Proceedings of the HMS Faculty Council
The June 11 meeting of the Faculty Council began with HMS dean Jeffrey Flier introducing Edward Salsberg, director of the Center for Workforce Studies for the Association of American Medical Colleges, who gave a presentation on the projected national physician shortage. The talk touched on trends in the workforce, factors influencing the supply and demand of physicians, and future projections of supply and demand. He identified several key factors influencing the future supply of physicians: U.S. medical school enrollment, increased enrollment in osteopathic schools, and an increase in international medical school graduates entering graduate medical education. He noted that some of the barriers to expanding medical school enrollment are an insufficient number of basic science and clinical faculty and growing concern over potential shortages in clinical training sites.
Salsberg identified population growth, the aging population, high expectations and resources of the baby boomer generation, life style factors such as obesity and diabetes, economic growth, and medical advances as drivers of the future demand for physicians. To respond to the increased demand, the AAMC is recommending continued increases in medical school enrollment, GME positions, and use of nonphysician clinicians; improved efficiency and effectiveness, including improved IT and electronic medical records; an increase in interdisciplinary education and practice, especially for nonphysician clinicians; and a redesign of service delivery to be more responsive to the needs of younger and older physicians, such as flexible scheduling and part-time work.
Flier next introduced Alexa McCray, HMS associate professor of medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and codirector of the Center for Biomedical Informatics, and Stuart Shieber, the James O. Welch, Jr., and Virginia B. Welch professor of computer science and director of the Office for Scholarly Communication at Harvard University, who presented on open access publishing.
McCray described open access publications as those that are available for unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium provided that the work is properly cited. Examples are publishing in an open access journal, placing articles in an open access archive such as PubMed Central, or publishing in a journal that has a hybrid model (only some of the articles published are open access or articles are made available after an embargo period).
McCray described NIH public access policy, noting as key requirements that the author notifies the publisher (generally through an addendum) at the time of the copyright transfer, the PI ensures deposit of the final manuscript in the NIH repository, and the PI includes the PubMed Central unique identifier at the time of the next NIH grant submission or progress report. Shieber described FAS policy, noting that it provides article metadata, clarifies rights, makes a collective statement of principle, allows the University to facilitate the article deposit process and to negotiate collectively, and that its opt-out structure may increase rights retention. During the discussion that followed, McCray added that more information on open access is available on the Countway website.
Flier indicated that there should be further discussion on whether HMS will adopt the FAS policy.
Five researchers from HMS have received NIH Director’s Awards, which support innovative approaches to biomedical and behavioral sciences. The grants are part of the NIH’s Roadmap for Medical Research Initiative, which was designed to address fundamental knowledge gaps, develop transformative tools and technologies, and foster innovative approaches to complex problems, with the goal of decreasing the time it takes to translate research from the bench to the bedside.
Ann Hochschild has received a Pioneer Award, which provides $2.5 million in direct costs over five years. Pioneer Awards support scientists at any stage in their careers who are taking a creative approach to research that has potential to have a high impact on the field. Hochschild, professor of microbiology and molecular genetics, will use bacterial systems to study prions.
Four additional HMS investigators received New Innovator Awards. Samara Reck-Peterson, assistant professor of cell biology, will couple genetics with biophysics to discover biomedically important molecules that control how molecular motors deliver diverse cargo to the right place at the right time within cells; William Shih, assistant professor of biological chemistry and molecular pharmacology at Dana–Farber Cancer Institute, will develop tools for atomic-resolution imaging of membrane proteins to enable structure-based drug design; Amy Wagers, assistant professor of pathology at Joslin Diabetes Center, will study the mechanisms by which aging impairs blood cell function and develop strategies to prevent or reverse these age-acquired defects; and Sean Wu, assistant professor of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, will employ mechanisms of embryonic development to engineer functional tissues for organ regeneration using pluripotent stem cells from different species. The New Innovator Awards fund early-career researchers who have not received an NIH regular research grant or similar NIH grant.
The Armenise Foundation has named Lisa Mayer as its new executive director, effective immediately. She succeeds Amanda Pullen, who is leaving the foundation after 12 years of leadership.
For the past eight years, Mayer has worked with former HMS dean Daniel Tosteson, concentrating on medical education, where she gained understanding of the Giovanni Armenise–Harvard Foundation and the goals of its founders. Most recently, she has collaborated with senior physicians in developing the Mentored Clinical Casebook Project, an elective addition to the first-year curriculum. She will continue her work with this project along with her responsibilities at the foundation. Prior to coming to the Medical School, Mayer worked in senior administrative and fiduciary positions at Simmons College and later with the executive leadership at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Fund Supports Cardiovascular Health, Honors Bernard LownA professorship and scholarship program to honor Bernard Lown, inventor of the cardiac defibrillator and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, will be established at HSPH. Lown, a professor emeritus at the School, is recognized for his groundbreaking work on the causes and treatment of heart disease and cardiac arrhythmias and the development of the direct current (DC) defibrillator. He is also known for his dedication to the prevention of nuclear war and was a cofounder of Physicians for Social Responsibility and of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW). In 1985, Lown and a Russian colleague received the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of IPPNW.
The Bernard Lown Fund in Cardiovascular Health at HSPH will support the Bernard Lown Cardiovascular Scholars Program, which will train qualified midcareer clinicians, scientists, nurses, and other health practitioners in public health strategies related to the prevention of cardiovascular disease in the developing world. The goal will be to create an international community of Lown scholars who will continue to interact around issues of cardiovascular health, particularly in the developing world.
The Bernard Lown Fund will also support a professorship at HSPH involved in research and teaching focused on the prevention of cardiovascular disease in the developing world. In addition, the fund will provide for international conferences devoted to the topic of cardiovascular-disease prevention.
The Cambodian Health Committee (CHC) and its recently formed expansion organization, the Global Health Committee (GHC), recently received two major gifts. The CHC was cofounded by Anne Goldfeld, HMS associate professor of medicine at the Immune Disease Institute.
The Jolie–Pitt Foundation, a charitable organization established by actors and activists Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, pledged $2 million to the GHC to start a TB and HIV/AIDS clinic and children’s center in the Ethiopian capitol Addis Ababa. The center will be modeled after a similar center in Cambodia established by the CHC and the Jolie–Pitt Foundation, which provides an integrated program of medical, educational, and social services.
In addition, the IDI received a two-year, $150,000 grant from the Annenberg Foundation to support the institute’s research and clinical work in Cambodia aimed at improving the care of people with TB and HIV/AIDS. The CHC received an additional $350,000 from the Annenberg Foundation.
Goldfeld, who is also an HSPH associate professor in the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, studies the human immune system and its response to TB and AIDS infection. By collaborating with colleagues and patients in Cambodia and elsewhere, she has made fundamental discoveries associated with the genetic basis of the immune response to tuberculosis bacilli in various ethnic groups. Her work also led to the discovery of a unique set of T cells important in fighting tuberculosis and other infectious diseases.
Two HMS students have been named Paul and Daisy Soros Fellows for 2008, out of 30 fellows selected nationwide. The fellowships are given to naturalized citizens, resident aliens, and the children of naturalized citizens to help them pursue graduate education and prepare them for leadership opportunities in a variety of fields.
Robert Koffie moved from Ghana to attend Indiana University as an undergraduate and just started his second year at HST. While living in Ghana, Koffie volunteered with Doctors Without Borders, helping to care for residents of Ghana and Togo. As an undergraduate, he volunteered for the Red Cross at blood drives and interned in the Emergency Department at Bloomington Hospital. He plans to study proteins implicated in neurodegenerative diseases and pursue a career in academic medicine.
Vijay Yanamadala, whose parents emigrated from India, has a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Harvard University and has also just begun his second year at HST. He has conducted research on hypertension and polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and has published papers as the first author on these topics in scientific journals. Yanamadala wants to work in academic medicine, developing new technologies to study the molecular mechanisms of diseases such as PKD.
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute has selected four HMS students and one HSDM student for its Research Fellowship Training Program, which allows students to conduct research for a year at an institution of their choice. HMS students Lior Braunstein, Ann Cai, Guadalupe Villarreal, and Corinna Zygourakis and HSDM student Rosalyn Sulyanto will all remain at HMS and affiliated hospitals for their fellowship year. Two additional students from other universities have also chosen to spend their fellowship year at HMS.
Other students who have recently won awards are Stanley Vance and Jeffrey Dixson. Vance has received both a Sheldon Traveling Fellowship from the Harvard University Committee on General Scholarships and a Fullbright U.S. Student Scholarship to work with young patients with gender identity disorder at the Amsterdam Gender Clinic for Adolescents and Children. Dixson, also a recipient of a Sheldon Traveling Fellowship, will travel to Uganda with the Association of Volunteers for International Service to develop skills in clinical work and health systems research and to gain experience working in complex humanitarian emergencies.
Academy Names New FellowsThe Academy at HMS has named four new fellows in medical education for academic year 2009. The fellowships provide both junior and mid-career physician-educators with the opportunity to pursue a mentored project in medical education and participate in a specially designed faculty development program. Benjamin Davis, HMS assistant professor of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, was awarded the Curtis Prout Fellowship for his project, “Advanced Elective in HIV.” Patricia Kritek, HMS instructor in medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, received the Susan M. Jackson Fellowship for her project, “Respiratory Pathophysiology Course—Mini Case Revamp.” The Curtis Prout Fellowship went to Winnie Suen, HMS instructor in medicine at MGH, for her project, “A Longitudinal, Patient-centered Geriatrics Curriculum for the Cambridge Integrated Clerkship.” And Richard Urman, HMS instructor in anesthesia at BWH, was awarded the Morgan–Zinsser Fellowship for his project, “Improvement of the HMS Second-year Pharmacology Curriculum and Integration with the Human Systems Block.”
Ophthalmology Dept. Names New LeadersJoan Miller, the Henry Willard Williams professor of ophthalmology and head of the Department of Ophthalmology at HMS and the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, has appointed five new vice chairs to the department. The new vice chairs will lead the department in five distinct areas as it experiences major growth in patient care, education, and research. Michael Gilmore, the Charles L. Schepens professor of ophthalmology at HMS and president of Schepens Eye Research Institute, will serve as vice chair for basic research; Reza Dana, HMS the Claes H. Dohlman professor of ophthalmology at MEEI, will serve as vice chair for academic programs; Lloyd Aiello, HMS associate professor of ophthalmology at Joslin Diabetes Center, will serve as vice chair for centers of excellence; David Hunter, HMS associate professor of ophthalmology at Children’s Hospital Boston, will service as vice chair for promotions and appointments; and John Loewenstein, HMS associate professor of ophthalmology at MEEI, will serve as vice chair for medical education. Prior to the new appointments, Leo Chylack, HMS professor of ophthalmology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, served as vice chair, a role he shared with Wayne Streilein until Streilein’s death in 2004.
Grants Fuel Research in CancerThe Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation has named five new Damon Runyon Clinical Investigators, including two researchers from HMS. The awards are given to early-career physician-scientists conducting patient-oriented cancer research and provide $450,000 over three years. Andrew Chan, HMS assistant professor of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, received a fellowship for his project developing molecular “smart” probes and novel imaging techniques for colorectal cancer detection. Rachael Clark, HMS assistant professor of dermatology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, will use her fellowship to investigate the role of the immune system in controlling squamous cell carcinomas of the skin, focusing on developing effective treatments.
News BriefsThirteen HMS researchers have received 2008 Young Investigator Awards from NARSAD, an organization that raises funds for psychiatric research. Recipients from McLean Hospital are Heather Brenhouse, research fellow in psychiatry; Brian Brennan, instructor in psychiatry; Brent Forester, instructor in psychiatry; Glenn Konopaske, instructor in psychiatry; and Morgane Thomsen, research fellow in psychiatry. Winners from Massachusetts General Hospital are Amy Farabaugh, instructor in psychology in the Department of Psychiatry; Daphne Holt, assistant professor of psychiatry; Mohammed Milad, assistant professor of psychiatry; Mireya Nadal-Vicens, clinical fellow in psychiatry; Roberto Sassi, clinical fellow in psychiatry; Tatiana Sitnikova, research fellow in psychiatry; and Jennifer Stone, research fellow in psychiatry. Zora Kikinis, instructor in psychiatry at Brigham and Women’s hospital, was also a recipient.
The Prostate Cancer Foundation has recognized five Harvard researchers with 2008 Young Investigator Awards. The prizes, which support researchers in junior faculty positions conducting prostate cancer research, provide recipients with $75,000 annually for three years to support specified research programs. The funds are matched by the recipients’ institutions. Mohamed Arredouani, HMS instructor in surgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, is developing a prostate cancer vaccine with two molecules known to be involved in the malignant transformation of prostate cells. Adam Feldman, HMS instructor in surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, is seeking to develop a method to detect certain prostate cancer biomarkers in urine. Isil Guney, a research associate in medicine at Dana–Farber Cancer Institute, will identify molecules that are suitable for development as therapeutic targets in advanced prostate cancers. Mark Pomerantz, HMS instructor in medicine at DFCI, will work to understand the molecular basis of increased prostate cancer risk in individuals who possess the genomic alterations that indicate this risk. And Lorelei Mucci, assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology at HSPH, will study 1,500 prostate cancer patients to understand the relationship of gene fusions—which occur in some cases and may influence prognosis—to hormonal balance, energy balance, and healthy weight.
In MemoriamJohn Lemuel Bethune, professor emeritus of radiology (biochemistry), died on June 14 at the age of 82.
Bethune received his BSc from Acadia University, Canada, in 1947. Before beginning doctoral studies, Bethune worked for 10 years as a professional chemist with Canadian Breweries Research Institute, where he is still remembered by the Rigby-Bethune unit, a measure of the bitterness of beer.
He received his PhD from Clark University in 1961 and joined HMS as a postdoctoral fellow in Bert Vallee’s biophysics laboratory, which was located in the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital. He went on to serve as assistant professor of biological chemistry from 1966 to 1969 and as associate professor of biological chemistry from 1969 to 1975.
Bethune was known as an expert in macromolecular transport—the movement of proteins in an applied field—and most of his early publications involved ultracentrifugation and electrophoresis. In 1972, Vallee entered into a collaboration with Judah Folkman to work on angiogenesis. Two years later, the collaboration became the basis for the Harvard–Monsanto Project, a multimillion dollar pioneering venture between industry and academe.
The project led to the discovery of angiogenin, a tumor-derived angiogenesis factor. Bethune was a co-author on many of the initial papers describing this protein. In addition, he spent much of his time devising theoretical equations fundamental to his theories of protein transport.
In 1975, there was a movement to create an appointment in chemistry within the Department of Radiology. Bethune’s thorough training in physical chemistry and his interest in diffusion, macromolecular interaction, and the transport of molecules in a variety of systems were considered uniquely suited for this new position. He served as professor of radiology (biochemistry) from 1975 to 1993, spending the latter part of his career teaching statistics to the radiology interns and residents. He retired in 1993.
Bethune is survived by his wife, Nancy, and his nephew, Norman Bethune and his wife Jocelyn, of Nova Scotia.
Timothy Browder, HMS instructor in pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Boston died on March 3. He was 51.
Browder received his BS in 1978 from Wake Forest University and his MD in 1982 from Duke University School of Medicine. After completing his residency in pediatrics at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, he completed a fellowship at the Clinical Hematology Branch of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health. He joined the HMS community in 1989 as a fellow in pediatric hematology–oncology at Children’s and the Dana–Farber Cancer Institute. He became an instructor in pediatrics in 1992.
Browder was interested in angiogenesis research and worked with cancer researcher Judah Folkman. As a fellow in the Folkman laboratory, his research showed that consistent lower doses of chemotherapy drugs could help curtail angiogenesis, the growth of blood vessels that feed tumors. This work led to an important breakthrough in treating drug-resistant cancers.
Browder was devoted to his work and his patients. He rarely vacationed, but was known to book vacations for dying patients and their families. About five years ago, he was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, an immune system disorder that affects the lungs, and was forced to scale back his research.
Browder is survived by his mother, Carlotta; sisters, Donna Browder Moyer, of North Carolina, and Becky Browder Neustadt, of New York; brother, Kevin, of North Carolina; three nieces; and two nephews.
Thomas Weller, a 1954 Nobel Prize winner and former HMS faculty member, passed away on Saturday, Aug. 23. He was 93.
Weller received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with John Enders and Frederick Robbins, both of Children’s Hospital Boston, for discovering how to grow poliomyelitis viruses in culture. Their breakthrough laid the foundation for others to develop the polio vaccine. The discovery demonstrated that scientists could grow viruses in human tissues in test tubes, foregoing the need for laboratory animals and speeding the way toward other vaccines. Polio was eliminated from the Americas in 1994, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Weller was later involved in isolating and growing varicella-zoster, the cause of chicken pox and shingles, and cytomegalovirus, a member of the herpesvirus family that can cause birth defects. He and others discovered rubella, which causes German measles.
Weller earned a BA from the University of Michigan in 1936. That same year he entered HMS, where he was given facilities for research in the Department of Comparative Pathology and Tropical Medicine. In 1939, Enders accepted him as a tutorial student and introduced him to the field of virus research and tissue-culture techniques as a means to study infectious disease.
Weller graduated from HMS in 1940 and began clinical training at Children’s. In 1942 he joined the Army Medical Corps and worked on malaria control while stationed in Puerto Rico. At the end of World War II, he returned to Children’s Hospital to continue his clinical training. In 1947, he joined Enders in forming the Research Division of Infectious Diseases at Children’s. Two years later, he was named assistant director of the division. He also was appointed to the HMS faculty and later became an associate professor in the Department of Comparative Pathology and Tropical Medicine.
When the unit was renamed the Department of Tropical Public Health and was transferred to HSPH, Weller was named the Richard Pearson Strong Professor of Tropical Public Health. He became head of the department, a role he held until 1981; in 1985 he was given emeritus status.
Weller is survived by his wife, Kathleen (Fahey); two sons, Pete and Robert; one daughter, Janet; and six grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Needham Public Library, 1139 Highland Ave., Needham, MA 02494.
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