BUMC: A haven for research
Seven studies published by the New England Journal of Medicine over a nine-week period this summer were led by faculty at the BU Medical Campus. Many of the co-investigators also were from the medical campus.
“To have the results of so many of our talented researchers published by one of the most respected medical journals within such a short time period is a terrific achievement for our medical campus,” stated Karen Antman, MD, BUSM dean and provost of BU Medical Campus.
“We are extremely proud of our talented researchers and their contributions to science, as well as to this institution,” she added.
The following lists the principal or sole investigators and their studies published between May 24 and July 26.
George Annas, JD, MPH, Edward R. Utley Professor and chair of the Department of Health Law, Bioethics and Human Rights at BUSPH published twice during this period: The Supreme Court and Abortion Rights, and Cancer and the Constitution – Choice at Life’s End.
Laura Dember, MD, associate professor of nephrology at BUSM, et al: Eprodisate for the Treatment of Renal Disease in AA Amyloidosis. The trial investigated the effect of a new drug on kidney disease progression and found that, compared with a placebo, eprodisate reduced the risk of worsening of the disease.
Michael Holick, PhD, MD, professor of medicine, physiology and biophysics, and director of the General Clinical Research Center at BUSM, and director of the Bone Healthcare Clinic at BMC, provided an overview of his pioneering work that expounds on the important role vitamin D plays in a wide variety of chronic health conditions, as well as suggested strategies for the prevention and treatment of vitamin D deficiency.
Mark Klempner, MD, professor of medicine at BUSM and associate provost for research at BUMC, et al.: Taking a Bite Out of Vector-Transmitted Infectious Diseases. “We are poised to develop new and effective control measures that go well beyond “bug spray” and human vaccines,” said Klempner.
Carol Louik, ScD, assistant professor of epidemiology at BUSPH and senior epidemiologist at the Slone Epidemiology Center, et al.: First-Trimester Use of Selective Serotonin-Reuptake Inhibitors and the Risk of Birth Defects. Researchers found that certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) antidepressants do not appear to increase the risk for most kinds of birth defects. [See July/August 2007, MedCenter News].
George O’Connor, MD, MS, associate professor of medicine at BUSM and a BMC pulmonologist, O’Connor presented the argument for one of three possible changes in treatment for an asthmatic patient. In this interactive series, readers may choose their choice of treatment on the journal’s Web site.
In addition, researchers from Harvard Medical School and the University of California San Diego used data collected at the Framingham Heart Study as the basis for another recently published New England Journal of Medicine article, which examined the link between obesity and social networking, particularly close friendships.
