Dean’s Newsletter
Arthur Kornberg 1918-2007
Named University buildings typically recognize and honor the philanthropy of a major donor. The Kornberg Medical Research Building of the University of Rochester is different—it recognizes and honors the life and scientific achievements of Arthur Kornberg, MD, Class of 1941 and 1959 Nobel Laureate in Medicine and Physics. "Kornberg," our shorthand name for this research facility, inspires those who work within it to reach for path-breaking, paradigm-shifting science worthy of its namesake. Dr. Kornberg died on October 26, 2007, at age 89. Two weeks earlier, he was working in his lab and playing tennis.
What kind of man was Dr. Kornberg? Listen to Bob Bambara, who was a postdoctoral fellow with Bob Lehman in 1975 and 1976, and therefore shared lab rooms with Dr. Kornberg's group: "Arthur was totally devoted to science, and spent a lot of time talking to people in the group about their results. He participated in the lunch student seminar in the departmental library and also taught courses. He tended to leave administrative work to other faculty, but it appeared that everyone at Stanford asked his advice on every issue. Arthur was not ostentatious in any way at work. He had a small office in the middle of the department. It had little decoration or fancy furniture. It had a tiny table with three legs and three chairs that he used for discussing data with the students. The door was unadorned and there was no name tag. From the hall, it easily could have been the janitor's closet. I suspect that calling attention to his office would only have led to a lot more people seeking his advice and distractions from his science. Arthur expected scientific excellence from his students, and he wanted them to be positively competitive. He had a gentle way of expressing this, but the message was very clear. No one wanted to disappoint him with a less than outstanding performance. I once gave a student seminar on molecular mechanisms of Epstein Barr virus infection. It was a subject that I had to learn for the seminar. He said ‘Interesting talk, but I could tell that was not your field.’ I was very excited when he came to visit us three years ago to talk about his research. When I asked a question from deep in the audience, he joked ‘What are you doing here?’ I had the brief feeling that I should have been back at my bench in Stanford doing an experiment." Read More.
School of Medicine & Dentistry Alumni News & Information
A Message from the Chair of the School of Medicine and Dentistry Alumni Council
The Alumni Association of the School of Medicine and Dentistry bestows three awards each year, which are presented during the Alumni Weekend in the fall. The Distinguished Alumnus (a) Award recognizes achievement that has had an impact on a national and global scale by individuals whose lives and work exemplify the standards and objectives of the school. The 2007 recipient is C. McCollister Evarts (MD ’57, R ’64). All School of Medicine and Dentistry alumni (MD, PhD, MS, Residency) are eligible to submit nominations and all may be considered for the award.
The Gold Medal Award recognizes outstanding teaching by a faculty member of the medical school. Nominations are recruited from the student body and administration. The 2007 recipient is Chin-To Fong, MD.
The Alumni Service Award recognizes outstanding support, commitment, and service which have furthered the interests of the school. The 2007 recipient is Robert L. Caldwell (MD ’61, R ’69). As with the Distinguished Alumnus (a) Award, all alumni are eligible to submit nominations and all may be considered for the award.
The Alumni Association encourages the submission of nominations. Further information about the awards and directions on how to submit a nomination can be found on the Alumni Association Web site: www.urmc.rochester.edu/smd/alumni/alumniawards.cfm.
Lawrence Nazarian (MD ’64, R ’66) is the current Vice President of the School of Medicine and Dentistry Alumni Council and Chair of the Awards Committee.
Alumnus Honored for Generous Scholarship Support
On Thursday, November 15, 2007 a special reception and dinner was held in honor of Paul F. Griner (MD ’59). Fellow alumni, family, friends and colleagues gathered to celebrate Dr. Griner’s generous $1 million support of the School of Medicine and Dentistry’s merit scholarship program. Christopher Chang, a first-year medical student is the first recipient of the Griner Merit Scholarship. Following many years of teaching and leading Strong Memorial Hospital, Dr. Griner remains inspired by his Rochester experience and hopes future students will receive similar opportunities.
Alumni Panel Discussion
On November 14, 2007, 60 University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry students and three alumni couples participated in a panel entitled, “The Balancing Act: Work-Relationship Balance –An Issue for all Physicians.” Dean David S. Guzick, MD, PhD moderated. The alumni participants included Jennifer Kelly (MPH ’04), full-time PhD student and Adam Kelly (MD ’02, RES ’06, F ’07) parents of one child; Heather Florescue-Ferrantino (MD ’04), current resident in OB/GYN at URMC and Matthew Ferrantino (MD ’04), current resident in Internal Medicine at URMC, parents of triplets born in September 2007; and Joanne Wu (MD ’06), current resident in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at URMC, recently named chief resident for next year and her fiancé, Benjamin Chapman, PhD, post-doctoral research psychology fellow in URMC’s Department of Psychiatry, also working toward an MPH in Department of Community and Preventative Medicine. SMD alumni participants shared their views with medical students on common issues faced by medical professionals. This was the second time topics such as balancing family and professional life, and part-time residency and/or taking time off in medical school/residency to begin a family have been discussed with medical students in this format.
Alumnus Writes Book on Practical Aspects of Practice
David B. Nash (MD ’81) FACP has been compiling advice for young physicians for more than 20 years. The first book he edited, "Future Practice Alternatives in Medicine," published in 1986, guided physicians through many of the contemporary, non-clinical aspects of medical practice.
His latest offering, "Practicing Medicine in the 21st Century," published by the American College of Physician Executives (ACPE), offers similar assistance to today's young physicians. In the new handbook, Dr. Nash and his co-editors have gathered more than 20 articles from experts in medical and related fields on topics ranging from achieving positive patient-physician relationships to understanding the referral process.
A board-certified internist, Dr. Nash is the Raymond C. and Doris N. Grandon Professor and Chair of the Department of Health Policy at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. He currently chairs the Technical Advisory Group of the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council, and serves on numerous health care company boards. From 1984-89, he was deputy editor of Annals of Internal Medicine. Read More.
Story from the October ACP Observer, copyright © 2007 by the American College of Physicians.
University of Rochester Department of Surgery Reception in New Orleans
Jeffrey H. Peters, MD, and the Faculty of the University of Rochester Department of Surgery, hosted a reception at the American College of Surgeons 93rd Annual Clinical Congress in New Orleans, LA. The event was held at the New Orleans Marriott and offered views of the sunset on the city. View Pictures.
Where Are They Now?
Fall is an ideal time for alumni to reconnect with each other and the School through various communications and alumni activities. Although classes celebrating reunions each year are asked to submit scrapbook forms, updating classmates on where they are and what they are currently doing, we receive requests throughout the year from alumni asking for updated class directories and information on past School of Medicine and Dentistry acquaintances. You can stay connected with your classmates and help the Alumni Office by submitting updated contact information.
Got updates? Please log on to the Online Community at www.alumniconnections.com/URMC/ or e-mail alumni@admin.rochester.edu with your updates and check out what your classmates are up to. We look forward to hearing from you!
Journey with the School of Medicine & Dentistry to Spain
Discover the fashionable and modern city of Barcelona, the heart of Spain’s culturally distinct and artistically rich Catalonia region. Walk Las Ramblas before touring the prominent art nouveau architectural sites of Antoni Gaudí, including the famous La Sagrada Familia basilica. In Spain’s enchanting Pendes wine country, see the town of Montserrat and enjoy Cava, the Catalan sparkling wine, on a visit to a local vineyard. Then travel to the Basque country, with its unique language and culture, as you drive along the scenic route from Montserrat to seaside San Sebastian on the Bay of Biscay. Tour the city of Bilbao and explore its renowned Guggenheim Museum. Finally, experience the sites of Pamplona, famous for the running of the bulls.
While experiencing the exhilarating sites of Spain, seasoned traveler and University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry alumnus, Paul F. Griner (MD ’59), will enhance your itinerary with insightful presentations on 21st Century Medicine, informative patient interactions, and Universal Health Insurance facts and fiction.
Combining the convenience and unbeatable value of group travel with the flexibility to venture and explore on your own or with a group of like-minded alumni and friends, this trip is sure to be an adventure to remember. For more information on the Alumni Campus Abroad trip to Spain on October 21-November 1, 2008, or to book reservations, please call the University of Rochester Office of Alumni Relations at (800) 333-0175 or (585) 273-5888.
Check out our calendar of events –
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December 7, 2007* 50 Year Club Holiday Lunch Rochester, NY February 28, 2008 April 28, 2008 September 25-27, 2008 October 21-November 1, 2008
* University Regional Events |
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News From the University of Rochester Medical Center
Major Grants Boost University of Rochester’s Geriatric Programs
Geriatric programs at the University of Rochester Medical Center have been awarded more than $3.2 million in five grants that are focused on helping health care providers improve the way they care for the elderly.
The awards, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) division, include two large training grants and three academic career awards, according to Paul R. Katz, MD, professor of Medicine, chief of the Division of Geriatrics and Director of the Geriatric Fellowship Program at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. Read More.
Rochester Muscular Dystrophy Study Cited in U.S. News & World Report
A University of Rochester study led by Charles Thornton, MD (FLW ’91), found that by injecting a new treatment into mice, severe muscle stiffness and weakness, often a disabling symptom of one form of muscular dystrophy, was eliminated.
"It's an important step forward that should be encouraging for people with the condition and their families and it shows that doctors and scientists are really now beginning to fix their attention on fixing this disease, rather than trying to understand what goes wrong," said study senior author Dr. Charles Thornton, a professor of neurology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. Read More.
Indomethacin Analysis Published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
University of Rochester researchers findings on a common drug used for stopping preterm labor were recently published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. According to Rochester’s new analysis, Indomethacin may be associated with brain damage and intestinal issues in premature babies.
“As pediatricians and neonatalogists, it’s important for us to know whether the benefit of these drugs outweighs the potential for complications for these medically fragile children,” said Sanjiv Amin, MD (FLW ’97), assistant professor of Pediatrics at the University of Rochester Medical Center and author of an article on the subject. “In the case of the tocolytic agent indomethacin, we know it impacts blood flow but there have been no large randomized studies to evaluate the effects on the baby.”
Dozens of studies have been done, but none have had a large sample size or a definitive outcome on the effects of indomethacin. The new analysis of a collection of studies, or a metaanalysis, by University of Rochester Medical Center researchers pulls together enough data to conclude that there is an association between use of indomethacin and babies experiencing periventricular leukomalacia (white matter injury by decreasing blood flow in the brain, which may lead to cerebral palsy). Read More.
Online Community
Join the Online Community
Online Community membership is FREE and exclusive to alumni. Search for friends and make new connections with the University of Rochester Medical Center Alumni Network. The Online Community offers an online directory of all URMC School of Medicine & Dentistry and School of Nursingalumni where you can search by geographic location or specialty. Network with classmates, quickly update your information, and much more with the Alumni Online Community. Register now.
Do you know that you could have the same e-mail address forever? With the use of the permanent e-mail forwarding feature available through the Online Community, you can have the same e-mail address no matter what Internet Service Provider you use! To sign up for your free @alumni.urmc.rochester.edu address, register for the Online Community today!
Visit www.alumniconnections.com/URMC/ to connect to the online community. If you are not sure of your unique alumni ID, please contact us at alumni@admin.rochester.edu.
Class Notes
Submit Class Notes to Rochester Medicine Magazine
The University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry wants to hear from you! Share new and exciting things happening in your life with fellow alumni. To submit a class note for publication in the Rochester Medicine magazine, e-mail alumni@admin.rochester.edu.
News & Information About Other Divisions of URMC
What’s Happening at URMC
Learn more about the latest from the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center, Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong, Highland Hospital, Strong Memorial Hospital, School of Nursing and Visiting Nurse Service. Learn more.
SMD Alumni Office Contacts
Glen Smiley, Associate Vice President of Medical Center Advancement
Mary Ann Kiely, Director of Advancement and Medical Alumni Relations
Leslie Chambers, Assistant Director of Advancement/Alumni Council Liaison
Kelly Nuccitelli, Assistant Director of Advancement/Class Agent Liaison
Paula Smith, Director of Student Services
Rochester Pulse is a publication of the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry Alumni Relations Office. This month’s issue can be viewed online at
www.urmc.rochester.edu/smd/alumni/rochesterpulse/November2007.html
Visit the School of Medicine and Dentistry’s Web pages:
www.urmc.rochester.edu/smd/
www.urmc.rochester.edu/smd/alumni
300 East River Road, Suite 208, PO Box 278996, Rochester, NY 14627-8996