Results from ovarian cancer study at MCI published in The Lancet Oncology

USA Health research demonstrating that a vaccine made from patients’ own tumors could extend the lives of women with late-stage ovarian cancer, particularly those without a BRCA gene mutation, has been published in the December 2020 issue of The Lancet Oncology. The work originally was presented at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology in March. 

“This vaccine is as targeted as targeted therapy can get,” said Rodney P. Rocconi, M.D., Elsie Colle Chair of Oncology Research at the USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute and professor of gynecologic oncology at the USA College of Medicine. “It uses specific techniques to recruit the immune system to target each patient’s specific cancer antigens, ensuring the vaccine specifically attacks the correct target, the cancer.”

The phase 2 clinical trial involved 91 women with stage 3 and stage 4 ovarian cancer who had completed primary chemotherapy and were randomized to a Vigil vaccine or a placebo. The Vigil vaccine is a genetically engineered vaccine made from cancer cells acquired from patients during surgery. Researchers found that the vaccine improved survival with low toxicity.

Patients who received the Vigil vaccine experienced an extended cancer-free survival from 8.4 months for the control group to 12.6 months. When stratifying patients for BRCA gene mutations, patients without a BRCA gene mutation who received the vaccine demonstrated enhanced efficacy for both cancer-free survival (19.4 months versus 14.8 months) and overall survival. 

“These significant results, specifically in patients without a BRCA gene mutation, are a novel discovery that could affect the standard of care for those BRCA-negative patients, which has not changed in nearly 25 years,” Rocconi said.

Rocconi said that the prognosis for patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer remains poor overall. Although most women have a complete response to initial therapy, the majority experience a recurrence. Any improvement in reducing recurrence or extending the time spent cancer free is a big step forward in treatment, he said.

Read the article in The Lancet Oncology.

USA scientist named council member of international society

Aishwarya Prakash, Ph.D., associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, has been named as a council member of the Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society. Prakash was among five members recently elected to serve three-year terms. She joins Natalie Gassman, Ph.D., assistant professor of physiology and cell biology, as the only USA College of Medicine faculty on the council.

The Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society (EMGS) consists of academic, industrial and governmental researchers. It focuses on the study of environmental impact on human health and the role that genetics can play in diseases. 

EMGS Council members are responsible for collecting and distributing resources, establishing policies, approving plans within the program, overseeing the society’s work, and reporting to other members. Members are nominated to be a potential counselor, and others participate in an online voting process to determine which nominees will join the council.

Prakash initially became a member of EMGS in 2017. Support for junior faculty, she said, drew her to the group: “It’s been a great support. It really helped during my first few years because it gave me an opportunity to present my work at annual meetings and meet like-minded scientists,” she said.

Prakash was awarded the EMGS Young Scientist Award in 2018. She also is a member of multiple committees within the group, including the Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis Editor’s Choice team. She is the chair of the Young Scientist Award committee and co-chair of the Women in the EMGS committee. In 2020, Prakash was selected as the Young Investigator co-chair for EMGS Annual Meeting, where she participated in organizing and planning the EMGS annual meeting that was held virtually in 2020. She also was elected to be the co-chair of the EMGS DNA Repair Special Interest Group, also a three-year term. 

Student’s poster on vaccinations wins infographic competition

Second-year medical student Ian Thompson hopes to dispel some myths about vaccine safety with an infographic poster he designed. As the winner of a recent competition, hosted by the USA College of Medicine’s Public Health Interest Group, Thompson will have his work displayed in USA Health facilities. 

The competition invited students to submit one-page designs on a number of health topics with the goal of helping USA Health patients make more informed decisions about their health, said Gisella Ward, MPH, a fourth-year medical student and president of the Public Health Interest Group.

Ian Thompson

“Students were able to be creative and marry the art and science of medicine to promote public health,” Ward said. “Helping educate our patients in a variety of ways teaches them self-efficacy to inform and improve their own health outcomes. They are more compliant when they understand the risks and benefits of their decisions.”

The infographics were judged by a panel of USA and USA Health faculty and physicians.

“I'm incredibly grateful that my work was selected for this honor,” said Thompson, who also won a $25 Amazon gift card. “USA Health serves a large and diverse patient population; and while it's admittedly intimidating to know that so many people will see my infographic, it's also nice to know that my efforts may inspire them to take action.”

Thompson, who had some experience designing flyers during his undergraduate studies, said he considered a few topics for the infographic competition such as diabetes and handwashing. He settled on vaccinations after realizing how much misinformation there was about them.

“People tend to fear what they don't properly understand; but as we learn more, it becomes easier for us to realize that we actually have nothing to be afraid of,” he said. “It is my hope that my infographic will eliminate some common misconceptions about vaccines.”

Faculty needed for the USA College of Medicine Primary Care Pathway Program

In this pre-pandemic photo, Allen Perkins, M.D., MPH, 

far right, walks with faculty and medical students.

The pandemic has shed more light on the critical need for physicians with public health and leadership skills in Alabama and beyond. With that in mind, faculty instructors and mentors are now being recruited to help students excel in this new reality as part of the recently launched Primary Care Pathway Program at the USA College of Medicine.

Training for interested faculty members will begin in January.

The Primary Care Pathway Program provides medical students specialized training in primary care at community health centers in Alabama. The goal is to increase the number of primary care physicians in underserved areas and provide them with the skills necessary to improve the health of the communities. 

USA Health faculty who participate will receive:

• Twenty-four hours of continuing education credit following completion of the program 
• Faculty development through workshop sessions via Zoom or in person 

Faculty will instruct students on topics such as leadership, population health sciences, social determinants of health and opioid and substance abuse screening, which are topics covered in the CME course. 

“I strongly encourage all faculty interested in the health of the population, not just primary care faculty, to consider joining this program to better serve our medical students who will be providing care in a post-COVID environment,” said Allen Perkins, M.D., MPH, chair of family medicine and principal investigator for the project. “Those who choose to take part will ultimately have a hand in shaping the future of healthcare.”

Those interested should contact Emmaline Barnhill, project manager for the Department of Family Medicine, via email at ebarnhill@health.southalabama.edu. 

Students are chosen for the Primary Care Pathway Program based on an interest in primary care and a willingness to commit to the practice following residency training.  

Medical student studies metastatic breast cancer treatment data to improve therapeutic options

With the goal of improving therapeutic options for breast cancer patients, Aidan Gilbert, MPH, a second-year medical student at the USA College of Medicine, recently studied the treatment patterns of nearly 1,700 patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC).

Using data visualization – graphic representations of information and data – he examined the sequence of treatments and how those patterns related to patient survival.

“Metastatic breast cancer is a debilitating terminal disease that affects thousands of women each year,” Gilbert said. “I think it’s of the utmost importance for physicians and researchers to continue research in this field in an attempt to improve therapeutic options, whether that is the development of novel treatments, or more in line with what we have done here in trying to understand treatment patterns that may confer survival benefits.” 

Results from the study, “Utilizing Data Visualization to Identify Survival and Treatment Differences Between Women with De Novo and Recurrent Metastatic Breast Cancer,” were published in Clinical Breast Cancer, a peer-reviewed bimonthly journal. 

De novo is stage IV breast cancer in which the patient has metastatic disease on day one of diagnosis. Recurrent metastatic breast cancer is when the patient presents with early stage (I-III) cancer; receives surgery, chemotherapy or both; and then later develops metastatic disease.

There are three major subtypes of breast cancer: hormone receptor positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (HR+/HER2-); human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive (HER2+); and triple negative, meaning HR negative and HER2 negative (TNBC). 

“Using data visualization techniques that we developed, our study found that, when stratified by the three major breast cancer subtypes, and de novo versus recurrent metastatic breast cancer, there were observable differences in treatment sequencing and survival,” Gilbert said.

The most significant clinical findings were:

• HER2-targeted therapy is used across the continuum of the cancer course in both de novo and recurrent disease.
• In HR+/HER2- breast cancer, chemotherapy is administered more often early in the course of disease for patients with de novo breast cancer than those with recurrent metastatic breast cancer. So, there is a more aggressive treatment approach up front in de novo compared to recurrent.
• Treatment breaks are common amongst patients with long survival in triple negative breast cancer.

The treatment patterns and survival differences between de novo and recurrent MBC means there is a distinction between them. Therefore, Gilbert said, “they should be considered that way and not just under the umbrella of metastatic breast cancer.”  

Gilbert said data visualization techniques, in conjunction with more traditional statistical analyses, can be useful in predicting the success of an entire treatment course from the point of diagnosis rather than the immediate effects of an individual treatment.

This retrospective study evaluated treatment patterns of 1,668 patients with de novo and recurrent MBC using the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s CancerLinQ Discovery database.

Research aims to improve outlook for Black women with endometrial cancer

Natalie Gassman, Ph.D., assistant professor of physiology and cell biology, and Nathaniel Jones, M.D., assistant professor of gynecologic oncology, collaborate on research at the Mitchell Cancer Institute.

As a gynecologic oncologist, Nathaniel Jones, M.D., treats women with endometrial cancer at the USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute. As a physician-scientist, Jones wants to know why Black women have worse outcomes from the disease, the most common gynecologic cancer in women in the United States, and what can be done to improve their odds. 

Despite recent advancements in care, Black women are 60 percent more likely to die from endometrial cancer – a cancer that develops in the uterus – compared with women of other races.  

As an assistant professor of gynecologic oncology, Jones is beginning a research project to address this difference in Black women. His research will use a new method developed at the MCI to measure DNA damage in the tumors of endometrial cancer patients and determine whether DNA repair defects can predict how patients will respond to immunotherapy. The research is being funded by a two-year mentored grant from the National Institutes of Health.

“Ultimately, I hope our work helps change the way we triage endometrial cancer patients who come to us for treatment,” Jones said. “We have a large population of Black women who we treat here, and it is difficult knowing that they will have worse outcomes compared with white women receiving the same treatment. This research really hits close to home for us.”

Jones proposes to use Repair Assisted Damage Detection (RADD), a new method of assessing DNA damage in tumor tissue that was developed by cancer researcher Natalie Gassman, Ph.D., assistant professor of physiology and cell biology at the USA College of Medicine. 

The RADD method harnesses the specificity of DNA repair enzymes to detect and remove DNA damage, then tags the damage sites with a fluorescent dye to allow for quantification of damage levels on a single cell level. RADD characterizes the unrepaired DNA damage left behind by defective repair machinery to understand the impact of DNA repair defects in cells and in the tumor. The technique can even be employed rapidly by pathology labs, with DNA damage measurements made within 24 hours. 

“There is no comparable technology available that can assess DNA damage within tissue samples,” Jones said.

He intends to use findings about DNA damage to see whether there is a correlation between damage and survival rates in endometrial cancer patients. He also wants to determine whether patients with significant DNA damage are more responsive to immunotherapy. Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that boosts the body’s natural defenses to find and destroy cancer cells.

The technique will allow DNA damage to be assessed on individual patients’ tumors so that physicians can make better informed decisions about treatment, such as prescribing immunotherapy prior to the standard regimen of chemotherapy.

Jones wants to take the research a step further by measuring the immune response to therapy among Black women with various percentages of African American genetic makeup.  “The study will strive to more completely understand the relationship between DNA damage levels, therapeutic response and disease outcomes for patients stratified by the genetic definition of race,” he said. “We intend to provide a novel perspective on uterine cancer health disparities and create models for personalized medicine for minority populations.”

MCI operates the largest gynecologic oncology practice in the upper Gulf Coast region and has a reputation for impactful research into cancer health disparities, said Rodney Rocconi, M.D., the Elsie Colle Chair of Oncology Research and associate director for clinical research and professor of gynecologic oncology at MCI. 

“Despite the focus to improve cancer outcomes in people of color, unfortunately, our Deep South region has some of the worst cancer inequities in the country,” said Rocconi, who will serve as mentor to Jones for the research project. “Our prior work has shown that when controlling for social and treatment factors, even within clinical trials, that a worse survival still exists for Black patients with uterine cancers, including endometrial cancer. This project should improve the treatment for Black women with endometrial cancer and hopefully close the survival gap, so that more women can live longer, healthier lives.”

Townsley set to retire at the end of 2020

One of the USA College of Medicine’s most consistent faculty and administrative presences is retiring at the end of December.

Mary I. Townsley, Ph.D., senior associate dean for the college and professor of physiology and cell biology and internal medicine, will end a tenure that has lasted more than three decades.

“It has been exhilarating to watch the College of Medicine grow through the years, both with respect to research and to our educational programs,” Townsley said. “The community of colleagues, administrators, staff and trainees I've interacted with here have made my time at South extremely rewarding."

Townsley joined the faculty at the USA College of Medicine in 1988, also completing postdoctoral training at USA from 1983 to 1986. A physiologist by training, Townsley served in a number of administrative roles, in addition to being a researcher, instructor and mentor.

“I cannot underestimate the impact Mary has had on the development and growth of our College of Medicine,” said. John V. Marymont, M.D., MBA, dean of the USA College of Medicine and vice president for medical affairs. “There are very few areas, if any at all, that Mary has not been involved with during her time here. Her most recent project that she saw to completion was the development of a new medical student center.”

After completing her postdoctoral fellowship, Townsley joined the faculty at the Northeastern Ohio University College of Medicine before returning to USA as an assistant professor of physiology. While moving up the ranks as a faculty member, becoming a full professor in physiology in 1995, she also was building her administrative portfolio. She served as the director of graduate studies, director of the interdisciplinary graduate program in basic medical sciences, director of the training program in the Center for Lung Biology, assistant and then associate dean for faculty affairs, and interim chair of physiology and cell biology before taking on her current role, first as interim in 2016 and permanent senior associate dean in 2017.

Townsley is an accomplished researcher, having secured federal funding for much of her scientific career. Her research emphasis has been on understanding the mechanisms associated with acute lung injury.

Please join us Friday, Dec. 18 at 2 p.m. for a virtual retirement celebration. The Zoom link for the celebration is https://southalabama.zoom.us/j/97877576205.

Anyone who wishes to send thoughts and messages to Townsley may do so at mtownsley@southalabama.edu. Those who want to deliver cards or handwritten messages may drop them in the mailbox outside the dean’s office or send them to: 5795 USA Drive N, CSAB 170, Mobile, AL 36688.

Minto completes national leadership training focused on women

T.J. Hundley, M.D., associate dean for medical education, 

presents Elizabeth Minto, M.D., assistant professor of 

neurology, with a certificate and award for completing 

the Women Leading in Neurology program.

Elizabeth Minto, M.D., assistant professor of neurology at the USA College of Medicine and a neurologist with USA Health, recently completed a national leadership training program. After a competitive application process, she was accepted to the American Academy of Neurology’s (AAN) Women Leading in Neurology program.

Over the course of a year, Minto, who is also director of clinical skills in the College of Medicine, completed a customized leadership curriculum and received one-on-one guidance from an AAN mentor to help focus her career and leadership goals as well as devise specific strategies to achieve these goals. 

“As a female neurologist in a leadership role within our academic institution, I applied for the program to better reflect on my leadership strengths and areas for growth and to broaden my network of female leaders in a field where there are far more men in leadership roles,” Minto said. “This program was extraordinarily helpful to me in evaluating how I can best continue to excel in my career goals, teaching, and patient care while taking into account the different ways that women can often be perceived in this role versus men.”

Minto said the program was centered on mindful leadership, focusing on understanding one’s self (including a personal mission, goals, and values), followed by leading a team, and then leading within an organization while always keeping one’s personal goals and values in mind. 

“The focus on mindfulness and being mission-driven was truly transformative, and the experience was extremely positive,” Minto said. 

In the 2020 class, Minto joined 11 other female neurologists from institutions across the United States, including the National Institutes of Health, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, and UCLA. While their meetings transitioned from an in-person to a remote format with the March shutdown, the group still meets monthly to provide support and community to one another.

Phung led session of international dermatopathology meeting

Thuy Phung, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of pathology at the USA College of Medicine and director of molecular genetic pathology and dermatopathology, was invited to chair a session of the second annual meeting of the Asian Society of Dermatopathology, held virtually in November. 

Dermatopathology is the study of skin pathology and a subspecialty of dermatology and pathology. Phung's duties as chair was to lead the session “Update in Soft Tissue Tumor and Nail Tumor,” introduce each of the speakers with a brief summary of professional qualifications and achievements, and moderate the question-and-answer period after the talks.

“The participants got to hear lectures from leading authorities in dermatopathology and dermatology, on a wide array of clinically important disease entities in cancers of the skin and soft tissues as well as a great talk on the unique and rare pathologies of the nail apparatus,” she said.

Phung, who joined the faculty in March 2020, said she was honored to represent the USA College of Medicine at the international meeting, which featured speakers from Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific countries. The combined dermatopathology and dermatology meeting had more than 1,000 participants. 

“It was an honor to meet virtually and work with the invited speakers from across the globe in this forum. Despite the challenges imposed by the pandemic, we were able to hold a highly successful meeting with probably more participants in the online virtual format than if we were to have the meeting live in person in the traditional way,” Phung said. “We were able to attract more trainees and young professionals to the meeting this year because of this new format, and to expand our reach to those who may not have been able to afford to travel to the meeting on site.”

USA research on NAD+ featured in national journal’s special issue

Kate Saville, a student in the Basic Medical Sciences Graduate Program, and Robert Sobol, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology, are studying the role NAD+ plays in cancer research.

Scientists at the USA College of Medicine and the Mitchell Cancer Institute have extensively researched nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, or NAD+, and the role it plays in cancer research and treatment effectiveness for patients. 

NAD+, also known as an energy molecule, is essential for the survival of every cell in the body. The article titled “NAD+ mediated regulation of mammalian base excision repair,” describes several cell pathways that are influenced by NAD+ that can cause cells to become damaged or mutate. The work was highlighted in the October special issue of the scientific journal, DNA Repair. 

The article also explores how NAD+ helps to maintain an intact genome in each cell in the body. Genomes, comprised of DNA, are a complete set of genetic instructions. Each genome contains all the information needed to build an organism and allow it to grow and develop. 

“NAD+ is a vitamin B3-related molecule. It is critical for the role it plays in the body’s metabolism and maintaining our genome, which is crucial for patients battling cancer,” said Robert W. Sobol, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology at the USA College of Medicine and chief of the Molecular & Metabolic Oncology Program at the Mitchell Cancer Institute. 

MCI researchers are using their findings to better understand why some cancer treatment responses may be affected differently depending on the patient’s vitamin B3 dietary intake and how a cancerous tumor can grow and spread because of a patient’s metabolism. 

“We’ve been studying NAD+ for many years at the Mitchell Cancer Institute and we’re working to find better solutions for patients with cancer and how we conduct our research,” Sobol said. “It is exciting to be featured in a national journal that showcases our work.”

The special issue was published to honor the editor-in-chief, Samuel H. Wilson, M.D., who has been involved in breakthrough scientific reports on DNA. The work conducted at the Mitchell Cancer Institute was chosen along with work from 23 research labs from around the world to contribute short review articles. 

“It was a privilege to be represented in this special issue as we pay tribute to Dr. Wilson and his contributions to science,” Sobol said. “The work conducted through the Molecular & Metabolic Oncology Program focuses on the cellular mechanisms of DNA repair and metabolism and how these processes impact cancer treatment. We are guided by Dr. Wilson’s teachings and use his resources as a tool for our research.”

The article was written by Sobol and Kate Saville, a USA College of Medicine graduate student. Co-authors from the USA College of Medicine and MCI include Jennifer Clark, Ph.D., instructor of pharmacology; Anna Wilk, Ph.D., instructor of pharmacology; Joel Andrews, Ph.D., manager of the MCI Cellular and Bimolecular Imaging Facility; Christopher Koczor, Ph.D., instructor of pharmacology; and Greyson Rogers, an undergraduate researcher.

Details set for 2020 College of Medicine Research Forum

The USA College of Medicine Research Forum will be held from 8:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11. This year's forum will be presented virtually via Zoom.

John Marymont, M.D., dean of the USA College of Medicine and vice president for medical affairs, and Sarah Sayner, Ph.D., associate professor of physiology and cell biology, will deliver opening remarks.

Fifty-three abstracts, distributed over nine Zoom sessions, will be presented during the forum. 

Starting at noon, three faculty members will give presentations: Meghan Hermance, Ph.D., assistant professor of microbiology and immunology; Amy Nelson, assistant professor of physiology and cell biology; and Thuy Phung, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of pathology.

Zoom links are provided on the Canvas portal. Beginning on Wednesday, Dec. 9, all registrants to the forum can access the COM Research Forum Canvas portal, where they can review the forum's program and all materials submitted by poster presenters (three-minute video/audio with an overview of their work, plus PDF poster file).

All basic medical sciences graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and faculty of the USA College of Medicine will be automatically registered to the Canvas portal COM Research Forum. Others interested in participating should contact Angie O’Neal at aoneal@southalabama.edu to access the Canvas portal for this virtual forum.

Medical student to present findings on diabetes, COVID outcomes at national symposium

Lexie Gibson, fourth-year medical student

In March, when the pandemic was beginning to spread, medical students at the USA College of Medicine were selected to help manage data from COVID-19 testing performed by USA Health. 

Lexie Gibson, a fourth-year medical student from Eufaula, Ala., took the opportunity to delve into the data to study associated factors, long-term outcomes in the current population and to contribute to larger, national data sets for more comprehensive study. “One of the things I was interested in was pre-existing diabetes and how it affects outcomes,” Gibson said.

Recognizing that diabetes is associated with decreased immunity, Gibson mined the data to see how many of the 600 people tested from March through June had a previous diabetes diagnosis. She found that the percentage of diabetes was 15.2 percent – a bit higher than the state average of 14.5 percent.

Gibson also discovered that among patients who tested positive for COVID-19, those with diabetes mellitus – a metabolic disease that causes high blood sugar – had significantly higher rates of hospitalization, worse outcomes and higher rates of death secondary to COVID-19. Findings such as these are critical for patient care because so much is still unknown about COVID-19. She will present these findings in a poster presentation at the American Medical Association Research Symposium, which is being held virtually Dec. 3-6.

“It was interesting to see how the prevalence rate of diabetes in our COVID-positive patient population compared with both state and national prevalence rates because it may reflect the increased inherent risk of our patient population as well as illustrate underlying health disparities specific to our population,” she said.

Gibson was among the first medical students selected for this COVID-19 data project, said Casey L. Daniel, Ph.D., M.P.H, director of epidemiology and public health at USA and assistant professor of family medicine at the USA College of Medicine. 

The goals of the project were to inform health system coordination and policies in real time to ensure maximization of limited resources and provide critical information for epidemiologic study of COVID 19. Gibson’s project was part of the latter work.

“The project is so important because it provides vital information for epidemiologic study of COVID-19 as well as potentially associated factors among patients,” Daniel said “We know there are disparities among COVID patients, and we are in a position to provide more data about that to the larger body of literature because of the diversity in our population. We have the potential to provide insights that other, less diverse regions are not.”

In partnership with the City of Mobile, USA Health has operated a drive-through public testing site since March 2020. 

Mark your calendar: Upcoming grand rounds

Surgery Grand Rounds
"Types of Anesthesia and Complications"
Kai Rodning, M.D., anesthesia specialist, University Hospital
7 to 8 a.m. Friday, Dec. 4
Zoom: https://usahealthsystem.zoom.us//j/95461821786
Contact: Tyronda Rogers at 251-445-8230 or tmrogers@health.southalabama.edu

OB-GYN Grand Rounds
"Update in Type 2 Diabetes"
Wilburn Bolton, M.D., assistant professor of internal medicine, USA College of Medicine
7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 4
Zoom registration: https://southalabama.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUuf-Gsrz0oH9PNDOgKTE4Fh6h_j4keBDL
Contact: Heather Glass at 251-415-1492 or nholliday@health.southalaba.edu

Cardiology Grand Rounds
"Rivaroxaban for Valvular Heart Disease and Atrial Fibrillation - RIVER Trial"
Muhammad Rafique, M.D., cardiology fellow, University Hospital
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4
Heart Center Conference Room, University Hospital
Contact: Donna Gregory at 251-471-7919 or dgregory@health.southalabama.edu

Surgery Grand Rounds
"Trauma"
Jon Simmons, M.D., FACS, professor of surgery, USA College of Medicine
7 to 8 a.m. Friday, Dec. 11
Zoom: https://usahealthsystem.zoom.us/j/96103821143
Contact: Tyronda Rogers at 251-445-8230 or tmrogers@health.southalabama.edu

Piazza receives grant to further study potential treatment for aggressive cancers

Gary Piazza, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology, is studying how RAS inhibitors may help treat aggressive cancers.

Developing new treatments for aggressive cancers is the goal of a collaboration between a researcher at the USA College of Medicine and colleagues throughout the state. 

Gary Piazza, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology at the USA College of Medicine, leader of the Drug Discovery Research Center at the Mitchell Cancer Institute, and co-lead investigator of the project, discovered and developed a novel RAS inhibitor class. RAS inhibitors may help treat aggressive cancers that are RAS-driven such as pancreatic, colon and lung cancers.

RAS is a protein sending signals to a chain of proteins that converge on the nucleus to alter gene transcription. Mutations of RAS oncogenes signal cancer cells to grow and spread throughout the body. Oncogenes, or cancer-causing genes such as RAS, can transform a cell into a tumor cell, in certain circumstances. 

RAS inhibitors have not yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration but represent a potential new treatment for aggressive cancers, Piazza said. RAS inhibitors are in clinical trials, but would be limited to patients diagnosed with a specific type of RAS mutation.

Piazza hopes his discovery of a novel class of a RAS inhibitor could prove to be effective for a broader group of patients diagnosed with any type of RAS mutation. 

“To receive this grant is an important step forward to accelerate our research so that we can develop more effective and safer therapeutics for patients with aggressive cancers,” Piazza said. 

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA), or pancreatic cancer, is among the deadliest cancers with a 10 percent, five-year survival rate and is often diagnosed in advanced stages. Mutated forms of RAS genes occur in more than 90 percent of patients with PDA. 

Piazza spearheads the project with a University of Alabama at Birmingham researcher, Donald Buchsbaum, Ph.D. They plan to continue their research by preparing cancer cells, derived from patients with pancreatic cancer, to evaluate the anticancer activity of their novel RAS inhibitor class.  

The grant is part of the Richard A. Elkus, M.D. Eminent Scholars Fund in Gastrointestinal Oncology at UAB. It promotes innovative research and scientific understanding of gastrointestinal cancers, especially pancreatic cancer. The ultimate goal of the fund is to create new therapeutics for thousands of Americans suffering with gastrointestinal cancers.

Virtual COM Research Forum set for Dec. 11

This year's forum will be a virtual format.

The USA College of Medicine Research Forum highlights outstanding biomedical research under way in the medical school and its partners. Graduate students in the Basic Medical Sciences Program and postdoctoral fellows will present their research at the 2020 COM Research Forum. 

The forum is set for 8:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11. This year's forum will be a virtual format in the Canvas portal. 

Exceptional projects and presenters will be highlighted in two categories: Best Graduate Student Presentations (1st, 2nd and 3rd place) and Best Postdoctoral Fellow Presentation.

All BMS graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and faculty of the USA College of Medicine automatically will be registered to the Canvas portal COM Research Forum. Others interested in participating should contact Angie O’Neal at aoneal@southalabama.edu to gain access to the Canvas portal for this virtual forum.

For details, visit the COM Research Forum web page. 

Audia receives grant to study pneumonia, inflammation and sepsis

Jonathon P. Audia, Ph.D., professor of microbiology and immunology, is investigating the molecular pathogenesis of pneumonia, inflammation and sepsis.

With a long-term goal of developing new therapeutic and diagnostic procedures to improve the outcomes of critically ill patients with pneumonia and sepsis, Jonathon P. Audia, Ph.D., professor of microbiology and immunology, received $50,000 through the 2020 College of Medicine Faculty Intramural Grants Program Research Awards.

He and other University of South Alabama collaborators will use the funds to further investigate the molecular pathogenesis of pneumonia, inflammation and sepsis using his established Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection models.

Pioneering, interdisciplinary research efforts spearheaded through the USA College of Medicine Center for Lung Biology have produced evidence to suggest that Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial pneumonia triggers production of cytotoxic amyloids in the lung as a pathological mechanism that underlies organ failure and decreased mental function. 

While amyloids are well-known causes of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, the links between pneumonia, amyloids and neurocognitive dysfunction is an emerging field of interest, Audia said. 

As part of an ongoing National Institutes of Health funded study on the role of inflammasomes in protecting the lung during pneumonia and sepsis, Audia’s research team made the serendipitous discovery that caspase-1 is able to detoxify amyloids, negating their negative effects. Caspase-1 is a component of inflammasomes that promotes harmful inflammation in the body.

“This new avenue of research in my lab is due in large part to the efforts of Nicole Housley who developed the key biochemical and cell biology assays that laid critical ground work,” Audia said.

The proposed studies represent a new collaboration between Audia’s research group and the laboratory of David Weber, Ph.D., professor of physiology and cell biology. 

Audia said the new collaboration will allow an extension of the biological relevance of the study by investigating the vascular pathology induced by the P. aeruginosa infection model.

Mark your calendar for upcoming grand rounds

OB-GYN Grand Rounds
"Evaluation and Management 2021"
Tammy G. Heim, director of physician education and compliance, ACS
7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 20
Children’s & Women's Hospital, Atlantis Room
Contact: Heather Glass at 251-415-1492 or hglass@health.southalabama.edu

Cardiology Grand Rounds
"Atherosclerosis and Inflammation"

Amod Amritphale, M.D., assistant professor of internal medicine, USA College of Medicine

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20
University Hospital, Cardiology Conference Room
Contact: Donna Gregory at 251-471-7923 or dgregory@health.southalabama.edu

Video now online: 'Advances in Lung Cancer Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment'

Brian Persing, M.D., assistant professor of interdisciplinary clinical oncology and a medical oncologist with the USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute, presented “Advances in Lung Cancer Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment” at Med School Café. 

Persing discussed recent guidelines for lung cancer screening as well as the use of robotic bronchoscopy, now available at USA Health, for immediate lung cancer diagnosis. He also talked about treatments for lung cancer, including advances in immunotherapy, that have significantly improved the outlook for patients.

Watch the presentation on YouTube or below.

Pediatric grand rounds: Early hearing detection and intervention

Kari Bradham, D.O., assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine and a pediatrician with USA Health, will present November’s pediatric grand rounds. The presentation, "Early Hearing Detection and Intervention," will be held at 8 a.m. Friday, Nov. 20, via Zoom.

Bradham will discuss the causes of hearing loss, the importance of 1-3-6 guidelines, the role of the medical home in providing care to children who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH), and when to refer to specialists in otolaryngology, early intervention, genetics, and/or ophthalmology.

The presentation will also cover what automated auditory brainstem response (AABR) and otoacoustic emissions (OAE) are and the differences between the hearing screens, as well as which should be used for initial screening and why. 

Register for the Zoom presentation at  https://southalabama.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUkceGqrz0tEtacBdc3GhOb5lPXLvvmq6HH.

For questions or additional information about this month’s pediatric grand rounds, contact Jessica Petro at jpetro@health.southalabama.edu or by calling 251-415-8688. 

Pediatric grand rounds are held on the third Friday of every month. Staff members can suggest future speakers by contacting Haidee Custodio at hcustodio@health.southalabama.edu. 

Students enjoy opening of COM Medical Student Center

Andy Hu, a second-year medical student, works on his laptop in the COM Medical Student Center. 

A new 5,000-square foot space opened last week for students at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine to study, collaborate, exercise or simply take a break from the pressures of medical school. 

Located on the first floor of the Medical Sciences Building, in suite 1200, the COM Medical Student Center features an open lounge area, small study rooms with floor-to-ceiling glass fronts, a room with exercise bikes, and a kitchenette break area. Medical students have 24-hour access to the center, and entry is controlled by an electronic fob system for security.

First-year medical student Carey Johnson studies in one
of the rooms.

First-year medical student Carey Johnson, who serves as president of his class, eagerly anticipated the opening of the new space. “We’re all really excited,” he said. “We watched the construction progress, and now we’re finally able to get into the space.” 

The Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the USA College of Medicine’s accreditation body, has a standard that medical schools must provide sufficient space for study and relaxation. The previous space set aside for this purpose was about 800 square feet. 

“This is a much larger space than we had upstairs,” Johnson said. “It’s definitely an upgrade.”

John Marymont, M.D., MBA, vice president for medical affairs and dean of the USA College of Medicine, said the medical students now have a multipurpose space to call their own. “A lot of work has gone into the planning, construction and opening of the Medical Student Center, so we are pleased that the students are enjoying all the different aspects of the new space,” he said.

Mary Townsley, Ph.D., senior associate dean at the USA College of Medicine, said the plan for opening the center for students had to be approved by the university’s reopening committee to meet COVID-19 restrictions. Occupancy for each space was set to allow for social distancing, and the number of chairs in each space is limited to those occupancy numbers, she said. Masks are required, and plexiglass shields on the tables further enhance student safety.

Certain features of the center have not been implemented yet because of COVID safety precautions. For now, eating and drinking are prohibited in the center; so the coffee makers and microwaves are not in place, and the refrigerator is not in use. 

“With everything going on, it just shows how much effort and thought went into making sure the students feel comfortable studying here,” said Jordan Ingram, a first-year medical student, noting the safety measures.

Ingram said the pandemic has made her particularly appreciative of being able to come together with her peers. “Sometimes it can feel isolating, so being able to come in here and see people and study together is really nice,” she said.

Second-year medical student Natalie Kidd tests
out one of the exercise bikes with her classmate
Baylee Edwards.

Sitting at one of the tables with Ingram, second-year medical student Andy Hu agreed: “It really shows that the school cares about us and our well-being.” 

Hu, who serves as class treasurer, said it’s important that medical students have their own space. When he studies at Marx Library or even the biomedical sciences library, he rarely sees anyone he knows. “But, when we come in here now, we can see some of our classmates,” he said. “If you get lost on a concept or want to ask them something, it’s so much easier here, versus being by yourself.” 

Second-year medical students Natalie Kidd and Baylee Edwards occupied one of the study rooms. 

Edwards looks forward to the collaboration that can now take place among first- and second-year medical students in the new center. “It will be a great opportunity for M1s to interact with M2s, because we have separate lecture halls, and we don’t have a lot of time together otherwise,” she said.

Kidd, who serves as her class president, took in the atmosphere of the center. “It’s really calming, which is great because our lives are high-key,” she said. “We have a lot on our plates, so it’s nice to have one space where we can do everything.”

OB-GYN Interest Group hosts menstrual product drive

Members of the Ob-Gyn Interest Group, from
left, Annie Xu, Macy Vickers, Rennan Zaharias
and Anna Woodham deliver menstrual products
to local women's shelters. 

Women and girls at local shelters now have more of the products they need for their menstrual cycles thanks to the efforts of students at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. 

Inspired by the group’s collaboration with Period the Menstrual Movement, members of the OB-GYN Interest Group hosted a period product drive for the women of Penelope House and McKemie Place. Period is a global nonprofit organization that aims to end period poverty and stigma through service, advocacy and education.

The group chose to support Penelope House, a shelter for women and their children escaping from domestic violence, and McKemie Place, a community shelter exclusively for women, because women and girls experiencing housing instability may not have access to or the resources to purchase feminine hygiene products. 

“Our hearts go out to these women in imagining how difficult it would be to take care of one’s menstrual cycle if their housing situation is not stable,” said Rennan Zaharias, Period chapter liaison for the OB-GYN Interest Group. “The community at the USA College of Medicine really came together to provide for these women in Mobile.” 

Boxes placed in the Medical Sciences Building and the Mastin Patient Care Center collected about 200 packages of feminine hygiene products and reusable menstrual cups. Monetary donations of more than $100 allowed the group to purchase additional products to donate to the two shelters. 

The OB-GYN Interest Group started a Period chapter this past spring. The group’s presidents, Macy Vickers and Annie Xu, appointed Anna Woodham and Zaharias to be the Period chapter liaisons. 

“Some girls have to miss school because of their menstrual cycles, and some women miss work or miss out on potential job opportunities because of their cycles,” Zaharias said. “We don’t want women in our community to be hindered in their lives because of a natural physiologic process.” 

Zaharias said the drive was so successful that the OB-GYN Interest Group is planning to host the community service project annually. 

“We hope that our drive met some of the needs of the women in Penelope House and McKemie Place,” she said. “I speak for everyone when I say it was truly an honor to be a part of an organization working to stand up for and help women in this way.” 

State health officer to speak at public health grand rounds

The University of South Alabama College of Medicine Public Health Interest Group and the USA Health Department of Policy and Network Development will host a virtual grand rounds with Scott Harris, M.D., Alabama state health officer. The presentation is set for noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, via Zoom. 

Harris will discuss the state of Alabama's public health, its infrastructure and strategic plan, the COVID-19 response and vaccine efforts moving forward. CME/CEU credits will be provided. 

Gisella Ward, MPH, a fourth-year student at the USA College of Medicine and president of the Public Health Interest Group, said she reached out to Harris in February about presenting a lecture. 

"He responded with complete enthusiasm," she said. However, once the pandemic hit the United States, Harris's busy schedule necessitated delaying his presentation. 

"Seeing firsthand how necessary an efficient and sustainable public health infrastructure is to controlling the current pandemic," Ward said, "we reached out to him again this academic year and continued the conversation."

Ward said she hopes students come away from the lecture with an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the public health system at the local and national level. Ideally, she said, students will feel educated and empowered to join public health efforts to help reduce and ultimately stop the spread of the virus.

"Public and population health are integral parts of the care that we provide as medical professionals. They shape how we care for our patients, the resources available to our communities, and so much more," Ward said. "We as the next generation of physicians have to stay informed so that we can better influence public policy and healthcare administration while addressing health disparities, social determinants of health and even the health efficacy of our patients."

Register for the presentation at https://usahealthsystem.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJElf-uoqzstE9ISYtYjFV7NLQit3swUmkgs.

If you are interested in mentoring or speaking to the Public Health Interest Group, email phig_usacom@southalabama.edu. Students can join PHIG on Facebook: "USACOM Public Health Interest Group." The group can also be found on Twitter and Instagram @phig_usacom. 

Slauterbeck named chair of orthopaedic surgery at USA College of Medicine

James R. Slauterbeck, M.D., has been appointed professor and chair of orthopaedic surgery at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine and will start in January.

Slauterbeck, who specializes in sports medicine, currently serves on the faculty at the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine in Burlington, Vt., where is a professor in Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, and has a joint appointment in the Department of Pediatrics. He also serves as the head team orthopaedic surgeon for the University of Vermont athletics program.

"Dr. Slauterbeck brings to USA Health a tremendous combination of clinical care and research activity related to sports medicine and the prevention of injuries for both children and adults,” said John V. Marymont, M.D., MBA, vice president for medical affairs and dean of the USA College of Medicine. “His experience as a leader at other academic health centers will enable him to build a department of academic providers unrivaled in the region.”

Slauterbeck's community outreach and sports medicine research have identified risk factors for and prevention of athletic injuries especially pertaining to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. His greatest contribution to orthopaedics has been identifying that risk factors for and the outcomes after ACL injury are different between females and males.

“Injury prevention programs must be designed differently between the sexes,” Slauterbeck said. He has dedicated his career to playing sports more safely and returning athletes to the activities they love. He has provided care for every level of sport, from middle school dreamers to Olympic champions. Slauterbeck will bring new and exciting innovations to the region with the hopes of delaying or preventing arthritis with cartilage preservation and meniscus transplant surgeries.

“This is a very exciting time to join the USA College of Medicine and USA Health,” Slauterbeck said. “Having the ability to build upon the foundation that exists at USA Health and focus on increasing patient access to the highest levels of orthopaedic medicine makes this a wonderful time to come to Mobile. I look forward be being part of the effort to transform medicine in the Upper Gulf Coast region.”

Slauterbeck joined the University of Vermont in 2004. He started his career at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock, Texas, serving in a variety of leadership roles including residency director and vice chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.

With funding from the National Institutes of Health and other agencies, Slauterbeck has examined a number of areas related to sports injury prevention and repair, with a significant emphasis on the legs and knees. The author of more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles, Slauterbeck is a sought-after national and international speaker.

“With Dr. Slauterbeck’s clinical and research background, as well as his leadership activities, the people of our region will have access to an unprecedented level of care as it relates to orthopaedic medicine,” said Owen Bailey, MHA, chief executive officer at USA Health and senior associate vice president for medical affairs. “I look forward to Dr. Slauterbeck joining us in Mobile.”

Slauterbeck earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Arizona State University in Tempe, and his medical degree from the University of Arizona in Tucson. After completing his residency at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, he completed a sports medicine fellowship at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Mark your calendar for upcoming grand rounds

Surgery Grand Rounds
"The Diabetic Foot"
Brian Jones, M.D., Vascular Surgeon, Cardiovascular Associates, PC
7 to 8 a.m. Friday, Nov. 6
Zoom: https://usahealthsystem.zoom.us/j/95776062917
Contact: Tyronda Rogers at 251-445-8230 or tmrogers@health.southalabama.edu

OB-GYN Grand Rounds
"Resident Research Forum"
Katherine Grette, M.D., Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, USA College of Medicine
7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 6
Zoom Registration: https://southalabama.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUuf-Gsrz0oH9PNDQgKTE4Fh6h_j4keBDJL
Contact: Heather Glass at 251-415-1492 or hglass@health.southalabama.edu

Cardiology Grand Rounds
"Documentation and Coding"
Christine Erdman, RN CPC, Billing Compliance Manager, USA Health University Hospital
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6
Zoom
Contact: Donna Gregory at 251-471-7923 or dgregory@health.southalabama.edu

Neurology Grand Rounds
"Secondary Stroke Prevention"
Rebecca Sugg, MD, Associate Professor of Neurology, USA College of Medicine
8 to 9 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 10
Zoom Registration: https://usahealthsystem.zoom.us/j/98589154008
Contact: Sabrina Cabral at 251-445-8262 or cabral@health.southalabama.edu

Surgery Grand Rounds
"The Art of Esophagectomy" 
Yong Tan, M.D., Resident PGY5 Surgery, USA Health University Hospital
7 to 8 a.m. Friday, Nov. 13
Zoom: https://usahealthsystem.zoom.us/j/95528570039
Contact: Tyronda Rogers at 251-445-8230 or tmrogers@health.southalabama.edu

Gassman receives funding to explore reducing chemotherapy side effects

Natalie Gassman, Ph.D., is one of five
recipients of this year's intramural research
grants awarded to USA College of Medicine
faculty.

Natalie Gassman, Ph.D., assistant professor of physiology and cell biology at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine and a cancer researcher at USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute, is examining strategies to mitigate the cardiac side effects of a chemotherapy drug in cancer survivors. Also a member of the USA Center for Lung Biology, Gassman is one of five recipients of the 2020 USA College of Medicine Faculty Intramural Grants Research Award. 

The research, conducted in Gassman’s lab at the Mitchell Cancer Institute, is a collaborative effort with Michael V. Cohen, M.D., professor of physiology and cell biology at the USA College of Medicine and a cardiologist with USA Health; and Yulia Maxuitenko, Ph.D., associate professor of pharmacology at the USA College of Medicine. 

Together, they are looking at ways to mitigate the cardiac side effects of doxorubicin, a powerful chemotherapy drug commonly known as the “red devil” because of its bright red color. It is often used in combination with other medications to treat a wide variety of cancers. Side effects can include hair loss, nausea and vomiting, mouth sores, skin rashes and, in some cases, cardiotoxicity.  

“We previously demonstrated that moderate dietary supplementation with vitamin D reduces cardiac side effects, but antioxidants are not recommended during chemotherapy because they may interfere with drug efficacy,” Gassman said. “Another potential strategy is to reduce the inflammatory signaling produced by doxorubicin in cardiac tissues, which are mediated by caspase 1 and the inflammasome.” 

The inflammasome is an immune response to infections or irritants, which is meant to help protect cells. However, if it is stimulated too much, it can damage the tissues it is trying to protect, Gassman said.

This grant will combine Cohen’s experience in cardiac research with Gassman’s and Maxuitenko’s expertise in breast cancer models to determine if caspase 1 inhibitors can reduce cardiac side effects without changing the tumor inhibition produced by doxorubicin.

“The funded proposal will provide new insight into doxorubicin-related cardiac injury and hopefully demonstrate the utility of a combination therapy that is both cardioprotective and tumor destructive,” Gassman said.

USA College of Medicine intramural grants provide funds through an annual competition to five full-time basic science faculty members. The grant program is designed to provide the resources needed to develop new or additional preliminary data to bolster success with extramural funding.

Applications open for SouthMed Prep Scholars Program

Alana Fortune of Dillard University and Trentyn Shaw of

Alabama State University participated in the 2019 SouthMed 

Prep and D.R.E.A.M. programs, respectively.

The SouthMed Prep Scholars Program (SMPS) at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine is now accepting applications. 

The program is designed to enhance medical school access and success through two eight-week summer sessions that focus on research, MCAT preparation, the interview process, and continuous relationship building between prospective medical students and the USA College of Medicine.

SMPS is designed for the following individuals:

• Identify as underrepresented in medicine and
• Residents of Alabama or the surrounding service area counties of Mississippi (George, Greene, Harrison, Jackson, Perry and Stone counties) or Florida (Escambia and Santa Rosa counties).

For more information or to access the application, visit https://www.southalabama.edu/colleges/com/administration/diversity/southmed.html.

For questions, contact LoRen Burroughs Modisa, USA College of Medicine Office of Diversity and Inclusion, at lburroughs@southalabama.edu.

Med School Café video available: 'COVID-19 and Diabetes'

Nina Hibbard, MSN, CRNP, a nurse practitioner specializing in diabetes care at USA Health Endocrine and Diabetes, presented “COVID-19 and Diabetes” at the recent Med School Café. 

She discussed how patients with diabetes can stay healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic and what to do if you become positive for COVID-19 and have diabetes. She also touched on the importance of getting a flu shot, especially this year, for patients with diabetes.

Watch the presentation on YouTube or below. 

Mayer Mitchell Award to be presented to cancer researcher

In 2019, cancer researcher Natalie R. Gassman, Ph.D., right, 

was awarded the Mayer Mitchell Award for Excellence in 

Cancer Research by Mrs. Arlene Mitchell, left. 

The recipient of the 2020 Mayer Mitchell Award for Excellence in Cancer Research will be announced on Nov. 5, at 4 p.m. via Zoom.

The $10,000 award is presented annually to a promising scientist at the USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute upon the recommendation of a faculty committee. The award was established in 2009 by University of South Alabama Trustee Arlene Mitchell in memory of her late husband, Mayer Mitchell, a Mobile businessman, longtime USA trustee and formative figure in the establishment of MCI.

The 2019 recipient of the award was Natalie R. Gassman, Ph.D., an assistant professor of physiology and cell biology at the USA College of Medicine and a cancer researcher at the MCI.

Med School Café to address lung cancer

Brian Persing, M.D., assistant professor of interdisciplinary clinical oncology and a medical oncologist with the USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute, will present “Advances in Lung Cancer Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment” on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 11 a.m. The event will be held virtually via Zoom.

Persing will discuss the most recent guidelines for lung cancer screening as well as the use of robotic bronchoscopy, now available at USA Health, for immediate lung cancer diagnosis. Persing also will talk about treatments for lung cancer, including advances in immunotherapy that have significantly improved the outlook for patients.

To register for the lecture, visit https://usahealthsystem.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJctcu6oqjsuG9DCa1a14NkQh0SBOyjVHNhe.

Med School Café is a free community lecture series sponsored by USA Health. Each month, faculty and physicians share their expertise on a specific medical condition, providing insight on the latest treatments available.

For more information, contact Kim Partridge at kepartridge@health.southalabama.edu.

MacRae retires after 30 years of service

David MacRae, M.D., a Crampton Endowment of Geriatrics Scholar in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, recently retired after more than 30 years of service.  

MacRae, who is in private practice, has served as a longtime advocate for the care of geriatric patients in our region. “His involvement in our academic programs is a beautiful example of community partnerships supporting our medical educational efforts,” said Errol Crook, M.D., professor and Abraham Mitchell Chair of Internal Medicine at the USA College of Medicine.

A 1983 graduate of the USA College of Medicine, MacRae is widely known for his educational efforts in the care of geriatric patients, and for his passion for providing education experiences in geriatric care for USA’s medical students and resident physicians training at USA Health. 

According to Judy Blair-Elortegui, M.D., program director for the internal medicine residency program, MacRae served as the primary clinical preceptor for residents on the geriatric medicine rotation. “There are incredibly few geriatric physicians in our area, and we were very grateful to had have Dr. MacRae serve as a mentor and educate our residents in this important area of medicine,” she said. “His contributions to medical education speak directly to the mission of USA Health. By helping our residents learn the concepts unique to geriatric medicine, they are now able to help their senior patients lead longer, better lives.”

In addition to earning his medical degree from the USA College of Medicine, MacRae also completed his residency training in internal medicine at USA Health in 1986. After completing his residency training, he served as assistant professor of internal medicine at the USA College of Medicine for two years before going in to private practice in Mobile. 

USA researchers published in DNA Repair journal

Graduate student Griffin Wright conducts 

research in the lab at the Mitchell Cancer 

Institute. 

Griffin Wright, a student in the University of South Alabama basic medical sciences graduate program, and Natalie Gassman, Ph.D., assistant professor of physiology and cell biology at the USA College of Medicine and a cancer researcher at USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute, recently published an article in DNA Repair.

The article, titled “Transcriptional dysregulation of base excision repair proteins in breast cancer,” is a graphical review of the mechanisms of transcriptional regulation, which refers to the means by which a cell regulates the conversion of DNA to RNA. Because graphical reviews are limited in text, Wright developed unique visual representations of how base excision repair (BER) proteins are regulated under normal cell conditions and in the context of cancer. 

“Notably, Griffin’s work highlights the asymmetry in our knowledge of how specific BER proteins, which are overexpressed in breast and other cancers, are regulated,” explained Gassman, who is also a member of the USA Center for Lung Biology. 

The review emphasizes that by understanding the transcriptional regulation of these proteins in breast cancers, particularly triple negative breast cancer, researchers may identify new molecular targets to improve therapeutic outcomes, Gassman said.

The article was part of a special issue of the journal to honor Samuel H. Wilson, M.D., a pioneer in understanding the structure-function relationships of BER proteins. Wilson served as Gassman’s mentor during her postdoctoral research at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

“It was a very rewarding and unique experience authoring a graphical review as a graduate student,” Wright said. “I was very humbled to be a part of a tribute to Dr. Wilson, whose impact on the field of BER is incomparable. As a young scientist, I strive to emulate Dr. Wilson in my own work, and I am thankful for his contributions to the scientific community.”

New citizen to become first physician in her family

Second-year-medical student Azeline Arcenal poses for a photo with her parents, Joseph and Maria Arcenal.

As a sophomore at Murphy High School, Azeline Arcenal had the chance to shadow healthcare workers in the Summer Scrubs program organized by the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce. She spent the first day in a cardiac catheterization lab, where she watched a cardiologist insert a stent into a patient’s artery to treat a blockage.

It was a paradigm shift for Arcenal. “I never realized all the different kinds of things that doctors do,” she said. “That stood out for me.”

By her freshman year at the University of South Alabama, Arcenal was certain that she wanted to become a physician – the first in her family. Today, she is in her second year at the USA College of Medicine, a school she chose in part because of the smaller class size.

“Knowing that I will be the first doctor in my family makes me strive to be the kind of physician that patients can trust and depend on,” she said. “One day, I hope to be at a point where patients are at ease with me and feel confident in my ability to treat them.”

Born in Manila, the Philippines, Arcenal moved with her family to Mobile at age 5 when her father took a position in the aerospace industry. The family immediately began the naturalization process to become citizens, an undertaking that took her 16 years. As it happened, Arcenal found herself preparing for the Naturalization Test while also studying for the MCAT.

“Since I grew up here, the Naturalization Test wasn’t too difficult,” she said. “Most of the questions were pretty simple, though I had to brush up on the names of senators and representatives.”

In 2018, a month after her mother and sisters became citizens, Arcenal and her father raised their right hands and took the Oath of Allegiance with about 30 others in a ceremony in Montgomery.  

For the oath, the group stood and turned to face friends and families for photos and videos. “When I started reciting the oath, I could feel tears welling up in my eyes,” she said.

Tears turned to elation when Arcenal stepped forward to receive her certificate of naturalization. “I finally was able to achieve a dream that took 16 years of waiting,” she said.

Her new citizenship status allowed her to apply for a U.S. passport and register to vote. “I remember feeling jealous that my friends were able to vote, and I could not,” she said. “I feel pretty excited about voting in my first presidential election.”

Arcenal said she is also looking forward to her clerkship rotations during her third and fourth years of medical school. “What I like the most about medical school is that we are able to go to clinics early on during the M1 and M2 years, and interact with actual patients, and it’s rewarding to be able to tie in what we learned during class and apply it to our experiences in the clinics,” she said.