Researchers awarded medals at national conference

Slobodan Paessler is the recipient of the 2014 Bailey K. Ashford Medal awarded annually for distinguished work in tropical medicine by an early- or mid-career member of the society who has made outstanding contributions to the field. Paessler is internationally known for his research in the fields of viral diseases, vaccine and antiviral drug development. UTMB has one of the most comprehensive university-based vaccine development programs in the world. Paessler’s main research interest is in understanding the mechanisms by which emerging RNA viruses cause encephalitis, hemorrhagic fever or respiratory diseases. 

Scott Weaver was presented the 2014 Walter Reed Medal in recognition of his distinguished accomplishments in the field of tropical medicine. Weaver is an internationally recognized virologist and vector biologist who has made several important contributions to the understanding and control of tropical diseases. His work has been widely published and he holds five patents in vaccine development. He is the co-chairman for the Global Virus Network’s Chikungunya Task Force, which formed to speed the process to creating vaccines and much-needed diagnostic tools for this virus. Chikungunya has been identified in dozens of countries across Asia, Europe, Africa, and is now spreading in the Americas.

 Blocker Burn Unit re-verified
The American Burn Association Burn Center Verification Committee has approved the UTMB Blocker Burn Unit for re-verification as an adult burn center. Burn Center Verification is a joint program of the ABA and the American College of Surgeons. To earn this distinction, a burn center must meet rigorous standards for organizational structure, personnel qualifications, facilities resources and medical care services. Burn Center Verification is a hallmark for a burn center and is an indicator to patients and their families that the center provides high-quality patient care from time of injury through rehabilitation.

Orthopaedic residency
The American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education recently accredited UTMB’s orthopaedic residency program for a period of five years. The board is the accrediting body for the American Physical Therapy Association for post-professional residency and fellowship programs in physical therapy. Accreditation is the process used by the therapy association to ensure the quality of the education that participants receive in residency and fellowship programs in physical therapy.

Graduate fellowship
The American Society for Microbiology has selected UTMB’s Matthew Huante as a 2014-2017 award recipient of the group’s Robert D. Watkins Graduate Research Fellowship. Each fellow is awarded up to $21,000 annual stipend for three years to conduct research. The program is aimed at highly competitive students who are enrolled in a Ph.D. program and have completed their graduate coursework in the microbiological sciences. Dr. Janice Endsley is Huante's mentor. The title of his research is “Macrophage facilitated inflammation in HIV/TB co-infection.”

AHA appointment
Donna Sollenberger, executive vice president and CEO of UTMB Health System, has been named a state delegate and member of Regional Policy Board 7 for the American Hospital Association for a three-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2015. In her role, Sollenberger will help foster communication between the AHA, its members and state hospital associations. The regional boards help identify needs unique to a region and assist in developing programs to meet those needs.

Public Service Award
Jeff Temple, associate professor and director of behavioral health and research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, received statewide recognition with an Outstanding Contribution to Public Service Award from the Texas Psychological Association. This honor recognizes psychology practitioners who have made outstanding contributions on behalf of the public. Temple serves as vice chairman of the statewide Task Force on Domestic Violence and is a member of a standing review panel for the National Institute of Justice. He also serves as vice president of the Galveston Independent School District Board of Trustees and lends his expertise to boards of the Texas Psychological Foundation and the Galveston Sustainable Communities Alliance.