Medical Center Rounds Updates

New Dean of School of Medicine and Dentistry Announced

University of Rochester President Joel Seligman today announced that on March 1, Bradford C. Berk, M.D., Ph.D. will return as full-time CEO of the Medical Center while Mark B. Taubman, M.D., will begin serving as the tenth dean of the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. More »

Rochester physician honored for key role educating nation’s neurologists

A University of Rochester Medical Center neurologist who is widely credited with enhancing the education of neurologists nationwide has been honored by the discipline’s largest professional organization. More »

Study redefines placebo as part of effective treatment

Researchers used the placebo effect to successfully treat psoriasis patients with one quarter to one half of their usual dose of a widely used steroid medication, according to an early study published in December in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine. More »

New center for cardiac safety and innovation launched at Medical Center

The University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) has announced the creation of a new center that will assist researchers studying the electrical activity of the heart with the goal of improving drug safety, understanding cardiac arrhythmias, and developing new electrocardiograph technologies. More »

Gene hijacked by HIV ancestor suggests new way to block viral reproduction

An ancestor of the AIDS virus hijacked an entire gene, perhaps from some prehistoric cat it had infected, a gene that makes it much better able to infect humans, according to a study published by University of Rochester Medicinal Center researchers in December in the journal Nature Structural and Molecular Biology. The discovery represents the first instance in which researchers have found an entire animal gene within the genome of the human immunodeficiency virus despite 30 years of intense analyses. More »

Rochester physician named editor of leading neurology journal

A neurologist and epilepsy expert at the University of Rochester Medical Center has been named editor in chief of one of the world’s leading journals devoted to issues involving the brain and central nervous system. More »

Lawrence recognized for lifetime commitment to women and children

Ruth A. Lawrence, M.D., professor of pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, received the 2009 Martha May Eliot Award by the American Public Health Association (APHA). Lawrence accepted her award at the 137th APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition in November in Philadelphia. More »

Pilot study relates phthalate exposure to less-masculine play by boys

A study of 145 preschool children reports, for the first time, that when the concentrations of two common phthalates in mothers’ prenatal urine are elevated their sons are less likely to play with male-typical toys and games, such as trucks and play fighting. The University of Rochester Medical Center-led study was published in the International Journal of Andrology in November. More »

URMC joins national clinical research recruitment effort

The University of Rochester Medical Center is participating in a national effort to increase participation in health research. ResearchMatch, the creation of which was announced in November by the National Institutes of Health, is an online registry that will help connect researchers and individuals interested in volunteering for clinical studies. More »

Mindful meditation, shared dialogues reduce physician burnout

Training in mindfulness meditation and communication can alleviate the psychological distress and burnout experienced by many physicians and can improve their well-being, University of Rochester Medical Center researchers reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in September. The training also can expand a physician’s capacity to relate to patients and enhance patient-centered care, according to the researchers, who were led by Michael S. Krasner, M.D. (R’91), associate professor of Clinical Medicine. More »

School of Medicine wins funds for new graduate cardiovascular sciences program

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) has awarded the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry $700,000 to support a new program to train graduate students for a biomedical research career in cardiovascular sciences with an emphasis on translating laboratory discoveries into treatments and diagnostics. More »

Researchers study whether psychosocial interventions ease psoriasis

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has awarded University of Rochester Medical Center researchers $2.5 million to investigate the impact of psychological interventions on attacks of psoriasis and the intensity of the disease. More »