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January 2006

 
 
  Dr. David Stephens to lead research
SOM launches orientation program for new faculty
Emory awarded another top heart prize
SOM legends change the face of medicine

  In memoriam
New research leader
Hot off the press
Promoting literacy
From the heart 
Happy New Year to all
 
         

Dr. David Stephens to lead research

Research at the SOM got another boost when our own Dr. David Stephens, Stephen Schwarzmann Distinguished Professor, Executive Vice Chair of Medicine, and Director of the Division of Infectious Diseases, was appointed Executive Associate Dean for Research on December 1. Dr. Stephens will work with faculty and department chairs on the SOM strategic plan for research and will lead the SOM's expanding research enterprise, one of the fastest-growing in the country in terms of federal research grant support.
     "I am excited by the opportunity to enhance research at Emory and look forward to the challenges of this position," says Dr. Stephens. "The SOM's outstanding achievements in clinical medicine and education should be matched by national leadership in cutting-edge biomedical research."
     Dr. Stephens, who is also Professor of Microbiology and Immunology and Epidemiology, came to Emory in 1982 and was named Director of the Division of Infectious Diseases a decade later. His research has focused on the basis for pathogenesis of the major agents of bacterial meningitis as well as on bacterial vaccines and vaccine strategies. He serves as the principal investigator for the NIH-sponsored Southeastern Regional Center of Excellence for Emerging Infections and Biodefense housed at Emory, the CDC-supported Southeastern Center for Emerging Biological Threats, and the NIH new pathway P20 award, the Exploratory Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Vaccinology of the Emory Vaccine Center.
     I warmly welcome Dr. Stephens to his new role as Executive Associate Dean for Research. We will all benefit from his many years of experience in patient care, administration, service to Emory and affiliated health systems, collaborations with local and regional institutions, and mentoring and training of numerous junior faculty members in research.

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SOM launches orientation program for new faculty

When Dr. Sharon Weiss recently was appointed Assistant Dean for Faculty Development, she immediately implemented a long-time goal of the Office of Administration and Faculty Affairs to develop and present a formal annual orientation session tailored for new faculty. The first of these became a reality this fall as approximately 100 new faculty attended an informative daylong program in Cox Hall, where they heard from top University and SOM leaders. The orientation session was designed to provide "basic and important information for faculty while allowing them to see and meet firsthand leaders within our University and the Woodruff Health Sciences Center, including Emory President James Wagner," says Dr. Weiss. "It also showed them that we care about them and their careers."
     Dr. Weiss developed the orientation session in collaboration with Dr. Claudia Adkison, Executive Associate Dean/Administration and Faculty Affairs, and other colleagues in the Dean's Office and the SOM. After a warm welcome by President Wagner and a short history lesson on Emory by Vice President and Deputy to the President Gary Hauk, SOM leaders briefed their audience on faculty policies and guidelines, the faculty development and promotion process, clinical affairs and The Emory Clinic, structure of a promotion package, medical education, and research. Other speakers provided overviews on the Institutional Review Board, the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, the Health Sciences Library, the Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Grady Memorial Hospital, and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. To help cope with the demands of an academic career, faculty received tips on recognizing and managing stress.
     "Many medical schools offer new faculty orientations, but this is the first time our SOM has offered such a program," says Dr. Weiss. "We will continue to offer it at least once a year."
     Although the mandatory orientation session targets new faculty, chairs and other faculty are welcome to attend. "Most of our faculty have never had the benefit of a formal orientation previously," Dr. Weiss adds. "I encourage chairs to attend so they will be familiar with the information we are delivering to their faculty. It is also useful for them to hear firsthand the questions, issues, and problems that new faculty confront."
     Information on Faculty Development is available on the SOM website under Administration and Faculty Affairs. The site includes the new faculty orientation program, faculty development policies, and monthly updates on new faculty.

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Emory awarded another top heart prize

Dr. Kenneth Bernstein, Distinguished Service Professor of Pathology, is the co-recipient of the prestigious Novartis Award for Hypertension Research from the American Heart Association (AHA) for 2005. He shares the prize with Dr. Barry Brenner, a renowned nephrologist from Harvard. This is a remarkable achievement for Emory because no other institution besides Harvard has received the prize twice in a row. Last year, Dr. David Harrison, Bernard Marcus Professor of Medicine and Director, Division of Cardiology, was a co-recipient of the 2004 award. Also, Dr. Kathy Griendling, Professor of Medicine, received the 2004 Basic Research Prize from the AHA.
     "I am exceptionally proud to be the recipient of the Novartis Award," says Dr. Bernstein, who is known for his contributions to the study of the angiotensin converting enzyme and the angiotensin receptor. "To be a member of the group of scientists who have received this award is pure joy. I also am proud that Emory can look at itself and say that for two consecutive years our faculty have received high national awards honoring research."













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SOM legends change the face of medicine

Four legendary Professors Emeriti, Drs. Bruce Logue (Cardiology), John Steinhaus (Anesthesiology), Elbert Tuttle (Nephrology), and Asa Yancey (Surgery), were honored recently for their distinctive contributions to teaching and medicine at the Alumni-Emeriti Teacher Celebration.
     Known as "the father of cardiology" at Emory, Dr. Logue established the first cardiology residency program at Grady Hospital in 1946 and co-edited the seminal textbook, The Heart, with Dr. Willis Hurst, Professor Emeritus (Cardiology). "He was like a magnet in that students, house staff, and fellows rushed to attend his teaching sessions," Dr. Hurst once wrote of Dr. Logue.
     Dr. Steinhaus organized the Department of Anesthesiology and became Professor and Chair in 1959. He launched the first anesthesiology assistant education program at Emory and is credited with major contributions to the teaching program. Appointed to the faculty in 1957, Dr. Tuttle was the first Director of Nephrology, a position he held until 1983. Working primarily at Grady Hospital, he was known for his creative approach to problem solving, especially during times of financial crisis (he once adapted a $150 dishwasher for use as a dialysis machine!). He continues to educate students during grand rounds. Dr. Yancey was Chief of Surgery at Grady's Hughes Spalding Pavilion and developed the first accredited surgical training program for African Americans in Alabama and Georgia. He served at Grady until he retired in 1989.
     These luminaries still have so much to teach us that despite our deep understanding of science, including the wonders of nanotechnology and stem cells, medicine still comes down to a deeply human series of interactions between patient and doctor.



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In memoriam

We are deeply saddened by the deaths of Dr. Arthur Falek, Professor Emeritus, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Dr. John McLaren, Professor Emeritus, Department of Radiation Oncology, in November. A faculty member for more than 40 years, Dr. Falek was internationally known for his work in human genetics and the effects of heredity on intelligence and behavior. His work to understand the incidence and causes of birth defects helped lay the foundation for today's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities at the CDC. When Jimmy Carter served as governor of Georgia, Dr. Falek worked to de-centralize mental health care in favor of community-based care. He also established the Georgia Huntington's Disease registry and co-founded a group that evolved into the Huntington's Disease Society of America (HDSA). Because of his work, the HDSA established the first Center for the Care and Cure of Huntington's Disease at Emory in 1989.
     Dr. Falek's interests did not end there. He undertook one of the first NIH studies to understand how drugs affect the ability of addicts with AIDS to fight HIV and other infections. His work in this field contributed to the formation of the Society on NeuroImmune Pharmacology and the Journal of NeuroImmune Pharmacology. His efforts to understand and prevent fetal alcohol syndrome resulted in formation of the Maternal Substance Abuse and Child Development Project at Emory and the Fetal Alcohol and Drug Abuse Clinic at the Marcus Institute. Both projects broadened understanding and treatment in Georgia and the United States.
     Dr. McLaren also was a pioneer in his respective field. He joined Emory in 1958, serving as director of radiation therapy and the radioisotope lab at Grady Hospital. In 1962, he became director of radiation therapy at the Robert Winship Memorial Tumor Clinic at The Emory Clinic, which eventually became a section of the Department of Radiology. Dr. McLaren's interest in immunotherapy for cancer treatment led him to establish the section of radiation biology, long before it was considered an important component of any department. He also started Emory's residency program in radiation oncology. Dr. McLaren retired in 1992, a year after the Department of Radiation Oncology was formed. Without a doubt, the legacies of Dr. McLaren and Dr. Falek will continue to benefit patients, physicians, and scientists for years to come.

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New research leader

Dr. Carolyn Cidis Meltzer has joined the SOM as the William Patterson Timmie Professor of Radiology with joint appointments in Neurology and Psychiatry. She is founding Director of Radiology's Neuroscience Imaging Research Center and will serve part time as Associate Dean of Research.
     Dr. Meltzer's primary NIH-supported research has emphasized applying novel neuroreceptor imaging strategies to better understand the aging brain in Alzheimer's disease and depression.

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Hot off the press

Dr. Gregory Berns (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences) recently published a book, "Satisfaction: The Science of Finding True Fulfillment," an introspective journey into how we are motivated.
     Dr. Berns uses imaging technology such as MRI to look into the brain's motivation centers that drive some people to run marathons, make key decisions, or develop novel relationships. "My research suggests that satisfaction is not the same as either pleasure or happiness, and searching for happiness will not necessarily lead to satisfaction," he says.

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Promoting literacy

Dr. Ruth Parker (Medicine) has received the 2005 Walter C. Alvarez Memorial Award from the American Medical Writers Association for excellence in communicating health care developments and concepts to the public. Dr. Parker has devoted much of her medical career and advocacy efforts to the issue of health literacy. "Dr. Alvarez was a true pioneer in health communication and stressed the importance of patients understanding what they need to know to take care of themselves," said Dr. Parker. "I am truly honored to receive an award named after him."

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From the heart

The Georgia Affiliate of the American Heart Association recently awarded Dr. Charles Hatcher (Professor of Surgery Emeritus) with the 2005 Bruce Logue Award for excellence in medicine. Dr. Hatcher, a renowned cardiothoracic surgeon, served as VP for Health Affairs at Emory from 1984 to 1996. The award recognizes physicians who represent the highest level of excellence by achieving a standard that others aspire to achieve.

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Happy New Year to all

Best wishes for a happy, productive, satisfying, and successful new year as we all work together to achieve our individual and collective goals for excellence!

Thomas J. Lawley, MD
Dean, Emory School of Medicine
   
     
 

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