A Publication for the Faculty & Staff of the University of Maryland School of Medicine

SOMGIF.gif - 15389 Bytes

  

FUNfact

Did you know that the School of Medicine has 26 endowed faculty chairs and professorships and that the endowment fund exceeds $100 million?


is produced by the University of Maryland School of Medicine Office of Public Affairs.

Donald E. Wilson, MD, MACP, Vice President for Medical Affairs and Dean, School of Medicine

Jennifer B. Litchman, Executive Editor
Jennifer L. McGinley, Contributor
Concept Foundry, Designer

Submitting Information to SOMNews Do you have news or information you would like to see in SOMNews? If so, please e-mail your submission to Jennifer Litchman, Director, Public Affairs, at jlitchman@som.umaryland.edu or fax it to 6-8520.
    

SOMNewsMarch 2001  Volume 2   Number 7

MUSHROOM MURDER—ANNUAL CPC ON THE DEATH OF ROMAN EMPEROR CLAUDIUS

Wearing a toga, the Roman Emperor Claudius limped into Davidge Hall February 9th to keep a long overdue doctor's appointment. He was gravely ill after devouring a heaping helping of mushrooms served up by his scheming, power-hungry wife, Agrippina. His symptoms included extreme abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive salivation, low blood pressure, and difficulty breathing. Claudius would be dead within 12 hours.

The murder of Claudius, who died in AD 54 at the age of 64, was the focus of this year’s historical clinicopathologic conference (CPC). Since 1995, the annual conference has investigated the unusual deaths of historical figures such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Edgar Allan Poe, Alexander the Great, and Ludwig van Beethoven.

“The medical and historical evidence suggest that Claudius was given mushrooms that contained muscarine, a deadly toxin that attacks the nervous system, causing a wide range of agonizing symptoms,” says William A. Valente, MD, clinical professor of medicine at the School of Medicine. Before making his diagnosis, Dr. Valente examined Claudius (played by an actor, of course), and consulted with historian Richard Talbert, PhD, professor of history at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

During a CPC, the case history of an unnamed patient is presented to an experienced clinician. “By taking on challenging cases from the distant past, medical students and residents can sharpen their diagnostic skills and become better physicians,” says Philip A. Mackowiak, MD, professor and vice chair of medicine at the School of Medicine, and director of medical care at the VA Maryland Health Care System.

So what was Agrippina's motive? “Power,” says Dr. Talbert. Ambitious and influential, Agrippina had convinced Claudius to adopt her son Nero, so that Nero would inherit the throne.

claudius.gif - 15282 Bytes

But when Agrippina learned that Claudius might tap his own son for the job, Agrippina hatched the mushroom murder plot.

Claudius was born in 10 BC and had several disabilities that would plague him throughout his life. A victim of partial paralysis and a movement disorder, Claudius walked with a limp, drooled, and had trouble speaking clearly. Although he was never groomed to lead the Roman Empire, Claudius rose to power after the murder of his nephew, Emperor Caligula.

The reign of Claudius was marked by the stability and expansion of the Roman Empire. He invaded Britain and established provinces in North Africa. But constant turmoil in his personal life eventually led to his downfall. Agrippina was his fourth wife. His third wife was executed for conspiring with her lover.

Some historians have suggested that Claudius' demise was hastened by an additional dose of poison administered by his physician. “That's pure speculation,” says Dr. Talbert, who notes that the historical record is far from complete. While the weapon of choice was the poisoned mushrooms, Dr. Valente says Claudius may actually have died of “de una uxore nimia,” a Latin phrase meaning “one too many wives.”

The CPC was the start of a two-day symposium on the Julio-Claudian dynasty, beginning with Julius Ceasar. From “Julius and his Seizures” to “Augustus and the Politics of Poison,” a series of historical lectures examined the other members of this powerful, yet dysfunctional family. Historians focused on their physical and psychiatric illnesses, and the impact of the Julio-Claudians on Roman history.

The program was co-organized by Dr. Mackowiak and Judith Hallett, MA, PhD, professor and chair of classics at the University of Maryland, College Park.

School of Medicine Offers
Survival Skills Tutorial Series

The School of Medicine is offering a tutorial series for basic and clinical faculty on research survival skills as part of its faculty development program. Harry Mobley, PhD, professor of microbiology and immunology, is the course-master of the 13-week tutorial, which will be held April through June 2001. Course dates, times and locations are still being worked out. The following tutorials will be offered:

-Features of a Winning NIH Grant Proposal
-Grantsmanship: How to Play the Game Effectively
-How to Make the Most of your Mentors
-Who is Who and What is What at UMB

-Grants Management: Effective Use of Resourses & Research Compliance
-Resource Management
-How to Communicate Results
-Promotion & Tenure: Expectations, Opportunities, Pitfalls
-Time Management
-Hiring & Supervising Personnel
-Clinical Research Skills: An Introduction
-Basic Lab Skills: An Introduction
-Making the Most of Media Opportunities

Space is limited and is on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information on the lecture series or to sign up, please contact Gina Patterson Stepney at gstepney@som.umaryland.edu or 6-7689.

Quick Studies

Thomas W. Abrams, PhD, associate professor, Departments of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics and Anesthesiology, has been awarded a five-year $1,544,872 grant to study “Non Associative and Associative Neuroplasticity.”

Laure Aurelian, PhD, professor, Departments of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics and Microbiology & Immunology, was issued a patent for the “Vaccine Composition for Herpes Simplex Virus and Method of Using” invention.

Robert J. Hickey, PhD, associate professor, and Linda H. Malkas, PhD, associate professor, Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, have received a patent for their “Assay for Measuring the Activity and Fidelity of DNA Replication and Kit Therefor” technology.

Marcia C. Javitt, MD, professor, Department of Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, was recently selected as a recipient of the 2000 Radiology journal Editor’s Recognition Award for reviewing with “Distinction.”

Herbert A. Kushner, MD, associate professor, Department of Medicine, received the Samuel Asper Award for Excellence in Internal Medicine, presented by the Maryland Chapter of American College of Physicians during its annual meeting in December.

Alan R. Shuldiner, MD, professor and Soren Snitker, MD, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Medicine, were awarded a three-year $1,256,100 grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health. They will study the pharmacogenetics of thiazolidinediones, commonly used medications for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Jordan E. Warnick, PhD, professor, Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, and assistant dean, Student Education and Research, was awarded a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Diversity Recognition Award at the University of Maryland Baltimore’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration held on January 22.

New Assistant Dean for Finance Appointed

Galleazzi.jpg - 5341 Bytes

Effective February 1, John Galleazzi, MBA, the former senior administrator for the Department of Pathology, took on a new role as assistant dean for finance, and will function as the chief financial officer for the School of Medicine. Mr. Galleazzi will have direct responsibility for the Division of Finance within the dean’s office, which includes financial management of all dean’s funds. In addition, he will have financial oversight responsibility for the entire School of Medicine, and will help to facilitate full implementation of the School’s mission-based management initiative.

Mr. Galleazzi brings an extensive background in health care management. His former position in the Department of Pathology included assisting the chairman in turning around a department with a significant deficit into one that is now making positive financial contributions to the School of Medicine.

Prior to joining the Department of Pathology in 1999, Mr. Galleazzi held a number of senior positions, including administrator of Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation in Chicago, IL; vice president and general manager of Primedical Physician Care Centers in St. Louis, MO; vice president of St. Johns Mercy Medical Center in St. Louis, MO; and assistant administrator of St. Joseph’s Hospital in Kirkwood, MO. His experience in health care administration includes financial and operational management, multi-specialty group practice, hospital department management, and information systems.

“John has the innovation, skills and experience to help the School of Medicine reach its financial goals,” comments Gregory F. Handlir, MBA, associate dean for resource management. “Not only does he have the financial background, but because he worked in the Department of Pathology, John also has the academic and environmental understanding of how things operate here at the School of Medicine. We are glad to have John on our team.”

Mr. Galleazzi received his master’s degree in business administration from St. Louis University, and is a member of the Medical Group Management Association and the Association of Academic Orthopaedic Administrators.