Dr. Cohen named an AAAS fellow
Samuel Cohen, M.D., Ph.D., a professor in the UNMC Department of Pathology and Microbiology and Havlik-Wall Professor of Oncology, has been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Dr. Cohen was elected as an AAAS Fellow for his pioneering research on mechanisms of chemical carcinogenesis and the application of these findings to advancing the safe use of chemicals as consumer products and pharmaceuticals.
Dr. Cohen will be presented with an official certificate and a gold and blue (representing science and engineering, respectively) rosette pin on Saturday, Feb. 15 at the AAAS Fellows Forum during the 2020 AAAS Annual Meeting in Seattle.
UNMC scientists claim three cancer research awards
Two graduate students and a faculty member in the UNMC Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology were recently recognized at the 26th annual meeting of the American Association of Indian Scientists in Cancer Research in Atlanta.
The award winners included:
- Graduate Student Award – Koelina Ganguly, a graduate research assistant;
- Postdoctoral Fellow Award – Rizwan Ahmad, Ph.D., instructor; and
- Travel scholarship for doctoral candidates – Saswati Karmakar, graduate research assistant.
The aim of the organization is to support the excellent work being done by young Indian American cancer researchers. Of the nine total awards given, UNMC scientists claimed three of them.
Orthopaedic residents shine at annual research forum
Twenty second- to fifth-year orthopaedic surgery residents presented their research Nov. 15 at the UNMC Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Resident Research Forum held in the Lauritzen Outpatient Center.
The annual forum is an opportunity for residents to share their research and receive feedback from faculty members and a visiting professor. This year's guest speaker was J. Lawrence Marsh, M.D., chairman and tenured professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
With a longstanding interest in orthopaedic education, Dr. Marsh has been instrumental in initiatives that have led to new orthopaedic resident laboratory-based surgical skills training requirements. His research in this area has guided new skills assessments and validated skills training techniques. He presented on the topic, "Surgical Education: Past, Present and Future."
Dr. Marsh's clinical practice is devoted to orthopaedic trauma and adult reconstruction. His research has focused on articular fractures and techniques of image analysis to assess the mechanical factors leading to post-traumatic osteoarthritis.
Research within the department and collaborative research with other departments continues to grow. Over the past five years, department residents have co-authored approximately 40 peer-reviewed scientific articles. Currently, there are 22 faculty members and 25 residents from the department who are named as investigators in 51 human research studies. Numerous other studies are in development.
UNMC faculty, resident and students receive rheumatology research awards
The Rheumatology Research Foundation, the largest private funder of rheumatology research, recently presented awards to UNMC faculty, a resident and students during the American College of Rheumatology's international meeting. About 16,000 attended the meeting. In addition, the foundation featured a video during an awards banquet focusing on two UNMC faculty, Bryant England, M.D., and Ted Mikuls, M.D., both of whom have research funded by the foundation.
Elizabeth Wellsandt, Ph.D., D.P.T., UNMC College of Allied Health Professions, also appears in the video. She received the Investigator Award for her research project about the role of biomarkers in osteoarthritis after joint injury. The award encourages junior investigators to continue conducting innovative research that will be competitive for more significant funding while they establish themselves as independent investigators.
The Division of Rheumatology and Immunology received an Amgen Fellowship Training Award which supports the training of a rheumatology fellow to provide a more robust and highly-trained workforce to care for people with rheumatic diseases.
UNMC students and a resident received scholarships for the American College of Rheumatology and Association for Rheumatology Professionals annual meeting. The scholarships encourage students and residents to consider practicing in underserved areas by providing the opportunity to experience rheumatology firsthand. Recipients are Kyle Drehmel, Madison Grinnell, Tate Johnson, Brent Luedders, Matt O'Dell, Gulsen Ozen, M.D., and Kevin Real.
UNMC resident Luke Desilet received the Medical and Pediatric Resident Research Award, an award that inspires residents to pursue subspecialty training in rheumatology by providing an opportunity to experience the field firsthand and present an abstract at the ACR/ARP Annual Meeting.
Three physicians listed in 'Best of Omaha' rankings
Three UNMC/Nebraska Medicine physicians were listed in Omaha Magazine's "Best of Omaha" rankings for 2020. The physicians and the category in which they were ranked included:
- Neurosurgeon – William Thorell, M.D., professor, neurosurgery;
- Orthopedic Surgeon – Kevin Garvin, M.D., professor, orthopaedic surgery; and
- Family Doctor – Jason Patera, M.D., assistant professor, family medicine.
New art installation at the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center
The Healing Arts Program recently installed a new sculpture on Level 2D of the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center. "On Rays of Time," by Amy Westover, is a conceptual installation. It is a Nebraska 1% for Public Art project, the third in the building.
The sculpture consists of three separate "sunbeams" made of multilayered, geometric pieces of colored cast glass and metal that angle through the space from floor to ceiling designed to embody the sunlight peeking through a window or cloud. The sun emerges from behind the nearby building in the same way the beams are oriented in the space, creating an illusion of the natural world within the building. Each beam has a "V" shape design, echoing the triangular shape of the architecture. Westover's use of repetition creates a grounded, purposeful and harmonious space.
Dr. Desa is listed among 2019 Top Dentists in Omaha Metro Area
Valmont Desa, D.D.S., M.D., associate professor, surgery – oral and maxillofacial, is listed in the 2019 Top Dentists in the Omaha Metro Area. The complete listing appears in the October issue of Omaha Magazine. Dr. Desa is included in the oral and maxillofacial surgeons category. He was one of only a dozen oral surgeons in the metro area who were included in the listing. A total of approximately 120 dental health professionals in the metro area were listed among the 2019 Top Dentists.
A fellow in the American College of Surgeons, Dr. Desa is the Dr. Leon F. Davis Endowed Chair in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and has served as division chief since 2011. He has served as the residency program director for oral and maxillofacial surgery for the past 10 years.
He earned his dental degree from Creighton University and his medical degree from UNMC. He currently serves as an examiner on the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.
The Omaha list is based on thousands of detailed evaluations of dentists and professionals by their peers. The people surveyed are asked the question: "If you had a patient in need of a dentist, which dentist would you refer them to?" Dentists and specialists are asked to take into consideration years of experience, continuing education, manner with patients, use of new techniques and technologies, and physical results.