The Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the accrediting body for allopathic medical schools, is scheduled to visit the new campus of the College of Medicine in early November 2006.  This visit is part of the accreditation process and will be used to assess the progress the College has made toward accreditation goals.

Facility renovation and construction (historic buildings and ABC 1)
Renovation of the historic buildings for the new program of the UA College of Medicine - Phoenix (in collaboration with ASU) is nearing the final stages.  Furniture for the facility has been ordered and IT equipment installation has begun.  The renovations are expected to be complete in July and existing faculty and staff will occupy the buildings as early as mid-August 2006.

Construction of the Arizona Biomedical Collaborative Building 1 also is progressing rapidly.  This building, which will house researchers for the UA College of Medicine and ASU, is expected to be complete by spring 2007.

James R. Sowers, MD, FACE, FACP, FAHA, an international leader in diabetes research, will join The University of Arizona College of Medicine to develop a comprehensive diabetes center.

“Dr. Sowers is widely considered one of the world’s foremost authorities on diabetes research,” said William Duckworth, MD, director of diabetes research, Carl T. Hayden Veterans Affairs Medical Center.  “He is a tremendous addition to the academic, research and medical communities of Arizona.”

Plans call for the UA College of Medicine Comprehensive Diabetes Center to create a statewide consortium of investigators, educators and health-care providers that will focus on research, clinical care and education in diabetes.  The diabetes center will provide an interdisciplinary, collaborative approach based at the College of Medicine programs in both Tucson and Phoenix.

For more information on the appointment of Dr. Sowers, please follow this link:  James R. Sowers, MD

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

Sara Bode, MD, assistant professor of clinical pediatrics, Phoenix Children's Hospital

Salvatore F. Casano, MD, clinical instructor, surgical critical care

S. Suresh Kumar, MD, clinical assistant professor of medicine, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center

Stuart R. Lacey, MD, clinical professor of surgery, Pediatric Surgeons/Phoenix Integrated Surgery

Dorothy H. Rowe, MD, clinical assistant professor of surgery, Pediatric Surgeons/Phoenix Integrated Surgery

John M. Rowley, MD, clinical assistant professor of surgery, Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center

A journal article co-authored by UA College of Medicine Dean Keith Joiner, MD, MPH, is "top of the charts" among scientist-reviewers of Faculty of 1000 Biology, an online research service that highlights and reviews the most interesting papers published in the biological sciences based on the recommendations of more than 1,000 leading researchers.

Faculty of 1000 Biology scored Dr. Joiner's article, titled "Toxoplasma Gondii Sequesters Lysosomes from Mammalian Hosts in the Vacuolar Space," an exceptional 10.1 -- designating it a landmark paper representing the top 1 percent of publications. The article appears in the April 2006 edition of Cell.

Dr. Joiner's research article describes the long-sought mechanism by which the parasite toxoplasma gondii acquires nutrients from the host cell, and in particular cholesterol. The discovery opens the door for targeted drug treatments of the parasitic infection, and also provides new insights into the mechanisms by which human cells transport and store cholesterol. This has relevance to atherosclerotic vascular disease in humans, which results when cholesterol and other lipids are handled aberrantly by cells. 

Toxoplasma is the third-leading cause of U.S. food-related deaths behind Salmonella and Listeria, and is acquired primarily by ingestion of undercooked pork or lamb. Toxoplasmosis is a common cause of nervous system infections in AIDS patients or other individuals with compromised immune systems. The parasite also causes severe birth defects in infants born to mothers who acquire Toxoplasmosis during their pregnancy.

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