Laure Aurelian, PhD

Laure Aurelian, PhD, professor, Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics; Aric G. Colunga, BS; and Jennifer M. Laing, BS, both graduate students in Dr. Aurelian’s lab, co-authored an article entitled “The HSV-2 Mutant _PK Induces Melanoma Oncolysis Via Non-redundant Death Programs and Associated with Autophagy and Pyroptosis Proteins” in the July 2009 issue of Gene Therapy.

France Carrier, PhD

Steven C. Cunningham, MD

Steven C. Cunningham, MD, chief resident, Department of Surgery, wrote a children’s book of art and poetry, Dinosaur Name Poems, that recently was released by Three Conditions Press. Children ages four to 12 are the target audience for this richly illustrated, bilingual (English/Spanish) book, including an extensive illustrated glossary of technical terms and prehistoric creatures. Dinosaur Name Poems is notable for its historic correctness. It has the rare distinction of being a Paleontological Research Institution-approved book. This designation was given to the book’s content and illustrations by noted author and paleontologist Dr. Richard A. Kissel, director of Teacher Programs at the Paleontological Research Institute and its Museum of the Earth in Ithaca, New York, who reviewed the book. Dr. Cunningham is also the author of multiple articles on medical nomenclature.

Vasken Dilsizian, MD

Vasken Dilsizian, MD, professor, Department of Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, was the lead author of “The Year in Coronary Artery Disease” in JACC Cardiovascular Imaging, June 2009;2:774–786, “PET Myocardial Perfusion and Metabolism Clinical Imaging,” which was e-published ahead of print on June 4, 2009, in the Journal of Nuclear Cardiology and “Qualitative and Quantitative Scrutiny by Regulatory Process: Is the Truth Subjective or Objective?” in the August 2009 issue of JACC Cardiovascular Imaging.

Michael Donnenberg, MD

Michael Donnenberg, MD, professor, Department of Medicine, co-published an article entitled “Attaching and Effacing Escherichia coli Downregulate DNA Mismatch Repair Protein in vitro and Are Associated with Colorectal Adenocarcinomas in Humans” in the June 2009 edition of PloS ONE 4. Additionally, Dr. Donnenberg co-published “The Role of K2 Capsule in Escherichia coli Urinary Tract Infection and Serum Resistance” in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, 199, June 15, 2009.

Braxton Mitchell, PhD, MPH

Braxton Mitchell, PhD, MPH, professor, Department of Medicine, participated in the first joint publication among members of the International Stroke Genetics Consortium, co-authoring “Sequence Variants on Chromosome 9p21.3 Confer Risk for Atherosclerotic Stroke” in the Annals of Neurology, 2009, May; 65(5):531-9.

W. Florian Fricke, PhD
and Jacques Ravel, PhD

W. Florian Fricke, PhD (pictured), research associate, Department of Microbiology & Immunology and Institute for Genome Sciences, and Jacques Ravel, PhD, associate professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology and Institute for Genome Sciences, were first and last authors, respectively, of an article entitled “Comparative Genomics of the IncA/C Multidrug Resistance Plasmid Family” in Bacteriology, 2009 August; 191(15):4750-7. In addition, Drs. Fricke and Ravel, along with David Rasko, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology and Institute for Genome Sciences, co-authored an article entitled “Antimicrobial Resistance-encoding APEC Plasmids in Salmonella Enteric Serovar Kentucky from Poultry” in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2009 September; 75(18).

Rao P. Gullapalli, PhD; Bao Zhang, PhD; Alan B. McMillan, PhD; and Howard M. Richard, III, MD

Ziv Haskal, MD

Ziv Haskal, MD, professor, Department of Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, co-authored “Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology for Budd-Chiari Syndrome” in the May/June 2009 issue of RadioGraphics, 29:679–681.

Ayse L. Mindikoglu, MD, MPH, and Laurence S. Magder, PhD, MPH

Ayse L. Mindikoglu, MD, MPH, assistant professor, Department of Medicine, and Laurence S. Magder, PhD, MPH, professor, Department of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine, co-published “Outcome of Patients with Drug-Induced Acute Liver Failure after Liver Transplantation: Analysis of the United Network for Organ Sharing Database” in Liver Transplantation, 2009; 15:719-729.

Stuart E. Mirvis, MD; Kathirkama Shanmuganathan, MD; Lisa A. Miller, MD; and Clint W. Sliker, MD

Stuart Mirvis, MD (left), professor, Kathirkama Shanmuganathan, MD, professor, Lisa A. Miller, MD, assistant professor, and Clint W. Sliker, MD, assistant professor, all from the Department of Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, authored the text Emergency Radiology, Case Review Series, published by Elsevier.

Elijah Saunders, MD

Elijah Saunders, MD, professor, Department of Medicine, contributed the foreword in Spirituality and Medicine, a book authored by G.F. Hodges and H.B. Belton and published by AuthorHouse in Bloomington, Indiana, in May 2009.

Nabile M. Safdar, MD; Fauzia Qureshi Vandemeer, MD; Nancy Knight, PhD; Paul G. Nagy, PhD; and Eliot L. Siegel, MD

Nabile M. Safdar, MD (pictured), assistant professor; Fauzia Qureshi Vandemeer, MD, assistant professor; Nancy Knight, PhD, assistant professor; Paul G. Nagy, PhD, associate professor; and Eliot L. Siegel, MD, professor, all from the Department of Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, published “Vision and Quality in the Digital Imaging Environment:  How Much Does the Visual Acuity of Radiologists Vary at an Intermediate Distance?” in the June 2009 issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology, 192:W335–340. In addition, Dr. Nagy co-authored “Should Radiology IT Be Owned by the Chief Information Officer?” in the June 2009 issue of the Journal of Digital Imaging, 22:218–221.

Jing Tian, PhD; Timm-Michael Dickfeld, MD; Mark Smith, PhD; and Jean Jeudy, Jr., MD

Charles S. White, MD; Thomas Flukinger, MD; Jean Jeudy, Jr., MD; and Joseph J. Chen, MD

David M. Widlus, MD, and
Raj Shekhar, PhD

Michael Donnenberg, MD

Michael Donnenberg, MD, professor, Department of Medicine, received a two-year $242,000 R21 Award from the National Cancer Institute for his work entitled “Escherichia coli and Colorectal Carcinogenesis.”

Thomas Donner, MD

Richard Eckert, PhD

Richard Eckert, PhD, professor and chair, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, was awarded a four-month $9,690 Administrative Supplement from the National Institutes of Health under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for Providing Summer Research Experiences for Students and Scientists. The grant, entitled “Polycomb Genes and Keratinocyte Function,” focused on providing a student with a unique opportunity to explore science as a career option.

Amy Fulton, PhD

Amy Fulton, PhD, professor, Department of Pathology and Program in Oncology, received a three-year $775,750 grant from the US Department of Defense for “Reducing Breast Cancer Mortality by Targeting the COX-2 Pathway.”

W. Florian Fricke, PhD
and Owen White, PhD

W. Florian Fricke, PhD (pictured), research associate, Department of Microbiology & Immunology and Institute for Genome Sciences, and Owen White, PhD, professor, Department of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine, and director of Bioinformatics, Institute for Genome Sciences, received a two-year $439,600 grant from the National Science Foundation to generate a bioinformatic resource for their work entitled “Automated and Portable Sequence Analysis Using Virtual Machines and Cloud Computing.”

Dhan V. Kalvakolanu, PhD

Dhan V. Kalvakolanu, PhD, professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology and Program in Oncology, has been awarded a one-year $18,000 administrative supplement to his National Cancer Institute R01 grant entitled “Cytokine Modulated Model Growth Inhibitory Mechanisms.” This supplement will purchase equipment.

Maria Baer, MD; Ivana Gojo, MD; Saul Yanovich, MD

Maria Baer, MD, professor, Department of Medicine and Program in Oncology, will serve as the principal investigator of the Myeloproliferative Disorders Research Consortium (MPD-RC) at the University of Maryland, while Ivana Gojo, MD, associate professor, and Saul Yanovich, MD, professor, both from the Department of Medicine and Program in Oncology, will serve as co-investigators. The University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center has become a member of the MPD-RC, an international, multi-institutional non-profit consortium funded by the National Cancer Institute and set up to coordinate, facilitate and perform basic and clinical research investigating the genetic and cellular mechanisms of the Philadelphia chromosome negative myeloproliferative disorders. Two MPD-RC clinical trials have been opened at the University of Maryland: A phase I/I trial of the JAK2 inhibitor CEP-701 (Lestaurtinib) in myelofibrosis, and a phase II study of fludarabine-based conditioning for allogeneic stem cell transplantation for myelofibrosis.

Richard Eckert, PhD

Richard Eckert, PhD, professor and chair, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, was elected to the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology’s Public Affairs Advisory Committee for 2009.

Mary Rodgers, PT, PhD, FAPTA

Mary Rodgers, PT, PhD, FAPTA, professor and chair, Department of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Science, started a one-year sabbatical beginning September 1, 2009, to accept an appointment as an American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow with the National Institute of Bioimaging and Bioengineering at the National Institutes of Health. During her sabbatical, Mark Rogers, PT, PhD, professor, will serve as interim chair of the department, while also continuing as vice chair for Research and director of the PhD Program in Physical Rehabilitation Science.

Soren Snitker, MD, PhD

Soren Snitker, MD, PhD, formerly assistant professor, Department of Medicine, has been promoted to associate professor.

Gerald Wilson, PhD

Gerald Wilson, PhD, formerly assistant professor, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, has been promoted to associate professor.

Robert J. Habicht, MD

Robert J. Habicht, MD, assistant professor, Department of Medicine, received the annual Theodore E. Woodward, M.D. Faculty Prize in Medicine in June 2009 for his exemplary teaching and patient care. The endowed award was created through the generosity of the Woodward family, alumni, faculty and friends after the July 11, 2005, passing of Theodore E. Woodward, ’38. Dr. Woodward served on the School of Medicine faculty from 1948 to 2003 and was chair of the Department of Medicine from 1954 to 1981. Dr. Woodward is remembered as a superb teacher, master clinician, distinguished scientist and caring physician.

Olga Ioffe, MD

Olga Ioffe, MD, associate professor, Department of Pathology and Program in Oncology, received The Harlan I. Firminger, MD Faculty Teaching Prize in Pathology. This teaching award was made possible by an endowed prize in the Department of Pathology that was established by Wilson A. Heefner, MD, Class of 1960, to express his gratitude for the high quality of education he received at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and to specifically recognize a distinguished faculty member (Dr. Firminger) who was influential in his decision to pursue pathology as a career. This award recognizes excellence in teaching as determined by the Department of Pathology, with input from student evaluation forms. Dr. Ioffe is the first faculty recipient of the Harlan I. Firminger, MD Faculty Teaching Prize in Pathology and will receive a monetary award. A plaque listing all recipients of the award will be on display in the department.

Elijah Saunders, MD

Elijah Saunders, MD, professor, Department of Medicine, received the “Living Legend Award” from Associated Black Charities (ABC). He was recognized at ABC’s Annual Fundraising Gala, held in Baltimore in June 2009, for his philanthropic contributions to the field of medicine.

Lai-Xi Wang, PhD

Lai-Xi Wang, PhD, professor, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Institute of Human Virology and Program in Oncology, has been elected to The Johns Hopkins University Society of Scholars. Wang and 14 other esteemed scientists and clinicians were honored during the society’s 40th induction ceremony and at the university’s Commencement Ceremony in May 2009. The Society of Scholars was created on the recommendation of former president Milton S. Eisenhower and approved by the university board of trustees on May 1, 1967. The society — the first of its kind in the nation — inducts former postdoctoral fellows, postdoctoral degree recipients, house staff and junior or visiting faculty at Johns Hopkins who have gained marked distinction in their fields of physical, biological, medical, social, or engineering sciences or in the humanities. Dr. Wang was a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins in the Department of Biology from 1993 to 1997. His research since that time has provided important new insights for HIV vaccine design and propelled him to the forefront of the anti-HIV field. Specifically, he has explored carbohydrate antigens as a target for an HIV vaccine by synthesizing novel oligosaccharides (saccharide polymers) to mimic the antigens on the viral envelope. The Committee of the Johns Hopkins Society of Scholars elects the scholars from among nominations made by Johns Hopkins faculty members. At induction, the scholars are presented with a diploma and a medallion on a black and gold ribbon to be worn with their academic robe.

Vasken Dilsizian, MD

Vasken Dilsizian, MD, professor, Department of Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, was presented by Reuben Mezrich, MD, PhD, professor and chair, with the Bruce Roberts Line Award, as part of the department’s annual Research Day on June 12, 2009. The award is given in memory of the distinguished clinical and research service of former professor Dr. Line, who died in 2007, and recognizes significant and innovative achievements in scientific research and leadership.