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Scientists awarded nearly half a million dollars tofightType 1 DiabetesThe JDRF awarded atwo-year grant totaling$472,683 to the EVMSresearch team, led byJerry Nadler, MD.David Taylor-Fishwick, PhD, left, and Jerry Nadler, MD, discuss theirresearch that could lead to a cure for Type 1 Diabetes.A mounting concern in the health carecommunity, diabetes affects about eight percentof the U.S. population, or 23.6 million people. And,unfortunately, these numbers are growing daily.Though current treatments allow diabetics tocontrol the condition, many are at high risk ofdangerous complications including heart disease,blindness, nerve damage and kidney problems.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control andPrevention report that in 2007, diabetes was thecountry’s fifth deadliest disease, and nationwidethe total direct and indirect cost of diabetes was$174 billion – more than twice the Department ofHealth and Human Services’ 2010 federal budget.Recognition of this growing epidemic and itsdetrimental impact on the Hampton Roads areawas the impetus behind the development of EasternVirginia Medical School’s Strelitz Diabetes Centerand the school’s strategic research initiative thatfocuses on diabetes, obesity and metabolic diseases.Now, EVMS researchers at the Strelitz DiabetesCenter believe they have uncovered a step thatcould lead to a cure for Type 1 Diabetes, and,with funding from the Juvenile Diabetes ResearchFoundation (JDRF), they hope to translate theirlaboratory findings into clinical treatments.Previously known as juvenile diabetes becauseit is often diagnosed in children and young adults,Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disorderassociated with the destruction of insulinproducingbeta cells. Without insulin, the body isunable to process sugars and starches, leaving itunable to convert them into energy for movement,growth, repair and other functions.The JDRF awarded a two-year grant totaling$472,683 to the EVMS research team, led by JerryNadler, MD, professor and chair of internal medicineand director of the center. The team has beenstudying the role of the enzyme 12- Lipoxygenase(12-LO) in damaging insulin-producing beta cells,a condition that leads to Type 1 Diabetes.“We have successfully identified a vital step inthe development of Type 1 Diabetes and we arehopeful that blocking this enzyme could hold thekey to engineering breakthrough new treatments,”Dr. Nadler says.12-LO is a protein-based enzyme in beta cellsthat produces lipids. These lipids are highly proinflammatoryand can lead to the death of betacells. EVMS researchers have demonstratedin animal models that deletion of the gene thatproduces 12-LO prevents the development of Type1 Diabetes at a rate of nearly 100 percent.The group has now identified the particularform of 12-LO that is in human-insulin-producingcells. And, though still preliminary, this researchcould help scientists develop a novel therapeuticapproach to stop beta cells from being destroyedand to allow functional regeneration of beta cellsin Type 1 Diabetes patients.Working with Ted Holman, PhD, a professorof chemistry and biochemistry at the University ofCalifornia, Santa Cruz, and other scientists at theNIH, Dr. Nadler and his team hope to use thesefindings to develop a new drug.“We are fortunate to be working with Dr.Holman, who has discovered some very promisingcompounds that can reduce 12-LO activity. Now,with the generosity and support of the JDRF,we can apply this technology to help prevent thedestruction of beta cells and allow the regenerationof insulin-producing cells in Type 1 Diabetes,” saysDr. Nadler.“Dr. Nadler and his team have made amazingstrides in our understanding of how lipoxygenasemay contribute to the development of diabetes andtheir work opens the possibility of directly targetingthis enzyme for treatment,” said Dr. Holman.Based on this important discovery, Dr. Nadlerhas already begun testing Dr. Holman’s lipoxygenaseinhibitors in the hopes of generating new treatmentsfor diabetes. The researchers are excited about thepreliminary results, and with the funds from JDRF,they expect to make additional progress.newswww.eVMS.EDU fall 20097

Campus mourns lossof Dr. Sue Sayegharound campusThe EVMS community lost a cherished memberin July when Sue Sayegh, MD, died suddenly ofcomplications of an acute illness.Dr. Sayegh was a respected educator andcompassionate caregiver who made significantcontributions to the Department of Obstetrics andGynecology. Dr. Sayegh first joined the EVMScommunity in 1984, and in 1988, she was the firstevergraduate of the school’s fledgling maternal-fetalmedicine fellowship program. She rose to the rankof associate professor of clinical obstetrics andgynecology, earning respect from her students andpraise from her colleagues. She had recently takenon the responsibility of coordinating the ob-gynresidency program.“Sue’s passion in life was teaching, and she dida great job at it,” said Alfred Z. Abuhamad, MD,chair of obstetrics and gynecology. “[She] left a hugevoid that certainly will never be filled, and as wetry to pick-up the pieces, we will soon realize howlacking of skills we are when compared to her.”In 2007, she received the Dean’s FacultyAchievement Award for Achievement in Teachingthe Clinical Sciences, one of the medical school’shighest faculty honors, and in 2005, she was awardedthe EVMS Sir William Osler Award for Excellencein Teaching. The national organization AmericanProfessors of Gynecology and Obstetrics awardedher its 2008 Promising Educator Award.“Sue was a wonderful person, enthusiastic anddedicated to her students and to the academicmissions of the department and EVMS and willbe deeply missed by everyone,” said EVMS Deanand Provost Gerald J. Pepe, PhD.Students who had the chance to work with herrelished the opportunity to learn from Dr. Sayegh’senergy and passion.“She was so attentive, respectful and caring inworking with residents and students, “ said ObiamakaN.E. Mora, MD, an ob-gyn resident. Dr. Sayegh washer faculty mentor. “She has inspired me to be a betterteacher, resident, colleague and friend.”Sue Sayegh, MDNew board members are respected business leadersThree business and community leaders havejoined the EVMS Board of Visitors, includingone who has been involved with the school’s fundraisingarm for decades.The new members are Robin D. Ray, P. WardRobinett, Jr. and Anne B. Shumadine. The Boardof Visitors sets policy for the medical school.Mrs. Ray is a long-time friend of the medicalschool. She was president and chairman of theEVMS Foundation Board of Trustees for 14 years,stepping down from the post last year.She is a past president or chairman of severalcommunity groups, including the Boys & Girls Clubsof Southeast Virginia, the Business Consortium forthe Arts, the Virginia Beach Foundation, the VirginiaBeach Development Authority, and the Old DominionUniversity Intercollegiate Foundation, among others.Mrs. Ray holds a BA from the University ofGeorgia and is president of Atlantic DominionDistributors.Mr. Robinett is a banking executive with40 years experience in Hampton Roads. ARobin D. RayP. Ward Robinettformer member ofPortsmouth City Council and First Citizen ofPortsmouth, he is now on the Beazley Foundationboard, director and board chairman of AAA ofTidewater, a member of the President’s AdvisoryCouncil at Virginia Wesleyan College and amember of the board of Christopher Academy.He holds a BA from North Carolina WesleyanCollege and is president of TowneBank ofPortsmouth.Mrs. Shumadine is an attorney and financialadvisor. A fellow of the Virginia Law Foundation,she has extensive experience as an advisor toeducational institutions. She is chairman and pastpresident of the ACCESS College Foundation,Anne B. Shumadineformer rector of Old DominionUniversity, a member of the BusinessLeadership Council of WellesleyCollege, a trustee of Virginia WesleyanCollege, chair of the ODU EducationalFoundation Investment Committee, anda former trustee of the William & MaryLaw School Foundation.She holds a law degree from the College ofWilliam & Mary and is chairman of SignatureFinancial Management.Three recently retired board members havebeen tapped to continue their service to the school.Board veterans Wayne F. Wilbanks, managingprincipal and chief investment officer of Wilbanks,Smith & Thomas Asset Management, LLC;Thomas V. Rueger, president and CEO ofSunTrust Bank in Hampton Roads; and StanleyWaranch, president & CEO of Buxbaum &Waranch Realty Co.; recently joined the EVMSFoundation Board of Trustees.around campuswww.eVMS.EDU Fall 2009 9

First-year medical students Rachel Anazia and MatthewBalderston try on their coats during the formal WhiteCoat ceremony.New Crop of Medical and Health Professionals Arrive On CampusEVMS welcomes largest-ever classA record number of medical and healthprofessions students started off their first day atEastern Virginia Medical School the right way —with breakfast — at the 2009 Dean’s Coffee in theBrickell Library atrium.A continental breakfast gave new students theopportunity to meet each other and to interact withDean Gerald J. Pepe, PhD, and many of the facultywho will help fashion them into medical and healthprofessionals.Speaking at the welcoming ceremony, partof a full week of orientation events, Dean Pepehighlighted the unusual collegial atmosphere atEVMS, where student interaction is marked by aspirit of collaboration rather than competition. Theemphasis on cooperation at EVMS is “a legacy ofthe founding administrators and first faculty whofelt it would be the most effective environment forlearning,” he said.President Harry Lester assured the new students— 206 in all — that despite uncertainty about thefuture of the health-care industry, “there is nodoubt that the nation will continue to need talentedEVMS President Harry T. Lester talks with new and returningmedical and health profession students at a picnic duringorientation week.medical and health professionals. And with equalcertainty, I can assure you that EVMS will prepareyou for the future — whatever it may hold.”On Wednesday afternoon, President Lesterhosted the annual President’s Picnic to officiallyContinued on page 12Hung Truong, a first-year student in the medical mastersprogram, greets other new students.10 FALL 2009 www.eVMS.EDUaround campus

EVMS renames building in honor ofDrs. Mason and William AndrewsPhysician brothers were keyto establishment and growthof medical schoolaround campusAs a young man, Mason Andrews, MD,dreamed of starting a medical school in his nativeNorfolk. Decades later, he and a small cadre ofcommunity leaders brought that vision to life.William Andrews, MD, was passionate aboutpost-graduate medical education. He spent muchof his medical career mentoring young physiciansand was a national leader in his specialty.Their impact on the creation and developmentof Eastern Virginia Medical School was nothingshort of monumental. So it was appropriate whenEVMS paid tribute to the late brothers and theirextensive contributions to the school by naming anewly renovated building in their honor.With a crowd of nearly 200 family, friends, faculty,staff and city leaders on hand for the ceremony July29, the school formally renamed Fairfax Hall. Thenewly renovated five-story structure is now officiallyknown as Andrews Hall. Originally built in the1960s, Andrews Hall now houses educational,clinical and administrative offices.As he prepared to help unveil the sign thatmarks the building’s new name, EVMS PresidentHarry T. Lester described the brothers as pioneersin medicine who “left an indelible mark on thiscommunity, the region and the world.”“As brothers and physicians, they shared morethan just a last name and an occupation — theyshared an uncompromising commitment to thecommon good,” Mr. Lester said. “They left anunrivaled legacy of education, innovation andcare, and we hold them up to future generationsas models of professionalism and selflessness.”Mr. Lester characterized Mason Andrews as aninsightful and engaging leader.“As a physician and respected member of the localcommunity, he drew on his vision, his considerableenergies and his relentless determination to makeBetsy Andrews, widow of William Andrews, MD, helps EVMS President Harry T. Lester unveil new signage during thededication of Andrews Hall.Betsy Andrews and her daughter, Elizabeth Watts, talkwith well-wishers following the formal dedication ofthe renovated building.that dream a reality,” he said.William Andrews, Mr. Lester said, was anequally capable leader who also understood thevalue of a medical school.“He advanced the fields of women’s care andfertility medicine through his research, throughhis mentorship to rising physicians and throughhis compassionate care of thousands of patients,”Mr. Lester said.Sabine Andrews, widow of Mason Andrews, MD,accepts congratulations from Howard Jones, MD.Visitors toured the lobby of the new building to viewa series of displays that highlight the brothers’ careersand provide a brief history of the medical school.Sabine Andrews, widow of Mason, marked theoccasion with the publication of a book thatchronicled Mason’s life and role in helping establishthe medical school. Sabine and Betsy Andrews,widow of William, were awash with well-wishesfollowing the conclusion of the ceremony.around campus www.eVMS.EDU Fall 200911

Name change reflectsart therapist’s role as counselorPencil, paper, paintbrushes and modeling claycan be powerful tools for helping people of allages overcome the limitations of their mental andphysical conditions.For decades the Eastern Virginia Medical SchoolGraduate Art Therapy and Counseling Programhas prepared students to do just that.“We teach people to use art materials — any andall type — with their clients,” said program directorAbby Calisch, PsyD, AT. Clients can include anyonefrom children to older adults, with problemsfrom psychological to medical to behavioral tocommunication disorders.Started in 1973, the EVMS program recentlyamended its name to more properly reflect whatit does. With the possible exception of a longerletterhead, the change from Art Therapy to ArtTherapy and Counseling won’t mean a lot ofadjustments. Adding the word “counseling” wasmainly a housekeeping change, Dr. Calisch says,since the program already prepared students to gettheir professional therapist license.“There’s a movement in the profession ofaligning coursework for students to becomelicensed professional therapists, and not havingthe word counseling in the title was an issue insome states,” she says.What hasn’t changed is the program’s missionto prepare students to help their clients throughart. For example, a therapist might work with adepressed person by using a variety of art materialsto stimulate different parts of the brain.“The person on their ownmay choose dark, restrictivematerial, such as using darkpencils in small areas, and thetherapist might work withthem to increase activity andmovement with bright colorsor larger media,” Dr. Calischsays. “On the opposite endof the spectrum, for a childwith Attention DeficitHyperactivity Disorder, thetherapist might help themfocus by containing themwith boundaries and limits.”Like t heir medic a lcolleagues, therapists use awide palette of options to helpclients.“Different art materials,like medications, can work ondifferent parts of the brain. The materials have theirown personalities,” Dr. Calisch says. “We’re just nowbecoming able to show, through high-resolutionbrain scans, that this works. It’s not merely fluff.”The two-year program was the first non-medicalgraduate program at the school. It takes in amaximum of 20 new students per year, usually withpsychology and fine arts undergraduate degrees.The students come from diverse backgrounds, fromthe technology sector to landscape design, and rangein age from recent graduates to mid-life.Program director, Abby Calisch, PsyD, ATR-BC, greets new and returningart therapy and counseling students at the fall student orientation.“You don’t need artistic talent to do this, but itdoes require a working knowledge of the creativeprocess, as well as art materials and psychology,”Dr. Calisch said. “It integrates all of that.”Graduates of the program have gone on tocareers at hospitals, schools and private practices,among others.“It’s such a personal journey for the students, forthemselves as well as working with clients,” she says.“You see a big change in the students during theirtime here.”New crop of medical and health professionalscontinued from page 10kick-off the new school year. The family-friendly event on the lawn ofSmith-Rogers Hall featured games, camaraderie and great food.On Friday, family, friends and faculty packed McCombs Auditoriumto support the 118-student strong MD Class of 2013 as they donned theirwhite coats, a universal symbol of medicine, and recited for the first time theOath of Hippocrates. The ceremony marks the students’ entrance as juniorcolleagues into the field of medicine, and reciting the oath is an essentialpart of that process, ensuring they will act ethically and in their patients’best interest from the very earliest days of their careers.Before the ceremony, State Sen. Ralph S. Northam, MD, an EVMSgraduate and assistant professor of pediatrics, delivered the second annualH. Lee Kanter Lecture. Sen. Northam explained to the new medicalstudents that health care stands on three legs: quality, access and cost. “It isdifficult to get all three in one package,” he said. “We do a good job onquality, but we need to work on the other two.” In order to effect change,he encouraged the students to get involved in policy making.See photos of the orientation week activities online at www.evms.edu/magazine.12 FALL 2009 www.eVMS.EDUaround campus

to your healthPreparing forthe fluseasonThere is good and bad news about the 2009-2010 flu season. The bad: there is not one but twovarieties of flu circulating this season. The good: There are vaccines available for both types offlu, and early shortages of H1N1, or “swine flu” vaccine, appear to be easing as drug companieswork to overcome a slower-than-anticipated vaccine production process.3. Avoid touching your nose, mouth, andeyes. Germs spread this way.4. Cover your coughs and sneezes witha tissue, or cough and sneeze into your elbow.Dispose of tissues in no-touch trash receptacles.Physicians with EVMS Health Services are busycaring for their patients and the EVMS campusand planning for the winter when the pandemicflu is expected to become more widespread and theseasonal flu traditionally reaches its height. EVMSHealth Services is offering vaccinations for bothH1N1 and seasonal flu.EVMS physicians plan to administer thepandemic H1N1 vaccine to patients following CDCguidelines. The guidelines indicate that those athigh risk of complications from the H1N1 flu getthe vaccine first. These include:• Pregnant women because they are athigher risk of complications and can potentiallyprovide protection to infants who cannot bevaccinated.• household contacts and caregiversfor children younger than 6 months of agebecause younger infants are at higher risk ofinfluenza-related complications and cannot bevaccinated.• health care and emergency medicalservices personnel because they can bea potential source of infection for vulnerablepatients.• all people from 6 months through 24years of age.• Persons aged 25 through 64 yearswho have health conditions associated withhigher risk of medical complications frominfluenza.Once the demand for the vaccine for the prioritygroups has been met, the CDC recommends thateveryone from the ages of 25 to 64 get the vaccinefollowed by those 65 and older. To date, those over65 years old have not been significantly affected bypandemic flu.In the meantime, EVMS Health Servicesphysicians suggest you follow these CDCguidelines for protecting yourself and others athome and at work:1. Maintain a healthy lifestyle through rest,diet, exercise and relaxation.2. Wash your hands frequently with soapand water for 20 seconds or use an alcoholbasedhand cleaner if soap and water are notavailable. Be sure to wash your hands aftercoughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose.5. Keep frequently touched commonsurfaces clean, such as telephones, computerkeyboards, doorknobs, etc.6. Do not use other workers’ phones,desks, offices, or other work tools andequipment. If you need to use a co-worker’sphone, desk, or other equipment, clean it first.7. Don’t spread the flu! If you are sick withflu-like illness, stay home. Symptoms of fluinclude fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit or 38degrees Celsius) or chills and cough or sorethroat. Symptoms can include runny nose,body aches, headache, tiredness, diarrhea,or vomiting. CDC recommends that sickworkers stay home if they are sick with flulikeillness until at least 24 hours after theyare free of fever without the use of feverreducingmedicines.8. Get vaccinated against seasonal fluwhen the vaccine is available. If you are athigher risk for flu complications, you shouldreceive the 2009 pandemic H1N1 flu vaccinewhen it becomes available.around campuswww.eVMS.EDU FALL 2009 13

Clinical TrialsGillian Durham first volunteered for aclinical drug trial in order to get freehealth care.But as she took part in moreand more trials at EasternVirginia Medical School, Ms.Durham came to appreciatethat her efforts would directlyimpact medical advancement.Clinical trial participantGillian Durham.“At first I didn’t really care, I was just doing it for me,” she says. “But nowI’m interested in the science behind it, and I’ve realized what valuable researchthis is.”The Tidewater Community College instructor is one of thousands of peoplein Hampton Roads who have taken part in clinical trials at EVMS.Stories about clinical trials for drugs, medical products or procedures appearin newspapers, online and on television almost daily, for everything from a swineflu vaccine to a substance which may reverse the effects of aging.14fall 2009 www.eVMS.EDU Clinical Trials

are keyto medical advancementCollege student and newly diagnosed diabetic Sarah Piscitelli takes a break from her studies tospeak with Aaron Vinik, MD, PhD, during an infusion of adult stem cells at the StrelitzDiabetes Center. When Sarah enrolled in a clinical trial at EVMS earlier this year, she became oneof the first in the nation to try a new treatment intended to halt the progression of Type 1 Diabetes.At right is study coordinator Pat Barlow, RN.

But what exactly are clinical trials?Most people know trials are tests on human subjects designed to seewhether a drug or treatment works. It’s not as well known just whatgoes into producing clinical trials, how they work and how important they arein medical research.David Archer, MD, EVMS professor of obstetrics and gynecology anddirector of the school’s Clinical Research Center, has overseen some 230 clinicaltrials involving more than 10,000 participants since 1987.“We’re the guys who get to see the previews of coming attractions,” Dr.Archer says. “And we see it with all the warts — if there are problems weknow about it.”At any given time, there are more than 1,000 trials under way at the downtownNorfolk campus. Clinical trials are an indispensable step in the development ofnew treatments and therapies, a key testing ground for medical breakthroughs.It’s because of such research that modern medicine can manage diabetes andfight cancer — or even soothe a pounding headache.“The average American, when they have a problem, goes to a pharmacyand picks up something on the shelf that claims to help with their symptom —At any given time, there are morethan 1,000 trials under way at thedowntown Norfolk campus.The EVMS volunteerreview boardsinclude physiciansand scientists aswell as lay peoplefrom within andoutside EVMS.16Fall 2009 www.eVMS.EDU clinical trials

New Productor TreatmentOnce a product has been developed inthe laboratory and tested successfully onanimals, then clinical trials on humanscan begin.Submitted forreviewIRB ReviewEnsuring safetyand effectivenessheadache, warts, what have you,” Dr. Archer says. “Clinical trials are how weprove that those products are effective.”In other words, to see if they do what they say they do.The products or treatments being tested may come from an EVMS researcher,a pharmaceutical company or other sources. Once a product has been developedin the laboratory and tested successfully on animals, then clinical trials onhumans can begin.“It’s a long process,” says Aaron I. Vinik, MD, scientific director at the EVMSStrelitz Diabetes Center, another physician with decades of research experience.“There is a need for vigilance and attention to make sure the drugs are safeand effective.”Research on humans takes place in sequential phases. In Phase I trials,researchers test the drug or treatment on a small number of people —sometimes as few as a dozen — to gauge safety and effectiveness andlook for side effects. In Phase II and Phase III, the test groups are progressivelylarger. Phase III trials may also compare the product to others already on themarket as a way of ensuring the new concept improves upon what’s alreadyavailable. Phase IV trials may take place after the product is on the market, togather more information and ensure its long-term safety.Fewer and fewer drugs make it to the later stages of testing, as ineffective orunsafe products are weeded out. It is a rigorous, time-consuming process, butresearchers say it’s all to ensure only the best treatments reach the market. Thetremendous rate of attrition means as few as one in 20 new compounds makesit to the final phase of testing.Every step of the process is overseen by the Food and Drug Administration,the researchers and the EVMS Office of Research Subjects Protection. TheEVMS office oversees two Institutional Review Boards (IRB), which are chargedwith protecting the safety and legal rights of participants in clinical trials.The volunteer review boards are made up of physicians from a variety ofEVMS departments as well as scientists, administrators and people outside ofthe school.Before any clinical trial can begin, investigators must apply to the reviewboard.“We look at what are the risks versus the benefits to society,” says Robert F.Williams, PhD, associate dean for research subjects protection. “The benefitsmust outweigh the risks.”Before the IRB approves a trial, its members look into everything from thetrial’s procedures to the recruitment process to compensation, which must notPhase I TrialsSmall control grouptestingPhase II TrialsTest group expandsPhase III TrialsTest group expandsagain and includescomparisons toexisting productsPhase IV TrialsMarket placementfollow-upclinical trials www.eVMS.EDU fall 2009 17

e so generous that money alone becomes the incentive to participate. If all thatpasses muster, the trial is granted approval.During the trial, those running it must submit a renewal application at leastonce a year, although it may be required more frequently, Dr. Williams says.Any adverse event — a negative side effect — during the trial must beimmediately reported to the IRB, which examines the event to determine if itis isolated, part of a pattern or has nothing to do with the trial.“We look for anything unexpected,” Dr. Williams says.Some side effects can be predicted, and participants are always warned inadvance. But if the side effects occur more often than predicted, the board willinvestigate.Board auditors regularly inspect the trials, and if corporate sponsors areinvolved, they may also send in people to monitor the trial.To ensure that participants always know at least one person to contact withconcerns, Dr. Williams’ name and phone number are listed on all consent formsso participants can contact him directly, though that rarely happens.The board protects not just participants’ physical safety but legal rights as well,advising them on possible issues of civil and criminal liability and keeping theirmedical data safe and confidential.“We talk a lot about physical safety, but there are all kinds of risks that wehave to take into account,” says review board manager Betsy Conner.There is constant monitoring of all trials, and they can be stopped at any time.Beneath the layers of protocol and the mountains of data, clinical trialsrely on the altruism of those who take part. Gillian Durham heardabout the trials through a friend. Ms. Durham teaches English as asecond language at TCC. She has participated in a number of clinical trials atEVMS, involving women’s health and others, between 2001 and 2008.At first, her motivation was purely selfish - free medical care.“The ultimate goal of clinical trials is totranslate basic research into new productsand practices in order to improve medicalcare. It benefits society and advancesmedical knowledge and understanding.William Wasilenko, PhDAssociate Dean for Research“18Fall 2009 www.eVMS.EDU clinical trials

“I have dual citizenship in the U.S. and Australia, and over there I had freemedical care,” she says. “I was uninsured when I moved here, and I had somehealth concerns.”During her first trial for a contraceptive, she received free care for women‘sissues.“You get a complete medical workup,” she says. “In fact, it was the best healthcare I ever got.”The trials can be, well, a trial. During the tests she had to keep meticulousrecords, and for one even had a biopsy.“You have to take it seriously,” she says.She was compensated for her time (payment varies depending on howinvolved the trial is). The more she took part the more she discovered how thetrials would help other people down the road.“I was told some of the products we were testing could be used to help peoplein Africa and other continents avoid sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS,”she says. “That really made it seem worthwhile and valuable.”Over time the recruitment process has changed. When the EVMS ClinicalResearch Center began, Dr. Archer would recruit women from his own practicewho fit the profile. Now, researchers advertise through TV, radio and fliers tolook for a target population. Some centers have a full-time recruiter. Dependingon the trial, screeners can talk to a few people or 100 to get one participant forthe trial.Dr. Archer himself has taken part in a doctor’s health study since 1984.“It’s something I felt like I should do,” he says.EVMS has been a leader in a wide range of medical trials, says WilliamWasilenko, PhD, associate dean for research.“The school is very involved in advancing basic research, fromcontraception and women’s and infant health and fertility to infectious diseasesand diabetes,” he says.Examples include the contraceptive Seasonal, a new software for ultrasoundmachines and a method of detecting blood proteins as a way to screen for certaintypes of cancer.The school’s research benefits students and the community, Dr. Wasilenkosays.“For students it’s an opportunity for scientific inquiry and keeping themomentum going for future discoveries,” he says. “The school brings tothe community a unique opportunity to participate in clinical trials for newtherapies. People can benefit from cutting-edge research and treatments, eitherdirectly or by contributing to necessary data.”It can be an exciting feeling for everyone involved, he says.“The ultimate goal of clinical trials is to translate basic research into newproducts and practices in order to improve medical care,” Dr. Wasilenko says.“It benefits society and advances medical knowledge and understanding.”Nurse Candice Williams gives Patty Collins the second of two vaccinationsfor H1N1 during a test of the vaccine at the EVMS Glennan Center inAugust. Testing at the Glennan Center and at other sites around thecountry demonstrated that one injection was sufficient, helping to makethe most of limited amounts of the vaccine early in the flu season.clinical trials www.eVMS.EDU fall 2009 19

Turning theTide onDiabetes research fuels advances inpatient care and the search for a curebout 40 physicians, researchers and medical students cram intoa small lecture hall one Wednesday afternoon eager to hearthe latest about the link between diabetes and heart disease.Aaron Vinik, MD, PhD, research director of the EVMS StrelitzDiabetes Center, flashes slides and charts and explains how a simple,available addition to the standard electrocardiogram test could savethe lives of diabetics.20 Fall 2009 www.eVMS.EDUdiabetes research

More than 23.6 million peoplein the U.S. have diabetes.Nearly 175,000 live inHampton Roads.Emery Fears22 years living with diabetesKristopher Lackey14 years living with diabetesYumi Imai, MD, right, came to EVMS from the University of Pennsylvania.With lab research assistant Eden Garcia, she is studyingthe link between obesity and diabetes.Cookie Lankford3 years living with diabetesdiabetes researchwww.eVMS.EDU Fall 2009 21

“ Those of us who are fortunate enoughto be over there [at the Strelitz DiabetesCenter] are very appreciative ofthe facility and the greatmedical care we getthrough the center.”Dan Welch28 years living with diabetesTraditional EKG reports don’t go deep enough,he shows, and could lead doctors to prescribe afamily of blood pressure medicines, for instance,that may cause sudden, unexplained heart failurein patients who may not even be aware that theyare diabetic.He tells the audience that other, equally availabledrugs would work without causing the potentiallyfatal response.It’s this kind of out-front research, applied todirect patient care, that sets the EVMS StrelitzDiabetes Center apart and has improved the livesof countless area diabetics.“They’ve been awfully good to me,” formerNorfolk State University President HarrisonWilson, PhD, says. “They keep me alive,literally.”Dr. Wilson left his post at NSU about a monthbefore meeting Dr. Vinik and becoming a centerpatient. “I really retired because I was feeling sobad,” he says. “I thought I was dying.”Dr. Wilson had been diagnosed as a diabeticseveral years earlier. He had managed hiscondition with insulin injections, but he didn’trealize his recent problems were related to thedisease.Dr. Vinik recognized the link and came up witha combination of medicines and diet changes thatgradually turned it around for Dr. Wilson.“I’m in shape now where I don’t have to takemedicine,” he says. The insulin injections have beenreplaced by a healthy diet combined with new sugarsubstitutes.“He really did a tremendous job on me,” Dr.Wilson says. “His methods and procedures makeall the difference in the world.”Helping Hampton RoadsIt’s an exciting time to be involved with theEVMS Strelitz Diabetes Center.The center, which opened in 1987 and is alreadya world leader in research and treatment of thedebilitating disease, has a new director, severalnew physicians and scientists and an increasingcommitment to diabetes research.“It’s one of the most important things we’re doingat the medical school,” says Gerald J. Pepe, PhD,dean and provost of EVMS. “We’re really ready tomove forward to make this even a better center thanit’s been.”22 Fall 2009 www.eVMS.EDUdiabetes research

“We have an edge,”he explains. “That’s whythe center is so important. All ofour physicians are backed up by starendocrinologists who can back up the entireoperation.”When Dr. Pepe became dean four years ago,a group of research advisors from outside theschool helped him pinpoint diabetes as a key areawhere the school had world-class expertise and thecommunity had significant needs. He established acenter dedicated to research involving diabetes andobesity. The needs are enormous and increasing aspeople become more sedentary.Every year, diabetes leads to 96,000 amputationsand kills 213,000 in the U.S., nearly six times thenumber who die annually from the seasonal flu.A chronic condition, diabetes occurs when thepancreas either can’t produce enough insulin orthe body doesn’t effectively use what it has. It isthe industrialized world’s leading cause of adultblindness and kidney failure. Every 10 seconds,someone dies from diabetes complications andtwo new patients are diagnosed, according to theInternational Diabetes Federation.In Hampton Roads, at least 130,000 peoplesuffer from the disease, and half don’t know it untilcomplications, such as nerve damage, have occurred.It’s unclear what triggers the bodies of Type 1diabetics to destroy their own insulin-producingcells, but obesity is linked to Type 2 diabetes. Type2 diabetes is striking people at such a young age thatit can no longer be referred to as adult-onset.“Now we’re looking at children, adolescents,who may be adult-onset diabetics,” Dean Pepe says.“Normally, we thought of adult onset at [age] 55.”To head the new emphasis, Dr. Pepe recruitedJerry L. Nadler, MD, who had run the Divisionof Endocrinology and Diabetes at the University ofVirginia.In his nine years there, Dr. Nadler helpedgarner U.S. News & World Report ranking for theU. Va. center. Sentara Norfolk General Hospital,in partnership with EVMS, recently made themagazine’s top 50 ranking.EVMS offers Dr. Nadler the opportunity to workon juvenile diabetes, with the adjacent Children’sHospital of The King’s Daughters, as well as tocollaborate with the Veterans AdministrationMedical Center in Hampton on diabetes in theelderly.LinkingDiabetesand other DiseasesDr. Nadler, who is also chairman of theinternal medicine department, is researching howsome genes may lead to the death of nervesand heart damage in diabetics.That could explain why diabetic patientsoften lose their ability to walk, tend to falland have intense pain. Another relatedcomplication is retinopathy, or nerve damageto eyes.“Some of the same gene family we believeis causing nerve disease might be causing eyedisease as well,” he says.Another focus of the center’s researchis heart disease. The Strelitz Center isplanning to establish a special clinic atSentara Heart Hospital in Norfolk to focuson heart disease prevention and improvedtreatments for diabetics.They have a higher risk of heart diseasebut are often unaware of their diabetes, Dr. Nadlerexplains, adding for many, “the first time they findout is when they have a heart attack.”EVMS researchers are investigating thelinks between diabetes and heart diseasein collaboration with the University ofVirginia and investigators in San Diegoas part of a grant funded by the NationalInstitutes of Health.Dr. Nadler’s personal interest is inunderstanding the link between the typeof obesity that leads to heart problemsand diabetes. He has a team lookinginto it that includes a scientist, SwarupChakrabarti, PhD and a post doctoralfellow, Banu Cole, MD.Diabetics are two to four times as likelyto die of a heart attack than the generalpopulation. Some component of that centralbody fat may be at fault, Dr. Nadler says.“What is learned in the labis translated into patientcare. The patient has theadvantage of research at areally early stage.”Etta Vinikhead of Strelitz Diabetes Center’sEducation DivisionRichard Dollar19 years living with diabetesTisha Jones29 years living with diabetesdiabetes researchwww.eVMS.EDU Fall 200923

“ They’ve beenawfully goodto me. Theykeep me alive,literally.”Dr. Harrison Wilson22 years living with diabetes“We think that the fat itself is making things thatare damaging the heart tissue,” Dr. Nadler explains.To test his theories, he’s collaborating with Sentarato harvest fat and blood cells that come from patientsundergoing weight-reduction surgeries.Norine Kuhn, a lab manager at the EVMSDiabetes Center, spends several days a week inSentara operating rooms obtaining and preservingthose samples.Dr. Nadler hopes to probe them to “prove ouridea that fat has some damaging substances topeople.” And by identifying those agents “preventheart disease and prevent diabetes that way.”Dr. Nadler has recruited a former University ofPennsylvania researcher, Yumi Imai, MD, assistantprofessor of internal medicine and an independentinvestigator with an NIH grant, to explore howobesity leads to the development of diabetes.“Everybody realizes the connection,” he says, butno one understands how it works. “Dr. Imai studiesthe cells that make insulin . . . to see what happenswhen you start to develop obesity.”When a patient becomes obese, those insulinsecretingcells, also known as beta cells or islets,begin to wither. By the time the typical adult isdiagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, more than half aregone, Dr. Nadler says. “They die, and they continueto die.”Revving up ResearchDr. Nadler’s reputation already has helpedEVMS attract top clinical scientists, Pepe says. Dr.Pepe hopes it will lead to additional key recruits soEVMS can be added to the National Institutes ofHealth’s 17 designated diabetes research centers.“The research is what is going to distinguish us,”Dr. Pepe says. “That’s what really is going to changeus. It’s so critical.”Among Dr. Nadler’s recruits to EVMS are: ElenaGalkina, PhD, to the Department of Microbiologyand Molecular Cell Biology, where she is researchingthe link between diabetes and heart problems;Joseph Aloi, MD, who is the new clinical directorof the Diabetes Center; and David Lieb, MD, whocompleted his endocrinology fellowship at U.Va. thissummer and is doing research on hypertension anddiabetes.Dr. Nadler is in the process of attracting othermajor physician-scientists to EVMS.24 www.eVMS.EDUdiabetes research

One of the most exciting areas of researchat the center now piggybacks on work doneby Dr. Vinik, David Taylor-Fishwick, PhD,and Gary Pittenger, PhD.Dr. Vinik’s team has long led EVMS’efforts to cure diabetes, having discovereda gene known as INGAP (Islet NeogenesisAssociated Protein) that can reawaken apancreatic cell’s potential to produce insulin.But if the immune system still considersthose cells invaders, it will just kill them too,leaving insulin injections as the only option.Betty Osby was nine years old whenshe learned she had Type I diabetes. Shelearned to inject herself by practicingAfter half a centuryof “feeling like a pincushion” Betty Osby longsfor a chance to throwaway her needles. Dr.Nadler hopes to makethat happen by pairinghis genetic work with Dr.Vinik’s INGAP therapy.on oranges. She’s been controlling hercondition with insulin injections for 52years now. About five years ago, despitedose increases, the insulin was no longerdoing the job. She was passing out. Herprimary care physician sent her to theEVMS Strelitz Diabetes Center, wheredoctors eventually convinced her sheneeded another daily medicine shot toaugment her insulin treatments.“I felt like a pin cushion and didn’t wantto go with any more injections,” she says.But they persuaded her and she says she is“up and running, hopping and hollering.”After half a century of injections, Ms.Osby longs for a chance to throw away herneedles. Dr. Nadler hopes to one day makeher dream come true. He wants to pair hisJerry Nadler, MD, right, has been a mentor to Joseph Aloi, MD, since the two workedtogether at the University of Virginia. Dr. Aloi is among several physicians andscientists Dr. Nadler has recruited to the EVMS Strelitz Diabetes Center.Betty Osby52 years living with diabetesAaron Vinik, MD, PhD, left, and David Taylor-Fishwick, PhD, are part of the research team that isconstantly working to develop better treatments for diabetes and the disease’s many complications.diabetes research www.eVMS.EDU Fall 2009 25

Since opening in 1987, the Strelitz Diabetes Center has become one of theleading diabetes research and patient care facilities in the Mid-Atlantic.Jenna Kalnins26 years living with diabetesgenetic work with Dr. Vinik’s INGAP therapyto possibly eliminate the need for injections indiabetics.There’s a honeymoon period after someone isdiagnosed with Type 1 (also known as juvenileonset) diabetes before they require insulin. In thisperiod, the body’s immune system hasn’t completelydestroyed the pancreas’ own insulin-secreting cells.While at the University of Virginia,Dr. Nadler founded a company,DiaKine Therapeutics, Inc., todevelop a medication called lisofyllinefor diabetes treatments. He discoveredthat the anti-inflammatory agentseems able to stop the body fromwiping out its insulin production.It modulates the immune system,protecting the insulin-secreting cellswithout leaving the patient vulnerableto infection.Lisofylline as a diabetes treatmenthas been very promising in animalresearch. “Now we’re hoping to moveahead to the patient,” Dr. Nadler says.If lisofylline can protect the new cells spawnedby Dr. Vinik’s INGAP, then they could becombined into a cocktail that not only haltsdiabetes damage but reverses the disease.A few months of the therapy could be enoughto help a patient reduce their need for — or evenpermanently eliminate — insulin injections, Dr.Nadler says.Dr. Vinik is looking at stem cells as anotherway to treat Type 1 diabetes. The EVMS centeris among 20 nationwide participating in anewly-launched two-year study funded by OsirisTherapeutics Inc. examining how its Prochymalstem-cell therapy can arrest disease progressionand promote the regeneration of damaged tissues.(The process uses stem cells harvested from adultbone marrow.)All this work has Dr. Nadler enthused.“I would say, without exaggerating, that we havenot only the top diabetes research program in theCommonwealth of Virginia, but one of the top inthe Eastern United States. We are also training thenext generation of diabetes physicians.”Advancing Clinical CareSetting the Strelitz Diabetes Center further apartis its expertise in treating the myriad complicationsof the disease.The team is known for taking lab findings,such as discoveries about the nerve damage process,directly into the patient clinics.26Fall 2009www.eVMS.EDUdiabetes research

“ We have an edge. That’s why the center is soimportant. All or our physicians are backed up by starendocrinologists who can back up the entire operation.”Gerald J. Pepe, PhDdean and provost of EVMS“Dr. Vinik’s program is world famous,” Dr.Nadler says. “People fly in from all over the worldto see him. He’s carrying out funded research inneuropathy, clinical research with patients.”And, finally, there is the opportunity at EVMS,an independent medical school that has close tieswith area hospitals and health practitioners, to sharethose discoveries throughout the community.“What is learned in the lab is translated intopatient care,” says Etta Vinik, head of the center’sEducation Division. “The patient has the advantageof research at a really early stage.”Dan Welch appreciates the center’s dedicationto its patients. He has been treated at the EVMSStrelitz Diabetes Center for nearly three years. Hehas been a Type 1 diabetic for nearly 28.“The way the disease goes,” he says, “it doesn’tget better with time.” But after his primary carephysician referred him to the center, he has seengreat improvements.The center’s team put him on a continuousglucose monitor, with a receiver about the size of atiny cell phone and a button he inserts into his sidethat sends continuous blood sugar readings.Now, he says, he can see problems beforethey become severe. And the nighttime“crashes” are gone, with an alarm thatalerts him before “I am in real trouble.”“Without pricking my finger every fiveminutes I can get way ahead of trying totake any action I need to,” he says.He knows his team, which includes Dr.Nadler, is up to speed with everything thatis going on with the disease and technology.“I have a very active day-to-day life,”says Mr. Welch, who is president andgeneral manager of the BAE SystemsShipyard in Norfolk, which used to beknown as Norshipco. “I am on the go allthe time. This thing has really allowed meto keep up with all of that and not find myself introuble at various points along the day.”Dr. Wilson, who once served on the DiabetesInstitute Foundation’s board of directors, is anoutspoken advocate of the center. He frequentlydrops by and counsels fellow patients to havepatience, that they will see gradual improvementsif they stick with the program like he did.Raymond Williams19 years living with diabetes“They’re doing a great job over there,” Dr.Wilson says.Mr. Welch agrees. He is also a promoter of theclinic and thankful that it exists and is expanding.“We are fortunate to have it in our community,”he says. “They are a true bunch of professionals.Those of us who are lucky enough to be over thereare very appreciative of the facility there and thegreat medical care we get through the center.”diabetes research www.eVMS.EDU Fall 200927

Claudia Keenan Hough,EVMS’ first vice president forexternal affairs, puts EVMSon the fast track to successo say it’s been a busy year for Eastern Virginia Medical School is a tremendous understatement.It launched this magazine, a new brand identity and a new web site. It began cementing along-range strategic plan, renamed a campus building and started construction on a newfacility that will be transformative for medical education and research in the region. And on top of all that,it moved the graduation ceremony — hailed this year as the best ever — to a new venue and surpassed theAnnual Fund goal by more than 12 percent despite a limping economy.Look behind all that action, and you’ll find one common factor: Claudia Keenan Hough.She is EVMS’ first-ever vice president for external affairs, a position created under the umbrella of thepresident’s office as a way to build unity and strategy in the school’s fund-raising and marketing efforts.However, in the 15 months since starting on the job, Ms. Hough’s role has evolved. Among her ever-increasingload of responsibilities is the creation of a new strategic plan that will ensure the institution stays on track forwhat campus leaders want to achieve.“It’s more than just marketing, communications and development. She’s taken on an increasing load ofprojects, and she exceeds expectations on all of them,” says EVMS President Harry T. Lester. “She’s one ofthe hardest working people I’ve ever known.”RewindThat work ethic has been one of Ms. Hough’s hallmark traits since childhood. At age 14, the Norfolknative and gifted ballerina moved to New York City to attend the Professional Children’s School, whereshe split her time between studies and performances. A leg injury forced her off the stage, but Ms. Houghis not one to waste time on self-pity.“My personality is not to look back and regret things. I just don’t believe in that,” she says.So, at 17, she re-aimed her career trajectory and enrolled at what was then Randolph-Macon Woman’sCollege, spending three years there and one year at the University of London, finishing her degrees ineconomics and communications. Despite job opportunities with financial firms including Wachovia andManufacturers Hanover Trust, she returned to Norfolk and worked as a marketing assistant for the VirginiaStage Company. From there, her career took a steep upward trajectory.28 Fall 2009 www.eVMS.EDUFast Forward

Ms. Hough, the school’s lead executive for marketing and fund raising, discussesscholarship funding during a weekly Senior Management Meeting.

She rose to marketing director for the StageCompany within her first year, and two years later,she became the U.S. marketing director for theSpoleto Festival, a 17-day celebration of the artsheld in Charleston, S.C. She later ran the New YorkInternational Festival of the Arts.After a one-year stint with the ManhattanTheater Club, she was recruited to head marketingat the New York City Opera at Lincoln Center. Ms.Hough spearheaded the launch of a series there thatmade tickets for select shows affordable for almostanyone. It was an overwhelming success, allowingthousands of people to experience opera whootherwise might never have been able to afford it.She became involved in the opera’s fund-raisingefforts and led the creation of a new strategic planbefore leaving after nine years to take on one of themost sought-after marketing jobs in the Big Apple.The New York Botanical Gardens, one of thelargest and most prestigious botanical gardens inthe world, brought in Ms. Hough as vice presidentof marketing and business development. That’swhere she was when the opportunity arose to makea difference in her hometown by helping its middleagedmedical school grow and prosper.playwith fresh eyes at how it’s operating has unearthednew ideas.“I think her depth of experience and the factthat, in many respects, she’s new to our organizationbrings a level of enlightenment that sometimes isn’tother pieces in place so that we can move the schoolfurther forward. She’s really become an advocatefor the school.”Community leaders involved in the medicalschool also have noticed Ms. Hough’s eagerness to“The school has had some ups and downs overthe years,” Ms. Hough says. “But with Dr. Pepeand President Lester at the helm, the school is ina place where it had not been before. What I feltI could offer was to help bring the marketing,communications and fund-raising up to the levelto complement where the school is heading.”So how does a career steeped in the arts translateto an academic medical center? They share acommon core principle, says Ms. Hough.“It’s about building relationships,” she says. “It’scustomer service and stewardship.”The biggest early hurdle was mastering the lingo.Academia and medicine use a lexicon all their own,and for the uninitiated, it takes time to adjust. Beinga relative newcomer to the academic-medical realm,though, isn’t a weakness, says Bob Aston, presidentand chair of the EVMS Foundation. He’s beeninvolved with the school throughout most of its36-year history, and he says having someone lookMs. Hough and Dana Dickens, president and CEO of Hampton Roads Partnership, talk during the annual Britt Dinner scholarshipfund-raiser.there when people have been around it forever,” Mr.Aston says. “You see things differently and in a waythat isn’t influenced by how things have been donein the past.”It helps that she has embraced the medical schooland its uniqueness. Ms. Hough talks often aboutEVMS’ collegial atmosphere and how inspiring itis to work with people who are changing the face ofhealth care. She can be spotted at scientific lecturesand academic meetings, gathering nuggets she canuse to help tell EVMS’ story.“She’s dug in deep to figure out what the schoolneeds,” says Dean and Provost Gerald J. Pepe, PhD.“The faculty see her wanting to get the finances andunderstand the school, its missions and what sets itapart from others.“She’s taken the time to really learn about eachdepartment and get involved in the school, and bydoing that, it’s obvious that she’s come to have verydeep feelings about EVMS,” says Robin Ray, a longtimevolunteer fund-raiser for the school, currentmember of the Board of Visitors and Annual Fundco-chair. “She’s effective, efficient and responsive.On top of that, she’s a joy to work with.”Mrs. Ray’s fellow Annual Fund Co-Chair WayneWilbanks, a former rector and current member ofthe EVMS Foundation Board of Trustees, praisedMs. Hough’s energy and leadership that haveFast forward www.eVMS.EDU fall 200931

When she’s not working to strengthenEVMS, Ms. Hough spends time withher children, (from left) Beach andtwins Lara and Griffin.brought structure to the way EVMS interacts withits audiences both on and off campus.“She sets a very ambitious agenda, and shedelivers on it,” he says. “For one, we blew away ourAnnual Fund goal. If we can keep this ball rolling,we’ll be in a wonderful position.”fast forwardAll the success, however, doesn’t equate to aneasy first year at the medical school. Challengeswere in ample supply. About the time she started,the global economy lurched downward and, withit, philanthropic giving. Tight consumer walletshave led to lower state revenue, and EVMS, likeevery other Virginia institution of higher learning,has seen its share of state funding drop as the statecopes with a budget in the red.There have been internal challenges, too. Thelaunch of an all-new web site in September, a projectMs. Hough championed, did not go as smoothlyas expected. She has acknowledged the ongoingdifficulties and is holding the outside contractorsworking on the site accountable and pushing herstaff to find solutions.“She doesn’t just want things done. She wantsthem done right,” Vincent Rhodes, director ofmarketing and communications, explains. “Sheholds herself and her staff to very high standards.If there’s a problem or a mistake, she wants to get tothe bottom of it and figure out how to fix it — fast.Claudia has been very supportive of redirecting ourstaff and finding extra help to fix web site problems.She wants EVMS to have the best, most useful sitepossible.”Fortunately, temporary setbacks and a downeconomy aren’t a deterrent for Ms. Hough.“We just have to work a little harder and be a littlescrappier,” she says.Fund-raising targets have increased from lastyear, and the school is planning to amplify itscommunication efforts. Ms. Hough doesn’t wantEVMS to be Hampton Road’s best-kept secretany longer. All the work, she says, will have beena success only when everyone in Hampton Roadsknows what EVMS does and why it’s a critical pillarin the region’s health-care infrastructure.“I think the assets and the opportunities faroutweigh the challenges,” says Ms. Hough. “Theproduct is too good. The product has too muchstrength behind it. The product is our students, ourfaculty, EVMS Health Service and our research.There are too many positives to let any excuse getin the way.”32Fall 2009 www.eVMS.EDU Fast forward

alumniDan Neumann, MD, Left,Class of 1997, catches upwith 1999 graduate DarwinKoller, MD.Alumni reconnect and reminisceat medical alumni reunionDozens of doctors who earned their stripes atEastern Virginia Medical School came back toNorfolk in August for the annual MD AlumniReunion.Nearly 50 alumni — and some of their families— came to Norfolk to reminisce with formerclassmates and teachers and hear first-hand fromEVMS leaders how the school is thriving.“I saw people I hadn’t had contact with in years,but it seemed so natural to talk to them,” saysCarolyn Riegle, MD, Class of ’79. “But, even more,it was rejuvenating for me and an opportunity toreflect on where my life has been and how I got towhere I am. And the dancing at the dinner partymade the years slip away. It was a blast.”Reunion events included a reception Aug. 14 anda formal dinner Aug. 15, as well as a ContinuingMedical Education scientific session Saturdaymorning that featured EVMS alumnus and StateSen. Ralph S. Northam, MD; Paul Phrampus, MD,another EVMS graduate; and recently appointedchair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, StephenI. Deutsch, MD.“It’s always great when our graduates come tosee all the change on campus, from new buildingsto new faculty,” says Melissa Lang, alumni relationsdirector. “There’s so much growth here and so muchfor our alumni to be proud of, and I hope next yearwe get even more alumni back to see all the progressand feel the excitement.”Starting this year, Mrs. Lang is recruitingrepresentatives from each graduating class to helprally their classmates to sign up for the reunion.To volunteer as a class rep, contact the Office ofAlumni Relations at alumni@evms.edu or 757-446-6054.Send your class notes and news to Alumni@evms.eduSave the Date:2nd annual School of Health Professions Alumni Banquet – April 17th, 2010MD Alumni Reunion Weekend – August 13-15th, 2010Theresa and Roger Emory, both MD graduates in theClass of 1989, leaf through an old yearbook with friends.“It’s the premier MD alumni event of the year. Ifyou can only make it to one, this is the event,” saysMrs. Lang, adding that alumni should mark theircalendars for next year’s reunion weekend, August13-15, 2010.Have you updated your Alumni profile lately? Visit www.evmsAlumni.com to make sure your information is current.ALUMNIwww.eVMS.EDU Fall 2009 33

alumniGrad scales new heightspursuing interest in wilderness medicineAs Jefferson Livermon, MD, stood at the summitof Mount Kilimanjaro earlier this year, the altitudewas so great he could see the curve of the Earth.“It’s humbling,” he says. “It really shows you yourplace in creation.”He was there as part of a medical conference.Far from the typical meeting space, the conferencebrought together doctors studying the field ofwilderness medicine.“Wilderness medicine is all about improvising withwhat you have to deal with emergencies in the wild,”Dr. Livermon says.Dr. Livermon is a 1983 graduate of Eastern VirginiaMedical School now in family practice in Winchester,Va. At age 58, his love of the outdoors has taken himfrom hunting trips with his father while growing up inHampton Roads to the mountains and caves of centralVirginia to the top of the world in Tanzania.“My Dad exposed me to hunting and a respect forthe outdoors,” he says. “Now on family vacations I’mthe guy saying ‘What kind of tree is that? What’s thatmushroom?’ ”His love of the natural world grew during his timeat Virginia Tech, where he explored the mountainsaround him.Jefferson Livermon, MD, at the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro.“Blacksburg was a whole new area — mountains,caving, the Appalachian Trail,” he said. “I couldn’tget enough.”Dr. Livermon continued his explorationsthroughout his time at EVMS and his early jobs.Later, he shared his love of the outdoors with his sonthrough Boy Scouts and through that involvement,discovered the field of wilderness medicine.Dr. Livermon learned much firsthand — fromsuturing himself without anesthetic after a fall duringa hike in Virginia to dealing with mountain sicknessContinued on page 392005 graduate startup is a winnerPitou Devgon, MD Class of 2005, enjoyed a rarehonor recently when he rang the closing bell at theNASDAQ stock exchange.The event was the result of his role as a cofounderof the company Lumina Diagnostics.Dr. Devgon completed his training in internalmedicine at the University of Pennsylvania inPhiladelphia. “Since finishing residency in 2008, Iwork part-time as a hospitalist and decided to getback into my entrepreneurial ventures,” he says.“I am currently half way through my MBAin healthcare entrepreneurship at the WhartonSchool (part of Penn). I formed a team with twoother Wharton graduate students and a scientistand started Lumina Diagnostics — a medicaldevice startup company commercializing a newnear infrared diagnostic technology that candramatically improve chronic wound care,” Dr.Devgon reports.“My team and I won the Wharton Business PlanCompetition this year and as part of the 1st placeprize our company was able to ring the closing bellat the NASDAQ stock exchange in NYC on August11th,” he says.Dr. Devgon says major news networks coveredthe event — “for all of 10 seconds!”His team took home the Michelson Grand Prizeof $20,000 cash with an additional $10,000 worth ofPitou Devon, MD, second from left, on Wall Street.legal and accounting services. Dr. Devgon alsoreceived the most votes in the People’s ChoiceAward, securing an additional $3000 prize for beingthe audience’s favorite.34 Fall 2009 www.eVMS.EDUALUMNI

Graduate named toleadership post atUniversity of South CarolinaJoshua T. Thornhill IV, MD, Class of 1989, hasbeen named associate dean of medical education andacademic affairs at the University of South Carolina(USC) School of Medicine.A nationally recognized psychiatrist, Dr.Thornhill received a BA in chemistry from theUniversity of Virginia and after EVMS completedhis general psychiatry residency at the William S.Hall Psychiatric Institute in Columbia, SC.In 1993, Dr. Thornhill joined the faculty of theUSC School of Medicine as an instructor in thedepartment of neuropsychiatry and behavioralscience and also served as the assistant director forthe medical school’s general psychiatry residency.“It is a great honor and privilege to be selected forthis important role that is responsible for academicallypreparing future physicians and scientists for athriving career in medicine,” Dr. Thornhill saidin a news release from the school. “I firmly believethat the right combination of medical education,extracurricular activities and strong faculty andstaff support is the key to helping students becomecompassionate and skilled clinicians.”Dr. Thornhill has contributed significantlyto the growing reputation of the department ofneuropsychiatry as a distinguished professor andpsychiatric clinician. In his most recent positionas assistant dean for clinical curriculum, Dr.Thornhill played an integral role in helping theschool of medicine secure the maximum allowableaccreditation by the Liaison Committee on MedicalEducation (LCME).Dr. Thornhill has been named to “Best Doctors”for five consecutive years. As an educator, he wastwice honored by medical students as a “String ofPearls lecturer” and has received a number of awards,Joshua T. Thornhil IV, MDincluding the Humanism in Medicine Award andthe Dean’s Distinguished Service Award.He is a general psychiatry examiner for theAmerican Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Anactive participant in professional organizations, hehas served as the president of the South CarolinaPsychiatric Association and serves as councilor forthe South Carolina Beta Chapter of Alpha OmegaAlpha, the medical honor society. Dr. Thornhillhas authored a number of journals, books andabstracts.Annual Fund CampaignComes Full Circle For AlumnusUnlike the rest of the alumni, Rick Campana,MD, Class of 1982, didn’t receive an AnnualFund solicitation letter from Michael J. Bono,MD, president of the EVMS Medical AlumniAssociation.His letter was from Mike Bono, a gentlemanhe had met nearly 30 years earlier when Dr.Campana, then a student, was among thepanelists who interviewed Mike for admissionto EVMS.When Dr. Campana’s 18-year-old son sawthe letter from Dr. Bono, he asked his dad if heknew the author. Dr. Campana had an instantflashback to when the two first met.“I interviewed a number of applicants andI can honestly tell you Dr. Bono was by far thesingle most impressive applicant,“ Dr. Campana saystoday.Dr. Campana was compelled to contribute to theAnnual Fund campaign and also to send a letter backto Dr. Bono.“It is great to know that I had some input in youracceptance to EVMS, and it’s even more rewardingto know that we have someone like you at the helm ofthe alumni association,” Dr. Campana wrote. “I agreewith you very much that EVMS is an outstandingschool, and I too, am very proud to tell everyone thatI am an alumnus of such a great medical institution.”Dr. Campana’s son has his sights set on attendingEVMS.“I am very proud of my son and I support hisdecision to pursue medicine, despite all the negativesMike Bono, MD, enjoys a light moment at the 2009Medical Alumni Reunion with Paul Phrampus, MD,left, and Dan Neumann, MD.that our profession is dealing with today,” hewrote. “Who knows, maybe when he goes forhis interview at EVMS, you will be one of thefaculty members who interviews him!”Dr. Bono’s letter touched more people thanjust Dr. Campana. This letter brought inmore than $18,000 from 65 donors for theAnnual Fund.To donate to the EVMS Annual Fund, go towww.evmsfoundation.comALUMNIwww.eVMS.EDU Fall 2009 35

Annual Fundsupports excellence across institutionDonors to Eastern Virginia Medical School aredemonstrating their faith in the medical school inrecord numbers.The school saw a 20 percent surge in donorswho contributed to the 2008-2009 Annual Fund.That support brought in $782,735, surpassing the$700,000 goal by 12 percent.All of that is good news for the school, accordingto Mark Babashanian, EVMS vice president foradministration and finance.“The Annual Fund is a vital source of reliableoperational income,” Mr. Babashanian says. “Muchof our income is restricted in how we can use it. Thedonations we receive through the Annual Fund arenot restricted and afford us the flexibility to designatethose funds to meet our most pressing needs.”Those needs can include faculty recruitmentand development, technology improvementsfor education purposes, campus modernization,unforeseen needs or opportunities that arisesuddenly, Chris Dagley, annual fund director,explains.For the 2009-2010 Annual Fund, the institutionhas set a goal of $800,000. That money will be usedfor student scholarships, to help finance technologyimprovements that will enhance student learning,to hire new faculty and to upgrade research labs,Mr. Dagley says. The school also set an annual goalof raising $325,000 to support the EVMS StrelitzDiabetes Center.Leading the Annual Fund effort again this yearare key supporters of EVMS: Wayne Wilbanks,former rector of the Board of Visitors and newmember of the EVMS Foundation Board ofTrustees, and Robin Ray, former president and chairof the EVMS Foundation and recently appointed tothe Board of Visitors.G. Robert Aston Jr., president and chairman ofthe Eastern Virginia Medical School Foundation,credited Mr. Wilbanks, Mrs. Ray and their team forthe success of the 2008-2009 campaign.“To achieve these results in this economy is atestament to inspired leadership,” says Mr. Aston,chairman and CEO of TowneBank.Mrs. Ray says individuals and businesses wantto support the school because of its mission toimprove the health of the community. “Our donorsunderstand what the school means to the region,”says Mrs. Ray, president of Atlantic DominionDistributors. “Without the medical school, the levelof medical care here would suffer.”Mr. Wilbanks, managing principal and chiefinvestment officer of Wilbanks, Smith & ThomasAsset Management, LLC, reiterated the importanceof the Annual Fund to the school’s fiscal health.“The annual fund supports excellence acrossthe institution,” says Mr. Wilbanks. “EVMS mustgrow and innovate to continue to meet the needsof Hampton Roads in the coming decades. Weneed the community’s help to do that, and we areconfident donors will answer the call just as theyhave this year and in year’s past.”EVMS President Harry T. Lester applaudeddonors and volunteers alike for their support andefforts on behalf of the medical school.“We are indebted to everyone who made thisimportant campaign a success,” he says. “Theirsupport enables us to make Hampton Roads ahealthy, prosperous place to live, and that’s awonderful thing.”To learn more about opportunities to support Eastern VirginiaMedical School, go online to www.evmsfoundation.com.Faculty and staff invest in EVMSThe success of the Annual Fund relies on thegenerosity of supporters throughout HamptonRoads, but it also depends on EVMS faculty andstaff members who give back to the school.Meeting the Annual Fund goal allows EVMS tocontinue pursuing its missions year after year. It isfitting, then, that the people who best understandthe school’s missions and impact on the communityshow their support.“When seeking support from organizations,foundations and individuals outside the walls ofEVMS, it speaks volumes if we lead by example,”says Chris Dagley, director of annual giving.Continued on page 39President Harry T. Lester, right, thanks George Darby for his loyal support of the school.36 Fall 2009 www.eVMS.EDUPHILANTHROPY

philanthropyCosmopolitan Internationalis a loyal friend in fight against diabetesOne of the most critical components ofbiomedical research is money. Without financialsupport, the best ideas never advance.That’s why a dependable funding source is soimportant. And one of the most loyal supportersof research at Eastern Virginia Medical School isCosmopolitan International.The international organization, which callsitself “the club that fights diabetes,” gave $1 millionto help found what is now known as the EVMSStrelitz Diabetes Center. The group has continuedto support the center over the years, most notablywith an international project that raised nearly$765,000 to support INGAP research. Recently theorganization’s Capital Federation, which includesclubs throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, pledgedanother $100,000 over five years.A key focus of interest amongCosmopolitans is the researchinto INGAP, a proteinco-discovered by Aaron Vinik,MD, PHD, research directorat the EVMS StrelitzDiabetes Center.Though the group supports research andpatient care at diabetes centers across the country,the ongoing research at EVMS is of specialinterest. That’s one reason why the group invitedJerry Nadler, MD, professor and chair of internalmedicine at EVMS and director of the StrelitzDiabetes Center, to present the keynote address attheir 2009 international meeting in New Orleans.A key focus of interest among Cosmopolitans isJerry Nadler, MD, left, chair of internal medicine and director of the EVMS Strelitz Diabetes Center, thanks Cosmopolitan CapitalFederation representatives Robert G. “Bob” Williams, center, and L.J. Smith for the organization’s latest $100,000 pledgethe research into INGAP, a protein co-discoveredby Aaron Vinik, MD, PHD, research director atthe EVMS Strelitz Diabetes Center. Diabetes resultswhen the body’s immune system mistakenly killsoff insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas;INGAP is a protein that encourages re-growth ofbeta cellsDr. Nadler spoke to the Cosmopolitans aboutnew research that combines INGAP with thedrug lisofylline. INGAP encourages the growthof insulin-producing beta cells, while lisofyllineblocks the destructive immune system and protectsthe new growth. When this combination therapywas studied in mice, researchers were able to reverseType 1 diabetes 70 percent of the time — even inmice with severe disease.“That’s why I wanted Dr. Nadler there,” says BobWilliams, a former president of the internationalorganization and vice chair of the club’s foundation.“People were happy to hear their money has beenwell spent.”Cosmopolitan International is a model ofphilanthropy. Not only is the organization loyal toits cause (it has supported diabetes for some 35 years),Cosmopolitan International and its members areextremely generous.There are some 70 clubs across the United States,Canada and Mexico encompassing 2,000 members.The individual clubs sponsor a variety of fundraisingevents, and individual members also donateto the cause.The club hands out gifts equivalent to $500 permember each year.“We give away a million dollars a year, and thereare only 2,000 of us,” Mr. Williams says. “That’spretty impressive for a small organization.”PHILANTHROPYwww.eVMS.EDU Fall 2009 37

Grad scalesnew heightscontinued from page 34In FOCUSPhotos taken at the Donor Reception on October 7,and the L.D. Britt Scholarship Dinner, October 22.on the slopes of Kilimanjaro.He found a group of like-minded doctorsat the Wilderness Medical Society, based inColorado.The term “wilderness medicine” canencompass almost anything, from dealingwith high altitude to extreme heat and coldto animal attacks to underwater emergencies.Some members of the Wilderness MedicalSociety advise the military and NASA.“My partners in Winchester don’t reallyunderstand why I do this,” Dr. Livermon said.“It’s an area of love. It makes me tick. I’m ableto combine my profession with my passion.”At the moment, Dr. Livermon is pursuing afellowship through the Academy of WildernessMedicine, a program that includes more than100 hours of class time.The Kilimanjaro trip was part of thattraining. He started preparing six months inadvance.“I was scared I would fail, frankly,” he says.But during a pre-trip physical another doctortold him he was one of the fittest members ofthe team, and during the climb colleaguesmore than a decade younger told him theywished they were in his kind of shape.He enjoyed the experience so much he’slooking forward to a new challenge —maybe a jaunt to Antarctica or a little spot ininner Mongolia that takes 18 days to reach onhorseback and by foot.“During something like that you learn alot about yourself,” he says. “And you learn alot about depending on others as well as doingfor yourself, and that’s part of what wildernessmedicine is all about.”CorrectionIn a story about loyal donor Selma Graber forthe Back to School edition of EVMS Magazine,we incorrectly identified her husband’s medicalspecialty. Stanley Graber, MD, is a pathologist.We apologize for the error.1 4721. The EVMS logo beckoned donors from throughout thearea to the superhero celebration. 2. Tommy Rueger,CEO and president of SunTrust Bank - Hampton Roadsgreets the crowd at the 14th Annual L.D. Britt, MD,Scholarship Fund Dinner. SunTrust was a title sponsorof the event. 3. Keynote Speaker Rubens J. Pamies, MD;L.D. Britt Scholarship Recipient Nicole Lia Whatley; CommunityService Award Recipient Cathy Lewis; L.D. Britt,MD, MPH. 4. Enjoying the donor appreciation event fromleft are Jon Babineau and Teresa Babineau, MD, withBess and Peter Decker. 5. L.D. Britt, MD, MPH, and GaryMcCollum, senior vice president and general managerfor Cox Communications. 6. Keynote speaker Rubens J.Pamies, MD, and L.D. Britt, MD, MPH, chat briefly withNorfolk Mayor Paul D. Fraim. 7. Charles Fletcher, DDS,former rector of the EVMS Board of Visitors, takes histurn posing in one of two superhero cardboard cutouts.8. Laine Harlow Koch, MD, (Class of 2005), shows off thesuperhero cape she earned as a donor to EVMS.38Fall 2009www.eVMS.EDU

Faculty and staffinvest in EVMScontinued from page 3635 6Financial Systems Manager Therese Raunswintershares that philosophy.“There is an old saying, ‘Charity beings athome,’” she says. “EVMS is family, like a secondhome. The school needs the support it gets fromdonations to the Foundation, and I think it’simportant that we members of the family helpin whatever way we can.”For the 2008-09 fiscal year, the fund surpassedits $700,000 goal by more than 12 percent despitethe limping economy. The goal this year increasesto $800,000, a reflection of the school’s expandingneeds and goals.This year’s annual fund, which runs until June30, 2010, will support important programs such asstudent scholarships, help fund the implementationof the EVMS 2.0 educational-technology initiative,allow for upgraded Internet access, renovateresearch space and help hire new faculty.“Eastern Virginia Medical School’scommitment to excellence means there is afinancial challenge that extends to the cornerstoneof the school — its faculty, staff, students andcommunity friends,” says George Darby, parkingmanager at EVMS and co-chair of the facultyand staff giving campaign. “I ask everyone to joinme and rethink their financial commitment thisyear to help EVMS build on its success.”upcomingMansbach Lecture – Feb. 11, 2010The annual Mansbach Lecture, held in honor HarryMansbach, one of EVMS’ founding fathers, will be heldFeb. 11. The invited lecturer is Carmen Camergo, MD,an associate professor at Harvard Medical Schooland an emergency physician at Massachusetts GeneralHospital. He is a renowned expert on the effectof Vitamin D on critical body functions, an issue thathas drawn national headlines recently. The event willbe held in EVMS’ McCombs Auditorium in Lewis Hall.For more information, call 446-6070.8Parents Weekend – April 10-11, 2010Parents and family members of EVMS medical andhealth professions students are invited to campusto see what life is like in a leading academic healthcenter. The event features lectures on medical topicsand hands-on exercises designed to give visitors asense of what students experience in their first year atEVMS. Invitations to Parents Weekend will be mailedin the coming weeks.www.eVMS.EDU Fall 2009 39

L E A RP.O. N I N G Box . D1980I S C O V E R I N G . A N D C A R I N G .Norfolk, VA 23501-1980Change Service RequestedStrelitzDiabetesCenterat Eastern Virginia Medical Schoolthe strelitzdiabetes centerChances are that you know someone impacted by diabetes.You can have an impact, too.The EVMS Strelitz Diabetes Center is leading the fight against diabetes right here in HamptonRoads. Research discoveries and treatment breakthroughs made at EVMS hold promise forimproving lives not only in the region but throughout the world. Please help us continue thefight by calling 757.446.6070 or donating online at www.evms.edu/giving.P.O. Box 5 Norfolk, VA 23501-0005 757.446.6070www.evms.edu/diabetes