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Dean’sDeskFrom the
In December, Brian L. Strom, MD,
MPH, a renowned epidemiologist, teacher, and
clinician, and longtime academic leader, became the
inaugural chancellor of Rutgers Biomedical and
Health Sciences.
Dr. Strom, who had been the George S. Pepper
Professor of Public Health and Preventive Medicine,
professor of biostatistics and epidemiology, professor
of medicine, and professor of pharmacology, and
executive vice dean for institutional affairs at the
University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of
Medicine, established Perelman’s program in clinical
epidemiology and biostatistics and is a founder of
the field of pharmacoepidemiology—the application
of epidemiologic methods to the study of drug use
and effects.
He developed a university-wide program in global
health and was instrumental in founding the Inter-
national Clinical Epidemiology Network, which helps
clinical faculty in developing nations better under-
stand the impact of disease and improve the health
of their fellow citizens. Dr. Strom worked to
strengthen clinical care, research, and leadership
within the Penn-affiliated Philadelphia Veterans
Affairs Medical Center and maintained a primary
care practice as a general internist. He holds a BS
in molecular biophysics and biochemistry from Yale
University, a MD from the Johns Hopkins University
School of Medicine, and a MPH in epidemiology from
the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Strom was
elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National
Academy of Sciences in 2001.
Dr. Strom Serves as Inaugural Chancellor of Rutgers Biomedicaland Health Sciences
Messagefrom the Dean
We were pleased to welcome
Brian L. Strom, MD, MPH, on his visit
to our campus this fall, as he toured the
medical school and spoke with faculty.
In December, Dr. Strom became the inau-
gural chancellor of biomedical and health
sciences, with responsibility for the 14
schools under the umbrella of the new
Rutgers Biomedical and Health
Sciences.
Dr. Strom’s arrival is the next exciting
step in our integration with Rutgers, the
State University of New Jersey, a
process that is going extremely well.
We expect continuing excellence and new
growth in all of our programs, as collabo-
rations with our Rutgers colleagues evolve.
Best wishes for a happy and healthy
holiday season!
Peter S. Amenta, MD, PhDDean
Earlier this year, Peter S.Amenta, MD, PhD, dean, pro-posed Conversations with the
Dean, a series of informative dia-logues with community physicians.
“The Conversations are basedon the town halls held with ourregular faculty and are a direct result of ourstrategic plan, which calls for improving com-
munications within the medicalschool and enhancing ties to thecommunity,” says Dr. Amenta.“Volunteer faculty fall into bothcategories: they teach our studentsand residents and care for patientsthroughout the region.”
Dr. Amenta has used the meet-ings to inform community physicians about
—Continued on page 2
Dr. Amenta Initiates Meetings with Community Physicians
Joh
n Em
erson
December 2013/January 2014
Nick Rom
anenko
1
Brian L. Strom, MD, MPH
2
Dean’sDeskFrom the
Welcoming134 first-year students to the White Coat
Ceremony, Peter S. Amenta, MD, PhD, dean,
described the event as “both exciting and historic.”
Among the day’s firsts: medical students received
white coats embroidered with “Rutgers Robert Wood
Johnson Medical School.” Deans—or in
some cases alumni and faculty parents—
helped the students into the new coats.
At the same ceremony, 24 current
medical students were inducted into the
Gold Humanism Honor Society, which recognizes
students who have demonstrated outstanding
clinical and interpersonal skills.
Keynote speaker, Becky Quick, co-anchor of CNBC’s
“Squawk Box” and former editor-in-chief of the
Rutgers Targum, said, “Thank you for choosing this
path; we need you.” Ms. Quick described doctors who
made house calls and took a personal interest in her
brother, who suffered traumatic brain injuries when
a car struck him while he was riding his bicycle.
“Doctors do so much more than heal your body,
they reach you on so many levels,” she said.
Medical Students Don Rutgers White Coats at Opening Ceremony
T he Class of 2017, the first class of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson
Medical School, consists of 134 students.Fifty-four percent are women and 31 per-cent are graduates of Rutgers University.Fifty-three percent are natives of New Jersey, and 19 percent were born abroad,in 15 different countries. The class includes four new MD/PhD students.
Profile of the Class of 2017
Pediatric ENTs Join Department of Surgery
Michael Chee, MD, assistant professor of surgery, and Kelvin M.
Kwong, MD, assistantprofessor of surgery, recently joined the faculty.Both physicians are fellowship-trained in pediatric otolaryngologyand will provide a compre-hensive range of services atRutgers Robert Wood
Johnson Medical
Group’s Somerset officesand The Bristol-MyersSquibb Children’s Hospitalat Robert Wood Johnson
University Hospital. Fewer than three dozen pediatric otolaryngology fellowship programsexist nationwide.
Dr. Amenta InitiatesMeetings with Community Physicians
—Continued from page 1
details of institutional growth such as the in-tegration with Rutgers and the proposedstrategic plan. He has enjoyed the opportu-nity to get to know the volunteer faculty andothers better and address the issues ofgreatest importance to them. “It’s a tremen-dous opportunity,” he says. "Not only do themeetings help keep the community abreastof what’s going on at the medical school,they help us in terms of appointments andannual recognition of volunteer faculty.”
Photos: Steve Hockstein
Top: The Class of 2017 recites the Hippocratic
Oath at the White Coat Ceremony. � Inset left:
Becky Quick, co-anchor of CNBC’s “Squawk Box,”
was the keynote speaker at the White Coat
Ceremony. � Above: Peter S. Amenta, MD, PhD, dean (left)
and Becky Quick, (far right) congratulate student.
Michael Chee, MD
Kelvin M.Kwong, MD
3
IT Fellows’ Experience Will Advance Patient Care
T he Office of the National Coordinator for HealthInformation Technology announced that Frank
Sonnenberg, MD, professor of medicine andmedical director of clinical information systems,Robert Wood Johnson Medical Group, was amember of its inaugural class of Health IT fellows.
The fellows’ viewpoints areinformed by their roles as of-fice staff, clinicians, and ad-ministrators, as well as theirdifferent clinical backgrounds,specialty training, and practicelocation. Each fellow has taken
meaningful IT and leveraged it to make his or herpractice more efficient and innovative.
Health IT.gov featured Dr. Sonnenberg’s “SuccessStory” about the integration of electronic healthrecords (EHR) in the medical group’s 40 specialtypractices. Two efforts were key to group-wide imple-mentation of EHR: with full support from the group’sleadership, he ensured that clinicians led the way inadopting EHR. Second, he headed the drive to im-prove adherence to recording smoking status in theEHR and was able to demonstrate a year later thatpatients had directly benefited from the effort.
Division Offers Comprehensive InternationalTravel Program
The International Travel Program, a serviceof the division of infectious diseases, allergy, and
immunology, offers counseling, immunizations, andprophylaxis in preparation for international travel.
The program stocks and dispenses all licensed im-munizations, including yellow fever vaccination, andprovides an International Certificate of Vaccination,a complete immunization record. It offers detailed, itinerary-specific counseling, including prescriptionsfor malaria prophylaxis and advice about traveler'sdiarrhea, insect bites, and altitude and motion sick-ness. It offers immunizations for people of all ages,taking into account the special needs of children andolder travelers with underlying medical conditions.
Travelers may schedule appointments withphysicians in the New Brunswick, Monroe, orPrinceton offices by calling 732-235-7060.
News
ToHave and to Hold: Maternal Safety and
the Delivery of Safe Patient Care took place on
November 6, with almost 300 people in
attendance. The event was sponsored by
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical
School, the Tara Hansen Foundation, and
Robert Wood Johnson University
Hospital, with support by an educational grant
from the Tara Hansen Foundation.
Every year in the United States, almost 1,000
women die of pregnancy-related complications,
while severe maternal morbidity affects approxi-
mately 52,000 women each year, according to
studies reported in Obstetrics and Gynecology
and by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC). The U.S. mortality ratio is
higher than in most developing countries,
and the CDC expects the numbers of severe
maternal complications and mortality to
increase, based on these trends.
This in-depth conference provided informa-
tion on ways to reverse these trends and reduce
the devastating statistics using evidence-based
standards of patient-centered care that support
maternal safety and promote prevention of
perinatal morbidity and mortality.
Conference Addressed Issues of Maternal Health
Above: Speakers at “To Have and to Hold” conference (left to right): Bonnie Baloga-Altieri, vice president,patient care services and chief nursing officer, Children’s Specialized Hospital; Charletta A. Ayers,MD, associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology, andreproductive sciences; Frank A. Chervenak, MD, GivenFoundation Professor and chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Weill Cornell Medical College; Ryan Hansen, Gloria A. Bachmann, MMS’72, MD, professor and interim chair, Department ofObstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences.
Frank Sonnenberg,MDJohn Em
erson
4
Dean’sDeskFrom the
Melvyn H. MotolinskyFoundation Honors Dr. Rabson
T he Melvyn H. Motolinsky Foundation pre-sented its Distinguished Service Award to
Arnold B. Rabson, MD, director, Child HealthInstitute of New Jersey and Laura GallagherEndowed Professor of Developmental Biology,and professor of pediatrics, pharmacology,and pathology and laboratory medicine.
The foundation has supported several ini-tiatives at the medical school. They include theMelvyn H. Motolinsky Laboratory for Hematol-ogy Research; the Melvyn and Abraham Mo-tolinsky Fellowship, a permanently endowedfellowship that supports a postdoctoral hema-tology researcher; and the Melvyn, Ab andYetta Motolinsky Chair in Hematology. In ad-dition to its recognition of Dr. Rabson, theMotolinsky Foundation honored the lateParvin Saidi, MD, professor of medicine,and director, Motolinsky Hematology Labora-tory, who first held the Motolinsky Chair ofHematology, and Norman Reitman, MD,clinical professor of medicine, a founder andformer chair of the Motolinsky Foundationand former governor of the Board of Trusteesof Rutgers University.
The Boggs Center on Developmental
Disabilities celebrated its 30th anniversary with a
highly successful colloquium, The Power of Listening
in Building a Valued Future. “We discovered our
theme by looking at our history,” says Deborah
M. Spitalnik, PhD, professor of
pediatrics and executive director,
The Boggs Center. “We realized how
much we had learned to guide our
work by listening to people with
disabilities and the families who care
for them.”
Speakers and presenters ranged
from family caregivers telling their
stories, to national colleagues, recog-
nizing the accomplishments of The
Boggs Center as a University Center
for Excellence in Developmental
Disabilities Education, Research, and
Service. Throughout the program,
members of The Boggs Center’s
Writers Group for Family
Caregivers read their poems and
reflections, a deeply moving part of the colloquium.
The colloquium also celebrated the 100th
anniversary of the birth of Elizabeth M. Boggs,
PhD, the formative leader in the field of develop-
mental disabilities for whom the center is named.
Boggs Center Marks 30th Anniversary with Colloquium on “Listening”
T he National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) recently recognized the Eric B. Chandler Health Center
as a Level 2 Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH). The NCQA established the recognition system to measure primary care delivery and encourage improvement. Sandra Adams, executivedirector, Chandler Health Center, says that Chandler earned Level2 recognition by demonstrating the ability to meet the program’skey elements of the medical home. Leading the extraordinaryteam effort were Steven Levin, MD, associate professor of family medicine and community health, and medical director,Chandler Health Center, and Beverly O’Shea, MSN, RNC, AE-C, nursing director.
The PCMH program expedites partnerships between individualpatients and their personal physicians, and, when appropriate,the patient’s family. It provides practices with clear and specificcriteria that assist in organizing care around patients, working inteams, and coordinating and tracking care over time. Informationtechnology and health information exchange are among theprocesses that ensure that patients receive indicated care whenand where they need and want it, in a culturally and linguisticallyappropriate manner.
National Organization Recognizes Quality of Care at Chandler Health Center
Community HealthJohn Em
ersonArnold B. Rabson, MD
Above: The Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities staff celebrated the 30th anniversary of thecenter at the colloquium, “The Power ofListening in Building a Valued Future.”Deborah M. Spitalnik, PhD (first row,third from left), professor of pediatrics, is the director of The Boggs Center.
5
Dr. Scholz Retires after 30-Year Career at theMedical School
Peter M. Scholz, MD, James W. MackenzieProfessor of Surgery, retired on September 1,
after 30 years on the faculty. Dr. Scholz served fouryears as chief of the section of cardiac surgery andfive years as chief of the division of cardiothoracicsurgery. Of his many achievements, however, hefeels most proud of the thoracic surgery residencytraining program, which he helped establish andled for 15 years—the last 12 as director. The pro-gram trained 20 cardiothoracic surgeons, withmany going into academic medicine and becominginnovators and leaders in the field.
Dr. Scholz, a physician-scientist, served since2010 as associate dean for clinical and transla-tional research. His research, which he will pursuein retirement, focuses on the development andtreatment of cardiac hypertrophy and cardiac fail-ure on a cellular level. Supported since 1988 bythe National Institutes of Health, it has resulted in134 publications in peer-reviewed journals.
He hopes to team up with a multinational simu-lation company to develop innovative educationaltools for training in procedure-oriented specialties.The goal is to use reality computer technology toshorten the learning curve for trainees and im-prove quality of care and patient safety.
News
Since 2009, 25 members of the
faculty have participated in an interdisciplinary
leadership series developed and run by the
Rutgers Office for the Promotion of
Women in Science, Technology, and
Mathematics. The Objective Analysis of Self
and Institution Seminar (OASIS), an intensive,
weeklong program, is designed to accelerate
the career development and advancement
of academic women in science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics—including
social and health science fields. Participants
tend to be emerging leaders at different levels
in their field. MDs as well as PhDs, they con-
tribute diverse experience in research, patient
care, education, and the physical sciences.
“OASIS reflects the current effort of the
AAMC [Association of American Medical
Colleges] to bring women forward in leadership
roles,” says David Swee, MD, professor of
family medicine and community health and
associate dean for faculty
affairs and faculty develop-
ment.
Lisa Denzin, PhD,
associate professor of
pediatrics and member,
Child Health Institute of New Jersey, participated
in OASIS in the spring of 2013. The program
combines lectures, peer-mentoring workshops,
and one-on-one coaching, making it extremely
effective, says Dr. Denzin, who particularly
enjoyed the small group discussions with women
who had faced similar challenges and found
novel solutions.
Women Scientists, Emerging as Leaders, Benefit from OASIS
The newly established Center for
Peripheral Neuropathy offers comprehensive,
specialized assessment, therapy, and counseling
to patients suffering from peripheral neuropathy
(PN). The condition is usually caused by toxic
metabolic disturbances that damage the periph-
eral nervous system. Diabetes causes approxi-
mately 60 percent of about 20 million cases of
PN in the U.S. Peripheral neuropathy may also
stem from nutritional deficiencies, autoimmune,
or drug/toxin-induced processes and can also
result from hereditary gene mutations.
The Department of Neurology created the
center as a single location where patients with
PN can be referred for advanced diagnosis,
symptom management, and remedial treatment.
Diagnosis is made using electromyography, nerve
conduction studies, skin biopsy, and spinal fluid
analysis, as well as autoantibody or gene testing.
“The first symptoms are often slight tingling,
numbness, or imbalance, often erroneously
attributed to back problems or simply old age,”
says the center’s director,
Shan Chen, MD, PhD,
assistant professor of
neurology. “Prompt
diagnosis and identifying
the etiologies are critically
important since, untreated, the condition will
generally progress, causing severe disability.”
Peripheral Neuropathy Center Provides Specialized Diagnosis and Treatment
T he Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is proud to report that the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals rankings named the JFK Johnson Rehabilitation
Institute among the “Best Rehabilitation Hospitals in the Nation.” The institute was ranked third in New Jersey and number 14 in the New York metropolitan area. It ranked as number 17 nationwide in adult rehabilitation.
JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute Earns National Ranking
John EmersonPeter M. Sholz, MD
Shan Chen, MD, PhD
Steve Hockstein
Lisa Denzin, PhD
Steve Hockstein
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson
Medical School and Ernest MarioSchool of Pharmacy have developed adual-degree program combining a doctor-ate in pharmacy with a medical degree. The schools will launch the new PharmD/MD program within the coming year. “Thisnew program builds on an establishedfoundation of collaboration between our
two institutions,and we are partic-ularly indebted toDean JosephBarone for devis-ing and bringing itto fruition,” saysPeter S. Amenta
MD, PhD, dean. Health care
education professionals believe that thisprogram will be the first of its kind. Theyhope it will serve as a model to better prepare the experts who will drive nationalhealth care policy under the Affordable CareAct. To better train health care profes-sionals as leaders in policy, research,and clinical settings, the program willintegrate core instruction in basic andclinical sciences with clinical clerk-ships and rotations, says Dr. Amenta.It will provide students with a morecomplete understanding of both thediagnostic and treatment sides ofhealth care, with the ultimate goal of providing more comprehensive patient care. The 10-year PharmD/MDprogram is available only to studentsenrolled in the PharmD program atthe School of Pharmacy.
6
Dean’sDeskFrom the
As a middle school student, Barbara Andrews was skeptical when her principal told herthat she had been recommended for Rutgers
Future Scholars (RFS). The program, now in its fifthyear, annually selects 200, inner-city students as participants.
“This was the only opportu-nity I had,” Barbara says. So shecommitted to spending every
summer taking RFS classes—in which she wouldexcel—and learning from the program’s mentors and counselors. Last spring, the Piscataway High School senior learned that she had been accepted to Rutgers’ New Brunswick campus. Out of 200 seventh graders selected for RFS, she was one of 183 who will start college this fall—including 98who earned full scholarships to Rutgers.
Barbara is the second youngest of nine children of Lisa Andrews, a medical assistant in the division of urology. She had always assumed she couldn’t goto college because her family couldn’t afford it. “Barbara and her mother are cut from the same bolt of cloth,” says Joseph G. Barone, MD ’87,professor of surgery and surgeon-in-chief, Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital. “Lisa started with no certification and worked hard to earn it,while being mentored and supported at the medical school.”
Barbara Andrews, Rutgers Student, Benefited from College Prep Program
Schools Launch DualPharmD/MD Program
Education
� U.S. Army Specialist Kevin Parks ’15 was among 10 recipi-ents of the New Jersey Heroes “Heart of a Hero” Scholarship.Parks and two friends began RU-SERVS (Rutgers University-Services, Education and Resources for Veterans.)
� Louis Chai ’16, was selected as vice chair of the NationalCommunity Service Committee for the medical student section of the American Medical Association. In this position,he will run the National Service Project at the biannual national meetings, working with the chair of the committeeand other members.
Student Honors and Awards
� January 14: 26th Annual Career Night� 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. � Great Hall � Piscataway� Contact: [email protected]
Dean’sDeskFrom the
Director: Patricia M. HansenEditor: Roberta RibnerWriters: Kate O’Neill � Jennifer ForbesArt Director: Barbara Walsh
Published by Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Part of Rutgers, The State University of New JerseyDepartment of Communications and Public Affairs
Save the Date
Saturday, April 12, 2014 � 6:30 pmThe Heldrich � New Brunswick
2014 Gala Award Recipients:
Meritorious Service Award: Eric B. Chandler Health Center
Distinguished Alumni Award: Jeffrey N. Bruce, MD ’83
Edgar M. Housepian Professor of NeurologicalSurgery, Vice Chair of Academic Affairs; Director, Bartoli Brain Tumor Research
Laboratory; Co-Director, Brain Tumor Center, New York-Presbyterian/Columbia
Honorary Alumni Award: Joseph R. Bertino, MD
University Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson
Medical School; Associate Director and Chief Scientific Officer, Rutgers Cancer
Institute of New Jersey
4th Annual
Scholarship
to Celebrate with Alumni and Friends
Joseph Barone
Nick Rom
anenko
Barbara Andrews
Courtesy of Lisa A
ndrews
7
Alumni Association AwardsHippocrates Scholarship toAnousheh Shafa ’17
Jeffrey Brenner, MD ’95, was “simplystunned” to learn in an unexpected mid-after-
noon phone call that he had been named a Fellowof the MacArthur Foundation. Each 2013 fellow will receive a no-strings-attached, five-year, $625,000stipend, known informally as a “MacArthur geniusgrant,” to follow his or her own creative vision.
The award recognizes Dr. Brenner’s work in Camden as founder and executive director of theCamden Coalition of Healthcare Providers. Usingdata collected from the city’s public and privateproviders, the coalition identified the health care system’s small percentage of “superusers.” Each ofthese patients received a program of personalized,coordinated care that markedly improved theirhealth, reduced their health crises, and decreasedcosts to the system.
His work in Camden follows a logical trajectory.As a second-year medical student with a passion
for science and data, a gift for building collabora-tion, and a determination to develop young leader-ship, he co-founded HIPHOP (The Homelessand Indigent Population Health Outreach
Project) at Robert Wood Johnson Medical
School. This student-directed clinic for the med-ically underserved would serve as a model for thework he has done in Camden over the past 20years. “Now my goal is to continue bending thecost curve, to make Camden first in health care,”says Dr. Brenner. “The MacArthur award puts mo-mentum behind that effort.”
Jeffrey Brenner, MD ’95 Receives MacArthur “Genius” Award
Alumni
Steve Hockstein
Anousheh Shafa ’17
The Alumni Association awarded this year’sHippocrates Scholarship to Anousheh Shafa
’17, of Saddle Brook. The scholarship, annuallyawarded to a first-year student based on academicexcellence, provides $20,000 toward tuition eachyear.
Anousheh’s premedical studies began at theAcademy for Medical Science Technology, a magnethigh school in Bergen County. Anatomy and physiol-
ogy courses sparked an interest in neuroscienceand behavioral biology, her major at Emory University, where her honors thesis investigated thedevelopment of children’s chronological memory.
After graduation, Anousheh taught for Teachfor America in East Oakland, California, worked asan ER scribe in Paterson, and tutored science andmath. “It gave me a clearer idea of what I wantedto do,” she says. “I connected well with the innercity population and learned a lot from them. WhenI decided to return to medicine, I wanted to benear my family, at a school in an urban setting.”In visits to New Brunswick and Piscataway, shewas attracted to the medical school’s congenialenvironment, the range of students and programs,and “the Rutgers spirit.” At an admitted-students’reception last spring, she was astonished howmany people remembered her. “Then came thephone call from Dr. Terregino offering me the Hippocrates Scholarship,” says Anousheh. “And that clinched it.”
Jeffrey Brenner, MD ’95
Courtesy of the John D
. and Catherine T. M
acArthur Foundation
Dr. Chada Identifies Role of Gene in MetastaticBreast Cancer
A study, led by Kiran Chada, PhD, professorof biochemistry and molecular biology, shows
that metastasis in breast cancer and the risk ofdeath are reduced when thefunction of the gene HMGA2 islimited. This finding, publishedin Cancer Research, may beused to develop therapeutictreatments for patients. Only asubset of cancer cells in the pri-mary tumor is potentially
metastatic, says Dr. Chada, and these cells are foundat the edge of the tumor in a region known as theinvasive front. These potentially metastatic cells aredistinct in their appearance and molecular profile ascompared to the cells in the rest of the tumor.
Dr. Chada’s laboratory showed that normal cellsdo not express HMGA2, and the expression of thisgene product converts normal cells into metastaticcells. In additional research, the researchers showedthat mice unable to express the HMGA2 gene werefound to have a substantially reduced incidence ofbreast cancer. “Further studies could result in the de-velopment of therapeutic treatments for patientswith breast cancer, which could prevent HMGA2’sfunction, reduce the spread of cancer, and extend apatient’s life,” says Dr. Chada.
Kiran Chada, PhD
Steve Hockstein
Research
� The State of New Jersey Commission onSpinal Cord Research awarded a $600,000grant to Michael Matise, PhD, associateprofessor of neuroscience and cell biology, primary investigator of “The Role of the Shh inMediating the Response of Adult Spinal CordStem Cells to Injury.”
� The New Jersey Commission on Brain InjuryResearch awarded $360,000 to SmitaThakker-Varia, PhD, associate professor of neuroscience and cell biology, principal investigator of “Ephrin Signaling in Axon Regeneration for the Treatment of TBI.”Co-investigators on this project are JanetAlder, PhD, associate professor of neuro-science and cell biology, and Renping Zhou,PhD, professor and chair, Department ofChemical Biology, Rutgers Ernest MarioSchool of Pharmacy.
Grants:
NeuroNews, a London-based web site for neu-rointerventionists, featured an interview with
Shabbar Danish, MD ’01, assistant professor ofneurosurgery and director, stereotactic and functionalneurosurgery, published on August 30. Dr. Danishdiscussed promising preliminary results using mini-mally invasive laser ablation instead of open cran-iotomy to treat inoperable brain tumors, refractoryepilepsy, and refractory cancer pain. The procedurehas been used to treat brain tumors since the 1980sbut is much newer as a treatment for epilepsy. “This procedure aims to achieve the same outcome with-
out having the patients undergo an open operation,”says Dr. Danish, who has performed more than 100 laser ablations. “The open or more risky alternative isalways an option, but if we can achieve the sameoutcomes with a minimally invasive procedure, whywould we not take that approach?”
U SA Today published the recommendation ofMichael B. Steinberg, MD ’94, MPH,
associate professor of medicine and director, TobaccoDependence Program, that theminimum age for legal cigarettepurchase be raised to 21.
As of 2011, about 18 percentof high school students and 4percent of middle school students were smokers, accord-ing to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. Those numbers are declining,says Dr. Steinberg, but it is unacceptable that almostone in five teenagers leaves high school as a smoker.Dr. Steinberg’s proposal appeared in an opinion boxaccompanying recommendations by the U.S. Preven-tive Services Task Force that physicians take an activerole in advising children and teenagers about the risksof smoking. The task force findings, first published inthe Annals of Medicine and Pediatrics, stemmedfrom studies showing that a physician’s anti-smokingmessage to patients can be more influential thancounsel of a parent, teacher, or peer.
Discovery May Lead to Targeted Therapy for Aggressive Prostate Cancer
Dr. Steinberg RecommendsRaising Minimum Age for Cigarette Sales
Joseph Fondell, PhD, associate professor ofpharmacology, was senior author of a study that
identifies MED1 as a potential clue associated withaggressive prostate cancer. The findings were
published in the July issue ofMolecular Cancer Research andhighlighted on the cover of thejournal, a publication of theAmerican Association for CancerResearch.
“As MED1 is a known co-activator of androgen receptors, its overexpressionmight facilitate alternative gene expression patternsthat drive treatment-resistant cancer cell growth inthe prostate,” Dr. Fondell says.
At the time of the study, Feng Jin, PhD, first author, was a graduate student in Dr. Fondell’s lab.“Our study showed for the first time that MED1 expression is elevated in malignant cells of a statisti-cally significant number of patients with clinicalprostate cancer and that this overexpression corre-lates with an increase in cancer cell growth and in-vasiveness,” says Dr. Jin. “In addition, it showed thatoverexpression of MED1 may also be involved withinflammation of the prostate.”
Further study using mouse models showed thattwo protein kinases, ERK and PI3K/AKT, were over-active and responsible for MED1 over-production,ultimately accelerating the progression and spreadof prostate cancer.
8
Dean’sDeskFrom the
Dr. Danish DiscussesLaser Ablation in NeuroNews
Research
Michael B.Steinberg,MD ’94, MPH
Steve Hockstein
Joseph Fondell, PhD
Steve Hockstein
Yacov Ron, PhD, Professor of Pharmacology
T he medical school communitylearned with sadness of the pass-
ing of Yacov Ron, PhD, professor ofpharmacology. Dr. Ron was an expert incellular mechanisms of autoimmunityand gene transfer approaches for treat-ment of autoimmune diseases. Early inhis career, he established his reputationby demonstrating B-cells as major antigen-presenting cells for T-cell prim-ing, a novel concept that went againstthe then prevailing immunology ideology. Most recently, he studied T-cell tolerance in an effort to under-stand the mechanism of autoimmuneneuropathies, such as multiple sclero-sis, and how to use gene therapy totreat such illnesses.
Dr. Ron earned a doctorate in cell biology from The Weizmann Institute ofScience, in Israel, and then completedfellowships at Yale University and TheScripps Research Institute. He joinedthe medical school faculty in 1988 andserved as a member of the graduateprogram in molecular genetics and microbiology at Rutgers throughout histenure.
Dr. Ron’s colleagues and students regarded him highly for his collegiality,deep understanding of immunology,scientific rigor and energy. A former student and close collaborator described him as an ideal mentor, helping students and young scientists.
In Memoriam John EmersonShabbar Danish, MD ’01
9
Appointments
� Peter S. Amenta, MD, PhD, dean, wasasked to continue as a member of theBoard of Trustees of Cooper UniversityHealth Care.
� Oliver Choo, MD ’09, one of the 2013graduating residents in the Departmentof Anesthesiology, received the highestscore in the country on the AmericanBoard of Anesthesiology Part I writtenexam. Dr. Choo is currently an attendinganesthesiologist at University MedicalCenter at Princeton.
� The American Society of Reproductive Medicine selected Kathleen Hong, MD,a second-year fellow in the Department ofObstetrics, Gynecology, and ReproductiveSciences, division of reproductive en-docrinology and infertility, to receive a2013 in-training award.
� Fred A. Kobylarz, MD, MPH, asso-ciate professor of family medicine andcommunity health and co-director,Geriatric Fellowship Program, wasnamed to the New Jersey Alzheimer’sDisease Study Commission.
� Michael Lewis, PhD, University Dis-tinguished Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, was honored by a LectioMagistralis address, “Development ofTypical and Deviant Emotional Devel-opment,” at the Sapienza University ofRome.
� Barbara M. Ostfeld, PhD, professorof pediatrics, was honored in Octoberat the Signature Chefs Auction, a benefit for the March of Dimes.
� Marc L. Steinberg, PhD, assistantprofessor of psychiatry, was appointedassociate editor for the internationalpeer-reviewed journal, Nicotine & To-bacco Research.
� Nathan Treff, PhD, associate profes-sor of obstetrics, gynecology, and re-productive sciences, won the AmericanSociety of Reproductive Medicine’syoung investigator award.
� The Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Animal Care Fa-
cilities received full accreditationfrom the Association for Assessmentand Accreditation of Laboratory Ani-mal Care.
� Robert C. Like, MD, professor offamily medicine and community healthand director, Center for Healthy Fami-lies and Cultural Diversity presented awebinar, “Best Practices for ImprovingCultural Competency in the HealthCare Workforce,” at the invitation ofthe National Conference of State Leg-islatures. In addition, Dr. Like will bean invited participant in Qatar’s FirstCultural Competence in HealthcareSymposium, sponsored by Weill Cor-nell Medical College in Qatar, in 2014.
� Martha Lansing, MD, associate professor of family medicine and community health, was invited to be a member of the Family Medicine Residency Review Committee of the Accreditation Council for GraduateMedical Education.
Kudos
C éline Gélinas, PhD, professor of biochemistry and molecular
biology, was appointed interim senior associate dean for research.
Dr. Gélinas joined the faculty of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
in 1988 as a resident member
of the Center for Advanced
Biotechnology and Medicine.
In 1995, she became a mem-
ber of The Cancer Institute of
New Jersey and in 2008 was
appointed associate dean for
research.
In her internationally rec-
ognized research, Dr. Gélinas
investigates the mechanisms
involved in cancer develop-
ment and progression. She has made significant contributions to under-
standing the role of the Rel/NF-kB signaling pathway in the regulation
of gene expression, apoptosis, tumor development and chemoresistance.
She was elected as a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology
in 2010.
Dr. Gélinas earned her doctoral degree at the Université de Sherbrooke
in Québec, where she had been a pre-doctoral fellow of the National
Cancer Institute of Canada. She completed her postdoctoral training in
the laboratory of Nobel Laureate Howard M. Temin, PhD, at the McArdle
Laboratory for Cancer Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison,
where she studied retroviruses and oncogenes as a King George V Silver
Jubilee fellow of the National Cancer Institute of Canada.
Dr. Gélinas Appointed Interim SeniorAssociate Dean for Research
Dr. Kelly Appointed Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education
Michael Kelly, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics, was ap-pointed associate dean for graduate medical education. Dr. Kelly
joined the faculty in December 2001 and has served as chair of the Resi-dent Education Committee in Pediatrics. An attending physician in thepediatric intensive care unit at the Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hos-pital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, he was the director forthe pediatric critical care medicine sub-internship and has served as pe-diatric residency program director since 2006. In addition, he chairs theGraduate Medical Education Subcommittee on Strategic Planning.
Dr. Kelly holds a medical degree from SUNY-Downstate and com-pleted his internship and residency in general pediatrics at New York Hospital. After serving as pediatric chief resident at New York MethodistHospital, he returned to New York Hospital/Cornell Medical Center tocomplete a fellowship in pediatric critical care medicine.
Céline Gélinas, PhD
The Cystic Fibrosis Center
of Rutgers Robert Wood
Johnson Medical School and The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood JohnsonUniversity Hospital has been se-lected by the Cystic Fibrosis Founda-tion for the foundation’s prestigiousQuality Care Award for 2012-2013.
Instituted in 2008, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Quality Care
Awards recognize centers that havecontinuously demonstrated a com-mitment to improving the quality ofcare they provide to people with cystic fibrosis (CF). The Cystic FibrosisCenter has been consistently rankedamong the best programs in the nation for lung function and nutri-tion status in individuals with CF. It is one of only three level III CFcenters in the state that is accreditedby the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.The center’s Adult CF Program, accredited by the foundation in2007, is one of only 96 accreditedprograms nationwide serving adultswith CF.
Cystic Fibrosis Center Receives National Quality Care Award
A.J. Sundstrom