VinceThomas, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Section of Geriatrics
and Gerontology in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University
of Nebraska Medical Center, has received the first $10,000 award from the
Vada Kinman Oldfield Alzheimer’s Research Fund. The fund, which was established
earlier this year through the University of Nebraska Foundation, will annually
provide a $10,000 award to an outstanding UNMC scientist conducting Alzheimer’s
disease research.
Dr. Thomas’ research focuses on the causes of late life disability and
specifically the disability related to dementia. His work targets the identification
of physical impairments leading to disability which may be receptive to
rehabilitative interventions. Based on secondary analysis performed by
Dr. Thomas on 2,500 demented and underserved subjects which revealed linkages
between neurologic impairments and specific disabilities, he had designed
an experiment to determine whether neuromuscular strength and function
can be recovered in demented subjects.
He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Toronto in
1987, his master’s degree from Ohio State University in 1989 and his doctorate
degree from Duke University in 1996. After a two-year fellowship in geriatric
medicine and neuroepidemiology at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova
Scotia, Canada, Dr. Thomas was named a visiting scientist at the National
Institute on Aging, one of the institutes that make up the National Institutes
of Health in Bethesda, Md. He joined UNMC in 1998.
The fund was established by Col. Barney Oldfield USAF (Ret.) of Los
Angeles to honor his wife, Vada, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease
for 11 years before her death on Feb. 25. Each year, Oldfield will contribute
$20,000 to support the fund. In addition, more than $19,000 in donations
have been made to the fund by friends of the Oldfield family.
Col. Oldfield and his wife were both 1933 graduates of the University
of Nebraska-Lincoln. They have never forgotten their Nebraska roots. To
date, the Oldfields have given more than $4 million to various scholarship
funds and programs.
A native of Tecumseh, Neb., Oldfield had a successful career in the
U.S. Air Force as a communications officer, then entered private industry
as a public relations executive for Litton Industries in Woodland Hills,
Calif. He is a legend in the public relations field and counts many celebrities
on his list of close personal friends, including former President Ronald
Reagan and boxer George Foreman. Among his many honors, Oldfield received
the Distinguished Service Award from the U.S. Radio & Television News
Directors Association.
Vada Oldfield was a member of the Women’s Army Corps during World War
II and served in Africa, Sicily, and Italy as a teletype operator in the
U.S. Air Force’s communications section. She served a total of 24
months overseas. Her name is listed on a monument dedicated to women in
military service at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery in Washington,
D.C. Both the Oldfields are featured in the Celebrities in Uniform Section
of the U.S. Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio.
“Vada was the most important human being in my life,” said Oldfield,
a NU Foundation trustee. “I am enlisting in a war to fight the affliction
that robbed her of her golden years. By setting up this endowment fund
at the NU Foundation, I feel that I am taking someone who was an inspiration
to so many and helping her spirit live forever.”
Dr. Jane Potter, section chief of Geriatrics and Gerentology in the
UNMC College of Medicine, said the gift provides key support for this important
area of study. “Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause for reducing
quality of life in older individuals. It is the single most important cause
of disability in people over 65 years of age — more than heart disease,
cancer or stroke,” Dr. Potter said. “It is the main reason people must
be placed in institutional care rather than continuing to live at home
with their loved ones. This disease is a huge public health problem that
needs to be addressed.”
The fund is designed to provide start-up money for promising and innovative
research in Alzheimer’s disease, Dr. Potter said. Research is conducted
in the Center for Neurovirology and Neurodegenerative Diseases (CNND) at
UNMC. The CNND was established in 1997 to bring basic scientists and clinicians
together to explore therapeutic options for neurodegenerative disorders
such as Alzheimer’s disease.
“Presently, there are more than 50,000 Nebraskans with Alzheimer’s disease,”
Dr. Potter said. “With the baby boomers aging in the next 30 years,
the number of Alzheimer’s patients is expected to grow to 76,000, which
is enough to fill Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. Col. Oldfield is clearly
putting his support behind UNMC’s research efforts to address what is fast
becoming the most prominent health problem in the state.”
Memorial gifts may be made to the Vada Kinman Oldfield Alzheimer’s Research
Fund at the NU Foundation, P.O. Box 82555, Lincoln, Neb. 68501.
UNMC is the only public academic health science center in the state.
Through its commitment to research, education, outreach and patient care,
UNMC has established itself as one of the country’s leading centers for
cancer research and treatment and solid organ transplantation. More than
$32 million in research grants and contracts are awarded to UNMC scientists
annually. In addition, UNMC’s educational programs are responsible for
training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other
institution.
The University of Nebraska Foundation is a non-profit corporation supplementing
support for students, faculty, facilities and programs at the University
of Nebraska’s four campuses through gifts from alumni, friends, corporations,
and other foundations.