January 16, 2009

Welcome to the University of Michigan Medical School E-News, your source for quick and current news from the medical school community.

Jan. 26: Attend Dean Woolliscroft's office hours program
Since beginning the "office hours" program, Dean Woolliscroft has met informally with many faculty, staff and students who have provided him with valuable comments and suggestions on how to enhance our efforts and make a great school even better. Below are the days, times and locations for office hours in the coming month. Faculty, staff and students are invited to stop by with their creative ideas and innovative solutions:

• 10 - 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 26, in the Fishbowl Conference Room, 4302B Med. Sci. I.
• 4 - 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, in the PIBS/GAPS Conference Room, 2955 Taubman Medical Library

Jan. 20: Steven Kunkel, Ph.D., to speak at next faculty meeting/Town Hall
Steven Kunkel, Ph.D., senior associate dean for research, will speak at the next faculty meeting at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20, in the Towsley Center Dow Auditorium. Kunkel's topic will be "Research Strategic Planning (Pfizer)." With the recent acquisition of the former Pfizer campus, communication is important. Kunkel will provide an update, share the framework for planning our research growth, and, most importantly, listen to faculty.  A reception will follow.

Jan. 19: Martin Luther King Jr. Health Sciences Program Symposium
The U-M annual Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium will begin at 11:45 a.m. Monday Jan. 19, in the Towsley Center Dow Auditorium. The U-M health professional schools are pleased to present Joanne Dawley, D.D.S., president of the Michigan Dental Association, who will speak on new ways of exploring and addressing oral health disparities. Please join us for this free event.

Biomedical Research Council New Initiatives Fund to Support Basic Science Research
Deadline: Monday, Feb. 16
The Medical School's Biomedical Research Council (BMRC) is accepting applications to a New Initiatives Funding Program to support high-quality scientific projects of a primarily basic science nature that are specifically aimed at applying innovative ideas or technology to longstanding problems of critical biomedical importance. For more details about the program and eligibility requirements, visit the Web site. If there are questions about the information on the Web site, call Camille Mrozowski i at 734-615-8802 or e-mail cmrozow@umich.edu.

Cardiovascular Center Research Award Competition
The U-M Cardiovascular Center seeks applications for the Cardiovascular Center Research Award Competition. There are four grant programs this year:

• McKay Grant: Five to eight grants from $5,000 to $25,000 are awarded to new cardiovascular investigators in any U-M discipline related to cardiovascular disease, to initiate projects that will lead to extramural funding.
• Innovative/Collaborative Faculty Research Grant - New this year: One $25,000 faculty grant will be awarded to faculty with appointments at the assistant professor level and above who are members of the CVC Basic Science Research Team.
• Gelman Innovation Grant: This competition gives an award to innovative approaches or to innovators in general cardiovascular science. One grant with a maximum award of $15,000 will be awarded.
• Gelman Complementary Medicine Grant: This competition is intended to award proposals to study complementary/alternative approaches to cardiovascular medicine. One grant with a maximum award of $10,000 will be awarded.

For more information or to download a grant application, visit the Web site.

Jan. 28: A. Alfred Taubman Lectureship
Benjamin Reubinoff, M.D., Ph.D., of Hadassah University will present the second A. Alfred Taubman Lectureship at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28, in the Biomedical Science Research Building Auditorium. Reubinoff's topic will be "Human Embryonic Stem Cells: A Promising Therapy for Neurological Disorders." Alfred Taubman will offer closing remarks.

Jan. 27: Sneak preview of the documentary, Forgotten Ellis Island
A century ago, a remarkable public hospital examined and cared for millions of hopeful immigrants on Ellis Island. Forgotten Ellis Island is an eye-opening documentary that brings immigrants' stories and hospital history to life, offering an important history lesson that illuminates current debates on health care and immigration. A sneak preview of the documentary will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27, at the Michigan Theater Screening Room, 603 East Liberty. Howard Markel, M.D., Ph.D., director, Center for the History of Medicine, was interviewed for this documentary and will lead a discussion afterward. The event is co-sponsored by the Victor Vaughan Medical Student Society. The film will be broadcast nationally Feb. 2 on PBS.

Cancer survivorship funds available
The U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center Cancer Research Committee is pleased to announce the availability of funds to support cancer survivorship research proposals. In addition to survivors of cancer, family members, friends, and caregivers are also impacted by the survivorship experience and are therefore included. Collaborative applications involving multiple disciplines are strongly encouraged. Such applications, involving two or more investigators from different disciplines, can request one year of support, for a budget of up to $50,000. Applications involving a single investigator or single discipline can request one year of support, with a budget of up to $25,000. For more information and application forms, visit the Web site.

Call for Proposals: Sisters Fund small grant program
The Sisters Fund small grant program at the Institute for Research on Women and Gender invites applications requesting support of scholarly activities directed to global health issues, specifically focused on gendered health disparities. For eligibility information and application details visit the Web site.

Feb. 17 - 18: Introductory course in clinical and translational research
An introductory course in clinical and translational research will be conducted on Tuesday, Feb. 17 and Wednesday, Feb. 18. This two-day course gives an overview of clinical and translational research, and pathways to develop clinical research careers. Attendees will learn the skills required for successful research design and analysis, requirements for protection of human research participants, how to successfully apply for research funding, and the critical importance of optimal mentoring. Breakout sessions will provide opportunity for hands-on application. For the course agenda and registration, visit the Web site.

The January 2009 edition of the Med Ed at Michigan newsletter is now available online
In this issue:

• Development and Implementation of a GME Scholars Program
• The Use of Simulators for Training EMS Providers in Airway Management
• Two-Year NIH R03 Grant Awarded
• ENCORE is Evolving
• New Teaching Measures for Enhancing Comprehension and Performance in a Large Class
• U-M Receives $3 Million Grant to Strengthen Health Systems in Ghana
• Service-Learning and Trans-disciplinary Education Program (SLATE)
• Obituary: Dr. Ted Dielman 1939-2008
• Upcoming Conferences

Feb. 11: Registration available for the University Event Planners Vendor Showcase
Registration is now open for the eighth Annual Vendor Showcase, sponsored by the U-M University Event Planners! If you (or anyone you work with) plan meetings or events for five or more people, or if you are interested in expanding your knowledge of the event planning industry, then you should attend from 3 - 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11, at Washtenaw County Community College, Morris Lawrence Building.

Dozens of vendors from the hospitality industry will exhibit. Sample great food, get event ideas and meet new vendors such as florists, musicians, equipment rental companies, transportation services, caterers, specialty services, event venues, accommodation providers, decorators, photographers, and printers. Registration is free. To register, visit the Web site.

U-M Makes the News!
M-News Now is a Web page with timely information about members of the UMHS community who are in the news. See who is being interviewed or where their comments are being published at M-News Now!
Jan. 7
--U-M’s Sanjay Gupta considered for U.S. Surgeon General

News Releases and Health Minute
For medical press releases and the details behind the headlines, visit www.med.umich.edu/news

Next Week's Health Minute
Caution urged when giving kids cold and flu meds

Medical School FAQs
You can find answers to many of your questions pertaining to the U-M Medical Schoolin one place. The FAQ page links to a variety of resources including information and support, educational programs, research and policy information. The site also lists some useful U-M resources.

Seminars, lectures, colloquia and events for next week

Monday, Jan. 19, 2009
Noon. Cardiovascular Center Frontiers in Cardiovascular Science Seminar Series. Thomas W. Wakefield, M.D., professor and head, Section of Vascular Surgery, S. Martin Lindenauer Professor of Vascular Surgery, will present "Is it important to understand the causes of thrombosis and thrombus resolution?" in the Cardiovascular Center Danto Auditorium. Lunch will be served for the first 40 attendees.

Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2009
10 a.m. Cell and Developmental Biology's Faculty Candidate Seminar. John Murray, Ph.D., senior fellow, Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, will present, "A quantitative kinetic and cellular resolution atlas of gene expression in the C. elegans embryo," in the Biomedical Science Research Building seminar rooms A, B and C.

Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009
12:10 p.m. Gifts of Art. Jazz Trio featuring Bob Sweet Trio with Kurt Krahnke and Tad Weed, UH Main Lobby, floor 1

4 p.m. Diabetes Grand Rounds. Leslie S. Satin, Ph.D., Brehm scientist and professor, U-M Department of Pharmacology, will lecture on "Fatty acid modulation of beta cell calcium signaling," in room 7745 Med. Sci. II.

4 p.m. Pathology Research Seminar Series. Sooryanarayana Varambally, Ph.D., research assistant professor, Department of Pathology and Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, U-M, will present "The Role and Regulation of the Histone Methyltransferase EZH2 in Solid Tumors," in 4234 Med. Sci. I.