Discovery Drive Volume 2 Issue 1

Discovery DriveNews from the Roseman University College of Medicine

2015

SUMM

ER 2015 PUBLISHING SEMIANNUALLY VO

LUME 2, ISSUE 1

INSIDE:• SummerlinCampusExpansion-pg4• PathofaRosemanMedicalStudent-pg6• Roseman'sWomeninScience-pg10

PUBLISHERJason RothEDITOR

Rachael WadleyGRAPHIC DESIGNER

Rachael WadleyPHOTOGRAPHERS

Francia GarciaChase Schmidt

Jason Roth

Discovery Drive is published two times per year by the Roseman University College of Medicine, 10530 Discovery Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89135.

[email protected] (702) 822-5330

© 2015

On the cover: Roseman acquires flagship building of the former Nevada Cancer Institute.

Read more on page 4.

JoinusonourjourneyaswebuildapremierCollegeofMedicine

inSouthernNevadaDonatetodayat

www.roseman.edu/donate

LEARNMOREJoin us Monday,May18 at 4:00 p.m. or

Wednesday,June17 at 11:30 a.m.at Roseman’s Summerlin campus

for special presentations about the impactthe College of Medicine will have on Southern Nevada.

Please register or request more information byemailing [email protected] or calling (702) 822-5330.

2 | Discovery Drive Summer 2015

www.roseman.edu/medicine | 3

Welcome to our summer 2015 issue of Discovery Drive, which is designed to keep you up-to-date with the newest

developments at Roseman University’s College of Medicine and its education and research endeavors.

As our Southern Nevada weather transitions from the cool-ness of spring to the warmth of summer, things are heating up at Roseman’s College of Medicine as well. I am delighted to have welcomed five new faculty members over the past few months, with responsibilities ranging from biomedical sciences and academic affairs to curriculum development, student affairs, and clinical affairs.

The College of Medicine is currently housed in the Engels-tad Cancer Research Building, located at 10530 Discovery Drive in Summerlin.

Of course, Roseman University’s recent acquisition of the flagship building of the former Nevada Cancer Institute is another tremendously positive development, and will greatly enhance the operations and scope of the College. We are proud to bring the flagship building at One Breakthrough Way back online, to the benefit of the people of Southern Nevada. The College of Medicine is growing, and we are continu-ing to create a strong foundation for this new enterprise, guided by our College mission.

The mission for the College of Medicine is to improve the health of the communities in Southern Nevada and the Intermountain West by:

• Educating competent, caring and ethical physicians from diverse backgrounds, with a focus on primary care and other needed specialties• Conducting biomedical, translational, and clinical research that advances solutions to the healthcare needs of the communities that Roseman serves• Providing quality patient-centered care and service to our partner communities

To fulfill this important mission, the support and involvement of the Southern Nevada community will be vital. I invite you to reach out to me and get involved with Roseman’s College of Medicine. Please join us by sharing your expertise, becoming a volunteer, or supporting the College as a benefactor. You can learn more at Roseman.edu/medicine, and request more information by sending an email to [email protected].

With appreciation for your interest and advocacy,

Mark A. Penn, MD, MBAFounding DeanCollege of Medicine

GreetingsfromtheDean


Long viewed as the jewel of the former Nevada Cancer Institute, the state-of-the-

art patient care building is now being reborn as the flagship facility of Roseman Univer-sity’s Summerlin campus, and home to its College of Medicine. The iconic building had been vacant for over two years when Roseman acquired it from the University of California, San Diego on April 13.

Located at One Breakthrough Way, near Town Center Drive and the 215 beltway, the four-level, 143,290 square-foot building almost doubles the size of Roseman’s Sum-merlin campus, which already includes the Ralph & Betty Engelstad Cancer Research Building located right across the street on Discovery Drive.

The facility features 12 laboratories, 14 patient exam rooms, a chemotherapy infusion suite with 16 chairs and five private rooms, an imaging suite, a radiology suite with six patient exam rooms, and a patient pharmacy. From a community and administrative per-spective, the building also contains a 100-seat auditorium, multiple conference rooms, and a full service café, as well as additional office and other functional space. Special amenities in the flagship building include a three-story lobby highlighted by a 30-foot waterwall and an 18-foot, 1,000-pound glass chande-lier from the studio of renowned artist Dale Chihuly.

Roseman University President Renee Coffman noted the acquisition of the building

further demonstrates Roseman’s commitment to meeting the healthcare and educational needs of the people of Southern Nevada. “This new College of Medicine facility will greatly expand Roseman’s opportunities for medical education, patient care, and research. This will allow the University to increase its already significant contributions to healthcare, as well as to the economies of Clark County and the state, without taxpayer dollars,” she said.

As a non-profit university, Roseman is in turn inviting philanthropic support from the community. Benefactors can fund endowed chairs and scholarships, and provide addi-tional operational support to help underwrite the development of the College of Medicine. Such support would provide important start-up needs, including bridge funding to hire accomplished clinical and research teaching faculty and to retrofit facilities with critical spaces such as Roseman’s signature “in the round” classrooms, a medical library, a simu-lated patient care center, and an anatomy lab.

The acquisition of the patient care building offers Roseman’s College of Medicine greater flexibility as it continues to refine its plans for medical education, biomedical research, community outreach and public education programs, and clinical care. The building will also allow the University to offer its medi-cal students, along with its pharmacy, dental medicine and nursing students, enhanced inter-professional learning and simulated patient care opportunities. The College of

Medicine continues to progress through the accreditation process toward the goal of en-rolling 60 medical students in the fall of 2017.

“It is gratifying and exciting to know that the spectacular flagship building, as part of Roseman University’s College of Medicine, will once again help to advance medical education and research for the benefit of the people of Las Vegas and Nevada,” said Heather Murren, founder of the Nevada Cancer Institute. "This facility is a unique and important asset to our community that benefited thousands of patients, scientists and scholars, and I am happy to see it once more deployed to serve a critical purpose.”

Almost 30 College of Medicine faculty, researchers, and staff are currently housed in Roseman’s Engelstad Cancer Research Build-ing, working on curriculum development, the accreditation process, and biomedical research. With the new space the flagship building affords, many of those faculty and staff will be relocating to the flagship building to continue their efforts to develop Roseman’s College of Medicine.

Interested in supporting the University or taking a tour of Roseman’s College of Medicine facilities? Visit www.roseman.edu/medicine to make a gift, and email [email protected] or call (702) 822-5330 for more information about public events and private tours.

CollegeofMedicineSecuresSecondFacility


Founding the College of Medicine at Roseman University of Health Sciences requires significant financial investment. Quality medical education technology, student resources and support, community healthcare clinics, faculty and research are all areas where funding is

needed. It is an excellent time to become a donor, or increase your giving to Roseman University.You can show your support of our mission by participating in a naming opportunity. This is a unique way to attach your name, or the

name of a loved one, to Roseman University’s history - and Southern Nevada’s future. You are creating a tangible legacy of your personal connection to our community for years to come.

The College of Medicine offers naming opportunities for individuals, families, corporations, and foundations, ranging from $25,000 to $6,000,000+. For more information, please call (702) 822-5330.

CreatingaLastingLegacy

SimulationClinicSurgicalSuite

Auditorium

Classroom

ResearchLab

AnatomyLabSimulationClinicExamRoom

PATH OF A ROSEMANMEDICAL STUDENT

Fall 2018

RESIDENCY LENGTHS FOR SELECTED SPECIALTIES

Family Medicine3 years

Emergency Medicine3 or 4 years

General Internal Medicine3 years

Pediatrics 3 years

Obstetrics & Gynecology 4 years

Anesthesiology4 years

Psychiatry4 years

Orthopedic Surgery5 years

*“The United States Medical Licensing Examination ® (USMLE®) is a three-stepexamination for medical licensure in the U.S., sponsored by the Federation of State

Medical Boards and the National Board of Medical Examiners.”

USMLE Step 2 Preparation & Exams*

National Resident Match Program Match Day –

March 2021Capstone & Transition

to Residency

Classes begin & white coat ceremony

Fall 2017

EDUCATIONAL BLOCKS Introduction to Medicine

Molecular & Cellular Foundations

Basic Disease MechanismsAnatomy Foundations

Musculoskeletal & DermatologyCardiovascular System

Pulmonary SystemGastrointestinal System

Renal System

1YEAR

2YEAREDUCATIONAL BLOCKS

Reproductive & Endocrine Systems

NeuroscienceInfection & Immunity

OncologyBehavior & Health

Human Life Cycle

EDUCATIONAL BLOCKS - CLERKSHIPS

Family MedicineInternal Medicine

NeurologyPsychiatry

Ob-GynSurgery

Pediatrics

Fall 2019

3YEAR

Fall 2020

4YEAR

Pre-med StudiesMCATs

Roseman Admits Students According to

College of Medicine Values

GraduationJune 2021

USMLE Step 3 exam*

H E L L Omy name is

RESIDENCYBEGINS

USMLE Step 1 Preparation

& Exam*

2013 - 2017


PATH OF A ROSEMANMEDICAL STUDENT

Fall 2018

RESIDENCY LENGTHS FOR SELECTED SPECIALTIES

Family Medicine3 years

Emergency Medicine3 or 4 years

General Internal Medicine3 years

Pediatrics 3 years

Obstetrics & Gynecology 4 years

Anesthesiology4 years

Psychiatry4 years

Orthopedic Surgery5 years

*“The United States Medical Licensing Examination ® (USMLE®) is a three-stepexamination for medical licensure in the U.S., sponsored by the Federation of State

Medical Boards and the National Board of Medical Examiners.”

USMLE Step 2 Preparation & Exams*

National Resident Match Program Match Day –

March 2021Capstone & Transition

to Residency

Classes begin & white coat ceremony

Fall 2017

EDUCATIONAL BLOCKS Introduction to Medicine

Molecular & Cellular Foundations

Basic Disease MechanismsAnatomy Foundations

Musculoskeletal & DermatologyCardiovascular System

Pulmonary SystemGastrointestinal System

Renal System

1YEAR

2YEAREDUCATIONAL BLOCKS

Reproductive & Endocrine Systems

NeuroscienceInfection & Immunity

OncologyBehavior & Health

Human Life Cycle

EDUCATIONAL BLOCKS - CLERKSHIPS

Family MedicineInternal Medicine

NeurologyPsychiatry

Ob-GynSurgery

Pediatrics

Fall 2019

3YEAR

Fall 2020

4YEAR

Pre-med StudiesMCATs

Roseman Admits Students According to

College of Medicine Values

GraduationJune 2021

USMLE Step 3 exam*

H E L L Omy name is

RESIDENCYBEGINS

USMLE Step 1 Preparation

& Exam*

2013 - 2017



The foundation of any college of medicine has several pillars: an accomplished and

dedicated faculty, well-prepared students com-mitted to providing excellent patient care, and a strong up-to-date curriculum. The curricu-lum for Roseman’s College of Medicine will incorporate the University’s innovative aca-demic model, which since 1999 has produced highly competent graduates in the University’s other colleges and programs: pharmacy, nurs-ing, dental medicine, and an MBA program with a healthcare focus.

The components of Roseman’s innovative and highly effective academic model, include:

• block curriculum• active, small group learning and collaboration• mastery learning • frequent assessments, and • high levels of attainment (passing grade is 90%)

A traditional medical school curriculum, for example, might have students taking four separate classes in the first semester, focused on different subjects: biochemistry, gross anatomy, cell biology, and medical genetics. These students would go from class to class,

switching their attention and areas of study as they do so. Students would have separate exams on these different subjects, further fragmenting the learning process.

Rather than utilizing that model, Rose-man’s medical students will use the Univer-sity’s block curriculum system. In a block curriculum, students learn broad, integrated “content areas” rather than single subjects.

Roseman’s medical students will begin with an “Introduction to Medicine” block, followed by several weeks dedicated to study of the “Molecular and Cellular Foundations of Medicine,” and then turn their focus to “Basic Disease Mechanisms.” The remaining blocks in students’ first two years will be focused on organ systems, from Foundations of Anatomy to the Musculoskeletal System and Dermatol-ogy, the Cardiovascular System, Neuroscience, etc.

Further enhancing the learning process, a typical Roseman student attends class from 8:00 a.m to 3:00 p.m. each day. Classes involve periods of lecture alternating with active learning in small groups. For example, a faculty member may lecture for 45 minutes on infectious disease, then students break into their assigned group of 6-8 classmates to re-search how the standard of care or treatment

protocols for infectious disease have changed. Following the small group learning time, students return to the main class to present their findings. This model touches all learning styles, and requires active participation rather than simply passive listening.

The block curriculum also allows faculty members ample time to cover all aspects of the topic without repetition. Having consecu-tive days to teach means that faculty members do not have to spend time on reviewing mate-rial covered in past classes, as is often the case in a class that meets once a week.

This active learning model is strengthened by Roseman’s signature classrooms, which are built “in the round.” In these classrooms, students are highly engaged with the learning process, for no student is seated more than four rows from the professor.

Other signature components of Roseman’s academic model are its assessment process and grading methodology.

Traditional universities test students at infrequent intervals – perhaps three or four times per semester, including final exams. Roseman assesses students every two weeks on their mastery of the material that has been presented.

Every other Friday, Roseman students take an individual exam. After handing their exam in, they immediately break into their small groups and take the same exam – confer-ring with their classmates on the answers they believe to be correct. This enables an additional layer of learning as the group debates and comes to consensus on the cor-rect answers. When groups have completed their exams, they hand them in, and then proceed directly into an exam review session. In this session, every faculty member involved in teaching in the previous two weeks reviews the questions relevant to their areas, and discusses the correct answers and why they are correct. This delivers immediate feedback and layers on yet an-

InnovativeModelSupportsStudentSuccess

CollegeofMedicineValues-Competence

other level of learning and understanding for students.

Roseman’s grading methodology is unique as well. Because Roseman students are in the health sciences, University founders Dr. Harry Rosenberg, Dr. Renee Coffman, and Dr. Charles Lacy felt standard grading practices (where grades of B of C are accept-able) did not adequately prepare students for their professions and treatment of patients. At

Roseman, students are graded on a pass/fail system, where the passing grade is 90%.

Roseman also values early clinical experi-ences for students. It is anticipated that our medical students will be in hospital/clinical settings early in their studies, following a twelve-week block concurrent with their earli-est academic foci, on “Understanding Patient Care.”

Roseman’s academic pedagogy is geared

toward enabling student success and superior patient care in the health sciences profes-sions, and the College of Medicine will utilize and build on these foundational tenets for its students.

There are many other aspects of Roseman’s innovative instructional model that ensure student success, and we encourage visits to our campuses to learn more details about the University, our programs, and our students.

The College of Medicine is rooted in its VALUES, which were created to reflect

our deep understanding that patients, within the context of their community, are at the center of everything that we do. Each value is equally important, and when viewed compre-hensively, our values demonstrate the type of students, faculty, and staff that the College seeks to attract.

Competence, our first value, can be defined as the ability to do something well. This value has had a long history at Roseman Univer-sity. When the University's founders created Roseman in 1999 as the Nevada College of Pharmacy, they built into the foundation of the Institution a sharp focus on competence. They understood that the Institution’s gradu-ates must be highly competent because their judgments would impact patients’ lives. They knew quality healthcare demanded a rigorous educational standard.

This focus on competence led to the de-velopment of Roseman’s renowned and highly successful educational model, which sets a high standard for all students. The Univer-sity’s high standard is reflected in its mastery learning and grading philosophy. Roseman does not provide students with standard let-ter grades; rather there is a pass/fail system, where the passing grade is 90%. Through our learner-focused process students are required to “master” information before they move to

the next level. This requires frequent as-sessments and reassessments that embrace students to help them master the content and

be successful. The process encourages learning through increased dialogue among students and with teachers as teammates. This trans-lates to better understanding of material and use of this information for practical applica-tion to patient care.

Mastery learning, the requirement for at-taining passing at a higher standard, frequent

assessment, and team based collaboration all combine to support the University’s commit-ment to high achievement by all students. Roseman has had excellent outcomes in its short 16 years of existence – including student success on national licensure exams and alumni contributions to their professions. Such excellent outcomes support student and faculty satisfaction, as well as lead to greater impact on the community.

Of course, a strong emphasis on compe-tence is not only necessary for the safety and quality experiences of patients, it is also a crit-ical component of the accreditation process for medical schools. Roseman’s high standards and focus on competence, implemented in our pharmacy, nursing, dental medicine and MBA programs, will be replicated for our medical students. Our growing medical college faculty are currently putting together the curriculum for our future medical students and we antici-pate great interest in our program and expect excellent outcomes similar to our other health professions programs.

As the University continues to make progress on the accreditation process through the Liaison Committee on Medical Educa-tion (LCME), we take great pride in our past accomplishments, and we look forward with great anticipation to enrolling our inaugural class of medical students.

PATIENTS

COM ETENCECOMP SSION

IN EGRITYD VERSITY

RESP CTCOMMU ICATION

COMMUNI YDI COVERY

College of MedicineVALUES


Roseman researchers making an impact locally and globally

W omen have long been under-represented in the sciences. But it’s a reality that is slowly changing for the better. In 2014, a National Science Board study noted that women made up half of all the college-educated workers in the U.S. But they only represented 28 percent of the science and engineering workers. That is,

however, an increase from 21 percent in 1993.More recently, the National Science Foundation found that women have earned 57 percent of all bachelor’s de-

grees and half of all science and engineering bachelor’s degrees since the late 1990s. It’s a slow-moving improvement, for sure, and there is plenty of work still to be done to both encourage girls in their elementary school years to pursue science careers and to create programs that foster the development of female scientists and researchers on the sec-ondary and post-secondary levels.

Roseman University has been fortunate to tap some of the finest women researchers and scientists on the globe. They are creative, energetic and making their mark in their respective fields. These four scientists, in particular, are helping to close the gender gap while moving the needle on medical research. They are making a difference at Rose-man, in the Las Vegas Valley, and beyond.

By Brian Sodoma

Women in ScienceWomen in Science



CONSIDERINGTHE SCIENCEFIELD?

Our women researchershave some suggestions

Mary JohlfsDirector of Research Operations/Scientist

Johlfs’ professional career began in the biotech arena, where she developed

engineered antibodies with longer serum half-lives, which have incredible potential for promoting the development of advanced therapeutics for multiple diseases. In 2006, she transitioned to the Nevada Cancer In-stitute, where she partnered with Dr. Ronald Fiscus, whose team was studying protein kinases and their roles in lung, mesothelioma and ovarian cancers.

In 2010, with the Nevada Cancer In-stitute in financial jeopardy, she and Fiscus moved their research efforts to Roseman University of Health Sciences. Johlfs and Fiscus expanded Roseman research to in-clude diabetes and obesity, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, adult stem cell research and regenerative medicine, among others.

“He is unequivocally positive and produc-tive. He works extremely diligently to ensure the success of our research programs,” Johlfs said of Fiscus.

Last year, Johlfs was part of the team that filed a patent for the Roseman-developed NIRF (near-infrared-fluorescence) technol-ogy, which allows for a clearer, more sensitive study of the catalytic activity of kinase pro-teins. Johlfs is also studying the connections among diabetes/obesity and various cancers, such as mesothelioma, lung, ovarian, breast and prostate cancers.

“There are higher rates of those dis-eases in diabetics and we want to look more closely, on a molecular level, at that link,” she added.

Johlfs was also heavily involved in promoting Roseman’s acquisition of the NanoPro 1000, an instrument that allows researchers to better study the chemical mo-dalities of certain proteins found in diseased cells. Her extensive training with the Nano-Pro 1000 has helped research teams generate data that has contributed to the acceptance of Roseman research in numerous peer-reviewed publications, including Molecular Cancer Research, Neurochemistry International and PLoS One, an online journal.

Olivia ChaoPost-doctoral Research Associate

Chao is part of Dr. Oscar Goodman, Jr.’s research team, where her work focuses

on targeting DNA damage response in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. Her team studies how tumors with underlying defects in DNA repair capabilities can be targeted more effectively with specific DNA damaging agents or inhibitors.

“Normal cells have a robust network of DNA repair pathways with an inherent re-dundancy enabling them to effectively repair the damage. Cancer cells, on the other hand, are often addicted to a particular DNA repair pathway. Finding this Achilles heel is key to designing effective therapy,” she said.

Chao is working to create a therapy that targets this weakness. The researcher has been at Roseman since 2012 and is a mem-ber of the American Association of Cancer Research, where she has also presented some of her findings.

In December 2014, her work was

“Stay focused and stay positive. Think questions through thoroughly. Basi-

cally, science centers around identifying a problem and finding a solution. Keep your focus on that and don’t let anyone

tell you that you can’t do it.” - Mary Johlfs

“Start young. Even in high school or middle school, you have to seek out op-portunities to get into the lab. Learning about science is different from having practical experiences. You have to have hands-on experience in the lab. … As a researcher, you face a lot of failures due to the experimental nature of the work.

You can’t be afraid of that.” - Olivia Chao

“It’s fun and tough. Getting your Ph.D. is really the starting line. … You learn

about something really deeply, a special modality, then you find more connec-

tions. … It’s a long journey and I’m still in the middle of it.”

- Yasuyo Urasaki

“You have to be really dedicated to sci-ence, like live, breathe and think about science all the time. It requires a lot of dedication; so you have to be passion-ate about what you are working on.”

- Ranjana Mitra

published in the peer-reviewed journal, Molecular Cancer Research. Chao studied the combined use of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor and poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor drugs to decrease prostate cancer cell viability. Her research findings supported the use of the two drug combinations for metastatic cas-tration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), the most advanced form of the disease.

Originally from Malaysia, Chao received her Ph.D. from the Faculty of

continued on page 12


Medicine in the National University of Singapore. She chose science because of an intense interest in biology as a child and she always enjoyed learning about the human body. After her mother lost her cancer battle in her late-40s, Chao focused on cancer research.

"That was a turning point in my life. I had a lot of questions,” she added.

Going forward, Chao is more commit-ted than ever to her DNA damage repair research, and sees a place for it in Roseman’s College of Medicine.

“I just want to continue doing good re-search. I’m transitioning from post-doctoral work to independent work and need to find research grants. … I hope to have my own lab and a faculty position in the future,” she added.

Yasuyo UrasakiPost-doctoral Research Associate

U rasaki admits to being curious about many different scientific fields as a

child. The Japanese-born researcher eventu-ally gravitated towards the study of im-munology after taking an internship with a professor at the University of Tokyo.

“He saw I had potential and really encouraged me to go into research,” Urasaki said.

Today, she works with Dr. Timothy Le, a Roseman assistant professor and biomedi-

cal researcher who is developing advanced imaging systems that study the role of lipids in cancer and other obesity-related diseases. Urasaki is part of a team that has been in the process of filing two patent applications for its circulating tumor cell work and advance-ments with capillary electrophoresis, an ad-vanced ion-separating analytical technique.

She has used the technology to help her understand the potential impacts of uridine, a pyrimidine nucleotide found in DNA, to prevent the side effect of fat accumulation in the liver when Tamoxifen, a widely-used breast cancer drug, is administered. Her work on this topic was published last year in the peer-reviewed journal, BMC Pharmacol-ogy and Toxicology.

Urasaki started her research career in 2007 at the Nevada Cancer Institute and briefly worked at the Desert Research Insti-tute before coming to Roseman a year ago.

“I’m very interested in aging, metabolism, diabetes, and ways to maintain your health. … It’s a very new and fresh field and there are many possibilities, if you want to make it happen,” she added.

Ranjana MitraAssistant Professor

M itra spent eight years researching breast and lung cancer at the University

of Minnesota before coming to Southern Nevada in 2010. She says she feels most at

home in the science lab.“I love it; it relaxes me. Even on Saturday

and Sunday, when I go to the lab to take care of some experiments I prefer to plan for the next week as it is so quiet and helps me focus,” she added.

At Roseman, Mitra’s work touches on several research areas. One involves isolat-ing and culturing circulating tumor cells (CTC’s) using advanced microscopy and fluorescent labeling techniques. These CTC’s are continuously shed by the pri-mary tumor into the blood stream and are the major cause of metastasis and death in cancer patients. CTCs have a way of hiding and avoiding the immune system as well as different cancer treatments by continuously changing their genetic makeup and thus gaining resistance to therapy. Mitra has been studying these cells to create personalized therapies with specific drugs that can target these cells and prevent further cancer growth and metastasis.

Another research focus for Mitra is the CYP3A5 enzyme, which she recently demonstrated plays a major role in the growth of prostate cancer cells by regulating the androgen receptor, an important gene in prostate cancer development. CYP3A5 is also a major liver enzyme involved in processing about 50 percent of all commonly used medications, Mitra explained. She is exploring ways some medications for epilep-sy, headaches and even anti-depressants can potentially affect cancer treatment through drug-drug interactions.

“I was always interested in science as a kid, but I wanted to become an engineer,” she said. “But during my undergraduate program I was exposed to techniques of genetic engineering where you could modify genes and put in good traits. Learning those techniques and understanding how genes function and how those molecular biology techniques can help find a cure for different diseases altered my passion and I ended up becoming a biologist instead of an engineer.”

WomeninScience continued


Roseman University’s research team at the Summerlin campus includes researchers,

research associates, post-doctoral associates, and technicians organized into laboratories focusing on diabetes and obesity, cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other neurode-generative diseases. Below are some recent highlights from their investigations.

Dr. Oscar Goodman and members of his team were recently published in two high quality peer reviewed journals. Dr. Olivia Chao has successfully published her work in Molecular Cancer Research, putting forth a potential new therapeutic approach to treat-ing prostate cancer, combining two nontoxic therapies, histone deacetylase inhibitors and PARP inhibitors. Dr. Ranjana Mitra has published her groundbreaking work in Pros-tate, linking CYP3A5, an enzyme involved in the metabolism of approximately 50% of prescribed drugs, in the activation of androgen receptor, the key therapeutic target in almost all prostate cancers. The implications of this are broad, notably including the concept that prescription drugs used for other purposes ap-pear to impact the effectiveness of hormonal therapy.

Mary Johlfs, Director of Research Opera-tions/Scientist, has recently completed a three-year project, in collaboration with Dr. Ronald Fiscus’ lab and Dr. Timothy Le’s lab, which developed a new ultrasensitive methodology for measuring and character-izing proteins in bone marrow stem cells, immune cells and differentiating fat cells. This new technology uses a combination of Nanotechnology and Proteomics, termed “Advanced Nano-Proteomics” based on capillary isoelectric focusing (cIEF) im-munoassay (NanoPro 1000), possessing a sensitivity that is 1,000-times better than con-ventional Western blots and 100,000-times better than 2D-gel/Mass Spec, used by other laboratories for protein analysis. The resulting ground-breaking data has been documented in a manuscript “Capillary isoelectric focus-ing immunoassay for fat cell differentiation proteomics” by Johlfs MG, Gorjala P, Urasaki Y, Le TT and RR Fiscus (2015).

Drs. Aurelio Lorico and Germana Rappa, Co-Directors of the Cancer Research Center, have recently published the results of their research on breast cancer in two top research journals. The first article, published in Molecular Cancer Research, in collabora-tion with Dr. Toni Green, from Roseman University and Dr. Denis Corbeil, from the Technische Universitat in Dresden, Germany, reports that the breast cancer-associated protein CD9, previously considered a surface protein present only in the external membrane of breast cancer cells, is able to penetrate into the nuclei of breast cancer cells, where it directly interferes with the process of cancer

cell duplication. Based on these novel find-ings, the Roseman Cancer Research Center is currently testing the anti-tumor activity of anti-CD9 molecules in human breast cancers transplanted in experimental mice.

The second article, published in Oncotarget by Germana Rappa, Toni Green and Aurelio Lorico, in collaboration with Denis Corbeil and Jana Karbanova, shows that aggressive

and rapidly metastatic breast cancer cells pres-ent a higher number of protrusions on their external cell membrane in contrast to slow-growing and slow-metastasizing breast cancer cells. These protrusions, called invadopodia, lamellipodia, filopodia and magnupodia, have important pro-metastatic functions, including cell migration, cell invasion, cell-cell fusion and intercellular communication. Interest-ingly, these membrane protrusions contain the CD9 protein, and blocking CD9 or antibodies genetically blocks the capacity of breast cancer cells to invade other cells.

Roseman Cancer Research Center is actively pursuing the clinical translation of these discoveries, with the aim to develop novel strategies to prevent the formation of metastases or to inhibit their growth. Drs. Germana Rappa, Timothy Le and Aurelio Lorico, in collaboration with Drs. Corbeil and Fargeas of the University of Dresden, Ger-many have recently published a manuscript in the Stem Cells journal, where they propose for the first time that the cancer stem cell marker CD133 interacts with cellular lipids and with the cancer-associated "wnt" pathway to drive cancer formation.

Janica Wong, former Research Associ-ate and Postdoc in Dr. Fiscus’ lab, has published the research article “Resveratrol at anti-angiogenesis/anti-cancer con-centrations suppresses protein kinase G signaling and decreases IAPs expression in HUVECs," Wong JC and RR Fiscus, AntiCancer Research 35: 273-282 (2015). This article describes the mechanism of ac-tion of resveratrol (a natural product found in grapes, berries, peanuts and red wine) in preventing tumor angiogenesis and the progression of cancer, via its ability to

inhibit protein kinase G catalytic activity that upregulates the expression of “cell survival proteins," the Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins (IAPs) c-IAP1, c-IAP2, Livin and XIAP, in human endothelial cells. Janica is currently a Postdoc in the Department of Pediatrics (En-docrinology) at Stanford University School of Medicine.

ResearchInvestigationsandDiscoveries

Human breast cancer cells (purple) are able to invade with their protrusions normal

“stromal” cells (arrows). This image was taken with a live-cell microscopy imaging system,

present in Roseman laboratories, that allows researchers to follow in 3-D the interaction of

different types of cells.


IntroducingtheNewestRosemanTeamMembers

Rebecca A. Dukes,BA Vice President for Advancement

Rebecca Dukes brings to Roseman University expertise in develop-

ment, strategy and execution. She has worked in fundraising and leadership positions for more than 30 years. At San Jose State University, she was responsible for all major fundraising activities including major gifts, annual gifts, alumni affairs and corporate and foundation relations. Additionally, she served as chief executive officer for the San Jose State University's Tower Foundation to advance the

interests of the institution. Dukes joined the university in the final stages of its first com-prehensive campaign, ending in June 2013 at nearly $9 million over the established goal of $200 million, and one year ahead of schedule. Under Dukes’ leadership, the university raised an additional $27 million in 2014.

Previously, Dukes held vice president of university advancement positions for New Mexico State University and Westminster College in Salt Lake City. She also served as assistant vice president of development at Utah State University as well as various fun-draising positions at hospitals and healthcare related non-profits. Dukes is also an accom-plished financial advisor. From 2008 through 2012, Dukes worked at Armstrong Prickett &

Associates, a Merrill Lynch consulting team advising institutions with more than $50 mil-lion in assets.

Stephanie Wragg, Ph.D. Assistant Dean for Curriculum and Assessment & Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences

Dr. Stephanie Wragg is playing a critical role in developing the College of Medicine curriculum and preparing for evaluation by the LCME. Before joining Roseman, Wragg served as associate dean of curriculum and

Vicky VanMeetren, MBA, RNSpecial Advisor to the Dean for Community Engagement

The College of Medicine has a strong commitment to community engagement as it continues to develop its curriculum and clinical programs centered on the needs of Southern Nevada’s diverse communities. In January, to help Founding Dean Dr. Mark Penn connect with the local healthcare and business communities, the College appointed Vicky VanMeetren as Special Advisor to the Dean for Community Engage-ment.

“VanMeetren is a tremendous resource to the College of Medicine, bringing extensive leadership experience, healthcare expertise and active involvement in the local healthcare community,” said Penn. “Since she began her new role, she has greatly helped the College of Medicine share its mission, vision and values to many Southern Nevadans, particularly those in the healthcare community, who are excited about what the College of Medicine will do to transform medical education and healthcare in the region.”

Before joining Roseman, VanMeetren was CEO of the San Martin campus of St. Rose Dominican Hospitals from 2006 to 2014, serving in the role during the hospital’s construction and growing operations. During her tenure, the hospital received J.D. Power and Associates Distinguished Hospital Inpatient Award in 2011. The San Mar-tin Campus also received certification as a stroke hospital, as well as for its chest pain and headache programs, through The Joint Commission. Under VanMeetren’s leader-

ship, the hospital was also ranked number one by U.S. News & World Report in the specialty areas of neurology and neurosurgery. Previously, she served in a variety of administrative roles for Dignity Health and was responsible for development of a medical office building,

two ambulatory surgical centers, a rehabilitation center, urgent care clinic, and the St. Rose Dominican Hospitals, Siena Campus.“Roseman University is a truly innovative institution, and the College of Medicine has a remarkable vision for the future of medical educa-

tion in Nevada. Its ongoing development is a truly venerable endeavor that will help to further elevate the quality of healthcare in our region,” said VanMeetren. “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to help leverage Roseman’s significant strengths to further advance curricular and clinical aspirations and engender support among its most important audiences.”


evaluation at Central Michigan University’s College of Medicine. There she was respon-sible for curriculum development, and evalu-ation and assessment of students, faculty, and the program. That College of Medicine was successfully launched in August 2013.

Over the past decade, she has also served as associate dean for academic affairs at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine at Urbana-Champaign, assis-tant dean of medical curriculum and faculty development at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University and curriculum coordinator at the Medical College of Georgia. Wragg was also director of Women in Medicine and Science for the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) from 2009 to 2011. Ad-ditionally, Wragg has held numerous faculty appointments in biochemistry, molecular biology, microbiology and medicine, and is a member of the International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE).

A. Peter Eveland, Ed.D.Associate Dean for Student Affairs & Admissions and Professor of Family Medicine

Dr. Peter Eveland is setting up the medical student admissions process and ensuring students will have sup-port services to help them achieve academic and clinical success. Prior to joining Rose-man, Eveland served as associate dean for student affairs, admissions and outreach, and professor of medical education, at California Northstate University College of Medicine, a private medical school in development in Elk Grove, California.

Eveland previously held administrative and faculty positions at Bastyr University, University of Washington School of Medi-cine, Florida State University College of Medicine, and Mercer University School of Medicine.

Christopher Burns, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences

Dr. Christopher Burns is assisting in the cur-riculum development.

Before coming to Roseman, Burns helped develop and evolve medical and graduate education programs at Central Michigan University College of Medicine, University of Illinois College of Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University School of Biomedical Science and the Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine and School of Graduate Studies.

With funding from the National Sci-ence Foundation and National Institutes of Health, Burns’ laboratories at Florida Atlantic University and Medical College of Georgia investigated molecular mechanisms of gene expression in pathogenic microorganisms. He now focuses on medical education and profes-sional skill development including leadership training, student success, curriculum reform, peer evaluation, instructional technology, and inter-professional education. As a consultant-trainer for the Team-Based Learning Col-laborative, he guides faculty adopting this powerful teaching strategy in schools of business, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine. Burns recently undertook emergency medical technician training to re-connect with the student experience and gain the perspective of a healthcare provider.

Bruce Morgenstern, M.D.Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs and Professor of Pediatrics

Dr. Bruce Morgenstern joins the College of

Medicine to continue the work the College began last year to build relationships and

cultivate clinical partnerships with South-ern Nevada hospitals and clinics. He most recently served as chief of the Division of Nephrology at Phoenix Children’s Hospital and the medical director of the hospital’s De-partment of Continuing Medical Education. He also served as associate professor of medi-cal education and professor of pediatrics at the College of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic, clinical professor of pediatrics at Creighton University School of Medicine and professor of pediatrics at University of Arizona College of Medicine.

Previously, Morgenstern held professional positions and appointments at Temple Uni-versity School of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, and the F. Edward Her-bert School of Medicine of the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences.

Lisa J. Rosenberg, M.D.Director of Geriatrics and Assistant Professor of Medicine

An internal medicine physician specializing

in geriatrics, Rosenberg is assisting in the development of the College of Medicine’s clinical curriculum. Rosenberg joined the College of Medicine from Touro University Nevada, where she was a practicing physician and served as the institution’s director for the Nevada Geriatric Education Consortium, co-chair of the Active Aging Center Devel-opment Committee and chair of the Library Committee. She also served on the Program Review Committee and Student Promotions Committee of the university.

Previously, Rosenberg was a geriatrician at Southwest Medical Associates and director of its House Call Program. She was also assistant director of the Geriatrics Fellowship Program and director of the Urinary Incontinence Research Lab at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

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Join us Monday,May18 at 4:00 p.m. or Wednesday,June17 at 11:30 a.m.at Roseman’s Summerlin campus for special presentations about the impact

the College of Medicine will have on Southern Nevada.

Please register or request more informationby emailing [email protected] or calling (702) 822-5330.

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Documents

Discovery Drive Volume 2 Issue 1