The Dean's Letter A monthly communication to faculty, students, and staff of the School of Medicne
		Summer 2006
		A future like no other Creating a culture of research compliance A man for all seasons		Humanitarians at heart In praise of public health Science award goes to SOM neurologist
		A future like no other Dr. Jordan Cohen promised SOM graduates “a future unlike any other” as our Commencement speaker in May. The Class of 2006 enters the field at the pinnacle of a maturing medical era. Because of advances in predictive health, doctors no longer will have to “wait until something goes wrong” but will be able to intervene beforehand, said Dr. Cohen, retiring President and CEO of the Association of American Medical Colleges.      In his address, “To Be or Not to Be,” he urged the new doctors to begin their residencies aiming “to be” trustworthy physicians built of character, integrity, moral fiber, honor, and professionalism.      Already, the M4 class has demonstrated immeasurable potential. Of the 108 graduates, 8 students received MD/MPH degrees, 11 received MD/PhDs, and 1 student received an MD/MBA. Thirteen students graduated cum laude, five magna cum laude, and one, Dustin Smith, summa cum laude. Carrying on a family tradition at Emory, MD/PhD graduate Joanna Bonsall was hooded by her father, Dr. Robert Bonsall (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences).      Among this year’s honors was the 2006 Evangeline Papageorge Distinguished Faculty Award, given to Dr. David Feliciano (Surgery). “Known as the five-star general at Grady, his zeal for teaching has become a legend,” said Dr. Maxwell White, President of the Medical Alumni Association. Senior Class President Jacqueline Garonzik was the 2006 recipient of the Evangeline Papageorge Student Award. Classmates Rob Morlend and Ray Perry received the Gaston Service Scholarship and the Bolton Service Award, respectively. The students chose popular anatomy teacher and orthopaedic surgery resident Dr. John Louis-Ugbo as their Honorary Class Member.      In closing, I reminded the class that “this is still the greatest profession in the world” and left them with this prescription for life: “Laugh several times a day and take time to enjoy yourselves and your families.” Good advice for us all to remember. TOP Creating a culture of research compliance In the past few decades, we have benefited from more medical research advances than at any time in history. While pioneering research is bringing us closer to breakthrough cures in human disease, the public is scrutinizing research abuses more closely. Witness recent revelations in South Korea concerning fraud over stem cell research or Merck’s legal challenges regarding Vioxx. “The issue of research integrity recently has taken top billing in the press,” says Kristin West, Director of Emory’s Office of Research Compliance.      The SOM works proactively to educate faculty about conducting research appropriately within federal guidelines. For example, the SOM and the Office of Research Compliance conducted a seminar for National Compliance and Ethics Week. According to Ms. West, “The seminar included a discussion of methods to promote the responsible conduct of research, as well as summaries of what to expect when various federal regulators come to Emory.”      Should an allegation of research misconduct arise, the Office of Research Compliance and the SOM’s Dean’s Office work closely to examine them together, based on policies and procedures set by the Office of Research Integrity (ORI). This federal agency monitors research projects funded by the Public Health Service (PHS), including studies funded by the NIH, CDC, and FDA.      “The SOM takes several steps to determine whether an inquiry into an allegation of research misconduct is warranted,” says Dr. David Stephens, Executive Associate Dean for Research. If an allegation is reported to a department supervisor, SOM administrator, research compliance staff member, or to the Emory Trustline (an anonymous tip line at 1-888-550-8850), the Office of Research Compliance consults with the SOM to determine whether an inquiry is necessary. Subsequent inquiries are conducted by a committee comprised of faculty selected by the Dean’s Office. If an investigation is needed, an investigation committee is formed to determine whether research misconduct has occurred, and if so, who was responsible and the extent of any misconduct. Study sponsors must be notified once an investigation is initiated, and investigations involving PHS-funded projects must be reported to the ORI.      To learn more about creating a culture of research compliance, contact the Office of Research Compliance at 727-2312 or visit online. TOP A man for all seasons Dr. Mahlon DeLong, Director of the Neuroscience Center, is the first recipient of the SOM’s Dean’s Distinguished Faculty Award and Lecture. One of the school’s most prestigious and celebratory honors, the award and lecture recognize faculty like Dr. DeLong who advance research into debilitating diseases in novel ways. “This was a great honor to be shared with my many colleagues who worked long and hard over many years, both in the laboratory and in the surgical arena, taking these findings from bench to bedside,” he says.      Dr. DeLong’s lecture focused on what he refers to as “circuit disorders” of the brain, including movement and neuropsychiatric disorders, and how to fix them. He talked about his seminal work in the 1980s that identified the circuits of the basal ganglia and the key role of the “motor circuit” and the subthalamic nucleus in Parkinson’s disease. He discussed his Emory research in the 1990s with pallidotomy to reverse the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and the later technique of deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus, which is now the treatment of choice for Parkinson’s.      Dr. DeLong stands out internationally as the single most important science researcher who developed a new understanding of Parkinson’s that gave back quality of life to patients. He came to Emory in 1990 as Chair and William Patterson Timmie Professor of Neurology. During his 13-year tenure as chair, the department became a national leader in the neurosciences. He is also a member of the Institute of Medicine and the recipient of numerous national awards. Dr. DeLong truly is “a man for all seasons”—scientist, leader, teacher, and compassionate physician—who deserves our admiration. TOP Humanitarians at heart The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) recently honored Dr. Kenneth Walker (Medicine) with its Outstanding Citizen Achievement Citation for leading a volunteer collaboration between Emory and Central Children’s Hospital in Tbilisi, Georgia. USAID also honored the hospital’s chief administrator, Dr. Irakli Sasania. Both leaders were recognized for their commitment to improving health care in establishing a modern pediatric hospital emergency room—the first of its kind in a post-Soviet nation.      As Georgia President Mikheil Saakashvili said at the opening of the ER, “This unit will meet one of our most urgent needs” for citizens often without access to specialized care because they lack the means to pay for medical services. The president was already acquainted with Dr. Walker’s work, having named him an Honorary Citizen of Georgia in 2004 for his decade-long effort to establish medical partnership projects in Georgia.      Dr. Nadine Kaslow (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences) also was honored for helping others with a Presidential Citation from the American Psychological Association. Dr. Kaslow personally called dozens of psychology training program directors in the United States and Canada in search of alternate training programs for interns and postdoctoral fellows who were displaced last fall by Hurricane Katrina.      “I was in a unique position to help,” Dr. Kaslow explains. “I made it my mission to find every student in the country who had been displaced. I used every method to track them down, find training directors, and reach out to them. I felt that in this sea of helplessness, sadness, and despair that I did a good deed for a great group of people.” TOP In praise of public health Executive VP for Health Affairs Dr. Michael Johns received the 2006 Dr. Charles Hatcher Award for his longtime support of public health. The Rollins School of Public Health established the award in 1996 to honor Dr. Hatcher, then VP for Health Affairs and the award’s first recipient. Dr. Lucky Jain (Pediatrics) nominated Dr. Johns for this year’s award, commending him for helping position Emory as one of the nation’s pre-eminent academic health centers. As Dr. Jain notes, “Dr. Johns is widely renowned as a catalyst of new thinking in many areas of health policy and health professions education.” Please join me in congratulating Dr. Johns! TOP Science award goes to SOM neurologist Neurology Professor Dr. Marc Chimowitz was honored recently for his NIH-funded research comparing the effectiveness and safety of warfarin versus aspirin for preventing stroke in patients with intracranial arterial stenosis. For this work, Dr. Chimo-witz received the 2006 Albert E. Levy Scientific Research Award, presented by the University Research Committee for scientific research excellence. Dr. Chimowitz shares the honor this year with Dr. William Kelly, Assistant Professor of Biology in Emory College and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Kelly’s research focuses on the mechanisms that establish and maintain cell lineage during and after embryonic development. Thomas J. Lawley, MD Dean, Emory School of Medicine
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