News
BUMC Students to Enjoy Newly Renovated Space on 11th Floor Alumni Medical Library
A recently completed renovation on the 11th floor of the Alumni Medical Library now provides a state-of-the-art, 220 seat testing center. The testing center is among the first of its kind, and will serve to both facilitate the administration of exams while at the same time enhancing the quality of study space for BUMC students. Renovations include... More
Battling Ebola: How Ebola Kills
MED’s John Connor is devising diagnostics to spot Ebola and antivirals to treat the disease On Saturday, Aug. 2, the first of two sickened American health care workers was flown from Africa to a special containment unit at Emory University. Despite the risk of infection, medical personnel continue to travel to West Africa to help bring... More
Battling Ebola: Heading Into the Outbreak
NEIDL’s Nahid Bhadelia to care for patients, share expertise On Saturday, Aug. 2, the first of two sickened American health care workers was flown from Africa to a special containment unit at Emory University. Despite the risk of infection, medical personnel continue to travel to West Africa to help bring under control the worst Ebola outbreak... More
Conference: Personalized Medicine & Intellectual Property
Join the BU School of Law on Monday, Aug. 25, for a conference focused on personalized medicine and intellectual property. Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Myriad that a human gene implicated in breast and ovarian cancer was not patentable subject matter. In Prometheus, the Court also recently ruled that a method for optimizing certain drug therapies was... More
SPH Ranked in Top 5 for Social Media Use
Courtesy image mkhmarketing.wordpress.com. MPH Programs List.com has ranked BUSPH in the top five among public health schools for social media use. The site evaluated 61 public health schools across the country to identify the 50 most social media-friendly schools. There were 100 points possible, with 24 for Facebook, 20 for Twitter, 18 for LinkedIn, 15 for YouTube, 11 for Flickr, More
Saying Goodbye to BU’s Former “First Lady”
Jasmine Chobanian remembered as a patron of the arts and a humanitarian. Jasmine Chobanian, who was regarded as the “First Lady” of Boston University during the many years that her husband Aram V. Chobanian, MD, served in University leadership, both as dean of the School of Medicine and the ninth president of Boston University (2003–2005), died... More
Health Care Funding Changes Impact STI Testing, Study Finds
Universal health coverage and changes in the way Massachusetts funds clinics that test for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have led to a shift in patients accessing testing that has both positive and negative implications, a study led by BU researchers says. The study, published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases and led by Mari-Lynn Drainoni, associate professor of health... More
HIV Non-disclosure, Stigma, Incarceration Are Possible Predictors of Poor Follow Up in Research Trials
A collaborative effort between American, Russian and Ukrainian researchers offers new insight into a well-known barrier to high quality, longitudinal HIV research: loss of participant follow up. This study, led by researchers at the BU Schools of Medicine and Public Health, explored the factors that contributed to attrition in large HIV trial in Russia, a... More
Transparency Lacking in Clinical Trials, BU Study Finds
A significant percentage of completed drug clinical trials, especially those funded by industry, are not disclosed to the public, years after being completed—a trend that “threatens the validity of the clinical research literature in the U.S.,” according to a study led by a Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) researcher. The study, published in the... More
Emergency Responders More Comfortable in Active Shooting Scenarios After Training
Emergency Medical Service (EMS) responders felt better prepared to respond to an active shooter incident after receiving focused tactical training according to a new study in the journal Prehospital and Disaster Medicine. This is the first study to specifically examine the EMS provider comfort level with respect to entering a scene where a shooter has... More
BUSM MD/PhD Candidate Tracks Osteoarthritis With Nanoparticles
A chronic disease afflicting more than 27 million Americans and 630 million worldwide, osteoarthritis occurs as the protective cartilage coating on joints in the knees, hips and other parts of the body degrades. No cure for osteoarthritis exists, but treatments can slow its progression, reduce pain and restore joint functioning. Now a team of researchers... More
BU Researchers Relate Arrests with HIV Risk Environment
Practices used in policing injection drug users in Russia might contribute to HIV transmission and overdose mortality. A study, conducted by researchers from Boston University Schools of Medicine and Public Health, in collaboration with St. Petersburg Pavlov State University, sought to discover the effect police arrests had on the health outcomes of a cohort of HIV-positive... More
BU Researchers and Collaborators Receive $12.6 Million NIH Grant to Study Genetics of Alzheimer’s Disease
Researchers from the Biomedical Genetics division of the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) are part of a five-university collaboration receiving a $12.6 million, four-year grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to identify rare genetic variants that may either protect against, or contribute to Alzheimer’s... More
Dental and Medical Students Team Up to Improve Health in East Boston
Fifteen volunteers from the BU Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) joined together with twelve volunteers from BU School of Medicine (BUSM) to provide health care services to children and their families at the second annual Interprofessional Spring Wellness Fair at the East Boston YMCA for Healthy Kids Day last April 26. Oral Health... More
Adults with Psychiatric Disabilities Benefit from GSDM Outreach
Earlier this year, volunteers from BU’s Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) provided services to adults with psychiatric disabilities at the Center Club Boston, a program of Bay Cove Human Services. Led by Oral Health Promotion Director Kathy Lituri and in collaboration with the GSDM student chapter of the American Association of Public... More
Reproduction Later in Life is a Marker for Longevity in Women
Women who are able to naturally have children later in life tend to live longer and the genetic variants that allow them to do so might also facilitate exceptionally long life spans. A Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) study published in Menopause: The Journal of the North American Menopause Society, says women who are able... More
The Brown Fat Death Spiral
BU-led study explores how a good fat becomes impaired White and brown fat are the yin and yang of metabolism. We’re all familiar with white fat, the squishy stuff that bulges around our waists after a few too many doughnuts. But brown fat is more mysterious. It’s the good twin—it burns energy, produces heat, and may... More
Marijuana Use May Stymy Drug and Alcohol Abstinence, New Study Finds
Patients who use marijuana have lower odds of achieving abstinence from other drugs and heavy alcohol use, indicating that marijuana use merits attention from addiction-treatment clinicians, a new study by researchers from the BU schools of public health and medicine has found. The study, published online in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, examined the association... More
GSDM Commencement Speaker Dr. Judith Jones: You Have the Right Stuff to Be Happy
On Friday, May 16, 191 DMD students and 79 post-doctoral students received their degrees at the 2014 Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) Convocation, held at the Walter Brown Arena. Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter began the ceremony with a moment of silence in memory of Mrs. Rhoda Frankl, who passed away on... More
What’s the Best test for Cervical Cancer? Pap, HPV or Both?
Should U.S. women be screened for cervical cancer with Pap tests, HPV tests or both? According to researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Center (BMC) while the merits of screening tests and screening intervals warrant further discussion, they firmly believe that increasing the number of women who participate in cancer... More
BUSM PA Program Director Honored for Research on PA Career Patterns
The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) honored BUSM PA Program Director Mary Warner, MMSc, PA-C, with its PAragon Research Publishing Award for her exceptional research article “Career patterns of physician assistants: A retrospective longitudinal study.” The award was presented at AAPA’s annual conference in Boston in May. The article—which received a Gold Medal for Best... More
Recent Immigrants Benefit from GSDM Outreach Effort
In early April recent immigrants to the Boston area benefited from a community outreach effort led by the Boston University chapter of the American Student Dental Association (ASDA) and the Global & Population Health office at Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM). The Notre Dame Educational Center (NDEC) Dental Health Fair offered... More
Addressing the Physician Shortage: Recommendations for Medical Education Reform
Since it started more than 30 years ago, funding the graduate medical education (GME) system has not evolved even as there has been a revolution in GME. The United States contributes almost $10 billion a year from Medicare into funding the GME system. However this system fails to provide the workforce needed for the 21st... More
BUSM Graduates Welcomed to Medical and Scientific Community
On Saturday, May 17, members of the BUSM Class of 2014 gathered to celebrate their graduation from medical school. Congratulations, Grads! View the pics on Facebook The 167th Boston University School of Medicine commencement opened with an academic procession of 300 members of the faculty lining up on either side of the Class of 2014 to... More
Celebrating Success! GMS Commencement Images on BUSM Facebook
On Friday, May 16, the BUSM GMS Class of 2014 gathered in Metcalf Hall to celebrate commencement. See them on BUSM Facebook! Celebrating Success! Division of Graduate Medical Sciences 2014 Commencement “Your degree empowers you not just as scientists, researchers, clinicians, and health professionals but as critical thinkers, problem solvers and advocates,” said Associate Provost for the... More