Clinical laboratory sciences graduate enjoys toxicology work

Shared by

FlowersT_BODY
Flowers

San Antonio (June 15, 2004) – She’s quick to point out that her job isn’t quite as glamorous as the forensic detective work depicted on CBS-TV’s “CSI.” But Tiffany Flowers, a 2003 graduate of the clinical laboratory sciences graduate degree program in toxicology at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, is making her own mark in the Bexar County Toxicology Laboratory and Medical Examiner’s Office.

Among other duties, Flowers is identifying suspect chemicals and drugs, carbon monoxide poisoning and signs of drug abuse in autopsy specimens at the Bexar County Forensic Science Center. She recently was profiled in the Texas Association for Clinical Laboratory Science newsletter.

Flowers is one of six toxicology chemists in the Toxicology Lab and ME’s Office. According to the newsletter article, the Forensic Science Center “is one of the busiest forensic centers in the state and performed 300 autopsies in the first six weeks of the year.”

Her master’s degree thesis was a study of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), which has been called a “date rape drug” because it may be used for drug-facilitated sexual assault, said her project mentor, George B. Kudolo, PhD, associate professor and coordinator of the graduate toxicology program in the Health Science Center’s department of clinical laboratory sciences.

“Sometimes these incidents end in death and an important issue is the interpretation of the postmortem results if GHB is present,” Dr. Kudolo said. “This is because there is a strong possibility of a postmortem production of GHB in the body, even in the absence of prior consumption before death. So, if postmortem GHB is found, it is important to know the contribution of the body’s own production of GHB.”

Flowers assessed three methods of measuring GHB in blood and urine samples. Each yields different analytical results. “Identifying the most reliable methods will obviously be very important for forensic toxicologists, who must interpret these results and help medical examiners determine the cause of death in a ‘drug-facilitated’ sexual assault case,” Dr. Kudolo said.

“My data fell in line with other studies that have been done,” Flowers said. “A method called liquid-liquid TMS proved to be superior to the other methods. In the forensic toxicology community, this should be very helpful.”

GHB is considered a schedule one controlled substance, which means possession is a crime. Therefore, the outcome of these forensic tests could make the difference between incarceration and freedom for living suspects.

“Tiffany’s findings are important contributions to understanding this date rape drug’s effects and its detection,” said Shirlyn McKenzie, Ph.D., professor and chair of the department of clinical laboratory sciences. The department is part of the School of Allied Health Sciences at the Health Science Center.

Flowers is helping to develop the quality assurance plan for the Toxicology Lab. Her first contact with the lab came when she completed an internship there during her master’s degree program. The Bexar County Forensic Science Center is located on the Health Science Center’s Central Campus in the South Texas Medical Center.

Online course in pain management reaches Latin America

Shared by

ZuazuM_BODY
Zuazu

San Antonio (June 8, 2004) – An online pain management course written in Spanish and created in the department of anesthesiology at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio was rolled out this spring to a potential audience of 25,000 general practitioners, internists, rheumatologists, psychiatrists, neurologists, orthopedists and other physicians from Mexico to Argentina.

“Pain is the fifth vital sign,” said Marcos A. Zuazu, M.D., the course’s director and associate professor of anesthesiology at the Health Science Center. (Temperature, respiration, pulse and blood pressure are the others.) “This course provides criteria to establish a diagnosis of pain. Exams after its three modules test the physicians’ knowledge of the management of pain, and the tests are real doozies. We have made this relatively hard.”

Pain management fellows Bert Blackwell, M.D., and Greg Skiba, M.D., an anesthesiologist, wrote modules along with Dr. Zuazu. Prous Science, an international medicine and life sciences information provider headquartered in Barcelona, Spain, developed the online course from the core content. Prous Science, which has a subsidiary in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is coordinating with representatives of Merck & Co. Inc. to provide course access codes to physicians in Latin America. The course is free to physicians and is linked to the Merck Web site.

“The Health Science Center is breaking ice, because there is nothing specially designed for the Latin American physician in terms of a continuing education program with a certificate to provide educational material on this topic,” Dr. Zuazu said.

The course certificate is granted through the department of anesthesiology, and Dr. Zuazu credits Joseph J. Naples, M.D., professor and chair of anesthesiology and the R. Brian Smith, M.D., Professor at the Health Science Center, with supporting this endeavor. Martha A. Medrano, M.D., M.P.H., assistant dean for continuing medical education and director of the Health Science Center’s Medical Hispanic Center of Excellence, also lent her support. Becky Holloway, Web specialist in the office of multimedia and Web services, developed the course Web site for exam taking and crediting of scores to physicians.

“This is very well done,” Dr. Naples said. “It is very practical and challenging, timed and graded. It is a high-tech online course in Spanish. This will be useful for the physicians’ treatment of pain. Dr. Zuazu is the initiator of this and is well known in Spain and Central and South America.”

Percy Zambrana, M.D., a visiting anesthesiologist from the University of Chiclayo in Northern Peru, said he is trying to develop a pain clinic at a hospital in Chiclayo. “The course is a great development,” he said. “We need this course. We have only a small group of doctors in the area of pain.” Dr. Zambrana has returned to Chiclayo to continue his work.

“Our Hispanic Center of Excellence and Health Science Center are reaching beyond South Texas to provide high-quality, much-needed opportunities for our neighbors in South and Central America,” Dr. Medrano said.

The course is called the “Curso de Manejo del Dolor” (Course for Management of Pain).

New information discovered regarding Hispanics with colorectal cancer

Shared by

KahlenbergM_BODY (1)
Kahlenberg

San Antonio (June 8, 2004) – Hispanics present with colorectal cancer at a younger age and with more advanced disease than other ethnic groups, according to a study of 453 colorectal cancer patients treated between 1985 and 2001 by physicians from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. The study is one of the first to examine colorectal cancer treatment outcomes in Hispanics.

Of the patients, 296 were Hispanic, 112 were Caucasian, 37 were black and eight were of other descent. Most of the patients were from Bexar County and all underwent surgery at University Hospital, the Health Science Center’s teaching hospital.

Hispanics were diagnosed with colorectal cancer five years earlier on the average than Caucasians (53.6 years of age for Hispanics versus 58.5 for Caucasians) and one year earlier than blacks (53.6 versus 54.5).

Hispanics also fared more poorly in terms of disease severity and survival. Stage IV cancers were diagnosed in 32 percent of Hispanics versus 18 percent of Caucasians. Two age groups of Hispanic patients (younger than 55 and 55 and older) both lived an average of 48 months after surgery. By contrast, Caucasians younger than 55 survived nearly twice as long (92 months) and those 55 and older survived 77 months.

“This touches on the need for colorectal screening in the Hispanic population,” said lead author Morton S. Kahlenberg, M.D., associate professor of surgery and head of surgical oncology at the Health Science Center.

The findings were presented at the 2004 annual meetings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology Gastrointestinal Cancer Symposium and the Society of Surgical Oncology. Study co-authors, all from the Health Science Center, were Dimitrios Stefanidis, M.D.; Jennifer Miranda, M.D.; Adrian Wong, M.D.; Charles R. Thomas Jr., M.D.; Dennis L. Rousseau Jr., M.D.; and Brad H. Pollock, M.P.H., Ph.D.

Dental experts fault study linking X-rays to term low birth weight

Shared by

San Antonio (June 7, 2004) – A study published April 28 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) is causing some pregnant women to question whether they should have X-rays taken in their dentists’ offices. The study raises undue concern about the safety of dental radiography during pregnancy, said William Moore, D.D.S., and John W. Preece, D.D.S., of the Dental School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Dr. Moore, assistant professor of dental diagnostic science and head of the division of maxillofacial radiology, and Dr. Preece, professor of dental diagnostic science, have written a response to the study and submitted it to the JAMA. The response also has been accepted for publication in the Journal of the American Dental Association.

“The knee-jerk reflex is to think that radiation used in dentistry is harmful,” Dr. Preece said. “The public should know that the potential radiation risk a patient may experience in the dentist’s office is equivalent to only three to five days of normal ‘background’ radiation in our country (background radiation is radiation we receive from outer space, soil and building materials, and the food we eat). The risk of harmful effects such as cancer and birth defects after dental X-rays is miniscule and certainly does not equal the health benefits of good oral care.”

The study in the JAMA was reported in the May 10 issue of TIME magazine under the headline “Dare you see your dentist again?” The study compared 1,117 women who delivered low birth weight infants at term and 4,468 women who delivered normal birth weight infants. Women were grouped according to the level of dental radiographic exposures they received. The authors estimated that eliminating dental radiographs during the first trimester could reduce the incidence of term low birth weight infants by “up to 5 percent.”

Dr. Preece pointed out that 85 percent of the mothers with term low birth weight babies in the study had no identifiable dental radiographic exposure. “Thus, the benefit of a possible 5 percent decrease in term low birth weight would really affect only three babies out of the study group,” he said.

Drs. Moore and Preece said that in the last century of research, no other authors have been able to demonstrate cancer or other biological effects at the low levels of radiation exposure reported as being significant in the study. The study also did not consider possible non-dental, medical radiation exposure as a contributing factor to term low birth weight infants, “a significant oversight and another potential flaw in the study,” Dr. Preece said.

Dental X-rays are measured in units called milligrays (mGy). The effective dose (the amount of radiation from a full-mouth dental radiographic survey) is less than 0.0003 mGy when the dentist uses the lead apron to shield patients, compared to the 3 mGy in background radiation absorbed annually by everyone in the United States.

“As a point of reference, various localities around the world with large populations have background radiation levels averaging 15 to 40 mGy a year with no known harmful effects, including Ramsar, Iran, where an individual was found to have an annual dose of 132 mGy, or 0.36 mGy per day,” Drs. Moore and Preece wrote.

Health Science Center bestows degrees for 2004

Shared by

The five schools of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio held their commencement exercises in May. Some individuals in the following lists are summer or winter graduates.

The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences held its commencement ceremony May 21. Ceremonies for the Medical School, Dental School, School of Allied Health Sciences and School of Nursing were May 22.

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES

Doctoral degrees

Biochemistry – Veronica Contreras-Shannon, San Jose, Calif.; Jennifer Elam, Wildwood, Mo.; Natalie Gibson, Belize City; Dong Kang, Pusan, South Korea; Xu Lu, Guangdong Province, China; Satya Panda, Jeypore, India; Xun Yu, Hefei, Anhui Province, China.

Cellular and structural biology – Valerie Adams, Woodlake, Calif.; Ibtissam Echchgadda, Meknes, Morocco; Cara Knight, San Antonio; James Mele, White Plains, N.Y.; Nuttawut Saelim, Suratthami, Thailand.

Microbiology and immunology – Angela Archer, Richardson; Whitney Greene, Canyon Lake; Suzanne Keller, Adel, Iowa; Rita Tamayo, Houston; Robyn Woodbury, Eagan, Minn.

Molecular medicine – Karen Block, Soldotna, Alaska; John Leppard, Houston; Sean Post, Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada; Hui-Min Tseng, Feng-Shaw, Taiwan.

Nursing – Susan Andersen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Laura Munoz, San Antonio; Barbara Owens, Bloomington, Ind.

Pharmacy (joint degree with UT Austin) – Myra Beshear, Comfort; Jessica Blanton, Waco; Jerry Byler, Sherman; Marissa Cervera, Crystal City; Jordyn Chapman, Duncanville; James Cox, Muleshoe; Michael Deanda, Andrews; Jesse Esparza, San Antonio; Juan Gonzalez, Brownsville; Waylon Haecker, Cibolo; Doug Haney, Mission; Kimberley Hardy, Georgetown; Elizabeth James, San Antonio; M. Layton Kincaid, Victoria; Kristina Klein-Bradham, Centralia, Ill.; Ronald LaVecchio, Honolulu;

Stephanie Lowrance, Victoria; Melody Melton, Lampasas; Leticia Moczygemba, Karnes City; Vanessa Morales, Laredo; Steven Morgan, San Antonio; Alejandra Ortiz, San Antonio; Amisha Patel, Houston; Rima Patel, Houston; Sherri Pinkston, Sinton; Amy Poore, Karnes City; Vanessa Recio, McAllen; Kelly Red, Los Angeles, Calif.; Kristi Rokyta, Spring; Ingrid Rylander, Leander; Hilary Schmidt, Fredericksburg; Ingrid Svihla, Austin; Griselda Tamez, San Antonio; Cara Trejo, San Antonio; Kristy Warrington, Ruston, La.; Mark Wong, San Antonio.

Pharmacology – Nathaniel Jeske, Cedar Park; Theodore Price, Dallas.

Physiology – Kathleen Goei, Peekskill, N.Y.; Yun Li, Quanzhou, China.

Radiological sciences – Ande Bao, Beijing, China; Ching-Mei Feng, Taipei, Taiwan; Bhujanga Lankipalli, Elk Grove, Calif.; Luis Medina, Mexico City; David Nelson, Charleston, W.Va.; Bahadir Ozus, Istanbul, Turkey; Seonghwan Yee, Cheju, South Korea.

Master of science

Biochemistry – Houyi Wang, Houston; Kerfoot Walker III, Tyler.

Cellular and structural biology – Christine Gear, Hondo; Michael Herrera, San Antonio; Kim Hildreth, San Antonio; Traci Reddick, San Antonio.

Clinical investigation – Inmaculada del Rincon, Madrid, Spain; Jeannae Dergance, San Antonio; Phuong Loan-Ha Mai, Houston; Marcos Restrepo, Medellin, Colombia; Juan Jose Toro, Medellin, Colombia; Joan Zhao, Changsha, China.

Clinical laboratory sciences – Teresa Sanchez, San Antonio.

Dental diagnostic science – Samer Bsoul, Irbid, Jordan; John Guidry, Rayne, La.

Periodontics – Sara Bender, San Antonio; Patricia Berube, Danbury, Conn.; Chol Chong, Vacaville, Calif.; Edithann Graham, Paradise Valley, Ariz.; Todd Keller, San Antonio; Joanna Rogalski, Chicago; Gerald Van Cammack II, San Antonio.

Pharmacology – Shelley Thielen, Noblesville, Ind.

Physiology – John Adams II, San Antonio; Jocelyn Eckerman, San Antonio; Maricela Reyes, Donna; Thomas Rodgers, Monahans.

Prosthodontics – Scott Dyer, Las Vegas, Nev.; Holly Hasegawa, Mercer Island, Wash.; Robert Stover, Olympia, Wash.; Kelley Tomsett, Houston; Francisco Veray, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.

Radiological sciences – Lindsey Voeltz, San Antonio; Curtis Volgamore, Great Falls, Mont.

SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

Doctor of medicine – Adedotun Adewusi, Pablo Aguayo, Laura Akin, Travis Akin, Francis Ali-Osman, Jennifer Almonte, Ajey Alurkar, Scott Ambruster, Kristy Anderson, Matthew Anderson, Prakash Balan, Thomas Baldwin, Alfonso Ballesteros, Heather Banks, Kathryn Barenberg, LaMonica Barnum, Christopher Beadles, Chandra Beals, Charles Bechert, David Benglis Jr., Samia Benslimane, Sarah Berry, Natalie Biediger, John Birbari Jr., Lori Birbari, Amanda Blair, Adam Blanchette, Karen Blanton,

Christa Blecher, Alice Blount, Mary Bohnenblust, Himabindu Borra, Tiffany Brainerd, David Brooks, Robert Brown, Aaron Buzzard, Lacie Callaway, Pedro Calzada, Andrea Campaigne, Aimee Carswell, Thomas Chambliss, Daniel Chan, Jonathan Chang, Justin Chavez, Jodi Coates, J. Lauren Crawford, Owen Davenport, Melissa DeLario, Damian DeLeon, Korina DeLeon, Rachel DelFavero, Deepali Dubal, Rachel Dunagin, Jessica Edwards, Monica Eisele, Rafael Elenes, Jacqueline Emmons, Ricardo Escamilla,

Stacey Fedder, Dominick Fernandez, Keith Flak, Derrick Flint, Gabriela Freile, Adam Frome, Tara Frost, Erlita Gadin, Aakash Gajjar, Bethany Gallagher, Erica García-Pittman, Jojy George, David Gibson, Paul Goen, Lorelei Gonzalez, Michael Green, Christina Greig, Emily Grigsby, Nilda Guerra-Cavazos, Evelyn Haddad, Joseph Hancock, Clayton Harper, Bradley Hart, Horacio Hau, Patrick Hayes, Joseph Henske, Antonio Hernández, José Hernández Jr., Lethecia Hernandez, Tania Hernandez,

Phillip Hill, Edward Hiltner Jr., Jennifer Horan, Jennis Iruke, Jennifer Isner, Nathaniel Jablecki, Jennifer James, Ralph Johnson, Scott Junkins, Colleen Kelly, Bonnie Kim, Traci Kimball, Amanda Kimbrough, James King, Jennifer Kirkpatrick, Frederick Krause, Sachin Kukreja, Kristen Kulasa, Babin Kurian, Albert LaCasse III, Meredith Lann, Melvin Lau, Mark LeDoux, Olivia Lee, Megan Lenhart, Lillian Liao, Jennifer Lingamfelter, Kristie Liska, Anne Lockman, Sonja Longbotham, Christopher Lowe,

Sarah MacMahon, Matthew Maki, Marisa Mammarappallil, Jenifer McNair, Michelle McNutt, Emily Meyer, Bradley Miller, Kate Miller, Whitney Mitchell, Alka Mittal, Richa Mittal, Kimberly Moore, Matt Moore, Brian Morse, Michael Muhlert, Shalini Mukhi, Matthew Musick, Wendell Neeley II, Derrick Nguyen, Patrick Nguyen, Kelly O’Brien, Scott Orr, Gerardo Ortiz, James Palmer, Julie Sharad Parekh, Aashish Parikh, Mitul Patel, Eric Pearlman, Elizabeth Perkins, Benjamin Perschau, Lindsey Pershern,

Christopher Phelps, Andreea Popovici, Arturo Portillo Jr., John Primomo, Peter Ramirez, Monica Ramos, Hetal Rana, Rebekah Rardin, Hampton Richards, Patrick Robinson, Ramona Rogers, Rebecca Romero, Simone Marie Bridges Roschmann, Rito Sauceda, Joseph Schniederjan, Amber Schrank, Penner Schraudenbach, Barbara Jeanne Schroeder, Heather Sloan, Aspen Smith, Christian Stallworth, Rose Stavinoha, Stephen Stewart, Jennifer Surber, Larissa Szeyko, Doreen Telisak, Scott Thomas, Brandon Tinkler,

Katherine Treviño, Mary Unzueta-Hernández, Benjamin Vacula, E. Swann Van Delden, Cynthia Vega, Cheryl Vera-Burkhalter, Matthew Wallace, Brennan Watkins, Megan Way, Ladelle Weatherby, Vanessa Wellinghoff, Fay West, Tara Winkelmann, Erin Winston, Kim Wong, Lee Woodward, Todd Worley, Randy Wright, Wendell Wu, Margaret Zembala.

SCHOOL OF ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES

Bachelor of science in clinical laboratory sciences – Randy Cunningham, San Antonio; Tammy Flores, San Antonio; Barbara Gutierrez, San Antonio; Charles Hiller, Poteet; Timothy Hunt, Leon Valley; Coyle Kunz, Boerne; Paula Rendon, Laredo; Jodie Rodriguez, San Antonio.

Bachelor of science in clinical laboratory sciences (cytogenetics) – Jasmin Humpherys, Mexico City; Carrie Jenkins, Wimberley; Erica McDonald, Cibolo.

Post-baccalaureate certificate in clinical laboratory sciences – Epp Goodwin, Paldiski, Estonia; Kandy Hudson, Raymondville; Amy Trotter, Gallatin, Tenn.

Post-baccalaureate certificate in clinical laboratory sciences (cytogenetics) – Amy Chien, Taipei, Taiwan; Vanessa Nevarez, San Antonio; Michael Ortiz, Austin; Olvia Revelo, San Antonio; Yvette Soto, El Paso; Darlene Tarango, Fabens.

Post-baccalaureate certificate in clinical laboratory sciences (molecular diagnostics) – Kenneth Bloodworth, Helotes; Cora Lahey, Mexico City; Cristina Padilla, San Antonio.

Master of science in clinical laboratory sciences – Teresa Sanchez, San Antonio.

Master of deaf education and hearing science – Deborah Alaniz, George West; Judy Bravo, Big Wells; Anthony Jones, Universal City; Cindy Lou Lamb, Tonasket, Wash.; Laurie Marrero, San Antonio; Elayne Rhodes, Levittown, N.Y.; Victoria Wardenburg, Knoxville, Iowa.

Certificate in dental hygiene – Jessica Barrera, Laredo; Kammie Brzozowski, San Antonio; Silvia Buelna, Lima, Peru; Monna Carpenter-Barin, San Antonio; Virginia Carrillo, San Antonio; Kristi Clemmer, Abilene; Sheri Collins, Albuquerque, N.M.; Sara Lee Cox, Jourdanton; Laura Crosser, San Antonio; Marcella Fuentes, Austin; Katrina Grote, Devine; Dana Haney, Bulverde; Pamela Hilbig, San Antonio; Nadine Ishmon, Atlanta, Ga.; Jenny Ivers, Hondo; Lisa Manning, Beech Island, S.C.;

Diana Martinez, San Antonio; Heather Martinez, San Antonio; Leslie Martinez, Taylor; Michelle Matthews, San Antonio; Sandra Mendoza, Hondo; Margaret Moore, Blanco; Michele Moore, San Antonio; Brenda Rauch, Austin; Laura Rodriguez, Laredo; Jamie Smith, Hempstead; Gina Strength, Coleman; Bonita Werner, Hondo.

Bachelor of science in dental hygiene – Brandy Brown, Galveston; Virginia Carrillo, San Antonio; Kristi Clemmer, San Antonio; Kendra Davis, Austin; Dolores Fales, San Antonio; Marcella Fuentes, Austin; Tasha Goswick, Weimar; Rose Gutierrez, San Antonio; Dana Haney, Bulverde; Pamela Hilbig, San Antonio; Emelda Hernandez, San Antonio; Jessica Huizar, San Antonio; Nadine Ishmon, Atlanta, Ga.;

David Landers, Copperas Cove; Jimmie Lawrence, Converse; Heather Martinez, San Antonio; Leslie Martinez, Taylor; Mary-Beth Mayfield, San Antonio; Sandra Mendoza, Hondo; Christine Mosman, San Antonio; Esther Nuñez, San Antonio; Anita Pesina, Hondo; Elmira Ramos, Uvalde; Brenda Rauch, Austin; Laura Rodriguez, Laredo; Misty Smith, Schertz; Monika Stagg, Fredricktown, Ohio; Nicole Steele, Napa Valley, Calif.; Bonita Werner, Hondo.

Master of science in dental hygiene – C. Denise Beitel, San Antonio.

Certificate in dental laboratory technology – Jason Bullis, Amarillo; Michelle Candelario, San Antonio; Helen Carley, Austin; John Clark, Weatherford; Gregory de la Garza, San Antonio; Peter Duong, Houston; Phuong Ho, Pflugerville; Roberto Hurtado, El Paso; Samuel Kai, Kowloon, Hong Kong; Hyo Kim, Seoul, South Korea; Ellery Northrup, Boerne; James O’Neal Jr., San Antonio; Altagracia Perez, San Antonio; Phu Pham, Cedar Park; Lourdes Ruiz, El Paso; Chad Willhite, Amarillo; William Woods, Garden Ridge.

Bachelor of science in emergency health sciences – Kristina Delgado, El Campo; Brian Hadas, Marquette, Mich.; Marc Puglia, South Dayton, N.Y.; Michael Reyes, McAllen; Joe Scheihing, Guthrie, Okla.

Master of occupational therapy – Amanda Acevedo, Portland; Alfredo Aguilera, San Juan; Alejandra Barrera, Mission; Clarisa Castro, McAllen; Paula Degley, San Benito; Christi Dehnel, San Angelo; Leandra Estrada, Roswell, N.M.; Amanda Gonzales, Victoria; Heather Hamilton, San Antonio; Candida Herrera, El Paso; Michelle Lizana, San Antonio; Maria López, Crystal City; Patricia López, Mission; Maria de Jesus Martínez, San Antonio; Yvonne McKinley, San Antonio; Thèrése Navarro, Abilene; Rebecca Root, Farmers Branch; Lindsay Ross, Dickinson; Dana Treviño, Weslaco.

Master of physical therapy – Tiffany Arredondo, Wichita Falls; Jennifer Bales, Deer Park; Rebecca Claycomb, Albuquerque, N.M.; Travis Couey, Dripping Springs; John DeLeon, Dallas; Sonia Flores, Mercedes; Tami Heimer, Pleasanton; Charity Hill, Nixon; Nia Jackson-Lewis, Round Rock; Karrie Johnson, Amarillo; Lauren Leeds, Spring; Norma Lugo, San Antonio; Tanya Moore, D’Hanis; Lisa Murphy, Fort Worth; Michelle Nalepa, Tulsa, Okla.; Pierre Navarrete, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Jennifer Pehl, Kerrville; James Pittman, Corpus Christi; Christopher Rabágo, San Antonio; Claudia Ramos, San Antonio; Denise Saenz, Brownsville; Rebecca Sansom, Austin; Melissa Simon, Dallas; Denise Williams, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Bachelor of science in physician assistant studies – Gordon Adams, San Antonio; Carry Balthes, San Antonio; Wilson Cochrane, Liberty Hill; Jose Elizondo, San Diego, Texas; Alitza Ford, San Antonio; Kirk Gautier, Tyler; Jennifer Gomez, San Antonio; Vanessa Gomez, San Antonio; Iris Guerra, Rio Grande City; Teresa Hargrove, Tulsa, Okla.; Robert Lawson, San Antonio; Richard Marquez Jr., Marion; Anne Martinez, Austin; John Perez, Uvalde; Sheila Pinkson, San Antonio; Meredith Quinene, Killeen; Susan Ryan, San Antonio; Sharon Slubar, Del Rio; Judith Spanyers, San Antonio.

Certificate as entry-level respiratory therapist awarded by the National Board for Respiratory Care* – Cynthia Anderson, Plano; Arthur Carandang, Killeen; Charnette Darrington, Houston; Myra Garcia, Manila, Philippines; René Guerra Jr., San Antonio; Anna Hernandez-Sanchez, San Antonio; Natania Linton, San Antonio; Brenda Medina, Laredo; Denise Rodriguez, San Antonio; Ricky Smith, Laredo; Eduardo Vasquez, Brownsville; Jana Wallace, San Antonio.
*These students will be candidates for the degree bachelor of science in respiratory care, August 2004.

Bachelor of science in respiratory care – Lizzette Benavidez, Eagle Pass; Brandi Blackburn, La Vernia; Jennifer Boenisch, San Antonio; Claudia Cantu, Alamo; David Chapa, McAllen; Alan DeLeón, Mission; Anna Elizondo, Laredo; Yvette Fernandez, San Antonio; Shaka Ford, San Antonio; Leticia Gutierrez, Weslaco; Carolina Mendez, Laredo; Mando Morales, McAllen; Janna Rodriguez, Alice.

DENTAL SCHOOL

Doctor of dental surgery – Jeffrey Adcock, Reza Arzegar, Michael Bartlett, David Beltran, Val Bingham, Roger Brandon Jr., Amy Brewton, Jennifer Burcin, Hannah Burns, Vicente Canales, Damen Caraway, José Chow, Joshua Cooper, Joseph Creasy Jr., Camie Davis, DeAnna Dean, Chad Drennan, Susan Durgapersad, Joel Edwards, James Ewing, Donnese Fritsche, Scott Furrow, Angelica Garcia, Jennifer Garcia, Pierre Ghattas, Ryan Green, Leonello Grisanti II, Scott Gruwell, Jesus Guerra III, Harry Jackson,

Amy James, Vinita John, Jeffrey Johnston, Ryan Jouett, John Kacher, Travis Kern, Mandana Khani, Charles Larsen, Christopher Long, Marlena Lujan, Sheri McConnell, Michelle Mendoza, Shane Murphy, Debra Nakunz, Anne Newman, Jessica Page, Dan Pham, Risa Poortvliet, Brian Pratt, Kendra Pratt, Jaime Ramírez, Sylvia Ramírez, Jose Reyes, Cory Roach, Ryan Roberson, Susan Robinson, Cristina Rodriguez, Violetta Roller, Alberto Sanchez, Jacqueline Schutt, Lisa Sheldon, Agata Sheppard, James Sierra,

Lyndi Smart, Jaclyn Smith, Stacey Smith, April Sousa, Jason Stamboulieh, Sanda Stamboulieh, Brian Stancoven, Taylor Starr, Jay Thomas, Jess Tucker, Thomas van de Walle, Christopher van Kesteren, Ricardo Vásquez, Steven Vaughan, Deyanira Vela, Kiersten Week, Dallas Woolf, Marshall Wright.

SCHOOL OF NURSING

Doctor of philosophy (conferred at Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences commencement) – Janet Andersen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Laura Muñoz, San Antonio; Barbara Owens, Bloomington, Ind.

Master of science in nursing – Sylvia Allen, Del Rio; John Arbour, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada; Natalie Barganski, Corpus Christi; Kathleen Baumbach, San Antonio; Neil Beckstrom, Spokane, Wash.; Clyde Biggs, San Antonio; Dawn Bishop, Cibolo; Dean Blount, Uvalde; Ughanmwan Efeovbokhan, New Haven, Conn.; Paul Fanucchi, Bakersfield, Calif.; Michelle Faulkner, San Antonio; Amanda Flagg, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, U.K.; Modesta García-Atwater, Corpus Christi;

Margit Gerardi, San Antonio; Linda Hill, Midland; Kathryn Jordan, Art; Christiann Ledford, San Antonio; Joyce Littlefield, Floresville; Amy Mallory, San Antonio; Darla Martinelli, San Antonio; Lyndel Mead, Ingram; Sandra Mellor, Tulsa, Okla.; Yolanda Narváez-Edwards, San Antonio; Raynell Odom, Floresville; Wesley Richardson, Houston; Donna Schmidt, San Antonio; Alexandria Smoots, San Antonio; Maria del Consuelo Valle, San Benito.

Bachelor of science in nursing – Joseph Acord III, San Antonio; Kelle Adams, Boerne; Rosanne Aldana, San Antonio; Esteban Aguirre Jr., San Antonio; Sylvia Allen, Del Rio; Tracy-Lee Amoretti, San Antonio; Kelly Arana, El Paso; John Arbour, Oshawa Ontario, Canada; Yvette Arnold, San Antonio; John Arredondo, Uvalde; Melissa Arthur-Hancock, San Antonio; Michelle Baca, El Paso; Christy Bain, San Antonio; Michele Baumann, San Antonio; Kathleen Baumbach, San Antonio; Kristie Benavides, Kenedy; Frances Bietsch, San Antonio; Jennifer Billings, College Station; Heather Billingsley, San Antonio;

Dean Blount, Corvallis, Ore.; Rachel Blum, Fairfax, Va.; Tana Bonner, New Braunfels; Jennifer Boswell, Austin; Shelley Botello, San Antonio; Sarah Bowers, San Antonio; Debra Brannen, Houston; Stacey Breckons, San Antonio; Mark Brewer, El Paso; Jennifer Brooks-Gilliam, Richardson; Cynthia Brown, San Antonio; Mandi Brown, Beavertown, Pa.; Jessica Burden, San Antonio; Mary Burke, Pleasanton; Cynthia Burrage, San Antonio; Juan Bustamante, San Antonio; Kelly Campbell, San Antonio; Jennifer Campos, San Antonio; Zandra Cancino, San Antonio; Amanda Carlisle, Georgetown;

Jared Carter, Spanish Fork, Utah; Armenia Castellon, San Antonio; Amy Cauthen, Spring Branch; Griselda Cavazos, Houston; Deborah Centeno, San Antonio; Michelle Cervantes-Juarez, San Antonio; William Chappell, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Anita Chisnell, San Antonio; Gloria Collier, San Antonio; Connie Cone, Albany, Ga.; Elizabeth Covarrubias, El Paso; Patrick Dandaneau, Flint, Mich.; Rosalinda Daugherty (posthumously), Edgewater, Colo.; Amy Daylong, San Antonio; David DeAbreu, Maracaibo, Venezuela; Shelly DeCock, San Antonio; Martha Delgado, Laredo;

Felipe de los Santos, San Antonio; Liza del Villar, San Antonio; Kelly Denton, San Antonio; Joan DiGeorge, Del Rio; Sachiko Dismukes, Ishinomaki, Miyagi, Japan; Cheri Dolloff, West Covina, Calif.; Evelyn Drzymala, Stockdale; Cleveland Dunlap, Memphis, Tenn.; April B. Esquivel, San Antonio; Dora Estrada, San Antonio; Michelle A. Faulkner, San Antonio; Kimberly Ferguson, Peoria, Ill.; Noel Ferrer, Sugar Land; Gwendolyn Fewell, San Antonio; Angelica Finney, San Antonio; Angelo Fiore Sr., Chicago; Erica Flores, San Antonio; Charles Foulk, Potwin, Kan.;

Amber Galbreath, San Antonio; Amparo Garcia, Mathis; BreaAnn Garcia, San Antonio; Cecilia García, Laredo; Debra Garcia, San Antonio; Donna Garcia, San Antonio; Ellena Garcia, Atascosa; Jonell Garza, San Antonio; Melissa Garza, Rantoul, Ill.; Veronica Garza, San Antonio; Jennifer Geesee, San Marcos; Felicia Gillin, Ceres, Calif.; Alisha Glueck, San Antonio; Peter Goldbeck, San Antonio; Diana Gonzales, San Antonio; Tasha Gonzales, Camp Wood; Cynthia Gonzalez, San Antonio; Elsa Gonzalez, San Antonio; Jessica Gonzalez, Chicago; John Gorostiza, Brownsville; Stephanie Grewe, Ganado;

Veronica Grimes, Pontiac, Mich.; Julia Growney-Campos, San Antonio; Teri Grubbs, Fort Wayne, Ind.; Natalie Guerra, San Antonio; Aundrea Guess, Stevenson, Ala.; NaShawn Guillory, Lake Charles, La.; Shannon Gutierrez, San Antonio; Kara Haley, San Antonio; April Hall, La Vernia; Erika Hanson, Kyle; Lori Henze, New Braunfels; Elizabeth Hernandez-Cardona, Eagle Pass; Guillermo Hernandez, Goliad; Karlinda Hernandez, San Antonio; Rebecca Hernandez, Fredericksburg; Veronica Herrera, San Antonio; Vanessa Herschell, San Antonio; Jennifer Hinahon, Copperas Cove;

Barbara Hobbs, San Antonio; Seth Holloway, Bristol, Fla.; Tamara Houser, San Antonio; Christina Howard, Little Rock, Ark.; Holly Jamison, Mary D, Pa.; Stephen Jansky, Edna; Rebecca Jarvis, Quinlan; Joanna Jimenez, Manila City, Philippines Sonia Jimenez, San Antonio; Donnica Jones, Kansas City, Mo.; Rebecca Jones, Boerne; Kathryn Jordan, Art; Michelle Junsay, Guam; Katherine Kasch, San Antonio; Tuesday Kayongo, Detroit, Mich.; Cynthia Kelly, San Antonio; Sheri Kennick, San Antonio; Melinda Kiefat, West Columbia; Jamie King, Fredericksburg; Kimberlea King, San Antonio;

Kristin Kizer, Kingsbury; Kathleen Koepke, San Antonio; Wendi Konomos, Panama City, Fla.; Christy Kunzeman, Baylis, Ill.; Donna Lamoureux, Canada; Stephanie Land, Kerrville; Jennifer Lange, San Antonio; Sandra Lara, Refugio; Margaret Lawrence, San Antonio; Sara Lawson, Jourdanton; Amber Lea, Santa Fe; Melinda Ledesma, McAllen; Megan Lee, Bandera; Vickiros Legion, San Antonio; Melissa Limon, San Antonio; Michelle Lively, San Antonio; Marie Loera, San Antonio; Stephanie Loera, San Antonio; Mark Lofland, Key West, Fla.; Michelle Lopez, San Antonio;

Kimberly Lucas, San Antonio; Stacy Luera, Converse; Michelle MacMahon, Alice; Lucy Macnak, San Antonio; Rosalinda Maddox, San Antonio; Jessica Marlowe, Boise, Idaho; Gilbert Marquez Jr., San Antonio; Fonshay Martin, San Antonio; Darla Martinelli, San Antonio; Antonio Martinez, Laredo; Catalina Martinez, San Antonio; Célida Martínez, Premont; Marina Martinez, Devine; Rudy Martinez, San Antonio; Michelle Maxwell, Charleston, S.C.; Dana McCale, San Antonio; Shirley McComas, Las Vegas, Nev.;

Charmaine McKnight, Honolulu; Lyndel Mead, Ingram; Jennifer Meadows, Boulder, Colo.; Eva Morales-Edwards, Falfurrias; Christi Moreno, San Antonio; Lizaida Moreno, Pearsall; Pamela Moynihan, Lake City, Fla.; Chrissi Muñoz, San Antonio; Nancy Muñoz, San Antonio; Zita Navarrete, San Antonio; Alicia Newberry-Quiroz, New Braunfels; Marco Nicasio, South Gate, Calif.; Caroline Nims, Fort Worth; Corey O’Brien, San Antonio; Ericka O’Bryant, Griffin, Ga.; Mario Ochoa, San Antonio; María Oliú, Matagalpa, Nicaragua; Marina Olivares, San Antonio; Eugenia Orhii, San Antonio;

Sarah Orozco, San Antonio; Tammy Orta, San Antonio; Sheree Otis-Sullivan, San Antonio; Peggy Pais, Seguin; Wiley Paschal Jr., West Monroe, La.; Lisa Payne, San Antonio; Rebecca Peet, Oneonta, N.Y.; Erin Pehl, Fredericksburg; Mayela Peña, Brownsville; Velinda Perez, Manchaca; Bonnie Peyton, San Antonio; Phylavanh Phanhtharath, San Antonio; Jessíca Pícaso, San Antonio; Carlesa Pierre, Fort Pierce, Fla.; Cynthia Pizzini, San Antonio; Lyndsey Puga, Harlingen; Cheryl Rabe, San Antonio;

Sergio Ramos, El Paso; Michelle Ransdell, San Antonio; Cathy Rasco, San Antonio; Norma Razo, San Antonio; Jill Resendez, San Antonio; Deborah Reyes, Del Rio; Guadalupe Reyes, San Antonio; Johnnie Robbins, Copperas Cove; Miranda Rodriguez, Sinton; Sandra Romo, Laredo; Robin Rosas, San Antonio; Maria Roth, Laredo; Lorraine Rush, Del Rio; Susan Rutkowski, San Antonio; Edith Sanchez, Eagle Pass; Marissa Sanchez, San Antonio; Frederick Scantling Jr., Long Beach, Calif.;

Edee Schultz, San Antonio; Cheryl Scott, Hondo; Yvonne Sendejo, San Antonio; Dianna Sherrill, San Antonio; Elizabeth Sikon, Katy; Keith Simmons, Macon, Ga.; Kellie Skirvin, McKinney; Quentin Smith, Newton, Ala.; Samantha Stavinoha, San Antonio; Michelle Strong, San Antonio; Angela Tann, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Tonie Tenorio-Lytle, San Antonio; Natasha Thompson, Pflugerville; Linda Till, Austin; John Tindall, Schertz; Angelica Torres, Sinton; Iris Torres, Orange, Calif.; Amanda Triplett, Boerne;

Vanessa Valdez, San Antonio; Christel Vasquez, Brownsville; Priscilla Vidales, San Antonio; Nicole Vierus, Fredericksburg; Carol Villareal, Gonzales; Theresa Villarreal, San Antonio; Julie Wallace, Rockford, Ill.; Rebecca Westfall, Tulsa, Okla.; Isamari White, San Antonio; Adriana Williams, Pleasanton; Kristin Williams, San Antonio; Misty Willis, Corpus Christi; Jane Wilson, San Antonio; Lorna Wright, Edinburg; Shantell Wyss, San Antonio; Tiffany Young, San Antonio.

Work published in ‘Nature’ sheds light on key cell division process

Shared by

NatureMay27cover_BODY
The cover of the May 27 issue of “Nature.”

San Antonio (June 8, 2004) – There is important news from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio about a process that is crucial to cell division and therefore to all of human health.

Cells divide through instructions from our genetic code called DNA, which can be seen in our cells in X-shaped strands called chromosomes. We are endowed with 23 pairs of chromosomes.

When cells divide, the chromosomes first come together, physically pair and then separate. This process, called homologous recombination, ensures that each new cell receives the correct amount and type of DNA, thus preserving the genetic integrity of cells from one generation to the next. “Since pairing of chromosomes is critical to ensure their proper segregation, defects in homologous recombination can lead to birth defects and cancer,” said Wendy Bussen, a contributing author of an article in the May 27 issue of Nature. She is a fourth-year graduate student in the Health Science Center’s department of molecular medicine.

Bussen and Stefan Sigurdsson, Ph.D., a co-leading author and also of the Health Science Center, in collaboration with colleagues at Yale University, studied a protein called Dmc1 that stimulates homologous recombination. “How this protein functions has remained mysterious,” Bussen said. “Our findings have very important implications as to how cells maintain the integrity of the chromosomes.”

The group demonstrated the interaction of Dmc1 with another protein in the homologous recombination pathway, Rad54B. “Little is known about this latter protein, but it has been found to be mutated in some tumors from lymphoma and colon cancers,” Bussen said. “As our research continues, we hope to uncover how Dmc1 and other recombination proteins may work together to prevent cellular DNA damage, the consequences of which can lead to birth defects and cancers.”