Henri Ford named vice dean for medical education of Keck School of Medicine

VOLUME 14, NUMBER 24 AUGUST 22, 2008

By Katie Neith

Henri R. Ford has been named tothe position of Vice Dean for MedicalEducation at the Keck School ofMedicine. He succeeds Clive Taylor,who has served as Senior AssociateDean for Educational Affairs withdistinction since 1997.

As Vice Dean, Ford will oversee allaspects of education of medical stu-dents, including the offices ofAdmissions, Curriculum, Diversity,and Student Affairs. Ford will addi-tionally oversee the Office ofContinuing Medical Education, theDivision of Medical Education, andthe School’s application for accredita-tion by the Liaison Committee onMedical Education (LCME).

“As vice president and chief of sur-gery at Childrens Hospital LosAngeles, Dr. Ford has shown excep-tional leadership,” said Carmen A.Puliafito, dean of the Keck School.“As a professor in the Department ofSurgery at the Keck School ofMedicine, he has been an importantrole model for young physicians andmedical students. Together, these out-standing traits will help Dr. Fordadvance the medical school’s educa-tional mission. Working closely withfaculty leaders and me, he will pro-mote excellence in medical educationas one of the highest priorities of theKeck School.”

Ford has been a part of ChildrensHospital Los Angeles and the Keck

School of Medicine since 2005. Priorto that, he was professor and chief ofthe Division of Pediatric Surgery andsurgeon-in-chief at Children’sHospital of Pittsburgh and theUniversity of Pittsburgh School ofMedicine.

In his new role, Ford counts amonghis early priorities developing a strate-gic plan for medical education,reviewing and revising the Year III/IVmedical student curriculum, strength-ening research opportunities for med-ical students, increasing the propor-tion of students who spend a fifth yeardoing full-time research, and develop-ing new sources for medical studentfinancial aid.

By Cheryl Bruyninckx

USC Trojan Football Coach PeteCarroll will be featured in a new pro-motional campaign for The Doctors ofUSC to debut this fall.

The campaign—a video commercial,radio spot and print ads—was shot June24 at Heritage Hall on the UniversityPark Campus. The premise of theadvertising campaign is to highlight the

fact that Carroll himself is a patient ofThe Doctors of USC.

“The Doctors of USC are the healthcare providers for our Trojan athletes,and we are delighted that CoachCarroll accepted our invitation toappear in the new campaign to promotethe expertise of our USC physicians,”said Jane Brust, associate senior vicepresident for health sciences public rela-

tions and marketing. “We want theTrojan Family to be watching for thecampaign to appear on our Web sitesand in print beginning in September.”

In the ads, Carroll is shown seated inthe waiting room of a doctor’s office,engaged in conversation with a femalepatient who is at first startled and thenexcited to see him there.

By Meghan Lewit

Keck School of Medicine faculty atthe Health Sciences Campus andChildrens Hospital Los Angelesreceived $8 million from the CaliforniaInstitute for Regenerative Medicine(CIRM).

The state’s stem cell agency awardeda total of $59 million in New Faculty IIAwards to support researchers early intheir career. The grants receivedapproval Aug. 13 from the IndependentCitizens Oversight Committee(ICOC), the 29-member governingboard of the institute.

The New Faculty II Awards is thesecond round of CIRM funding tosupport M.D. and Ph.D. scientists whoare at critical early stages of establish-ing careers in stem cell research.Investigators funded by these grantsreceive salary and research support forfive years, creating a stable environmentfor building innovative research pro-grams at a point in their careers whenfunding can be difficult to obtain.

“These prestigious awards to Keckand CHLA faculty members will accel-erate the pace of these young scientists’highly innovative and creative researchprograms in basic stem cell biology andtissue engineering,” said Martin Pera,director of the Eli and Edythe Broad

USC researchersawarded $8 millionfor stem cell studies

See CIRM, page 3

Coach Pete Carroll pitches The Doctors of USC

USC Football Coach Pete Carroll (center, in cardinal) and actors prepare to shoot a commercial touting The Doctors of USC.

See CARROLL, page 3

See FORD, page 2

Flanked by Erin Quinn (left), Keck School associatedean for admissions, and Donna Elliot, associatedean for student affairs, Henri Ford discussesresearch opportunities for medical students.

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George Nicholas Boone, longtimefriend of the university, life trustee, for-mer USC Alumni Association presidentand leading Southern California philan-thropist, died Aug. 12, at his home inSan Marino, Calif. He was 85.

“The entire Trojan Family mournsthe loss of George Boone,” said USCPresident Steven B. Sample. “He andhis wife, MaryLou, have shared a strongbelief in the university’s mission as wellas in the creativity, innovation andentrepreneurship of our students and

faculty. He leaves a legacy at USC thatis felt in fields ranging from dentistryand medicine to environmental studies.In addition, George’s passing means theloss of a dear personal friend ofKathryn’s and mine.”

George Boone enrolled at USC as atransfer student from Pasadena CityCollege, receiving support from the U.S.Navy for his pre-dental studies. Afterearning a D.D.S. in 1946, he worked asa dentist on a military base in China,later returning to the university to earn

a master’s degree in 1951. He practicedorthodontics in the Pasadena area for20 years before going into the realestate business in 1969.

Boone often remarked that he hadenjoyed all three of his careers but thathis greatest satisfaction came from thethird—philanthropy.

Together with his wife, MaryLou—who holds a B.S. in dental hygiene aswell as a master’s in art history fromUSC—he generously shared his successwith his alma mater, as well as with

many other organizations throughoutSouthern California. As a philanthro-pist, George Boone was a visionary whowas committed to helping institutions“think outside the box” and create inno-vative new initiatives.

In 1984, the Boones endowed theGeorge and MaryLou Boone Chair inCraniofacial Molecular Biology at theUSC School of Dentistry, advancingresearch into fundamental questionsabout genetics and craniofacial develop-ment. In 1996, the couple donated realestate to support renovation of the thirdfloor of USC’s Eileen and Kenneth T.Norris Dental Science Center, helpingcreate a state-of-the-art orthodonticclinic, as well as patient-simulationunits for the pre-clinical education ofdental students. George Boone alsoserved as a part-time faculty member ofthe dental school, where he lectured inthe undergraduate orthodontic programand conducted seminars on practicemanagement.

In March 2005, the Keck School ofMedicine of USC announced two sepa-rate gifts from the Boones: one toestablish the George and MaryLouBoone Parkinson’s Disease andMovement Disorders Research Center,and one to endow the George N. andMaryLou Boone Professorship inMedical Excellence.

Rather than focusing on research, asmost endowed faculty positions do, thisprofessorship focuses on patient careand provides budgetary support forinternal medicine.

First elected to the USC Board ofTrustees in 1995, George Boone alsowas a member of the USC CollegeBoard of Councilors and the advisoryboard of USC’s Philip K. WrigleyInstitute for Environmental Studies.Over the years, he served on the boardsof USC’s schools of dentistry, medicineand fine arts as well.

In appreciation for his 55 years ofservice to the USC School of Dentistry,George Boone received the school’sBronze Trojan award in July 2004. In2005, he and his wife were among theinaugural recipients of the Dean’sMedallion from USC College.

In addition to his wife, Boone is sur-vived by children Lynda Boone Fetterand husband Blaine Fetter, Nick Booneand Suzanne Boone; grandchildren Nic,Kyle and Adam Fetter, and Rex, Claireand Kelly Kirshner; and sister JeanneBoone Tappan.

HSC Weekly is published for the faculty, staff, students and community of the Universityof Southern California’s Health Sciences Campus. It is written and produced by theHealth Sciences Public Relations and Marketing staff. Comments, suggestions andstory ideas are welcome via the contact points listed above. Permission to reprint articleswith attribution is freely given.

Assoc. Senior Vice Pres., Health SciencesPublic Relations and Marketing: Jane BrustExecutive Director of Communicationsand Marketing: Ina FriedEditor: Jon Nalick

Senior Vice President, UniversityRelations: Martha HarrisContributors: Eva Blaauw, CherylBruyninckx, Veronica Jauriqui, MeghanLewit, Katie Neith and Sara Reeve

Phone: 323-442-2830 Fax: 323-442-2832 Email: hscwkly@usc.edu Web: uscnews.usc.edu/hscweekly/ Next Issue: September 12

George Boone, philanthropist and USC benefactor, 85

By Veronica Jauriqui

Amidst the bustle of orientation,it’s been a busy week for first-yearmedical students.

But the 166 members of theincoming class of 2012 took a time-out from their orientation scheduleto enjoy a backyard picnic courtesyof Keck School of Medicine DeanCarmen A. Puliafito.

The party, held Aug. 13 at DeanPuliafito’s Pasadena home, featureddinner, games and a live DJ.Students played volleyball and cro-quet, threw horse shoes, played on agiant Malpractice game board (akaOperation) and bounced on aninflatable Twister.

“It’s an incredible gesture,” saidincoming student Ian Macqueen.“It’s great to get together and enjoythe festivities. It’s the most fun we’vehad all week.”

Above, from left: Kavel Visrodia, Dean

Carmen A. Puliafito, Anita Damodaran

and Priyanka Kadam relax at an Aug. 13

party at the dean's home that also fea-

tured games of Operation and (at right)

Twister.

“I am deeply honored to have beenselected to serve as the Vice Dean forMedical Education at the KeckSchool,” said Ford. “I accept thisappointment with great trepidation andhumility, because I recognize the mag-nitude of the task at hand and the sig-nificance of this position. For whatcould be more important to the missionof the school of medicine than the edu-cation of its medical students?”

Taylor, who has overseen the depart-ment for 11 years, noted the signifi-cance of Ford’s clinical service and lead-ership.

“The LCME in 15 months will lookat the revision of the clinical part of our

curriculum and we felt we should have aphysician lead the program,” saidTaylor, who will continue as SeniorAssociate Dean in an advisory role. “Dr.Ford is well suited for this position. Theoffice is blessed with excellent facultywho have a long-term and enthusiasticcommitment to teaching.”

Under Taylor’s leadership, the Officeof Educational Affairs revised the YearI/II medical school curriculum andimproved United States MedicalLicensing Examination (USMLE) testscores among students. The class of2009 averaged 233 points against anational mean of 218 on the Step 1test, taken after the first two years ofmedical school.

“My predecessor, Dr. Clive Taylor,has done a magnificent job as SeniorAssociate Dean for Educational Affairsover the past decade. I hope to build onthe strong foundation that he has creat-ed and work with the outstanding staffthat he has assembled to take the officeto new heights,” said Ford. “It is myhope that the Keck School of Medicinewill not only attract and train the bestmedical students in the country, butalso become the training ground forfuture leaders of American medicine.”

Ford’s office is located in the KeithAdministration Building, suite 218 . Hewill continue his work at ChildrensHospital Los Angeles in addition to hisnew appointment.

Keck School dean opens up his home to fete Class of 2012

FORD: School to be ‘training ground for future leaders of American medicine’Continued from page 1

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Center for Regenerative Medicine andStem Cell Research at USC.

Three Keck School of Medicine fac-ulty members working at the HealthSciences Campus and ChildrensHospital Los Angeles received NewFaculty II Awards:

• Gage Crump, assistant professor of

cell and neurobiology at the KeckSchool of Medicine, received a $2.3million award aimed at developing cell-based therapies that lead to better heal-ing of traumatic head injuries.

• Qilong Ying, assistant professor ofcell and neurobiology at the KeckSchool, received a $2.4 million awardfor his studies of an important bio-

chemical pathway that influencesembryonic stem cell behavior.

• Tracy Grikscheit, assistant professorof pediatric surgery at ChildrensHospital Los Angeles, received a $3.2million award to investigate a newapproach towards building intestinaltissue to correct a devastating conditioncalled Short Bowel Syndrome, seen pri-marily in premature babies.

“These studies will enable efforts toscale up production of specialized cellslike nerves and muscle from stem cellcultures, for use in future research andtherapy,” says Pera, also a professor ofcell and neurobiology at the KeckSchool. “They will also support geneticstudies of how bones in the head andneck are formed in the embryo and howthey might be stimulated to regeneratein the adult, work that will one day aidin reconstruction after traumatic headinjuries. Grikscheit’s tissue engineeredbowel has the potential to overcome themany limitations of current transplanta-tion surgery for short bowel syndrome.”

This second round of New FacultyAwards builds on the 22 grants givenout in December 2007.

Funded researchers could work withany type of stem cell including adult orembryonic, animal or human.

“We expect these awards to play a

significant role in changing the careertrajectory of funded researchers, encour-aging talented young investigators topursue careers in stem cell research,”said Alan Trounson, president ofCIRM. “I’m pleased that great researchhas the opportunity for funding. Wenow have a very high caliber of newfaculty with a total of 45 awards fromtwo independent RFA rounds.”

CIRM received 55 applications from32 institutions. Each institution couldrecommend up to five faculty membersminus the number that received NewFaculty I awards. This second round ofNew Faculty Awards differs slightlyfrom the first round in the focus onrecruiting promising new physician-researchers to the field of stem cellresearch, and in requiring funded scien-tists to name mentors who will guidethem toward establishing successful,productive careers in stem cell research.

CIRM was established when voterspassed Proposition 71 in 2004 to bor-row and spend $3 billion over 10 yearsto support stem cell research. To date,USC faculty members at the two maincampuses and Childrens Hospital LosAngeles have secured $60 million infunding.

For information on USC’s stem cellprograms, visit http://stemcell.usc.edu.

By Sara Reeve

The Keck School of Medicine sur-passed last year’s fundraising tally by 75percent in FY08, raising $116.5 millionin philanthropic contributions.

Dean Carmen A. Puliafito said thefinancial gifts received in the last fiscalyear “will help to continue the KeckSchool’s pursuit of excellence in teach-ing, research and clinical care. We aredeeply appreciative of the confidencethese donors have placed in the school.”

The largest gift received this year wasthe $60 million gift from the estate ofJane Anne Nohl, which was the sixthlargest gift in the university’s history.That bequest has created the Jane AnneNohl Division of Hematology and

Center for the Study of Blood Diseasesat the USC/Norris ComprehensiveCancer Center. The gift provides theresources for attracting new outstandingfaculty and for the education and train-ing of new clinical scientists.

Other donations included a $10 mil-lion gift from the Kenneth T. & EileenL. Norris Foundation for the USCEpigenome Center, a $5 million giftfrom businessman Larry Freemanand his wife, Judy, to name the Judyand Larry Freeman Cancer DayHospital, and a $5 million gift from theL.K. Whittier Foundation to extendfunding of the L.K. WhittierFoundation Innovative TailoredTherapies Initiative at USC/Norris

Comprehensive Cancer Center.Senior Executive Director of

Development William Loadvine notedthat many of the gifts were the result ofconsiderable time and effort. “Thanksto the dedicated efforts of staff and fac-ulty, the Keck School continues to

attract substantial donors who areengaged in the work of this School,”said Loadvine. “In order to establish theKeck School as a premier education andresearch institution, it is imperative thatwe build on this fundraising success.”

The total of $116.5 million representsan increase of more than 75 percentover the previous fiscal year, which tal-lied $65.4 million for the Keck School.

Combined with donations receivedby affiliated institutions, includingChildrens Hospital Los Angeles andDoheny Eye Institute, the total raisedin the last year adds up to more than$186 million. Since 1999, the year thatUSC President Steven B. Sampleunveiled a new 10-year fundraising ini-tiative, the Keck School and affiliatedhospitals have raised more than $1.55billion. The initiative began with theW.M. Keck Foundation’s historic nam-ing gift of $110 million to the school.

Keck Schools nets $116.5 million in charitable donations to boost programs

RESTRICTIONS ON RESTRAINTS—In an Aug. 8 talk to medical students, Elyn Saks drew fromher experience as a schizophrenia patient to make recommendations for policy changes in treat-ment for mental illness, including regulations on the use of mechanical restraints. Saks is associ-ate dean and the Orrin B. Evans Professor of Law, Psychology, and Psychiatry and the BehavioralSciences in the USC Gould School of Law. The talk was part of the Keck School of Medicine’sHEAL (Humanities, Ethics, Art and the Law) curriculum. The four-year curriculum, directed byAssistant Dean Pamela Schaff, concludes with students developing and presenting health policies.

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CIRM: Latest round of California Institute for Regenerative Medicine grants to fund three USC researchersContinued from page 1

USC Athletics offers promotionalconsiderations to The Doctors of USCin return for the outstanding care USCphysicians provide the Trojan athletes.The football team is under the closecare of head physician, Dr. JamesTibone, and many other orthopaedicsurgeons. In addition, USC physiciansfrom internal medicine, infectious dis-ease and neurosurgery are involved inthe treatment of the Trojan athletes.

“The Doctors of USC provide excep-tional care to our athletes,” says Russ

Romano, director of sports medicineand head athletic trainer. “We are veryfortunate to work with this group ofphysicians and we have the highestregard for them.”

The involvement of Coach Carroll inthis year’s campaign is a key componentto this partnership.

Orchestrated by the Health SciencesPublic Relations and Marketing staff incollaboration with USC Athletics, thecampaign continues the award-winning“See the Doctors They See” campaigncreated last year.

Following last year’s campaign, theads featuring Coach Carroll will appearin several USC publications as well asin the printed football program. Avideo version will be shown in theColiseum as part of The Doctors ofUSC injury update at the beginning ofeach USC home game.

Look for the print ads in and aroundthe Coliseum and the Galen Center.And be sure to listen for radio spotsfrom The Doctors of USC during USCfootball and USC men’s basketballgames.

CARROLL: USC Football coach kicks off The Doctors of USC ad campaignContinued from page 1

Dean Carmen A. Puliafito recently outlined the following fundraising prioritiesfor the Keck School of Medicine:

• Fully developing the USC Academic Medical Center• Capital funding for the Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative

Medicine and Stem Cell Research• Programming funding for stem cell research • Increasing availability of student scholarships • Establishing a Doctors of USC satellite facility in Beverly Hills • Building a new HSC Student Fitness Center• Increasing unrestricted gifts to fund additional programs and projects as needed.

HSC NEWSMAKERS Complete listing at: www.usc.edu/uscnews/usc_in_the_news/

The Aug. 17 Los Angeles Times ran an obituaryof pediatrician Joan Hodgman. Hodgman’s lifewas also discussed by the Associated Press,KCBS-TV and the San Francisco Chronicle.

An Aug. 13 WebMD article quoted cardiovas-cular medicine expert Boris Z. Simkhovich andcardiologist Robert Kloner about the effects ofair pollution on heart health.

An Aug. 13 United Press International articlehighlighted a study led by obesity expertMichael Goran, which found that overweightHispanic children are at increased risk for pre-diabetes.

On Aug. 13, a KNBC-TV story quoted stemcell expert Martin Pera about funding for stemcell research awarded by the California Institutefor Regenerative Medicine.

An Aug. 12 Scientific American article quotedsarcoidosis expert Om Sharma in a Q&A aboutsarcoidosis, a disease with which comedianBernie Mac was diagnosed in 1983.

On Aug. 7, KNBC-TV ran an interview withenvironmental expert Jim Gauderman during astory on air pollution at the Beijing 2008 andLos Angeles 1984 Olympics.

On Aug. 5, a CBS News story on “The EarlyShow” quoted fertility expert Richard Paulsonabout the supplement DHEA, which some sayhelps older women who want to conceive.

An Aug. 5 Los Angeles Times article quotedurology expert David Penson about a federalrecommendation that men over 75 not undergoprostate cancer screenings because the potentialharm outweighs the potential benefits.

Calendar of Events

Monday, Aug. 25

4 P.M. “Transplant Conference,” Various faculty. UNHSalerni Rm. Info: (323) 442-9093

Wednesday, Aug. 27

7 A.M. Medicine Grand Rounds. “Hyponatremia andSIADH,” Niloofar Nobakht, USC. GNH 1645. Info:(323) 226-7556

8:30 A.M. “Ultrasound in Pulmonary/Critical CareMedicine,” Ching-Fei Chang, USC. GNH 11-321. Info:9323) 226-7923

Friday, Aug. 29

8:30 A.M. “Pulmonary Thromboembolism,” Renli Qiao,USC. GNH 11-321. Info: (323) 226-7923

Wednesday, Sept. 10

NOON. “Developmental Refinement of InhibitoryConnections in the Auditory System,” Karl Kandler, Univ.of Pittsburgh. ZNI 112. Info: (323) 442-3219

Thursday, Sept. 18

NOON. “Genetic and Metabolic Control of the Folate-dependent Methionine Cycle,” Barry Shane, UC Berkeley.HMR 100. Info: (323) 442-1283

Friday, Sept. 19

NOON. Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical SciencesSeminar. “AMPK, Regulation of Liver Gene Expression,and Type 2 Diabetes,” Jian Yang, Univ. of South Alabama.PSC 104. Info: (323) 442-2184

Thursday, Sept. 11

4 p.m. USC Arts & Humanities Initiative Visions andVoices. “Praxis & Poetry: Beyond the Walls of Medicine,”William Rector, USC. HSC: KAM Hoyt Gallery. Info:(213) 740-6786

The HSC Calendar is online at

www.usc.edu/hsccalendar

EMERGENCY!—Fifty-eightHSC staff and faculty memberscompleted a six-week CampusEmergency Response Teamcourse that culminated onAug. 12 with a realistic emer-gency drill that put their skillsto the test. Volunteer teammembers learned to performtriage, light search-and-rescueoperations (above and top), firesuppression (far left), and firstaid (left) to help assist profes-sional responders in the eventof a real emergency. Additionalphotos of the event are onlineat www.usc.edu/hsc/info/pr/hsccert. To enroll infuture classes e-mailsgoldfarb@caps.usc.edu.

USC Health SciencesPublic Relations1975 Zonal Ave.KAM 400Los Angeles, CA 90033

Non-Profit OrganizationU.S. POSTAGE PAIDUniversity of Southern

California

Notice: Deadline for calendar submission is 4 p.m.Monday to be considered for that week’s issue—although threeweeks advance notice of events is recommended. Please notethat timely submission does not guarantee an item will be print-ed. Send calendar items to HSC Weekly, KAM 400 or fax to (323)442-2832, or e-mail to eblaauw@usc.edu. Entries must includeday, date, time, title of talk, first and last name of speaker, affilia-tion of speaker, location, and a phone number for information.

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