Sniff and scratch?
Environmental or chemical intolerance may be the culprit
A headache after smelling strong perfume. Queasiness after sitting in a new car, surrounded by the aromas of fresh leather and carpet glue. Confusion after walking through vehicle exhaust fumes.
These could be signs of chemical or environmental intolerance, which affects about 20 percent of chronically ill patients, said Claudia S. Miller, M.D., M.S., an occupational and environmental health expert with UT Health San Antonio.
Everyday chemicals in the home, workplace or outdoors can trigger this intolerance, called Toxicant-Induced Loss of Tolerance. As common as the intolerances are, though, they rarely are diagnosed by physicians, Dr. Miller said.
In answer, she launched an online questionnaire called the Quick Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory, the only one of its kind validated in several countries and offered in multiple languages that comprehensively assesses symptom severity, severity of intolerances and life impact. Accessible for free on desktop computers and handheld devices at https://tiltresearch.org/, it generates a summary of the users’ responses that can be shared with their doctors to determine if they suffer from chemical and environmental intolerance and identify which substances are to blame.
"Patients who otherwise would suffer in silence can now measure whether chemical exposures contribute to their illnesses," Dr. Miller said.
The test screens for multiple chemical intolerances on four scales: symptom severity, chemical intolerances, other intolerances and life impact. Each scale contains 10 items, scored from zero to 10, to rank severity. There’s also a "masking index," which gauges ongoing exposures and overlapping symptoms that hide responses, blocking one’s awareness of their intolerances, and the intensity of their responses to exposures.
Online hub links patients, researchers and physicians
Patients seeking treatments not yet available to the public have a new resource: the UT Health Science Center’s FindAStudy hub.
The online tool, vpr.uthscsa.edu/findastudy, also provides information for physicians and researchers who need human study participants, and allows investigators to find research collaborators.
In bold colors at the top of the webpage are numbers that show how many research studies are being conducted by Health Science Center researchers and a running tally of how many categories are currently being investigated. The numbers are updated regularly, said Joseph Schmelz, Ph.D., RN, CIP, FAAN, assistant vice president for research operations at the Health Science Center.
"Since FindAStudy is linked to our Institutional Review Board database, it automatically posts our new IRB-approved human studies and then removes them when they are closed, so it is always up to date," said Dr. Schmelz.
There are categories related to aging and geriatric research; men’s, women’s and children’s health; diabetes; eye and dental diseases; nutrition; and studies for which healthy subjects are needed.
Martin Javors, Ph.D., a professor of psychiatry and pharmacology, conducts preclinical and human studies involving substance abuse. He found the new site helpful for finding subjects, he said.
"I received about 10 responses from healthy subjects for an ongoing study and a couple of inquiries for participating in a recently funded study to measure the level of a biological marker in the blood that reflects how much alcohol a person has consumed in the past few days," said Dr. Javors. "We hope to find some participants through FindAStudy."
The site also features links to clinicaltrials.gov, a registry and results database of publicly and privately supported human clinical studies, and researchmatch.org, a registry of human research studies offered by other academic institutions.
Mark Nijland, Ph.D., assistant vice president for research and associate professor in the Center for Pregnancy and Newborn Research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, was also the project leader of FindAStudy. The site will evolve over time, he said.
"We have a very robust search engine that will help users easily hone in on what they are seeking," said Dr. Nijland. "We are planning to continue improving the website over time."
Federal grant seeks to attract Hispanic students to dental careers
With a $2.7 million federal grant, the School of Dentistry at the UT Health Science Center is expanding access to culturally competent dental care in South Texas by attracting local Hispanic students to the profession.
The Center of Excellence grant was awarded in July 2013 by the Health Resources and Services Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Investigators for the grant are Juanita Lozano-Pineda, D.D.S., M.P.H., and Jeff Hicks, D.D.S.
In addition to creating a pipeline of students from Laredo and the Rio Grande Valley heading toward dental careers, the four-year grant provides career development opportunities like fellowships and workshops for Hispanic faculty.
"I’m excited about reaching out to students from the Rio Grande Valley and Laredo areas, with hopes they become motivated to pursue a career in dentistry and someday deliver quality health care to patients in their communities," said Dr. Lozano-Pineda, a Brownsville native and Hispanic faculty fellow of a previous Hispanic Center of Excellence grant.
A primary objective is to increase opportunities for Hispanics to enter and successfully complete a dental academic program. Other goals include enriching dental student education, participating in community-based dental education and research, and emphasizing culturally competent dental care.
The School of Dentistry’s Hispanic Center of Excellence reaches out to high school, college and School of Dentistry students through recruitment, summer academic and leadership development programs, and faculty development training.
New dean selected for School of Health Professions
David Shelledy, Ph.D., who served as founding chair of the Department of Respiratory Care from 1994 to 2004, will rejoin the UT Health Science Center as dean of the School of Health Professions,. July 1.
Dr. Shelledy comes from Rush University-Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, where he is dean of the College of Health Sciences and professor of Health Systems Management.
Dr. Shelledy holds the Catherine and R. Winfield-Philip N. Jones, M.D. Professorship of University Affairs at Rush. He also has joint appointments in the departments of Clinical Sciences and Respiratory Care.
"We are happy to welcome Dr. Shelledy back to the Health Science Center. He did an outstanding job here as the founding chairman of our Department of Respiratory Care," said President William L. Henrich, M.D., MACP.
Atrium named in recognition of gift
A $250,000 gift from Florida dentist Jeffrey P. Feingold, D.D.S., M.S.D., and his wife, Barbara, for the School of Dentistry and construction of the Center for Oral Health Care & Research will be recognized with the naming of a 1,510 square-foot atrium.
Located on the first floor of the Center for Oral Health Care & Research, The Dr. Jeffrey P. Feingold Atrium will be the public’s primary entrance. A plaque and portrait of the couple will be featured in the area.
"We are exceptionally honored by Dr. Feingold’s interest in the university and the School of Dentistry, and the association of his name will add prestige to our school and the Center for Oral Health Care & Research," said William L. Henrich, M.D., MACP, president of the Health Science Center.
Dr. Feingold is the founder, chairman and CEO of MCNA Insurance Co., the largest privately held dental insurance company in the country. MCNA, a leading administrator of dental benefits for Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) and Medicare programs, serves nearly 4 million members across the United States. The company’s regional office in San Antonio has over 300 employees that serve Medicaid and CHIP enrollees throughout Texas.
Dr. Feingold is a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology and has been a licensed Florida periodontist since 1971. While a resident at the Eastman Institute for Oral Health in Rochester, N.Y., Dr. Feingold was involved with developing clinical protocols for dental sealants in children. Today, he continues this focus on the prevention of tooth loss and early detection of tooth decay, and emphasizes the idea of total patient care.
"Dr. Feingold’s legacy will shape the future of dental education, research, patient care and community service for generations to come," Dr. Henrich said.
The Center for Oral Health Care & Research is expected to open July 2015.
Presidential praise
Health Science Center faculty and staff members who work hard to further the university’s missions of research, education, clinical care and service were recognized at the 2014 Presidential Awards ceremony in February.
This year’s highest Presidential Award, the Distinguished Scholar Award, was presented to Donald M. Dougherty, Ph.D., the William and Marguerite Wurzbach Distinguished Professor and deputy chair for research in the Department of Psychiatry, and professor in the Department of Pharmacology.
Dr. Dougherty’s translational research focuses on the various biological risk factors involved in drug abuse, drug dependence and suicide. Since joining the Health Science Center in 2007, Dr. Dougherty has accumulated nearly $20 million in funding, with the majority coming from the National Institutes of Health. He is principal investigator of five R-01 grants.
Award winners include:
Distinguished Scholar Award
• Donald M. Dougherty, Ph.D., Psychiatry and Pharmacology
Junior Research Scholar Award
• Michael Beckstead, Ph.D., Physiology
Teaching Excellence Awards
• Michelle Arandes, M.D., Pediatrics
• William P. Clarke, Ph.D., Pharmacology
• Lisa Cleveland, Ph.D., RN, PNP-BC, Family and Community Health Systems
• Kristin Fiebelkorn, M.D., Pathology
• Michaell Huber, D.D.S., Comprehensive Dentistry
• Diane Solomon, M.D., Neurology
• Kristine Vogel, Ph.D., Cellular and Structural Biology
• Earlanda Williams, Ph.D., Cellular and Structural Biology
Clinical Excellence Awards
• Cynthia Blanco, M.D., Pediatrics
• Autumn D. Clegg, M.S.O.T., OTR, Occupational Therapy
• Scott B. Johnson, M.D., FACS, FCCP, Cardiothoracic Surgery
• Anand B. Karnad, M.D., Hematology and Oncology
Employee Excellence in Service Awards
• Elizabeth Kay Eskew, Microbiology and Immunology
• Carol L. Kopplin, Legal Affairs
• Sarah Lindauer, Cellular and Structural Biology
• Rebecca Nixon, School of Dentistry’s Office of Continuing Dental Education
• Juan Reyna, RN, M.B.A., Regional Academic Health Center-Harlingen
President’s Choice Award
• Special Events Council
Appointments and awards
Ryan Bierle, PA-C, a specialist in emergency medicine, is one of only 108 certified physician assistants nationally to earn a specialty credential called a Certificate of Added Qualifications in Emergency Medicine from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. He is one of only 36 certified PAs in Texas and 530 PAs nationwide to earn the certificate since the program’s inception in 2011.
Norma Martinez Rogers, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, professor of nursing, has been appointed to a second three-year term as a commissioner for the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC). Dr. Martinez Rogers was an inaugural member of MACPAC, which is a non-partisan federal agency charged with providing policy and data analysis to Congress on Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. The commissioners make recommendations to Congress, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the states on a wide range of issues.
Stacey Young-McCaughan, Ph.D., RN,professor of psychiatry, was honored March 21 by the White House with its Women Veteran Leaders Champions of Change award. The award recognizes women who empower and inspire communities. Dr. Young-McCaughan serves as director of research for the STRONG STAR Consortium and the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD. The consortia together represent more than $100 million in research on post-traumatic stress disorder and related conditions, and are led by the UT Health Science Center San Antonio.
Inspiring hope: Greehey, donors model commitment to community
"To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived; this is to have succeeded."
For decades, the verse of 19th century American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson has rung true for many who reach out to help others in need. Bill Greehey is among those. Some might say Greehey is the epitome of Emerson’s philosophy, making it his life’s work to lift up the less fortunate. At the UT Health Science Center, Greehey shines as a beacon of hope and a leader in advancing the university’s mission to "make lives better."
"We needed a champion back then, and we found one in Bill Greehey," declaredWilliam L. Henrich, M.D., UT Health Science Center president, at the university’s sixth annual President’s Gala, "An Evening of Hope," held this past fall in San Antonio. Dr. Henrich announced a $5 million gift that night from the Greehey Family Foundation to the university, which pushed the Health Science Center’s Campaign for the Future of Health over its goal of $500 million.
Dr. and Mrs. Henrich were joined by more than 1,500 community and academic leaders and students in attendance at the gala, which paid tribute to Greehey, one of the world’s most admired businessmen and philanthropists. Greehey is chairman of the board of NuStar Energy, L.P., one of the largest petroleum pipeline and terminal operators in America.
Greehey has been a longtime and steadfast supporter of the Health Science Center. In 2007, a historic gift of $25 million from the Greehey Family Foundation launched the momentum for the university’s Campaign for the Future of Health. In full circle fashion, the $5 million gift announced at the gala from the Greehey Family Foundation closed the campaign.
"It’s only fitting that our campaign culminates with a major gift from him," Dr. Henrich said.
Promoting community health
The 2013 community wide gala raised almost $600,000 to establish two funds named for honoree Bill Greehey and The Greehey Family Foundation.
The Greehey Family Foundation Endowment for Community Service will support faculty and student programs directly benefitting the health and well-being of the community.
The Greehey Family Foundation Fund for Community Service and Patient Needs, "The Hope Fund," will support the university’s mission of service by addressing patients’ urgent lifesaving medical needs.
With the foundation’s emphasis on supporting health and human welfare, children’s causes, education and the homeless, Greehey said the foundation’s partnership with the university allows both entities to make more lives better.
Providing for the poor and homeless
"We are proud of our partnership with the UT Health Science Center. By joining forces, the foundation and the university can continue to make a greater difference in the health and well-being of men, women and children - not just in San Antonio, but in communities across the world - thanks to the world-class research that is being done at the Health Science Center," Greehey said. "And, I am also proud of our collaborative work to provide health and dental care to the working poor and homeless in our community."
Dr. Henrich said the Health Science Center hosts the communitywide gala to showcase the university’s missions, raise funds to support the work of the faculty and students across the university, and honor exceptional leaders who work to make a difference locally, regionally and nationally.
President Henrich and Mary Henrich (right) honor Bill and Louree Greehey at the sixth annual President’s Gala.
Click to see more gala photos.
Nationally ranked business leader
"We are especially proud to pay tribute to one of our most iconic and admired businessmen and philanthropists, Bill Greehey." Dr. Henrich said.
"Earlier this year, The Harvard Business Review ranked Bill near the top of its listing of The 100 Best-Performing CEOs in the world. This recognition of the tremendous success he has achieved as a chief executive officer also reflects Bill’s dedication to his employees, our city and all persons in need," Dr. Henrich said. "The Health Science Center is thrilled to honor Bill Greehey and The Greehey Family Foundation for their strong commitment to San Antonio and to our university."
The Greehey Family Foundation’s unwavering support has allowed Health Science Center scientists at the Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute to devote their time to understanding children’s cancer with the goal of creating new and better treatments.
In 2006, Greehey launched Haven for Hope in San Antonio, an innovative program to transform and save the lives of homeless individuals and families. Now, Health Science Center medical students and dental residents receive clinical training there while providing faculty-supervised care to patients who otherwise could not access or afford care.
Through Greehey’s selfless commitment and generosity, student scholarships, community outreach programs, and faculty recruitment and retention are made possible - all aimed at the goal of making lives better in San Antonio and the world.
Dr. Carl Raba supports lifesaving care
Retaining exceptional faculty physicians, who provide lifesaving care to patients, at the Health Science Center is the goal of Carl F. Raba Jr., Ph.D., chairman and CEO of Raba-Kistner Consultants Inc. of San Antonio. Dr. Raba joined Greehey and others in attendance at the gala and also joined them in advancing the university through philanthropic support.
A $500,000 gift from Dr. Raba established the Carl Raba Family Chair in Neuro-Oncology at the Cancer Therapy & Research Center at the UT Health Science Center.John R. Floyd III, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Neurosurgery, is the holder of the chair. Dr. Raba said he made the gift because "San Antonio needs physicians like Dr. Floyd and his colleagues. I have witnessed their remarkable skills and compassion firsthand. They saved my daughter’s life."
Cathy Raba Wolfe and her father Carl Raba Jr., Ph.D. Click to see video and to learn more about Bill Greehey’s and Cathy Raba Wolfe’s inspiring stories.
In the fall of 2011, Dr. Raba’s daughter, Cathy Raba Wolfe, the youngest of his five children, began suffering from severe headaches, problems with her vision and other unusual symptoms. What doctors at the Health Science Center found shocked Cathy, Dr. Raba and their entire family. A massive tumor had developed in her skull and sinus cavities and was placing painful pressure on her optical nerves. Subsequent biopsies revealed the tumor was cancerous. Cathy was diagnosed with Esthesioneuroblastoma (ENB), also known as olfactory neuroblastoma, a rare growth of cancerous tissue originating in the nasal cavity. Only about 1,000 cases have been identified since the first instance was described in 1924.
"I learned that about only 10 people a year in the world are diagnosed with this type of cancer," Cathy said. "I was in disbelief and, initially, felt desperate. Why and how could this have happened to me?" But Cathy said her husband, Bob, and her father never gave up hope and encouraged her to have faith. "They had complete confidence in the Health Science Center doctors and with good reason," she said. "They saved my life. After the initial shock of the diagnosis, I realized I needed to be an active participant in my treatment if I was to survive. Dr. Otto would call our home to check on me and my family. He reassured us that we were in good hands."
Collaborative, compassionate care
Dr. Randy Otto, M.D., is professor and chair and the Thomas Walthall Folbre, M.D., Endowed Chair in Otolaryngology at the Health Science Center. He joined Dr. Floyd,Andrew Brenner, M.D., Ph.D., medical oncologist at the CTRC; Tony Eng, M.D.,radiation oncologist; Howard T. Wang, M.D., associate professor and chief of plastic and reconstructive surgery; and Carlos Rosende, M.D., the Herbert F. Mueller Chair in the Department of Ophthalmology, in leading Cathy’s diagnosis, surgery and care.
On Feb. 24, 2012, as Cathy lay on the gurney at University Hospital ready to be rolled into her operation, Dr. Otto held her hand and told her he and the team and her family were all praying for her.
"After a 20-plus-hour surgery, four days in the Intensive Care Unit and two weeks at University Hospital recovering, Cathy was able to go home. She has undergone subsequent treatment and care and is now doing very well. Her life is returning to normal one step at a time." Dr. Raba said. "Her doctors are the best. We have been overwhelmed by their exceptional skills as surgeons as well as by their sensitivity and compassion. San Antonio needs more doctors like them. Patients, like Cathy, don’t have to travel outside of the city for this kind of care. It’s right here."
Inspired to help others
Dr. Raba, who earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees in civil engineering from Texas A&M University and is an avid Aggie and football fan, said a quote from the late UT Austin Longhorn football coach Darrell Royal has inspired his philosophy of giving.
"The late coach once said, ‘You’ve got to dance with the one who brung ya.’ I have always incorporated his wisdom in my philosophy of life. Remember those who have helped you along the way and find a way to help them in return. We can never repay the good doctors at the Health Science Center for saving Cathy’s life. But our gift is a small way we can help and inspire others to help keep them here in San Antonio where they can multiply their lifesaving care in future patients."
Family’s goal to beat cancer results in new endowment for hematology/oncology
It was during his treatment that McDonald met several fellows in the Division of Hematology/Oncology. A fellow in hematology/oncology is an M.D. who has completed three years of internal medicine residency upon entering the three-year hematology/oncology program.
McDonald enjoyed and appreciated the company of these "bright young people."
"The fellows were so compassionate and full of optimism," said his son John McDonald, D.D.S. "They buoyed his spirits and gave him hope."
In memory of their father and to honor their mother, Sara, and her loving support, the three McDonald children - Linda McDonald Rowe, Kathleen Herman and Dr. John McDonald - decided to create a permanent endowment bearing their parents’ names for the Division of Hematology/Oncology in the Long School of Medicine. This endowment establishes an award to support the fellows’ activities in oncology research. Each year an outstanding fellow will be named a McDonald Scholar.
Sara McDonald said, "We want to support the research of these brilliant and immensely talented doctors so they may apply their strengths in cancer research with opportunities for discovery that touch the lives of thousands."
Sara McDonald speaks highly of the award’s first recipient, Lindsay Peterson, M.D. Dr. Peterson studies pancreatic tumor suppression and increased chemotherapy response. "I am so impressed with Lindsay and all her accomplishments and research," she said.
Endowments such as the McDonald’s are crucial to the support of breakthrough research. Their gift not only advances the innovative research by outstanding, young investigators but also brings the promise of hope to future patients.
CTRC benefits from Book & Author Luncheon
Nearly 1,100 people — the largest group ever — attended the San Antonio Express News Book & Author Luncheon benefiting the Institute for Drug Development (IDD). IDD is the Phase I Clinical Research program of the Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC), part of the UT Health Science Center San Antonio.
Preliminary figures show that the gross amount raised at this year’s luncheon was $298,884, which includes $40,075 from the sale of books — $6,400 more than the book sale at last year’s event.
Featured authors this year were world-renowned A. Scott Berg, former U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Scott Anderson, Jamie Deen, Bob Staake and Kathleen Kent.
Also among those attending the luncheon were legendary University of Texas football coach Fred Akers and his son, Dan Akers, who are both cancer survivors. The two men and their families were featured in an upbeat Health Science Center-produced video telling the stories of how Fred Akers overcame prostate cancer and his son beat renal cell carcinoma with the help of CTRC physicians and researchers.
CTRC is one of only four National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers in Texas.