DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL MEDICINE NEWSLETTER September 2007

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SPOTLIGHT ON:

African American Health (AAH) Project Over the last decade the Saint Louis University Division of Geriatric Medicine has developed a series of projects on aging among African Americans. These projects were under the leadership of Douglas K. Miller, M.D., who has now moved to the University of Indiana. The African American Health (AAH) project is a study of a predominantly inner city middle age group of African Americans in St. Louis. This cohort has been shown to have an excess of dysphoria, subclinical and frank disability and a below average health-related quality of life. These adverse effects are limited to the inner-city dwelling population and not to those living in the county. On-going studies have shown that some of the disabilities are due to cytokine excess and steroid hormone declines. Dr. Miller has just had the AAH study refunded by the National Institute of Aging for 5 years to allow follow-up on long term outcomes in this population. His collaborators at Saint Louis University are Thomas E. Burroughs, Ph.D., Theodore K. Malmstrom, Ph.D, and John E. Morley, M.B., B.Ch. Announcements Outpatient Cardiac Cath Lab The Division of Cardiology announced the opening of the Outpatient Cardiac Cath Lab housed in the TenetCare suite of Saint Louis University Hospital’s West Pavilion. The new lab has been designed to enhance the convenience for outpatient procedures performed at Saint Louis University Hospital. The lab is equipped with a state-of-the-art Siemens flat plate imaging system which is linked to our existing digital archival system in the inpatient lab.

All procedures will be performed in this lab by our faculty and fellows. In addition to the new outpatient lab, catheterization procedures will be performed on all inpatients of Saint Louis University Hospital in the J. Gerard Mudd Cardiac Catheterization Suite on the

13th floor of the Desloge Towers. Outpatient catheterization services will continue to be offered at Des Peres Hospital in West County. The physicians are Michael Lim, M.D., (director), Frank Bleyer, M.D., and Megumi Taniuchi, M.D., Ph.D.

SLU Offers Endoscopy in West County Responding to a growing need for endoscopy services from patients in West County, SLUCare has opened the Midwest Endoscopy Center at 12855 North Forty Drive in Town and Country, just west

of Interstate 270. Directing the new clinic is Bruce R. Bacon,

M.D. Other SLUCare physicians on staff at the clinic are Drs. Alex S. Befeler, Frank R. Burton, Louay Omran and Charlene Prather.

Michael Lim

Bruce R. Bacon

Andrew J. Lonigro, M.D., passed away on Tuesday, July 10, 2007 after a long illness. Dr. Lonigro joined the Department of Internal Medicine in 1976 as director of the newly formed Division of Clinical Pharmacology. In 2000, the division became part of the Department of Pharmacological and Physiological Science. Since then, Dr. Lonigro had a secondary appointment in the Department of Internal Medicine.

DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL MEDICINE NEWSLETTER September 2007

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Retraction The Spring 2007 issue of this newsletter incorrectly reported that “Dean Monteleone hoped to be able to retire in the fall of 2007.” The Dean has indicated that she plans to stay at Saint Louis University School of Medicine until her replacement is identified and assumes his/her duties.

Travel Policies International Travel The University recently announced on “What’s New” that any travel requiring a passport is now considered foreign travel. This includes travel to Canada. The School of Medicine now requires advance approval for these trips. Completion of the International Travel Approval Form is mandatory. Meal Reimbursement Changes The University travel policy has recently been revised. Effective Monday, September 10, travelers will have the option of claiming 60% or less of meal per diem in lieu of submitting meal receipts. Please note: only one method can be used for each trip. A combination of 60% per diem allowance and receipts for different days of the same trip is not allowable. Also, effective Monday, September 10, original receipts are required for ground transportation in excess of $10 per day. The business purpose should be noted on each receipt. Please contact either Michael O. Mueller or Stephen M. Schmidt at 577-8763 if you have any questions, or require clarification about the University’s travel policy.

Department of Internal Medicine Annual Report. The 2006-2007 annual report went on-line August 27, 2007 and can be accessed at http://internalmed.slu.edu. Awards Akwiwasi Asombang, M.D., a 4th year medicine/pediatrics resident, will receive the 2007 Resident Community Service Recognition Award at a luncheon on November 3, 2007. This award is presented annually by the Association of American Medical Colleges’ Organization of Resident Representatives. Research Grants

Ziyad Al Aly, M.D., nephrology, $59,176 from the Amgen Foundation for a “Nephrology Junior Faculty Research Support Award.”

William Banks, M.D., geriatric medicine, $61,600 from Edunn Biotechnologies for “Antisense Studies.”

Cindy Cai, M.D., Ph.D., $150,000 from the Ellison Medical Foundation for “Nuclear Ferretin May Protect Against Oxidative and Light-induced DNA Damage in Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells.”

Susan Kiefer, Ph.D.,

$200,000 from the American Society of Nephrology for “Kidney and Ureter Abnormalities of Pax2/Sall4 Compound Mice.”

Arthur J. Labovitz, M.D., $42,795 from Columbia University/NINDS for “Warfarin vs. Aspirin in Reduced Cardiac Ejection Fraction.”

DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL MEDICINE NEWSLETTER September 2007

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Suzanne Mahon, D.N.Sc, $3,000 from the Suzanne G. Komen Foundation for “Education of Women with a Hereditary Predisposition to Develop Breast Cancer.”

Brent A. Neuschwander-Tetri, M.D., Gastroenterology & Hepatology, $771,262 from the NIDDK for “Hyperinsulinemia and the Pathogenesis of NASH.”

Michael I. Rauchman, M.D., nephrology, $143,000 from the American Heart Association for “Sall Genes, Transcriptional Repression, Chromatin Remodeling and Kidney Development.”

Raymond G. Slavin, M.D., $14,691 from the Mayo Clinic/NIAID for “Planning a Multicenter Oral Itraconazole Trial in Chronic Rhinosinusitis Patients.” New Residents Joining our Program on July 1st Categorical – PGY 1

Abdalla, Yazan A., M.D., University of Jordan

Alkaade, Saad, M.D., University of Damascus

Allen, Alina M., M.D., University de Medicina Si Farm Grigore T. Popa

Aoun, Bernard G., M.D., Universite Libanaise

Buckhold, Fred R., M.D., Saint Louis University School of Medicine

Chacko, Sonia M., M.D., Psg Institute of Medical Sciences

El Ters, Mireille J., M.D., Universite Libanaise

Farah, Khalil W.S., M.D., American

University of Beirut Hariri, Sherwin R., M.D., Saint Louis

University School of Medicine Hussan, Hisham, M.D., University of

Damascus Khalil, Mohammad O., M.D., University of

Jordan Mohammadi, Farnaz, M.D., Mahadevappa

Rampure Medical College Muzaffar, Razi, M.D., Kansas City

University of Medicine and Biosciences Nallapaneni, Hari Krishna, M.D., Guntur

Medical College Ronholm. Chad M., M.D., Saba University Russell, Robert L., M.D., Saint Louis

University School of Medicine Sedagheh Pakravan, Ali, M.D., Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Shah, Rish, M.D., University of Missouri

Kansas City School of Medicine Sturm, Jacquelyn M., M.D., University of

Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine Tyus, Kimberly K., M.D., Saint Louis

University School of Medicine Vaddi, Sirisha, M.D., University of Missouri

Kansas City School of Medicine Waheed, Sana T., M.D., University of

Washington School of Medicine Walshauser, Mark A., M.D., Ross University Zeinati, Chadi, M.D., American University

of Beirut Categorical – PGY 2

Gendi, Wahied A., M.D., University of Alexandria

Categorical – PGY 3

Gelhot, Helen T., M.D., Wright State University

Kodwani, Asha, M.D., Sind Medical College, Pakistan

Rao, Savitha V., M.D., Kasturba Medical College

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Sandesara, Bhanuprasad D., M.D., BJ

Medical College, Ahmedabad

Medicine/Pediatrics

Haq, Alina, M.D., Univ de Medicina Si Farm Grigore T. Popa

Katukoori, Shashi K., M.D., Kakatiya Medical College

Mensah, Felix A., M.D., University of Science & Techology

Singareddy, Shyamsunder, M.D., Siddhartha Medical College

Preliminary

Burns, Sean M., M.D., Creighton University School of Medicine

Craft, Jeffrey M., M.D., Northwestern University – Feinberg School of Medicine

Dennis, Desi L., M.D., Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

Gradney, Steven, M.D., Saint Louis University School of Medicine

Mutapcic, Lejla, M.D., Mayo Medical School

Nicholson, Benjamin P., M.D., Saint Louis University School of Medicine

Schell, Jonathan C., M.D., Saint Louis University School of Medicine

Zongolowicz, Amy J., M.D., Saint Louis University School of Medicine

Mentoring Program The 3rd roll-out of the Department’s Mentoring Program began in April 2007. Two seminars were held in May for mentors and protégés followed by a program kickoff on May 22. Eight groups began meeting at that time. Protégés include Drs. Al Aly, Alvarez, Ashraf, Espiritu, Nagaldinne, Neri, Sadaka and Salman. Mentors are Drs. Bastani, Janosik, Kennedy, Olsen, Prather, Rauchman, Schnitzler and Walden.

Website Access the Department of Internal Medicine website at http://internalmed.slu.edu. Dates of Note October 18-20, 2007, Saint Louis University School of Medicine Alumni Reunion Weekend. Clinical Ticker: All clinical departments have been tasked by Dean Monteleone to increase their number of ambulatory care encounters by 5% compared to last year. Below is a table showing these numbers so far:

Information for Next Newsletter If you have any news, grants, notices, achievements that you would like to be included in the next newsletter or if you think something important was missed, please let Camille J. Goff know at goffcj@slu.edu .

Editor Adrian M. Di Bisceglie, M.D., FACP

Professor of Internal Medicine Acting Chairman