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

From the Dean's Office

Dean's Awards for Faculty
Earlier this week, the Dean announced the 2009 Dean’s Awards for Faculty.  Each year, these awards recognize Medical School faculty who demonstrate exceptional accomplishment in the areas of teaching, research, clinical care and community service. This year's award recipients: www.med.umich.edu/medschool/faculty/facultyawards/faculty.htm

Oct. 20: Dean's Lecture Series to feature Kim A. Eagle, M.D.
The next Dean's Lecture Series will feature Kim A. Eagle, M.D., Albion Walter Hewlett Professor in Internal Medicine, director of Clinical Services, Patient Facilitated Services at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, Towsley Center Dow Auditorium. Eagle will present, "Acute Aortic Syndromes: Questions that Keep Me Awake at Night."

Research

Distinguished University Innovator Award -- 2010
The Office of the Vice President for Research is accepting nominations for the Distinguished Innovator Award, 2010. This award recognizes a faculty member or small team led by a faculty member who have demonstrated a noteworthy accomplishment through the development of a transformational innovation, movement of an innovation to market-readiness or creation of new means for moving innovations from the university into the private sector. The Distinguished University Innovator receives a $5000 honorarium and is invited to give a public lecture, which is followed by a reception. The winner will be announced in January 2010. Previous recipients are:

• Mohammed Islam, 2007
• James Baker, 2008
• Farnam Jahanian, 2009

Details and forms are available on the Web site. For more information call Jane Ritter at 763-1290 or e-mail ritterj@umich.edu. Application deadline is Friday, Nov. 13.

Record number of U-M inventions reported last year
Main campus reported last week that University of Michigan researchers disclosed 350 new inventions in fiscal year 2009, setting a new record. 

Records show that 131 of those inventions are medical, and many of our departments reported at least one invention. Internal Medicine reported 49, Surgery 22. Pathology and Michigan Center for Translational Pathology each reported nine. Radiology and Ophthalmology each had seven and Radiation Oncology had six. Three each for Microbiology and Immunology, Molecular Physiology and Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases. Several other departments reported either one or two inventions.

Read the complete U-M press release.

Education

Oct. 22 and 23: Health Literacy Forum and Workshop -- Building a community network to improve health communication
In recognition of Health Literacy Month, the U-M Health Sciences Libraries will be hosting a free two-day event to increase awareness and foster collaboration to improve health literacy efforts in our community.

Health Literacy Forum and Workshop: Building a Community Network to Improve Health Communication, will take place on these dates:

• Thursday, Oct. 22. A panel discussion will take place from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. on the second floor of the Taubman Medical Library in room 2903-TML. The poster sessions and strolling dinner will follow on the fourth floor of the Taubman Medical Library
• Friday, Oct. 23, 9 a.m. ­ noon in the Taubman Medical Library in room 2901. A health literacy workshop. Light breakfast will be provided.
  

For more information, view the flyer. To register for these free events, e-mail hsloutreach@umich.edu or call 734-936-1394.

Oct. 28: Overview of NCIBI tools and resources
As one of seven NIH-funded bioinformatics centers nationwide, the U-M National Center for Integrative Biomedical Informatics (NCIBI) develops databases, software and other computational resources. These resources help life scientists and medical researchers access and analyze a wealth of electronic biological data that are now publicly available for exploratory analysis. This workshop will introduce participants to the tools and resources available through the NCIBI. The workshop will be of interest to any basic and/or clinical scientist that are interested in biomedical informatics, computational biology, and the application of tools to complex biological problems.

The workshop will take place from 1- 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, in Med. Sci. II room 2802. For more information, visit the Web site.

Clinical

Policies - What's New: Health Care Industry Representatives (HCIRs) in UMHHC Operative/Procedural Areas
New policy 04-06-064, "Health Care Industry Representatives (HCIRs) in UMHHC Operative/Procedural Areas" establishes guidelines for members of the health care team regarding patient safety, right to privacy, and confidentiality when an HCIR is present in a UMHHC operative/procedural area.

Administrative

Nov. 3: UM-AAOP Community Speed Networking Workshop
We asked the U-M Association of Administrative Office Professionals community and you answered. Networking with your U-M colleagues is on your top-ten list of most requested types of events. The UM-AAOP fall event, delivers just that.. It will take place from 11:30 - 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, in the Cardiovascular Center Danto Auditorium.

There will be a brief informational session and an interactive networking activity to help you connect and build a resource network. We will also have a community chat where we can share our best practices or ask questions.

To register visit, MLearning, code AAOP-10004 or e-mail UM-AAOP-Community@umich.edu. For more information, visit the UM-AAOP Web site.

Other

NTSB issues findings about the June 2007 Survival Flight crash
The National Transportation Safety Board held a hearing in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, Oct. 14, to discuss the findings of the investigation of the Survival Flight crash of June 2007. The NTSB will issue its final report in 4-6 weeks. Links to the UMHS statement following the hearing and the NTSB information from the hearing, including presentations and findings, can be found online.

Call for funding applications for Innovative Healthcare Idea Commercialization, U-M Frankel Fund
Application Deadline: Nov. 1
The Frankel Commercialization Fund is a student-run pre-seed investment fund at the Ross School of Business that aims to identify breakthrough ideas and accelerate their commercialization. Our goal is to increase the number of successful commercial ventures coming out of the U-M and local areas. We are looking for innovative ideas in the health care field. Our fund typically invests between $50,000 - $80,000 in each opportunity. We also bring expertise, mentorship, contacts and an advisory board consisting of executives with health care, information technology and early-stage company formation experience.

The Frankel Fund will be reviewing applications in two rounds this year, with the first round deadline on Nov. 1 and the final deadline around Jan. 5, 2010. To learn more about the fund and to download an application, visit www.frankelfund.com. For more information, e-mail ffquestions@umich.edu. Applications can be e-mailed to frankelproposal@umich.edu.

Oct. 23 - 30: Road Closure Alert -- East Medical Center Drive and East Hospital Drive near Children's and Women's Hospital project
The second crane that has been in use during the early stages of construction of the C. S. Mott Children's Hospital and Women's Hospital project needs to be moved. To move it safely, a portion of East Medical Center Drive and East Hospital Drive near the construction project will be closed from the evening of Friday, Oct. 23 until the end of the workday on Friday, Oct. 30.

Details about the road closing and the impact on buses, pedestrian traffic and staff drop-off locations were provided in a recent global message. A map of the area that highlights the temporary changes can be found at www.med.umich.edu/construction.

Oct. 23 - 26: Simpson/Mott parking structure to be closed Friday evening to Monday morning
In preparation for moving the second construction crane, entrances to the Simpson parking structure -- also known as the Mott structure or the M-22 lot -- will be barricaded beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23. Anyone whose shift ends at or later than 6 p.m. on Friday, October 23 should not park in the Simpson structure. They should park in Taubman structure (M-18 lot) instead. Anyone parked in the structure prior to 6 p.m. will be allowed to exit, but the structure must be totally vacated by 6 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 24. 

The AVI system will be programmed to allow all Simpson structure parkers to use the Taubman parking structure during the weekend. They will be able to return to the Simpson structure at 6 a.m. on Monday October 26. Gold parkers in the CVC lot (M-85) should use the upper entrance and travel to the lower level gold spaces.

Oct. 19 and 20: Help us beat Ohio State with organ donor registry
U-M is battling OSU to see who can add the most people to their state's organ donor registry. Staff will be on hand to answer questions on Monday, Oct. 19 and Tuesday, Oct. 20 in the Towsley Link from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. and in the University Hospital Cafeteria from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Please join the registry: one donor can help save eight lives.

Transplant merchandise will be on sale, including new winter fleece zip ups, flannel pants, hats, scarves and gloves. Tote bags and T-shirts are also available.

See who's in 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!

News Releases
To see the latest news about Medical School research and other important Health System developments, visit the Newsroom at www.med.umich.edu/news .

Medical School FAQs
You can find answers to many of your questions pertaining to the U-M Medical School in 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 useful U-M resources.

Seminars, lectures, colloquia and events

Monday, Oct. 19. , 2009
Noon. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Science Seminar Series. Mark Russell, M.D., Aaron Stern Professor of Pediatric Cardiology, associate professor, Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan, will present "Genes and the Heart: The Role of Genetics in Guiding Patient Care," in the Cardiovascular Center Danto Auditorium.

Tuesday, Oct. 20. , 2009
Noon.The Department of Biological Chemistry Seminar Series. Frank Grosveld, Ph.D., professor and chairman, Department of Cell Biology, Eramus University Medical School, The Netherlands, will present "Transcription factor networks and long range interactions," in the Biomedical Science Research Building D. Dan and Betty Kahn Auditorium.

Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009
12:10 p.m. Gifts of Art. Harp-Oboe duo by Laurel Federbush and Su. L. Owen-Bissiri, UH Main Lobby, floor 1.

4 p.m. Pathology Research Seminar Series. Lara Kallal, Ph.D., candidate in Molecular and Cellular Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, mentor: Nicholas Lukacs, Ph.D., will present "Chemokine receptor 7 mediates appropriate priming of the immune response to respiratory syncytial virus," in Med. Sci. I room 4234.

Friday, Oct. 23. , 2009
3 p.m. CMB/HG Training Programs - Fall 2009 Short Course. Randall T. Moon, Ph.D., professor of Pharmacology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, University of Washington-Seattle, will present "Wnt Signaling in Regeneration and Regenerative Medicine," in Med. Sci. II South Lecture Hall.

4 p.m. 19th Annual Conrad Jobst Lecture. Jan S. Brunkwall, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chairman of the Department of Surgery at University Clinics in Cologne, Germany, will present "Endovascular: Beginning of the Future?" in the Cardiovascular Center Danto Auditorium.

For more events, please see the UMMS Office of Research calendar