UI Research Registry Tops 1,100 Volunteers!

Seniors Together in Aging Research (STAR), a registry of Iowans over age 50 living within a two hour drive of UI, has over 1,100 volunteers interested in participating in UI IRB-approved research studies. The STAR Registry contains secure, detailed information on each volunteer's medical history, behavioral, and demographic data. The STAR database can be searched to create a list of potential volunteers targeted to meet your study's inclusion/exclusion criteria.

Through a special grant, the STAR Registry may now be used FREE OF CHARGE by any researcher whose IRB-approved study relates to both cancer and aging. STAR fees will be waived only until these special grant funds have been expended.

For more information, please visit the STAR website or email: coa-star@uiowa.edu.

If you would like to become a STAR volunteer, please visit our website or use the contact email above.

STAR is a program of the UI Center On Aging.

Abboud and Welsh to be honored at ASCI/AAP

It is with great pride and pleasure that I announce that Frank Abboud and Mike Welsh will dominate center stage on the last day of this year's ASCI/AAP Meetings to be held in Chicago in April.

Frank will accept the Kober Medal on Sunday, April 26. The Kober Medal is the AAP’s highest honor and has been given annually since 1924 to a member of the Association who has contributed to the progress of and achievement in the medical sciences. This award recognizes a lifetime of accomplishment in academic medicine.

The Kober Medal recipient chooses someone to present the medal and Frank has chosen Mike Welsh.

But wait, there's more...

Although Mike will be handing the medal to Frank, in a completely separate selection process the ASCI/AAP selected Mike to also give the annual Kober Lecture which will immediately follow the Kober Medal presentation. The honor of presenting the Kober Lecture is given to a distinguished member who, as with the medal honoree, has also significantly contributed to the progress of and achievement in the medical sciences.

- Jeff Field

Investing in Tomorrow's Physician-Scientists: Doris Duke Fellows Earn a Year of Research, Close Mentoring

by Derek Mauer, Medicine: Iowa (a CCOM publication)

"Guts and livers" are what Anne Wilson says she studied during her Doris Duke Clinical Research Fellowship. Her project involving iron transport and hepatitis C delved into changes in liver cells that suggest iron may inhibit the virus’ ability to replicate.

"If it turns out iron is bad for the virus, we could use that therapeutically," Wilson said.

Being a Doris Duke fellow may have helped Wilson, a fourth-year UI medical student, contribute knowledge leading to better treatment for hepatitis C. Just as important, the experience confirmed her interest in the link between medical science and medical practice. As she goes through her clinical rotations, she said, "I’m sure I’ll pay more attention to the hepatitis C patients I see, and I’ll be thinking about iron transport when I see hemochromatosis."

The UI Carver College of Medicine is one of just 12 U.S. medical schools hosting the Duke fellowships, which aim to foster interest in clinical research careers. The program gives students the opportunity to devote a year to working with a faculty mentor in an area of their choice.

Click here to read the complete article

Study links poorer hospital care to racial segregation (study by Internal Medicine researchers)

Racial segregation may account for differences in care received by African-Americans with heart disease, according to an article published on the Health Affairs Web site by researchers at the University of Iowa and the Iowa City Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Gary Rosenthal, et. al.).

In communities where blacks and whites lived more separately from one another or tended to seek care at separate hospitals, African-American Medicare patients suffering from heart attacks were more likely than white Medicare patients to be admitted to hospitals with higher-than-average mortality rates for heart attacks.

Click here to access the article

'Evolved' virus may improve gene therapy for cystic fibrosis (Internal Medicine research cited)

By Robert Sanders, Media Relations
UC Berkeley News

Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Iowa have turned a relatively benign virus into a highly infectious form that is ideal as a carrier for gene therapy.

In its first gene therapy test, it completely cured human cystic fibrosis lung tissue in culture. UC Berkeley researchers forced the adeno-associated virus to evolve so as to bind to sialic acid on the surface of lung cells, making it easier for the virus to infect them. The forced mutation (red) surrounds the mouth (green) of the receptor that binds sialic acid. (Schaffer lab/UC Berkeley)

This success with the benign adeno-associated virus (AAV), published this week in the online early edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, overcomes a major problem of earlier virus-based gene therapy for cystic fibrosis, and sets the stage for tests in advanced animal models of the disease.

[more...]

Iowa Cardiovascular Center Training Program Highlighted

The Iowa CVC Training Program was recently highlighted In the January 2009 issue of the Association of Black Cardiologists, Inc. Newsletter. Below is a reproduction of the article. You can view the newsletter here.

If you intend to become a leader in academic medicine or biological research are you aware of the University of Iowa Cardiovascular Center Training Program?

For thirty plus years, The University of Iowa Cardiovascular Research Center has trained basic and clinician scientists who have become academic leaders throughout the nation and the world. The program was the first major interdepartmental and intercollegiate research program at Iowa where Francois M. Abboud, MD, is the founder and internationally acclaimed Center Director.

Per Dr. Mark E. Anderson, ABC member and Associate Director of the Cardiovascular Center, "[The] goal is to use the Iowa Cardiovascular Center NIH-sponsored training grant to build diversity at Iowa and to help train the next generation of African American leaders in academic cardiology."

Congratulations

Dr. Rothman wanted all DEOs to extend his thanks to the faculty for achieving the “best month ever” in clinical revenue generation. The College appreciates all the hard work and continued loyalty of its faculty in these tough economic times. I enthusiastically echo those sentiments and add that it is an honor to be a member of this Department. Congratulations to all!

F. Jeffrey Field, M.D.
Professor and Interim Head

Procedure Service introduced to UI Hospitals and Clinics

On Monday, February 2, 2009, a new “Procedure Service” was introduced to UI Hospitals and Clinics.

While eventually rolled out to the entire hospital, we began by focusing on Department of Internal Medicine inpatient units first. By paging the Procedure Service you may request assistance with these procedures:

1. central venous catheter insertion
2. thoracentesis
3. paracentesis
4. lumbar puncture

You may ask the team to assist you with these procedures or to perform them completely.

Prior to paging the Procedure Service, it is crucial that you make certain that:

1. patient consent has been secured;
2. the patient knows a team is on the way;
3. all pre-procedure assessment is complete (e.g., coagulation status has been assessed, if indicated).

The Procedure Service will not proceed prior to completion of these tasks. Any diagnostic fluids will be handed off to the primary service for laboratory analysis.

The Procedure Service consists of a physician, nurse and, often, a trainee. The team will be available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. This service will not be provided on weekends and University holidays.

To engage the Procedure Service, page 9519 (Gina Kaefring, RN).

Don’t hesitate to contact me with questions.

Gregory A. Schmidt, M.D.
Professor and Director
Clinical Care Programs

Recent Publications

Phosphonosulfonates Are Potent, Selective Inhibitors of Dehydrosqualene Synthase and Staphyloxanthin Biosynthesis in Staphylococcus aureus. Song Y, Lin FY, Yin F, Hensler M, Rodrígues Poveda CA, Mukkamala D, Cao R, Wang H, Morita CT, González Pacanowska D, Nizet V, Oldfield E.

CpG oligodeoxynucleotide-based therapy of lymphoid malignancies. Weiner GJ.

Mitochondrial targeted coenzyme Q, superoxide, and fuel selectivity in endothelial cells. Fink BD, O'Malley Y, Dake BL, Ross NC, Prisinzano TE, Sivitz WI.

Rescuing a failing heart: think globally, treat locally. Anderson ME, Mohler PJ.

Comparisons of CD8+ T Cells Specific for HIV, HCV and CMV Reveal Differences in Frequency, Immunodominance, Phenotype, and IL-2 Responsiveness. Jagannathan P, Osborne CM, Royce C, Manion MM, Tilton JC, Li L, Fischer S, Hallahan CW, Metcalf JA, McLaughlin M, Pipeling M, McDyer JF, Manley TJ, Meier JL, Altman JD, Hertel L, Davey RT Jr, Connors M, Migueles SA.