Everyone knows that air pollution affects the lungs. But how much do you know about the impact it has on the cardiovascular system?

Discover some of the lesser-known, more surprising effects of traffic pollution when Dr. Sverre Vedal presents the 2014 Joseph V Scaletti Catalyst Lecture at noon on Friday April 4 2014 at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine.

Dr. Vedal directs the University of Washington Center for Clean Air Research (UW CCAR) a multi-institutional center focused on the cardiovascular health effects of near-roadway pollution, defined as a complex mixture of components that come from vehicle emissions and the road surface, which vary with the age of the road surface, atmospheric conditions, and photochemical reactions.

Professor of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences and Adjunct Professor of General Internal Medicine at the University of Washington, Dr. Vedal has an MD from the University of Colorado School of Medicine, a master’s in epidemiology from Harvard, and bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Dr. Vedal has published research linking air pollution to hardening of the arteries, directs the Center for Clean Air Research, served as a member of the EPA Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC), currently serves as a member of CASAC panels for particulate matter and ozone and the NIH Infectious, Reproductive, Asthma and Pulmonary Conditions (IRAP) Study Section, and sees patients in the Occupational and Environmental Medicine Clinic at Harborview Medical Center.

In 2011, Dr Vedal was invited to present the Distinguished Faculty Lecture at the University of Washington School of Public Health; the title of that talk was Air Pollution: Can it really be that bad for us?

Each year, the Joseph V. Scaletti Catalyst Lecture features an individual, institution, or idea responsible for accelerating the rate of positive change and forward progress in the areas of biomedical research, healthcare education, or healthcare delivery. In recognition of his work as a practicing physician, a biomedical researcher, and an active advocate for quantifying the impact of environmental pollutants on human health, Dr. Sverre Vedal has been invited to present this year’s Joseph V Scaletti Catalyst Lecture.

Friday, April 4, 2014

Sand Fly-Leishmania Interactions: Applying what we know

Entomologist/molecular biologist Marcelo Ramalho-Ortigao takes a comprehensive approach to Leishmaniasis, integrating research at the molecular level, with research on the responses of individual vertebrates to the disease, and extending into biogeographic studies of how land-use policies may affect the spread of disease, with the ultimate goal of furthering our understanding of the vector-pathogen interaction in general.

Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by the parasitic protozoan Leishmania and is transmitted by the bite of the female sandfly. The disease takes two forms, Cutaneous leishmanaisis which affects the skin and mucous membranes and, more severely, Visceral leishmanaisis in which the parasites migrate to the vital organs.

As principal investigator in the Department of Entomology’s Biology of Disease Vectors Laboratory at Kansas State University, Dr Marcelo Ramalho-Ortigao’s research focuses on the primary vector for this disease: the sand fly. He has demonstrated that, by targeting vector molecules, he can interfere with pathogen development within the vector, opening some new avenues for exciting future discoveries.

Dr Ramalho-Ortigao (center) in his lab: From L to R 1st row Nathan Elliott (MS student, summer NIH-ARRA intern), Dr. Ortigao, Dr. Narinder Sharma (posdoc), Iliano Coutinho-Abreu (PhD candidate); 2nd row Emma Hayes (MS student, summer NIH-ARRA intern), Maricela Robles-Murguia (Lab tech). Two students are not pictured: Leah Cox (MS student), and Shawna (undergrad). Photo from Biotekchina.com.cn

It’s this potential for Dr Ramalho-Ortigao’s approach to catalyze new research discoveries related to the prevention and treatment of this neglected tropical disease, that resulted in an invitation to present this year’s Joseph V. Scaletti Catalyst Lecture. Each year, the Catalyst Lecture features an individual, institution, or idea responsible for accelerating the rate of positive change and forward progress in the areas of biomedical research, healthcare education, or healthcare delivery. The lecture series honors the work and ideals of one of the founders of the UNM School of Medicine, microbiologist Dr Joseph V Scaletti.

Scheduled for 12 noon on April 12, 2013, Dr Ramalho-Ortigao’s talk, Sand Fly-Leishmania Interactions: Applying What We Know will cover various aspects of molecular interactions of the sand fly and Leishmania – focusing on the midgut of the vector, including details of midgut targets that might be used in prevention of disease transmission by sand flies, as well as basic biological functions of the disease.

Friday, April 12, 2013

A physician/researcher specializing in neonatal intensive care and immune disorders, Dr. Akhil Maheshwari, of the University of Illinois-Chicago College of Medicine, has been invited to present the 2012 Joseph V. Scaletti Catalyst Lecture on Apr 06 12:00 PM in Domenici Center Auditorium on the campus of the Health Sciences Center of the University of New Mexico.

A practicing physician specializing in neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis and developmental gastroenterology, Dr Maheshwari is also deeply committed to basic research and the training of physicians, physician-scientists, and basic scientists; his research focuses on the mechanisms of inflammatory gut injury in neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis with specific focus on leukocyte trafficking, tight junctions, and macrophage function.

Some of Dr Maheshwari’s recent research published with colleagues includes:  TGF-β2 Suppresses Macrophage Cytokine Production in the Developing Intestine and Protects against Experimental Necrotizing Enterocolitis, T cell cytokines and the risk of blood stream infection in extremely low birth weight infants, Probiotic Bacteria Induce Maturation of Intestinal Claudin 3 Expression and Barrier Function, and Do Red Cell Transfusions Increase the Risk of Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Premature Infants?

Each year, one of the Signature Research Programs at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine selects an outstanding physician/researcher whose work embodies the ideals of Clinical/Translational Research with immediate “bench to bedside” impact on the community to present the Joseph V Scaletti Memorial Catalyst Lecture. The Signature Research Programs are focused on critical health problems affecting New Mexico residents and seek to bridge the clinical and basic sciences in order to more rapidly deliver discoveries in molecular medicine to the clinical setting. This year, Child Health, the newest Signature Research Program, has invited Dr Maheshwari: Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Pharmacology, Division of Neonatology Chief, Program Director of the Neonatal Fellowship Program, Director for Neonatal and Pediatric Gastrointestinal Disease, and Medical Director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Intermediate Care Nursery at the University of Illinois Children’s Hospital.

(Click for a full-sized image)

Harvard Researcher to Present Inaugural Joseph V Scaletti ‘Catalyst’ Lecture at UNM School of Medicine

Albuquerque, New Mexico, April 13, 2011 – Harvard Medical School faculty member and Brigham & Women’s hospital physician Dr. Kelan Tantisira will be at the University of New Mexico Wednesday April 13, 2011 to present the inaugural lecture in the annual Joseph V. Scaletti Memorial ‘Catalyst’ Lecture series:”The Pharmacogenetics of Asthma: Progress toward Personalized Medicine”. An introductory tribute to Dr Joseph V. Scaletti, one the founders of UNM’s School of Medicine, will be presented by Philip Eaton, MD, Emeritus Executive Vice President for Health Sciences.

Treating the Patient, not the Disease

In a traditional medical education, students have been taught in terms of the average person and the classic case.  But in the real world, there is no such patient. Each case is unique because each person’s genome is unique.

Most of us have had some experience with the fact that drugs can affect different people in different ways.  Pharmacogenetics, the study of how an individual’s genetic makeup can impact the effectiveness of a particular drug treatment, promises to revolutionize the practice of medicine by making it possible to tailor the treatment of a disease to each individual patient. This is what Dr. Tantisira calls “the Personalized Medicine Revolution”.

Asthma, drug therapy, and genetics

Asthma affects 300 million individuals worldwide, a number that is expected to grow to 400 million by 2025. Asthma is primarily a children’s disease, the majority of sufferers being under 17 years of age. In the US alone, about $20 billion is spent each year treating asthma, with about 40% of that amount going toward drug therapies. Yet, despite the $8 billion a year that Americans spend on asthma drugs, only about 60% of patients respond to those drugs.

If we could know in advance, through genetic testing, which asthma drugs are likely to work best for each patient, it could save time and resources, avoid unnecessary side-effects, and point the way toward understanding the causes of asthma and developing more effective drugs and other therapies in the future.

(http://www.futuremedicine.com/doi/full/10.2217/14622416.9.7.805)

Dr. Tantisira’s research focuses on how specific variations in a patient’s genome are associated with how well that patient will respond to commonly used asthma drug treatments (bronchodilators, inhaled corticosteroid (ICS), and leukotriene modifiers.)  These genetic variations may also point the way to understanding the underlying causes of asthma and developing new treatments for this disease in the future.

Translational Medicine

Dr. Tantisira’s lecture is being hosted by the Clinical & Translational Science Center (CTSC) at UNM, part of a new nationwide initiative to speed up the transfer of discoveries from basic biomedical research directly to those who are caring for patients, resulting in immediate improvements in health outcomes.

Before scientific research can improve human health, research results must be translated from the lab bench to the patient’s bedside.  This so-called bench-to-bedside transition requires two-way communication.  Basic biomedical researchers can provide clinicians with new tools for fighting disease, and clinicians provide feedback and novel observations on the progression of disease that can guide the researchers’ basic investigations.  One of the goals of the CTSC is to facilitate this two-way conversation and speed of the flow of information in both directions to improve the quality of health care.

http://commonfund.nih.gov/clinicalresearch/overview-translational.aspx

An individual like Kelan Tantisira, who is both a practicing physician and a basic researcher, embodies both roles and can serve as a role model for students at the University of New Mexico who are being trained to practice the medicine and basic biomedical research of the future.

http://pulmonaryfellowship.hms.harvard.edu/NewFiles/Staff/FacultyTantisira.html

The Dr. Joseph V. Scaletti Memorial ‘Catalyst Lectures’

Described as “a Public Forum for Envisioning the Future of Biomedical Research, and Innovative Models for Healthcare Education and Delivery” the annual Joseph V. Scaletti Catalyst Lecture features an individual, institution, or idea responsible for accelerating the rate of positive change and forward progress in the areas of biomedical research, healthcare education, or healthcare delivery.

These lectures are presented in honor of the late Dr Joseph V. Scaletti, PhD, one of the founders of the University of New Mexico School of Medicine; UNM’s first Vice President for Research; creator of the Allied Health Sciences program; organizer of the first Rural Health Interdisciplinary Program; chair of the first legislative committee on distance education and telehealth; co-founder of Project ECHO which uses telemedicine to treat chronic diseases in rural New Mexico; educator, mentor, and researcher.

Details and contact information