Dr. Watson comes to WSU from the Henry Ford Health System, where she served in a variety of positions, including residency program director. She brings extensive knowledge in general dermatology, with a special focus in pigmented lesions, skin cancer treatments and connective tissue disease.

She joined the department Oct. 1, and is open for new patient referrals at the Sterling Heights office and the Karmanos Cancer Institute.

She can be contacted at (586) 939-6400 in Sterling Heights, (313) 576-8477 in Detroit, or by e-mail at awatson@med.wayne.edu.

Dr. Sethi is the lead author of the study “A Review of ACE-Inhibitor Associated Hepatoxicity.” The study’s other authors include Milton G. Mutchnick, M.D., professor and chief of the Division of Gastroenterology at Wayne State University; Robert G. Fontana, M.D., associate professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan; and Elizabeth J. May, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of Medicine at Wayne State University.

The team’s review of previously published literature found that the use of ACE inhibitors may bring with it a risk of hepatotoxicity (toxic damage to the liver), and that toxicity may be more widespread than commonly thought.

In two-thirds of the cases of toxicity studied, the condition was detected within eight weeks of the start of ACE inhibitor therapy. Most of those patients improved within a week of the withdrawal of the drugs.

Reports about the findings were published in Today in Medicine by the American Gastroenterological Association (http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2009102701aga&r=3700225-fa30) and MedPage Today News (http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ACG/16615).

The Nov. 2 conference will take place in the Margherio Family Conference Center, located within the Richard J. Mazurek, M.D., Medical Education Commons. The conference is open to all faculty and physicians.

The goals of the conference, said Gloria Kuhn, D.O., Ph.D., vice chair for Academic Affairs in the Department of Emergency Medicine, include learning to design instruction for distance and on-site education, utilizing multimedia for instruction, designing interactive presentations for on-site education and designing interactive educational Web sites based on sound learning theory.

The conference schedule includes:
7:45 - 8:15 a.m. Registration and breakfast
8:15 - 8:30 a.m. Welcome and overview - Suzanne White, M.D., Gloria Kuhn, D.O., Ph.D.
8:30 - 9:10 a.m. Technology is Wonderful: Where is the Learner? - Gloria Kuhn, D.O., Ph.D.
9:10 - 9:50 a.m. Jazzing the Lecture: Embedding Technology in Your Presentation - LaCesha Clark, M.Ed.
9:50 - 10:30 a.m. Simulation Debriefing: Technology Can Help - Rose Fernandez, M.D., Rick Lammers, M.D.
10:30 -11 a.m. Simulation on a Shoestring - Rick Lammers, M.D.
11 - 11:45 a.m. Lunch
11:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Challenging Learners: How Do We Motivate Them - Shirley Lee, M.D.
12:30 - 1:15 p.m. Web 2.0: More than a Cultural Shift: It’s a Revolution - Adam Rosh, M.D.
1:15 - 2 p.m. Creating a Web World: Sharepoint - John Marshall, M.D., Steve Horng, M.D.
2 - 2:15 p.m. Break
2:15 - 2:45 p.m. Low Cost, High Impact Models - Mary Jo Wagner, M.D.
2:45 - 3:30 p.m. Engaging Your Students in Large Lectures - Shari Lynn Robinson, M.A.
3:30 - 3:45 p.m. Wrap Up - Gloria Kuhn, D.O., Ph.D.
4 - 5 p.m. Web 2.0 for You: Hands-on Web Practice - Adam Rouse, M.D., or Tour of the Simulation Center, Rose Fernandez, M.D.

Conference organizers strongly encourage all participants bring a laptop computer.

The cost for physicians and faculty members is $85. There is no charge for residents, fellows or medical students.

For more information, call (313) 745-5492.

This year’s topic, “21st Century Trauma Care,” includes presentations on advances in medicine and surgery given by four distinguished visiting professors.

The program begins at 7:30 a.m. with registration and continental breakfast and concludes with a luncheon and a discussion with speakers at 12:30 p.m.

Speakers at this year’s Clinic Day and their topics are:

James. Tyburski, M.D., professor of Surgery, Wayne State University; chief, Department of Surgery, Detroit Receiving Hospital; program director, General Surgery Residency, Wayne State University/Detroit Medical Center, “What’s New in Trauma?”

Charles E. Lucas, M.D., professor of Surgery, Wayne State University, “Controversies in Fluid Management of the Severely Injured Patient”

Thomas M. Scalea, M.D., physician-in-chief, R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center; Francis X. Kelly professor of Trauma Surgery; director, Program in Trauma, University of Maryland, “Trauma Management in the Elderly”

Mark D. Pearlman, M.D., S. Jan Behrman professor in Reproductive Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School; professor, Departments of Surgery and Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan Health System; service chief, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers, “Obstetric Aspects of Trauma Management.”

“Clinic Day has always been the flagship program of the academic year at SJMO,” said Allen Silbergleit, M.D., Ph.D., program director emeritus of the Department of General Surgery and chair of the Division of General Surgery. He also is the Cancer Liaison Physician for the Commission on Cancer.

In 2005, SJMO renamed the annual Clinic Day program in honor of Dr. Silbergleit, the long-serving chair of the Clinic Day committee and 40-year director of the surgery residency program. For his accomplishments in graduate medical education, Dr. Silbergleit was awarded the Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

For more information, call Debra Reid at (248) 858-3234.

The study, published in the November issue of The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine, set out to determine the diagnostic indications and predictive value of biomarkers measured in maternal blood in the first and second trimester of pregnancy. The goal was to determine whether the biomarkers could predict the subsequent development of preeclampsia. The findings of the study -- the largest of its kind ever undertaken -- will help clinicians assess the risk for preeclampsia, and monitor mothers and their unborn babies at risk for the silent killer.

Estimates indicate that preeclampsia is responsible for 76,000 maternal deaths and more than 500,000 infant deaths every year, according to the Preeclampsia Foundation. Preeclampsia occurs only during pregnancy and sometimes after delivery. It is characterized by high blood pressure and the presence of protein in maternal urine. Preeclampsia can affect the liver, kidney and brain. Sometimes mothers develop seizures (eclampsia) and suffer intracranial hemorrhage, the main cause of death in those who develop the disorder. Some women develop blindness.

“Left untreated, preeclampsia can lead to serious -- or even fatal -- complications for both the mother and baby,” said Juan Pedro Kusanovic, M.D., director of Translational Research of the Perinatology Research Branch, the National Institute of Children’s Health and Development, the National Institutes of Health, and assistant professor of the School of Medicine’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He served as lead author of the study, “A prospective cohort study of the value of maternal plasma concentrations of angiogenic and anti-angiogenic factors in early pregnancy and midtrimester in the identification of patients destined to develop preeclampsia.”

The unborn babies of preeclamptic mothers are affected by the disease and may develop intrauterine growth starvation or die in utero. Many believe preeclampsia results from insufficient blood supply to the uterus and placenta, causing the development of high blood pressure. The increase in maternal blood pressure is a compensatory response to improve the condition of the fetus. Preeclampsia may have evolved to protect the infant, but when the disease is out of control it threatens the health of the mother. The earlier the disease starts in pregnancy, the worse the outcome for baby and mother.

The study received the Frederick P. Zuspan Award for Clinical Research by the International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy. The award is given for the most outstanding clinical work relating to the study of hypertension in pregnancy.

“Our study found that maternal plasma concentrations of angiogenic and antiangiogenic factors, together with a combination of other demographic, biochemical and biophysical factors, are useful in assigning risk for the subsequent development of early-onset preeclampsia,” said Roberto Romero, M.D., chief of the Perinatology Research Branch of NICHD, NIH, who is one of the world’s leading experts on this condition and in the study of complications of pregnancy.

“The establishment of an accurate means to assess the risk for preeclampsia would enable health care practitioners to identify women who require more intensive monitoring to safeguard both mother and baby from this devastating condition,” said Dr. Romero, a professor of Molecular Obstetrics and Genetics with the WSU Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics. “This study is the first of its kind in which women were prospectively followed from the beginning of pregnancy to determine if simple blood measurements can predict early onset preeclampsia. The results are very encouraging and suggest that the biomarkers studied can be used to identify women at risk in the second trimester, many weeks before the clinical onset of the disease.”

The results of the study will encourage laboratories and clinicians to use biomarkers to track the health of pregnant women. Several companies are developing rapid methods to measure these biomarkers and make them available for clinical use in hospitals throughout the world.

Dr. Romero explained that these tests would allow health care practitioners to identify women at risk and to intensify monitoring. An important challenge still lies in finding methods to treat preeclampsia. He noted that defective angiogenesis may be observed in other complications of pregnancy such as premature labor, fetal death and intrauterine growth restriction. The markers are likely to identify not only patients with preeclampsia, but those at risk for other complications of pregnancy.

“This research breaks new ground and will lead to healthier outcomes for mothers and infants,” said Valerie Parisi, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., interim dean of the School of Medicine. “This is a prime example of the bench-to-bedside research being conducted in the heart of Detroit.”

Gilda Hillman, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology for the School of Medicine and the Karmanos Cancer Institute, served as principal investigator for "Dynamic Contrast Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Vascular Changes Induced by Sunitinib in Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma Xenograft Tumors." The article was published as the cover story in the September 2009 issue of the journal Neoplasia.

The goal of the study, Dr. Hillman said, was to investigate the effect on tumor vasculature of lower and potentially less toxic doses of Sunitinib, a drug used in the treatment of renal cancer that acts to stop tumors from making new blood vessels. Tumor angiogenesis involves a proliferation of abnormal vessels that are enlarged, disorganized and leaky. The condition impairs blood and oxygen supply to tumors, which, in turn, compromises the delivery and efficacy of chemotherapy drugs and radiotherapy.

While Sunitinib has proved effective and has helped prolong patients’ lives, long-term control of renal carcinoma has not been achieved. Dr. Hillman wanted to determine what doses of the drug could induce regularization of tumor vessels by reducing the growth of inefficient blood vessels and thereby improving blood flow. Dr. Hillman had previously established a pre-clinical model of metastatic renal cell carcinoma in her laboratory and used it to treat kidney tumors with various doses of Sunitinib. Dr. Hillman’s team then studied the vascular changes in murine kidney tumors associated with each dose. The team used dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI imaging, a technology that can be used in humans.

The study assessed the effect of Sunitinib on both the right cancerous kidney and the left normal kidney in mice. The team then compared the data obtained from DCE-MRI imaging of tumors to the data produced by histological staining of tumor sections and determined a dose of Sunitinib that caused regularization of blood flow and thinning of vessels while producing milder effects on blood vessels in the normal kidney.

“These studies have established the feasibility of using DCE-MRI in animal models to assess early vascular changes in tumors induced by anti-angiogenic therapy that could be helpful for scheduling chemotherapy or radiotherapy and increase the efficacy of anti-angiogenic therapy,” said Dr. Hillman, who works with department Chair Andre Konski, M.D., M.B.A., in designing clinical trials of radiotherapy and anti-angiogenic drugs. “This approach using DCE-MRI imaging can be applied to treatment of human cancer.”

The research team included Vinita Singh-Gupta, Ph.D.; Hao Zhang, M.D.; Christopher Yunker and Amit Patel, who was instrumental in data organization and presentation. Mark Haacke, Ph.D., director of the MR Research Facility and a professor of Radiology, collaborated on the study for consulting on imaging parameters conditions and interpretation of MRI data and analysis. He was assisted by Yimin Shen, Ph.D., and several students involved in data analysis. Dr. Haacke’s Ph.D. student, Areen Al Bashir, is participating in imaging data analysis and is using this research as the major topic of her thesis.

Pfizer funded the two-year study with a $264,468 grant.

Venuprasad K. Poojary, Ph.D., assistant professor of the Wayne State University School of Medicine’s Department of Immunology and Microbiology and the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, has secured a two-year federal grant for almost $1 million to further his research into creating more effective immunotherapy strategies for cancer treatment.

Among the more than 20,000 applications the National Institutes of Health received for the NIH Challenge Grants, Dr. Poojary’s application ranked within the top 1 percent. He received a grant for $999,094. The NIH has allocated $200 million for the challenge grants for fiscal years 2009 and 2010. They are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 passed in February of this year.

Dr. Poojary’s research, “Role of TIEG1 in Foxp3+Treg development and tumor progression,” explores tumor pathways that cause effector T cells -- those that help maintain a healthy immune system -- to be converted to regulator T cells, which allow the growth of cancerous tumor cells.

Researchers have already created vaccines that are effective in controlling regulator T cells in a lab environment, but so far immunotherapy vaccines have not been successful when used on humans.

“Immunotherapy for cancer has not been successful because tumors exploit the immune system,” Dr. Poojary said. “We must now build on immunotherapy’s great cancer treatment potential by learning how we can make it more effective.”

Dr. Poojary’s research strives to understand on a molecular level how immune suppressor cells can be controlled so that tumor cells do not proliferate. He believes this research will provide him and his colleagues significant new insight to overcome the limitations of current immunotherapy strategies.

“We want to develop inhibitors for regulator T cells to use along with tumor vaccines and our goal is to block the development of tumor-promoting regulator T cells in the tumor microenvironment,” he said. “People have tried to deplete regulator T cells from the body using antibodies, but such an approach is associated with the risk of triggering autoimmunity in patients.”

The nearly $1 million NIH grant will allow Dr. Poojary and his staff to invest the grant monies in what they need to conduct work more quickly and efficiently. As part of the grant, Dr. Poojary will hire four people to assist him.

“If we can understand the pathway of T cells, we will be very close to determining the inhibitors for what converts good cells into tumor-promoting bad cells,” he said. “This is the hard step, but I am very confident that I’ll achieve my goals with the project.”

Dr. Poojary said it will be significant when doctors can control the conversion of normal T cells into abnormal cells that allow tumors to grow. “With this knowledge, we would be very close to having the immunological tools to more effectively treat aggressive cancers, such as locally-advanced and metastatic breast cancer, prostate cancer and brain cancer,” he said.

Dr. Poojary has been studying immunology since 1998 when he began his doctorate studies at the National Center for Cell Science in Pune, India. After receiving his Ph.D., he served as a postdoctoral fellow and later a research scientist in the Division of Cell Biology at LaJolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology in San Diego, Calif. He has been with the Karmanos Cancer Institute since March 2009.

The initial gift of $1 million launches the Herrick Foundation Cancer Research Challenge, an initiative to increase research funding at the Karmanos Cancer Institute over the next four years. The additional commitment of $2 million will be given in match funding. For every dollar Karmanos raises for cancer research beginning Oct. 1, 2009, the Herrick Foundation will match dollar for dollar up to $500,000 per year, over the next four years.

The Herrick Foundation grant and the matching dollars will fund key research initiatives in Karmanos’ National Oncogenomics and Molecular Imaging Center, pediatric leukemia, lung cancer, new imaging technologies for cancer detection and treatment, and prostate cancer.

“The Herrick Foundation is encouraged by the tremendous progress in cancer research. More people are surviving a cancer diagnosis than ever before,” said Todd W. Herrick, president of the foundation. “However, too many still succumb to this disease. Supporting scientific research is critical to provide new hope and an eventual cure for our loved ones and friends.

“As one of the leading comprehensive cancer centers in the country, the Karmanos Cancer Institute is uniquely suited to lead this effort,” Herrick said. “Knowing the commitment of this results-driven team of researchers, physicians and staff, we are proud to support their outstanding work and engage the community to do the same.”

The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 1.4 million new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year, including more than 53,500 people in Michigan. Cancer remains the second leading cause of death in Michigan, making it the eighth highest ranking state in the United States for cancer incidence and death. In spite of progress made in the cancer fight, the ongoing development of new research and technology is critical in order to treat cancer successfully and save lives.

“This generous gift will leverage additional funding for innovative research at a time when it’s needed most,” said Ann G. Schwartz, Ph.D., M.P.H., interim president and chief executive officer of the Karmanos Cancer Institute. “We are committed to do all we can to stop this devastating disease. The Herrick Challenge will help us aggressively pursue better treatments and ultimate cures for cancer so that one day we can bring this complex disease under complete control.”

In recognition of the $3 million grant, the Karmanos Cancer Institute will name one of the floors in its 60,000-square-foot research facility The Herrick Foundation Cancer Research Floor. The naming celebration will take place in coming weeks.

Wu, 25, completed her undergraduate studies in biosciences at University of Science and Technology of China. She became interested in ocular immunity during her first research rotation in the laboratory of Linda Hazlett, Ph.D., distinguished professor and chair of the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology.

“Dr. Hazlett displayed great professionalism and patience when I first came to the lab,” Wu said. “She introduced me to an interesting research field and showed me an excellent example as a scientist and as a teacher.”

Under the direction of Dr. Hazlett, Wu is examining the role of beta-defensins in resistance to P. aeruginosa keratitis, one of the most common and destructive ocular diseases associated with contact lens use.

Wu has published a paper as the first author, “Beta-defensin-2 Promotes Resistance against Infection with P. aeruginosa,” in the February 2009 edition of the Journal of Immunology. Her second paper, “Beta-defensins 2 and 3 Together Promote Resistance to P. aeruginosa Keratitis,” was recently accepted for publication in the Journal of Immunology. She has two other manuscripts now in revision.

“She is an excellent student and her work may provide a promising target for treatment of ocular diseases, such as P. aeruginosa keratitis,” Dr. Hazlett said.

The lecture will take place in the Margherio Family Conference Center in the Richard J. Mazurek, M.D., Education Commons.

Sir Michael Berridge, the discoverer of inositol triphosphate, will present “Calcium Signaling in Health and Disease.”

Professor Berridge is an emeritus fellow at the Babraham Institute and honorary professor of Cell Signaling at the University of Cambridge. He is a fellow of Trinity College and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1984. In 1997, he was knighted for his contributions to science.

In 2005 he received the Shaw Prize for pioneering work in the field of cell signaling. His discovery of the key role that calcium plays in regulating cellular activity and orchestrating the complexities of cellular communication provided insight into the processes behind medical conditions like hypertension, cardiac arrhythmia and heart failure, cancer and bipolar disorders such as manic depressive illness.

His discovery of inositol trisphophate and its role in calcium signaling pathways was a major breakthrough in understanding how a cell translates chemical stimuli at its external surface into an intracellular chemical language that enables the cell to drive a physiological response.

The lecture is open to all faculty and students. For more information, call (313) 577-9553.

“Our opening night will actually be the first of many community outreach nights that we will host each month during the season,” said Tom Wilson, president and CEO of the Detroit Pistons. “Hosting a rare October regular season game presented us with a great opportunity to get involved in National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and contribute to a cause that touches everyone. Obviously, we hope to make a nice contribution, but more so, we see this as a great platform to raise awareness for research, early detection and prevention of a disease that affects hundreds of thousands of people each year. We think it is going to be one of the most special opening nights we have ever had.”

During the home opener, which begins at 8 p.m., the Pistons will celebrate breast cancer survivors and provide them with complimentary tickets and commemorative pink T-shirts. Family and friends will be given the opportunity to purchase specially priced upper level tickets for $15, with $5 from each ticket purchased donated to benefit breast cancer research at the Karmanos Cancer Institute. To register to attend the event, and to order the specially priced tickets, visit Pistons.com or call The Palace Box Office at (248) 377-0100.

Fans interested in supporting the cause can take advantage of the same $15 upper level ticket offer, with $5 going to Karmanos, by visiting Pistons.com or calling The Palace Box Office at (248) 377-0100.

Before the game and throughout the evening, breast cancer survivors will be honored for their courage and inspiration. Breast cancer survivors will be involved in pre-game activities, including forming a fan tunnel to welcome players on the court, involvement in player introductions and being on court during the national anthem. All breast cancer survivors will be on the court during a special halftime presentation.

Special areas on The Palace’s main concourse will be set aside to provide information on breast cancer awareness, prevention and research.

“We are very grateful for the extraordinary support of the Pistons organization and its fans,” said Nick Karmanos, vice president of development, Karmanos Cancer Institute. “This is a touching way to recognize breast cancer survivors and we are happy to have the Pistons as a partner and a strong advocate for women's health.  This special ticket promotion is just another example of the Pistons continued dedication to cancer research and our community.  By purchasing a $15 ticket, individuals will help support the important work being done at the Karmanos Cancer Institute in the fight against breast cancer.”

Having these resources reside on a single Web site is an efficiency measure itself. “There’s no need for researchers and project teams to start from scratch,” said Laura-Mae Baldwin, M.D., M.P.H., a co-investigator on the project, University of Washington professor of Family Medicine and practicing clinician.

The study, “Olfactory Mucosal Autografts and Rehabilitation for Chronic Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury,” was published in the journal Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair on line Sept. 30. The study details the outcome of adult stem cell grafts in spinal cord injuries and how that procedure led to increased mobility and quality of life for patients participating in the study.

The process involves the use of adult stem-like progenitor cells in the patient’s own nasal tissue. The use of a person’s own stem cells, said Jean Peduzzi-Nelson, Ph.D., associate professor of the Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, lessens the problems of rejection, tumor formation and disease transmission.

In the study, 20 patients with severe chronic spinal cord injuries received a treatment combination of partial scar removal, transplantation of nasal tissue containing stem cells to the site of the spinal cord injury and rehabilitation. All of the patients had total paralysis below the level of their spinal cord injury before the treatment.

“This may be the first clinical study of patients with severe, chronic spinal cord injury to report considerable functional improvement in some patients with a combination treatment,” Dr. Peduzzi-Nelson said. “Normally, in people with spinal cord injuries that happened more than 18 months ago there is little improvement.”

The injuries in the study patients were 18 months to 15 years old.

The patients, ages 19 to 37, had no use of their legs before the treatment. One paraplegic treated almost three years after the injury now ambulates with two crutches and knee braces. Ten other patients ambulate with physical assistance and walkers (with and without braces). One 31-year-old male tetriplegic patient uses a walker without the help of knee braces or physical assistance. When the stem cell transplant and scar removal process was combined with an advanced form of rehabilitative training that employs brain-initiated, weight-bearing movement, 13 patients improved in the standard measures used to assess functional independence and walking capabilities.

“We concluded that olfactory mucosal autograft is feasible, relatively safe and possibly beneficial in people with chronic spinal cord injury when combined with post-operative rehabilitation,” Dr. Peduzzi-Nelson said. “There are clear indications of efficacy based on neurological, functional and electrophysiological testing that justify moving forward to a larger, controlled clinical trial. In patients who are willing to commit to lots of intense rehabilitation, this combination treatment holds promise to improve their condition.”

Dr. Peduzzi-Nelson noted that there are many sources of stem cells in the body, including bone marrow, fat and the brain, but that the olfactory mucosa is the only suitable tissue that can be easily obtained with minimally invasive procedures. The stem-like progenitor cells in the olfactory mucosa are special because they normally form new neurons more rapidly than cells from any other place in the adult nervous system. When such cells are transplanted into chick embryos, she said, the cells can form mature cells of the heart, trunk muscles, liver, brain and spinal cord. This suggests that olfactory stem-like progenitor cells are very immature and capable of forming a variety of cell types.

The partial scar removal and tissue transplantation procedures were performed in Portugal. The rehabilitation of patients took place in Italy and Portugal.

“Many patients in the Detroit area have had this procedure,” she said. “Along with some colleagues, I have sent questionnaires to these local patients to find out whether or not there are any side-effects or functional improvement.”

Dr. Peduzzi-Nelson said that she and Jay Meythaler, M.D., chairman of the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, along with other colleagues, are seeking FDA approval to perform the procedure in the United States. They also plan a study in pigs to determine the safety of injecting olfactory stem cells into the cerebrospinal fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord to pave the way for new clinical trials for brain and spinal cord injuries.

All RIM staff and Wayne State University School of Medicine Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation faculty members are eligible to submit proposals. Research collaborators within WSU departments and Detroit Medical Center hospitals may also submit proposals.

There is a strong preference for projects that provide pilot data that will be the basis for later submissions to outside funding agencies, cost less than $20,000 direct costs, will be completed in one year (indirect costs are not supported) and propose clinical research relevant to the rehabilitation patient population.

Deadlines for submissions are Nov. 2 for a one-page letter of intent or abstract, and Nov. 16 for full proposals. Proposals will be reviewed by an internal/external review panel and decisions communicated to investigators by Jan. 5, 2010, for a January or February 2010 start date. The number of awards to be made will depend on funds available and costs of approved projects. Organizers expect that three awards will be funded.

E-mail your letter of intent or abstract and proposal to Rana El-Jaroudi, M.B.A., M.P.H., at reljarou@dmc.org.

For assistance in developing a proposal or budget, contact the Rana El-Jaroudi, M.B.A., M.P.H., Research Department at (313) 745-1283 or e-mail reljarou@dmc.org.

The meeting, organized by the Offices of Postdoctoral Affairs and the Postdoctoral Associations of Wayne State University, Michigan State University and the University of Michigan, took place Oct. 10 in Ann Arbor.

The symposium provided postdoctoral students with comprehensive knowledge of career opportunities in academia, industry and non-profit organizations. Speakers included National Institutes of Health officials, university professors, industry employees, a Red Cross member, and experts in scientific publishing and patent law. Ambika Mathur, Ph.D., associate dean of the WSU Graduate School, spoke on “How to Compete for Postdoctoral Fellowships.”

“I find this talk very eye-opening,” said Miloni Rathod, Ph.D., a research associate in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, speaking of Peter Fiske’s keynote address, “Put Your Science to Work.” She said the presenters “certainly shared their experience and knowledge as insiders of their field. More importantly, I felt, is that the breadth and complexity of the talks really promoted us to re-think our career goals and examine our plans for professional development.”

“This symposium is the first of its kind in Michigan, and more than 30 postdoctoral and graduate students from Wayne State attended, showing their strong interest in career development and the necessity of such events,” said Jia Yin, M.D., Ph.D., a research scientist in the Department of Ophthalmology and president of the PDA. “The OPA and PDA are very proud to provide such an opportunity for our postdocs to expand their horizon and network.”

The OPA and PDA of the Wayne State University School of Medicine were established in 2008. Under Dr. Mathur’s leadership, the OPA and PDA have raised the awareness of postdoctoral issues on campus, initiated incentive programs and organized several academic and social events, including the annual Postdoctoral Scholars Research Day.

Qing Zhong, M.D., Ph.D., who works under the direction of Renu Kowluru, Ph.D., professor Ophthalmology, Anatomy/Cell Biology and Endocrinology, received the $2,500 stipend for her research on oxidative damage in diabetic retinopathy.

“Dr. Zhong’s proposed research is innovative, with tremendous translational value in providing new insight into mechanisms of development of diabetic retinopathy, and with the guidance of Dr. Kowluru, a leader in the field, the project will be successfully completed,” said Gary Abrams, M.D., professor and chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology. “With Dr. Qing’s extensive experience in the area of oxidative stress and mitochondrial function in diabetes and cellular and molecular biology techniques, she is uniquely qualified to successfully complete the proposed work.”

Oxidative stress, Dr. Zhong explained, is postulated to act as a trigger for cellular damage resulting in the development of diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness in young adults in the United States. To defend against oxidative stress, cells have an antioxidant system. Superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) is an important antioxidant in mitochondria. Her research focuses on the epigenetic regulation of MnSOD in diabetic retinopathy.

“The award will assist me in continuing the research on diabetic complications,” she said. “New targets will be identified for therapeutic intervention to prevent or delay the development of diabetic retinopathy by understanding the regulation of MnSOD.”

Dr. Zhong has 13 published articles, 12 as first author, and one first-author manuscript is in preparation. She received a Graduate Student Academic and Research Award from Wayne State University in 2008. During her doctoral studies, she worked on microvascular complications of diabetes, focusing on oxidative damage and glutathione regulation in kidney mitochondria.

His Oct. 2 presentation, “The Athlete, the Doctor and the Patient,” explored relationships among clinical medicine, the Humanities and play theory.

The adjunct professor to the WSU School of Medicine also was invited by Allan Tasman, former president of the American Psychiatric Society, to present at grand rounds in the Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Department at the University of Louisville. His talk was “Who’s Crazy Now? Three Psychiatric Models for Interpreting Hamlet.” For the Department of Family Medicine and Geriatrics he spoke on “Erikson’s Life Phase Development and Narrative Medicine.”

He also conducted a discussion group for Family Medicine called "Ontological Medicine: A Physician's Relationship to Time."

Robert Lisak, M.D., chair of the Department of Neurology at the Wayne State University School of Medicine, has been appointed to the editorial board of Clinical and Experimental Neuroimmunology, a new journal based in Japan.

Dr. Lisak, who also serves as editor in chief of the Journal of Neurological Science – the journal of the World Federation of Neurology – is one of only four United States-based physicians and scientists on the new publication’s editorial board.

“This is another recognition of the international reputation of the Wayne State University Department of Neurology and of its research and clinical programs in immunologically mediated diseases of the nervous system, including multiple sclerosis and related disorders, myasthenia gravis and dysimmune peripheral neuropathies,” Dr. Lisak said of his appointment.

He also is a member of the editorial board of Clinical Neuropharmacology, the journal of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Immunology Research.

Dr. Lisak specializes in multiple sclerosis and related autoimmune diseases, and is an expert in neuromuscular disorders such myasthenia gravis, inflammatory demyelinating neuropathies and inflammatory myopathies. He also specializes in neurologic complications of collagen-vascular diseases (lupus) and vasculitis.

A delegation from the Medical College of Georgia toured the Mazurek facilities Wednesday and Thursday. Executive Vice Dean Robert Frank, M.D., and Ron Spalding, chief administrative officer of Academic and Student Programs for the School of Medicine, led the group through the building, which officially opened in June.

The visiting officials became aware of the Mazurek through Michael Herbert and Donna Dauphinais, former School of Medicine employees who now work at the Medical College of Georgia.

Roman Cibirka, D.D.S., vice president for Instruction and Enrollment Management and associate provost for Academic Affairs for the Medical College of Georgia, said he had already discovered a “pocketful” of ideas to take back to his college only part-way through the tour. His college is about to break ground for a medical education building and plans to enroll 300 medical students per class beginning in 2020.

“The Mazurek is a magnificent new building, and we’re happy to show it off and explain its features,” Dr. Frank said. “We are more than happy to assist colleagues who are about to launch a similar program.”

The conference, explained Dr. Auner, began last year when four groups of surgeons met in Madrid, Spain, to discuss the application of technology to surgical problems. They agreed to meet annually to explore opportunities for the application of technology in surgery.

Scheduled for Oct. 28 through Oct. 30, the meetings and demonstrations will take place at WSU and at the Motor City Casino and Hotel.

During the first two days of the conference, investigators will present their work and engage in discussion and collaboration. On the third day, a summary report to inform attendees about the developments at WSU and other institutions in the region will be presented. The conference is designed to be interactive so attendees can learn how advanced technologies in surgical practice can affect their institutions and patients.

“The technological focus from WSU will be from our Advanced Surgical Technology Innovation Initiatives program, which is a joint program between the WSU Smart Sensors and Integrated Microsystems program in the College of Engineering and the WSU Department of Surgery,” Dr. Auner said.

Keynote speakers include Gerald Moses, Ph.D., the former director of the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command; Dr. Julio Mayol, M.D., Ph.D., of Madrid; Dr. Auner; Dr. Weaver; and Michael Klein, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.A.P., professor of Surgery for the School of Medicine and chief of Pediatric Surgery for Children’s Hospital of Michigan.

“We are at the threshold of a new era in surgery,” said conference co-organizer Madhu Prasad, M.D., associate professor of Surgery for the School of Medicine and co-chief of Surgical Oncology. “The iSURGITEC 2009 meeting brings together a group of visionary surgeons and scientists from around the world who are committed to lead the charge of technological innovation and define the future of surgery.”

Registration is free, but required by Oct. 16. Please visit www.astii.net or www.astii.org for online registration and the detailed agenda and conference locations. The conference is sponsored by Wayne State University, the Detroit Medical Center, Children's Hospital of Michigan and the Karmanos Cancer Institute. For questions, please e-mail iSURGITEC@gmail.com. 

The forum, established in 2003, has trained more than 200 leaders who act as advocates for the science of neurology and patients in the United States and 13 other countries.

The AAN invites neurologists to apply for the training, and the most promising leaders are selected.

"The Palatucci advocacy forum will help in identifying the most promising avenues to improving the care for patients with neurologic disorders from a policy-making perspective,” said Dr. Chaturvedi, who also serves as director of the Wayne State University/Detroit Medical Center Stroke Program.

Those selected for the forum receiving training in development advocacy plans, media training and instruction in how to bring their issues before legislators.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is one of the most common genetic nerve diseases, affecting one in 2,500 people, or 120,000 Americans. CMT causes progressive muscle weakness, painful foot deformities and walking difficulty. As the disease progresses, weakness and muscle atrophy occur in the hands, resulting in difficulty with fine motor skills. Symptoms vary, with pain ranging from mild to severe. Some patients rely on foot or leg braces or other orthopedic devices to maintain mobility. To date, no effective therapies are available for any form of CMT.

Michael Shy, M.D., professor of the Department of Neurology for the School of Medicine, leads the study, which aims to provide insights into disease mechanisms, develop therapies and educate future research of inherited neuropathies such as CMT.

Dr. Shy said there are mutations in more than 40 different genes causing CMT in millions of patients. “Modern genetics and cell biology make developing treatments for these disorders a realistic possibility,” Shy said. “However, many of the individual forms of CMT are rare, so to better understand the different forms of CMT and develop rational treatments for them requires national and international collaborations between neurologists and scientists.”

The project has specific goals geared toward establishing a Rare Disease Clinical Research Center for inherited neuropathies. In particular, the group will determine the natural history of the most common forms of CMT that lack this information.

“At Wayne State, we have pioneered the natural history studies for the two most common forms of CMT -- CMT1A and CMTX,” Dr. Shy said. “Our results are used by neurologists around the world to design clinical trials for these disorders. However, for the types of CMT to be studied in this project, we do not see enough patients at WSU to perform natural history studies by ourselves, hence the critical nature of having a national and international collaboration.”

In addition, the project aims to identify “modifier genes” in CMT1A, the most common inherited neuropathy. CMT1A affects about half of all patients with CMT and is caused by an identical genetic mutation in all patients. In collaboration with the Human Genomic Institute at the University of Miami, the group will use 21st century gene sequencing techniques to identify these modifier genes to determine how severely patients will be affected. Using the same techniques, University of Miami researchers will identify the genetic cause of CMT in families in which only a few members have been affected, something previously not possible.

The project also will study children affected by CMT. The consortium will develop a pediatric scoring system that will be used worldwide to measure impairment and progression of disability in children with CMT. The collaborators also will establish a new Web site to provide patients, their families and scientists around the world with the latest CMT information. The consortium also will provide international training for clinical and research doctors to train the next generation of researchers of CMT and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Wayne State University has one of the largest and most comprehensive CMT programs in the world. The program is translational, combining patient care and patient clinical research with animal and cellular models of CMT. Since 1996, WSU has evaluated more than 1,200 patients with CMT from more than 21 countries, five continents and 46 states.

“This international project establishes Wayne State University’s Department of Neurology as the leading inherited neuropathy program in the U.S. and around the world,” said Dr. Robert Lisak, chairman of Neurology for the School of Medicine. “Under Dr. Shy’s leadership, this consortium will bring us much closer to the development of effective treatments for the various forms of CMT.”

Project collaborators include Gyula Acsadi, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of Neurology at WSU and director of the Pediatric MDA Clinic and Pediatric Neurology Clinical Division chief at Children’s Hospital of Michigan; Steve Scherer, M.D., Ph.D., William Kelly, professor of Neurology and vice chairman for research in neurology at the University of Pennsylvania; Mary M. Reilly, M.D., director of the neuropathy clinic at the National Hospital for neurology and neurosurgery in London, England, and head of the Peripheral Neuropathy component of the MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases at Newcastle University and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery; Francesco Muntoni, M.D., professor and consultant in pediatric neurology for the Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre at the University College of London Institute of Child Health; Stephan Zuchner, M.D., associate professor of medicine, Miami Institute of Human Genomics, University of Miami; Jeffery Vance, M.D., professor of medicine and director of the division of human genomics, University of Miami; and David Herrmann, M.D., associate professor of neurology and pathology, School of Medicine, University of Rochester.

Wayne State University secured its third successive round of funding from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development for the center Sept. 22. The five-year, $2.3 million grant runs through 2014.

Theodore B. Jones, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., interim chair of the WSU Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, said the center is one of only 20 nationwide.

“This grant means that Wayne State will continue to be the pacesetter in creating women’s reproductive health scholars for new and effective treatments of the future,” said Dr. Jones, who also is director of the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine. “Down the road, patients will be able to take satisfaction in knowing that they are being treated by someone who has invested a significant amount of time in learning how to create the best practices in women’s reproductive health care and how to treat the problems that plague our patients on a daily basis.”

The grant will allow faculty to spend as much as 70 percent of their time conducting research in women’s reproductive health issues. That investment in research is crucial, Dr. Jones said, because physicians have to split time between research and seeing patients. This current round of funding ensures research time without sacrificing time spent caring for women.

As many as three clinician-scientists will take part in the program at any one time, Dr. Jones said, and as many as six will be trained and conduct research during the life of this grant.

“The quality of the health care we provide depends on us being able to understand better the medical problems of our patients,” Dr. Jones said. “There is a deep need to be involved in research, and to be able to fund the time it takes to conduct research.”

The grant is competitive, said Valerie Parisi, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., interim dean of the School of Medicine, with a multitude of medical schools and health centers applying for funding.

“The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development recognizes the critical research we conduct in the area of maternal and fetal health,” she said. “We have many talented people working on groundbreaking research that leads to healthier births, and it’s crucial that we continue that effort. Getting newborns and mothers off to a healthy start not only helps families, it also addresses issues that could lead to greater demands on a strained health care system.”

In conjunction with the grant, WSU has identified two educational partners – Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn., and the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine - that may send physician-researchers to be trained and share research in Detroit.

Tamer H. Mahmoud, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of the Wayne State University Department of Ophthalmology and Vitreoretinal Surgery, and the Kresge Eye Institute, has been recognized as a Senior Honor Award winner by the American Society of Retina Specialists.

A member of the society since 2006, Dr. Mahmoud received the award last week during the society’s annual meeting in New York.

The award recognizes a member’s participation in the society’s meetings. Dr. Mahmoud, who also serves as program director of the Vitreoretinal Fellowship, has participated as a senior author, co-author, moderator and film producer for the ASRS.

“It's a great honor to receive this award,” said Dr. Mahmoud, who received the society’s Honor Award last year. “I was also very surprised and honored when I found out that among those receiving this award this year are a department chair and a dean of a well-known medical school, and other accomplished retina specialists very well known worldwide. They have been members of the society for at least 20 years, while I just joined the society in 2006 after finishing my vitreoretinal surgery fellowship at Duke University in 2005.”

Dr. Mahmoud’s research interests include macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal vascular occlusion, complex retinal detachment, small gauge vitrectomy, uveitis, macular and retinal degenerations, and implantation of long-acting intraocular devices. He is the principal investigator on a number of clinical trials involving macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and retinal vascular diseases.

He has previously won the Edward K. Isbey Jr., M.D., Resident Award for Excellence In Clinical Care, Ethics, and Research from the Duke University Eye Center, the Retina Research Foundation’s Joseph M and Eula C. Lawrence Award from the Association of Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, the Robert A. Machemer Research Award from the Duke University Eye Center and the 2009 Kresge Eye Institute Distinguished Resident Teaching Award.

"Dr. Mathur brings to the position a wealth of experience working with joint and interdisciplinary graduate programs as well as postdoctoral trainees,” said Mark Wardell, associate provost and dean of the WSU Graduate School. “Her accomplishments related to the joint M.D./Ph.D. program alone provide an excellent list of objectives she will pursue as the associate dean of the Graduate School. For example, the number of individuals in that joint program who have won highly competitive fellowship awards is truly impressive. I am certain Dr. Mathur will have a very positive impact on graduate education across the university in the coming years.”

Dr. Mathur said that she will split her time between her School of Medicine duties and her new position with the Graduate School.

“I am extremely honored to have been appointed to this position by Dean Wardell and Provost (Nancy) Barrett,” Dr. Mathur said. “This presents an excellent opportunity for me to contribute to graduate education at WSU, not just at the School of Medicine level, but to the university as a whole.

“I hope to develop strong resources for students to compete for national fellowships and to continue to improve WSU's reputation as a teaching and research training institution nationally and internationally,” she added. “I am looking forward to working with Dean Wardell and the Graduate School staff to develop and implement policies that will move us ahead.”

Dr. Mathur said she met several times with Dean Wardell and found that they shared a common vision for graduate and postdoctoral education at the university. In addition, School of Medicine administrators and Bonita Stanton, M.D., chairwoman of the Department of Pediatrics, urged her to accept the position.

“Dr. Mathur has done wonders to further our combined degree programs and our postdoctoral affairs program,” said Valerie Parisi, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., interim dean of the School of Medicine. “We are extremely fortunate to keep her with us, even if part time, and the university is gaining a devoted and energetic individual who will ensure the WSU graduate program continues to thrive.”

Dr. Mathur received her doctorate degree in Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Iowa. Following a postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Richard Lynch at the University of Iowa and Dr. Brian Van Ness at the University of Minnesota, she was appointed assistant professor at the University of Minnesota and five years later was promoted to tenured associate professor. She joined WayneStateUniversity in 2003 and was appointed the first permanent director of the M.D./Ph.D. program in 2003 and first director of the newly created Office of Postdoctoral Affairs in 2008.

The $750,000, two-year grant from the National Institutes of Health was made possible through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, signed into law by President Barack Obama. This most recent funding will further Dr. Kowluru’s R01 study, “Role of Ras in Retinal Cell Death in Diabetes.”

Retinopathy is the most common cause of acquired blindness in diabetic patients. The condition is a result of damage to the small blood vessels in the retina, the layer of cells in the back of the eye that is responsible for sending signals to the brain.

All people with diabetes are at risk of developing retinopathy, and the risk increases the longer a person has diabetes. Between 40 percent and 45 percent of Americans with diabetes suffer from retinopathy, according to the National Eye Institute. The condition’s onset can begin with no or few symptoms.

Dr. Kowluru’s research focuses on determining the role of matrix metalloproteinases-9 (MMP-9), a member of the family of metalloproteinases that regulates major biological functions, including apoptosis and matrix degradation, in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy. She believes that activation of signaling cascade of H-Ras (a small molecular weight G-protein) in diabetes activates MMP-9, accelerating capillary cell loss in the retina, and ultimately leading to the development of diabetic retinopathy. She will investigate the mechanism through which H-Ras activates MMP-9 in the retina in diabetes, and how MMP-9-dependent cellular signaling pathways contribute to the loss of capillary cells.

She explained that she expects to find that the activation of H-Ras in the retina in diabetes regulates MMP-9, and activated MMP-9 accelerates cell loss in the capillaries of the retina by damaging the mitochondria and speeding cell death.

“We believe that by understanding the role of MMP-9 in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy, the compounds that neutralize MMP-9 can be identified to inhibit its development,” Dr. Kowluru said. “This should have immense clinical implications because MMP inhibitors are already being used in clinical trials for other diseases, and our results are expected to lay ground for a possibility to use them to inhibit retinopathy, the sight-threatening disease that diabetic patients fear the most.”

SCHOOL OF MEDICINE TO ESTABLISH DEDICATED KARMANOS DEPARTMENT

Wayne State University and the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute today announced a long-term partnership agreement to advance cancer research, education and clinical care.

This document, which expands on an agreement signed in 1994, reaffirms the critical importance of the research collaboration between Wayne State University and Karmanos, and cites the goal of significantly expanding the number of cancer research faculty and programs at both institutions.

Under the agreement, the School of Medicine will establish a new department for existing and new WSU basic scientists whose primary appointments are in the cancer institute. Details of the new department will be worked out over the coming months. Building this department is an opportunity to improve integration of Karmanos faculty into the School of Medicine and will facilitate schoolwide initiatives in multidisciplinary research.

“This new agreement solidifies Karmanos’ and Wayne State University’s long-term commitment to one another, and supports our joint mission of excellence in cancer research, education and clinical care,” said Karmanos Cancer Institute Interim President and CEO Ann G. Schwartz, Ph.D., M.P.H.

Wayne State School of Medicine Interim Dean Valerie Parisi, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., concurred.

“This agreement demonstrates the principles of a true academic partnership,” Dean Parisi said. “Our teams worked closely to incorporate the highest standards of academic and research excellence into the final document. This has been a true collaboration, and I have the utmost respect and appreciation for the Karmanos team.”

Dr. Schwartz added, “The agreement also strengthens and supports the mission of our National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center by demonstrating broad institutional support in the pursuit of excellence in cancer research. Without such a strong partnership we could not accomplish our shared goals.”

“We are delighted with our growing partnership with Karmanos,” said Wayne State University President Jay Noren. “This is exactly the kind of dedicated collaboration in research and clinical care that will push the boundaries of our knowledge, with the ultimate beneficiaries being the patients in our community and beyond.”