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University of Washington School of Medicine
Online News
Vol. 12, No. 29
July 18, 2008
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To view an archived version of Online News on the UW
Medicine Web site, visit:
http://www.uwmedicine.org/Global/NewsAndEvents/somnews/index.htm
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MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN: UW Medicine reports past year's activities to Washington State Medical Association
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This week’s news:
* Researchers link Huntington's disease to overactive immune-system response in the brain and the bloodstream
* Department of Pediatrics creates new Ronald J. Lemire WWAMI leadership awards
* Bertil Hille receives honorary degree from The Rockefeller University
* Akira Horita in pharmacology and psychiatry receives R1edu Award for work in online learning
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MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN:
Dear Colleagues:
The attached 2008 Report to the Washington State Medical Association (WSMA) [available at http://tinyurl.com/6xrwc5 ] recaps many activities and accomplishments of the past academic year at UW Medicine. In a year of major progress, there was remarkable balance among our three academic activities of teaching, research, and patient care. A few examples:
* Three new research institutes were funded and are under way: the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, the UW Institute of Translational Health Sciences, and the Northwest Institute of Genetic Medicine;
* The Institute for Surgical and Interventional Simulation (ISIS) was relocated to the UW Medical Center Surgical Pavilion and made substantial inroads in improving quality of care and safety, and standardizing interdisciplinary training and testing for students and practicing health professionals;
* Administrative changes in our clinical services, including the appointment of Johnese Spisso as clinical operations officer for UW Medicine and Steve Zieniewicz as executive director of UW Medical Center, provided the impetus for increased focus on patient safety and quality of care and new directions for our patient care services;
* The new first-year WWAMI site, located on the Washington State University - Spokane Riverpoint campus, moved forward toward its September 2008 opening date.
Substantial progress was made in constructing new space and upgrading existing facilities. The T-wing remodel has improved the quality of teaching and lounge space for medical students. Research and administrative space opened at South Lake Union. The Norm Maleng Building opened at Harborview Medical Center and progress continued on the Ninth and Jefferson Building at Harborview, slated to open in January 2009. The G-wing and H-wing laboratory and office renovations are slated for completion in fall 2008.
It is a pleasure to work with the many talented and productive individuals who comprise UW Medicine. Thank you for your many contributions to the excellence of our teaching, patient care, and research programs. I look forward to working with you in the 2008-2009 academic year.
Sincerely,
Paul G. Ramsey, M.D.
CEO, UW Medicine
Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs and
Dean of the School of Medicine
University of Washington
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RESEARCHERS LINK HUNTINGTON'S TO OVERACTIVE IMMUNE RESPONSE
The damage to brain tissue seen in Huntington’s disease may be caused by an overactive immune response in the bloodstream and the brain, according to new findings from two teams of researchers at the UW and University College London. The findings were published online July 14 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.
Working separately, the two teams found evidence in both brain cells and the bloodstream suggesting an important link between the immune system’s response and Huntington’s disease. Together, the findings may help scientists find biological markers for monitoring the disease progression earlier and with more accuracy, and could help them develop new treatments for the disease. Huntington’s is a fatal inherited neurodegenerative disorder for which there is currently no effective treatment.
The UW team, lead by Thomas Moeller, research associate professor of neurology, had previously studied the role of inflammation and immune response in neurodegenerative diseases like Huntington’s and ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. In this study, they found that patients with Huntington’s had higher levels of immune-system signaling molecules, called cytokines, in their brain tissue.
The UW researchers then looked at a mouse-based model of the disease, studying the response of microglia, the immune cells of the nervous system. When the microglia were treated with a molecule triggering an immune response, the microglia from Huntington’s mice produced much higher levels of cytokines, the immune system molecules.
That finding suggests that the protein produced by the Huntington’s disease genetic mutation, a protein called huntingtin, is causing the immune cells to be overactive. The researchers think that overly strong immune response may be the mechanism through which the disease causes damage to neurons in the brain. Inflammation has been increasingly recognized as an important component in other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, Moeller said.
The team at University College London focused their work on immune cells in the bloodstream, and found similar results linking the disease to the body’s immune response.
Huntington's affects an estimated 30,000 people in the United States. It is characterized by loss of motor control and cognitive functions, as well as by depression or other psychiatric problems. Both the UW and University College London research projects were supported by CHDI, Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides funding for Huntington's disease research.
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DEPARTMENT OF PEDIATRICS CREATES NEW RONALD LEMIRE WWAMI LEADERSHIP AWARDS
The Department of Pediatrics has created two new leadership awards named after the late Ronald Lemire, one of the founders of the WWAMI regional medical education program. The awards honor teaching and leadership of faculty members working with either medical students or residents at WWAMI sites in Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho.
Randy Poncher has received the first Ronald J. Lemire WWAMI Medical Student Leadership Award. Poncher, UW clinical associate professor of pediatrics, is a pediatrician practicing in Spokane.
Catherine Shubkin has received the first Ronald J. Lemire WWAMI Resident Leadership Award. Shubkin, UW clinical associate professor of pediatrics, is the resident site coordinator for the Port Angeles pediatric WWAMI site at the Pennisula Children’s Clinic. The awards were presented last month.
Lemire, who passed away in February, was a leader in the department's WWAMI medical education efforts. He was a member of the UW faculty for more than 40 years, and served in many leadership positions in the Department of Pediatrics, including as director of its residency program and as acting chair. Lemire served in the U.S. Navy before coming the UW for his undergraduate and medical degrees. He was a leader in the study of disfiguring birth defects, and was well-known as an outstanding mentor and teacher.
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BERTIL HILLE RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE FROM THE ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY
Bertil Hille, UW professor of physiology and biophysics, was recognized last month with an honorary doctor of science degree from The Rockefeller University as part of its 50th annual commencement ceremony. The honor is rarely granted, and generally reserved for those with some affiliation with that university. Hille earned his Ph.D. at Rockefeller in 1967.
Hille has been widely recognized for his pioneering work showing that charged particles, or ions, pass in and out of cell membranes through pores called ion channels. The opening and closing of ion channels plays an important role in many of the basic functions of cells. Hille has received many awards for his research, including a share of the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine.
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AKIRA HORITA RECOGNIZED FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO ONLINE LEARNING
Akira Horita, UW professor of pharmacology and psychiatry, has received the 2008 R1edu Award for Distinguished Faculty Contributions to Online Learning. The award recognizes his work in effectively integrating cutting-edge research into a highly interactive online certificate program, Advanced Research in Addiction and the Brain, administered by UW Educational Outreach.
Presented annually, the R1edu Award acknowledges innovative work in online learning at member institutions of the R1edu Consortium, an organization of more than 30 top research universities in the United States.
Developed with grant funds from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the UW certificate program in addiction is designed for chemical-dependency specialists, alcohol and drug counselors, nurses, teachers, and other professionals who deal with the issues of substance abuse. It gleans relevant information from current research in the field and translates it to give participants an understanding of the neurobiological basis of addiction. The program also helps professionals implement research-based approaches in their areas of practice.
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Justin Reedy, editor:
206-685-0382, jreedy@u.washington.edu
Online News is copyright 2008. All rights, including electronic
redistribution, are reserved.
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