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James O’Dell, M.D. |
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Peter Oldenburg, Ph.D. |
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Brian Fay, M.D. |
- James O’Dell, M.D., chief in the section of rheumatology/immunology — Internal Medicine Career Excellence Research Award;
- Peter Oldenburg, Ph.D., section of pulmonary, critical care, sleep and allergy medicine — Internal Medicine Postdoctoral Fellowship Research Award; and
- Brian Fay, M.D., house officer III, department of internal medicine, — Internal Medicine Resident Research Award.
The awards will be presented during the special internal medicine grand rounds at noon in the Durham Research Center Auditorium. Posters will be on display outside of the auditorium starting at 11:30 a.m. A grand rounds presentation given by Dr. O’Dell will follow the awards presentation.
Dr. O’Dell will receive the Internal Medicine Career Excellence Research Award for 2008. This award was created to recognize faculty in the UNMC Department of Internal Medicine for remarkable research achievements in their career that are recognized nationally and internationally.
Dr. O’Dell “is recognized internationally as a thought leader in rheumatoid arthritis (RA),” his nominator said. He “has made several seminal contributions to the improvements in RA therapy.”
Among rheumatologists, O’Dell is known for his research focused on combination disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARD) and the use of tetracyclines as therapy for RA. His study examining triple combination DMARD therapy in the treatment of refractory RA published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1995 is perhaps his best known work.
Dr. O’Dell has been extremely productive in his research efforts, which is not only reflected by his history of publications and research support, but also by his numerous involvements on national study sections, editorial boards and leadership in national, regional, local and institutional committees.
His nominator also credited him with much of the early success of several trainees who now have successful careers as academic rheumatologists across the country.
Dr. Oldenburg will receive the first Internal Medicine Postdoctoral Fellowship Research Award.
Dr. Oldenburg completed his Ph.D. in pharmacology and toxicology at Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University in 2005. Later that year he began as a postdoctoral research associate in the pulmonary, critical care, sleep and allergy medicine section at UNMC. His research focus is on alcohol exposure in airway hyperresponsiveness.
Since starting his postdoctoral fellowship at UNMC, Dr. Oldenburg has been quite productive. In 2007, he was awarded an National Institutes of Health (National Research Service Award) Postdoctoral Fellowship for his competitive application titled “Alcohol exposure in airway hyperresponsiveness.”
In 2006, Dr. Oldenburg published two articles in the “American Journal of Physiology Heart Circ Physiol” and has another paper currently in revision. He also has published three abstracts since starting his fellowship at UNMC
Dr. Oldenburg used methodology new to our campus that measures lung function in unrestrained mice using whole body plethysmography, his nominator said. By this methodology, Dr. Oldenburg was clearly able to demonstrate that alcohol acts as a potent bronchodilator and prevents bronchoconstriction in a mouse model. With a second model, he was able to duplicate his in vivo findings in vitro. Dr. Oldenburg also has successfully cultured rat and bovine airway smooth muscle cells and demonstrated that alcohol blocks methacholine-induced bronchoprovocation.
“These accomplishments demonstrate his competence, creativity and resourcefulness as a scientist,” his nominator said.
Dr. Oldenburg has also demonstrated a valuable quality as an investigator through his ability to productively collaborate with other investigators.
“He has been able to apply the technology of live lung body plethysmography to a number of ongoing projects of other scientists in the department,” his nominator said.
Dr. Fay will receive the Internal Medicine Resident Research Award for 2008.
Dr. Fay graduated from pharmacy school prior to attending medical school. He graduated from UNMC medical school at the top of his class after having been selected to Alpha Omega Alpha as a junior medical student. According to his nominator, he has continued his history by also being at the top of his peer group in terms of his knowledge base and clinical judgment during his residency. Dr. Fay’s in-training examination scores have been in the top one percent of the country.
“Brian has shown outstanding initiative and persistence in completing several projects and starting several others,” his nominator said.
Dr. Fay has a paper in press in the “Journal of Clinical Rheumatology” titled “Minocycline-Induced Hyperpigmentation in Rheumatoid Arthritis.” He conducted an initial study looking at infections in patients with rheumatoid arthritis who are on tumor necrosis factor- inhibitors in a VA population and is extending his work through a nationwide VA database. He also will present this work at the national meeting of the American College of Rheumatology meeting in October.
Dr. Fay will serve as chief resident of internal medicine at UNMC for the academic year 2008-2009.