Douglas Dean, Ph.D., the Robert W. Rounsavall Jr. and Gretchen C. Rounsavall Endowed Chair in Ocular Molecular Biology in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Louisville, has been awarded the 2015 RPB Stein Innovation Award from Research to Prevent Blindness.

The award is $300,000 over three years and provides funding to scientists actively engaged in research that investigates the visual system and the diseases that compromise its function. Dean is one of seven researchers at six institutions who have received the award since it was established in 2014.

“We are most grateful for the research support provided by Research to Prevent Blindness,” said Henry J. Kaplan, Evans Professor of Ophthalmology and chair of UofL’s Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. “Dr. Dean and his collaborators have recently made very important observations concerning the rescue of cone photoreceptors in retinitis pigmentosa, the leading form of hereditary retinal degeneration in the United States. His demonstration that cone photoreceptor demise in this disease appears related to ‘glucose starvation’ may have enormous translational impact.”

Dean’s research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health. He has published more than 150 articles in peer-reviewed journals including Cell, Molecular Cell, Nature and Genes & Development.

Prior to coming to UofL in 2004, Dean served on the faculty in the departments of Cell Biology and Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Kansas. He completed a three-year fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He then completed a second postdoctoral fellowship at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, Calif.

Research to Prevent Blindness is the world’s leading voluntary organization supporting eye research. Since it was founded in 1960, RPB has channeled hundreds of millions of dollars to medical institutions for research into the causes, treatment and prevention of blinding eye diseases. For information on RPB, RPB-funded research, eye disorders and the RPB Grants Program, go to www.rpbusa.org.

Three faculty members holding endowed positions, an associate professor and an instructor from the University of Louisville Department of Neurological Surgery will share their expertise this summer at the annual meeting of one of the nation’s premiere organizations of brain and spinal cord injury specialists and researchers.

Neurotrauma 2015, the 33^rd Annual Symposium of the National Neurotrauma Society, will be held in Santa Fe, N.M., June 28-July 1. The annual symposium is considered the primary scientific forum for exchanging information in the fields of both traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal cord injury (SCI).

On Sunday, June 28, assistant professor Enrico Rejc, Ph.D., will present Lumbrosacral Spinal Cord Epidural Stimulation for Standing After Chronic Complete Paralysis in Humans. At UofL, Rejc investigates the effects of different combinations of stimulation parameters, weight-bearing related sensory information and training on the modulation of the spinal neural networks, with the intent to promote the recovery of motor function for standing.

On Monday, June 29, Scott Whittemore, Ph.D., will chair the presentation on Genetic Dissection of Locomotor Circuitry. Speaking during the presentation will be David Magnuson, Ph.D., on Conditional Silencing Propriospinal Neurons: Hopping to a New Tune.

Whittemore is the Dr. Henry D. Garretson Chair in Spinal Cord and Head Injury Research and the scientific director of the Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, considered one of the largest such centers in the nation. Magnuson is the Friends for Michael Endowed Chair in Spinal Cord Injury Research and also serves on the Symposium Program Committee organizing the 2015 event.

On Wednesday, July 1, Michal Hetman, M.D., Ph.D., will chair and Whittemore will co-chair the presentation, Cell Death is Still Alive, a look at the effect of cell death on TBI and SCI. Hetman is the Endowed Professor of Molecular Signaling and his research is concentrated on identification of the molecules controlling neural cell survival and  growth. Instructor Sujata Saraswat-Ohri, Ph.D., will present one of the three sessions of the presentation, Targeting the Homeostatic Arm of the ER Stress Pathway Improves Functional Recovery After SCI.

“The Neurotrauma Annual Symposium has informative discovery, translational and clinical sessions and workshops, as well as programs for students and early career investigators,” Whittemore said. “We are proud to bring the accomplishments of the University of Louisville into this discussion of the latest research and evidence-based medicine with our peers from throughout the country.”

University of Louisville Physicians today launched the “Academic Physician Precision Challenge,” a fun, interactive game to raise awareness of academic medicine.

Every day, doctors make discoveries and develop innovative treatments that change the lives of patients and their families everywhere. Most of these breakthroughs are made by academic physicians, dedicated doctors who see patients in clinical practices while researching and teaching at universities like the University of Louisville. Because of their academic affiliation and research activities, they have the opportunity to take the latest in clinical research and apply it for real-world use. They also often help shape health policy, sitting on government and professional panels.

The Precision Challenge measures anatomical knowledge while giving users insight into how academic doctors may have contributed to their health, or that of their family or friends.

“The game is designed as a unique way to grow awareness of the groundbreaking contributions academic physicians have made in the field of medicine, and why people would want to choose an academic physician for their health care,” said Diane Partridge, vice president of Marketing and Communications for UofL Physicians.

The game, designed by Louisville-based DBS>Interactive, invites users to test their knowledge of anatomy by placing 11 organs, such as the pancreas and liver, in the correct spot. If the user is precise, a box appears presenting them with a medical advancement or discovery relating to that organ made by an academic physician. If they aren’t, the user hears a buzzer and the screen shakes, and they have to try again.

When all the parts are placed, the user gets a ranking, with a corresponding badge based on their number of errors:

• Medical doctor
• Medical resident
• In med school
• Pre-med
• High school biology

The game will be shared with teachers and schools across the U.S.

Find the game here at www.uoflphysicians.com/academic-precision-challenge

Experts from around the country will join faculty experts from the University of Louisville’s James Graham Brown Cancer Center, a part of KentuckyOne Health, to look at the latest evidence-based medicine in treating metastatic cancer of the central nervous system.

“Evaluation and Management of Patients with Brain and Spinal Metastasis” will be held July 10 from 7:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the UofL Clinical and Translational Research Building, 505 S. Hancock St. Admission is free but pre-registration is strongly encouraged at the conference website.

“We are bringing together some of the leading clinicians and researchers from our cancer center and beyond to discuss the latest innovations in caring for patients with central nervous system cancer,” said Conference Director Eric Burton, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Neurology. “Disciplines represented include neurosurgery, radiation oncology, neuroradiology, neuro-oncology and more.”

The conference is designed both for health care providers and the general public, Burton said. “If you are a health care professional working in the neurological cancer field, if you are a patient with neurological cancer or if you are a caregiver to someone with neurological cancer, this conference will benefit you.”

In addition to Burton, presenters include:

Continuing education credit is available to health care providers. For additional information, visit the conference website or contact Emily Rollins in the UofL Department of Neurological Surgery at emily.rollins@louisvilleneuroscience.com.

Physicians without formal training in transgender health can be unprepared when a transgender patient needs basic health care, or help with a transgender specific issue such as hormonal transition. If the physician is unfamiliar with the typical barriers faced by transgender people in the health-care system or current standards of care, the patient’s health may suffer.

The University of Louisville will host two events on June 11 at the School of Medicine to close this gap by providing physicians and other health-care providers with a better understanding of treatment practices and standard of care for transgender patients.

First, a panel of physicians and community members will discuss best practices in transgender health care in a grand rounds presentation for approximately 80 physicians and other health professionals. Following the panel presentation, about 60 health-care providers and transgender community leaders will meet to network, identify gaps in care and discuss steps needed to improve care for this population.

The events are part of a UofL initiative, known as the eQuality Project,* established to ensure that individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT), gender nonconforming or born with differences of sex development (DSD) receive the best possible health care in the community.

“This is a topic that has been taboo for a long time. Physicians want to provide the best care for these patients, but they may not be aware of issues and how to address someone in a culturally responsive manner,” said Faye Jones, M.D., Ph.D., M.S.P.H., assistant vice president for health affairs -- diversity initiatives at UofL’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion. “This is a group that has many health disparities and this program will help alleviate these disparities.”

People who are LGBT, gender non-conforming or born with DSD often experience challenges when seeking care in doctors’ offices, community clinics, hospitals and emergency rooms. Research shows that these health disparities result in decreased access to care or willingness to seek care, resulting in increased medical morbidity and mortality for LGBT and DSD-affected patients.

“Ultimately, it is our goal to have an identified medical ‘home’ that provides all aspects of care for transgender patients in Louisville, as has been developed in other major clinical centers in the United States,” said Amy Holthouser, M.D., associate dean for medical education at the UofL School of Medicine.

Beginning in August, the UofL School of Medicine will serve as the nation’s pilot site for training future physicians on the unique health-care concerns and issues encountered by LGBT individuals and those who are gender nonconforming or DSD-affected.

The Institute of Medicine, The Joint Commission, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) have all recently highlighted the need for more in-depth provider education on LGBT health.

“At least forty hours of content in the UofL school of medicine curriculum have been targeted for revision to be more inclusive and affirming of LGBT and DSD patients,” Holthouser said. “This will reinforce the core stance that a competent physician is skilled in the care of all patients within their community and can approach each patient with sensitivity, compassion and the knowledge necessary to promote health and wellness.”

For more information about attending the event on June 11, contact Stacie Steinbock, director of the LGBT Center Satellite Office on the Health Sciences Center Campus at Stacie.steinbock@louisville.edu.

*About the eQuality Project:  The eQuality Project at UofL is an interdisciplinary initiative that includes the School of Medicine’s Undergraduate Medical Education Office, the Health Sciences Center’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and the UofL LGBT Center. The purpose of the eQuality Project is to deliver equitable quality care for all people, regardless of identity, development or expression of gender/sex/sexuality.

The University of Louisville Board of Trustees has named Jeffrey “Jeff” Bumpous, M.D., chair of the newest department in the UofL School of Medicine, the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Communicative Disorders. Bumpous was named chair at the board’s meeting on June 4.

The board established the new department at its May 14 meeting by elevating the program from two divisions within the Department of Surgery in a move that strengthens the provision of clinical care to patients and education and training to future physicians as well as audiologists and speech pathologists. At UofL, otolaryngologists practice with University of Louisville Physicians-Ear, Nose and Throat. Communicative disorders professionals practice with UofL Physicians-Hearing & Balance and UofL Physicians-Speech Pathology.

“Dr. Bumpous brings a wealth of educational, clinical and research experience to the department chair’s position,” said Toni Ganzel, M.D., dean of the UofL School of Medicine. “We could have no one better to launch our new department for the benefit of our students, residents and faculty as well as the patients we serve.”

Bumpous is the J. Samuel Bumgardner Professor of Otolaryngologic Surgery and chief of the former Division of Otolaryngology in the Department of Surgery. He has been at UofL since 1994 and leads a multidisciplinary team of health care providers in treating cancers of the head and neck. These include cancers of the mouth, larynx (voice box), pharynx (throat), nasal cavity, sinuses, salivary glands and thyroid gland.

A native of Fort Benning, Ga., Bumpous earned his bachelor’s degree from Morehead State University and his medical degree from UofL. He completed his internship and residency in general surgery, otolaryngology and head and neck surgery at Saint Louis University and a post-graduate fellowship in advanced head and neck and cranial base surgery at the University of Pittsburgh.

Bumpous currently is president of the Society of University Otolaryngologists and a member of the Board of Directors of the American Board of Otolaryngology. He has served as associate editor of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery and on the editorial boards of the American Journal of Surgery and Laryngoscope. He also has served in leadership roles in the American Academy of Otolaryngology, the American Head and Neck Society, the Kentucky Society of Otolaryngology, the Louisville Otolaryngologic Society and other professional organizations.

Bumpous was named St. Louis University’s 1989 Intern of the Year. During his tenure at UofL, he has won three Vincent J. Hyams resident teaching awards signifying his leadership in mentoring young physicians. He is a 2003 Recipient of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Honor Award. In 2013, he was named Physician of the Year by UofL’s James Graham Brown Cancer Center, a part of KentuckyOne Health. He is board-certified in otolaryngology and is lead or co-author of more than 60 journal articles and scientific book chapters.

A single dose of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Cervarix appears to be as effective in preventing certain HPV infections as three doses, the currently recommended course of vaccination. That is the conclusion of a study published today in The Lancet Oncology and co-authored by Diane Harper, M.D., M.P.H., the Rowntree Endowed Chair and professor in the Department of Family and Geriatric Medicine at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.

In the study, data from two large trials of the vaccine Cervarix were analyzed to compare the effectiveness of one, two or three doses of the vaccine in preventing HPV infection. In the trials, women were randomly chosen to receive three doses of Cervarix or a control vaccine. Although a number of the women received fewer than the three doses, follow-up tests were completed to evaluate the effectiveness of the vaccine in all the women for a period of four years.

The analysis determined the protection from one dose is similar to that achieved by three doses of the vaccine.

"These exciting findings address the fact that nearly two-thirds of people who get HPV vaccines do not get all three doses in a timely manner," said Harper, who was a principal investigator in one of the trials included in the analysis. “Knowing that Cervarix offers protection in one dose reassures public health agencies that they are not wasting money when most of their vaccines are given to those who never complete the three-dose series.”

“Kentucky is one of the states that has not had a program in place to make Cervarix available to all of its citizens, and has very low three-dose completion rates of Gardasil, the other HPV vaccine,” said Harper.

Worldwide, cervical cancer is the third most common cancer in women. HPV types 16 and 18 are responsible for about 70 percent of cervical cancers worldwide. These and other types of HPV cause a cancer precursor known as CIN 3.

“From all studies done, we see that Cervarix protects against CIN 3 caused by all HPV types at 93 percent efficacy,” Harper said.

The study is published in The Lancet Oncology with the title, “Efficacy of Fewer than Three Doses of a HPV-16/18 AS04 adjuvanted Vaccine:  a Meta Analysis of Data from the Costa Rica Vaccine Trial and the PATRICIA Trial.”

The dean of the University of Louisville School of Medicine and a professor and chair in UofL’s College of Education and Human Development will be among the recipients honored with Tower Awards from Presentation Academy of Louisville on Oct. 8 at the Louisville Marriott Downtown, 280 W. Jefferson St.

Now in its 20th year, the Tower Awards is an annual event honoring women leaders in their fields and highlighting the contributions and talents of these role models to Presentation Academy students and the Louisville community. Funds from this event are applied to the academy’s tuition assistance program. Since its inception, the event has raised more than $2 million.

From UofL, Toni Ganzel, M.D., M.B.A., dean of the medical school, will receive the Tower Award in Science and Health Care, and Gaëtane Jean-Marie, Ph.D.,professor and chair of the Department of Educational Leadership, Foundations andHuman Resource Education in UofL’s College of Education and Human Development, will receive the Tower Award in Arts and Communications.

Ganzel was named dean in 2013 and joined UofL in 1983 as an assistant professor in otolaryngology. She served as director of the division of otolaryngology at UofL from 1993 to 2001, when she was named associate dean of student affairs for the School of Medicine. A native of New Mexico, Ganzel earned her bachelor of science and medical degrees from the University of Nebraska. She earned a master’s degree in business administration/medical group management from the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis. She completed her residency in otolaryngology at the University of Nebraska before joining the faculty at the Creighton University School of Medicine. She is a fellow of the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Program for Women at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, the nation’s only in-depth program for women leaders in academic health care.

Jean-Marie came to UofL as chair and professor in 2013. She was previously a faculty member in educational leadership at the University of Oklahoma and Florida International University. She has a doctorate in educational leadership and cultural studies and post-baccalaureate certificate in women’s studies from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. A native of Haiti, she obtained her masters’ and bachelor degrees from Rutgers University. Her research focuses on leadership preparation and development in the United States and global context, women and educational leadership and urban school reform through educational equity and social justice. She is co-principal investigator on two industry grants and contracts totaling approximately $1 million funded by the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, and U.S. Department of the Army. She also is editor of the Journal of School Leadership and has authored more than 60 publications.

Other Tower Award recipients scheduled to be recognized are Rebecca Matheny, Louisville Downtown Partnership, in the category of Business Technology and Trade; Susan Gatz, Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, in Education; Kathleen Quinn Abernathy, Frontier Communications, in Government and Law; and Maria Price, St. John Center, in Service and Advocacy. The Queen’s Daughters Inc. will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Tickets to the event are $100 per person or $1,000 for table of 10. For more information and to obtain tickets, contact Martha Brown Stephenson at Presentation Academy, 502-583-5935, extension 117, or mstephenson@presentationacademy.org.

Benefactors of a fund to support patients at the James Graham Brown Cancer Center at the University of Louisville are sponsoring their third annual sand volleyball event to raise money for the fund.

In 2013, Alex and Tommy Gift established the Mary Jane Gift Quality of Life Fund at the cancer center, a part of KentuckyOne Health, in honor of their late mother. The fund helps patients and their families enjoy life while facing a cancer diagnosis.

To benefit the fund, the Gifts are sponsoring the Third Annual Spike It to Cancer Sand Volleyball Tournament at Baxter Jack’s sand volleyball complex, 427 Baxter Ave. on Saturday, June 13. Player or spectator admission is $25 per person. Pre-registration is recommended and is now open at the cancer center’s secure online link. Games will begin at 2 p.m. and end by 6 p.m. Registration at the door will be accepted but only from 1-2 p.m.

“All proceeds from this event go to the Mary Jane Gift Quality of Life Fund that pays for extras provided to our patients and caregivers,” Michael Neumann, executive director of development, said. “Additionally, Ward 426 on Baxter Avenue directly across the street from Baxter Jack’s has agreed to donate a portion of all food and beverage sales to us during the event.

"These gifts go a long way in bringing cheer to our patients and their families. For example, the fund has provided Thanksgiving turkeys to many of our patients and their families over the past two years as well as provide picnic baskets to patients on Easter morning.”

For additional details, contact Neumann at 502-562-4642.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has become one of the most common, controversial and important public health issues in the United States. Rates of ADHD have increased by more than 50 percent in the past 10 years, and the CDC reports that Kentucky has the highest rates of ADHD in the nation.

Is ADHD a real disorder or just a drug company scam? Why are the rates of ADHD going up so quickly, and why are they so high in Kentucky?

Paul Rosen, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychology at UofL, will address these and other questions in the next “Beer with a Scientist” program:  “Paying attention to increased ADHD rates:  increased prevalence, over diagnosis or a better understanding?”

Rosen is the director of UofL’s Research on ADHD and Children's Emotion Regulation (RACER) Lab, where his research focuses on emotion regulation and dysregulation in children with and without ADHD and emotional and behavioral problems in children with ADHD.

The program begins at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 10 at Against the Grain Brewery, 401 E. Main St. A 30-minute presentation will be followed by an informal Q&A session.

The Beer with a Scientist program began in 2014 and is the brainchild of UofL cancer researcher Levi Beverly, Ph.D. Once a month, the public is invited to enjoy exactly what the title promises:  beer and science.

Admission is free. Purchase of beer, other beverages or menu items is not required but is encouraged.

Organizers add that they also encourage Beer with a Scientist patrons to drink responsibly.

For more information and to suggest future Beer with a Scientist topics, follow Louisville Underground Science on Facebook.

Schapmire, an assistant professor at the University of Louisville School of Medicine and affiliated faculty member at the Kent School of Social Work, will receive the award and give remarks today at the AOSW Conference in Seattle.

Schapmire is co-investigator on a five-year, $1.5 million National Cancer Institute grant to create and evaluate an interdisciplinary oncology palliative care curriculum known as iCOPE (Interdisciplinary Curriculum in Oncology Palliative Care Education). The program is implemented across schools of social work, medicine, nursing and chaplaincy residency programs.

In addition to her work on iCOPE, Schapmire is a co-investigator on the $7.5 Million Kentucky LEADS Collaborative dedicated to reducing the burden of lung cancer in Kentucky through community-based interventions to educate providers and care for survivors, and the prevention and early detection of lung cancer.

As a practicing oncology social worker, Schapmire was responsible for securing grant funds to provide support for all aspects of psychosocial adjustment in all phases of the cancer experience by providing direct financial support, social support and teaching coping skills to patients and their families. She also created a palliative care program, support groups and provided continuing education for hospital employees in these areas.

“Dr. Schapmire’s work affirms UofL’s emphasis at addressing the comprehensive needs of cancer patients and their families through an interdisciplinary approach in treatment and education,” said Donald Miller, M.D., Ph.D., the director of the James Graham Brown Cancer Center.

“My nominators, and the committee who voted for me are all leaders in this field who equally deserve this award.  To be ‘lifted up’ and celebrated by these amazing people is especially meaningful,” Schapmire said.

More than a dozen leading basic scientists from around the nation and the world studying neurological function will make presentations to 160 fellow researchers in Louisville Wednesday and Thursday. The goal is to facilitate collaborations that will advance science leading to improved spinal cord and head injury rehabilitation.

Scientists from Sweden, Canada and the United States will share their latest neurotrauma research at the 21st Annual Kentucky Spinal Cord & Head Injury Research Trust Symposium.

The symposium, sponsored by Kentucky Spinal Cord and Head Injury Research Trust, Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, KentuckyOne Health, Craig H. Neilsen Foundation and University of Louisville School of Medicine, is organized to advance the study of neurotrauma and ultimately lead to methods of restoring function to those with spinal cord and head injuries.

Among those speaking are Abdel El Manira, Ph.D., and Tatiana Deliagina, Ph.D., of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, and Paul Kubes, Ph.D. and Christopher Power, M.D., F.R.C.P.C. of Canada. El Manira will discuss his research into locomotor circuits in zebrafish. His research shows that neuron groups are selectively wired for slow, intermediate or fast movement, and the fish’s nervous system selects distinct motoneurons for different swimming speeds.

Deliagina will discuss her work studying feedback mode of postural control in quadrupeds. Loss of postural control is one of the major motor disorders following spinal cord injury. Marc Freeman, Ph.D. of the University of Massachusetts Medical School will present the keynote address on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of nerve degeneration.

This work is similar to basic science research that led to the groundbreaking clinical studies, done at the University of Louisville and Frazier Rehab Institute, in which stimulators were transplanted into spinal cord injured patients who subsequently gained the ability for volitional movement in their legs (see the patient photo below).

The event will be held May 20-21, 2015 at the Louisville Marriott Downtown, 280 W. Jefferson St. Hours are 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Wednesday and 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Thursday.

The UofL Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center is dedicated to developing successful spinal cord repair strategies in the laboratory that can be taken to the clinic in a timely and responsible fashion.

Strengthening the provision of clinical care to patients and education and training to future physicians is an ongoing goal of the University of Louisville School of Medicine. The UofL Board of Trustees approved action in furthering that goal on Thursday (May 14) by establishing the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Communicative Disorders, elevating the program from two divisions within the Department of Surgery.

Otolaryngology – also sometimes known as otorhinolaryngology – is the oldest medical specialty in the United States, according to the American Association of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Otolaryngologists are physicians trained in the medical and surgical management and treatment of patients with diseases and disorders of the ear, nose, throat (ENT) and related structures of the head and neck. They are commonly referred to as ENT physicians.

The Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Communicative Disorders is one of 23 departments – 18 clinical and five basic science – comprising the School of Medicine. At UofL, board-certified otolaryngologists practice with University of Louisville Physicians-Ear, Nose & Throat.

“Elevating the otolaryngology and communicative disorders divisions to departmental status puts UofL on par with other such programs at medical schools throughout the United States and reflects the growth of the UofL program,” said Toni Ganzel, M.D., dean of the UofL School of Medicine. “It further demonstrates the value of the program to the School of Medicine and the university.”

“Creation of this department will provide the opportunity for continued growth and expansion of the services provided in Otolaryngology and Communicative Disorders,” said Kelly McMasters, M.D., Ph.D., the Ben A. Reid, Sr., M.D. Professor and Chair, Department of Surgery. “By establishing autonomy for this department, UofL will be able to increase the focus on the specific needs of this subspecialty in education, research and clinical care.”

University of Louisville Family and Geriatric Medicine Chair Diane M. Harper, M.D., M.P.H., M.S., has been selected as a member of the 2015-2016 class of the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) Program. Harper is one of only 54 women in the nation selected for the program.

ELAM is a year-long fellowship for women faculty in schools of medicine, dentistry and public health. The program develops professional and personal skills required for leadership and management in health care. More than 800 ELAM alumnae hold leadership positions in institutions around the world.

Harper was named the Rowntree Endowed Chair and professor in the Department of Family and Geriatric Medicine at the UofL School of Medicine in 2013. She is an award-winning clinician, educator and researcher with a background in family medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, epidemiology and biostatistics, as well as chemical engineering.

Harper was the U.S. principal investigator who designed the global trials to understand the efficacy of both of the prophylactic human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines to control cervical cancer. She was a lead author in multiple Lancet publications,New England Journal of Medicine and JAMA, and co-author of more than 140 additional articles on cervical cancer prevention. She also has consulted for and published with the World Health Organization on the use of prophylactic HPV vaccines. Harper is a member of the NIH’s Population Sciences and Epidemiology Integrated Review Group of the Epidemiology of Cancer Study Section, as well as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Special Emphasis Panel on HPV Vaccine Impact among Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) and Serosorting and Other Seroadaptive Behaviors Among Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM) in the US.

In ELAM’s 20-year history, 16 faculty members from UofL have completed the fellowship, including UofL School of Medicine Dean, Toni M. Ganzel, M.D., M.B.A., who participated in 2003-2004.

For more information on the ELAM program, visit the program’s website. A complete list of UofL’s ELAM alumnae is included below.

The Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine^® (ELAM^®) Program

University of Louisville Alumnae

Lourdes C. Corman, M.D. (1996-1997)

Professor and Vice Chair of Medicine

Chief, Division of Medical Education

University of Louisville School of Medicine

Laura F. Schweitzer, Ph.D. (1998-1999)

Professor, Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology

Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs

Associate Dean of Student Affairs

University of Louisville School of Medicine

Linda F. Lucas, M.D. (1999-2000)

Associate Professor of Anesthesiology

University of Louisville School of Medicine

Director, One Day Surgery

University of Louisville Hospital

Barbara J. McLaughlin, Ph.D. (2000-2001)

Professor of Ophthalmology

Associate Dean for Research

University of Louisville School of Medicine

Connie L. Drisko, DDS (2001-2002)

Professor of Periodontics

Assistant Dean for Research

University of Louisville School of Dentistry

Susan Galandiuk, M.D. (2001-2002)

Professor of Surgery

University of Louisville School of Medicine

Mary Thoesen Coleman, M.D., Ph.D. (2002-2003)

Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine

Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs, Department of Family and Community Medicine

University of Louisville School of Medicine

Toni M. Ganzel, M.D., M.B.A. (2003-2004)

Interim Dean, School of Medicine

Professor of Surgery, and Otolaryngology

University of Louisville School of Medicine

V. Faye Jones, M.D., Ph.D., M.S.P.H. (2007-2008)

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Professor of Pediatrics

University of Louisville School of Medicine

Kathy B. Baumgartner, Ph.D. (2008-2009)

Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health

University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences

Melanie R. Peterson, D.M.D., M.B.A. (2008-2009)

Associate Professor of Dentistry

University of Louisville School of Dentistry

Anees B. Chagpar, M.D., M.Sc., M.P.H. (2009-2010)

Academic Advisory Dean, School of Medicine

Director, Multidisciplinary Breast Program

Associate Professor of Surgery

University of Louisville School of Medicine

Jill Suttles, Ph.D. (2010-2011)

Professor of Microbiology and Immunology

University of Louisville School of Medicine

Kelli Bullard Dunn, M.D. (2012-2013)

Professor of Surgery

University of Louisville School of Medicine

Sharmila Makhija, M.D., M.B.A. (2012-2013)

Chair, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health

Donald E. Baxter Endowed Chair in Obstetrics and Gynecology

Professor of Gynecologic Oncology

University of Louisville School of Medicine

M. Ann Shaw, M.D. (2013-2014)

Associate Dean for Medical Education

Academic Advisory Dean

Professor of Medicine

University of Louisville School of Medicine

Dropping a child’s body temperature following a heart attack does not appear to improve the child’s chance of surviving or their heart function one year after the heart attack, reports a team of physicians including Melissa B. Porter, M.D., an associate professor in the University of Louisville Department of Pediatrics.

The study is in tomorrow’s edition of the New England Journal of Medicine. Porter was the principal investigator for the Louisville portion of the national clinical trial. The two participants included in the local portion of the study were seen by Porter at Kosair Children’s Hospital, where she serves as a pediatric intensivist.

While therapeutic hypothermia is recommended for comatose adults after such events, there was limited data about this intervention in children. The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, compared data for children who were treated with therapeutic hypothermia with those treated with the existing standard of care. The researchers concluded that therapeutic hypothermia did not offer significant benefit for the children’s survival and functional outcome at one year.

“It was a privilege to work with the team of physicians on this study,” Porter said. “It is gratifying to be a part of such wide-ranging research and to contribute to the improved standard of care for children with serious illnesses and speaks highly of the research practices here at UofL.”

This is the second large-scale, multi-center study involving UofL physicians published in the New England Journal of Medicine this spring, attesting to their increasing status among medical research centers nationwide.

In an earlier study, published March 5, 2015 in the journal, Charles R. Woods, M.D., a pediatric infectious disease specialist and acting chair of the UofL Department of Pediatrics, participated in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of Valganciclovir therapy in newborns with symptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease.

CMV is the leading nongenetic cause of sensorineural hearing loss. Woods tested patients at Kosair Children’s Hospital over a three-year period, comparing a six-week period of treatment with the drug to six-month treatment. The researchers concluded that treatment with the drug for six months provided modest long-term improvements in hearing and development over the six-week treatment.

“This study of Valganciclovir showed that the drug improves hearing in infants with symptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection,” Woods said. “This also opens the door for more studies to see if this drug can help a broader group of infants with congenital CMV infection.”

University of Louisville physicians have long been at the forefront of pediatric medicine in Kentucky, providing state-of-the-art patient care at Kosair Children’s Hospital in addition to teaching and conducting research. Participation in studies such as these is an indication that their reputation for quality research is increasing among academic centers across the nation.

“Our contribution to these studies represents UofL’s growing connection and impact at the national level in research that improves health care for children,” Woods said. “UofL Pediatrics faculty members are becoming more widely recognized for quality research and contribution to medical knowledge.”

To read the NEJM articles, go to:

Therapeutic Hypothermia after Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Children
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1411480

Valganciclovir for Symptomatic Congenital Cytomegalovirus Disease
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1404599

Cooking, exercise, acupuncture, yoga and tai chi demos, chair massages and more will help the community learn to reduce stress and improve heart health at the 2015 Louisville Symposium on Heart Disease in Women: Case Studies from the Heart of Louisville on Saturday, May 16.

The symposium is designed to provide the community, physicians, nurses and health professionals up-to-date information on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease in women.

The event will be held from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Jewish Hospital Rudd Heart & Lung Center, part of KentuckyOne Health, in the Hank Wagner Conference Center, located on the top floor. Registration begins at 7 a.m.

In addition to presentations, case studies and panel discussions from leading experts, attendees can participate in a coping skills training session and learn about basic tenants and food prep for a heart-healthy Mediterranean diet used in the Ornish Program for Reducing Heart Disease.

The event is co-directed by Kendra Grubb, M.D., cardiovascular surgeon with University of Louisville Physicians, director of minimally invasive cardiac surgery for the University of Louisville at Jewish Hospital, and assistant professor at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, and Lorrel Brown, M.D., a cardiologist with University of Louisville Physicians, associate director of the Cardiovascular Medicine Fellowship and assistant professor at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.

“Heart disease can be prevented and, in some cases, even reversed through healthy lifestyle choices focusing on diet, exercise and stress reduction,” said Grubb. “In addition to case studies on treatment, the symposium will have a plethora of opportunities for learning about the latest recommendations and tools for heart disease prevention.”

Many of the wellness demos will be presented by staff from the KentuckyOne Health Healthy Lifestyle Centers, which offer cardiac rehab, medically supervised exercise, nutrition counseling, stress management and more to help individuals get healthy and stay well.

Admission is free to students, residents and fellows and $25 for community members. Continuing medical education credits are available for physicians ($100) and allied health professionals/nurses ($50). Registration is available at: louisvilleheartdiseasewomen.com or call 502.588.7600.

Twisted Pink, a charitable foundation dedicated to funding research to prevent and cure metastatic breast cancer, presented a check for $100,000 to the University of Louisville’s James Graham Brown Cancer Center on May 7. The funds will be used to seek improved survival for those diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer. Metastatic breast cancer is cancer that has spread from the breast to another part of the body.

The presentation included, left to right, Haval Shirwan, Ph.D., Nicola Garbett, Ph.D. and Paula Bates, Ph.D. of UofL, Constanze Coon, Ph.D., Lara MacGregor and Caroline Johnson of Twisted Pink, and UofL’s Beth Riley, M.D., Yoannis Imbert-Fernandez, Ph.D., Jason Chesney, M.D., Ph.D. and Brian Clem, Ph.D.

The University of Louisville and KentuckyOne Health are delivering on their promise of working to make Kentucky a healthier place through a new partnership with Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR).

UofL and KentuckyOne Health have agreed to become presenting partners of SOAR, providing more than $300,000 in support over the next three years.

SOAR was established in 2013 by Gov. Steve Beshear and Rep.  Hal Rogers and is designed to marshal the collective talents and energies of eastern Kentucky communities and citizens to address the most significant challenges confronting Appalachian Kentucky.

“At the University of Louisville, we have a public mandate to improve the lives of the people of Kentucky,” said UofL President James Ramsey. “Working with SOAR is a significant opportunity for us to partner with others throughout the state to achieve that mandate in a region of the Commonwealth that needs the most assistance.”

“We look forward to working with Gov. Beshear, Rep. Rogers and all who are associated with SOAR as we explore how best to meet the challenges of the region in terms of health, economics and general well-being,” said David L. Dunn, M.D., Ph.D., UofL executive vice president for health affairs. “We have worked with leaders in the region on individual projects to alleviate some of the immediate needs, especially in health care. But this is an opportunity to provide lasting solutions.”

“KentuckyOne Health facilities, physicians and care providers have a deep history serving the Appalachian region. Through our hospitals and clinics in Martin, Berea, Mount Sterling and London we are closely tied to the unique health challenges and barriers to care,” said Ruth Brinkley, president and CEO of KentuckyOne Health. “Through our relationship with UofL, now by partnering together with SOAR, we will expand our collaboration with Appalachian communities, utilizing the breadth of our patient services, wellness programs and community resources to truly make a difference.”

UofL and KentuckyOne Health entered into a partnership in 2012 with the mission of creating a healthier population and attacking some of the chronic health problems faced by the citizens of Kentucky. Together they are the largest health system in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

“If we are to begin to resolve the health issues that the people of the Commonwealth face, everyone must work together,” Beshear said. “It is gratifying to see that two organizations with the stated purpose of improving the lives of people in Kentucky are taking leadership roles in the development of these critical partnerships.”

UofL and KentuckyOne Health already have significant efforts underway in the region. UofL for years has worked with Dataseam to utilize downtime on computers in schools in the region to create a supercomputer grid to speed the design process of potential anti-cancer drugs, while at the same time bringing those computers to the schools. Additionally, UofL has been very active in Remote Area Medicine programs in the region. These programs bring health care providers to underserved areas for large-scale clinics so people are able to receive care not otherwise available. Through the utilization of telemedicine, UofL neurologists have for years been assisting rural physicians with the diagnosis and treatment of strokes. UofL pediatricians are situated throughout the state, helping to fill the gaps in underserved areas.

For nearly 20 years, KentuckyOne Health facilities in Appalachia and surrounding communities have led a community-based program to provide home visits for patients following hospital discharge. Today, the Appalachian Outreach program covers 15 counties in eastern Kentucky, making contacts with more than 12,000 individuals each year. This regionally focused program provides a range of wellness support to help patients, caregivers and their families better understand their health and better manage their ongoing health and well-being.

Targeting health conditions with greatest prevalence in the region, KentuckyOne Health’s Saint Joseph Martin provides focused programs to fight prominent health conditions, notably cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Community programs include smoking prevention and cessation initiatives with local schools, a diabetes management program with Floyd County Health Department and community health fairs to check for heart disease risk factors.

“For years, both of these organizations have been supporting efforts to improve the lives of people in the region,” Rogers said. “Having them join with us so that we can hopefully multiply their individual efforts will only make the region stronger in the future.”

The severity of climate change as a global issue and whether humans are causing climate shifts have been hotly debated among individuals and politicians in recent years. At the next Beer with a Scientist event, a UofL scientist will discuss the science behind the issue.

Keith R. Mountain, Ph.D., chair and associate professor of the University of Louisville Department of Geography and Geosciences, will address the question, "Climate change: What's the problem and is it even real?"

Mountain’s research interests and expertise center on climatology and climate change, radiative and surface energy balances, geomorphology – the study of the evolution and configuration of landforms – glaciology and Arctic and Alpine environments.

The program begins at 8 p.m. at Against the Grain Brewery, 401 E. Main St. on Wednesday, May 13. A 30-minute presentation will be followed by an informal Q&A session.

The Beer with a Scientist program began in 2014 and is the brainchild of UofL cancer researcher Levi Beverly, Ph.D. Once a month, the public is invited to enjoy exactly what the title promises: beer and science.

Admission is free. Purchase of beer, other beverages or menu items is not required but is encouraged.

Organizers add that they also encourage Beer with a Scientist patrons to drink responsibly.

For more information and to suggest future Beer with a Scientist topics, follow Louisville Underground Science on Facebook.