Miller School Genetic Researchers Release New Findings on Alzheimer’s Disease
12/31/2008

Eden R. Martin, Ph.D., Gary W. Beecham, Ph.D., John R. Gilbert, Ph.D., and Margaret A. Pericak-Vance, Ph.D., are key investigators on the Alzheimer’s disease research team at the Miami Institute for Human Genomics.

Researchers at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine led by Margaret A. Pericak-Vance, Ph.D., and Jonathan L. Haines, Ph.D. at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, have identified nine genes that may increase susceptibility for Alzheimer’s disease and confirmed a region on chromosome 12q long believed to harbor an Alzheimer’s risk gene. The findings were posted online today and will appear in the January issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics. This project represents the first essential step in the application of modern genomic approaches to complex diseases and is one of four studies of its kind.

A research team at the Miller School’s Miami Institute for Human Genomics and the Vanderbilt Center for Human Genetics Research performed a genome-wide association study using state-of-the-art genotyping technology that allows scientists to interrogate 550 thousand genetic variations in approximately 500 people with Alzheimer’s disease and 500 people without the disease. The results were validated in an independent dataset.

Mack, Hinkley and Potter Honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards at Retirement Luncheon
12/22/2008

Dr. Astrid Mack, Dr. Priscilla Potter and Dr. Robert Hinkley

At a celebratory luncheon with their peers, families and friends around them, three stalwarts of medical education at the Miller School received Lifetime Achievement Awards for their combined nearly eight decades of dedication, scholarship and service that helped the School rise among highly respected medical education institutions.

In his opening remarks, Dean Pascal J. Goldschmidt, M.D., hailed the recently retired trio – Priscilla Potter, M.D., Ph.D., Robert Hinkley, Ph.D., and Astrid Mack, Ph.D. – as “greats from our academic world who served with sound qualifications.”

Miller School Co-Sponsors Lab Training for 12 Mozambican Biologists
12/22/2008

Graduation ceremony held for the program that is part of U.S. effort to help in the global fight against HIV/AIDS

The Miller School’s Dr. Laurence Gardner congratulates Martins Muloiua, one of 12 Mozambican biologists who graduated from the Biologist Teaching and Training Program. Also pictured: Ralph Timperi of the APHL, and at right, Dr. Deshratn Asthana of the Miller School.   Mozambican students perform a musical medley at the graduation ceremony and dinner.

To help fight disease and save the lives of some of the most vulnerable in their east African nation, the group of 12 biologists traveled thousands of miles, stayed away from family, friends and loved ones for three months – some missing their children’s birthdays and one even delaying a wedding – and spent days in American labs studying the latest science and learning to use state-of-the art equipment.

The critical journey from Mozambique to Miami, part of the Biologist Teaching and Training Program co-sponsored by the Miller School, was celebrated at a graduation ceremony and dinner that mixed the students’ native tradition with American pomp.

The event, where the dozen biologists proudly collected their pins and certificates in brightly colored traditional dress before performing an African song and dance, marked the end of the first half of a pilot program designed to help battle deadly diseases, primarily HIV/AIDS, by exposing workers in less-developed labs to ultra-modern equipment and advanced training at American institutions. The students, who hold a variety of positions in Mozambican labs, were based at Miami-Dade College’s medical campus and collaborated with the Miller School and several governmental and other organizations.

Chief of UM Cardiothoracic Surgery Wins
Zeppa Award of Excellence
12/22/2008

Tomas A. Salerno, M.D., (left) chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, is presented the 2009 Robert Zeppa, M.D. Award of Excellence by Gerard A. Kaiser, M.D., professor in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery.

Tomas A. Salerno, M.D., professor of surgery, chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery and vice chairman of the DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, has received the 2009 Robert Zeppa, M.D. Award of Excellence.  The award was presented to Salerno by the Jackson Memorial Foundation, at a ceremony on Friday, December 12.

“It is a great honor to receive the Zeppa Award,” said Salerno.  “I stand on the shoulders of those who received this prestigious award in the past, and I am grateful to the board for recommending me.”

The Robert Zeppa, M.D. Award of Excellence was established to honor the memory of Dr. Robert Zeppa, chief of surgery at Jackson Memorial Hospital, chairman of the Department of Surgery at UM and chief of trauma.  Dr. Zeppa was world renowned for his contributions to medical care and his leadership which led to the creation of the Ryder Trauma Center.  The award is presented every two years to the UM/Jackson physician who is highly acclaimed in his medical field and best exemplifies the spirit, character and ethical standards of Dr. Zeppa.

In VA Diabetes Study, no extra heart benefit from tighter sugar control
12/18/2008

Study included nearly 1,800 veterans at 20 sites including the Miami VA Medical Center and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Carlos Abraira, M.D.

Jennifer Marks, M.D.   Jay Skyler, M.D.

Two in three people with diabetes die of heart attack or stroke. But doctors have been unsure whether pushing down blood sugar to normal levels can prevent these events.

A Veterans Affairs study being released early on December 18 by The New England Journal of Medicine suggests the answer is no.

The seven-year VA Diabetes Trial included nearly 1,800 veterans at 20 VA medical centers, including the Miami VA Medical Center and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. It found that intensive glucose control, mainly through higher doses of medication, did not cut heart risk compared with standard treatment. Unlike some other recent studies, the trial also found no added benefits for the kidneys or eyes. These organs are often harmed by the extra blood sugar present in diabetes.

In light of the VA trial and other research, the American College of Cardiology, American Diabetes Association, and American Heart Association have taken the unusual step of issuing a joint position statement to clarify what all the findings mean for people with diabetes. The statement, now appearing on the organizations’ websites, explains that some people with diabetes may require less stringent glycemic control than previously recommended, but most should stick with the existing target goals: an “A1C” level at or below 7 percent.  The level represents the average blood glucose over a two to three month period.

“Given the confusion created by these conflicting results, we thought it imperative to review our recommendations for all people with diabetes,” said Jay Skyler, M.D., professor of medicine and associate director of the Diabetes Research Institute at the Miller School, who headed the writing group.  “What we conclude is that for most people with diabetes, there’s no need to change treatment goals in light of these findings and many reasons to continue to strive for good glycemic control.  But for some people with type 2 diabetes, depending upon their history and current medical condition, it may be wise to make adjustments.”
 

Miller School Genetics Researchers Publish New Psychiatric Findings
12/19/2008

Stephan Züchner, M.D.

Despite major strides in determining the genetic influences of many complex diseases, it’s been extremely difficult to make significant progress when it comes to psychiatric disorders, which is why the published findings of a team of investigators from the Miami Institute for Human Genomics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, their collaborators at Duke University and the National Institute of Mental Health are so significant.

The researchers, led by Stephan Züchner, M.D., associate professor of human genetics and neurology and director of the Center for Human Molecular Genomics at the Miller School have identified genetic variations that may increase susceptibility for not only obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), but also for associated conditions, such as trichotillomania.  These disorders are all characterized by persistent intrusive thoughts (obsessions), repetitive actions (compulsions), and often anxiety.  Trichotillomania specifically is characterized by an urge to pull one’s hair excessively.

UM Innovation Hosts Technology Showcase to Help Bring the University’s Cutting-Edge Research to Market
12/11/2008

Two-day event also marks the debut of Corporate Advisory Council

Theodore Lampidis, Ph.D., professor of cell biology and anatomy, is one of several researchers who gave oral presentations to attendees at UM Innovation Technology Showcase 2008.   Dr. Bart Chernow (left), vice provost of technology advancement, hosted the first UM Innovation Technology Showcase. John C. Reed, M.D., Ph.D., (right), president and CEO of Burnham Institute for Medical Research was the luncheon speaker.

Researchers throughout UM and physician-scientists at the Miller School devote countless hours to devising, experimenting, testing and discovering innovative therapies and devices with one goal: to bring new disease treatments to people in South Florida and the world, and to advance science to help humanity.

While discoveries on the campuses have been stellar, the University, through UM Innovation, has been taking giant steps to boost research capacity – a 2 million square-foot Life Science Park planned near the medical school – and reach out to outside investors and industries that can help transfer promising technologies from the research bench to the marketplace.

To that end, UM Innovation held UM Innovation Technology Showcase 2008, its first, on December 2-3 at the Four Seasons Miami. While the second day was devoted to highlighting particular medical breakthroughs and scientific discoveries and those in development stages, the first day saw the launch of UM Innovation’s Corporate Advisory Council at a meeting hosted by Bart Chernow, M.D., vice provost for technology advancement at UM.

DRI Research Scientist Receives Endowed Chair
12/9/2008

Miller School Dean Pascal J. Goldschmidt, M.D., flanks Martin Kleiman Endowed Chair in Diabetes Research recipient Norma Sue Kenyon, Ph.D., professor of surgery, medicine and microbiology and immunology, along with Robert Pearlman, president and CEO of the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation.

Within the household responsible for the Martin Kleiman Endowed Chair in Diabetes Research, as well as for the research scientist who received it, eradicating diabetes couldn’t be a more high-stakes family affair.

The Martin Kleiman Endowed Chair in Diabetes Research was awarded Friday, Dec. 5, to Diabetes Research Institute scientist Norma Sue Kenyon, Ph.D, during a ceremony at the Batchelor Children’s Research Institute. A renowned researcher in the area of transplant immunology, and the director of the Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research, Kenyon’s daughter had a life-threatening encounter with diabetes when the child was only 14 months old.

UMH Honors Employees for Years of Service
12/10/2008

The University of Miami Hospital leadership team congratulates general surgery nurse Betty Smith, R.N., who is celebrating 40 years of service.   Pedro Camacho, critical care tech in the Emergency Room, leads a conga line at the celebratory dinner held at the hospital’s Seminar Center.

University of Miami Hospital employees who were celebrating milestone anniversaries  with the hospital were honored on December 5 with a formal luncheon and dinner in the hospital’s Seminar Center.

“Thank you for everything you do for our patients, this hospital, this community, and each other,” said CEO Anthony Degina, greeting those who have worked for 5, 10, 15 and 20 years at the luncheon.

“We have a lot to celebrate. This is our 46th year in operation as a hospital in this community and our first year anniversary as the University of Miami Hospital. We’ve accomplished so much in the first year with your energy, enthusiasm, and support. Together we’ve raised the level of health care in Miami. We are lucky to have the resources to become a destination academic medical center.”

LCME Team to Visit Miller School
12/3/2008

An LCME site evaluation team will soon be visiting the Miller School as part of its reaccreditation process.

The Miller School is in the final stages of an eight-year process that basically determines the school’s viability `as an educational institution,’ in the words of a senior administrator.

Come February, the Miller School will receive a site visit from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), the national accrediting body for medical education programs leading to an M.D. degree. A five-person LCME assessment team will collect information in a bid to determine if the Miller School is in substantial compliance with national accreditation standards for awarding an M.D. degree.

Dr. Jennifer Marks Presented with Community Based Volunteer Award for Leadership from American Diabetes Association
12/15/2008

Jennifer Marks, M.D.

Jennifer Marks, M.D., professor of medicine and director of the J. Maxwell McKenzie Fellowship Program in the Division of Diabetes & Metabolism at the Miller School, has received the Community Based Volunteer Award for Leadership from the American Diabetes Association.  The award was presented at the organization’s Community Volunteer Leadership Conference and Annual Meeting on November 22 in Tampa.

The American Diabetes Association’s Community Based Volunteer Awards recognize volunteers who embody the spirit of the association’s mission through their outstanding contributions. Specifically, the association salutes outstanding volunteers in the areas of advocacy, fundraising, leadership and outreach.

Alonzo Mourning Promotes Resilience
12/3/2008

Transplant nursing manager Jane Colona, R.N., meets Alonzo Mourning at a signing for his book, Resilience at the Medical Wellness Center.

Miami Transplant Institute spokesperson and Miami Heat All-Star Alonzo Mourning greeted a long line of fans at the Medical Wellness Center on Wednesday and signed copies of his new book, Resilience: Faith, Focus, Triumph. The book documents Mourning’s battle with a rare kidney disease that forced him to temporarily retire from the NBA, only to return to professional basketball after a successful kidney transplant and capture the 2006 NBA Championship with his Miami Heat teammates.

Miller School Researchers Publish New Findings on Scleroderma
12/1/2008

Chunming Dong, M.D.

New findings published in the November 18 issue of the journal Circulation, by scientists at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Duke University, are shedding new light on the biological process involved in the autoimmune disease scleroderma. Researchers hope their new understanding will point the way to prevention and treatment for this dreadful disease.

Scleroderma, or systemic sclerosis, is a chronic connective tissue disease in which hardening of the skin is the most visible symptom. The autoimmune disorder, which causes fibrosis or the overproduction of collagen, can sometimes also impact various internal organs, including the lung, heart, kidney and gastrointestinal tract.