March News

Message from Dean Richardson: Budget update

This is an exciting time for OHSU and the School of Medicine. We have experienced rapid growth and have ambitious plans for the future. This growth, however, is partly responsible for this year's increase in overhead costs and their subsequent distribution to School of Medicine departments through a process known as "overhead costs allocation" (OCA).

Many faculty members are concerned about the significant rise in overhead costs and the impact on School of Medicine operations. I share this concern. At the same time, I want to emphasize that together we can, and will, move past this challenging time.

The OCA is on many people's minds now because OHSU is approaching the conclusion of the annual budget process, including setting final budget targets for departments that incorporate higher overhead costs and rely on a new allocation method.

A large part of the rise in overhead costs has to do with our new facilities. The University has opened the Biomedical Research Building, the Kohler Pavilion and the Center for Health & Healing. Further, upgrading of existing research space across the campus is underway.

Under expected circumstances, the costs of bringing this new/renovated space online would be offset by the income generated by the clinical or research activities conducted within the space itself. The current challenge is due to the fact that these buildings are not yet generating the level of dollars they will over time. As the buildings and renovated research space become fully utilized, the amount of overhead costs relative to revenue should shift advantageously. Consider a clinical analogy - initially, a new practitioner's expenses exceed revenues but over time, payments match services rendered.

The new allocation method relies on actual space used and FTEs as proxies to determine how much each department or unit uses for central services, utilities, space rentals and other overhead items. The new OCA method corrects some of the problems with the prior approach, called the Central Administration and Facilities Assessment, commonly known by its acronym CAFA.

Moving through this budget cycle, the Dean's office has advocated with Central Financial Services on behalf of departments for a manageable OCA. Vice-Dean Jerris Hedges and I have also met with all department Chairs to discuss this situation and to respond to questions about the assumptions and methods underlying the OCA.

There is no question that growth in overhead costs will be challenging for most departments. Consequently, the Dean's office and the University have secured some transition funding this year for all departments. Even with transition funding, however, the near-term impact will be widespread; everyone must be prepared to help plan for and resolve shortfalls. The Dean's office is impacted similarly to the departments and is adjusting its budget accordingly.

We are committed to transparency on this important issue. The faculty has an obvious interest in School of Medicine operations and understanding the role the OCA plays in decision-making is important. Plus, over time, transparency about the OCA methodology will help each department understand the costs borne by the institution for activities that previously were invisible. This knowledge will ultimately strengthen the School of Medicine and enhance future planning efforts.

As we face the potential programmatic implications of the OCA, this is a good time to begin the process of considering and debating new ways to organize ourselves going forward, particularly organizational innovations that better position us to respond to the external landscape (for instance, the NIH emphasis on translational research) and to more efficiently use shared resources.

I am confident that the School of Medicine will not only prevail during this challenging time, but will ultimately thrive, as it has in the past, by utilizing collective thought and will.

Best regards,




MEET THE DEANS

Recently, the School of Medicine newsletter has profiled 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: Edward Keenan, PhD and Sharon Anderson, MD. For an overview of the Dean's office organization: click here.

Edward Keenan, PhD, Associate Dean for Medical Education

Ed Keenan is responsible for the medical school admissions program, the undergraduate medical curriculum and medical student support services. In this role, Dr. Keenan's focus changes from day to day and may range from serving as emcee of Match Day to undertaking a review of first-year curriculum to designing recruitment programs that encourage disadvantaged and rural applicants to medical school. Dr. Keenan has worked in support of medical students for more than 30 years and continues to teach as well as direct medical school courses.

Presently, an emphasis for Dr. Keenan is advancing the regionalization initiative that will establish OHSU medical school satellite campuses at the University of Oregon and Oregon State University. As part of this, Dr. Keenan was instrumental in obtaining a $1.5 million dollar grant that established the Oregon Medicine Collaborative, now known as ORMED.

Dr. Keenan has been a member of the faculty for 31 years, currently as Professor of Physiology, Pharmacology and Surgery. In 2006, he received the Alumni Merit Award from the Graduate School at Creighton University. Over the years, he has received numerous awards for excellence in teaching. His current research focus is on identifying molecular markers of prognosis in breast cancer.

Dr. Keenan was born and raised in Shelton, Washington (population 5,000) on the Olympic Peninsula. He received his PhD degree (1975) in Pharmacology from the West Virginia University School of Medicine. Dr. Keenan joined the faculty at OHSU in 1976 following a postdoctoral research appointment in the OHSU Department of Surgery. Dr. Keenan says he "rarely gets out much," although when he does, he enjoys snow skiing, recreational boating, gourmet cooking, wine tasting, yard work and reading.

Sharon Anderson, MD, Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Faculty Affairs

Sharon Anderson is responsible for creating and implementing new programs in the School of Medicine to support and improve faculty recruitment, retention, promotion and career satisfaction. Dr. Anderson accepted this newly created Associate Dean role in 2004.

As part of her responsibilities, Dr. Anderson is currently the co-chair of the Search Committee to recruit a new Chair for the Department of Molecular & Medical Genetics. She is the Dean's office liaison to the strategic planning committee charged with recommending ways to improve retention and satisfaction. Initiatives in progress include development of a recruitment toolkit, creation of faculty performance evaluation tools, and efforts to identify opportunities for leadership development and skill-building venues.

Dr. Anderson is Professor of Medicine (Nephrology and Hypertension) and Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs in the Department of Medicine. Her research interests include the progression of chronic kidney disease, with an emphasis on diabetic nephropathy, polycystic kidney disease, and the pathophysiology of the aging kidney. She has won many awards for teaching and service at OHSU. She is past Chair of the nephrology board of the American Board of Internal Medicine and of the National Institutes of Health General Medicine "B" study section, and has recently been appointed to the NIH, Pathobiology of Kidney Disease Study Section.

Dr. Anderson earned her medical degree from Louisiana State University Medical Center in New Orleans in 1979. She completed a residency at OHSU in 1982, clinical and research fellowships in nephrology at Harvard Medical School in 1983 and 1985, an Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine fellowship in Philadelphia in 2004, and attended the Leadership Development for Physicians in Academic Health Centers course at the Harvard School of Public Health in 2006. Dr. Anderson joined the faculty in 1991. Her outside interests include foreign travel, reading detective novels and "intelligent" science fiction, and most recently, she admits an addiction to "Battlestar Galactica."

SOM "education regionalization" initiative was focus of AAMC site visit

Representatives from the Association of American Medical Colleges spent two days this past month on campus learning about the School of Medicine's plan to regionalize medical education (Oregon Medicine Collaborative, or ORMED). The AAMC identified OHSU as one of six medical schools that have specifically stated-plans to raise their class size in coming years through regionalized programs.

The goal of the site visit was to collect information that will help other medical schools who are just beginning to think about ways to expand their class size. Information gathered during the AAMC site visit will culminate in a position paper on regionalization and/or an article in the association's journal, Academic Medicine.

"The visit went very well," said Edward Keenan, PhD, Associate Dean for Medical Education. "They arrived with many questions and left feeling that they had all been answered. I felt they were impressed by the progress we have made in expanding our medical school class size in such a short period of time."

To increase the graduating class, as well as to meet the goal of matriculating more Oregon residents and facilitating clinical practices in underserved areas, the SOM is partnering with the University of Oregon and Oregon State University to establish a first-year curriculum on those regional campuses. The collaborative also includes opportunities for clerkships at private regional health systems including PeaceHealth Oregon (Eugene), Samaritan Health (Corvallis), Cascade Healthcare Community/St. Charles Medical Center (Redmond/Bend) and Rogue Valley Medical Center (Medford). A fifth clinical venue is anticipated.

The regionalization initiative is dependent on sustained state support which is now under consideration by the Oregon Legislature.

The two-day site visit included meetings with President Robertson and Dean Richardson to discuss the origins of the program and the obstacles that were overcome. The AAMC representatives also met with SOM course directors, clerkship directors, medical students, and representatives from the University of Oregon, Oregon State University and the regional health system partners.

"We arranged for the AAMC representatives to talk openly with all the stakeholders in our regionalization initiative," said Vicki Fields, Assistant Dean for Medical Education. "Our goal was to help other medical schools benefit from a look back at what we think has worked and what we might have done differently."

The other five schools that will be visited by the AAMC are: Boston University, University of Texas (Houston), Texas A&M, University of Arkansas, and Michigan State University. The next phase of the AAMC study on class size expansion will focus on areas where new medical schools are being constructed.

"Match Day" a big success

On March 15, a record number of medical school seniors - about 15,000 - participated in "Match Day" ceremonies nationwide. Compared to 2006, this was an increase of nearly 200 students competing for residencies through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). The increase reflects overall growth in medical school enrollment, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.

At OHSU, there was also an increase in the number of seniors participating in the NRMP due to expanding class size. Last year, 93 OHSU students participated. This year, of the 119 graduating seniors, 106 participated in Match Day, two elected to move directly to a research career path, and 11 were matched outside of NRMP by the military and the San Francisco subspecialty match.

Fifty-two of the OHSU participants matched to residencies in primary care, in contrast to national trends where fewer students are selecting primary care. The largest group, at 30 students, matched in internal medicine, followed by 20 in family medicine and 11 in pediatrics, with eight each in emergency medicine and anesthesiology.

Thirty-three students will remain in Oregon with 22 at OHSU. Forty-six students will train in other western states, 15 in the Midwest, 18 in the Northeast and five in the South. Four students were initially unmatched in the NRMP, but they easily placed in residencies within an hour of the initial results.

From the perspective of OHSU residency programs, Match Day was also a success. Of the approximately 200 positions, all but three surgeries and one research position were filled. While it varies by specialty, OHSU receives about 5 to 100 applications for each available residency position.

Pictured above: Lori Tam matched with Brigham & Women's Hospital at Harvard in internal medicine. Sarah Green attained a spot in pediatric residency program in the OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital.

Maggie So, PhD, resigns

Magdalene (Maggie) So, PhD, will be leaving the School of Medicine in June. Dr. So is professor and chair of the Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology.

Dr. So joined the School of Medicine in 1991. Under Dr. So's leadership, the department has experienced significant growth, including adding new faculty members. The department also added new core facilities and increased its grant funding.

Dr. So has accepted a tenured professor position at the University of Arizona in Tucson. There she will have appointments in the Immunobiology Department in the School of Medicine and the Bio5 Institute. As part of her duties, Dr. So will build a microbiology program that spans the Colleges of Medicine, Life Sciences, and Agricultural and Life Sciences.

An interim chair will be appointed soon to help guide the future of the department.

New funding opportunity from OCTRI, letters due April 2

The Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute (OCTRI) recently announced a new multidisciplinary career development award. The Oregon Scholars in Clinical Research career development program (OSCR K12), funded by NIH, will provide for protected research time with parallel salary support of up to 75 percent FTE for two to five years. Individuals selected for this position must intend to pursue clinical or translational research in a multidisciplinary environment as a major component of their academic or professional commitment.

Eligible scholars must be at the assistant professor appointment level or equivalent at the time of matriculation into the program. Current postdoctoral or clinical fellows are encouraged to apply if they have strong departmental support for faculty appointment. This award can also be used to recruit faculty members.

Letters of interest are due no later than April 2, applications are due April 30, and funding must begin by July 1, 2007. For details, click here.

Discovery Spotlight: Peter Kurre, MD

Finding the "third" way in gene therapy

For years, the potential of using engineered viruses in gene therapy has held out great therapeutic promise while also presenting significant obstacles. Chief among the obstacles is the body's own multifaceted immune response. The problem, as articulated by the authors of a May 2006 editorial in Nature Medicine, is that "the immune system, quite frankly, does not approve."

Simply injecting the viral genetic payload generally does not breach the defensive fortifications of the immune system in quantities sufficient to be of therapeutic value. The degraded viral particles are "either washed away to irrelevant tissues or captured by endothelium, circulating immune cells or antibodies," wrote the editorial authors Kevin Harrington and Richard Vile. This raises obvious bio-safety concerns for patients.

Alternative strategies based on viral modification of recovered cells outside the body rest on the belief that a viral vector is either integrated into the target cell in a heritable fashion or it is immediately degraded. Peter Kurre, MD, happened upon what he calls an "accidental observation" that raises questions about this prevailing "either-or" dogma of immediate integration or degradation of these particles.

"We may have found a third way," said Kurre. Kurre is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and in the Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, OHSU School of Medicine.

The Kurre lab focuses on retroviruses as tools to place therapeutic genes into target cells; specifically, His lab works with human immunodeficiency virus derived lentivectors with the goal of modifying hematopoietic stem cells. These stem cells are precursors of all human blood components.

"The therapeutic genetic modification of the patient's own hematopoietic stem cells holds substantial promise for the treatment of blood and immune system disorders," said Kurre.

During a series of routine experiments designed to better understand and improve virus uptake and integration into hematopoietic stem cells, Kurre observed a prolonged intracellular retention of the viral particles in some precursor cells. Indeed, the unexpected capture and release of viral particles by target cells pointed to the possibility of a novel fate. "We are now seeking to understand the cellular mechanisms controlling the persistence of the particle."

What makes this especially intriguing is the fact that bone marrow precursor cells used in these experiments are equipped with molecules that are, in effect, cellular homing devices. When injected externally, the stem and precursor cells automatically travel to the bone marrow and target the stem cell niche – their home base.

The combination of targeting stem cells directly in their microenvironment with the delivery of viral payload has the potential to overcome current impediments to gene therapy for hematopoietic and immune disorders – if the precursor cells themselves serve as "carrier" cells. Studies by Kurre, recently published in the Journal of Virology, have demonstrated that capture and release of the lentivector by hematopoietic "carrier" cells, when combined with their established homing mechanisms, allows for direct in-situ genetic modification of murine bone marrow stem cells.

"Systemic delivery of captured virus by autologous cellular carriers may allow the virus particle to evade the immune system response, reach the target cells, and be handed off to stably integrate into the bone marrow stem cell. This strategy may finally allow repeat administration of viral therapeutics, a long elusive goal in the gene therapy field," said Kurre.

While conceptually attractive, such immune-privileged delivery will require a much improved understanding of particle capture and release mechanisms. "Given past clinical setbacks in gene therapy, patients have understandable concerns about the viral particle being released into other tissues, particularly reproductive tissues," said Kurre.

Originally from Hamburg, Germany, Kurre trained at the University of Chicago and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle before he joined the faculty in 2004. At OHSU, he has been heartened by the collegiality of the faculty researchers. "I have enjoyed tremendous support from senior researchers whose sole reason for helping is the scientific advance possible. For a junior investigator, this is very rewarding," said Kurre.

2006 media report: 5,874 mentions for OHSU

In 2006, OHSU was mentioned in print, radio and television media outlets 5,874 times. This is slightly down from 2005 when known media mentions of OHSU totaled 6,036.

The business of OHSU, including the opening of the Biomedical Research Building, Kohler Pavilion, Center for Health & Healing and final construction of the Portland Aerial Tram accounted for the largest percentage of the total media coverage (27 percent). This was a 14 percent increase over 2005 in this category. In the Portland area, the business of OHSU accounted for 42 percent of media coverage.

Clinical care and innovations accounted for 24 percent of all media coverage, research and discovery accounted for 14 percent.

Sixty-six percent of media coverage was in the state of Oregon, 40 percent of that was in the Portland metropolitan region. Coverage in The Oregonian represented nine percent of total media coverage. Nationally the largest percentage of media coverage (40 percent) featured OHSU employees speaking as experts on various health and science topics.

Negative news increased slightly to just under three percent, primarily due to heightened coverage of specific lawsuits challenging the state's tort cap as it applies to OHSU, and animal research issues.

Information provided by OHSU News and Publications.

Time to 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 students, family and faculty will follow immediately after 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. Later orders will not be accepted.

Embed yourself in BODY WORLDS 3 – health, science and bioengineering expert volunteers needed

OHSU is partnering with the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) to bring BODY WORLDS 3 to Portland. Nearly 20 million visitors in 35 cities across Asia, Europe, and North America have already viewed the exhibit since its debut in Japan in 1996. Over 500,000 people are expected to visit the exhibit this summer and early fall in Portland.

The exhibit allows visitors to see inside the human body. They view 25 "plastinates" – whole-body specimens fixed in athletic poses – and 200 preserved organs. Some of the specimens show the progression of disease. The exhibit is dynamic and intriguing, and for most visitors, raises questions and ignites intense curiosity about health and health education.

As partners, OMSI and OHSU are working together to present a number of onsite and offsite health and science programs statewide that complement the exhibit's messages about health, fitness and medical technology. This is the first time that the BODY WORLDS exhibitors have partnered with an academic health center. This presents a unique opportunity to educate visitors about OHSU.

OHSU employees can volunteer in the BODY WORLDS 3 exhibit in three ways: as a health, science or bioengineering expert; 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.

For faculty members and students, the "expert" volunteer option is a good fit. Experts are "embedded" in the exhibit where they interact directly with the visitors as they view the whole-body specimens. OHSU is permitted to place up to three experts in the exhibit to help visitors understand what they are viewing and how it relates to them. Each volunteer will be uniquely identified as associated with OHSU.

Every OHSU employee will also receive a free coupon to attend the exhibit during June. For more detailed information, including requirements for the positions, volunteer benefits, and sign up instructions, visit the OHSU BODY WORLDS 3 Web site click here.

Celebrating St Baldrick's Day

Five pediatric physicians, a pediatric hematology/oncology nurse and nursing assistant from Doernbecher Children's Hospital joined others from around Portland to shave their heads in support of children with cancer as part of the fifth annual St. Baldrick's Day celebration on March 18.

The celebration is a national fundraiser for St. Baldrick's Foundation, which raises money to support research for childhood cancer cures and fellowships in pediatric oncology worldwide.

"A lot is expected of us physicians, but not the shaving our heads," said Pete Baker, MD, resident in pediatrics, Doernbecher Children's Hospital. "This event lets me outwardly show my support for these patients and families and at the same time raise money to support research. This is the only reason my wife would ever let me shave my head."

During the past four years, Portland St. Baldrick's participants have raised nearly $500,000 and have shaved more than 500 heads. In September 2006, the Doernbecher hematology/oncology program was one of the first in the nation to receive a St. Baldrick's training grant to support an oncology research fellowship.

St. Baldrick's began in New York City in 1999 when a group of young men decided to give their St. Patrick's Day celebration a little twist. The group recruited volunteers to have their heads shaved in public in return for pledges of financial support for research.

Pictured above in the "after" photo: Back Row - Peter Baker, Kevin Chatham-Stephens, Josh Kovach; 2nd Row - Laurel Steinmetz, Gene Nicholson; Front Row - Scott Spencer.

Ending mental health's subordinate status: Senator Smith will lecture at OHSU

The Foundation for Medical Excellence and the School of Medicine invite faculty and students to attend the Ralph Crawshaw, MD, annual lectureship. Senator Gordon Smith will share the story of the battle his son, Garrett, waged against depression – a battle that eventually would cause Garrett to take his own life. This tragedy led Senator Smith to wage a very public battle of his own – 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. First elected to the United States Senate in 1996, Senator Gordon Smith is currently serving his second term.

When: April 5
Time: 12:00 noon
Where: Old Library Auditorium
Details: Luncheon reception at 1:00 p.m.

Cover the Uninsured Week: Drs. Kitzhaber and Goldberg at OHSU

Cover the Uninsured Week is April 23 -29 this year. As in the past, the OHSU Association of Students for the Underserved will host and arrange events to highlight the plight and challenges of uninsured Oregonians. This year, Cover the Uninsured Week will include efforts around the country to promote the importance of children's health coverage and to demonstrate support for the reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

Save-the-dates:

April 26: Former Governor John Kitzhaber, MD, will speak at OHSU on the rationale for universal access and current proposals.

April 27: Department of Human Services (DHS) Administrator Bruce Goldberg, MD, will speak at OHSU about "Covering Kids."

Details will be forthcoming.

New faculty orientation - May 4

New faculty members are cordially invited to attend a faculty orientation on May 4 to learn about the institution and resources for developing a successful academic career at OHSU. Topics include: a campus overview, who's who, resources for career development, the health care system, the OHSU Medical Group, the TALENT program, tenure and promotion, clinical research and basic research.

Time: 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Where: Old Library 217
Details: RSVP to Rodney Taylor at taylorro@ohsu.edu or
(503) 418-1457

Upcoming events

April 4: Public health symposium

The Department of Public Health & Preventive Medicine will sponsor a local event marking National Public Health Week which kicks off nationwide in early April. The Public Health Symposium will cover topics such as: what is public health, the MPH and MD/MPH programs, state strategies, substance abuse and more.

Time: 11:00 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Where: Hatfield Lobby
Details: Healthy snacks and a $50 gift raffle; (503) 494-8257 for information

April 4: Visiting faculty presentation

The Departments of Molecular & Medical Genetics and Radiation Medicine will co-present the lecture of Peter M. Glazer, MD, PhD, titled "Hypoxia, DNA Repair and Cancer Therapy." Dr. Glazer is Professor and Chair of Therapeutic Radiology and Genetics, Yale University. The public is welcome to attend.

Time: 4:00 – 5:00 p.m
Where: Vollum M-1441
Details: (503) 494-1998 for information

April 5 and 12: Stretched too thin, a two-part parenting series for OHSU employees

April 5: Relationships and Self Esteem, presented by Jamie Dickey, LCSW, PhD

Dr. Dickey is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and the Director of Interdisciplinary Education and Executive Coaching at OHSU. In addition to working for OHSU, she also has a private coaching and counseling practice in Portland.

April 12: Positive Discipline and Self-Esteem, presented by Candace Young, PhD

Dr. Young is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Pacific University's School of Professional Psychology. She has a private practice of child psychology and clinical psychology in Portland. In her practice she works with children, adolescents, and adults.

Time: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Where: Doernbecher Children's Hospital, Vey Auditorium
Details: RSVP for free pizza to frankovi@ohsu.edu

April 12: Cultural Competency Series hosts Dr. Vaidya Priyanka, Visiting Scholar

Vaidya Priyanka comes from a 712-year lineage of women Ayurvedic healers in Kerala, India. In her practices all over the world,she teaches the principles of Ayurveda and how to integrate the various applications of this ancient science. Vaidya is also an accomplished Marma therapy healer and has educated and helped people worldwide to live healthier and happier lives through Ayurveda.

Time: Noon to 1:00 p.m.
Where: OHSU Hospital UHS 8B60
Details: For information, (503) 494-5657

April 12: Nutrition expert to speak at OHSU

Steven G. Pratt, MD, FACS, will speak about his New York Times best-selling book "Superfoods Rx: Fourteen Foods That Will Change Your Life" in a free lecture at the fifth annual Integrative Medicine Distinguished Lectureship. Pratt's superfoods are culled from what Pratt characterizes as "healthy diet" regions, including Mediterranean and Asian cultures. The lecture and associated dinner are free and open to the public.

Time: 5:30 p.m.
Where: OHSU Auditorium
Details: Advance registration is required, deadline is April 5. Contact Emily Dai at (503) 418-4496 or dail@ohsu.edu.

April 21: "Hills for Humanity" benefit run

"Hills for Humanity" is a charitable event presented by the OHSU chapter of the Student National Medical Association. Proceeds from the Hills for Humanity run will benefit the North by Northeast Community Clinic, Portland's newest safety net clinic. Hills for Humanity hopes to raise awareness of the clinic's presence and needs. In previous years, Hills for Humanity has donated to the Mariah Taylor Clinic and the Southwest Community Clinic.

Time: 8:00 a.m.
Where: Race begins at OHSU Student Union (formerly the OHSU Fitness Center)
Details: For information and to register, click here.

April 28: 12th annual OHSU Women's Health Conference

The 12th annual OHSU Women's Health Conference features sessions on a variety of topics, including heart disease, financial health and the keys to healthy skin. Vendors and exhibits will also be at the conference, including the Red Dress campaign, part of the effort to spotlight the risks of heart disease in women.

Time: 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Where: Oregon Convention Center
Details: To register, visit www.ohsuwomenshealth.com or call (503) 494-0712.

Web page for professional development opportunities

The SOM Office of Diversity is maintaining a Web site with information on funding and professional development opportunities, as well as research and reports that may be of interest to faculty. The information is updated quarterly. Please click here. Suggestions or additions for the page? Please contact Ella Booth, PhD, Associate Dean for Administration, Planning and Diversity at boothe@ohsu.edu.

$24 million grant for alcohol research consortium

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has funded a five-year, $24 million Integrative Neuroscience Initiative on Alcoholism grant to a consortium led by a School of Medicine researcher. Of the total grant, OHSU will receive about $6.3 million over five years, funding projects in the laboratories of Kathleen A. Grant, PhD, Professor of Behavioral Neuroscience. The consortium approach will be to characterize the genetic basis of key neural mechanisms in stress and anxiety in order to assess risk for alcoholism or to develop tailored therapeutic approaches to treating the alcoholic. The consortium is made up of 20 lead investigators from 11 institutions from the United States and Europe.

"Care Management Plus" model receives $2.5 million grant

A four-year grant from The John A. Hartford Foundation will support efforts to make Care Management Plus available to dozens of rural and urban clinics across the state and country. Care Management Plus is a technology intensive, innovative primary care model that reduces hospitalizations, lowers costs and improves health outcomes for older adults with chronic illnesses. School of Medicine researcher David Dorr, MD, Assistant Professor of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, is the project's principal investigator.

Rebecca Harrison, MD, receives Clinician Educator Award at SGIM

Rebecca A. Harrison, MD, 4th Year Medicine Clerkship Director and Assistant Professor of Medicine, received the Clinician Educator Award at the recent regional Society of General Internal Medicine meeting. This prestigious award recognizes an outstanding clinician and educator. Dr. Harrison has demonstrated these attributes through her years of work with residents and medical students as well as with faculty regionally and nationally.

Eric Munoz, medical student, accepted to HHMI-NIH Research Scholars Program

Eric Munoz, second year medical student, has been accepted to the Howard Hughes Medical Institute-National Institutes of Health Research Scholars Program Class of 2007-2008. Also known as the Cloister Program, the program was established in 1985 to give outstanding students at U.S. medical schools the opportunity to receive research training at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, according to its Web site. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute provides the administration and funding for the program, including the salaries and benefits for the Research Scholars. The NIH provides advisors, mentors, laboratory space, and equipment and supplies for laboratory work in its facilities.

Grover Bagby, MD, OHSU Cancer Institute Director, appointed to national "think tank"

Grover Bagby, MD, director of the OHSU Cancer Institute, has been appointed by the American Society of Hematology and the American Association for Cancer Research as one of the 17 members of the national Think Tank on Hematologic Malignancies. The Think Tank was formed to assess the state of cancer biology research and to recommend an agenda to accelerate research in blood cancers. Dr. Bagby is a Professor of Medicine (Hematology and Medical Oncology), and Molecular & Medical Genetics in the School of Medicine; and a member of the Association of American Physicians. He is the founding director of the OHSU Cancer Institute.

Craig Newgard, MD, selected as Robert Wood Johnson Physician Faculty Scholar

Craig Newgard, MD, Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine and Public Health & Preventive Medicine, has been selected as a Robert Wood Johnson Physician Faculty Scholar. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Physician Faculty Scholars Program provides mentoring, protected time and the opportunity to gain research experience. The program goals are to strengthen the leadership and academic productivity of junior medical school faculty dedicated to improving health and health care, according to the foundation's Web site.

First OCTRI-NIH supported awards announced

The ten recipients of the first OCTRI NIH-supported training award were announced in March. The T32 award provides stipends for early research experiences for pre-doctoral students in biomedical and health professions. The training fellowship, which is administered by our Oregon Students Learn and Experience Research (OSLER) program, supports students from medical, dental, graduate nursing, basic science, bioengineering, and pharmacy programs, enhancing the pipeline of OHSU health professionals interested in clinical and translational research.

Long-term fellowship awards recipients:

Kristine Alexander, School of Medicine, Molecular and Medical Genetics Graduate Program

Alex Foster, School of Medicine, MD/MPH Program

Wilmon Grant, School of Medicine, Neuroscience Graduate Program

Maria Nelson, School of Medicine, MD Program

Short-term fellowship awards:

Shivali Agnani, School of Medicine, MD Program

Natasha Fewkes, School of Medicine, MD Program

Evelyn Ford, School of Medicine, MD Program

Laura Rickert, School of Dentistry, DMD Program

Craig Riley, School of Medicine, MD Program

Richard McKinney, School of Dentistry, DMD Program

Welcome SOM new faculty

A warm welcome to faculty joining the School of Medicine in February (listed by order of effective date):

Altaf Darvesh, PhD, Instructor, Psychiatry

Laura Spivak, MD, Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine

Audrianna Gurr, MS, Instructor, Psychiatry

Kathleen Kemmer, MD, Assistant Professor, Medicine

Joseph Klingler, MSN, BSN, Instructor, Anesthesiology &
Peri-Operative Medicine

Sirichai Pasadhika, MD, Instructor, Ophthalmology

Justin Clutter, MD, Assistant Professor, Family Medicine

Penelope Barnes, MBBS, PhD, Assistant Professor, Medicine

Jennifer Stager, MA, Instructor, Pediatrics

Tannia Hines, BS, PA-C, Instructor, Physician Assistant Education