USA Center for Lung Biology Hosts Lung Bowl

Members of the "Pulmonary Resistors" team (from left) Edward Crockett, James Dean II, Joshua Deal and Kathleen McClinton pose for a photo after winning the 2015 University of South Alabama Center for Lung Biology Lung Bowl competition Aug. 28, 2015.

The University of South Alabama Center for Lung Biology recently held its fourth Lung Bowl competition at the Active Learning Center.

The Lung Bowl is a biology game based on a jeopardy model, where teams come together to compete against one another for high scores. The teams are comprised of predoctoral students, postdoctoral fellows and clinical fellows in USA Center for Lung Biology training programs.

This year's winning team was “Pulmonary Resistors,” comprised of graduate students Joshua Deal, pulmonary fellow James Dean II, and doctoral candidates Edward Crockett and Kathleen McClinton.

Watch the video below to learn more.


Lung Bowl 2015 from USA Health System on Vimeo.

USA Health System Participates in Heart Walk

The University of South Alabama Health System participated in the American Heart Association’s Mobile Heart Walk Sept. 12 on USA's main campus.

The event encourages exercise as part of a heart-healthy lifestyle. It is the American Heart Association’s (AHA) signature fundraising affair, in which the proceeds from walkers across the country raise funding for lifesaving research and educational programs.

Several teams throughout the USA Health System participated in the Heart Walk. Teams wore t-shirts and set fundraising goals.

Click here to view more photos from the event.

USA Physician Receives Honor From Alma Mater

Dr. Benjamin Estrada, assistant dean for medical education at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, recently was honored by his alma mater and medical school graduating class.

In January 2015, Dr. Estrada, who also serves as a pediatric infectious disease specialist and professor of pediatrics at USA, gave the inaugural speech at the commencement ceremony for the medical school’s freshman class. After his speech, the university named Dr. Estrada visiting professor and honorary faculty member of the Universidad Francisco Marroquin School of Medicine in Guatemala . 

“It was a very rewarding experience,” Dr. Estrada said. “It is rewarding to be in the same halls where I once was a fearful new student fresh out of high school. Now coming back, I have the opportunity to share my experiences with students who are now in the same position I was 32 years ago. It is truly an honor to be able to impact future medical professionals. This was a chance for me to give back.”

In addition, Dr. Estrada’s graduating class asked him to present at a symposium for the university’s college of medicine on July 18, 2015. During that event his presentation was about the future of Medicine in the context of medical education. The symposium was celebrating the 25th year anniversary of the graduating class of 1990.

“At the symposium, we were able to share our experiences with the current medical students,” Dr. Estrada said. “We discussed how we have adapted as a profession, shared ideas on how to best care for patients and talked about the future of medical education.”

 Dr. Estrada has also been working with his alma mater as a consultant for the university’s school of medicine curriculum renewal process over the past two years. The university is changing their curriculum to match the current global tendencies in medical education following the lead here at USA, which is now focused on longitudinal content integration in a competency –based environment which emphasizes self-directed learning.

Universidad Francisco Marroquín Medical School in Guatemala is the first school in Central America to change their curriculum to the integrated systems in a competency-based format.

 “The program we have created and developed here at USA is influencing medical education overseas,” Dr. Estrada said. “When other medical schools – even those outside of the country – are learning from our program here at USA, it speaks to the quality of our program and its faculty.  What we are doing here is potentially contributing to improve medical education and patient care elsewhere.”

Watch Dr. Estrada’s inaugural speech titled “A Journey with a Purpose" here. 

USA Welcomes Dr. Om Prakash Jha

Dr. Om Prakash Jha recently was appointed assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine and will serve as a neonatologist at USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital.

Dr. Jha earned his medical degree from Calcutta Medical College in Kolkata, India. He completed two pediatric residencies at Patna Medical College and Hospital in Patna, India, and at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield, Ill. He then completed a fellowship in neonatology at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

Dr. Jha is board certified with the American Academy of Pediatrics and is a member of the Society of Physician Entrepreneurs.

Sept. 17 DSS to Feature Dr. Janice Endsley

The next Distinguished Scientist Seminar at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine will feature Janice J. Endsley, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas.

The lecture, titled "Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Reactivation in the Setting of HIV Co-Infection," will take place Sept. 17, 2015, at 4 p.m. in the first floor auditorium of the Medical Sciences Building on USA’s main campus.

Dr. Endsley’s research is focused on mechanisms and regulation of cell-mediated immunity to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a pathogenic bacterial species that is the causative agent of most cases of tuberculosis.

Dr. Endsley received her bachelor of science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in Platteville, Wash., and her master of science degree from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. She earned her Ph.D. from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.

Click here to learn more about Dr. Endsley.