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Contents

25 Years: Building a Research Center of Excellence...

Community Provided a Solid Foundation ......................... 3–5Building a Research Infrastructure ....................................... 6Form Follows Function ......................................................... 7Community-Oriented Research: A Model to Build Upon ...... 8Preparing Tomorrow’s Researchers ...................................... 9Constructing the Model for Tomorrow’s Cures ................... 10The Community: A Research Structure Without Walls .. 11–12Preparing for the Future...................................................... 13

Profiles ................................................................. 14–15

Faculty: Dennis C. Moore, Ed.D.Staff: Deborah K. Vetter, M.S.

Advancement ........................................................ 16–17

New Faces ............................................................ 18–19

Of Primary Interest .............................................. 18–20

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25 Years: Building a ResearchCenter of Excellence

Research is the most promising problem solver for our future and has become an economicengine in our communities as well. Across the country, biomedical research is changing ourlives rather dramatically. Advances have already given us organ transplants, cures for smallpoxand polio, and longer, healthier lives. New studies seek both prevention strategies and cures forthe nation’s killer diseases.

The knowledge is expanding exponentially but is constructed upon small building blocks.Breakthrough clinical applications of today are founded upon yesterday’s time-intensive studyof molecules, cells, and tissues.

A foundation for the nation’s biomedical knowledge is its 125 medical schools. Historically,medical schools have been leaders in discovering tomorrow’s cures and disseminating newknowledge. Entering its 25th year, Wright State University School of Medicine has quicklybecome a contender in obtaining hard-to-get research dollars, and its research is garneringnational and international recognition in several areas.

1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981

The Thomas B.FordhamFoundationdonates funds forWSUSOM’sscientific library.

Cox HeartInstitute, part ofthe nationallyrecognizedMRFIT study,merges withWSUSOM.

The Miami ValleyChapter of theAmerican HeartAssociationbegins supportingresearch atWSUSOM.

Biochemist DanOrganisciak firstreceives fundingfrom the NationalEye Institute tostudy age-relatedvision loss.

The Fels Fundgives the FelsInstitute, thelargest andlongestcontinuous studyof human growth,to WSUSOM.

Spacephysiolo-gistMaryAnneFreybegins aresearchcareer that leadsto NASA.

Data from theFels Study is firstpublished in thenation’s pediatricgrowth charts.

MedicalsociologistHarvey Siegalestablishes theWeekendInterventionProgram (WIP),providing earlyintervention forsubstanceabusers.

PathologistAl Batataintroducessurface markersfor the diagnosisof leukemias andlymphomas toDayton.

The civilianaerospacemedicineresidencyprogram, acollaborationbetweenWSUSOM andWright-PattersonAir Force Base(WPAFB), isinitiated.

British engineerGodfreyHounsfieldreceives the 1979Nobel Prize fordeveloping theCT scan.

The works ofRoss McFarland,renownedresearcher andfather of humanfactors inaviation, aredonated toWSUSOM’sFordham Library.

The new BMSPh.D. programaccepts its firststudents.

Pathologist AlBatata usesnewly inventedmonoclonalantibodies for thediagnosis oflymphoma/leukemia.

The AIDS virus isofficiallyrecognized.

The AmericanHeart Associationbegins a studentresearchprogram.

The State ofMissouri is thefirst to model theWeekendInterventionProgram, laterreplicated acrossNorth America.

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PhysiologistRoger Glaserreceives a patentfor apparatus thatexercises aparalyzed limb.

Substance AbuseInterventionProgramsbecomes theumbrella forpreventionprojects, includingWIP.

WPAFB MedicalCenter holdsribbon cutting fornewly designedfacility.

BiomedicalImagingLaboratory atMiami ValleyHospital opens.

Department ofSurgerycontributes tonational treatmentstandards ofdiverticulitis.

The Miami ValleyChapter of theAmerican HeartAssociationendows studentand facultyresearch.

PhysiologistRoger Glaser,neurologistThomasMathews, andothers developexercisetechniques forpatients withparalysis andmultiple sclerosis.

1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988

Studies concludethat the WeekendInterventionProgram (WIP) iseffective inreducing drunkdriving recidivism.

Department ofSurgery testslead to nationaltreatment forcolon cancer.

Pathologist AlBatata uses thefirst flowcytometer in Ohioto managelymphoma/leukemia andcancer DNA.

Department ofSurgery studieslead to nationalrecognition of C.DifficileSepticemia.

Kettering MedicalCenter andWSUSOM join inMRI research.

PhysiologistRoger Glaserreceives a patentfor his wheelchairand drive system.

James Olson,Department ofEmergencyMedicine,develops clinicallyrelevant modelsto study cerebraledema.

Children’sMedical Centerholds ResearchLaboratory OpenHouse.

“The relationship provides valuable clinical experiences to themedical student in the early years of training and benefits the

veteran who receives high-quality, comprehensive health care.”

Wright State University School ofMedicine (WSUSOM) was one offive medical schools formedthrough the 1972 VA MedicalSchool Assistance and HealthManpower Training Act. Theaffiliation between the Dayton VAMedical Center and the schoolbrought many benefits to bothinstitutions, claimed the lateWillard Hitchings, former directorof the Dayton VA Medical Center.“The affiliation enhances ourability to recruit high-quality housestaff and expands the number andscope of residency training pro-grams,” he explained in 1978.

“The relationship provides valuableclinical experiences to the medicalstudent in the early years oftraining and benefits the veteranwho receives high-quality, compre-hensive health care.”

The Dayton VA, one of thelargest VA hospitals in the country,was a principal supporter of thenew professional school. Over theyears, the Dayton VA has served asa major teaching and research site.

The lateWillard

Hitchings,former

director of theDayton VA

MedicalCenter.

Community Provided A Solid FoundationCommunity Provided a Solid Foundation

Dayton VA BasicSciences Additionis dedicated.

The Gallup Pollfinds that one-third of Americanfamilies have hada problem withalcohol and 79%believealcoholism is atreatable disease.

AerospaceMedicine studiesconclude thatolder pilots havefewer accidents.

In its formative years, WrightState University School of Medicinefound instant national recognitionthrough the mergers of self-standingresearch entities, such as the FelsInstitute (1977) and Cox HeartInstitute (1976), with the school.

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Department ofEmergencyMedicine studieshow a person inshock toleratesG-forces forNASA.

Pharmacologist/ToxicologistJamesLucotreceivesa patentfor aninventionto alleviatemotion sicknessor chemicallyinduced emesis.

Department ofSurgeryintroducesminimallyinvasive surgeryto community.

1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993–94

Bio-chemistMichaelLeffak

helps discover thereplication originof the human c-mys onc o gene.

OtolaryngologistRobertGoldenbergdevelops an earimplant system ofprostheses toreconstruct themiddle ear.

FelsProfessorAlex Rocheco-authorsthe first

standardizationmanual in the fieldof anthropometry.

Parents and pediatriciansthroughout the country are familiar,perhaps unknowingly, with datacompiled through the Fels Longitu-dinal Study since 1929. Theinformation is published in theform of the nation’s pediatricgrowth charts for the birth to 36months age period.

Originally, the Fels Study wasdesigned to answer questionsabout variation in child growth anddevelopment, but the study contin-ued as the first participants becameadults. Recognizing new uses forthe data, Alexander Roche, M.D.,Ph.D., who headed the study for25 years, guided the researchtoward health-related questionsabout body composition. “Wecan,” says Dr. Roche, “examinerelationships that no one else canexamine.”

For the past 20 years, thestudy’s primary focus has been onchanges in cardiovascular diseaserisk factors in relation to body

composition. More than 1,100individuals, plus an even greaternumber of their relatives, havebeen involved. The first Felsparticipants have been in this studycontinuously for 69 years, and thenewest is only a few months old,the great-grandchild of one of thefirst.

Deemed a “national treasure”by the National Institutes ofHealth, the study is also used toanswer current scientific questionsrelated to cardiovascular riskfactors, to assess the nutritionalstatus of the elderly for the WorldHealth Organization, and to predicthealth status patterns.

The Departmentof Anatomydevelops aneuro-scienceresearchprogram thatprovides newinformation onnerve cellfunction andnerve injury.

Substance AbuseResources andDisability Issuesreceives fundingto examine theimpact ofsubstance abuseupon individualswith disabilities.

Dr. Sidney Millertransferstechnology usedin developingfighter pilotmasks at Wright-Patterson AirForce Base toburn patients.

PediatricianRobert Cohnstudies treatmentapproaches topulmonaryinfection in cysticfibrosis patients.

SAIP’s researchon injection drugusers dispelspublic mythsabout AIDSprevention.

Drs. CassandraPaul andhematologist/oncologistMichael Baumannestablish theeosinophilic AML14 cell line.

GynecologistWilliam Nahhasconducts a drugstudy on cancerincreasing lifeexpectancy fromone to threeyears.

Fels data andtechniques areused by theWorld HealthOrganization toassess nutritionalstandards for theelderly.

“We can examine relationships that no one else can examine.”

Orthopedicsurgeon Dr.Pompe useselectricalstimulationtechniques duringjoint replacementsurgeries.

GynecologistWilliam Nahhasholds clinicaltrials onTamoxifen,finding it hasmodest effect onendometrialcarcinoma.

Physiologist PeterLauf andpharmacologistNorma Adragnacharacterize therole of K-Clcotransport insickle celldisease.

AlexanderRoche, M.D.,Ph.D., professoremeritus andhead of the FelsLongitudinalStudy for morethan 25 years.

Department ofEmergencyMedicine movesto the Cox HeartInstitute tocombineadministrativeand researchactivities.

Immu-nologistNeal Roteidentifies afrequent causefor miscarriage,antiphospholipidantibodysyndrome.

Marshall Kapp,J.D., M.P.H., incollaboration withthe Robert WoodJohnsonFoundation, findsthat few nursinghomes havecomprehensive,organizedprograms formanaging theirlegal risks.

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The Departmentof EmergencyMedicinedevelops MRItechnologies toquantitate brainedema develop-ment.

Physiologist JayDean constructsa hyperbaricchamber to testcentral nervoussystem function.

The Departmentof Microbiologyand Immunologymoves into newlaboratoryquarters.

Pathologist AlBatata introducesgenetic testingwith fluorescent insitu hybridizationfor patients withleukemia andcancer.

A biomedicallaboratorystudying age-related vision lossis named in honorof Mrs. MaryPetticrew and herlate husband,Stanley.

Physiologist LuoLu develops adepartmentalmolecular andcellular corefacility.

1995 1996 1997 1998

PsychiatristVikram Yeraganiadvancesunderstanding ofheart ratevariability inpsychiatricpatients.

Drs. CassandraPaul and MichaelBaumann licensemyeloid cell lineAML14, whichbecomes aninternationalstandard.

GynecologistRobert Kovacdevelopsguidelines forhysterectomyprocedures.

ResearcherJeanne Lemkaustudies the mosteffective ways toincreasemammographytesting.

Anatomist RobertFyffe andWSUSOM hoststhe firstinternationalsymposium onneuroscience.

Gastroenterolo-gist ManoopBhutani developsinterventiontechniques usingendoscopicultrasonography.

PhysiologistRichard Whitedemonstrates themechanismby whichestrogenrelaxescoronaryarteries.

OphthalmologistJohn Bullockdiscoverscomplicationsassociated with anew glaucomadrop and a noveltechnique to moresafely removedense eyecataracts.

BiochemistBrenda Wilsonlicenses arecombinantPasteurellaMultocida toxinbiological agent.

MicrobiologistDawn Wooleydiscovers thepossibility ofgeneticrecombination ofretroviruses.

GynecologistJeffrey C. Kingand others testthe effectivenessof new tech-niques to detectcervical cancerand STD’s.

Biomedicaland humanfactorsengineerThomasHangartnerreceives apatent for CTsystem that hasthe ability toquantitate corticalbone or otherstructures.

Physiology andBiophysicsresearchers studythe characteriza-tion of the role ofCO2 and protonsin the function ofrespiratoryneurons.

Cox Heart Institute, establishedin 1964 through private funds andlocal industry, studied the origin,prevention, and treatment of heartdisease.

Paul Kezdi, M.D., formerdirector of the institute, seniorinvestigator of the national Mul-tiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial,and the first dean for research,notes that research was one of thecatalysts for Dayton’s medicalschool.

“An academic affiliation inresearch was very important,” heexplains. “It allowed us to recruitthe best and brightest researchersand teachers to the area. We weredoing research to improve heartsurgery and felt that a medical

Paul Kezdi,M.D., former

director ofCox Heart

Institute andthe first deanfor research.

“Many of the best researchers in the communitywere among the strongest supporters for the school.

We could see the tremendous advantages that amedical school would bring to our community.”

school would bring prestige. Too,private funding sources werebecoming less reliable, and amedical school would providestability for research efforts. Manyof the best researchers in thecommunity were among thestrongest supporters for the school.We could see the tremendousadvantages that a medical schoolwould bring to our community.”

GynecologistsRobert Kovac andStephenCruikshank arethe first tocompare surgicalmethods toprevententerocele.

Space physiolo-gist Mary AnneFrey is thescientist in chargeof the researchon space shuttleColumbia.

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The first requisite for both theresearch and education missionswas a scientific library. In Novem-ber 1973, the Thomas B. FordhamFoundation contributed $500,000to establish the Fordham HealthSciences Library for the newmedical school.

The gift allowed for the rapidacquisition of library holdings andprovided a first-rate library muchfaster than many anticipated.Raymond Palmer, the first librarianof the Wright State UniversitySchool of Medicine, knew that thefacility was top notch. “The librarybecame a finer facility than theinstitution expected—or maybeeven needed. But at the time it wasdeveloped, the sights of all thepeople were very high and thelibrary was developed with thefuture in mind.”

Support for developing depart-ments was critical for the future aswell. Departments were given“start-up” packages that includedfacilities, staff, and funding. “Theinitial combination at the school ofestablished research institutes andsupport for new basic sciencedepartments quickly advanced our

Daniel T. Organisciak, Ph.D.Chair and Professor, Biochemistry andMolecular Biology

Ruth M. Darrow, Senior ResearchAssociate, Biochemistry

This research examines themolecular mechanism by whichvisible light damages the retina ofthe eye. Light can damage retinalcells through long-term exposureas well as by acute exposure tovery intense light. Dr.Organisciak’s findings haveshown that antioxidants retarddamage, suggesting that oxygenfree radicals play a role in retinallight damage. These studies mayrelate to the prevention of maculardegeneration, the leading cause ofblindness for Americans over 65.The macula is the region of theretina responsible for color visionand visual acuity.

Sponsor: National Eye Institute

research efforts,” notes Robert A.Weisman, Ph.D., professor ofbiochemistry and associate deanfor biomedical sciences. “As we’vegrown, we often have been able torecruit increasingly productivefaculty in the research areas. And,we’ve been able to develop aculture in which to support re-search. For a 25-year-old medicalschool, we’ve made terrificprogress.”

Dan Organisciak, Ph.D.,professor and chair of biochemistryand molecular biology, concurs,“For those of us who have beenhere long enough to witness thegrowth in funding at Wright State,it is clear that effective facultyrecruitment, an efficient grantsmanagement office, and ourmaturity have contributed to thissuccess. Effective leadership hasprovided important incentives,such as graduate students, reinvest-ment of funds, and equipmentreplacement.”

Today, Wright State’s facultyare highly regarded among theirpeers and collaborate with otherresearchers around the globe.

“The initial combination at the school of establishedresearch institutes and support for new basic science

departments quickly advanced our research efforts. . . .For a 25-year-old medical school, we’ve made

terrific progress.”

Building a Research InfrastructureVision Loss

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Wright State University wasconstructed to be completelyaccessible for disabled individuals.Honeycombed below its campus lieconnecting tunnels, and it was oneof the first universities to providecomprehensive disability services.In addition, providing specializedhealth care for individuals withdisabilities became an importantfocus for the new medical schoolbecause the Dayton VA MedicalCenter was a major teachinghospital. Some early researchefforts, still supported by theDayton VA and Miami ValleyHospital, focused around the highlyspecialized needs of both studentsand veterans.

In the early ’70s, little wasknown about spinal cord injuries(SCI). A pioneering researchprogram here, now called theInstitute for Rehabilitation Re-search and Medicine, discoveredmethods to improve the lives ofdisabled individuals and is the testsite for several patents in this field.

The late Roger Glaser, Ph.D.,professor of physiology, foundingdirector for the institute, and a keyresearcher in this area for morethan two decades, explained, “Wediscovered that functional electricalstimulation (FES)-induced exerciseof paralyzed muscles improvesaerobic capacity; increases size,strength, and endurance of para-

The Late Roger M. Glaser, Ph.D., (Left)Founding Director, Institute for

Rehabilitation Research and MedicineProfessor, Physiology and Biophysics

and Rehabilitation Medicine andRestorative Care

Thomas W. J. Janssen, P.h.D., ActingDirector (Center)

For more than 25 years, Dr.Glaser studied the problems ofmobility and quality of life for

individuals with various disabili-ties. He received seven patents forbiomedical devices and developedand tested the functional electricalstimulation (FES) technique. FES

induces muscle contractions ofcontrolled intensity and duration,enabling individuals with paraly-

sis to exercise on adapted bicyclesand weight lifting equipment.

Such exercise reduces the risk ofsecondary complications andimproves health, fitness, and

independence.

Sponsors: U.S. Department ofVeterans Affairs; Miami Valley

Hospital

lyzed muscles; and decreases therate of osteoporosis in bones.”

Overriding the damagedcentral nervous system, FESinvolves the delivery of computer-controlled electrical impulses toparalyzed muscles. The inducedcontractions in the muscles enablea person to move paralyzed limbsin exercises such as weighted leglifts or peddling a stationarybicycle. FES has also been used toprevent thrombosis during hip andknee joint replacement surgery atMiami Valley Hospital.

The fitness levels that SCIindividuals achieve can equal, evensurpass, their able-bodied counter-parts. Pam Stuart Fontaine wasinvolved in this research programin the early ’80s. She playedintercollegiate wheelchair basket-ball at Wright State in 1983, andshe has stuck to a training regimensince then. Now a world-classathlete, Pam won a gold medal atthe 1988 Paralympics and playedguard on the U.S. Women’s Wheel-chair Basketball Team that won abronze medal in the 1996Paralympics.

“Athletics has been an essentialpart of my lifestyle ever sinceWright State,” explains Fontaine,now a mother of two. “People inwheelchairs also need to work out.The healthier you are, the betteryou feel.”

“People in wheelchairs also need to work out.The healthier you are, the better you feel.”

Form Follows FunctionDisabilities

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Although Wright State UniversitySchool of Medicine was estab-lished as a community-basedschool without its own teachinghospital, some viewed the geo-graphical distance between basicand clinical departments as abarrier to research. Others saw it asan opportunity to involve thecommunity in the research mission.The opportunities soon becamenational models, and the problemsposed by distance diminished bytechnology.

While other schools clung totradition, the new Dayton modelcreated its own tradition by em-bracing a community partnershipmodel. Faculty quickly adaptedtheir knowledge to communityneeds and strengths, formingpartnerships and applied researchprograms that became models forthe rest of the country.

For example, in 1978, HarveySiegal, Ph.D., began the WeekendIntervention Program (WIP), aprogram to intervene early in thesubstance abuse cycle. “Substanceabusers find their use adverselyaffects them three ways: with theirfamilies, on their jobs, and with thecriminal justice system,” explainsDr. Siegal. “Early intervention with

Harvey A. Siegal, Ph.D.Director, Substance Abuse InterventionPrograms (SAIP)Professor, Community Health andSociology

For more than 20 years, SAIP hasdeveloped community serviceprograms, provided educationalopportunities to health profes-sions students, and conductedsignificant research in severalareas of substance abuse interven-tion and treatment. Studies havequantified local teen substanceabuse, tested AIDS preventionprograms for injection drug users,and shown the effectiveness ofeducation and referral treatmentsfor drivers convicted of drivingunder the influence (DUI). Recentstudies examine the intersectionof substance abuse use amongindividuals with disabilities.

Sponsor: National Institute onDrug Abuse

families is difficult, and by the timea problem worsensed so it affectedjob performance, work-placeinitiatives and programs wouldkick in.”

Dr. Siegal looked at the area’scriminal justice system as anintervention site and DUI (DrivingUnder the Influence) as the kind ofoffense “many would commit; assuch, it opened a large window toidentifying people in trouble withalcohol and/or drugs. Ultimatelywe are at the mercy of society’smost fragile and most troubledmembers,” he explains. “Our job isto help these people, but also toimprove the systems and organiza-tions that deal with these societalissues. If we don’t, we all suffer.”

WIP, a combination of assess-ment, education, and referral,became a conduit between thecommunity’s criminal justice andhuman services systems. More than36,000 convicted DUI offendershave been mandated by the courtsto attend WIP since its inception,and WIP has proven to be moreeffective than either fines orincarceration for recidivism rates.The program has been replicatedthroughout North America.

“Ultimately we are at the mercy of society’smost fragile and most troubled members. Our job is to help

these people, but also to improve the systems andorganizations that deal with these societal issues.

If we don’t, we all suffer.”

Substance AbuseCommunity-Oriented Research:

A Model to Build Upon

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The Wright State UniversitySchool of Medicine activelyencourages students to participatein medical research. Researchtraining programs—offered to highschool, undergraduate, graduate,and medical students—link stu-dents with faculty researchers.

Melissa Maunz, Year II medi-cal student, participated in aresearch fellowship in the labora-tory of Richard White, Ph.D.,associate professor of physiologyand biophysics. “I would recom-mend this experience to anyonewho is curious about laboratorymedicine and its relationship toone’s future practice.” she says.

An abstract of Melissa’sresearch was accepted for presenta-tion and placed second at the 1998National Student Research Forumheld at the University of Galveston.In past years, several Wright Statestudents have won national recog-nition for their research projects.

Medical schools cannot teachstudents everything that willimpact their practices because ofthe rapid pace of research discover-ies and the effects of these discov-eries on the practice of medicine.Research introduces students tolifelong learning tools such ascritical thinking, problem solving,

and evaluation processes, andinstills an understanding of scien-tific processes.

Hina Ahmed, Year II, under thetutelage of Norma Adragna-Lauf,Ph.D., associate professor ofpharmacology, recently completeda fellowship sponsored by theAmerican Heart Association. “Dr.Adragna helped me to hone myskills of patience and attention todetail,” explains Hina. “Sheenabled me to obtain anotherperspective on how to surmountlife’s challenges, which can onlymake me a better clinician to mypatients.”

To further prepare students forcareers in biomedical fields, a teamof faculty who have extensiveexperience in addressing ethicalissues facilitate discussions withstudents based on case studies andhypothetical scenarios. JohnTurchi, Ph.D. associate professorof biochemistry and molecularbiology, emphasizes, “It is essentialto expose students to ethicalconsiderations in medicine andresearch. Sound scientific judg-ment must be complemented withgood ethical judgment to preparethe next generation of scientistsand physicians.”

Peter K. Lauf, M.D.Chair and Professor, Physiology and

Biophysics

It is estimated that 70,000Americans of different ethnicbackgrounds have sickle cell

disease. In the U.S., sickle cellsyndromes are present in one in

400 African Americans. Dr.Lauf’s research focuses on thefundamental transport of sub-

stances in and out of individualcells. Using model systems, Dr.Lauf and Dr. Adragna and their

team examine the mechanism bywhich Hemoglobin S containingcells rapidly dehydrate resultingin the transformation into dense

and irreversibly sickled cells.Because the transport system isfound in cells all over the body,Dr. Lauf’s studies have implica-

tions for many other diseasessuch as epilepsy, kidney disease,

and some vascular problems.

Sponsor: National Institute ofDiabetes and Digestive and

Kidney Diseases

“Dr. Adragna helped me to hone my skills ofpatience and attention to detail.”

Sickle Cell

Preparing Tomorrow’s Researchers

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Tomorrow’s research model willrequire even more collaboration,perhaps globally. Highly skilledtechnicians will be needed tooperate sensitive equipment, andthe process of developing clinicalapplications will happen morequickly.

The burgeoning field ofneuroscience may best exemplifythe new research model. The fieldencompasses aspects of anatomy,biochemistry, neurology, physiol-ogy, pharmacology, psychiatry, andothers. At Wright State, RobertFyffe, Ph.D., professor of anatomyand director of the BiomedicalSciences Ph.D. Program, maintainsactive research collaborations withscientists as close as next door andas far away as Australia. “You can’tjust sit back and take a singleapproach,” explains Dr. Fyffe. “Ithas to be multidisciplinary. Re-search, especially in our field,requires expertise in several areas.It’s so complex.”

His research requires a high-tech approach, using electronmicroscopy and computer model-ing, to understand basic propertiesof nerve cells. “It is important,”explains Dr. Fyffe, “to understandhow the cells function. How dothey use the proteins that molecular

biologists have identified? Howdoes their structure, as identifiedby anatomists, affect their activity?How do they react to stress orinjury as identified by physiolo-gists? It is important to bringtogether all of these knowledgebases into the perspective of tissuesand organs of living organisms.That’s what we try to do.”

This kind of basic scienceresearch provides the criticalknowledge base for clinical break-throughs. “Information we generateultimately gets used. It gets into thetextbooks and becomes introducedinto the general body of know-ledge. If you don’t understand howthings work at the basic level, youdon’t know how to fix it when it’sbroken. Our findings of howneurons respond to damage mayhave important implications forclinical applications, includingAlzheimer’s patients, strokevictims, and spinal cord injuredindividuals.”

Dr. Fyffe has hosted twointernational neuroscience sympo-sia at Wright State University,bringing together some of the mostrenowned researchers in this areato better understand the body’snervous system.

Robert E.W. Fyffe, Ph.D.Director, Biomedical Sciences Ph.D.ProgramProfessor, Department of Anatomy

Elizabeth A. Leman, Year II medicalstudent, in the M.D./Ph.D. program

Neuroscience research at WrightState examines the spinal cord at afundamental level. Using sophisti-cated imaging technology, re-search teams are documenting thebasic structure of the neurons thatcontrol movement. Dr. Fyffe andhis team are trying to understandhow communication occursbetween these cells. By creating abaseline description of normalactivity that occurs within neu-rons, Dr. Fyffe and his team willhelp us better understand thepathology of abnormal or dam-aged nerve cells.

Sponsor: National Institute ofNeurological Disorders andStroke

“Our findings of how neurons respond to damage mayhave important implications for clinical applications,including Alzheimer’s patients, stroke victims, and

spinal cord injured individuals.”

Neuroscience

Constructing the Model for Tomorrow’s Cures

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Our Federal Partners

Dayton VA Medical CenterIn addition to a long history ofcontributing to national cooperativestudies in hypertension, congestiveheart failure, and coronary arterydisease, the Dayton VA hosts specific research studies of the school’s full-time faculty members:• internationally acclaimed research on the contribution of overactivity of

the central nervous system arousal functions to chronic insomnia;• blood cell line, eosinophilic AML 14, that is extensively licensed and

has become an international standard;• a new assessment method—endoscopic ultrasonography— that im-

proves the diagnostic accuracy for benign and malignant gastrointestinaldisorders;

• exercise conditioning to improve or maintain the functional ability forpatients with multiple sclerosis;

• genetic study of a respiratory syncytial virus that is a common cause ofsevere pneumonia;

• schizophrenia genetics;• heart rate variability in relation to psychiatric disease that is providing

new insight into the relationship between psychiatric disorders and thefunction of the autonomic nervous system;

• hypertension treatments and renal failure;• case management strategies to improve drug abuse treatment;• international research that reduces secondary complications for indi-

viduals with neuromuscular disorders.

WPAFB Medical CenterPartnerships between the schooland Wright-Patterson Air ForceBase Medical Center (WPAFB-MC) have created unique jointresidency programs and research.The aerospace medicine program, one of two civilian programs in thecountry, uses the state-of-the-art facilities at WPAFB to train its studentsand conduct research.

CAD/CAM technology, originally developed for custom-fittedhelmets and face masks for fighter pilots, has proven beneficial in clinicalstudies. Sidney Miller, M.D., professor of surgery and director of the adultregional burn center at Miami Valley Hospital, has successfully developedand tested burn masks using defense technology. The masks have reducedscarring and hastened recovery for burn patients.

Neal S. Rote Jr., Ph.D.Chair and Professor, Microbiology and

Immunology

Twenty percent of all womenreceiving positive pregnancy testresults will lose the pregnancy at

some time during the process.Many of these women are losingtheir babies for genetic reasons,

because of hormonal imbalances,or due to physical problems thatcan be corrected with surgery. A

sizable percentage of womensuffer from recurrent pregnancy

loss for no known reason. Dr.Rote has had success in relating

these pregnancy losses to autoim-mune disease, where antibodies

attack the pregnancy. He and hisresearchers also study certain

genes found in cells of the pla-centa believed to trigger the

growth of the placenta. Thesefindings will advance our under-standing of normal pregnancies

and the deviations that mightcause abnormal pregnancies.

Sponsor: National Institute ofChild Health and Human

Development

Pregnancy-loss PreventionThe Community:

A Research Structure Without Walls

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Our Hospital Partners

Children’s Medical CenterOngoing investigations include gaitanalysis for cerebral palsy, genetics,influenza, pediatric AIDS, pseudomo-nas, cystic fibrosis, cancer,hemophillia, osteogenesis imperfecta,child abuse, child and adolescentbehavior disorders, and epilepsy.

Franciscan Medical Center,Dayton CampusStudies include kidney disease,family medicine curriculum andfaculty development, and mam-mography use for elderly women.

Good Samaritan HospitalResearch here includes breast cancer,childhood diabetes, childhood anxietydisorders, psychiatric epidemiology andwomen’s health, psychoses, forensicpsychiatry, and psychopharmacology.

Kettering Medical CenterThe MRI facility here assisted in keystudies that developed and character-ized clinically relevant models forcerebral edema and technologies toquantitate brain edema development.The nuclear magnetic resonance laboratory provides imaging in severalareas of biochemical and biomedical research, including in vivo studies onliver metabolism and toxicity.

Miami Valley HospitalThe school’s faculty head patient careand research in the areas of burntreatments, breast and gynecologicalcancer, infertility, perinatal health,antibacterial and antifungal agents,infectious diseases, wound and trauma

care, joint replacement, vascular disease, and the cause and nature ofinjuries in the community. The computed tomography system at thisfacility has assisted extensive testing of bone density, particularly in thetreatment of osteoporosis and osteogenesis imperfecta, and the hospitalprovides laboratory and clinical facilities for the Institute of RehabilitationResearch and Medicine.

Roger M. Siervogel, Ph.D.Head of Division of Human BiologyFELS Professor, Community Health andPediatrics

Since 1929, the Fels LongitudinalStudy has monitored the growthto adulthood of more than 1,000children, plus an even greaternumber of their relatives. Thestudy measures the differences inthe growth and health status ofpeople through their lifespan. Felsscientists helped analyze data forthe pediatric growth charts usednationwide. Since merging withthe School of Medicine in 1977,the primary focus has been bodycomposition and how it affectshealth and cardiovascular diseaserisk factors.

Sponsor: National Institute ofChild Health and Human Devel-opment; National Heart, Lung,Blood Institute

Child Development andCardiovascular Risk Factors

13

Kim Goldenberg, M.D., professorof medicine and former dean of themedical school, envisions researchgrowth in the clinical research area.In collaboration with the school’steaching hospitals, he has estab-lished the Office of ClinicalResearch to better accommodateclinical trials for new drugs,biotechnology products, andmedical devices.

Glenn Hamilton, M.D., profes-sor and chair of emergency medi-cine and author of the feasibilitystudy for the office, explains,“Clinical trials are currently asubstantial source of funding, butwe are now competing with privateindustry and anticipate this activitymoving away from academicmedical centers. To remain com-petitive and increase our activity,we must facilitate and speed up ourentire process. We are on the frontline of community-based medicalschools that are examining thisarea.”

Ongoing research studies rangefrom the molecular and cellularlevel, to health policy, to clinicaltrials. Nationally, the school hasone of the highest ratios of researchfunding per state appropriationsamong community-based medicalschools, and its external research

funding has increased 98 percentover the past five years.

Research, one of the threebasic missions of academic medi-cal centers, is a natural comple-ment to our missions of patientcare and education. Incorporatingresearch into the education oftomorrow’s doctors enables themto use the latest knowledge andskills for their patients’ care.

Acting Dean Howard Part seesmedical research as key to thecommunity’s health status andoverall development. “Obviously,the school and its faculty impactour community in many ways,” heexplains, “and community-orientedresearch has become our hallmark.Although our patient care missionis more visible than our researchmission, research enables us tobring into the region funds fromnational and local sponsors andhigh-caliber scientists and clini-cians. As our faculty, they providetomorrow’s doctors with the latestknowledge and patient treatments.These talented individuals, and theimportant work they do, become aneconomic engine that benefits ourcommunity particularly whileadvancing knowledge generally.This combination is truly a win-win situation for us all.”

Mariana Morris, Ph.D.Chair and Professor, Pharmacology and

Toxicology

Scientists know that the brainregulates blood pressure through

the release of hormones, butexactly how this process occursremains a mystery. In her search

to unlock the secret, Dr. Morris isstudying genetically modified

mice. The gene that controlsblood pressure is absent in these

mice so instead of being hyperten-sive, they have low blood pres-sure. Dr. Morris is able to study

the effects of drugs on these miceas well as the effects of dietary

changes. The department is alsostudying the pathway by which

stress influences the cardiovascu-lar system and how medications

may modify the process.

Sponsor: National Heart, Lung,and Blood Institute

“These talented individuals, and the important work they do,become an economic engine that benefits our community

particularly while advancing knowledge generally.”

HypertensionPreparing for the Future

14

Profiles

Dennis C. Moore, Ed.D.

Dennis Moore’s professional life began as a special educator, working in aschool with kids who had a number of disabilities. His duties at Four OaksSchool in Xenia, Ohio, included developmental/educational assessments,family counseling, and children’s services assessments. He went fromthere to work at Sinclair Community College, chairing the Early Child-hood Special Education Program.

It became obvious to him that substance abuse was often a part of thehome environment for children with disabilities. “People with disabilitiesexperience a lot more risk for substance abuse than other people do,” henotes, “and the disabilities that limit their participation in society alsolimit their participation in programs that can help them.” He became sointerested that he went back to school to earn a doctorate in Counselingand Counselor Education from Indiana University.

Now Dr. Moore is director of the Substance Abuse Resources andDisability Issues (SARDI) program at Wright State University School ofMedicine. Started in February 1990, by Dennis Moore, Ed.D., and HarveySiegal, Ph.D., director of the Substance Abuse Intervention Programs,SARDI is the only research entity in the country that looks at the intersec-tion of disabilities and substance abuse.

Dr. Moore and his staff of 14 people receive several hundred calls forrequests for technical assistance every year from all over the world, andthey have a far-reaching newsletter that goes all over the U.S. as well as toRussia, India, and South America. “The requests we get for technicalassistance range from inmates who are soon to be released from federalpenitentiaries and would like to find a treatment program for their chemi-cal dependency, all the way to the Assistant Secretary of Education whoneeds to know what is going on for kids in special education in the area ofsubstance abuse prevention,” says Dr. Moore.

Dr. Moore is in great demand. He has traveled extensively, presentingpapers and lecturing at conferences in Australia and all over the UnitedStates. He also teaches a class to first year medical students on “Things aPhysician Should Know About People with Disabilities.”

His next trip will be for pleasure. He has recently taken up sailing andanticipates a sail from Florida to an island near Cancun, Mexico. “It’sgoing to be wonderful,” he says.

— Carol A. Kayden

Jeanne P. Lemkau, Ph.D.Vice Chair for ResearchProfessor, Family Medicine

Early detection is a criticalelement in the fight against breastcancer. Dr. Lemkau’s most recentstudy found that nearly 70 percentof women age 50 or older who arereferred for a mammogram bytheir primary care physicianfollowed through on the referralwithin one year. Only 18 percentof the women in the study com-pleted a mammogram on theirown initiative. Manuel Castillo,M.D., associate professor ofsurgery, hopes to prove in arelated study that the involvementof primary care physicians incancer screening will decreasemortality rates and aid in earlydiagnosis.

Sponsor: National Institutes ofHealth, National Cancer Institute

Breast Cancer

“People withdisabilities experience

a lot more risk forsubstance abuse than

other people do.”

15

Match Day 1998

The Class of 1998 was verysuccessful in the residency match.Eighty-six percent—compared to79 percent nationally—receivedone of their first three choices.Sixty-three percent of WrightState’s graduates will remain inOhio for residency training; 27percent will remain in the Daytonarea.

Wright State UniversitySchool of Medicine continues tooutpace the national trend that isleading more and more physiciansinto primary care medicine.Seventy-three percent of the Classof 1998 will enter primary careresidencies in family medicine,internal medicine, and pediatricsthis year. Nationally, 56 percentwill do so.

Deborah K. Vetter, M.S.

Deborah Vetter was recently appointed to the the newly created positionof director of faculty development operations in the Office of Faculty andClinical Affairs. Howard Part, M.D., acting dean, says of Deb, “She hasthe most highly effective group process skills of anyone I know. She’samazing.”

As the editor and a frequent author (or ghost writer) of The TripleThreat, Deb packs this School of Medicine newsletter with ideas designedto disseminate and exchange information about school-wide efforts tosupport faculty development.

Deb is an expert at organizing faculty retreats. Whether behind thescenes as a coach or out front as a facilitator, Deb uses group processstrategies to assist groups involving individuals with diverse backgroundsand differing points of view to reconcile differences and reach consensus.Jane Scott, Ph.D., chair and associate professor of anatomy, is exuberantin her praise of Deb’s skills. “She is so positive! While making plans forour retreat, Deb made certain that we knew how to get started and keepour focus, and she simplified the process with effective techniques forquality discussion and resolution. By the end of the day our issues wereready to take shape.”

There are many facets of Deb’s position and she attacks them all withthe same vitality and dedication. In her role building and supportingfaculty development enterprises, Deb also works with Robert Weisman,Ph.D., associate dean for biomedical sciences. With Dr. Weisman and twoSchool of Medicine committees for research, Deb strives to promoteresearch within the school, especially collaborations between clinical andbasic scientists. She is the editor of The Investigator, a newsletter dedi-cated to the School of Medicine research environment.

Deb is married to Kenneth Vetter, a pastor in Springfield, and hasthree grown children. Her mastery of group dynamics carries over into herprivate life. She is planning a large family reunion with the same organi-zational expertise she uses at work. Dexterity with words is not Deb’sonly talent. She is an accomplished pianist and enjoys playing in churchand at hotel receptions.

— Mary Lou Graham

Kalvin Wiley and daughter celebrate.

“She has the most highly effectivegroup process skills of anyone I know.

She’s amazing.”

16

Advancement

A True FriendVera T. Schneider was a longtimefriend to the WSU School ofMedicine. Her final act of friend-ship was the bequest of over$1 million to the William A. andBlanche M. Schneider Scholarshipfund, established by MissSchneider in 1981 in honor of herparents.

Miss Schneider, who died in1996, enjoyed a long career in realestate, civic, political, and philan-thropic endeavors. She was astrong supporter of Fairborn and ofthe school, according to NoahLeMaster, executor of her estateand longtime friend.

Another friend, Sharon A.Lewis, associate provost foracademic administration andsupport services at Wright Statesaid, “Vera was a pioneer in realestate in this area. She startedhelping her dad in his real estateoffice after she graduated fromhigh school. She made her first saleand was hooked. She took over thebusiness about 1940 and for yearswas the only female realtor in thisarea and one of very few in thestate. With Fairborn and the AirForce base developing, it was theperfect opportunity for an aggres-sive realtor.

“I remember riding aroundtown with her and she would pointout houses and say, ‘I sold thathouse seven times; that one overthere six’,” Ms. Lewis recalled.“Military families moved in andbought houses from her; 18 monthslater they were transferred out andwould call her again.”

Miss Schneider’s devotion tothe Fairborn area is illustrated bythe many projects she supported,including contributions to theGreene Memorial Hospital outpa-tient wing named after her,

Fairborn City Schools for teacherexcellence awards, and another giftto the school district for scholar-ships. Her support of the WrightState University School of Medi-cine included the original fundingof the scholarship she named forher parents and a scholarship in hername funded in 1987.

Miss Schneider enjoyedattending School of Medicineevents, such as match day, convo-cation, and graduation. “She lovedmeeting the students,” said Ms.Lewis, who went on to describeSchneider as “feisty and outspo-ken; a very shrewd but ethicalbusinesswoman who would alwaysmake the best deal.”

Ms. Lewis recalled, withobvious pleasure and affection,“Vera was a tiny little dynamo,always on the go, with an incred-ible metabolism. She ate one poundof Esther Price chocolates everynight for 30 years, and she was stillmowing her lawn, nearly an acre,until she was in her 80s. Fairbornwas her devotion; this town washer life. That is why she did somuch for Wright State.”

President Kim Goldenberg,M.D., summed up, “Wright Statemedical students have long benefit-ted from the generosity of VeraSchneider. By endowing scholar-ships that support the education oftomorrow’s physicians, her bequestmakes a permanent and fittingmemorial.”

Noah LeMaster RecognizedBanker and local community leaderNoah LeMaster was recognized fornearly two decades of service tothe University Medical ServicesAssociation (UMSA). He washonored with a plaque at theFebruary 18, 1998, UMSA Boardmeeting.

LeMaster served as a memberof the UMSA Board of Trusteesand has been a member of theWright State University Founda-tion, president of the FairbornChamber of Commerce and theGreene County Crippled Children’sSociety. LeMaster has also devotedtime to the United Way, AmericanCancer Society, and the FairbornCommunity and Cultural ArtsCenter.

“I learned so much aboutmedicine from associating with thephysicians on UMSA and I hope Iwas able to contribute some fromthe business sense,” said LeMaster.“The Wright State School ofMedicine has been a real strengthto this community. Training ourfuture doctors is of tremendousbenefit to not only the Dayton area,but to the whole country.”

Currently the manager of theStandard Register Federal CreditUnion, LeMaster is former presi-dent of the Dayton Chapter of theAmerican Institute of Banking andchaired Group I of the OhioBankers Association.

— L. B. Fred

17

Academy of Medicine DinnerThe Wright State University Academy of Medicine hosted its AnnualDistinguished Guest Lecture and Dinner Meeting on April 29, 1998. Thefeatured speaker, Michael M. E. Johns, M.D., was chairman of the boardand CEO of Emory Health Care and executive vice president for healthaffairs at Emory University. Dr. Johns spoke about “Professionalism inMedicine in a New Environment.”

The Academy of Medicine is a community-based service organiza-tion dedicated to supporting excellence in medicine through education,research, and service. The academy contributes to student loans andscholarships, recognizes outstanding examples of professionalism, andprovides opportunities for fellowship in the medical community.

The Academy of Medicine granted the following awards for 1998:

Professional Excellence Award (Clinical)Richard T. Garrison, M.D., M.S.

Outstanding 4th-year Student AwardJonathan Puchalski

Outstanding 4th-year Runners-upPamela von MatthiessenScott Zimmer

Outstanding ResidentPeter E. Neifert, M.D.

Excellence in Medical Education and ResearchJohn Turchi, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Biochemistry and

Molecular Biology

Outstanding Achievement in Medical EducationRalph A. Hicks, M.D., Associate Professor, Pediatrics

NewAppointmentL. B. Fred,M.S. Ed.,has beennamedassistantdirector ofadvancementfor WrightState Univer-sity School of Medicine. Mr. Fredwas the director of special pro-grams at the University of Daytonand, prior to that, the assistantdirector for academic advising inthe University Division of WrightState University.

SOM Annual PhonathonDuring the week of February 2–5,a total of 28 third- and fourth-yearmedical students spoke with morethan 500 alumni in the AnnualSchool of Medicine Phonathon.Students raised $21,490 in pledges,up 12 percent over 1997 and 32percent more than pledges in 1996.Excited students competed forprizes in such categories as themost money raised, largest singlegift, and the largest number ofpledges. A dozen area merchantsdonated prizes ranging from foodto clothing to Nutter Center eventtickets. Alumni gifts supportscholarships and other programneeds.

Thanks to everyone whoparticipated.

Marcus Washington, Year IV, at the phones.

Back row (standing), left to right: Ralph A. Hicks, M.D., Richard T. Garrison, M.D.,M.S., Scott Zimmer, John J. Turchi, Ph.D. Front row (sitting) left to right: Jonathan

Puchalski, Pamela von Matthiessen, Emil Peterson, M.D., and Peter E. Neifert, M.D.

18

New Faces

Marvin D. Almquist, M.D.Captain, USAFInstructor, Obstetrics andGynecologyM.D. : The Ohio State UniversityResidency: Good SamaritanHospital, Cincinnati (obstetricsand gynecology)

Chad K. Brands, M.D.Instructor,Medicine andPediatricsAssistant Profes-sor, MedicineM.D.: BaylorCollege ofMedicine

Residency: University Hospitaland Children’s Hospital MedicalCenter, Cincinnati (internalmedicine and pediatrics)

Emily E. Bucy, M.D.Assistant Profes-sor, PsychiatryM.D.: Universityof CincinnatiResidency:Wright StateUniversity(psychiatry)

Bradley T. Christian, Ph.D.Assistant Profes-sor, MedicinePh.D.: Universityof Wisconsin-Madison

Peter T. Ender, M.D.Captain, USAFAssistant Profes-sor, MedicineM.D.: TempleUniversity Schoolof MedicineResidency:Wilford Hall

Medical Center (internalmedicine)Fellowship: Wilford HallMedical Center (infectiousdiseases)

Kim Goldenberg, M.D.

Howard M. Part, M.D.

Leadership Changes at Wright State University

The Wright State University Board of Trustees has namedKim Goldenberg, M.D., the university’s fifth president. Dr.Goldenberg served as dean of the Wright State UniversitySchool of Medicine since 1990. He succeeds Harley E.Flack, Ph.D., who died March 29, 1998.

Citing the university’s need for “strong, focused, fullyempowered leadership,” Daniel W. Duval, chair of the WSUBoard of Trustees and president and CEO of Robbins &Myers, Inc., said, “We know of no one better qualified thanKim Goldenberg for this vital leadership position.”

The WSU Board of Trustees also appointed Howard M.Part, M.D., acting dean of the School of Medicine. Dr. Partserved as associate dean for faculty and clinical affairs at theSchool of Medicine since 1995. After joining the medicalschool’s fully affiliated faculty in 1988, he held a successionof leadership positions in Wright State’s Department ofMedicine. He was chief of the General Medicine ConsultService and director of the Integrated Internal MedicineResidency Program at the Dayton Veterans Affairs MedicalCenter, as well as the department’s vice-chair for medicaleducation. He also served a term as the department’s chair.

A native of New York City, Dr. Part received a B.S.degree from Ohio University. He holds an M.D. degree from The Ohio State Uni-versity, where he also completed a residency in internal medicine. Dr. Part iscertified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and is a fellow of the Ameri-can College of Physicians (ACP).

Dr. Part has received nine teaching awards since joining Wright State’s faculty.He was selected twice for the School of Medicine Teaching Excellence Award bymedical students in the classes of 1992 and 1995. He received the Dean’s Award forExcellence in Medical Education in 1992.

Margaret M. Dunn, M.D., F.A.C.S., associate professorof surgery, has been appointed acting associate dean offaculty and clinical affairs. Dr. Dunn is also the associateprogram director of the integrated surgical residency pro-gram for the school and the co-director for surgical educa-tion at Miami Valley Hospital. She received her B.S. degreefrom Pennsylvania State University and the M.D. degreefrom Jefferson Medical College. Her residency was com-pleted at Einstein-Montefior Integrated Surgical Residencyin New York. She is certified by the American Board ofSurgery and the National Board of Medical Examiners. Dr.Dunn has served as president for the Association of WomenSurgeons and the Dayton Surgical Society and has receivednumerous awards for teaching and research.

Margaret M. Dunn,M.D., F.A.C.S.

Of Primary Interest

19

Gerald Alter, Ph.D., associate professor ofbiochemistry and molecular biology, receivedthe 1998 Research Award from the AmericanHeart Association at its annual Heart Ball. Dr.Alter’s research focuses on how cell enzymescontrol energy in heart cells, and he has volun-teered in several capacities for the AmericanHeart Association.

Gary LeRoy, M.D.(’88), associate profes-sor of family medicineand medical director ofthe East Dayton HealthCenter, received the1998 OutstandingAlumni AchievementAward from WrightState University’sAlumni Association.This award is given toa Wright State graduatewho has attained a significant level of achievement in his or her field, hasdemonstrated a positive impact at a local, state, or national level, and pos-sesses the highest standards of integrity and character.

Peter Lauf, M.D.(left), professor andchair of physiologyand biophysics,received the 1998Outstanding Engineersand Scientists Awardfor Research sponsoredby the Affiliate Societ-ies Council of theEngineering andScience Foundation ofDayton. Dr. Lauf’spioneering contributions in the area of biological membranes are internation-ally recognized and relevant for our understanding of abnormal cell dehydra-tion, particularly of sickle cell disease.

New Faces

Michael P. Kezmoh, M.D.Captain, USAFInstructor, Obstetrics andGynecologyM.D.: University of SouthernCaliforniaResidency: Rush PresbyterianSt. Luke’s Medical Center(obstetrics and gynecology)

Cynthia H. Ledford, M.D.Instructor,Medicine andPediatricsM.D.: The OhioState UniversityResidency:Children’sHospital Medical

Center, Cincinnati (internalmedicine and pediatrics)

Matthew Mitchell, M.D.Major, USAFAssistant Professor, OrthopedicSurgeryM.D.: Harvard Medical SchoolResidency: The Ohio StateUniversity (orthopedic surgery)

Jogeshwar Mukherjee, Ph.D.AssociateProfessor,MedicinePh.D.: Univeristyof Jodhpur,India

Stuart J. Nelson, Ph.D.Associate Professor, Microbiol-ogy and ImmunologyPh.D.: University of Wisconsin-Madison

Matthew P. Wicklund, M.D.Major, USAFAssistant Professor, NeurologyM.D.: University of ColoradoResidency: DartmouthHitchcock Medical Center(internal medicine); Universityof Michigan (neurology);Wilford Hall Medical Center(neurology)

Recognition and Awards

20

Andrew Kuntzman, Ph.D.,associate professor of anatomy,received the Ernest BoyerAward for Innovative Excel-lence in Teaching, Learning,and Technology at the NinthInternational Conference onCollege Teaching and Learning.

Marshall Kapp, J.D., M.P.H.,professor and director, office ofgeriatric medicine and gerontol-ogy, received the 1998 Re-searcher of the Year Awardfrom the Ohio Research Coun-cil on Aging. Dr. Kapp joins aselect group of researchers sohonored for their work.

John Bullock, M.D., F.A.C.S.,professor and chair of ophthal-mology, has been listed in BestDoctors in America: MidwestRegion. The book is based onan “exhaustive survey in whichmore than 5,000 doctors in theMidwest were asked to rate theclinical abilities of their peers.”

David Cool, Ph.D., professor ofpharmacology and toxicology,recently received a four-year,$400,000 grant from theNational American HeartAssociation to study thesecretions of cardiovascular-related hormones, particularlyvasopressin.

Jeff Schnader, M.D., F.C.C.P.,chief of the pulmonary andcritical care division in theDepartment of Medicine hasbeen appointed to a five-yearterm of the Editorial Board ofChest.

Items of Note Global NewsChinaThe World AIDS Foundation is sponsoring an AIDSprevention project that teams researchers in ourSubstance Abuse Intervention Programs with a groupfrom Shandong Medical University in Jinan, China.Wright State will provide a training program to theChinese on how to conduct behavioral risk assess-ments.

BrazilResearch scientists from three different universities inBrazil have visited Wright State to set up researchcollaborations with the Department of Pharmacologyand Toxicology. Dr. Aldo Lucion, professor of physiol-ogy, works in the area of brain serotonin systems andstress responsiveness. Dr. Jose Antunes-Rodrigues,professor and former dean of the Medical School inRiberia Preto, studies sodium metabolism. DeborahColumbari, a graduate physiology student, spentseveral weeks here learning techniques to apply to herresearch interests in baroreceptor influences.

Brain AwarenessWeekLaunched as a nation-wide campaign to edu-cate the public aboutbrain diseases anddisorders, Brain Aware-ness Week was celebratedat Wright State throughseveral activities. Morethan 50 communitymembers participated inhands-on computer programs, demonstrations ofneurological tests that doctors use, games and illusionsthat illustrate the complex functions of the humanbrain, and technologies used in neuroscience research.The exhibit was sponsored by the Society for Neuro-science and the Department of Anatomy.

Of Primary Interest

Jay Dean, Ph.D., associate professor ofphysiology and biophysics, provides hands-on learning for this young participant.

Health FairSeveral medical stu-dents helped host “TheExtinguisher” HealthFair, an antismokingcampaign held at theEast Dayton Boys andGirls Club.