This Week@WesternU Jan. 4-8, 2010
From the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific:
Kudos on accomplishments
A video by Khasha Touloei, DO ’12, is featured on the Web site of the National Psoriasis Foundation, http://walk.psoriasis.org/site/PageServer. Scroll to the bottom of the page to find the video link.
From the College of Pharmacy:
Kudos on accomplishments
Two COP alumni have a new publication: Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Administration Don Hsu, PharmD ’03, and Mark Bounthavong, PharmD ’04, a clinical pharmacoeconomic pharmacist at the VA San Diego.
Bounthavong M, Hsu DI. Efficacy and safety of linezolid in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) complicated skin and soft tissue infections (cSSTI): a meta-analysis. Curr Med Res Opin 2009; 26: 407-21.
From the College of Veterinary Medicine:
Kudos on accomplishments
Veterinary microbiologist and public health veterinarian Dr. Musafiri Karama has published an extensive review of genotyping diagnostic methods for Verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) in the recent issue of Zoonoses and Public Health. VTEC is annually incriminated in more than 100,000 cases of enteric foodborne human disease and in losses amounting to $2.5 billion every year.
The publication supports an ongoing collaboration between the Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada and CVM.
The complete citation is: Karama M, Gyles CL. “Methods for Genotyping Verotoxin-Producing Escherichia coli.” Zoonoses Public Health. 2009 Nov 13. [Epub ahead of print]
Veterinary virologist Dr. Peggy Barr presented a poster describing her research at the Epidemics2 conference in Athens, Greece on Dec. 3, 2009. Assistant Professor of Genomics Dr. Kris Irizarry, technician Andrea Wournell, and third-year veterinary student Kimberly Bridges from the College of Veterinary Medicine and Dr. Katherine Mitsouras from COMP were collaborators and co-authors.
The complete citation is: Barr MC, Wournell AL, Irizarry KJ, Mitsouras K and Bridges KA. Molecular Epidemiology of Canine Parvovirus 2c in Southern California Dogs. Epidemics2 Conference, Athens, Greece. Dec. 1-3, 2009.
Veterinary Radiologist Dr. Gary Johnston and Student Doctor Brandon Boren collaborated with veterinary staff at the San Pedro Marine Mammal Care Center to develop a digital library of radiographic images of the California Sea Lion. This resource will serve as a resource for education and clinical care for the veterinary profession.
An abstract of this work will be presented at the National Wildlife Rehabilitation Association’s annual meeting in March 2010 in Bellevue, Wash.
Diagnostic Radiography of the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus). Lauren Palmer, DVM, David Bard, Brandon Boren, Gary R. Johnston, DVM, MS, DACVR.
Veterinary parasitologist Dr. Malika Kachani was invited to make a presentation at the 23rd International Congress of Hydatidology in Colonia, Uruguay. Her presentation on Dec. 9 at the Epidemiology and Control Program Session was titled: Control of Cystic Echinococcosis. Applying the Moroccan Experience to Peru.
Further, Dr. Kachani was awarded by the General Assembly a Certificate of Merit from the International Association of Hydatidology for her contribution in the field of echinococcosis. Dr. Kachani has done research and epidemiologic studies for a number of years, and worked with governments and communities to resolve hydadid disease in the human and animal populations.
The meeting provided Dr. Kachani the opportunity to expand her international collaborations that currently include Morocco and Peru.
Veterinarian and assistant professor Dr. Frank Bossong has received a grant for $9,800, from the Claremont Community Foundation to provide mobile veterinary services to elderly pet owners. Dr. Bossong will use the CVM mobile hospital, known as the Veterinary Ambulatory Community Service (VACS) vehicle, and will bring students to the Joslyn Senior Center in Claremont to provide these veterinary health care services.
We are proud of this expansion of Western University’s outreach to our local communities.
Veterinary internist and equine neurology specialist Dr. Joe Bertone has recently seen his scholarly summary of viral encephalitis in the horse published in the new edition of the Equine Internal Medicine textbook. The complete citation is: Bertone JJ. Viral encephalitis, in Reed, Bayly, Sellon, eds, Equine Internal Medicine 3rd edition. Pages 624-628.
Veterinary professor and virologist Dr. Ellen Collisson attended as a board member the first meeting of the Council for the Centers of Knowledge at Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, Sept. 12-19, 2009.
She also visited Malawi, an exhilarating homecoming 40 years after living in Malawi as a Peace Corps teacher. As a board member of the Friends of Malawi, she participated in site visits for funded projects in Malawi Sept. 22-30, 2009. The visit included discussions with staff at Peace Corps, Malawi to facilitate funding of projects administered by Peace Corps volunteers. Projects visited included “Bringing electricity to the Kalumbu Day Secondary School” in Lilongwe, “Nets for Trees” in Mulanje, “Ndirande Market Sanitation” in Blantyre, “Mushroom Farming” and “Linyangwa Aquaculture” in Kasungu, and “Toilets for Success Elementary School” in Mchinji.
On Oct. 1-3, she was the guest of Dr. Bill Mfitzilodze, Dean of the Bunda Agricultural College, University of Malawi, where she presented a Seminar to faculty and students titled “Vaccine Control of Avian Influenza Virus.”
From University Advancement:
Rite Aid Gift
The College of Pharmacy received a gift pledge from Rite Aid on Oct. 2, 2009. This is the first of four installments aimed at increasing diversity within the pharmacy student population for recruiting scholarships.
New Alumni Connection
The December 2009 edition of WesternU’s alumni e-newsletter, The Alumni Connection, is now available. The latest edition features information on the new on-campus café, alumni leadership opportunities and more. News for future editions can be e-mailed to Russel Heskin, director of Alumni Relations, at rheskin@westernu.edu.
From the Office of Human Resources:
Kudos on accomplishments
Congratulations to Vice President of Human Resources Howard Pardue, PhD, SPHR, who was voted to the Board of Directors of the Inland Empire Society for Human Resource Management Chapter.
From the Harriet K. and Philip Pumerantz Library:
Citrus Exhibit
The Pumerantz Library is hosting an exhibit titled “Citrus and Health.” The collection is being presented by Richard Barker, retired banker and founder and president of the Citrus Roots – Preserving Citrus Heritage Foundation. The collection depicts the history of the citrus industry and the impact of citrus on health. Among the items on display are citrus crate labels, magazine advertisements, photographs, journal articles and reamers. The collection will be on display from January through February in the library’s lobby and museum room.
