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May 2009

Christine Sarbanes

Christine Sarbanes, a member of the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Board of Visitors (BOV), died on Sunday, March 22, 2009, of cancer at her Baltimore home. She was 73.

Mrs. Sarbanes will be remembered as a steadfast friend of the School of Medicine, serving four terms on its BOV, from September 1998 until her death. In addition to serving for the past two years as the chair of the BOV’s Nominating Committee and serving as the honorary chair of the Inaugural Fund for Medicine in 2004, Mrs. Sarbanes was very interested in Davidge Hall. She was delighted to see the university receive funding from the National Parks Service through the Save America’s Treasures Program for its conservation.

Mrs. Sarbanes was born and educated in England, receiving both her BA and MA degrees from Oxford University. She taught Latin and Greek at the Gilman School in Baltimore and previously lectured in classics at Goucher College. She was married to former US Senator Paul Sarbanes and actively participated in his political campaigns.

Maria R. Baer, MD

Maria R. Baer, MD, professor, Department of Medicine and Program in Oncology, co-authored two chapters in the twelfth edition of Wintrobe’s Clinical Hematology textbook. The titles of the chapters are “Cytogenetics” and “Acute Myeloid Leukemia in Adults.”

Grant Bochicchio, MD, MPH; Kim Lumpkins; Thomas Scalea, MD; & Yan Xiao, PhD

Grant V. Bochicchio, MD, MPH, professor, Department of Surgery and Program in Trauma; Kim M. Lumpkins, MD/MPH Program student; Thomas M. Scalea, MD (pictured), Francis X. Kelly Professor of Trauma Surgery, and director, Program in Trauma; and Yan Xiao, PhD, associate professor, Department of Anesthesiology and Program in Trauma, co-authored an article entitled “Avoiding Common Technical Errors in Subclavian Central Venous Catheter Placement” in the January 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Colleges of Surgeons.

William Stanley, PhD &
Monika Duda, PhD

William Stanley, PhD, professor, and Monika Duda, PhD, postdoctoral fellow, both from the Department of Medicine, published an article entitled “Fish Oil, But Not Flaxseed Oil, Decreases Inflammation and Prevents Pressure Overload-induced Cardiac Dysfunction” in Cardiovascular Research, February 1, 2009, Volume 81, issue 2, page 319-327.

Leah Cole, PhD and
Stefanie Vogel, PhD

Leah Cole, PhD, research associate, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, and Stefanie Vogel, PhD (pictured), professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology and Mucosal Biology Research Center, co-authored an article entitled “Antigen-specific B-1a Antibodies Induced by Francisella tularensis LPS Provide Long-term Protection against F. tularensis LVS Challenge” in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, March 17, 2009, Vol. 106, No. 11, 4343-4348.

Chunzhang Cao, PhD

Chunzhang Cao, PhD, research associate, Department of Physiology and Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, co-published an article entitled “Structure of the F-spondin Domain of Mindin, an Integrin Ligand and Pattern Recognition Molecule” in The EMBO Journal, 28, 286-297, 2009.

Ricardo A. Feldman, PhD

Ricardo A. Feldman, PhD, associate professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, co-authored an article entitled “Detection of Functional Hematopoietic Stem Cell Niche Using Real-time Imaging,” which was published in Nature, 2009 Jan 1; 457: 97-101.

Olga Goloubeva, PhD;
Angela Brodie, PhD;
and Gauri Sabnis, PhD

Olga Goloubeva, PhD, senior statistician, Program in Oncology, Angela Brodie, PhD (pictured), professor, Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, and Gauri Sabnis, PhD, postdoctoral fellow working in Dr. Brodie’s lab, co-authored “Trastuzumab Reverses Letrozole Resistance and Amplifies the Sensitivity of Breast Cancer Cells to Estrogen” in Cancer Research, 2009 Feb 15;69(4):1416-28.

M. Samir Jafri, PhD &
Cha-Min Tang, MD, PhD

M. Samir Jafri, PhD, assistant professor, and Cha-Min Tang, MD, PhD, professor, both from the Department of Neurology, co-published an article entitled “Optical Coherence Tomography Guided Neurosurgical Procedures in Small Rodents” in the Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 176(2), 85-95, 2009.

Achsah Keegan, PhD; Nicola Heller, PhD; Xiulan Qi; Stefanie Vogel, PhD; Kari Ann Shirey, PhD

Achsah D. Keegan, PhD, professor, Nicola Heller, PhD, postdoctoral fellow, and Xiulan Qi, research assistant, all from the Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases and Program in Oncology, in collaboration with Stefanie Vogel, PhD, professor, and Kari Ann Shirey, PhD, postdoctoral fellow, both from the Department of Microbiology & Immunology, co-published an article entitled “Type I IL-4 Receptors Selectively Activate IRS-2 to Induce Target Gene Expression in Macrophages” in Science Signaling, 1:51, ra17, 2008. This article also was selected for summary in the News Beyond Our Pages section in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Lixing Lao, PhD &
Rui-Xin Zhang, PhD

Lixing Lao, PhD, professor, Department of Family & Community Medicine, and director, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Center for Integrative Medicine, and Rui-Xin Zhang, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Family & Community Medicine, co-authored “Extract of the Chinese Herbal Formula Huo Luo Xiao Ling Dan Inhibited Adjuvant Arthritis in Rats” which was published in the January 2009 issue of the Journal of Ethnopharmacology.

Mandeep R. Mehra, MBBS,
FACS, FACP

Mandeep R. Mehra, MBBS, FACS, FACP, the Dr. Herbert Berger Professor of Medicine, and assistant dean for Clinical Affairs, co-published an article entitled “Acute Heart Failure Syndromes in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease Early Assessment and Treatment” in the Journal of American College of Cardiology in January 2009. In addition, Dr. Mehra co-published “Prospective, Observational Study of Antiplatelet and Coagulation Biomarkers as Predictors of Thromboembolic Events after Implantation of Ventricular Assist Devices” in Nature Clinical Practice Cardiovascular Medicine in February 2009.

Jessica Kraker, MD

Jessica Kraker, MD, resident, Department of Neurology, published “Treatment of Anti-Ma2/Ta Paraneoplastic Syndrome” in Current Treatment Options in Neurology, January 2009, Vol. 11, No. 1.

Robert K. Shin, MD

Robert K. Shin, MD, assistant professor, Department of Neurology, was the “Neurologic Ophthalology and Otology” section editor in Current Treatment Options in Neurology, January 2009, Vol. 11, No. 1.

Luke J. Tallon, BA; Kristine M. Jones, BS; Jonathan Crabtree, MS & Vishvanath Nene, PhD

Luke J. Tallon, BA, director, research and development, Genomics Resource Center; Kristine M. Jones, BS, research supervisor, Genomics Resource Center; and Jonathan Crabtree, MS, lead software engineer, Bioinformatics, Genome Sciences, all from the Institute for Genome Sciences, and Vishvanath Nene, PhD, professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, and associate director, Institute for Genome Sciences, co-authored an article entitled “Comparative Genomics of Mutualistic Viruses of Glyptapanteles Parasitic Wasps” in Genome Biology, 2008 (9):R183.

Ayse L. Mindikoglu, MD, MPH
& Ram Miller, MD

Ayse L. Mindikoglu, MD, MPH, assistant professor, Department of Medicine, and Ram Miller, MD, CM, assistant professor, Department of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine, co-published “Hepatitis C in the Elderly: Epidemiology, Natural History and Treatment” in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 2009; 7:128-134.

Kathleen M. Patchan, MS-II

Kathleen M. Patchan, MS-II, served as theme issue editor for Virtual Mentor’s January content on “Medical Care for Homeless Individuals.” Ms. Patchan’s content is archived on Virtual Mentor’s Website (www.virtualmentor.org) and will be indexed in the National Library of Medicine/Medline-Pubmed. Virtual Mentor is the medical ethics journal of the American Medical Association and is published monthly at an open-format website for residents and medical students, as well as medical educators and the public.

David A. Rasko, PhD

David A. Rasko, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology and Institute for Genome Sciences, published “Targeting QseC Signaling and Virulence for Antibiotic Development” in the August 2008 issue of Science. Dr. Rasko’s paper garnered an editorial response, written by Dr. Gordon Dougan, which appeared in the January 1, 2009, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Dougan’s editorial was entitled “Does the Trojan Horse Have an Achilles’ Heel?” In addition, Dr. Rasko co-authored “CadA Negatively Regulates Escherichia coli O157:H7 Adherence and Intestinal Colonization” in Infection and Immunity, 2008 November; 76(11):5072-81.

Horea Rus, MD, PhD

Horea Rus, MD, PhD, associate professor, Department of Neurology, co-published an article entitled “Role of Response Gene to Complement 32 in Diseases” in Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis, 2008, 56, 115-121. Additionally, Dr. Rus, along with Violeta Rus, MD, PhD, associate professor, Department of Medicine, Hegang Chen, PhD, associate professor, Department of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine, and Cosmin Telga, PhD, postdoctoral fellow, Department of Neurology, co-published “Complement C5 Regulates the Expression of Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Proteins in Chronic Experimental Allergic Encephalomyelitis” in the Journal of Neuroimmunology, 2008, 203, 94-103.

Lisa Shulman, MD &
Bradley Robottom, MD

Lisa M. Shulman, MD, professor, and Bradley J. Robottom, MD, fellow, both from the Department of Neurology, co-published “Pregnancy in Parkinson’s Disease: Case Report and Discussion” in Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 8(12), 1799-1805, 2008.

Hervé Tettelin, PhD

Hervé Tettelin, PhD, associate professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology and Institute for Genome Sciences, co-authored an article entitled “Evolution of Streptococcus Pneumonia and its Close Commensal Relatives” in PLoS ONE, 2008 July 16; 3(7):e2683.

Marcella Wozniak, MD, PHD

Marcella Wozniak, MD, PhD, associate professor, Department of Neurology, co-published “Aspirin and Extended-Release Dipyridamole versus Clopidogrel for Recurrent Stroke” and “Telmisartan to Prevent Recurrent Stroke and Cardiovascular Events” in The New England Journal of Medicine, 359;12, September 18, 2008.

Carnell Cooper, MD

Carnell Cooper, MD, associate professor, Department of Surgery and Program in Trauma, presented the keynote address for the 22nd Annual Champions of Courage awards luncheon on February 21, 2009, in Baltimore. The awards commemorate Black History Month by celebrating the achievements of Baltimore youth and the adults who inspire them.

Howard Dubowitz, MB, ChB, MS

Howard Dubowitz, MB, ChB, MS, professor, Department of Pediatrics, was an invited speaker on “Child Neglect and the Prevention of Child Maltreatment” at the 3rd Arab Regional Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in March 2009.

Richard P. Dutton, MD, MBA

Richard P. Dutton, MD, MBA, associate professor, Department of Anesthesiology and Programs in Trauma and Neuroscience, was one of two invited keynote speakers at the 5th Annual Auckland City Symposium in Auckland, New Zealand. This year’s symposium topic was “Trauma and Resuscitation.” Dr. Dutton presented “Emergency Airway Management” and “Hemostatic Resuscitation from Hemorrhagic Shock” and participated in a case discussion panel.

Stephen B. Liggett, MD

Stephen B. Liggett, MD, professor, Departments of Medicine and Physiology, was co-chairperson of a seminar entitled “Mechanisms in Pharmacogenomics,” which was held at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Cold Spring Harbor, New York, in November 2008. At this seminar, Dr. Liggett presented a lecture entitled “Genetic Variation within GPCR Signaling Networks—From Asthma to Heart Failure Pharmacogenomics.” In addition, Dr. Liggett presented “New Insights on Viral Evolution, Recombination and Asthma Pathogenesis from Full Genome Sequences of all Known Human Rhinovirus Serotypes” at a research conference held at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois, in January 2009 and was an invited speaker at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Maryland Chapter of the American College of Physicians, held in Ellicott City, Maryland, in February 2009, where he presented “Pharmacogenetics of Beta-blocker Treatment in Heart Failure: We Are THERE!”

Achsah D. Keegan, PhD

Achsah D. Keegan, PhD, professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology and Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases and Program in Oncology, presented a lecture entitled “Regulation of Allergic Lung Inflammation by IL-4 Receptor Signaling” at the Midwinter Conference of Immunologists in Pacific Grove, California, in January 2009. The conference was co-organized by David W. Scott, PhD, professor, Department of Surgery. In addition, Preeta Dasgupta, a student in the Graduate Program in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology who works in Dr. Keegan’s lab, presented an abstract entitled “IL-Receptor_ (IL4R_) and STAT6 Regulate Allergic Airway Inflammation and Eosinophilia in a Murine Model of Asthma” at the same conference. Ms. Dasgupta’s co-authors on the abstract included Svetlana Chapoval, MD, PhD, adjunct assistant professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology and Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, and Elizabeth Smith, research supervisor, Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases.

Department of Neurology Faculty

At the 62nd Annual Meeting of the American Epilepsy Society in Seattle, Washington, in December 2008, Ana Sanchez, MD, fellow; Allan Krumholz, MD, professor; and Jennifer Hopp, MD (pictured), assistant professor, presented “Acute Clinical and EEG Responses to Intravenous Benzodiazepines Predict Subsequent Outcomes in Suspected Nonconvulsive Status Epilepticus.” Molly Price, MD, resident; Dr. Hopp; Karen Anderson, MD, assistant professor; Dr. Krumholz, and Jing Zhu, research assistant, presented “Depression, Anxiety and Health Locus of Control in Patients with Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures.” Kimberly Pargeon, MD, resident; Dr.Hopp; Dr. Krumholz, and Zhu presented “Screening of Depression, Anziety, and Health Related Quality of Life in an Epilepsy Monitoring Unit.”

Samer El-Kamary, MB, ChB, MPH

Samer El-Kamary, MB, ChB, MPH, assistant professor, Departments of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine and Pediatrics, gave an invited talk entitled “Viral Hepatitis in Egypt” during a symposium entitled “Viral Hepatitis in Africa” and held at the 13th International Symposium on Viral Hepatitis and Liver Disease in Washington, DC, in March 2009. Additionally at the same symposium, Dr. El-Kamary presented a poster entitled “Clearance of Hepatitis C Viremia in Children Born to, and Living with, HCV-infected Mothers is Associated with Long-lasting HCV-specific Cell Mediated Immune Responses.”

Philip A. Mackowiak, MD,
MBA, MACP

Philip A. Mackowiak, MD, MBA, MACP, professor and vice chair, Department of Medicine, presented a lecture on the history of medicine - derived from the annual Historical Clinicopathological Conferences he organizes each spring at the School of Medicine - at the Long Island Jewish Hospital in New Hyde Park, New York, and then at the North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York, in March 2009. Additionally, Dr. Mackowiak presented the same lecture at the Penn State College of Medicine as an Alpha Omega Alpha Visiting Professor in April 2009.

Ligia Peralta, MD

Ligia Peralta, MD, associate professor, Department of Pediatrics, was invited to speak at the annual Middle East Pediatrics 2009 Conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), in January 2009. This was the first time this conference agenda included an adolescent health specialist. Dr. Peralta also was asked to provide input to their national HIV agenda. In addition to outlining important vaccines for adolescents, Dr. Peralta presented a history of HIV treatment and prevention over the last 25 years. Her visit to Dubai marks the beginning of the UAE Ministry of Health’s recent public commitment to develop a new plan for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. Also, while on her Middle East trip, Dr. Peralta was honored with a visiting professorship at Rashid Hospital in Dubai.

Thomas M. Scalea, MD

Thomas M. Scalea, MD, Francis X. Kelly Professor of Trauma Surgery, and director, Program in Trauma, presented “Recombinant Activated Factor VII: Is It Efficacious?” at the Society of Critical Care Medicine’s 38th Critical Care Congress in Nashville, Tennessee, in February 2009. At the same conference, Amy Sisley, MD, MPH, assistant professor, Department of Surgery and Program in Trauma, presented “Ultrasounds Imaging of the Thorax and Vessels” and “Ultrasound-Guided Thoracentesis”.

Alessio Fasano, MD

Alessio Fasano, MD, professor, Department of Pediatrics, Medicine and Physiology, and director, Center for Celiac Research, presented “Physiology of Gut Permeability” at the 19th Annual Course in Pediatric Gastroenterology & Endoscopy, which was held at the Royal Free Hospital in London, England, in January 2009.

Virginia Keane, MD

Virginia Keane, MD, associate professor, Department of Pediatrics, was interviewed by Baltimore Sun reporter Liz Atwood regarding the serious, and sometimes fatal, ramifications of whooping cough in infants and children. The article ran in the Sun’s February 23, 2009, issue. Dr. Keane is the president of the Maryland Chapter of the Academy of Pediatrics.

Thomas M. Scalea, MD

Thomas M. Scalea, MD, Francis X. Kelly Professor of Trauma Surgery, and director, Program in Trauma, was featured as one of the Baltimore Business Journal’s “Power 20” in the January 23, 2009, issue.

Lauren Richter, DO

Lauren Richter, DO, clinical assistant professor, Department of Family & Community Medicine and Center for Integrative Medicine, was quoted in an article entitled “Diabetes: More Than Just Sugar Overload” in the “Healthy Living: Mind and Body” section of the March 2009 issue of Health magazine.

Mordecai P. Blaustein, MD

Mordecai P. Blaustein, MD, professor, Department of Physiology, received a four-year $1.9 million competing renewal from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute for his work entitled “Calcium and Sodium Transport in Hypertension.”

Alessio Fasano, MD

Alessio Fasano, MD, professor, Department of Pediatrics, Medicine and Physiology, and director, Center for Celiac Research, received a patent for his invention titled “Method of Use of Peptide Antagonists of Zonulin to Prevent or Delay the Onset of Diabetes."

M. Samir Jafri, PhD

M. Samir Jafri, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Neurology, was awarded a two-year $341,171 grant from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research under its 'Improving Delivery of Parkinson’s Disease Therapeutics to the Brain' initiative. Dr. Jafri is the PI. Cha-Min Tang, MD, PhD, professor, Department of Neurology, is the co-investigator on this grant.

Margaret M. McCarthy, PhD

Margaret M. McCarthy, PhD, professor, Department of Physiology, received a one-year $112,500 Department of Defense Concept Award from the US Army Medical Research and Material Command for her work entitled “Protoglandins and Brain Development: A Link Between Inflammation and Autism.”

Myron Levine, MD, DTPH

Myron Levine, MD, DTPH, professor, Department of Medicine, and director, Center for Vaccine Development, received a five-year $43 million renewal of his National Institutes of Health Middle Atlantic Regional Center of Excellence in Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases (MARCE) grant. The MARCE consortium supports approximately 40 investigators from 14 research institutions. Its goal is to foster research that contributes to the defense of the United States against biological threats, including the deliberate release of bioterror agents and the natural emergence or re-emergence of infectious diseases.

Peter Gorman, MD

Peter Gorman, MD, associate professor, Department of Neurology, was a finalist in the Daily Record’s Health Care Heroes awards, Advancements in Health Care category. Dr. Gorman, who also is director of the Spinal Cord Injury Program at Kernan Hospital, was recognized for his work in research with spinal cord injured patients.

Deanna L. Kelly, PharmD

Deanna L. Kelly, PharmD, associate professor, Department of Psychiatry and Program in Neuroscience, and director, Treatment Research Program at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center (MPRC) is now an associate editor of Clinical Schizophrenia & Related Psychoses, a quarterly publication focusing on the latest research and clinical advances in the diagnosis and treatment of schizophrenia and related disorders. Clinical Schizophrenia & Related Psychoses is the 2008 gold medal winner for Best Healthcare Business Publication by Medical Marketing & Media. William T. Carpenter, MD, professor, Department of Psychiatry and Program in Neuroscience, and director, MPRC, and Robert W. Buchanan, MD, professor, Department of Psychiatry and Program in Neuroscience, serve as members of the editorial board, and Karen Horn, administrative assistant II, also from the MPRC, is director of editorial services. Medical Marketing & Media is a magazine for marketing and communications professionals in the pharmaceutical and health care industries.

Philip Mackowiak, MD, MBA, MACP

Philip A. Mackowiak, MD, MBA, MACP, professor and vice chair, Department of Medicine, received the 2009 Theodore E. Woodward Award at the Annual Meeting of the Maryland Chapter of the American College of Physicians in Ellicott City, Maryland, in February 2009. This prestigious award is given to those who make major contributions to medical education. Former School of Medicine recipients include Dean Emeritus Donald E. Wilson, MD, MACP, Frank Calia, MD, vice dean for Clinical Affairs and Chair of Medicine, and Gary Plotnick, MD, professor, Department of Medicine.

Mingkai Li, MD, PhD

Ming-Kai Li, MD, PhD, postdoctoral fellow, Department of Surgery, won second prize in the Laboratory Research Category of the 2009 American Urological Association (AUA)/Gyrus Prize Essay Contest. Dr. Li presented his abstract during a moderated poster session at the American Urological Association’s Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois, in April 2009. The Gyrus Essay Prize contest encourages urologists and residents in training to share their learning with fellow urologists. Additionally, Dr. Li received an Honorable Mention in the 2009 Annual Jack Lapides Essay Contest on Urodynamics and Neurourology Research. Awardees are invited to an awards dinner in conjunction with the AUA Annual Meeting. The project that won both awards is entitled “Augmented Polyamine Signaling Blocks the Large Conductance Calcium Activated Potassium (BK) Channel in Bladder Urothelial Cells from Patients with Overactive Bladder Syndrome.” Dr. Li conducted this research under the supervision of Toby Chai, MD, professor; Yan Sun, PhD, instructor; and Jian-Ying Wang, MD, PhD, professor, all from the Department of Surgery. J. Marc Simard, MD, PhD, Department of Neurosurgery, also contributed to this research.

2007 Bicentennial Campaign
Wins Advertising Prize

The University of Maryland School of Medicine received a Silver Addy Award from The Advertising Association of Baltimore (AAB) for campaign and brand development of all materials created to promote and celebrate the school’s 2007 bicentennial celebration. Materials submitted for review included identity and collateral samples, event materials and banners, outdoor graphics, tradeshow exhibits, and Web and other online media. Each year, the AAB invites a panel of judges from agencies around the country to assemble in Baltimore and review local entries submitted by Maryland’s top agencies and firms. Those entries that prove to hold excellence in design and communications are awarded with a prestigious Addy. Baltimore-based design firm Orange Element is a co-winner of the award.

Nabile Safdar, MD

Nabile Safdar, MD, assistant professor, Department of Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, has been awarded the Leonard Berlin Scholarship in Medical Professionalism from the American Roentgen Ray Society for 2009 to 2011. The scholarship supports study and research related to medical ethics, medicolegal principles, patient accountability, sensitivity to patient diversity and/or other topics encompassing medical professionalism and carries a funding commitment of $100,000. In addition to completing his master’s degree in public health at the School of Medicine, Dr. Safdar plans to conduct a nationwide survey of IRB practice related to imaging research issues.

Mandeep Mehra, MBBS, FACC, FACP

Mandeep Mehra, MBBS, FACC, FACP, the Dr. Herbert Berger Professor of Medicine, and assistant dean for Clinical Affairs, was appointed as a core member of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Test Committee in December 2008. The ABIM will focus on the new subspecialty of advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology and will develop the national ABIM board certification exams.

Alan R. Shuldiner, MD

Alan R. Shuldiner, MD, professor, Department of Medicine, was appointed to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Clinical Obesity Research Panel. Dr. Shuldiner delivered a lecture at a meeting the research panel held in Bethesda, Maryland, in February 2009.