Jim Brick, M.D., Interim Dean, School of Medicine, announced that Michael D. Schaller, Ph.D., has accepted the position of Chair of the Department of Biochemistry. Dr. Schaller received his B.S. and Ph.D. degrees from McMaster University. Following a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Virginia, he joined the faculty at the University of North Carolina, where most recently he was Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology.

The additions to the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center are expected to be completed by January 2009. The Cancer Center’s expansion will double the space for patient care as well as research. The Cancer Center is recognized by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. For more information on expansion completion, click here. For more information on the MBRCC, click here.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure® has awarded the WVU Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center $300,000 over three years in its efforts to decrease mortality from breast cancer in West Virginia. The Komen funds will help ensure that Bonnie’s Bus will reach the areas that are most in need of its services. Click here for more details on how these funds will be used.

Last month the American Cancer Society and the Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center at WVU held an outdoor camp to help children forget about their health problems and enjoy their summer. The camp was held at Camp Horseshoe in West Virginia. For more information on this camp click here.

The Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center was recently awarded a Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation grant which will give the Cancer Center $400,000 over two years to help support access to breast cancer screening and treatment for women across West Virginia. For more information on the grant, click here.

The WVU School of Medicine will be hosting the Digestive Diseases Symposium in Morgantown on Sept. 20. This conference will give medical caregivers an opportunity to learn about new research and technology. For more information on this conference, click here.

USA Today.com recently published the Joint Commission’s list of advanced primary stroke centers: Charleston Area Medical Center and West Virginia University Hospitals are both on this list. To see the complete list of advanced primary stroke centers, click here.

If you would like to become an organ donor or change your organ donation status, you can now register online. Click on the link for more information. If you would like to donate your body to WVU’s Human Gift Registry click on the link for more information.

The Coal/Energy Coalition has identified seven faculty physicians at West Virginia University School of Medicine's Morgantown campus as "Best in Class." Only about 4 percent of providers serving patients covered under insurance plans of coal companies earned the honor. To see which WVU physicans made the list click here.

Last month the Health Sciences Center hosted a simulation day to showcase the kinds of simulation mannequins that will be in the new Health Sciences Simulation Center which is scheduled to be completed by July 2009. For more information on Simulation Day click here.

This month WVU will be hosting the TRILS--Tobacco Research Intensive Lecture Series with the topic: “Treating Tobacco Dependence Across Populations.” The conference will be held in the Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center in the Pylons Learning Center. It is free and open to the public. For more information click here.

On Friday October 10, WVU will be honoring the career long commitment of Robert E. Stitzel to Graduate Education at WVU. This first Bob Stitzel Memorial Lecture will begin at 1:00 PM. For more information on this lecture series or to RSVP, contact Dave Smith.

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

Project MUSHROOM is looking for volunteers to help with street rounds every other Tuesday evening beginning at 6:45 pm. September’s street rounds will take place on the 2nd, 16th, and 30th. To sign up, click on the link. If you cannot attend after signing up, please contact Holly Turner.

COMING

Cynthia Clarkson, M.D., and Shekhar Ghamande, M.D., have joined the Morgantown Campus of the School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, as Assistant Professors. Dr. Ghamande specializes in pulmonary and critical care. Dr. Clarkson will be located at a Preston County Medicine/Pediatrics Clinic.

Scott Daffner, M.D., has joined the Morgantown Campus of the School of Medicine, Department of Orthopaedics, as an Assistant Professor, Dr. Daffner specializes in care of the spine.

Tim DeVine, M.D., Jason Harrah, M.D., and Vishal Malpani, M.D., have joined the Eastern Campus of the School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, as Assistant Professors. Melina Flanagan, M.D., has joined the Morgantown Campus of the School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, as an Assistant Professor.

Sophie Lanciers, M.D., has joined the Morgantown Campus of the School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Lanciers specializes in Gastrointestinal Medicine.

Joyce Onwere, M.D., has joined the Morgantown Campus of the School of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, as an Assistant Professor.

Erin Porfeli, D.O., has joined the Morgantown Campus of the School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Porfeli will be working at WVU Urgent Care.

Lawrence Sullivan, M.D., has joined the Morgantown Campus of the School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, as an Associate Professor. Dr. Sullivan will also serve as Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery.

Lauren Swager, M.D., has joined the Morgantown Campus of the School of Medicine, Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Swager specializes in Child and Adolescent care.

GOING

Charlotte Dillis, M.D., is leaving the Morgantown Campus of the School of Medicine, Department of Radiology.

John E. Prescott, M.D., is leaving the Morgantown Campus of the School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine.

Chris Que, M.D., is leaving the Eastern Campus of the School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine.

Michael Romano, M.D., is leaving the Morgantown Campus of the School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics.

Jame Abraham, M.D., associate professor, Department of Medicine, is one of the many experts to suggest that there are times when using MRI of the breast is appropriate to help with diagnosis and management of the disease. For more information on this topic click here.

Julian Bailes, M.D., chair, Department of Neurosurgery, recently spoke about his research with Omalu Bennet, M.D., involving retired NFL players and brain injuries. The study included post mortem tests on five different players' brains which revealed major damage to their neurons. For more information on this study click here.

John Brick, M.D., chair, Department of Neurology and Cathrin Buetefisch M.D., assistant professor, Department of Neurology, helped flat-pick guitar champion, Darel Meadows, when he was experiencing debilitating pain in his hand. For more information on this story click here.

Claudette Brooks, M.D., assistant professor, Department of Neurology, is a spokeswoman for the American Stroke Association to aid Americans in knowing the risks of improper treatment of strokes. Dr. Brooks is responding to a study that shows that most people who have strokes don't act quickly enough to get the clot-dissolving treatment that can limit brain damage. For more information, click here.

Rosemarie Cannarella, M.D., M.P.H., Eastern Campus, assistant dean for student services, started a community mini-medical school seminar on stress entitled - "All Stressed Up and No Place To Go". This lecture series is located at WVU Hospitals-East City Hospital and Jefferson Memorial Hospital and is free and open to the public. For more information on this new lecture series, click here.

Scott Davis PT, EdD, OCS, was named Director of Professional Education for the Division of Physical Therapy. Dr. Davis’ administrative efforts will focus on CAPTE accreditation, Alumni Affairs, Program Assessment, supervision of graduate assistants, development of a residency program, and marketing.

Alan Ducatman, M.D., chair, Department of Community Medicine was recognized last month as a “Health Care Hero”. Dr. Ducatman was honored for his contributions to combating problems that directly impact the lives of West Virginians.

Laurie Gutmann, M.D., professor, Department of Neurology, was recently appointed the Chair of the AAN Residency In-service Training Exam Committee. Dr. Gutmann has been a member of the committee for the last seven years.

Jim Helmkamp, Ph.D., director of the WVU Injury Control Research Center, recently published the Center’s findings on ATV deaths in West Virginia in 2007. To find out the results click here.

Bingyun Li, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Orthopaedics, has been invited to speak at the Cool Tech Nanomedicine event at Northern Virginia Technology Council. The event will be held on November 18, 2008 at McLean, Virginia. The panel on which Dr. Li will serve includes representatives from academia, industry and government.

Gauri Pawar, M.D., associate professor, Department of Neurology, was recently appointed section chief for the physiology section of the AAN Residency In-service Training Exam Committee. Dr. Pawar has been a member of the committee for the last four years.

Anne K. Swisher, P.T., Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Physical Therapy, was awarded a Fulbright Senior Specialist’s grant to study cardiovascular and pulmonary physical therapy education and to participate in collaborative research related to exercise for persons with Cystic Fibrosis at the University of Sydney in Australia. Dr. Swisher was also selected Editor-in-Chief, Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapy Journal, the peer reviewed journal of the Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Section, APTA.

WVU researchers correlate levels of circulating tumor cells in breast cancer patients.

West Virginia University researchers are studying a new Medicaid program aimed at improving the health of children and adults and to see how effective this program is. For more information on this Medicaid Program and this research, click here.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has placed Not On Tobacco (N-O-T) on a list of recommended evidence-based programs dealing with tobacco and drug abuse. N-O-T is the 100th program to be added to the 16-month-old National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices. For more information, click here.

Andrew Bradlyn, Ph.D., co- director of the WVU Health Research Center, has been working with a research team to create a video game that will lead to better health outcomes for adolescent cancer patients. The team wanted to create a fun and energetic game that everyone would want to play – whether they have cancer or not. For more information on this game click here.

Steven Branstetter, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Physiology, T2R2 Core Faculty Member, was recently awarded a 2 year RO3 grant from the National Cancer Institute. The grant of $146,500 will help Dr. Branstetter, Principal Investigator, develop a new multilevel model for understanding and explaining the predictors of teen smoking cessation. For more information, click here.

Dr. Branstetter and Kim Horn, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Community Medicine, are Co-Principal Investigators on a web-based teen smoking cessation program, adapted from the N-O-T program; a project that recently received a one year $100,000 grant from the CDC of Maine.

The Department of Family Medicine was recently awarded a three year grant for approximately $588,000 from HRSA for pre-doctoral education activities. The grant, entitled “Critical Educational Experiences: Student Training to care for Vulnerable and Special Needs Populations, Communication and Clinical Skills Improvement”, supports four objectives of the department. Dorian Williams, M.D., professor, Department of Family Medicine, will serve as the Principal Investigator for this training grant. This is the fourth training grant for the Department in the last 10 years.

The first-attempt board pass rate for 2006 and 2007 Physical Therapy graduates was 93% --higher than the national average of 88%. Additionally, 100% of the students passed the examination on subsequent attempts.

100% of Physical Therapy students in the classes of 2008 and 2009 passed the comprehensive examination given to second year DPT students. The exam is a 200 question computer test that covers all of the didactic material presented in the first two years of the program. The practical exam is a comprehensive patient case that covers all aspects of patient/client management. Students are required to pass both portions of the exam to progress to the 3rd year.

WVU’s Physical Therapy Program has a reputation of graduating compassionate and professional clinicians. The students are monitored while on clinical rotations using the Clinical Performance Instrument (CPI). In 2008, 100% of the graduates received 9/10 or higher in the area of professional behaviors.

"As long as you have your health," so the saying goes. You can help make that a fact.

The resources you need during your life can be of equal value afterward to the work of the School of Medicine. A gift provision in your will can be used to provide scholarships, improve our libraries or labs, advance research, or support our faculty - whatever you prize most.

It isn’t difficult to arrange. A gift provision in your will or a codicil is all it takes, with the wording of "to the West Virginia University Foundation for the benefit of the School of Medicine." We'll be glad to help with this or other gift options of interest to you. A call to the Development Office at 304-293-3980 is all that is needed to leave a lasting legacy.

Division of Physical Therapy Capital Campaign Over the years, the PT Program has maintained a low key approach to the solicitation of gifts from alumni. The PT Program has now reached a point in its evolution where many of its early graduates may be in a financial position to help support the educational mission of the program. The Program would like to invite you to help it raise $10,000 that will be specifically used to purchase new laboratory equipment.

Needed items include:
1. High-Low Treatment Tables
2. Step stools and Clinic Stools

Make Checks Payable to:
WVU Foundation (Physical Therapy)
One Waterfront Place - 7th Floor
P.O. Box 1650
Morgantown, WV 26507-1650 Development Website

For Large Gifts, please contact
Mimi Wilson Director, Major Gifts
WVU School of Medicine
P.O. Box 9008
Morgantown, WV 26506
(304) 293-7046

Aaron Hartstein, M.P.T., F.A.A.O.M.P.T., Class of 2003, recently received fellowship status in the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists.

Sheyi Ojofeitimi, B.A., M.P.T., Class of 2001, is a Senior Research Associate with ADAM Center at Long Island University where she conducts biomedical research. Sheyi is also a Senior Physical Therapist with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater where she provides backstage injury rehabilitation, education, and injury prevention.

This month Jamey Cost, M.D., Tanya Fancy, M.D., and Sohrab Shahab, M.D., will represent the Department of Otolaryngology Residency Program in the Second Annual Academic Bowl where they will compete against the top Otolaryngology resident program in the country.

Lauren Hutzell, exercise physiology class of 2009 and Kevin Junkins, M.D. degree class of 2011, share their reactions on U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd’s recent visit to West Virginia. Click here to read the article.

Last month the M.D. Degree class of 2012 held its orientation and oath of integrity signing. Click on the links to see photos from orientation.

Class of 2012 Camp
Class of 2012 HSC Orientation
2012 Kouples Klatch
2012 Family Orientation and Oath Signing
Oath of Integrity signing (official WVU photos)

The Exercise Physiology program moved from the School of Physical Education to the School of Medicine in 1993.

It was not until 2000 that the Division of Exercise Physiology Human Performance Laboratory moved out of the WVU Coliseum and into the Health Sciences Center bringing the lab closer to the rest of the exercise physiology program.

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
James Griffith, M.D., Rosemarie Cantarella, M.D., and Konrad Nau, M.D.