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Front Cover | |
A promising partnership | |
Post it | |
New COM dean | |
Playing it safe | |
International aid | |
Planting a seed | |
Aging and video games | |
When mind meets machine | |
Grants | |
A grad with a plan | |
A bacteria among us | |
Awards | |
Research Day | |
Jacksonville | |
Education briefs | |
Distinctions | |
Jerry Kidney | |
Back Cover |
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Front Cover
Page 1 A promising partnership Page 2 Post it Page 3 New COM dean Page 4 Playing it safe Page 5 International aid Page 6 Planting a seed Page 7 Aging and video games Page 8 When mind meets machine Page 9 Grants Page 10 A grad with a plan Page 11 A bacteria among us Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Awards Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Research Day Page 18 Page 19 Jacksonville Page 20 Education briefs Page 21 Distinctions Page 22 Jerry Kidney Page 23 Back Cover Page 24 |
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S C> I i I& 'm 1~~ vj-~ ~- - -_*" ." F I Health Science Center UNIVERSITY of FLORIDA 0.11 Ll ~ On the Cover Table of Contents Many bacteria flourish in the heat and humidity of a Florida summer. Should you worry? That depends on the bacterium. This month, writer Ann Griswold spoke with UF microbiology and infectious disease experts about the good, the bad and the ugly in the world of bacteria. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 POST-it Administration: New COM dean Patient Care: International aid Research: Aging and video games Research: When mind meets machine Extraordinary Person: A grad with a plan Cover Story: The bacteria among us Awards: Superior Accomplishment Awards Awards: Service pins Research Day: Awards Research Day: Two lifetime achievements Jacksonville: Residents win Ortho Bowl Distinctions Profile: Jerry Kidney S** ** ** ***SS SS SSS SS *** ** ** *** ** *** SS S *** ** ** *** **** *** *S SS S S ** ** ~UP FRON A promising partnership UF joins German company to test prostate cancer vaccine LUF College of Medicine researchers are teaming with the German biopharmaceutical company CureVac to test an experimental therapy for advanced prostate cancer patients who no longer respond to traditional treatment. UF and CureVac leaders announced the collaboration in June at the UF Cancer & Genetics Research Complex (right). CureVac, which specializes in the therapeutic application of messenger RNA, is developing a stabilized mRNA-derived vaccine for treatment of prostate cancer. UF urology researchers will conduct clinical trials in American patients with metastatic prostate cancer who no longer respond to hormone therapy beginning in 2009. "Several studies support the therapeutic potential of mRNA for the treatment of cancer," said Johannes Vieweg, M.D., a professor and chairman of UF's department of urology who is a member of CureVac's scientific advisory board. "This, however, will be the first clinical trial in the U.S. to use the direct application route by injecting modified mRNA into the skin." Melissa M. Thompson 2 |1 IVis us online @ http://news.health.ufl.edu for the Ictest news and HSC events 066660 CONTENTS S ART NOW, SANDWICHES LATER in Jll e [llt e t en. 1p 31 \ ,11 b\ tlie Sh13nlld UF ." teei.3 te.-i ne ni 31 31 r, t OleC- o10 L I. ie ,. 6J (leti) V 'liit 1 cin fli h eS a113 ds, A s. i M edici le' cliji an I ?e .li.te'd It n:r arld '1 Cfll el.dl l an 3'l t ld ti l lng o i ll l? i l ria elp fc l ien r t ai t [ 11 vall, llI1 s.helld. t e r il i li n i e mcn elnc ed t o, t i l l ll, va ile h~ Illc ,i.al s ciO d .c' I W lcl l.? ,5 31' ?i0 fit IOlngrl i?~ i Ho l a s e' l ~.itO Sll t va le3 srt 1al The v Sil'va3\ ~ eC.C d 1c c n niin' Ill IAL.II FA i Ir i : 'n ch li. erlitl (rIn al l A linljllllllI') T c' l cO d(s v.11''ie hi or'chci Plioo h\ Sa11 al Kivlel ......... GIVE A LITTLE BIT B ,d l t -c t ,ii ,1 s I ,'" d o t ,1 6 a nO h i r - (iStS 'lov6 Ir dt, 6 ITin S t 'ill'1h l. ,'M 'll' l Ir iT, '/ Oti us. Bill tl ith hUili. 1i i .i :l'1 .rih, l Sl:t velel ) 1~nl ''di' h voilshed w islr citif lvilis atd lIc )tcUIple I in Cim iS St0ioI .n p.us vinlln c %ihec i Mi*' 6 l *t1v Iql jl" killed * thoiS ands ii i c i uice .'I Evet in !A .iH' t l ii cil plc v .Awy- ycill s n lhClp. UjF i Fi,6 d iplP A ociiu uij n c t Clinist Stldtnis ind Sioiis hli s t u ii i o cIIIin : uil to aid i build i.1 il .Is it Cim 'll. V s..1 ..f.1 ~S i.. . ecdl nt%' s itq IL0' dt lls LO' hOvi to dol it. To help l i s '. i d i, ull. t. d s.is i. S viSt th A. .. i Red C' L ul r '. V.' d':i55.Lu' '. CELEBRATION TIMES TWO UF Collet' ol V ,t' t .I cl,,tn1 student M n dCh n Thoir s i lit' e t id c. issi t iilt I LL n tli l.in t tII llitt UF hl alil c llt '. '- tile velts i i i. IS uoL l '. ive'S ,- l ;t L cleE1 i C %t'C' (q3il 1cl I it t'i.le I' Wil,- 'll 1cL theU fIuln il i' Il the i. 5 Il fl thie' dL.s lii tS-S I ilti' tOu il u$ u 10t tht ii :. PhoIii M l ,' S1 i I' C t'11 .4* HEY, BIG LOSER! Cavities aren'tthe only foe in the College of Dentistry these days. Staff members are taking on fat, too. In June, employees started a 12-week weight-loss challenge, competing against each other in teams. And it's working. So far, participants have lost a total of 200 pounds. It's not a pound-for-pound challenge, though. The "biggest loser" will be determined according to the percentage of body weight lost. The 65 participants each paid $10to enterthe challenge. In the end, the individual biggest loser will receive 25 percent of the money collected, and the team that lost the most weight will receive 75 percent. Vsit us oie @ http://news.health.ufl.edu for the tt ews d HC ents 3 -IPY~~ Not stepping down ... yet It's all Good UF appoints interim dean for College of Medicine Barrett to stay on as VP during search By Tom Fortner Douglas J. Barrett, M.D., will stay on as UF's senior vice president of health affairs while the search for his successor is conducted. UF President Bernie Machen made the announcement at a board of trustees meeting June 13. Barrett had been scheduled to step down June 30 and return to full-time service as a pediatrics faculty member in the College of Medicine. Machen asked Barrett to delay his plans until the search for a new senior vice president is completed or until June 30, 2009, whichever comes first. Barrett said the change in plans is primarily due to the recent transition to interim leadership in the UF College of Medicine and related issues within the Health Science Center. In addition to supporting interim medical dean Michael Good, M.D., Barrett is focused on advancing the recently announced partnership with the Moffitt Cancer Center and assisting Machen with adjustments to the roles of the university provost and the senior vice president for health affairs. Barrett, who has held his current position for six years, announced his intention to resign March 14. By Tom Fortner A 20-year veteran of the UF faculty who co-invented MICHA G M the Human Patient Simulator and served as chief of staff at Shands at UF has been named interim dean of the UF College of Medicine. Michael L. Good, M.D., the college's senior associate dean for clinical affairs, was named interim dean in June after serving as acting dean since May 22. Douglas J. Barrett, M.D., UF's senior vice president for health affairs, made the appointment after consulting with medical faculty members and UF President Bernie Machen. "Mike is a proven leader who enjoys the respect and support of the faculty," Barrett said. "While"-- he certainly has the experience to take on this assignment, he also has r- a personal management style that people respond to positively." A professor of anesthesiology at UF who joined the faculty in 1988, Good, 48, is a Michigan native and a graduate of the University of Michigan and the UM School of Medicine. He completed his residency and a fellowship in anesthesiology at UF. During his residency and later as a faculty member, Good teamed with UF colleagues to invent the Human Patient Simulator, a sophisticated computerized teaching tool that is now used in health-care education programs throughout the world. In 1994, Good became chief of anesthesiology at the Malcom Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Gainesville and two years later was named chief of staff at the VA. He returned to the Shands at UF medical staff in 2003 and in 2004 was appointed senior associate dean for VA affiliations. He became senior associate dean for clinical affairs in 2005. Among other duties, Good has been responsible for implementing the College of Medicine's new quality and patient safety initiative and one of its chief components, an electronic patient medical record. Barrett said it will be important for Good and the college to maintain momentum on this and other crucial initiatives in the months ahead. Good's assignment will also include filling several open chair positions for which searches are currently under way, as well as associate dean positions for the education and research programs. "I look forward to working with the college's exceptional group of department chairs to ensure that our faculty and staff are supported in their work," Good said. "It's because of their efforts that patients seek out our medical services, the best and brightest students come here for their professional education, and the world looks to us for discoveries to cure disease and improve health." O 4 Visit us online @ http://news.health.ufl.edu for the latest news and HSC ev ADMINISTRATOR PLAYING IT SAFE By Lauren Edwards If you spend any time at the Health Science Center, chances are you know what a 24-hour operation it is. Doctors, nurses, students, patients and staff come and go at all hours, making safety an important concern. During 2007, the University Police Department reported more than 240 thefts from buildings on the UF campus, and, though that number might seem small, staying safe takes work. That's why UF security officials are stressing the importance of being aware of your surroundings so you don't become a victim. Dennis Hines, the HSC's assistant director of medical and health administration, says "being proactive" is key to keeping the HSC as safe as possible. Listed below are some of the security services the HSC offers, along with a few useful tips to help keep yourself - and your property safe. SERVICES: ESCORT An after-hours escort SERVICES service (from 6:30 p.m. until 7 a.m.) is offered at the East and West garages near the HSC. If you do not see an escort immediately, use the garage phone to arrange for someone to meet and walk with you. You can even call ahead! Call 265-0109. Also, remember that there are emergency phones located in or near the garages. Familiarize yourself with their locations in case of emergency. HANDS \/A I1 EMERGENCY The van runs until midnight and is typically for those who V Ii I l park farther away from the HSC. At night, routes are condensed and the van will drop you off next to your car. POLICE SERVICE Canserveas TECHNICIANS "walking escorts" 24/7 to the garages and lots adjacent to the HSC. PST vehicle patrols are also available from 6:30 p.m. until 3 a.m. to drive you anywhere on campus. Call 392-1111. THINGS TO REMEMBER: BE PATIENT. We must all do our part to keep ourselves safe, even if that means waiting a few extra minutes for an escort. "Take responsibility for your own safety, security and well-being," says Kurt Vahle, manager of Shands security. PLAN AHEAD. "When possible, try to plan your trips to and from the HSC ahead of time," UPD Capt. Eric Rice says. BE AWARE. Keep your eyes open and report anyone or anything that looks suspicious. BUDDY UP. Vahle says 98 percent of assaults happen to people who are alone, so walk with a co-worker. THEFT: WAYS TO PROTECT YOURSELF. Theft happens, even at the HSC. Here are some ways to hold on to your belongings. Don't bring it if you don't need it. Lock your office or desk when not there. "Crime is the result of opportunity," says UPD Officer Cilitia Brown. Don't talk about valuables or money you may have with you. Question unfamiliar people in work areas, especially those without an I.D. badge. If you feel uncomfortable, call UPD at 392-1111 or Shands security at 265-0109 (non-emergency) or 265-0911 (emergency line.) ADDITIONAL SERVICES: UPD COMMUNITY SERVICES DIVISION For more information on its programs, please visit http://www.police.ufl.edu/csd/csad.asp. SECURITY COMMITTEE AT THE HSC Chaired by Rice, the meetings are open to the public and occur at 10 a.m. the third Tuesday of every month in Room H-4. For additional questions, please call UPD Capt. Eric Rice at 846-3852 or Kurt Vahle of Shands Security at 265-0070. 0 Vsit us online @ http://news.health.ufl.edu for the latest news and HSC events 0]^^j 5 ADMINISTRATION One smile at a time UF plastic surgeons perform reconstructive surgeries in Honduras Plastic surgeons perform a reconstructive surgery during a recent humanitarian trip to Honduras. Fantastic voyage 1 ' countries such as Mexico, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic each year to help people who need care. Here, Lindsey Willis, a UF audiology I student shows a boy how to signal that he hears a beep during his hearing test while fellow student Jason Schmitt looks on. Audiology students and faculty, along with a pharmacist and UF pharmacy student, made their fifth annual trip to Yucatan, Mexico to provide hearing health care to children and families in rural Mayan villages. On their trip to provide dental care to people in Costa Rica, UF dental students and faculty members pause to take a photo in front of the Arenal volcano. For more photos from this year's international trips, visit www. news.health.ufl.edu and click on the featured slideshow. By Melissa M. Thompson M Brent Seagle, M.D., has enhanced the human form at UF for more than two decades, but he really loves to build smiles. In March, the UF chief of plastic surgery led 20 medical professionals to San Pedro Sula, Honduras, where the team of surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses and a pediatrician operated on more than 50 patients with disfiguring congenital birth defects such as cleft lips and palates, helping some of them smile normally for the first time in their lives. "I can tell you the reaction of parents can bring a tear to your eye," Seagle said. "That's probably part of what charges everybody up about it." The South Florida-based group Interplast South organized the weeklong humanitarian trip to Honduras, a place the group has been aiding since the 1970s. Few plastic surgeons practice in the country, leaving patients without resources for corrective or reconstructive surgeries, said Seagle. Seagle hopes to organize regular trips to San Pedro Sula and invite UF residents to join him. Wayne Lee, M.D., the only senior plastic surgery fellow from UF to participate in this year's trip, learned to expect the unexpected while operating in a foreign country. On the first day of surgery, rolling power outages hindered the number of operations physicians could perform. "Most places in America have backup generators but not at this hospital," Lee said. "Luckily, we had brought some battery-operated headlights so we were able to finish the surgeries we started." Physicians set up shop in a hospital that, from the outside, resembled a run-down, stucco carriage house. A one-room surgical ward housed recovering patients while the adjoining operating suite provided two operating rooms, a recovery room and support spaces. In the clinic, physicians examined nearly 100 patients who came from miles away by bus or on foot to have their surgeries. This type of reconstructive surgery is standard in America. Children receive government-funded cleft lip surgeries as early as 3 months and palate operations at age 1. "The kids who live down there would have lived with the stigma of having a cleft lip or palate for much longer than kids in America," Lee said. Many parents cried when they saw their children's faces after the operation, Lee said. "It reminded me of how rewarding medicine can be," he said. "Sometimes we get so jaded by malpractice and liability that some (physicians) forget this is why we got into medicine." Q 6 |1 Visi us online @ http://news.health.ufl.edu for the Ictest news and HSC ev PATIENT CARE Planting Private gift helps Guatemalan program sprout C_ I 4 . : . UF researchers Allan Burns (from left) and Dr. Alba Amaya-Burns are starting a program to help cut infectious disease and maternal mortality rates in Guatemala. UF received a $50,000 gift from donor Scott Adams to fund the work. ByJill Pease sometimes all a great idea needs is a little seed money to help it grow into something big. That's the hope of Scott Adams, who recently made a $50,000 gift to UF to start an infectious disease prevention program in Guatemala. The funding has allowed UF professors Alba Amaya-Burns, M.D., and Allan Burns, Ph.D., to lay the groundwork for a program that seeks to cut infectious disease and maternal mortality rates among Guatemala's disadvantaged populations. Adams knows the importance of nurturing innovative ideas. In 1995, he co-founded and served as president of Hiway Technologies Inc., which became the world's largest Web hosting company before being acquired by Verio in 1999. Adams has several philanthropic interests, but as the son of a Guatemala native, the country holds a special place in his heart. A meeting last year with the Burnses a husband and wife team - started the wheels turning on a project to address Guatemala's serious health issues while using a culturally sensitive approach. More than 60 percent of Guatemala's population is composed of indigenous Mayans who speak one of two dozen Mayan languages. "To help people, you need hard work, integrity, values and to roll your sleeves up and understand the culture," Adams said. "That's what impressed me about the Burnses." Alba Amaya-Burns, a clinical associate professor in the College of Public Health and Health Professions' department of behavioral science and community health and a former infectious disease manager specialist with the US Agency for International Development, helped implement a highly successful tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS prevention program in her home country of El Salvador. Allan Burns, a professor of anthropology and associate dean for faculty affairs in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, is an expert in Mayan culture, a board member of the Universidad del Valle in Guatemala City and president of the Society for Applied Anthropology. With Adams' financial support, the Burnses, along with anthropology and public health graduate students and Nabih Asal, Ph.D., a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics, have visited Guatemala twice to make assessments and develop partnerships with the country's Ministry of Health, international health agencies, non-government organizations and regional and local officials. The UF group plans to focus its initial efforts on the Izabal region, a remote area with high rates of maternal mortality and multidrug-resistant TB and HIV/ AIDS, as well as several environmental and cultural barriers to health care. "Treatment for multidrug-resistant TB requires 18 months in a Guatemala City hospital, which takes Mayan villagers far from their families to a place where they don't speak the language - Spanish and they are unaccustomed to the culture," Amaya- Burns said. "So these patients may leave the hospital without finishing their treatment, which means they could spread the multidrug-resistant strain of TB to others or their own illness could develop into extreme drug-resistant TB, which is currently untreatable." The UF team envisions a culturally friendly treatment facility in the Izabal region that would have some of the comforts of home. They also want to establish a community organization to control TB and HIV/AIDS, increase detection, reduce stigma and promote treatment. Adams accompanied the UF group on a trip to Guatemala in February and was struck by the possibilities for using new technology to improve the country's weak public health surveillance system, which suffers from a lack of training and resources. "We saw that disease reports were written down on pieces of paper or not written down at all," Adams said. "So the epidemiological data didn't get into a centralized system. But new wireless technology could tie all the health departments together into one system and new computers designed for a hardened environment can withstand the humidity and power fluctuations." These ideas and more are part of proposals the UF team is developing to request additional funding from several international agencies. "I gave the gift because I wanted to help this program get off the ground in the hope that the work will create a successful model for infectious disease prevention that could be used all over Central America and in developing countries around the world," Adams said. a Visit us online http://news.health.ufl.edu for the Ictest news Snd HSC events 0Il I O 1 7 GIT Red, r Substance RESEARCH By Ann Griswold ed wine in red wine found to keel hearts \oung Sow do the French get away with a clean bill of heart health despite a diet loaded with saturated fats? Scientists have long suspected the answer to the so-called "French paradox" lies in red wine. Now, the results of a new study bring them closer to understanding why. I Reporting in the journal Public Library of Science (PLoS) ONE in June, UF and University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers discovered that low doses of resveratrol a natural constituent of grapes, pomegranates, red wine and other foods can potentially boost the quality of life by improving heart health in old age. The scientists included small amounts of resveratrol in the diets of middle-aged mice and found that the compound has a widespread influence on the genetic causes of aging. Specifically, the researchers found that low doses of resveratrol mimic the heart-healthy effects of what is known as caloric restriction, diets with 20 to 30 percent fewer calories than a typical diet. The new study is important because it suggests that resveratrol and caloric restriction, which has been widely studied in animals from spiders to humans, may govern the same master genetic pathways related to aging. CHRISTIAAN LEEUWENBURGH, PH.D. "Caloric restriction is highly effective in extending life in many species. If you provide species with less food, the regulated cellular stress response of this healthy habit actually makes them live longer," said study author Christiaan Leeuwenburgh, Ph.D., chief of the division of biology of aging at UF's Institute on Aging and a professor of aging and geriatrics in the College of Medicine. "In this study, the effects of low doses of resveratrol (on genes) were comparable to caloric restriction, the hallmark for life extension." Resveratrol is currently sold over-the-counter as a nutritional supplement with supposed anti-cancer, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and anti-aging benefits, although few scientific studies have verified these claims in humans. That may soon change: UF researchers hope to explore the effects of resveratrol on older people in a phase 1 clinical trial, set to begin this summer. 0 Game on, Grandma! Researchers to test whether video games improve seniors' mental functioning ByJill Pease M ove over, kids. You might need to make room on that couch for grandma and grandpa, as seniors gear up to join the video game craze. UF researchers have received a $100,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to explore whether interactive digital games can enhance the mental abilities of older adults. UF joins 11 other research teams supported in this first round of funding from Health Games Research, an RWJF program established to strengthen the evidence base related to the development and use of games to achieve desirable health outcomes. Under the watchful Scientists in UF's College of Public Health and video games in a F Health Professions will study off-the-shelf video games to see whether older adults who play them can improve their mental functioning. The study will examine the effects of a popular action-adventure driving game on older adults' ability to process visual information. While there has been a growing body of studies examining the positive effects of video games, the UF study is innovative because of its focus on the mental benefits of games, and because the target population is seniors, said Patricia Belchior, Ph.D., the study's lead investigator. "This study is based on pilot work we have conducted, as well as the work of others, that has shown that playing action video games, even for as little as 10 hours in total, can significantly improve visual attention and provide positive mental benefits for adults aged 65 and older," said Belchior, a postdoctoral fellow in the department of occupational therapy. The UF research team also includes co-principal investigator Michael Marsiske, Ph.D., an associate professor of clinical and health psychology, and co-investigator eye of a UF undergraduate research assistant, older adults practice playing )ilot study of the effects of the games on seniors' mental functioning. William Mann, Ph.D., a professor and chair of occupational therapy. "There have now been several decades of positive findings regarding cognitive training in later life," Marsiske said. "Our laboratory-based training studies have shown large improvements for older adults, with positive effects lasting as long as five years. However, we have often been unable to answer seniors' questions about what they can do at home, to initiate their own mental exercise programs." The study will track changes in video game skill among players and will investigate whether extended play improves visual attention and functional activities of daily life, including simulated driving. Another potential side benefit of the study is "fun," Belchior said. "In contrast to other training approaches, our preliminary work told us that older participants simply enjoyed playing these games more than laboratory- based mental training, and this enjoyment may help keep participants motivated to continue exercising mentally." 0 8 |1 Visi us online @ http://news.health.ufl.edu for the Ictest news and HSC events 7 I GRANTS UF researchers Jack DiGiovanna (left) and Justin C. Sanchez worked with colleagues to develop and test a brain-machine interface system that adapts to changes in brain patterns over time. When mind meets machine Researchers develop neural implant that can learn with the brain By April Frawley Birdwell Devices known as brain-machine interfaces could someday be used routinely to help paralyzed patients and amputees control prosthetic limbs with just their thoughts. As futuristic as that sounds, UF researchers have taken the concept a step further, devising a way for computerized devices not only to translate brain signals into movement but also to evolve with the brain as it learns. Instead of simply interpreting brain signals and routing them to a robotic hand or leg, this type of brain-machine interface would adapt to a person's behavior and use the knowledge to help complete a task more efficiently, say UF College of Medicine and College of Engineering researchers who developed a model system and tested it in rats. Until now, brain-machine interfaces have been designed as one-way conversations between the brain and a computer, with the brain doing all the talking and the computer following commands. The system UF engineers created gives the computer a say in that conversation, according to findings published in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers journal IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering. "This idea opens up all kinds of possibilities for how we interact with devices," said Justin C. Sanchez, Ph.D., a UF assistant professor of pediatric neurology and the study's senior author. "It's not just about giving instructions but about those devices assisting us in a common goal. You know the goal, the computer knows the goal and you work together to solve the task." Scientists at UF and other institutions have been studying brain-machine interfaces for years, developing and testing variations of the technology with the goal of creating implantable, computer- chip-sized devices capable of controlling limbs or treating diseases. The devices are programmed with complex algorithms that interpret thoughts. But the algorithms, or code, used in current brain-machine interfaces don't adapt to change, Sanchez said. "We learn throughout our lives and come into different scenarios, so you need to develop a paradigm that allows interaction and growth," he said. To develop and test this concept, Sanchez collaborated with engineering professors Jose Principe, Ph.D., and Jose Fortes, Ph.D., and engineering doctoral students Babak Mahmoudi and Jack DiGiovanna, the study's lead author. The system the researchers developed is based on goals and rewards, Sanchez said. Fitted with tiny electrodes in their brains to capture signals for the computer to unravel, three rats were taught to move a robotic arm toward a target with just their thoughts. Each time they succeeded, the rats were rewarded with a drop of water. The computer had a goal, too to earn as many points as possible, Sanchez said. The closer a rat moved the arm to the target, the more points the computer received, giving it incentive to determine which brain signals lead to the most rewards. "We think this dialogue with a goal is how we can make these systems evolve over time," Sanchez said. "We want these devices to grow with the user." 0 Revisiting development Researchers studying embryonic stem cells have explored the first fork in the developmental road, getting a new look at what happens when fertilized eggs differentiate to build either an embryo or a placenta. Writing in the journal Nature Genetics, UF neuroscientist Chi-Wei Lu, Ph.D., and Harvard researchers reveal a CHI-WEILU,PH.D. cellular signaling mechanism that causes embryonic stem cells to switch gears and form a placenta. Reviving leptin O nce heralded as a promising obesity treatment, the hormone leptin lost its fat-fighting luster when scientists discovered overweight patients were resistant to its effects. But pairing leptin with just a minor amount of exercise seems to revive the hormone's ability to fight fat again, UF researcher Philip PHILIP SCARPACE, PH.D. Scarpace, Ph.D., reports in Diabetes. The combination of leptin and a modest dose of wheel running prevented obese rats on a high-fat diet from gaining weight, even though neither tactic worked alone. Revamped vector placing one amino .. ,acid on the surface of a virus that shepherds ' corrective genes into cells t could be the breakthrough 1lip scientists have needed to make gene therapy a more viable option for treating genetic diseases such as hemophilia. Reporting in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in May, UF ARUN SRIVASTAVA, PH.D. geneticists led by Arun Srivastava, Ph.D., say they have developed a new version of the adeno-associated virus used in gene therapy that works about 30 times more efficiently in mice than vectors scientists currently rely on. Vsit us online @ http://news.health.ufl.edu for the Ictest news and HSC events UI]0l9II 1 RESEARCH A vaccine for AIDS? This grant could bring U.S. researchers closer to developing one By Melanie Fridl Ross F AIDS researcher Maureen M. Goodenow, Ph.D., has been awarded a $400,000 Stwo-year developmental grant through a new federal program that aims to find ways to outsmart HIV by stimulating the immune system to produce protective antibodies that could neutralize the virus. The $15.6 million, five-year multicenter research effort is sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health. Officials say it will strengthen and expand the scientific foundation of HIV vaccine research through a network of 10 research teams that will share resources, methods and data to accelerate progress. The program will focus on B cells, which the immune system relies on to recognize key M*U parts of microbes, called antigens. T cells, which kill cells infected by pathogens, spur B MAUREEN M. GOODENOW, PH.D. cells to produce antibodies, which can lock onto antigens and sweep them from the body. But HIV can fool B cells, shielding itself from antibodies or changing its antigenic parts, so antibodies can rarely rid the body of the virus. Goodenow, the Stephany W. Holloway university chair for AIDS research at UF's College of Medicine and director of the Florida Center for AIDS Research, will lead basic immunology studies of B cells using innovative methods and will seek to identify subsets of these cells that produce antibodies capable of targeting various strains of HIV. She is collaborating with Li Yin, Ph.D., a UF assistant professor of pathology, Connie J. Mulligan, Ph.D., a UF professor of anthropology, and John Sleasman, M.D., a professor of pediatrics at the University of South Florida and All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg. W "The results will provide major advancements in understanding the immune response to HIV and will form a basis J c for developing novel vaccine strategies to induce an effective anti-HIV response," Goodenow said. Shelter medicine gets boost from grant By Sarah Carey he UF College of Veterinary Medicine has received a $1.7 million grant to create a comprehensive shelter medicine program that will enhance support for local animal rescue operations, improve disease control and adoption rates among shelter animals and expand professional training to fill the current shortage of skilled providers in this area. The three-year grant from Maddie's Fund, a national pet-rescue foundation, will establish the Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program at UF and will build upon UF's existing shelter medicine program. Through that program, which was created in 2003, veterinary students gain clinical experience by providing spay/neuter surgeries to animals awaiting adoption at the local animal shelter. "This is a transitional time for the animal welfare field as growing demand for animal-friendly solutions is challenging traditional sheltering paradigms," said Julie Levy, D.V.M., Ph.D., who was a co-investigator on the grant and who will S become the Maddie's professor of shelter medicine at UF. S "There is an international desire to shift from a reactive animal control model in 3 which massive numbers of animals are processed through shelters with an overall high euthanasia rate to one in which proactive preventive measures reduce shelter admissions with individualized programs tailored to different types of animals to result in higher save rates," Levy added. S^ The college's existing shelter medicine program was founded by Natalie Isaza, D.V.M., UF's Merial clinical assistant professor of shelter medicine, and has grown in popularity among veterinary students in recent years. UF scientist Cynda Crawford, D.V.M., Ph.D., will become the Maddie's clinical assistant professor of shelter medicine. A co-discoverer of the canine influenza virus, Crawford will work closely with Isaza and Levy to implement additional clinical and educational programs aimed at educating not only veterinary students but also technicians and others associated with shelter efforts. Existing partnerships with Alachua County and local animal rescue groups will also be enhanced through the new grant. Dr. Natalie Isaza, the Merial clinical professor of shelter medicine at UF, checks on shelter animals being treated through UF's shelter medicine program. I10 0 1 GRNT http://news.health.ufl.edu EXTRAORDINARYR AER A grad with a plan Megan Briggs uses 'Army brat' experiences to shape career in occupational therapy ByJill Pease I was graduation day, and Megan Briggs' parents were bursting with pride. They watched as Megan graduated summa cum laude from the College of Public Health and Health Professions' bachelor's in health science program and received the dean's undergraduate scholar award, one of the college's highest student honors. Joined by a dozen extended family members also in attendance, Brenda and Steve Briggs had made a rare visit to the United States from their home in Garmisch, Germany for their daughter's big day. "We are extremely proud, but not surprised by Megan's success," said U.S. Army Col. Steve Briggs, a director at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Germany. "She has always been able to balance her work and recreational activities. If you think of a person being made of several parts, like the spiritual, physical, mental and emotional, Megan has been able to find that sweet spot where she balances it all." Megan's unique childhood experiences as the daughter of a U.S. Army colonel also may have played a role in her college achievements. "Our family moved 10 times," Megan said. "I went to three high schools before graduating from Heidelberg American High School, but looking back, I wouldn't have changed anything. I met great people and had amazing experiences." Megan believes the outgoing nature she developed to break the ice in new situations helped her make friends easily her freshman year at UF. But there were also some tough moments growing up. Steve was deployed during the first Gulf War when Megan was 6, and he served in Bosnia during Megan's entire junior year of high school. "I didn't want to turn on the TV and see the news," she said. Megan, who recentlybegan the college's master's in occupational therapy program, started preparing for her career while she was in high school. A guest lecture at her school by an occupational therapist piqued Megan's interest in the field. She volunteered at Heidelberg Army Hospital's occupational therapy clinic to learn more. "We had soldiers coming in who had been wounded in Iraq," Megan said. "I was exposed to some pretty serious stuff at a young age. But I was fortunate to know what I wanted to do when I started college." As an undergraduate, Megan earned the opportunity to participate in the honors program, which requires students to complete a research project and write a thesis. Megan jumped at the chance to do her research at the Malcom Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center, where she worked under the direction of Michelle Woodbury, Ph.D., a research assistant professor in Megan Briggs (seated) and her parents, Col. Steve Briggs and Brenda Briggs (center behind Megan), toured the VA Rehabilitation Center during the Briggs' recent visit from Germany to celebrate Megan's graduation. Also shown here are PHHP student and lab volunteer Chelsea Stanley (from left), her boyfriend (and former Gator basketball star) Lee Humphrey, physical therapist Carolyn Hanson, associate investigator Michelle Woodbury and research physical therapist Sandy Davis. PHHP's department of occupational therapy and an investigator in the VA Brain Rehabilitation Research Center. There, researchers are studying constraint-induced movement therapy, which requires patients who have experienced a stroke to wear a hand mitt on the side of their bodies not affected by the stroke, forcing them to use their weaker hand to complete activities. "Megan's results suggest an interaction between quantitative and qualitative measurements of arm recovery, important findings to help inform clinical rehabilitation practice," Woodbury said. "We are in the process of editing her thesis for publication and preparing her abstract for submission as a poster presentation at next year's American Occupational Therapy Association national conference." Although she has proved to be a natural at research, Megan plans to do clinical work at a military hospital when she completes her master's degree. "I've always had a soft spot in my heart for people who serve our country," she said. 0 Visit us online http://news.health.ufl.edu for the Ictest news Snd HSC events 0S5I I 11 Loygest fIiqyt egLer! I -/b BY ANN CRwWOLo SUTHED r SUMMER SCARED OF BACTERIA? WE HAVE THE SCOOP ON YOUR MICROwIAL FRIENDS AND FOES ake a moment to gaze at your reflection in the mirror. What do you see? The surface of your skin? The inside of your mouth? Take a closer look: Believe it or not, bacteria outnumber human cells 10 to one. Where do they come from? Some hop on board during the birthing process. Others enter the mouth during infancy, when babies breastfeed and fend off kisses from Aunt Mildred. Many more are acquired from food and drink over the years. But before you try to scour the 90 trillion or so bugs from your body, relax ... for the most part, there's nothing to fear. As disturbing as it sounds, bacteria make our bodies work. Sure, we could do without the body odor or stale morning breath our microbial guests leave behind, but we wouldn't necessarily want to live without bugs such as Lactobacilli, which stop yeast from infecting the female genital tract, or the intestine-dwelling bacteria that fend off the pathogens humans ingest. "Americans tend to have an irrational fear of bacteria everywhere," says Paul Gulig, Ph.D., a professor of molecular genetics and microbiology in the College of Medicine. That's ironic, considering that "many, if not most, of the infectious diseases you become infected with are caused by microorganisms that you carry around with you all the time," says J. Glenn Morris, M.D., M.P.H., director of UF's Emerging Pathogens Institute. For the most part, these bugs keep us healthy. But when they appear in the wrong place at the wrong time, illness can strike. Many women have experienced the painful burn of a urinary tract infection when E. coli takes a wrong turn up the urethra, and it's no news that Staph loves to cause skin infections. "We're surrounded by this cloud of bacteria," Morris says. "Our body is built with a variety of defense mechanisms that keep those bacteria out and safely removed from where they're going to do harm. But if there are breakdowns in the body's defense mechanisms, those bacteria can get their revenge and infect us." And revenge is apparently a dish best served warm, at least for bacteria, which tend to thrive in the summer months. That's why in this issue, the POST is taking a look at some of the top places bacteria lurk. So before you hit the beach or down those raw oysters this summer, you may want to check out the following words of advice UF experts had about our bacterial friends (and frenemies). HAZARD No. 1: TIHE Sharks aren't the only things to worry about off Florida's Gulf Coast. Almost all oysters there are infected with a flesh-eating pathogen called Vibrio vulnificus. The good news? Fewer than 50 infections are reported each year. The bad news? Half those patients die within hours. Even if you don't eat oysters, walking barefoot over oyster beds isn't a good idea either. A small cut can rapidly progress into a fulminating leg infection. Often, amputation is the best treatment. Still, one of the biggest enigmas in the field is why so few people mostly those with compromised immune systems become infected, while most do not. "Why can such a terrible, rapid, destructive disease process occur so rarely when so many people, particularly immunocompromised people, are exposed to the bacteria?" Gulig asks. Gulig's group was among the first to show that some strains of the bacteria cause rapid and debilitating disease, while others aren't quite as threatening. This year, they plan to compare the genetics of the two strains to home in on genes important for causing disease. IPS12 0/88 1w COVER STORY Our 't to hc/ http://news.health.ufl.edu HAZARD No. 2:. E O OUT Unless you've been living in a cave, you've probably heard about the recent outbreak of illness associated with tomatoes. Researchers aren't sure whether tomatoes were actually to blame, but they do know what stowaway bacterium caused all the trouble: Salmonella, a foodborne pathogen that causes gastrointestinal distress. "There is a striking increase in the amount of foodborne disease during the summer months," Morris says. "It's more difficult to follow the standard food-safety recommendations as far as keeping cold foods cold and hot foods hot." Another often-overlooked pathogen is Listeria monocytogenes. Low levels of Listeria are present in many foods, including meat, produce and soft cheeses, and of the 2,500 people infected each year, few experience more than mild symptoms. But pregnant women beware: This bacterium is one of the most common bacterial causes of miscarriage and stillbirth. "The woman usually gets a mild febrile illness, but it can pass through the placenta and kill the fetus," says Fred Southwick, M.D., division chief of infectious diseases at the UF College of Medicine, who studies the movements of Listeria inside cells to understand how the bacteria hijack human cells to sidestep antibiotics and the human immune response. Unlike most bacteria, Listeria thrives at refrigeration temperatures, and infections can be difficult to trace because the incubation period ranges from two days to two months. Pregnant? Avoid foods that have been refrigerated for more than a few days and zap cold cuts in the microwave until steaming hot before layering them on your sandwich. HAZARD N0. 3: HE GEAT OUTD O RS Floridians have worried about a lot of things through the years, but Lyme disease wasn't always one of them. Now, thanks to our RV-driving friends from the North, the tick-borne disease is here to stay. Veterinarians noticed the first cases of Lyme disease in South Florida in the 1980s. It took several years before experts traced the influx of infections to Yankee snowbirds. They brought their dogs. The dogs brought the ticks. And the ticks brought the bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi. "For some time, the only animals we saw here in Florida with Lyme were those that traveled back and forth," says Rick Alleman, D.V.M., Ph.D., a professor of physiological sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine. "Now it's here. There are dogs that have become Lyme positive that have never left the state." The infection can be treated easily with antibiotics, but in some cases, the bacteria cause the human immune system to attack its own cells, resulting in recurrent arthritis. "Some people and animals that develop Lyme arthritis have perpetual disease even once they're treated with antibiotics to kill the organisms," says Alleman, who studies Anaplasma phagocytophyla, a similar bacterium also transmitted by deer ticks. "In some areas of the country where Lyme is really prevalent there are even support groups that people will attend." HAZARD No. 4: THEOSPITAL If you've been stricken with any of the first three hazards, chances are you've been admitted to a hospital. But don't rest too easy: If you're trying to avoid bacterial infections, the hospital isn't necessarily the best place to be. "Antibiotic resistance is becoming a huge problem, particularly in the hospitals, and at the moment we don't seem to have a good handle on it," Morris says. Historically, patients have been overtreated with antibiotics and then released into the community, where they unknowingly spread drug- resistant bacteria. One of them is Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the most common cause of infection in patients hospitalized for more than a week. "Pseudomonas is an environmental bacterium," says Shouguang Jin, Ph.D., a professor of molecular genetics and microbiology in the College of Medicine. "It's distributed all over the soil, the water, the air. Wherever you go, it's there." Like other pathogens, antibiotic resistance makes Pseudomonas infections difficult to treat, says Jin, who studies how the bacteria avoid being killed by antibiotics. "One of the mechanisms that's really important is turning off the membrane permeability, like shutting off the door (to the cell) so that the antibiotics can't penetrate," says Jin, whose research has shown that this doorway opens and closes in response to signals in the external environment. Jin hopes his finding will pave the way for new therapies. Richard Lamont, an assistant professor of oral biology, (left) and Martin Handfield, an associate professor of oral biology, recently made the cover of Infection and Immunity for their findings on Porphyromonas gingivalis, a bacterium linked to periodontal disease. ' ie Pr/ SOM Visit us online http://news.health.ufl.edu for the Ictest news and HSC events 0II O 13 Stephen Anderson, a postdoctoral associate for UF researcher Scott Grieshaber, uses a high-powered microscope to create images like the one he and graduate student assistant Andrea Knowlton are viewing to help scientists better understand how Chlamydia cells invade human tissue. For more on Chlamydia, read the extended version of this story online at www.news.health.ufl.edu. Until new drugs become available, experts are focusing on preventing the spread of drug resistance in the hospital. Southwick helped initiate a stewardship program at Shands at UF that monitors the use of antibiotics and encourages health-care workers to take precautions to stem the spread of drug-resistant pathogens. "The majority of infections are viral and antibiotics don't help," says Southwick, who published a textbook to educate clinicians on the topic. "However, physicians use antibiotics even though the patient doesn't have a bacterial infection. That's one of the problems we have." HAZARD No. 5: THE LOCKER ROM About 30 percent of the population carries staph bacteria on their skin and in their noses, but only about 1 percent of us are colonized with the more lethal methicillin-resistant Staphyloccocus aureus, also called MRSA. "MRSA used to be found almost exclusively in the hospital environment, where you had very sick patients with staph infections who were being treated with lots of antibiotics, putting the selective pressure on those organisms to acquire resistance," Gulig says. But eventually those bacteria evolved and acquired the ability to move effectively outside of the hospital and throughout the community. "All of a sudden, what we're seeing is the local football team showing up with MRSA and your great-aunt showing up with MRSA," Morris says. The latest hubs for MRSA infection are fitness centers, where sweaty people share equipment ... and bacteria. "I don't go to the fitness centers, but I wouldn't be surprised if people spent more time wiping equipment down with disinfectant solutions than actually working out," Gulig says. Infections are also common among athletes in contact sports, such as football. "The problem with football players, in particular, is that it's a contact sport and they get cuts and scrapes," says Southwick, who helped track the source of an outbreak at UF. "If you carry MRSA on your skin and don't get cuts and scrapes, it won't cause a problem. But when you get a break in your skin, the bacteria can take hold and cause very serious problems." HAzARD No. 6: YouR Mou r It's been called the gateway to the body, and aptly so. Oral bacteria don't always stay in the mouth. After a routine dental procedure, it takes less than a minute for these bugs to appear in the heart, lungs and other areas of the body. "The interesting thing about the oral cavity is that there are probably 700 to 800 species that can be there," says Martin Handfield, Ph.D., an associate professor of oral biology in the College of Dentistry. "In any given mouth, you probably have between 60 to 70 different species at a given time." But of all those bacteria, only a few are known agents of disease, Handfield says. And they don't just cause diseases in the mouth. Porphyromonas gingivalis, the bug that causes periodontal disease, has been found in the wombs of women experiencing preterm labor and in the hearts of patients with cardiovascular disease. That isn't the only oral bacterium implicated in heart disease. Have a sweet tooth? Watch out. Researchers in UF's department of oral biology were among the first to discover that certain strains of Streptococcus mutans - the same bacteria that love to eat sugar and spit out caries-causing acids - are capable of invading tissues in the heart. "We performed a series of investigations that may change the image of S. mutans as an acid-puking bug that's only good at eating away your tooth enamel," says Lin Zeng, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in the College of Dentistry. The take-home lesson? Bacteria cause problems when they go renegade in the body. But unless you have another plan for breaking down certain vitamins and foods or any of the other functions our microbial tagalongs handle for us, we have to live with them. Germaphobes, this means you too. "Maybe it's time to stop treating organisms as if they are pathogenic or nonpathogenic," Handfield says. "Maybe all organisms are part of a spectrum of pathogenicity where at one extreme they're typically good and healthy and part of the good flora unless you're putting them in a weird situation, and at the other extreme, they may be involved with disease most of the time." 0 IPS14 *0/ 0 1t n t Bcrer" ibwde rre Mleb( A&1Jr to kAow more? To read ~g extended wersor o( rrs sror', WoSt pA*Mm/ s iedtohi m e COVER CONTTNTT^ http://news.health.ufl.edu A job w ell done ByLauren Edwards UF recently doled out its annual Superior Accomplishment Awards. Three of the HSC's own received universitywide honors. Why? Keep reading. The nurse who helped stop an outbreak A shelter animal's saint D iane Pecora, R.N., does it for the students. o call Natalie Isaza, D.V.M., a friend Pecora, a nurse specialist at the UF Student Health Care Center, has .. to animals would be quite the been dedicated to keeping students and staff healthy since 1993. And understatement. during the past few whirlwind years that included battling a potential measles From working with shelter animals to outbreak, that's been a pretty big job. Now, Pecora has been recognized for her f starting clinics for the pets of people with efforts with UF's prestigious HRH Employee Recognition Award. low incomes, Isaza is a crusader for the Perhaps the best example of Pecora's dedication occurred last May, when a UF health of Alachua County's furry friends. student contracted measles. Pecora and the SHCC staff immediately coordinated a "I just decided that this is what I was mass research effort, poring over staff and student records to determine those at meant to do," said Isaza, who started risk. Pecora, whose background is in infectious diseases, also ran lab tests and gave practicing shelter medicine at UF in 2003. MMR vaccines which usually cost about $70 to UF students and staff for free. I "It's extremely rewarding to me because Their hard work paid off. Only one other case appeared on campus and the i you can take care of these animals (that no SHCC was later honored with the Florida Department of Health Bureau of B one else wants) and make a difference." Epidemiology 2008 Golden And making a difference she is. Because Partnership Award. ..of her dedication to Alachua County's "It could have been a animals, Isaza recently received a Superior Accomplishment Award at the mess ... but we had a plan in universitywide level, the highest honor bestowed on faculty and staff during the place and it worked," Pecora UF Superior Accomplishment Awards. said. "She's an excellent teacher and an all-around wonderful person," said Colin For her part, Pecora says Burrows, B.Vet.Med, Ph.D., chair of small animal clinical sciences at the college. she is incredibly grateful for Burrows recommended Isaza for the award. "I can think of no one more deserving." her award. A UF graduate, Isaza started a traveling clinic to care for pets of people with "It's the highest honor I've low incomes and takes her students to Gainesville's St. Francis House to treat the ever received," she said. "You animals of shelter residents. give to the UF community, '- "I think it's good for the students to interact with a population of people they and you also get back." wouldn't normally interact with and to help these animals," Isaza says. Michelangelo of the dental school If you want something done, give it to the busiest guy in the room. If that guy is Robert Mann, this cliche couldn't be truer. Mann, a medical artist who serves as coordinator of clinical programs in prosthodontics at the College of Dentistry, works in the field of anaplastology, or the practice of restoring human anatomy by sculpting, designing, painting and fitting head and neck prostheses made of silicone or acrylic to match surrounding skin. Mann has created ears for the 5-year-old son of an Olympic athlete, a new nose for a woman bitten by a dog and hundreds of other realistic protheses. And to his patients, it's a life-changing experience.' - For his work Mann was recently honored with UF's HRH Employee Recognition Award. And it's not just his work with patients that has garnered attention in recent years. A former president of the American Anaplastology Association, he recently started the first journal for .. anaplastologists, putting the editorial board together himself and securing a friend to design the cover. After hours of unpaid work, Mann created the International Journal ofAnaplastology, a compilation of trustworthy information relevant to the field. UNIVERSITY WIDE WINNERS Natalie Isaza, College of Veterinary Medicine Robert Mann, College of Dentistry Diane Pecora, Student Health Care Center HSC WINNERS COLLEGE OF DENTISTRY Mark E. Davis Edgar O'Neill K. David Stillwell Melissa M. Long Robert M. Mann Ruthie E. Hernandez Mitchell C. Salisbury David Flores Elizabeth P. Apple Karen S. Owens Theresa Weber COLLEGE OF MEDICINE Chester B. Algood Stephen C. Howard Kenneth A. Marx Cynthia Weinbrecht Irma "Jeanette" Lynch Wencui Zheng Debra J. Beck Christie L. Little Shanna V. Silcox COLLEGE OF NURSING Jane M. Gannon COLLEGE OF PHARMACY David V. Jenkins COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH PROFESSIONS Lorie S. Martin Kristy L. Radeker Iris C. Campbell COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE Natalie J. Isaza Andrew J. Specht Bobby Lee Kathryn N. Vinzant Marilyn M. Bryant Patricia A. Lewis Peter E. Nadeau Michael P. O'Sullivan KellyA. Rick Joyce E. Stewart Nancy L. Meagher Lynn E. Varner STUDENT HEALTH CARE CENTER Jane F. Emmeree Diane E. Pecora Vsit us online @ http://news.health.ufl.edu for the latest news Snd HSC events Uj .O 115 AWRD service HSC honors longtime employees Tuhe HSC and HSC-Jacksonville recently recognized staff members who have served UF's health colleges for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and even 40 years. For a complete list of "Service Pin" honorees, visit www.health. ufl.edu and click on "employee recognition." Celebrating 35 years at UF are (from left) Mary Bryan, Linda Luecking, Rebecca Lovely and Tonie He College of Dentistry 10 years Solomon Abraham Mary Bennett Patricia Carpenter Kristi Duncan Nancy Harvell Ruth Hernandez Daisy Infante Linda Kennan Sandra Thomas 15 years Tara Taylor Connie White-Paulson 20 years Peronia Brown Susan Loffredo Deborah Lynn Sonia Nango-Henesy Yvonne Trebilcock Cassandra Williams 25 years Joyce Lee Robert Lee Joan Whitlock 30 years Janie Carnegie 40 years Jane Moore College of Medicine 10 years Amer Abouhamze Terry Beauchamp Neil Boyle Katrina Bradley Michele Brooks Denise Cloutier Aundrea Corbit Robert Cottey Pedro Cruz Judy Daugherty Karen Dees Tamara Edwards Robbie Eller Polly Glattli Nancy Hendricks Nancy Hodgson Kevin Hollen Christopher Hughes Brenda Isaac Rose Jesse Joseph Larocca Melissa Lewis Angela Lovelock Michael Mahoney Christine Meyer John Neeley Angela Newsome Christine Pampo Leigh Perkins Constance Pruitt Kellie Ritari Janet Romrell Andrea Rugulo Amy Smith Warren Tanton Douglas Theriaque Kathleen Thompson Brenda Tieden Wendy VanOrder Hazella White Christina Williams Lucy Williams Sandra Williams Irene Zolotukhin 15 years Sheila Anderson Kenneth Atkins Shirley Bryant Smith Patricia Butterfield Ernestine Carroll Christine Davis Mary Dennis Betty Douglas Genia Dubose Rachel Eastman Jon Gregg Lynda Hanssen Cynthia Hartley Herbert Houck Zhi Huang James Hunn Evette Hutchinson Kim Jacobs Leann King Allison Kleinfeldt Pamela Lynn Sherry Mann Sheryl Montrowl Renee Parks-James Karen Pastos Betty Poole Susan Porterfield Karen Reed Theresa Rhodes Michael Richards Amy Roberson Anita Simmons Randy Zinnerman 20 years Darlene Bailey Judith Beckham David Brumbaugh Joyce Coleman Vatsala Desai Alison Edwards Elizabeth Guillarmod Marsha Harben Dottie Howard Theresa Huber Sherry Hunt Carol Katovich Angela King Dana King Mary Latham Ronald Lester Melinda Millsaps Debbie Neubauer Roxane Nolen Debbie Rafanan Barbara Reichert Donna Reinstra Melba Rogers Jill Sandersen Tina Sporer Betty Streetman Janice Taylor Clara Theus Tearetha Thomas Shirley Tomlinson 25 years Roberta Anderson Virginia Boone Sergio Caballero Susan Conway Karen Hyde Eduardo Mondragon Julie Smith Anita Yeager 30 years Helen Booth Thomas Connor John David Oran Hutchinson Kay Lopez Roberto Luchetta Patricia Mutch Kenneth Nelson 35 years Mary Bryan Frederick Congdon Rebecca Lovely Linda Luecking 40 years Jean Kaufman College of Nursing 10 years Kelly Reid 15 years Lynne Collis George Kolb Phyllis Stephens College of Pharmacy 10 years John Dew Elizabeth Nelson Rosemary Smith 20 years Donna Walko College of Public Health and Health Professions 10 years Juanita Cooper Sherri Garrett Weihong Han Eileen Phillips 25 years Geraldine Lee College of Veterinary Medicine 10 years Mabelin Castellanos Lauren Curry Hasuna Hines Kevin Kroll Patrick Russell David Tiffany Margaret Wilding 15 years Linda Lee Lela Lynch Ruiyu Pu Sommer Sharp Carolyn Whitford 20 years Kelly Kirkendall-Merritt Sally O'Connell Katherine Rode 25 years Linda Archer Deborah Sundstrom 30 years Lorene Jackson Cecilia Yemma IPS16 0/88 1w AWRD http://news.health.ufl.edu Fabulous at Celebrating 30 years at UF are (front row, from left) Pansy Poppell, Linda Green, Janie Carnegie, Kay Lopez, Helen Booth (back row, from left) Roberto Luchetta, Peder Winkel, Kenneth Nelson, John David, Rick Lockwood, Roger Keroack and Howard Plumley. 35 years Tonie Henry Animal Care Services 10years Warren Tanton Sandra Williams 15 years Kenneth Atkins Kim Jacobs 20 years Alison Edwards 30 years Oran Hutchinson Roberto Luchetta Kenneth Nelson Ph\ sical Plant Di\ isionl 10 years )jnni\ llut kljnJ ( IIl .r\ I luI ,h . \\ilIIm MurnJ, n .\nrg,-. N JIl I ),uilu j i k errn ei i \\ lllmjr \V ll I':J l \ ink,! 15 years i 1kv. \ i i H r KinJridj I Iu.h, ,\ i, h j, lI i,.n k." ( h Il, i.- ki 20 years \ i i L ( ji Ic! [. hn )..JJ '..\ M.,hk\ 30 years ,\a..! r MurrIInn \ rin I'LJ I l \\ irk Student Health Care Center 10 years Beverly Brady Araceli Chiodo Bonnie James Soeun Miel Carol Rhodes 15 years Mickey Bath Linda Lewis Mary Mcglothlin Jacques Roberts 20 years Nancey Joyner Mimi McClendon 25 years Phylis Craig Wanda Davis Vanessa Humphrey 30 years Roger Keroack Senior Vice President, Health Affairs 10 years Sharon Bauer Mary Fenton Truly Hardemon Michael Mahoney Sabrina McLaughlin Shawn Petty Regina Shaw Linda Sheets 15 years Gabrielle Dupre Dennis Hines Rebecca Johnson Anita Smart David Twombley 20 years James Ferrer Cheryl O'Quinn Wanda Washington 25 years Lorrain Douglass 30 years Teresa Benton Linda Green Richard Lockwood Hoyt Plumley Pansy Poppell Linda Roberson PFt law SCewa Put ceweAogw P"/otb, 4W h back pag& HSC- Jacksonville 10years Salena Smothers Sue Stack Katherine Stephens Tina Swanson Maureen Turrall Heidi Vetter Lynda Vining Geraldine Wade Sherryl Watkins 15 years Karen Albertson Mari Beth Anderson Maria-Corazon Calinao Jan Campbell Stacey Dingman Sharon Flemmings Traci Harrison Cathy Hartley Connie Jackson Sabrina Jordan Marla Murnahan Jeanette Robinson Pamela Schirkofsky Nancy Thrun Angelique Williams 20 years Joyce Willis 25 years Rita Carstens Sylvia Gabbard Patrcia garner Katherine Isaacs Sharon Omeechevarria 30 years Everlena Owens College of Dentistry Dean Teresa Dolan (right) pauses for a picture with longtime UF employee, Jane Moore. C an you imagine getting a job application asking how tall you are and how much you weigh? Fortunately, we don't have to answer those questions anymore, but Jane Moore did when she applied for a job at UF in 1968. Moore was one of two HSC staff members to reach the 40-year mark at UF this year. Jean Kaufman of the College of Medicine was also honored for her 40 years at UF. Moore, an executive secretary at the College of Dentistry, started her career at UF in the College of Medicine. She moved to the College of Dentistry in 1973 when the Dental Sciences Building was little more than a sketch on paper and has worked in five different positions in the college. Now an executive secretary in the Office of Research, Moore says she never expected to be at UF this long. "It was a different era," she said. "Women in the area got married and had babies." Moore's plan was to work as long as she could. She plans to retire in two and a half years but leaving will be bittersweet, she says. "I love working in a university atmosphere because the students help you stay young," she said. "I'll miss it when I retire." Kaufman, a research lab technician in the College of Dentistry, was a licensed practical nurse before she took at job training lab animals at UF. She spent most of her UF career working for retired neuroscientist Charles Vierck, Ph.D. "I have been in the same building, and I worked for the same guy for 38 years," she said. "The people are friendly and kind. You couldn't ask for a better job." Visit us online http://news.health.ufl.edu for the Ictest news and HSC events fIS lSI I 0 17 AWRD COLLEGE OF MEDICINE Lifetime Achievement Award: Edward Copeland, M.D., and Kenneth Heilman, M.D. Basic Science Award: Gregory Schultz, Ph.D. Clinical Science Award: Mark L. Brantly, M.D., and W. Stratford May, M.D. Special Appreciation Award: Cynthia Weinbrecht Medical Guild Awards: Gold medal finalist: Allyn Spear Silver medal finalists: Jason O'Rourke and Jeffrey Brower Bronze medal finalists: Jason Weinstein, Stephanie Jefferson and Stephen Fernand&, COLLEGE OF NURSING Undergraduate awards: First place: Brittany Dion, Leslie Parker and Charlene Krueger Second place: Emily Holtzclaw, Kristen MacConnell and Veronica Feeg Graduate awards: First place: Salvacion Powell and Saunjoo Yoon Second place: Melissa Dodd Inglese and Jennifer Elder, Ph.D. Clinical Innovation awards: First place: Maude Rittman and Melanie Hinojosa Second place: Arlene Davis, Diane Johnson, Robin Odom, Carla Parker and Jerry Stephenson COLLEGE OF DENTISTRY D.M.D. Division awards: First place: Christopher A. Bonesteel Second place (tie): Jessica L. Wiedey Second place (tie): Barbara I. Llanes M.S./Resident Division awards: First place: Melanie M. Wexel Second place: Tames D. Tones Third place: KI Iii a'. Ji li Ph. D./Postdoctoral Division awards: First place: aiia R Pa inei Second place: Ai, na i Y [ l \ 1I1e-P ,' Third place: Airnjidi Bi ji Ie omeday, somewhere a scientist will cradle the gold medal from a Nobel Prize and say, "It all goes back to that poster I presented at UF on Research Day, 2008." Check out this list and one day you can say you knew them when. COLLEGE OF MEDICINE-JACKSONVILLE Faculty Researcher/Scholar of the Year Award: Dominick J. Angiolillo, M.D., Ph.D. Poster winners: First place: Joe E. Khoury, M.D. Second place: Ni Jin, M.D., Ph.D. Third place: Patrick Aaronson, Pharm.D. Fourth place: Marilin Rosa, M.D. Fifth place: Amitra Caines, M.D. Sixth place: Geoffrey Gillen, M.D. Oral/platform winners: First place: Andrew Darlington, D.O. Second place: Stuart A. Smalhesier, M.D. Third place: Ivan E. Rascon-Aguilar, M.D. Fourth place: Lemuel Aigbivbalu, M.D. Fifth place: Todd J. Reuter, D.M.D., M.D. Sixth place: Melissa Tucker, M.D. COLLEGE OF PHARMACY Oral competition: Senior division winner: Christian Grimstein Senior division finalists: Zhimin Li and Anzeela Schentrup Junior division winner: Jason Kwan Junior division finalists: Huong Le and Zhaohua Wang Levitt division winner: Michael Mueller Levitt division finalist: Chienning Hsu Poster competition: Graduate student winners: April Barbour, Christian Hampp, Stephan Schmidt and Kanchan Taori Pharmacy student winners: Samantha Barfield and Gregory Welder Postdoctoral fellow division winner: Yanxia Liu. Ph.D. COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH PROFESSIONS Undergraduate poster presentation winners: .iiInrru, ,\ h..I..rnu. Ii l) ji 'lI.phjria IIaj\> sam rnir, luhi [ I 1.11 K aji i I'ai ik .. i, i ha I l Lehi,.\ A m nJj ,urin h.. I m. ,\m\ "u.,,k!n d J nKi K!,in \\ iJI Graduate poster presentation winners: \,h i\ llu, Ili. I \anri l uII. LI .ri -I. r, lIlu ri,. 1)arin K aj\. .\ru \ ik.... l.I a Nj-k.i ,ila IL k... Kjih!\n 1k..... I. uI!.rn "IulIl. l.ihjn\ \\j ri lin. jn I J jui j /jh..Jnr Graduate research grants: Ij, 'r lIn.r! u uk. I. .ph 1)/!ii ./ ki i. \\.nJ\ ( Ij\ J n Im.. h\ ',anne W . -- -- -- -- -- -- --- -- ............... Visit us online @ http://news.health.ufl.edu for the Ictest news cnd HSC events RESEARCH DAY noTI o 07/0808 TWO LIVES TWO HUGE ACHIEVEMENTS A father of behavioral neurology ::i h/ mr imn -..iul i, %,.J i L1.!I\ \ i ,!hk ..n ih, J inn,! i! \, \,i ihd pji n ih p ,,nJ ,J %.dh\ i n h.h. !ijl ..nl\ ,!\,J 1 --lu,, J i I'h, pu//k1 >-.nil..niJ Kinncih IIilmji. \I 1) i..Jj\ i disli n iiu!,h J prolebbo ol neurology at the UF College of Medicine - during a clinical rotation while he was in medical school at the University of Virginia in the 1960s. "The plate had a partition and the meat was on the left," Heilman said. "He ate all of his vegetables on the KENNETH HEILMAN right, and he asked why there were never any servings of meat. I thought he must not be able to see on his left, even though tests showed he had full visual fields. He had suffered a stroke of the right hemisphere, and I realized, 'Wow, this is telling us that there is a part of the brain that allows , M.U. people to switch attention to one side, and this part of his brain is injured."' Experiences like that one edged Heilman toward a career in neurology a career recognized recently through the College of Medicine's 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award. Heilman's work has played a part in revealing the areas of the brain that mediate attention, and he has helped define the roles of the right and left hemispheres of the brain, often toppling established paradigms of brain function along the way. "He has inspired researchers and literally helped populate the world with experts in behavioral neurology," said Leslie Gonzalez Rothi, Ph.D., the Bob Paul family professor of neurology who nominated Heilman for award. "Those who have been lucky enough to receive his mentorship have been cultivated and given truly the best academic preparation I know of." Heilman, who joined the faculty in 1970 and became the James E. Rooks Jr. professor of neurology in 1998, was a member of the first elite group of faculty to receive the title "distinguished professor." "People don't enter medicine to receive recognition like this," Heilman said. "We do it because we get joy out of people getting well, students learning things, or being involved in great research. But it is always nice to get a pat on the back. When people you have known for years and years let you know they think highly of you, it's the greatest compliment." -By John Pastor A surgeon, a teacher and a leader i si t 'd .jid ,\ ( ,,i J III, i \s 1). ji hj.k in hil h!,. sii hcngI.. iN1 hUisi i.yc in,, hr on cei hi, !IcJl I I j ,..rn1 hrn, .ri d, miii hi, ) c y j! ji 1I "I'm most proud of the residents we've trained," Copeland said before listing at least a half-dozen colleagues and moments that have shaped his experiences as a surgical oncologist at UF. "I clearly owe my i v, career to this institution." It's almost impossible to sum up a career as celebrated as Copeland's in one moment. It's not just the hundreds of hours he spent mentoring and recruiting some of the best physicians in the nation. It's a montage of the moments he spent caring for cancer patients and the year he served as the College of Medicine's interim dean, helping the institution overcome financial EDWARD M. COPELAND III, M.D. instability. While it was difficult for Copeland to choose from the torrent of memories swirling in his psyche since he announced his retirement, effective July 3, it was easy for his colleagues to decide to honor the Edward R. Woodward distinguished professor of surgery with a 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award. "You're often never king or queen in your own castle," said Copeland, who accepted the award at the Research Day awards dinner in April. "For your own institution to honor you is truly the greatest honor you can receive." Copeland's career in Gainesville began in 1982 when he was named professor and chair of the department of surgery. He gained recognition for his contributions to breast cancer surgery and treatment, including for the development of a test that determines whether surgeons have removed an entire tumor before a patient leaves the hospital, reducing the need for additional procedures. He has been director of the UF Shands Cancer Center and president of UF Physicians. This year, he served as president of the American College of Surgeons. "Dr. Copeland demonstrates the rare combination of excellent surgeon, teacher and administrator," said Steven N. Hochwald, M.D., chief of surgical oncology. "The only reason that I looked at the job was because he was here and previous residents and faculty from the department had gone on to excellent academic positions around the country." Copeland, a decorated Vietnam veteran, will celebrate the culmination of his 45-year career by fishing and golfing, hobbies he put on hold as a practicing surgeon. "I have a friend who says, "You better enjoy yourself now because you're kind of in the fourth quarter of your life,"' Copeland joked, adding he'll still be around if UF needs him. "I'm available to do anything the University of Florida would like me to do in my retirement." By Melissa M. Thompson Visit us online http://news.health.ufl.edu for the latest news and HSC events OI O II 19 .......... :::::::::::::::::::::::...... ............... . . = = = = = = = = RESEARCH DAY iiiiii Bad to the bone Orthopedic residents claim 'Ortho Bowl' victory Ryan Riel (left) and Aaron Bates, orthopedic medicine residents at the UF College of Medicine in Jacksonville, pose with the trophy they won at the Florida Orthopaedic Society's annual "Ortho Bowl." Back to school UF faculty members refine research skills in postgraduate program By Melissa M. Thompson Nearly 20 years after earning a doctor of pharmacy degree from the University of California, San Francisco, and six years after joining the UF faculty, Rhonda Cooper-DeHoff, Pharm.D., M.S., decided she wanted more. The seasoned assistant research professor had more than 20 years of clinical research experience under her belt but decided to undergo additional training in the Advanced Postgraduate Program in Clinical Investigation, which further preps UF's faculty and fellows for careers in clinical investigation. In the program, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health's K30 Clinical Research Curriculum Award, fellows take courses such as grant writing and biostatistics while simultaneously conducting an approved research project under the guidance of a senior faculty mentor. Funding covers the cost of tuition and fees for eight to 12 fellows each academic year. "Participating in (the program) is supposed to give you protected time to perform research and take courses," Cooper-DeHoff said "You rarely, as a junior faculty member, have the opportunity to not only think about research but also the time to conduct it." Cooper-DeHoff is one of nearly 40 UF faculty members since 1999 who have earned master's degrees or certificates from APPCI, which is designed to nurture fellows' research interests and help them learn how to secure funding for future projects. "We want people to know how to conduct good research and how to present their research well," said Eve Johnson, the APPCI program assistant. "There are so many projects that are retracted or undone because of poor preparation." By Lauren Edwards K nowing your stuff can pay off. Just ask Ryan Riel and Aaron Bates, two residents from the UF College of Medicine in Jacksonville who recently won bragging rights and a little cash, to boot at the annual Ortho Bowl in May. Put on by the Florida Orthopaedic Society at its annual meeting, the Ortho Bowl is a type of "brain bowl" that tests residents' knowledge of orthopedic medicine. Representing UF's Jacksonville campus, Riel and Bates competed against teams from across the state, ultimately going head-to-head in the final round with residents from the University of South Florida. Riel, who has participated in the competition once before, was excited to get a second shot at Ortho Bowl victory. "It was fun," the fourth-year resident said. "I did it several years ago (as a first-year resident) and didn't win, so I was happy to do it again. I wanted to get my name on the trophy at least once." Riel and Bates, a fifth-year resident, earned the chance to compete by getting the top two scores among their peers on the Orthopaedic In-Training Examination. The bowl included questions similar to those typically found on orthopedics board exams, with queries ranging from practical application such as diagnosing a "patient" in a given scenario to those regarding orthopedic medicine history. The two men each took home $300 and a somewhat-humorous trophy wrapped in fiberglass casting material, designed by UF's own Hudson Berrey, M.D., in 1998. Bates, who also received the Florida Orthopaedic Resident Research Award, said that while the Ortho Bowl isn't necessarily taken too seriously, it was nice to represent his college in this way. "We wanted to win," he said. "I think everyone who competes wants to win ... I felt proud and honored (to represent my college.)" 0 Rhonda Cooper-DeHoff is one of 40 UF faculty members who have earned master's degrees and certificates through the Advanced Postgraduate Program in Clinical Investigation. Sherrilene Classen, Ph.D., M.P.H, OTR/L, an assistant professor of occupational therapy and public health, graduated from APPCI in 2004 and says the program gives fellows the tools to be competitive in the research field. "It's pretty amazing to get a federal grant on your first submission," said Classen, who was awarded a $500,000 grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in September 2004 to fund older driver safety research and has received five additional grants from various institutions since then. "It gave me a level of humble confidence because in research, there is always another question to ask." 0 S20 *0088 1tp w t http://news.health.ufl.edu School's in ... for teachers Florida science educators get their own lesson at UF By Lauren Edwards WC hen you're a teacher, much of your time is spent in the role of leader: You plan the lessons, teach the material, give the tests and grade the homework. But for some of Florida's top science educators the tables were turned this summer as they became students themselves during a two-week UF program geared toward giving teachers a hands-on lesson in- scientific research. Presented by the UF Center for Precollegiate Education and Training and funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Interdisciplinary Center for Ongoing Research/Education Partnership program is an extended laboratory workshop that Mary Jo Koroly, Ph.D., describes as "research outreach" for science teachers. "We are teaching them how to research and how to translate that into their classrooms and communities," said Koroly, director of CPET and an associate research scientist in the College of Medicine. "It's outreach ... to help improve science education throughout the state." Chosen by their various school districts, these 26 teachers Wendy Helmey-Hartman (left) and Amye Goff, teachers at Keystone Heights Junior/ learned about the many emerging pathogens and related issues Senior High School, try out an experiment to adapt for use in their classrooms. Top that threaten society today, from bird flu to bioterrorism. high school science teachers from around Florida recently visited UF to get "(Emerging pathogens) are an incredibly important scientific hands-on research experience as part of the Center for Precollegiate Education and and social issue in Florida," Koroly said. "We're using (this) as a Training's ICORE Partnership project. really cool 'hook' to get (students) interested in academic and industrial career opportunities." At the end of the two weeks, the teachers presented a proposal to show how they will implement their chosen research in the classroom. As ICORE partners, these teachers will return to UF with some of their students to present their research results at the Florida Symposium in February. Nancy Dunbar, a teacher at Park Vista High School in Palm Beach County, says this program made her feel like she was back at college. "It's renewed my passion for things I don't get to do in the (high school) classroom," Dunbar said. "It's on a higher level for us ... I've really missed that." Dunbar, who teaches biology, anatomy and physiology, and genetics, normally focuses her teaching on humans, but says that because of this program, has found plant pathogens "fascinating" and now plans to include them in her curriculum. "I'm going to come back here every year if I can," she said. "This is feeding me." The next generation of students Brittni Davis shares her name and favorite medical TV show with other high school students during orientation for the Health Care Summer Institute, a four-week program at UF's College of Medicine that provides minority students with a glimpse of opportunities in the medical field. High school students come to UF from across \ north Florida to participate in the camp, which is directed by Donna M. Parker, M.D., and Michelle Jacobs, M.D., both assistant deans for the College of Medicine Office of Minority Affairs. The goal of the camp is to expose students to different health careers and prepare them for the educational road ahead. The College of Medicine Office of Minority Affairs, Shands at UF and the UF Area Health Education Centers sponsor the program. Vsit us online @ http://news.health.ufl.edu for the Ictest news Snd HSC events 0II 1 21 JACKSONVILLE MICHAEL S. NUSSBAUM, M.D., has been named chair of the department of surgery at the College of Medicine- Jacksonville. Nussbaum has been on the faculty at the University of Cincinnati since 1986. At UC he was the assistant dean for hospital affairs, the vice chair for Micha clinical affairs in the department of surgery and also the department's interim 2006 to 2007. MOEEN PANNI, M.D., Ph.D., has been named chair of the department of anesthesiology at the College of Medicine- Jacksonville. Prior to coming to UF, Panni served as an associate professor and director of obstetric anesthesia at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. Panni's goals include recruiting new faculty, dev a research program and fostering an ed environment for students and residents. COLLEGE OF MEDICINE UF diabetes team earns national honors There isn't a way to prevent or cure diabetes -yet. But that doesn't stop UF researchers from combining forces to discover therapies to treat the disease, a team effort that has recently drawn national recognition from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International. The foundation honored UF researchers (shown from left) Desmond Schatz, M.D., Mark Atkinson, Ph.D., and Michael Haller, M.D., June 13 with the Mary Tyler Moore and S. Robert Levine, M.D., Excellence in Clinical Research Award at its annual meeting in Washington, D.C. Honorees are selected for their dedication and success in converting clinical diabetes discoveries into treatments for patients. Around-the-clock collaboration spurs the team's success as they make advances in clinical studies, from genetic testing that may help determine an infant's risk of developing the disease to umbilical cord-blood infusion therapies that help preserve insulin production in some newly diagnosed children. DENNIS STEINDLER, Ph.D., executive director of the Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute and co-director of the Regeneration Project, received the Atena Onlus Foundation Award for his research on adult stem cell biology and regenerative Dennis Steindlel medicine at a June 4 ceremony ael S. Nussbaum with officials from the Catholic University in Rome, the university's teaching hospital the Gemelli chair from University Polyclinic and the Italian government. COLLEGE OF NURSING Moeen Pc eloping ucational TIMOTHY FLYNN, M.D., a professor of surgery and associate dean for graduate medical education, has been named the college's interim senior associate dean for clinical affairs. Flynn, who has been on the UF faculty for 24 years, has served as chair of the American Board of Surgery and as Timothy Flynn president of the Alachua County Medical Society and is currently a member of the board of directors of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. THE UF STUDENT HEALTH CARE CENTER received the Florida Department of Health Bureau of Epidemiology 2008 Golden Partnership Award May 30 in Orlando. The UF SHCC was honored for its public health epidemiology efforts, which helped prevent a measles outbreak in 2007. JOYCE STECHMILLER, Ph.D., A.R.N.P., an associate professor in the college, has been named a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. Stechmiller, a national expert in wound care, teaches didactic and clinical courses to master's degree students and mentors Joyce Stechmiller doctoral students. She also holds appointments at the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System as director of skin and wound education and research and as a member of the Rehabilitation Outcomes Research Center. COLLEGE OF PHARMACY RAYMOND G. BOOTH, Ph.D., a professor of medicinal chemistry, received a $1.5 million, 4-year grant from the National Institute of Drug Abuse for his research on cocaine addiction. He will investigate a new compound discovery that may, for the Raymond G. Booth first time, target a receptor that diminishes the addiction cycle without cardiovascular side effects. He also received a $1.8 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health for a discovery that may lead to development of an antipsychotic medication that doesn't cause weight gain. SIHONG SONG, Ph.D., an associate professor of pharmaceutics, has received a $130,000 award from the Alpha-1 Foundation to support his project, "Development of AAT Deficient Mouse Models." Sihong Song PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH PROFESSIONS MARK BOWDEN, M.S., P.T., a student in the rehabilitation science doctoral program and an affiliate faculty member in the department of physical therapy, received the American Physical Therapy Association Neurology Section Award to a post-professional student. Mark Bowden Bowden received the award at the association's combined sections annual meeting in February in Nashville. JAMES W. HALL III, Ph.D., a clinical professor and associate chair of the department of communicative disorders, has been named an extraordinary professor in the department of communication pathology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. In this role, Hall will serve as a faculty and doctoral-student James W. Hall III mentor and will participate in the department's research on hearing loss in mine workers. He is also helping to establish a universal newborn hearing screening program in South Africa. College lauds professors, alums The College of Veterinary Medicine recently honored four of its own with Distinguished Awards, honoring the accomplishments of a South Florida equine vet, a professor emeritus of small animal neurology, a small animal surgeon and the director of UF's mobile equine diagnostic service. Michael Porter, D.V.M., Ph.D., a clinical assistant professor and director of the UF mobile equine diagnostic service, received the college's Outstanding Young Alumnus Award. The Distinguished Service Award went to Cheryl Chrisman, D.V.M., a longtime veterinary neurologist at the college who retired in 2007. Gary Ellison, D.V.M., a UF professor of small animal surgery, received the college's award for special service, and the Alumni Achievement Award was presented to Robert Boswell, D.V.M., an alumnus who owns the Palm Beach Equine Clinic and helped found the Florida Association of Equine Practitioners. Shown here are Chrisman (from left), Ellison, Boswell and Porter. IPS22I 07080 1w DISTINCTIONS Urlrll http://news.health.ufl.edu Into the sunset Longtime administrator Jerry Kidney retires By Melissa M. Thompson t's the middle of May and Jerry Kidney is so close to retirement he can almost smell it. But instead of dreaming about the brisk air surrounding his 20-acre surrogate home in Maine, Kidney's thoughts are focused solely on his son. His adopted son Greg, an Army corporal, was wounded when a terrorist's bomb exploded near his Humvee in Baghdad. Just two weeks away from his June retirement, Kidney's office phone rings with updates from his wife and the hospital in Texas, where his son is recovering. "We all look forward to retirement as a time to set aside usual responsibilities and pursue new experiences," said Kidney, who has since retired as assistant vice president for health affairs for administrative support. "But sometimes reality sets in and through no act of our own, priorities get reset. We are thankful that Greg is alive, that he did not receive worse injuries ... but that's little consolation to the family of Greg's buddy who lost his life in the explosion." Even as the father of six grapples with life's speed bumps, he's forced to find time to prepare for the retiree lifestyle. And it shows. Among collections of cardboard boxes and half-eaten, orange-and- blue candy gifts remain nearly a dozen framed photographs of his ever-expanding brood that will no doubt be fixtures in his office until he officially moves out. But for now, the family photos remind him of his New England roots, and his journey to the South. Born and raised in Maine, Kidney was accustomed to small-town life. He was valedictorian of his graduating class of 72 students. After graduating from college, he taught high school math and later moved to a job in higher education to provide for his growing family. In 1982, the man who admits he had never been south of Boston before he was 24 decided to interview for a job at UF, where he has been ever since. "I'll miss the good people I see around here every day," he said. "But I'm so looking forward to (retirement). I love change. I think after we come back from Maine, it won't be long before I look for something that gets me up in the morning." Well-known for his good nature and large family (he proudly announces he will be the grandfather of eight by Christmas), Kidney said all he wanted to do was retire without fuss or fanfare while riding quietly off into the sunset. But for someone who touched so many lives at UF and in the Gainesville community, it was difficult for Kidney to make a quiet exit. "Jerry is going to be someone who takes so much institutional knowledge with him that he's going to be hard to replace," said Tom Harris, associate vice president for health affairs and Kidney's longtime lunch buddy. "He'll do anything to help anybody and he never says, 'It's not in my job description.'" Farewell festivities included a reception attended by four generations of Kidney's family as well as friends and colleagues who gathered to reminisce. A hallway display pays tribute to the man of many talents with a montage of newspaper clippings and photographs. There's Kidney riding his cherry-red Honda motorcycle. Acting in the Gainesville Community Playhouse's production of "Guys and Dolls." Volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House. He does it all. Kidney said he will remain active in the community because his family will stay in Gainesville for nine months of each year and travel to scenic Maine during the summer. It might be beautiful there, but he's not looking forward to footing the fuel bill. "I bought a humongous fifth wheel (camper), and we'll haul it up there and stay for the summer," he said. "Down in the cafeteria, they have shrimp that's 50 cents a piece. I figure it will cost me one shrimp per mile all the way up to Maine." 0 Visit us online http://news.health.ufl.edu for the latest news and HSC events 13gI O 123 PRFL Peder Winkel, (left) and his son Peder Winkel, were both Celebrating 25 years at UF are (front row, from left) Robbie Anderson, Vanessa honored at the HSC Service Pin ceremony. The elder Winkel Humphrey, Laurie Douglass, Joyce Lee, Eduardo Mondragon, Virginia Boone, has worked in the Physical Plant Division for 30 years, while Linda Archer (back row, from left) Anita Yeager, Joan Whitlock, Robert Lee, Julie his son has worked in the same division for 10. Smith, Phyllis Craig, Geraldine Lee and Karen Hyde. 0 Celebrating 20 years at UF are (front row, from left) Sonia Nango-Henesy, Debbie Streetman, Dottie Howard, Vatsala Desai, Debbie Neubauer, Katherine Rode, Susan Loffredo, Yvonne Trebilcock, Carol Katovich, Annie Guillarmod, Darlene Bailey, (back row, from left) Dana King, Mimi McClendon, Cassandra Williams, Ron Lester, Cheryl O'Quinn, Jim Ferrer, Donna Walko, Tearetha Thomas, Jill Sanderson, Peronia Brown, Mary Latham, Alison Edwards, Sally O'Connell and Roxane Nolen. Published by UF Health Science Center Office of News & Communications Senior Vice President, Health Affairs Douglas J. Barrett, M.D. Director, News & Communications Tom Fortner Editor April Frawley Birdwell afrawley@ufl.edu Senior Editors Melanie Fridl Ross, John Pastor Designer Mickey Cuthbertson Staff Writers Kandra Albury, April Frawley Birdwell, Tracy Brown, Sarah Carey, Anney Doucette, Ann Griswold, Linda Homewood, John Pastor, Jill Pease, Karen Rhodenizer, Melanie Fridl Ross Contributing Writers Lauren Edwards, Emel Ozdora, Melissa M. Thompson Photo Editor Sarah Kiewel Support Staff Cassandra Jackson, Beth Powers, Kim Smith The POST is the monthly internal newsletter for the University of Florida Health Science Center, the most comprehensive academic health center in the Southeast, with campuses in Gainesville and Jacksonville and affiliations throughout Florida. Articles feature news of interest for and about HSC faculty, staff and students. Content may be reprinted with appropriate credit. Ideas for stories are welcome. The deadline for submitting items to be considered for each month's issue is the 15th of the previous month. Submit to the editor at afrawley@ufl.edu or deliver to the Office of News & Communications in the Communicore Building, Room C3-025. F Health Science Center UF UNIVERSITY of FLORIDA HONORING YOU |