Appointments and awards
Carlos Roberto Jaén, M.D., Ph.D., chairman of the Department of Family and Community Medicine, has been named chair-elect of the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM), the board that certifies the nation’s family physicians. Dr. Jaén will chair the board for one year starting in 2014. Dr. Jaén occupies the Dr. and Mrs. James L. Holly Distinguished Professorship in the Patient-Centered Medical Home, and is a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics in the Long School of Medicine. The ABFM is one of the 24-member boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties.
David J. Jones, M.S., Ph.D., senior associate dean for admissions and professor in the Departments of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology, was named the recipient of the Robert Sabalis Award for Exemplary Service at the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) Southern Group on Student Affairs meeting this past spring. The award is in recognition of his extraordinary record of accomplishment, leadership, resourcefulness, dedication, mentorship of colleagues and commitment to the mission of the AAMC Southern Group on Student Affairs.
Charleen M. Moore, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, was named a 2013 Piper Professor by the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation. She received a $5,000 honorarium, certificate and gold pin. Only 10 faculty members statewide from institutions of higher learning are honored annually as Piper Professors. Dr. Moore is the 13th Health Science Center professor to receive this award. "I am still teaching after 40 years because of my opportunities to introduce students to the wonders of the human body, the human genome and the history of medicine," Dr. Moore said.
Kathleen R. Stevens, Ed.D., RN, professor in the Department of Health Restoration and Care Systems Management in the School of Nursing and founding director of the Academic Center for Evidence-Based Practice, was appointed to be The University of Texas System Chancellor’s Health Fellow in Inter-professional Health Delivery Science. The purpose of the fellowship is to develop a multi-institutional network of investigators across the UT System in health delivery science and related areas, including implementation science, comparative effectiveness research, and patient-centered outcomes research. Since 2007, she has garnered $9 million to support efforts that advance evidence-based quality improvement through research, education and practice.
Health Science Center faculty represented in national organizations
Faculty lead panels that maintain the ‘bar’ of quality in disciplines
School of Nursing
Eileen T. Breslin, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, dean of the School of Nursing, is president-elect of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. She will serve as president from 2014 to 2016. The association is the national voice for university and four-year college education programs in nursing, representing more than 690 member nursing schools at public and private institutions.
Adelita Cantu, Ph.D., RN, assistant professor in the Department of Family and Community Health Systems, serves on the Bylaws and Policy Committees of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) and completed a term on the NAHN Board of Directors. She is also the incoming chair of the Alliance of Nurses for a Healthy Environment.
Dental School
Irene Bober-Moken, D.M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor/clinical in the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry, is a member of the National Board Patient Management Test Construction Committee, which formulates questions used by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations in assessing the knowledge of dental students in the provision of dental care.
David P. Cappelli, D.M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., professor and director of the Research Division, Department of Comprehensive Dentistry, is a member of the Commission on Dental Accreditation, Dental Public Health Review Committee, and is a dental public health site visitor.
David Cochran, D.D.S., M.S., Ph.D., M.M.Sci., Dr. h.c., professor and chair of the Department of Periodontics, is president of the Academy of Osseointegration. The academy consists of more than 6,000 professionals and provides a focus for the rapidly advancing biotechnology involving the natural bond between bone and certain reconstructive materials.
William Dodge, D.D.S., dean of the Dental School and professor in the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry, is a member of the Commission on Dental Accreditation.
Kevin Donly, D.D.S., M.S., professor and chairman of the Department of Developmental Dentistry, is a member of the Commission on Dental Accreditation.
Lily Garcia, D.D.S., M.S., FACP, professor and director of the Advanced Education and External Affairs Division, Department of Comprehensive Dentistry, is a member of the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) Prosthodontics’ Review Commission, and is a CODA consultant and site visitor for advanced education programs in prosthodontics.
Kenneth Hargreaves, D.D.S., Ph.D., professor and chairman of the Department of Endodontics and USAA Foundation President’s Distinguished University Chair in Neurosciences, is a member of the Board of Directors of the American Association of Endodontists. The board is the policy-making body of the association and has responsibility for and authority over all policy matters concerning the association. Dr. Hargreaves has served as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Endodontics since 2003. He is also a professor of pharmacology, physiology and surgery at the Health Science Center.
Jeffery Hicks, D.D.S., FAAHD, DABSCD, professor of comprehensive dentistry, is a member of the Special Care Dentistry Association Executive Board. The association sponsors the American Board of Special Care Dentistry with proficiencies in hospital dentistry, geriatric dentistry and care of patients with special needs.
Mary Jacks, M.S., RDH, associate professor and acting director of the Dental Hygiene Division in the Department of Periodontics, serves on a regional board exam test construction committee called the Process of Care Examination for Dental Hygiene written by the Western Regional Examining Board.
David Lasho, D.D.S., M.S., assistant professor/clinical in the Department of Periodontics, is an examiner for the American Board of Periodontology.
Jeffrey Mabry, D.D.S., M.S., associate professor/clinical in the Department of Developmental Dentistry, is serving on the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry.
Brian Mealey, D.D.S, M.S., professor, graduate program director and director of the Specialist Division in the Department of Periodontics, just completed a term as chairman of the Board of Periodontology, served six years as a director of the American Board of Periodontology, is an examiner with the American Board of Periodontology, and is a consultant to the Commission on Dental Accreditation.
Michael Mills, D.M.D., M.S., clinical associate professor of periodontics, is an examiner with the American Board of Periodontology and serves on the Periodontics Review Committee for the Commission on Dental Accreditation.
Thomas Oates, D.M.D., Ph.D., professor and vice chair of the Department of Periodontics and assistant dean for clinical research of the Dental School, is director of the Southwest Region of the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network. He also serves as co-director of the South Texas Oral Health Network (STOHN). Dr. Oates is an accreditation consultant for basic science and research for the Commission on Dental Accreditation, and is a consultant for the CSW Computer Simulations LLC/Western Regional Examining Board periodontal exam.
School of Health Professions
Martha Acosta, Ph.D., PT, GCS, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy, is the item writer coordinator for the Geriatric Council of the American Physical Therapy Association, which sets the standards for geriatric physical therapists and provides educational guidelines for therapists aspiring to be a geriatric specialist.
Cheryl Burns, M.S., MLS(ASCP)cm, Distinguished Teaching Professor and associate professor in the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, serves on the Clinical Chemistry Examination Committee, Board of Certification, for the American Society for Clinical Pathology. This board is responsible for writing, reviewing and editing test items for the Technologist in Chemistry examination, the Specialist in Chemistry examination, and the chemistry test items for the Medical Laboratory Technologist and Medical Laboratory Scientist examinations. The board also reviews statistics and performance of each of these examinations and every five years completes a practice analysis for each examination category. She is also serving on the society’s 2013 Annual Meeting Abstract Review Committee and has recently completed aterm on the Student Research Paper Review Committee.
Steven Dallas, Ph.D., D(ABMM), assistant professor in the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, is a member of the American Board of Medical Microbiology (ABMM) and is a committee chair responsible for job task analysis to reformulate the ABMM board examination. Dr. Dallas is currently serving on the American Society for Clinical Pathology CheckPath Committee, which is responsible for writing peer-reviewed pathology cases for continuing education of pathologists, medical laboratory scientists and medical laboratory technicians.
Betty Dunn, M.S., CG(ASCP), associate professor and program director of cytogenetics in the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, recently completed her term as president of the Association of Genetic Technologists. She also completed a term on the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science’s Standards Revision Task Force.
Greg Ernst, PT, Ph.D., ECS, SCS, ATC, assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy, is the communications chairperson for the Central District of the Texas Physical Therapy Association, the state division of the American Physical Therapy Association.
Donna D. Gardner, M.S.H.P., RRT-NPS, FAARC, associate professor and chair of the Department of Respiratory Care, the Steven Lloyd Barshop Endowed Chair, serves as a site visitor forthe Commission on Accreditation for the Respiratory Care. She recently concluded a six-year term as the chair-elect, chair and now past chair of the Allied Health Network of the American College of Chest Physicians; she currently serves as a board trustee for the Chest Foundation in the American College of Chest Physicians. Ms. Gardner has also served as president of the Texas Society for Respiratory Care and president of the Texas Society for Allied Health Professionals.
Michael Geelhoed, D.P.T., OCS, MTC, assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy, is the chief delegate for Texas to the American Physical Therapy House of Delegates, the policy-making body for the physical therapy profession.
Mary Hart, M.S.H.A., RRT, FAARC, assistant professor and director of clinical education in the Department of Respiratory Care, serves as a board member of the National Lung Health Education Program (NLHEP) and a Steering Committee member of the Allied Health Network in the American College of Chest Physicians. Ms. Hart also served on the board of directors for the Texas Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation.
Emily Kidd, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Emergency Health Sciences, serves on the American College of Emergency Physicians Disaster Committee and is the project director for the Texas Disaster Medical System in Texas.
George Kudolo, Ph.D., FACB, professor of clinical chemistry and director of the Graduate Toxicology Program in the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, is serving a third term as the Texas delegate to the House of Delegates, American Association for Clinical Chemistry.
Craig Manifold, D.O., assistant professor in Department of Emergency Health Sciences, serves on the American College of Emergency Physicians Emergency Medical Services Committee, the National Association of EMS Physicians Quality Improvement Committee, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Emergency Medical Services Culture of Safety Project. He is also a member of EAGLES, a Consortium of Emergency Medical Services Medical Directors of the 25 largest municipal EMS programs in the U.S., and the Governor’s EMS and Trauma Advisory Committee EMS Medical Directors Committee, and is the senior physician and advisor to the Adjutant General of Texas.
Catherine Ortega, Ed.D., PT, ATC, OCS, Distinguished Teaching Professor and associate professor and chair of the Department of Physical Therapy, is past president of the World Federation of Athletic Therapy and Training, which establishes the global credentials and accreditation for sports medicine practice for allied health professionals.
Bridgett Piernik-Yoder, Ph.D., OTR, Distinguished Teaching Professor and assistant professor of occupational therapy, is past president of the Texas Society of Allied Health Professions.
Myles Quiben, PT, Ph.D., DPT, GCS, NCS, CEEAA, assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Diplomate, American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties, is serving on the Geriatrics Section of the Board of Directors for the American Physical Therapy Association. She has been appointed to the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties and is on the Examination Development Committee of the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy.
Richard Rahr, Ed.D., PA-C, adjunct professor in the Department of Physician Assistant Studies, is on the Texas Medical Board and the Texas Physician Assistant Board.
Ruben Restrepo, M.D., RRT, professor and director of the Bachelor’s Degree Completion Program for the Department of Respiratory Care, is the past chair of the Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee for the American Association for Respiratory Care, which delineates the standards of practice for the profession of respiratory care. He is also an item writer for the National Board for Respiratory Care’s Certification and Registry Examinations. Dr. Restrepo is a member of the Editorial Board for Respiratory Care, the Journal of Pediatric Intensive Care, and the Journal of Allergy and Asthma.
Linda A. Smith, Ph.D., BB, MLS(ASCP)cm, Distinguished Teaching Professor, professor and chair of the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, is president of the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science and just completed her term on the Alpha Mu Tau Honorary Fraternity Scholarship Selection Committee.
Helen Sorenson, M.A., RRT, FAARC, assistant professor in the Department of Respiratory Care, serves on the American Association for Respiratory Care 2015 Steering Committee and is the chair of the American Association for Respiratory Care’s Geriatric Roundtable. She is an item writer for the National Board for Respiratory Care’s Certification and Registered Respiratory Therapy board examinations. She is also on the Board of Directors of Christian Senior Services in San Antonio.
Lance Villers, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of the Department of Emergency Health Sciences, serves as an executive analyst and reviewer for the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Profession and is a member of the Governor’s EMS and Trauma Advisory Committee, EMS Education Committee.
Richard Wettstein, M.M.Ed., RRT, assistant professor of respiratory care, serves on the Associate of Science in Respiratory Therapy (ASRT) to the Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy (BSRT) Bridge Programs Committee for the Coalition for Baccalaureate and Graduate Respiratory Therapy Education. He recently served on the Clinical Practice Guidelines committee for the American Association for Respiratory Care, which determines the standards of care for respiratory care, and as the Central Region Secretary for the Texas Society for Respiratory Care. He is an item writer for the National Board for Respiratory Care’s Certification and Registered Respiratory Therapy board examinations.
Leo Wittnebel, Ph.D., RRT, assistant professor of respiratory care, was a consultant for the American Board of Internal Medicine’s Choosing Wisely program (Pulmonary Section) in relation to recommendations for the routine use of bronchoscopy in the intensive care unit. He recently served on the Clinical Practice Guideline Committee for the American Association for Respiratory Care.
Faculty list, as of June 1, provided by the deans’ offices of the UT Health Science Center San Antonio.
Health Science Center School of Medicine represented in national organizations
Faculty lead panels that maintain the ‘bar’ of quality in disciplines
School of Medicine
J. Jeffrey Andrews, M.D., professor and chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology in the Long School of Medicine, is secretary of the American Board of Anesthesiology.
Antonio Anzueto, M.D., professor of medicine in the Division of Pulmonary Disease, serves on the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) International GOLD Committee.
Steven Bailey, M.D., FSCAI, FACC, chair of the Janey and Dolph Briscoe Division of Cardiology, professor of medicine and radiology, and occupant of the Janey Briscoe Distinguished University Chair in Cardiovascular Research, is past president of the Society for Cardiac Angiography and Intervention; serves on the Executive Committee, Appropriate Use Criteria, for the American College of Cardiology; and is editor-in-chief of Catheterization and Cardiovascular Intervention.
Kelly Berg, Ph.D., associate professor/research in the Department of Pharmacology, is secretary/treasurer of the International Society for Serotonin Research. Her four-year term ends in 2017. Previously, Dr. Berg held the position of Councilor-North America on the organization’s board.
Lois Bready, M.D., professor of anesthesiology and senior associate dean for graduate medical education, recently concluded a six-year term on the anesthesiology Review Committee, including two years as chairman.
John Calhoon, M.D., professor and chairman of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery in the Long School of Medicine, UT Health Science Center San Antonio, is chairman of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, which formulates the standards for the board examination taken by the nation’s thoracic surgeons for certification. Dr. Calhoon has served on the board since 2003.
Andrea J. (A.J.) Carpenter, M.D., Ph.D., professor and thoracic residency associate program director in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, is a member of the Adult Cardiac Writing Committee for the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. She has served three years in this capacity. Dr. Carpenter is vice president of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association and is a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.
John Cornell, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, is associate editor for Annals of Internal Medicine.
Lynette Daws, Ph.D., professor of physiology and pharmacology, is chair of the Neuropharmacology Division of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET). ASPET is a 4,800-member scientific society whose members help develop new medicines and therapeutic agents to fight existing and emerging diseases. Dr. Daws is also vice president and president-elect of the International Society for Serotonin Research, an association for biomedical scientists who are interested in any facet of research on serotonin. The society was founded in 1987 and has a worldwide membership of more than 600 basic and clinical scientists. Dr. Daws is an associate editor for the prestigious journal, Pharmacological Reviews.
Donald Dudley, M.D., professor of obstetrics and gynecology, is chair of the Data Monitoring Committee, Obstetric Pharmacology Research Units Network for the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). The purpose of the committee is to monitor participant safety and data quality and evaluate the progress of the studies.
Paul Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry, is executive editor of Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics.
Annette Fothergill, M.A., M.B.A., associate professor/clinical in the Department of Pathology, is secretary-treasurer of the Medical Mycological Society of the Americas, an international society promoting research and education in medical mycology.
Charles France, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology, is a Councilor of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. He was elected to a three-year term in 2012. Dr. France has held other national elected positions including chair of the Behavioral Pharmacology Division of ASPET, president of the Society for Stimulus Properties of Drugs, and president of the Behavioral Pharmacology Society.
Alan Frazer, Ph.D., professor and chairman of the Department of Pharmacology, is secretary of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. The college’s principal function is to further research and education in neuropsychopharmacology and related fields. He is serving a second five-year term that ends in 2015. Dr. Frazer is editor-in-chief for the International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, the official publication of the Collegium Internationale Neuropsychopharmacologicum. He is serving as an elected Councilor to the organization through 2014. Dr. Frazer was also elected to the Scientific Advisory Board of the Brain and Behavioral Foundation, a philanthropic organization that supports research in major depressive orders and schizophrenia.
Lisa Gerak, Ph.D., assistant professor/research in the Department of Pharmacology, assumes duties as secretary/treasurer-elect of the Behavioral Pharmacology Division of ASPET in July 2013.
Julie Hensler, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology, is serving as immediate past president of the International Society for Serotonin Research and presided over the 2012 meeting in Montpellier, France. Dr. Hensler is actively involved in the planning of, and obtaining sponsorship support for, the 2014 meeting in Cape Town, South Africa.
Carlos Jaén, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chairman of the Department of Family and Community Medicine, the Dr. and Mrs. James L. Holly Distinguished Professor in the Patient-Centered Medical Home, and professor of epidemiology and biostatistics, in May was elected chair-elect of the American Board of Family Medicine.
Thomas Jansson, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, is president of the Placental Association of the Americas.
David Jimenez, M.D., professor and chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery, recently served on three committees of the Council of State Neurosurgical Societies: the Communication & Education, Reimbursement and Workforce committees.
Marsha Kinney, M.D., professor in the Department of Pathology, is serving a two-year term as president of the 700-member Society for Hematopathology. The society is open to physicians and scientists whose work focuses on research and treatment of blood diseases and disorders.
Craig M. Klugman, Ph.D., Reuter Professor of Medical Humanities and assistant director of ethics education with the Center for Medical Humanities & Ethics, is a member of the Editorial Board of the American Journal of Bioethics. Dr. Klugman is also the publication’s blog editor. He recently served as social science review chair for the American Society for Bioethics & Humanities and as chair of the Nominating Committee for the Clinical Research Ethics Key Function Group of the Clinical Translational and Science Award.
Ellen Kraig, Ph.D., professor of cellular and structural biology, is a member of the board of directors of the Federation of American Societies of Experimental Biology (FASEB), an association comprised of 26 scientific societies collectively representing more than 100,000 biomedical researchers. Dr. Kraig represents the American Association of Immunologists.
Kaparaboyna Ashok Kumar, M.D., FRCS, is serving a four-year term on the American Academy of Family Physicians’ Commission on Health of the Public and Science. Dr. Kumar is vice chair of medical student education and clerkship director in the Department of Family and Community Medicine.
Yui-Wing Francis Lam, Pharm.D., professor of pharmacology, is a Scientific Council member of the Pacific Rim Association for Clinical Pharmacogenetics.
Stephanie Levine, M.D., is president of the CHEST Foundation of the American Association of Chest Physicians.
Michael Lichtenstein, M.D., professor of medicine in the Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology and Palliative Medicine, serves on the NIH National Institute on Aging Clinical Study Section. Dr. Lichtenstein has been a regular study section member since 2003 and will chair the study section in 2013 and 2014. He is also the immediate past president of the Association for Clinical Research Training and is president-elect of the Association for Clinical and Translational Science.
Feng Liu, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology, is the founding president of the Chinese American Diabetes Association. Its mission is to promote research in diabetes and related areas and to encourage the advancement of biological and medical knowledge while facilitating professional contact among its members, especially mainland China and North America.
Philip LoVerde, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry and pathology, is editor of Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology.
M. Philip Luber, M.D., assistant professor of psychiatry and assistant dean for graduate medical education in the Long School of Medicine, is a member of the Review Committee overseeing psychiatry residency programs.
Bettie Sue Masters, Ph.D., D.Sc., M.D. (Hon.), professor of biochemistry and the Robert A. Welch Distinguished Professor in Chemistry, is president-elect of The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas (TAMEST). This organization brings the state's top scientific, academic and corporate minds together to further position Texas as a national research leader. Dr. Masters, a member of the Institute of Medicine, will serve as TAMEST president in 2014. She is also chair of the Public Affairs Advisory Committee of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
Jennifer Milton, B.S.N., M.B.A., clinical assistant professor and administrative director of the University Transplant Center, is a board member for Donate Life America. DLA develops evidence-based strategies to improve donation registries and awareness of donation and transplantation in the U.S. Ms. Milton also serves on the Membership and Professional Standards Committee for the United Network for Organ Sharing, which is the governing body of transplantation and donation in the United States. The committee ensures compliance by all members with national bylaws and patient safety standards.
Charleen Moore, Ph.D., professor of cellular and structural biology, is past-president of the American Cytogenetics Conference. This group is an educational organization composed of cytogeneticists in all aspects of human, animal and comparative cytogenetic research and clinical practice. The biennial conference held in San Antonio last year had almost 300 attendees from 18 countries. Dr. Moore's term expires in 2014.
Jay Morris, Ph.D., research assistant professor in the Department of Molecular Medicine, is serving on the steering committee for the Graduate Research Education and Training Group at the American Association of Medical Colleges and is a liaison within this group to the National Postdoctoral Association.
Leslie Myatt, Ph.D., professor of obstetrics and gynecology, is chair of the Career Development and Diversity Committee and director of advancement and liaison for the Society for Gynecologic Investigations. He is also the executive treasurer of the International Federation of Placenta Associations.
Bruce Nicholson, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Biochemistry, is serving a three-year term on the board of the Association of Medical and Graduate Departments of Biochemistry, and will be chairing the committee to draft a white paper on future directions in graduate education.
Babatunde Oyajobi, M.B.B.S. (M.D. equivalent), Ph.D., M.B.A., associateprofessor in the Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, is a charter member of National Cancer Institute Subcommittee F (Institutional Training and Education). His term expires in 2013. Dr. Oyajobi is also a member of the Membership Engagement Committee of theAmerican Society for Bone and Mineral Research. This is the premier national and international society for both basic science and clinical researchers in the bone and mineral field. Dr. Oyajobi will also serve on the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 Standard Setting Panel, convened by the National Board of Medical Examiners.
Deborah Parra-Medina, Ph.D., M.P.H., professor of biostatistics and epidemiology and researcher at the Institute for Health Promotion Research, is serving a two-year term on The Obesity Society’s Pediatric Obesity Section, which supports scientific efforts to understand child obesity and inform the public of its treatment and prevention.
Jan Patterson, M.D., M.S., associate dean for quality and lifelong learning in the Long School of Medicine, professor of medicine and pathology, and director of the Center for Patient Safety and Health Policy, was appointed in 2012 to the Subspecialty Board on Infectious Disease of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM).
Thomas Patterson, M.D., professor of medicine and division chief of infectious diseases in the Long School of Medicine, recently concluded a multiple-year term on the ABIM Subspecialty Board on Infectious Disease.
Jay Peters, M.D., is a member of the Board of Regents of the CHEST Foundation and is past chair of the Council of Networks for the American Association of Chest Physicians.
Brad Pollock, M.P.H., Ph.D., professor and chairman of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, is president of the Association of Clinical Translational Statisticians and chairman of the Biostatistics/Epidemiology/Research Design Key Function Committee of the national Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Consortium.
Marilyn Pollack, Ph.D., professor of pathology, is president of the American Society for Histocompatibility & Immunogenetics, which is the major society in this country representing individuals involved in laboratory testing for organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and for immunogenetics. Dr. Pollack is also on the Board of Directors of the United Network for Organ Sharing. She directs the University Health System Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics Laboratory.
Amelie Ramirez, Dr.P.H., professor of biostatistics and epidemiology and founding director of the Institute of Health Promotion Research, is a member of the prestigious Institute of Medicine (IOM). The institute provides information and advice to the nation concerning health and science policy. Dr. Ramirez is also a member of the Minority Scholar Awards Committee of the Minorities in Cancer Research Council of the American Association for Cancer Research. She is a member of the Komen Scientific Advisory Board, as well, and a chair, co-chair or member of other national panels.
Arlan Richardson, Ph.D., professor of cellular and structural biology, Senior Career Research Scientist with the South Texas Veterans Health Care System, and the founding director of the Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, is a member of the National Advisory Council on Aging.
Nicole Riddle, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Pathology, is serving on the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Council of Faculty and Academic Society, is an alternate delegate to the American Medical Association for the U.S. and Canadian Academy of Pathology, is serving on the Membership Committee of the Digital Pathology Association, and is on the Resident Forum Executive Committee and the Council of Membership and Professional Development for the College of American Pathologists.
Corinna Ross, Ph.D., research instructor in the Department of Cellular and Structural Biology and member of the Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, serves on several committees for the American Society of Primatology: co-chair of the Media and Information Committee, member and former chair of the Education Committee, and member of the Program Committee, which reviews abstracts submitted for inclusion in the annual meeting program. Dr. Ross is also a member of the Steering Committee for the International Marmoset Research Association. The association’s goal is to bring together scientists, veterinarians and research staff who work with marmosets.
Paula Shireman, M.D., professor of vascular surgery in the Department of Surgery and vice dean for research in the Long School of Medicine, is a member of the American Heart Association’s National Research Committee.
Robert Schenken, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, is a director and treasurer of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a member of the American Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Review Committee.
Mark Shapiro, Ph.D., professor of physiology, is associate editor of the Journal of Neuroscience.
Francis E. Sharkey, M.D., professor of pathology and director of surgical and autopsy pathology, serves the following positions with the College of American Pathologists: vice chair, Commission on Laboratory Accreditation; editor, Laboratory Accreditation Manual; state commissioner for West Texas; and inspector. The College of American Pathologists is the leading standard-setting organization for laboratory medicine, both nationally and internationally.
James Stockand, Ph.D., professor of physiology, is associate editor of BMC Physiology and Frontiers in Physiology.
Brent Thompson, Ph.D., assistant professor of cellular and structural biology and pharmacology, is serving on the Scientific Affairs Committee for the American Association of Anatomists. The committee assesses research directions in the discipline of anatomy.
Ian Thompson, M.D., professor of urology and director of the Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC) at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio, is serving on the American Board of Urology and will be its chairman in the future. The CTRC is one of four National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Centers in the state of Texas.
Glenn Toney, Ph.D., professor of physiology, is senior editor of the Journal of Physiology, a Steering Committee member for the American Physiological Society, organizer of the Science Research Conference program for the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), Editorial Board member for the American Journal of Physiology, and member of the National Institutes of Health National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute study section of hypertension and microcirculation.
Philip Valente, M.D., professor of pathology and obstetrics and gynecology, is serving on the Executive Board of the American Society of Cytopathology.
Kristine Vogel, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, was appointed as a Scientist Member in 2010 to the Integration Panel (Programmatic Review and Vision Setting) for the Neurofibromatosis Research Program of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (U.S. Department of Defense). Her term expires in 2014.
Susan Weintraub, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry, is president of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry. Membership includes more than 8,500 scientists involved in research and development. Members come from academic, industrial and governmental laboratories. Dr. Weintraub is associate editor of the Journal of Proteome Research and serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Chromatography.
Faculty list, as of June 1, providedby the deans’ offices of the UT Health Science Center San Antonio.
Neurosciences research gets $3 million boost from The USAA Foundation
The USAA Foundation has given a $3 million boost to neurosciences research atThe University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, which is already a leader in this far-reaching area of study.
The gift will be used to endow The USAA Foundation President’s Distinguished University Chair in Neurosciences. The chair will help retain and recruit international leaders and foster interdisciplinary discovery in neuroscience research, a field that spans all five schools and multiple scientific disciplines at the UT Health Science Center.
The first holder of the chair is Kenneth Hargreaves, D.D.S., Ph.D., professor and chairman of endodontics in the Health Science Center’s Dental School, whose groundbreaking research soon may lead to a new class of nonaddictive painkillers that hold the promise of impacting burn and cancer patients and others who suffer from severe or chronic pain worldwide.
The USAA Foundation recognizes the value of having a top health sciences university within the community and supports the Health Science Center in its efforts to achieve greater preeminence, USAA CEO Josue (Joe) Robles Jr. said. Recruiting and retaining outstanding scientists and clinicians is crucial to the Health Science Center’s ascent.
"We want to compete to bring the best and brightest to San Antonio, where they can make a difference for our community and the world," Robles said. "This is certainly true in our business community, and it’s particularly true with the Health Science Center, which has the ability to improve so many lives."
In the larger effort to move the Health Science Center forward, the neurosciences are a natural area of focus, both because of their especially broad impact and the Health Science Center’s existing strengths in that area.
Virtually everyone is affected by one or more of the large number of conditions that fall under the neurosciences, including chronic pain, headache, sleep disorders, stroke, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, autism, neuropathies and movement and muscular disorders. The neurosciences also encompass psychiatric conditions, such as mood disorders, personality disorders, eating disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorders and schizophrenia.
The country’s aging population has brought greater attention to conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. And military conflicts have led to more cases of post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury.
These conditions have common threads, and research in one area can lead to unexpected breakthroughs in another. This is leading to a new paradigm in the study of neurosciences - one that recognizes that medical and surgical issues often overlap with psychiatric conditions.
The Health Science Center currently has $55 million in annual research funding dedicated to the neurosciences, making them the leading funded scientific area at the university. Faculty working in the neurosciences can be found in all five Health Science Center schools and across any number of departments and divisions.
The university counts two leading neuroscientists among its deans: Francisco González-Scarano, M.D., vice president for medical affairs and dean of the Long School of Medicine, and David Weiss, Ph.D., vice president for research and dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.
Given the vast expanse of neuroscientific research taking place across the Health Science Center, President William L. Henrich, M.D., MACP, saw the need to recruit an accomplished investigator to help advance this promising field of study.
"We recognize that our work in the neurosciences will be enhanced by a leader who can speak to the collective vision that drives our many research projects, and who can use that vision to recruit outstanding faculty, develop exciting new lines of research and encourage collaboration across disciplines," Dr. Henrich said.
Dr. Hargreaves epitomizes the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to the neurosciences. He holds appointments in the Long School of Medicine and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in addition to the Dental School, and his training includes research fellowships at the neurobiology and anesthesiology branch of the National Institute of Dental Research, one of the National Institutes of Health.
His team, which brings together researchers with backgrounds in medicine, dentistry and the basic sciences, has made important advances in pain research.
"Our research is on the verge of a significant breakthrough. A gift like the one The USAA Foundation has made lifts us all and spurs the field forward. It will certainly be transformative in advancing my work and the efforts of our entire team, and it will set a course for future and continued success for generations to come," Dr. Hargreaves said.
See "Related Stories" below for news about Dr. Hargreaves receiving the Health Science Center's highest honor -- the Presidential Distinguished Scholar award.
Bench to bedside
Turning discoveries into treatments that save lives
Chances are your life is touched by someone in need of health care, whether it is an aging parent, a spouse with heart disease, or a family member with diabetes or cancer.
Researchers at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio work tirelessly, in labs behind the scenes, making innovative discoveries that are translated into better ways to diagnose and prevent disease and life-changing and compassionate care for patients.
The following articles illustrate just a few of the many success stories of bench-to-bedside research, which is the link between basic research and patient care. Health Science Center investigators are world renowned for their landmark breakthroughs that are changing the face of medicine and saving lives every day.
Detecting dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
Researchers create blueprint for better diagnosis
Researchers have developed a smarter way to diagnose dementia and Alzheimer’s disease that could be achieved, in the very near future, from a smart phone or mobile device. Scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antoniohave created a first-of-its-kind algorithm that is more accurate than traditional clinical and diagnostic testing.
The new system is improving diagnosis and could make a huge impact in Mexican-Americans who are at higher risk for developing dementia but more difficult to diagnose. The test could be translated to work on smart phones and mobile devices for more efficient and accurate diagnosis.
Donald Royall, M.D., and his colleague Raymond F. Palmer, Ph.D., both of the UT Health Science Center, developed the new test. Dr. Royall is a professor and chief of the Division of Aging and Geriatrics in the Long School of Medicine. Dr. Palmer is an associate professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine in the Long School of Medicine. They co-authored two studies on dementia published in theJournal of Neuropsychiatry and the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. Their latest research, which focuses on depression and its relation to dementia and Alzheimer’s, will be published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease later this year.
Cultural query
"Before we began studies at the UT Health Science Center two years ago, little was known about dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in the Mexican-American population," Dr. Royall said. Studies are ongoing. "Mexican-Americans are thought to have higher rates of dementia and conditions such as depression and stroke that can be confused with Alzheimer’s disease. So we don’t know yet if the dementias to which they succumb are caused by Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, depression or a combination of the three."
Alzheimer’s ranks among diseases most feared by Americans. It is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States and no cure exists. Dr. Royall said it is vital to better understand and accurately diagnose dementia especially in Mexican-Americans because this group will comprise a majority of the state’s population in the near future and is the fastest-growing minority in the nation.
"Disparities in access to care and language as well as cultural barriers and co-morbid conditions (the presence of more than one disease such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity) make it more difficult for physicians to diagnose and treat dementia in the Mexican-American population," Dr. Royall said.
From research to results
Using information and research Dr. Royall and his colleagues gathered from ongoing studies of 350 Mexican-Americans enrolled in research at the
UT Health Science Center, and with information from a battery of tests that participants undergo through the study (clinical exams, blood tests and cognitive and functional tests), researchers developed the more accurate method of assessing patients to determine if they are suffering from dementia and to study its causes.
The new system allows doctors to enter test results for analysis while negating information from language, education or cultural bias that may create confusion and misdiagnosis. The test produces an accurate assessment of the patient’s dementia status by ranking certain criteria.
"We were surprised to find through our studies that depression can be dementing in its own right," Dr. Royall said. "This explains the disability associated with depression and the difficulties doctors have in distinguishing it from Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, depression appears to double the risk of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. But unlike Alzheimer’s disease, depression can be treated. This system could be used to select patients who might better respond to antidepressant therapy."
An app for Alzheimer's?
Dr. Royall said researchers could possibly take this new system and create a computer application that could be used in doctors’ offices or could be accessed from smart phones or mobile devices by physicians who treat patients in rural areas or home health care settings for example. Dr. Royall has submitted a patent for the system that he currently calls "Latent Variable Dementia Case Finding."
The Texas Alzheimer’s Research and Care Consortium (TARCC) funded studies at the UT Health Science Center. Dr. Royall and his colleagues are seeking additional funding for brain imaging of study participants.
"Now we are looking to study the brain more carefully to see where diseases such as depression, dementia and Alzheimer’s are occurring and how they might be altering brain structures," Dr. Royall said. "All of this data could help physicians more effectively tailor treatment plans for individual patients."
Eric D. Vidoni, Ph.D., and Robyn A. Honea, Ph.D., both research assistant professors of neurology at The University of Kansas Medical Center, contributed to this research. Dr. Royall’s work is supported by the departments of psychiatry, medicine, and family and community medicine of the UT Health Science Center, and the Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) of the South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division.
Protecting pint-sized patients
UT Medicine physicians improve vaccination rates among children
Parents have a lot on their minds. Some are learning to balance an infant’s many needs with life’s other obligations, even while celebrating each sign of a healthy baby: the first laugh, words, steps and more. Other parents are racing after an active toddler or facing the rapid-fire questions of a preschooler.
At times, lost in all of this activity are well-child checkups and routine immunizations. Parents are quick to call the doctor at the first sign of illness, but it’s easy to lose track of appointments for a healthy child.
A half-dozen years ago, UT Health Physicians family physicians at a downtown clinic realized they were not seeing many children. Those they did see often had fallen behind on scheduled vaccines or were not receiving them at all.
This was particularly troubling because the clinic – the Family Health Center at University Health System’s Robert B. Green Campus – fills an important role. Its neighborhood is home to many medically underserved people, and few nearby pediatricians accept CareLink. The Family Health Center, which does, helps meet the need.
Led by Alexandra Loffredo, M.D., UT Medicine physicians and their partners at University Health System began a concerted effort to improve vaccination rates within the community. Their work has earned national recognition and, more importantly, protected thousands of children from preventable diseases.
"People want to come back to us," said Dr. Loffredo, an associate professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the UT Health Science Center. "Once we started this well-child clinic, they got such great service they just made their next appointment with us."
The first step was carving out a place within the larger Family Health Center especially for children. There are baby scales, child-sized hospital gowns and an eye chart with symbols for those who have not yet learned their letters. Child-friendly art decorates the walls. And the medical staff has set aside several times during each week to focus on their younger patients.
A group of medical assistants received special training in well-child care, including interpreting the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Immunization Schedules and administering vaccines.
Aware that many families fall behind on well-child visits and vaccinations, clinic staff found new ways to keep them on schedule. Staffers keep logs of which children are due and check to make sure they have appointments scheduled. They follow up by phone with those who do not – and, after finding that many families lack reliable phone service, they started sending bilingual appointment-reminder letters.
The clinic also fine-tuned its own record-keeping on childhood vaccinations and designated a "vaccine supply champion" to make sure needed vaccines are always in stock.
Every parent who brings a child to the Family Health Center for a well-child visit receives an English-Spanish informational booklet describing the importance of vaccines and listing ages at which they are given. As parents leave, they are given a colorful reminder card with the date their child is due back.
The clinic also has useful gifts for families of young children – each with the Family Health Center’s name and number on them. Those include diaper-wipe cases, electric outlet covers and baby spoons, and they are given at developmentally appropriate times. Children older than six months take home a new book, with the clinic maintaining a supply in English and Spanish.
Mirna Watson has been bringing her children to the clinic since moving to San Antonio about six years ago. She recently brought in two of her four children: 4-year-old Isabella and 3-year-old Juan Angel.
"I just love this place," she said. "I encourage all of my friends to come here. It’s like a big family."
The medical staff crowded around her children, expressing surprise at how much Juan Angel had grown and watching the little boy show off his muscles and ability to do pushups. Isabella was quieter at first, smiling broadly and saying little. As the appointment went on, she became inquisitive, trying to remember names and asking about people’s jobs.
She was dismayed, though, by the four shots that came at the end of her appointment. Her brother was in only for a well-child visit and braved no needles that day.
In 2011, the Family Health Center received a prestigious national award: the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Foundation Pfizer Immunization Award in the "Most Improved" category. The clinic also has earned 100 percent ratings in its last three annual site visits by the federal Vaccines for Children program, which provides vaccines at no cost for uninsured or underinsured children.
Just as important, the clinic makes life easier for busy families. "We help parents stay on top of scheduled vaccinations," said Jennifer Gonzales, the clinic’s lead medical assistant. "If we discover a child is missing one, we know that we have it in stock and can give it right away. We’re helping keep kids healthy and making sure they don’t miss school because they’re missing a required vaccination."
The future of children’s health care is here
UT Health Science Center, Vanguard to partner on new children’s hospital in San Antonio
Groundbreaking for a freestanding $300 million children’s hospital in the South Texas Medical Center will take place within a year. The University of Texas System Board of Regents authorized the UT Health Science Center to execute an agreement with Nashville-based Vanguard Health Systems to bring a new, state-of-the-art children’s hospital to San Antonio. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), the nation’s top-ranked children’s hospital, will join Vanguard, which owns and operates seven Baptist Health System Hospitals in San Antonio and South Texas, in the management of the San Antonio facility. The hospital’s location will offer access and convenience to patients and families across the region. The facility will be just minutes away from physicians and scientists at the Health Science Center and will be designed and built specifically for children’s most pressing medical needs. Most importantly, the hospital will anchor a regional network of clinics that will deliver top-tier pediatric care throughout San Antonio and South Texas communities.
The Health Science Center brings to the partnership faculty from UT Health Physicians - the practice plan of the Long School of Medicine - that will offer both general and specialty care to children and adolescents. The faculty members will also lead medical students, residents and fellows in instruction and cutting-edge research. The network and the new children’s hospital will operate on an open-staff model, which means that it will also benefit from the talents of community doctors from across San Antonio and South Texas.
UT Medicine physicians will continue to provide pediatric services at the University Health System’s expanded Robert B. Green Campus downtown. As University Health System is the primary teaching partner of the UT Health Science Center, our physicians will continue to provide ambulatory primary and specialty care services there after the new hospital and network are completed.
"The long-standing partnership between UT Health Science Center and University Health System has been beneficial to both institutions and the community as a whole," said George B. Hernández Jr., president/CEO of University Health System. "The community will benefit from having an orderly and seamless transition of care for pediatric patients, and a new range of children’s services downtown."
The new facility's location in the South Texas Medical Center near the Health Science Center will allow easy access to research and other key clinical programs.
For example, the Medical Arts & Research Center (MARC), Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, Center for Oral Health Care & Research, the South Texas Research Facility, the McDermott Research Imaging Institute and the Cancer Therapy & Research Center - one of Texas’ four National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers - are all nearby.
William L. Henrich, M.D., MACP, president of the Health Science Center, said the agreement with Vanguard and CHOP is an important step toward enhancing world-class pediatric care in San Antonio and South Texas.
"Having multiple specialists from the faculty and community in a single location will allow the new children’s hospital to deliver the best possible care to children with complex medical cases and enhance the recruitment and retention of the best specialists in the country," Dr. Henrich said.
For more news and information about the children’s hospital, visit uthscsa.edu/OPA/chp/index.asp.
Adler family gift advances research, education
A gift of $1 million from the estate of Laura A. Adler in memory of her husband, Harry F. Adler, M.D., Ph.D., is providing students at the UT Health Science Center with laboratory space and endowed scholarships for perpetuity. The gift will establish the Harry F. Adler, M.D., Ph.D., Laboratory in the South Texas Research Facility (STRF), and the Harry F. Adler, M.D., Ph.D., President’s Endowment at the UT Health Science Center. Dallas dermatologist Max Adler, M.D., a 1976 alumnus of the Long School of Medicine, presented the gift at a reception at the STRF this past winter. Dr. Harry Adler was an early pioneer in translational medicine who achieved the rigorous educational milestone of physician with his M.D. degree and of biomedical scientist with his Ph.D. degree. His legacy is being passed on to future generations of M.D./Ph.D. students studying at the Health Science Center. First-year M.D./Ph.D. student Jeffrey Cooney, co-authored a paper published in the prestigious journal Nature. "A big part of my decision to do an M.D./Ph.D. degree was rooted in the fact that I love both science and medicine," Cooney said. "I spent several years doing hematology research and fell in love with the elegance of a well-designed experiment. The ability to contribute to these advances is the real reason that I chose this career path." Thanks to the Adler family, students such as Cooney will have opportunities for success to last a lifetime.
Health Science Center and Haven for Hope champion is among world’s greatest business leaders
In January, the Harvard Business Review’s "100 Best-Performing CEOs in the World" ranked Greehey 12th among U.S. CEOs and 31st worldwide.
His ranking was based on his tremendous success as CEO of Valero Energy Corporation. As chairman and CEO of Valero, he led the growth of a small petroleum pipeline and storage company that was affiliated with Valero until that company spun off from Valero as an independent company, and was renamed NuStar Energy LP. Greehey retired from Valero in 2005, but he continues to serve as chairman of NuStar.
No description of Greehey would be complete without mentioning his strong commitment to the community, including gifts and collaborations that touch the Health Science Center.
In 2007, the Greehey Family Foundation donated a transformative gift of $25 million to the Health Science Center for the Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute. The gift also established the Greehey President’s Endowment for Excellence in Children‘s Health Sciences, and the Greehey Cancer Laboratories. Both the institute and laboratories are located on the Greehey Academic and Research Campus.
"We congratulate Bill Greehey on this significant international recognition," said William L. Henrich, M.D., MACP, president of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. "We appreciate his excellent leadership not only in the board room but also in the community, and thank him for his generosity that has benefited the Health Science Center and so many others."
In 2006, Greehey launched Haven for Hope, 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 care to patients who otherwise could not access or afford care.
In 2012, a research team from the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics began working with Haven for Hope to build an infrastructure to evaluate the program’s community and economic impact and identify the best and optimal use of resources and services for its clients.