ROCHESTER MEDICINE · two Boston researchers, George Richards Minot and William P. Murphy, who used liver therapy to successfully treat perni-cious anemia. In 1934, Whipple, Minot

ROCHESTERMEDICINEUNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER MEDICAL CENTER • SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND DENTISTRY SPRING / SUMMER 2008

An ingenious conceptSummer research program changes lives, shapes careers.

ON THE COVERIan Wilson, M.D., and Cammie Hilliard, Class of2009.

CLARIFICATIONS & CORRECTIONSIn the Fall/Winter issue of RochesterMedicine, the images of striatal cells onPages 20 and 21 should have been credited toRodrigo A. Quintanilla, Ph.D., a postdoctoralresearch associate in the Department ofAnesthesiology. On Page 9 in the same issue,the correct identification of the image is“myelin debris in adrenoleukodystrophy.”And the photograph on Page 56 was wronglylabeled. It should have said “Amman,Jordan.”

SPRING / SUMMER 2008 1

Bradford C. Berk, M.D., Ph.D. (M’81, PhD’81)CEO, University of Rochester Medical Center;Senior Vice President for Health Sciences

hen you read our new strategicplan, you will find frequent references tothe concept of Medicine of the HighestOrder. This comes from the historicroots of our Medical Center. It is alegacy of our founders, but it also is thegoal of our Medical Center today and forthe future.

Almost a century ago, AbrahamFlexner and the Carnegie Foundationissued Medical Education in the UnitedStates and Canada. The 1910 reportwould help change medical education in America. Flexner emphasized a scien-tific foundation for medical education.He envisioned academic hospitals whereclinicians conducted research that grewout of the questions and problemsencountered as they cared for patients.When Flexner looked to help establish a medical school based on this philos-ophy in New York, he turned to theUniversity of Rochester. He toldUniversity President Rush Rhees thatRochester presented an ideal place for a medical school of the highest order.”

With the help of GeorgeEastman, philanthropist and founder ofthe Eastman Kodak Co., Rochestercreated a School of Medicine andDentistry based on Flexner’s vision andbuilt a Medical Center that incorporatedscientific inquiry, learning, and patientcare all under one roof.

We can look to George HoytWhipple, the first dean of the School ofMedicine and Dentistry, as a greatexample of this concept. He studied theeffects of chloroform on the liver, thepathology of jaundice and the role of theliver in blood formation. He devotedyears of research to anemia and the rela-tionship of bile, hemoglobin and theliver. All of these research projects werederived from problems faced routinely inthe hospital.

Whipple’s work in dogs withanemia showed they responded to a diet

of liver and recovered. In 1925, the yearour School of Medicine and Dentistrywelcomed its first class, Whipple and hiscolleagues published the first of a lengthyseries of papers on blood regenerationand anemia. With Whipple’s coopera-tion, the pharmaceutical firm Eli Lillybegan production of a liver extract.Additional studies were conducted bytwo Boston researchers, George RichardsMinot and William P. Murphy, who usedliver therapy to successfully treat perni-cious anemia. In 1934, Whipple, Minotand Murphy received the Nobel Prize fortheir work.

This was a dramatic example ofwhat we today call translational science.Our new strategic plan, drawing on thisresearch legacy, sets as one of our goalsthe achievement of national recognitionfor our signature programs that developnew therapies based on our outstandingresearch. We will emphasize taking thediscoveries of research and translatingthem to use in patient care. We want tomake it easier for scientists fromdifferent departments to work togetherand we want to foster better collabora-tion and feedback among scientists anddoctors seeing patients. In other words,we will increase our leadership role intranslational science.

Our aim is to become one of thetop 20 academic medical centers in thenation. Over the next several years, weplan to invest $500 million in new facili-ties, technology and strategic recruits.We have proposed a six-story clinicalexpansion and renovation of StrongMemorial Hospital to add much-neededbeds, greater space for imaging sciencesand a new home for Golisano Children’sHospital at Strong. We will beginconstruction this year of our Clinicaland Translational Science Building. Eachaspect of our strategic plan contributesto Medicine of the Highest Order.

There is more about our new

W

strategic plan, our goals and our signa-ture programs in this issue of RochesterMedicine. Read the plan on the Web atwww.urmc.rochester.edu/strategic-plan.

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ROCHESTER MEDICINE2

ducation is at the core of whatwe do, and is the focus of this month’sRochester Medicine.

The above quote is from a graduateof our Summer Undergraduate ResearchFellowship (SURF) program at the Uni -versity of Rochester School of Medicineand Dentistry, from the first article inthis issue. We are all familiar, in ageneral sense, with the sociology ofaccess to education and careers in medi-cine and science among those whobelong to racial or ethnic groups that areunderrepresented in these fields. SURF, a program designed to facilitate accessamong such individuals during theirundergraduate years, has been extraordi-narily successful in providing theexperience, content knowledge and rolemodels to help guide them into medicalschool, and attract them to Rochester. In these pages you hear more from Dr. Wilson and learn about the journeysthrough medical education experiencedby many of our other SURF graduates.

Our Post-Baccalaureate ResearchEducation Program (PREP) is a similarprogram designed for underrepresentedminorities who are potentially interestedin a career in science. Following college,as preparation for entry into graduate

school, PREP students are given hands-on experience in research withindividual projects in established labora-tories. Of the 40 students who haveparticipated in the School’s PREP so far,85 percent have applied for admission to Ph.D. programs, most of whom havebeen accepted. This program wasinitially funded by the National Insti -tutes of Health, but then continued bythe School during a hiatus when NIHcurtailed funding nationally. I’m pleasedto report that NIH funding for thisimportant program, which you will readabout in this issue, has been restored.

Continuing with our educationtheme, we have great news to reportregarding medical student education andthe training of our medical residents.You will read about the high praise wereceived from the Liaison Committee onMedical Education, the accrediting bodyfor U. S. medical schools. We werereviewed by LCME during a three-daysite visit that followed an 18-monthperiod of self-study and preparation,which was led by David Lambert, M.D.,associate dean for medical studenteducation. Findings from the report,described in this issue of RochesterMedicine, are quite laudatory. I wouldsum it up by the following statement of a member of the review team to JoelSeligman, president of the University of Rochester: “You have a medicalschool to which many of us aspire.”

In 2005, the Accreditation Councilfor Graduate Medical Educationreviewed the overall quality and admin-istration of our 72 accredited residencyand fellowship programs. They felt sostrongly about the excellence of ourprograms, led by Diane Hartmann, M.D.,associate dean for graduate medicaleducation, that they gave us an unprece-dented six years of accreditation. Wewere the first medical school or hospital— and still the only one —to receive

Ethis extended accreditation. Now, asreported in this issue, the ACGME hasselected our School as one of four in thecountry to study for secrets of successfulinnovation.

In these pages, you also will read a summary of our new strategic plan,developed under the leadership of BradBerk, M.D., Ph.D., senior vice presidentfor health sciences and Medical CenterCEO. As you will see, the faculty of theSchool of Medicine and Dentistry play a significant role.

Finally, this issue of RochesterMedicine explores how life scientists viewthe conditions of research here.

David S. Guzick, M.D., Ph.D.Dean of the School of Medicine and Dentistry

I observed real patients and real cases with Dr. Azodo and Dr. Williams. They were myearliest role models in radiology … If you don’tsee people who look like you, you wonder if this is the place for you. Having role models —people who have the same background orsomething in common with you — strengthensyour interest. You realize if someone else likeme could do it, I can do it. It’s possible.” Ian Wilson, M.D. (’99),Assistant professor, Imaging Sciences

“


CONTENTS

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

ROCHESTER MEDICINE

Rochester Medicine is published by: The University of Rochester Medical Center,Department of Public Relations and Communications, in conjunction with the Department of Alumni Relations and Advancement for the School of Medicine & Dentistry.

Associate Vice President for Public Relations and Communications Teri D’Agostino Editor Michael WentzelContributing Writers Lori Barrette, Karin Christensen, Heather Hare,

Mark Michaud, Leslie Orr, Germaine Reinhardt, Tom Rickey, Leslie White and Greg Williams

Art Director Mitchell Christensen Photographers Ken Huth and Vince SullivanAlumni Council Liaison Leslie Chambers

For questions or comments, contact: Department of Alumni Relations and Advancement for the School of Medicine & Dentistry300 East River Road, Rochester, NY 14627 800–333–4428 585–273–5954 Fax 585–461–2081Comments on this issue, e-mail: [email protected]

4 An Ingenious Concept: Summer programchanges lives, shapes careers

16 PREP: counseling, encouraging and hand-holding build scientists

18 Medical Center strategic plan unveiled24 LCME: full accreditation25 ACGME looks for innovation27 NIH grants hit record level

28 Medical Center Rounds31 Alumni News34 Philanthropy36 In Print38 Match Day 200840 Class Notes51 In Memoriam

ROCHESTER MEDICINE4

An ingenious

Summer research programchanges lives, shapes careers

Ian Wilson, M.D. Cammie Hilliard, Class of 2009


In the summer of 1993, Ian Wilson arrived at Greater Rochester International Airport, the smallest

airport he had ever seen. He had little knowledge of Rochester or upstate New York, a territory he,

like many Brooklyn natives, thought began in Westchester and ended at Canada.

Wilson, then a Xavier University of Louisiana student who had completed his sophomore year,

ventured upstate to take part in the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry’s

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program (SURF), which is designed to strengthen scientific

and clinical skills and boost the competitiveness of participants for careers in medicine and research.

That summer, as did his second in SURFin 1994, proved crucial for Wilson andhis career — as the program has for manyof the 165 people who have participatedin SURF in its 20 years at Rochester. Halfhave gone on to medical school or grad-uate degree programs. Wilson, a Class of1999 graduate of the School of Medicineand Dentistry, is now an assistantprofessor of imaging sciences at theSchool and a physician who specializesin interventional radiology.

“SURF has always been a criticalcomponent of our efforts to maintain adiverse student body,” said Vivian Lewis,M.D., the School’s associate dean forfaculty development — women andminorities. “Through the SURF program,we have access to a select group ofstudents from underrepresented back-grounds. As a result of their summerexperiences, these students are veryfamiliar with our School and are more

likely to accept an offer of admission.We recognize that many of our bestpotential faculty can come from trainingand educational programs like SURF.The SURF program can help us to notonly grow our own faculty, but also canhelp alleviate the critical shortage ofminority physicians.”

As of 2006, 28.8 percent of the U.S.population was black/African American,Hispanic/Latino, or Native American,yet these groups accounted for only 14.6 percent of medical school graduates,according to the Association ofAmerican Medical Colleges (AAMC).Only 6 percent of practicing physiciansnationwide are members of these groups.The School of Medicine and Dentistry,as well as the AAMC, is expandingefforts to increase diversity in medicineand in the faculty.

In the SURF program, the Schoolmatches participants with faculty

conceptBy Michael Wentzel

mentors who direct them in focusedlaboratory research. SURF participantsattend seminars, lectures, gross anatomylabs, clinical rotations in the emergencydepartment, and problem-based learningsessions. Participants receive a stipendand room and board during the nine-week program period.

“SURF is part of a nationwidecommitment to energize moreAmericans to love science and medi-cine,” said Gladys Pedraza-Burgos, M.S.,co-director of the School’s Center forAdvocacy, Community Health,Education and Diversity. “Our medicalschool, like others, looks for studentswith research experience and compe-tency in the basic sciences. In theseareas, most students from underrepre-sented groups don’t have enoughexposure. SURF gives them exposure to clinical care, research and test prepa-ration. SURF also helps us expose

ROCHESTER MEDICINE6

students to our unique curriculum. It gives us a chance to observe them in research, clinical and classroomsettings; we can see how they might farehere. And SURF also helps students seeif Rochester would be a good fit. It ismutually beneficial.”

The power of role modelsEven before his SURF experience, IanWilson knew he wanted to be a physi-cian. His mother was a nurse. Theparents of several high school friendswho were doctors also influenced hiscareer choice. Wilson, a science major at Xavier, applied for a position in SURF because he was looking for a moreproductive way to spend his summers.

Wilson was assigned to the lab of Martha C. Bohn, Ph.D., then an associate professor of neurobiology andanatomy who now is director of theneurobiology program at NorthwesternUniversity’s Children’s MemorialResearch Center.

“It was a real hands-on experience. I did things I had only read about intextbooks,” Wilson said. “I’m in a lablearning how to culture cells from ratembryos at 14 days of life. I’m dissectingbasal ganglia, culturing cells, using retro-viral vectors to transfect those cells witha gene to encourage the survival ofdopaminergic neurons susceptible inParkinson’s. I went from classical biologyto molecular genetics. It was quite aleap — a phenomenal experience.”

During that summer of 1993,Wilson worked independently and

designed experiments under the guid-ance of Bohn and her lab staff.

“I was taught lab techniques that I would never had learned in an under-graduate curriculum,” he said. “It wasvery intimidating at first, but they inte-grated me into the lab rather quickly. I carried out experiments that were partof the larger project, but I had my ownspecific part to play. That summer, thelab made some advances and publishedsome significant findings that eventuallyled to other projects. I had a small partto play in that. I was at a major univer-sity, and I was doing high-level work asan undergraduate. It gave me a sense ofpride.”

In his second SURF summer inRochester, Wilson worked in the lab ofJacob N. Finkelstein, Ph.D., professor of pediatrics, of environmental medicineand of radiation oncology, where theresearch focused on the mechanisms

of cell injury.“I was happy to do the lab work.

It was a good experience. I worked hardthat summer and I think my work ethicwas noticed,” he said.

For a clinical experience, Wilsonalso started shadowing physicians, prima-rily two interventional radiologists whothen practiced at the Medical Center,Michael Azodo, M.D., a Nigerian, andKenneth Williams, M.D., an AfricanAmerican.

“Shadowing was for a limited time,but I contacted the doctors indepen -dently and spent as much time as I couldget with them,” Wilson said. “I observedreal patients and real cases with Dr. Azodoand Dr. Williams. They were my earliestrole models in radiology … If you don’tsee people who look like you, youwonder if you belong. It is a verypowerful thing. If you don’t see peoplewho look like you, you wonder if this isthe place for you. Having role models —people who have the same backgroundor something in common with you —strengthens your interest. You realize if someone else like me could do it, I cando it. It’s possible.

“I decided to follow the path I hadseen. The epiphany of finding a specialty so early on is very unusual, but it wassuch a profound experience, it led to mycareer. I started medical school knowingI wanted to be a radiologist.”

When the time came to apply tomedical school, Rochester was Wilson’sfirst choice, as it was when he applied forresidency.


“I made Rochester my top choice,knowing the people there would havemy education and development atheart,” Wilson said.

An introduction to academic medicineWilson’s story echoes the experiences of many SURF alumni.

Dwight E. Heron, M.D., nowchairman of radiation oncology at theUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical CenterShadyside and associate professor of radiation oncology at the University ofPittsburgh School of Medicine, partici-pated in SURF in 1991. His SURFmentors included Philip Rubin, M.D.,now professor emeritus, and Louis S.Constine, M.D., professor of radiationoncology and of pediatrics.

“This shows the influence ofmentors early in a career,” Heron said.Philip Rubin is one of the godfathers ofradiation oncology. He’s a giant in thefield and clearly had changed the worldof oncology with his ideas. I also had a wonderful experience with SandyConstine. I remember him holding ayoung child who had a neuroblastoma.The child was limp in his arms. It was so sad that I wondered how anyonecould work with this stuff. When Ireturned weeks later, this little kid wasrunning around. He was the cutest kid.He was full of life. That made a seriousimpression on me.”

SURF provided Heron, who gradu-ated from the School of Medicine andDentistry in 1995, with his “first forayinto academic medicine.”

“I had theopportunity to doresearch,” Heronnoted. “It was anearly introduc-tion to medicalschool and theacademic envi-ronment. You got

pep talks and lectures. I learned aboutthe research of others. I could network. I learned about a lot of things. SURF wasimportant in lighting my interest inacademic medicine. The social things we

did as a group were a value added. Welearned from each other.”

Heron studied several fields beforehe made his career choice.

“I was not sure what I wanted todo,” he said. “I looked up to PhilipRubin. And the work Sandy Constinewas doing was remarkable. It becameeasy to say I want to work in radiationoncology. I didn’t say it immediately, but it was in SURF where my interestwas sparked.”

I looked up to philip rubin. and the work sandy constine

was doing was remarkable. it became easy to say i want to

work in radiation oncology. i didn’t say it immediately,

but it was in s.u.r.f. where my interest was sparked.”

“

Heron

Dwight E. Heron, M.D.

Interventional radiologist Ian Wilson discusses a complex procedure with his team. His patient has a tumor in the lung, which is in a delicate position very close to the patient’sheart and major blood vessels.

“

ROCHESTER MEDICINE8

Jeannette M. Perez-Rossello, M.D., now a pediatric radiologist at Children’sHospital Boston, spent the summersof 1990 and 1991 in SURF working under Martha Bohn and Lee AnnaCunningham, Ph.D., who then was doing

postdoctoraltraining inBohn’s lab. Perez-Rossello workedwith geneticallymodified astro-cytes to providenerve growthfactor to adrenalchromaffin cells

grafted into the striatum of Parkinsonianrats.

“Having two women mentors wasfabulous,” Perez-Rossello said. “SURFwas great. It was the first time I was in a medical school. I met a lot of goodpeople. It reinforced that medicine waswhat I wanted. Lee Anna Cunninghamtruly treated me as a student andmentee. I’d follow her everywhere. I readthe same articles she did. She wasconstantly teaching me. I felt I was partof the team. She had me work hard. She taught me how to organize and befocused. The way I approach researchnow and how I get organized I learnedfrom her. She was very pro-woman —and she was very competitive. She keptyou on your toes.”

The SURF summers convincedPerez-Rossello to make Rochester herfirst choice for medical school. Thecompetitiveness and focus she developed

in SURF carried over to medical schoolclasses.

“I struggled heavily throughanatomy,” said Perez-Rossello, a memberof the Class of 1995. “The experiencewas traumatic. But I did well in clinical.I decided to go into radiology and makeanatomy my expertise. I wanted toconquer what I thought was a weakness.”

Lesly Warner, M.D., a third-year residentin obstetrics and gynecology at GeorgeWashington University Medical Center,views her SURF summer in 1998 as a trueturning point in her life.

Warner worked under LornaRodriguez-Rodriguez, M.D., Ph.D., thenassociate professor of obstetrics andgynecology and of microbiology andimmunology who now is at the RobertWood Johnson Medical School in NewJersey.

“We did research on ovariancancer and the CD 44 receptor to deter-mine if it had any role in metastasis,”said Warner, also a University ofRochester graduate. “I had never doneresearch. It was good to do actualresearch and see what happens in a lab. I learned to appreciate how much peoplecan gain from research and all the hardwork that goes into it.”

She especially appreciated thepractice admissions interviews and talksby physicians and members of themedical school admissions committee.

“I knew I wanted to go to medicalschool, and as I learned more aboutRochester’s School of Medicine, it

became my number one school,” Warnersaid. “The fact that I got to know thefaculty and the system and the processmade me a better candidate. And thefaculty got to know a better side of me.”

To boost her science knowledge,Warner did a post-baccalaureate year atthe State University of New York atBuffalo in a program jointly sponsored bythe Associated Medical Schools of NewYork.

“Buffalo gave me my chance atmedical school, but I’m not sure I wouldhave gotten that option without mysummer in SURF,” Warner said. “SURF

Having two women mentors was fabulous…S.U.R.F. was great.

it was the first time i was in a medical school. i met a lot

of good people. it reinforced that medicine was what

i wanted.”

“

Jeannette m. perez-rossello, M.D.

Cammie Hilliard

Perez-Rossello


was a vital step for me, a fork in theroad. I might not have graduated fromthe School without SURF.”

Warner graduated in the Class of2005.

A remedy for homesicknessCammie Hilliard, a member of theSchool’s Class of 2009, is an alumna ofthe SURF summer of 2002. She describesthat summer as a thorough introductionto medical school, with lectures,problem-based learning sessions,anatomy lab and work on building avocabulary of medical terminology.

“I didn’t think of SURF as a way tohelp me get into medical school, butthat’s the way it turned out,” she said.

Hilliard, who majored in chemistryand minored in biology at Xavier, wasassigned to the lab of Mahin D. Maines,Ph.D., professor of biochemistry andbiophysics, where she worked on proteinpurification.

“It was a good experience to see adifferent side of medicine, but researchdoes not have enough person-to-personcontact for me,” she said. She preferredshadowing doctors in the emergencydepartment, where she became comfort-able interacting with patients.

Hilliard, who is considering pedi-atrics for a career, grew up in Prairieville,La., a town just an hour’s drive fromXavier.

“I often got homesick at Xavierand went home all the time,” she said. I did not get homesick during SURFbecause everyone was so welcoming.

I learned a lot about medicine and about

myself during that summer. S.u.r.f. opened

doors for me.”

“

cammie hilliard, class of 2009“

ROCHESTER MEDICINE10

Once I got to Rochester and wassurrounded by this wonderful group ofpeople, I knew that Rochester was theplace I wanted to go to medical school. I learned a lot about medicine and aboutmyself during that summer. SURF openeddoors for me. I saw multifaceted ways tolearn and that there were no limits tolearning.”

Jason Ogiste, M.D., is the director of theCenter for Women’s Urologic Health at the Mid Hudson Medical Group inDutchess County, N.Y. In 1995, he tookpart in the SURF program, also under the mentorship of Mahin Maines.

“Our objective was to look at thepotential adverse effects of various heavymetals, toxins and other stress mecha-nisms — in particular, the effects ofmethyl mercury and heat shock stress on mammalian neural cell activity,” he recalled.

Research andbasic science hadinterested Ogiste,a Long IslandUniversity grad-uate, since highschool.

“I saw SURFas an opportunity

to potentially continue my involvementin research science while I pursued mymedical degree,” he said. “The SURFprogram more than provided what I hadset out to accomplish. Dr. Maines was a phenomenal mentor. Her staff wasextremely supportive and my exposure to the wider University of Rochestercommunity during my tenure as a fellowsimply solidified my impression of what awonderful institution my alma mater is.”

Ogiste, who graduated from theSchool of Medicine and Dentistry in2000, had planned to pursue his dream

of becoming a physician-scientist.Though he has drifted away from thatdream in his current work, he thinks he might return to the research benchsomeday — and perhaps even toRochester.

“I thought then and still believethat the SURF program was a phenom-enal opportunity,” Ogiste said. “It was a very effective way of engendering ahigher level of interest in researchscience and medicine not only amongyoung people of color, but also foranyone who was lucky enough to beexposed to such a program. I think thatopportunities such as SURF could bebeneficial to anyone, minority or other-wise, who might be thinking of a careerin medicine or science. The SURFprogram definitely is an ingeniousconcept.”

my exposure to the wider University community during

my tenure as a fellow simply solidified my impression of

what a wonderful institution my alma mater is.”

“

Jason ogiste, M.D.

Ogiste

Ian Wilson, M.D., and Cammie Hilliard, School of Medicine and Dentistry Class of 2009, represent two generations of graduates from Xavier University of Louisiana and the SURF program.

�



The Post-baccalaureate Research Education Program at theUniversity of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistryfeatures an acronym with a mission and a message — PREP.

PREP encourages underrepresented minorities who hold arecent baccalaureate degree in the biomedical sciences to pursuea research doctorate and prepares them for careers as researchscientists and leaders in the biomedical community.

The program, at the School of Medicine and Dentistrysince 2001, is administered primarily by faculty from theDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology and the Centerfor Vaccine Biology and Immunology.

PREP has delivered on its missionOf the 40 people who have participated in Rochester’s PREP sofar, more than 85 percent have applied for admission to Ph.D.programs, and most have been accepted. Ten PREP alumni are inSchool of Medicine and Dentistry Ph.D. programs.

“I wanted to continue on to a graduate career in basicscience, but without the proper background, such opportunitiesare limited,” said Jharon Silva, a Hunter College graduate andBrooklyn native. “Being accepted into PREP at the University ofRochester has significantly changed my life.”

Silva, who now is a graduate student in the School ofMedicine and Dentistry, said he is inspired by the guidance of

scientists and challenged by the coursework.“I am genuinely enjoying this process of becoming a scien-

tist,” he said. “PREP has given me a new sense of self-respect,and has instilled within me a desire to continuously moveforward by setting goals and making steps toward them. It hasgiven me the courage to take chances within my new academicrealm, including applying to the very selective M.D./Ph.D.

PREP: Counseling, encouraging and hand-holding build scientists

Jharon Silva


program. It is very important to me to eventually serve as amodel for other under-represented minorities who just need a bitof encouragement to continue in the sciences.”

Steve Dewhurst, Ph.D., now the School’s senior associatedean for basic research, launched PREP with National Institutesof Health funding.

PREP participants are brought in as technicians and theyearn a technician’s salary, said Edith Lord, Ph.D., professor ofmicrobiology and immunology who now directs PREP. Thecurrent program supports each participant for two years.

“They get hands-on experience in research. Every studenthas an individualized project,” Lord said. “They take survivalskills courses to learn all they need to know as a scientist andprepare for applying for graduate programs. The idea is to getminority students who otherwise would not be eligible to applyfor graduate programs and give them whatis necessary to succeed.”

Some students do not have adequategrades for admission to graduate school.

“If they can show they can do grad-uate-level work and get a B in a course,that says something,” Lord said. “We’retrying to catch them up on their deficien-cies, bring them up to the level many otherstudents have and start them thinkingabout the possibility that they can bescientists.”

The National Institutes of Healthstopped funding PREP after five years.Because of the program’s success, David S.Guzick, M.D., Ph.D., dean of the School of

Medicine and Dentistry continued funding PREP last year usingSchool funds, and the NIH recently decided to support PREPagain. Lord and Dewhurst have applied for a grant under thenew NIH program.

“PREP is a valuable program,” Guzick said. “It not onlyhelps us increase the diversity of our graduate program, PREPidentifies people who are enthusiastic about medical researchand who want to take part in the work of discovery.”

Lord also is increasing recruiting at colleges and universi-ties in Puerto Rico and is establishing an outreach program withMonroe Community College in Rochester.

“This program has worked very, very well,” Lord said. “Ourfaculty members have worked hard with PREP participants. Theyneed time and help, counseling and encouragement, and handholding, of course. That’s all part of mentoring.”

The School has taken some risks oncandidates for the program, Lord said.

“Only a few have not paid off. Ourattrition rate is surprisingly low,” she said.

Brendaliz Santiago, a graduate of theUniversity of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez, is aPREP alumna who is doing a short rotationin Lord’s lab. She plans to earn a doctoratein microbiology.

“My goal is to be a college professorwith my own research laboratory,” Santiagosaid. “It would bring great satisfaction to beable to help others not only through myscientific work, but also help students furthertheir own career interests by providingknowledge and research opportunities.”

Brendaliz Santiago



The University of Rochester Medical Center of thefuture, as envisioned in its new strategic plan, growslarger with a new tower for patients and imagingsciences and captures national recognition with thedevelopment of new therapies.

The medical school faculty and the hospitals, aspart of the strategic plan, will focus patient care serv-ices, research and teaching on five major diseaseareas—cancer, cardiovascular disease, immunologyand infectious disease, musculoskeletal disease andneuromedicine— through Integrated Disease Programs(IDP). Each IDP will emphasize the translation of basicdiscoveries for use in patient care and the developmentof novel treatments that maintain or improve health.

Ignacio Sanz, M.D., professor of medicine, micro-biology and immunology in the School of Medicineand Dentistry, stands at one of the major intersections inthe Medical Center’s roadmap for the future as the leaderfor the IDP for immunology and infectious disease.

“The clinical aspects of the plan are very powerful,”Sanz said. “This is a significant leap into a differentdimension and a different way of thinking that is morecomprehensive and builds on the skills we have here todo translational research. It makes me very hopeful notonly that breakthroughs will happen but also that wewill make those breakthroughs here.”

The goals of the IDP for immunology and infectiousdisease and Sanz’s vision for that IDP open a windowto an understanding of the whole strategic plan. Butfirst, look at the basics of the approved strategic plan,which was released in January after an 18-month plan-ning process.

The strategic plan establishes a set of ambitiousoverall goals for the Medical Center. They are:• To become one of the leading health care systemsin the Northeast and to achieve national recognition forhigh quality signature programs that develop new ther-apies based on outstanding research.• To sustain an interdisciplinary environment thatemphasizes fundamental discovery and fosters innova-tion through the acquisition of new technologies.• To ensure translation of fundamental discovery into

URMC strategic planmaps a path to enhancedcare, medical breakthroughsand greater recognition

cutting-edge patient therapies through the education ofclinicians and scientists. • To grow clinical volume by recruiting outstandinghealth professionals and providing capacity forcomplex procedures where specialized expertise andhigh volume ensure the highest levels of patient safetyand quality. • To maintain clinical margin and productivity thatsustains growth in the clinical and academic missionsof the Medical Center. • To engage the community though economic devel-opment (including technology transfer and researchpartnerships) and to promote community health throughresearch programs that support community-based inter-ventions. • To ensure that all education programs at URMC arenationally outstanding and prepare students for careersof excellence. . Building on historic strengthsURMC’s 2007–2012 strategic plan “is a blueprint fortrans forming a regional medical center into a nationallyrespected magnet for research, teaching, patient careand community service,” said Bradford C. Berk, M.D.,Ph.D., the Medical Center’s chief executive officer. “It isa recipe that builds strategically on our history andstrengths … It calls for the boldest investment inexpertise, facilities and programs since the founding ofthis University and its Medical Center.”

The Medical Center strategic plan developed in1996 invested heavily in scientists and buildings forbasic research. That investment helped expand thenumber of the School of Medicine and Dentistry’sresearch faculty from 304 to 484. The expanded facultydrove funding from the National Institutes of Health(NIH) to $159 million, more than double the $70 millionin NIH funds when the plan was launched.

The new strategic plan calls for investing $500million over the next several years in new facilities,technology and expansion of the School’s facultythrough the recruitment of physicians and scientists inspecific targeted fields.

By Michael Wentzel


The centerpiece of the clinical strategy— the PediatricReplacement and Imaging Sciences Modernization(PRISM) project—supports efforts to boost quality ofcare and patient safety and to deal with the gridlockcaused by routine daily occupancy rates at StrongMemorial Hospital of more than 100 percent. URMChas filed an application with New York’s Department ofHealth seeking approval for construction of a six-storyclinical building to house the expansion of adult inpa-tient services and allow the conversion to private roomsin pediatrics.

The $259-million PRISM also includes two floorsdedicated to diagnostic and interventional imaging aswell as materials management and other support serv-ices. Both patient floors will house 56 beds—all privaterooms. The building and its atrium will provide a newgateway to Strong Memorial’s inpatient units. Whenthe new building is complete, URMC would renovate itsexisting pediatrics floor, opening another 67 adult beds.In total, the PRISM project would add 123 beds to StrongMemorial, expanding its licensed capacity to 862.

In addition, the plan calls for the creation of a52,000-square-foot off-campus Ambulatory Surgery Center

to handle the 5,000 outpatient surgeries that can’t beaccommodated in Strong Memorial’s current operatingrooms. The New York State Department of Health hasapproved the center. Construction begins this spring.

Construction of the 150,000-square-foot Clinicaland Translational Science Building (CTSB) is anotherkey element of the strategic plan. The facility will serveas the academic home of clinical and translationalresearch, housing faculty who work in the disciplinesthat support this type of research (biostatistics andepidemiology, for example), educational and trainingprograms, critical support operations and several largeclinical research programs.

Organizing these support services more efficientlywill make clinical science programs more effective, andmake the School of Medicine and Dentistry a strongercompetitor for government and private researchdollars. (See detailed story on page 28 about the CTSBin this issue.)

The strategic plan also calls for URMC to investmore than $40 million over the next several years toenhance its information technology infrastructure. Thisincludes expanded investment in Electronic Medical

Medicine of the Highest Order

Rush RheesUniversity ofRochesterPresident(1900–1930)

Abraham FlexnerRockefellerFoundation boardmember and well-known educator

George Eastmanphilanthropistand founder ofthe EastmanKodak Co.

George Whipplefounding dean ofthe University ofRochester Schoolof Medicine(1921–1953), NobelPrize recipient


Glue for new discoveries and treatmentsThe four Innovative Science Programs (ISP)—stem celland regenerative medicine, biomedical imaging andbiomarkers, nanomedicine and genomics and systemsbiology—were chosen because they have promisingapplications to the five IDP areas. They also representdisciplines in which the School of Medicine andDentistry has the fundamentals of a strong program, orare areas that need to be strengthened in order toremain competitive.

In total, for the nine signature program areas,about 140 people will be recruited over the next severalyears, adding substantially to the faculty alreadyworking in these programs.

Records and Patient Health Records and in technologyto streamline and advance clinical and translationalresearch.

To meet the goals in the new strategic plan, URMChas focused on “signature programs,” nine high-priorityclinical and research areas that include the five IDPs,plus four Innovative Science Programs (ISP).

“We are calling these priority areas our signatureprograms because they represent areas in which, withstrategic investments, we can stake our future reputa-tion for innovation and excellence,” Berk said.

The Rochester tradition of collaboration will beenhanced by the IDPs and the ISPs, said David S.Guzick, M.D., Ph.D., dean of the School of Medicineand Dentistry.

“The strategic plan will promote interactionbetween scientists from different departments whosework is relevant to these disease areas. Also this struc-ture will foster better collaboration and feedbackamong scientists and clinicians seeing patients withthose conditions,” Guzick said.

In addition to the significant role of the School ofMedicine and Dentistry in research and patient care inthe new strategic plan, the School will continue to inno-vate as a national model in medical education.

In recent years, the Accreditation Council onGraduate Medical Education (ACGME) has cited theSchool for its leadership in teaching and evaluatingresidents and fellows in ACGME’s six core competen-cies—patient care, medical knowledge, com mun ication,professionalism, practice-based learning and improve-ment, and systems-based practice

The School of Medicine and Dentistry plans toextend the core competencies concept, establishing anew national model for undergraduate medical educa-tion. In the next five years, the School will apply the sixgraduate education competencies to medical schoolundergraduates, renaming them as “domains of excel-lence.” Rochester would become the first medicalschool to integrate them into every stage of a physi-cian’s education.


Rochester’s history and long record of successfulresearch in immunology and infectious disease makeit a natural IDP. Conjugate vaccine technology, devel-oped at the Medical Center 25 years ago, led to thecreation of vaccines against Haemophilus influenzaetype b (Hib), pneumococcus, and meningitis. Recentresearch helped in the development of a vaccineagainst human papillomavirus, which causes cervicalcancer. School of Medicine and Dentistry researchersconduct cutting-edge research in lupus, rheumatoidarthritis, multiple sclerosis and diabetes. URMC ishome to an Autoimmunity Center of Excellence, aHuman Immunology Center, a Center for BiodefenseImmune Modeling, an HIV Vaccine Trials Unit and aCenter for Excellence in Influenza Research.

The strategic plan establishes a set of goals foreach IDP. For example, the objectives for the IDP forimmunology and infectious disease are:• Develop an internationally recognized patient-based human immunology research program focusedon vaccine responses, B-cell biology and allergic andautoimmune diseases.• Rank in the top three U.S. research centers ininfluenza and respiratory diseases.• Build a leading cancer immunology in acombined effort with the IDP for cancer.

We already have ongoing collaborations in B cellbiology between multiple groups working on differentvaccines, such as HIV, influenza and respiratorysyncytial virus,” Sanz said “Similarly, there areongoing collaborations on multiple autoimmunediseases, including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, dia -betes and multiple sclerosis, and with the WilmotCancer Center on the immunological response incancer. But the IDP means we will work together inmore productive and far-reaching ways.

“One of the great things about Rochester is thecollaboration. There is very good interaction,” hesaid. “But the IDP, in a more formal fashion, will inte-grate different areas of the Medical Center. There willbe draft working groups that will make sure expertiseand resources are provided where needed. Junior

faculty, who may represent liaison between groups,will be developed. This is more than a conversation orinteraction.”

An executive committee will share the decisionson the development of the Immunology and InfectiousDisease IDP and in the recruitment of faculty. Sanzchairs the committee that includes Richard I. Fisher,M.D., director of the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center,Steve Georas, M.D., director of the Division ofPulmonary and Critical Care, Barbara Iglewski, Ph.D.,chair of the Department of Microbiology andImmunology, Tim Mosmann, Ph.D., director of theCenter for Vaccine Biology and Immunology, andRichard Reichman, M.D., professor of medicine and ofmicrobiology and immunology.

Each IDP will operate in a similar fashionThe IDP will work to extend and complement theoutstanding research done at existing centers in anumber of ways, including the addition of new diseaseprograms, the recruitment of new scientists in areasthat need strengthening and the facilitation of transla-tion of scientific discovery from the clinic and into theclinic,” Sanz said. “The IDP concept is like a glue thatwill bring the various facets together. This will enhancethe ability of the whole group to do human research. Weare determined to see Rochester become an incubatorfor discovery and provide our patients with new treat-ments developed by our own physician and scientists.”

The strategic plan’s establishment of signatureprograms also will act as a magnet to students, physi-cians and scientists, Sanz said.

“There are a lot of disincentives out there to beingan academic physician—insurance companies, reim-bursements, the bureaucracy, a tight NIH budget,”Sanz said. “So there has to be a pull, an incentive.Having better ways to help patients get well is a pull.Having better ways to satisfy your curiosity about adisease is a pull. Being at the forefront of medicaleducation is a pull. The strategic plan offers an environ-ment that will make students, physicians and scientistswant to come here and make them want to stay.”

To read the complete strategic plan, go to: www.urmc.rochester.edu/strategic-plan

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There is a new look and a new identity at the Universityof Rochester Medical Center.

The Medical Center has adopted a comprehensivebranding strategy to establish a cohesive identity for theinstitution and its affiliates, and to celebrate its legacy asone of the nation’s first academic medical centers thatcombined a medical school and hospital under oneroof. The branding strategy includes a new logo, aunified name for the Medical Center’s components, andan advertising campaign.

“Our strategic plan has set ambitious goals for theUniversity of Rochester Medical Center, and part of oursuccess hinges on our ability to build a national reputa-tion,” said Bradford C. Berk, M.D., Ph.D., the MedicalCenter’s chief executive officer. “To achieve this, weneed one consistent identity that not only ties togetherand amplifies the diverse components that comprise ourinstitution, but one that visibly communicates our linkwith the University of Rochester.”

The name—University of Rochester Medical Center— underscores its academic approach to medicine andnow serves as the unifying brand for all Medical Centerentities and affiliates. In particular, University ofRochester Medical Center will be adapted as the newname for its various clinical enterprises, replacingStrong Health. However, the branding will not affect thename of the Medical Center’s main teaching hospital,

Strong Memorial Hospital.An advertising campaign that continues through

June recalls the Medical Center’s roots with the theme,Medicine of the Highest Order. As one of the first toadopt educator Abraham Flexner’s model of university-based medical schooling, the University demonstratedthat integrating scientific inquiry, learning, and patientcare could enhance physician education, advanceresearch opportunities, and improve patient outcomes.When Flexner looked to establish a medical schoolbased on this philosophy in New York, he told then-University President Rush Rhees that the University ofRochester presented an ideal place for “a medicalschool of the highest order.”

Each unit of the Medical Center, including the Schoolof Medicine and Dentistry, will follow the branding guide-lines in adopting a logo specific to the unit.

“The new branding strategy will go a long way toclear up public, and sometimes internal, confusionregarding the relationship of the medical school, thehospitals and the University,” said David S. Guzick, M.D.,Ph.D., dean of the School of Medicine and Dentistry. “It will make clear that all are part of a powerful inte-grated academic medical center.”

To view the ads, go to this Web site: www.urmc.rochester.edu/pr/ads.

URMC has a new brand, logo & message


iting a culture of collegiality,connectedness and collaboration at

the University of Rochester School ofMedicine and Dentistry, the LiaisonCommittee on Medical Education(LCME) has granted the School a fulleight-year accreditation.

In listing the School of Medicineand Dentistry’s strengths, the LCMEdescribed the Double Helix curriculumas a successful longitudinal integration of the basic and clinical sciences. TheLCME accreditation report highlightedseveral programs, including the third-year basic science blocks, the Process of Discovery course and the CommunityHealth Improvement Clerkship, as inno-vative elements of the curriculum. It called the depth and breadth of theSchool’s research enterprise exemplary.

The LCME commended the Schoolof Medicine and Dentistry for providingstudents with numerous opportunities topursue areas of special interest beyondthe standard curriculum, such as interna-tional health experiences, often withfinancial and logistical support from theSchool.

The Comprehensive Assessmentsfor second-year and third-year students aresuccessful examples of formative assess-ments that give students the opportunityto identify their learning needs, developan individualized learning plan and re -ceive follow-up to make sure those needsare met. According to the report, thelearn ing plans promote self-awareness,pro fessional attributes and lifelonglearning.

The LCME cited David S. Guzick,M.D., Ph.D., dean of the School of

Medicine and Dentistry, for outstandingleadership and a commitment to medicaleducation and medical students. Thereport noted that the dean has providedfinancial resources to upgrade School of Medicine and Dentistry facilities and infrastructure and has participatedactively in teaching and curriculummanagement. He also makes himselfreadily accessible to students and faculty,the report noted.

David R. Lambert, M.D., associatedean for undergraduate medical educa-tion, devotes great amounts of time,effort and energy to implement theSchool’s educational vision and mission,the report said. Faculty members anddepartment chairs demonstrate a highdegree of commitment to medical educa-tion, the LCME said.

“The LCME findings reflect acontinuation of our leadership and inno-vation in medical education,” Guzicksaid. “Building on our rich tradition ofthe biopsychosocial model and theDouble Helix curriculum, and addingcontemporary technology, academic rigorand an extraordinary commitment toteaching by our full-time faculty andcommunity physicians, our studentsemerge with the capacity to contributegreatly to the profession of medicine.”

The LCME survey team visited theSchool and the Medical Center inOctober. Fifteen months before the sitevisit, a task force of more than 80 facultymembers under Lambert’s leadershipbegan a self-evaluation that wasprovided to the LCME. The reportaddressed more than 130 standards andmany topics prescribed by the LCME.

The medical students developed andpresented an independent evaluation tothe LCME.

“In the self-evaluation, we statedwho we are and what we do in an honestand factual way,” Lambert said. “We werevery introspective, analytical and honestin the self-study process and in our report.By approaching it this way, our achieve-ments and merits were seen.”

The students created a survey withhundreds of questions. Ninety-threepercent of the students responded.

“That percentage is a pretty goodbarometer of student interest in our reportand accreditation as a tool,” said BrianJenssen, a third-year student who led thestudent evaluation. “We con cluded thatthe vast majority of the students thinkRochester has a very strong medicalschool program. The crucial asset is thewide array of pro grams available tostudents — advocacy, research, commu-nity involvement, primary or specialcare — that produce a diverse group ofphysicians.”

The students provided some sugges-tions. Early clinical exposure, for example,is a real strength of the curriculum, butsome refinements are needed, Jenssensaid. The School’s administrators havebeen “very receptive” to addressingstudent suggestions, he said.

“The accreditation process helps youmake sure you have defined objectives andthat they are being met, and helps youclarify where to target resources,” Lambertsaid. “It helps them to learn about otheraspects of the School they did not know.It’s difficult and requires a lot of time, butit is a great thing to have done.”

Medical school wins highpraise in accreditation

C


hen the Accreditation Councilfor Graduate Medical

Education (ACGME) decided tomap the genes of successful resi-dency programs, the council sent ateam to the University of Roch esterSchool of Medicine and Dentistry.

The details the ACGMEteam learned from Rochesterfaculty and residents included acomprehensive online curriculum,the use of outcomes data, the em -powerment of residents to shapetheir education, support for thedevelopment of master educatorsand a commitment to innovation.

Little is known about the roleof individuals, organizational cul -ture, structure and strategy inmaking innovation happen in resi-dent and fellow education, ACGMEofficials said.

“Rochester is part of a test of concept to determine if we canlook at an institution in a differentway,” said Ingrid Philibert, M.H.A.,M.B.A., senior vice president,ACGME Department of FieldActivities, who led the project.Rochester is very successful inACGME .We’re looking at institu-tions that appear to be particularlysuccessful in innovations andimprove ment of residential educa-tion environment. We’re lookingfor common attributes, aspects thatmake these institutions fertileground for innovation.”

ACGME calls the effort theLearning Innovation andImprovement Project. The council

ACGME looks for secretsof innovation

selected four institutions for the initialstudy. The ACGME team also con ductedinterviews at the Mayo School ofGraduate Medical Education at the MayoClinic, the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit and Dartmouth-HitchcockMedical Center in Hanover, N.H.

The team also will study twocomparison groups: institutions that per -form well in the accreditation processbut do not meet the chosen criterion ofsuccessful at innovation,” and institu-tions that succeed at innovation, butexperience problems with the ACGME’saccreditation process.

The ACGME team found severalattributes Rochester and the other threeinstitutions share that influencesuccessful innovation. These include:focus on education and learning, focuson change, an integrated vision ofeducation, research and patient care,inclusiveness and involvement acrossorganization units and levels, use of datafor accountability and alignment of

resources with mission-driven goals.In interviews in Rochester, the

ACGME team also noted support fromthe graduate medical education officeand residency program coordinators forinnovative ideas, an open and non-puni-tive environment for discussion ofprograms, financial support for educa-tional innovation and placement of highvalue on the educational process.

“I was honored for us to bechosen,” said Diane Hartmann, M.D.,associate dean for graduate medicaleducation at the School of Medicine andDentistry. “It is a pleasure for me to workdaily with a group of residency programdirectors, coordinators and trainees whoare truly committed to innovations inmedical education to produce the nextgeneration of physicians.”

In 2005, ACGME gave the Schoolof Medicine and Dentistry an unprece-dented six-year accreditation for itsresidency programs, making the Schoolthe first — and still the only institu-tion —to get the extended accreditation.

ACGME has adopted six corecompetencies that go beyond settingminimum requirements for medicalknowledge and patient care skills todefine what makes a well-rounded, effec-tive physician who is equipped with theability to keep up with changes in theprofession. Medical schools are requiredto develop curiculums that address thecompetencies, to assess residents on theirlevel of achievement of the competen-cies and to use data to continuallyimprove programs for residents.Rochester has been at the forefront in adopting the competencies.

By Michael Wentzel

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“In the close term, we will takecommon factors — things that can bereplicated to get them more innova-tive — to a larger audience for adoptionor adaption,” Philibert said. “As anaccrediting organization, we want tolook at these factors in the accreditingprocess. We do minimum standards. We don’t look at innovation. Could wefocus on innovation and improve healthcare and the way residents are educated?Are standards a barrier to innovation?

The project reflects a change inACGME, which is “moving from a pro cessoriented to a more outcomes and innova-tion oriented structure,” Philibert said.

Several School of Medicine andDentistry faculty and residents met withthe ACGME team. Here is what somesaid about Rochester and innovation:

Ruth Anne Queenan, M.D., vicechairman for education in the Depart -ment of Obstetrics and Gyne cology: Our biggest innovation in the residencyprogram is the creation of a comprehen-sive curriculum online that involvesassigned readings, links to usefulwebsites, quizzes, current literature cita-tions, etc. It makes access to informationquite easy, and is consistent with whatcurrent learners in college, and even

high school are used to, yet, it is virtu-ally absent from graduate medicaleducation. I am able to track the use ofthis system in great detail, and knowgraduates, current students and most ofthe residents use the system frequently…We have quite an open policy in termsof resident feedback. I used to view theadministration of the residency likepreparing a meal, that it could be accom-plished, and would be a completeproduct. I have learned over the yearsthat it is more like running a restaurant,constantly changing and responding tothe needs of the patrons/residents.”

Ralph Jozefowicz, M.D., associatechair for education in the Department ofNeurology: “We use outcomes data fromthe residency program to determine whatchanges are needed. Outcomes datainclude board pass rates for residencygradates, resident performance on ourmock oral board examination that allresidents take each spring, performanceon the in-service training examination,and the number of teaching andhumanism awards that our residentsreceive from medical students. Outcomesdata should be the driver for change,rather than process data. It is a lot easierto motivate change for residents andfaculty when an outcome is at stake,rather than a change in process, whichusually involved more paperwork.”

Peter Harris, M.D., residencyprogram director for the Department ofPediatrics:“We have a curricular struc-ture imposed by various regulatoryagencies, but within this structure, wetry to achieve the best possible means of

medical education. Who better to helpus define the best approach to pediatriceducation than the residents themselves?We actively empower the pediatric resi-dents to help shape their educationalprocess to make sure that their overalleducation is the best that it can be. We have various venues for doing this,including a pediatric house staff com -mittee, which is composed of fourmem bers who are elected by their peersfrom each year of training, a pediatriceducation committee, and very freeaccess to the pediatric leadership.”

Annette Medina-Walpole, M.D.,director of the geriatric medicine fellow-ship program, benefitted from aninnovative School of Medicine andDentistry program, a Dean’s TeachingFellowship. Her project was the develop-ment of a new year-long curriculum for anAcademic Career Development Course.

“As participants in the AcademicCareer Development Course, fellows gainthe prerequisite knowledge and experi-ence to successfully develop, implement,and evaluate educational initiatives invarious formats targeting interdisciplinarytrainees,” Medina-Walpole said. “Fellowsalso acquire teaching and leadership skillsnecessary to succeed as a clinician-educator in an academic setting, and toeffectively communicate with patients,families, and colleagues. Fellows incorpo-rate the general concepts of thecurriculum through a series of individualand group educational projects.”

The course could provide anational model for fellowship programsfor the ACGME.

Ingrid Philibert

The ACGME team met with top Medical Center officers.

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While the budget of the NationalInstitutes of Health (NIH) essentiallyremained flat in 2007, the value of NIHgrants to the University of RochesterSchool of Medicine and Dentistryjumped a remarkable 11.1 percent.

In the fiscal year ending Sept. 30,2007, the NIH supported $159.1 million in grants and contracts for research andteaching at the School. That recordamount is up from $143.2 million for thefiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2006.

The growth in funding is the resultof several factors, said David Guzick, M.D.,Ph.D., dean of the School of Medicine andDentistry, where NIH funding has morethan doubled since 1999.

“This increase speaks to theoutstanding caliber of our faculty,”Guzick said. “In addition to increasedfunding thanks to a few large centers, weare seeing consistent, steady growth inthe number of awards granted to facultymembers to take on new projects. To seesuch a boost when the climate forresearch funding is so tight is a tremen-dous tribute to our scientists.”

In fiscal year 2005, for example,NIH awarded 356 grants to the School.The number of grants increased slightly

in fiscal year 2006 to 359. But, in fiscal2007, the number of the School’s NIHgrants grew to 404 — a 12.5 percentincrease in a year when the number ofgrants made by NIH across the countryactually declined.

The increase in NIH grants is alsoa credit to the significant strategicinvestment the University has made inthe scientific enterprise during the last 10 years, Guzick said.

Significant new grants also fueledthe increase.

In April 2007, the Universityreceived a seven-year, $26 million grantfrom the NIH to establish the New YorkInfluenza Center of Excellence, whereresearchers are developing methods toprotect the nation from both traditionalflu as well as bird flu. John J. Treanor,M.D. (M’79), professor of medicine and ofmicrobiology and immunology, andDavid Topham, Ph.D., associate professorof microbiology and immunology, are co-directors of the center.

And in late 2006, the NIH namedthe School of Medicine and Dentistry as one of 12 institutions to receive aClinical and Translational ScienceAward (CTSA). Guzick is principal

NIH grants to School of Medicine and Dentistry grow

investigator of the CTSA. Thomas A.Pearson, M.D., Ph.D., senior associatedean for clinical research, is co-principalinvestigator. The award, for $40 million,is designed to speed the movement ofbasic discoveries from the laboratory tothe clinic, where they will benefitpatients.

The CTSA has supported a numberof programs. These include: eight pilotprojects to test the feasibility of innova-tive research ideas; three grants todevelop novel research methods to over-come a specific methodological barrier;seven mentored junior faculty awardsthat provide three to five years of dedi-cated research training support; supportfor 18 pre-doctoral trainees to create anew generation of translational scienceleaders; initiation of a 10-institutionacademic consortium to forge new scien-tific collaborations across the upstateregion; enhanced community engage-ment to foster closer ties between theMedical Center’s research enterprise andthe local community; and upgradedsupport for epidemiology, biostatisticsand bioethics consultation to help inves-tigators implement their research plansmore quickly and efficiently.

$1601551501451401351301251201151101051009590858075706560

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007$62.1m $70.5m

$72.3m$76.2m

$90.8m

$108.2m

$122.4m

$134.9m$140.6m $143.3m $143.2m

$159.1m

million NIH funding to the School of Medicine and Dentistry

(excludes SON, River Campus, as well as other sources of funding)


medical center rounds

New York State will provide $50 million for theconstruction of a building to house the Uni -versity of Rochester’s Clinical andTrans lational Science Institute (CTSI), a facilitythat is an integral part of the Medical Center’snew strategic plan.

New York’s Gov. David Patersonsupported funding for the CTSI as part of afund for the revitalization of upstate New York,which initially was proposed by former Gov.Eliot Spitzer. In early April, the New YorkLesislature approved the state budget, allo-cating $700 million for the fund and including$50 million for the CTSI.

“This support from the state will helpcement the University’s national leadership inthis critical new realm of science,” said DavidGuzick, M.D., Ph.D., the dean of the School ofMedicine and Dentistry and director of theCTSI. “Not only will these resources ultimatelylead to better health, they will also strengthenthe University’s role as a catalyst for regionaleconomic development by propelling growth

in employ ment and research funding and thedevelopment of new technologies withcommercial potential.”

The Medical Center plans to breakground on the 150,000-square-foot Clinical andTranslational Science Building (CTSB) thissummer. It promises to be one of the firstfacilities of its kind in the United States.

Beginning in 2002, Guzick began toassemble the building blocks needed to

New York approves $50 millionfor new institute building

establish a nationally prominent researchprogram in clinical and translational science,foreshadowing the National Institutes ofHealth “roadmap,” in which re-engineeringthe nation’s clinical research enterprise was a critical theme.

The dean worked with Thomas A.Pearson, M.D., Ph.D., senior associate dean forclinical research, as well as committees withmore than 80 faculty members, to coalesceefforts in clinical and translational science atthe School. When the NIH asked for applica-tions for the CTSA, Rochester was ready.

In October 2006, the School ofMedicine and Dentistry was one of the first 12 institutions nationwide chosen by the NIHto receive a CTSA. The $40 million award, thelargest NIH grant in the University’s history,places the School among a group of leadingacademic medical centers that will shape thefuture direction of biomedical research.

A centerpiece of the CTSA application,written by Guzick, Pearson and theircolleagues, was an academic home for clin-ical and translational research. The CTSB willenable the Medical Center to bring necessarytechnologies, trained personnel, andresources together under one roof.

The CTSB will be the base for theUpstate New York Translational ResearchNetwork, a consortium of ten major medicalinstitutions from Albany to Buffalo that willfoster research collaboration on a regionalscale. The building also will be home toseveral leading clinical research programs,including a clinical trials center that overseessome of the largest studies of neurologicalconditions in the world.

“The scientific advances in the pastdecade have necessitated that we fundamen-tally change the way we conduct biomedicalresearch,” said Bradford C. Berk, M.D., Ph.D.,chief executive officer of the University’sMedical Center. “This generous support fromthe governor and the leadership in Albany willallow the Medical Center to accumulate thetechnologies and scientific talent necessaryto accelerate the process of translating thebasic discoveries made in the lab into newways to understand, prevent, treat and curediseases.”

The $56 million CTSB is a key part of a $500 million investment the Medical Centeris making over the next several years inresearch, patient care and education.

This support … will help

cement the Uni versity’s

national leadership in this

critical new realm of science.”

David Guzick, M.D., Ph.D.

“

University, Stanford University, Wake ForestUniversity, the University of Minnesota,Massachusetts Institute of Technology, theUniversity of Florida and the University ofWisconsin at Madison.

Over the years, the University ofRochester has licensed several technologiesinvented by medical school faculty that haveimproved millions of lives. These include avaccine against Haemophilus influenzae typeb that has virtually wiped out a leading causeof meningitis in preschoolers, and anothervaccine that uses the same technology to prevent infection by pneumococcalbacteria, which causes meningitis, ear infec-tions, pneumonia and other illnesses.

University engineers and surgeonsdeveloped a method to map previously unde-tectable defects in the eye that led to thecreation of customized LASIK surgery, whichdramatically improves vision. University engi-neers also developed a half-toning technologythat is used by virtually every printer manu-facturer in the world.

Several new technologies with roots atthe School of Medicine and Dentistry recentlyhave come to market or are poised to do so.This includes the new cervical cancervaccine that was approved by the Food andDrug Admin istration last year and is beingmarketed by Merck under the name Gardasil.Another version of the vaccine, developed by


University of Rochester scores in royalty top 10

By Mark Michaud For the sixth year in a row, the Uni versity ofRochester is among the top 10 universities in the nation in terms of the amount of royaltyrevenue it receives from its licensed tech-nologies, according to a report by theAssociation of Uni versity TechnologyManagers (AUTM).

The AUTM U.S. Licensing Survey detailsthe technology transfer activity of 189 top U.S.universities, teaching hospitals and researchinstitutions. In 2006, the University ofRochester received more than $38 million in royalty revenue for its licensed patents,ranking it ninth in the nation among U.S.universities.

Of the $38 million, $37.13 million is attrib-utable to the innovative work of faculty in theUniversity’s School of Medicine and Dentistry.

“These royalty numbers are a testa-ment to the productivity and innovation of ourresearchers,” said Marjorie Hunter, directorof the Medical Center Office of TechnologyTransfer. “Since 2000, both the number ofinventions reported by our scientists andpatent applications have experienced signifi-cant growth. This strong history of innovationrepresents a pool of intellectual property thatcan be tapped for commercial purposes.”The University of California System led theuniversity list with $193.5 million in royaltyincome in 2006, followed by New York

GlaxoSmithKlein, is also entering the market.In addition, a new drug to alleviate hot flashesis in the final stages of development by Pfizer.

The University of Rochester Office ofTechnology Transfer was formed in 1980. In2001, a separate technology transfer officewas created for the Medical Center. The func-tion of these offices is to protect the scientificand intellectual advances developed at theUniversity and help move these technologiesinto the private sector, where they can bedeveloped into new products and services.

In most instances, these transfersconsist of licensing University technologies to existing companies, but in some casesthese technologies form the basis of start-upcompanies, many of which are based in theRochester area and contribute to local eco -nomic growth. Licensing revenue is a criticalresource for the University as it rep resentsunrestricted resources that can be reinvestedinto the research enterprise.

$605550454035302520151050

million

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007$3.6m $2.8m $4.4m

$21.1m$24.0m

$19.1m$26.1m

$28.8m$37.1m

$51.0m

URMC royalty revenue growth

from a Web-based survey of tenured ortenure-track life scientists working in educa-tional, government-sponsored or othernon-commercial research institutions.Respondents were asked to assess their workenvironment according to 39 criteria in eightdifferent categories — job satisfaction, peers,infrastructure and environment, researchresources, pay, management and policies,teaching and mentoring, and tenure. Therespondents rated each category by impor-tance. More than 2,000 scientists responded.

Massachusetts General Hospitalplaced at the top of this year’s list, which alsoincluded the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at

medical center rounds

When the magazine The Scientist announcedits annual list of the Top 40 Best Places toWork for life scientists in November, the onlyuniversity in New York on the list was theUniversity of Rochester.

Tenured faculty surveyed by the publi-cation gave the University high marks forpositive peer relationships and soundmanagement and policies.

In addition to the School of Medicineand Dentistry, life scientists work throughoutthe University of Rochester in areas such asthe Department of Biology and theDepartment of Brain and Cognitive Sciences.

The publication’s ranking is derived

Collegiality helps win spot on the list of best workplaces for scientists

ROCHESTER MEDICINE

the University of Texas, Duke University, DanaFarber Cancer Institute, and 36 others. TheTrudeau Institute, a small private researchcenter in Saranac Lake, and the WadsworthCenter, a government-funded research insti-tute in Albany, were the only other New YorkState employers to rank.

For the first time since 2004, scientistsoverall reported valuing peer relationshipsmore than tenure.

“The University of Rochester MedicalCenter was founded on the concept of collab-oration, both between researchers andclinicians, and among scientists throughoutthis University and other institutions,” saidDavid Guzick, M.D., Ph.D., dean of the School ofMedicine and Dentistry. “It’s gratifying to seethat this spirit of collegiality remains a criticalselling point for scientists.”

26

URMC specialistearns nationalgastroenterologyawardAshok N. Shah, M.D., professor of medicine atthe University of Rochester School ofMedicine and Dentistry, has been awarded aprestigious Mastership by the AmericanCollege of Gastroenterology.

Mastership is a rare honor conferredupon physicians who have demonstrateddistinguished service to the college and to thefield of clinical gastroenterology, patient careand education. Shah, one of four to behonored this year, is the only recipient fromwestern New York. The college has awardedonly 103 Masterships in its 75-year history.

Shah has more than 30 years’ experi-ence in gastroenterology at the University ofRochester Medical Center, with special inter-ests in inflammatory bowel disease, advancedendoscopic procedures, celiac disease anddiseases of the liver and pancreas. He isboard certified in internal medicine andgastroenterology.

The American College of Gastro -enterology was founded in 1932 to advancethe scientific study and medical practice ofdiseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Thecollege promotes the highest standards inmedical education and is guided by itscommitment to meeting the individual andcollective needs of clinical gastrointestinalpractitioners.

and her input will be a boon to our researchstaff and advisors in continually raising thebar on the patient-relevant outcomes weexpect from every project we fund, said KatieHood, chief executive officer of The MichaelJ. Fox Foundation. “Addi tionally, as a clinicianwith an active neurology practice, Irene has a


Rochester neurologistnamed senior medicaladvisor to Michael J.Fox Foundation Irene Hegeman Richard, M.D. (R’95, FLW’97),associate professor of neurology and ofpsychiatry at the University of RochesterSchool of Medicine and Dentistry, has beennamed senior medical advisor to The MichaelJ. Fox Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of people withParkinson’s disease by accelerating medicaland scientific developments.

Richard has worked closely with foun-dation officials for the last three years,helping evaluate research efforts and facili-tating communication among scientific andmedical communities and the general public.Her appointment to the newly created postcomes at a time when the foundation isexpanding its efforts to fund both basic labo-ratory and patient-oriented research, such asclinical trials designed to evaluate new treat-ments for Parkinson’s disease.

Richard’s clinical research perspectivecomplements the scientific expertise of GeneJohnson, Ph.D., our chief scientific advisor,

alumni news

Her appointment to the newly

created post comes at a time

when the foundation is

expanding its efforts to fund

both basic laboratory and

patient-oriented research,

such as clinical trials

designed to evaluate new

treatments for Parkinson’s

disease.

Mastership is a rare honor

conferred upon physicians

who have demonstrated

distinguished service…

Rochester honors Ruth A. LawrenceRuth A. Lawrence, M.D., (M’49, R’58), professorof pediatrics and of obstetrics and gynecologyat the University of Rochester School ofMedicine and Dentistry, received the 22ndannual Athena Award in Rochester inJanuary.

The award, an international programfounded in 1982 to recognize and honor theachievements of outstanding and professional

business women,was introduced toRochester in 1987by the Women’sCouncil of TheRochester Busi -ness Alliance.More than 900people attendedthe award cere-mony.

Lawrence, who joined the School ofMedicine and Dentistry faculty as aninstructor in 1954, is a pediatrician and neona-tologist at Golisano Children’s Hospital atStrong and the medical director of the Ruth A.Lawrence Poison and Drug Infor mationCenter.

“People have always asked what mybusiness is,” Lawrence said when acceptingthe award. “I used to tell them babies. Now I tell them children. If you’re interested in a safe investment in today’s world, they’re oneof the surest.”

Lawrence, the mother of nine children,is an in ter nationally known expert on breast -feeding medicine. The first edition of her book,Breast feeding: A Guide for the Medical Pro fession,was published in 1980 and has become thegold-standard for the scientific understandingof human lactation and clinical breastfeedingpractices. The text is now in its sixth editionand has been translated into Spanish andJapanese.

In 1995, Lawrence met with thePontifical Academy of Sciences, seeking aCatholic endorsement of breastfeeding fromPope John Paul II. She was successful — theVatican embraced the cause with enthusiasm,encouraging mothers of the world to pursuethis option as often as possible.

In 2005, Lawrence founded Breast -feeding Medicine, a scientific journal thatpublishes quarterly. She also is the editor of the journal. She also helped createRochester’s first Neonatal and PediatricIntensive Care Unit, as well as the poison anddrug information center that now bears hername. The center is the second oldest in thenation and the first to serve the hard ofhearing. She also helped found LifeLine, a predecessor to today’s 911 system, andguided the Health Association of Rochesterand Monroe County for more than a decade.In addition, Lawrence founded Women inScience, Dentistry and Medicine (WISDM), a committee that sponsors events, mixers andlectures of special interest to women at theMedical Center.

alumni news


deep understanding of the challenges facedevery day by people living with PD, which issomething the foundation values deeply, sincepatients are at the center of every activity weundertake,” Hood said.

For three years Richard has served on the review committee for the foundation’sannual Clinical Discovery Program, whichfunds high-impact clinical projects inParkinson’s disease. She has also spoken tosupporters and patients at foundation eventsacross the country.

Founded in 2000, the foundation hasfunded over $95 million in research to date,either directly or through partnerships.

“The people at the foundation are soknowledgeable, so pleasant and so deter-mined to do everything they can to stop thisdisease, that it’s a pleasure to work with them.I’m delighted to play a role in helping themdecide how best to put resources to work tobenefit patients,” said Richard.

As a neurologist, Richard regularlytreats patients with Parkinson’s disease and isan expert on the psychiatric aspects of theillness, such as depression. She is leading anational multi-site study looking into whethercommon antidepressant medications might behelpful in treating the disease.

Richard also is involved with theMedical Center’s deep brain stimulationprogram for Parkinson’s and other patients.She has been with the Uni versity of RochesterMedical Center since 1991, first as a resident,then chief resident in neurology, and as aresearch fellow in movement disorders. Shehas been a member of the faculty since 1997.

People have always asked

what my business is. I used

to tell them babies. Now

I tell them children.”

Ruth A. Lawrence, M.D.

“

ALUMNI AWARDSThe Alumni Council of the School of Medicineand Dentistry invites all alumni, includinggraduates of the MD, PhD, and MS programsand former residents, to submit nominationsfor the annual Distinguished Alumnus(a) andAlumni Service awards. The Gold MedalAward for teaching receives nominations fromstudents, faculty, and administration. Readabout these honors and obtain applicationforms by going to: www.urmc.rochester.edu/smd/alumni/alumniawards.cfm


Alumnus named a CNN HeroRick Hodes, M.D. (M’82), medical director forEthiopia for the American Jewish JointDistribution Committee and medical advisor toMother Teresa’s Mission for Sick and DyingDestitutes in Addis Ababa, was one of threefinalists in an international programconducted by the television network CNN.

Hodes was a finalist in theChampioning Children” category of the CNNHeroes program. The three were selected fromthousands nominated online as ordinarypeople whose work has had an extraordinaryimpact on the lives of others. As a finalist,Hodes was saluted in a global telecast by CNNin December.

Hodes, who has been a doctor inEthiopia for about 20 years, was the subject of an article in the Spring/ Summer 2007 issueof Rochester Medicine. He often takes sick chil-dren from the mission to his home in AddisAbaba to care for them, and sometimes sendsthem to Ghana or the United States for treat-ment. He has adopted several boys he firstencountered at the mission, including twowith tubercular spondylitis and one withgrowth hormone deficiency. Hodes also helps

finance theireducation, some-times in the UnitedStates.

One of hisadopted sons,Semegnew Hodes,who now is living inthe United States,sent a nominationof his father to CNN.Semegnew was aboy with a twistedspine when he firstmet Hodes atMother Teresa’s mission.

“I have never seen any other Americandoctor who has lived in Ethiopia for the last 20 years and still wants to live there andchange the lives of hundreds of destitutepeople,” he wrote. “Every day he amazes me.He treats everyone who needs help. Peoplecome looking for him all the time and I havenever heard him saying that he is too tired tohelp them. He even had two boys living withus so he could give them chemotherapy athome. He will treat anyone any time theycome or will go to see them. They all get greatcare because he knows a lot of well-knowndoctors he can contact about his patients.”

The CNN Heroes designation “brought in

a lot of attention, several donations, and acouple of offers of volunteers,” Hodes said.

“I greatly appreciate the attention thatCNN has drawn to my work and the work ofmy employers, and hope to move forward inthe coming year assisting more destitutepeople with major health problems,” he said.

CNN selected one of the finalists in thecategory for special recognition: Steve Peifer,a former software manager at Oracle, who setup feeding and computer centers in remoteareas of Kenya to provide an incentive forchildren to stay in school.

“

I have never seen any other American doctor who has lived

in Ethiopia for the last 20 years and still wants to live there

and change the lives of hundreds of destitute people…

Every day he amazes me. He treats everyone who needs help.

People come looking for him all the time and I have never

heard him saying that he is too tired to help them.

He even had two boys living with us so he could give them

chemotherapy at home. He will treat anyone any time they

come or will go to see them.” Semegnew Hodes

“

Hodes poses with some of his patients

ROCHESTER MEDICINE

Alumnus creates a bequest to aid futuremedical studentsWhen James F. Morris, M.D., attended theUniversity of Rochester School of Medicineand Dentistry as a member of the Class of 1948, he had plenty of support.

Morris received aid from the G.I. Bill(officially the Servicemen’s Re adjustmentAct), New York State’s version of the G.I. Billand the U.S. Navy Reserve V-12 program tohelp with the $600 annual tuition.

“I supplemented my paid tuition bywashing dishes for meals in the StrongMemorial Hospital cafeteria until into my thirdyear, when I was told the job reflected poorlywith the ward nursing staff, who wererequired to address third-year medicalstudents as ‘doctor,’ “ he recalled.

In memory of his Rochester education

30

philanthropy

and to help with the financial burden faced bymany of today’s medical students, Morris hasestablished a be quest of $1 million for a finan-cial need scholarship fund.

“Anything I can contribute to helpneedy medical students achieve their medicaldegrees and the greatest profession thereis — actually a calling— gives me great

pleasure,” Morris said.After graduating from the School of

Medicine and Dentistry, Morris served forthree years as a resident in internal medicineat Strong Memorial Hospital. He finished histraining at the University of Utah MedicalSchool. After another Army stint during theKorean War, he joined the faculty of the thenUniversity of Oregon Medical School, nowOregon Health and Sciences University, aschief of pul monary and critical care medicine.Morris later became a professor of medicine,with an emphasis on teaching and research.He retired in 1994, but continued working as apulmonary consultant at Portland’s VeteransAffairs Medical Center for six years.

“Rochester inspired me to become asknowledgeable and competent a physician aspossible and to excel in both teaching andresearch,” he said. “The faculty were exemplaryin challenging and educating us in those roles.”

Morris had several mentors atRochester, but he named Wallace O. Fenn,

Rochester inspired me to

become as knowledgeable

and competent a physician as

possible and to excel in both

teaching and research.”

James F. Morris, M.D.

“


Alumna’s gift willupgrade labs More than a half century had passed sinceshe earned her medical degree, but MarthaMann Freeman, M.D. (M’51, BS’44, SON’45),remembered the University of RochesterSchool of Medicine and Dentistry fondly.

Dr. Freeman, who died July 27, 2007, in Durham, N.C., bequeathed $500,000 to theSchool of Medicine and Dentistry, which willbe used to update anatomy labs and expandthe Ryan Case Method Room.

Dr. Freeman, 84, was born in SouthCarolina. She earned her Bachelor of Sciencedegree at the University of Rochester andthen attended the University’s School ofNursing. After working as a registered nursefor two years, she returned to Rochester,where she received her medical degree in1951 with a specialty in pediatrics.

While she greatly enjoyed working withchildren, the Anderson Independent, a NorthCarolina newspaper, reported, she found thather true passion was in developing policy andconducting research at the Food and DrugAdministration, where she worked from 1964to 1987.

She and her husband, Noel Freeman,lived most of their lives in the Washington,D.C., area, and then retired to North Carolina.Her husband is also deceased.

University establishesGeorge Eastman CircleThe University of Rochester is establishing anew society called the George Eastman Circleto honor donors who provide leadershipAnnual Fund support to any of the University’sschools and units, including all areas withinthe Medical Center.

It is the University’s only donor recogni-tion society that counts multiple school or unitAnnual Fund gifts as one aggregate commit-ment and recognizes the total at theUniversity level. Gifts qualifying for the GeorgeEastman Circle may also qualify for theGeorge Hoyt Whipple Society.

Annual Fund gifts have a significantimpact in every area of the Uni versity. Theyare, by definition, unrestricted, current-usefunds that provide the head of each school,unit, or department with maximum flexibilityfor responding quickly to new opportunities or to meet unexpected needs. In the School of Medicine and Dentistry and in the MedicalCenter, these venture-type funds typicallysupport operations, edu cational programs,scholarships, research, patient care, andsimilar initiatives.

The George Eastman Circle is morethan a donor recognition program. It is anopportunity for the University’s alumni,parents, and friends to join together tostrengthen and advance the University as itenters the next transformational period in itshistory. Members will have exclusive accessto programming that highlights and celebratesthe University’s greatest achievements.

Charter Members of the George

Eastman Circle stand at the forefront of amovement that will help the University provideeven greater service to the community andworld. By joining together, they are honoringthe legacy of one of the University’s greatestbenefactors, George Eastman, and estab-lishing a new tradition. Through their visionand leadership, Charter Members will earn an important place in University history.

For more information on becoming a Charter Member of the George EastmanCircle, please contact Mary Ann Kiely at (585) 273-3171 or [email protected] Stephanie Katz at (585) 276-3597 [email protected].

Ph.D., the School of Medicine and Dentistry’sfirst chairman of the Depart ment ofPhysiology, as his foremost mentor. Callinghim a “truly great man,” Morris said that Fennmotivated me to pursue a career in academicpulmonary physiology and medicine, hisspecialty.”

Fenn once invited Morris to Sundaydinner at his home. Morris repaid him in asmall way: “I lived in the House Staff Quartersand noted he came to his office on Saturdaymornings. One Saturday, I saw him park hiscar nearby, a dirty Kaiser. He seemed not tonotice mundane things. After he left, I went tothe car with brush and soapy water,completely scrubbing it clean. Several hourslater, he got back into the car, then quickly gotout to walk around his spotless vehicle, anddrove home, never knowing what happened.”

The Geroge Eastman Circle donor levelsFOUNDERS + $50,000PATRONS $25,000 – $49,000BENEFACTORS $10,000 – $24,999FELLOWS $5,000 – $9,999MEMBERS $1,500 – $4,999

Charter Member status will be granted to supporters who make a five-year pledge before June 30, 2008 at one of the following annual levels:

“


Don’t Show Methe MoneyExcerpted from White Coat Wisdom,

by Stephen J. Busalacchi; Publisher, Apollo’s Voice, LLC

www.whitecoatwisdom.com

John A. Frantz, M.D. (M’46) met Mary Hodgemore than 60 years ago when he was aUniversity of Rochester School of Medicineand Dentistry student and she was a graduatestudent in the Department of Physiology. Theymarried in 1946. Mary Frantz was a Rochestermedical school student for two years butearned her M.D. at the University of Coloradoin 1951. The couple has practiced medicine formore than a half century in Monroe, a smallcommunity in Wisconsin. They have no plansto actually retire and continue to practicemedicine today, perhaps not even earning$5 an hour. “Mary and I have been very fortu-nate in preserving our youthful idealism andother youthful attitudes. The medical school’semphasis on avoiding destructive competitionamong its students is certainly a factor,” John Frantz says. But practicing medicine fora minimum wage has its frustrations. StephenBusalacchi interviewed the couple at theirhome.

John When we got old enough, we werecompelled to take our retirement income orpay a 50 percent penalty on what we shouldhave taken. We decided that we might as wellwork for fringe benefits only.

So you’re not getting paid?John The insurance carrier com plained thatwe were fraudulently getting insurancebecause we weren’t on the payroll, and thesolution was to pay us minimum wage.Mary I kicked and screamed about that. I don’t mind working for nothing, but I don’t want to work for five dollars an hour.But I have no choice. We want our healthinsurance benefits.

in print

medical school because of getting marriedand my teaching being interrupted.

It was during the war, and 85 percent of the places in medical school were taken bymen from the armed forces. But then, by thetime I finished, I was in a class with about15–20 percent women.

John, where did you grow up?John I grew up in Indianapolis, and I went to high school there. I went to Haver -ford College, in a suburb of Philadelphia. It’s probably the most Quaker of the Quakerschools. The Quakers are very good role

Mary, tell me a little about where you grew up?Mary I grew up on Long Island, near New YorkCity. My father worked in the city, but we livedin a rural town, 20 miles from the city. He was apublisher. My parents were both collegeeducated. I grew up in a family that valuedlearning. I had an older brother and a youngerbrother. I went to an excellent public schoolsystem that was very progressive in the 30s.

I went to Antioch College in Ohio. My father was very much in favor of that. It sounded good to me and I had a very goodcollege career. It wasn’t until the end of mycollege career that I decided to go to medicalschool. Before that, I was thinking more ofgoing into science, as a research chemist. I actually had rather a prolonged time in

models because they witness more theiractions than their words. I have three oldersisters. My father was a clergyman in thePresbyterian Church from 1926 till his retire-ment in the 60s.

How did he and your mother react to yourinterest in medicine?John The next best thing to being a preacher,because they’re service professions.

Where did you go to medical school?John Rochester was a very good choicebecause they kind of showed the way abouthow to organize a medical school withoutpromulgating grades. If you wanted to knowyour grades, you’d have to transfer to another

You have to be the only two doctors inAmerica working for minimum wage.John Well, there are a lot of doctors workingfor nothing. There are many volunteers afterretirement. By the time you’ve been a doctorfor 50 years, you wouldn’t know who you wereif you didn’t do a little bit of it.

You’re not doing it for the money.Mary No. Having been depression-raisedkids and being by instinct, prudent, if not miserly, we have no shortage of finan-cial resources to manage our retirement.


school and sneak a look at the transcript inthe Dean’s office. They didn’t want us to becompetitive. We were all fellow scholarshelping each other learn. Twice during thepre-clinical years, they cancelled the finalexam at the last minute with an announce-ment that we all mastered the material, sowhat’s the use of going through the charade?

Really? Never heard of that.John Well, nobody has, except people whoknow about Rochester. They are the wave ofthe future.

Mary, tell me a little about medical school.Mary I went to the University of Rochesteralso for two years and then after that, Idropped out for two years and had a couple of children and went back to the University ofColorado. Oh, I loved going to school. The workload wasn’t as alarming as medical studentsfind it today. We worked hard, but we enjoyedour work and maybe it was partly thatRochester ethos that you were all enjoyingyour work. You don’t have to beat out onanybody else. When I went back to Colorado, it was a little overwhelming with two children,but John did a great deal of child care in theevenings and we had good child care.

How did you go about choosing yourspecialty?Mary I didn’t really choose a specialty. I wentinto general practice after medical school inan internship. We practiced in WesternColorado, for a few years. We really liked thepractice — John was already a specialist ininternal medicine. But I did family practiceand delivered babies and took care of kids.

Do any patients stand out?Mary I was just a year out of practice. I had avery sad OB patient, a woman in her 40s whohad never had any children and she finally gotpregnant. She was so excited. She did every-thing right all through her pregnancy, but herbaby died shortly before it was born. It was astill birth. I felt just awful. I probably felt atleast as awful as she did. She knew how bad Ifelt and said, “Don’t feel bad. It’s okay. It just wasn’t meant to be.” How she com -forted me.

I’m very emotionally involved with mypatients and I’ve learned how not to let itinterfere with my work. And also, doctors are

very emotionally involved in their ownsuccess. They want to succeed. They feelvery responsible, so it’s a lot of ego thing, too.It’s not just worrying about the other person.You’re worried about yourself, too.

The track record?Mary Yeah. But the people in the town werenice. The other physicians were nice enoughpeople, but they were not very high class,ethical physicians and we felt uncomfortable.We couldn’t both be out of town at the sametime because we didn’t know who to tell ourpatients to go to.

When we came to Monroe, why, it wasa specialty clinic. They didn’t have any familydoctors at that time. I ended up telling themI’d go into pediatrics, internal medicine, wher-ever they wanted me. Internal medicine iswhere I turned out to be. I worked at gettingmy specialty examination just on the basis ofyears of experience and examination, ratherthan having to go back and do a residency—an option which is no longer open.John We went together through the West tolook for a place for her to be a student and forme to be a resident in training. And we endedup at Colorado because the head of themedical department was also the chairman ofthe admissions committee, and he was in aposition to assure us that our applicationwould be considered as a unit.

I was somewhat oriented towardsgeneral practice, but he persuaded me to gointo internal medicine, instead. When we leftColorado, we did student health work at theUniversity of Missouri in Columbia, as kind ofa base of operations to look for a multi-specialty clinic that was big enough to absorbboth of us. I had a disappointing experience inWashington State. They were very interestedin me, but when they found out about Mary, allkinds of red nepotism flags went up. And sowe figured we needed a bigger group to avoidthat problem.Mary When we first came to Monroe, I wasn’t ready to be a full-time physician, inany case. I had, by then, three children andanother one on the way. I was happy to workpart-time in whatever capacity they wantedme. By the time I might have been consideredfor a full partner, the whole structure of theclinic changed and everybody was employeesanyway, so it didn’t matter.

How did you two get together?Mary At the University of Rochester. My firstyear and a half in Rochester, I couldn’t getinto the school and so I worked in a researchlab in physiology. I worked in a high altitudelab with a noted physician physiologist, andJohn was one of the guinea pigs we wouldput in this high altitude chamber and monitorhim. I was the technician who monitored him.

We often joked that he had so muchbrain power to start with because otherwisein those days, they might not have been ascareful about monitoring how low the oxygengot. But he came out okay. We found out weenjoyed the same things and went on somebike trips together and some concerts.John The department was quite congenial.One of my main assignments was trying tofigure out how aircrew on a B-29, say, couldstay conscious if the oxygen system was shotup. There was myself and one of the otherstudents who managed to stay conscious at25,000 feet for 30 minutes on acute exposure.I’ve always felt as though if you didn’t passout, you could hardly have killed many braincells. I wasn’t as worried as she was.Mary I wasn’t all that worried. In retrospectthough, we should have been worried.John You want to know what our biggestmistake was? Getting married before she gother degree. She ends up with my name andwe can’t tell whose mail is which.Mary I was only one and a half years intomedical school when we got married.

Did you ever envision practicing this long?Mary It just sort of happens. I don’t envisionretiring, as long as we can write our ownticket about how many hours, how manyweeks, how many months.John Well, early in my career I discoveredthat retirement is frequently a health hazard,less so for women than men. And so, itseemed as though it was best to arrange notto retire abruptly. In my case, I volunteered todo nursing home work that the other doctorsweren’t quite so enthusiastic about. You can’texactly make yourself indispensable, but youcan make a pretty good attempt if you picksomething the other people don’t like to do. My experience is that you can do a lot for thepatients by way of the nurses. Even if thepatients don’t appreciate you, you can do a lotfor the relatives, so it’s perfectly satisfactoryentry into being constructive into people’s lives.


match day 2008

The Class of 2008, like others before them, found Match Day a time oftension and emotion. This momentous day is both the culmination ofyears of study and work and the beginning of a new stage of life. In theClass of ‘62 auditorium, members of the Class of 2008 shouted, screamed,laughed, hugged and cried. Twenty members of the class will remain inRochester as residents.

MATCHDAY

2008


University of Rochester/Strong Memorial HospitalMatthew Bresler, anesthesiologyJustin Brucker, diagnostic radiologyNicole Burr, pathologyKevin Bylund, diagnostic radiologyRavi DeSilva, surgeryAdam Doyle, vascular surgeryJeremy Duda, diagnostic radiologyMarjorie Gloff, anesthesiologyKathryn Hoskins, neurologyAndelina Jozanovic, emergency

medicineAbigail Kroening, pediatricsSonya Kuhar, physical

medicine/rehabilitationBrooke Miller, pediatricsLisbeth Murphy, obstetrics-gyne-

cologySasha Nelson, medicine-pediatricsShiara Ortiz-Pujols, general surgeryJulie Pasternack, emergency medi-

cineTracey Perazone, pediatricsJonathan Smith, neurologySara Williford, internal medicine

CALIFORNIAColin Bauer, UCLA Medical Center,

anesthesiologySara Bozorg, UC San Diego Medical

Center, ophthalmologyCaitlin Dwyer-McNally, UC San

Francisco, emergency medicineRichard Jensen, UCLA Medical

Center, anesthesiologyHong-Ki (Sam) Ko, Loma Linda

University, emergency medicineShira Rosenberg, Childrens

Hospital, Los Angeles, pediatricsCandy Wong, Santa Clara Valley

Medical Center, internal medi-cine

CONNECTICUTTTichianaa Armah, Yale-New Haven

Hospital, psychiatryClinton Protack, Yale-New Haven

Hospital, general surgeryDeanne Robinson, Yale-New Haven

Hospital, dermatology

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIAJoseph Gorodenker, George

Washington University, diag-nostic imaging

FLORIDAJasmeet Kaur, University of FloridaCollege of Medicine/ShandsHospital, internal medicine

GEORGIACharlene Emmanuel, Emory

University School of Medicine,obstetrics-gynecology

ILLINOISNanaEfua Baidoo, University of

Chicago Medical Center, emer-gency medicine

Rachel Perry, University of IllinoisCollege of Medicine, obstetrics-gynecology

INDIANAVirginia Takagi, Indiana University

School of Medicine, obstetrics-gynecology

MAINELee Hallagan, Maine Medical

Center, general surgery

MARYLANDTracy Fuller, Johns Hopkins

Hospital, pediatrics

MASSACHUSETTSJeremy Arnold, University of

Massachusetts Medical School,emergency medicine

Summer Chapin, Greater LawrenceFamily Health Center, familymedicine

Matthew Davis, Cambridge HealthAlliance, psychiatry

Vasanth Kainkaryam, BaystateMedical Center, medicine-pedi-atrics

Sydney Montesi, MassachusettsGeneral Hospital, internal medi-cine

Celeste Sharplin, Cambridge HealthAlliance, family medicine

Alan Sherburne, Boston UniversityMedical Center, general surgery

MICHIGANShailey Desai, University of

Michigan Hospital, Ann Arbor,internal medicine

Matteo LoPiccolo, Henry Ford HSC,dermatology

Lan Tran, William BeaumontHospital, obstetrics-gynecology

MINNESOTAKatherine Dias, Allina Family

Residency Program, familymedicine

NEW JERSEYLin Li, University of Medicine andDentistry of New Jersey-RobertWood Johnson Medical School-Piscataway, internal medicineAleksey Tentler, University of

Medicine and Dentistry of NewJersey-New Jersey MedicalCenter, Newark, medicine-pedi-atrics

NEW MEXICOBrant Hager, University of New

Mexico School of Medicine,psychiatry

NEW YORKLisa Cannon, New York

Presbyterian Hospital-ColumbiaUniversity Medical Center,general surgery

Kara Greenwald, New YorkUniversity School of Medicine,internal medicine

Thomas Gregg, Stony BrookTeaching Hospitals, generalsurgery

Sue Hong, New York PresbyterianHospital-Weill Cornell MedicalCenter, pediatrics

Joshua Miller, Mt. Sinai Hospital,internal medicine

Swathi Nadindla, Mt. Sinai Hospital,emergency medicine

Ravi Saksena, Einstein/MontefioreMedical Center, pediatrics

Elizabeth Schmidt, North ShoreUniversity, Manhasset, obstet-rics-gynecology

Annie Wang, North ShoreUniversity, Manhasset, diag-nostic radiology

Jacqueline Zayas, Einstein/JacobiMedical Center, pediatrics

NORTH CAROLINAAnne Fender, University of North

Carolina Hospitals, dermatologyJustin Godown, University of North

Carolina Hospitals, pediatricsJacob Jentzer, Duke University

Medical Center, internal medi-cine

Jack Kuritzky, University of NorthCarolina Hospitals, internalmedicine

Domenick Roma, University ofNorth Carolina Hospitals,internal medicine

OHIOJennifer Lee, University Hospitals-

Case Western Medical Center,general surgery

OREGONInge de Weille, Oregon Health &

Science University, psychiatryChristopher Greenman, Oregon

Health & Science University,internal medicine

PENNSYLVANIAAnnabelle de St. Maurice,

University of Pittsburgh MedicalCenter, pediatrics

Koto Ishida, Hospital of theUniversity of Pennsylvania,neurology

Jehu Mathew, Hospital of theUniversity of Pennsylvania,internal medicine

Chioma Ndubisi, PennsylvaniaHospital, obstetrics-gynecology

Sriranjani Parthasarathy, ScheieEye Institute/University ofPennsylvania, ophthalmology

Pamela Puthoor, University ofPittsburgh Medical Center, pedi-atrics

Beth Schwartz, Thomas JeffersonUniversity, obstetrics-gyne-cology

Jesse Wenger, Hospital of theUniversity of Pennsylvania,medicine-pediatrics

Tara Wenger, Childrens Hospital,Philadelphia, pediatrics

RHODE ISLANDJacqui Fenderson, Women &

Infants Hospital, obstetrics-gynecology

Pooja Rao, Rhode IslandHospital/Brown University, medi-cine-pediatrics

Natthapol Songdej, Rhode IslandHospital/Brown University, medi-cine-pediatrics

TENNESSEEBrett Campbell, Vanderbilt

University Medical Center, anes-thesiology

TEXASKathleen Antony, Baylor College of

Medicine, obstetrics-gynecologyAlan Sears, Brooke Army Medical

Center, general surgery

VIRGINIAUmmara Shah, University of

Virginia, internal medicine

WASHINGTONYuri Lee, Valley Medical Center,

family medicineBrian Morray, University of

Washington Affiliated Hospitals,pediatrics

Maryann Overland, University ofWashington Affiliated Hospitals,primary medicine

Suzanna Parle, Tacoma FamilyMedicine, family medicine

WISCONSINSheri Kardooni, University of

Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics,general surgery


MD AlumniClass of 1942Sylvanus (Bill) Nye (MD ’57) writes about hisfriend and fellow alumnus, Lloyd Tuttle: “Bornin 1916 in a small town outside Rochester,Lloyd Tuttle celebrated his 90th birthday lastOctober with friends living in the GallowayRidge at Fearrington retirement communitylocated a short distance south of Chapel Hill,North Carolina. He moved into Galloway Ridgefrom Fearrington Village two years after hiswife, Elinor, died. Also a Colgate graduate,Lloyd left Rochester with his degree and acommission in the Army. After an internshiphe set up an aid station near Bastogne duringthe Battle of the Bulge. Four months later, intwo days Lloyd and his team cared for manyof the 80,000 prisoners at Dachau who had achance of surviving. Following the war Lloydand Elinor lived in Binghamton where he prac-ticed anesthesiology. The ladies find himcharming, friendly, delightful, brilliant andcomfortable to be with and many others findhim an engaging dinner companion.” Bill andPhyllis Nye (BS ’54, BS ’55) also live atGalloway Ridge.

Class of 1948Marvin A. Epstein will be celebrating his 60thanniversary from medical school this year. He writes: “I sold my practice of internalmedicine in Walnut Creek, Calif., in 1993, andhave remained exceedingly busy ever since.Traveling, seeing children and grandchildren,theater, movies, gardening, and hospital activ-ities. For a while after retiring, I continued tointerpret electrocardiograms at the hospital of which I was one of the three majorfounders — John Muir Medical Center in

If you see any alumni whom you would like to contact, use the Online Directory atwww.alumniconnections.com/URMCto find address information.

Submit your class notes to your class agent or e-mail to: [email protected].

Note: MD Alumni are listed alphabetically by class. Resident and Fellow alumni follow inalphabetical order, and Graduate alumni arelisted separately in alphabetical order.

Robust & funky

For Karl Q. Schwarz, M.D. (M’83, R’86), professor of medicine at the University of Rochester School ofMedicine and Dentistry and director of the Echocardiography Laboratory at the Medical Center, visionand imagination are the cornerstones of his career. “My job is to see things and interpret what I seein reference to the patient’s complaints,” he says. “The information contained within a singleechocardiographic image may tell a story that reveals a patient’s entire disease process, if only wehave the vision to interpret the image properly. I see still photography in exactly the same way.”Schwarz got his first camera at the age of seven, and quickly became the family photographer. He prefers traditional black-and-white photography. “I feel that black-and-white images tend toprovoke a much more robust story in our own minds than color images, in the same way that readinga book is almost always more stimulating and robust than seeing the movie,” he said. He does experi-ment and create with color. Some black-and-white photographs are hand-painted by his wife. He alsohas created very colorful photographs of Venice, Italy, using a technique called high dynamic rangeimaging. In the Venice photographs, Schwarz says he went for “funky.” Selections of his photographsappear throughout Class Notes.

class notes

Venice, Italy


Walnut Creek. From a 150-bed communityhospital, it has grown to a tertiary and traumacenter of over 300 beds, and is in the midst ofa building program that will increase bedcapacity to 425!

“When our hospital merged with a nearbymedical center, the John Muir Association,Inc. was formed and I have been very activein that group, serving as chairman of theboard. We are the only grass-roots organiza-tion for the Medical Center, and have anumber of important responsibilities.

“My stepson, Brian Hazen, received an M.D.from Rochester, and is also an internist. I amvery proud of him. My wife and I have fourchildren and 10 grandchildren that we share.”

Class of 1952Frederic A. Stone writes: “We have sold ourhouse in Henderson Harbor, N.Y., and haverelocated halfway between Dallas and FortWorth, Texas, near two of our five sons, andtheir families (four generations, five house-holds). I am not in practice; however, I amfollowing the partnership that startedfollowing Nella’s and my two years at a bushhospital in northern Malawi, Central Africa,1992–1994, being sustained by the Presbyteryof Northern New York.”

Class of 1954Chloe Alexson updates the class: “GeneFarley writes a long, news-filled letter withreports on his sons and his 12 grandchildren,who are spread around the world. Josh isteaching ecological economics at the Uni -versity of Vermont. Jonathan lives in Houston.Tillman, who did his family medicine trainingin Rochester, is now in Colorado as medical

Lansing Hoskins writes: “Since retiring fromfull-time employment at the ClevelandVeterans Admin istration Medical Center in1998, I have maintained my research lab there,purchasing research supplies from the smallstipend I receive for seeing patients in the GIclinic as a fee-basis con sultant a half-day aweek. I continue to participate in the newteaching curriculum to the first-year studentsof the medical school and am going toprofessor emeritus status this year. Myresearch is on the biological bases of commu-nity structure within the complex microbialecosystem that we all share in our colons.Beyond contributing to our understanding ofcolonic microbial ecology, the eventualmedical goal of this research is to developecologically sound means for controlling “badbugs” like Clostridium difficile, Vancomycin-resistant enterococci, and perhaps otherswhose metabolic activities may potentiallyharm us. I presented a paper on this researchat the XXX International Congress onMicrobial Ecology in Health and Disease inRome, in September. It was held in thePontificia Università Urbaniana, founded in 1627 by Pope Urban VIII on a hilltop over-looking Old Rome on one side and the Vaticanwith St. Peter’s Basilica on the other. Ourhotel was a short walk uphill to the universityand a shorter walk to St. Peter’s Square, andwe were steeped in historical tradition.

director of a network of community healthcenters. Shedd is in Colorado as a self-employed carpenter and contractor. Pat is inUganda helping to return that country tosocial and economic health. Gene and Lindacontinue to work for universal health carecoverage.

“Gene, who doodled with pen and inkthrough all the meetings he attended as headof family medicine in Rochester (just likeGeorge Engel used to do), tried doing some inwood and decided he wanted to do some iniron, so before he stepped down as chair ofthe Department of Family Medicine at theUniversity of Wisconsin School of Medicine,he took an evening course on welding at thelocal technical college. The work in the photois called Circumnavigation. It is made ofquarter-inch rolled iron plate, doodled on andthen cut and bent with an oxyacetylene torch.It was commissioned as a wedding present. Itis now at the home in Milwaukee of the couplewho commissioned it. ‘Doing it is fun and ifthings ever slow down regarding health carereform, I hope to do a lot more,’ Gene says.

“Rose and Gene Gangarosa are contin-uing their career efforts to promote safewater and sanitation in the developing world.Through their endowments, Emory Universityand the Centers for Disease Control andPrevention have established a Center forGlobal Safe Water, yearly funding for 12 to 15graduate-student field experiences, andsupport to implement and measure theimpact of safe water and sanitation proj-ects. Gene is personally involved inmentoring these students. He also teachesa course that focuses on the control offood and waterborne diseases.

“Ann and Neal McNabb have down-sized from their semi-rural farm outsideRochester, and now live on the borderbetween Rochester and Penfield.Unfortunately for any gardening hopes,they seem to have brought the deer withthem. Neal has become anti-high-techafter being thoroughly frustrated fromspending about 24 hours attempting to correct computererrors regarding their change of addressor following up because the com puters ofthe agency or company were not working.They have now settled in a bit and the lastof the boxes have been recycled.”

Siena Piazza del Campo

Circumnavigation


Besides the meeting, Patience and I touredRome, visited the Vatican Museum, went to a Sunday mass in the Basilica, and attended,with 4,000 others, an outdoor audience withthe Pope in St. Peter’s Square.”

Class of 1958Robert F. Murray Jr. completed his term on the University of Rochester School ofMedicine and Dentistry Alumni Council inJanuary. Murray, who served on the councilfor six years, said about his term: “I believe itwould be a good experience for every alumna/alumnus to have the experience of serving onthe council. It was an eye-opening experiencefor me to meet and see the dean and mem -bers of his staff and the development office inaction. This is a dynamic, creative group thatstimulates older members of the council likemyself to see the possibilities of making the Uof R Medical School a more exciting place forstudents and faculty. Further, some who havea long history of participation are alwayslooking for more ways to enhance the imageand growth of the Medical Center. I becameconvinced that the partnership that isnurtured between physician and Ph.D. is anessential element of the medical advancesand exciting research that goes on atRochester. I hope this drive expands untilevery alumna and alumnus can find a way tobe involved in the programs of teaching andresearch that keep Rochester at the cuttingedge of medical advance and patient care.My experience on the council changed myperception of what a continuing role in the lifeof the Medical Center should be.” Bob and hiswife, Peachy, reside in Washington, D.C., andin 2007 celebrated 51 years of marriage.

Class of 1960Irvin Emanuel received the LifetimeAchievement Award from the Coalition forExcellence in Maternal and Child HealthEpidemiology at its annual meeting in Atlanta.The coalition includes 16 separate organiza-tions in maternal and child health.

William Powell was featured in a HoustonChronicle article in July concerning his pivotalrole in launching a retired physicianmentoring program for nursing students at theUniversity of Texas School of Nursing inHouston.

Class of 1961Mark R. Levy writes: “Nancy and I haveretired, gotten a first grandson and moved toRye Brook, N.Y.”

Class of 1962William Angell writes: “Living on Tampa Bayin Florida with wife Judy, son Braden, twocats, two dogs, two boats, age 72. Bucs andGators fan. Life is good. Still doing thoracic andcardiovascular surgery full time (Stanford 1968).Diving (scuba and free), fishing on and offshore, back packing to 10K feet, skiing,kayaking, sculling and biking. Five children, twophysicians, one biologist, one attorney, oneship’s captain, five grandchildren. Stop pedpublishing five years ago after 130 papers; nowjust operating four start-up business ventures:pharmaceutical, construction, auto care andmaintenance, and yacht construction.”

Class of 1963Paul Levine writes: “I continue teachingclasses related to cancer epidemiology at the

George Washington University School ofPublic Health and Health Services, and I doresearch in several areas, including the studyof inflammatory breast cancer, the role ofrace and poverty on cancer patterns in theDistrict of Columbia. and cancer patterns inGulf War I-era veterans.”

Stephen E. Natelson has retired from thepractice of neurosurgery after 35.5 years inKnoxville, Tenn. He continues to live there.

Class of 1970J. Franklin Richeson (R’72, FLW’76), professorof cardiology, received the Herbert W.Mapstone Prize for Excellence in Second YearTeaching from the University of RochesterSchool of Medicine and Dentistry duringconvocation in September.

Class of 1971Ruth Todd Evans is the author and illustratorof a new children’s book, The Panda WhoWould Not Eat. The tale is based on the truestory of Shi Shi, one of the first pandas in theSan Diego Zoo’s Giant Panda Conservationprogram, whose picky eating was solved by anearby botanical garden. Evans has had a life-long love of plants and nature. Following hercareer as a physician, she has been pursuingher passions in art and literature. Evans, liveswith her husband in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., is donating the book’s royalties to help fundeducation programs at Quail BotanicalGardens in Encinitas, Calif. The book can bepurchased directly from the publisher’s Website: www.sunbeltbooks.com

class notes

Hammondsport, New York

39SPRING / SUMMER 2008

Class of 1972Todd Wasserman (BA’68, R’73) writes: “This is a35-year update. After leaving UR in ‘73, I spentthree years at the National Cancer Instituteand the U.S. Public Health Service as a yellowberet. My son was born at Strong MemorialHospital in ‘73 and my daughter at WalterReed in ‘76. The four of us moved to SanFrancisco, where I did three years in radiationoncology. We moved to St. Louis for a facultyposition at Washington U. where I havestayed ever since with ever increasingresponsibility. Neither of my children could bebribed to go to Washington for college andfree tuition. Derek went to Brown and GW lawschool and lives in L.A. Amy went to Cornelland Sackler School of Medicine. After threeyears’ internal medicine in Manhattan, she isnow a fellow in rheumatology at UCLA.Unfortunately, Ellen, my wife, died of breastcancer in 1997 at the age of 49. I went on amedical disability in 2002 and moved to Florida.I continue to be busy with academic work,clinical trials and consulting. I remarried in2005. It has been a fulfilling 35 years.”Wasserman became a fellow of the AmericanSociety of Therapeutic Radiation Oncology(ASTRO) in October at a special ceremonyduring the annual meeting in Los Angeles.

Class of 1974Richard Allan Aronson (R ‘76), received the2007 Ray Helfer MD Award, given by theAmerican Academy of Pediatrics and theChildren’s Trust Fund. The annual awardhonors a pediatrician who has made anoutstanding contribution to the prevention ofchild abuse and neglect. Aronson recently

address. He may have inspired many of us tothink about that ‘late in life’ chance to garnerthe Nobel Prize! After dinner, we retired to thehome of Isabel and Mike Schneider for a verypleasant open house. Hence, the evening wasfilled with time to reminisce and reconnectwith old friends and to elicit fond, or perhapsnot so fond (!), memories of Rochester.”

Class of 1978Richard S. Levine (BA ‘74), his wife, Jill, andLizzie, their Petit Bassett Griffen Vendeenretired champion show dog, have migrated toDelray Beach, Fla. Levine will be joining BocaRadiology Group at Boca Raton Community

completed 30 years of public service as amaternal and child health medical director inVermont, Wisconsin and Maine. He is helpingestablish the Center for Humane Worlds forChild and Youth Health through the FutureSearch Network (www.futuresearch.net).

Hillard Lazarus writes: “I have been quitefortunate and have recently received twoawards — the American Cancer SocietyCancer Care Hall of Fame and the AmericanCancer Society Research Award ‘TheStanding Tall Tribute’ (Lifetime AchievementAward). I remain at Case Western ReserveUniversity (professor of medicine and directorof the Blood & Marrow Transplant Program).”

Michael Udkow (R ‘77) of Oakland, Calif., hasretired from the Permanente Medical Groupafter practicing gastroenterology for 28 years.He has more time to play with his new grand-daughter, Maya, but still finds time toen ter tain visitors to the Bay area. Call or e-mail him for a good time!

Class of 1975Dean Parmelee co-edited a new book, Team-Based Learning for Health ProfessionsEducation. Parmelee is the chair of the Team-Based Learning (TBL) Collaborative, aninter national organization to support TBL inhealth professions education.

Class of 1977Kathleen Gensheimer writes: “Eighteen class-mates from the Class of ‘77 returned toRochester for our 30th reunion. Our classguest, Dr. Arthur Moss, provided thoughtfulcomments in his ‘Power of Ideas’ after-dinner

Good Friday in Bellagio, Italy


Hospital, and multiple imaging centers, as afull-time neuroradiologist, after 22 years inSt. Louis. He joins his parents, Herb andElaine, who have lived in Delray for 20 years.

Class of 1979Eric Topol now leads the Scripps TranslationalResearch Institute in San Diego. He also ischief academic officer and chief of genomicmedicine and translational science forScripps Health. He continues to practicecardiology at the Scripps Clinic.

Class of 1980Gary Falk (BS ‘76) was selected for BestDoctors in America 2007–2008. He was co-chair of the National Cancer Institute workinggroup to identify research priorities inBarrett’s esophagus, and he delivered thekeynote address at the Dutch GI Societyannual meeting in Veldhoven in the Nether -lands. Falk was a visiting professor at theUniversity of Rochester and at the Universityof Chicago last year. His daughter, Amy, is afreshman at Connecticut College; his son,David, has set scoring records for threeconsecutive years in lacrosse at his highschool. Falk has been married to LynnShesser (BS ‘75) since 1984.

Class of 1982Joyce Elizabeth Mauk, F.A.A.P., president/CEO

Class of 1988Steven Grinspoon was promoted to professorof medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Jeffrey T. Junig (MS ‘85, PhD’87) was appointedassistant clinical professor of psychiatry atthe Medical College of Wisconsin. After 10years as an anesthesiologist he completed aresidency in psychiatry, and now runs a solopsychiatry, pain and addiction practice withhis wife, Nancy, running the business end ofthings. He also treats inmates in the Wis -consin Department of Corrections, writes aregular column for Psychiatric Times, andhosts a radio show called About Psychiatry.He invites old friends to stop by his homes onthe Web at http://fdlpsychiatry.com orhttp://wisconsinopiates.com.

Class of 1991Karen C. Johnston (R ‘92) has been appointedchair of the Department of Neurology at theUniversity of Virginia (UVA) Medical Center.She joined the UVA faculty in ‘97 and had beenvice chair of research for the departmentsince ‘04. Johnston’s research focuses ontreatment and outcomes in acute ischemicstroke; she is the principal investigator onnumerous NIH-funded grants. She is an asso-ciate editor of the journal Neurology, chair ofthe NIH-NINDS advisory committee for the

and medical director and Schur Chair ofNeurodevelopmental Pediatrics at the ChildStudy Center in Fort Worth, Texas, and thedirector of developmental pediatrics for CookChildren’s Physician Network, was honored asthe health care industry recipient of “TheGreat Women of Texas” award by Fort WorthBusiness Press in January 2007.

Class of 1983Karl Schwarz (R ‘86) was promoted toprofessor of medicine in cardiology at theUniversity of Rochester School of Medicineand Dentistry. Schwarz writes: “I have to sayit was a tremendous honor, for which I amquite grateful.”

Class of 1985Karl D. Kieburtz (MS ‘85), professor ofneurology, received the Trainee MentoringAward from the University of RochesterSchool of Medicine and Dentistry duringconvocation in September.

Class of 1986Jeffrey Lyness (BA ‘82), professor of psychi-atry, received a commendation forsecond-year teaching from the University ofRochester School of Medicine and Dentistryduring convocation. He recently becameassociate chair for education in the Depart -ment of Psychiatry.

class notesVenice, Italy


Clinical Research Collaboration and haspublished extensively in the area of strokeand neurological clinical trials.

Class of 1992Kym Orsetti Furney has recently published herfirst book, When the Diagnosis is MultipleSclerosis: Help, Hope & Insights from anAffected Physician. Furney was diagnosedwith MS in 2000 and has been fortunate to doextremely well. She continues to practiceinternal medicine on a part time basis inCharlotte, N.C., while raising her two children.Her book is a message of hope for those whoare newly diagnosed with MS, but it alsoaddresses some of the challenges thatemerge along the way.

Class of 1995Edward J. Fox (BA ‘91) has left the Universityof Pennsylvania for the Milton S. HersheyMedical Center – Penn State, where he isassociate professor of orthopaedic surgery inthe division of musculoskeletal oncologysurgery. He writes: “I’m loving it out here asthere’s so much of a Rochester influence.C. McCollister Evarts, M.D. (M ‘57, R ‘64), washere as dean of the medical school. KevinBlack, M.D. (M’81, R’86), is my chairman. WayneSebastianelli, M.D. (BA ‘79, M ‘83, R ‘88), is here.I even found one of my classmates, TomNifong (M’95), here unexpectedly! It reallyfeels like home as a result. I hope to be up forMeliora weekend in 2008 to row with my URcrew undergraduate alumni at the Head of theGenesee!” Fox, who is married to GraceChing Hsu, (MS ‘88, PhD ‘91), says: “Wewelcome anyone from Rochester to the Landof Chocolate. Just make sure you bring aWegmans and Country Sweet!”

Adnan Nasir (MS ‘89, PhD ‘94) is one of 15doctor-scholars of the North Carolina MedicalSociety Leadership College who completed ayear-long program that concentrated on lead-ership development at the state level.Schol ars are nominated by local and specialtymedical society leaders who see an opportu-nity for their colleagues to improve healthcare in their local communities through lead-ership roles in organized medicine. Nasirspecializes in dermatology.

Class of 1996Timothy Beittel writes: “I live with my wife,

Rebecca, and two girls, Elaina and Alexis, inThomasville, N.C. I had a traditional familypractice in town for a few years but for thepast three years I’ve been with ACT MedicalGroup, a statewide group that providesprimary care and psychiatry and psy cho -therapy services to long-term-care facilitiesand local agencies throughout the state. Wehope to expand across state lines in the nextyear or two. I’m a vice president, corporatemedical director and director of primary careservices. My wife teaches English at the localcommunity college, and is working to get cert -ified in distance education. Elaina is seven,

mid-way through first grade, and learning toread and do math. She loves fashion andBratz dolls and WebKinz, and is full of ‘tween’attitude. She also takes ballet and tap lessons.Alexis is three, marking time in preschool untilshe can go to big school like her sister. She isfinally potty-trained, which is a joy for all of us!”

Dina Plekavich-Kringstein writes: “Myhusband, Peter Kringstein (R ‘99), and I arethrilled to announce the birth of BenjaminJohn on Oct. 31, 2007. He joins big sisterJessie, who is five. I work part time as aninternist when not on maternity leave. I job

New York City at night


share with another Rochester residencyalumna, Mary Labanowski (MD ‘83, R ‘87).”

Class of 1997Laura K. Hummers (BA ‘93) writes: “Myhusband (Franz) and I welcomed our secondchild, Aidan Arrington Sewchand, on June 7,2007. He and three-year-old big sister, SierraElizabeth, keep us on our toes. I am currentlyassistant professor of medicine and co-director of Johns Hopkins Scleroderma Centerin Baltimore.”

Class of 1998 Caroline Little Cribari (MS ‘96, PhD ‘98) writes:This past year has been eventful, at home andin my career. My very active kids turned twoand four. I was chief of the department ofbehavioral health services, El CaminoHospital, a non-profit community hospital innorthern California, where I was one of twophysicians to be involved in developing thenation’s second hospital-based perinatalmood disorder program, which will open soon.I continued to be the medical director of thehospital’s partial hospitalization eating disor-ders program and to have a small privatepractice. I have traveled and trained in thefield of perinatal mental illness and eatingdisorders. I danced Zumba when I got thechance, and sang and danced daily with mychildren. My husband ran a half marathon forTeam in Training to raise money for lymphomaand leukemia research. I have left the hospitalpractice and will focus now on private prac-tice, writing a book, and my children. Wemissed this year’s reunion but have fondmemories of last year’s reunion. Best wishesto everyone!”

Lydia Lee (BA ‘94) writes: “I completed myfellowship in maternal fetal medicine atBrigham and Women’s Hospital, HarvardMedical School, and joined the faculty ofCedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles. By the way, I was also blessed with healthytwin boys, Max and Ben in May.”

Class of 2004Matthew Ferrantino, a current resident ininternal medicine at URMC, and HeatherFlorescue-Ferrantino (BA ‘00), a current resi-dent in OB/GYN at URMC, welcomed Jack, Kateand Ryan on August 31, 2007 at 35 weeks’ gest -ation with a combined weight of 14 pounds 9

ounces! All three are healthy and meetingmilestones right on target. Heather workeduntil 30 weeks with co-residents pushing heraround on a chair at rounds! Matt andHeather feel incredibly blessed — and tired.

Chirag Shah (BA ‘99) married StephanieSchulte in Boston. Several Rochester alumnicelebrated with the couple, includingMatthew Doane (MD ‘04), Samuel Madoff (MD‘04), Leonard Calo (MD ‘04), Jacob Kathman(BA ‘99), Sarahmona Przybyla (BA ‘99), PeterFleming (BA ‘01), Owen Halloran (MD ‘05),Chris Soriano (BS ‘00), Omesh Gupta (BS ‘98,MD ‘03) and Tashveen Kaur (MD ‘02). Shah ischief resident in ophthalmology at Wills EyeHospital. His wife, Stephanie, is a pathologyresident at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Class of 2005Todd Florin (BA ‘00) was appointed chief resi-dent in pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital ofPhiladelphia for the 2008–2009 academic year.

Class of 2006Ethan R. Ellis will serve as chief resident forthe Department of Internal Medicine at BethIsrael Deaconess Medical Center in 2010.

Joanne Wu, a resident in physical medicineand rehabilitation at URMC, was recentlynamed chief resident for 2008. Her fiancé,Benjamin Chapman, Ph.D., is a post-doctoralresearch psychology fellow in the Departmentof Psychiatry who also is working toward anM.P.H. in the Department of Community andPreventive Medicine.

Graduate Alumni(arranged alphabetically)

Cedric Alexander (PDC ‘98) has been appointedfederal security director for the U.S. Trans -portation Security Administration (TSA).Alex ander has oversight of more than 1,200 TSAofficers at the Dallas/Fort Worth Inter nationalAirport. Prior to his current position, Alexanderserved as deputy com mis sioner of publicsafety for New York State and as chief of policein Rochester. After completing his post doctoraltraining in family therapy, he remained at theMedical Center as a clinician and as clinicalsupervisor of psychology postdoctoral studentsand psychiatry residents, 1997–2002.

Kevin Biglan (MPH ‘04), assistant professor ofneurology, was named the Andrew W. MellonDean’s Teaching Fellow by the University ofRochester School of Medicine and Dentistryduring convocation in September.

class notes

“

Chirag Shah, seated with wife.


Christine Clark’s (PhD ‘08) daughter, Ava MarieHerne, was born on Jan. 3 and weighed sixpounds, seven ounces. Both mom and babyare doing great. Clark writes: “I am sograteful. It is so wonderful to start the newyear off right with the Ph.D. and baby.”

Edmund Copeland (MS ‘61, PhD ‘64) retired fromthe NIH in March 2000. He writes: “I now live inCrozet, Va., and have a chance to attendbiophysics seminars at UVA Medical Centerand to tutor chemistry students at WesternAlbemarle High School. I have taught Englishas a second language at a volunteer agencyin Charlottesville.”

Caroline Little Cribari (MS ‘96, PhD ‘98, MD ‘98)– See SMD Class of 1998.

Jeffrey T. Junig (MS ‘85, PhD ‘87, MD ‘88) – SeeSMD Class of 1988.

Henry Keys (MS ‘73, R ‘73, FLW ‘83) – SeeResident/Fellow Alumni.

Karl D. Kieburtz (MD ‘85, MS ‘85) – See SMDClass of 1985.

Helene Mc Murray (MS ‘00, PhD ‘04) receivedthe Graduate Alumni Postdoctoral FellowAward from the University of RochesterSchool of Medicine and Dentistry duringconvocation in September. McMurray serveson the School of Medicine and DentistryAlumni Council.

Gerard Michel (BS’85, MBA ‘88, MS ‘88) hasbeen appointed Biodel Inc.’s chief financialofficer, vice president of corporate develop-ment and treasurer.

Adnan Nasir (MS ‘89, PhD ‘94, MD ‘95) – See

SMD Class of 1995.

Katia Kazarinova Noyes (MS ‘97, PhD ‘00, MPH‘02) has been promoted to associate professorof community and preventive medicine at theUniversity of Rochester School of Medicine.She resides with her husband, Chris, and chil-dren, Peter and Philip, in Pittsford, N.Y.

Regis J. O’Keefe (MS ‘00, PhD ‘00, R ‘92) chair,Department of Orthopaedics and Rehab -ilitation and director of the Center forMusculoskeletal Research, was named theMarjorie Strong Wehle Professor in Ortho -paedics during convocation in September.

Alaskan grizzly.

Steve Parente (BA ‘87, MS ‘89, MPH ‘89) is thedirector of the Medical Industry LeadershipInstitute at the Carlson School of Man age -ment at the University of Minnesota and anassociate professor in the Department ofFinance with joint appointments in medicineand public health.

J. Edward Puzas (MS ‘74, PhD ‘77), Donald andMary Clark Professor of Orthopaedics,received the award for Junior FacultyAcademic Mentoring from the School ofMedicine and Dentistry during convocation inSeptember.

Eiffel Tower, Paris

Montauk, New York


Norman Salem (PhD ‘78), retiring as the labchief of the Laboratory of MembraneBiochemistry and Biophysics at the NationalInstitute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholismafter 30 years at the NIH, will take on a newposition as the chief scientific officer ofMartek Biosciences Corp. and vice presidentfor discovery and clinical research.

Diana Shaw (MPH ‘94) was a Baldrige exam-iner in 2007 and is certified to teach NxLeveL,a series of courses in entrepreneurship. Shawcurrently resides in Hawaii.

Susan Welt Shearer (MPH ‘01) received herprofessional engineering license in June 2007.She works for the New York State Departmentof Health as a senior sanitary engineer in theCenter for Environmental Health, Bureau ofEnvironmental Exposure Investigation in Troy,N.Y. She lives in Halfmoon, N.Y.

Robert Sutherland (PhD ‘66) recently resignedhis position as head of Varian Biosynergy. As part of an “active retirement,” he is vicepresident for commercialization and leadingthe “discovery to products” program at thenew Ontario Institute for Cancer Research in Toronto. The institute is well funded by theMinistry of Research and Innovation of theProvince of Ontario. The focus is on transla-tional research and emphasis on recruitingresearchers and clinicians to supplement thealready excellent programs in theToronto/Ontario biomedical community.

Paul W. Todd (MS ‘60), currently chief scientistat Techshot Inc. in Greenville, Ind., writes: Still in the workforce but planning 40 percentoff next year for time with eight grandchildrenand world travels. Techshot Inc. has spun outtwo fledgling companies to tackle twodiabetes-related technologies: islet separa-tion for transplants and painless finger sticks.All family members are healthy, and work istoo interesting to quit.”

Yonghong Zhu (MS ‘00, PhD ‘02) joined RocheLLC in December as part of the globalbiomarker group based in Basel, Switzerland,but he resides in Palo Alto, Calif. He writes:Our baby girl, Lylian Jochan Zhu, was born at home (yes sweet home!) at 4:52 a.m. onNovember 10, 2007. She decided to rush intothis world one week ahead of schedule andgave us not a single indication. It took momonly one hour from having a contraction togiving birth. Dad had no choice but to be herbona fide delivery doctor and tied the cordwith a shoelace. Mom and daughter laterwere sent to El Camino Hospital and both arein very good condition.”

Resident/Fellow Alumni(arranged alphabetically)

Agneta Borgstedt (R ‘61) retired from herconsultation practice in pediatric neurologyand developmental disabilities in 2000 butfound a new career as president of the Guildof Mercury Opera Rochester. Guild programsand lectures for its educational outreachprograms are reported on the Web site of thecompany: MercuryOpera Rochester.org. Clickon Guild and then on the reading room, whereyou can download the group’s opera lectures.

Nancy Curry (R ‘79) is president of the Societyof Uroradiology, the second woman to holdthat position.

David M. Garrison (R ‘02), assistant professorof psychiatry, was named the George W.Corner Dean’s Teaching Fellow by the Uni -versity of Rochester School of Medicine andDentistry during convocation in September.

Francis Gigliotti (F ‘83) was named the LindseyDistinguished Professor for PediatricResearch at the University of RochesterSchool of Medicine and Dentistry duringconvocation in September.

Roy Jacobstein (R ‘76) received a NorthCarolina Arts Council’s 2007–08 North CarolinaFellowship Award. Approximately 16 artistsstatewide received fellowships. Each artistreceives an award of $10,000, which allowshim or her to concentrate on the creativeprocess or a specific project. Jacobstein is an adjunct professor at the School of PublicHealth at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His recent book, Fuschia inCambodia, a narrative centering on the adoption of his daughter in Cambodia onSeptember 12, 200, will be published byNorthwestern University/TriQuarterly Press in 2008. He has also published one chapbookwith more than 100 poems published inliterary journals such as The GettysburgReview, Mid-American Review, Poetry Daily,Southwest Review, TriQuarterly, The WallaceStevens Journal and The Washington Post.

Karen C. Johnston (R ‘92) – See SMD Class of1991.

class notes

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Ralph Jozefowicz (R ‘82, R ‘85, FLW ‘86)professor of neurology and of medicine, andassociate chair for education, received acommendation for Second Year Teaching fromthe University of Rochester School ofMedicine and Dentistry and was named thePaul F. Griner Dean’s Senior Teaching Scholarduring convocation in September.

Henry Keys (MS ‘73, R ‘73, FLW ‘83) became afellow of the American Society of TherapeuticRadiation Oncology (ASTRO) in October at aspecial ceremony during the 49th AnnualMeeting in Los Angeles.

Regis J. O’Keefe (MS ‘00, PhD ‘00, R ‘92) – See Graduate Alumni.

Colin Poulter (FLW ‘83) became a fellow of theAmerican Society of Therapeutic RadiationOncology (ASTRO) in October at a specialceremony during the 49th Annual Meeting in Los Angeles. He has been on the StrongRadiation Oncology faculty since 1965 and a member of ASTRO since 1968.

J. Franklin Richeson (MD ‘70, R ‘72, FLW ‘76) –See SMD Class of 1970.

Karl Schwarz (MD ‘83, R ‘86) – See SMD Classof 1983.

Thalia Smith Segal (R ‘94) writes: “I am nowworking part time practicing pain manage-ment and OR-based anesthesia atWestchester Medical Center. My three younggirls keep me very busy. Leora is seven. Yaffais four and Aviva is two-and-a-half.”

Robert Smith (FLW’ 80) received the 2007Distinguished Faculty Award from MichiganState University College of Human Medicine.He also received the 2007 Mentor Award andOutstanding Faculty Award from MichiganState University.

Michael Udkow (MD ‘74, R ‘77) – See SMDClass of 1974.

Todd Wasserman (BA ‘68, MD ‘72, R ‘73) – See SMD Class of 1972.

University of Rochester School of Medicineand Dentistry Alumni CouncilThe Council is comprised of 17 alumnimembers who serve four year terms.Members represent all regions of the UnitedStates. The Council meets twice each year.Robert Scala, Ph.D. (PhD ‘58) serves as CouncilPresident. Dr. Scala is a retired career toxicol-ogist and resides with his wife, Jan (SON ‘55)in Tucson, AZ.

President Robert Scala, M.S. Class of 1956, Ph.D.Class of 1958–Physiology/ToxicologyTucson, Arizona; [email protected]

Vice President Lawrence Nazarian, M.D. Class of 1964,Resident 1966–Pediatrics Penfield, New York; [email protected]

Members-at-Large: • Robert Brent, M.D., Ph.D., Class of 1953,

Radiation Biology 1955–Pediatrics,Radiology and Pathology; West Chester,Pennsylvania; [email protected]

• Ronald Bruce, M.D., Class of 1962–Orthopaedic Surgery; Sullivans Island,South Carolina; [email protected]

• Milissa Carter, M.D., Student, University ofRochester School of Medicine & Dentistry;Rochester, New York; [email protected]

• C. McCollister Evarts, M.D., Class of 1957,Resident 1964–Orthopaedic SurgeryRochester, New York; [email protected]

• Constantine Farmakidis, M.D., Class of 2006,Resident; Rochester, New York;[email protected]

• Mary Anna Friederich, M.D., Class of 1957,Resident 1962–Ob/Gyn; Scottsdale, Arizona;[email protected]

• Kathleen Gensheimer, M.D., MPH., Class of1977–Epidemiology; Yarmouth, Maine;[email protected]

• Dwight Heron, M.D., Class of 1995–Radiation Oncology; Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania; [email protected]

• Michael McKenna, Ph.D., Class of 1975–Toxicology; Wilmington, North Carolina;[email protected]

• Helene McMurray, M.S. Class of 2000, Ph.D.,Class of 2004–Post Doctoral Fellow-Biomedical Genetics; Rochester, New York;[email protected]

• Carol Cooperman Nadelson, M.D., Class of1961, Resident 1962–Psychiatry Brookline,Massachusetts; [email protected]

• Alexander Pearson, University ofRochester School of Medicine & DentistryM.D./Ph.D. Student; [email protected]

• I. Donald Stuard, M.D., Class of 1960–Pathology; West Chester, Pennsylvania

• Robert Sutherland, Ph.D., Class of 1966–Biophysics; Menlo Park, California;[email protected]

Ex-officio Members• Bradford C. Berk, M.D. Class of 1981, Ph.D.

Class of 1981 (Senior Vice President forHealth Sciences, CEO of Medical Center &Strong Health)

• Robert Caldwell, M.D. Class of 1961,Resident 1969–Surgery; Scottsville, NewYork; [email protected]

• David S. Guzick, M.D., Ph.D. (Dean,University of Rochester School ofMedicine and Dentistry)

Alumni Council Committees 2008

Alumni Relations CommitteeResident SubcommitteeMary Anna Friederich, M.D., Chair Student SubcommitteeChair–TBN

Awards Committee Lawrence Nazarian, M.D., Chair

Communications and DevelopmentCommitteeRobert Brent, M.D., Ph.D., Chair

Executive Committee Robert Scala, Ph.D., Chair

Technology Commercialization CommitteeRobert Sutherland, Ph.D., Chair

alumni council


class agents list

1939Dr. John Frazer329 Orchard Park Blvd Rochester, NY 14609585-288-4002

1943Dr. Ralph Prince17 Tobey WoodsPittsford, NY [email protected]

1944Dr. Stuart Finch 20 Avondale Ave. Haddonfield, NJ [email protected]

1946Dr. E. Bruce Hallett Jr.1596 Dorset West RdDorset, VT 05251(802) 867-5315 [email protected]

1947Dr. Richard “Rip” Collins106 Temple St.Avon, NY [email protected]

1949Dr. Ruth Lawrence1836 Clover St. Rochester, NY [email protected]

1951Dr. George D’Angelo3232 Westwood Estates Dr. Erie, PA [email protected]

1953Dr. Robert Palmer5357 Chipwood LaneIndianapolis, IN [email protected]

1954 Dr. Chloe Alexson57 Inglewood Dr. Rochester, NY [email protected]

1955Dr. Saul Milles304 Hotchkiss Rd Orange, CT [email protected]

1956Drs. William and Kathryn Kern109 Breeze Haven Ter. Huddleston, VA [email protected]

1957Dr. Jules Cohen152 Burkedale Cres.Rochester, NY [email protected]

Dr. C. McCollister Evarts601 Elmwood Ave. Box SON, HWH 3W308Rochester, NY [email protected]

1958Dr. Robert H. Carrier4 Fishers Hilltop Dr.Pittsford, NY [email protected]

1959Dr. Michael Finigan207 Bonnie Brae Ave.Rochester, NY [email protected]

1960Dr. I. Donald Stuard1507 Greenhill Rd West Chester, PA 19380610-429-4362

1961Dr. Hechmat Tabechian3901 East Ave.Rochester, NY [email protected]

1962Dr. Frederick Parker310 Dewittshire Rd S De Witt, NY [email protected]

1964Dr. Philip P. Bonanni9 Prospect Hill Rd Pittsford, NY [email protected]

1965Dr. John Randall3641 Middle Cheshire RdCanandaigua, NY [email protected]

1965Dr. Laurence Jacobs60 La Serena TrlSanta Fe, NM [email protected]

1966Dr. Donald A. Grover21 Countryside Rd Fairport, NY [email protected]

1970Dr. Philip A. PizzoStanford UniversitySchool of Medicine300 Pasteur Dr., M-121Stanford, CA 94305 [email protected]

1971Dr. Thomas McMeekin300 White Spruce Blvd Rochester, NY [email protected]

1976Dr. Beverly R. Love111 Hampton Hills Blvd.Madison, MS [email protected]

1977Dr. Kathleen Gensheimer73 Main StreetYarmouth, ME 04096207-287-5183 (work)[email protected]

Dr. James Powers714 Darrow Dr. Pleasant View, TN [email protected]

1981Dr. Linda Brodell2660 East Market StreetWarren, OH 44483330-393-4004 [email protected]

1982Dr. Joseph Serletti129 Cherry LnWynnewood, PA 19096585-244-8493 [email protected]

1985Dr. James Haley9 Bordeaux WayFairport, NY 14450 [email protected]

1990Dr. Peter S. Reichard8 Cliffside WayBoonton Township, [email protected]

1995Dr. Dwight Heron5150 Centre Ave, #545Pittsburgh, PA 15232 [email protected]

Dr. Lisa Plotnik47 Reed Dr.Bedford, NH [email protected]

1999Dr. Hans Stohrer530 East 90th St. #2LNew York, NY [email protected]

2000Dr. Ivette Motola13060 Keystone TerraceNorth Miami, FL [email protected]

2001Dr. Jennifer MattucciSantoro4464 Oakdale CrescentCt., #1146Fairfax, VA [email protected]

Dr. John Filippone115 Westminster RoadRochester, NY [email protected]

2002Dr. David Maine2836 Quarry Heights WayBaltimore, MD [email protected]

2003Dr. Shana Dowell3305 Overlook DriveNashville, TN [email protected]

2004Dr. Grace Chen1446 Butler Ave., #8Los Angeles, CA [email protected]

Arthur J. Redmond, M.D.Arthur J. Redmond, M.D. (M’42, R’45),a “doctor’s doctor” who served on theclinical faculty of the University ofRochester School of Medicine andDentistry for more than five decades,died at his Brighton, N.Y., home Jan. 14.He was 92.

Dr. Redmond helped many futurephysicians get into medical school andthen helped start their careers. He hadan internship for fourth-year students athis practice, and established a scholar-ship for medical students.

“He felt that passing the torch was very important,” Dr. Redmond’sdaughter, Sheila Redmond-Tamme, of St. Louis, said.

Dr. Redmond also was known forhis skills as a diagnostician. His practicewas once one of the largest in theRochester area and he counted mayors,lawyers, judges and writers among hispatients. Timothy P. O’Connor, M.D.(R’83), who gave the eulogy at Dr.Redmond’s funeral service, called himthe doctor’s doctor.”

“People came in from all over thecountry, as once Art had a hand in yourhealth care, you really didn’t wantanyone else,” O’Connor said.

Dr. Redmond never actuallyretired. At his death, he was medicaldirector of Wilmorite Corp. in Rochesterand also was a senior Federal AviationAdministration examiner for pilots.

Dr. Redmond joined the School of Medicine and Dentistry faculty as a clinical instructor in 1945, just threeyears after his graduation. At the time ofhis death, he was clinical professor emer-itus of medicine.

Dr. Redmond opened his practicein Rochester in 1946. He was active inthe community, serving as president ofthe Rochester Society for the Preventionof Cruelty to Children in 1963 and againfrom 1972 to 1974, and as president of theMonroe County Unit of the AmericanCancer Society from 1969 to 1971. Healso served as chief of medical service atthe U.S. Air Force Hospital at Sampson

Air Force Base in Geneva., N.Y., from1953 to 1955.

In 1986, the American College of Physicians gave Dr. Redmond its Phy -sicians Award for OutstandingCon trib utions to Internal Medicine. In1990, he received the American CancerSociety’s Hope Award.

Dr. Redmond, who graduated fromHoly Cross College, was well known forhis love of Ireland and all things Irish.He visited Ireland every year for 28consecutive years.

In addition to his daughter, he is survived by his wife of 65 years, MaryMauser Redmond, of Brighton, N.Y.;two other daughters, Martha Dillard, ofWinston-Salem, N.C., and Mary PatriceCondon, of Brighton, N.Y.; nine grand-children and seven great-grandchildren.

Contributions in Dr. Redmond’smemory may be made to the Arthur J.Redmond Scholarship Fund, c/oUniversity of Rochester School ofMedicine and Dentistry, Alumni Office,300 East River Rd., P.O. Box 278996,Rochester, NY 14627 or James P. WilmotCancer Center, Box 704, P.O. Box 23029,Rochester, NY 14692-9804 or McQuaidJesuit High School, 1800 S. ClintonAve., Rochester, NY 14618.

Margaret B. Shipley, M.D.From the Canton Repository Decades after she abandoned plans to bea doctor, Margaret Shipley, M.D. (M’42),resumed her medical training in her mid-50s so she could establish a clinic thatwould treat poor children in the Canton,Ohio, area.

The number of children served bythe clinic eventually grew to about 5,000.Even after Dr. Shipley retired in 1979,she frequently visited the clinic to givebooks to the children as well as medicaltexts to the clinic’s doctors, the clinic’sexecutive director, Laurie Inskeep, said.

Dr. Shipley died Nov. 14, 2007, inCanton. She was 92.

“Her life was centered around chil-

dren,” her son, Ralph Shipley, said,adding that she hated being in the spot-light. “She really believed children wereworth great commitments and sacrificeto help.”

Margaret Stringfellow, who wasborn in Lynn, Mass., graduated fromOhio Wesleyan University. She receivedher medical degree from the Universityof Rochester School of Medicine andDentistry in 1942 and became the firstfemale intern at Massachusetts GeneralHospital. She married Thomas Shipley,M.D., also a member of Rochester’s Classof 1942. When her husband was called toserve in World War II, she was pregnant,so she put off plans to practice medicine.She eventually had two sons and adaughter.

Dr. Shipley was involved with the Junior League and other volunteerorganizations in the Canton area. Shebecame concerned about children whowere barred from school because theirfamilies couldn’t afford immunizations.She could not find any pediatricianswilling and able to staff a clinic for low-income children, her son said.

“She thought, ‘Why don’t I be thepediatrician?’ To do that, she had to goback and get her pediatrics training inher mid-50s,” he said.

Dr. Shipley did a three-year pedi-atrics residency at Cleveland’s MetroHealth Hospital, often spending three tofour nights a week away from her family.She then helped start the Well BabyClinic in Canton in 1971, with help fromthe Junior League and Children’s AidSociety.

She never worked for pay,according to Inskeep. Her entire medicalcareer was spent as a volunteer at theclinic. In the early years, Dr. Shipleyoften had to scramble for resources. If the clinic needed an exam table, thehusband of one of the staffers wouldbuild one. Organizations and churchesdonated chairs.

In 1979 when Dr. Shipley retired,the clinic was renamed the Margaret B.Shipley Child Health Clinic. To this day,the clinic provides health care to chil-

in memoriam


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in memoriam

dren regardless of the ability of theirfamilies to pay. It now has a laboratory, a staff of nurses and doctors andconducts lead testing.

Andrei Yakovlev, M.D.,Ph.D.By Leslie OrrAndrei Yakovlev, M.D., Ph.D., professorand chair of the Department ofBiostatistics and Computational Biologyat the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, died Feb. 27at his home in Mendon. He was 63.

Since joining the faculty in 2002,Dr. Yakovlev led a major expansion inbiostatistics. Tenure-track faculty grewfrom seven to 21 members, and spon-sored research increased from $800,000 to more than $5 million annually,totaling $37 million over the past fiveyears. Perhaps most importantly,however, he was known as a brilliantscholar and collaborator, always brim-ming with ideas that challengedconventional wisdom.

“Andrei was the answer to ourhopes for a chair of Biostatistics andComputational Biology, the rare indi-vidual who had facility in both of thesefields,” said David S. Guzick, M.D., Ph.D.,dean of the School of Medicine andDentistry. “When we set out to hire achair, we needed someone with the flexi-bility to work back and forth betweenmathematics, statistics and systemsbiology. We also needed a leader whocould attract outstanding senior facultyand mentor junior faculty and students.He accomplished all of this in spadesand did so by creating a collegial,welcoming environment.”

“His approach to work was bothbrilliant and inspiring to all who cameinto contact with him, and motivated usall to think differently about ourresearch,” said Medical Center CEOBradford C. Berk, M.D., Ph.D. “I person-ally worked with Andrei on statistical

of his work related to cancer and thesurvival benefits of screening and certaintreatments, and prediction of clinicaloutcomes.

“His recent and ongoing researchin methods of statistical analysis of geneexpression data is extraordinary, discov-ering major flaws in widely usedmethod ology and creating innovativemethods to overcome them,” said JackHall, professor of biostatistics.Re searchers who knew him well notedhis ability to reshape thinking aboutmedicine and science through mathe-matics.

“Before I met Andrei I neverthought the world of numbers and prob-abilities could be fun and exciting andcould fundamentally change the way I see experiments,” said Mayer-Proschel. I will terribly miss his insight, his geniusand his sense of humor.”

Dr. Yakovlev earned his medicaldegree in 1967 from the First LeningradMedical School, a doctorate in biologyin 1973 from the Pavlov Institute ofPhysiology of the Academy of Sciences,USSR, and a doctorate in mathematicsfrom Moscow State University in 1981.In St. Petersburg, he chaired a Depar -tment of Biomathematics (1978 to 1988)and Applied Mathematics (1988 to 1992).

He was an advisor to the WorldHealth Organization and U.S.Environmental Protection Agency; amember of the Russian Academy ofSciences (1992); a Fellow of the Instituteof Mathematical Statistics (1998) andAmerican Statistical Association (2000)and elected member of the InternationalStatistical Institute (2002).

In addition to his professionalaccomplishments, friends and colleaguespoint out that Dr. Yakovlev was the lifeof the party. He liked to play piano andengage in lively discussions about art,music, politics and history.

Dr. Yakovlev was married and hadtwo sons, one of whom died in Russia.He is survived by his wife, Nina, and ayoung son, Yuri.

analysis of gene expression profiles andfound his critical approach challenging,engaging and educational. His strongleadership has resulted in a thrivingdepartment, which will play an integralpart in moving our strategic planforward. We will all miss his passion andintellect.”

Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Dr. Yakovlev became a citizen of theUnited States in 2005. During the 1990she was a visiting professor at universitiesin France, Australia and Germany, andtaught at Ohio State University and theUniversity of California, Santa Barbara.Prior to arriving in Rochester, he wasdirector of the Division of Biostatistics at the Huntsman Cancer Institute at theUniversity of Utah in Salt Lake Cityfrom 1998 to 2002.

While in Utah, Dr. Yakovlevbegan working on a series of landmarkstudies involving differentiation of stemcells with one of the best stem cell teamsin the world: Mark Noble, Ph.D., ChrisProschel, Ph.D., and Margot Mayer-Proschel, Ph.D. Eventually, they allended up in Rochester.

“Working with Andrei was one of the great scientific joys of our lives,”said Noble, professor of genetics. “Hechanged the way we thought about stemcell biology in profound ways. He wasable to see great distances down the roadof knowledge, and he was constantlycoming up with new ways to solve prob-lems that others had long dismissed astoo difficult.”

His death is a huge loss for thescientific community, agreed ChrisProschel, a fellow stem cell researcher.The hallmark of his mind was that hequestioned everything, literally everyassumption ever made, at the peril ofrunning against the stream,” Proschelsaid. “He was as rigorous a scientist asI’ve ever met.”

Dr. Yakovlev’s research appeared in four books and almost 200 scientificpapers, in mathematics, statistics, bio -mathematics and biology journals. Heinvestigated stochastic modeling in cellbiology, carcinogenesis, gene expressiondata analysis and survival analysis. Some

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IN MEMORIAMFrancis F. Baker (MD ’41, R ’50)Ellen C. Binckley (MD ’44)Robert F. Ehinger (MD ’47)Gertrude Falk (PhD ’52)Elmer A. Gardner (R ’59)Barry A. Gray (MD ’70, FLW ’74)Daniel F. Gunther (R ’95)Jerald Jarrett (MD ’58)Arthur Kornberg (MD ’41, HNR ’62)Alexander N. Levay (MD ’57)Robert W. Loss (MD ’78, R ’81)Marian (LeFevre) Manly (BA ’33, MS ’35,PHD ’39)George R. McGovern (R ’60)J. Phillip Pennell (MD ’65)Mark R. Proctor (R ’79)Arthur J. Redmond (MD ’42)Charles E. Riley (MD ’51)Harold D. Robertson (MD ’50)Ira A. Roschelle (MD ’59)Samuel L. Shaver (PhD ’51)Margaret S. Shipley (MD ’42)Barbara A. Simmonds (PDC ’95)Eugene J. Stanton (MS ’65, R ’65)Albert W. Sullivan (MD ’44, R ’51)Roger Terry (MD ’44)Philip M. Winslow (MD ’38, R ’42)

University of RochesterSchool of Medicine and Dentistry601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 643Rochester, NY 14642

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ROCHESTER MEDICINE · two Boston researchers, George Richards Minot and William P. Murphy, who used liver therapy to successfully treat perni-cious anemia. In 1934, Whipple, Minot