Carrie Dorsey, MD, MPH;
Melissa McDiarmid, MD, MPH;
and Katherine Squibb, PhD

Carrie Dorsey, MD, MPH (pictured), assistant professor, Melissa McDiarmid, MD, MPH, professor, and Katherine Squibb, PhD, professor, all from the Department of Medicine, co-published an article entitled “Biological Monitoring for Depleted Uranium Exposure in US Veteran” in Environmental Health Perspectives, 117, June 2009.

Wilbur Chen, MD and
Marcelo B. Stein, MD

Wilbur Chen, MD (pictured), assistant professor, Department of Medicine and Center for Vaccine Development, and Marcelo B. Sztein, MD, professor, Department of Pediatrics and Center for Vaccine Development, co-authored “Vaccination in the Elderly: An Immunological Perspective” in Trends in Immunology, 2009, 30(7):351-357. In addition, Dr. Chen published “Safety and Immunogenicity of an Inactivated Subvirion Influenza AH5N1 Vaccine with and without Aluminum Hydroxide among Healthy Elderly Subjects” in Vaccine 2009, 27(37):5027-5170.

Curt I. Civin, MD and
Sebastien Morisot, PhD

Richard Colgan, MD

Richard Colgan, MD, associate professor, Department of Family & Community Medicine, authored a book, Advice to the Young Physician: On the Art of Medicine, which was released in October 2009 by Springer Publishing. Dr. Colgan wrote the book with the intent of revealing how to make the transition from technician to healer. He be-lieves the book will be valuable supplemental reading to the medical student curriculum on medical humanism. Advice to the Young Physician has been favorably reviewed by medical educators, residents and students. For more information, please visit www.advicetotheyoungphysician.com.

Matthew C. Trudeau, PhD

Matthew C. Trudeau, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Physiology, co-authored a paper entitled “A Recombinant N-terminal Domain Fully Restores Deactivation Gating in N-truncated and Long QT syndrome Mutant hERG Potassium Channels” in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, published online before print, doi: 10.1073/pnas.0900180106.

Maureen Black, PhD

Maureen Black, PhD, professor, Department of Pediatrics, published an article entitled “Maternal and Child Mental Health: The Role of Nutrition,” and edited a special supplemental issue, of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 89, 2009. In addition, Dr. Black, along with Kristen Hurley, PhD, MPH, assistant professor, and Sarah E. Oberlander, PhD, post-doctoral fellow, both from the Department of Pediatrics, co-authored the following publications: “Participants’ Comments on Changes in the WIC Food Packages: The Maryland Food Preference Study” in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 109(1):116-123, “Adolescent Mothers Leaving Multigenerational Households,” in the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 38, 62-74, and “‘The Healthy Eating Index and Youth Healthy Eating Index’ Are Unique, Non-redundant Measures of Diet Quality Among Low-income, African American Adolescents” in the Journal of Nutrition, 139, 359-364.

Achsah D. Keegan, PhD, and Svetlana Chapoval, MD, PhD

Katia Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos, PhD

Katia Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, published “The Anti-apoptotic Protein HAX-1 Interacts with SERCA2 and Regulates Its Protein Levels to Promote Cell Survival” in Molecular Biology of the Cell, 20(1), 2009. Additionally, Dr. Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos, along with Solomon Yap, PhD, and Maegen Ackermann, PhD, both post-doctoral fellows, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, and Robert Bloch, PhD, professor, Department of Physiology, co-published “Muscle Giants: Molecular Templates in Sarcomerogenesis” in Physiological Reviews. Drs. Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos, Ackermann and Bloch also co-published “Obscurin Interacts with a Novel Isoform of Myosin Binding Protein C-Slow to Regulate the Assembly of Thick Filaments” in Molecular Biology of the Cell.

Kevin D. Pereira, MD, MS

Kevin D. Pereira, MD, MS, professor, Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, is co-editor of a newly-published textbook in pediatric otolaryngology, Pediatric Otolaryngology for the Clinician, which is a user-friendly resource for practicing general otolaryngologists, pediatricians and family practice physicians. For more information, visit www.springer.com/humana+press/book/978-1-58829-542-2.

Kirsten E. Lyke, MD, and Christopher Plowe, MD, MPH

E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA

Gerald Wilson, PhD; Noelle Vargas; and Terry Rogers, PhD

Gerald Wilson, PhD, associate professor, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Program in Oncology, along with Noelle Vargas, graduate student, and Terry Rogers, PhD, professor, both from the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, co-authored “Protein Kinase C Activation Stabilizes LDL Receptor mRNA Via the JNK Pathway in HepG2 Cells” in the March 2009 issue of the Journal of Lipid Research. In addition, Dr. Wilson, along with Sarah Brennan, graduate student, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, co-published a paper entitled “The mRNA-Destabilizing Protein Tristetraprolin Is Suppressed in Many Cancers, Altering Tumorigenic Phenotypes and Patient Prognosis” in the June 15, 2009, issue of Cancer Research.

Terez Shea-Donohue, PhD

Toni Antalis, PhD

Toni Antalis, PhD, professor, Department of Physiology and Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, received a one-year $315,624 grant from the National Cancer Institute for her work entitled “New Function Serpin PAI 2 as a Regulator of RB.” Additionally, Dr. Antalis received a two-year $675,000 grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases for her work entitled “Protease Pathways in the Gastrointestinal Tract.”

Alexey Belkin, PhD

Alexey Belkin, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Biochemistry and Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, received a two-year $229,964 grant from the Maryland Technology Development Corporation for his work entitled “The Role of Transglutaminase in Adhesion-dependent and Growth Factor-mediated Responses of Mesenchymal Stem Cells.”

Chunzhang Cao, PhD

Chunzhang Cao, PhD, research associate, Department of Physiology and Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, received a two-year $230,000 grant from the Maryland Technology Development Corporation for her work entitled “Activated Protein C Protects Mesenchymal Stem Cell from Ischemia-induced Death.”

Svetlana Chapoval, MD, PhD

Svetlana Chapoval, MD, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Center for Vascular Inflammatory Diseases, received a two-year $412,500 grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for her work entitled “Immune Semaphorins in Allergic Airway Inflammation.”

Joseph Lakowicz, PhD

Stephen B. Liggett, MD

Stephen B. Liggett, MD, professor, Departments of Medicine and Physiology, received a five-year $1.8 million grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute for his work on the genomics of G-protein coupled receptor signaling in the lung. The title of his grant is “Basis of Variability of Lung GPCR Signaling.”

Koji Tamada, MD, PhD

Koji Tamada, MD, PhD, associate professor, Department of Otorhinolarynology-Head and Neck Surgery and Program in Oncology, has been awarded a two-year $273,614 ARRA Supplement Grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute for “Light Co-stimulatory Therapy of GVHD and GVL.”

Iris Lindberg, PhD

Iris Lindberg, PhD, professor, Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, received the following two grants from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: a four-year $1.5 million R01 entitled “Control of Peptide Hormone Biosynthesis by PC2 and 7B2” and a two-year $412,000 R21 grant entitled “Identifying New Peptide Hormones.” In addition, Dr. Lindberg received a four-year $1.2 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse for a Eureka project entitled “De-Orphanizing the Peptidome.”

Lynn Schriml, PhD

Lynn Schriml, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine and Institute for Genome Sciences, received a two-year $501,909 ARRA R01 grant from the National Center for Research Resources for her project entitled “Disease Ontology: An Open Biomedical Ontology for Disease.” The ontology will provide a computable structure to facilitate the connection of genetic data, clinical data and symptoms from multiple databases with genetic, environmental and infectious disease.

Richard Thompson, PhD

Richard Thompson, PhD, associate professor, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, received a two-year $387,548 R01 grant from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering for his work entitled “Fluorescence Zinc Biosensing and Imaging Technology.” This award was funded under the Obama Administration’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The main goal of this project is to develop novel fluorescent sensing and imaging technology for understanding the biology of zinc, with a view to developing novel and improved diagnostics and therapies for human diseases.

Tony Passaniti, PhD

Tony Passaniti, PhD, associate professor, Department of Pathology and Program in Oncology, received a two-year $154,000 grant from the American Heart Association for “Role of Hyperglycemia and Aldose Reductase in Regulating RUNX2 Transcription Factor Activity and Angiogenesis.”

Nanette Steinle, MD

Nanette Steinle, MD, assistant professor, Department of Medicine, received $134,694 in funding from the Endocrine Fellows Foundation to implement a program called “Improving Diabetes Management: A Training Program for Internal Medicine Residents,” which began in August 2009.

Dudley K. Strickland, PhD

Edward Weinman, MD

Edward Weinman, MD, professor, Department of Medicine, received a four-year $650,000 Veterans Affairs Merit Review Grant for his work entitled “NHERF-1 and Dopamine-mediated Regulation of Renal Phosphate Transport.”

Marcelo B. Sztein, MD

Marcelo B. Sztein, MD, professor, Department of Pediatrics and Center for Vaccine Development, received a five-year $14,786,549 National Institutes of Health Research Project Cooperative Agreement (U19) entitled “Mucosal Immunity, Vaccines and Microbiota Interplay in Humans and Animal Models” to establish a Cooperative Center for Translational Research on Human Immunology and Biodefense (CCHI) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB). Research at the UMB CCHI will focus on furthering our understanding of the protective immunological mechanisms that are elicited upon oral immunization in the gastrointestinal tract microenvironment. Moreover, the CCHI team of investigators will conduct pioneering studies on the interactions between the local intestinal microbiota and the host immunity following oral vaccination. Further goals of this grant involve the development of novel technologies to advance and accelerate vaccine development in humans. The award provides $2 million in direct costs per year and also involves Claire Fraser-Liggett, PhD, professor, Department of Medicine, and director, Institute of Genome Sciences; Steven Czinn, MD, professor and chair, Department of Pediatrics; Alessio Fasano, MD, professor, Department of Pediatrics, and director, Mucosal Biology Research Center and the Center for Celiac Research; Tom Blanchard, PhD, associate professor, Department of Pediatrics; and Bruce Greenwald, MD, professor, Department of Medicine.

Terez Shea-Donohue, PhD

Terez Shea-Donohue, PhD, professor, Department of Medicine and Mucosal Biology Research Center, received a one-year $300,000 RC1 Supplemental Award from National Institutes of Health for her grant entitled “Novel Therapy for Post-Irradiation Insult to Gut Mucosa.”

Jian Zhang, PhD

Jian Zhang, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, and Richard Y. Zhao, PhD, associate professor, Departments of Pathology and Microbiology & Immunology and Institute of Human Virology, received a two-year $397,500 R21 Award from the National Institutes of Health for their work entitled “Meas-urement of CCR5 and CCL3L1 on Single Cell by Fluorescent Metal Nanoparticle.”

Jeffrey A. Winkles, PhD

Jeffrey A. Winkles, PhD, professor, Departments of Surgery and Physiology and Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, received a four-year $1,245,000 grant from the National Cancer Institute for his work entitled “TWEAK-Fn14 Signaling in the Tumor Microenvironment.” The first two years of this award are funded by the Obama administration’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Additionally, Dr. Winkles received a one-year $112,449 grant from the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program for his work entitled “Targeted Therapy of Fn14-Positive Breast Tumors Using a TWEAK-Cytotoxin Fusion Protein or Noncovalent Complex” and a five-year $337,500 subcontract award as a co-investigator on a National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke grant entitled “TWEAK-induced Ischemic Neuronal Death.”

Aiping Zhao, MD

Claudia Baquet, MD, MPH

Claudia Baquet, MD, MPH, professor, Department of Medicine, and associate dean for Policy and Planning, received the CISCRP, or The Center for Information & Study on Clinical Research Participation, Award for Supporting Public Outreach and Community Building. Representing the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Dr. Baquet delivered the opening presentation during AWARE for All, the clinical education day organized by CISCRP in Baltimore in May 2009. Additionally, Dr. Baquet was inducted into the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, Gamma Chapter of Tennessee.

Amber Beitelshees, PharmD, MPH

Amber Beitelshees, PharmD, MPH, assistant professor, Department of Medicine, received the 2009 American College of Clinical Pharmacy Cardiology Practice Research Network Junior Investigator Award. This award recognizes outstanding early career research in the area of cardiovascular pharmacotherapy.

Gary D. Plotnick, MD

Gary D. Plotnick, MD, professor, Department of Medicine, was chosen by the University of Maryland School of Medicine Class of 2009 to receive a Student Council Faculty Award in the Pre-Clinical category. Dr. Plotnick received the award at the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Convocation Ceremony on May 15, 2009.

Department of Medicine’s
Division of Cardiology

The Department of Medicine’s Division of Cardiology created the Gary D. Plotnick, MD, Teacher of the Year Award to be awarded annually to the cardiology faculty member, as chosen by the cardiology fellows, as the best teacher over the preceding year. The recipient of the first annual Plotnick award was Robert E. Hood Jr., MD, assistant professor, Department of Medicine, who was presented with a plaque at the fellows’ farewell banquet on June 25, 2009.

The Department of Medicine’s Occupational Health Program

The Department of Medicine’s Occupational Health Program was recently designated a World Health Organization Collaborating Center in Occupational Health. This designation recognizes existing collaborations in capacity building and expert consultations on occupational health topics requested by the Ministries of Health in the Americas and provided by Collaborating Center partners. In June 2009, Joanna Gaitens, PhD, MSN, MPH, assistant professor, Department of Medicine; and Melissa McDiarmid, MD, MPH, professor, Department of Medicine, and director, Occupational Health Program, provided training to healthcare leaders in Georgetown, Guyana, on hospital hazards and preparation for pandemic influenza at the invitation of the Guyanese Ministry of Health.