An electronic newsletter from The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix

August 25, 2006

In this issue…

Articles…

Phoenix Campus expansion update

17 appointments made to UA College of Medicine-Phoenix program
 Appointment of faculty members for the new four-year program of the College of Medicine-Phoenix has been very successful.  17 faculty members have been appointed in the last several months, eight of whom are joint appointments with Arizona State University.  The educators come from a variety of institutions including Yale University, Tufts University and the University of California at San Francisco.  They will teach courses such as basic anatomy, cardiovascular physiology and molecular biology. These appointments are a critical step in the accreditation process, as the founding faculty are tasked with the development of the unique curriculum for the Phoenix program.

The faculty appointments are:

Paul E. Boehmer, PhD – teaching molecular biology, biochemistry and genomics.  Dr. Boehmer came from the University of Miami Medical School where he educated first-year medical students, and brings a newly renewed NIH R01 research grant to downtown Phoenix.  His research is focused on using herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) as a model system to study the enzymology of DNA replication and recombination.

Rebecca E. Fisher, PhD – teaching human anatomy and vertebrate paleontology.  Dr. Fisher received her training at Stanford University, Johns Hopkins Medical School and Yale University.  Her research is focused on comparative anatomy and she is a research associate with the prestigious Smithsonian Institution, Division of Mammals, National Museum of Natural History.

Stuart D. Flynn, MD – teaching general pathology.  Dr. Flynn came to the College of Medicine from Yale University School of Medicine where he was a professor of pathology and surgery as well as director of the residency program and co-director of medical studies.

Ronald P. Hammer, Jr., PhD – teaching neuroscience, pharmacology and anatomy.  Dr. Hammer is joining the Phoenix campus from Tufts University where he was a professor of neuroscience, pharmacology and experimental therapeutics, anatomy and cell biology, and psychiatry.  He brings two funded NIMH research grants to the Phoenix downtown campus.  His research focuses on the study of cellular and molecular neurobiology underlying drug dependence and schizophrenia.

Karen Taraszka Hastings, MD, PhD – teaching immunobiology, cancer immunology, skin-dermatology and clinical science.  Dr. Hastings received her medical and doctoral degrees from Harvard Medical School and completed her post-doctoral studies and her most recent faculty appointment at Yale University.  Dr. Hastings is working to develop a vaccine against melanoma, studying the fundamental role of antigen processing in the generation of an immune response in cutaneous disease and malignancy.

Mark R. Haussler, PhD – teaching biochemistry, endocrinology and nutrition.  Dr. Haussler, a Regents Professor, has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health for 34 years for his research in osteoporosis and other metabolic bone diseases. He also has been a faculty member of the UA College of Medicine since 1971 and is a Lifetime Educator of the Year awardee.

Peter W. Jurutka, PhD – teaching molecular genetics and pathobiological signaling.  Dr. Jurutka is a joint appointee from ASU, where he is an assistant professor of integrated natural sciences. He was an award-winning teacher of medical students during his tenure at the UA College of Medicine in Tucson. His research interests are molecular endocrinology and mechanism of action of steroid and nuclear receptors, as well as the function of vitamin D and sex steroids in bone remodeling and in protection against colon cancer and postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Suwon Kim, PhD, - teaching cancer biology.  Dr. Kim will arrive in Phoenix from the University of California, San Francisco, where she was a member of a Nobel Prize-winning laboratory, headed by Dr. Michael Bishop.  Dr. Kim is a joint recruitment with TGen and her research is focused on tumor suppressors and the prevention of prostate and breast cancer.

Kenro Kusumi, PhD – teaching human genetics, embryology and the musculoskeletal system.  Dr. Kusumi is a joint appointee from ASU, where he is an associate professor in the School of Life Sciences.  He received his PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Dr. Kusumi's research is focused on the early development of the spine and elucidating the genetic causes of vertebral birth defects.

Douglas F. Lake, PhD – teaching molecular and cellular immunology and cancer biology.  Dr. Lake is a joint appointee from ASU, where he is an associate professor at the Center for Innovations in Medicine.  Dr. Lake leads the Cancer Eradication Project, and is a recognized medical educator who formerly taught at the UA College of Medicine in Tucson.

Kathleen S. Matt, PhD – teaching reproductive neuroendocrinology and physiology.  Dr. Matt is a joint appointee from ASU, where she is the assistant vice president for research and directs the Office of Clinical Partnership.  She is a recognized expert in the area of the physiology of stress.

Sethuraman “Panch” Panchanathan, PhD – teaching biomedical informatics.  Dr. Panchanathan is a joint appointee from ASU, where he is professor and director of the School for Computing and Informatics as well as the chair of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, the director of the Institute for Computing and Information Sciences and Engineering (InCISE) and the interim director of the Department of Biomedical Informatics.

Jeffery Alan Rawls, PhD – teaching embryology, developmental biology and genetic diseases.  Dr. Rawls is a joint appointee from ASU, where he is an associate professor of molecular and developmental biology in the School of Life Sciences.  His research is focused on defining the regulatory cascade leading to skeletal muscle development.

N. Jeanne Wilson-Rawls, PhD – teaching developmental biology and molecular basis for disease.  Dr. Wilson is a joint appointee from ASU, where she is an assistant professor of molecular biology in the School of Life Sciences.  She investigates somite formation and the notch signaling pathway.

Paul R. Standley, PhD – teaching cardiovascular physiology. Dr. Standley received his training at Wayne State University and is a professor in the area of cardiovascular physiology. He brings with him an NIH research grant directed at the activity of physically manipulating cells to activate anti-inflammatory genes.

G. Kerr Whitfield, PhD - teaching molecular biology and biochemistry.  He is a research assistant professor and lecturer at the UA in basic medical sciences who is an experienced medical educator.  His research is focused on comparative genomics in the area of bone biology and cancer.

David A. Young, PhD – curriculum design and education.  Dr. Young is a joint appointee with ASU where he is vice president and dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.  He is a member of the design team that planned the theme of the Phoenix Program.

Various other staff positions have been posted.  Please visit the UA Human Resources Web page for more information on these opportunities.

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Facility renovation and construction (historic buildings and ABC 1)
The renovations of the historic buildings that will house the new program of the College of Medicine -Phoenix (in collaboration with ASU) are due to be completed in the next several weeks and existing faculty, staff and third- and fourth-year students will move into the new campus in late September.  An extensive “adaptive reuse” project has transformed the historic buildings, built around 1911, into a state-of-the-art medical education facility.  The buildings are situated on the 15.7- acre Phoenix Biomedical Campus in downtown Phoenix at Seventh Street and East Van Buren and will serve as a key component to enhance the biosciences industry in Phoenix, as well as producing much-needed physicians to serve the people of Arizona. 

Crews are busy installing the audiovisual equipment in the buildings including plasma screens and telemedicine equipment.  This technology will allow the campus to connect to over 160 healthcare and education sites statewide. The landscaping has been completed and final touches on the historic auditorium are underway.

Construction of the Arizona Biomedical Collaborative Building also is progressing rapidly.  This building, which will house researchers for the UA College of Medicine-Phoenix and ASU Biomedical Informatics, is expected to be complete by spring 2007. 

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Opening celebration for the College of Medicine - Phoenix to be held Oct. 10, 2006 - save the date

The opening celebration for The University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, in collaboration with Arizona State University, is planned for Tuesday, Oct. 10 at 12:00 p.m.  Tours of the renovated buildings will begin at 11 a.m. and continue until 3 p.m.

Please mark your calendars and plan to join us!  We will celebrate the renovation of the historic Phoenix Union High School buildings and the opening of the new home for the UA College of Medicine - Phoenix.

For more information, contact Susan Guthrie, associate director of Public Affairs, at (602) 631-6555.

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Planning for Phase II of the Phoenix Biomedical Campus accelerated with $1.5 million allocation

The Arizona Board of Regents has approved $1.5 million to accelerate the planning for the expansion of the UA College of Medicine—Phoenix, in collaboration with Arizona State University, and the Phoenix Biomedical Campus.  The planning begins this fall and will include a second Arizona Biomedical Collaborative building, an expanded educational facility and campus planning.  The work to fully develop biomedical education and research in downtown Phoenix will include the expansion of the UA College of Pharmacy program and possible expansion of NAU’s allied health professions and physical therapy programs as well as collaboration with ASU’s College of Nursing.  The planning process is critical to the College of Medicine’s ability to rapidly increase its class size to train more physicians and to further collaborative translational research initiatives.

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New part-time clinical faculty appointments to the College of Medicine-Phoenix program

The following physicians recently received part-time clinical faculty appointments to the UA College of Medicine - Phoenix program:

David F.   David F. Barranco, MD, clinical assistant professor of surgery, Barrows Neurological Associates

Ryan S. Bode, MD, professor of clinical medicine, Phoenix Children’s Hospital

Jenifer Casaletto, MD, clinical assistant professor of emergency medicine, Maricopa Medical Center

Martin Catero, MD, clinical assistant professor of family & community medicine, Scottsdale Healthcare         

Elena V. Plummer, MD, assistant professor of clinical medicine, Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center

Larry R. Sobel, clinical assistant professor of family & community medicine, Sobel Family Medicine

For information regarding faculty appointments, please contact Jeanet Renaldi at (602)631-6827 or e-mail jrenaldi@u.arizona.edu.

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Fall Phoenix Faculty Meeting scheduled for Oct. 23 - save the date

The fall Phoenix Faculty Meeting will be held Monday, Oct. 23 at 5:15 p.m.   The meeting will be held in the Auditorium of the new campus located at 600 E. Van Buren (on the corner of Seventh Street and Van Buren).   Please mark your calendars.

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