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Message from the Dean: Human Genetics Initiative
Meet the Deans: Richard J. Traystman, PhD
NFL, Sports Illustrated support SOM program
April health care policy events
OHSU "Day at the Capitol"
Community service: "Dress for Success"
Graduation information
Update: Body Worlds 3
Upcoming events
Understanding Employee Performance & Appraisal Tool
Department of Radiation Medicine milestone
$4.75 million for degenerative eye disease research
$1 million for ophthalmology endowed professorship
SOM ranks high in U.S. News and World Report
Dr. Heinricher invited to serve on NIH study section
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April News
Message from Dean Richardson: Human Genetics Initiative
 Greetings and welcome to the April edition of the Dean's Newsletter.
I was recently privileged to attend a lecture by Mark Babyatsky, MD,
titled "Lost in Translation: Clinical Changes in Internal Medicine in
the Genomic Era."
Dr. Babyatsky is a Professor of Medicine, the Vice Chairman of
Education, and the Program Director for Internal Medicine Residency at
Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. He spoke at OHSU at the
invitation of the Annual
Benson-Kendall Visiting Professorship, sponsored by the School of
Medicine and The Foundation for Medical Excellence.
An interesting feature of Dr. Babyatsky's lecture was that he did not
use "translation" in the conventional bench-to-bedside context. Rather,
he expanded his remarks to include aspects not always explicitly
considered: education and
communication.
In certain clinical circumstances, scientific diagnostic tools are
ready, or rapidly evolving, yet our medical education paradigms lag
behind this knowledge. This gap between education and clinical promise
has become an obstacle on our
path toward the era of genomic medicine.
Dr. Babyatsky also noted other obstacles to realizing this health care
revolution. He remarked that realization of an era of personalized
medicine would require a more vital partnership between educators,
clinicians and researchers and a
stronger patient-physician relationship. Further, everyone involved in
health care must be prepared (educated) to openly communicate about the
inevitable ethical issues associated with personalized medicine.
This was a great introduction to April 25 - the fifth annual National
DNA Day, organized by the National Institutes of Health's National
Human Genome Research Institute to commemorate the completion of the
Human Genome Project in April
2003 and the discovery of DNA's double helix in 1953.
We chose this day to launch the OHSU Human Genetics Initiative, known
as HGI. I am excited about this initiative and believe it provides a
programmatic basis for OHSU to begin to address the obstacles outlined
by Dr. Babyatsky and others.
Genetics and genomics are by their nature integrative and
cross-disciplinary. HGI creates a centralized home where the gap
between education and clinical practice can be bridged, and where new
partnerships between researchers, educators
and clinicians will be nurtured. Key elements of the initiative include
strategic investments in new faculty, development of advanced
technology at OHSU, and creation of educational models for a new
generation of genetics health care
providers.
The School of Medicine has created a dedicated Web site for HGI. This
Web site is an information clearinghouse for events, outreach and
connections to internal and external genetics researchers, educators
and clinicians, and includes a
calendar and a blog. Please take a look at www.ohsu.edu/hgi or
click here.
HGI is directed by Susan Hayflick, MD, Professor, Molecular and Medical
Genetics, Pediatrics and Neurology. The initiative is supported by
funds from the School of Medicine, the Department of Molecular and
Medical Genetics, the Oregon
Opportunity and the Oregon Clinical and Translational Research
Institute (OCTRI). The diversity of support reflects the
interdisciplinary nature of the initiative. The organizational model
itself reflects the OHSU 2020 Vision, the School
of Medicine's strategic plan and the Roadmap of the National Institutes
of Health.
The School of Medicine is committed to accelerating the clinical
benefits stemming from the enormous advances in genetics and genomics
research over the last 50 years. HGI is a cornerstone of this
commitment and reflects our goal of making
OHSU a national leader on this front. Equally important, HGI is
emblematic of an organizational structure that cost-efficiently
leverages resources while enhancing our ability to fulfill our mission.
Best regards,
Mark Richardson
MEET THE DEANS
The School of Medicine Dean's Newsletter is profiling members of the
Dean's office. Our goal is to provide useful insights about who to
contact when you have questions or to support your interests and
concerns. This month: meet Richard
Traystman, PhD. For an overview of the Dean's office organization:
click here.
Richard J. Traystman, PhD, Associate Dean for Basic Research
 In his position of Associate Dean for Basic Research, Richard J.
Traystman, PhD, acts as a liaison between the Office of the Dean and
other units involved with basic research, particularly the Office of
the Vice President for Research.
An essential aspect of his position is to foster collaborative grant
efforts between basic scientists and clinician researchers. Dr.
Traystman is a resource for investigators or other faculty wanting
information concerning research grants
or the development of research programs. Dr. Traystman is also
instrumental in responding to issues raised by the Medical Research
Council, including budgetary items.
Dr. Traystman is an active researcher focused on molecular mechanisms
involved in neuronal injury and death, and in neuroprotection from
focal (stroke) and global (cardiac arrest/CPR) cerebral ischemia. His
research is notable for its
breadth, applying to the adult, neonate and fetal brain, and he has
been continuously funded by NIH since 1972. Throughout his career, he
has mentored and taught students, fellows, and faculty in the
laboratory. "I enjoy the opportunity
this provides me to help mold the careers of clinicians/scientists who
will be the future generation in science and medicine."
Dr. Traystman has been in his SOM position since 2004, when he joined
the OHSU faculty. He is also Associate Vice President for Research
Planning & Development and a Professor in the Department of
Neurology, and Physiology/Pharmacology. Previously, he was a
Distinguished Professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of
Medicine where he had been since 1972. He earned his PhD at Johns
Hopkins.
Before joining OHSU, Dr. Traystman lived his entire life on the East
Coast in both New York City and Baltimore. He finds Portland a great
place to live although, as an avid opera and baseball fan, "I do miss
the Metropolitan Opera and the
New York Yankees."
SOM programs targeting teen athletes garner NFL, Sports Illustrated support
 Anabolic steroid use, once limited to professional and Olympic
athletes, has invaded high school sports. Based on the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention's 2003 report, approximately 850,000
high school students have admitted
using steroids.
Recently, a SOM public health outreach program was recognized by the
National Football League and Sports Illustrated Magazine for its
success at providing teen athletes with healthy alternatives to
steroids, sports supplements, alcohol and
other drugs.
The ATLAS (Adolescents Training and Learning to Avoid Steroids) and
ATHENA (Athletes Targeting Healthy Exercise and Nutrition Alternatives)
programs are directed by Linn Goldberg, MD, and Diane Elliot, MD, both
SOM Professors of Medicine
(Health Promotion and Sports Medicine).
ATLAS and ATHENA have been designated effective by the National
Institute on Drug Abuse. Schools in more than 30 states and Puerto Rico
have now implemented the programs. Dr. Goldberg recently sat down for a
Q&A with the SOM Dean's
Newsletter.
Q: What accounts for the success of the ATLAS and ATHENA programs?
A: Our research showed that we could change teen behavior if it was
peer-taught, gender-specific and involved an influential coach within a
small group. We designed our programs around these factors. The
programs are about kids influencing
kids – a very powerful motivator at this age.
Q: What role does gender play in the success of these programs?
A: The reasons male and female athletes use drugs are fundamentally
different. If you don't accommodate these differences, the students get
bored and the programs are unsuccessful. Generally, we found that boys
are trying to get as large
as possible while girls want to be smaller for both appearance reasons
and to help them move faster. Also, for example, some male teen
athletes tend to be sensation seekers while young women may suffer from
disordered eating or depression.
Q: Why do ATLAS and ATHENA address all drug use rather than just steroids?
A: Our research showed that steroid use is linked to other drugs
and alcohol abuse. You can't just look at steroid use in isolation.
Q: How is the National Football League supporting the programs?
The NFL gave us a $1.2 million grant to disseminate ATLAS and ATHENA to
20,000 high school athletes and 800 coaches in 40 high schools for the
next school year. Eight NFL teams will sponsor five local high schools
among their own fan base.
This is tremendously exciting because we will reach so many new
athletes. We are also working with the NFL to develop a Web site with
information on sports nutrition, training and drug prevention for
athletes and coaches.
Q: What is the role of Sports Illustrated?
The $1 million grant includes a year's worth of public service
announcements ads in Sports Illustrated, featuring ATLAS and ATHENA as
national models (pictured above). We were also able to implement the
programs in four states among 31
high schools.
Q: How does it make you feel to have ATLAS and ATHENA so widely disseminated?
Exhausted. We do the bulk of the training so we are traveling all the
time. But this is potentially a widespread public health behavior
intervention. We hope we are positively affecting these athletes in
ways that will last their entire
life.
Q: What was your motivation to pursue this work?
I have played sports all my life and I have five sons. We have a
basketball court in the back, none of us are great athletes but we like
to participate. Sports are meant to be fun and healthy and I want to
encourage that part of it, and
discourage the pressure that makes kids turn to performance enhancers.
April was busy month for health care policy and reform discussions
Recent health care policies and reform proposals in Oregon caught
the attention of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy
Fellowship Program. This program supports mid-career health care
professionals who demonstrate potential
for policy leadership at the national, state and local level. As part
of the program, the Institute of Medicine arranges a state visit for
the fellows, who selected Massachusetts and Oregon this year.
The early April two-day visit to Oregon was facilitated by SOM David
Pollack, MD, Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, and former RWJF
Health Policy Fellow, with support from the SOM Office of the Dean. In
addition to a day in Salem,
the fellows spent time on campus discussing issues with faculty
members, including outcomes transparency, access constraints, workforce
shortages, rural health care, tort reform, ethics and safety net
challenges. Dean Richardson and
Vice-Dean Jerris Hedges discussed the challenges and opportunities for
OHSU and the SOM presented by various national and state policy
initiatives.
On April 5, Senator Gordon Smith gave a moving presentation to the OHSU
community about the battle his son, Garrett, fought against depression
– a battle that eventually caused Garrett to take his own life. This
tragedy led Senator Smith
to wage a legislative battle to bring suicide's brutal toll and mental
health's subordinate status out of the shadows. Senator Smith's
leadership led to the passage of the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act,
which increased federal funding to
combat the epidemic of youth suicide.
On April 11, Dean Richardson testified in Salem before the Senate
Health Care Reform Committee about the "Oregon Better Health Act." Dean
Richardson discussed the importance of finding ways to ensure that
health care access is enhanced by
reform proposals that recognize the importance of lifelong education
for providers. Support for such education will be essential to maintain
the quality of Oregon's health care workforce.
Later in the month, the OHSU Center for Ethics in Health Care co-hosted
a conference on the ethics of health care access. The program examined
the underlying principles used to make health care policy nationally
and whether or not changes
are needed. The conference also focused on the history of health care
access in Oregon.
The month closed with lectures and other events arranged by OHSU
students to mark national "Cover the Uninsured Week" starting April 23.
Former Governor John Kitzhaber, MD, spoke on campus about fundamentally
redesigning the health care
system, and Oregon Senator Ben Westlund presented information about the
current initiatives under consideration in the Oregon Legislature.
Bruce Goldberg, MD, director of the Oregon Department of Human Services
(DHS) spoke about efforts to
extend health care coverage to all Oregon children.
OHSU "Day at the Capitol"
On April 4, OHSU took over the gallery at the Salem Capitol for the fourth annual "OHSU Day at the Capitol."
The purpose of the event was to help legislators, staff and visitors
better understand the breadth and depth of OHSU. The event was
organized by the OHSU Office of Government & Community Relations.
The SOM Dean's office staffed a table with information about
regionalization of medical education and the school's efforts to
attract ethnically diverse and rural applicants.
Many programs and units were represented in Salem. Visitors to the event received free blood pressure and cholesterol screening from the School of Nursing and Mr. Yuck from the Oregon Poison Center made the rounds in the Capitol.
Pictured is Oregon Senator Ben Westlund at the screening table.
Community service: "Dress for Success"
Associate Dean Ella Booth, PhD, and Joanna Cain, MD, Chair of the
SOM Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, recently participated in a
community fundraiser for "Dress for Success." The mission of Dress for
Success is to promote the
economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional
attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help
women thrive in work and in life.
Drs. Booth and Cain were invited to serves as role models in a benefit
fashion show. Other runway models included Portland Police Chief Rosie
Sizer, Oregonian columnist Marge Boule, former Oregon First Lady Sharon
Kitzhaber, and civic
leader Mina Schnitzer. "It was a lot of fun," said Dr. Booth. "I
particularly enjoyed meeting the women who have benefited from the
involvement of Dress for Success."
Deadline approaches! Order regalia for hooding and commencement
The School of Medicine Hooding Ceremony will be held on June 8, 9:30
a.m. at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in downtown Portland. A
reception for graduates, family and faculty will immediately follow the
ceremony at the Performing
Arts Center (across from the Schnitzer Concert Hall).
The OHSU Commencement Exercises will be held on June 8 at 5:00 p.m. at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.
Faculty, please order your cap, gown, hood and tassel on-line at
www.royaltpapers.com. You must order your cap and gown by May 11, 2007.
Late orders will not be accepted.
Body Worlds update: Volunteer recruitment and lecture series
OHSU is partnering with the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
(OMSI) to bring BODY WORLDS 3 to Portland this summer and early fall in
Portland. OHSU employees can volunteer in the BODY WORLDS 3 exhibit in
three ways: as a health,
science or bioengineering expert; as a visitor services volunteer; or
by donating to a scholarship fund for middle and high school students
to attend a one-day OHSU science camp.
So far, about 130 OHSU employees have signed up to volunteer. "This is
an amazing start," said Susan Shugerman, Director, Office of Science
Education Opportunities and Chair of the Body Worlds 3 Volunteer
Committee. "But we will need many
more volunteers to keep the wheels turning at the exhibit throughout
the summer."
For information, including requirements for the positions, volunteer
benefits, and sign up instructions, visit the OHSU BODY WORLDS 3 Web
site (
click here).
OHSU and OMSI will also present a free Lecture Series as part of the
Body World 3 Exhibit. Before and after each lecture presentation there
will be time for attendees to visit displays in the lobby and Great
Hall of the Auditorium
featuring the many units, departments, programs and schools of OHSU.
The first two lectures are in May. The lectures begin at 7:00 p.m. in the OHSU Auditorium.
May 15: A is for Anatomy -- The Art and Science of Human Dissection by
Karmen Schmidt, PhD, OHSU, introduced by Nancy Stueber, President of
OMSI and Lesley Hallick, PhD, Provost of OHSU.
May 29: The Body -- A Cultural and Ethical Consideration by Peter Boghossian, PhD, PSU, introduced by Leslie Garcia, OHSU.
Selected upcoming events
May 2: Special grand rounds with writer/physician Atul Gawande, MD, MPH
Author Dr. Gawande, a 2002 finalist for the National Book Award, has
recently published "Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance." He is
also an editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, was awarded a
MacArthur Fellowship and is a
contributor the New Yorker. Dr. Gawande has clinical responsibilities
at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, the Dana Farber Cancer Institute
and Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates. Hosted jointly by the
Departments of Medicine and Surgery,
the talk is titled: "Better: On the Idea of Performance in Medicine."
Time: Noon
Where: OHSU Auditorium (Old Library)
Details: Signed copies of the book will be available for purchase at
the lecture; for details, contact Sarah Lipton (liptons@ohsu.edu)
May 4: New faculty orientation
New SOM faculty members are invited to attend an orientation to learn
about the institution, and to help identify strategies for developing a
successful academic career. The orientation is conducted by Associate
Dean Sharon Anderson, MD.
Time: 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Where: Old Library Room 217
Details: RSVP to Rodney Taylor (taylorro@ohsu.edu), ext. 81457
May 10: PSU/OHSU host Thomas LaVeist, MD
Dr. LaVeist's lecture is titled: "Disentangling Race and
Socioeconomic Status." He is a Professor of Health Policy and
Management and Director of the Center for Health Disparities Solutions
at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public
Health. The event is co-sponsored by Portland State University, the
OHSU Center for Policy and Research in Emergency Medicine, and the OHSU
Center for Diversity & Multicultural Affairs.
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Where: PSU Multicultural Center, 228 Smith Memorial Student Union
Details: Olivia Thomas (503) 725-9575
May 10: Kickoff for OHSU Student Research Forum
The 24th annual OHSU Student Research Forum will be held May 10 and 11.
The keynote speaker is Dr. Arthur Miller, Professor of Physiology and
Orofacial Sciences at UCSF.
Lecture time: 4 p.m.
Where: TBD
Details: Reception follows lecture in the CROET atrium; for more information
click here.
May 14: ASU hosts Dr. Gloria WilderBrathwaite
The Association of Students for the Underserved (ASU) sponsors the
Second Annual Lecture on Social Justice. Dr Gloria WilderBrathwaite, a
prominent pediatrician, speaker and expert on poverty and economic
segregation, will discuss the link
between poverty and health.
Lecture Time: Noon
Where: OHSU Auditorium (Old Library)
Interactive Seminar Time: 2:00 p.m.
Where: Old Library 221
Details: Luncheon follows the lecture
May 16: OHSU Cultural Competency Lecture Series hosts David Acosta, MD
Dr. Acosta will discuss Latino folk medicine and its involvement in
Latino communities, describing types of traditional healers and tools
they utilize in healing practice and treatment. Dr. Acosta is Associate
Dean for the School of
Medicine Multicultural Affairs at the University of Washington. The
event is sponsored by the OHSU Center for Diversity & Multicultural
Affairs.
Time: 12:00-1:00 pm.
Where: OHSU Hospital (UHS) 8B60
Details: Center for Diversity & Multicultural Affairs cedma@ohsu.edu
May 30: OHSU Concert Series hosts Oregon Symphony Concertmaster Erin Furbee
Join Oregon Symphony Assistant Concertmaster Erin Furbee as she teams
up with other musicians to bring the sounds and movements of Argentina
to OHSU. The event is sponsored by The Foundation for Medical
Excellence, the School of Medicine
and OHSU Hospitals and Clinics.
Time: Noon
Where: OHSU Auditorium (Old Library)
Details: Free admission
Understanding the Employee Performance & Appraisal Tool
Human Resources is offering three classes in the upcoming weeks to discuss the Employee Performance & Appraisal Tool (
click here).
Class Title: HR: Performance Planning and Appraisal Tool (HRPAT)
Location: Old Library, Room 217
Dates:
May 8, 9:30 -11:30 a.m.
May 15, 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.
May 22, 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Each two-hour class will cover the tool itself, along with an open
discussion on giving effective feedback. Registration is required. You
may register for the class via the TrainingForce class registration
system:
click here.
For further details, please contact Adrianne Barberini, Human Resources Coordinator, (503) 494-1262 (barberia@ohsu.edu)
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