In the News

September 2004

Epilepsy Causes Few Fatal Car Accidents
WebMd.com - Sept. 27

Most deadly car wrecks can be linked to alcohol consumption, and epileptic drivers are very unlikely to cause a fatal wreck, a according to a study conducted by a team of researchers at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
my.webmd.com

Federal Officials to Probe Death of Teen at Party
Baltimore Sun - Sept. 27

The U.S. Department of Justice will open a probe into the death of an African-American Pasadena high school football player who died when a brawl took place between his group of African-American friends and a group of white youths at a summer party. Weathersbee has convened a grand jury to consider whether murder charges should be re-filed. The Office of Civil Rights can begin a probe into whether someone's civil rights are violated when a crime is suspected of having racial or ethnic motives, says Abraham Dash, JD, a professor in the School of Law.
www.baltimoresun.com

Helping City Schools; They Need You, You Need Them
Baltimore Sun - Sept. 24

In an opinion column, Johns Hopkins University President William Brody discusses the trials of Baltimore's public schools and the ways colleges and universities can help. Brody notes that experts at Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland, Baltimore, have helped establish several innovative public high schools in the city.
www.baltimoresun.com

Judge in Sniper Case Decides To Step Aside
Baltimore Sun - Sept. 22

The judge who was to preside over the next capital murder trial of John Allen Muhammad has abruptly recused himself, after prosecutors alleged that he wrongly conducted his own investigation into whether the convicted sniper has been denied a speedy trial. "It is an 'appearance of propriety' thing," says William Reynolds II, JD, a professor in the School of Law. "When you have a highly publicized trial and all the trimmings that go with it, you should not add to the furor."

Kaiser Again Ranked Top HMO in Maryland
Baltimore Sun - Sept. 28

Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic emerged as the big winner in the state's eighth annual HMO report card, released on Sept. 27 by the Maryland Health Care Commission. The commission's chair, Donald Wilson, MD, MACP, vice president for medical affairs and dean of the School of Medicine, is quoted.
www.baltimoresun.com

Limited-Service, 126-Room Hotel Planned Near Camden Yards
Baltimore Sun - Sept. 24

Developers say they are putting the finishing touches on a plan for a 126-room, limited-service hotel on a small, triangular-shaped lot near Camden Yards on the west side of downtown. The hotel would serve baseball fans, business travelers, and visitors to nearby University of Maryland, Baltimore.
www.baltimoresun.com

New Hires in School of Nursing
Baltimore Business Journal - Sept. 24-30

A series of new appointments is listed in the newspaper's "People" section. Listed are: Susan Dorsey, PhD, RN; Cynthia Renn, PhD, RN; and Mark Kossick, DNSc, CRNA, as assistant professors in the Department of Organizational Systems and Adult Health, along with Kossick's appointment as director of the School's new nurse anesthetist program. Also included are the appointments of Fatima Ramos-Marcuse, PhD, RN, CS, FAAN, as assistant professor, and Elizabeth Helm, MSN, PNP, RN, as clinical instructor. Both are in the Department of Family and Community Health.

No Laughing Matter
Newark Star-Ledger - Sept. 28

Severe cases of shy bladder syndrome can have a devastating effect on the lives of people who suffer from the condition, says Steven Soifer, PhD, an associate professor in the School of Social Work and president of the International Paruresis Association. Soifer is quoted extensively.
www.nj.com

School of Medicine Offers "Mini-Med School" to Baltimore Residents
Daily Record - Sept. 25

About 300 Baltimore residents have registered to attend the School of Medicine's "Mini-Med School," a series of five free classes on such topics as pain management, fighting infections, vascular disease, and seasonal affective disorder. The program is being held on Wednesdays through Oct. 20 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Schoolýs Bressler Research Building.

Second Building in Works for UMB Biotech Park
MSNBC.com - Sept. 26

An anchor tenant is reportedly finalizing a deal to lease space in the second of six buildings on the planned $193 million UMB BioPark. James Hughes, MBA, UMB vice president for research and development, declined to name the tenant. "We're finding that locating close to the University and being able to establish close collaborations with the faculty here is very attractive to companies," Hughes says.
msnbc.msn.com

School of Medicine Scientist Receives Prestigious Award
Medical News Today - Sept. 23

Steven Munger, PhD, an assistant professor in the School of Medicine, has received the 2003 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. It is the nationýs highest honor for professionals at the outset of their independent research careers. Munger was honored for his research into the sense of taste.
www.medicalnewstoday.com

Second Building in Works for UMB Biotech Park
Baltimore Business Journal ý Sept. 24

An anchor tenant is reportedly finalizing a deal to lease space in the second of six buildings on the planned $193 million UMB BioPark. James Hughes, MBA, UMB vice president for research and development, declined to name the tenant. "We're finding that locating close to the University and being able to establish close collaborations with the faculty here is very attractive to companies," Hughes says.

Terror Strike Could Overwhelm Response, Conference Attendees Say
The WBALChannel.com - Sept. 22

More than 100 British and American health experts gathered at the School of Medicine on Sept. 20-22 to discuss terror attacks and the response by trauma centers.

Lawyer Views Hamdi Agreement With Mixed Emotions
Daily Record ý Sept. 23

Frank Dunham Jr., the federal public defender who represented "enemy combatant" Yaser Esam Hamdi, and attorney Thomas Wilner, who represents several Kuwaiti detainees at Guantanamo Bay, were speakers at a seminar in the School of Law on Supreme Court terrorism cases. Pictured with the two attorneys is Michael Greenberger, JD, director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security and a professor in the School.

Terrorism-Trauma Conference Previewed
Associated Press ý Sept. 17

The University of Maryland, Baltimore, prepared to host a three-day conference on terrorism and trauma Sept. 20-22, sponsored by the Royal Society of Medicine and the Association of Academic Health Centers. Colin Mackenzie, MD, director of the National Study Center for Trauma and Emergency Medical Services and a professor in the School of Medicine, said the conference was an opportunity to compare how these problems are addressed on both sides of the Atlantic.

UMB Hosts British-American Terrorism-Trauma Conference
WBFF-TV Ch 45 ý Sept. 20
Daily Record ý Sept. 21
Associated Press ý Sept. 22
WJZ-TV.Com ý Sept. 22

As a 3-day conference on terrorism and trauma began Sept. 20, Colin Mackenzie, MD, director of the National Study Center for Trauma and Emergency Medical Services and a professor in the School of Medicine, was interviewed on television. The Daily Record story, which included a picture of the conference participants touring the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, was featured on the front page. The Associated Press story summarized the agenda of the 3-day conference.
www.mddailyrecord.com
wjz.com

Crunching Numbers to Make Nonprofits Strong
Baltimore Sun ý Sept. 19

The Resource Mentoring Project (RMP), a part of the Social Work Community Outreach Service in the School of Social Work, and the RMP initiative to help nonprofit associations become financially sound is profiled. Dick Cook, MSW, the service's director, and RMP director H. Ted Busch are cited. Student Becky Davis is pictured.

University System Seeks to Attract Top Scientists
Baltimore Business Journal ý Sept. 17

William E. Kirwan, PhD, chancellor of the University System of Maryland, hopes to invest $24 million to make Maryland a leading center of nanotechnology research. Biomedical systems and clinical applications would be centered at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Nanotechnology involves manipulating individual atoms and molecules to manufacture materials at scales less than 100 nanometers, a few billionths of an inch.
baltimore.bizjournals.com

Investigations Continue into How Detroit Case Went Wrong
ABA Journal (American Bar Association) ý Sept. 10

The federal terrorism case targeting a so-called Detroit "sleeper cell" disintegrated. Ultimately, a federal judge overturned the June 2003 guilty jury verdicts and dismissed related terrorism charges. "One can only hope that the unraveling of the Detroit case will make the public understand that we have a long road to hoe to develop an effective counterterrorism law enforcement mechanism in the United States," says Michael Greenberger, JD, director of CHHS and a professor in the School of Law.

Kids Left Vulnerable to Terrorism, Child Advocates Say
Newhouse Newspapers ý Sept. 15

Too little is being done to compensate for the special risks children face if exposed to terrorist attacks, say medical experts and child advocates who cite children's smaller bodies, tender skin, and rapid breathing as examples of children's vulnerabilities. "Nobody, not Congress, not the media, has put the dots together about how bad a shape we would be in if something happened," says Michael Greenberger, JD, director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security (CHHS) and a professor in the School of Law.

School of Law Clinics Featured
Equal Justice Magazine ý Summer, 2004

The Civil Rights of Persons With Disabilities Clinic and the AIDS Legal Clinic, both in the School of Law, are featured prominently in this publication of the Legal Services Corporation. The private, non-profit corporation was established by Congress to seek equal access to justice under the law by providing civil legal assistance to Americans who otherwise would be unable to afford it. Deborah Weimer, JD, LLM, a professor in the School, and Marc Charmatz, JD, an adjunct professor in the School, are featured.
www.ejm.lsc.gov

A Childhood Epidemic We Can No Longer Ignore
USA TODAY - Sept. 16

Paul Raeburn, author of a memoir of his experiences with his children's mental illness, writes in an opinion column that the FDA is making only "an educated guess" about the effects of antidepressants in children because no conclusive research has studied the question. Raeburn cites a study from the School of Pharmacy and the School of Medicine that found that the use of antidepressants and other psychiatric drugs in children and adolescents more than doubled from 1987 through 1996.
www.usatoday.com

Kent Island Family Turns Tragedy Into Hope
Annapolis Capital - Sept. 15

Jim and Anne Marie Cutter, a Kent Island couple who lost their infant son to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome two years ago, will hold the second annual David Michael Cutter Memorial Crab Feast on Sept. 18. All proceeds will go to the Center for Infant & Child Loss in the School of Medicine, which has served as a source of support for the Cutter family.

Man Gets Supervision for Life for Child Porn
Baltimore Sun - Sept. 16

An Aberdeen man who pleaded guilty last year to possessing child pornography will spend 64 months in prison and then will be supervised for the rest of his life by federal agents, a U.S. District Court Judge ruled on Sept. 15. "It sounds to me that there are justifications for the punishment," says Michael Millemann, JD, a professor in the School of Law. "You've got someone who is 53 years old and who has had problems like this during the course of a lifetime."
www.baltimoresun.com

Domestic Vulnerabilities Since 9/11
WYPR-FM ý Sept. 13

Michael Greenberger, JD, a professor in the School of Law and director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security, was a guest on "The Marc Steiner Show" to discuss domestic vulnerabilities since 9/11 and other topics related to U.S. efforts to stem terrorism.

Panel Urges Suicide Warnings on Nine Drugs
Boston Globe ý Sept. 15

Nine antidepressants should carry the governmentýs strongest warning that they can cause suicidal thoughts and self-injurious behavior in children under 18, a panel of medical advisers told the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Sept. 14. Between 1 million and 2 million children take antidepressants, and the number is increasing, says Julie Magno Zito, PhD, an associate professor in the School of Pharmacy and the School of Medicine who studies the use of psychiatric drugs in children.
www.boston.com

Problems Are Lying in Weight
Washington Post ý Sept. 15

Young athletes who bulk up simply by eating more food and lifting more weights also face potential problems, health experts say, as those players neglect the potential for obesity and its long-term health consequences. Teenagers are notorious for bad eating habits, and football players have some of the worst patterns, says Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, a clinical assistant professor in the School of Medicine and team physician for the NBA's Washington Wizards.
www.washingtonpost.com

'The Critical Hour: Shock Trauma'
Baltimore Sun ý Sept. 12

A documentary on the Discovery Channel, "The Critical Hour: Shock Trauma," profiles the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center; the life-threatening medical cases it faces; and its physicians, nurses, staff, and patients. Thomas Scalea, MD, director of Shock Trauma and a professor in the School of Medicine, is quoted. The documentary airs this fall and is produced and directed by Hannah Hadary and William Whiteford, award-winning filmmakers who work for the School's Video Press organization.
www.baltimoresun.com

Antibiotic Increases Sudden-Death Risk
Baltimore Sun - Sept. 9

Stephen Gottlieb, MD, a professor in the School of Medicine, discusses the potential side effects of the antibiotic erythromycin, including an abnormally fast heart rhythm. "But there are risk factors from any medicine, and they always have to be considered," Gottlieb says.

Artificial Heart Maker Seeking OK to Sell Device
Boston Globe - Sept. 9

After 22 years of experimentation, the maker of the nation's first self-contained artificial heart has asked the federal government for permission to begin selling up to 4,000 of the devices each year, as a last-chance treatment for people with irreversible heart failure. "My hat's off to these guys. The pump is a marvelous piece of engineering, and it represents our best effort to date in providing a total artificial heart," says Bartley Griffith, MD, a professor of surgery in the School of Medicine.
www.boston.com

Closing a Gap in Care Quality
Baltimore Sun ý Sept. 13

During the summer, the School of Medicine established its own Center for Health Disparities, aimed at promoting health care in urban and rural communities with concentrations of racial minorities and low-income whites. Meanwhile, large, private-sector employers are working with insurers to close the gap between the health of minorities and that of more-affluent whites.
www.baltimoresun.com

FBI Investigates Death of Maryland Inmate
Baltimore Sun - Sept. 10

The FBI has launched an investigation into the April 30 death of inmate, Ifeanyi Iko, who died after a violent confrontation with officers at Western Correctional Institution in Allegany County. "Certainly no one should read anything more in this decision than that federal investigators are reviewing the allegations," says Douglas Colbert, JD, a professor in the School of Law, who also says it has become "increasingly rare" for the FBI to investigate allegations of criminal conduct among law enforcement officers.
www.baltimoresun.com

Greenberger and Counterterrorism Law
Law.com ý Sept. 13
New York Lawyer ý Sept. 13

Michael Greenberger, JD, director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security (CHHS) and a professor in the School of Law, is profiled and pictured in the cover story of the Web site for The Legal Times. Greenbergerýs career path, his work with CHHS, and the two counterterrorism classes he teaches are noted, as is the central role played by David J. Ramsay, DM, DPhil, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore, in creating CHHS.
www.law.com
www.nylawyer.com

Greenberger and Counterterrorism Law
The Legal Times - Sept. 6

Michael Greenberger, JD, director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security (CHHS) and a professor in the School of Law, is profiled and pictured. Greenberger's career path, his work with CHHS, and the two counterterrorism classes he teaches are noted, as is the central role played by David J. Ramsay, DM, DPhil, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore, in creating CHHS.

Maryland Heart Operation is a Milestone
WBAL Radio (afternoon newscasts) - Sept. 9
Associated Press - Sept. 9

A Randallstown man is the first to receive a heart pump as part of a 40-center study evaluating its use as a permanent treatment for those not eligible for a treatment. Victor Batts, 51, was due to be discharged on Sept. 9 from University of Maryland Medical Center, where he had the Novacor pump installed in July. Stephen Gottlieb, MD, a professor in the School of Medicine and director of heart failure and transplantation at University of Maryland Medical Center, is interviewed.
wbal.com

Meditation Helping Arthritis Patients
Kansas City Star - Sept. 13
Los Angeles Times - Sept. 13
Associated Press - Sept. 13

Researchers in the School of Medicine are studying patients with rheumatoid arthritis to see if meditation helps sufferers of the autoimmune disorder. Although results from the first test group are not available yet, "the people who have come through the study have been very pleased to have been involved with it," says Lisa Pradhan, MA, a doctoral candidate and a study leader with the Center for Integrative Medicine in the School.
www.latimes.com

Questions Persist in Death of Black Teen
WBALChannel.com - Sept. 6

Anne Arundel County State's Attorney Frank Weathersbee has dropped murder charges, based on the medical examiner's preliminary findings, stemming from the death of a Pasadena high school football player when a brawl took place at a summer party. Says Doug Colbert, JD, a professor in the School of Law, "In a serious case involving a murder, it's highly unusual for a prosecutor to dismiss charges before a full investigation and final autopsy report" has been completed.
www.thewbalchannel.com

9/11 Commission Recommendations
WUSA-TV, 9 a.m. ý Sept. 8

Michael Greenberger, JD, director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security and a professor in the School of Law, discusses the legislation introduced to implement the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.

A Boost In Therapy for Stroke Survivors
Newsday ý Sept. 4

There is evidence, after clinical trials, that an Israeli-made muscle stimulation device called the Handmaster, in combination with exercise, can improve the function of a partially paralyzed forearm and hand resulting from a stroke. A writer offers a first-person account of the aftermath of her stroke and the work of Gad Alon, PhD, an associate professor in the School of Medicine.
www.newsday.com

Question and Answers with Michael Donnenberg
Washington Post ý Sept. 5

The University of Maryland, College Park, recently experienced two major outbreaks of the mysterious norovirus, a violent, fast-moving gastrointestinal illness. The newspaper conducted a "Q&A" interview session about the virus with Michael Donnenberg, MD, a professor in the School of Medicine.
www.washingtonpost.com

Debate on Importation of Prescription Drugs
Maryland Public Television ý Aug. 20

Cynthia Boyle, PharmD, director of the Experiential Learning Program in the School of Pharmacy and president of the Maryland Pharmacists Association, who has written that "allowing imported drugs from Canada, as the Montgomery County Council is considering, is a potentially dangerous decision based on politics and economics rather than on established pharmaceutical best practices," debated the issue with Thomas Perez, JD, a professor in the School of Law and a council member.

Health Care Changes Hard on the Backs of Nurses
NurseZone.com ý Sept. 2

Organizational changes in health care have led to an increase in musculoskeletal disorders among registered nurses, independent of the effects of physical job demands associated with nursing, according to a study conducted by co-author Alison Trinkoff, ScD, RN, FAAN, who is quoted, and colleagues in the School of Nursing.

Questions Persist in Death of Black Teen
Baltimore Sun ý Sept. 5

Anne Arundel County State's Attorney Frank Weathersbee has dropped murder charges, based on the medical examiner's preliminary findings, stemming from the death of a Pasadena high school football player when a brawl took place at a summer party. Weathersbee has convened a grand jury to consider whether murder charges should be re-filed. Says Doug Colbert, JD, a professor in the School of Law, "In a serious case involving a murder, it's highly unusual for a prosecutor to dismiss charges before a full investigation and final autopsy report" has been completed.
www.baltimoresun.com

Raccoon Rabies Hits Outskirts of Cleveland
Cleveland Plain Dealer - Sept. 6

Twenty-three raccoons have been confirmed as rabid in the Cleveland area. The infected raccoons may be part of a sporadic outbreak that can be snuffed out with packets of vaccine encased in fishmeal and dropped from airplanes. "They may not eat enough [vaccine] or they may not eat it at all," said David Smith, PhD, an associate professor in the School of Medicine.

Report Scolds Terrorism Prosecutors
Washington Post ý Sept. 2
CBC-TV (Canadian Broadcasting Company), 9 and 10 p.m. ý Sept. 1

The Justice Department released a review on Sept. 1 documenting that prosecutors failed to turn over dozens of pieces of evidence to defense attorneys in the first major terrorism trial after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. "It's just another in a long line of mishaps by this Justice Department in prosecuting the so-called war on terror," says Michael Greenberger, JD, director of the Center for Health and Homeland Security and a professor in the School of Law and a former Justice Department official in the Clinton administration.
www.washingtonpost.com

Scientists Make Progress on Test for Bladder Ailment
Los Angeles Times ý Sept. 6

Scientists in the School of Medicine have come one step closer to developing a diagnostic test and, potentially, more effective treatments for interstitial cystitis, a chronic and often debilitating bladder disorder. Susan Keay, MD, PhD, a professor in the School and the lead investigator of a study on the condition, is interviewed.

UMB BioPark
Greater Baltimore Committee Newsletter ý August

A request for proposals for Research Building Two at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, BioPark will go out in October. Tenants are expected to start moving in to Research Building One in spring, 2005.

Futures Officials Are Wearing Cones of Silence
Wall Street Journal - Aug. 31

Senior regulators for the nation's futures markets are prohibited from most day-to-day communication because of politics, a clash of recent personnel moves, and rules intended to improve trading oversight. The restrictions affect key officials at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and one of its largest regulated markets, the New York Mercantile Exchange. "This is not the time to take a non-aggressive approach, which is what's going on, in effect," says Michael Greenberger, JD, former director of the CFTC's division of trading and markets, and professor in the School of Law.

Health Care Changes Hard on the Backs of Nurses
MedScape ý July 30

Organizational changes in health care have led to an increase in musculoskeletal disorders among registered nurses, independent of the effects of physical job demands associated with nursing, according to a study conducted by Jane Lipscomb, PhD, RN, FAAN, an associate professor in the School of Nursing, and colleagues in the School. The findings are reported in the American Journal of Public Health.

Open House for Open Gates
Style Magazine ý October

A fundraiser for the Open Gates Health Center, held this summer at the home of Marla Oros, MS, RN, former associate dean for clinical and external affairs in the School of Nursing, and David Oros, was highlighted. David Oros is chair of the Schoolýs Board of Visitors.

Soda: It Will Rot Your Teeth
Washington Post ý Aug. 31

A study produced by researchers in the Dental School, in the July-August issue of the Journal of General Dentistry, details how soda can change the environment in the mouth, making it more acidic and damaging to enamel.
www.washingtonpost.com

Startup Acquires UMB Patents, Plans Treatments
The Daily Record ý Aug. 31
Baltimore Business Journal ý Aug. 20
Yahoo.Com ý Aug. 30

With the rights to a package of patents it acquired from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Alba Therapeutics Corp. hopes to have an autoimmune treatment in clinical trials by the end of next year. Alba Therapeutics has acquired the rights to nearly 100 patents developed by University of Maryland researchers.
www.mddailyrecord.com
baltimore.bizjournals.com
biz.yahoo.com