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PATIENT CAREPATIENT CAREPHOTO BY SARAH KIEWELFormer Miss America highlightsimportance of patient communicationNicole Johnson Baker came to UF to share the story of her battle with type 1 diabetesand to encourage doctors to foster better patient communication.“She’s a realhero forso manypeople withdiabetes. She’spassionateabout hercause anda greatinspiration.”— Desmond Schatz,M.D., a UF professor ofpediatric endocrinologyBy April Frawley BirdwellSomething just didn’t feel right.The doctor at her university’s health servicesoffice told Nicole Johnson Baker she wasprobably iron deficient. It happens to a lot of girls incollege. The next time, it was the Beijing flu. Then,after she fell on stage during a performance, doctorsthought her appendix was about to burst. She wasbeing prepped for surgery when it happened:Someone checked her blood sugar.Baker, 32, who was crowned Miss America in 1999,didn’t have the flu, a bursting appendix or an ironproblem. She has type 1 diabetes.“We had no idea what lay before us,” Baker told aroomful of College of Medicine faculty during apediatrics Grand Rounds presentation in June.Now an advocate for diabetes research and care,Baker came to UF to share the story of her own 13-year struggle with the disease and spread the messageabout the importance of fostering bettercommunication with patients, something she saidproved to be a key factor in her own treatment.Doctors at the hospital had told her that she maynever have children, graduate from college or pursueher dream of becoming Miss America. It wasn’t untilfive years into her treatment for the disease that herperspective began to change. Her doctor at the timesat down with her and told her he had diabetes, too.That moment helped her see that the disease didn’thave to stop her from pursuing her own passions. Herdoctor had achieved his goals. She could too.“I suddenly realized, ‘Maybe (the other doctorswere) not right.’ Because there was this health-careprofessional who was so accomplished who was beingreal with me,” she said. “I really think it all comesback to that one moment.”Baker went on to win the Miss America Pageantand earlier this year gave birth to her first child, agirl named Ava.“She’s a real hero for so many people withdiabetes,” said Desmond Schatz, M.D., a UFprofessor of pediatric endocrinology. “She’spassionate about her cause and a great inspiration.”While doctors may not be able to share diseaseswith all their patients, taking the time to listen,believing them and not treating patients likenumbers can make a big difference, Baker said.“The thing that is missing from my standpoint is apsychological, emotional level of care,” she said.“That kind of care can come from you.” PToast honors memory ofphysical therapy professorBy Jill PeaseMembers of the physical therapy department at the College of Public Health andHealth Professions remembered a well-loved colleague on June 1 with a specialtoast to him and a piece of his research equipment.The Kin-Com dynamometer was used by Mark Trimble, Ph.D., an assistantprofessor of physical therapy who died in 2001 at the age of 42 from a rupturedbrain aneurysm.The Kin-Com, which tests muscle strength and spasticity, is being moved fromits location to make room for another machine with newer technology.Friends, family and colleagues gather around the Kin-Com and toast thememory of Mark Trimble with cans of his favorite beverage, MountainDew. The group included, from left, Trimble’s daughter, Jessica; hisparents, William and Barbara Trimble, of Middletown, Ohio; and faculty,students and staff from the physical therapy and neurosciencedepartments. Trimble is also survived by his wife, Shelley, and son, Lucas.In honor of Trimble, the Mark H. Trimble Memorial scholarship is awardedannually to a physical therapy student who demonstrates excellence inorthopedics. For more information on the scholarship fund call CarleeThomas at 273-6542 or e-mail carleeth@ufl .edu.“Mark Trimble and I acquired that Kin-Com with funds from the PHHP Dean’sFund many moons ago and got a great deal on it when we bought it,” said AndreaBehrman, Ph.D., an associate professor in the department of physical therapy. “Itwas a wonderful team effort and partnership to acquire it. The Kin-Com hassentimental value, and with its departure, we thought it would be appropriate togather round and remember Mark for a few minutes.”The group shared memories of Trimble against the backdrop of a CD from hismusic collection.“Many of us can still see Mark standing by this unit in the old PT building,collecting data, posting data on the wall and listening to rock music,” Behrmansaid. “Whether you knew him personally or not, his memory lives on as a friendand colleague and his contributions to the program persist today. For instance, itwas Mark’s idea to have video cameras in the teaching labs recording andsimultaneously projecting images to the monitors for students to have a better viewof technique demonstrations.” PUF to begin master’s programin public health nursingBy Tracy Brown WrightThe University of Florida College of Nursing has been awarded athree-year grant from the Health Resources and ServicesAdministration to offer a master of science in public healthnursing degree.The program will be one of two public health nursing master’sprograms in Florida, and the college will admit students for theupcoming fall semester.“We are excited to be able to offer this program in Florida,where public health nursing is an integral part of the health of ourcommunities and our citizens,” said Nancy Tigar, Dr.P.H., R.N., aclinical assistant professor who will serve as coordinator of theprogram.The HRSA will provide $270,000 in the first year, with similarfunding levels expected for the second and third year, bringing theexpected total to more than $800,000.Graduates of this program will be prepared to work in a varietyof public and private settings. They will be well-versed in the core“We are excited to be able tooffer this program in Florida,where public health nursingis an integral part of thehealth of our communitiesand our citizens.”— Nancy Tigar, Dr.P.H., R.N.functions of public health and able to participate in assessment,policy development and assurance as needed. The program willfocus primarily on the health of populations and on communityorientednursing practice.“Public health nurses often work at the grassroots level, helpingto plan and implement programs, and also work toward policychange,” Tigar said. “Their careers are exciting and verygratifying. They are able to be involved at so many levels in ourhealth-care system.”Students may enroll in part- or full-time study. Approximately80 percent of the classes will be taught online and clinical rotationswill be arranged with practice partners in the students’ local areas.Program graduates will be qualified to take the Community HealthNursing certification examination.It is anticipated that in the second year, the College of Nursingwill offer a joint M.S.N. and master of public health degree inconjunction with the UF College of Public Health and HealthProfessions. P6POST 07/08•06 Visit us online @ http://news.health.ufl.edu/ for the latest news and HSC events.Visit us online @ http://news.health.ufl.edu/ for the latest news and HSC events.07/08•06 POST 7

8EDUCATION2006College of DentistryApril 7Invited SpeakersLinda Bartoshuk, Ph.D., visiting professor, department ofclinical and health psychology, College of Public Health andHealth Professions: “Are You a Supertaster? How Do WeKnow? What Does it Mean for Your Health?”Kenneth I. Berns, M.D., Ph.D., professor, department ofpediatrics; director, UF Genetics Institute: “Gene Therapy.”Keynote Speaker, Mary MacDougall, Ph.D., professor,department of oral maxillofacial surgery, University ofAlabama at Birmingham: “Discovering your Future with aSmile: Dental Research Opportunities.”PHOTO BY SAM BRILLDentistry Research Day keynote speaker MaryMacDougall spoke on research opportunitiesavailable to dental faculty and students.MacDougall is a professor of oral andmaxillofacial surgery, the James R. Rosen chairof dental research and associate dean forresearch at the University of Alabama atBirmingham School of Dentistry.D.M.D. Division Poster Presentation AwardsFirst placeAnna Pyatigorskayam, department of oral biology“Mapping of Antibody Specifi city Using an OverlappingPeptide Epitope Array”Second placeVincent Yeung, department of oral biology“A Role for LuxS Signaling in Porphyromonas gingivalis”Third place (Tie):Amy Luce, department of dental biomaterials“The Effects of Polyethylene Glycol on Surface Contact AngleMeasurements”POST07/08•06Research Day CeremoniesRobert Weaver, department of oral biology“LuxS-Mediated Signaling by Streptococcus mutans in DualSpecies Biofi lms”M.S./Resident Division PosterPresentation AwardsFirst placeRita Hurst, department of orthodontics“Cytoskeletal Dynamics and the Ruffl ed Plasma Membranesof Osteoclasts”Second placeAnzir M. Moopen, department of orthodontics“The Role of Pax7 and Pax3 in the Repair and Regenerationof Mouse Jaw and Somatic Muscle”Third placeValerie Minor, department of orthodontics“Effects of Preoperative Ibuprofen, Anxiety and Gender onPost-separator Placement Pain”Ph.D./Postdoc Division PosterPresentation AwardsFirst placeLin Zeng, department of oral biology“Identifi cation of a Fructose/Mannose-specifi c Sugar:Phosphotransferase System in Streptococcus mutans”Second placeMarcelle Matos Nascimento, department of oral biology“The Effect of the Alarmone (p)ppGpp on the Transcriptomeof Streptococcus mutans”Third placeSong Mao, department of oral biology“Apoptotic Pathways of Gingival Epithelial Cells Modulatedby Porphyromonas gingivalis”College of MedicineTwenty awards were handed out during the college’s annualResearch Day, held April 11. Among the honors, six studentsPHOTO COURTESY OF KATHY CONTUREMedical Guild Award winners are, from left, ValerieCrusselle Davis, Christina Pacak, Michael Godney,Amar Singh, Nicole Tester and Bei Wang.Visit us online @ http://news.health.ufl.edu/ for the latest news and HSC events.were recognized by the UF Medical Guild for their research,and a special Lifetime Achievement Award was givenposthumously to Hugh M. Hill, M.D., a retired UF professorof obstetrics and gynecology and former dean of studentaffairs who passed away in 2005. Also receiving a specialaward was C. Craig Tisher, M.D., who, in recognition of thecollege’s 50th anniversary, was honored for his vision andleadership as dean of the College of Medicine.Medical Guild AwardsGold Medal FinalistValerie Crusselle Davis, biochemistry and molecularbiology,“Antagonistic Regulation of b Globin Gene Expression byHelix-Loop-Helix Proteins TFII-I and USF”Silver Medal FinalistsChristina Pacak, genetics,“Muscle-Specifi c Delivery of the Alpha Sarcoglycan GeneProvides Functional and Morphological Correction of LimbGirdle Muscular Dystrophy Type 2D”Bei Wang, immunology and microbiology advancedconcentration,“An Effective Cancer Vaccine Modality: LentiviralModifi cation of Dendritic Cells Expressing Multiple Cancer-Associated Antigens”Bronze Medal FinalistsNicole Tester, neuroscience,“Use of Chondroitinase to Enhance Motor RecoveryFollowing Spinal Cord Injury”Michael Godney, physiology and pharmacology,“ERK ½ Dually Infl unce c-fos Transcription and CellProliferation through Cytoplasmic Phosphorylation of RSK2and Nuclear Phosphorylation of elk 1 in Response toAngiotensin II”Amar Singh, molecular cell biology,“The Wnt/b-catenin Antagonist, Chibby, FacilitatesCardiomyocyte Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cell”Basic Science AwardDietmar Siemann, Ph.D.Department of Radiation OncologyClinical Science AwardJohn Wingard, M.D.Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology andOncologyLifetime Achievement AwardWilliam F. Enneking, M.D.Department of Orthopaedics and RehabilitationHugh M. Hill, M.D. (special award)department of obstetrics and gynecologyOutstanding Basic PosterPresentation Award WinnersTamara D. Warner, Ph.D.Wendy B. London, Ph.D.Outstanding Clinical PosterPresentation Award WinnersBen SutterBruce Vogel, Ph.D.Medical Guild Research Incentive AwardsShayam DayaDeborah HerbstmanDacia KwiatkowskiKatherine LaughlinJacqueline SayyahCollege of Medicine –JacksonvilleThe three recipients of College of Medicine-Jacksonville Research Day awards, (from left)poster winners Erik Lowman, Linda Di Teodoroand platform presentation winner SamvelCharukhchian.COLLEGE OF NURSINGThe College of Nursing’s Annual Research Day, held March31 in conjunction with its Distinguished MalasanosLectureship, honored the college’s 50th anniversary bycelebrating a heritage of nursing science at UF. The MalasanosLectureship featured Anna Schwartz, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N.,noted researcher in exercise and cancer treatment and facultymember at the Arizona State University School of Nursing.Schwartz spoke to faculty, students, consumers and other healthprofessionals about her scientifi cally based program forphysical activity and symptom management in cancer patientsand its implications on nursing research and practice.Top Graduate HonorsMelissa Dodd Inglese, M.S.N., A.R.N.P.“The Pain Experience in Children with Autism SpectrumDisorder: New Caregiver Insights.” Faculty mentor:Department Chair and Associate Professor Jennifer Elder,Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N.PHOTO BY LORI SPICERSenior nursing student Jessica Casselberry (left)with her faculty mentor Dr. Ann Horgas in front ofher winning poster presentation.Top Undergraduate HonorsMeghan Bullard, “A Secondary Analysis of Parent-Child PlayBehaviors in Children with Autism.” Faculty mentor:Department Chair and Associate Professor Jennifer Elder,Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N.Jessica Casselberry, “Facial Expressions of Pain.”Faculty mentor: Associate Dean for Research Ann Horgas,Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N.College of PharmacyThe College of Pharmacy 19th Annual Research Showcase,held in February, had four poster and three oral competitionwinners. Three fi nalists were selected for each division. Ineach division, the fi rst prize award was $600, and the othertwo fi nalists received $300. All fi nalists received acommemorative plaque.Poster Competition WinnersPostdoctoral: Yasmeen Khan,“Relative Amount of Fluticasone Delivered by HFA-MDI toChildren of Different Ages”Graduate student: Whocely Victor de Castro,pharmaceutics, “Evaluation of the Effect of Grapefruit Juiceand its Components on P-glycoprotein Activity”Pharmacy student: Cristin Hogan, pharmacy health careadministration, “Weight-based Heparin Protocols areEffi cacious…But Are They Effective?”Pharmacy student: Jillian Stewart, pharmacodynamics,“Cardiac Myocyte and Fibroblast ACE2 Activity andModulation by Estrogens”Oral Competition WinnersThe Dr. Robert A. and Phyllis Levitt Research Award is grantedto a graduate student who has performed meritoriousresearch in the areas of health outcomes research or relatedtranslational research in the clinical sciences.Levitt Award Winner:Tobias Gerhard, department of pharmacy/health care administration, “Association betweenCardiovascular Outcomes, Diuretic Therapy and the a -adducinVisit us online @ http://news.health.ufl.edu/ for the latest news and HSC events.PHOTO BY LINDA HOMEWOODEDUCATIONPolymorphism: Results from the International VErapamil SR-Trandolapril Study GENEtic Substudy (INVEST GENES)”Junior Award:Wouter Driessen, department of pharmaceutics,“Peptide Targeted Lipid Based Gene Delivery”Senior Award:Justin Grobe, department of pharmacodynamics,“Prevention of Hypertension-induced Cardiac Remodeling byAngiotensin-(1-7)”The College of Public Healthand Health ProfessionsThe College of Public Health and Health Professions held its19th Annual Research Fair for graduate students andpostdoctoral fellows March 20. Ten winning research posterswere chosen from 41 entries. The winners each received$500 to use toward travel expenses to a scientifi c orprofessional conference.Yasmeen Khan, Ph.D., winner of thepostdoctoral competition, stands by herresearch poster.Behavioral Science CategoryLauren Gibbons“Length of Treatment and Successful Outcome in theManagement of Obesity”Adam Hirsh“Sex Differences in the Pain-Mood-Disability Nexus”Sally Jensen“Coping Predicts Surgical Recovery Among Women withEndometrial Cancer”Emily Kuhl“Psychological adjustment to congenital heart disease: Dosex differences still exist?”Kimberly Miller“Depression symptoms in Parkinson’s disease, dystonia andEssential Tremor”Vanessa Milsom“What is successful weight loss outcome? The impact of 5percent and 10 percent body weight reductions on metabolicrisk factors for disease”CONTINUED ON PAGE 2407/08•06POST 9

GRADUATIONGRADUATION10PHOTO BY SARAH KIEWELScenes from Commencement 2006Brokaw brings dose of reality tomedical school graduationBy April Frawley BirdwellIt’s not the big names Tom Brokaw remembers most, the NelsonMandelas, Mikhail Gorbachevs or Lance Armstrongs.It’s the protestors and students who fought for civil rights, thesoldiers who served their country in Vietnam and the young surgeonwho worked through the night in a tent in Somalia to save victims of abloody unrest.Tom Brokaw, one of the country’s most well-known televisionjournalists and former anchor of “NBC Nightly News,” spoke inMay at the UF College of Medicine graduation.After 40 years as one of the country’s most recognized and laudedtelevision journalists and former anchor of “NBC Nightly News,” Brokawremembers them, the people who gave of themselves tirelessly for no fameand glory, the most.Speaking to graduating students at the UF College of Medicine’scommencement ceremony May 20, Brokaw highlighted the need for morepeople like them, who act as agents for change in a world that desperatelyneeds it.“You won’t halt an epidemic by hitting the backspace button,” he said.“We live at the apogee of Western civilization and in despair that ancientsectarian rivalries are now lethal alternatives to reason and modernity.”Brokaw, who hails from the same South Dakota town as College ofMedicine Dean C. Craig Tisher, also told of his own familial ties to medicine– there are seven doctors in his family. In his 40-year career he has alsocovered medical breakthroughs and reported and produced documentarieson renal transplant, health-care costs and medical training.“I’ve scrubbed for surgery,” Brokaw said. “I’ve made rounds in ruralclinics and in world-class teaching hospitals. I’ve seen in the third, fourthand fifth worlds the miracles of medicine take place, so I arrive today asyour speaker in awe of what you know and what you do. And I amimpressed by your commitment to a demanding and often thanklessprofession.”POSTShechtman claims topPHHP teaching awardsBy Jill PeaseOrit Shechtman, Ph.D., an associateprofessor in the department ofoccupational therapy, has been namedthe College of Public Health and HealthProfessions’ Teacher of the Year.Shechtman also received the OutstandingFaculty Member Award from seniors in thecollege’s Bachelor of Health Science program, andthe Golden Apple Award for Excellence inOccupational Therapy Education from the UFStudent Occupational Therapy Association. Theawards are particularly notable achievementsconsidering the fact that Shechtman teaches someof the programs’ toughest courses – anatomy,ORIT SHECHTMANpathophysiology and neuroscience.“She takes an extremely complex subject or concept and explains it in such a simpleand understanding way,” said Amanda Summer Mosrie, a student in the Master ofOccupational Therapy program. “Her students look forward to going to her classesbecause they know they will leave with the highest level of knowledge and expertisein that discipline.”It is important for students to truly understand the material, not just memorize itfor a test, Shechtman said.“Therapists and physicians need a solid understanding of the human body inhealth and disease to be able to base clinical reasoning of therapeutic interventions onscientific facts,” said Shechtman, who was named UF’s Teacher of the Year in 1998.Occupational Therapy Master’s Student Jeremy Eminhizer said, “Dr. Shechtmanis at the top of the food chain for university professors and is going to need muchmore wall space for all the awards that she will claim over her career. She is truly avaluable asset to the University of Florida.”COLLEGE OF MEDICINE-JACKSONVILLEThe College of Medicine-Jacksonville celebrated the graduation of 102 medical,dental and pharmacy students at its annual Resident Graduation Ceremony,held June 14 in the Learning Resource Center Auditorium. Also recognizedwas Ann Harwood-Nuss, M.D., for whom a new award – the Ann Harwood-NussResident Advocate Award – was named in honor of the retiring associate dean foreducational affairs. The award will be given for the first time at next year’sgraduation ceremony. In addition, as part of the ceremony, the UF College ofMedicine-Jacksonville presented the following four prestigious awards to residents,fellows and faculty members.Excellence in Student EducationThe resident winner receives a plaque and $500, and the faculty winner receives aprofessional expense account for $500.Resident winner:Bianci Jasani, M.D., pediatricsFaculty winner:Andrew Kerwin, M.D., surgeryEdward Jelks Outstanding Resident ClinicianThe winner receives $500 as well as his or her name engraved on a plaquepermanently displayed in the Learning Resource Center.Chris Goll, M.D., orthopaedic surgeryRosilie Saffos Outstanding Resident TeacherPresented annually to the resident considered the most outstanding residentteacher on the Jacksonville campus, the award includes $1,000, a plaque and theinclusion of the awardee’s name on a permanent plaque displayed in the LearningResource Center.Bianca Jasani, M.D., pediatricsHonorary doctorate recipient Linda Aiken,(left), receives her diploma from UF Provost Dr.Janie Fouke.Louis S. Russo Award for OutstandingProfessionalism in MedicineThe resident award includes $1,000, a plaque and the inclusion of the awardee’sname on a permanent plaque displayed in the Learning Resource Center. Thefaculty award includes a professional expense account for $3,000, a plaque andinclusion of the awardee’s name on a permanent plaque displayed in the LearningResource Center.Resident winner:Darren Peterson, M.D., surgeryFaculty winner:David Caro, M.D., emergency medicineThis year’s College of Nursing commencementceremony, which took place May 5, was particularlyspecial because it celebrated the 50th anniversaryof the college.The College of Nursing presented an honorarydoctorate degree to Linda Aiken, Ph.D., R.N., one of thecollege’s most renowned alumna. Aiken received both herbachelor of science in nursing and master’s of nursingfrom UF, and is now director of the Center for HealthOutcomes and Policy Research at the University ofPennsylvania.Aiken is known worldwide for advancing qualitypatient care through research and health policy work. Shehas been an influential leader in the field of nursingoutcomes research for the past two decades. She has beenawarded more than $12 million in extramural funding forher research programs, and results of her groundbreakingstudies have been reported nationally and internationally.The Alumnus of the Year award was given to AudreyNelson (Ph.D. 1990) a nationally recognized leader inclinical practice and research who has magnified thescope of practice for patient safety and is a tirelessadvocate for those with disabilities. Nelson is the directorof Patient Safety Center of Inquiry and associate directorof Nursing Service for Research at James A. Haley VAHospital in Tampa.Announcing “Dr. Alberta,” a.k.a. KourtneyLong, Pharm.D. A four-year member ofUF’s Spirit Mascot program, Longgraduated this spring at the College ofPharmacy commencement. May 2006marked a milestone for the UF Pharm.D.program. The Pharmacy class of 2006graduated a record 203 Pharm.D.students from four campuses acrossFlorida: Gainesville, St. Petersburg,Jacksonville and Orlando.07/08•06 POST 1107/08•06PHOTO BY JEFF KNEECollege of DentistryCollege of Nursing honors the Class of 20062006 College of Nursing Spring Commencement (Includes Fall 2005, Spring and Summer 2006)244 total graduates / 161 bachelor of science graduates (includes accelerated degree students) / 75 master of sciencegraduates / 8 doctorate of nursing science graduatesCommencement for the College of Dentistry was held in the Phillips Center May 26, when degreesand certifi cates were conferred on 78 D.M.D. students, 47 advanced and graduate education studentsand 12 internationally educated dentists. After Senior Vice President for Health Affairs Douglas Barrettconferred their degrees, dental D.M.D. graduates read the Dentists’ Pledge, promising to uphold theprofessional ethics of dentistry and to deliver excellence in patient care.PHOTO BY LINDA HOMEWOODCollege of Pharmacy

PATIENT CARERESEARCHService dog speeds toward recovery aftersurgery at UF’s Veterinary Medical CenterResearch team to measure outcomes ofmuscular dystrophy treatmentsBy Jill PeaseBy Sarah CareyAservice dog named Eagle, whose unusualorthopedic problem threatened his ability tohelp his disabled owner, is speeding towardrecovery after successful surgery in June partly fundedby NASCAR champion Tony Stewart.The Tony Stewart Foundation supplemented effortsalready under way by the Orange City-based animalassistance group H.E.L.P. Animals Inc. to fund thecost of Eagle’s operation, which was performed at theUF Veterinary Medical Center, and the travel expensesof a visiting veterinary surgeon from Missouri.The 3-year-old golden retriever is owned by MichaelRay, of Deltona, who was paralyzed in a road-rageincident when he was 27 years old. Ray said the dogwas a godsend, moving in with him more than threeyears ago, a few years after his wife died of cancer.“I am in a wheelchair and I’d never had a servicedog,” said Ray. “I knew my shoulders were going bad,as I’d been pushing a chair since 1978. I decided aservice dog might be right up my alley.”Now it was Eagle who needed Ray’s help.The dog began showing signs of weight-bearinglameness of the front left leg last year. Although hindleg lameness is commonly seen and treated byveterinary orthopedic specialists, front leg lamenessis rarer and frequently difficult to definitively diagnoseand treat.The problem persisted despite a regimen of exerciseand rest, so UF veterinarians recommended surgery.Daniel Lewis, D.V.M., a professor of small animalsurgery at UF, and Jennifer Fick, D.V.M., a veterinarysurgery instructor who was part of Eagle’s care team,noted that they could move Eagle’s left shoulder to amarkedly greater degree than his right shoulder.“This was a finding that suggested possible medialshoulder instability, which can cause front leglameness,” Fick said.UF veterinarians discussed their assessment withRay and mentioned that James “Jimi” Cook, D.V.M.,Ph.D., had recently published an article on medialshoulder instability. Cook, the William C. Allenendowed scholar for orthopaedic research and directorof the Comparative Orthopaedic Laboratory at theUniversity of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine,pioneered the procedure to treat this problem. He flewto Gainesville to perform the surgery and train UFveterinarians in the technique.“I’m very happy with the end result,” said Cook,PHOTOSBY SARAH KIEWELMichael Ray, top, greets Eagle, his 3-year-oldservice dog, after the golden retrieverunderwent surgery at the UF VeterinaryMedical Center for an unusual problem in hisleft front leg. The Tony Stewart Foundation andthe animal assistance group H.E.L.P. AnimalsInc., joined forces to provide funding for thesurgery. Vet Tech Stephanie Holloway, below,assists with Eagle’s post-surgery therapy.who repaired two small tears in Eagle’s shoulder andremoved a small chip of bone from the dog’s elbow.“The shoulder was the primary problem but I’m gladwe got the elbow taken care of before it grew worse. Wehave now addressed all of the problems that would bemaking Eagle’s limb lame.”Cook said Eagle’s prognosis is very good.“Time will tell, but he’s a motivated patient,” Cooksaid.The surgery was made possible thanks to the generosityof many. Ray, whose sole income is from Medicare, hadbeen concerned about finances. Surgery alone wasestimated to cost approximately $2,500. Then therewould be the additional costs associated with traveling toGainesville and Eagle’s postoperative care. Ray sharedhis dilemma with several friends — including an assistantmanager at a supermarket where Eagle had become verypopular.One day when Ray and Eagle were at the store, theassistant manager approached them and told Ray hermother volunteered for an organization called H.E.L.P.Animals.“Next thing I knew, the H.E.L.P. Animals groupcontacted me and said they would try to fund Eagle’ssurgery,” Ray said.The group posted Ray’s story and a plea for financialassistance on its Web site, www.helpanimalsinc.org.Soon an anonymous donor gave $1,800 to Eagle’scause. Other funds were raised through a motorcyclerun. Then a call came from the Tony StewartFoundation.“Someone had sent something to us soliciting ourhelp,” said Pam Boas, Stewart’s mother, who helpsmanage the organization. “Knowing Tony’s heart, Icalled them. He loves animals and that’s why ourfoundation was formed, so we could actually do a betterjob of donating money to the things that really touchedTony and also touched kids and animals.”At that point, Ray contacted Cook and asked if therewere any way he could assist in Eagle’s case. Cook e-mailed right away and a plan was hatched to bring himto Gainesville. He agreed to donate his services andH.E.L.P. Animals covered the surgeon’s additionaltravel costs.“This was the best possible scenario for everyone,”Fick said. “Eagle got the best treatment and we benefitedfrom learning the procedure from Dr. Cook. Everybodywins.” PResearchers at the University of Florida College of PublicHealth and Health Professions and the McKnight BrainInstitute will use a powerful new magnet to assess theeffectiveness of muscular dystrophy therapies.UF is a research site for the new Sen. Paul D. WellstoneMuscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Center, one of six inthe United States. Research partners include the University ofPennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University and the NationalInstitute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Magnetic resonance imaging provides precise, noninvasiveassessments of muscle tissue quality that allow researchers todetermine the natural progression of the disease throughout thebody, which muscles should be targeted for therapy and theefficacy of therapeutic interventions. The team will use apowerful new magnet for outcome measurements — the 3 TeslaMR whole body scanner, scheduled for installation in theMcKnight Brain Institute this summer.The UF research is led by Krista Vandenborne, Ph.D.,principal investigator and chair of the department of physical therapy, and GlennWalter, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the College of Medicine.Muscular dystrophy is a group of inherited diseases that affect 50,000 Americans.The disease causes the muscles that control movement to progressively weaken andlose the ability to regenerate after an injury, eventually turning the muscle tissueinto fat.The most common form of muscular dystrophy in children — Duchenne musculardystrophy — only affects boys and by age 12, many need a wheelchair, saidVandenborne. As the disease advances, the heart and respiratory system are affectedand patients often die in their late teens or 20s of cardiorespiratory failure.“Muscular dystrophy is a devastating disease and it’s about time it gets cured,”Vandenborne said.Elders with anemia face increased health risksElderly patients who develop anemia risk serious health problems that increase the odds they will be hospitalized andnearly double the chance they will die, according to fi ndings from a long-term study by a multi-institute research team.Anemia, a reduction in the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood that can cause fatigue, weakness and dizziness, ismore common in old age. Because its signs are often subtle, doctors should carefully consider it as they evaluate olderpatients, say study authors, writing recently in The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and MedicalSciences.“Considering anemia should be part of an overall patient’s risk assessment even if the person is without symptomsor apparent clinical disease,” said Marco Pahor, director of the University of Florida’s Institute on Aging and the study’sco-investigator.The study revealed that even a mild case of anemia increases an elderly person’s risk, indicating that treatmentrecommendations may need to be adjusted for older patients, Pahor said. Researchers found an association betweenlate-life anemia and heart conditions, cancer, infectious diseases and diabetes.The World Health Organization defi nes anemia as a concentration of the oxygen-ferrying molecule hemoglobin thatis below 12 grams per deciliter in women, and below 13 grams per deciliter in men.“Those older patients having mild anemia have not been considered at higher risk, but our data show that even thosepatients with low or even close to normal range do have higher risk for death and hospitalization and they should beconsidered for more in-depth screening for other conditions,” Pahor said. — Denise TrunkThe image on the left shows a histological section of dystrophic muscle, showing extensivemacrophage infi ltration. In the middle image, damaged muscle cells are visualized underimmunofl uorescence using a histological dye. The fi gure on the right shows an MRI of thelower leg of a boy with muscular dystrophy.Typically, patients’ muscles are tested by removing a small amount of tissue for abiopsy. But this method does not give a complete picture of all the muscles and isimpractical, especially because the children have progressive muscle loss,Vandenborne said.“Our work is setting the stage for the evaluation of clinical studies of druginterventions and gene transfer currently in development for muscular dystrophy,”said Vandenborne, whose research team will fly in children with muscular dystrophyfrom all over the United States for assessments.“Magnetic resonance imaging has many advantages for the study of musculardystrophy,” Vandenborne said. “We can provide insight into the condition ofaffected muscles and provide immediate feedback during clinical trials. MRtechnology really has the potential to make a major contribution to musculardystrophy research.” P“Considering anemiashould be part of anoverall patient’s riskassessment even ifthe person is withoutsymptoms or apparentclinical disease.”— Marco Pahor, M.D.12POST07/08•06Visit us online @ http://news.health.ufl.edu/ for the latest news and HSC events.Visit us online @ http://news.health.ufl.edu/ for the latest news and HSC events.07/08•06POST 13

COVER STORYMaking space forin human healthUF’s Whitney Laboratory forMarine BioscienceBy Denise TrunkCharismatic megafauna they are not, but a few strange andbizarre looking creatures that inhabit the ocean, like seaslugs, horseshoe crabs and spiny lobsters, hold anattraction for scientists — they can supply a wealth of insight intohuman health.In fact, for researchers at the UF Whitney Laboratory forMarine Bioscience, which is situated on a spit of land between theAtlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway about 12 milessouth of St. Augustine, crustaceans and other marine animalsoffer “model” behavior for smell, sight and other human systems.The research animals thrive on the natural light and cleanseawater the Whitney Lab has in spades. Now, at long last, thelab’s 32-year-old facilities and the researchers who rely on themare soon to benefit from a material upgrade that will augment thesurrounding natural abundance.This August, a completed 17,000-square-foot building, theCenter for Marine Studies, will anchor the west end of WhitneyLab’s campus, giving researchers who use simple marine animalsin basic biological research a new facility to further theirexplorations and to educate future scientists.Peter Anderson, Ph.D., is the lab’s director and a professor ofphysiology and functional genomics, neuroscience, and zoology.He said the new building, outfitted with wet labs, classrooms and a272-seat auditorium, allows the Whitney to expand its upper leveleducational offerings, and to recruit talented undergraduate,graduate and postdoctoral students. And, he said, it offers a tasteof things to come for the growth of the Whitney.“This is phase one of a coordinated expansion,” Anderson said.“While upgraded research labs may be the most important thingfor our facilities, by offering courses and expanding oureducational options, this will help raise our profile and raiseawareness of our work.”In addition to being able to hold undergraduate and graduatecourses, the new building will allow the Whitney Lab to hold twoandthree-week research-intensive resident courses in the Centerfor Marine Studies that will draw students from across thecountry and be taught by both UF researchers and invitedscientists, Anderson said.The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience’s growth spurthas resulted, in part, from the shrinking of its next-door neighbor,the old Florida attraction Marineland. When bankruptcy forcedthe aging facility to restructure about eight years ago, it offeredMARINE SCIENCEPeter Anderson, the Whitney Lab’s director, sits in front of the architectural plansfor the new Center for Marine Studies, which is in fi nal stages of construction.The Whitney’s holding pond, above, provides a temporary home for marineanimals under study.land for sale that bordered the Whitney campus. TheUF institute bought up the precious elbowroom andhas been plotting a new future ever since.The next stages of construction include new 72-bed dorms to house the soon-to-be-increasingnumber of students, new research lab space and anew Center for Marine Animal Health, a sort of vetschool for marine mammals — all part ofAnderson’s five-year plan for the coastal campus,which is modeled, in part, on an existing facility.Founded in 1888 in Massachusetts, Woods Holemarine biological lab is a national center formarine-based biological research, where researchersalso use marine animals as models and its graduateeducation programs have trained scientists from allover the world.Surrounded by 30,000 acres of protected landsPHOTOS BY SARAH KIEWELand home to world-renowned researchers, the UF’sWhitney Lab is perfectly situated to become justwhat Peter Anderson envisions — a Woods HoleMarine Biological Laboratory of the South.Education todayAs the finishing touches are added to the Center forMarine Studies building, the Whitney Lab ispreparing to add to its current educationalofferings.In addition to its pre-collegiate, science teachereducation courses and a Latin American exchangeprogram, the Whitney Lab offers docent-ledcourses for children in fourth through eighth gradecalled “A Day at the Whitney,” where the gradeschoolstudents get hands-on lessons about some ofthe animals, equipment and scientific approachesused to study marine animals.The labs also host a regular lecture series,“Evenings at the Whitney Lab,” which covers arange of marine topics and is open to the public.Barbara-Ann Battelle, Ph.D., a professor ofneuroscience and zoology who conducts researchon circadian rhythm and visual function inhorseshoe crabs, was the founder of the educationaloutreach programs.“I think it is important to have an easyconnection between scientists and the community,not build fences around the laboratory,” Battellesaid. “The programs get people excited aboutscience and the scientific enterprise, and it helpskids appreciate how cool the animals are!”Battelle should know. She has a completeappreciation for the horseshoe crab — its eyes inparticular. The horseshoe crab can see a milliontimes better at night than in the daytime. Theanimals make perfect models of what night visioncould be.“We are particularly interested in understandingthe mechanisms that permit these cells to changetheir sensitivity to light in response to changes inbackground illumination and to signals from aninternal 24-hour circadian clock,” she said. “Thesechanges in sensitivity are critical for normal vision,allowing animals to see in both bright and dim light.”She and the two postdoctoral research associates(or postdocs) who work with her in her lab want tolearn how the crab’s eyes adjust, and how thatability could relate to the more subtle changes thatCONTINUED ON PAGE 21The eyes of horseshoe crabs, top right, become a million times more sensitive at night and, because of this trait, they offer neuroscientist Barbara-Ann Battellean excellent model for human vision.14POST 07/08•06Visit us online @ http://news.health.ufl.edu/ for the latest news and HSC events.07/08•06 POST15

RESEARCHADMINISTRATIONMedium is the message for stemcells in search of identitiesFounding chair of UF’sdepartment of urology is appointedBy John PastorEmbryonic stem cells, prized for theirastonishing ability to apparently transforminto any kind of cell in the body, acquire theiridentities in part by interacting with theirsurroundings — even when they are outside of thebody in a laboratory dish, University of Floridascientists report.Using an animal model of embryonic stem celldevelopment, researchers with UF’s McKnightBrain Institute have begun to answer one of themost fundamental questions in science — how doesa batch of immature cells give rise to an organ asextraordinarily complex as the human brain?The findings, published in the Proceedings of theNational Academy of Sciences, may one day helpscientists create laboratory environments to growspecialized cells that can be transplanted intopatients to treat epilepsy, Parkinson’s, Huntington’sand Alzheimer’s diseases or other brain disorders.Scientists observed that when embryonic stemcells from mice were plated on four differentsurfaces in cell culture dishes, specific types ofcells would arise.“The medium and the molecular environmentinfluence the fate of the cell,” said Dennis Steindler,Ph.D., executive director of the McKnight BrainInstitute. “We simulated some events that occurwhile the brain is developing and challenged themwith different environments, and the effects areprofound. Ultimately both nature and nurtureinfluence the final identity of a stem cell, but inearly stages it seems nurture is very important.”In experiments, scientists confirmed a cellculture surface molecule called laminin activates acommon developmental pathway that is crucial forthe generation and survival of particular types ofbrain cells.The laminin-influenced stem cells are a kindthat goes on to generate a brain structure calledthe medial ganglionic eminence, which in turn isbelieved to give rise to a population of earlyneurons in the developing cerebral cortex, astructure that helps coordinate sensory, motor andcognitive function.“This is significant because this molecule isfrequently used to secure cells onto culture dishesin stem cell labs all over the world,” said BjornScheffler, M.D., a neuroscientist with UF’s Collegeof Medicine. “Everyone believes this molecule ispurely growth supportive, but now we’ve shown itchanges the fate of cells it is working with. WhenPHOTO BY SARAH KIEWEL“you grow the cells in a culture dish you are actuallyeducating them to become something veryspecial.”In that respect, the discovery sheds light on howembryonic stem cells diversify to form variousneural structures, one of the fundamental mysteriesof brain development, the researchers say.Since the 1980s, Steindler has studied the effectof certain molecules in the extracellular matrix, amixture that surrounds developing brain cells.Transiently appearing and disappearing, thesemolecules apparently cordon the brain intodifferent regions.DENNIS STEINDLERUltimately both nature and nurtureinfl uence the fi nal identity of a stemcell, but in early stages it seems nurtureis very important.” — Dennis Steindler, Ph.D.If molecules from the matrix activate genes instem cells responsible for generating neuralcomponents, potentially any of the molecules canbe tested to find its specific role during developmentof the brain, according to UF neuroscientist KatrinGoetz, M.D., first author of the paper.In addition, the discovery reinforces a notionthat rodent embryonic stem cell biology can beused to understand basic brain mechanisms,potentially leading to treatments where adult stemcells are taken from patients, cultured andtransplanted into damaged brain environments torestore functions lost to disease or injury. PBy Melanie Fridl RossJohannes W. Vieweg, M.D., has been named thefounding chair of the College of Medicine’s newdepartment of urology.Vieweg, a professor of urology, arrived July 1 from DukeUniversity, where he served as associate professor ofurology and immunology and vice chief of research in thedivision of urology. He is affiliated with the UF ShandsCancer Center.Much of Vieweg’s research has focused on the developmentand early clinical testing of new immunotherapies andother novel treatments for cancers of the genitourinarytract, including prostate cancer.Recently he led the first study of a new vaccine that usesthe patients’ own dendritic cells, a type of white blood cell,to slow prostate cancer growth by priming the immunesystem to recognize malignant cells and then target themfor destruction, without toxic side effects. The vaccine,currently undergoing additional testing, is intended forpatients who have not responded to standard treatments.Vieweg is eager to infuse renewed energy into urologicresearch and work toward developing novel clinical servicesthat will provide a comprehensive approach to the treatmentof urologic disease.“UF urology has a long history of providing qualityclinical care,” he said. “My goal is to broaden and strengthenthe existing effort, providing high-quality clinical care inall areas of adult and pediatric urology. In addition, ourresearch program will help to move new therapies into theclinic as quickly as possible.”Robert C. Newman, M.D., the Rudolph Acosta-Rua Jr.professor of urology, led the division since 2001 and oversawits transition from within the department of surgery to afreestanding department within the College of Medicine in2004. Newman retired in June after 31 years on the faculty.The College of Medicine Executive Committee’s decisionto establish a separate department of urology was in linewith the approach top programs in urology take elsewhere.The move also was designed to supplement efforts tostrengthen the cancer program, as urology is a key playerin translational research and clinical oncology, of primeimportance in Florida with its substantial number ofelderly patients.Vieweg said the field of urology is currently undergoinga major transformation of its own.“New basic scientific discoveries and the emergence ofnew technologies are providing unprecedentedopportunities to improve the diagnosis and treatment ofpatients with urologic disease,” Vieweg said. “Those whoare able to master and quickly implement these newdiscoveries into clinical practice will offer the very best inPHOTO BY SARAH KIEWELpatient care and, thereby, will become the new leaders inurologic health care. The UF department of urology willstrive to become a national leader in urology patient care,education and scientific discovery.”He cited several unique opportunities for clinicalresearch, including projects involving the development andtesting of “targeted therapeutics” as well as improvedprediction models for therapeutic success, an effort to betteridentify which patients will respond to treatment and whichwon’t.A cadre of 10 scientists and administrative staff made themove to UF with Vieweg, joining five other existing facultymembers. He said he plans to recruit additional faculty,with the goal of achieving “a critical mass of experts in allkey areas of urology.”“Developing synergies with other UF programs orinstitutes is critical to our future success,” he added. “ ‘Silos’are inefficient; I like to build programmatic matrices thatultimately will strengthen and benefit the entire medicalcenter.”Vieweg received his medical degree from the Universityof Munich in Germany and began his residency training inthe department of urology at the University of Ulm inGermany. After coming to the United States, he completedthree years of postdoctoral training at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York before finishing hisurology training at Duke. P“Developingsynergieswith otherUF programsor institutesis critical toour futuresuccess.”— Johannes W.Vieweg, M.D.JOHANNES W. VIEWEG16POST07/08•0607/08•06POST 17

18DISTINCTIONSYears of servicerecognizedService Pin AwardsOn June 7, HSC employees were recognized for their long-termcommitment and dedication to the University of Florida. The5-, 10- and 15-year recipients received a service pin, as did the20- and 25-year recipients, who were also given a Gator hat andpaperweight. The 30-year recipients received the same mementos and a$100 check, and the 35-year employees were awarded the same awardsand a $150 check.Douglas Barrett, M.D., senior vice president for health affairs, notedthat the honorees reached their service milestones during a milesoneyear for the HSC, its 50th anniversary. “It’s your contributions andthose of the people who preceded you,” said Barrett, “that have builtour success.”Animal Care Services5 YearsRobert HodgeLatanya LovettRoseanne LuxtonLuis Zorrilla20 YearsRicky HortonPOST07/08•06College of Dentistry5 YearsJune Crews-SonntagTanya GillToni GloverPamela GoffMary HemingwayAnita LeverettLindy McCollum-BrounleyPHOTO BY DENISE TRUNKGregg PelfreyMariaelena RodriguezLucinda WilsonCarrie Woody10 YearsBrenda BrownTerry JaxTheresa PendrayRachel PisanoDawn SmithJennifer SullivanJean SweitzerMaureen TraversSusan Tuten15 YearsJodi GeigerDebra Hatfi eldTracy LairdCharles LeschDianne McReynoldsPamela Scott20 YearsJacob BurksDebra JohnsonRosa McDavidMarta MillerSharon Pelfrey20-year recipients:Back row, from left: Debra Johnson, Gregory Valcante, Sharon Pelfrey, June Masters, Marta Miller, Delores Foreman, Jeanie Payne, James Van Gilder, MarkBeveridge, Barbara O’steen, Janice Ogwada, Tammie Esheverria, Joan Thompson, Kimberly Seitz, Jacob Burks, Ricky Horton and Gary Goff. Front row, left:Robin Smith, Melanie Davis, Linda Kilgore, Virginia Leap, Doretha Barry, Sylvia Hoover, Annette Zaytour, Fran Johnson, Audrey Duke and Kathy Pipkins.Robin Smith25 YearsHarriet HayesShirley LauritzenJohnny Martin30 YearsDiana LittleCollege of Medicine5 YearsSuzanne AbernethyCaroline AdamsAnthony AgatepAmanda AspilcuetaMary BancroftBarbara BarbourDebra BarnesKari BastowDiane BiernackiLaura BlantonLori BoggsKaren BreznerJohn BrooksLisa BrownTrudence BrownChristopher BumgarnerElizabeth ByrdTina CaltonEric CarrEraina CarterKristi Cromwell-CainStuart ClarryNicole DarrowRajeeb DasSandra DeanCandice DennisMin DingRhonda DouglasYue DuLisa FeindtJason FifeJoyce FrancisPatricia GardnerSusan GardnerJohn GlasheenSamantha GreeneDi-Hua HeKeith HerndonJennifer HinsonRobert HoffmannRobin Hull-KressZhihua JiangChante JonesMarda JorgensenCatherine LawsonSarah LegaultDefang LuoDawn MaillartAngela MartinWilliam MarenaKenneth MarxThawana McDougaldKathryn McEwenLorraine McKennaAmy MeachamRonald MiddletonChristopher MorrisDebra MulberryJuanita NewellDiana NolteMatthew ObalKaren OwensKatherine PeckLucretia PriestStacy PorvasnikMichele RamseyFreddie RobinsonJamey SadlerTheresa SanchezDeena SandersMichele Scavone StoneSuzanne ScheragaStephanie SchulzPatricia ShambaughJingda ShiMichele SilverCarol StanalandNancy StaplesJanice ThenKenneth Van DorenJennifer VinsonDennis WatsonYiling XuLisa Zhao25-year recipients:From left: Sherry Williams, Lillian Mitchell, Debbie Phelps, Lora Taylor, Karen Smith, DinaWillis, Shirley Lauritzen and Deanna Knight.10 YearsCatherine BillsRhonda BlairRenee BoyetteMarjorie BradleyAndrea BrunoRevonda BurkeJune CassalaMartha CheathamKerri ElfvinCrystal ErdmanDeborah FloydJohn GelnawCarol GordonLinda GuentherMargaret HumphriesBeverly JonesMelinda MorrisonClaire NoegelChristopher PaschallAudrey PerryDebra PhillipsJian PuKristie RichardsonCharles ShelamerBarbara SmithRobert ThompsonMitzi TuckerNell WadeMary WalkerTeresa WelchVictoria White15 YearsDonna CaldwellValerie CrawfordGene CornwallDaniel DelucaDonna GillesBrenda HambyCathy HooverNancy JacobsKaren JanickiDISTINCTIONS30-year recipients:Back row, from left: Robert Godwin, Dan Crenshaw, Avery Jones, Rufus Hutchinson, MarkHoffenberg, Paula Edge, Elaine Allen, James Thomas, Regina Corns and Ann Groves. Frontrow from left: Mary Ann Bass, Shirley Henry, Cindy Weinbrecht, Maxine Rushin, CindyJackson, Juliann Berger and Diana Little.Deborah JohnsonMaria LopezGlenda MartinNelda McNeillBradley MooreConnie NixonSusan NoblesJulide OzanWilliam PfeiferCindy PomarBarbara PonsBobbi ReynoldsMary SpauldingNancy StuartKathleen ThrasherSharon ValleyAnita Weathers20 YearsKim AhrensMaria BaldwinDoretha BarryMark BeveridgeSharon BowersPatricia BullardMiriam CintronLynn CombeeTammie EcheverriaKevin FortinNyla Norris FowlerSylvia HooverDianna HuntChristine HunterFran JohnsonLinda KilgoreVirginia LeapTheresa MedranoEsperanza OlivoBarbara O’SteenLugenia PayneAnna PipkinsWilma ShalcoskyCarol SmithCONTINUED ON PAGE 2007/08•06POST 19

DISTINCTIONSCONTINUED FROM PAGE 19CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15COVER CONT’DPriscilla SpenceGregory ValcanteMary WashingtonBarbara YoungAnnette ZaytounBilly SommerCheryl UrbanAnn Van DorenKathy WilkersonKemal Yozgatlioglu25 YearsPaul GalesDebra JacksonDeanna KnightDebbie PhelpsPamela SimmonsDina Willis30 YearsMargaret AllenMary Ann BassRegina CornsPaula EdgeCynthia JacksonMichael NylandCynthia PetersonMaxine RushingJames ThomasCynthia Weinbrecht35 YearsAngela ChoateThelma Elaine HardenMartha Stewart40 YearsKelly CampbellCollege of Nursing5 YearsIris CampbellMary Lamantia10 YearsCharlotte Monroe15 YearsBeverly Coleman25 YearsVirginia LeeCollege of Pharmacy5 YearsMichele LawsonTanaya LindstromOmayra Cruz MercadoBrenda Minier15 YearsElizabeth BoePatricia Miller20 YearsJune Masters30 YearsJuliann BergerEdward PhillipsCollege of PublicHealth and HealthProfessions5 YearsAnastasia Knight35-year recipientsLouise Stewart, left, and Elaine Hayden were awarded June 7 with a $150 check andother prizes in recognition of their dedicated service.Jeffrey LoomisMargaret OdomIrma RileyKimberly Rovansek10 YearsBonnie PomeroyMichael Wrenne20 YearsJanice OgwadaFrancina Thomas25 YearsKaren SmithCollege of VeterinaryMedicine5 YearsKatherine ChildressLavonne Gray-WilliamsJames HollowayDahlonega PeckMelanie RoseMaxine Lampert SacherCarol Steege10 YearsLisa BessentChristine BestGail CrawfordElizabeth KishArlene LeeRichard SmithJoyce StewartCarlos Sulsona15 YearsSarah CareyDorothy McColskeyJosephine PilkintonCynthia Warner20 YearsGlenda BrielBarbara CrenshawMelanie DavisDelores ForemanKimberly SeitzJoan ThompsonJames Van Gilder25 YearsDiane Heaton-JonesDorothy HollandMarsha SwilleySherry Williams30 YearsMark HoffenbergRonald ParmerPhysical Plant Division5 YearsHandson CohensJerome CooksleyJoseph MooreTiffany Wright10 YearsBernice BakerHorace BrownLorenza HammondJeffrey HaynesPaul MattoxAdrian McCrayMarie RobinsonDebbie SanchezJames ThompsonLue Webb15 YearsSidney Gordon20 YearsGary GoffRosemary HeaglesGordon White25 YearsGloria BrownSally DanzyLillian Mitchell30 YearsMadine CobbDaniel CrenshawRobert GodwinJohn GrahamShirley HenryRufus HutchinsonAvery JonesJohnny Richardson35 YearsRubin LovettSenior Vice President,Health Affairs5 YearsDwight BennettDonna DavisRandy GraffNathaniel KimbleGeraldine KohnCharles ParksClifford Richmond10 YearsAvi BaumsteinBrenda BourieSandra GoodingGinek Medyk15 YearsDiane GatscheRobert NelsonPatricia PerryRegina Richmond20 YearsWilliam BrandAudrey DukeAlexander MurrayDanelle Towater25 YearsLora Taylor30 YearsAnn GrovesWilliam SmithStudent HealthCare Center5 YearsTina BakerJennifer DurranceLynne GoldmanGloria GouldAlvin LawrenceLourdes LebronHao NguyenJames ProbertToni RatliffLocky-Jo RoweRoy SherouseMonica TownsSarah Williams10 YearsKaren BrennanPatricia CarterBach-Lien DuongLinda HouseKelly MitchellKenneth MizeJames RaweSusan RyalsPatricia SencerKimberly StokesPatricia TiceSamuel ThorntonKaren WilliamsElizabeth Wright15 YearsJulie AbramsGlenda CarrollJeannie LatimerMaricelly Rodriguez20 YearsJane CullenCynthia RaganPHOTOS BY SARAH KIEWELThe Center for Marine Studies rises on the edge of the Intracoastal Waterway south of St. Augustine. The new state-of-the-art building, the fi rst constructionat the Whitney Lab campus in 32 years, has classrooms, labs and a large auditorium and will be the site of expanded educational offerings. Dirk Bucher,right, studies a central mechanism of lobsters and crabs that controls the functions of walking, swimming and breathing. Because the lobster has a simplerneural system, Bucher can more easily trace its neural network.take place in the human eye.With its new educational potential, Battelle can seemore possibilities for the Whitney Lab’s scientists tointeract with the public and students.“It is very exciting,” she said.Graduate educationIn the past decade, six or seven students havecompleted doctoral programs at the Whitney Lab,Anderson said.The graduate offerings will be based on the currentmodel, which is coordinated primarily for studentsthrough the HSC College of Medicine’sInterdisciplinary Program in Biomedical Sciences.“In the future, we’ll recruit students through theIDP program and elsewhere, and teach coursesourselves,” Anderson said.Whitney Lab faculty members based in the Collegeof Medicine’s departments of anatomy and cellbiology, neuroscience, pharmacology andtherapeutics, and physiology and functional genomics,as well as from the College of Agriculture’s fisheriesand aquatic sciences, and Liberal Arts and Sciences’zoology department, would teach the courses.The way it works now, students first take upresidence at the main campus in Gainesville where,for one or two years, they complete their courserequirements and qualify for dissertation research.During this period, students maintain contact withthe lab and their major professors through a programof periodic meetings, progress reports, seminars andsummer research. After qualifying, students move tothe Whitney Lab and carry out research. Having thenew facilities will enable more students to participatein the program, and more students to live and takeclasses at the lab.One of those students currently based at theWhitney is Thomas Ha, a Ph.D. student working withLeonid Moroz, Ph.D., a professor of neuroscience andzoology, on cellular communication in the sea slug,Aplysia californica.The species of sea slug provides an excellent modelof what happens in the human brain when neuronscommunicate. The large gastropod has unusuallylarge brain cells, making it easier for Moroz and histeam to identify specific neurons and track their rolesin neural networks and behavior.With Moroz, Ha aims to learn why individualneurons are so different from each other, how theymaintain such precise connections between eachother, how their fixed wiring results in such enormousneuronal plasticity and how this contributes tolearning and memory mechanisms.His faculty adviser, Moroz, and committee, madeup of faculty both from the Whitney Laboratory andfrom the UF department with which the facultyadvisor is affiliated, have guided and directed hiscourse work and dissertation research.Ha, working with Moroz’s gene sequencing project,is conducting transcriptional profiling of some of theslug’s 20,000 neurons. Because of the cells’ large size,he said, he is able to get enough mRNA from one cellto sequence and analyze its transcriptome andcompare it with other single cells.Ha, who is originally from South Korea, has lived atWhitney’s graduate student housing for three yearsand he is four months from finishing his degree. Hesaid he enjoys the beautiful, if somewhat isolated,environment.“A big advantage of the new setup is that it will allowgraduate students to teach courses,” Ha said. “Teachingskills are important for an academic career and thiswill provide that opportunity, which is missing now.”In fact, the new center will allow Whitney faculty,postdocs and graduate students to participate inteaching undergraduate and graduate course offerings,many of which are now taught on UF’s campus.Staff will begin to occupy the building in January2007, as long as necessary water piping, held up by theapproval of a residential development project in thearea, can be put in place. In the meantime, Andersonis busy raising funds for the new dorms and theCenter for Marine Animal Health.With the addition of the planned Center for MarineAnimal Health, the Whitney Laboratory for MarineBioscience will become one of the first facilitiesdedicated to the treatment of marine animal diseasesaffecting aquaculture stocks, sea turtles and otheranimals. Combined with its research and educationalactivities, the marine labs will be on the forefront ofmarine biomedical science.Perhaps in the process, as Anderson envisions, thecampus will become known to the world as somethingof a Woods Hole of the South. P20POST07/08•06Visit us online @ http://news.health.ufl.edu/ for the latest news and HSC events.Visit us online @ http://news.health.ufl.edu/ for the latest news and HSC events.07/08•06POST 21

DISTINCTIONSADMINISTRATIONCOLLEGE OF DENTISTRYHENRY A. GREMILLION,D.D.S., an associateprofessor of orthodonticsand director of the ParkerE. Mahan Facial PainCenter, received the FloridaDental Association’sAnnual Dental EducatorAward. Gremillion was Gremillionpresented with the awardduring the association’s Florida National DentalCongress held in June in Orlando. Gremillionwas nominated for the award by dentalstudents in recognition of the excellence of hisacademic contributions, and his support of andcommitment to his students.RICHARD LAMONT, Ph.D.,and ANN PROGULSKE-FOX, Ph.D., both professorsof oral biology, werehonored with DistinguishedScientist awards by theInternational Associationfor Dental Research duringthe association’s 84thLamontGeneral Session & Exhibition,held in July in Brisbane,Australia. The prestigiousawards are bestowed oninternationally renownedbasic science researchers fortheir signifi cant contributionsto specifi c IADR researchareas. Lamont receivedthe Distinguished Scientist Progulske-Foxfor Basic Research inOral Biology Award, and Progulske-Fox washonored with the Distinguished Scientist for BasicResearch in Periodontal Disease Award.COLLEGE OF MEDICINEEDWARD COPELAND, M.D.,the Edward R. Woodwardprofessor in the divisionof surgical oncology andendocrine surgery of thedepartment of surgery, wasawarded the 2006 RaymondH. Alexander, M.D. Awardfor outstanding dedicationand service to the medicalCopelandprofession in the fi eld ofsurgery by the Florida chapter of the AmericanCollege of Surgeons at its 2006 Annual meeting,in May in Boca Grande, Fla.DANIEL J. DRISCOLL, M.D., Ph.D., a professorof pediatrics and of molecular genetics andmicrobiology and the John T. and WinifredM. Hayward professor of genetics research,was recently inducted into the Johns HopkinsUniversity Society ofScholars.The Society of Scholarswas created at JohnsHopkins to honor formerpostdoctoral fellows, juniorfaculty and visiting facultywho have achieved successin their fi elds. A committeeDriscollselects the honorees fromfaculty nominations.Driscoll completed his pediatric residencytraining and a medical genetics postdoctoralfellowship at Johns Hopkins. He has been atUF since 1989 and is considered a leadingresearcher of Prader-Willi and Angelmansyndromes.STEPHEN R. GROBMYER,M.D., an assistant professorin the division of surgicaloncology and endocrinesurgery in the departmentof surgery, was recentlyawarded the James andEsther King BiomedicalResearch grant. TheGrobmyer$427,500 three-year awardwill support research into methods of targetingcancer cells using nanotechnology.BENZI KLUGER, M.D., afellow in the department ofneurology at the College ofMedicine, was selected toreceive a clinical researchtraining fellowship fromthe American Academy ofNeurology Foundation. Hewas honored this springduring the AAN’s 58thannual meeting in SanKlugerDiego.He will receive a grant of $55,000 per year fortwo years for research exploring the componentsof fatigue in healthy subjects and stroke patients.“Fatigue is a signifi cant problem for manypatients but our understanding of this symptom isvery limited,” he said. “The goal of my researchis to classify different types of fatigue and to seeif these different types of fatigue have differentcauses.”VIKAS R.DHARNIDHARKA,M.D., an associateprofessor of pediatrics inthe division of pediatricnephrology, is the 2006recipient of the AmericanSociety of TransplantationAchievement Award for DharnidharkaAssistant Professors inClinical Science. The AST achievement awardsare peer-nominated and are the highest honorsthat the American Society of Transplantationgives to members of the transplantationcommunity. The awards are to be presentedJuly 24 at the fi rst World Transplant Congress inBoston, a joint meeting of the American Societyof Transplantation, the American Society ofTransplant Surgeons and The TransplantationSociety. Dharnidharka is considered to beone of the world’s experts in post-transplantlymphoproliferative disease. This rare conditionis an unusual malignancy in transplant recipientsthat in most cases is caused by a virus infection.JACKSONVILLEASHLEY E. BOOTH, M.D.,an assistant professor ofemergency medicine inthe College of Medicine-Jacksonville, receivedthe American MedicalAssociation Foundation’s2006 Leadership Award.The honor, extended to Booth55 individuals from acrossthe nation, recognizes outstanding nonclinicalleadership skills in advocacy, community serviceand/or education and provides medical students,residents and fellows, young physicians andinternational medical graduate physicians specialtraining to develop their skills as future leaders inorganized medicine.THOMAS CHIU, M.D.,M.B.A., associate chair ofthe pediatrics departmentat the College of Medicine-Jacksonville, was appointedby the American Academyof Pediatrics to itsCommittee on Child HealthFinancing. Chiu will serve atwo-year term.ChiuPHYLLIS HENDRY, M.D.,an associate professor ofemergency medicine andpediatrics at UF Collegeof Medicine–Jacksonville,was featured in “A LongJourney,“ a one-hourdocumentary that airedJune 21-22 on WJCTHendryChannel 7 in Jacksonville.Filmed on the First Coast, the documentaryexplores emerging services and aggressive lifeprolonging,curative and palliative treatmentsin Northeast Florida for children with cancer orother life-limiting illnesses.Hendry, a consultant to Community PedsCare— a pediatric palliative and hospice programof Community Hospice of Northeast Florida incollaboration with UF, Nemours Children’s Clinicand Wolfson Children’s Hospital – was amongthe Community PedsCare staff interviewed inthe documentary.YVETTE MCCARTER, Ph.D.,has been appointed tothe Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention’sHealthcare InfectionControl Practices AdvisoryCommittee.A federal advisorycommittee comprising14 McCarterinfection control experts,HICPAC advises the CDC and the Secretaryof the Department of Health and HumanServices on infection control, surveillance,and prevention and control of health-careassociatedinfections in health-care facilities.McCarter, director of the clinical microbiologylaboratory in UF’s pathology department inJacksonville, will serve a four-year term on thecommittee.MOBEEN RATHORE, M.D.,a professor and chief ofthe division of pediatricinfectious diseases andimmunology, and assistantchairman for research andacademic affairs in thedepartment of pediatrics,received this year’s HealingHearts/Helping Hands RathoreAward at the fi fth annualFlorida HIV/AIDS Red Ribbon ExcellenceAwards ceremony. Presented by the FloridaDepartment of Health Bureau of HIV/AIDS inconjunction with The AIDS Institute, the awardsrecognize the best-of-the-best in the HIV/AIDSfi eld in Florida.PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH PROFESSIONSASHLEY BUTLER, agraduate student in thedepartment of clinical andhealth psychology, hasbeen named an AtlanticCoast Social, Behavioraland Economic SciencesAlliance scholar. She willreceive travel awards, a$3,000 research stipend andan opportunity to participatein summer programs.ButlerKnow someone who has earned adistinction? Please let us know.E-mail dtrunk@ufl.eduTisher to step down asmedical dean next yearBy Tom FortnerThe dean of the University of Florida College of Medicine, Dr. C. CraigTisher, has announced that he plans to step down from his position duringthe next academic year.A search committee charged with identifying Tisher’s successor should be inplace in July, according to Dr. Douglas J. Barrett, UF senior vice president forhealth affairs. Tisher will continue to serve until a new dean comes on board, mostlikely next summer.Plans call for Tisher to lead the college through an exhaustive review andreaccreditation of its educational programs, an activity that occurs once everyseven years and concludes next February.“Dr. Tisher has been a superb dean, and we’re fortunate we will continue tobenefit from his steady leadershipfor the accreditation process andother ongoing critical activities,”Barrett said. “The timing of histransition also gives us theopportunity to conduct anorderly, thoughtful and extensivesearch to find the next dean.”Tisher, an internationallyrecognized authority on renalphysiology and pathology, hasbeen on the UF faculty for 26years. He was appointed seniorassociate dean in 1998 andbecame dean in 2002. As dean,he oversees an expansiveorganization that encompasses1,200 faculty and 2,600 staff onmedical campuses in Gainesvilleand Jacksonville and an operating budget that exceeds $630 million.Tisher’s list of achievements as dean includes the establishment of the UFProton Therapy Institute, which is slated to begin treating cancer patients nextmonth on the UF Health Science Center campus in Jacksonville. One of only fivefacilities in the country offering this type of radiation therapy, “Florida Proton”has been a complex, multimillion-dollar undertaking that Tisher has pursuedwith steely determination.Within the Health Science Center, said Barrett, Tisher is recognized for hisexceptional leadership and solid management skills. He has proved adept atrecruiting top talent from other institutions and retaining faculty considered vital tothe strategic plans of the college. Those plans include enhancing the research profileof UF in areas like cancer, aging, diabetes, child health, neuroscience and genetics.Barrett also credited Tisher with substantially improving the college’s financialhealth amid a turbulent economic environment for academic medical centersnationally.Raised in South Dakota, Tisher graduated from Washington University Schoolof Medicine in St. Louis. After residencies in St. Louis and Seattle, he completeda fellowship in nephrology at the University of Washington. For the 10 years priorto joining UF, he was on the faculty of Duke University School of Medicine.At UF, he served as chief of the division of nephrology, hypertension andtransplantation from 1980 to 1997. In 1999, he was named the Folke H. PetersonDean’s Distinguished Professor of Medicine. PPHOTO BY SARAH KIEWELDR. C. CRAIG TISHER22POST07/08•06Visit us online @ http://news.health.ufl.edu/ for the latest news and HSC events.Visit us online @ http://news.health.ufl.edu/ for the latest news and HSC events.07/08•06POST 23

RESEARCH DAY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9Health Services CategoryChristina Posse“Assessment of Driving-related Skills: Pilot Study ofInterrater Reliability”Jingbo Yu“Health Insurance Coverage of Young Adults Aged 22 to29 in Florida”Rehabilitation Science CategoryMin Liu“Training Effects on Soleus Muscle Function and GeneExpression Following Spinal Cord Injury”Michelle Woodbury“A Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity “Recovery Map” to Informthe Treatment Planning Process”In addition, the college awarded four $1,000 researchgrants to graduate students who submitted winning grantproposals. They include: Neha Dixit, Chetan Phadke,Christina Posse and Bonnie Sachs.GRANTS$5 million gift creates brain tumor therapy centerBy Chris BrazdaCollege of VeterinaryMedicineThe University of Florida’s McKnight Brain Institute is a stepcloser to being one of the world’s best centers for brain tumortreatment and research after receiving a $5 million gift from theFort Lauderdale-based Lillian S. Wells Foundation Inc.The gift, which is eligible to be matched from the state of Florida’sMajor Gifts Trust Fund, will enable the university to recruit world-classdoctors and scientists and conduct research that could lead to a cure forbrain and spinal cord tumors.“The University of Florida is absolutely thebest-positioned research university for thisnew Brain Tumor Therapy Center. I haveno doubt that it will yield amazing resultsin the years to come.” — Barbara Wells“We want to be one of the top five brain tumor centers in the world,and we’re not that far from being there,” said Dr. William Friedman,chairman of the department of neurosurgery in the College of Medicine.“This gift will bring us much closer to our goal, which is to find a cureSeveral faculty members and graduate students from theUniversity of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine werehonored for their scientifi c achievements during Phi ZetaResearch Emphasis Day on June 9. Jacobson Estrada,Farese and Nollens all Womble, DeRuisseau, Kirkby andMcNally. Bonilla and Jacks each received plaques and acheck for $1,000.The award winners were as follows:Pfi zer Animal Health Awardfor Research Excellence:Each received a plaque and $1,000.Cynda Crawford, D.V.M., Ph.D.FVMA ClinicalInvestigator Award:Dr. Elliott Jacobson, D.V.M., Ph.D.Florida Association of Kennel ClubsClinical Investigator:Each received a plaque and $500.Amara Estrada, D.V.M.C.E. Cornelius Young Investigator AwardJames Farese, D.V.M.Charles F. SimpsonMemorial ScholarshipHendrik Nollens, D.V.M., Ph.D.Excellence in Master’s Studies:Each received a plaque and $100.Ariel WombleExcellence in Doctoral StudiesLara DeRuisseau, M.S.Excellence in Clinical Science ResearchKristin Kirkby, D.V.M.Excellence in Basic Science ResearchAlex McNally, M.S.Veterinary Auxiliary Achievement Award in GraduateStudies: Each received plaques and a check for $1,000.Alfredo Bonilla, Ph.D. and Stephanie Jacks, D.V.M. Pfor brain tumors.”In recognition of the gift, the McKnight Brain Institute’s brain tumortherapy center will be named the Preston A. Wells, Jr. Center for BrainTumor Therapy at the University of Florida in honor of the Wells’family’s patriarch.“This is a fantastic opportunity to apply the expertise of theresearchers at the McKnight Brain Institute to tackle brain cancer,” saidDennis Steindler, Ph.D., the Brain Institute’s executive director. “Thisnew center will aid scientists and clinicians with neurosurgery and otherdepartments to make discoveries and create new therapeutics.”“My family’s relationship with Dr. Friedman and the University ofFlorida goes back 20 years,” said Barbara Wells, president of the WellsFoundation. “The University of Florida is absolutely the best-positionedresearch university for this new Brain Tumor Therapy Center. I have nodoubt that it will yield amazing results in the years to come.”One of the first orders of business from the new endowment created bythe Lillian S. Wells Foundation’s contribution is to enhance the center’sadult neuro-oncology support. Plans are under way to recruit leadingmedical neuro-oncology experts to make it possible for the university toprovide comprehensive care of brain tumor patients and their families.According to Friedman, a more comprehensive brain tumor therapycenter will allow the university to conduct research leading to a cure ofbrain and spinal cord tumors and establish and implement educationalopportunities for medical professionals, scientists, patients and theirfamilies. PStudents globe trot during international tripsCollege of DentistryThe College of Dentistry sponsored fourstudent humanitarian trips involving morethan 100 dental students, faculty members,assistants and private dentists who delivered freedental care to impoverished populations in LatinAmerica during the 2005-06 academic year.Dentistry’s International Education Programsponsored student trips to the Dominican Republic,Ecuador, Honduras and Yucatan, Mexico duringholiday and spring breaks.Third-year dental student, Josh Belof,performs an extraction on a Honduranwoman with assistance from his wife, ElizabethBelof, a registered nurse. Patients were treatedin remote villages using makeshift operatoriesin churches, schools and an orphanage.Honduras is the newest addition to the college’slineup of sponsored international aid trips. Morethan 700 patients were treated, 565 teeth wereextracted and about 250 were filled. The DominicanRepublic expedition, the oldest of the college’s fourstudent trips, provided extractions and basicpreventive treatments in remote mountain villageslacking running water and electricity. Onemountain village the UF dental students traveledfour hours to reach had not had access to dentalcare for more than five years.Project HEAL in Quito, Ecuador was amultidisciplinary effort between dentistry,pharmacy, medicine, nursing and veterinarymedicine. During the first week of Project HEAL,PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTINA CAVANAGH18 dental students partnered with dental studentsfrom sister institution Universidad San Franciscode Quito to provide free dental care to more than250 pediatric and adult patients. Medical, nursing,pharmacy and veterinary medicine students joinedthree of the dental students and a dental facultymember during the second week to provide muchneededcare to people living in remote Amazonianvillages. Many of these people, because they live soclose to their livestock, suffered from severeparasitic infections, but also had outbreaks oftuberculosis.The UF dental trip to Yucatan, Mexico is basedon a partnership with the sister dental school atUniversidad Autonoma de Yucatan. UF and UADYdental students worked together to provide freedental care to about 400 low-income school childrenin several villages.College of MedicineDuring Spring Break, students and facultyfrom the College of Medicine trekked toMexico, Ecuador and several locations inthe Dominican Republic to help patients in areaswhere people lack access to quality health care.Students and faculty taking part in Project Haiti,Project Yucatan, Project Heal, Dr. Help and Dr.Salud helped thousands of patients in just one week,also bringing needed supplies to the regions.This year Project Haiti went to Jimani, a city inthe Dominican Republic near the Haitian borderbecause of unrest in Haiti. Students are shownhere on the grounds of a prison, where theytreated soldiers and prisoners.INTERNATIONALCollege of PharmacyMala D. Desai, a UF Pharm.D. candidate,traveled to rural communities in Ecuador for 10days during spring break. Desai, with Collegeof Pharmacy students Sonia Sosa and LeidiPaez, joined College of Medicine students andProject HEAL to assist in providing desperatelyneeded basic health services in Ecuador. Desaisaid Project HEAL was the only source of healthcare each year to many of the communitiesthey visited and that she hopes to return againnext spring. Other pharmacy classmatestraveled to Haiti and the Dominican Republic,and to the Yucatan.Public Health and HealthProfessionsAudiologyFaculty and students from the Doctor ofAudiology (Au.D.) program at the College ofPublic Health and Health Professions madetheir fourth annual trip to Yucatan, Mexico. Asmembers of Project Yucatan, the studentsperformed screening tests that assessed the functionof the middle ear system, measured levels of hearingsensitivity and assisted UF medical students in thecleaning and health care of the outer ear. The UFAu.D. program also donated hearing aids, hearingaid batteries, cleaning supplies and portableequipment that can be used by local, trained healthcareprofessionals to continue long-term audiologiccare in rural clinics. More than 500 children and 10024POST 07/08•06 Visit us online @ http://news.health.ufl.edu/ for the latest news and HSC events.Visit us online @ http://news.health.ufl.edu/ for the latest news and HSC events.07/08•06 POST 25

INTERNATIONALPROFILEAudiology student Andrea Pierce (right), tests a local child at a hearing screening site in Yucatan, Mexico.adults received care from members of the UFaudiology group, who collaborated with AsociacionYucateca Pro-Deficiente Auditivo, a localorganization established by parents of children whoare deaf to provide hearing services andrehabilitation.Nicaragua Project members included (backrow, left to right) Dr. Mark Bishop, Dr. JenStevens, Charlotte Bargar, Alison Ligmanowskiand Emily Friedman. Front row Aaron Homan,Ashley Mayer, Doug Buethe, Ivo Solis andTrevor Lentz.Physical TherapyMembers of the College of Public Health and HealthProfessions’ physical therapy department presentedinformation on the management of patients with lowback pain to faculty and local clinicians at theUniversidad Nacional Autonoma de Nicaragua inManagua, the nation’s capital, and to staff at arehabilitation hospital in Leon. This is the UF group’sfourth visit to Nicaragua to provide information oncurrent physical therapy techniques and treatments.Limited access to continuing education and Spanishlanguage textbooks has put the Nicaraguan physicaltherapy curriculum 10 to 15 years out of date.College ofVeterinary MedicineThe College of Veterinary Medicine offerscomprehensive international learningopportunities through course electives,externships and hands-on activities made possiblethrough its Office of International Studies andPrograms.“Today, students can be exposed to global healthissues of veterinary importance at three differentlevels,” said Jorge Hernandez, D.V.M., Ph.D., anassociate professor of clinical epidemiology in theBlanca is a working dog who received a spaysurgery from the UF group. Because of acomplication Blanca experienced during theprocedure, the group continued to monitor thedog during home visits. Now the UF team hasreceived word that Blanca has recoveredthoroughly and is back at work guarding familycrops against vermin. Shown with Blancaduring a home visit are Dr. Sheilah Robertson,(left), student Wendy Davies, Blanca’s owner,Dr. Natalie Isaza (kneeling) and Nelson Avila,a Mexican veterinary student.department of large animal clinical sciences.The first level offered by the OIP includesSeminars in International Veterinary Medicine, anelective course taught on campus that wasimplemented in 2002. Students in all years of theirveterinary curriculum can enroll for credit andmany have. During 2002-06, some 204 studentssigned up for credit, including a record of 56students in the spring 2006 semester.The second level consists of study abroadprograms in Bosnia, Cuba, Chile, Ecuador, Mexicoand Uganda.Offered during spring break and/or summersemester, the study abroad program’s main objectiveis to “develop an awareness of the impact thatveterinary medicine has on the health and wellbeingof people and animals in foreign countries,”Hernandez said.Lastly, the third level of international exposure isdesigned for the most demanding student in globalveterinary education. The OIP offers theInternational Veterinary Medicine Certificate, a 15-credit program that can be completed parallel to theDVM curriculum over a four-year period.Currently 25 students are enrolled in the certificateprogram with ongoing international education orresearch projects in Chile, Ecuador, Mexico andUganda under the supervision of faculty from the UFveterinary college, the UF zoology department andscholars from participating institutions abroad. PPure medicineKevin Ferguson: Emergency Medicine’s resident educatorBy April Frawley BirdwellThe woman could barely breathe. Her heart wasracing. And she was in pain.There were no X-ray machines or labs to runbloodwork in the jungle village deep in NorthernThailand where the Akha tribes live. Kevin Ferguson,M.D., a UF assistant professor of emergency medicinein the College of Medicine, could rely only on hisclinical instinct.It was pure medicine.“We treated her based on our clinical impressionand she got better,” said Ferguson, who organized atrip for UF doctors and nurses to vaccinate Akhachildren for Japanese encephalitis in April. “Fordoctors who are so used to having to order a bunch oftests and scans to confirm what we already know, thatkind of pure practice of medicine was what mostdoctors would call clinical heaven, even though wewere in a bamboo hut with a thatched roof.“There was nothing between me and my patient.”But perhaps even more satisfying for Ferguson isUF’s new emergency medicine residency program, thegoal he’s been working toward since he came toGainesville five years ago. With eight new emergencymedicine residents now at Shands at UF, the programfinally came to fruition, officially, July 1.“It’s the only primary specialty the University ofPHOTO BY SARAH KIEWELFlorida (in Gainesville) did not teach,” Ferguson said.“My goal is in five years it is going to be one of theflagship emergency medicine residency programs, atleast in the Southeast.”The new program is a huge step forward for emergencymedicine in the area, said David Seaberg, M.D., a UFprofessor of emergency medicine and acting chair ofthe department of emergency medicine.“This will help increase the pool of board-certifiedemergency medicine physicians in North CentralFlorida,” he said. “Kevin has done an incredibleamount of work, and now we’re starting to see thefruits of our labor.”Raised in Ann Arbor, Mich., where he also attendedcollege and medical school at the University ofMichigan, Ferguson was one of those kids who alwaysknew he wanted to be a doctor. But his passion foremergency medicine didn’t emerge until medicalschool. Because UM didn’t have an emergencymedicine residency at the time, he had to go to LosAngeles to complete his training.He came to UF five years ago when Seaberg calledhim and told him about his plan to start an emergencymedicine residency in Gainesville. There is an existingemergency medicine residency on the Jacksonvillecampus.Dr. Kevin Ferguson (right) discusses the residency program with new emergency medicine residents Dr.Patrick Agdamag, Dr. Arada Rongkavilit and Dr. Kelly Singh-Biles during their orientation in June.Ferguson has incorporated new technology into the residency, including requiring residents todemonstrate new skills on human patient simulators, like those in the background.“Kevin’s very creativeand has designeda very innovativeprogram for our newresidents. He’s a realhard worker.”— David Seaberg, M.D“Kevin’s very creative and has designed a veryinnovative program for our new residents,” Seabergsaid. “He’s a real hard worker. He really cares aboutthe people he’s working with.”One of the goals of the emergency medicine facultyis to give back to the community, a quality Seabergsaid Ferguson exemplifies through his trips to helppeople in Thailand.Ferguson first went to Thailand with Terence Flotte,M.D., chair of the pediatrics department, and nursesLoraine and Judy Oetter after the tsunami in 2004.“(The destruction) was everywhere you looked asfar as you could see,” Ferguson said. “I’ve never beenaround anything like that.”While they were there helping in the disaster zone,they learned of the plight of Akha children at anorphanage in northern Thailand, which had not beenaffected by the tsunami. There were more than 300children who hadn’t seen a doctor in a year, so Flottewent to the area to help the children while Fergusonstayed at the disaster zone.Ferguson’s second trip to Thailand in April wasspecifically to vaccinate the Akha children for Japaneseencephalitis. Although there had been massivecampaigns in Thailand and neighboring countries tovaccinate children for the disease, the Akha tribes liveon the borders of several countries and slipped throughthe cracks.After seeing the children, the team would also seeadults. That’s how they found the woman who couldn’tbreathe. She had double pneumonia, Ferguson said.They took her by truck to the Children of the GoldenTriangle Training Center. She was given IV fluids,antibodies and breathing treatments.“She would have died on the side of mountain if wehadn’t brought her back,” he said.But now, Ferguson’s focus is squarely on his newresidents.“We have a lot of work to do, but we’re real excitedabout it,” he said. 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BACK PAGEBeloved former staff member diesBy April Frawley BirdwellWhen the bathroom door wouldn’t budge, Hazel Donegan unlocked it.When a graduating student lost his place in line, Donegan nudgedhim back in the right order like a mama duck.For more than two decades, Donegan was the person UF medical students wentto if they had a question. As director of the student affairs office, Donegan guidedmedical students from application to graduation until she retired in 1984.Donegan passed away June 15 at the E.T. York Hospice Care Center. She was 87.“She was ‘mother’ to all the medical students,” said Robert T. Watson, M.D.,senior associate dean of educational affairs and a member of the 1969 class. “Shewas the epitome of the Southern lady.”A Waldo native, Donegan initially wanted to be an interpreter. She studiedlanguages in college and earned a master’s degree in Spanish at the University ofNorth Carolina. But a few career turns led her back to Florida.Donegan took a job working for T.Z. Cason, M.D., a Jacksonville doctor whoran a state continuing medical education program and was a key supporter of themedical school being built at UF. In 1957, one year after the UF College ofMedicine opened, Donegan came to Gainesville to work on a continuing medicaleducation program for UF doctors.“She was ‘mother’ to allthe medical students. Shewas the epitome of theSouthern lady.” — Robert T. Watson, M.D.In 1962, she switched gears and began working in the student affairs office,spending most of her 22 years there working for Dr. Hugh M. “Smiley” Hill.There, she won over students and faculty.Students gave her Waterford crystal, a cruise and even a scholarship named inher honor to thank her. Two classes also dedicated the yearbook to her.“The [students] were wonderful to me and they were just as lovely as they couldbe,” Donegan said in a 2001 interview for the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program.“I couldn’t have chosen a nicer group of people.” PPOSTTHE07/08•06Published byPhotographerUF Health Science CenterOffi ce of News & CommunicationsSarah KiewelSenior Vice President, Health AffairsDouglas J. Barrett, M.D.Director, News & CommunicationsTom FortnerEditorDenise TrunkSenior EditorsMelanie Fridl Ross, John PastorDesignerMickey CuthbertsonWritersChris Brazda, April Frawley Birdwell, Tracy Brown,Sarah Carey, Linda Homewood, Lindy McCollum-Brounley, Patricia McGhee, John Pastor, JillPease, Melanie Fridl Ross, Denise TrunkUF Health ScienceC E N T E RCelebrating 50 YearsSupport StaffCassandra Jackson,Beth Powers, Kim SmithThe POST is the monthly internal newsletter forthe University of Florida Health Science Center,the most comprehensive academic health centerin the Southeast, with campuses in Gainesvilleand Jacksonville and affi liations throughoutFlorida. Articles feature news of interest for andabout HSC faculty, staff and students. Contentmay be reprinted with appropriate credit.Ideas for stories are welcome. The deadlinefor submitting items to be considered for eachmonth’s issue is the 15th of the previous month.Submit to the editor at dtrunk@ufl .edu or deliverto the Offi ce of News & Communications in theCommunicore Building, Room C3-025.www.news.health.ufl.eduPHOTO COURTESY OF THE GEORGE T. HARRELL ARCHIVES