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RESEARCH INKLINGS MUSC Research Newsletter
Research Recognition Luncheon The University Research Council (URC) hosted its first Research Recognition Luncheon on April 24, 2015. This premier luncheon celebrated the achievements of 50 early stage investigators. Each of these investigators received research funds totaling $100K or more in 2014. This inaugural event publicly recognized the success of our outstanding faculty members engaged in research. President David Cole joined in the celebration along with Mark Sothmann, PhD, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, and Kathleen Brady, PhD, MD, Interim Associate Provost for Research, Department chairs also attended the luncheon. Â The URC, convened under the authority of the
Associate Provost for Research, focuses on strategic research issues. Its membership is defined as the Associate Deans of Reseach, the Hollings Cancer Center Director, Chief Research Informatics Officer, Associate Provost for Clinical & Translational Science, two at-large members, and the Standing Operations Subcommittee Chair. Â The ultimate goal of the URC is to celebrate every success of all faculty researchers. This luncheon was the first in a series of future recognition and awareness events the URC will sponsor. MUSC faculty members recognized at this event are listed on page 3. Photos provided by C. Abole.
RESEARCH INKLINGS
SPRING 2015
Dr. Ben Toll Joins Tobacco Control Team The MUSC Hollings Cancer Center is pleased to have recruited one of the country’s leading experts in the treatment of nicotine addiction. Dr. Benjamin Toll, PhD, is the Associate Professor in the MUSC Department of Public Health Sciences and will hold a joint clinical appointment in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Division of Behavioral Medicine, where he has been appointed as the Chief of Tobacco Cessation and Health Behaviors. Prior to joining MUSC, Dr. Toll was an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University and Director of the tobacco cessation program for Smilow Cancer Center at Yale. “We are very excited to have Dr. Toll join our efforts at Hollings and MUSC,” said Dr. Anthony Alberg, Interim Director of the Hollings Cancer Center. “His addition to what is already a very strong team will position us on the leading edge of tobacco control programs nationwide.” Dr. Toll has served on the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Tobacco Control Subcommittee and has been a national leader on tobacco control with several presentations at AACR, the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the Institutes of Medicine. He was also instrumental in the development of current guidelines for tobacco control and e-cigarettes.
Hollings Cancer Center Melanoma Research Retreat CONTENTS
The MUSC Hollings Cancer Center Melanoma Research Retreat is planned for June 12, 2015 in the Hollings Cancer Center, room 120. The featured speakers for this event are Luca Gattinoni, MD, National Cancer Institute and Esteban Celis, MD, PhD, Georgia Regents
Research Recognition Luncheon
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Research Communications
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CDM Excellence in Research
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MUSC Device Innovative Initiative
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SCTR Extramural Grant Review Assistance
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Governor’s Award for Excellence in Science Frontiers in Immunotherapeutics Scientific Retreat Mentoring for Team Science Symposium
Cancer Center. For more information, visit http://hcc.musc.edu/research/conferences/.
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New NIH Biosketch Format
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NIH Seeks Input on Strategies
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New Neuroscience Institute Director
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PCORI Funding
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RESEARCH INKLINGS
SPRING 2015
Research Recognition Luncheon College of Dental Medicine
College of Medicine
James J. Cray, PhD
Nilesh I. Lodhia, MD David T. Long, PhD Cheryl Patrice Lynch, MD, MPH Erin A. McClure, PhD Lisa Marie McTeague, PhD Alice S. Mims, MD Pamela Bowe Morris, MD Patrick J. Mulholland, PhD Thomas Paul Naselaris, PhD Nicholas J. Pastis, MD Chrystal Mary Paulos, PhD John L. Pearce, PhD Jamie Lynn Peters, PhD Jennifer Young Pierce, MD, MPH Roberto Pisoni, MD Thomas Andrew Pollehn, MD Sandip Madhavareddy Prasad, MD Catrina Sims Robinson, PhD Andrew J. Savage, MD Zachary Michael Soler, MD Nichole Tripician Tanner, MD, MSCR Travis Henry Turner, PhD Christina Lynn Vaughan, MD, MHS Julie Kanter-Washko, MD Kristyn Zajac, PhD
College of Health Professions Lee Lineberry Saunders, PhD Ann-Catherin Simpson, PhD
College of Medicine Joshua D. Adams, MD Kimberly Lorraine Beavers, MD Leonardo Fator Gouvea Bonilha, MD, PhD Hiu Wing Cheung, PhD Saurabh Chhabra, MD Frank A. Cuoco, MD, MBA Heather Trantham Davidson, PhD Nathan Graeme Dolloff, PhD Jordan J. Elm, PhD Sara Barnato Giordano, MD Beichu Guo, PhD Colleen Ann Hanlon, PhD Gary F. Headden, MD Melissa H. Henshaw, MD Christine A. Holmstedt, DO Thomas Clayton Jhou, PhD Kusumam Joseph, PhD Christine B. Kern, PhD Gweneth B. Lazenby, MD Xingbao Li, MD Scott Michael Lindhorst, MD
College of Pharmacy Sherine Swee Lin Chan, PhD
Research Communications Do you have exciting research news or findings that you would like to see shared with the community? Email research-comm@musc.edu with some basic information about what you would like shared, and you will be contacted by a communications expert! 3
RESEARCH INKLINGS
SPRING 2015
College of Dental Medicine receives International Recognition for Excellence in Research The MUSC College of Dental Medicine (CDM) has once again received international recognition for excellence in research. This year, at the International Association for Dental Research (IADR), MUSC has two prestigious winners. First, Dr. Reniqua House, postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Visu Palanisamy’s laboratory, won second place in the American Association of Dental Research (AADR) Hatton competition. Because this year the AADR and IADR had a combined meeting, she competed internationally in the International Hatton Competition and took FIRST PLACE in the IADR Hatton competition. Also this year, Emilie Rosset (DMD/PhD candidate) received the AADR Student Research Fellowship (one of 20 students awarded across the US). Her mentor is Dr. Amy Bradshaw in the Department of Medicine.
MUSC Device Innovative Initiative The MUSC Device Innovative Initiative will be held on May 7, 2015 from Noon to 4 pm in the Basic Science Building, room 355. This event is sponsored by the Foundation for Research Development, Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and SC Research Authority. Please contact Jesse Goodwin (843.876.2412; goodwijs@musc.edu) for more details.
SCTR Extramural Grant Review (Mock Review) Assistance SCTR has initiated a Grant Review (Mock Review) service to provide help with extramural grant review assistance. The objective of the mock review service is to increase quality of extramural grant application submissions and improve the success rate of applications being funded. For more information, contact Dayan Ranwala, PhD at ranwala@musc.edu. 4
RESEARCH INKLINGS
SPRING 2015
Governor's Awards for Excellence in Science Lieutenant Governor Henry McMaster presented the 2015 Governor's Awards for Excellence in Science to the University of South Carolina, Furman University and the Medical University of South Carolina in late March. The Governor's Awards for Excellence in Science, administered by South Carolina Academy of Science (SCAS), are among the highest science honors in our state. Perry V. Halushka, MD, PhD, received the Excellence in Scientific Awareness Award. This award is presented to a candidate whose achievements have had significant impact on science education in South Carolina, have promoted wider awareness of science, and are of such high quality that they merit special recognition. With more than 40 years of service to MUSC, Dr. Halushka is a distinguished university professor, professor of pharmacology and medicine, dean emeritus of College of Graduate Studies, director of the Medical Scientist Training Program and co-principal investigator of the South Carolina Clinical and Translational Research Institute. Matthew J. Carpenter, PhD, was honored with the Young Scientist Award for Excellence in Scientific Research. This award is directed to a gifted young researcher who has demonstrated the potential for major contributions to a discipline. Dr. Carpenter is an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences who conducts research through the Hollings Cancer Center’s Cancer Control Program. The Governor's Awards for Science program, established in 1985, was developed to honor an individual or team within the state whose achievements and contributions to science in South Carolina merit special recognition and to promote wider awareness of the quality and extent of scientific activity in South Carolina. 5
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RESEARCH INKLINGS
SPRING 2015
Frontiers in Immunotherapeutics Scientific Retreat Melanoma Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Bruce M. Cronstein, MD, Paul R. Esserman Professor of Medicine in Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, and Pathology, NYU School of Medicine.
The SCTR sponsored Retreat Frontiers in Immunotherapeutics retreat will highlight the latest developments in the field of immune tolerance and cancer immunotherapy. The retreat aims to provide a forum for sharing ideas, professional networking, and opportunities for new collaboration to advance the rapidly expanding field of immunology research and immnuotherapeutics.
Please mark your calendars to attend this event on Tuesday, May 19, 2015 in the Bioengineering Building Room 110. For more information, please contact Dayan Ranwala at 843.792.1498.
The retreat features two keynote speakers: Cassian Yee, MD, Professor, Department of
Symposium on Mentoring for Team Science On Friday, June 5th, 2015, MUSC’s Mentor Leadership Council and Apple Tree Society will host the 2015 SCTR Annual Mentorship Training Symposium - a day focused on academic, clinical, and research mentoring. This year’s theme is Mentoring for Team Science. The symposium keynote speaker is Jeanne-Marie Guise, MD, MPH of Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). Dr. Guise serves as the Institute for Director of OHSU’s Patient-Centered Comparative Effectiveness BIRCWH K12 and AHRQ PatientCentered Outcomes Research K12 Career Development. Throughout the day, the event will discover essential components of effective team science, mentoring, and review lessons learned from several distinguished MUSC “Team Builders”. Mentors and mentees are all welcome to attend. Registration is free, yet required. 6
New NIH Biosketch Format National Institutes of Health and the Agency for Health Research and Quality are requiring a new biosketch format (NOT-OD-15-032) for all competing and noncompeting applications submitted for due dates on or after May 25, 2015. For assistance, please review the resources (http://academicdepartme nts.musc.edu/research/ord/ NIHBiosketch.html).
RESEARCH INKLINGS
SPRING 2015
NIH Seeks Input on Strategies to Optimize Impact and Sustainability of Biomedical Research The National Institutes of Health is requesting input regarding the possible development of new policies and other strategies to improve the impact and sustainability of the NIH-funded biomedical research enterprise. NIH seeks input from researchers, academic institutions, professional societies, and other stakeholders on any or all of these areas: Ø Key issues that currently limit the impact of NIH’s funding for biomedical research and challenge the sustainability of the biomedical research enterprise. Ø Ideas about adjusting current funding policies to ensure both continued impact and sustainability of the NIH-supported research enterprise. Ø Ideas for new policies, strategies, and other approaches that would increase the impact and sustainability of NIH-funded biomedical research. NIH will accept responses through May 17, 2015. Responses must be submitted electronically. For more information, see the April 2 NIH Guide Notice, Optimizing Funding Policies and Other Strategies to Improve the Impact and Sustainability of Biomedical Research (NOT-OD-15-084), as well as a Rock Talk article by Jon Lorsch and Sally Rockey, Give Input on Strategies for Optimizing the Impact and Sustainability of Biomedical Research.
New Neuroscience Institute Director Mark S. Sothmann, PhD,Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, announced that Jacqueline F. McGinty, PhD, Professor of
Neuroscience and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, who currently serves as Interim Dean of the College of Graduate Studies, will become the Director of the MUSC Neuroscience Institute, effective immediately. She replaces Gary Aston-Jones, PhD, who departed MUSC to become Director of the Rutgers University Brain Health Institute in January. The mission of the MUSC Neuroscience Institute is to promote translational research that bridges the gap between basic and clinical sciences, to foster the development of the neuroscience graduate studies program, and to link the local community with MUSC through outreach programs that focus on healthy brain and behavior education. “I look forward to the continued efforts of Dr. McGinty in expanding the reach of neuroscience across MUSC and beyond through the Neuroscience Institute,” said Mark S. Sothmann, PhD. 7
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Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Funding, $2.6 million
David Morrisette, PhD
Kit Simpson, DrPH
Howard Evert, MD, PhD
MUSC’s College of Health Professions will study interventions for chronic lower back pain as part of a national, multi-site study that has been approved for a $14 million funding award from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).
million Americans suffer from some sort of chronic pain, and lower back pain is the leading cause of disability in Americans under 45 years old. More than 26 million Americans between the ages of 20-64 experience frequent back pain.
David Morrisette, PhD, College of Health Professions professor and Physical Therapy program director, will serve as the lead principal investigator for the MUSC site, with support from co-PI Kit Simpson, DrPH, Health Care Leadership and Management and Public Health professor, and Howard Evert, MD, PhD, MUSC Internal Medicine study coinvestigator and Carolina Family Care president.
The national, multi-site study is one of five awards totaling $64.1 million approved by PCORI in February that aim to provide patients with information that will help them to make better-informed decisions about their care. It is also one of the first studies selected for funding through PCORI’s Pragmatic Clinical Studies Initiative, an effort to produce results that are broadly applicable to a greater variety of patients and care situations and can be more quickly taken up in routine clinical practice.
The national, multi-site study will be led by Anthony Delitto, PhD, vice president of education and research for the Centers for Rehab Services, associate dean for research in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and Physical Therapy professor at the University of Pittsburgh. MUSC will receive $2.6 million to conduct research focusing on targeted interventions to prevent chronic lower back pain in high-risk patients. According to The American Academy of Pain Medicine, more than 100
PCORI is an independent, nonprofit organization authorized by Congress in 2010. Its mission is to fund research that will provide patients, their caregivers, and clinicians with the evidence-based information needed to make better-informed health care decisions. The award has been approved pending completion of a business and programmatic review by PCORI staff and issuance of a formal award contract.