AHC News Releases

Below are recent news releases from the Academic Health Center. Contact the Media Team
 

U of M Hosts White Coat Ceremony for First-Year Medical Students
The University of Minnesota Medical School will host the 2008 White Coat Ceremony to welcome first-year students into the profession of medicine, as well as share and celebrate their purpose with friends and families.

U of M Develops Experimental Therapy For Dog With Fatal Brain Cancer
Researchers with the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, Medical School, and Masonic Cancer Center have successfully performed the first step of an experimental procedure to treat a dog with brain cancer. The team’s two-fold goal: cure or extend the life of the patient and gain information that will advance scientific knowledge about brain tumors for treatment of animals and humans with this disease.

U of M School of Nursing to Sponsor First-Ever Innovative Geriatric Nursing Faculty Development Program
(July 6, 2008) – The University of Minnesota School of Nursing’s Minnesota Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence (MnHCGNE) is sponsoring the first Faculty Learning About Geriatrics (FLAG) Program, Aug. 4 - 8, 2008. The program is designed to further educate nursing faculty from the Upper Midwest who do not have extensive geriatric nursing expertise in order to better prepare the nursing workforce to care for the rapidly growing elderly population.

U of M Study Shows Why Treatment Isn't Effective for HIV
(Aug. 5, 2008) – University of Minnesota researchers have answered a key question as to why antiretroviral therapy isn’t effective in restoring immunity in HIV-infected patients.

U of M Researchers Find Cerebral Malaria May Be a Major Cause of Brain Injury in African Children
MINNEAPOLIS/ST.PAUL (July 29, 2008) – Researchers at the University of Minnesota have found that cerebral malaria is related to long-term cognitive impairment in one of four child survivors. The research is published in the current issue of the journal Pediatrics.

School of Nursing Centers Receive $2 Million in Federal Grants for Graduate Education
(July 28, 2008) — The University of Minnesota School of Nursing’s Center for Adolescent Nursing and Center for Children with Special Health Care Needs each received $1 million from the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) of the Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Consortium Develops New Method to Manipulate Genetic Material
(July 24, 2008) – A multi-institutional team of researchers, including scientists at the University of Minnesota Medical School, have developed a powerful tool for genomic research and medicine. The robust method will allow researchers to generate synthetic enzymes that can target and manipulate DNA sequences for inactivation or repair.

U of M Research Finds Frequency of Family Meals Associated with Lower Odds of Substance Abuse in Adolescent Girls
(July 22, 2008) —  University of Minnesota Project Eating Among Teens II (Project EAT) researchers found that adolescent girls who frequently eat meals with their families are less likely to smoke cigarettes, consume alcohol, and use marijuana according to Marla Eisenberg, Sc.D., M.P.H., assistant professor in the Medical School and lead author of this study.

U of M professor Receives Honor from American Psychological Foundation
(July 21, 2008) – A University of Minnesota psychologist has received a top honor for his research productivity in severe mental illness and for effectively training and developing young scientists.  IrvingI. Gottesman, Ph.D., Bernstein Professor in Adult Psychiatry in the University of Minnesota Medical School and senior fellow in the department of psychology, has been chosen to receive the 2008 Alexander Gralnick Investigator Prize from the American Psychological Foundation (APF). He’ll receive $20,000 for research next month in Boston.

U of M Faculty Receives High Honor in Nursing
(July 14, 2008) — Diane Treat-Jacobson, Ph.D., School of Nursing, was awarded the Jeanne E. Doyle Excellence in Vascular Nursing award from the Society of Vascular Nursing (SVN). This is the highest award given by the SVN.

U of M Faculty Selected to Participate in Prestigious International Conference
(July 10, 2008) — University of Minnesota School of Nursing Professor Donna Bliss, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., was appointed to two committees of the Fourth International Consultation on Incontinence (ICI): the Conservative Management of Fecal Incontinence and Technical Aspects of Continence Devices.

U of M Professor David Ingbar Completes Term as American Throacic Society President
(July 9, 2008) — University of Minnesota Medical School professor, David Ingbar, M.D., completed his term as American Thoracic Society (ATS) president at the 2008 International ATS Conference in Toronto. The ATS is a leading international society that promotes research, training, and clinical care for lung, critical care, and sleep disorders.

U Professor Appointed to President's Council of Economic Advisors
(July 8, 2008) — University of Minnesota School of Public Health professor Jean Abraham, Ph.D., has been selected as one of ten senior staff economists to serve on the President’s Council of Economic Advisers (CEA).

U of M College of Pharmacy Study Finds Common Epilepsy Drug Lasts Longer and May Require Fewer Doses in Elderly Patients Than Previously Assumed
(July 7, 2008) — A new University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy study found that phenytoin (PHT), an anti-seizure medication widely prescribed to treat epilepsy in elderly patients, may require fewer daily doses than previously reported.

U of M Medical Reserve Corps Helping Animals Displaced by Flooding in Iowa
(July 2, 2008) -- The University of Minnesota Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) has deployed two teams of veterinarians and students to flood-ravaged Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to help care for displaced animals. Most of animals are domestic pets, such as cats and dogs, but some are exotic animals, such as ferrets and reptiles. Most of the animals were either abandoned or in need of temporary housing until they can be cared for again.

U of M Leading Center in FDA Approval of New Generation of Health Device
(June 30, 2008) – The University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview was among the leading centers in implanting the HeartMate II ®, a next-generation left ventricular assist device (LVAD) which was recently approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) as a bridge to transplant.

U of M Professor Leads Research to Manage Incidental Findings in Human Subjects Research
(June 30, 2008) – Susan Wolf, J.D.,  professor and chair of the University of Minnesota’s Consortium on Law and Values in Health, Environment, & the Life Sciences, led a multidisciplinary team of national experts to develop the first major guidelines on managing incidental findings (IF) in human subjects research which have just been published. 

U of M to Host 'Minorities in Medicine' Program
The University of Minnesota Department of Surgery and Health Sciences Libraries will host “Opening Doors: Minorities in Medicine,” a public program, featuring presenters who will highlight their life experiences along with new initiatives to recruit under-represented minority groups.

U of M Appoints New Dean of College of Veterinary Medicine
(June 18, 2008) – The University of Minnesota Board of Regents officially approved the appointment of Trevor Ames, D.V.M, as dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine.  He has been serving as interim dean since June 2007.

Drug commonly used for alcoholism curbs urges of pathological gamblers
(June 13, 2008) – A drug commonly used to treat alcohol addiction has a similar effect on pathological gamblers – it curbs the urge to gamble and participate in gambling-related behavior, according to a new research at the University of Minnesota.

U of M to host scientific symposium on imaging and medicine
The University of Minnesota Medical School’s Department of Microbiology will host a scientific symposium on imaging and medicine held in conjunction with the 44th meeting of the United States-Japan Cooperative Medical Science Program. This is the first time the group has met in Minnesota.

Disturbed rest, activity linked to mortality in older men
It appears that disrupted rest and activity rhythms are associated with increased mortality rates among older men, according to new University of Minnesota research.

U of M researchers discover gene linked to adult-onset obesity
(June 10, 2008) – Researchers at the University of Minnesota have discovered a gene that may provide a clue as to why obesity rates increase with age. The research was published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

Internet, Tolerance Spark Change in Urban Gay Communities
(June 9, 2008) -- Gay communities – such as clubs, bars, events and neighborhoods – appear to be changing worldwide in light of several key factors, including Internet dating and achievement of civil rights, according to new University of Minnesota research.

U of M, Mayo, and AARP to Co-Host Discussion on Health Care Reform
The University of Minnesota Academic Health Center and School of Nursing, AARP, Mayo Center for Health Policy, and Twin Cities Public Television invite you to attend a taping of the broadcast "Minnesota Innovations:  Moving the National Debate on Health Care Reform Forward."

U of M Professor Earns Top Women's Leadership Spot in Academic Medicine
(June 4, 2008) — Elizabeth Seaquist, M.D., Medical School, was selected as a member of the 2008-09 class of fellows for the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) Program for Women.

U of M Sets Course for Cure of Fatal Childhood Skin Disease
(June 3, 2008) – Physicians at the University of Minnesota and University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital, Fairview have set the path to a cure for a young boy’s fatal genetic skin disease, recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB), by using a cord blood and bone marrow transplant. Nate Liao, a 25-month-old from Clarksburg, N.J., underwent the experimental therapy in October 2007.

U of M Study Finds That Parents Who Recognize That Their Teens are Overweight Do Not Necessarily Encourage Healthy Habits
(June 2, 2008) — University of Minnesota School of Public Health researchers found that parents who accurately perceived their teens as overweight were still unlikely to help them engage in healthy eating and exercise behaviors.