Tufts Medical Center News Headlines
Week of January 2, 2007 - January 8, 2007
The following headline stories are re-printed from the Tufts Medical Center News, Tufts Medical Center's weekly publication.
Michael House, MD, Wins Prestigious RSDP Award
Michael House, MD, of Tufts Medical Center’s Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, will receive one of the two national Research Scientist Development Program (RSDP) awards in Obstetrics and Gynecology for 2007. The grant provides funding for the next five years and allows House to continue his studies on the biomechanics of the uterine cervix and its adaptation in pregnancy.
House will be working closely with David Kaplan, PhD, Professor and Chair of Tufts University’s Department of Biomedical Engineering.
The RSDP is a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional research career development program for obstetrician-gynecologists working in the fields of cell and molecular biology and genetics and related fundamental sciences. Now in its 18th year, collaborative funding from both public and private sources is an integral and unique part of the program’s design. The RSDP is sponsored jointly by the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), four professional organizations, four pharmaceutical corporations and four research foundations.
Rising Stars Gala to Benefit Tufts Medical Center Honors Healthcare Champions and Community Leaders
The 4th Annual Rising Stars Gala to Benefit Tufts Medical Center will take place on Thursday, February 8 at The Westin, Boston Waterfront. This special evening honors outstanding individuals within the Tufts Medical Center community who have been champions and pioneers in medical care, research, education, and civic leadership.
This year’s Rising Stars honorees are Katie Wakeley, MD, Chief of Tufts Medical Center’s Division of Gynecologic Oncology; Paul Pierce, Captain of the Boston Celtics and five-time NBA All-Star; and John Hynes, III President and CEO, Gale International LLC. The honoring of medical and civic leaders is a shift from the focus on high school athletes in prior years.
"We are honored to have Katie, Paul, and John as members of the Tufts Medical Center community and to recognize their achievements at this year's Gala," said Rising Stars Gala Event Chair Brian Driscoll. "These three individuals personify the commitment, spirit and vision of Tufts Medical Center."
The annual Rising Stars Gala to benefit Tufts Medical Center is the signature annual fundraising event for the Tufts Medical Center and the Floating Hospital for Children. The gala raises vital funds for patient care services and medical research, supporting the Medical Center’s ultimate goal of supporting the health and well-being of thousands of adults and children.
The Gala begins at 6:30 p.m. and includes a cocktail reception, dinner, live auction, and awards presentation. In addition to sponsorship packages ranging from $3,000 to $15,000, individual tickets are available for $500 per person. For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact Becca Romish, Special Events Coordinator at 617-636-9846 or via email at bromish@tufts-nemc.org.
Tufts Medical Center Receives a $150,000 Grant to Support Neonatal Research
The Gerber Foundation, committed to the health and wellbeing of infants, has awarded a three-year grant of $150,000 to Heber Nielsen, MD in the Division of Newborn Medicine. Dr. Nielsen’s research concerns Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS), the number one cause of death and morbidity in premature infants.
The focus of Dr. Nielsen’s research is to identify mechanisms involved in early lung development, specifically the role of a little-studied enzyme called TACE. Current information suggests that this enzyme is critical for normal fetal lung development. According to Dr. Jonathan Davis, Chief of the Division of Newborn Medicine, a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in normal lung development may lead to novel therapies to prevent RDS in prematurely born infants.
Infants born prematurely who develop RDS are at high risk for early nutritional deficits and growth failure, longtime primary concerns of the Gerber Foundation. Successful prevention and treatment of RDS will significantly enhance nutrition, growth and development of prematurely born infants in their first few years of life.
Interpreter Services to Sponsor Lecture Series
On Thursday, January 11, Interpreter Services will kick-off its first series of study groups designed to help clinicians and patients communicate more effectively, improve interpreting skills, and increase medical vocabulary. The first study group, Sprain or Strain, will be led by Tufts Medical Center physical therapist Megan Costablile. Each session will take place from 12-1 p.m. at Interpreter Services, 37 Bennett Street.
The following are a list of scheduled study groups:
February 8:
Rosemary Tsacoyianis, RN, MS, Tufts Medical Center’s Pulmonary Division, Bronchoscopy, Why is it Necessary?
March 13:
Mary Wenners, RN, Tufts Medical Center Endocrinology Division, Diabetes Awareness
For more information or to register for a session please e-mail Yoshi Ng at yng@tufts-nemc.org or at 617-636-7117.