Cardiology: Mutation that Disrupts Calcium Signaling May Be One Cause of Heart Failure Public Health: Software Rings Early Alarm on Bioterrorism Cell Biology: Molecular Movies Catch Mitochondria Dividing In Memoriam: Microbiology Department's Harold Amos Dies Second Year Show: Second-year's Put On Swell Show Letter to the Editor   Details Reported on Caspase-independent Cell Death Pathway Researchers Tie Leptin to Obesity Pathway Distinct from Hormone's Role in Reproduction Evidence of Safety and Efficacy Halt Trial of Low-dose Blood Thinner   Proceedings of the HMS Faculty Council FAQs on the HMS Faculty Survey Dean's Community Service Award Nominations Honors and Advances   Mentoring Program Pairs Students with Youths at Risk   Insuring Americans Both Efficiently and Fairly   Front Page

SECOND YEAR SHOW Second-years Put On Swell Show During the Second Year Show, Johannes Kratz and Gia Landry take a swing at the foibles of HMS. (Photo by Steve Gilbert) This year's presentation of the traditional Second Year Show took packed, rowdy audiences at Roxbury Community College on a rollicking, two-and-a-half-hour ride through the hallowed halls of a dysfunctional HMS. Despite what the title--"My Big, Fat Distal Swelling"--may suggest, the show provided a welcome break from some of the nearly pornographic and overly long shows of the past. Directed by Elizabeth Pinsky and produced by Alejandra Casillas, this year's production included sharp ensemble dances that were (shockingly) relevant to the plot, charmingly offensive writing, and satire so refined that one wonders whether some students made the wrong career choice. Here's to the Community Refusing to be cowed by venue changes, the blizzard of 2003, or the biomedical tomes littering their floors, the Class of 2005 performed spectacularly well, benefiting both the audience and the Roxbury community. Proceeds from the show--more than $7,000--were donated to Project STAR, a Roxbury charity for HIV-positive infants. The charitable focus of the event was in no way indicative of its generosity toward others, however. This year's production included sharp ensemble dances that were (shockingly) relevant to the plot, charmingly offensive writing, and satire so refined that one wonders whether some students made the wrong career choice. --Tarayn Grizzard The story began as Dean Nancy Oriol loses the entire HMS endowment in an evening of debauchery. Soon, Dean Oriol and other HMS faculty are summoned to meet with Dean Joseph Martin, who announces that HMS must eliminate all but one of its departments to survive. The department that secures the affections of the HMS student body will be the one permitted to remain at HMS. The gauntlet having been thrown, the departments declare war on each other and set out to win over the students, involving in the fray many of the notable faculty members of the preclinical years: Dan Goodenough, Orah Platt, Bev Woo, Dana Stearns, Julian Seifter, Richard Schwartzstein, Andy Lichtman, and, in loving memory, the recently deceased Don O'Hara. Some departments bank on their "no-fail" policy to gain student affection while others form bands (N'SITU and the Splice Girls). But David Golan, pharmacology course director, provides the key plot action, drugging the student body into loving only pharmacology and turning the students (save for one) into Prilosec-obsessed drones. Fortunately, an antidote is soon created--during tutorial, of course--which not only cures the students but also male pattern baldness. The students patent and sell the drug in order to re-endow the School and save the day. Kidney Punch Highlights of the evening included "Slide After Slide," a brief, dead-on ditty reviling the evils of PowerPoint and researchers who think they can teach, sung by the talented Mindy Greenblatt; "Let It Pee," a take on "Let It Be" that Paul McCartney surely never anticipated, sung by nephrocentric Julian Seifter as portrayed by Hans Ackerman; the awe-inspiring bhangra and swing dance numbers, showcasing the fleet-footed Shreya Kangovi and Johannes Kratz, among others; and, finally, the campy, caped portrayal of David Golan, menacingly well-played by Tosh Prasad. The beautifully executed numbers left the impression that the cast was having as much fun as the audience, making a great play out of the work we all do at HMS and earning a big, fat place in Second Year Show history. --Tarayn Grizzard See longer version with more photos at WebWeekly.