Darius R, Mehregan, M.D., Hermann Pinkus Chair of the WSU Department of Dermatology, recently announced the appointment of four physicians since the department’s faculty practice group moved to Oakwood Healthcare System.

Dr. Ayad Edward Abrou, a Mohs surgeon, joined the staff earlier this year. Dr. Bertha Lin recently joined Dr. Abrou as a second Mohs surgeon. Drs. Jennifer Rivard and Laura Ganger bring many ideas for expanding general dermatological services as well as special interest in cosmetic dermatology.

“All of our new physicians are excellent additions to our department and will help us rebuild the department both clinically and academically,” Dr. Mehregan said.

The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety has accepted a paper authored by Dr. Dennis Tsilimingras, a 1995 graduate of the WSU School of Medicine who recently joined the Division of Translational Research and Clinical Epidemiology of the WSU Department of Internal Medicine. The manuscript, “Post-Discharge Adverse Events: A Neglected Area,” examines post-discharge safety, an area that has long been neglected in the health-care system.

Recent studies from the United States and Canada addressing adverse events occurring after discharge from the hospital found a 19 percent and 23 percent incidence rate, respectively, among patients discharged from the general internal medicine services of major teaching hospitals. These rates are much higher than in-hospital adverse event rates ranging between 2.9 percent to 3.7 percent, as estimated by the Institute of Medicine landmark report “To Err Is Human,” based on data from two large population-based studies in the United States.

An explanation for the higher adverse event rates during the post-discharge period may be the progressive shortening of hospitalizations for patients since the time of the two large population-based studies. As a result, many things used to occur in the hospital now occur afterwards, raising the concern that even more adverse events may be occurring after discharge as reported in the recent post-discharge studies.

This suggests that the estimated overall annual incidence rate of adverse events may actually be much higher than that cited by the Institute of Medicine report, since neither post-discharge nor ambulatory adverse events were pursued in the studies it cited. Since the incidence rate involving medical patients for post-discharge adverse events may be as much as five to six times higher when compared to in-hospital adverse events, it is essential for physicians to learn more about post-discharge adverse events and improve the safety of care for patients who have been recently discharged.

This manuscript examines: 1) patient safety definitions in this setting; 2) discontinuities in care as the scientific rationale for the occurrence of post-discharge adverse events; 3) post-discharge adverse event studies; 4) the common types of post-discharge adverse events; and it also makes specific recommendations for the improvement of post-discharge care.

The article will be featured in the journal’s January issue.

Dr. Tsilimingras began his research career in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Then, he completed a master’s of public health in health services and epidemiologic research at the Boston University School of Public Health. He was recruited by the Bedford Veterans Affairs Hospital, a Center of Excellence for Health Services Research, and the Department of Health Policy and Management at The Boston University School of Public Health. There, he was an investigator for several health services research studies focusing on the improvement of quality of care, health outcomes and patient safety in Veteran Affairs hospitals.

Tsilimingras was among a national group of clinicians and research scientists invited by the Stanford University - University of California San Francisco Evidence Based Practice Center to participate in the development of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality “Hospital Patient Safety Indicators.” He authored the initial manuscript that specifically examined patient safety implications for elderly patients and the geriatric practice. His research interests include hypertension/cardiovascular disease, improvement of quality of care and patient safety.

Wayne State University is hosting the big event about little things, a national conference on Emerging Nanoscience Applications in Technology and Biomedicine, which will take place from October 15 to 16 at Wayne State’s McGregor Conference Center. Those who register before September 1 receive a $50 discount off the regular registration price of $250.

The event will draw participants from academia, industry and government, with the goals of learning about how nanoscience discoveries can lead to applications in technology and biomedicine; understanding how interdisciplinary collaborations involving nanoscience can lead to unexpected but scientifically fruitful advances; and enhancing greater scientific knowledge in the emerging fields of nanotechnology and nanobiomedicine.

Registration includes five meals and access to plenary sessions headed by four internationally regarded speakers. These sessions will bookend the event with addressing crucial areas of nanoscience including: supramolecular assemblies; nanoparticles and nanomaterials; biomaterials and tissue engineering; and translational nanomedicine. During and after each of the plenary sessions, oral and poster abstracts will be presented by individuals from around the country. On Monday evening, there will be a keynote address dinner with renowned physicist, Dr. Helmuth Möhwald of the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, in Germany.

The agenda includes:
Monday, Oct. 15:

• Plenary session I.
  Supramolecular Assemblies
  
  Speaker: Dennis Discher, University of Pennsylvania, "Polymersomes and Filomicelles: Imitation of Viral Shapes for Controlled Release Drug Delivery"
  
  
• Plenary session II.
  Nanoparticles and Nanomaterials
  
  Speaker: Mark Saltzman, Yale University, "Nanoparticles for Delivery of Drugs, Peptides and siRNA"
  Keynote Address: Colloids and Interfaces
  
  Speaker: Prof. Dr. Helmuth Möhwald, Director of the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, “From Interfaces to Nanoparticle / Polyelectrolyte Hybrid Capsules and Back”

Tuesday, Oct. 16:

• Plenary session III.
  Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering
  
  Speaker: Lonnie Shea, Northwestern University, "Microenvironments for Regenerative Medicine"
  
  
• Plenary session IV.
  Translational Nanomedicine
  
  Speaker: Chiming Wei, Johns Hopkins University, "New Advances in Nanomedicine: from Bench to Bedside"

For more information about registration for ENATBIO, please visit http://www.research.wayne.edu/enatbio or contact Dr. Freda Giblin at fgiblin@med.wayne.edu.

The Midwest Research Collaborative Network will host a forum on cardiovascular disease at Loyola University Oct. 12. The Network recently was launched to provide networking opportunities to researchers from academia and industry within the local Midwest region.

The Loyola event is part of a series of one-day forums, each with a specific research focus. The meetings rotate between companies and academic institutions in the Chicago area; however, Michigan may periodically host the event.

A special “Salute to Past Presidents” was held in conjunction with this year’s annual meeting of the Board of Directors for the Southeast Michigan Center for Medical Education. Dr. Mark Hannis, senior vice president for Medical Education, and Dr. Michael Geheb, division president, hosted the evening reception and program at Oakwood Hospital July 18.

Fourteen of the 16 past presidents of the board attended. Dr. Allen Silbergleit, a longtime member of the SEMCME Surgery Committee, Board member and historian for the organization, recognized the “extraordinary leadership and commitment” of the past presidents and highlighted some of the accomplishments that occurred during the past 33 years.

WSU School of Medicine Dean Robert M. Mentzer, Jr., and Executive Vice Dean Robert Frank attended. Dr. Frank thanked the organization for its continued commitment to quality medical education in southeast Michigan.

Participating hospitals are:

SEMCME was established for the purpose of coordinating and assisting in the education of medical students, medical residents and other health professionals. Its primary mission is to stimulate the delivery of quality care through excellence in graduate medical education and faculty development. SEMCME is the largest community based medical education consortium in the Midwest. The WSU School of Medicine is the academic partner for SEMCME.

• Bon Secours Cottage Health Service
• Crittenton Hospital Medical Center
• Detroit Medical Center Hospitals
• Henry Ford Hospital
• North Oakland Medical Centers
• Oakwood Hospital
• Providence Hospital and Medical Center
• St. John Hospital and Medical Center
• St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Ann Arbor
• St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Oakland
• William Beaumont Hospital

The Southeast Michigan Center for Medical Education has established a process of pooling ideas for innovative medical education. Cooperation among member hospitals and universities along with the exchange of knowledge and experience achieves educational benefits that no single institution can obtain alone.

WSU School of Medicine will celebrate a new chapter in its history with the Richard J. Mazurek, M.D., Medical Education Commons groundbreaking on Monday, Sept. 17. The event will be at 3:30 p.m. on the Scott Hall lawn and will be followed by a reception. For more information or to RSVP by Friday, Sept. 14, call Lisa Link at 313-577-358

Jenifer Jo (Joie) West has been named director of public affairs for the WSU School of Medicine. In this role, Ms. West will be responsible for School of Medicine public relations, media relations and publications. She also will serve as a liaison to WSU Marketing and Communications on related issues. In addition, she will support both the Office of the Dean and Development and Alumni Affairs on strategic communication and government affairs initiatives.

West comes to WSU from Trinity Health, where during her three-year tenure at St. Joseph’s Healthcare in Clinton Township, she served as director of external relations and as a specialist in government and physician relations.

West received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine and has since practiced as a health educator and advancement professional for a diverse array of local and national programs. She is the recipient of many community service honors and awards. She currently serves as a trustee for the charter township of Clinton, a position to which she was elected.

Dean Robert M. Mentzer, Jr., recently named Lawrence Morawa, M.D., interim chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. Dr. Morawa is a board certified orthopaedic surgeon practicing at the Oakwood Healthcare System. He received his medical degree at University of Michigan in 1967 and completed postgraduate training at both Oakwood Hospital and Wayne State University.

In addition, Dr. Morawa has served as a voluntary faculty member in the department. He is a skilled surgeon and scholar, having authored numerous articles, and has been invited to speak nationally and internationally on orthopaedic practices.

“The School of Medicine stands prepared to rebuild the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery,” Dean Mentzer wrote in a letter announcing the appointment. “As a committed clinical partner of Wayne State University, the Oakwood Healthcare System is a primary participating institution for the developing WSU-sponsored Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Training Program. Dr. Morawa’s training and clinical experience, as well as his standing at Oakwood, position him well to lead development of this training program.”

In addition, as announced by President Irvin Reid, Joseph Dunbar, Ph.D., has been appointed as WSU associate vice president for research. Dr. Dunbar will concurrently serve as chief scientific advisor to Dean Mentzer, with a charge of developing collaborative research relationships among investigators from the School of Medicine as well as from other WSU schools and colleges.

Following appointment of Dr. Dunbar to his new position, David Lawson, Ph.D., has been appointed as interim chairman of the Department of Physiology. Dr. Lawson is a professor emeritus of physiology in the School of Medicine. His research focuses on integrative responses of experimental rodents to common experimental manipulations and housing conditions.

Dr. Lawson is a member of the American Physiological Society, the Endocrine Society and the American Association of Laboratory Animal Science. He served for 21 years as a member of the WSU Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, including distinguished service as the Committee’s chair.

“Although Dr. Lawson retired from his full time faculty position, he has remained actively engaged as a faculty member,” Dean Mentzer wrote. “His willingness to accept the appointment as interim chairman is a testament to his commitment and dedication to Wayne State University and the School of Medicine.”

Wayne State University President Irvin D. Reid recently announced the awardees from Wayne State’s Research Enhancement Program, a nearly $2.4 million investment designed to strengthen the university’s position as a nationally recognized research institution. It was also created to contribute towards developing research themes for the university that are consistent with an emphasis on its urban mission and global presence.

The program, now in its fifth year, was divided into four sub-programs this year. The sub-programs included:

• Funding for the Center for Urban and African American Health (completing a three-year commitment);
• Seed grants for projects in the Arts, creative arts research, or research that engages the arts in carrying out the university’s urban research mission (the first year of a three-year commitment);
• Seed grants for research in the Social Sciences and Humanities that address issues affecting women and girls (the first year of a three-year commitment); and
• Seed grants for interdisciplinary research in Computational Biology, in part to support the university’s progress toward developing an institutional Clinical and Translational Science Award proposal for the National Institutes of Health.

“Wayne State has great strengths in a number of research areas that ultimately will lead to stimulating our local economy through commercialization and job creation,” said Hilary Ratner, vice president for Research. “This important investment in our faculty will support Michigan in advancing technology in computational biology, the arts, and knowledge involving women and girls in an urban environment. This investment is expected to lead to increased federal funding for Wayne State University and the state of Michigan, and the development of spin-out companies generated from university research,” Ratner added.

All awarded projects are expected to lay the foundation for further study beyond the award end date and will result in external funding appropriate for the field of study. Each program will culminate in a national conference to be held on the WSU campus to share the research resulting from this program and ignite further collaboration and generation of ideas.

School of Medicine award recipients for the 2007 President’s Research Enhancement Program are:

Computation Approaches to Identify Human Disease Genes - $177,669

Russell Finley, Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics
Farshad Fotouhi, Computer Science
Gerard Tromp, Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics
Hasan Jamil, Computer Science
Derek Wildman, Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics

This project will develop and use computational approaches to identify genes involved in human diseases, an important step in understanding pathogenic mechanisms and developing effective diagnostics, treatments and preventive measures.

A Computational Enzymology Initiative at Wayne State University - $231,475

Domenico Gatti, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Brian Edwards, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
H. Bernard Schlegel, Chemistry

This project will develop a strong research and educational program in Computational Enzymology, focused on the use of quantum mechanics, molecular mechanics methods and normal mode analysis to elucidate catalytic mechanism of enzymes starting from the knowledge of their atomic structures.

Stephen Krawetz, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Institute for Scientific Computing
Randall Armant, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Anatomy and Cell Biology
Henry Heng, Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics
Shiyong Lu, Computer Science

This project will bring together wet-bench and in silico strategies and technologies to understand nuclear organization and genomic regulation.

Jeffrey Loeb, Neurology, Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics
Aashit Shah, Neurology
Craig Watson, Neurology
Darren Fuerst, Neurology
Matthew Galloway, Psychiatry and Anesthesiology
Jiani Hu, Radiology
Sandeep Mittal, Neurosurgery
Shiyong Lu, Computer Science
Jing Hua, Computer Science
Farshad Fatouhi, Computer Science

This project will develop a bioinformatics workflow for human epilepsy, focusing on one of the most complex human diseases in the most complex human tissue the brain.

Charles Manke, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
Bhanu Jena, Physiology
Jeffrey Potoff, Chemical Engineering and Material Science

This project aims to understand membrane fusion at the atomic level in real time that will provide a fundamental understanding of membrane fusion in cells, which will lead to an understanding of basic physiological processes such as neurotransmission, digestion and hormone secretion, and enable the design and development of biosensors, drugs and drug delivery systems.