Fall 1995
News on campus
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Fall 1995
Health Science Center's regional role in South Texas expands
Legislative action this year has placed the Health Science Center
in a key role for the South Texas/Border Initiatives.
In addition to its regular operating appropriation, the Health
Science Center received $14.25 million for the next two years to support
enhanced health care and health education in South Texas.
"We all know we have already been involved throughout South Texas
in many ways, and we are acutely aware of the need for more health
education for Health Science Center students in the Lower Rio
Grande Valley, the Laredo area and the Corpus Christi/Coastal Bend
area, in accordance with our academic plan," said John P. Howe
III, MD, president of the Health Science Center.
The appropriation was coupled with an additional $3 million for
campus operations in support of the South Texas/Border Initiatives.
The special appropriations represented a 6.2 percent increase in
total state funds for the Health Science Center.
Dr. Howe said he was impressed by the bipartisan dedication in
Austin to improving opportunities in South Texas.
"I have to give extra special credit to Sen. Judith Zaffirini,
Sen. John Montford, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and
Rep. Rob Junell, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
Sen. Zaffirini had enormous responsibility placed on her shoulders
this session -- and still found the time and energy to shepherd
our concerns for South Texas through a complex process, with the
important support of Sen. Eddie Lucio and Sen. Carlos Truan," Dr.
Howe said.
"Great leadership was displayed by Sen. Montford and Rep. Junell;
although they are from Lubbock and San Angelo, respectively, they
care a great deal about San Antonio and South Texas, and their
leadership resulted in some funding we might not otherwise have
had," he said.
Related reading:
McAllen physician leads South Texas/Border Initiatives
Fall 1995
McAllen physician leads South Texas/Border Initiatives
Mario E. Ramirez, MD, of McAllen, former member of The University of Texas System Board of Regents and longtime leader in South
Texas medicine, has been named vice president for the South
Texas/Border Initiatives at the Health Science Center.
"He is a physician's physician," said John P. Howe III, MD,
Health Science Center president, who made the announcement.
"Dr. Ramirez is the single most qualified person in South Texas
to work with local civic and medical leaders in communities
throughout South Texas to insure the success of our important new
outreach initiatives within this region. He not only knows most of
the health professionals in this region, he knows the needs of the
communities as well," Dr. Howe said.
For six years Dr. Ramirez served on the Higher Education
Coordinating Board, which oversees the development and curriculum
of colleges and universities in the state. Dr. Ramirez served as a UT System
regent from 1989 through 1995.
Dr. Ramirez was a charter member and diplomate of the American
Board of Family Practice and a charter fellow of the American
Academy of Family Physicians. He is a former president of the
Texas Academy of Family Physicians and the Texas Medical
Association.
After attending The University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Ramirez
received his doctor of medicine degree from the University of
Tennessee College of Medicine.
He opened a family practice office in Roma, a city in the Rio
Grande Valley, in 1950 and for many years was the only physician
in the area. In 1975 he moved his practice to Rio Grande City. In
1958 he opened a 15-bed hospital in Roma; the hospital was later
enlarged to include 21 beds and a surgical wing.
Fall 1995
Cellular biology funding near the top in the nation
The department of cellular and structural biology received $5.1
million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) during fiscal
1994 — the second highest federal grant total of any cell biology
department in the nation.
The department ranked behind Harvard University's department ($6.9
million) and ahead of Johns Hopkins University ($4.4 million).
"The ranking of our department as second nationally testifies to
the hard work and commitment of our faculty to timely research and
teaching," said Barbara H. Bowman, PhD, professor and head of the
department. "I am particularly proud of our young faculty who have
succeeded in winning their grant support in a time when it is so
difficult to get a grant funded by NIH."
The faculty conduct 20 projects funded by the national institutes,
including research on isolation of a tumor-suppressor gene on
human chromosome 3 and saturation mapping of genes and genetics
markers on chromosome 3. Studies of the genetic mechanisms of
aging; hormonal activity in the liver; and cancer development in
genetically altered mice also are funded, along with a host of
other projects.
Other departments on campus also ranked highly. The departments of
obstetrics and gynecology, and orthopaedics each were ranked
sixth among similar departments in total NIH funding, and the
department of microbiology was ranked 16th.
NIH funded 182 projects at the Health Science Center during the
1994 federal fiscal year, up from 162 projects a year earlier. The
grants totaled $44.6 million, up more than 15 percent from the
1993 total of $38.6 million.
Fall 1995
Medical School receives high primary-care rating
The Medical School received nationwide attention in 1995 for its
record of success in providing primary care physicians.
A survey published by U.S. News & World Report in March ranked
the Health Science Center No. 8 of the 62 U.S. medical schools
that excel in training primary care physicians. The Medical School
was the only one in Texas to be ranked among the top 15 in the
nation.
U.S. News evaluated the primary care areas of family practice,
general internal medicine and pediatrics, and compared the 62
medical schools that have the highest proportion of graduates
entering primary care. The schools were ranked according to
reputation, faculty resources, student undergraduate grade-point
average, scores on the Medical College Admission test and the rate
of MDs going into primary care internships.
"I am immensely proud — and not at all surprised — at this
outstanding ranking given to our faculty and students," said John
P. Howe III, MD, Health Science Center president. "It is a well-
deserved recognition of their teaching and research excellence and
their dedication to bringing primary care to the citizens of
Texas. It is also a great tribute to the leadership of Dr. Jim
Young, Medical School dean.
"We are pleased that we have achieved this high ranking with a
tuition less than half that of many of our fellow medical schools
throughout the country. I am deeply grateful to the legislators
who invest in us and the community that supports us. I hope they
feel that both their confidence and their investment are well-
placed," he said.
Fifty-five percent of last year's Medical School graduates entered
residencies in primary care fields. The 1991, 1992 and 1993
medical classes also registered primary care residency totals of
about 55 percent. Annually, the Health Science Center is among the
leaders in the nation in this percentage.
Fall 1995
Center for organ transplant patients opens
They put J. Kent Trinkle's name on a new San Antonio center for
organ transplant patients in June. The pioneering surgeon, known
for his homespun humor, accepted the honor, but said:
"The thing that makes these institutions great is not just the
bricks and mortar, it's the people. When I came here, we were
starting new, but now we have the critical mass of really bright
minds that it takes to do the kind of work that needs to be done."
Dr. Trinkle, professor and former division head of cardiothoracic
surgery, led the first heart transplant operation in South Texas
in 1986 and later the region's first heart-lung transplant and
single-lung transplant.
"If you've been happy with the things we've done in the past," Dr.
Trinkle said at the dedication ceremony, "you're really going to
be ecstatic with the future because the best is yet to come."
Dignitaries helped dedicate the J. Kent Trinkle Center for
Transplant Sciences in University Hospital, where Trinkle and his
fellow surgeons have performed more than 400 transplants since
1986. The center has room for 29 patients and has special
equipment and services designed for recovering transplant
patients.
John P. Howe III, MD, Health Science Center president, praised Dr.
Trinkle, saying: "This is a celebration of the unit and of the man
with the best batting average in lung transplants in the entire
world. We're very proud of that."
The transplant program continues to expand. Surgeons performed
their first kidney/pancreas transplant earlier this year and plan
to begin liver transplants on children.
The Health Science Center is seeking funds to increase the J. Kent Trinkle, MD, Professorship in Cardiothoracic Surgery, said Jocelyn L. Straus, president of the university's
Development Board.
Dr. Trinkle, who came from Kentucky to join the faculty in 1972,
acknowledged the applause at the dedication ceremony and said:
"Thank you all for allowing a country doctor to come here and
scratch out a living."
Fall 1995
Surgeons transplant kidney and pancreas
Robert M. Esterl, MD, assistant professor of surgery, led the
first combined kidney-pancreas transplant in a San Antonio
civilian hospital last spring.
The transplant recipient, Terri McCrae, 34, of San Antonio
underwent 7 hours of surgery.
"She did quite well in the operation and the surgery went quite
smoothly," Dr. Esterl said. The operation took place at University
Hospital and involved a surgical team from the hospital and the
Health Science Center.
"The pancreas is easily injured during surgery and the sometimes
difficult procedure involves a lot of vascular work to prevent
bleeding," Dr. Esterl said. The organ transplantation program
received approval to perform pancreas transplants several months
ago and found its first good combination of donor and recipient in
McCrae. Surgeons hope to perform about five of the surgeries each
year, although a shortage of organs may be the limiting factor.
"This patient was very motivated and didn't have any heart
problems that would have prevented the surgery," Dr. Esterl said.
McCrae suffered from Type I insulin-dependent diabetes since she
was 10, and had developed eye problems, neuropathy, gastroparesis
and numbness. She was in a wheelchair and could no longer work.
Immediately following the surgery, McCrae's blood glucose returned
to normal and she no longer required injections of insulin. "I was
a human pincushion before, getting four shots per day and doing
blood testing four to eight times per day," she said.
Although Dr. Esterl called McCrae's transplant a form of control
over her diabetes rather than a cure for it, she is hoping her
surgery will free her from the wheelchair and some of the other
problems she has endured while living in a nursing home the past
three years. "I'm looking forward to doing normal things like
going for a walk," she said. "I can't sit around all the time. I'm
anxious to start my second life. I used to have a condo on my own
and work as a bookkeeper. It would be fun to do something
different this time."
Related reading:
Transplant team is a first in South Texas, (Mission, Fall 1993)
Fall 1995
Heart association funding helps accelerate research
Two specialists in cardiovascular medicine received special awards
last summer from the Texas affiliate of the American Heart
Association.
David J. Haile, MD, assistant professor of medicine, received the
Lyndon Baines Johnson Research Award. His research into intestinal
iron uptake in the body will be funded with a two-year grant that
totals $83,600.
J. Kent Trinkle, MD, professor and former division head of
cardiothoracic surgery, received the affiliate's Paul V.
Ledbetter, MD, Physician Volunteer of the Year Premium Award. The
award recognizes his service to the American Heart Association.
The association's funding for Health Science Center researchers
has nearly quadrupled since 1985. Funding this year will total $974,243,
and support 24 projects.
Fall 1995
Project with VA seeks biological causes of aging
The National Institute on Aging has awarded a $1.6 million grant
to establish a Nathan Shock Aging Center at the Health Science
Center and Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital.
One of only two in the nation, the center will allow researchers
to examine the biological processes that control aging and
diseases of aging.
The grant covers five years and will permit the Health Science
Center to develop transgenic animal models for investigators in
San Antonio that are unavailable to other scientists. These animal
models will provide local researchers with a unique opportunity to
identify genes that underlie aging and disease processes.
"The center was built on the recognized strengths at San Antonio
in basic biomedical research in aging," said Arlan Richardson,
PhD, the center's director. Dr. Richardson is a professor of
physiology at the Health Science Center and a career research
scientist with the Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical
Center at Audie Murphy hospital.
Edward J. Masoro, PhD, physiology professor and the center's co-
director, and his colleagues have conducted groundbreaking studies
on the relationship between dietary restriction and longevity.
Barbara H. Bowman, PhD, professor and head of the cellular and
structural biology department, and her colleagues developed the
nation's first transgenic mouse facility dedicated to studying
aging.
The Health Science Center is recognized internationally as one of
the leading universities in aging research in biomedicine. More
than 100 faculty members are involved in studying aging and
related subjects.
Related reading:
Research opens new vistas on aging, (Mission, Fall 1993)
Fall 1995
President's Council fund campaign sets a record
The President's Council, a group of donors who give $1,000 or more
in unrestricted gifts to the Health Science Center annually,
completed its 1995 campaign with the highest total of donors ever.
Under the leadership of Claude Nabers, DDS, and Harold Walker,
both of San Antonio, this year's campaign raised $111,000 from 110
donors. In the last three years, this annual campaign has raised
more than $350,000 in unrestricted gifts for the Health Science
Center.
"Unrestricted gifts to the President's Council are critical in
providing funds to areas of need and also creating the margin of
excellence in support of the missions of the Health Science
Center. In a competitive environment, these gifts make a
significant difference in our ability to recruit the best and
brightest researchers, students and faculty," said W. Frank
Elston, vice president for university relations. "Through the
efforts of our co-chairs, we were able to exceed last year's
totals and recruit 24 new donors to this important campaign."
For information about the President's Council, call Joseph F.
Teague, director of development, at (210) 567-2056.
Fall 1995
Development board creates dental professorship
Michele J. Saunders, DMD, has been named to the new Development
Board Professorship in Clinical Dentistry at the Health Science
Center.
Dr. Saunders is professor and chief of the division of dental
diagnostic science and also a professor of medicine. She has been
on the Dental School faculty since 1980 and is associate director
of the Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center at Audie
L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital.
The new position is the Dental School's first endowed
professorship. Funds were donated by Health Science Center
Development Board members and friends.
Dr. Saunders is an international authority in geriatric dentistry
and gerontology, and is involved in federally-funded projects
totaling more than $10 million. In addition to her research
activities, Dr. Saunders has authored numerous book chapters and
published widely; teaches dental, medical, allied and associated
health students and fellows; and is active in numerous
professional organizations.
Some of her major activities include heading the Oral Health: San
Antonio Longitudinal Study of Aging, and directing the Health
Science Center's South Texas Geriatric Education Center.
She plans to use a portion of her professorship to add geriatric
information to the Dental School's on-line data base of
medications used by dental patients.
Related reading:
Research opens new vistas on aging, (Mission, Fall 1993)
Fall 1995
Notables
- Victor A. Sandoval, DDS, associate professor of general
dentistry, has been named president-elect of the American
Association of Dental Schools. He will become president next
spring. The national professional organization represents the
interests of individuals and institutions engaged in dental and
allied dental education. Its mission is to lead the dental
education community in addressing the contemporary issues
influencing education, research and public health.
- John A. Thomas, PhD, vice president for academic services and
professor of pharmacology, has been unanimously elected to the
prestigious Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. He becomes the
ninth American in the academy and the second member from Texas.
Houston heart surgeon Michael DeBakey, MD, is the other member
from Texas. Dr. Thomas and two other biomedical scientists from
outside Russia were elected. Only 39 of the academy's 400 members
are from outside Russia.
- Linda Y. Johnson, PhD, associate professor of cellular and
structural biology, is among 10 Texas educators named as a Piper
Professor, an award that recognizes excellence in teaching. The
Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation of San Antonio, which promotes
higher education, gives the awards once a year. Dr. Johnson has
received several teaching honors. In 1994, she received the Health
Science Center's Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching for
the second time in nine years.
- Spencer W. Redding, DDS, associate dean for advanced education
and hospital affairs in the Dental School, has been elected
president of the American Association of Hospital Dentists. The
association represents dentists who focus their professional
activity on special dental patients, including those who are
medically compromised and treated in inpatient and outpatient
institutional settings.
Fall 1995
Organization honors Health Science Center's donors
The Health Science Center's Development Board has created the
Pioneer Society, an organization designed to recognize thoughtful
individuals who have included the university in their estate
plans.
The Pioneer Society will include donors who make an estate gift or
other form of planned gift to the Health Science Center. Other
planned gift vehicles included are charitable remainder unitrusts,
charitable gift annuities, pooled income funds, insurance policies
and gifts of real estate.
"In creating the Pioneer Society, the university is recognizing
those individuals with the vision to support the Health Science
Center in a lasting and meaningful way," said Joseph F. Teague,
director of development. "The Pioneer Society exemplifies the
importance of will provisions and other planned gifts for the
Health Science Center and expresses our grateful appreciation to
individuals who make a planned gift in support of our mission."
The Health Science Center has received more than $3 million in
planned gifts from individuals in the past four years.
For more information on the Pioneer Society, contact
Teague at (210) 567-2056.
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