This Week@WesternU, Sept. 8-11, 2015
Western Diabetes Institute collaborates with UK team
Dental clinicians from Newcastle University, United Kingdom, visited the Western Diabetes Institute (WDI) at Western University of Health Sciences to learn more about its integrated approach to diabetes care.
Philip Preshaw, BDS, PhD, FDS, Professor of Periodontology, School of Dental Sciences and Institute of Cellular Medicine at Newcastle University, and Susan Bissett, National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Fellow & Team Lead, Dental Clinical Research Facility, Newcastle University, visited WDI Aug. 20-26, 2015.
Click here to read the full story.
WesternU Interprofessional Health Fair Sept. 12 at LA County Fair
Western University of Health Sciences’ Student Government Association (SGA) and the WesternU chapter of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) will host an Interprofessional Health Fair from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015, at Fairplex, 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona 91768. The students will be near the clock tower by Gate 1.
WesternU students and faculty from the colleges of osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, podiatric medicine, dental medicine, nursing, allied health, optometry and biomedical sciences will provide free health screenings and education.
Blood glucose; blood pressure; cholesterol; osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM); nutrition, exercise and BMI; vision, and foot screenings will be offered. Testing will be available for strength, balance, flexibility and bone mineral density. Free flu vaccines and dental education will be provided.
The fair is open from 10 a.m. to midnight on Sept. 12. For more information, visit http://www.lacountyfair.com.
From the College of Pharmacy:
WesternU pharmacy professor receives grant to study nicotine addiction
Western University of Health Sciences College of Pharmacy Professor Kabirullah Lutfy, PhD, MSci, BPharm, received a $447,000 grant from the Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP) to study potential treatments for nicotine addiction.
Dr. Lutfy’s research looks to enhance understanding of the neurosciences of nicotine use and abuse. TRDRP is funded through the Tobacco Tax and Health Protection Act, approved by California voters in 1988.
Click here to read the full story.
From the College of Dental Medicine:
Kudos on accomplishments
Dr. Joel Laudenbach was an invited participant in the Oral Cancer Symposium hosted by The Oral Cancer Foundation (www.oralcancerfoundation.org) and Hoag Family Cancer Institute at Hoag Neurosciences Institute in Newport Beach, Calif. Aug. 29, 2015. He presented “Oral Cancer Screening & Lesion Assessment Techniques” and was followed by oral cancer survivor Eva Grayzel and Dr. Brian Kim, a radiation oncologist. This symposium comprised attendees from the dental and medical community, and provided updates/perspectives related to oral cancer screening, radiation treatment and survivorship/quality of life issues.
The 1st International Congress of Sports Dentistry took place in Sao Paulo, Brazil, August 27-28, and received high marks in research, technical, scientific and clinical presentations provided by professionals and academics engaged in sports dentistry.
College of Dental Medicine Assistant Professor Jeffrey Lloyd represented the United States and presented several outstanding lectures, including “Oral health and its Interference in Athletic Performance, Drugs and Athletes, Trauma and Sports” and “The Structural Makeup of the Academy for Sports Dentistry in the U.S.”
On Aug. 29 the Brazilian Academy for Sports Dentistry held a meeting of their Board of Directors and voted to award Dr. Lloyd with an honorary membership for his ceaseless efforts in Sports Dentistry.
The 1st International Congress of Sports Dentistry was a huge success, and the APCD (São Paulo Dental Association) will organize a 2nd International Congress of Sports Dentistry in 2017.
From the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific:
Kudos on accomplishments
John T. Pham, DO, was selected as a Clinical Education Evaluator for the American Osteopathic Association’s Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA). Dr. Pham will serve in the important peer evaluation process and accreditation of colleges of osteopathic medicine. Dr. Pham is the Vice Chair of the Department of Family Medicine and the Chair of the Admissions Committee at COMP-Northwest.
OMSIII Xin (Lydia) Zheng’s paper titled “Exploring the Impact of a Culturally Tailored Short Film in Modifying Dementia Stigma Among Chinese Americans: A pilot Study” was published in Academic Psychiatry. The paper was based on a study Zheng worked on with Dr. Benjamin Woo from UCLA-Olive View Medical Center. She presented a poster on this study last year at the ACP SoCal Conference.
COMP will be well represented at the 26th Annual Fall Conference of the Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons of California (OPSC) in Monterey, Calif. Sept. 11-13, 2015. More than 150 COMP alumni will be attending this event. The Conference also will include the following COMP alumni and faculty-led sessions:
“Pharmacologic Treatment of Obesity” by Darla Mabery, DO ’87
“Self-Compassion for Physician Burnout” by Kaveri Patel, DO ’00
“Exercise and Diabetes: Why and How to Get Your Patients Moving” by Douglas Dengerink, DO ’02
“The Prevention and Reversal of Heart Disease Through a Whole Foods, Plant-Based Diet” by Kyle Homertgen, DO ’06
“Prevention of Back Pain” by Amelia Eastman, DO ’07. Amelia is the daughter of Mark Eastman, DO ’93, and Geraldine O’Shea, DO ’93, who will both also be attending the conference.
“Public Health Perspective on Lifestyle” by Ed Junkins, MD, MPH, COMP-Northwest Professor and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.
COMP-Northwest Advancement Board member Jim McDaniel and COMP-Northwest Professor Brion Benninger, MD, MSc, were commissioned in August 2015 as Kentucky Colonels. Kentucky colonel is the highest title of honor bestowed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The Governor and the Secretary of State issue Commissions for Kentucky colonels in recognition of noteworthy accomplishments and outstanding service to a community, state or the nation. Jim McDaniel, who lives and breathes philanthropy, has supported COMP-Northwest and its students morally and via multiple charitable donations annually since the day the school opened. Professor Benninger has dedicated an enormous amount of his life outside of his daily professional responsibilities to mentoring health care students from several states and countries. Both Jim McDaniel and Dr. Benninger support our military by donating to Lines for life, The Military Helpline that offers free, anonymous assistance 24/7/365 to active duty service members, veterans and their families through telephone and text support, which is based in Portland, Oregon. Both humanitarians were both honored to be nominated and subsequently commissioned for what they love doing.
From the College of Veterinary Medicine:
Kudos on accomplishments
Dr. Elizabeth (Betsy) Charles authored an article published in the August 2015 issue of Veterinary Team Brief, “Behaving Well vs. Behaving Badly.”
Dr. Charles was also invited to present a workshop, “How to Become an Emotionally Intelligent Leader in Veterinary Medicine,” at the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association’s Annual Meeting that will take place in Loveland, Colorado on Sept. 17.
Dr. Teresa Y. Morishita has been invited to continue her monthly health column, “Fowl Talk by Dr. Teresa Y. Morishita,” in Poultry Press, whose readership includes more than 5,000 international and national show and exhibition poultry flock owners. Dr. Morishita has been the columnist for “Fowl Talk” since 2003 to help bring awareness on health issues impacting poultry flocks.
From University Advancement:
Alumni news
The Alumni Association is hosting receptions at two professional conferences this month:
4:30-6:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19 during the Vision Expo West Conference in Las Vegas, Nev. For information or to RSVP, go to https://westernu-vew.eventbrite.com.
2:30-4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27 during the California Physical Therapy Association’s Annual Conference in Pasadena, Calif. For information or to RSVP, go to https://westernu-cpta.eventbrite.com.
