Michael Morissette, Ph.D., recently joined the faculty in the Department of Exercise Physiology. Dr. Morissette will provide significant strength to our research programs in Exercise Physiology and the COBRE grant initiative through the CCRS center.

Last month the Morgantown Mall hosted the WVU Health Expo. Exhibits at the Health Expo included bone density, blood pressure, posture, carotid artery health, and glaucoma screenings. To see what else was offered at the Health Expo or for more information, click here. For information on the super colon exhibit click this link.

In October, WVU broke ground on the intermodal transportation center on the Health Sciences Center campus. The transportation hub will be near the site of the existing Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) station. It will provide more parking and a bus station for WVU students and staff. For more information on this new transportation hub, click here.

Recently, Peter Whitehouse, M.D., spoke to the WVU Charleston Campus faculty on some of his research which show misconceptions about Alzheimer’s disease.

The search committee for the next president of WVU has been selected. Several members of the School of Medicine faculty are on the committee, including Lesley Cottrell, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Pediatrics, and Stephanie Busy, M.D. Degree Student, Class of 2012. To see a full list of those chosen, click here.

The Office of Student Services for the M.D. Degree program would like to announce a new policy for the verification of the M.D. Degrees. Click on the link for more information.

Last month the WVU Center for Reproductive Medicine hosted a week-long open house for anyone interested in learning about infertility treatment. For more information click on the link.

Phoebe Leboy, Ph.D., President of the Association for Women in Sciences, spoke on “Retaining Women in Academic Science” in October. For more information on Dr. Leboy’s visit, click here.

Also in October, the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute was dedicated in honor of Senator Jay Rockefeller’s mother. This is a $30 million addition to the WVU Health Sciences Center and was constructed to conduct research into Alzheimer’s disease. For more information on the Institute, click here.

Doctors at West Virginia University are the first in the state to use a new device to help patients suffering heart attacks, congestive heart failure, or undergoing angioplasty. The Impella Left Ventricular Assist Device is new technology that enables the heart to rest during difficult procedures and to heal and recover during episodes of congestive heart failure. For more information on this click the link.

Medical Students are collecting the recycling bins in the HSC on Fridays. Contact Jeff Richmond jrichmo4@mix.wvu.edu for more information.

COMING

Syed Hashmi, M.D., has joined the Morgantown Campus of the School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Hashmi specializes in trauma surgery.

William Lewis, M.D., has joined the Eastern Campus of the School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, as an Assistant Professor.

Paola Pergami, M.D., has joined the Morgantown Campus of the School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Pergami specializes in pediatric neurology.

John Guilfoose, M.D., has joined the Morgantown Campus of the School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Guilfoose specializes in infectious disease.

Henery Fooks, M.D., has joined the Morgantown Campus of the School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Fooks specializes in urology.

GOING

Lisa Marcucci, M.D., is leaving the Morgantown Campus of the School of Medicine, Department of Surgery.

George Fredrick, M.D., is leaving the Morgantown Campus of the School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine.

Beth Cook, M.D., Class of 1998, was recently named the chief medical advisor for Summersville Medical Center. For more information on this appointment click here.

Ellen Shaw de Paredes, M.D., Class of 1978, spoke at the Department of Radiology grand rounds last month on the advances in imaging to detect breast cancer. For more information on Dr. de Paredes’s grand rounds click on the link.

The Office of Research and Graduate Education announces the availability of Bridge Funding to support faculty who have maintained an externally funded program, but are now experiencing a lapse in internal funding. The program may also support newly developed research projects that have been submitted to external agencies and received a very good review score, but were not funded. The deadline is November 17th, 2008. The instructions and application form can be accessed from the link. If you have questions please contact Dr. Jim O'Donnell or call 293-2433.

The WVU Eye Institute recently received a $25,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation. The grant will support the Institute’s specialized pediatric vision care program, which strives to save vision in thousands of children. For more information on this grant click on the link.

The Anesthesiology RRC completed a recent review of the Anesthesia residency program and issued a decision of continued accreditation with the next full survey scheduled for October 2011. The School of Medicine sponsors 39 programs plus 4 combined programs under review by the ACGME.

Justin Douglas, M.D., and Hassan Ramadan, M.D., presented a poster at the 2008 AAO-HNF Meeting entitled, “Chronic Rhinosinusitis in Children: Which Sinuses are Developed and Involved.” Their poster described Dr. Douglas’ study to document the development and involvement of the paranasal sinuses in children who subsequently underwent endoscopic sinus surgery.

Sohrab Shahab, M.D., Tanya Fancy, M.D., and Jamey Cost, M.D., represented the Otolaryngology Residency Program during the AAO-HNF’s “Academic Bowl.” This residency program is one of only four out of 105 programs, chosen to participate in this second annual event.

Last month members of the M.D. Degree Class of 2011 served dinner (the first annual class Chili Cook-Off/Dessert Bake-Off) to guests of the Rosenbaum Family House at Ruby Memorial Hospital. The Class of 2011 would like to extend a special thanks to all competitors as well as everyone else who helped out with the event.

That in 1990 both the Physician Office Center and the Mountainview Regional Rehabilitation Hospital opened to meet the medical needs of the residents of the state of West Virginia.

That before 2006 there were select classes available for the Masters in Public Health students, but in 2006 all classes were available online.

Can you guess who these two faculty members are?

(Click Images to enlarge)

The answers will appear in next
month’s issue.

Last month’s faculty members were
Anne Cather, M.D., and Norman Ferrari, M.D.

Congratulations to Mark Polak, M.D., program director, and his staff for filling their July 2009 Neonatology fellowship position. There are 89 fellowships in Neonatal programs enrolled in the match nationwide. Of those fellowships, 64% of programs were filled, and 77% of the 2008 available positions were filled. There were 27 unmatched applicants for the 48 open positions.

Congratulations to the M.P.H. program which has just been re-accredited for the maximum seven year term by the Council on Education for Public Health. Ian Rockett, Ph.D., is the director of educational programs in the Department of Community Medicine.

Congratulations to the Forensic Psychiatry program and their program director, Ryan Finkenbine, M.D., and Coordinator Sophia Bienek-Cate. The program just received the maximum re-accreditation of five years.

The Charleston Campus’ children’s oncology group received a 100% submission rate. Out of 217 institutions, only 66 had 100% submission rates for the most recent period. This is the second year that the group has received a 100%. Congratulations to the Children’s Oncology Group at the Charleston Campus.

Recently, the School of Medicine’s Board of Advisors’ annual meeting was held in Morgantown. James E. Brick, M.D., Interim Dean, welcomed the group and provided them with an update on the Morgantown Campus highlighting areas of education, patient care, service, and finance. C. H. Mitch Jacques, M.D., Associate Vice President and Dean of the Eastern Campus, and Clark Hansbarger, M.D., Associate Vice President and Dean of the Charleston Campus, also updated the Board on their respective campuses.

The main focus of the meeting was to provide the Board with an overview of research being conducted at the School. Giovanni Piedimonte, M.D.; Matthew Boegehold, Ph.D.; Scot Remick, M.D.; and George Spirou, Ph.D. were the featured speakers.

Board members attending the meeting were: Constantino Amores, Jr., M.D.; C. Richard Daniel, Sr., M.D., Chair of the Board; Ms. Sharon A. Hall; Mr. Jack Keeley; David Z. Myerberg, M.D., J.D.; E. Phillips Polack, M.D., Julie Smith, Ph.D.; Mabel Stevenson, M.D.; Ron D. Stollings, M.D., FACP; former WV House of Delegates member Sally Susman; Mr. L. Newton Thomas, Jr.; Ronald L. Wilkinson, M.D.; Mr. Sanford B. Weiss; Perry Woofter, J.D.; and Albert W. Young, M.D. Other members of the Board are: C. Donovan Beckett, D.O.; William H. Benson, M.D.; Mr. Stuart Bloch; Thomas S. Clark, M.D.; Ms. Dorothy J. Dotson; William T. Fithian, III, M.D.; J. David Haddox, D.D.S., M.D.; Stanley Hostler, J.D.; Lawrence A. Krames, M.D.; Mr. Edward H. Maier; Mrs. Lora Mathias; Nancy Nielsen, M.D.; Mr. Milan Puskar; Lee W. Shaffer, M.D.; and former WV State Senator Jae Spears.

To see a group photo click on the link.

Decades ago, medical imaging was all about x-rays. Before that, well, there really wasn't any comparable diagnostic tool. Today, we have an array of wondrous tools to diagnose and treat, with more miracles available each new decade.

Developing those tools and using the information they provide combine the best of research and training. The School of Medicine is at the forefront of both, but they don't fully operate to their full effect without you. You help to make tomorrow's medicine possible.

You can be part of that progress through a gift provision in your will or revocable trust to "the WVU Foundation for the benefit of the School of Medicine." If you'd like to be part of medicine's future in any field, just call the Development Office at 304-293-3980.

"Meant to be a Mentor?"

Click this link and find out how you too can become a Mountaineer Mentor.

Mark Bates, M.D., Professor, Department of Surgery Charleston Campus, is quoted in an article on a new drug in the early phases of a clinical trial, which is used for treatment of cardiovascular disease. For more information click on the link.

Beverly Kirby, Ed.D., MT(ASCP), Associate Professor, Medical Technology, Department of Pathology,has received the 2008 Distinguished Author Award from the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Sciences for "The Rural Rotation in a Medical Technology Program: A Ten Year Retrospective Study".

Gregory W. Konat, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, recently edited a book titled “Signaling By Tool-Like Receptors”.

William A. Neal, M.D., Professor, Department of Pediatrics, has been named the inaugural recipient of the James H. Walker, M.D., Chair in Pediatric Cardiology. For more information click on the link.

Michelle Nuss, M.D., Interim Associate Dean for Hospital Affairs, was recently awarded the Laurette Award from the state chapter of the American College of Physicians.

Giovanni Piedimonte, M.D., Chair, Department of Pediatrics and Wyeth Research Scholar, has been awarded a 2008 Pfizer Visiting Professorship in Pulmonology. For more information click on the link.

Hassan Ramadan, M.D., Vice-Chair, Department of Otolaryngology, recently attended the 2008 AAO-HNF Meeting. During the American Rhinologic Society part of the conference, Dr. Ramadan participated in both “Balloon Sinuplasty in Children a Multi-center Study” and an instructional course entitled, “Pediatric Sinusitis, Medical and Surgical Treatment.”

Christopher Rassekh, M.D., Associate Professor, Department of Otolaryngology recently attended the AAO-HNF. Dr. Rassekh served as moderator of two scientific sessions and served as Chair of the Section II Home Study Course entitled, “Clinical Competency Issues.”

Anne K. Swisher, PT, Ph.D., CCS (Division of Physical Therapy) presented her work on improving exercise adherence performed at the WVU Cystic Fibrosis center to the North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference in Orlando, FL. She also presented a symposium on "Exercise across the ages and stages of CF" to this international group of researchers and clinicians working to improve the health and lives of people with cystic fibrosis.

Stephen Wetmore, M.D., Chair, Department of Otolaryngology, recently attended the 2008 AAO-HNF Meeting. At the meeting Dr. Wetmore presented an instructional course entitled, “Migraine-related Dizziness” and participated in a seminar entitled, “Cerumen Impaction,” in which new guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of cerumen impaction were discussed.

Jeri Whitten, C-TAGME, Coordinator, Residency Education, Department of Pediatrics, Charleston Campus recently had a book published titled “Program Information Form Made Simple: A Guide to Completing the ACGME PIF”. To order or view this book click here.