The “Reconstruction of a survivor” breast cancer support group will hold its first meeting from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the UTMB Health Specialty Care Center at Victory Lakes, 2240 Gulf Freeway South in League City. Light refreshments will be provided. To register, email chkellyw@utmb.edu.
Program certification
UTMB Health has been granted disease specific certification of the ventricular assist device program. The device is used for end-stage heart failure patients and can be used as a bridge to heart transplant. This certification of distinction allows UTMB to help patients who have few options.
National award for Public Affairs
The Office of Public Affairs is the winner of the 2012 Award for Excellence from the Association of American Colleges of Medicine in the category of Special Projects, Programs or Campaigns: Public Affairs/Community Relations category.
The AAMC awards program honors exceptional work and contributions made by institutional advancement professionals toward advancing medicine, research and education in academic medical centers. The UTMB entry was “Funding UTMB’s Future: Communications Strategies for a Texas-Sized Challenge.”
Symposia series
“An international perspective: Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever and biosecurity” was presented by Onder Ergonul, professor in the infectious disease and public health departments at Koc University, Istanbul, Turkey.
The Galveston National Laboratory hosts this series of lectures featuring experts at the forefront of biosecurity policy development and implementation.
Osler Club dinner
“Physician arrogance and the death of President Garfield: Lessons from William Osler on the balance of pride, dignity and humility in medicine” was the topic of Osler student scholar Alyssa Shell at the recent dinner meeting of the club.
Martin Schneider Memorial lecture
Dr. Martin Fuss, professor and director of image-guided radiation therapy at Oregon Health and Science University, presented “New perspective on tumor radiation resistance.”
Visiting campus
Helen W. Lane, chief scientist for biological sciences and applications, space life sciences at NASA/Johnson Space Center spoke on “Nutrition research: Basis for (space) station requirements.
“Mapping genetic circuits: From cancer to learning and memory” was the topic of Dr. Desmond Smith, professor of molecular and medical pharmacology at the UCLA School of Medicine.
“An overview of sleep disorders for psychiatrists” was the subject of Dr. Andrew D. Krystal, professor of psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C.
Dr. Wesley Van Voorhis, professor of medicine at the University of Washington, spoke on “Development of malaria transmission-blocking kinase inhibitors: New tool for eradication and control agenda.”
Presentations
Dr. Sharon Raimer, professor and director of pediatric dermatology at UTMB, spoke on “Hemangiomas and other cutaneous vascular abnormalities in children.”
Dr. R. Glenn Smith, professor of neurology, presented “Drug-induced myopathies.”
"From the diviner’s lots to Freud’s couch and beyond” was the subject of Richard Werbner, emeritus professor and fellow at the National Humanities Center, for a colloquium at the Institute for the Medical Humanities.
Lawrence Sowers, chairman of the department of pharmacology and toxicology, spoke on “The role of inflammation-mediated DNA damage in the development of prostate cancer.”
Dr. Rana S. Bonds, assistant professor of allergy and immunology, spoke on patient medication misuse in “Who will teach the patients?”