This Week@WesternU, July 25-29, 2011
From the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific:
Kudos on accomplishments
A team of WesternU faculty, staff and students created what could be the “world’s largest microscope slide” of a Tyrannosaurus rex femur for the recently opened Dinosaur Hall at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Led by Elizabeth Rega, PhD, WesternU associate professor of anatomy and assistant vice provost for academic development, the team spent about a year and more than 170 hours cutting, mounting and sanding a paper-thin histological cross-section from a T. rex femur. Click here to read the full story. Click here to view the poster.
From the College of Allied Health Professions:
Department of Physician Assistant Education News
Congratulations to PA students Randi Holmes, Joseph Hsu, Paul Hupp, Carolyn Mansour, Gloria Ng and alumna Eva Rueda, who all joined the California Academy of Physician Assistants (CAPA) between April 1 to July 11, 2011. WesternU has a significant representation in the membership of CAPA and is always happy to have more students and alumni join the ranks.
On July 1, PA Department Chair Roy Guizado, PA-C, started his official position as Delegate at Large for CAPA. He was elected to the position by the CAPA voting members throughout California. He is also the Chair of Student Affairs for CAPA and is joined by faculty members Brian Tessier, PA-C, and Renee Wu, PA-C, and alumna Amy Lopez-Kohler to form the Student Affairs committee.
Recently, a note was sent to the university about a PA alumnus, Ric Fox, PA-C ’92, who was tragically killed in a hiking accident in Yosemite. Shortly after Ric’s death, the PA Department was informed of another alumnus, Harold Marker, PA-C ’95, who was killed in a motorcycle accident. Both alumni practiced primary and emergency care and reached out to many patients in their careers. Services for both alumni have already taken place. Our hearts, prayers, and thoughts go out to Ric and Harold’s families during this trying time.
Department of Physical Therapy Education News
Seven members of the DPT Class of 2012 recently volunteered at Camp No Limits in Big Bear Lake. They joined physical therapists, occupational therapists, and prosthetists in working with children who have limb loss on stretching, core exercises, obstacle courses, and functional activities. Camp No Limits is a non-profit organization providing camps for children with limb loss, and education, mentorship and support to those children and their families. The program, whose mission is to educate and empower young people with limb loss to discover and develop a healthy, happy and independent lifestyle, started in Maine in 2004 and now has locations in Florida, Idaho, Maryland, and Missouri, in addition to Southern California. The DPT Class of 2012 volunteers included Kelli Crouse, Natalie Forsberg, Dani Jasso, Julie Kelman, Ericka Martin, Jillian Olson and Yvonne Ramirez.
From the College of Pharmacy:
Kudos on accomplishments
Dr. Sheryl Chow has been elected as a Fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (FCCP). Fellowship in the College recognizes and rewards the highest levels of excellence in the practice and science of Clinical Pharmacy. She will be officially inducted at a special ceremony during 2011 ACCP Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Dr. Karl Hess had a recent publication with Dr. Beverly Mojica, Class of 2011, based on work during Dr. Mojica’s AE project. Mojica B, Hess K. Update of the safety of rotavirus vaccines. Pharmacy Today 2011; 17(7): 31.
From the College of Veterinary Medicine:
Kudos on accomplishments
Assistant Professor Dr. David Kersey has published a paper reporting a study on early detection of pregnancy in the giant panda using the urinary excreted phase protein ceruloplasmin. Click here to view the manuscript. The complete citation is: Willis EL, Kersey DC, Durrant BS, Kouba AJ (2011) The Acute Phase Protein Ceruloplasmin as a Non-Invasive Marker of Pseudopregnancy, Pregnancy, and Pregnancy Loss in the Giant Panda. PLoS ONE 6(7): e21159. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0021159
Dr. Kersey also published the manuscript, “Rising fecal glucocorticoid concentrations track reproductive activity in the female giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca).”
This manuscript is in the publication queue with General and Comparative Endocrinology; however, an in-print publication date has not been set. The article is currently available online. The complete citation is: Kersey, D.C., Wildt, D.E., Brown, J.L., Snyder, R.J., Huang, Y., Monfort, S.L., In Press. Rising fecal glucocorticoid concentrations track reproductive activity in the female giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). General and Comparative Endocrinology. oi:10.1016/j.ygcen.2011.06.013.
Veterinary Assistant Professor Dr. Kris Irizarry, and COMP Assistant Professor Katherine Mitsouras, working with students, veterinary faculty colleagues and staff of the Los Angeles Zoo, have published an article titled: Development of a PCR Assay to detect Papillomavirus Infection in the Snow Leopard. Katherine Mitsouras, Erica A. Faulhaber, Gordon Hui, Janis O. Joslin, Curtis Eng, Margaret C. Barr, Kristopher J.L. Irizarry. BMC Veterinary Research 2011, 7:38 doi:10.1186/1746-6148-7-38. Published: 18 July 2011.
From the College of Podiatric Medicine:
Kudos on accomplishments
CPM Founding Dean Lawrence Harkless, DPM, and Associate Professor Kathleen Satterfield, DPM, FACFAOM, MAPWCA, were two of 10 health care professionals from around the country to be honored as a master during the American Professional Wound Care Association (APWCA) National Annual Clinical Conference held in Philadelphia earlier this year. Masters are selected from doctors of podiatric medicine, osteopathic physicians, MDs as well as physical therapists and nurses who hold a doctorate (PhD) level degree. The APWCA initiated the master designation in 2010 as the association’s highest level of recognition for a wound care provider. Ten masters were named during the organization’s 10th anniversary this year.
