News
Before Using Drugs to Prevent Heart Disease, Try Better Oral Health
In a Boston University/University of Helsinki collaboration, the oral enzyme salivary lysozyme (SLZ) was proven a stronger marker of metabolic syndrome in people with heart disease than C-reactive protein (CRP), which doctors currently look at before prescribing preventive heart disease drugs. Metabolic syndrome is a risk factor for heart disease. “This indirectly suggests that improving oral... More
Tackling Child Marriage Will Take Education, Enforcement
"Cultural traditions are hard to change. We have to work within existing community structures and bring recognition to communities about how child marriage compromises opportunities and health for women and their children." So says Anita Raj, professor of community health sciences at Boston University School of Public Health, in an article in the August 4 issue... More
GSDM’s Kantarci Presents New Method for Accelerating Tooth Movement
Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) Associate Professor Dr. Alpdogan Kantarci traveled to Barcelona, Spain in mid-July to attend the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) General Session. At the meeting he co-chaired a session titled, "Biology of Tooth Movement," and also gave an oral presentation titled, "Photobiomodulation-induced Orthodontic Tooth Movement." The oral presentation was based... More
Study Finds Acute Stress Reaction Linked to Higher Risk of Suicide
People diagnosed with acute stress reaction are more likely to complete suicide than the general population, according to a new study led by researchers affiliated with the Boston University School of Public Health. "Clinicians and public health professionals should be aware of the importance of screening for suicidality among people immediately following a traumatic or stressful... More
Director of Multimodal Whole Animal Imaging Core Appointed at Boston University’s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories
Ronald Killiany, PhD, the director of the Center for Biomedical Imaging (CBI) at Boston University Medical Campus has been appointed director of the Multimodal Whole Animal Imaging Core at the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories at Boston University (NEIDL). Killiany also serves as associate professor in the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology at Boston... More
Researchers Investigate Differences in Quality of Primary Care Delivered by US Resident and Staff Physicians
Research on the quality of US resident physician performance levels has often been limited by lack of a comparison group or strict focus on specific diseases and geographical areas. In order to gain insight on differences in quality of care provided by resident physicians and staff physicians, Boston Medical Center (BMC) researchers investigated performance... More
Cheese! Second Year Dental Medicine Students Enjoy End of Year Pizza Party
Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) DMD students enjoyed a pizza luncheon on the last day of their second year. This annual event, sponsored by the Alumni Association, was held immediately following the students' last exam, Oral Biology II. The party also celebrated the students' entrance into third year where they... More
Campus Researchers Provide Update in Pain Medicine
More than 75 million Americans suffer with chronic pain. Pain accounts for 20 percent of all outpatient visits, over $100 billion dollars per year in direct and indirect costs while analgesics account for 12 percent of all prescriptions. In an effort to provide generalist physicians with the most current literature and data on chronic pain management... More
BUSPH Study Links Cleaning Products to Breast Cancer
Women who report greater use of cleaning products may be at higher breast cancer risk than those who say they use them sparingly, according to a study co-authored by Boston University Professor and Associate Chair of Epidemiology Ann Aschengrau. Aschengrau and colleagues from the Silent Spring Institute in Newton, Mass., carried out telephone interviews with 787... More
World AIDS Conference Hits Hopeful Note: BUSM’s Samet points to strides in treatment access, prevention
The news from Vienna is not all gloom and doom. As 25,000 representatives from the fields of health care, research, business, government, and human rights converged on the Austrian capital for the 18th International AIDS Conference this week, there has been much to celebrate, despite a worldwide increase of nearly 3 million HIV-infected people each... More
Study Shows EMT Could Contribute to Harmful Gum Overgrowth
When gum tissue grows over the teeth, it’s called gingival overgrowth, and it puts people at risk for gum disease and oral infections, interferes with chewing, and is painful. While it happens for different reasons, drug-induced gingival overgrowth is a well-known side effect of medications including the anti-seizure drug phenytoin, the immunosuppressant cyclosporin A, and calcium... More
Larger Head Size May Protect Against Alzheimer's Symptoms
A new study co-authored by Boston University School of Public Health researchers shows that people with Alzheimer's disease who have large heads have better memory and thinking skills than those with the disease who have smaller heads, even when they have the same amount of brain cell death due to the disease. Professors of Biostatistics Adrienne... More
The New Breed of Doctor Is In: BMC hospitalists preview medicine’s future
The half dozen white coats sweep briskly down stairs and through halls at Boston Medical Center. The leader, Muhammad Syed, is very familiar with this tiled, fluorescent-lit honeycomb: he’s a “hospitalist,” medicine’s newest specialty, a doctor who treats patients only here, not in an office. After leading his team on rounds, Syed peels away for... More
Pain Control "a Fun Experience for All"
On July 8, DMD students entering the third year completed what has become a rite of passage: Pain Control. Clinical Associate Professor and Assistant Dean for Predoctoral Clinical Education Dr. John Guarente praised students for their professionalism and called the day "a fun experience for all". The exercise, part of clinical orientation, asks students to play... More
Boston Honors BUSPH Students, Practice Office for H1N1 Prevention Efforts
The Public Health Practice Office and students of Boston University School of Public Health recently got a special nod for their help in Boston's 2009-2010 H1N1 flu prevention and vaccination campaign. At a special event held June 30 at City Hall, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino and Commissioner of the Boston Public Health Commission Barbara Ferrer... More
Boston University Researchers Identify Genetic Signatures of Human Exceptional Longevity
While environment and family history are factors in healthy aging, genetic variants play a critical and complex role in conferring exceptional longevity, according to a new study by a team of researchers from the Boston University Schools of Public Health and Medicine and the Boston Medical Center. In a study released July 1 online by the... More
BUSPH Takes Top Spot in Madness Against Malaria Once Again
The Beantown-'Skeeter Beaters have done it again. For the fourth year running, Boston University School of Public Health's Beantown 'Skeeter-beater Tetra-peaters have placed first in the annual Madness Against Malaria fundraising competition. Altogether they raised $3,910 to purchase 888 insecticide-treated bed nets for distribution in malaria-stricken regions around the world. The international charity event pits teams against... More
Record Number of Volunteers Participate in Healthy Athletes® Special Smiles® Initiative
Record Number of Volunteers Participate in Healthy Athletes® Special Smiles® Initiative Athletes at the June 19, Special Olympic Massachusetts Games received more than just a chance at a gold medal, thanks to volunteers from Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM). Along with members of other area dental and hygiene schools, GSDM students, More
GSDM Responds to MassHealth Cuts with Revamped BUMP UP
A meeting to discuss new coverage and payment procedures that will take effect on July 1, in the treatment centers at Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) was held on June 15. In response to the MassHealth coverage cuts, GSDM has resurrected and restructured a program that was created the last time... More
BUSPH Summer Class Partners with NGO on Global Health Programming
The Boston University School of Public Health students enrolled in this summer's IH 744: Design & Implementation of International Health Programs course may have completed their class assignments and turned in their final projects, but their work may not be done just yet. For the course, students partnered with Circle of Health International (COHI), a non-profit... More
New Research by GSDM’s Helmerhorst Highlights Saliva’s Ability to Breakdown Dietary Gluten
Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) Associate Professor of Periodontology & Oral Biology Dr. Eva Helmerhorst received a R01 award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on June 1. Her research, titled “Gastro-intestinal Microbes Degrading Dietary Gluten,” is... More
Don't Alter Standard of Care in Health Crises, Annas Argues
Almost immediately after last January's deadly earthquake in Haiti, physician volunteers began pouring into that country to offer help -- with no promise of immunity from liability. That's one example cited by BUSPH Professor George Annas, chair of health law, bioethics and human rights, in a newly published article in The New England Journal of Medicine... More
Boston Medical Center to consolidate its emergency services
Boston Medical Center (BMC) will consolidate its two emergency departments on July 12, merging the services of the Newton Pavilion Emergency Department (ED) into the Menino Pavilion ED. BMC EDs had more than 135,400 patient visits last year – 117,000 in the Menino ED and 18,400 in the Newton ED. An expansion project recently was completed in... More
Study in the Annals of Internal Medicine, Provost Responds
This response is from BUMC Provost, BUSM Dean Karen Antman, MD Yesterday, an article was released in the Annals of Internal Medicine by Mullan, et al., titled, “The Social Mission of Medical Education: Ranking the Schools” that “ranked” on a scale according to the extent to which they graduate doctors who practice... More
Despite GSDM Student's Best Efforts, MassHealth Adult Dental Services Slashed
On May 26, students from Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) flocked to the Massachusetts State House to speak with state senators about the proposed budget cuts to MassHealth adult dental benefits. In cooperation with representatives from the Massachusetts Dental Society, Health Care For All, and the Oral Health Advocacy Taskforce, GSDM... More