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| FEATURE STORY |
Last month, West Virginia University celebrated its 140th commencement by graduating over 3,600 students. Approximately 400 students graduated from the School of Medicine. For information on commencement, click on this link.
To read the commencement address of WVU Distinguished Alumnus, Verl Purdy, at the Commencement Honors Convocation, click on this link.
To see who the 3,600 May graduates are, click on this link.
To view the WVU Commencement video, click on this link.
To see photos from the M.D./Ph.D. investiture ceremony, click on this link.
To see photos from the Professional Programs commencement, click on this link. |
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Swine Influenza: There have been 10,053 confirmed and probable casese of swine influenza A (H1N1) in the United States, three of those are in West Virginia at the time this message was written.
Click on the following links for more information.
( CDC Update | Respiratory Etiquette | Cover Cough )
Construction Update: The new parking facility located near University Lot 81 is scheduled to open Oct. 1. For more information on the progress of the facility, click on this link.
 Geoffrey R. Cousins, M.D., assistant professor, Department of Surgery, is the newest cardiothoracic surgeon to join the West Virginia University Heart Institute. For more information on Dr. Cousins, click on this link. The National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health at West Virginia University is sponsoring a series of walks in downtown Morgantown and at WVU Hospitals. For more information, click on this link. More than 100 West Virginia Lions Club leaders and members visited the WVU Eye Institute for West Virginia Lions Day. In 2007, the West Virginia Lions Sight Conservation Foundation pledged $100,000 over five years toward the WVU Eye Institute’s Vision Research Program. For more information on Lions Day, click on this link. The School of Medicine recently hosted the state’s first Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) support group at the Health Sciences Center. The CCFA allows West Virginians living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis to meet and share information on these conditions. For more information, click on this link.  Last month Phi Kappa Alpha made a donation to the Eye Institute’s Visual Fund. The Eye Institute is the state’s premier vision center for patient care, outreach, research and education and is committed to restoring vision and preventing blindness for all in West Virginia and surrounding states. Click here for the press release. The Department of Orthopaedics recently published a department newsletter. To view the newsletter, click on this link. The School of Medicine hosted an exhibit titled “New Hope for Stroke,” highlighting the importance of early recognition of symptoms, the necessity of prompt stroke care, and the treatments available. For more information, click on this link. The Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center is receiving approximately $12,000 from the Penny Wars. For more information on the Penny Wars, click on this link. Community Service Opportunities:
Medical Students are collecting the recycling bins in the HSC on Fridays. Contact Jeff Richmond jrichmo4@mix.wvu.edu for more information. COMING
Robert Hull, M.D., has joined the Morgantown Campus of the School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, as an associate professor. Dr. Hull specializes in cardiology electrophysiology.
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The Office of Research and Graduate Education announces the availability of investment funds to support the preparation of competitive, multi-investigator NIH grant applications, such as Program Project (P01) and Center (P50) Grants. Awards will be up to $100,000 for one year. To apply click here. Please contact James O’Donnell Ph.D. at jodonnell@hsc.wvu.edu for more information.  Nyles Charon, Ph.D., professor, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell Biology, is being honored for his research in studies of spirochetes, a form of bacteria best known as the cause of Lyme disease, syphilis and diseases of livestock and other animals. For more information, click on this link. George Kelley, D.A., professor, Department of Community Medicine, is the lead author on a study that shows that exercise improves physical function in older adults. For more information on this study, click on this link.
Heimo Riedel, Ph.D., professor, Department of Biochemistry, was recently awarded a grant for his research project titled “Molecular scissors to specifically disrupt a pathogen genome.” Dr. Riedel’s project is one of 81 grants announced by the Gates Foundation in the second funding round of Grand Challenges Explorations. For more information on this grant, click on this link.
 Stan Majewski, Ph.D., professor, Department of Radiology, received an award for Excellence in Technology Transfer from the U.S. government’s Federal Laboratory Consortium for his work in developing breast-specific gamma imaging. For more information, click on this link. Michael McCawley, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Community Medicine, discusses the connection between air pollution and asthma in children in Mason County. For more information, click on this link. |
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Last month the office of Graduate Medical Education (GME) held its annual GME week of events that acknowledge those who contribute to the residency programs. For more information on the event, click on this link.
To see who the GME Week Research Poster Competition winners are click on this link.
To see who the GME Week Research Podium Competition winners are click on this link.
To view photos from the event click on this link. |
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Thirty clinical laboratory science students in Medical Technology recently received their white coats, which signify the beginning of the clinical and final year of education. For more information on the White Coat Ceremony, click on this link. To see photos from the event click on this link. Some medical students went to New Orleans during spring break to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity in helping rebuild houses damaged in Hurricane Katrina. For more information, click on this link. Last month the M.D. Degree students held their awards convocation. To see the award recipients, click on this link. To see photos from the event click on this link. The M.D. Class of 2011 and 2012 elected their new class officers last month. To see the new officers, click the links. |
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In the month of May, the following websites were redesigned and/or implemented.
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James Brick, M.D., interim dean, School of Medicine, announced the winners of the Excellence/Distinguished Teacher Awards in April. To see this year’s recipients, click on this link.
This fall, the School of Medicine will offer the State’s first program dedicated to histotechnology - a career with job opportunities in fields such as veterinary pathology, marine pathology, forensic pathology and public health. For more information on this program, click on this link. To visit the new histotechnology website click here.
We know that life is better for many people because of the daily care provided at the Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center and its related operations around the state. The devotion of the staff to help improve patients’ health is well-known.
Assuring that future opportunities are available for those who want to pursue medical careers is something that anyone can help the WVU School of Medicine accomplish by including a gift in your will or revocable trust “to the West Virginia University Foundation for the benefit of the School of Medicine [‘s Department of ________].
Many support options are available, and the Development Office (304-293-3980) can assist you to make it work. |
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 Jame Abraham, M.D., associate professor, Department of Medicine, was named the first Bonnie Wells Wilson Eminent Scholar and Distinguished Professor in Breast Cancer Research. The professorship was made possible by a $5 million gift to the Cancer Center from Jo and Ben Statler. For more information, click on this link.
 Warren Boling, M.D., associate professor, Department of Neurosurgery, is referenced in a newspaper article explaining how an epilepsy patient, who underwent surgery at WVU in 2004, has not had a seizure since that surgery. The WVU Epilepsy Monitoring Unit gives doctors a better understanding of the part of the brain affected by seizures. For more information, click on this link. For more information on the program visit this site. Scott Cottrell, Ed.D., assistant professor, Department of Community Medicine, was recently selected for the 2009 Outstanding Presentation Award at the Southern Group on Educational Affairs (SGEA) meeting. This award recognizes the most outstanding medical education presentation by an SGEA member. His workshop, "p Values, Confidence Intervals, and Effect Sizes: A Practical Approach to Understanding Educational Research Findings" was peer evaluated as part of the Medical Education Scholarship Award program during the conference and was highly rated both for his presentation skills and the content and design of the workshop.
Stanley Einzig, M.D., Ph.D., professor, Department of Pediatrics, is coming back to WVU. Dr. Einzig has previously served as section chief in pediatric cardiology at WVU from 1990-2001. For more information on Dr. Einzig’s return, click on this link.
 Jefferson C. Frisbee, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, has been selected to a five year term as editor-in-chief of Microcirculation, a scientific journal with a worldwide audience among biomedical researchers. For more information on this appointment, click on this link.  Laura Gibson, Ph.D., professor, Department of Pediatrics, has been named the first Alexander B. Osborn Distinguished Professor in Hematological Malignancies Research. The Osborn professorship was made possible by a donation from the Alexander Bland Osborn Trust and a West Virginia Research Trust Fund state match to create a $1.57 million investment in the hematological malignancies program as well as the professorship. For more information, click on this link. Mahreen Hashmi, M.D., program director, and Kim Lanham, program coordinator, Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program, and Norman Ferrari, M.D., designated institutional officer, Office of Graduate Medical Education, gave a presentation at the Group on Resident Affairs Meeting of the AAMC titled “Innovative Technologies for Didactic Education of Residents and the Adult Learner".
 Ruth E. Kershner, Ed.D., associate professor, Department of Community Medicine, and Arif R. Sarwari, M.D., associate professor, Department of Medicine, were honored as two of the six WVU Foundation Outstanding Teacher Award recipients during commencement weekend. For more information, click on this link. Roxann Powers, M.D., professor, Department of Medicine, is providing information about the dangers of the summer sun. Dr. Powers recommends SPF 15 for simple daily tasks and SPF 30 if you spend a lot of time in the sun.
Motao Zhu, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Community Medicine, is one of the researchers on a study focusing on teens and driving. The study shows that 16-year-old drivers are much less likely to be injured when laws like the “graduated driver’s license” are in place. For more information on this study click on this link. |
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In 1995 it was the West Virginia and the Kellogg Community Partnerships Initiative that formed the West Virginia Rural Health Education Partnerships program. Between 1992 and 2006, WVRHEP has helped recruit over 213 physicians, 57 physical therapists, six medical technologies, two occupational therapists, and one masters in public health to the rural underserved areas of the state.
Can you guess who these two faculty members are?
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(Click Images to enlarge) |
The answers will appear in next
month’s issue.
Last month’s faculty member was
Laura, Davisson M.D. |
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