UIC News Bureau

UIC News Bureau http://www.news.uic.edu UIC News Bureau en-us Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:32:01 -0600 UIC News Bureau http://www.uic.edu/favicon.png http://www.news.uic.edu UIC News Bureau Restorative Dentistry Leader Receives Top National Honor http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2707&fromhome=1 Stephen Campbell, professor and head of restorative dentistry at the University of Illinois at Chicago, was named Educator of the Year by the American College of Prosthodontists. The award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to prosthodontics, overall achievement in academic dentistry, and contributions to the sciences or health professions, was presented at the organization's annual meeting in San Diego. Campbell has long been a leader in prosthodontics, a dental specialty involving the aesthetic restoration and replacement of teeth, including bridges, crowns, caps, dental implants, dentures, partial dentures, teeth whitening and veneers. He was influential in modifying the certification program of the American Board of Prosthodontics, and most recently he played an integral role in revising the Commission on Dental Accreditation Standards as they relate to prosthodontics. Those changes will have a significant impact on the core education students receive while training to be dentists, Campbell said, and will strengthen their preparedness to provide the most appropriate care. "Over the past several years, prosthodontics has seen a great many changes, and we want to do what is best not only for our patients, but also our students," he said. One of the revisions in the standards was to ensure that all graduating students are competent in screenings for head and neck cancer. Campbell has also been instrumental in integrating an evidence-based dental medicine curriculum in the UIC College of Dentistry. The practice applies information from clinical studies to assess the quality of evidence, risks, and benefits of treatments for patients. "Dental education is preparing a new generation of practitioners who will have the skills to integrate the tools of evidence-based dental medicine into their clinical practice, to foster a commitment to their life-long learning and use it as a life tool," he said. Campbell has been at UIC for 17 years, and during that time he has been "an extraordinary leader not only in our college but nationally as well," said Bruce Graham, dean of the UIC College of Dentistry. "Steve has consistently encouraged our faculty and me to embrace significant innovations to improve the learning environment of our students," Graham said. "This award recognizes his tremendous contributions to the field of prosthodontics, and he truly sets the standard for excellence in dental education at UIC." For more information about UIC, visit <a href="http://www.uic.edu">www.uic.edu</a> samhos@uic.edu (Sam Hostettler) http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2707&fromhome=1 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:15:48 -0500 Public Economist Named Head of Economics at UIC http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2680&fromhome=1 David Merriman, a public economist who helps state and local governments develop fairer and more efficient ways to raise revenue and implement public policy, has been named head of economics at the University of Illinois at Chicago and professor of economics in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The appointments were approved by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees. Merriman is professor of public administration in the UIC College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs and in the university's Institute of Government and Public Affairs. He will continue to hold those academic appointments along with his new role in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. "We are not only delighted, but also very fortunate, to have David Merriman serving as the head of our economics department in what is an important moment of growth and transition for that unit," said Dwight A. McBride, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Economics was moved from the College of Business Administration to LAS just last year. "As a distinguished economist, an astute analyzer of public policy, and a talented administrator, Professor Merriman's leadership will assure a continued upward trajectory for the department as we work to make sure that economics is fully integrated into the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences," McBride said. "I look forward to our work together." Merriman is a frequent adviser to policymakers. In one recent study, he examined littered cigarette packs to measure the degree to which Chicago smokers avoid cigarette taxes. He has testified before the Illinois legislature and has been involved with property tax reform in Cook County. He has written many articles on flaws in tax increment financing, an economic development tool originally designed to aid blighted communities. He has published a study showing that the federal-state tug-of-war over Medicaid may result in the expansion of health care spending. Merriman previously taught economics at Loyola University of Chicago, Northern Illinois University and University of Texas at Dallas. His career has included visiting and adjunct appointments at the Urban Institute in Washington and as consultant to the World Bank on intermittent assignments with Human Development Network and has been a visiting scholar at the Institute of Economic Research at Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo. He joined the UIC faculty in 2007. Merriman earned a bachelor's degree from American University in economics and political science and master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in economics. For more information about UIC, please visit <a href="http://www.uic.edu">www.uic.edu</a> jboynes@uic.edu (Jeffron Boynes) http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2680&fromhome=1 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:56:12 -0500 UIC Joins New National Volunteer Recruitment Registry http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2700&fromhome=1 A new online registry will connect people interested in volunteering for clinical trials with researchers looking for subjects. The University of Illinois at Chicago is one of 51 institutions around the country and currently the only one in the Chicago area to participate in this first national, all-disease, volunteer recruitment registry. ResearchMatch.org, an initiative of the National Institutes of Health, is an online not-for-profit website where any interested person living in the U.S. may self-register as a potential research volunteer. Many clinical trials and research studies take longer than necessary or even close down due to difficulties recruiting appropriate participants, says Dr. Theodore Mazzone, director of UIC's Center for Clinical and Translational Science and principal investigator of the recently awarded Clinical and Translation Science Award to UIC. At the same time, many people interested in joining a study -- either because of a health problem or an interest in advancing medical science -- have no idea how to connect with researchers, he said. Anyone may register to be a potential research volunteer at the secure website. Researchers from a participating institution may apply to the site to recruit subjects for approved protocols. Once a volunteer has been identified as a potential subject for a study, the volunteer is notified and asked whether she or he is interested in being contacted by the researcher. Only when consent is obtained is the volunteer's contact information released to the researcher. ResearchMatch was designed by the Clinical and Translational Science Awards Consortium, a national network of 46 medical research institutions working together to improve the way biomedical research is conducted across the country. "This is an exciting development for translational research at UIC and for improving access of our patients to cutting edge multi-center national clinical trials," Mazzone said. "Participation in ResearchMatch is just one of many benefits we have already experienced as a result of our participation in the national consortium of CTSA awardees." Anyone interested in registering as a potential research volunteer may do so by going to www.researchmatch.org?route=uic. The NIH plans to begin matching researchers to volunteers in January. UIC ranks among the nation's leading research universities and is Chicago's largest university with 26,000 students, 12,000 faculty and staff, 15 colleges and the state's major public medical center. A hallmark of the campus is the Great Cities Commitment, through which UIC faculty, students and staff engage with community, corporate, foundation and government partners in hundreds of programs to improve the quality of life in metropolitan areas around the world. For more information about UIC, visit <a href="http://www.uic.edu">www.uic.edu</a> jgala@uic.edu (Jeanne Galatzer-Levy) http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2700&fromhome=1 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:28:08 -0500 Grant to Improve Early Literacy Skills in Urban Preschools http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2697&fromhome=1 A team of University of Illinois at Chicago researchers has received a three-year, $4.1 million federal grant to establish a project to improve early language and literacy skills among urban preschool children. The U.S. Department of Education grant will fund a partnership formed between UIC, five Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools and their eight full-day preschool classrooms to create early childhood education centers of excellence. "We are very pleased to be able to continue our work developing instructional strategies, professional development approaches, and classroom support models that result in boosting young children's language and early literacy skills," said Jeffri Brookfield, visiting research and program development specialist in the UIC Center for Literacy, and the project's principal investigator. The preschool classrooms will serve 160 children each year from low-income, culturally diverse neighborhoods, Brookfield said. Centers are located throughout Chicago's west and south sides. Co-investigators include William Teale, UIC professor of curriculum and instruction, and Maureen Meehan, director of community literacy programs at the Center of Literacy, also in the College of Education. The researchers have three goals -- enhance classroom environments to support language and literacy learning; increase the use of scientifically based reading research instructional practices; and ensure that children acquire the oral language, cognitive and early literacy skills associated with academic success. The project, Instructional Model Program for all Children and Teachers (IMPACT): Early Language and Literacy Excellence, builds on current preschool language and literacy initiatives by these researchers, who have obtained $10.7 million in early literacy grant funding over the past three years. The project is one of 28 selected for funding by the Department of Education's 2009 Early Reading First Grant Program to establish effective early learning practices throughout the nation. For more information about UIC, please visit <a href="http://www.uic.edu">www.uic.edu</a> jboynes@uic.edu (Jeffron Boynes) http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2697&fromhome=1 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:39:52 -0500 Brundage Scholarships Available to University of Illinois Students http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2705&fromhome=1 Full-time University of Illinois students at the Chicago, Springfield, and Urbana campuses, including incoming freshmen, graduate and transfer students, may apply. Grant-in-aid recipients may be eligible for Brundage scholarships under specified conditions. Academic and athletic competence will be considered over financial need. Undergraduate and transfer student applicants must rank in the top 25 percent of their college, and incoming freshmen must rank in the upper 25 percent of their incoming class. Graduate and professional students must be in good academic standing. Students must also have demonstrated "special athletic ability" in an amateur sport. However, their participation must have been for personal development, rather than as preparation for professional athletics. Previous winners represent a wide variety of sports from archery and tennis to swimming and wheelchair basketball. Last year, 15 winners were awarded $2,400 each. Scholarship applications can be submitted online at <a href="http://www.usp.uillinois.edu/brundage">www.usp.uillinois.edu/brundage</a>. Paper applications will not be distributed. The deadline for submitting completed applications is Feb. 12. The late Avery Brundage, a 1909 U of I graduate, competed in the 1912 Olympics and later served as president of both the U.S. and International Olympic committees. He established the scholarship in 1974, with a $343,000 endowment to the University of Illinois Foundation. Over the past 36 years, 794 scholarships with a total value of $983,200 have been awarded. Brundage maintained his interest in the University through service as a member of the University of Illinois Foundation, President's Council and Citizen's Committee. [Additional media contact: Gayle Layman, director of university-wide student programs, (217) 333-2030, <a href="mailto:layman@uillinois.edu">layman@uillinois.edu</a>] burton@uic.edu (Bill Burton) http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2705&fromhome=1 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:13:31 -0500 UIC Developing New Way to Identify Contents of Botanicals http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2698&fromhome=1 The University of Illinois at Chicago has received a two-year, $1.2 million federal grant to develop a new method to identify the contents of botanical dietary supplements and how they work. The research, under the leadership of Guido Pauli, associate professor of pharmacognosy, will use nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry to more quickly and accurately identify the correct plant materials used for production and provide more reliable assays to ensure botanical quality and safety. The new methodology will initially test 10 of the top 20 most widely used botanicals. Among them are soy, red clover, garlic, ginkgo, Echinacea, St. John's Wort, ginseng, green tea and black cohosh. The approach, Pauli said, will be innovative to botanical reference standards and will transform the current system of identifying natural health products. "Our new approach to quality control will allow us to measure several parameters of herbal quality simultaneously," Pauli said. "This not only supports the more holistic approach of using botanical supplements, but can also become a protective measure for the consumer looking for products that are safe to use." Nearly one in 10 people use botanicals, and 40 percent of Americans -- and 12 percent of children under 18 -- use complementary and alternative medicine, according to the 2008 National Health Statistics Report. U.S. adults spent nearly $34 billion out of pocket on complementary and alternative medicine products, classes and materials, and on visits to complementary and alternative medicine practitioners in 2007, the report said. The grant is funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, one of the National Institutes of Health. Pauli's co-workers at UIC include Shao-Nong Chen, Birgit Jaki and Marc Wang, research assistant professors; David Lankin, research associate professor; and Tanja Gödecke, post-doctoral fellow. For more information about UIC, visit <a href="http://www.uic.edu">www.uic.edu</a> samhos@uic.edu (Sam Hostettler) http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2698&fromhome=1 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:04:56 -0500 New Book Examines Impact of AIDS on American Politics http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2684&fromhome=1 A new book by a University of Illinois at Chicago scholar examines how the AIDS epidemic impacted American politics in the 1980s and 1990s and argues that the era was not as politically conservative as it is often characterized. In "Infectious Ideas: U.S. Political Responses to the AIDS Crisis" (University of North Carolina Press, 2009), Jennifer Brier, UIC assistant professor of gender and women's studies and history, writes how the crisis, in the face of the expanding New Right, influenced American political matters involving health care and foreign policy, reproductive health, gay and lesbian rights and racial justice. "As the recent debate over health care reform has shown, arguments over the best way to keep people healthy are fundamentally political as well as medical," Brier said. "In the first decades of the AIDS epidemic, this point was put in sharp contrast as various constituencies -- from AIDS activists to health care service providers to government officials -- argued over what was necessary to deal with, and respond to, the multiple crises produced by the emerging AIDS epidemic," she said. Contrary to standard historical narratives of conservatism that maintain AIDS served as a rallying point for conservative activists during this period, Brier contends that AIDS divided conservatives. One example of the discord was between former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop and Gary Bauer, who served as under secretary of education, and later, as chief domestic policy adviser for President Reagan. Brier writes that the conservatives fought over the role of testing for HIV, the promotion of condom use, and the need for conversations about sexual practices as the best way to change people's behavior. "While Koop was never entirely successful in implementing policies that acknowledged people's sexuality, Bauer was equally stymied when trying to enact AIDS policies that were driven by his strict definition of morality," she said. "The disagreement among administration conservatives became even more visible as the Reagan administration entered the global AIDS arena in the late 1980s," Brier writes. The book includes a look at how AIDS workers, a group Brier defines as those committed to addressing the effects of AIDS, were made up of contrasting entities such as gay and lesbian media, AIDS service organizations, private philanthropies and the U.S. State Department. Brier argues that their combined efforts helped to shape progressive politics in the 21st century. Media interested in a review copy should contact Laura Gribbin at <a href="mailto:lagribbi@unc.edu">lagribbi@unc.edu</a>. For more information about UIC, please visit <a href="http://www.uic.edu">www.uic.edu</a> bflood@uic.edu (Brian Flood) http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2684&fromhome=1 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:21:04 -0500 UIC to Develop Antibiotics Against Potential Bioterrorism Agents http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2696&fromhome=1 Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have received a $4 million federal grant to develop new antibiotics to treat anthrax, tularemia and plague. Anthrax, tularemia and plague are caused by naturally occurring bacteria classified as "category-A" agents that could be used in bioterrorism and biowarfare. These microorganisms pose a risk to national security because they can be easily transmitted and disseminated, result in high mortality, have potential major public health impact and could cause panic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These infections can be treated with current antibiotics, but none is ideal, says Michael Johnson, professor and director of the UIC Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and lead researcher on the two-year grant. Only one antibiotic, doxycycline, can be used to treat more than one of the three diseases, he said. Worse, it may be possible for terrorists to develop multi-drug resistant strains for all three diseases, Johnson said. "Our goal is to develop an advanced series of broad-spectrum antibacterial 'lead' compounds that are safe, efficacious and that can be taken orally," Johnson said. Anthrax infection can occur by absorption through the skin, by inhalation, or through the gastrointestinal tract. If left untreated, the disease can be fatal. Tularemia, or rabbit fever, has a low fatality rate if treated, but can be incapacitating. It can be contracted through contact, inhalation, ingestion of contaminated water, or by insect bites. Plague is caused by a bacterium found in rodents and their fleas in many areas of the world. The typical sign of the most common form of human plague is a swollen and tender lymph gland, accompanied by pain. About 14 percent of plague cases in the U.S. are fatal, according to the CDC. Funding for the research is through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. It is the largest grant UIC has received through the Act and is funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, one of the National Institutes of Health. Johnson's collaborators include Dr. James Cook, chief of infectious diseases in the UIC College of Medicine; Andrew Mesecar, professor in the UIC Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology; and David Case, professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Rutgers University. For more information about UIC, visit <a href="http://www.uic.edu">www.uic.edu</a>. samhos@uic.edu (Sam Hostettler) http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2696&fromhome=1 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:37:08 -0500 Celebrating Renovated, Eco-Friendly UIC Building of the Future http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2699&fromhome=1 The successful makeover of Lincoln Hall, a venerable classroom building on the University of Illinois at Chicago campus, will be marked by a re-opening ceremony Nov. 19 from 3:30 to 5 p.m., followed by self-guided building tours. UIC Chancellor Paula Allen-Meares and Provost R. Michael Tanner invite students, faculty, staff and the public to view this 1960s-era Walter Netsch structure that has been transformed from its original raw-concrete Brutalist style into a functioning, contemporary "green" building, complete with energy-efficient glass walls, geothermal climate controls and other eco-friendly improvements. The two-year, $13.7-million renovation was completed on budget, and opened in time for the start of UIC's 2009-10 academic year in August. Lincoln Hall is linked to two sibling structures, Douglas and Grant halls. Grant was the first to undergo modernization two years ago and is home to the Sandi Port Errant Language and Culture Learning Center and the UIC Writing Center. Renovation on Douglas Hall is expected to begin next May. Heating and cooling costs for the renovated buildings are reduced by the use of geothermal wells that act as heat pumps. The only energy needed is electricity to drive the pumps, and electrical costs are expected to be reduced after solar panels are installed on Lincoln's roof. Other features of the renovated Lincoln Hall include automated shading control, daylight harvesting, and use of natural building materials. The building's 25 common-use classrooms are equipped with state-of-the-art technology, new acoustic treatments for better sound, ergonomic and movable furniture, and informal student learning spaces, called oases. UIC is applying to the U.S. Green Building Council to award Lincoln Hall "silver" status as a registered Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, building -- the first on UIC's campus. The renovation was designed to meet LEED standards. The project was funded largely through undergraduate student fees known as the Academic Facilities Maintenance Fund Assessment. Other funding came from the Office of Campus Learning Environments and general campus funds. Renovation and construction of so-called "green buildings" is one component of a larger <a href="http://www.uic.edu/sustainability/climateactionplan/index.html">plan</a> drafted by the campus's Office of Sustainability to reduce UIC's greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent from 2004 levels by mid-century. The plan also calls for using more clean and renewable energy sources, transitioning to cleaner vehicles by adding hybrid and flex-fuel cars and trucks to the university's fleet, encouraging employees to walk, bicycle, use public transit or carpool to work, and increasing recycling and waste-reduction. For more information about UIC, visit <a href="http://www.uic.edu"> www.uic.edu</a> francuch@uic.edu (Paul Francuch) http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2699&fromhome=1 Mon, 9 Nov 2009 09:08:20 -0500 UIC Special Education Expert Wins Statewide Teaching Award http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2691&fromhome=1 Mavis Donahue, professor of special education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, was named winner of the 2009 Excellence in Teaching Award by the executive board of the Illinois Teacher Education Division of the Council for Exceptional Children. A committee representing six Illinois universities made the selection from nominations from across the state. Donahue was chosen on the basis of her "outstanding teaching abilities as well as the leadership she provided regarding the development of new programs and the improvement of existing programs in special education (both at the master's and doctoral levels)," the board said. "Because our master's and Ph.D. programs provide the contexts in which I develop as a teacher and researcher, I'm especially gratified that our entire UIC special education department will share this recognition," Donahue said. "I am at once inspired and humbled by the passion and expertise that my colleagues and our students bring to the education of children with disabilities and their families." Donahue's previous honors include the UIC College of Education's Excellence in Teaching Award, a fellowship in the International Association for Research in Learning Disabilities, and the Boston University Dean Wilde Alumni Award for Contributions to the Field of Education. Donahue has received more than $2 million in federal and foundation funds for teaching and research. Her research focuses on children's language development, especially communication skills in students with language and learning disabilities, and has resulted in over 50 journal articles and chapters. She has served as associate editor and reviewer for several research journals in special education and speech-language pathology and is a past president of the Division for Research of the Council for Exceptional Children. She is currently writing a book on the history of research in language development. Donahue has served as chair of special education at UIC for nine years and is also the director of graduate studies for the department. She has served UIC as a faculty senator, on the executive committee of the faculty senate, and on the All-Campus Promotion and Tenure Committee. She is also a clarinetist in the UIC Concert Band. A humanities graduate of Michigan State University, Donahue earned a doctorate in special education from Boston University and joined the UIC faculty in 1978. For more information about UIC, please visit <a href="http://www.uic.edu">www.uic.edu</a> jboynes@uic.edu (Jeffron Boynes) http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2691&fromhome=1 Mon, 9 Nov 2009 10:57:30 -0500 UIC Theatre Retells Gorky Drama http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2693&fromhome=1 [Editor's note: Photos may be downloaded at <a href="http://newsphoto.lib.uic.edu/main.php/uic_theatre/">http://newsphoto.lib.uic.edu/main.php/uic_theatre/</a>.] WHAT: The University of Illinois at Chicago Theatre presents "Stars in the Morning Sky," Alexander Galin's retelling of Maxim Gorky's "The Lower Depths," directed by Luda Lopatina Solomon, freelance director and adjunct instructor in Russian classic theater at UIC. WHEN: Nov. 13, 14, 19, 20 and 21 at 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 15, 18 and 22 at 2:15 p.m. WHERE: UIC Theatre 1044 W. Harrison St. DETAILS: This often funny retelling of Maxim Gorky's "The Lower Depths" was adapted by Yasen Peyankov, head of UIC's acting program, and Peter Christensen. It takes place on the eve of the 1980 Moscow Olympics, when police herded prostitutes to the city's outskirts. Four of the women are left in a dilapidated barracks that once served as a mental hospital. Under the control of a jailer, a police officer and a brutal fifth prostitute, they tell stories of the family betrayals and class divisions that derailed their lives. Luda Lopatina Solomon was nominated for Jeff Awards for directing Chicago's European Repertory Company in Anton Chekhov's "Ivanov" and Nikolay Kolyada's "Go Away, Go Away." With Yasen Peyankov, she also directed the company in "Stars in the Morning Sky." Solomon studied at the Leningrad Institute of Music, Theatre and Film, earned a doctoral degree at the St. Petersburg State Academy of Dramatic Arts, and acted at Leningrad Studio Theatre. She has taught at UIC and The School at Steppenwolf. Tickets for all shows are $11-16. For information, call (312) 996-2939. aranallo@uic.edu (Anne Brooks Ranallo) http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2693&fromhome=1 Fri, 6 Nov 2009 14:45:50 -0500 Payton Family, George Wendt Join UIC to Cure Liver Cancer http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2694&fromhome=1 WHO/WHAT: Walter Payton's family will be joined by "Da Bears" Superfan George Wendt and members of the Walter Payton Center Guild at a fund-raising gala to support gastrointestinal, liver disease, and transplantation programs at the University of Illinois Medical Center's Walter Payton Liver Center and the UIC College of Medicine. Former Chicago Bears players Steve McMichael, Jim Thornton, and Revie Sorey will also attend the gala. This year's theme, "Kickoff for the Cure: Saluting the Legacy of Walter Payton," commemorates the 10-year anniversary of the death of the beloved Chicago sports icon and heralds the formal announcement of the guild's plan to directly address the deadly disease of liver cancer. In 1999, Walter Payton was diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis, a rare liver disease which led to his demise from liver cancer. The incidence of liver cancer is expected to double in the U.S. over the next 10 to 20 years. This year alone 17,000 Americans will die of liver cancer and 26,000 will die of cirrhosis of the liver. While 17,000 people are waiting for a liver transplant, nearly 2,000 will die while waiting for a donor. This year the Guild has focused on a specific goal, in collaboration with UIC basic scientists, gastroenterologists, hepatologists, immunologists and surgeons, to cure liver cancer by 2020. At the gala guests will enjoy music and dancing courtesy of City Lights Orchestra. Silent and live auctions will include donations, gift and travel packages. Last year, more than 650 Chicagoans attended the event. In 1997, a group of concerned Chicago-area residents came together to improve the lives of family members, friends, neighbors and colleagues who were affected by gastrointestinal diseases such as hepatitis, liver cancer, fatty liver disease, colon cancer and peptic ulcer disease. The volunteers have worked since then to increase awareness of these diseases and raise funds to assist the work of UIC physicians and researchers. In 2009, the group of volunteers partnered with the Payton Estate to become the Walter Payton Center Guild. Mike Adamle, NBC-5 Chicago sports anchor, will emcee the event. Don Yaeger, co-author of "Never Die Easy: The Autobiography of Walter Payton," will be the featured guest speaker. For information about the Walter Payton Center Guild Gala, email laurenw@uic.edu or call (312) 996-0141. WHEN/WHERE: Saturday, Nov. 7 The United Club at Soldier Field 1410 S. Museum Campus Drive 5:30 p.m. Event begins, interview and photo opportunities 7:45 p.m. Brittney Payton announces 2020 goal to cure liver cancer, speaks about her father 8:00 p.m. Don Yaeger honors Walter Payton INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES: - Walter Payton's family -- Connie, Brittney and Jarrett Payton - Kent Hammerstrom, guild president and group vice president, Bank of America - Dr. Thomas Layden, guild director and head of medicine at UIC smcginn@uic.edu (Sherri McGinnis González) http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2694&fromhome=1 Thu, 5 Nov 2009 16:12:36 -0500 Alternate-Day Fasting Shows Promise for Obese Dieters http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2690&fromhome=1 Restricting daily calorie intake is a common plan to help obese and overweight people slim down to healthier weights. But the regime requires a daily 15 to 40 percent calorie reduction, which makes sticking to the diet hard for many. University of Illinois at Chicago researchers have found that a modified version of a plan called "alternate-day fasting" may be easier to abide and has the added bonus of improving cardio health. The findings appear in the November 1 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. "This diet has been around about 20 years, but its effect on weight loss hadn't really been studied," said Krista Varady, assistant professor of kinesiology and nutrition, who led the UIC research team. The 10-week trial studied 16 clinically obese people -- 12 women and four men -- between the ages of 35 and 65 who all weighed more than 210 pounds, had kept their weight stable for the previous three months, and had body mass indexes of between 30 and 39.9. None was diabetic, had a history of cardiovascular disease, was taking weight-loss or lipid- or glucose-lowering medications, or smoked. The study was divided into three phases: The first two weeks, participants ate and exercised normally. Between weeks three and six, participants ate normal meals one day, then would fast the next. On fast days, participants ate the equivalent of a three-course lunch, prepared at UIC's Human Nutritional Research Center, that provided between 20 and 25 percent of daily energy needs. For the final four weeks, participants were counseled by dietitians on menu options, but essentially chose on their own what to eat, based on what they had learned about meal sizes and food choices. "We wanted to see if they could actually do it by themselves -- because what's the point of studying this diet if you have to feed people meals prepared at metabolic kitchens all the time?" said Varady. Weight loss ranged from 10 to 30 pounds; the researchers expected an average loss of only five pounds. Blood pressure and heart rate were also lowered, along with total cholesterol and circulating fat levels. Varady hopes now to study the effects of staying on the diet for at least six months, looking for evidence of self-motivation and to see if the diet helps in maintaining proper weight. "Why are some able to do it but others not? It takes about two weeks to adjust to the diet, after which people don't feel hungry on the fast day," she said. "We need to find out how long they can stay on this diet -- and if they go off it, do they automatically regain the weight?" Co-authors on the study are doctoral students Surabhi Bhutani and Monica Klempel, and Emily Church, clinical coordinator in physical therapy at UIC. The study was supported by UIC departmental funding. A podcast on this subject is available <a href="https://blackboard.uic.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/web/news/podcasts/PdCst68-Nov04%2709-Varady.mp3">here. For more information about UIC, visit <a href="http://www.uic.edu"> www.uic.edu</a> francuch@uic.edu (Paul Francuch) http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2690&fromhome=1 Wed, 4 Nov 2009 09:17:11 -0500 Tiny Heart Pump Helps Treat the Sickest Patients http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2687&fromhome=1 Cardiologists at the University of Illinois Medical Center are using a new heart pump that can be inserted without the need for surgery and allows them to treat high-risk patients with a procedure to unblock their heart arteries. The recently FDA-approved device was used to assist in three angioplasty procedures at the Medical Center last week. Patients with the worst blockages are often the sickest, making it too dangerous to treat their coronary artery blockages with standard angioplasty or even with a bypass operation, says Dr. Adhir Shroff, assistant professor of cardiology at the UIC College of Medicine. Shroff and his partners, Dr. Mladen Vidovich, assistant professor of cardiology, and Dr. John Kao, assistant professor of medicine, performed these procedures using the Abiomed Impella 2.5 ventricular assist device, which has been used only about 1,000 times in the country. "Often these patients, who may have complicating conditions like cancer, renal failure, severe lung disease, or heart failure, are poor candidates for more invasive procedures like bypass surgery and are left with few options," said Shroff. "We only proceed with high-risk angioplasties after reviewing the patients with our heart surgeons." Angioplasty is done by threading a thin, flexible tube, or catheter, into the coronary arteries through a small opening in a leg artery. It is much less invasive than open heart surgery, but has been largely restricted to managing low- to middle-risk patients. The Impella heart pump makes it possible for cardiologists to offer the less invasive procedure to high-risk patients. "Our ability to continuously maintain blood flow will decrease complications during these high-risk cases where the patient had no other options to fix their heart arteries," Shroff said. The Impella system uses a narrow catheter, which is threaded up from the groin, through the ascending aorta, and into the left ventricle. From this position, the Impella pumps blood from within the heart into the aorta, supplementing the weakened pumping of the patient's heart. The pump itself is smaller than a number-2 pencil eraser. Although it provides a large portion of the heart's work, it is silent and virtually imperceptible to the patient. The Impella can be regulated during angioplasty to maintain blood flow, giving the physician the time needed to remove the blockage. If the patient needs further support, the Impella can be continued while the patient moves up to the ICU and until the heart is able to take on the task. "We have created a seamless transition from the cath lab to the ICU," Shroff said. "We could not have done this without the collaboration of everyone who sees these patients as they move through the hospital, from the emergency room to the cath lab to the ICU. This exceptional effort on everyone's part, especially Nursing Services and the Cath Lab staff, allows UIC to offer the best possible care for patients with heart disease." [Editor's note: An animation of the Impella at work is available on request.] jgala@uic.edu (Jeanne Galatzer-Levy) http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2687&fromhome=1 Tue, 3 Nov 2009 15:17:57 -0500 UIC Receives $1 Million Grant to Study 'Fat Taxes,' Diet, Obesity http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2689&fromhome=1 Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have received $1 million from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to study the relationship between "fat taxes" and food consumption, diet quality and obesity. The funding for the two-year project was made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The study will link state tax rates associated with restaurants and with specific sugar- and fat-laden foods and beverages (soda, candy, baked goods and chips) to individual survey data. Using multiple data sets from a 10-year period -- 1997 through 2007 -- the researchers will determine if differential tax rates equate to differences in consumption, diet quality and body mass index, or BMI, for children, adolescents and adults. The study will separately examine these relationships among low-income food stamp recipients and non-food stamp recipients. Previous economic studies suggest that food prices do change consumption. However, the researchers want to determine if, for example, consumers will seek out another high-sugar drink such as Kool-Aid if, say, soda is too expensive. If they do, then a tax on soda may reduce soda consumption but will not necessarily reduce weight, improve diet quality, or reduce overall sugar intake. "We want to know if this price sensitivity is just for a specific good, such as soda, or if it translates into changes in diet quality and weight outcomes," said Lisa Powell, senior research scientist at UIC's Institute for Health Research and Policy and principal investigator of the study. "It will help lay the foundation on the extent to which these taxes may be effective policy instruments to generate behavior change and potentially reduce obesity." Current fat-tax rates are fairly low, ranging, for example, from 0 to 7 percent for soda. Taxing soda is an easy target because it is clear there is not a lot of nutritional value, said Powell. But if you look at taxing all foods or beverages with a certain amount of sugar or fat, that might include a fortified cereal that could also be healthy. "Defining healthy and unhealthy when there are many different components to food can be difficult," she said. According to the researchers, the study is critical because Americans are increasingly consuming poor diets, which have contributed to a public health crisis with more than 17 percent of children and 32 percent of adults being obese. Powell's co-investigators at UIC are Frank Chaloupka, distinguished professor of economics and director of the Health Policy Center; Carol Braunschweig, associate professor of human nutrition; Jamie Chriqui, senior research scientist at the Institute for Health Research and Policy; and Euna Han, health economist at the Institute for Health Research and Policy. UIC ranks among the nation's leading research universities and is Chicago's largest university with 25,000 students, 12,000 faculty and staff, 15 colleges and the state's major public medical center. A hallmark of the campus is the Great Cities Commitment, through which UIC faculty, students and staff engage with community, corporate, foundation and government partners in hundreds of programs to improve the quality of life in metropolitan areas around the world. For more information about UIC, visit <a href="http://www.uic.edu">www.uic.edu</a> smcginn@uic.edu (Sherri McGinnis González) http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2689&fromhome=1 Tue, 3 Nov 2009 14:57:50 -0500 $2M NIH Grant to Fund Study on Pain in Sickle Cell Disease http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2685&fromhome=1 Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago will use a $2 million federal grant to investigate why patients with sickle cell disease experience chronic pain -- and to develop drugs to treat it. The neurobiology of pain in sickle cell disease is poorly understood, said Z. Jim Wang, associate professor of pharmacology and pharmaceutics and lead researcher on the four-year study. Research has been conducted using several animal models, but the findings were limited, he said. In preliminary studies conducted at UIC, Wang and his team observed that CaMKII, an enzyme called a protein kinase that plays an important role in the generation and maintenance of opioid addiction, is a critical component leading to persistent pain. Several pain tests -- some that are employed in ongoing human studies of sickle cell disease using quantitative sensory testing -- will be used on mouse models, Wang said. Affecting more than 70,000 Americans, sickle cell disease causes red blood cells to become hard and pointed instead of soft and round. Sickle cell disease can damage lung tissue and cause excruciating pain and stroke. The blockage of blood flow caused by sickled cells also causes damage to most organs, including the spleen, kidneys and liver. About 2.5 million Americans have the sickle cell trait. UIC researchers will examine the expression and activity of CaMKII in mice carrying human sickle mutations and test the hypothesis that spinal CaMKII is a "molecular mechanism that promotes and maintains the manifestation of chronic pain in sickle cell disease," Wang said. Following the initial studies, Wang and his research team will conduct pharmacological studies using an FDA-approved oral antipsychotic prescription medication -- trifluoperazine -- that is found to be a CaMKII inhibitor that reduces inflammatory and neuropathic pain. The phase I work will be performed in humans with sickle cell disease, he said. Wang's coworkers include Diana Wilkie, professor of biobehavioral health science; Robert Molokie, instructor in medicine; and Joseph Desimone, director of the UIC Sickle Cell Center. The study is funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, one of the National Institutes of Health. For more information about UIC, visit <a href="http://www.uic.edu">www.uic.edu</a> samhos@uic.edu (Sam Hostettler) http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2685&fromhome=1 Mon, 2 Nov 2009 14:46:03 -0500 UIC Researchers Have Immune Cells Running in Circles http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2646&fromhome=1 University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine researchers have identified the important role a protein plays in the body's first line of defense in directing immune cells called neutrophils toward the site of infection or injury. Their results are described online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Neutrophils are white blood cells that are activated by chemical cues to move quickly to the site of injury or infection, where they ingest bacteria. When alerted to infection, neutrophils move by changing shape, developing a distinct front and back, sending a "foot" out in front of them, and "crawling" toward the site of infection. Hoping to better understand the role of a protein called p55 or MPPI that they had previously identified as highly expressed in neutrophils, the UIC researchers bred the first mice that completely lacked this protein. The "knockout" mice had marked difficulty fighting infection and were slow to heal, according to Athar Chishti, professor of pharmacology and principal investigator in the study. Instead of forming a single large pseudopod, or foot-like extension, in the direction of the infection, neutrophils from the knockout mice formed a number of small extensions all around the cell, said Chishti. Neutrophils lacking p55 would follow a meandering path, wandering in circles. "It was as though the neutrophils had lost their sense of direction," said Brendan Quinn, graduate assistant researcher in pharmacology and first author of the study. Neutrophils are part of the body's innate immunity and its first line of defense, so the speed of the response is key to healing. "The neutrophils eventually get to the infection site, but they would get there late," Quinn said. The researchers also established how p55 wields its effect on neutrophils, demonstrating that although the cell's ability to reorganize its actin skeleton to produce pseudopods was undisturbed, a signaling lipid known to be important in establishing polarity, called PIP3, failed to localize on the leading edge of the p55-null neutrophils, instead diffusing throughout the cell. Further, the p55-null neutrophils had a marked reduced activation of another important signaling protein, Akt, which is believed to play an important role in many cancers. "This study offers clues to an important cell signaling pathway that is critical to cellular polarization processes in neutrophils and many other cells," said Chishti. Emily J. Welch, Anthony C. Kim, Anwar A. Khan and Shafi M. Kuchay of the department of pharmacology at the UIC College of Medicine and Mary A. Lokuta and Anna Huttenlocher of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, also contributed to the study. The work was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense Neurofibromatosis Research Program Career Development Award. For more information about UIC, visit <a href="http://www.uic.edu">www.uic.edu</a> jgala@uic.edu (Jeanne Galatzer-Levy) http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2646&fromhome=1 Mon, 2 Nov 2009 14:51:48 -0500 Stem Cell Therapy May Offer Hope for Acute Lung Injury http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2681&fromhome=1 Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine have shown that adult stem cells from bone marrow can prevent acute lung injury in a mouse model of the disease. Their results are reported online in the October issue of the journal Stem Cells. Acute lung injury (ALI) is responsible for an estimated 74,500 deaths in the U.S. each year. ALI can be caused by any major inflammation or injury to the lungs and is a major cause of death in patients in hospital ICUs. There is no effective drug treatment. In ALI, the layer of cells that forms the lining of the blood vessels surrounding the lung's air sacs is damaged, allowing fluid to leak in and fill the sacs. Repair of these breaks in the endothelium, or lining, is complicated by the fact that endothelial cells are long-lived, says Kishore Wary, UIC assistant professor of pharmacology and lead author of the study. Turnover of new cells takes as long as two to five years, and few of the precursor cells needed for replacement circulate in the body at any given time. "The stem cells that might be able repair the damage caused by ALI are simply not on hand," he said. Wary and his colleagues were able to identify progenitor stem cells in the bone marrow of mice that could prevent and treat experimentally-induced ALI. These progenitor stem cells, named Flk-1 and CD34 for the proteins on their surfaces, constitute a very small percentage of the stem cell population in the bone marrow, but the researchers were able to develop a way of culturing the cells that increased their numbers and their "stickiness." The stem cells stud their surface with molecules called integrins that allow the cells to stick to their targets and effect the repair. "Increasing this capacity for stickiness in our culture system was likely to make the stem cells more effective in repair," Wary said. When mice that had been injected with a compound that causes ALI were injected with the purified and cultured Flk and CD34 stem cells, the progenitor cells were able to repair the lung injury, prevent fluid build-up, and led to improved survival. The mouse disease model not only demonstrated that stem cell treatment is a promising therapy for ALI, Wary said, "but also provided us with the means to understand how these progenitor cells did their repair work. These therapeutic cells employed integrins to stick to the site of injury and turn on cellular and molecular repair machinery," he said. The researchers hope to explore the possibility of using stem cell therapy in human acute lung injury. The research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health. Stephen M. Vogel, Sean Garrean, Yidan D. Zhao and Asrar B. Malik, all of the department of pharmacology in the UIC College of Medicine, also contributed to the study. jgala@uic.edu (Jeanne Galatzer-Levy) http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2681&fromhome=1 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:12:35 -0500 Gift to Benefit UIC's Asian Studies Program http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2666&fromhome=1 The University of Illinois at Chicago College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has received a gift to broaden its Asian studies program. The $300,000 commitment from James and Jaime Thorsen McNulty will help to increase Asian language courses at UIC and support administration of the program's expansion. "The McNulty's generous gift is making it possible for us to grow our curricular offerings in Asian studies at a time when Asia's significance geopolitically and economically could not be more central in global affairs," said Dwight A. McBride, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. "Our students at UIC are hungry for instruction in Asian languages, and this gift means that we can now offer students opportunities for far more extensive and in-depth study in this area." James McNulty, who graduated from UIC in 1973 with a bachelor's degree in English, is chairman of NYSE Liffe U.S. and a member of the board of directors of NYSE Euronext, ICAP, and Children's Memorial Hospital. He retired in 2004 as president and chief executive officer of CME Group Inc., formerly Chicago Mercantile Exchange Holdings Inc., and its subsidiary, Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. Jaime Thorsen McNulty is executive managing director and global head of foreign exchange and China capital markets for the Bank of Montreal. The couple's gift to UIC reflects the McNulty's interest in helping current and future UIC students. The gift is designed to expand the Asian studies program's offerings in advanced Chinese and Japanese courses that integrate language skills with cultural and historical topics. The college also plans to hire teachers to develop and teach courses in basic and advanced Hindi and Urdu and to collaborate with the UIC College of Education to consider the creation of a Chinese teaching certificate program. Esther Klein, a scholar of Chinese history who came to UIC this fall from Princeton University, has been hired to serve as the program coordinator. "We think it is very important for students at UIC to have the opportunity to understand the languages, history, cultures and arts of Asia, and particularly China, so that they are prepared to succeed in business and other endeavors there in the coming years," said James McNulty. "My greatest hope is that we have sewn a seed, and that UIC students who are successful in China in the coming decades will come back and grow the program. We would like UIC to be known as a place where effective, Asia-savvy students can be found for business, science, diplomacy and the arts." After graduating from UIC, McNulty earned a master's degree in Anglo-Irish studies in 1974 from University College Dublin. He credits his UIC experience for playing an important role in launching his international career. "UIC gave me a solid foundation and one of my UIC professors, Patricia McFate, gave me encouragement to embark on an international learning experience," he said. With more than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is UIC's largest college. It comprises more than 20 departments and programs offering over 60 undergraduate major fields of specialization, 40 minors, nearly 50 graduate degrees at the master's and doctoral levels and more than 1,000 courses. The college features programs in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. For more information about UIC, visit <a href="http://www.uic.edu">www.uic.edu</a> bflood@uic.edu (Brian Flood) http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2666&fromhome=1 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:16:19 -0500 UIC Pulmonologist Named President of Thoracic Society http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2671&fromhome=1 Dr. Dean Schraufnagel, professor of medicine and pathology in the section of pulmonary, critical care sleep and allergy medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, has been elected president of the American Thoracic Society. His term will begin next May. The society was founded in 1905 to improve care for tuberculosis patients and, with 15,000 members, is the world's leading medical association dedicated to advancing clinical and scientific understanding of pulmonary diseases, critical illnesses and sleep-related breathing disorders. "Dr. Schraufnagel has a strong national and international reputation as both an effective pulmonary physician and an innovative translational pulmonary scientist," said Dr. John W. Christman, chief of pulmonary, critical care, sleep and allergy at UIC. "His tireless and focused energy, enlightened wit, strong intelligence and determination will benefit the American Thoracic Society, one of our most influential professional organizations." Schraufnagel is a specialist in pulmonary disorders, including schleroderma, mycobacterial diseases, pulmonary vascular disease, bronchiectasis and sickle cell lung disease. In addition to his clinical interests, Schraufnagel's research interests include clinical and basic science investigations in pulmonary disorders. "My interest in mycobacterias began when I contracted TB myself during my fellowship," said Schraufnagel. This personal experience led to his interest in bronchiectasis, a relatively uncommon chronic lung disorder that has the effect of clogging airways with secretions and making breathing difficult. Bronchiectasis can be genetic as in cystic fibrosis, but it can also be caused by infection or other events and is associated with mycobacterias other than TB. Schraufnagel is on the board of directors of the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. He was instrumental in the effort to have 2010 declared the Year of the Lung and is editing a book on respiratory disease, which he hopes will introduce the issues of lung disease and research to a wide audience. "This is a very exciting time in our field because we are really starting to understand the basics of lung disease," Schraufnagel said. "We can see cures coming, if not immediately, certainly in our children's lifetime." Schraufnagel received his B.S. and M.D. degrees from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. After a residency in internal medicine at UIC and a respiratory and critical care fellowship at McGill University in Montreal, he returned to the UIC College of Medicine in 1981. In addition to the current book, Schraufnagel is the editor of three other books and author of many research and review articles on lung disease. For more information about UIC, visit <a href="http://www.uic.edu">www.uic.edu</a> jgala@uic.edu (Jeanne Galatzer-Levy) http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2671&fromhome=1 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:17:40 -0500 Events Commemorate Greek Jewish Communities and Holocaust Victims http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2675&fromhome=1 The University of Illinois at Chicago Jewish studies program will host two upcoming events, in collaboration with the Greek Community of Greater Chicago, that serve to commemorate Greek Jews who died in the Holocaust and celebrate 2,300 years of Jewish presence in Greece. A Nov. 4 memorial event features a lecture by Heinz Kounio, a survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp and author of "A Liter of Soup and Sixty Grams of Bread: The Diary of Prisoner Number 109565," and a song and El Malei Rachamim prayer performed by cantor Alberto Mizrahi, a leading international tenor. Kounio's talk is titled "Reflections on the Life of the Jewish Community in Thessaloniki and the Holocaust." The event begins at 6 p.m. in the Illinois Room, Student Center East, 750 S. Halsted St. On Nov. 5, Steven Bowman, professor of Judaic studies at the University of Cincinnati and author of "The Agony of Greek Jews: 1940-1945" and "The Holocaust in Salonika: Eyewitness Account," will present a seminar on the Jewish presence in modern Salonika, entitled "From Selanik to Thessaloniki?: The Third Missing Strand." Bowman's presentation, which begins at 3 p.m. in the Levine Hillel Center, 924 S. Morgan St., will be followed by a panel discussion featuring faculty of the UIC College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admission to both events is free and open to the public. For more information call (312) 413-2102. bflood@uic.edu (Brian Flood) http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2675&fromhome=1 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:58:55 -0500 Grant to Fund Study of Immigration in Chicago Suburbs http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2645&fromhome=1 University of Illinois at Chicago sociologists have received a $420,000 National Science Foundation grant to study how local communities respond to the issue of immigration. The researchers will study individual attitudes and political outcomes related to immigration in four Chicago suburban communities selected based on their growth in the Latino population. "We're interested in addressing how some communities come to be fairly welcoming to immigrants, how some communities build institutional barriers against immigrants, and how some take it as it comes," said Pamela Popielarz, associate professor of sociology and one of the study's principal investigators. The project will include a telephone survey, interviews with political leaders and local voluntary association and organization members, and a study of archival materials, such as city council documents and local newspaper articles. "Being able to talk about what is going on in communities, and talk about what's working and what's not working, and how people are or are not engaged in their communities can be a useful example to other places that are experiencing a growth in their immigrant populations," said Maria Krysan, associate professor of sociology, who is another principal investigator. By studying the four towns, the researchers believe they will place the research where political action related to immigration is often taking place and where inter-group relations between immigrants and non-immigrants are experienced directly. The project is part of the Chicago Area Study, an annual UIC-based training and policy research initiative that examines various social and cultural issues impacting residents in the Chicago metropolitan area. Graduate and undergraduate students in the program team with faculty investigators on research projects related to issues of race and ethnicity. "Because of the NSF support, we're able to expand the scope of the project and, as a result, more graduate and undergraduate students will be able to participate in the training," said Krysan. "It's creating an amazing training opportunity for students in the social sciences at UIC." Other principal investigators for the study are Nilda Flores-Gonzalez, associate professor of sociology and Latin American and Latino studies, and Andy Clarno, visiting assistant professor of sociology. Contributing researchers are Xóchitl Bada, assistant professor of Latin American and Latino studies, and Amalia Pallares, associate professor of political science and Latin American and Latino studies. The grant was awarded under the federal government's economic stimulus plan, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. UIC ranks among the nation's top 50 universities in federal research funding and is Chicago's largest university with 25,000 students, 12,000 faculty and staff, 15 colleges and the state's major public medical center. A hallmark of the campus is the Great Cities Commitment, through which UIC faculty, students and staff engage with community, corporate, foundation and government partners in hundreds of programs to improve the quality of life in metropolitan areas around the world. For more information about UIC, please visit <a href="http://www.uic.edu">www.uic.edu</a>. bflood@uic.edu (Brian Flood) http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2645&fromhome=1 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:55:31 -0500 Alumni Association Honors UIC Alumni for Professional Achievement http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2676&fromhome=1 An entrepreneur who developed new ways to treat cardiovascular diseases, a co-winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, and the founder of the National Museum of Mexican Art are the University of Illinois at Chicago's recipients of the university's Alumni Achievement Award for 2009. The University of Illinois Alumni Association will present the achievement award to Michael R. Bristow, president and CEO for ARCA Biopharma; Jean E. Bogner, founder and president of Landfills + Inc.; and Carlos E. Tortolero, founder of the National Museum of Mexican Art, at the Oct. 23 Alumni Five Awards ceremony in Chicago. Bristow is a leader in the field of cardiovascular disease research. His work focuses on creating novel approaches and drug therapies for treating heart failure. He has shed light on key molecular mechanisms underlying heart failure and the use of beta-blockers for its treatment. This pioneering work led to the development of drugs designed to work with patients' unique hereditary traits. Bristow, who earned M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from UIC in 1970 and 1971, conducted post-graduate work at Stanford University and later joined its cardiology faculty, where he focused on the development of beta blockers as a treatment for heart failure. In 1984, he joined the University of Utah, where he co-founded the nation's first multi-hospital heart transplant program. He headed the cardiology division of the University of Colorado from 1991 to 2004. Bristow has published more than 350 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters, and is an original member of the Institute of Scientific Information's Highly Cited Researchers. His work has led him to establish several biotechnology companies, including Myogen Inc. and ARCA Discovery Inc. Bristow has received many awards, including the Heart Failure Society of America's Lifetime Achievement Award. He serves on the editorial boards of The Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Congestive Heart Failure and The International Journal of Cardiology. Bogner, who earned her master's degree from UIC in 1973, is one of 2,000 scientists who shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former Vice President Al Gore for their work on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Since then, this internationally recognized expert on landfill gas recovery and emissions utilization has spread the word on climate change, representing IPCC in meetings around the world. Bogner's commitment to the environment has spanned a 30-year career that includes 20 years at Argonne National Laboratory. At Argonne she participated in some of the first commercial-scale landfill, methane utilization projects undertaken in a U.S. Department of Energy program, which focused on deriving energy from municipal solid waste. After leaving Argonne, she founded Landfills + Inc. and began providing specialized landfill gas consulting services throughout the world. One of her current projects involves landfill gas utilization in South Africa under the Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol. Bogner has served on numerous committees, including the International Solid Waste Association's Working Group on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and the Chicago Climate Exchange's Advisory Panel. She received the Solid Waste Association of North America’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. Tortolero graduated from UIC with a bachelor's degree in history and a passion for teaching. It was through his work with high school students as a teacher, counselor and administrator in the Chicago Public Schools that he began to see a need for a center that celebrated Mexican culture. In 1982, he founded the National Museum of Mexican Art on a budget of $900. Since then, he has built the NMMA into a $5.4 million institution that serves more than 168,000 visitors a year and houses 6,000 pieces of art. Located in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood, the NMMA is considered the premier repository for Mexican art in the nation. It also is the only Latino museum accredited by the American Association of Museums. Under his leadership, NMMA has grown to include a satellite museum, Yollocalli Youth Arts Reach, and a youth-operated radio station, WRTE-FM 90.5 Radio Arte, which received the 2003 White House "Coming Up Taller" Award. Tortolero led the effort to secure funding for a $7.2 million expansion and renovation of the museum in 2001. An active community member, Tortolero was selected as one of Chicago magazine's "Chicagoans of the Year" in 1994 and received the Illinois Public Humanities Award from the Illinois Humanities Council in 2008. He is the author of "Mexican Chicago," a photo history book of the Mexican community in Chicago. Tortolero also has worked as an arts consultant around the world. Last month Tortolero was named by Gov. Pat Quinn to serve on the University of Illinois Board of Trustees. The Alumni Five Awards ceremony is a dinner and awards presentation honoring UIC alumni and friends who have given back to the university and community. The gala will include presentation of the Alumni Achievement Award, City Partner Award, Corporate Partner Award, Distinguished Service Award and Alumni Humanitarian Award. Details of the 2009 Alumni Five awards ceremony can be found at <a href="http://www.uiaa.org/chicago"> www.uiaa.org/chicago</a> or by calling 312-996-8535. Media inquiries should be directed to Hugh Cook at 312-413-2390 or <a href="mailto:hmcook@uic.edu"> hmcook@uic.edu</a>. burton@uic.edu (Bill Burton) http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2676&fromhome=1 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:21:25 -0500 Alumni Association Honors UIC's City and Corporate Partners http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2677&fromhome=1 The University of Illinois Alumni Association is honoring three individuals and one of Illinois' major corporations for the impact they have had on the University of Illinois at Chicago and its Great Cities Commitment, UIC's engagement with local and global communities to address urban challenges. The awards will be presented at the Oct. 23 Alumni Five Awards ceremony in Chicago. Donald J. Dew, president of Habilitative Systems Inc.; Ricardo Estrada, executive director of Erie Neighborhood House; and Mari K. Gallagher, president of Mari Gallagher Research and Consulting Group, will receive the UIC City Partner Award, established in 1993 to recognize alumni efforts in support of UIC's Great Cities Commitment or in outstanding service to UIC itself. Dew and his colleagues at Habilitative Systems Inc. have helped make Chicago's West Side a better place. At HSI, Dew oversees a behavioral health and human services organization that operates more than 30 programs for thousands of children and families in need. A West Side native, Dew saw the effects of poverty in Chicago's underserved communities first-hand and wanted to make a difference in the lives of the people around him. He devoted his career to social services, working in the Juvenile Court of Cook County, Mile Square Health Center, West Side Veterans Administration Hospital, Community Mental Health Council and Institute of Community Health. Dew joined HSI in 1984 and served in a variety of positions, including director of case coordination/management, director of vocational services and acting executive director. His accomplishments include employing workers with disabilities to assemble 8,000 collector phones for the 1996 Democratic National Convention and securing $6 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Chicago Department of Housing to develop 100 units of senior and disability housing. Dew has received numerous awards for his work in the community, including the 2007 NAACP-Westside Branch Community Service Award. He is a fellow in the Leadership Greater Chicago Program presented by the Chicago Community Trust. Estrada is someone always ready to lend a helping hand to Chicago's disadvantaged and to new arrivals to the United States. Since 2003, Estrada has been applying his strategic and leadership skills at the Erie Neighborhood House, a refuge for children and adults who need to learn language and job skills. Offering a "hand up, not a handout," the organization's staff focuses on helping people improve their leadership skills and become self-sufficient. Estrada played a pivotal role in founding ENH's Erie Elementary Charter School in 2005. He realized the need for the school after it was disclosed that 65 percent of Erie Community students were testing below national norms. Since then, EECS has achieved many of its academic goals, including posting some impressive ISAT test scores. Estrada also helped ENH expand its facilities from two to four and open five community technology centers. Estrada has served on many community boards and committees, including the City of Chicago Mayor's Hemispheric Forum, the United Way's Chicago Council, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services' Latino Child Welfare Consortium and the City of Chicago Low-Income House Trust Fund Board of Directors. He received the 2005 City Club of Chicago John A. McDermott Award for Distinguished Social Leadership. In addition, he is one of only 53 Americans selected for the 2008 American Marshall Memorial Fellowship. Gallagher, and her Chicago-based Mari Gallagher Research and Consulting Group, have earned a national reputation for diverse, high-impact housing and community development projects. Her publication, "Examining the Impact of Food Deserts on Public Health in Chicago," popularized the term "food deserts" -- large geographic areas with no mainstream grocery stores. Gallagher was the first to develop block-level food desert measures and the "Food Balance" metric, which calculates the ratio of good food vs. fast food available in a community. By helping communities attract chain grocery stores into economically marginal areas, Gallagher has turned food deserts into food oases. Her work has influenced public policy, with U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush calling for a national food desert study and entering the language into the Farm Bill. Gallagher also is involved in projects related to housing, financial services, labor markets, community planning, immigration and community health. Gallagher founded the National Center for Public Research, which provides data and information to improve the quality of life, health and financial well-being of various communities. She is currently working with the Urban Institute's National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership in an effort to improve neighborhood-level data and data systems. Gallagher also serves on a number of committees and task forces dealing with food access and public health issues and has authored or co-authored more than 100 studies on food access, community health, commercial revitalization, neighborhood safety and commercial markets. The Alumni Association named Deerfield-based Baxter International the 2009 UIC Corporate Partner Award recipient. Established in 2004, the UIC Corporate Partner Award honors corporations and organizations that have had a significant impact on UIC and its alumni and students. Baxter has helped UIC bridge the gap between the academic world and the competitive marketplace. Appreciating UIC's potential for nascent products and procedures, Baxter has been an important corporate partner for decades. The company was an early supporter of the College of Pharmacy, contributing to a renovation of UIC's Pharmacy Practice Laboratory in 1985. Baxter also has underwritten targeted research and programs in the Colleges of Medicine, Business, Public Health and Engineering. The company currently serves as a main corporate advisory partner for the interdisciplinary Institute for Patient Safety Excellence (IPSE), which draws on the expertise of the six health-science colleges as well as Engineering and Architecture and the Arts. The partnership allows Baxter and UIC to work together from the nexus of an idea all the way to launching it into general health care. The company has supported UIC's Craniofacial Center Building Fund and the UIC-based "CeaseFire," the Chicago Project for Violence Prevention. Baxter also has targeted UIC as a prime recruitment ground, employing 120 alumni from nine colleges. UIC graduates hold positions ranging from entry-level hires to senior management, and they work in every facet of the company's operations, including manufacturing, product management, information technology, finance, marketing, quality control, administration and human resources. Baxter's willingness to explore new avenues of growth and invest in UIC's future has created a dynamic and innovative partnership that is expected to last for many years to come. Baxter's award will be accepted by Norbert Riedel, corporate vice president and chief scientific officer. The Alumni Five Awards ceremony is a dinner and awards presentation honoring UIC alumni and friends who have given back to the university and community. The gala will include presentation of the Alumni Achievement Award, City Partner Award, Corporate Partner Award, Distinguished Service Award and Alumni Humanitarian Award. Details of the 2009 Alumni Five awards ceremony can be found at <a href="http://www.uiaa.org/chicago">www.uiaa.org/chicago</a> or by calling 312-996-8535. Media inquiries should be directed to Hugh Cook at 312-413-2390 or <a href="mailto:hmcook@uic.edu">hmcook@uic.edu</a>. burton@uic.edu (Bill Burton) http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2677&fromhome=1 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:09:47 -0500 Alumni Association Honors UIC Faculty Member for Distinguished Service http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2678&fromhome=1 The University of Illinois Distinguished Service Award will be presented to David P. Kumamoto, clinical associate professor emeritus of restorative dentistry. The award will be presented at the Oct. 23 Alumni Five Awards ceremony in Chicago. The Distinguished Service Award, presented by the University of Illinois Alumni Association, is one of the highest recognitions for individuals who contribute their time and expertise to benefit UIC. Kumamoto, who earned this D.D.S. degree from UIC in 1976, has dedicated himself to supporting the educational efforts of the UIC College of Dentistry while also advocating for increased state funding for UIC. For many years he has served as team dentist for the UIC Flames, attending most of the home games for the men's and women's basketball, softball and soccer teams and often traveling to road games at his own expense. Kumamoto has made frequent trips to Springfield to meet with legislators to promote the school and request additional financial assistance for students. Kumamoto also has been active in campus and alumni affairs. On campus, he served as a member of the UIC Senate, chairing a number of committees and heading the faculty Continuing Education Committee. As an alumnus, he serves on boards of the UIC Dental Alumni Association and the University of Illinois Alumni Association. For the latter, he was UIC athletic representative to the board and chaired the Campus Alumni Advisory Board from 2004 to 2006. Most recently, Kumamoto has been championing the idea of an alumni house for the UIC campus. With two-thirds of University of Illinois graduates living in the Chicago area, he believes an alumni house would serve that large group and function as a much-needed visitor center for the campus. It would serve as the UIAA Chicago headquarters and a place for alumni events and meetings. Kumamoto is president of the Chicago Dental Society. The Alumni Five Awards ceremony is a dinner and awards presentation honoring UIC alumni and friends who have given back to the university and community. The gala will include presentation of the Alumni Achievement Award, City Partner Award, Corporate Partner Award, Distinguished Service Award and Alumni Humanitarian Award. Details of the 2009 Alumni Five awards ceremony can be found at <a href="http://www.uiaa.org/chicago">www.uiaa.org/chicago</a> or by calling 312-996-8535. Media inquiries should be directed to Hugh Cook at 312-413-2390 or <a href="mailto:hmcook@uic.edu">hmcook@uic.edu</a>. burton@uic.edu (Bill Burton) http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2678&fromhome=1 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:35:29 -0500 Alumni Association Honors Philanthropist for Humanitarian Work http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2679&fromhome=1 A retired dentist and respected philanthropist who has devoted his life to helping others, both in his home state of Punjab, India, and in his adopted country, is the University of Illinois at Chicago's recipient of the university's Humanitarian Award for 2009. The University of Illinois Alumni Association will present the humanitarian award to Amarjit S. Marwah, who earned his master's degree in dentistry from UIC in 1956. The award is bestowed upon alumni who have made significant humanitarian contributions to society that have improved or enriched the lives of others and the welfare of humanity. The award will be presented at the Oct. 23 Alumni Five Awards ceremony in Chicago. Marwah has created or supported countless efforts to help educate poor children in India, including personally addressing school infrastructure needs and providing scholarships. He has created programs to educate slum children, convinced teachers to donate their time to teach them, and lobbied schools to allow the use of classrooms after regular school hours. In addition, Marwah and his family have opened schools for poor Indian women to learn trades, so they can earn money to feed themselves and their families. He has sponsored women in marriage by helping poor families pay for the weddings. His sponsorship has also extended to impoverished widows, to provide them with food and basic necessities. Among his many good deeds, Marwah founded the KK Marwah Girls College and co-founded the Bank of Punjab, a financial institution committed to community service in India. His most recent undertaking is to adopt an entire Indian village. The State of Punjab is providing a matching grant to bring running water, a sewer system, paved streets, a town hall and a small man-made lake to a historic village near Marwah's hometown of Kotkapura. The project will take a year to complete. Marwah's humanitarian and volunteer efforts have also extended to his adopted country, where he has held many positions in his community, including serving as commissioner of the Cultural Heritage and Hollywood Art Commission for 18 years. He serves on the boards of the Navy League of America, International Visitors Council of Los Angeles and the Lions "HOST" Club of Los Angeles. The Alumni Five Awards ceremony is a dinner and awards presentation honoring UIC alumni and friends who have given back to the university and community. The gala will include presentation of the Alumni Achievement Award, City Partner Award, Corporate Partner Award, Distinguished Service Award and Alumni Humanitarian Award. Details of the 2009 Alumni Five awards ceremony can be found at <a href="http://www.uiaa.org/chicago">www.uiaa.org/chicago</a> or by calling 312-996-8535. Media inquiries should be directed to Hugh Cook at 312-413-2390 or <a href="mailto:hmcook@uic.edu">hmcook@uic.edu</a>. burton@uic.edu (Bill Burton) http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2679&fromhome=1 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:04:25 -0500 UIC Wins Two 'Chicago Innovation Awards' http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2674&fromhome=1 The robotic surgery program at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, along with a medical start-up company formed by three UIC MBA students, shared the spotlight Tuesday as 2009 Chicago Innovation Award winners. Robotic Surgery was selected one of 10 awardees from more than 250 entries. HeartSounds, Inc., a start-up platform medical device company that specializes in medical diagnostic devices based on research by Roland Priemer, UIC associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, won the Young Innovator's Award. Both groups received their awards at ceremonies held at the Goodman Theatre Tuesday evening. UIC was represented by Chancellor Paula Allen-Meares, members of the robotic surgery faculty, the College of Medicine and others. UIC's robotic surgery program -- the country's largest, with the highest volume in the most complex mix of advanced robotic procedures -- performs complex general and thoracic surgery. Headed by Dr. Pier Cristoforo Giulianotti, the Lloyd Nyhus Professor of Surgery, the program performs up to 600 operations a year. Robotic surgery is replacing open surgery of the chest and abdomen, offering complex procedures such as pancreas and liver resections with minimal pain following the operations. More than 250 surgeons from around the world have attended UIC's Advanced Robotic Laboratory to learn basic and advanced robotic surgery techniques from Giulianotti and other staff surgeons. "Dr. Giulianotti and the UIC robotic surgery program are clearly intent on leading surgical innovation into the new century," said Chancellor Allen-Meares, addressing Tuesday's award ceremony. She called him a "true visionary and pioneer." HeartSounds was founded last year by three alumni of UIC's Liautaud Graduate School of Business, Dr. Amir Bastawrous (who is a practicing surgeon), Mike McCoy and Matt Norris, along with Priemer. The company specializes in what's called computer-aided auscultation, using patented sound-separating technology that provides a non-invasive way to accurately detect cardiac dysfunctions and abnormalities. Their start-up plan won the 2008 Chicago Biomedical Consortium Business Plan Competition. The Chicago Innovation Awards are sponsored by national and local businesses. It was founded in 2002 by Tom Kuczmarski, president of Kuczmarski & Associates, and Dan Miller, a former Chicago business journalist and now vice-president of the Heartland Institute. The program describes its award as recognition of "innovations that uniquely fill unmet needs, spark a competitive response in the marketplace, exceed market expectations, achieve financial success, and improve people's lives." For more information about UIC, visit <a href="http://www.uic.edu"> www.uic.edu</a> francuch@uic.edu (Paul Francuch) http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2674&fromhome=1 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:36:27 -0500 UIC Herbal Drug Researcher Named U.S. Pharmacopeia Fellow http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2665&fromhome=1 Tanja Goedecke, a postdoctoral research associate in medicinal chemistry and pharmacognosy at the University of Illinois at Chicago, is one of six scientists in the country selected to receive a U.S. Pharmacopeia fellowship. Established in 1820, U.S. Pharmacopeia is an independent, not-for-profit organization composed of members representing academia, industry and government. It provides authoritative standards and information for medicines, food ingredients, and dietary supplements. During her year-long fellowship -- in which she will receive a $25,000 grant -- Goedecke will work to develop a process using nuclear magnetic resonance to identify the plant Angelica sinensis and control the quality of preparations made from it in one step. Currently several methods are used to identify the plant, but all require numerous stages, Goedecke said. There are more than 30 different species of Angelica, Goedecke said, and it is important to distinguish between them. "Each of the various species has different properties, and if not used properly, they can be detrimental to a person's health." Angelica sinensis, a dried root commonly referred to as dang gui, is widely used in Chinese traditional medicine to treat gynecological ailments, fatigue, mild anemia and high blood pressure. It is also used as an aphrodisiac. Angelica sinensis has analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and sedative effects. Herbal dietary supplements play an important role in the U.S. marketplace, and new technology for quality control becomes an important field of pharmaceutical research, said Guido Pauli, associate professor of pharmacognosy. Goedecke's project is a "perfect fit with the goals and mission of the U.S. Pharmacopeia," he said. Goedecke joined the UIC/NIH Center for Botanical Dietary Supplements Research in 2006. "Tanja is a highly talented and self-motivated young scientist," Pauli said. "It's a pleasure to see how she develops her own ideas into innovative research concepts that integrate her broad pharmaceutical expertise." Earlier this year, Goedecke, who received her doctorate degree from Berlin's Freie Universitat, was one of 80 professors and graduate students from around the world to participate in the National Institutes of Health's dietary supplements research practicum in Bethesda, Md. For more information about UIC, visit <a href="http://www.uic.edu">www.uic.edu.</a> samhos@uic.edu (Sam Hostettler) http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2665&fromhome=1 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:11:05 -0500 Early-Stage Parkinson's Study Will Image Pre-treatment Brain Function http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2667&fromhome=1 Parkinson's disease, a debilitating movement disorder, is usually controlled by using drugs that compensate for a lack of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Parkinson's patients have a deficit of this important chemical because of degeneration in an area of the brain stem where it is made -- a structure called the substantia nigra. A team of researchers led by David Vaillancourt, associate professor of kinesiology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, hope that tests using functional and high-resolution structural brain imaging will reveal new clues about early Parkinson's disease. They've been awarded a two-year, $855,000 National Institutes of Health grant to do the work. "What's not well understood is how the structure and function of the basal ganglia, or other parts of the brain, are affected early on in the disease," said Vaillancourt. He and his colleagues will recruit 25 subjects with early signs of Parkinson's who haven't yet begun taking drugs to control the disease. Their study will compare findings to a control group matched for age, gender and handedness -- because all subjects will perform motor tasks with their hands while their brain is being imaged. The study will be the first into early Parkinson's to use functional brain imaging during gripping tasks designed to simulate everyday activities such as buttoning a shirt or blouse, or holding a cup. "Individuals will undergo a brain scan while they exert force using their hands against a device that measures how hard and how fast they squeeze," said Vaillancourt. "Functional brain imaging will be targeted at the basal ganglia, which is the part of the brain that underlies symptoms of Parkinson's disease." Vaillancourt's group wants to study what is happening before Parkinson's patients begin treatment with drugs such as levodopa that can change the way the brain functions. Pre-treatment brain scans may be useful to develop markers for screening and diagnosis. Those with Parkinson's will be imaged as soon as possible after volunteering and will begin treatment with anti-Parkinson's drugs afterward. "With Parkinson's, the brain must change over time, because it's a neuro-degenerative disease," Vaillancourt said. "This study will serve as the basis for trying to understand how the disease progresses." Cynthia Comella, professor of neurological sciences at Rush University Medical Center, will assist on the project. Imaging will be performed at UIC. Co-investigators at UIC include Daniel Corcos, professor of kinesiology; Deborah Little, associate professor of neurology and rehabilitation; and Jane Prodoehl, research assistant professor of kinesiology. For more information about UIC, visit <a href="http://www.uic.edu"> www.uic.edu</a> francuch@uic.edu (Paul Francuch) http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2667&fromhome=1 Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:56:29 -0500 UIC Study Finds Girls Aware of HPV Vaccine's Benefits http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2505&fromhome=1 Contrary to concerns that the human papillomavirus vaccine might promote promiscuity, a national survey of girls and young women found that the majority of respondents did not believe the HPV vaccine protected them against other sexually transmitted infections. The study, conducted by University of Illinois at Chicago and University of Chicago researchers, appears online and in the November issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health. The findings are reassuring in that girls and young women did not think that the vaccine provided benefits beyond protecting them from HPV, said Dr. Rachel Caskey, assistant professor of pediatrics and general internal medicine at UIC and lead author of the study. "We also found that they did not think that they could stop cervical cancer screening, or pap smears, which is critical." Researchers used a national sample, representative of the U.S. population, to conduct an online survey of more than 1,000 females ages 13 to 26. The data provide some of the first nationally representative estimates of both adolescents' and young women's adoption of the HPV vaccine, barriers to vaccination, and sources of information about HPV and the HPV vaccine, according to the researchers. Knowledge about the HPV virus itself ran the gamut, said Caskey. Some people knew absolutely nothing and a few people were moderately informed. Knowledge about the HPV vaccine, however, was better. "Messages about the vaccine are getting across, though they are not including messages about the virus itself," said Caskey. The HPV vaccine is likely to provide the greatest benefit to those who receive it prior to HPV exposure, but nearly 30 percent of the unvaccinated girls reported not getting the vaccine because they were not currently sexually active. The study found that the respondents' primary source of information about the HPV vaccine was advertisements for the vaccine, marketed as Gardasil (61 percent), healthcare providers (35 percent) and family members (31 percent). It is probably ideal when family and doctors can be the primary providers of information, said Caskey, but that is not realistic today due to the influence of the media. "Many girls are realizing, 'this is a vaccine I should get, it prevents cervical cancer, it doesn't protect me from other things, but I don't really know much about the virus,'" said Caskey. The researchers also found that cost was not a barrier for many participants, particularly younger girls. When asked about other participatory guidance topics, such as sex, alcohol, and drugs, less than half of the participants said their doctor ever talked to them about these issues. Arguably, said Caskey, these issues should be the main topic of conversation during a regular visit to a healthcare provider for girls and young women. Consistent with other studies about vaccine adoption, the researchers found that 30 percent of 13- to 17-year-olds and 9 percent of 18- to 26-year-olds reported receiving at least one HPV injection. Co-authors are Dr. Stacy Tessler Lindau and Dr. G. Caleb Alexander at the University of Chicago. UIC ranks among the nation's top 50 universities in federal research funding and is Chicago's largest university with 25,000 students, 12,000 faculty and staff, 15 colleges and the state's major public medical center. A hallmark of the campus is the Great Cities Commitment, through which UIC faculty, students and staff engage with community, corporate, foundation and government partners in hundreds of programs to improve the quality of life in metropolitan areas around the world. For more information about UIC, visit <a href="http://www.uic.edu">www.uic.edu</a> [Editorial note: An extended interview as MP3 audio file is at <a href="https://blackboard.uic.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/web/news/podcasts/PdCst67-Oct15%2709-Caskey.mp3">https://blackboard.uic.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/web/news/podcasts/PdCst67-Oct15%2709-Caskey.mp3</a>] smcginn@uic.edu (Sherri McGinnis González) http://tigger.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/newsbureau/cgi-bin/index.cgi?from=Releases&to=Release&id=2505&fromhome=1 Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:39:16 -0500