We Are UMDNJ

Jennifer Caudle, DO, SOM ’05, and assistant professor of family medicine at SOM, appeared on a recent segment of the Comcast Network news program “Art Fennell Reports.” She spoke about the importance of developing healthy habits — and getting rid of unhealthy ones — for the new year. The segment aired on January 22 and January 26.

What’s Up with UMDNJ Alumni? Our alumni are involved in research, clinical care, teaching, writing, technology, policymaking and much more. Read about their activities here. If you have news for our UMDNJ alumni newsletter, send it to Carole Walker at walkerca@umdnj.edu.

Events This Week
more info at UMDNJ Portal Events Calendar

Newark campus

Fridays & Saturdays, February 10 – March 24: SN-Center for Lifelong Learning — “RN Refresher Course (Clinical & Theory),” SSB, Rm.1119 (Fridays), 65 Bergen St., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Re-entering the workforce? This fee-based, seven-week course offers a combined classroom, simulated laboratory and clinical experience (98 contact hours). Seats are limited. Faculty: Michele Evans RN, MSN. To register or for info: Betty Terry at (973) 972-6655 or SNlifelearn@umdnj.edu.

Monday, February 13: NJMS Pharmacology & Physiology Seminar — “Regulation of the Host Immune Response to Tuberculosis-Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors,” MSB, H-609B, noon to 1 p.m. Speaker: Padmini Salgame, PhD, professor, infectious diseases, NJMS. Host: Andrew Harris, PhD. For info: (973) 972-1620 or aharris@umdnj.edu.

Tuesday, February 14: NJDS Seminar — “How Psychological States Affect Pain,” NJDS, B-721, 12:30 to 2 p.m. Speaker: Catherine Bushnell, PhD, Harold Griffin Professor of Anesthesia & Professor in Dentistry & Neurology, Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University. For info: Latona Thompson at thompslm@umdnj.edu.

Tuesday, February 14: NJMS-Microbiology & Molecular Genetics Seminar — “Genetics of Human Disposition to Pediatric Infectious Diseases,” ICPH auditorium, noon to 1 p.m. Speaker: Jean-Laurent Casanova, MD, PhD, St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, The Rockefeller University. For info: David Kaback, PhD, at (973) 972-4483, ext. 2-8967 or kaback@umdnj.edu.

Tuesday, February 14: Department of Medicine Grand Rounds --"Advances in TB Diagnostics-The UMDNJ Story," MSB, Lecture Hall, Rm. B-610, 8 to 9 a.m. Speaker: David Alland, MD, MSc, chief of infectious disease, NJMS. For info: Jeannine Mansfield (973) 972-4449.

Tuesday, February 14: NJMS Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) and Healthcare Foundation Center for Humanism and Medicine second annual “GHHS Solidarity Day for Compassionate Patient Care,” a day dedicated to kindness and the art of taking care of each other. Outdoors on the MSB Quad/ NJMS Plaza, noon to 12:30 p.m. The event was initiated by the humanistic actions of University of Arizona trauma surgeon Dr. Randall Friese for his compassionate care of former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. For info: Tanya Norment at (973) 972-5041.

Wednesday, February 15: Panel discussion: “Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (Revisited).” Moderated by Robin Eubanks, PhD, associate professor, SHRP, noon to 1 p.m., Stanley S. Bergen Building, 2nd Floor Auditorium, Newark.

Thursday, February 16: Creative Arts Healthcare Performance — “The Spiritual: An Underground Railroad — In Honor of Black History Month.” Artist-in-residence Kevin Maynor and guest artists. MSB, noon to 1:30 p.m. For info: Noreen Gomez at (973) 972-4795.

New Brunswick campus

Tuesday, February 14: Roger Fine and George Heinrich Brown Bag Series on Child Development — “Examining At-Risk Children’s 5th Grade Academic Achievement as a Function of Their Early Childhood Education Experience,” 89 French St., Rm.1355, noon. Speaker: Stephanie M. Curenton, PhD, Bloustein School, Rutgers University. Sponsor: The Institute for the Study of Child Development. Bring your lunch. Public parking at Plum or Paterson St. decks. For info: Tracey Sharp at (732) 235-7906 or sharptk@umdnj.edu.

Wednesday, February 15: RWJMS Neurology Grand Rounds/Case Presentation — “An Approach to the Dizzy Patient,” CAB, Rm. 1302, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Speaker: Phillip Kramer, MD, neurology, RWJMS. Host: Lawrence Golbe, MD. For info: Laurie Lipper at (732) 235-7337 or lipperla@umdnj.edu. 

Piscataway campus

Friday, February 10: GSBS RWJMS-Rutgers Seminar — “Darwin Day,” RWJMS, Research Tower, V-10, noon. Speaker: Kenneth Lacovara, PhD, associate professor, biology, Drexel University, and noted paleontologist. His work has been featured in several documentaries. Host: Joint Molecular Biosciences Graduate Student Assn. For info: (732) 235-4582.

Friday February 10: CBN Research Seminar — “Mechanisms of Autonomic Neuron Development,” Nelson Labs, B-228, Busch campus, noon. Speaker: Marthe J. Howard, PhD, professor, neurosciences, University of Toledo. For info: (732) 445-8045.

Wednesday, February 15: GSBS-RWJMS Thesis Defense — “Exposures of Flight Attendants to Pyrethroid Insecticides in Commercial Aircrafts” by Binnian Wei, MS, Peking University. Time: 1 p.m. Location to be announced. Advisor: Clifford Weisel, PhD, exposure sciences. For info: GSBS website.

Thursday, February 16: EOHSI/NIEHS Seminar — “Impact of the Fukishima Event on Public Preferences for Nuclear Power,” EOHSI Conference Rm. C, noon. Speaker: Michael R. Greenberg, PhD, professor and associate dean, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University. For info: Lisa Pek at (732) 445-0208 or pek@eoshi.rutgers.edu.

Friday February 17: CBN Research Seminar — “Energy Metabolism Regulation by Tumor Suppressor p53,” Nelson Labs, B-228, Busch campus, noon. Speaker: Zhaohui Feng, PhD, assistant professor, radiation oncology, radiation cancer biology, RWJMS and CINJ. Host: Alice Liu, PhD. For info: (732) 445-2730.

Friday, February 17: “Detectives, Doctors and Disease: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as Storyteller and Physician,” Dean’s Conference Room, noon to 1:30 p.m. Speaker: Vincent Cirillo, PhD. Sponsor: RWJMS Retired Faculty Association. For info: Paul Manowitz, PhD, at (732) 235-4347 or Manowitz@umdnj.edu.

Off campus

Monday, February 13: “Heart Healthy Super Foods Every Woman Needs.” Camden County Library, Voorhees Branch, conference room A, 203 Laurel Rd., Voorhees, 11 a.m. to noon. Presenter: Cheri R. Leahy, RD, surgery and nutritional therapy, SOM. To register: (856) 566-6207 or sominfo@umdnj.edu.

Tuesday, February 14: Children’s RESPIRA Information Session, Veteran’s Memorial Elementary, 1401 Central Ave., Union City, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. For info: (888) 543-2762.

Thursday, February 16: “Maintain Your Brain – Keep Dementia Out,” Camden County Library, Voorhees Branch, conference room A, 203 Laurel Rd., Voorhees, noon to 1 p.m. Presenter: Terrie Ginsberg, DO, SOM. To register: (856) 566-6207 or sominfo@umdnj.edu.

Announcements

UMDNJ Human Resources: Winter/Spring 2012 — The Office of Training and Organizational Development is offering a number of new programs this winter and spring, including service excellence, diversity training and more. Training is free to UMDNJ employees. For info: (732) 235-9500 or visit here.

Employee Discount Update
Visit the Discount page at the My.umdnj Portal, Administration tab, HR Channel, to access tickets to see the NJ Nets. Tickets start at just $10 per seat for select games.

Save the Date

Wednesday, February 22: UMDNJ Blood Drive , 7 a.m. – 7 p.m., MSB, 185 South Orange Ave., Newark, Grand Foyer, B level. Appointments are preferred and can be made by calling 1-800-REDCROSS or online at redcrossblood.org. For online scheduling, enter sponsor code 02215006.

Wednesday, February 29: Information Security Awareness Event: MSB, B-Level lobby, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Learn about the Information Security Office website and gain information on cyber security for home and work.

Wednesday, February 29: NJMS Mini-Med School 2012 begins with its first session. This eight-week program offers an opportunity to experience medical education presented in lay language. Among the topics covered will be cardiovascular disease, stroke, pain and fatigue, osteoarthritis, diabetes and advance directives. Courses presented by UMDNJ experts. Tuition is $125; early registration is requested. Free parking. Register online. For information, contact Michael Grabow at (973) 972-1269 or grabowmi@umdnj.edu.

FYI

Saturday and Sunday, February 11 and 12: The Newark Museum presents “Circus Science,” 49 Washington St., Newark, 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Museum opens at 10 a.m.) Discover the science behind circus performances and participate in activities. Performances and activities on a first-come basis. For info: (973) 596-6550 or 5150.

UH Neonatal Intensive Care Nursery Celebrates ZERO!

Left to right, Neonatal Intensive Care Nursery staff: Elizabeth Mathew, RN; Gladys Bonsu, CAN; Lisha Nepomuceno, RN; Gloria Igwe, NM, RNC, BSN, MSN, DNP; BeverlyAnn Collins, RN, MS, CIC; Onajovwe Fofah, MD; Wilfredo Cruz, CIC; and Salma Ali, MD.

The Neonatal Intensive Care Nursery staff at University Hospital (UH) was all smiles as they celebrated the good news of zero central line-associated blood infections (CLABSIs) since June 2011. “This is the perfect example of the power of teamwork,” says Onajovwe Fofah, MD, chief of pediatrics/neonatology at UH. “Our success was the result of a collaborative effort between the physicians and the Departments of Nursing and Infection Control.” The team utilized the Comprehensive Unit-Based Safety Program, a safety model developed by Johns Hopkins University which decreases CLABSIs and sustains that decrease over time. Reduced CLABSIs result in improved safety, better outcomes, reduced length of stay for the patient and substantial cost savings. Staff received certificates from the Department of Infection Control in celebration of their milestone.

First Place Finish for SOM Marketing Department

Left to right: Robert Nagele, PhD; SOM medical student Eric Nagele; Cassandra DeMarshall, master’s student, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS); and Min Han, MD, PhD candidate, GSBS.

The School of Osteopathic Medicine (SOM) Marketing Department won first place for ‘Best Feature Story or Article’ in the Excellence in Communications Awards Program, an annual competition among all 26 osteopathic medical schools sponsored by the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM). The SOM team submitted media coverage – including the department’s own MedicaLink publication – of the August 2011 announcement by SOM researchers, led by Robert Nagele, PhD, of a diagnostic blood test for Alzheimer’s disease. Nagele is a professor of medicine at the New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging (NJISA) at SOM.

The announcement generated more than 270 media mentions, including front page stories in The Star-Ledger, Courier-Post, and Gloucester County Times newspapers and online coverage in Health Day News and WebMD. UMDNJ’s automated media tracking service estimated that print circulation of this story exceeded 750,000 copies and that the websites that posted the story had a combined number of unique monthly visits of more than 203 million.

NJDS Offers Dental Screenings at Give Kids A Smile! Day

NJDS Dean Cecile Feldman (left) greets GKAS! participant Frank Fiallo from the Gray Charter School in Newark. Fourth-year student Nadia Rodriguez (rear) prepares to do the oral screening.

More than 400 children received free dental screenings, preventive care and health education at New Jersey Dental School (NJDS), during this year’s Give Kids A Smile! Day. The national event focuses on the epidemic of untreated oral disease among disadvantaged children. In hosting the event, NJDS partnered with the American Dental Association and the New Jersey Dental Association and received funding from the PNC Foundation and the ToysRUs Children's Fund.

Meet the Brain Bee Winner from Northern New Jersey…

Shivangi Goel, a junior from Bergen County Academies High School, is the winner of the Northern New Jersey Regional Brain Bee. The event was organized by Steve Levison, PhD, professor of neuroscience at New Jersey Medical School, and Susan Lomanto, administrative director of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and co-sponsored by the UMDNJ Office of the Vice President for Research and the local chapter of the Society for Neuroscience. Above is Levison (left) with Shivangi.

…and the Winners from Central New Jersey

Douglas Judice, a junior at North Hunterdon High School, won the Central New Jersey Regional Brain Bee. Douglas also had participated in the 2011 Central New Jersey Brain Bee, placing second. This event was hosted by the Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS) and sponsored in part by the UMDNJ Office of the Vice President for Research. Above, left to right, are Michael Matise, PhD, associate professor, neuroscience and cell biology, RWJMS; third place winner Saahith Pochiraju; first place winner Douglas Judice; second place winner Ibanca Anand; and Cheryl Dreyfus, PhD, chair of neuroscience and cell biology, RWJMS.

Dr. Michael Lewis Speaks at Oslo Workshop

Michael Lewis, PhD, University Distinguished Professor and director of the Institute for the Study of Child Development at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, was the Distinguished Keynote Speaker at a University of Oslo (Norway) conference titled “Oslo Workshop on Early Attention, Interaction and Communication.”

UH Hosts National Wear Red Day

Heart disease is the number one killer of women, causing one in three deaths each year. University Hospital (UH) hosted several events on February 3, National Wear Red Day, to promote a heart-healthy lifestyle. Staff, faculty and students wore red to support the fight against heart disease in women. Various activities were held throughout the day, including a heart disease display in the hospital lobby, blood pressure screenings and body fat analysis in the UH cafeteria, a Latin dancing demonstration presented by the YMCA at UMDNJ, and a National Wear Red Day group photo (see above).

RAVE Keeps You in the Loop

If you haven’t registered for the RAVE wireless personal security system, now is the time to do so. UMDNJ is one of many universities across the country using the RAVE notification system. Whenever an incident threatens public safety on campus, RAVE sends you instant information. You can opt to receive this information on your cell phone, your UMDNJ email address, and/or your personal email. Subscribers to Facebook and Twitter can also get safety information by “liking” http://www.facebook.com/UMDNJPS or “following” http://twitter.com/#!/UMDNJPS.

Other valuable RAVE wireless features include the RAVE Guardian Timer, which lets registered users activate a timer that estimates the length of a journey they need to take where safety is a concern: for instance, a walk from their workspace to their car. If a user has not deactivated the timer by the set amount of time, Public Safety will know to check on the user’s safety.

For full information, and to register for this free personal security service, log in at www.getrave.com/login/umdnj. Questions? Contact Captain Alex Rabar at rabaras@umdnj.edu.

Dr. Robert DiPaola, Sen. Loretta Weinberg Discuss Cancer Drug Reimbursement

Robert DiPaola, MD, director of The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, attended a news conference this week with state Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg to discuss a recently-signed state law requiring health insurers to cover oral cancer drugs at the same level as intravenous or injected drugs.