In the News

November 2009

AIDS Confab Highlights Progress, Needs in U.S.
The Bay Area Reporter - Nov. 4

Derek Spencer, director of the JACQUES Initiative at the University of Maryland School of Medicine's Institute of Human Virology, noted that since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic more than 25 years ago, death rates have decreased dramatically. Now, many people living with HIV/AIDS are living longer and experiencing health issues typically related to aging.
www.ebar.com

Gemina , an -Omics Database with Geospatial Surveillance for Pathogens, Ramps up for More Bugs
BioInform - Nov. 6

Gemina, which connects -omics data with a geospatial surveillance function for tracking infectious disease outbreaks, has been online since 2006 and is growing both in terms of data and functionality, principal investigator Lynn Schriml, PhD, told BioInform. She is an investigator at the University of Maryland School of Medicine's Institute for Genome Sciences and assistant professor of epidemiology and preventive medicine.
www.genomeweb.com

On the Move
Daily Record - Nov. 6

Allan Krumholz, MD, director of the Epilepsy Center of Excellence for the Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and director of the University of Maryland Epilepsy Center, has been awarded the American Epilepsy Societyýs 11th annual J. Kiffin Penry Award for Excellence in Epilepsy Care.
mddailyrecord.com

On the Move
Daily Record - Nov. 6

Deborah Lynne Potter, a partner at The Jaklitsch Law Group, has been named president of the University of Maryland School of Law Alumni Board for the 2009-2010 academic year. She also serves on the Board of Trustees of the University of Maryland College Park.
mddailyrecord.com

Pharmacists are Necessary to the Medical Care Model
The Medical News - Nov. 6

Roger Merrill, MD, chief medical officer of Perdue Foods Inc. of Salisbury, Md., told students at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy Oct. 3 that they should be concerned about future health care costs.
www.news-medical.net

Responding to Mass Casualties
WBAL-TV - Nov. 5

When an incident such as the shooting at Ft. Hood results in multiple injuries, even the most well-equipped trauma center would be hard pressed to handle the flood of patients and would likely send some cases elsewhere for emergency treatment. Andrew Pollak, MD, associate professor of orthopaedics at the School of Medicine and head of the division of orthopaedic traumatology at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, is quoted.
www.wbaltv.com

Review of "American Casino"
PasteMagazine.com - Nov. 6

Michael Greenberger, JD, a professor at the School of Law and a former director at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, is referenced extensively in this review of "American Casino." The film chronicles the subprime mortgage crisis from Wall Street to Main Street and features Greenberger's expert analysis.
www.pastemagazine.com

Lawsuit: Mandatory Retirement at 70 Violates Equal Protection Clause
Daily Record - Nov. 4

Circuit Court Judge Charles G. Bernstein is taking the state to court, charging the mandatory judicial retirement age of 70 is unconstitutional. Former Baltimore County Circuit Court Judge John Fader II, JD, a visiting professor at the School of Law, said the issue of mandatory retirement has been debated for years.
mddailyrecord.com

New Hope for Hyperkalemia
Pharmacy Europe - Nov. 5

A team at the School of Medicine has identified a new molecular pathway that prevents the chemical being excreted normally through the kidneys. Says Professor Paul Welling, MD, "We are particularly excited about the translational potential of our basic science discovery.
www.pharmacyeurope.net

Nurses Who Happen to Be Men
The Baltimore Sun - Oct. 17-18

More men are joining the nursing profession as demonstrated by the increase in enrollment in nursing programs. At the School of Nursing, enrollment increased by 10 percent this fall. Current figures indicate that 12 percent of the student population is male, well above the national average. Lou Heindel, DNP, CRNA, assistant professor and director of the School's nurse anesthetist master's specialty, is quoted.

Baltimore Could Face Free-Speech Lawsuit If Pregnancy Center Bill Is Passed
The Daily Record - Nov. 4

School of Law professor Mark Graber, JD, PhD, said the bill is constitutional. "There is a commercial speech doctrine that says government cannot regulate most advertising as long as it's truthful, but there are no decisions that say government can't require a business to make truthful statements about what the business does."
mddailyrecord.com

New Class of Molecules May Help Prevent Fatal Complication in Patients With Kidney Disease
Science Centric - Nov. 4

Researchers at the School of Medicine have made an important discovery about why potassium builds up to dangerous levels in the bloodstream. Their study was just published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Professor Paul Welling, MD, said, "Currently, there are no drugs that specifically target the molecular defect in kidney potassium retention." Fellow Liang Fang, PhD, and Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, are also quoted.
www.sciencecentric.com

Updating Child Support Guidelines
The Baltimore Sun -Nov. 4

Correne Saunders, MPP, research director of the Family Welfare Research and Training Group at the School of Social Work, explains how guidelines help a judge set child support payments. But Maryland's guidelines are outdated, leading to a push for revision in next legislative session.
bit.ly

Dixon to Choose Between Judge, Jury
WBAL-TV - Nov. 2, 7:01 pm
WBAL -TV Nov. 2, 7:32 pm

Next week, Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon will go on trial on theft charges amid allegations that she stole gift cards intended for needy families. Professor Doug Colbert, JD, of the School of Law, is quoted.
www.wbaltv.com

Gibsonalia: Archives of a Political Life
WYPR-FM - Nov. 3

Larry Gibson, LLB, professor at the School of Law, has been a driving force in local, national, and international political campaigns for over four decades. The School's Thurgood Marshall Law Library has a newly launched online archive of campaign paraphernalia. Gibson discussed these historical campaigns on "Maryland Morning With Sheilah Kast."
www.wypr.org

Maryland Mesothelioma Lawsuit Results in $20M Award in Baltimore
AboutLawSuits.com - Nov. 2

School of Nursing Assistant Professor Jocelyn Farrar, DNP, ACNP-BC, CCRN, who developed mesothelioma as a result of washing the clothes of her grandfather, was awarded $20 million by a Baltimore City jury.
www.aboutlawsuits.com

Panel Weighs in on Banks Deemed 'Too Big to Fail'
"Midday with Dan Rodricks," WYPR, noon - Nov. 2

There's still a fight on Capitol Hill to regulate banks deemed "too big to fail," the institutions that many believe are at the center of the economic crisis. Michael Greenberger, JD, a professor at the School of Law and a former director at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, is a panelist on the show and is quoted extensively.
stream.publicbroadcasting.net

Financial Bill Under Attack Over Loopholes
The Boston Globe - Oct. 31

As Representative Barney Frank nears his goal of pushing a massive financial regulation package through the House Financial Services Committee, parts of the legislation are coming under blistering assault from consumer groups as well as key Democrats, who say it contains loopholes that could set the stage for another financial meltdown. Michael Greenberger, JD, a professor at the School of Law and a former director at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, is quoted.
www.boston.com

H1N1 Flu's Greater Toll on Young People
The Baltimore Sun - Nov. 1

Children have suffered disproportionately, acquiring secondary infections that appear to be linked to their bodies' robust immune responses. John Straumanis, MD, head of the Hospital for Children's Pediatric ICU and an assistant professor at the School of Medicine, said the lungs become inflamed as the immune system engages. In children, the temporary lung damage can be worse because their immune systems work harder than those of adults.
www.baltimoresun.com

Jury Awards $20M to Worker's Grandchild in Asbestos Case
The Daily Record - Oct. 30

A Baltimore City Circuit Court jury on Friday awarded more than $20 million to School of Nursing Assistant Professor Jocelyn Farrar, DNP, ACNP-BC, CCRN, who contracted mesothelioma from being exposed to asbestos.
mddailyrecord.com

On Your Mind
The Independent - Oct. 30

Commentary on the power of laughter for healing, based on work of cardiologists at the School of Medicine.
www.independentpub.com

Scaring up Some Fun
Howard County Times - Oct. 29

Local story on Halloween tagged with: The Maryland Poison Center at the School of Pharmacy is an excellent resource for educating the public on safety issues, including the safety concerns of parents regarding Halloween treats.
www.explorehoward.com

Surprising Powers Could Be Granted if Flu Threat Worsens
WTOP - Oct. 31
Infozine.com - Nov. 3

"The powers that are given to governors and often to the chief executives of localities are truly extraordinary," says Michael Greenberger, JD, founder and director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security at the School of Law. "They virtually can constitute martial law."
www.wtop.com
www.infozine.com

Trick-or-treating at the BioPark
The Baltimore Sun - Oct. 31

James McHenry Elementary School students, including a 6-year-old wearing a vampire's big teeth, showed off their costumes and collected candy from tenants of the University of Maryland BioPark. Marcos Chibucos, PhD, bioinformatics analyst at the School of Medicine's Institute for Genome Sciences, dressed as a Blues Brother to hand out treats.

University of Maryland, Baltimore Heads $12.2 Million Study of Chlamydia
Newswise - Oct. 28

A new $12.2 million, grant from the National Institutes of Health, will allow a team of scientists, led by the Univesity of Maryland, Baltimore, to perform molecular genomics analyses of the disease-causing powers of chlamydia on a scale never attempted before. Patrik Bavoil, PhD, professor at the Dental School and Jacques Ravel, PhD, associate professor at the School of Medicine's Institute for Genome Sciences, will lead the five-year project.
www.newswise.com

Using Linezolid Instead of Vancomycin to Treat Serious Infections Means Fewer Rehospitalizations: Presented at IDSA
Doctor's Guide Channels - Nov. 1

Treatment with the antibiotic linezolid appears to prevent fewer rehospitalizations than does vancomycin for a number of infections, including staphylococcal infections, according to C. Daniel Mullins, PhD, a professor at the School of Pharmacy.
www.docguide.com