E. Albert Reece, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., have pioneered the project that will display various medical artifacts and UAMS memorabilia. Shock and Wolfe marked the end of the carpentry phase by dropping a current-year coin in the wall of the display center. This is a ritual that Wolfe practiced with his father growing up when doing construction on his house, his grandmother’s house and other relatives’ houses.

Total number of stem cell transplants in Calendar Year 2004: 633Total number of stem cell transplants in Calendar Year 2003: 462

Frits van Rhee, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy, is initiating a new clinical trial in February that incorporates vaccinating multiple myeloma patients with a peptide derived from a cancer protein. The commercially produced peptides, synthesized from human amino acids, will be injected into patients prior to receiving high doses of chemotherapy and autologous transplants. A total of 100 patients will receive three pre-treatment vaccinations and eight booster shots post-treatment. The total treatment regimen for each patient will last more than a year. The goal is to create an immune response to the myeloma.

Arkansas Children’s Hospital recently participated in a survey of referring physicians conducted by Morehead Associates. For 10 of the items surveyed, ACH scores were above the national physician averages for 2004. The two items with the highest scores were both related to the Division of Pediatric Radiology. The consultant from Morehead Associates said that they had never seen a Radiology Department with such high scores.

Teresa Kramer, Ph.D., is the principal investigator on a recent grant submission to NIMH (R34) titled “Improving Depression Care through a Faith-Based Intervention.” The co-investigators are Dean Blevins, Ph.D.; Carol Cornell, Ph.D.; Martha Phillips, Ph.D. and Alan VanBiervliet, Ph.D. (Total direct costs for project, requested over three years: $450,000).

Teresa Hudson, Pharm.D., is the co-investigator on a recent grant submission to the AHRQ entitled “UAMS Consortium for Health Services

P A G E E L E V E N(continued on pg.12)

11 8 7 9

Dr. John Shock and Dr. Jonathan Wolfe

Research.” The principal investigators are Brad Martin, Pharm.D., Ph.D., and Glen Mays, Ph.D.(Total direct costs for project: $500,000 for two years).

Brenda Booth, Ph.D., is the co-investigator on a recent grant submission to the VA HSRD titled “Physical and Sexual Assault in Deployed Women: Risk, Outcomes & Services.” The principal investigator is Anne Sadler, Ph.D. (Total direct costs for project, requested over three years: $679,597).

USING FACULTY TITLES AND THE UAMS CORPORATE NAME

Understanding how to correctly use the corporate designations withinUAMS may be diffi cult. The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences is a corporate term referring to six colleges. The specifi c college must be written to indicate more precisely where the faculty appointment is located. There is no faculty appointment within the corporate entity of UAMS. The faculty appointment resides within a specifi c college. The specifi c college (e.g., College of Medicine) can be written as a prefi x or a suffi x.

To help clarify this corporate hierarchy, here are a few examples:

John Brown, M.D.Associate Professor of SurgeryUAMS College of MedicineDirector, Pulmonary LabCAVHS

Mary Jane, M.D.Associate Professor of PediatricsUAMS College of MedicineDirector, NeonatologyArkansas Children’s Hospital

John Doe, Ph.D.Associate Professor of PhysiologyDirector, Division of Membrane BiologyUAMS College of Medicine

Joe Smith, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of MicrobiologyUAMS College of MedicineDirector, Pulmonary LaboratoryArkansas Children’s Hospital

P A G E T W E L V E(continued on pg.13)

P A G E T H I R T E E N(continued on pg.14)

Monday March 7

Tuesday March 8

WednesdayMarch 9

Thursday March 10

Friday March 11

Location COA Auditorium Ed II 8/105 COA 180 COA 180 COA 160

9-10 amIntroduction to GCRC Resources - Steve Elbein, MD

Literature Search Techniques and Use of Web to Identify Mentors –Brynn Mays, UAMS Library

Observational Study Design - Dennis Sullivan, MD

Sample Size Calculations - Trey Spencer, MS

Contingency Tables and Logistic Regression – Ellen Fischer, PhD

10 a.m.-11 am

Scientifi c Method and Hypothesis Formulation/ Mentorship - Philip Kern, MD

Informatics Practice Session – Richard Harris, GCRC Informatics

Comparison of Multiple Groups - Trey Spencer, MS

Ethical and Regulatory Issues I: The Role of the IRB - IRB chairman, Jimmy Valentine, MD

Epidemiology - Ellen Fischer, PhD

11a.m.-12 p.m.General Concepts and Descriptive Statistics I -Trey Spencer

Funding Mechanisms for Investigator Initiated Research - Tim Atkinson

Regression and Correlation - Reid Landes, PhD

Ethical and Regulatory Issues II: The Role of the GCRC RSA - Donald Mock, MD

Clinical Research Success Stories – Robert Coker, PhD, Neda Rasouli, MD

12 p.m. – 12:30 pm lunch (provided)lunch (provided) and time on the internet

lunch (provided) lunch (provided) lunch (provided)

12:30-1:30 pmGeneral Concepts and Descriptive Statistics II - Trey Spencer, MS

Statistical Inference - Trey Spencer, MS

Genomics Symposium 1:00 – 4:00 pm(Lunch and registration beginning at 12:30)

Genomics in Clinical Research – Steve Elbein, MD

Data Management and Database Design - Richard Harris, GCRC Informatics -

Survival Analysis - Paula Roberson, PhD

1:30-2:15 pm

DXA and Other Body Composition Techniques; GCRC Core Capabilities - Don Bodenner, MD

Statistical Analysis Packages - Trey Spencer, MS

Topics include:* Use of Genomics in Clinical Research

*Analysis of Human Genomic Data

Collecting and Analyzing Data – Richard Harris, GCRC Informatics

Grant Writing - Mary Dornhoffer, ELS

2:15-3 p.m.

WHAT CAN THE GCRC DO FOR YOU? Tour and discussion of the GCRC - Cindy Witkowski, nurse manager, and Amanda Wells, registered dietitian

* Tools for Genomics Research: HapMap and the Human Genome Project

Call 257-4881 to register.

Manuscript Writing - Bill Gabello, MA

FIFTH ANNUAL RESEARCH EDUCATION SEMINAR

Anesthesiology Coleen Habenicht, administrator

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Alan Elbein, Ph.D., professor & chair

Cardiology Roy Kitchens, division administrator

Dermatology Thomas Horn, M.D., professor & chair

Emergency Medicine Barry Brenner, M.D., Ph.D. professor & chair Family and Preventive Medicine Tiffany Allen

Geriatrics Marsha Hines, RCOA,PR director

Hematology/Oncology Paulette Mehta, M.D., professor

Internal Medicine Brent McKay, administrator

Microbiology/Immunology Roger Rank, Ph.D., professor & chair

MIRT Janet Aronson, director of communications

Neurobiology & Develomental Sciences Gwen Childs, Ph.D., professor & chair

Neurology Sami Harik, M.D., professor & chair

Neurosurgery Amy Keeland, project-program specialist

OB/GYN Helen Kay, M.D., professor & chair

Orthopaedics Jan Hundley, administrator

Ophthalmology Ashley Hooten, director of development

Otolaryngology Beth Seward, director of communications and development

Pathology Kelly Suskie, administrator

Pediatrics Cindy Collie, special projects analyst

Pharmacology & Toxicology Becky (Anna H.) Hastings, administrative assistant II

Physiology & Biophysics Mike Jennings, Ph.D., professor & chair

PM & R Gwenn Higginbotham, administrative assistant

Psychiatry Ken Hall

Radiology Teresita Angtuaco, M.D., professor

Radiation Oncology Dawn Bolt, administrator

Research Charles G. Winter, Ph.D., associate dean Surgery Kay Allen, administrator Urology Alex Finkbeiner, M.D., professor & chair

COM STUDENTS BUZZ INFORMATION LINKAn e-mail link is available for students to submit information to the BUZZ to acknowledge honors, prizes, presentations, leadership positions, and other noteworthy COM accomplishments. Go to: http://www.uams.edu/com/students/

BUZZ CONTACTSThanks to the following list of people who serve as the contacts for the information you see in the BUZZ. Please send any information that you’d like to see in the BUZZ to the appropriate person within your department.

P A G E F O U R T E E N