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VOLUME 14, NUMBER 20 JUNE 20, 2008 One of the world’s leading public health experts will become founding director of the new USC Institute for Global Health and chairman of the Department of Preventive Medicine of the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Keck School Dean Carmen A. Puliafito announced the appointment of Jonathan Samet, effective Nov 1. Samet comes to USC from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. An international authority on the effects of smoking and air pollution on health, he has served as professor and chairman of the Department of Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins since 1994. For the last 10 years, he also has directed the Institute for Global Tobacco Control at Johns Hopkins. Appointed to the prestigious Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences in 1997, Samet has contributed to many of the U.S. Surgeon General’s reports and was the Senior Scientific Editor for the 2004 and 2006 reports on active and passive smoking, respectively. He has worked actively to promote tobacco control around the world, particularly in China and Mexico. He also has addressed some of the most critical issues in indoor and outdoor air pollution, such as lung cancer and radon, and airborne particles and health. Studies done by Samet and his colleagues have been critical in setting air quality standards for particles and ozone. “We are thrilled to bring to the University of Southern California an academic health leader of the stature of Jon Samet,” Puliafito said. “His international rep- utation for scientific excellence in the inter- est of global health includes a tremendous track record of leader- ship on scientific and advisory boards, a stel- lar roster of scientific publications, and a deep commitment to excellence in the quest for improved public health around the globe. His appointment will generate significant momentum as we expand and strengthen the research enterprise at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and enhance our collabo- ration with other USC faculty.” Puliafito described the new Institute for Global Health as a catalyst for such collaboration. “The Institute for Global Health will create synergy among USC faculty across numerous schools, all of whom have research interests in the arena of global health. Jon Samet’s expertise and experience are a perfect fit for USC, one of this country’s lead- ing research-driven, international uni- versities.” Samet views the environment as the World-renowned expert to lead global health at USC Jonathan Samet See SAMET, page 3 By Sara Villagran The National Institutes of Health recently awarded Carolee Winstein, professor of biokinesiology and physical therapy, $12.4 million for a five-year study of a promising physical therapy program for stroke patients who have lost move- ment in their upper limbs. Funded by the NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the trial will investigate the effectiveness of the Accelerated Skill Acquisition Program. The program is an “intense and focused” outpatient rehabilitation program that emphasizes activities-based training and resistance exercises, and includes 30 hours of one-on-one therapy early in the rehab process. The program also uses motivational techniques to encourage patients to self- manage their therapy. Winstein, director of the Motor Behavior and Neurorehabilitation Laboratory at USC, said that each year about 700,000 people in the United States experience first or recur- rent attacks of stroke. About 65 percent of stroke survivors experience significant dis- ability, such as the loss of use of one arm. She noted that such losses often result in significantly reduced quality of life and loss of independence: “More effective rehabilita- tion treatments could lessen the disability, caregiver burden and economic impact of stroke.” Winstein’s study is named I-CARE, for Interdisciplinary Comprehensive Arm Rehabilitation Evaluation (I-CARE) Stroke Initiative. The I-CARE trial will link Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, a divi- sion at the USC School of Dentistry, with two other academic clinical research centers in the U.S.: the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, D.C., led by co- principal investigator Alexander Dromerick, and the Emory University Center for Rehabilitation Medicine in Atlanta, Ga., led by co-principal investigator Steven Wolf. USC will serve as the primary project site and data management center. I-CARE also will involve five Southern California physical rehabilitation sites: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation in Pomona, Huntington Rehabilitation Medicine Associates in Pasadena, Long Beach Memorial Medical Center in Long Beach and Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Downey. The extensive study is expected to gener- ate a wealth of useful data about stroke rehabilitation that “could find use in trials of current and future experimental interven- tions such as pharmacological agents, gene therapy, stem cell implants, and robot-assist- ed and direct cortical stimulation programs,” Winstein said. NIH awards $12.4 million for USC stroke study Carolee Winstein The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recently awarded Anne L. Peters its prestigious Outstanding Physician Clinician Award at the organization’s 68th Scientific Sessions. Peters, professor of clinical medicine and director of clinical dia- betes programs at the Keck School of Medicine, received the award June 9 at the ADA’s meeting in San Francisco. The Outstanding Physician Clinician Award is presented to an individual who has made outstanding efforts in diabetes care and is recognized as a highly regarded clinician and educator with more than 10 years of distinguished service. “This is a well deserved award,” said Thomas A. Buchanan, chief of the division of endocrinology and diabetes. “Dr. Peters is one hun- dred percent dedicated to improving the lives of diabetes patients and one of the leaders of USC diabetes research and care, helping to translate research findings into clinical care.” Peters manages two diabetes centers, one in the Beverly Hills area and one in the underserved, primarily Latino East Los Angeles, which was highlighted in the PBS series “Remaking American Medicine.” She also participates in com- munity-based diabetes and obesity preven- tion initiatives. Peters’ research is focused on improving the delivery of medical care to patients with diabetes, particularly in underserved popu- lations. She is the principal investigator on sever- al diabetes clinical trials, including a grant from the California Nutrition Network, and the National Institutes of Health-funded Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) study. She is involved in numerous professional organizations and activi- ties, and has written over 100 publications, including Conquering Diabetes, published by Penguin Books, and Davidson’s Diabetes Mellitus, Fifth Edition. She serves on the editorial board for ADA’s Diabetes Care, is a reviewer for multiple journals and is on the American Board of Internal Medicine Endocrinology and Diabetes Board. ADA honors USC diabetes expert Anne Peters

VOLUME 14, NUMBER 20 JUNE 20, 2008 World-renowned expert ... · breast cancer, according to a study pre-sented by Michael Press, professor of pathology at the Keck School. He pre-sented

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Page 1: VOLUME 14, NUMBER 20 JUNE 20, 2008 World-renowned expert ... · breast cancer, according to a study pre-sented by Michael Press, professor of pathology at the Keck School. He pre-sented

VOLUME 14, NUMBER 20 JUNE 20, 2008

One of the world’s leading publichealth experts will become foundingdirector of the new USC Institute forGlobal Health and chairman of theDepartment of Preventive Medicine ofthe Keck School of Medicine of USC.

Keck School Dean Carmen A.Puliafito announced the appointmentof Jonathan Samet, effective Nov 1.

Samet comes to USC from theJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School ofPublic Health. An internationalauthority on the effects of smokingand air pollution on health, he hasserved as professor and chairman ofthe Department of Epidemiology atJohns Hopkins since 1994. For the last10 years, he also has directed theInstitute for Global Tobacco Controlat Johns Hopkins.

Appointed to the prestigiousInstitute of Medicine of the NationalAcademy of Sciences in 1997, Samethas contributed to many of the U.S.Surgeon General’s reports and was theSenior Scientific Editor for the 2004and 2006 reports on active and passivesmoking, respectively. He has workedactively to promote tobacco controlaround the world, particularly in Chinaand Mexico. He also has addressedsome of the most critical issues inindoor and outdoor air pollution, suchas lung cancer and radon, and airborneparticles and health. Studies done bySamet and his colleagues have beencritical in setting air quality standardsfor particles and ozone.

“We are thrilled to bring to theUniversity of Southern California an

academic health leaderof the stature of JonSamet,” Puliafito said.“His international rep-utation for scientificexcellence in the inter-est of global healthincludes a tremendoustrack record of leader-ship on scientific andadvisory boards, a stel-lar roster of scientificpublications, and adeep commitment toexcellence in the quest for improvedpublic health around the globe. Hisappointment will generate significantmomentum as we expand andstrengthen the research enterprise atthe Keck School of Medicine of USC

and enhance our collabo-ration with other USCfaculty.”

Puliafito described thenew Institute for GlobalHealth as a catalyst forsuch collaboration. “TheInstitute for GlobalHealth will create synergyamong USC faculty acrossnumerous schools, all ofwhom have researchinterests in the arena ofglobal health. Jon Samet’s

expertise and experience are a perfectfit for USC, one of this country’s lead-ing research-driven, international uni-versities.”

Samet views the environment as the

World-renowned expert to lead global health at USC

Jonathan Samet

See SAMET, page 3

By Sara Villagran

The National Institutes of Health recentlyawarded Carolee Winstein, professor ofbiokinesiology and physical therapy, $12.4million for a five-year study of a promisingphysical therapy program for stroke patientswho have lost move-ment in their upperlimbs.

Funded by theNIH’s NationalInstitute ofNeurological Disordersand Stroke and theNational Institute ofChild Health andHuman Development,the trial will investigate the effectiveness ofthe Accelerated Skill Acquisition Program.

The program is an “intense and focused”outpatient rehabilitation program thatemphasizes activities-based training andresistance exercises, and includes 30 hours ofone-on-one therapy early in the rehabprocess. The program also uses motivationaltechniques to encourage patients to self-manage their therapy.

Winstein, director of the Motor Behaviorand Neurorehabilitation Laboratory at USC,said that each year about 700,000 people inthe United States experience first or recur-rent attacks of stroke. About 65 percent ofstroke survivors experience significant dis-ability, such as the loss of use of one arm.

She noted that such losses often result insignificantly reduced quality of life and lossof independence: “More effective rehabilita-

tion treatments could lessen the disability,caregiver burden and economic impact ofstroke.”

Winstein’s study is named I-CARE, forInterdisciplinary Comprehensive ArmRehabilitation Evaluation (I-CARE) StrokeInitiative.

The I-CARE trial will linkBiokinesiology and Physical Therapy, a divi-sion at the USC School of Dentistry, withtwo other academic clinical research centersin the U.S.: the National RehabilitationHospital in Washington, D.C., led by co-principal investigator Alexander Dromerick,and the Emory University Center forRehabilitation Medicine in Atlanta, Ga., ledby co-principal investigator Steven Wolf.USC will serve as the primary project siteand data management center.

I-CARE also will involve five SouthernCalifornia physical rehabilitation sites:Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in LosAngeles, Casa Colina Centers forRehabilitation in Pomona, HuntingtonRehabilitation Medicine Associates inPasadena, Long Beach Memorial MedicalCenter in Long Beach and Rancho LosAmigos National Rehabilitation Center inDowney.

The extensive study is expected to gener-ate a wealth of useful data about strokerehabilitation that “could find use in trials ofcurrent and future experimental interven-tions such as pharmacological agents, genetherapy, stem cell implants, and robot-assist-ed and direct cortical stimulation programs,”Winstein said.

NIH awards $12.4 million for USC stroke study

Carolee Winstein

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recently awardedAnne L. Peters its prestigious Outstanding Physician ClinicianAward at the organization’s 68th Scientific Sessions.

Peters, professor of clinical medicine and director of clinical dia-betes programs at the Keck School of Medicine, received the awardJune 9 at the ADA’s meeting in San Francisco.

The Outstanding Physician Clinician Award is presented to anindividual who has made outstanding efforts in diabetes care and isrecognized as a highly regarded clinician and educator with morethan 10 years of distinguished service.

“This is a well deserved award,” said Thomas A. Buchanan, chiefof the division of endocrinology and diabetes. “Dr. Peters is one hun-dred percent dedicated to improving the lives of diabetes patientsand one of the leaders of USC diabetes research and care, helping totranslate research findings into clinical care.”

Peters manages two diabetes centers, one in the Beverly Hills areaand one in the underserved, primarily Latino East Los Angeles,which was highlighted in the PBS series “Remaking AmericanMedicine.” She also participates in com-munity-based diabetes and obesity preven-tion initiatives.

Peters’ research is focused on improvingthe delivery of medical care to patients withdiabetes, particularly in underserved popu-lations.

She is the principal investigator on sever-al diabetes clinical trials, including a grantfrom the California Nutrition Network, andthe National Institutes of Health-fundedLook AHEAD (Action for Health inDiabetes) study.

She is involved in numerous professional organizations and activi-ties, and has written over 100 publications, including ConqueringDiabetes, published by Penguin Books, and Davidson’s DiabetesMellitus, Fifth Edition. She serves on the editorial board for ADA’sDiabetes Care, is a reviewer for multiple journals and is on theAmerican Board of Internal Medicine Endocrinology and DiabetesBoard.

ADA honors USC diabetes expert

Anne Peters

Page 2: VOLUME 14, NUMBER 20 JUNE 20, 2008 World-renowned expert ... · breast cancer, according to a study pre-sented by Michael Press, professor of pathology at the Keck School. He pre-sented

By Meghan Lewit

Keck School of Medicine andUSC/Norris researchers recently pre-sented more than 20 abstracts outliningsignificant developments in cancerresearch and treatment at the annualmeeting of the American Society ofClinical Oncology in Chicago.

Keck School contributions to theinternational conference, which washeld May 30-June 3 and drew about30,000 medical professionals, included anumber of posters and oral presenta-tions.

Among them:• Researchers identified genetic

markers in cancer cells that predictedthe benefit of a novel cancer drug priorto chemotherapy. Researchers looked atthe effect of the drug PTK/ZK—atherapy designed to inhibit the develop-ment of cancer blood vessels—in com-bination with chemotherapy forpatients with metastatic colon cancer.The findings suggest that patients withtumors with a specific gene expressionprofile may benefit most from theincorporation of this drug into theirtreatment. The results of the study werepresented at a clinical science sympo-sium on biomarkers in colorectal cancermanagement.

“When we understand how drugslike PTK/ZK work, we can developtreatment strategies to maximize theirimpact by identifying patients who willbenefit most from their use,” said PeterM. Wilson, senior post-doctoralresearch fellow at the Keck School ofMedicine and lead author of the study.

• The interaction of sex, age and eth-nicity has a significant impact on over-all survival in metastatic colorectal can-cer (MCRC) patients. Researchersfound that pre-menopausal womenwith metastatic colorectal cancer (18-44years old) lived longer than youngermen, while older women (75 and older)had significantly worse overall survivalthan older men, said Andrew Hendifar,

research fellow at the Keck School andthe lead author of the study. Theresearch was presented during a posterdiscussion on gastrointestinal (colorec-tal) cancer.

“This study provides further evidencethat estrogen may play an importantrole, not only in colon cancer develop-ment, but also in progression of the dis-ease, and may impact how we developtherapies for women and men withcolon cancer,” said gastrointestinaloncologist Heinz-Josef Lenz, professorof medicine at the Keck School and asenior investigator on the study.

• Lapatinib (L), an oral small mole-cule tyrosine kinase inhibitor of EGFRand HER2, is useful in combinationwith capecitabine for the treatment ofwomen with HER2-positive metastaticbreast cancer, according to a study pre-sented by Michael Press, professor ofpathology at the Keck School. He pre-sented the findings at a clinical sciencesymposium and gave a presentation onHER2 testing at an education session.

• In a phase II trial of an oral target-ed agent called Sorafenib for the secondline treatment of small cell lung cancer(SCLC), about 35 percent of patientsbenefited from the treatment, accordingto a study led by oncologist BarbaraGitlitz, associate professor of medicineat the Keck School. People afflictedwith SCLC can often enjoy a strongresponse to the first line of treatmentthey receive. However, many peoplerelapse and then the options for treat-ment are very slim, she said. The studywas presented during a poster discus-sion on metastatic lung cancer.

“The oral targeted drug in this set-ting produced response and survivalresults quite similar to the chemothera-py approved for second line therapy,”she said. “These results are quite prom-ising and certainly warrant furtherexploration and development ofSorafenib in the treatment of this dev-astating form of lung cancer.”

By Katie Neith

Keck School Dean Carmen A.Puliafito spoke to another full house athis second town hall meeting held June11 at the Aresty Conference Center.

Unlike the last meeting, which beganwith the recognition of the challengesKeck faces, Puliafito kicked this meet-ing off by highlighting key achieve-ments made over the past few months.He pointed to the development of abusiness plan to acquire both UniversityHospital and USC/Norris CancerHospital, development of a mission-based strategy for the budget and nearly$80 million in grants and gifts to helpbuild the Eli and Edythe Broad CIRMCenter for Regenerative Medicine andStem Cell Research at USC, which willbreak ground soon.

Puliafito outlined research prioritiesfor the Keck School, including anincrease in National Institutes ofHealth funding, recruitment of newleaders, expansion of the M.D./Ph.D.program and an increase in the value ofscholarly productivity, among others.

The recruitment of Jon Samet, worldleader in public health, as the newchairman of the Department ofPreventive Medicine at the KeckSchool was celebrated as a major victoryfor the Keck School. Samet will be thefounding director of the new USCInstitute for Global Health and isexpected to recruit 10 new investigatorsover the next five years.

Puliafito also said chair searches for

several departments were on track to befilled by the end of the year, includingpathology, urology and surgery. Thesearch for a new director of the ZilkhaNeurogenetic Institute is also underway.

Visit the USC Web:

http://emergency.usc.edu

This page will be activated in case of

an emergency. Backup Web servers on

the East Coast will function if the USC

servers are incapacitated.

Call the Emergency Information Phone:

213-740-9233

The emergency telephone system can

handle 1,400 simultaneous calls. It also

has a back up system on the East Coast.

In Case of An Emergency...

HSC Weekly is published for the faculty, staff, students and community of the Universityof Southern California’s Health Sciences Campus. It is written and produced by theHealth Sciences Public Relations and Marketing staff. Comments, suggestions andstory ideas are welcome via the contact points listed above. Permission to reprint articleswith attribution is freely given.

Assoc. Senior Vice Pres., Health SciencesPublic Relations and Marketing: Jane BrustExecutive Director of Communicationsand Marketing: Ina FriedEditor: Jon Nalick

Senior Vice President, UniversityRelations: Martha HarrisContributors: Eva Blaauw, Jennifer Chan,Veronica Jauriqui, Meghan Lewit, KatieNeith, Kukla Vera and Jon Weiner

Phone: 323-442-2830 Fax: 323-442-2832 Email: [email protected] Web: uscnews.usc.edu/hscweekly/ Next Issue: July 11

Research Priorities for theKeck School

• Increase size of NIH Grant Portfolio

• Win Clinical and Translational

Science Award grant

• Recruit new leadership for key pro-

grams

• Increase available funds for bridge

funding for NIH investigators and

mid-career scientists

• Promote RO1 funded research by

clinician scientists

• Increase size and profile of M.D.-

Ph.D. program

• Have at least 10% of medical school

class (15 to 20 students) spend a

fifth year doing basic science or

clinical research

• Develop HST @ USC (Health Sciences

Technology Program across UPC

and HSC campuses)

• Improve quality of Ph.D. programs

(applicants and accepted students)

• Develop programs to promote

training of clinicians in research

techniques

• Increase translational funding of

stem cell studies (cardiac, eye,

neuro)

Keck School of Medicine town hall meetingfocuses on key priorities, achievements

Keck School of Medicine Dean Carmen A. Puliafito hosts a town hall meeting on

June 11, offering updates on chair searches and items of importance to the School.

USC researchers present key findings toAmerican Society of Clinical Oncology

Page 3: VOLUME 14, NUMBER 20 JUNE 20, 2008 World-renowned expert ... · breast cancer, according to a study pre-sented by Michael Press, professor of pathology at the Keck School. He pre-sented

focal point for the new institute’s activi-ties. “The damage done to the environ-ment by human activities is no longer a‘quiet crisis,’” he said. “The instituteshould move forward with an agenda ofcapacity building, research and policyformulation that will have immediateimpact. “

At Johns Hopkins, Samet chairs thelargest department of epidemiology inthe country; the department has globalreach in its training and research mis-sions. The University’s global healthactivities are extensive and collaborativeand give emphasis to infectious dis-eases. Samet views his experience atJohns Hopkins asrelevant to USC,where he hopes toestablish multidisci-plinary collabora-tions that extendacross departmentsand schools.

According toSamet, his decisionto join the USC faculty was based onthe opportunity to chair theDepartment of Preventive Medicine,one of the leading such departmentswithin a medical school, and at thesame time to lead the development of amodel institute for multidisciplinarycollaboration in global health.

Samet commented, “I found a perfectmatch between my view of needs inglobal health and what USC wanted toaccomplish as an institution. I also havethe opportunity to work with theDepartment, which has many long-term colleagues and friends among itsfaculty, and to lead its growth and evo-lution at a time when public health andclinical research are changing rapidly.”

Some of Samet’s current researchprojects include:

• A multidisciplinary, EPA-fundedcenter for research on the health effectsof airborne particles; the center bringstogether epidemiologists, biostatisti-cians, exposure assessors and toxicolo-gists with a goal of learning more about

how inhaled particles cause prematuredeath and morbidity;

• A global study on exposures ofwomen and children to secondhandtobacco smoke;

• Collaboration with YonseiUniversity in Seoul in a follow-up studyof the health of 1.3 million Koreans;

• A long-term study of sleep-disor-dered breathing and risk for cardiovas-cular disease (the Sleep Heart HealthStudy);

• Studies on non-infectious lung dis-eases in HIV-infected persons and onthe genetic basis of chronic obstructivepulmonary disease.

Samet will lead the Keck School ofMedicine’sDepartment ofPreventiveMedicine, which iscomprised of facul-ty who focus onscientific discover-ies to identify andbetter understandthe causes of the

diseases that most impact public health,such as cancer and cardiovascular dis-ease, and to develop new ways to pre-vent them. A comprehensive externalreview of the department conducted inrecent years cited the “intellectualexcitement of faculty and students, aprecious aura of collegiality, genuineinterdisciplinary interest, and world-class academic scholarship that rangesover and integrates a multitude of inter-connected scientific disciplines.”

Faculty in the Department ofPreventive Medicine include authoritieson chronic disease epidemiology, bio-statistics, environmental medicine,health behavior and prevention, detec-tion and treatment methods.Department research findings have leftindelible marks on preventive medicineresearch, national and internationalhealth guidelines, physician practices,cancer screening, preventive methodsfor people at high risk of developing achronic disease, and alcohol and tobac-co education programs.

SAMET: Research focuses on airborne pollutantsContinued from page 1

USC Professor of Medicine Donald

Feinstein (left), presents the “Healing

Award” to Tower Cancer Research

Foundation Medical Director and Keck

School alumnus Peter Rosen at the sixth

annual Tower of Hope Gala held May 18

at The Beverly Hilton. The nonprofit

foundation promotes state-of-the-art

clinical research in a private practice set-

ting. Funds raised at the dinner support

cancer research, education and patient

and community support programs.

Carol Kasper, professor emerita ofmedicine and hematology at the KeckSchool of Medicine, recently receivedthe Award for Outstanding LifeAchievement in Hemostasis from theHemophilia and Thrombosis ResearchSociety.

The society, a North Americanorganization of hemostasis and throm-bosis caregivers and researchers, pre-sented the award at its annual meetingin Chicago in April.

Kasper, widely recognized for herstudy of the diagnosis and treatment ofhemophilia for more than 40 years, wasthe director of the hemophilia treat-ment center at Orthopaedic Hospitalfrom 1989 to 1999 and served as themedical director of the WorldFederation of Hemophilia from 1994 to2000. She is also a former member ofthe Board of Directors of the NationalHemophilia Foundation.

•••The American Society of

Hematology (ASH) recently namedfirst-year Keck School of Medicine stu-dent Edward E. Robertson as a partici-pant in the 2008 Minority MedicalStudent Award Program.

The program encourages minoritymedical students to pursue researchprojects in hematology. Robertson wasone of 15 award recipients from theUnited States and Canada.

According to ASH PresidentKenneth Kaushansky, “This program isan important tool in encouraging our

brightest students from traditionallyunderrepresented groups to entercareers in hematology.”

Robertson will conduct a hematol-ogy-related research study under thementorship of Allen Yang, assistantprofessor in the Department ofHematology at the USC/NorrisComprehensive Cancer Center. Hisproject will examine DNA methylationof the Philadelphia chromosome inleukemia.

•••The California Academy of Family

Physicians recently awarded its presti-gious 2008 Award for Family Physicianof the Year to Keck School of Medicinealumna Condessa Curley. She graduat-ed from the USC/California HospitalFamily Medicine Residency in 2000,completed the Family MedicineMaternity Fellowship in 2001, and wasa full-time faculty member of the resi-dency through 2004.

She is currently a physician at EisnerPediatric and Family Medical Centerand continues to care for underservedfamilies in downtown Los Angeles.

She remains an active voluntary fac-ulty member in the Year I Introductionto Clinical Medicine program. Curley isalso CEO and founder of the nonprofitorganization Project Africa Global,which trains physicians and nurses innew environments, enhances sustainableliving practices and provides peer coun-selors from central Los Angeles to theyouth in Africa.

ETCETERA

The USC School of Dentistry will celebrate thelife of longtime faculty member Charles MeyerGoldstein during a memorial scheduled for 3 p.m.on June 26, at the Bovard Auditorium on theUniversity Park campus.

Goldstein, who helped launch and oversee thegrowth and success of the school’s Mobile Clinicprogram, died on May 11 at the age of 87.

“Charlie,” as he preferred to be called, devoted hiscareer to providing access to care for underservedpopulations, especially the children of California. Hewas appointed faculty director of the mobile clinic in1970. Over the following years, he and teams of

USC dental students hit the road, delivering freeand low-cost dental care to migrant farm workersand other poor and underserved residentsthroughout California.

His tenure as faculty director ended in1982, but Goldstein continued to teach andwork with the mobile clinic and otherSchool of Dentistry community outreachprograms well into his 80s. On May 10,representatives of the California DentalAssociation Foundation presented himwith the organization’s first-everHumanitarian Award.

During the last two months of his life Goldsteinhad been working on establishing a $4 million

endowment for the operations of themobile clinic.

In lieu of flowers, friends and col-leagues may consider making a gift inGoldstein’s memory to the USCMobile Clinic Fund.

Donations to the USC MobileClinic Fund can be sent to the USCSchool of Dentistry, 925 W. 34thStreet, Suite 202, Los Angeles, CA90089.

‘I found a perfect match between my

view of needs in global health and

what USC wanted to accomplish as an

institution.’—Jonathan Samet, Chair-designate of the

Department of Preventive Medicine of the Keck School of Medicine

June 26 memorial service slated for USC School of Dentistry’s Charles Meyer Goldstein

Charles Meyer Goldstein

Page 4: VOLUME 14, NUMBER 20 JUNE 20, 2008 World-renowned expert ... · breast cancer, according to a study pre-sented by Michael Press, professor of pathology at the Keck School. He pre-sented

HSC NEWSMAKERS Complete listing at: www.usc.edu/uscnews/usc_in_the_news/

A June 4 Los Angeles Times article highlighted the USC School of Dentistry in a story about treat-ing the disabled.

A June 6 widely carried Healthday News story featured research by diabetes experts RichardWatanabe and Thomas Buchanan that identified a gene that regulates glucose levels but does notincrease the risk of type 2 diabetes.

A June 9 Los Angeles Times article quoted pharmacologist Roger Clemens about glucomannan, ayam-derived fiber believed by some to aid weight loss.

In it’s June 9 issue, U.S. News & World Report ranked Childrens Hospital Los Angeles ninthamong 143 children’s hospitals and medical centers in the nation.

On June 11, KABC-TV featured surgeon Peter Crookes in a story about the positive impact ofmusic in helping patients heal.

A June 16 Los Angeles Times article quoted emergency medicine expert Edward Newton about anepisode of “Grey’s Anatomy” in which a patient was trapped in concrete.

Calendar of EventsMonday, June 23

NOON. “NEPHSAP: Ca/Phos/VitD/PTH in CKD,” MiroslawSmogorzewski, USC. GNH Drs.Dining Rm. A & B. Info: (323)226-7307

NOON. “Transplant Conference,”Various Transplant faculty. GNH6441. Info: (323) 226-7307

Tuesday, June 24

NOON. Cancer Ctr. Grand Rounds.“Testosterone, Herbs & Starvation:Pushing the Envelope inGenitourinary Cancer Therapy,”Tanya Dorff, USC. NOR 7409.Info: (323) 865-0801

Wednesday, June 25

NOON. Renal Club Lecture.“Podocyte Survival,” StuartShankland, Univ. of Washington.GNH 6441. Info: (323) 226-7307

Friday, June 27

8:45 A.M. The 18th Annual CSPEducational Symposium. “CancerOccurrence in the Majority ofMinorities in Los Angeles,” Variousspeakers. KAM Mayer Aud.Info: (323) 442-2869

11 A.M. “Transplantation and IronOverload – Clinical andExperimental Studies,” H. JoachimDeeg, Univ. of Washington. GNH14-441. Info: (323) 865-3914

Saturday, June 28

8:30 a.m. “Rheumatology SixthAnnual Community Seminar,”Various speakers. KAM MayerAud. Info: (323) 442-6177.

Monday, June 308:30 A.M. “Maternal Transmissionof Asthma Risk,” Lester Kobzik,Harvard. GNH 11-321. Info:(323) 226-7923

Tuesday, July 1

NOON. Cancer Ctr. GrandRounds. “Perturbation of HostCellular Regulatory Networks byHuman Papillomaviruses,” KarlMünger, Harvard. NOR 7409.Info: (323) 865-0801

Wednesday, July 2

7 A.M. Medicine Grand Rounds.“Renal Artery Stenosis,” RizwanBadar, USC. GNH 1645. Info:(323) 226-7556

Tuesday, July 8

NOON. Cancer Ctr. GrandRounds. “The HBP1Transcriptional Repressor &Invasive Breast CancerMechanisms,” Amy Lee. NOR7409. Info: (323) 865-0801

Wednesday, July 9

7 A.M. Medicine Grand Rounds.“Pulmonary Hypertension,” PareshGiri, USC. GNH 1645. Info:(323) 226-7556

Tuesday, July 22

NOON. Cancer Ctr. Grand Rounds.“8q24 and Cancer Risk,” ChrisHaiman, USC. NOR 7409 Info:(323) 865-0801

Tuesday, July 29

NOON. Cancer Ctr. Grand Rounds.“DNA Methylation in LungCancer,” Ite A. Laird-Offringa,USC. NOR 7409. Info: (323)865-0801

The Calendar is online at www.usc.edu/hsccalendar

USC Health SciencesPublic Relations1975 Zonal Ave.KAM 400Los Angeles, CA 90033

Non-Profit OrganizationU.S. POSTAGE PAIDUniversity of Southern

California

Notice: Deadline for calendar submission is 4 p.m. Monday to be con-sidered for that week’s issue—although three weeks advance notice of events isrecommended. Please note that timely submission does not guarantee an item willbe printed. Send calendar items to HSC Weekly, KAM 400 or fax to (323) 442-2832, or e-mail to [email protected]. Entries must include day, date, time, title oftalk, first and last name of speaker, affiliation of speaker, location, and a phonenumber for information.

The Keck School of Medicine communitymourns the loss of Zuo-Zhong Wang, a KeckSchool faculty member and researcher at theZilkha Neurogenetic Institute who died in anaccident while hiking in the San DimasMountains last weekend. He was 46.

Wang, associate professor in theDepartment of Cell and Neurobiology at theKeck School, was a noted neuroscientistwhose discoveries had a profound impact onhis field. His research focused on howsynapses form, using the neuromuscular junc-tion as a model system. His recent work withcolleague Lin Chen on the crystal structureof a nicotine receptor was noted as a land-mark accomplishment in the fields of struc-tural biology and neuronal cell signaling.

Wang joined the Keck School of

Medicine in 2005 and served on the facultyof the USC Programs in Biomedical andBiological Sciences. He received his bache-lor’s and master’s degrees from the SecondMedical University in Shanghai, China, andreceived his Ph.D. in physiology from theUniversity of Utah School of Medicine anddid his postdoctoral training with Zach Hallat the University of California, San Franciscoand the National Institutes of Health.

He became an assistant professor and waspromoted to associate professor with tenurein the Department of Neurobiology at theUniversity of Pittsburgh prior to joining theKeck School.

Wang is survived by his wife Yun Yao, ason and step-son, his mother and threebrothers.

Zuo-Zhong Wang, Keck School and Zilkha researcher, 46

The Saban Research Institute of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles held its 13th Annual Poster Session and Open House onJune 2, featuring dozens of posters highlighting current research. From left: physician Thomas Lee of the CHLA VisionCenter and students Maria Lin and Aleksandra Kainovic in front of their poster, Bmi1 Expression in HumanRetinoblastoma Cells.

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