San Antonio (April 27, 2004) – Thirty-one outstanding students from the School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio recently were elected to Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA), a national society organized for the promotion of scholarship and research in America’s medical schools. All 31 are from the School of Medicine’s 2004 class.
Twenty-five Health Science Center medical students were selected for AOA membership as seniors, joining six students who were inducted last year as juniors. The six students elected during their junior year were Christopher Beadles, Odessa; Jennifer Horan, San Antonio; Matthew Musick, Houston; Simone Marie Bridges, Houston; Barbara Schroeder; and Matthew Wallace, Cleburne. (Hometowns are in Texas unless otherwise indicated.)
Students elected as seniors are Chandra Beals; David Benglis Jr., Lake Charles, La.; Christa Blecher, San Antonio; Lauren Crawford, Houston; Jacqueline Emmons, Richmond; Keith Flak, Houston; Bethany Gallagher, Houston; Jojy George, Houston; Emily Grigsby, Hawkins; Phillip Hill, Tyler; Bonnie Kim, Dallas; Olivia Lee, Natchez, Miss.; Kristie Liska, Sugar Land; Christopher Lowe, Van; Michelle McNutt, Richmond; Whitney Mitchell, New Braunfels; Richa Mittal; Shalini Mukhi, Laredo; Hampton Richards, Dallas; Joseph Schniederjan, Amarillo; Amber Schrank; Scott Thomas, Spring; Benjamin Vacula, Austin; Erin Winston; and Kim Wong.
The AOA inductees from the Class of 2004 were recognized at a recent School of Medicine graduation dinner and award ceremony.
San Antonio (April 27, 2004) – Sixteen seniors from the School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio were honored this spring for their academic preparation and career potential. They received awards relating to fields of medicine ranging from internal medicine and family practice to psychiatry, orthopaedics and pathology.
Hometowns are in Texas unless otherwise indicated. The awards and honorees are:
Fuller-Giffen Award in Psychiatry – Whitney H. Mitchell, New Braunfels
O. Roger Hollan, M.D., Award in Internal Medicine – Jennifer Horan, San Antonio
Holt Leadership Award – Daniel S. Chan, Greenwich, Conn.; Christian Stallworth, Houston
The Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award presented by The Arnold P. Gold Foundation – Emily S. Meyer, Hondo
Virginia H. Johnson, M.D., Memorial Scholarship – Michelle K. McNutt, Richmond
Senior Kline Award in Pathology – Olivia A. Lee, Natchez, Miss.
Dr. Alexander Major Memorial Family Practice Award – Nilda Guerra-Cavazos, Mission
Medical Alumni Association Paul Cutler Award for Clinical Excellence – Matthew A. Musick, Houston
Medical Alumni Association Carlos Pestana, M.D., Ph.D., Scholarship Award – Michelle K. McNutt, Richmond
Medical Dean’s Award – Daniel S. Chan, Greenwich, Conn.
John S. Primomo Endowment Awards
1. Academic Family Medicine – Scott M. Thomas, Spring
2. Community Service – Natalie M. Biediger, San Antonio
3. Exemplary Family Physician – Emily S. Meyer, Hondo
4. Public Health or Research – Alice B. Blount, military dependent
Charles A. Rockwood Jr., M.D., Award for Excellence in Orthopaedics – Christopher A. Beadles, Odessa
Alvin O. Severence, M.D., Award for Excellence in Pathology – Jacqueline Emmons, Richmond
Paul C. Weinberg Award – Samia Benslimane, El Paso; Andrea Campaigne, San Antonio
Several faculty members were recognized for their exemplary work this academic year. Outstanding Faculty Awards were awarded in the following categories:
Medicine – Kevin J. Carlin, M.D.
Pathology – Nan Clare, M.D.
Surgery – Robert M. Esterl, M.D.
Cellular and structural biology – Linda Y. Johnson, Ph.D.
Pharmacology – T. Kent Keeton, Ph.D.
Cellular and structural biology – Thomas S. King, Ph.D.
Medicine – Kristy Y. Kosub, M.D.
Surgery (Regional Academic Health Center) – Marion R. Lawler Jr., M.D.
Cellular and structural biology – Fred Richards, Ph.D.
Psychiatry (Regional Academic Health Center) – Clay W. Ross, M.D.
San Antonio (April 27, 2004) – Inadequate access to cancer screening and care is the No. 1 cancer issue for the nation’s 38 million Hispanics/Latinos, according to a report recently issued by Redes En Acción: The National Hispanic/Latino Cancer Network.
In its summary recommendations for a national Hispanic/Latino cancer control agenda, the Redes En Acción Latino Cancer Report ranks the cancer issues of greatest relevance to this country’s Latino population as follows: 1) access to cancer screening and care, 2) tobacco use and cancer, 3) status and communication of cancer risk, 4) association of infectious agents with certain types of cancer, and 5) cancer survivorship and health-related quality of life.
Access to care is a particularly significant problem for Latinos. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Latinos are uninsured at a rate more than three times higher than non-Hispanic whites (32.4 percent versus 10.7 percent).
The Latino Cancer Report includes a series of research recommendations for the priority issues, as well as education, training and outreach recommendations for cancer prevention and control. In addition, the report lists the most important cancer sites, in order of their significance to Latinos, as: 1) breast, 2) cervical, 3) lung, 4) colorectal, 5) prostate, 6) liver, and 7) stomach.
“The consensus recommendations found in the Latino Cancer Report are intended to help shape a national agenda on Hispanic/Latino cancer prevention and control issues,” said Martha A. Medrano, M.D., M.P.H., Redes En Acción South Central Regional Network Center principal investigator and associate professor of psychiatry at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. She is also director of the Medical Hispanic Center of Excellence and assistant dean of continuing medical education at the Health Science Center.
“More specifically, the aim of this report is to assist Redes En Acción in its goals of promoting Hispanic/Latino cancer research, training and public education, as well as providing advisory guidelines for national, regional and local policy makers,” Dr. Medrano said.
The Latino Cancer Report represents four years of research and prioritization and the input of hundreds of scientists, health care professionals, leaders of government agencies and professional and community-based organizations, and other stakeholders in Hispanic/Latino health. The process included participation by Redes En Acción’s National Steering Committee and six Regional Community Advisory Committees, and a survey of 624 key opinion leaders in Hispanic/Latino communities throughout the country.
“Latinos are the largest and fastest-growing minority population in the United States,” Dr. Medrano said. “As this population expands and ages, it is imperative that the resources and strategies employed in the war against cancer be targeted as precisely as possible for maximum effect. Redes En Acción believes this Latino Cancer Report will provide a useful tool for all individuals and organizations engaged in this effort.”
Redes En Acción is a major Special Populations Networks initiative supported by the Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities of the National Cancer Institute. The primary purpose is to create a national and regional infrastructure for collaboration among grassroots leaders, local communities, researchers and public health professionals to stimulate cancer control research, training and awareness. Through network activities, Redes En Acción is establishing training and research opportunities for Latino students and researchers, generating research projects on key cancer issues impacting Latinos and supporting cancer awareness activities. For more information about Redes En Acción, visit www.redesenaccion.org.
Principal Investigator
Amelie G. Ramirez, Dr.P.H.
San Antonio, Texas
210-348-0255
Co-Principal Investigators
Northwest Region
Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable, M.D.
San Francisco, California
415-476-9933
North Central Region
Aida L. Giachello, Ph.D.
Chicago, Illinois
312-413-1952
Northeast Region
Jose R. Marti, M.D.
Brooklyn, New York
718-250-8394
Southwest Region
Gregory A. Talavera, M.D., M.P.H.
San Diego, California
619-594-2362
South Central Region
Martha A. Medrano, M.D., M.P.H.
San Antonio, Texas
210-567-0963
Southeast Region
Frank J. Penedo, Ph.D.
Miami, Florida
305-243-3981
San Antonio (April 22, 2004) – If you like “Jeopardy!” on TV and the workings of the brain, an upcoming event will be right up your intellectual alley. It’s also free and open to the public, so it will fit in with your entertainment budget.
The fifth “Brain Bowl” at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio will pit three teams of college students at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 27. The location is room 209L of the Medical School building, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive in the South Texas Medical Center. The Brain Bowl is a quiz show testing the mettle of undergraduate neuroscience whizzes. This year’s competitors are coming from Trinity University in San Antonio, Southwestern University in Georgetown and Baylor University in Waco. Baylor is the defending champion.
Brain Bowl questions range from relatively easy to very difficult, covering fields of neuroscience research including (1) neurophysiology, (2) neuroanatomy, (3) neurochemistry, (4) drugs and the brain, and (5) the brain and behavior, said David Morilak, Ph.D., the organizer, coordinator and emcee of the event. Dr. Morilak, associate professor of pharmacology at the Health Science Center, created the first Brain Bowl on campus several years ago.
“Students have to buzz in just like on TV, so speed and knowledge count,” he said.
A free reception with finger foods and soft drinks will immediately follow. The reception is an opportunity for undergraduate students interested in neuroscience to network with prominent neuroscientists at the Health Science Center. The students’ faculty mentors also are invited to attend.
Sponsored for the first time by the Center for Biomedical Neuroscience (CBN) at the Health Science Center and the university’s department of pharmacology, the Brain Bowl is the centerpiece of Brain Awareness Week outreach activities conducted by local members of the Society for Neuroscience.
Judges this year are Drs. Larry Parsons of the Health Science Center’s Research Imaging Center; Julie Hensler and Bill Clarke, department of pharmacology; Mary Vaughan, department of cellular and structural biology; and Mark Shapiro, department of physiology, all members of the CBN.
Dr. Morilak compiled all the questions with extensive input from CBN members. A number of other faculty, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and research staff have volunteered to serve as timekeepers, scorekeepers and runners.
“It takes a lot of muscle to put on a Brain Bowl,” Dr. Morilak said.
A stunning loving-cup trophy, the actual “Brain Bowl,” will be presented to the winning team to display at its institution for one year, and prizes will be given to all participants. “Everyone wins at the Brain Bowl,” Dr. Morilak said.
The event is made possible by support from Bioindustrial Products, Fisher Scientific, VWR and the National Society for Neuroscience, in addition to the CBN.
San Antonio (April 20, 2004) – The numbers don’t lie – one in six American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. That’s why men in San Antonio and surrounding counties are invited to make an appointment for an upcoming free screening session. Researchers in the urology division, department of surgery, at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio will see the men during a Saturday morning clinic April 24 at the University Physicians Group Diagnostic Pavilion, 4647 Medical Drive.
The research team seeks to enroll Hispanic, black and non-Hispanic Caucasian men into an ongoing study looking for biomarkers of risk in the genes of these ethnic groups. The study, known as the San Antonio Center of Biomarkers of Risk for Prostate Cancer (SABOR), already has found genetic variations that are important in predisposing a man to prostate cancer, including a particular variation that triples the risk in Hispanic men who have it.
Hours for the clinic are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. To make an appointment, call (210) 567-0214 in San Antonio or toll-free 1-800-335-4594 in surrounding counties. Men who have never been diagnosed with cancer will discuss their medical history, fill out a diet questionnaire, have a prostate exam and give a blood sample. They will be asked to return for annual checkups during the course of the study. Prostate cancer survivors will undergo the same process but are not required to return for further visits. This screening is for men not already enrolled in SABOR.
The entire visit should take about an hour and parking is free. VIA bus connections also are available, as the Diagnostic Pavilion is across the street from University Hospital. Men who would like to participate but cannot attend the clinic may call the same number for a weekday appointment at one of several convenient locations in San Antonio.
The SABOR study has enrolled 3,000 healthy men, including nearly 40 percent from minority groups, a rate much higher than other large national studies of prostate cancer. Now the researchers plan to compare genetic signatures of men who have had the disease against signatures of men who have not had it.
“It is especially important for three groups of men to seriously consider participating – men with a family history of prostate cancer, black men and Hispanic men,” said Ian M. Thompson Jr., M.D., principal investigator for SABOR and professor and deputy chairman of surgery at the Health Science Center. “These three groups are seriously affected by the disease and have not been the subject of sufficient research in the past. As it appears that there is a distinctly different set of risk factors for each ethnic group, it is extremely important that this wide range of individuals participate in this study.”
San Antonio (April 12, 2004) – It was the war to end all wars, and out of World War II came the Greatest Generation our country has ever known. The Dental School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, in recognition of the tremendous sacrifices that freed our world, will offer a continuing dental education course in Washington, D.C., this Memorial Day Weekend at the start of the “America Celebrates the Greatest Generation” tribute, which will include the eagerly anticipated dedication of the National World War II Memorial.
San Antonio dentists, their peers nationwide and members of the general public are invited to attend the course, which is to be followed by a special historical program, “Values of Leadership,” presented by the Dwight D. Eisenhower Foundation and Presidential Library. Guests will represent the military, government, foreign nations and World War II veterans. Secretary of State Colin Powell; Gen. Richard Meyer, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and the two granddaughters of President Eisenhower have been invited to present their perspectives of the values of leadership.
The professional program, presented by Geza T. Terezhalmy, D.D.S., M.A., professor of dental diagnostic science at the Health Science Center, is titled “The Diagnosis and Management of Patients with Selected Oral Soft Tissue Problems and Oral Cancer in General Dentistry.”
Dr. Terezhalmy’s program is Thursday, May 27, and the morning of May 28, followed by a luncheon. The Eisenhower Foundation program, which is free and open to dentists and the public, will follow on May 28. The historic National World War II Memorial dedication is May 29.
The continuing dental education course, historical program and accommodations are at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington. To secure a room at the conference rate, call the hotel by May 6 at (202) 234-0700. To register for the course, call the Office of Continuing Dental Education, (210) 567-3177, at the Health Science Center.
