Double-digit growth in dental research funding
The UNMC College of Dentistry recognized a 32.2 percent increase in research funding in 2018. Leading the way was Keith Johnson, Ph.D., professor in the UNMC Department of Oral Biology and the principal investigator for the Nebraska Center for Cellular Signaling (NCCS). The NCCS is funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Research of NCCS members is focused on how cells grow and divide, particularly in cancer.
The College of Dentistry continues to focus on ways that research can improve health and prevent disease. Other funded research in the college includes:
- Thomas Petro, Ph.D., is evaluating how viruses contribute to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease).
- Rick Reinhardt, D.D.S., Ph.D., is studying how oral hygiene gels can reduce inflammation of the gums after implants.
- Ali Nawshad, Ph.D., is exploring how signaling between cells allows the palate to fuse to avoid cleft palate.
- James Wahl, Ph.D., is examining the regulation of desmosomes, structures that allows cells to stay connected to each other.
UNMC nursing students work to fight childhood obesity
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The UNMC students have adapted curriculum from Catch Kids for an eight-week session after school. Catch Kids is an evidenced-based nutrition education and physical activity program with an emphasis on healthy food and food choices along with the importance of activity.
Each of the eight sessions starts with a physical activity to encourage play and team work. Participating UNMC students were: Kaizelle Damit-Og, McKenna Young, Mallory Carter, Abigail Uhlir, Kylee Werner, Shelby Leif, Mariah Parker, Danielle Raeside and Brooke Harding. The college also partnered in the past with Two Rivers Public Health Department to hold the program in Ravenna.
Dr. Balasanova speaks at Addiction Policy Forum
The National District Attorney Association, in collaboration with the National Addiction Policy Forum, is holding regional conferences to train local prosecutors on the opioid epidemic. The Midwest regional conference was held Oct. 15 with Alena Balasanova, M.D., assistant professor, psychiatry, being one of the presenters. Her presentation, “The Opioid Crisis: a medical perspective,” provided a health care point of view for the current epidemic and how we can collaboratively reduce the rates of opioid misuse in our community through enhanced partnership with the legal system and evidence-based treatment services. Dr. Balasanova is director of addictions education for the psychiatry department.
Dr. Neumeister to receive national teaching award
J. Scott Neumeister, M.D., associate professor of internal medicine, has won a major teaching award from the American College of Physicians.
During next year’s ACP national meeting, Dr. Neumeister will receive the Herbert S. Waxman Award for Outstanding Medical Student Educator. The award is bestowed once a year. The ACP has a membership of more than 150,000.
The award recognizes an ACP member who is an internal medicine interest group leader, clinical clerkship director, program director, or faculty member who spends a significant amount of time teaching medical students.
Dr. Neumeister’s nominator cited him for using a highly interactive approach in the classroom and for spending an additional four hours a day working with students in groups of four to solve clinical reasoning cases.
“Students repeatedly demonstrate their clinical reasoning skills to him as they work through the cases over the course of each half-day session,” the nominator wrote.
The cases include a set of “high impact” scenarios (e.g meningitis, pulmonary embolism), some of which will later appear as objective structured clinical examinations with required levels of competency attainment.