LMP News, November 5

Koob awarded NIH funding to study tau protein in tauopathy

Michael Koob is co-PI with Dezhi Liao and lead PI Karen Ashe in a five-year $3 million NIH NIA award to study “The role of tau cleavage and phosphorylation in tauopathy."

El-Ashry receives funding to study breast cancer metastasis

Dorraya El-Ashry has been awarded a two-year $200,000 grant to "Eliminate breast cancer metastasis by targeting the tumor microenvironment."  The award is from Metavivor, a foundation funding metastatic breast cancer research.

Czyzyk awarded American Diabetes Association grant

Jan Czyzyk has been awarded a $99,343 research grant by the American Diabetes Association to study “The role of serpin immunity in human type l diabetes and beta cell proliferation.”  The grant is a re-award to the University from Czyzyk’s previous institution, the University of Rochester.

Killeen appointed MHealth Fairview Executive Medical Director for Lab/Pathology

Tony Killeen has assumed the executive medical director role for Lab/Pathology for MHealth Fairview.  This role will ensure strong academic physician leadership in a key shared clinical area and will work in dyadic partnership with laboratory and pathology administrative leaders.

Powell receives Distinguished Pathologist Award

Debbie Powell received the Distinguished Pathologist Award for her outstanding contributions to the Twin Cities’ pathology community at the annual E.T. Bell symposium.  Debbie has spent her entire career dedicated to outstanding laboratory medicine and pathology training and medical education.

Konety named CEO of University of Minnesota Physicians

Badrinath Konety, MD, MBA has been named the new CEO of University of Minnesota Physicians (UMP) and Vice Dean of Clinical Affairs for the Medical School.  Dr. Konety is a nationally and internationally recognized expert on prostate and bladder cancer and proven academic and clinical leader. He currently serves as the Dougherty Family Chair in Uro-Oncology, Director of the Institute for Prostate and Urologic Cancers, and the Medical School’s Associate Dean for Strategy and Innovation.  He will assume his new role December 1.

Saenger takes on new role at HCMC

Amy Saenger, associate professor, is leaving the University this month to take a position as director of labs at Hennepin County Medical Center.  She will continue to have a faculty appointment in the department.  A search for a clinical chemist is underway.

Celebrate our people on December 6

Once a year we gather to recognize our LMP faculty, staff and students and our UMMC laboratory staff.  The event is scheduled in The Graduate Hotel in the ballroom from 3 – 7 pm.  There will be food and just for fun teach building casino games.  Hope to see you there!

Open Enrollment is underway

Open Enrollment began November 1 and runs through November 30.  The enrollment period is your one time during the year to review your benefit selections and make a change without a qualifying event.  The choices you make during Open Enrollment take effect on January 1, 2019.  Go to MyU/MyBenefits to make your selections.

Medical School research and equipment grants deadline approaching

Research and equipment grants are awarded to Medical School faculty for basic and clinical research. Priority is given to startup funding for new faculty, bridge funding during lapses of an NIH R01 or similar type grants, and equipment funding.  Applications for bridge funding now have four deadlines per year including December 15.

MCC Peer Review Program offers internal peer review assistance

The Peer Review Program through the Masonic Cancer Center’s Research Development Office offers MCC members the opportunity to submit documents for internal peer review prior to external submission. This service is available for a range of documents and can be solicited at any stage throughout the grant/manuscript writing and revision process. Find more information here.

Medical School offers P3 program to help with grant writing

Assistant professors and early-career associate professors are encouraged to apply to the AHC Proposal Preparation Program (P3) being offered this fall.  This program provides interactive, peer grant writing group support for early-career faculty to help prepare for their first K-or R-series NIH grant proposal.  Deadline is November 30. For more information, look here

Faculty publish

Pelaez F, Manuchehrabadi N, Roy P, Natesan H, Wang Y, Racila E, Fong H, Zeng K, Silbaugh AM, Bischof JC, Azarin SM. 2018. Biomaterial scaffolds for non-invasive focal hyperthermia as a potential tool to ablate metastatic cancer cells. Biomaterials. 2018 Jun;166:27-37. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2018.02.048. Epub 2018 Feb 28.

Altawallbeh G, Smith L, Lewis SJ, et al. Pharmacokinetic study of Sudaxine in dog plasma using novel LC–MS/MS method. Drug Test Anal. 2018;1–8. doi.org/10.1002/dta.2507.
 

Upcoming events of interest or things to do

An LMP Clinical Faculty meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, November 7 at 9:00 am (right after Grand Rounds) in 450 MCRB. 

November’s LMP Research Forum scheduled for Thursday, November 8 from 5-7 in the Dale Shepard room at the Campus Club.  Nathan Pankratz will present.

Mark your calendars for the Fall Forum hosted by University of Minnesota Medical School Dean Jakub Tolar, MD, PHD, and Fairview President and CEO James Hereford to discuss the M Health Fairview clinical partnership.  The forum will take place Nov. 14, 3:30-4:30 pm. in room 2-530 Moos Tower and Nov. 15, 3:30-4:30 pm. in Wilf Auditorium on the West Bank.

The Pathway to Publication workshop is scheduled for Dec. 6, 12:30 - 4pm in the McNamara Alumni Center.  All assistant professors or any other faculty are encouraged to attend this half-day, interactive workshop on how to write for peer-reviewed journals.  Here is the link to register.


The Campus Club is offering a fall membership discount from Sept.-Dec. 2018. Receive a 60% discount off of your first-year dues.

Send news to Bill

Please send publications, achievement and event information and announcements you think appropriate for the LMP Newsletter to Bill Hoffman at hoffm003@umn.edu. Also, Bill has an ongoing interest in photographs, images, and story ideas you may have for the LMP website.