September 2015

Announcements:

  • Parul Agnihotri, PhD Candidate in Susan Winandy’s Lab was elected Vice President of the Boston University Graduate Medical Sciences Student Organization (GMSSO) for 2015-2016 effective this month. The GMSSO is a student run organization that works to unite students from all departments and schools on the Medical Campus, to share ideas and address questions or concerns pertaining to student life. Through organizing various social and community service activities, GMSSO is an outlet for students to get involved in the BU Graduate Medical Sciences community, both on and off campus.
  • For six weeks, Jason Sutin, Pathology PhD Candidate in Maria Franceschini’s Lab at MGH will be working with the CURE Children’s Hospital of Uganda in Mbale, Uganda, Africa on a collaboration to study the effect of surgical treatment of infant hydrocephalus on cerebral blood flow and oxygen metabolism.
  • Nader Rahimi and his Lab’s recent publication on the characterization of a novel adhesion molecule (TMIGD1) was on the news: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/09/150902112004.htm
    http://www.newsunited.com/newly-discovered-protein-may-news/18305788/
  • Several Department of Pathology members participated in the 2015 Boston Heart Walk on Saturday, September 12th sponsored by the American Heart Association. BRAVO!!! The AHA MISSION: Building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Their IMPACT: By 2020, to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20 percent while reducing deaths from cardiovascular disease and stroke by 20 percent. In 1999, the American Heart Association set a bold 10-year goal: To reduce coronary heart disease, stroke and risk by 25 percent by 2010. We achieved the reduction in deaths ahead of schedule and made substantial progress against three of the six risk factors. Our 2020 Impact Goal focuses on helping people build stronger health and a better quality of life.
  • Dequina Nicholas, PhD from Loma Linda Medical School, (2015) has joined the labs of Barbara Nikolajczyk and Gerald Denis as an Inflammation Training Grant-supported post-doctoral full. Welcome Dequina!
  • On September 15th the department held a Faculty Meeting that included faculty, residents, postdocs and graduate students devoted to addressing professionalism in the workplace. The meeting will also include professionalism vignettes that were presented at the Association of Pathology Chairs meeting this summer. GroupPhoto2

           Dr. David Kindelberger introduced several vignettes on Professionalism:

Dr.Kindelberger2

           Dr. O’Brien spoke on Altruism:

Dr.O.Brien

           Dr. Chris Andry addressed Accountability:

Dr. Andry

          Dr. Karen Quillen talked about Respect:

Dr. Quillen

Additional comments by Dr. Barbara Slack:

Dr.Slack

And Dr. Carl O’Hara:

Dr. O.Hara

Rally for Research September 16 & 17 2015

The rally for research #rallymedres was held in Washington DC to advocate for increased funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Advocates from 40 states and more than 200 organizations spoke with their Senators and Congressman about the need for robust, predictable and sustainable NIH funding. The key messages that were delivered included the fact that since 2004 there has been a 24% decrease in the dollars available for NIH investigators (adjusted for inflation). In prior years there was a 1 in 3 chance that a grant would be funded, with the current paylines there is a 1 in 7 chance.

The Association of Pathology Chairs was represented at the rally by Daniel Remick, M.D., Chair of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine #DanielRemick1 who provided twitter updates throughout the rally.

After orientation on September 16th the 300 rally participants were bused to the Capital for a rally held in the Kennedy Caucus room. Presentations were made by Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Senator Durbin (D-Illinois), Patti Murray (D-Washington) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota). Each of these Senators expressed strong bipartisan support to increase NIH funding. Senator Murray talked about the need for NIH funding to maintain American exceptionalism. Senator Klobuchar is such a strong NIH supporter that during the last government shutdown, she donated her salary to the NIH. Francis Collins, the Director of NIH spoke passionately about funding saying we cannot wait for cure and we cannot wait for hope. Patient advocates also spoke about why NIH funding saves lives.

The next morning, September 17th 2015, Representative Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma), the fourth ranking Republican in the House of Representatives addressed participants. He emphasized that Congress is eager to show bipartisan legislation that helps the country, and increased funding for NIH was a clear example of this. The rally participants then met with members of Congress and their staff.

The delegation from Massachusetts consisted of Daniel Remick, M.D., Chair and Professor of Pathology & Lab Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Susan Hankinson, Sc.D., Chair of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Health Sciences University of Massachusetts and Timothy Leshan, Northeastern University Vice President Government Relations. The delegation met with our Senators and Representatives. We met with Ashley Coulombe, Special Assistant to Senator Elizabeth Warren first and relayed specific examples of how decreased NIH funding has hurt research. The next meeting was with Andrew Cohen, Counsel to Senator Edward Markey. Senator Markey has long supported funding for NIH.

The delegation was fortunate to spend 30 minutes with Rep. Joseph Kennedy from the 4th district of Massachusetts (see picture). The day finished with meetings with Jennifer Chandler, Senior Legislative Assistant to Rep. James McGovern and a final meeting the Rep. Capuaon’s Chief of Staff Robert Primus.

Delegation

All the Massachusetts legislators strongly support increased funding for the mission of NIH but the MA delegates were able to provide several reasons why increased NIH funding is a national imperative.

PUBLICATIONS ACCEPTED:

  • Su N, Choi HP, Yang Jing-Hua, Wang F, Su H, Fei Z and Azadzoi KM entitled Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Differentially Expressed Proteins and Downstream Signaling Pathways in Chronic Bladder Ischemia” has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Urology.