Next Week's DSS - Dr. Peter J. McKinnon

The next Distinguished Scientist Seminar will be presented by Dr. Peter J. McKinnon, professor in the department of genetics/tumor cell biology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

His seminar, titled “Genome Stability and the Prevention of Disease in the Nervous System,” will take place Dec. 9, 2010, at 4 p.m. in the Medical Sciences Building auditorium on USA’s main campus.

Dr. McKinnon’s research focuses on understanding the role of the DNA damage response in the nervous system, and how this functions to prevent disease.

Dr. McKinnon received his Ph.D. degree from The Flinders University of South Australia. His research interests include molecular neurobiology, mouse models of human disease, brain tumors, neurodegeneration, and tumor suppressors.

For more information on Dr. McKinnon’s research, click here.  For additional information on the lecture, contact Natalie Kent at (251) 461-1548.

USA Cardiologist Talks About Emerging Data On Vitamin D

Dr. Clara Massey, professor of internal medicine in the division of cardiology at the University of South Alabama, was featured in Monday's Press-Register.

Below is some additional information from Dr. Massey regarding Vitamin D deficiency and how it relates to heart health. To read the entire Press-Register article, click here.

• Traditionally, 95 percent of the body's Vitamin D requirement comes from the skin's synthesis of Vitamin D from ultraviolet B rays from the sun. An SPF of 15 or greater blocks 99 percent of this conversion.
• Only 5 percent of the vitamin D requirement comes from food sources. Highest food sources include cod liver oil, wild caught salmon, farmed salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines.
• At risk populations: elderly, darkly pigmented skin, (higher levels of melanin blocks skin conversion), those who are homebound or institutionalized, smokers, & the obese.
• According to NHANES III (Third National Health & Nutrition Examination Survey), 25-57 percent of adults in the U.S. are Vitamin D deficient.
• Those residing below the 40 degree latitude (south of Atlanta) should be at less risk because they are closer to the equator and therefore closer to the sun. Until now that has been presumed to be the case. But that may not be true, possibly because of increased sunscreen use.
• You should not increase Vitamin D supplements without physician guidance because it can result in Vitamin D toxicity.
• Sun exposure is the simplest and easiest way to enhance Vitamin D levels. However, the face should always be protected. Dr. Massey recommends 10 minutes of sun exposure on the arms and legs between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., 3 times per week during the spring, summer and fall months. This will provide enough Vitamin D stores for a year. The skin destroys excess amounts so its impossible to become Vitamin D toxic from sun exposure.

Med School Café - "Early Detection of Cancer"

The December Med School Café lecture will feature Dr. Silvio W. de Melo Jr., assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine.

His lecture, titled “Early Detection of Cancer,” will take place Dec. 17, 2010, at the Mobile Museum of Art at 4850 Museum Drive in Mobile. Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m., and the presentation begins at noon.

Dr. de Melo, a gastroenterologist who specializes in the detection of cancers through endoscopic ultrasound, will lecture on early detection of a variety of cancers. During the talk, he will provide the latest information on treatment options and explain how early detection ultimately leads to better patient outcomes.

Dr. de Melo earned his medical degree from Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco in Recife, Brazil. He conducted his internal medicine residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

In addition, Dr. de Melo completed a fellowship in gastroenterology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, where he also served as chief fellow, and an advanced endoscopy fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla. He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

The Med School Café lecture and lunch are provided free of charge, but reservations are required. For more information or to make reservations, please call Kim Barnes at (251) 460-7770 or e-mail kebarnes@usouthal.edu.

Med School Café is a free community lecture series sponsored by the USA Physicians Group. Each month, faculty from the USA College of Medicine share their expertise on a specific medical condition, providing insight on the latest treatment available.

Former Radiology Chair Honored through Conference Room Dedication

From left: Dr. Samuel J. Strada, dean of the USA College of Medicine; Mrs. Carol Teplick, wife of former radiology chair Dr. Steven K. Teplick; and Dr. Jeffrey C. Brandon, chair of radiology at USA

The University of South Alabama department of radiology honored former radiology chair Dr. Steven K. Teplick by naming the new educational conference room in his honor.

Dr. Teplick died unexpectedly on Dec. 8, 2009. He served as professor and chair of radiology at USA for close to 15 years.

"Dr. Teplick made meaningful and enduring contributions to our mission during his tenure," said Dr. Samuel J. Strada, dean of the USA College of Medicine. "These contributions include the development of the USA teleradiology program, the conversion from film to digital radiologic imaging and the implementation of PET-CT and digital mammography."

Dr. Jeffrey C. Brandon, chair of radiology at USA, emphasized Dr. Teplick's dedication to teaching. "During his tenure at USA, the department trained 90 radiology residents," Dr. Brandon said. "We as a department are grateful to Dr. Teplick for his service and pleased to have this room bear his name in memory of what he gave us -- a deep dedication to fostering resident education."

USA Trauma Surgeon Shares First-Hand Experiences at Disaster Preparedness Meeting

Dr. Sidney Brevard, associate professor of surgery at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, will speak at the opening session of HealthSouth Corporation’s Annual Medical Directors’ meeting. The meeting will be held at the Lowes Hotel in New Orleans on Dec. 5, 2010.

This year’s meeting focuses on disaster preparedness. Dr. Brevard, who was working at Charity Hospital in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, will share his first-hand experiences.

"We spent five days in the hospital," Dr. Brevard said. "More than 1,000 staff and patients were there at the time, and we had no electricity, no running water and a minimal supply of food and medication. With 20 years of military training in the Air Force, I treated the situation like another deployment. It was very similar."

Dr. Brevard currently serves as a trauma surgeon in the Level I Trauma Center at the USA Medical Center. Prior to his appointment at USA, he was director of the Air Force Center for Sustainment of Trauma and Readiness Skills (CSTARS) in Baltimore.

Dr. Brevard is certified by the American Board of Surgery in general surgery and critical care. He is a diplomat for the American Board of Surgery, a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and a member of the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the Society of Air Force Clinical Surgeons and the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma.