Dr. Cowan to be inducted into Aksarben Court of Honor
Ken Cowan, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center and the Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer for the past 20 years, will be one of four Nebraskans to be inducted into the Aksarben Court of Honor at this year’s ball on Oct. 19 at the CHI Health Center.
Dr. Cowan, who is the sixth director of the Eppley Institute since its founding in 1961, is being recognized in the professions category. During his career, he has spearheaded the ascent of UNMC/Nebraska Medicine into an international leader in cancer care and research. In 2018, Dr. Cowan announced his intentions to step down as cancer center director, but after his replacement is on board, he plans to remain as a full-time faculty member and will continue to see patients.
"Aksarben's Court of Honor recognition provides an opportunity to shine a light on exceptional volunteer efforts within our communities," said Beth Wilson, Women's Ball Committee chairman. "This year's inductees represent some of the heartland's masterpieces as each has spent years working tirelessly toward the betterment of our region."
UNeMed to host Innovation Week festivities week of Oct. 14-18
Innovation Week is a popular series of events intended to celebrate and promote innovation and research at UNMC and UNO. Events include a kickoff event to meet UNeMed staff; an open house of local early-stage startup companies; an informational seminar; and a luncheon panel discussion.
The week culminates with an awards program that specifically recognizes innovators and their work, conferring awards to those who have disclosed a new invention, were issued a United States patent, or had their technology licensed for further commercial development.
Innovation Week kicks off on Monday, Oct. 14, with an event at the Durham Research Center atrium from 9-11 a.m. The kickoff event will feature complimentary coffee and doughnuts, along with free UNeMed T-shirts and other giveaways. Guests are invited to meet with UNeMed staff and learn more about how UNeMed can help inventors develop their innovations.
The following day, Oct. 15, the university's startup incubator, UNeTech, will host an open house. Beginning at 4 p.m., local entrepreneurs will demonstrate early-stage technologies that are the basis for new startup companies in health care-related industries. The open house will be held at UNeTech at 3929 Harney St.
On Wednesday, Oct. 16, Bio Nebraska will sponsor a luncheon and panel discussion that celebrates Nebraska women in STEM – science, technology, engineering and math. It will be held from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the Empire Room at Midtown Crossing in Omaha. Registration details are available here.
Innovation Week continues Thursday, Oct. 17, at noon with a one-hour seminar in the Durham Research Center Auditorium featuring world-renowned researcher and chemist, Dennis Liotta, Ph.D. Dr. Liotta is the executive director for the Emory Institute for Drug Development and helped transform HIV/AIDS from a death sentence into a chronic but manageable infection.
It is estimated that about 90 percent of all HIV-infected patients in the United States have taken one of the two drugs he invented. The title of his seminar, which is free and open to all: “Novel Therapeutics for Treating Viral Diseases, Cancers and Inflammatory Disorders.” Seating is first-come, first-served.
Innovation Week concludes with the annual Awards Ceremony, which will feature a keynote address from Dr. Liotta, along with brief remarks from UNMC and UNO Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D. The awards program is by invitation only.
Dr. Gendelman's Science Cafe draws crowd
Howard Gendelman, M.D., the Margaret R. Larson Professor of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases Chair in the UNMC Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, discussed the quest to find a cure for HIV at an Aug. 13 Science Cafe in Omaha. The presentation included discussion of Dr. Gendelman and his team's work with Kamel Khalili, Ph.D., at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University in Philadelphia, to eliminate HIV — the virus responsible for AIDS — from living animals. Approximately 150 people attended the event, including longtime UNMC supporter Ruth Scott.
Dr. Bertoni speaks on value of exercise for Parkinson's management
John Bertoni, M.D., Ph.D., professor in the UNMC Department of Neurological Sciences and director of the Parkinson's disease program at Nebraska Medicine, was the guest speaker via Zoom for the Delay the Disease Training Conference for Parkinson's Nebraska on July 18 in Grand Island. He presented on the role of exercise in Parkinson's disease management and conducted a lively question-and-answer session.
Exercise provides evidence-based benefits for the management of symptoms and can delay the progression of Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's Nebraska has identified a lack of Parkinson's exercise classes in rural communities and is committed to making the benefits of exercise available across the state. As a result of the Delay the Disease training, 21 new Parkinson's exercise classes will begin in Nebraska by Oct. 1. More than 15 of these classes will serve in rural and underserved communities.
For the past nine years, Parkinson's Nebraska has conducted the UNMC Skate-a-thon for Parkinson's, a 24-hour skating event to raise awareness for Parkinson's disease as well as funding for Parkinson's research at UNMC.
Amy Cannella, M.D., to speak at 'Healthy for a Lifetime' conference
Amy Cannella, M.D., associate professor of rheumatology, will speak Oct. 19 at "Healthy for a Lifetime," a daylong event covering health topics in relation to whole food plant-based nutrition. Dr. Cannella will speak with Elizabeth Denman, M.D., on the topic "Frequently Asked Questions About Whole Food Plant-Based Nutrition and Working with a Doctor to Achieve Your Health Goals."
Find more information on the conference or register here.