Free vision tests were offered. The San Antonio Low Vision Club sponsored the event, with assistance from the Health Science Center, the San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind, the Texas Commission for the Blind and Prevent Blindness.

"Low-vision devices help many people with macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and glaucomaall diseases that our faculty are experts at studying and treating," said Robert Hobson, South Texas project coordinator in the Department of Ophthalmology. Eighty percent of the Low Vision Club members have macular degeneration, he added.

Graduation ceremonies May 21-22

More than 40 different degrees and certificates are offered, including the M.D. and D.D.S. degrees, Ph.D. degrees in eight fields, and M.S. and B.S. degrees in numerous fields. The schools, graduation times and commencement speakers are:

• Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (conferring Ph.D. and master's degrees), 5 p.m. Friday, May 21, Health Science Center auditorium, Gen. Robert F. McDermott (Ret.), chairman emeritus, USAA

• School of Allied Health Sciences, 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 22, Laurie Auditorium at Trinity University, Dr. Frances Horvath, dean, St. Louis University School of Allied Health Professions

• School of Nursing, 1 p.m. May 22, Laurie Auditorium, Dr. Margretta Styles, former dean of the Health Science Center School of Nursing

• Medical School, 4 p.m. May 22, Laurie Auditorium, Dr. Frank F. Ledford, Jr., president, Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research

• Dental School, 7:30 p.m. May 22, Laurie Auditorium, Dr. James Kennedy, professor of periodontology and dean emeritus, School of Dental Medicine at The University of Connecticut Health Center

Lab study: restored gene thwarts
advanced tumors in mice

Of particular clinical relevance, the scientists found that replacement of a defective gene called the retinoblastoma susceptibility gene (RB) slowed or prevented development of lung metastasis originating from tumors of the thyroid gland.

The frequency of lung metastases was reduced from 84 percent to 12 percent after mice received intravenous injections with liposomes (fatlike envelopes) containing the RB gene.

The Health Science Center researchers, collaborating with peers at the University of Pittsburgh, published these findings in the March issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The San Antonio authors are appointed in the Department of Molecular Medicine of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and are housed at the Health Science Center's Institute of Biotechnology in the Texas Research Park.

The scientists studied mice with only a single copy of the RB gene. Most of the animals developed multiple neuroendocrine neoplasia, a cancerous condition in cells of the pituitary, adrenal, thyroid and parathyroid glands.

All tumors lacked the RB gene. By the time the mice were 350 days old, tumors had formed from the cells of the neuroendocrine glands. At 380 days, 84 percent of the mice had developed lung metastases.

"Loss of RB function is essential for initiation of tumor growth in multiple types of neuroendocrine cells in these mice," said Dr. Alexander Nikitin, instructor in the Department of Molecular Medicine. "In the study just published, we demonstrate that RB deficiency remains important during subsequent tumor formation and even during the most advanced stage of tumor progression. Because of these observations, we have the hope that placing RB back into human RB-deficient metastatic tumors, such as small-cell lung cancer, may be effective therapy for these cancers."

Dr. Nikitin is listed as first author on the paper. Co-authors are Dr. María Juárez-Pérez, a Health Science Center fellow; Dr. Wen-Hwa Lee, professor and chair of the Department of Molecular Medicine and director of the Institute of Biotechnology; and Drs. Song Li and Leaf Huang of the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

NIH proposal procedures change June 1

Effective with that date, modular grant procedures will apply to any proposal for an RO1 grant requesting direct costs of $250,000 or less, or to any proposal for an R03 or R21 grant.

Health & Medicine Expo volunteers sought

Thousands of people visited last year's Expo and several Health Science Center exhibitors spoke to audiences from the general public.

Exhibitors from the Health Science Center will pay no exhibitor fee. Exhibitors are invited to display informational and interactive materials to help inform the general public about health promotion, illness prevention and appropriate health care practices, and to showcase medical advancements and technology designed to promote health and wellness.

Faculty and supervisors interested in participating (or who know colleagues who might be interested) are asked to contact Mary Sandoval at 567-2654 or <sandovalm@uthscsa.edu> to complete an exhibitor reservation form. This form should be submitted to Sandoval no later than 5 p.m. Thursday, May 13.

School of Nursing celebrates 30 years

May 21-22 events to commemorate
3 decades of achievement for school

Faculty and staff of the school, opened in 1969, will celebrate the milestone anniversary with two events on Friday, May 21--a Mock Trial and a Gala Alumni Dinner Celebration--and School of Nursing tours on Saturday, May 22. Everyone is invited to see the school's new building including new student areas, and also the school's learning lab, curriculum resource center and computer lab.

The Mock Trial, set for 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. May 21, is a continuing education activity. The $30 fee includes a dessert at the event. Health care providers will learn about proper documentation and communication in this trial about a mock lawsuit. To register or for more information, call ext. 5850.

The Gala Alumni Dinner Celebration is planned for 6:30 to 9 p.m. May 21 at the Doubletree Hotel, 37 NE Loop 410 (at McCullough across from North Star Mall). A silent auction and cash bar start the event, followed by dinner at 7:30. The Classic Trio will provide live music. A short presentation will honor former deans and alumni, and supporters and sponsors of the School of Nursing.

Cost is $30 a person. The silent auction will be open throughout the evening. Call 567-5850 to attend or for more details.

The School of Nursing tours will be offered from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. May 22. Complementary refreshments will be provided.

The 30th anniversary celebration actually began April 19 with the Texas Cavaliers River Parade. The parade was full of floats representing various industries in Texas. The School of Nursing's pre-selected float theme was "Shrimping in Texas."

CTRC opens urologic clinic

The primary focus is patients with urologic tumors, including prostate cancers in older men and testicular cancers in younger men. Patients with kidney and bladder cancers also are being seen in the clinic.

"This is a real breakthrough for patients with complicated urologic cancer problems in San Antonio," said Dr. Joseph Basler, associate professor of surgery in the Urology Division at the Health Science Center and a member of the CTRC medical staff. "Previously many patients might travel to Houston, Dallas or even further for a multidisciplinary clinic. Now one is available in their area; we believe it is the first of its kind in San Antonio."

He noted that treatments for many urologic tumors incorporate simultaneous or sequential therapies by all three specialties. "Having all the necessary specialists in the same setting to discuss treatment options is a great benefit to the patient," he said.

The clinic is operating Tuesday afternoons in the Surgical Oncology Suite at the CTRC's Grossman Cancer Center, 7979 Wurzbach. Appointments are necessary and may be made by calling 567-5640.

Ambassador Scholars selected at recent ceremony

The winners were announced during an April 27 ceremony in the Briscoe Library, where each received a $1,000 cash award from the Ambassador Scholarship Fund. The fund was established through the generosity of the H-E-B Grocery Co. and the campus Fiesta de Tejas Committee.

Ambassador Scholarship recipients are nominated by the deans of each of the schools. The winners represent each of the respective schools at the Health Science Center during various events throughout the year.

This year's winners include Dement, a third-year nursing student; Grant Hogan, a third-year dental student; Jeffrey Wheeler, a second-year medical student; Amy Ebersole, a second-year student in the School of Allied Health Sciences; and Nathan Standifer of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

The Dental School's Hogan is a graduate of Duke University and is a past recipient of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Student Summer Research Fellowship, allowing him to conduct research relating to temporomandibular disorders. He recently was elected a regional trustee of the American Student Dental Association and has served as a volunteer on several San Antonio community projects.

Wheeler, the Medical School ambassador, is a graduate of Texas A&M University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology. Currently treasurer of the 2000 medical class, he was elected president for next year. While at Texas A&M, Wheeler participated with the Opera and Performing Arts Society and served as an ambassador for several exchange delegations to Europe.

Representing the School of Allied Health Sciences, Ebersole is a graduate of The University of Texas at San Antonio and is studying in the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences (CLS). She is a member of the Health Science Center CLS Student Organization, the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Sciences and the Student Interview Panel for Candidates, in the latter role serving for the associate dean. She acts as a peer adviser for the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences. Ebersole also has participated in a number of volunteer organizations and activities off campus, including the Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner, Habitat for Humanity, the Providence House Charity Donation and Silent Auction, and the American Red Cross. She is the daughter of the Health Science Center's Dr. Jeffrey Ebersole, professor of periodontics.

Standifer, representing the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, began graduate work in 1995 and is a doctoral student in the Department of Microbiology. He has been a teaching assistant, instructing medical students in microbiology, and has maintained a 3.5 GPA. Standifer is a member of the Student Health Advisory Committee and was selected to serve as a host to visiting seminar speakers.

Dement, with the School of Nursing, maintains a 4.0 GPA in the nursing school and will be doing a nursing internship with the Methodist Healthcare System prior to graduation.

The 1999-2000 ambassador group represents the 11th year of Ambassador Scholars at the Health Science Center.

HSC moms look forward to 1st Mother's Day

It was not that hard to imagine. After all, they announced a week apart that they were both expecting, and they went through nine months of the ups and downs of pregnancy together in their respective Computing Resources and Telecommunications & Networking departments at the Health Science Center. So when they both went into labor on Dec. 6, mere hours apart and at the same hospital, Nava thought for sure her prediction would come true.

And it almost did. Hager gave birth to daughter Chandler Marie on Dec. 6, while Nava's son, Jay Edward, took his time, arriving just eight minutes past midnight on Dec. 7.

Even though they didn't become mothers the same day, the colleagues will be able to celebrate their first Mother's Day together, along with the thousands of mothers across the country who will be recognized May 9 for the many things they do for their children.

"This first Mother's Day will be very special," said Nava, network support supervisor. "It is hard to express the feelings you have about your child. It is wonderful."

Hager, communications customer service representative, said her family is planning a large barbecue to celebrate the special day, complete with four generations of relatives. Nava's holiday will be more low key--a day with her husband and new son.

Mother's Day was first observed in 1907 at the request of a Philadelphia woman, who asked her church to hold a special service honoring all mothers on the anniversary of her own mother's death, which fell on the second Sunday in May. A presidential proclamation later set aside the second Sunday in May as an official holiday. Today it is one of the busiest days of the year for the U.S. Postal Service, card stores and flower shops, not to mention the telephone companies.

Even though their babies are not old enough to make them a card or fashion them a hand-made potholder as a gift, for Nava and Hager this first Mother's Day will be one they never forget.

"It will be wonderful," Hager said. "The love is overwhelming."

Happy Mother's Day to all of our Health Science Center moms.

Employee Assistance Program
offers counseling assistance

As part of the EAP, employees and family members may receive eight professional counseling visits at no charge per fiscal year. The Health Science Center provides this service through the Family Service Association. Employees or family members may use the program to discuss any types of problems they may be experiencing, from stress on the job to grieving for a loved one.

"In the past employees were offered up to four free sessions," said Dr. Doug Posey, EAP coordinator with the Family Service Association. "The eight-session format allows us to expand our services and provide treatment, followed by referral if necessary."

The program is confidential, enabling employees to seek professional help without the worry of colleagues and employers finding out about their issues and the counseling sessions. The Health Science Center pays for the eight visits per year. Additional services are handled on a sliding fee basis or through the employee's insurance provider.

The Family Service Association has offices throughout San Antonio. "We plan to open a Northwest office in May at a new location, which will be convenient for Health Science Center employees," Dr. Posey said. The new office will be in the Hummingbird office complex at 5372 Fredericksburg Road, Suite 100.

The association has been operating in San Antonio since 1903 and has bilingual counselors available. It offers counseling services ranging from parenting assistance to stress management to help with substance abuse.

To use the Employee Assistance Program, call 226-3391, identify yourself as a Health Science Center employee and ask to speak with a counselor. The counselor will give you information on the closest office to you and schedule a counseling appointment.

For more information on this and other employee programs, contact the Office of Human Resources' benefits section, ext. 2610.

HSC researchers making headway
in study of addictions

New therapies could reduce cravings of addicts;
brain images may enhance knowledge
of disease underpinning

Dr. Johnson, who has studied in England (London and Oxford), France (Paris) and Nigeria (Lagos), came from the U. T. Health Science Center at Houston last summer. His titles are professor of psychiatry and pharmacology, deputy chairman for research in the Department of Psychiatry, and chief, Division of Alcohol and Drug Addiction.

Diverse studies
Dr. Johnson is principal investigator on several research projects with extramural funding exceeding $5 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and private agencies. His NIH funding encompasses the fields of medication development for drug and alcohol addiction, and pharmacologically driven neuroimaging studies to understand the biological and psychosocial underpinning of the disease process.

Dr. Johnson also serves on NIH study sections and on the editorial board of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

"The last three decades have seen rapid expansion of self-help and advocacy groups for the treatment of alcohol and drug addiction... while these remain the cornerstone of our treatments today, it is clear that they are simply not enough to bring about the dramatic decrease we need in the number of addicts," Dr. Johnson said.

Since 1990 great strides have been made in understanding the action of addictive drugs. High-tech tools, such as neuroimaging provided by the Health Science Center's Research Imaging Center (RIC), are invaluable in this effort, Dr. Johnson noted. "Neuroimaging enables us to view particular parts of the brain during the action of the abused drugs, and literally to see the effects our potential medications can have on reducing or blocking the effects of the abused drug."

Stroke danger elucidated
Dr. Johnson and his colleagues last year reported a breakthrough carried in the New York Times and on CNN Headline News. "We discovered that individuals who take cocaine are at risk of serious harm or death from stroke, because cocaine releases a particular substance, called dopamine, which makes the blood vessels in the brain smaller. This allows less blood to reach vital regions of the brain, and eventually parts of the brain die."

Dr. Johnson and his colleagues reported that giving individuals the drug isradipine, a calcium channel blocker, prevents this narrowing of blood vessels. "This is the first time any drug has been shown to block some of the harmful effects of cocaine in the brain," he said.

Further laboratory studies of isradipine have suggested it may reduce the drive of addicts to use cocaine and other psychostimulants. "This drug may work at both protecting the brain from the insult of the abused drug and decreasing the drive to use drugs," Dr. Johnson said. "We are carefully testing this promising new drug in San Antonio to determine if our early impressions result in a treatment medication. While at this stage we are cautious and deem our results to be preliminary, we are hopeful that this medication will help in reducing the plight of all those addicted to psychostimulants."

Help for alcoholics?
A second drug, ondansetron, may reduce or stop the drive of an alcoholic to continue drinking. Dr. Johnson's previous experiments conducted at Oxford University suggested this might be the case, and his group is conducting clinical studies of the drug's effectiveness.

"Ondansetron blocks the effects of another brain chemical called serotonin," he said. "If this study is successful, we plan to look even more closely in the brain for explanations as to why serotonin is important to maintaining alcoholism."

Dr. Johnson stressed the importance of collaborative relationships in successfully implementing his multidisciplinary and complex field of research. On campus he is working with investigators in areas of pharmacology, neuroimaging and anesthesiology. He also collaborates with at least 14 U.S. universities and is considering prospects for collaborative population studies in South Africa.

Therapeutic targets
Dr. Johnson's research includes work in molecular genetics. The goal of these studies is to use neurochemical data as markers for potential target sites at which subtypes of alcoholics or drug abusers may differ. This would enable optimal targeting of medicinal and/or psychosocial treatments to specific disease types.

Outreach is another part of Dr. Johnson's program. The Treatment Research Center, part of the Division of Alcohol and Drug Addiction, recently offered screenings to identify potential alcohol problems and to provide treatment referrals. The 12-hour service, provided in conjunction with National Alcohol Screening Day, took place at the Health Science Center.

Dr. Johnson enjoys tennis and arts and literature. He is married to Dr. Linda Wells, a pediatric anesthesiologist and assistant professor in the Department of Anesthesiology.

Seminar to focus on treatment of obesity

"There hasn't been an obesity seminar like this offered in San Antonio," said Dr. Janet Blodgett, medicine, who will give the welcome to the assembled physicians, nurses and other health care providers. She also will speak on obesity's deleterious effects on the body.

The conference is titled "Obesity: Medical Consequences and New Therapies." The keynote speaker is Dr. F. Xavier Pi-Sunyer, director of the Obesity Research Center at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University in New York. In the field of obesity as it relates to diabetes, Dr. Pi-Sunyer is internationally renowned.

Registration fee is $45. The fee and registration form may be submitted to the Continuing Medical Education Office. Call ext. 4491 for the form and more details.

Pre-enrollment is highly recommended since seating may be limited.

Participants will review the various methods of defining obesity, including the body mass index, and will consider agents that promote weight loss. Attendees also will learn more about the medical consequences of obesity, including but not limited to hyperlipidemia and increased cardiovascular risk.

The important role of non-pharmacologic methods to treat obesity, such as behavior modification, dietary therapy and exercise, will be considered.

The conference is partially supported by grants from Roche Pharmaceuticals and Knoll Pharmaceuticals. Residents and fellows may attend at no charge with a letter from their program director.

Applause

• Dr. Phang-Lang Chen, molecular medicine, was selected to receive a two-year, $100,000 grant from The V Foundation. As a V Foundation Scholar, Dr. Chen will continue her studies of the BRCA1 and 2 breast cancer genes and their likely roles in DNA repair. Fifteen V Scholars were chosen for 1999, and Dr. Chen represents the San Antonio Cancer Institute, a partnership of the Health Science Center and the Cancer Therapy & Research Center.

  Other centers with 1999 V Scholars include the U. T. M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Stanford, Duke and the Dana-Farber Cancer Center. The V Foundation was created to fund cancer research and to honor the memory of former North Carolina State basketball coach Jim Valvano.

• Dr. Laura Collins, medicine/cardiology, was elected vice president and Dr. Edward Sako, surgery/thoracic surgery, was elected secretary-treasurer of the San Antonio Cardiology Society. Dr. Collins received special recognition for outstanding commitment, dedication and leadership, and Dr. Sako was commended for his role in planning 1999-2000 programs of the Society.

• The Dental Hygiene Department recently hosted a major regional conference at the San Antonio Airport Hilton, attracting 565 dental hygiene faculty and students from U.S. programs. Dr. Marilyn Harrington, dean of the School of Allied Health Sciences, was the keynote speaker. During the conference, dental hygiene student Jae Lynn Fonseca received the Texas Minority Scholarship of the Texas Dental Hygiene Association, and fellow student Chris Roberts was named an alternate for the Association's annual session. The honor of hosting the event rotates among 18 participating dental hygiene schools. Principal organizer of the event was Mary Jacks, dental hygiene.

Joint Walk to benefit arthritis research, care

Hundreds of interested individuals will join the walk to give hope to people young and old who live with arthritis pain on a daily basis. The 10K walk begins at the park and travels along the San Antonio River and through the historic King William Area.

A 1K route for arthritis and joint replacement patients also is available.

In previous years, a portion of proceeds from the annual event has benefited research programs in the Health Science Center's Department of Orthopaedics.

For more information or to register to walk, call the Arthritis Foundation at 829-7573. Check-in begins at 7:30 a.m. at the park, and the walk begins at 8:30. Post-walk ceremonies are set for 10:30 a.m.

The 18 walk sponsors include the University Health System, the San Antonio Express-News and Frost Bank.