Neuroscience
Blocking Protein Might Reverse Hearing Loss
Cell Biology
Functional Protein Changes Caught and Quantified
Genomics
Gain and Loss of Amino Acids Detected Across All of Life
Ambulatory Care
A Third of Older People May Take
Potentially Inappropriate Medicines
Social Medicine
Past Research Enables Mental Health Services to Fill Gap for Tsunami Survivors
New Books
The Winter Bookshelf
Bacteria Exhibit Novel Method for Sensing Environment
Enzymes Used to Generate Diversity in Antibiotics
Thalamus Calcium Channel Supports a Sound Sleep
New Appointments to Full Professorships
Ten Students Named Schweitzer Fellows
Red Book Grants List to Be Posted Next Week
Congratulations to Training Institute Grads
Honors and Advances
Failing Elders Weigh Heavily on Reservation Families
Some Wrinkles of Delayed Residency
New Appointments to Full Professorships
The following faculty members were appointed in December.
Jerome Avorn
Professor of Medicine
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
An internist, geriatrician, and drug epidemiologist, Avorn studies the intended
and adverse effects of drugs, physician prescribing practices, and medication
policy. His major areas of research include the scientific, policy, and social
factors that shape physicians’ drug choices; medication compliance by
patients; the identification and prevention of adverse drug effects; programs
to improve the appropriateness of prescribing and drug taking; and pharmaceutical
cost-effectiveness analysis. He is chief of the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology
and Pharmacoeconomics at BWH, which serves as a resource to the hospital on
appropriate medication use and helps train its interns and residents in making
optimal prescribing decisions.
Kenneth Bauer
Professor of Medicine
Beth Israel Deaconess
Medical Center
Bauer is chief of hematology at the VA Boston Healthcare System and director
of Thrombosis Clinical Research at BID. His research interests include
development and clinical evaluation of sensitive immunochemical assays for
the detection
of hypercoagulable states, definition of mechanisms leading to the development
of a prethrombotic state, and clinical investigation of new antithrombotic
drugs. His laboratory also contributed to the elucidation of the molecular
basis of hereditary factor VII deficiency and the genetic determinants
responsible for normal variations in plasma factor VII levels in humans.
He currently
serves as chairman of the Council of the International Society on Thrombosis
and Haemostasis.
David Kwiatkowski
Professor of Medicine
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Kwiatkowski is a physician at BWH and a medical oncologist at the Dana–Farber
Cancer Institute. His research group investigates the pathogenesis of
tuberous sclerosis, the contribution of common genetic variation to inflammation
and
atherosclerosis, and mechanisms of tumor metastasis, all using genetic
techniques. He is also the director of the Harvard Partners Center for Genetics
and Genomics
Genotyping Facility and coleader of the Cancer Genetics Program of the
Dana–Farber/Harvard
Cancer Center.
Jack Lawler
Professor of Pathology
Beth Israel Deaconess
Medical Center
Lawler is the director of the Division of Cancer Biology and Angiogenesis
in the Department of Pathology at BID. His laboratory focuses on the
structure and function of the members of the thrombospondin gene family.
Current
research in the Lawler lab focuses on the mechanisms underlying the
activation of
transforming
growth factor beta and in the inhibition of angiogenesis and tumor
progression by thrombospondin-1 and -2. His group is also working on the
role of
mutations in cartilage oligomeric matrix protein in human dwarfing
conditions and
the determination of the structure of thrombospondin domains by
X-ray crystallography.
Jeannie T. Lee
Professor of Genetics (Pathology)
Massachusetts General Hospital
Lee, a Howard Hughes investigator, studies X-chromosome inactivation,
the mechanism by which an entire sex chromosome is turned off during
female
development. Her laboratory is interested in the relationship between
the X-inactivation
mechanism and epigenetic programming in early mammalian development.
She is
also interested in the roles of noncoding RNAs and dynamic nuclear
processes. At MGH, Lee is a molecular biologist and pathologist.
Eugene
Mark
Professor of Pathology
Massachusetts General Hospital
Mark is a pathologist at MGH and directs the section of pulmonary
pathology. He also serves as director of the Autopsy Service and
district medical
examiner for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. His research and
teaching interests
center on the clinicopathological correlation of interstitial disease
of the lung, tumors of the lung and pleura, and the role of the
autopsy in
societies around the world. Mark practiced in the Medical Corps
of the U.S. Army Reserve
for most of his Harvard career and holds the rank of Colonel, U.S. Army,
Retired.
Charles McCabe
Professor of Surgery
Massachusetts General Hospital
McCabe is associate chief of the Emergency Department at MGH and
has been on the staff since 1980. In 1984, he became the director
of the
Core Surgical
Clerkship at MGH, a role he still holds and for which he was
given several teaching awards. He is a scholar of the Academy at HMS
and a member of
the Association of Surgical Education.
James E. Muller
Professor of Medicine
Massachusetts General Hospital
Muller has conducted extensive research on the problem of acute
coronary syndromes with early research focusing on methods
to limit infarct
size. In the 1980s,
he conducted a series of studies on the factors triggering
the onset of acute cardiovascular disease. Morning increase in heart
attacks,
sudden death,
and stroke were documented and their mechanisms were elucidated.
The relative
risk
of specific triggers, including heavy exertion, anger, and
cocaine abuse, were quantified, and the concept of vulnerable plaque
was formulated. Muller’s
more recent research has been with the Center for Integration of Medicine and
Innovative Technology (CIMIT) program on detection and treatment of vulnerable
plaque, which he
codirects. He is also a cofounder of International Physicians
for the
Prevention of Nuclear War, the organization that was awarded
the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize.
Ten Students Named Schweitzer Fellows
Ten HMS and HSPH students have been named Schweitzer Fellows, honoring the community outreach legacy of Dr. Albert Schweitzer. This year, 30 fellowships were given to Boston-area students, who will design and implement health-related outreach projects in communities that lack access to adequate health services.
The Boston Schweitzer Fellows Program began in 1991 and today has expanded to include more than 25 professional schools throughout the greater Boston area. Through the application of their training in medicine, nursing, social work, law, public health, education, and other disciplines, Schweitzer Fellows offer 200 hours of direct community service. Fellows also meet monthly to share ideas and organize three symposia on health issues affecting underserved populations. One of the most important aspects of the program is that once fellows have completed their year of service, they join a network of more than 1,200 Fellows for Life, who support and inspire each other to continue to lead lives of service.
The new fellows include Meena-kashi Gupta, Matthew Keller, Babak Nazer, Viviany Taqueti, and Ying Wu from HMS, and Binta Beard, Melissa Cole, Julie Lamb (a co-author of Wounds of War, see New Books), Sarah Oppenheimer, and Jennifer Usas from HSPH.
For more information on the Schweitzer Fellowship Program,
visit www.schweitzerfellowship.org
Red Book Grants List to Be
Posted Next Week
Each year a range of Red Book postdoctoral and faculty fellowships and grants are available to the Harvard Medical community by invitation only. Potential candidates must first apply to HMS, and those selected may submit proposals to specific grant programs.
Updated information on the Red Book invitational fellowships and grants will be available online beginning Monday, Feb. 14, at http://www.hms.harvard.edu/fa/fellowship2005.
The
deadline for applications is April 11. Applications should be submitted
to the Office of the Dean for
Academic and Clinical Programs in Gordon Hall,
rm. 101.
Congratulations to Training Institute Grads
Nine members of the HMS community were among the 120 graduates of the Boston Health Care and Research Training Institute’s winter session, having completed programs that provide training and education to people seeking career paths in health care and biomedical fields. The Dec. 16 graduation was attended by Boston mayor Thomas Menino, HMS executive dean for administration Eric Buehrens, New England Baptist Hospital CEO Joseph Dionisio, and BWH president Gary Gottlieb.
HMS employees (from left) Vasily Serbryakov, Tracy Pearson, Jeffrey Harper, Gul Usta, and Angel Alverez were among those who graduated from the Boston Health Care and Research Training Institute in December.
“This graduation shows the full continuum to which we are all committed—to hire local residents who then become our employees, who we can support in their career development and growth,” said Buehrens.
The HMS employee graduates include Angel Alvarez and Luz Fernandes, of Custodial Services; Deborah Kines of Pathology; and Jeffrey Harper, Roberto Landazury, Tracy Pearson, Brenda Turcios-Siliezar, Vasily Serbryakov, and Gul Usta of Animal Resources and Comparative Medicine.
The training institute is located
at HMS and is supported by 26
Longwood-area institutions, community colleges, and community development
organizations. Last fall marked the first time that the institute has
graduated both current employees of participating employers and neighborhood
residents interested in beginning careers in health care. Students at
the institute can take courses in subjects like English, math, administrative
skills, and
computers, which are designed to prepare front-line employees for career
advancement. Coordinating the institute at HMS are Robert Amelio and
Adam
Sutton.
Honors and Advances
The American Association of Medical Colleges has awarded five $5,000 scholarships to outstanding third-year medical students who have demonstrated leadership in addressing the educational, societal, and health care needs of minorities. The 2004 Herbert W. Nickens, MD, Medical Student Scholars include HMS’s Risha Irby. The scholarship recipients were presented with their awards at the AAMC annual meeting in Boston on Nov. 8.
Joseph Coyle, the Eben S. Draper professor of psychiatry at HMS and McLean Hospital, received the Lieber Award from the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression at its annual meeting in 2004. The award recognizes an outstanding scientist carrying out work relevant to the causes, treatment, or prevention of schizophrenia.
In Memoriam
Daniel
G. Heller, HMS assistant clinical professor of pediatrics at Massachusetts
General Hospital, died Nov. 12 at age 60.
Heller received an undergraduate degree from Columbia College in 1966 and his medical degree from New York University in 1970. His postdoctoral work included time as an intern at Boston City Hospital and as a resident at the U.S. Public Health Service Hospital in Brighton, Mass., from 1971 to 1973. Heller went on to complete a residency in pediatrics and a fellowship in pediatric nephrology at MGH. In 1975, he became an HMS instructor in pediatrics at MGH and was named assistant clinical professor of pediatrics in 2001.
Heller was president and chief physician at Centre Pediatric Associates in Brookline. He was an attending physician in the pediatric emergency room at MGH until 1990 and took part in work rounds until his death. In the past several years, his teaching focus had been directed toward first-, second-, and third-year HMS students in the setting of his private practice. He was a pioneer at setting and maintaining high standards in clinical practice while being cognizant of the economic boundaries of practicing medicine in Massachusetts.
Heller was a member of the Massachusetts Medical Society, a fellow of the American Association of Pediatrics, and a diplomate of the Sub-board of Pediatric Nephrology.
Heller leaves his wife, Nancy, and children, Matthew and Sara Heller and Marissa Treistman. Remembrances may be contributed to the Dan Heller Memorial Teaching Fund, c/o Dr. Roy Rubin, HMS/HPHC, Dept. of Ambulatory Care and Prevention, 133 Brookline Ave., Boston, MA 02215.
Philip Holzman,
HMS professor emeritus of psychology in the Department of Psychiatry
at Mc-Lean Hospital, passed away on June 1 at the
age of 82.
Holzman, a prominent re-searcher on schizophrenia, was the founder and director of McLean’s Psychology Research Laboratory. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the City College of New York and his MD from the University of Kansas. He trained at the Menninger Foundation School of Clinical Psychology in Topeka, Kan., and served on the staff from 1946 to 1968, which included a period as director of research training.
In 1968, Holzman joined the faculty at the University of Chicago as a professor of psychology and psychiatry. In 1997, he joined HMS at McLean and founded the Psychology Research Laboratory, which he continued to lead until his death. He held an additional appointment at Harvard University as the Esther and Sidney R. Rabb professor in the Department of Psychology.
Holzman won numerous awards in his career, including the Lieber Prize from the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSD) and the American Psychological Foundation’s gold medal award for lifetime achievement. He was a member of the Institute of Medicine, a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a member of the board of trustees at the Menninger Foundation. Most recently, Holzman was the first recipient of the American Psychological Foundation’s Alexander Gralnick Research Investigator Award for his research and mentoring efforts.
Holzman is survived by his wife, Ann; his children, Natalie Bernatdoni, Carl Holzman, and Paul Holzman; and three grandchildren. Donations in memory of Philip Holzman may be made to NARSD.
Joel Kraut, HMS assistant clinical professor of ophthalmology
at Massachusetts Eye and Ear In-firmary, passed away on Dec.
8 at age 67.
Kraut graduated from Princeton University and received his MD from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1962. After an internship at Boston University Medical Center and a residency at Bellevue Medical Center in New York, he served in the Air Force before joining MEEI in 1968 and the HMS faculty in 1971.
At MEEI, Kraut founded the Vision Rehabilitation Center in 1985. He took a multidisciplinary approach to help patients cope with the emotional and practical effects of low vision, utilizing social workers, doctors, and occupational therapists. He maintained a private practice in Brookline and also taught at Tufts Medical School. He was named assistant clinical professor of ophthalmology in 1996.
Kraut leaves his wife, Ellie; son, David; daughter, Amy Esposito; and two grandchildren.
John
Mack, HMS professor of psychiatry at Cambridge Hospital and assistant
clinical professor of psychiatry
at Massachusetts
General
Hospital,
died Sept. 25 at age 74.
Mack graduated from Oberlin College in 1951 and earned his medical degree from HMS in 1955. He completed his residency at Massachusetts Mental Health Center (MMHC) and joined the Air Force in 1959, where he served in Japan for two years. In 1962, he returned to MMHC and was appointed to full professor in 1972.
Early in his career, he focused on the psychology of sleep and dreams and later became an expert on the psychological effects of the nuclear arms race. In the 1980s, Mack became the director of the Center for Psychological Studies in the Nuclear Age.
In 1977, Mack’s book, A Price of Our Disorder: The Life of T.E. Lawrence, won the Pulitzer Prize for biography. In 1989, he started the John E. Mack Institute as the Center for Psychology and Social Change. With a grant from Laurance Rockefeller, he started the Program for Extraordinary Experience Research in 1993. Mack studied people who believed they had contact with aliens, culminating in his book, Abduction: Human Encounters with Aliens, in 1994. In 1999, he published Passport to the Cosmos: Human Transformation and Alien Encounters.
Mack is survived by his sons, Daniel, Kenneth, and Tony.
John McCann, HMS faculty member in obstetrics
and gynecology for more than 30 years, died
Sept. 22
at age 85.
McCann graduated from Harvard University in 1941, earned his medical degree from Georgetown University in 1945, and joined the Navy as a medical officer. As a lieutenant, he was assigned to the USS Thomas Jefferson in the Pacific. McCann interned at Boston City Hospital and joined the HMS faculty in 1951 as an assistant in obstetrics. His most recent appointment was as a clinical instructor in obstetrics and gynecology, a position he held from 1974 to 1985.
McCann is the retired chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Leonard Morse Hospital in Natick and practiced at other hospitals. He retired from private practice in 1986, estimating that he had delivered more than 10,000 babies during his career.
McCann is survived by his wife, Sylvia; daughters Marcia Gorgone and Virginia Marantz; son John B., Jr.; stepchildren Patricia Gray, Susan Taylor, and Michael Haughey; and five grandchildren, 10 step grandchildren, and 10 step great-grandchildren.
Contributions in his memory may be made to the Metrowest Medical Center–Leonard Morse Campus, c/o Community Department, 67 Union St., Natick, MA 01760 or to Newton–Wellesley Hospital, c/o Development Office, 2014 Washington St., Newton, MA 02462.
Morris Simon, professor em-eritus of radiology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center,
died on January 17
at age 79.
In 1948, Simon earned his medical degree from University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. He spent two years treating patients in South Africa before moving to London, where he earned a degree at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons. Simon came to Beth Israel in 1958, where he served as the chief of radiology from 1963 until 1970.
Simon distinguished himself with his invention of devices for treating pulmonary patients. Among his creations was the Simon Nitinol filter, an umbrella-shaped filter used to prevent pulmonary embolisms. The mesh traps blood clots that are dislodged from the legs before they can reach the lungs or the heart and has saved thousands of people from potentially fatal blood clots and embolisms since its invention in the early 1970s. He also helped to develop a removable vena cava filter and a catheter with a steerable tip. Most recently, Simon was developing the Simon compliance pill pack, a device to reduce the risk of medication errors, with Jerry Blander, a doctoral student at HSPH.
Simon is survived by his wife, Josephine; four sons, Daniel, Adam, Jason, and Mark; and five grandchildren.