Student Updates

GSDM, BUSM Researchers Receive NIDCR R01 Grant

Researchers at the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine and the School of Medicine have received a five-year, $3.2 million National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) R01 grant. This grant will fund research into the role of b-catenin/CBP signaling in the epigenetic regulation of cellular plasticity in head and neck cancer progression.

The project is led by the Multiple Principal Investigator team comprised of Drs. Maria Kukuruzinska (contact PI, Translational Dental Medicine, GSDM), Stefano Monti (Computational Biomedicine, BUSM), and Xaralabos Varelas (Biochemistry, BUSM). Other investigators on the project include Drs. Manish Bais (Translational Dental Medicine, GSDM), Vikki Noonan (Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology, GSDM), Andrew Salama (Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, GSDM), Catherine Costello (Biochemistry, BUSM), and Dennis Jones (Pathology, BUSM).

Head and neck cancer and its major subsite, oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), rank among the most deadly disfiguring cancers due to the lack of early detection and limited treatments. Previous findings by this collaborative, multidisciplinary team have shown that b-catenin/CBP nuclear activity is an important contributor to OSCC progression to malignant disease in human patients, and that targeting this axis is likely to intercept tumor progression and reverse aggressive features. This project addresses an important gap in knowledge of OSCC pathobiology and aims to provide a basis for the development of new therapies.

This project grew out of the Affinity Research Collaborative (ARC) on Etiology and Pathogenesis of Oral Cancer, directed by Drs. Maria Kukuruzinska, Avrum Spira (Computational Biomedicine, BUSM), and Maria Trojanowska (Rheumatology/Arthritis, BUSM). The ARC program, established by Dr. Katya Ravid (Medicine, BUSM), provided the EPOC ARC with seed funding from both GSDM and the Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research.

OHC Satellite Clinic to Open on Medical Campus

The Boston University Occupational Health Center (OHC) satellite clinic will open on the Medical Campus on Monday, Dec. 14.

The new clinic will serve BUMC faculty and staff for work-related injuries/illnesses, post-offer examinations, work-related immunizations, pulmonary function tests, and bloodborne pathogen exposures.

To schedule an appointment, call 617-353-6630 and indicate that you would like to make an appointment at the Medical Campus clinic. This clinic will operate separately from the Research Occupational Health Program (ROHP). ROHP will continue to be your Occupational Health provider if you are currently seen at ROHP, or are a researcher, animal care sciences employee, or work in the NEIDL.

New Occupational Health Clinic Hours of Operation:
Monday-Friday – 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Location:
Evans Building, Room 801, 72 E. Concord Street

Questions? Call OHC at 617-353-6630.

Keywords: faculty, staff

Message from Karen Antman, MD, BUMC Provost and BUSM Dean

Dear BU Medical Campus Faculty, Staff and Students,

COVID-19 is spiking locally, nationally and globally, and thus all of us need to work together to protect our BU community as well as our patients, families and friends.

Currently we are seeing greater than 90% compliance with masking and physical distancing, but we must do better – especially when eating and after regular business hours. Please make sure that you observe COVID-19 safe behavior during breaks, at lunch, off hours and off campus.

  1. Please note compliance protocols for faculty, staff, and students. Note that sanctions for lack of compliance with face coverings and physical distancing can include suspension and termination.
  2. Compliance is everyone’s responsibility. If you see someone on campus who is not wearing a mask or physical distancing, please encourage them to do so. If this doesn’t work, please report it anonymously here. Please do not take pictures.
  3. If someone reminds you to wear a mask, please accept it with gratitude. We all forget on occasion and we are collectively responsible for each other regardless of our status as student, faculty or staff.

 Thank you for everything you are doing to keep our campus safe. Best for the Thanksgiving holidays. (And when you return to campus after the holidays, please test multiple times to contain any holiday related infections.)

Sincerely,

Karen Antman, MD
BUMC Provost and BUSM Dean

Reminder: Where to Eat on the Medical Campus

Eating and/or drinking is permitted only in the designated areas below but not in public spaces such as the L Building Lobby, the library or any classroom.

Designated areas: While eating outdoors is the safest option, here are some other options for you to consider:

  • If you have an individual office, the safest place is to shut your door and eat alone.
  • Chequers Café area in the Instructional Building basement has been modified to maintain safe physical distancing.
  • Hiebert Lounge and W Building lobby: Tables have been added while maintaining mandated physical distancing. Tables and chairs may not be moved/rearranged.
  • Most departments and floors have conference rooms that have been modified to maintain safe physical distancing. Ideally shut the door and eat alone. Be sure to wipe down surfaces before and after each use.
  • Other spaces can be identified by departments and administrative units with cleaning coordinated when not in use.

Please remember: You must wear a face covering and maintain at least 6 feet physical distancing when not eating or drinking.

Thanksgiving Week, Intersession BUMC COVID-19 Testing Site (R-107) Hours

Monday, Nov. 23-Tuesday, Nov. 24 – 7 a.m.-8 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 25 – 7 a.m.-noon

Friday, Nov. 27-Wednesday, Dec. 23 – 7 a.m.-8 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 24 – 7 a.m.-noon

Wednesday, Dec. 30 – 7 a.m.-2 p.m.

Regular testing hours will resume Saturday, Jan. 2, 2021. For the complete schedule of all collection site hours, click here.

Veteran’s Day and COVID-19 Testing Compliance

Two important updates regarding testing compliance:

  1. Veterans Day is Wednesday November 11, 2020.  BU classes are in session and the testing collection sites will be open.  Veterans Day is a University holiday for staff; as a result, staff should plan their testing accordingly.
    • If possible, those staff members, who typically test on Wednesday and are not on campus that day, should plan to test early to remain compliant.
    • If early testing is not possible, those staff members who miss their Wednesday testing are to test on the first day they return to campus (in most cases Thursday, 11/12).  A one-time exception for the missed test on 11/11/20 will be recognized, as long as the staff member tests as soon as they return to campus.

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  2. Strict compliance to the “testing within 7 days” standard will be enforced effective Monday 11/9/20.
    • Over the past week, schools/colleges/departments have reported some continued confusion on the standard of “testing within 7 days” protocol.  To clarify:
      • Testing requirement is one test within 7 days (an employee can test PRIOR to the close of the 7 days, they are non-compliant on day 8).
        • Example – Test on Monday 11/2/20 - - considered compliant if they test again by the close of the collection site on Monday 11/9/20.
        • Failure to test by 11/9/20 will reflect as non-compliant on 11/10/20.
    • Management discretion on failure to test should be used in the following situations:
      • The faculty/staff member was unexpectedly not on campus on the day of their schedule test (sick, personal emergency etc).
      • The faculty/staff member was excused in advance from being on campus (vacation/out of town etc).
    • Management discretion is not intended to excuse non-compliance for unexcused missed tests, for instance:
      • Too busy to get to the collection site.
      • Forgetting to make appointment in advance and then no appointments available.
      • Expected absence from campus or regularly scheduled day off (not a vacation or sick day) and did not plan to test in advance.

The goal is the continued health and safety of the BU community and we appreciate your participation in ensuring compliance to the testing protocols as set forth by the University.