Fall 2010 - Eastern Virginia Medical School

t e a c h i n g . d i s c o v e r i n g . c a r i n g . fallMagazine’ 10The EVMSimpactFiveResearchBreakthroughsthat couldchange your lifetheEVMSLIBRARYBeyond Books

Harry T. LesterPresidentGerald J. Pepe, PhDDeanClaudia E. KeenanVice President for External AffairsEDITORSVincent RhodesEditor in ChiefDirector of Marketing& CommunicationsDoug GardnerNews DirectorJina GainesAccount ExecutiveAnnie PannoAccount ExecutiveDaniel ShumanAccount ExecutivePhoto EditorEDITORIAL BOARDMelissa LangDirector of Alumni RelationsConnie HedrickDirector of DevelopmentSerena Amerson, Megan Christopher,Denise Cohan, Chris DagleyOffice of DevelopmentTheresa HamlinDirector of MarketingEVMS Health ServicesJohn Comerford,Joy Ellinor, Kim LewandowskiOffice of Marketing & CommunicationsCONTRIBUTORSJessica CarlsonTony GermanottaAlison JohnsonAvonda TurnerMary WorrellEVMS Magazine, the flagship publication for EasternVirginia Medical School, is published three time ayear. Copies are available on campus, in HamptonRoads doctors’ offices and by mail. To request acopy of this issue, suggest a feature story or shareEVMS news for consideration, please contactDoug Gardner, News Director, at(757) 446-7070 or gardneda@evms.edu.P.O. Box 1980Norfolk, VA 23501-19802creditsFALL 2010www.evms.edu4123438394243The EVMS22ImpactdepartmentsNewsEVMS/Mayo Clinic researchers attack kidney cancer New hope for treating advancedprostate cancer National recognition for pancreatic cancer research IVF pioneer approaches 100Innovative care for rural AIDS patients Postpartum depression: not just for mothersExploring the link between insomnia and depression Police and Public Safety: sworn to protectA robotic first in head and neck surgery Endowment achieved for minority scholarshipVirtual learning Community support for diabetes Faculty member leads AmericanAcademy of Physician Assistants Plastic surgeon leads elite European associationAround CampusTo Your HealthAre you a weekend warrior?In FOCUSCavish Golf Tournament Cookout for the CureDonor leadership celebration EVMS Golf ClassicWine, Women and FishingUpcomingEVMS Service & Recognition Awards Ceremony – Nov. 4Donor Appreciation Reception – Nov. 10Cover Story18Commencement: a time for contemplation, celebration Campus mourns loss of musicalneuroscientist Staff spotlight: Four-legged therapy By the numbers: EVMS constructionTop faculty honored New students arriveAlumniBeyondBooksObstetrician turns consultant to advise doctors Hot time in the country:new trend for an old tradition New leaders join alumni boardsMedical, health professions graduates reunitePhilanthropyFamily gift honors geriatrics pioneer Beazley Foundation boosts cancer programSupport continues for Westminster-Canterbury endowed chairA record year for annual giving

EVMSBOARD OF VISITORSfrom the presidentMedicalBreakthroughs4128Westminster-Canterburyendowed chairJohn P. RathboneRectorMaurice A. JonesVice RectorAnne B. ShumadineSecretary TreasurerFrank Batten, Jr.Rosemary CheckRandolph J. Gould, MDDerwin P. Gray, MDJames J. Izard, IIJames V. Koch, PhDChristina W. Prillaman, MDRobin D. RayP. Ward Robinett, Jr.John O. Simpson, PhDKenneth W. StolleBruce L. ThompsonTheresa Whibley, MDRichard C. ZoreticEVMS FOUNDATIONBOARD OF TRUSTEESG. Robert Aston, Jr.Chairman and PresidentVincent J. Mastracco, Jr., Esq.TreasurerAndrew S. FineSecretaryR. Bruce BradleyL.D. Britt, MD, MPHPaul J. FarrellCharles P. Fletcher, DDSThe Honorable Paul D. FraimThomas R. Frantz, Esq.Richard S. Glasser, Esq.Robert C. Goodman, Jr., Esq.Edward L. Hamm, Jr.Paul O. Hirschbiel, Jr.Charles W. MoormanPriscilla Trinder RoadyThomas V. RuegerToy D. Savage, Jr., Esq.Alan L. Wagner, MDStanley WaranchWayne F. WilbanksJohn O. WynneThis is an exciting time in thehistory of Eastern VirginiaMedical School. As you read inthe last issue of EVMS Magazine,we recently unveiled a new threeyearstrategic plan that sets abold vision for the future of thisinstitution. Our challenge now isto live that vision every day.In September, the campuscommunity came together forthe official launch of that plan —marking the first time the entireschool has come together at one time. This was an important first steptoward making our goals reality, and it ensures that we’re all on boardand focused for this journey.At the center of our efforts are three core values: excellence, collegialityand integrity. That means we hold ourselves to high standards, buildstrong relationships throughout our community and are accountable forall we do. These values form the framework of our culture at EVMS,and living them daily will drive us toward our goals.Over the next several weeks, we will be sharing concrete details about thestrategic plan and how it will change education, research and patient careat EVMS. Completing the tasks laid out in our plan will seal EVMS’ placeas a truly unique medical school, one dedicated to our community andto training outstanding scientists, health professionals and physicians. Itwill take a lot of hard work, but that’s nothing new on this campus. Justlook at our scientists’ research efforts (see page 28) and the multi-facetedservice of our medical librarians (see page 18).I invite you all to visit the blog dedicated to our strategic plan,www.evms.edu/MissionPossible, to keep track of our progress and learnhow we’re living our values.We appreciate your support and look forward to celebrating our success.Harry T. LesterPresidentTeaching. Discovering. Caring. www.evms.edu FALL 2010 3

newsCancer centers team up to targetkidney cancerGraduate student Tiffany Benzine examinesa sample of kidney tissue. The top half ofthe sample is normal while the bottom halfis cancerous.Two talented biomedical research teamswith extensive experience in studyingcancer are combining their expertiseto focus on kidney cancer, one of the 10 mostcommon forms of the disease.Physicians and scientists at Eastern VirginiaMedical School and the Mayo Clinic are jointlyconducting a three-year study of kidney cancerthat is supported by a $1 million grant from theU.S. Department of Defense.The purpose of the research is to develop moreaccurate ways to determine which forms of kidneycancer are likely to be aggressive — and lethal.EVMS is among the world’s leaders in studyingproteins — the chemical messengers in cells —for clues to the presence of disease. Our researchin the field known as proteomics has turned upunique chemical fingerprints — called protein“biomarkers” — that can signal disease and,increasingly, measure a tumor’s potential to doharm. EVMS brings this expertise to bear on itslatest target.“We want to understand the underlyingmechanisms of aggressiveness for the most commonform of kidney cancer: clear cell renal cancer,” saysRichard Drake, PhD, professor of microbiologyand molecular cell biology at EVMS and a partof the newly created Leroy T. Canoles Jr. CancerResearch Center.The purpose of the research isto develop more accurate waysto determine which forms ofkidney cancer are likely to beaggressive — and lethal.“Our part of the project is to conduct a newtissue-imaging approach to find protein biomarkersfor kidney-cancer aggressiveness,” says Dr. Drake,who is co-principal investigator on the study withAlexander S. Parker, PhD, assistant professorof epidemiology at the Mayo Clinic College ofMedicine in Jacksonville, Fla.The Mayo Clinic has one of the world’s mostextensive collections of cancerous kidney tissue. TheResearchers are studying tiny slivers of cancerous kidneytissue to learn how to battle the disease.teams will draw on these samples as part of theirresearch.Metabolon, a company based in North Carolinathat is also part of the research project, is analyzingchanges in the cellular metabolites using those samefrozen samples of cancerous kidney tissue.The researchers hope these two types ofbiomarkers, combined with other details — suchas a pathologist’s report — will provide a bettermeasure of a cancer’s aggressiveness and help guidetreatment decisions.“Our goal is to develop a biomarker-basedprediction model that will help clinicians moreaccurately predict which kidney-cancer patients areat greatest risk for the return of the cancer after theinitial surgery,” Dr. Drake says.Continued on page 174 FALL 2010 www.evms.edunews

Researchers support development ofgroundbreaking prostate cancer vaccineResearch and clinical trialscompleted at Eastern VirginiaMedical School have led toa major breakthrough in thetreatment of cancer. In April, theFood and Drug Administration(FDA) approved the vaccineProvenge, a new treatment forprostate cancer.Researchers at EVMS, ledby urology professor Paul F.Schellhammer, MD, havebeen investigating the vaccine’seffectiveness for more than adecade and played a major role in its approval.Through his research as an EVMS communityfaculty member and his private clinical practice,Dr. Schellhammer is one of the first to makeProvenge available to patients.Developed by Dendreon Corp., a biotechcompany based in Seattle, Provenge is the firstFDA-approved immune-based cancer therapy. Itworks by using the body’sown immune system asa weapon against cancercells. Dr. Schellhammer, anational leader in prostatecancer research, says theapproval of Provengeis especially significantbecause it could lead tothe use of immune-basedtreatments for other typesof cancer.“This is an entirelynew class and level oftherapies that work totally differently from what’scurrently available,” he says. “One of the dramaticadvantages is that the patient’s own immunesystem is being stimulated to be more activeagainst the cancer. There are no external poisons,chemotherapies or other oral agents being used.They have their place, but one of the attractionshere is that the patients rarely have side effects.”Paul F. Schellhammer, MDAfter 10 years of clinical trials involvingmore than three dozen local patients, Dr.Schellhammer’s research team determinedthat the Provenge vaccine can extend the livesof patients with advanced prostate cancer byanywhere from four months to three years, withminimal side effects.One of the dramaticadvantages is that thepatient’s own immune systemis being stimulated to be moreactive against the cancer.“It’s a win-win situation,” Dr. Schellhamersays. “Not only are you improving your ownbody’s mechanisms, but you are achieving thatend without significant impact on your qualityof life.”Scientist focuses on pancreatic cancerEVMS scientist Amy Tang, PhD, hopes she hasfound the Achille’s heel of pancreatic cancer, thefourth deadliest form of the disease.To aid her research, Dr. Tang, an associateprofessor of microbiology and molecular cellbiology, has received a $200,000, two-year“innovative grant” from the Pancreatic CancerAction Network and the American Associationfor Cancer Research. The funds will support herstudy of a new drug target for pancreatic cancer,known as the “silent killer” for its ability to avoiddetection.The money and research are sorely needed.According to the American Cancer Society, about38,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed withpancreatic cancer this year alone. Of those, about34,000 will die of the disease.The ultimate goal of Dr.Tang’s research is to block tumorformation in “one of the mostaggressive human cancer cellsknown,” she says.She is targeting a protein calledSIAH, which has been shown toencourage cancer growth. Researchers believe itis responsible for supercharging a protein calledK-RAS.K-RAS normally promotes growth at ahealthy pace. In its abnormal form it kicks intooverdrive and increases cell growth in peoplewith pancreatic cancer.“Hyperactive K-RAS protein acts like a car’s gaspedal that is permanently stuck in the acceleratorposition and propels the pancreatic cancer cellsto grow and metastasizeuncontrollably,” Dr. Tangsays.If anti-SIAH therapy caninhibit this acceleration effect intumor growth and metastasis,it could become a potent andkey target for drug development that would throttleK-RAS signaling in human pancreatic cancer.“Albeit at an early preclinical stage, knowledgegained from this study has great promise andimmediate translational value,” she says.Dr. Tang is the first EVMS researcher honoredby the American Association for Cancer Research(AACR) and the first in Hampton Roads to securegrant funding from the AACR and the PancreaticCancer Action Network.Amy H. Tang, PhDnewswww.evms.edu FALL 2010 5

Dr. Jones marks a century ofexcellenceIt would be more than cliché to say Howard Jones,MD, co-founder of the Howard and GeorgeannaJones Institute for Reproductive Medicine atEVMS, has achieved a great deal in his long life. Butit doesn’t hurt to say it again.Dr. Jones is approaching his 100th birthday onDecember 30 and is being honored this fall witha lifetime achievement award from the NationalInfertility Association, known as RESOLVE.“No one is more deserving to receive this award thanDr. Howard Jones,” Barbara Collura, RESOLVE’sexecutive director, says. “Like RESOLVE’s founder,he is a pioneer who has helped so many people buildtheir families. But he has also served as a leader,mentor, trail-blazer, and so many other titles in his60-plus years in the field of reproductive medicine.”Amidst all the fanfare, Dr. Jones remains humbleand practical.“As I approach my 100th birthday, my chiefconcern is whether I’ll make it,” he says. “AlthoughI feel generally well, I am familiar with statistics.Nevertheless, I must plan.”Dr. Jones and his wife, Georgeanna Jones, MD,brought international attention to EVMS and theDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 1981for their role in the birth of Elizabeth Carr Comeau,the first child conceived in the United States throughin vitro fertilization (IVF). Working side by side,Drs. Jones established the nation’s first IVF clinic andDr. Jones and EVMS President Harry T. Lester share a laugh during the Sept. 21 celebration to mark Dr. Jones’ 100th birthday. Atthe event, the Howard and Georgeanna Jones Foundation for Reproductive Medicine and the EVMS Department of Obstetrics andGynecology announced the establishment of an endowed lectureship in honor of Dr. Jones and his wife.continued to push the frontiers in assisted reproductivemedicine for many years. Dr. Georgeanna Jones diedin 2005.Dr. Howard Jones has seen a great deal of history— and has been a part of it, too.A Baltimore native, he attended Johns HopkinsUniversity. He worked in gynecology at JohnsHopkins Hospital and completed a residency ingeneral surgery at Church Home and Hospital inBaltimore.His surgical skills were put to the test on UtahBeach during the D-Day invasion of Normandy in1944. After the war, he returned to Johns HopkinsUniversity and became the go-to surgeon for genitalabnormalities and reconstructions.As for next year, Dr. Jones said he is looking forwardto ongoing endeavors. Even as a centenarian,he’s busy with research and completing a project forwhich he’s well suited — a comprehensive history ofreproductive medicine.View photos from Dr. Jones’ birthday celebration atwww.evms.edu/magazine.HRSA lauds new approach to caring for HIV-positive patientsAn innovative patient-safety program at EVMSis changing the way outpatient clinics deliver careto indigent, HIV-positive patients — and it haswon four national awards in the process.Since its formation in 2008, the EVMS PatientSafety and Clinical Pharmacy Services Collaborativehas created a successful interdisciplinary treatmentmodel at a rural clinic in Gloucester County.Clinical pharmacy services now are co-located inthe outpatient setting, turning pharmacists intotrue clinical partners rather than simply medicationdispensers. That has lowered the risk of adversedrug effects and increased patient compliance.The treatment team also includes a nurseeducator who tests patients’ literacy — part ofregular consultations on disease management— and peer educators, or HIV-positive patientstrained to counsel other patients on the challengesand benefits of living successfully with HIV.“With these additional sets of hands, brainsand eyes, we are providing consistent oversight oncare that many patients were lacking before,” saidRichard Hall, a collaborative member and counselorwith the Virginia Department of Health (VDH).The collaborative is a partnership betweenEVMS’ AIDS Resource Center and the VDH,with guidance from the federal Health Resourcesand Services Administration (HRSA).Last fall, HRSA recognized the collaborativewith several merit awards of excellence: for provenimprovements in health outcomes, for bringing ina pharmacist on site and for implementing “lifesaving”interventions. The team also received afourth award for winning the other three.Read the program guidebook online atwww.evms.edu/magazine.6 FALL 2010 www.evms.edunews

EVMS professoruncovers hidden trendof sad dadsIn 2004, while working on a large nationalstudy of factors influencing parenting behavior,James F. Paulson, PhD, associate professor ofpediatrics and child psychologist at EasternVirginia Medical School, stumbled upon aninteresting and little-known phenomenon —postpartum depression in dads.“We were interested in depression in mothers,as that was a known factor of parentingproblems. We just so happened to have ameasure of depression in dads, so we decidedto include it just to better understand the wholepicture,” Dr. Paulson says. “What we found andhave confirmed through a number of studiesis that expecting and new fathers experiencedepression at rates that are disproportionate tothe general population.”Dr. Paulson and his research team thenstarted examining all of the research availableon the topic and found that one out of every10 fathers experiences depression sometimebetween the start of pregnancy through oneyear after birth. This is more than doublethe 4.8 percent of men in the general publicexperiencing depression. The lowest rates ofdepression (7.7 percent) occur in the first threemonths postpartum, and the highest rates (25.6percent) occur in the 3- to 6-month postpartumperiod.The findings of the study were published inthe May 19 issue of the Journal of the AmericanMedical Association. In the article, Dr. Paulsonand co-author Sharnail Bazemore, MS, aresearch associate in pediatrics, examine theJames F. Paulson, PhDprevalence of prenatal and postnatal depressionin fathers, its impact on child development andhow it correlates with depression in mothers.“We’ve seen that they are actually quitestrongly correlated,” Dr. Paulson says. “Whenmoms are depressed, dads are more likely tobe depressed, or vice versa. We don’t know yetwhich direction the effect goes.”Dr. Paulson and his team also have beenstudying how depression impacts parentingbehaviors. He says depressed fathers interactless with their children, which can hamper thechild’s development. There are also studies thatshow behavior problems in young children withdepressed dads. But Dr. Paulson says furtherresearch needs to be done.“There isn’t a lot of research going on,” hesays. “The cool thing about this is it’s a smallfield of researchers, and EVMS is one of the fewplaces in the world that’s involved in this kindof work, at this level.”His team recently received a $420,000research grant from the National Instituteof Child Health and Human Developmentto fund a two-year study of Hampton Roadsresidents, examining depression in both parents,from the beginning of the third trimesterthrough six months postpartum.“In terms of understanding child outcomes,it makes mores sense to look at how the familyfunctions as a whole rather than looking atindividuals,” he says. “Looking at depression indads really opens the door to understanding thisas a family phenomenon.”Research identifiespossible newway to easeinsomniaA study by Daniel A. Bluestein, MD, professorof family and community medicine at EasternVirginia Medical School, and colleaguesat the Old Dominion University School ofNursing showsa link betweeninsomnia andpatients whodon’t b elievethey can changetheir behaviorsto improve sleep.I n s o m n i ahas long beenassociated withDaniel A. Bluestein, MDdepression, butthere has beenlittle research linking insomnia and one’s lack of“self-efficacy” — the belief and confidence thatone can improve his or her own health throughone’s own actions. In this study, funded by agrant from the American Academy of FamilyPhysicians Foundation and published in theJournal of the American Board of Family Medicine,low self-efficacy for achieving sleep-improvingbehaviors was an even stronger predictor ofinsomnia severity than levels of depression. Thesefindings illuminate a potential new method fortreating the condition.“Clinicians caring for insomnia patients knowto look for depression,” Dr. Bluestein says. “Theassociation with self-efficacy, however, is lesswell-known and suggests the need for researchinto whether boosting a patient’s self-efficacy canease his or her insomnia symptoms.”This research would evaluate strategies forincreasing self-efficacy such as peer learning,group discussions and what is known asmotivational interviewing — helping someoneweigh the pros and cons of taking or not takinga certain course of action.newswww.evms.edu FALL 2010 7

EVMSlaunches newpoliceandpublic safetydepartmentEastern Virginia Medical Schoolrecognized 11 police officers and 26Judge Peter G. Decker Jr. joined Chief Lisa B. Pryse toswear in the new police and public safety officers.public safety officers during a special badge-pinning ceremony for the new EVMS Police andPublic Safety Department July 8 in Lewis Hall’s McCombs Auditorium.The ceremony marked the official transition from a security office to a police and public safetydepartment. EVMS President Harry T. Lester addressed the officers and thanked them for theirimportant service. The Honorable Peter G. Decker Jr., a member of the EVMS Health ServicesBoard of Directors, administered the oath of affirmation.To see video and photos of the pinning ceremony, visit www.evms.edu/magazine.Surgeon performs first robotichead and neck cancer operation in VirginiaOn May 5, Daniel W. Karakla, MD, associateprofessor of otolaryngology-head and necksurgery, performed the first robotic head-andneck-cancer surgery in Virginia. The patient,Arthur Zimmerly of Virginia Beach, had hispharynx removed and is recovering well.Head and neck cancers are particularly difficultto treat surgically because the tumors are oftenhard to reach, requiring doctors to saw throughbones like the jaw to access them. In the past, theprocedure could rob a patient of his or her voice,distort the face and hinder the basic abilities toeat, drink and swallow.But now, surgeons at EVMS are able to use theda Vinci robot system, located at Sentara NorfolkGeneral Hospital, to access these cancersthrough the mouth. With smaller incisions, therobot helps doctors leave facial bones intact. Thissignificantly improves the recovery process, is lesspainful and reduces the likelihood of scarring ordisfigurement.Daniel W. Karakla, MD, examines a patient.8 FALL 2010 www.evms.edunews

Partnerships raise moneyfor diabetes research and careat EVMS Strelitz Diabetes CenterThe EVMS Strelitz Diabetes Center recently partnered with regional 7-Eleven stores and theNorfolk Tides baseball team to increase awareness of the diabetes epidemic in Hampton Roads and raisemoney to support diabetes research and care at the center.Current projections indicate that one in three children born after the year 2000 will develop diabetesover the course of their lifetime. From July 1 to August 31, 7-Eleven shared this message and spearheaded the “GiveChange to Make Change” campaign. As of press time, the campaign had raised nearly $34,000.On Aug. 22, the EVMS Strelitz Diabetes Center hosted “Turning the Tide on Diabetes Night” at Harbor Park withthe Norfolk Tides. A portion of the proceeds from tickets sold for the game went to the diabetes center. Hundreds ofpeople came out to support EVMS.EVMS is also working with Todd Jurich of the award-winning Todd Jurich’s Bistro in downtown Norfolk to raiseawareness of diabetes in Hampton Roads. Mr. Jurich is consulting EVMS Strelitz Diabetes Center nutritionist PhyllisWoodson to develop a new three-course diabetic-friendly meal that will debut on the restaurant’s menu in time fordiabetes awareness month this November.10 FALL 2010 www.evms.edunews

around campusMiechelle Gentzler celebrates with herfellow Master of Physician Assistantprogram graduates.Commencement 2010about the legacy you areinheriting, including social justice, and“Ithinkremember that is what makes the whitecoat real,” Darrell G. Kirch, MD, president andCEO of the Association of American MedicalColleges, told the 254 graduates at the May 15EVMS commencement ceremony.He urged them to take an active role increating a just health-care system and to continuethe EVMS tradition of focusing on the needs ofthe community.“Your outreach to the needy in our communityand in communities around the globe has beenheart-warming and inspiring, and in the truespirit of EVMS,” said Gerald J. Pepe, PhD, deanand provost.EVMS presented Dr. Kirch with an honorarydegree in recognition of his lifetime contributionsto medicine and science and his advocacy onbehalf of patients.Earlier that week, graduates from the Masterof Physician Assistant (MPA) Program receivedtheir long white coat at the MPA Awards andWhite Coat Ceremony, a tradition that signifiesthe transition from student to practitioner, onMay 12.On May 13, six medical-school graduatesentering the armed forces were sworn in asofficers in a special ceremony aboard thebattleship U.S.S. Wisconsin.At the baccalaureate ceremony held at theChrysler Museum of Art, the Class of 2010 madea covenant with their friends, families, teachers12FALL 2010www.evms.eduaround campus

NeuroscientistDavid Scott diesEVMS lost a talented neuroscientist, belovedteacher and respected veteran member of thefaculty July 5 with the death of David E. Scott,PhD, a professor of pathology and anatomy.“Generations of students will remember hislectures brought to life with songs and jokes,”says Nancy F. Fishback, MD, professor and chairof pathology and anatomy, recalling Dr. Scott’sjoy of working with students and his knack forteaching in unconventional ways. “Dave excelledin everything he did and embraced it all with apassion.”Dr. Scott earned his doctorate in anatomy atthe University of Southern California. He hadbeen a professor at the University of Rochesterand was department chair at the University ofMissouri - Columbia School of Medicine whenhe was selected in 1986 to lead what was thenthe Department of Anatomy and Neurobiologyat EVMS. He served as chair of the departmentuntil it was combined with pathology andrenamed in 1997; he remained on the faculty inthe newly organized department.Dr. Scott was widely published on centralnervous system regeneration, neurotransplantationand adult stem cells.“He came to EVMS with an impressive historyof research, teaching and publications,” Dr.Fishback says. “While at EVMS he continuedthis tradition and saw his 100th journal articlepublished just a few years ago.”His chief love was teaching, says colleagueand friend Paul F. Aravich, PhD, professor ofpathology and anatomy. He was a popular andeffective educator who “suffered and celebratedwith his students,” Dr. Aravich says.Dr. Scott was the second recipient of the Dean’sFaculty Achievement Award for Teaching in theBasic Sciences at EVMS.He had an early brush with fame as a memberof a folk group known as The Wayfarers. Theband played the same venues as Peter, Paul andDavid E. Scott, PhDMary and the Kingston Trio before it broke up.He also was an avid outdoorsman, venturing tovarious locations around the globe to hunt andfish. For 29 years, he was in the Army ReserveMedical Corps, retiring at the rank of colonel.In January of this year, when Dr. Scott wasdiagnosed with esophageal cancer and spent timeas a patient in Sentara Leigh Hospital, he wascared for by physicians and physician assistants hehad helped train.Staff Spotlight: Carol Eugley isdOGgone BusySee videos of our other Staff Spotlights online atwww.evms.edu/magazine.By day, Carol Eugleyis an administrativesecretary to Christine C.Matson, MD, and DanielA. Bluestein, MD, in theDepartment of Family andCommunity Medicine andhas worked at EVMS for 29years. By night, Carol and herassistants, Tuffy and Peanut,look after patients of theirown.Tuffy and Peanut are Ms. Eugley’s 7- and 8-yearoldminiature poodles. As certified therapy dogs,they make regular visits to assisted-living homes,hospice facilities, long-term care facilities andlibraries around the area as part of South EasternVirginia Therapy Dogs.“Just petting the dogs givespeople something to lookforward to. It cheers themup and lowers their bloodpressure,” Ms. Eugley says.Tuffy and Peanut also helpchildren improve their readingskills. At participating locallibraries, children practiceby reading to therapy dogs.This one-on-one techniquehas improved their reading skills.“Having these dogs is such a rewardingexperience because you see how much joy theybring to so many people,” Ms. Eugley says. “Thedifference we make in the life of a child is reallyour legacy.”Watch Ms. Eugley, Tuffy and Peanut in action by visitingwww.evms.edu/magazine.Matthew R. Schenk, director of human resourcesStaff Spotlight is a new addition toEVMS Magazine that will featureEastern Virginia Medical School staffmembers who are making a differenceboth in the EVMS communityand beyond.14FALL 2010www.evms.eduaround campus

Members of the EVMS Board of Visitors sign one of the lastbeams to be placed in the new building.MERB by the numbersconstruction proceeding on paceat new buildingWork continues on budget and on schedule for construction of the school’s new medical education andresearch building and associated renovations in the Brickell Library and Lewis Hall.Crews have nearly closed in the 100,000 square foot building that will give the school much-neededspace to enlarge its medical class by 30 percent and the physician assistant class by 60 percent. The buildingalso has space designated forresearch, including a cancercenter named in honor of thelate Leroy T. Canoles Jr.All work — including theestablishment of a greenspace in front of the building,a new entrance in the Brickelllibrary, improvements tostudent space in the libraryand Lewis Hall, and a projectto improve traffic flow withinthe medical center complex— is scheduled to be finishedin time for the start of classesin the fall of 2011.A glimpse at materialsused to date on thenew building:n 673 tons of steel. An equalamount of steel could makenearly 750 automobiles.n 4275 cubic yards of concrete.That material weighs in atroughly 14 million pounds.n 160,000 bricks. Laid end toend, they would reach fromthe EVMS campus to NewportNews.n 19,500 square feet ofaluminum and glass. That’s anarea about a third the size of afootball field.For more about the construction project,visit www.evms.edu/magazine.around campuswww.evms.edu FALL 2010 15

Cancer CenterTeams withMayo Cliniccontinued from page 4That same biomarker panel also couldhighlight new targets for therapies thatdoctors could use in conjunction withsurgery to slow the cancer’s progressionand improve patient survival.Kidney cancer is a potent disease thatis difficult to diagnose. The standardtreatment is to remove the diseasedkidney. In 30 to 40 percent of cases, thecancer recurs and survival rates plummet.In recent decades in the U.S., the numberof people diagnosed with and dying as aresult of kidney cancer has risen steadily. Ittypically strikes older adults, at an averageage of 64.EVMS’ involvement in this researchstudy stems from the foundation ofexpertise developed in the Leroy T.Canoles Jr. Cancer Research Center. “Itbuilds on everything we learned fromstudying prostate cancer,” says O. JohnSemmes, PhD, EVMS’ Anthem professorof cancer research and director of theEVMS research center.EVMS welcomes new studentsduring orientation weekNearly 200 new medical and health professionsstudents joined the EVMS family Aug. 16.Incoming students for the medical, art therapyand counseling, biomedical sciences and medicalmaster’s programs kicked off the new semesterby getting acquainted with their professors andclassmates during the annual Dean’s Breakfast.Orientation events continued throughout theweek, and rain showers did not deter faculty andstudents from attending the indoor President’s picnic.On Aug. 20, the White Coat Ceremony officiallywelcomed incoming MD students to the medicalprofession at Norfolk’s Harrison Opera House. Thedonning of the white coat, a universal symbol ofmedicine, marks the medical student’s entry as ajunior colleague in the field.Dean Gerald J. Pepe, PhD, greets a group of new EVMSstudents during the annual Dean’s Breakfast that welcomesincoming students to campus.The H. Lee Kanter lecture was given byMargaret E. Mohrmann, MD, PhD, professor ofbiomedical ethics, pediatrics, medical education,and religious studies and director of the biomedicalethics program at the University of Virginia. Sheencouraged the new students to wear their whitecoats proudly, thoughtfully and carefully.“Keep the coat unbuttoned, leave it open, exposeyour heart, the core of yourself, to remind you,especially when the suffering comes — as it will— that you are committed to letting yourself bechanged by your patients into the doctor they needyou to be,” Dr. Mohrmann said.View photos from orientation week atwww.evms.edu/magazine.First-year art therapy and counseling students Paige Scheinberg, left,and Rebecca Snyder get acquainted with fellow students and facultyduring the annual President’s Picnic, which was moved indoors thisyear due to stormy weather.O. John Semmes, PhD, left, who oversees cancerresearch at EVMS, confers with graduate studentMichelle Trevino and scientist Richard Drake,PhD, who is leading the school’s work to developa more accurate way to diagnose kidney cancer.Chairs of the various academic and clinical departments in the schoolgreet incoming medical students during the White Coat Ceremony at whichup-and-coming physicians are welcomed into the medical community.around campuswww.evms.edu FALL 2010 17

From left are Technical Services Coordinator ReneeMansheim, Associate Dean for Library and LearningResources Judith Mercer and Reference/ClinicalLibrarian Susan HarnettLibrary:the evmsBeyond18 FALL 2010 www.evms.eduLIBRARY

A look at theservices the libraryoffers and how itremains relevantin an era of easyaccess toinformationIt’s easy to get lost on the information superhighway.Luckily, the staff of the Edward E. Brickell MedicalSciences Library at Eastern Virginia Medical Schoolcan offer you a map.The librarians’ work goes far beyond helping students,faculty and staff. They also field questions from HamptonRoads residents on a daily basis, organize communitytraining sessions that help people locate reliable healthinformation online and assist Virginia legislators withhealth-care proposals that have the potential to toucheveryone in the state.“Our job from the very beginning has been to give backto this community,” says Judith Mercer, associate dean forlibrary and learning resources and director of educationaltechnology.“Back when we lived in more of a print world, mostpeople came in to us. Now it is our job to go out into thecommunity, to empower them and help them sift throughBooksLIBRARYwww.evms.edu FALL 2010 19

the vast amounts of information available literally at theirfingertips. Yes, a lot of information is now online, but youhave to know how to navigate it — how to zero in on whatyou need to best take care of yourself or your patients —to get the most out of it. That’s where we come in,” Mrs.Mercer says.The state-of-the-art library has an extensive collection:more than 12,500 books, 7,000 journal subscriptions, 1,500audiovisual items and 150 medical, scientific and generaldatabases. Its resources cover basic and biomedical sciences,clinical medicine and health care. A rare historical collectionalso includes books donated from the personal collectionsof local physicians that date to the American Revolution.While many materials are available online, the libraryremains an important physical space for the EVMScommunity, Mrs. Mercer notes. Students check out reservedmaterials for classes, study, hold small group meetings,attend classes and work in a computer lab that’s open tothem 24 hours a day, seven days a week. EVMS networkaccount holders also can access all databases from offcampus.But the EVMS family is just one regular user of thelibrary. In fact, 48 percent of the questions posed to referencestaff come from outside EVMS, adding up to about 20,000queries a year. Patients and their families in particular —including those admitted to Sentara Norfolk GeneralHospital and Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters(CHKD) — often turn to the library to better understanda new diagnosis or a chronic illness.“Often immediately after a diagnosis, people areoverwhelmed and don’t absorb a lot of what a doctoris telling them,” Ruth Smith, outreach servicescoordinator for the library, explains. “Later, theywill come to us to learn more so that the next timethey talk to their health-care provider, they willhave better questions to ask. We are really empoweringpeople to deal with their illnesses and live the healthiestlives possible.”Ms. Smith’s job is to extend the library’s reach evenfurther into the community. Since 2000, she has trainedmore than 5,000 Hampton Roads residents on how tosearch for accurate and up-to-date medical informationonline. She also educates people about the free consumerhealthlinks posted on the EVMS library’s home pageduring presentations at public libraries, health fairs, schools,senior centers, businesses and other venues. And she guidespublic librarians through EVMS-funded classes that covereverything from medical vocabulary to web navigation,including resources for the area’s many military families.“We will go practically anywhere to give a talk,”M s . S m it hnearly half of the questionsposed to reference staff comefrom outside EVMS, adding up toabout 20,000 queries a year.says. “So manyp e ople a relooking onlinefor medicalinformationand asking usquestions, sowe know theneed is outthere.” Health-care information is the second-most-searchedtopic online in the country, Mrs. Mercer points out — secondonly to financial information.On the EVMS campus, librarians play a vital rolein preparing the doctors of the future. Currently, a majoremphasis is to base treatment decisions on scientificevidence; studies have shown that doctors who don’t followthe latest medical research in their specialties aren’t able to20 FALL 2010 www.evms.eduLIBRARY

offer patients the best possible care, even if they have yearsof experience.Many doctors focus more on conversations with fellowphysicians — “expert opinions” — than on medicalliterature when deciding patient care, says April AdamsPace, education coordinator for the library. Her job is tohelp medical students, residents and physician assistantsincorporate literature into that process — sorting throughquality study databases, interpreting results, knowingcurrent best practices and applying them to patient care.“I think librarians usuallyare ahead of the curve whenit comes to using all theresources we have availableto help people.” — Judith MercerOne popular tool, for example, is DynaMed, a websitethat posts daily updates of new medical studies andrates them based on quality of research methods.“It’s showing users how much they cantrust that evidence,” Mrs. Pace says.EVMS librarians also serve onthe school’s institutional reviewboards, helping researchersgather statistics and followcorrect federal regulations foranimal and human researchtrials. Two mornings aweek, they accompanythird-year medical studentsand residents duringtheir pediatric rounds atCHKD. If they detect anyuncertainty about patientcare, they will searchthe medical literaturefor information that may help guide treatment decisions.They then teach medical students how to locate and usethat kind of data themselves.“We show them the impact of applying literature in aclinical setting,” Mrs. Mercer says. “We have a chance totouch every third-year medical student here and contributeto patient outcomes.”On the state level, library staff work closely withmembers of the Joint Commission on Health Care(JCHC), the group that develops proposed legislation forthe General Assemblye ach ye a r. D ut ie sinclude teaching JCHCstaff members howto use the library’selectronic resourcesand going to Richmondonce a year to lead acourse on accessingall current databases.They also are availableto answer questions,order requested materials and pass along information onparticular topics or issues.“We are their library,” Mrs. Mercer says. “We doeverything we can to support their work.”The same goes for educators at Virginia’s primary andsecondary schools. Through a partnership with the statedepartments of health and education, EVMS createdHealth Smart Virginia, a website that covers healtheducationrequirements under the state’s Standards ofLearning program. The site breaks down informationby health topic and grade, helping teachers plan lessonsfor elementary-, middle- and high-school students. “It’sa fantastic resource for teachers, and really for the entirecommunity and beyond,” Ms. Smith says.In short, adapting to the computer age hasn’t been verydifficult for the library. “I think librarians usually are aheadof the curve when it comes to using all the resources wehave available to help people,” Mrs. Mercer says. “Thetechnology may have changed, but that central missionhasn’t — and it never will.”For more about the library, visit www.evms.edu/magazine.LIBRARYwww.evms.edu FALL 2010 21

Chief surgical resident Stephanie Krup, MD, and L.D. Britt, MD, MPH,Brickhouse professor and chair of surgery, operate together in SentaraNorfolk General Hospital.Jonathan DeLong andKatie Davenport, membersof the MD Class of 2013,raised money for Haiti atmedical schools across theglobe through their t-shirtcampaign.The EVMSImpactMultifaceted institution quietly plays a critical rolein improving the health of the community22 FALL 2010 www.evms.eduEVMS

For some people, Eastern Virginia MedicalSchool is a bit of a mystery. They know theschool does good work, even if they’re notexactly certain what that work is.Many understand there’s a campus trainingdoctors and health professionals at that big medical center thatincludes Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and Children’sHospital of The King’s Daughters. Some realize that it’s theplace that gave life to America’s first in vitro baby. Few knowthat EVMS is independent of those hospitals and its sphere ofinfluence spans the region and the state.But what does EVMS’ presence here really mean to theaverage person living in Hampton Roads?How about lower taxes, better neighbors, smarter doctorsand cutting-edge research that quickly makes its way tobedsides, clinics, examining rooms and operating tables.“We always say we’re the best-kept secret in HamptonRoads,” Gerald J. Pepe, PhD, the school’s dean and provost,says, “and we don’t want to be the best-kept secret. We wantNow a graduate of theEVMS physician assistantprogram, Monica Piasciklearned effective clinicalskills from people trainedto act out or mimic certainsymptoms.Local children enjoyed makingcrafts with the help of EVMSart therapy and counselingstudents during this year’sHealthy Kids Day at the YMCAin downtown Norfolk.EVMSwww.evms.edu FALL 2010 23

Medical student CaitlinValentino explains healthinformation to a visitor at therecent Community Care Day,held in conjunction with theY’s Healthy Kids Day.people to understand how important this institution is to thehealth of the community.”Follow the MoneyHow could EVMS keep area taxes in check? By quietlyinjecting more than $700 million a year into the localeconomy.That’s the overall value that James V. Koch, PhD,president emeritus and Old Dominion University Boardof Visitors Professor of Economics, estimates is generatedannually by EVMS.Dr. Koch, also a member of the EVMS Board of Visitors,authored an economic impact study of the school in 2007.EVMS, he learned, is one of the largest non-governmentemployers in Hampton Roads, and its 1,500 workers arewell paid, averaging nearly $75,000 a year for full-timers— about $30,000 more than the area as a whole.Then there are the more than 800 students — not justdoctors but a wealth of other health-care professionals, manyof whom pay an out-of-state tuition premium to come toEVMS. They spend some $20 million a year.EVMS residents train at local hospitals throughout theregion, and they spend another $5 million a year here, heestimated. Often, they wind up settling in the region aftergraduating.The school buys supplies and employs local contractorsevery time it expands. It is currently in such a major expansion,with a new building under construction which will lead to a30 percent increase in the number of physicians trained, Dr.Pepe says, and a 60 percent increase in physician assistants.When businesses look to locate in an area, one of the keyconsiderations is the quality of health care there, accordingto Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms, a bank presidentand a former member of the EVMS board.“That’s a priority, and that’s something we have here.EVMS is a big part of it,” Mayor Sessoms says.The school’s economic impact is likely to increase as itcontinues to grow and provide more doctors and health-careprofessionals needed to meet increased demand caused byan aging population and recent health-care reforms.A Magnet for Medical ProfessionalsDr. Koch’s conclusion was that the economic impact,although impressive, “does not begin to capture thetremendous contribution the medical school makes to thewelfare of the region.“Our quality of life — and sometimes our actual lives— depends on the good works of EVMS. All of us areenriched by the presence of EVMS. It is not for nothingthat the founding of EVMS in 1973 is regarded by many asthe most significant single event in our region’s history inthe second half of the 20th century.”Scholarly hype? Hardly.“EVMS is so much more important than opening up ahighway, even the MacArthur Mall,” Dr. Koch said in arecent interview. “It’s at a completely different level in itseffect on economic life and the quality of life.”Without EVMS, Hampton Roads would be the largestmetropolitan area in the country without a medical school.And studies show that areas without such schools don’tattract or retain the number of doctors required for qualitycare, Dr. Koch says.24 FALL 2010 www.evms.eduEVMS

EVMS medical residents– numbering about 320currently – work andlearn simultaneouslyin local hospitalsthroughout the region.to the caliber of physicians recruited for the region’s onlyLevel 1 trauma center and his maternal-fetal medicinedepartment as examples.“The expertise that we have within head and neckcancer, the expertise that we have in diabetes andpregnancy, are here because of EVMS,” Dr. Abuhamadsays.Such specialized medicine usually relies on EVMSdoctors and clinics. The school’s full-time facultymembers don’t just teach — they treat people every day,often handling the most difficult cases.“We’re well known for our diabetes care,” PresidentHarry T. Lester says. “We’ve got some of the top surgeonsin town. If you have a high-risk pregnancy within 80miles, you come here. It’s just that simple. Your doctor inthe community is going to send you here.”The Community ConnectionAlthough EVMS is not part of Sentara, Bon Secours,Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters or any otherlocal hospital or health system, it partners with all of themand oversees the 320 residents working in those HamptonRoads facilities. That improves the overall quality of careand often leads to those doctors eventually settling in thearea, Mr. Lester says. “That’s good for the health of thecommunity.”Randolph J. Gould, MD, a 1978 graduate and assistantprofessor of clinical surgery, is now on the school’s Boardof Visitors and an active member of the Medical Societyof Virginia. He grew up in the area, attended NorfolkAcademy, William and Mary and then EVMS, where hewas in the school’s third class to graduate. He’s been withNorfolk Surgical Group since 1984.Dr. Gould takes pride in serving as a communityfaculty member. “It helps doctors connect with some ofthe fundamental reasons why they went into medicine inthe first place — the desire to teach, the desire to be partof the adventure of medicine, to learn new things and bea part of developing new procedures and new technicalapproaches,” he explains.Having EVMS here is key to keeping those kinds ofdoctors in the area, he says. Many local physicians join theschool as community faculty, teaching for free under theEVMS Health Services, a non-profit affiliate withmore than 150 physicians, provides care to 1,000patients daily. If EVMS did not exist, those peoplewould overwhelm area hospitals or have to seek careout of town, taking their dollars with them and likelygetting lesser results.The role for researchAnother key area is research, and EVMS is a worldclassresearch center, on the leading edge of cancerdetection and treatment, AIDS prevention, obesity,women’s health, and diabetes, with a recent emphasis onthe kind of work that can quickly move from lab to bedside.The fact that students, residents and faculty are all doingresearch makes a big impact according to Dr. Pepe. Thiswealth of research, Dr. Koch reported, spawns a bevy ofpatents that generate income — much of which stays inthe area.Another result is that local doctors are better informedabout new treatments, and researchers are available forconsultation.“You have people doing the cutting-edge research. Youdon’t have to go anywhere else to get a second opinion. Youhave the best opinions right here. Most people don’t realizethat,” Dr. Pepe says.“We elevate the level of medical carein the region. We’ve brought people tothis region that might not even be fulltimefaculty, but they’re here becauseof the medical school.”— Randolph J. Gould, MD, ’78, Member of the Board of Visitorsdirection of full-time department chairs. The interactionkeeps them fresh and improves area health care, Dr.Gould says.“We elevate the level of medical care in the region,” hesays. “We’ve brought people to this region that might noteven be full-time faculty, but they’re here because of themedical school.”That community connection is a hallmark of EVMSeducation. In fact, it is the heart of what EVMS recentlyre-emphasized as its vision — to be the most communityorientedmedical school in the nation.Relying on local doctors was the only way the schoolcould get started, Mr. Lester says, and it is one of the thingsthat defines the school among community faculty and toptierstudents.26 FALL 2010 www.evms.eduEVMS

Craig W. Goodmurphy, PhD,associate professor of anatomyand pathology, reviewsfeatures of the skull’s structurewith medical students in thedays before final exams.“The number-one thing that draws students to ourmedical school, according to interviews, is the fact that weare known for doing so much community outreach,” saysTheresa W. Babineau, MD, director of EVMS studentcommunity outreach.“They want to have experiences that are outside theclassroom and have early interaction with patients andothers to keep that personalization going, as opposed tothe book learning.”Many interactions are driven by the students themselves.The 400 or so medical students now studying at the schoolare involved in more than 1,000 projects, she says.It was EVMS medical students who started the area’sannual “Coats for Kids” campaign in 1987 when Dr.Babineau was a medical student herself at EVMS. Thatdrive continues to provide warm clothing for children everyfall and winter.The medical students work with the NorfolkEmergency Shelter Team every year, provide a host ofmedical screenings, mentor students in local elementaryschools and travel to Honduras annually over spring breakto provide health care in areas where there usually isn’tany electricity.Operation Smile and Physicians for Peace had ties to themedical school when they were started and still benefit fromlarge numbers of EVMS students participating, she says.Students help at the Western Tidewater Free Clinic,which Dr. Babineau helped found, and are in the processof setting up their own free clinic.“That’s a pretty exciting opportunity,” Mr. Lester says.“Lots of public community service. That’s just what they do.They like to do it.” He also says that spirit of service permeatesthe entire institution, with faculty and students alike.That level of grassroots connection sets EVMS apart,according to Darrell G. Kirch, MD, president and CEOof the Association of American Medical Colleges.“One of the things that has impressed me most overtime about the students at EVMS is their commitmentto community service,” he said in a recent speech. “Yousee it locally in things like the homeless clinic, and yousee it globally. They have reached out very effectively tothe poorest nation in this hemisphere — Haiti — andestablished programs there.“That is the special thing a medical school brings to acommunity. It brings expertise at the highest level, but it canconnect to people who are the most in need, many of whomare their neighbors. That’s what makes medical schools sucha special resource, not just for the nation, but for the cities,the communities, the regions in which they are located.”Without belonging to a big health system or university,it’s often hard to make a public splash. Instead, EVMSis making a difference, even if it often goes unnoticed orcredit is misapplied.“This is a jewel in the rough that the rest of the countryhasn’t recognized yet,” Dr. Gould says. “EVMS has setthe tone for the way medical care and medical educationshould be delivered in the future.”To view video of EVMS faculty, staff, students and residentsliving the mission, visit www.evms.edu/magazine.EVMSwww.evms.edu FALL 2010 27

opening the door toMedicalBreakthroughsFIVE DISCOVERIES THATCOULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE28 FALL 2010 www.evms.eduMEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS

Every day, doctors andother medical professionals save lives.But you won’t find all of them in the ER or the ICU; someare in the laboratory, library or office, hunched over research equipmentand medical journals, working tirelessly to discover better ways todiagnose, treat and cure some of our most deadly diseases.MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHSwww.evms.edu FALL 2010 29

And they’re getting close.Researchers at Eastern VirginiaMedical School are approachingsome major breakthroughs in theirresearch, from finding ways to detectcancer before symptoms occur, tocuring diabetes. Employing some of thenation’s most renowned scientists, EVMS hasbecome a leader in medical research.Here are five medical discoveries being uncoveredat EVMS. As research moves from the scientist in the lab tothe physician at the bedside, one of these breakthroughs couldsoon change your life.1TREATING POST-TRAUMATICSTRESS DISORDER WITH SLEEPEvery year, 60 million Americans experience insomnia,but for those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD), psychopathology or anxiety disorders, getting a goodnight’s sleep is even harder.Larry D. Sanford, PhD, associate professor of pathologyand anatomy, is researching how sleep and stress interact, withthe hope of providing solace to those suffering from stressdisorders and restless nights.“One of the most exciting things we’re studying rightnow is controllable and uncontrollable stress,” Dr. Sanfordsays. “We’re trying to model the processes by whichuncontrollable and controllable stress caninfluence changes in behavior.”Uncontrollable stressors are thosewhich we can’t control, such as atornado or losing a job to companydownsizing. A controllable stressoris any stress you can control orterminate by your own actions.Using an animal model, Dr. Sanford’s team discovered thatthe subjects who could control their stress showed a significantincrease in rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep, the deepest andmost important stage of sleep. In contrast, the subjects whocouldn’t control their stress showed significant decreases inREM sleep.Dr. Sanford believes the REM sleep that occurs afterwe experience stress helps us better cope with stress in thefuture. He is working with the Department of Psychiatryand Behavioral Sciences at EVMS to develop ways to test hisresearch findings on patients with PTSD.According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, about5.2 million adults have PTSD during a given year. Between11 and 20 percent of veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistanwars suffer from PTSD, while 30 percent of Vietnam Warveterans are affected. One of the primary symptoms of PTSDis sleeplessness, sometimes coupled with nightmares. MostPTSD treatment is limited to behavioral therapy, but Dr.Sanford’s research could reveal a better way to help patientscope with the troubling stress disorder.“If REM sleep facilitates coping, maybe we can take patientswith PTSD and do things that may enable them to havemore REM sleep and facilitate treatment,” says Dr. Sanford.“If you know someone is going into a stressful situation, youmay be able to do things to change their sleep architecturepreemptively as opposed to after.”2WHAT PROTEINS TELL USABOUT CANCERNo matter how treatable, cancer of any kind is a devastatingdiagnosis. However, researchers at EVMS are discovering newdiagnostic tools that could lead to earlier cancer detection andmore effective treatment.At the core of the research is a science called proteomics, thestudy of proteins. It’s estimated that there are between one andtwo million proteins in the human body, forming theskin, hair, muscles, ligaments and cartilage thatgive us shape, and the enzymes, hormones,antibodies and hemoglobin necessaryfor life.O. John Semmes, PhD, isleading a multi-disciplinary teamof researchers at the Leroy T.Canoles Jr. Cancer ResearchCenter to study how proteins inthe body mutate when they areaffected by cancer. The changes orinconsistencies in a protein act as a30 FALL 2010 www.evms.eduMEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS

signal, called a biomarker, which doctors could potentially useto detect cancer and measure its aggressiveness.“Since cancers arise from the malfunctioning of a networkof proteins, it makes sense that finding these proteins wouldallow us to correct them,” Dr. Semmes says. “Proteomicsallows us to find them and to determine what is wrong.”Researchers at EVMS are focusing on prostate-, kidneyandbreast-cancer biomarkers, using human clinical samplescollected in collaboration with local surgeons and pathologists.One goal is to identify protein markers specific to certaincancer cells that might reveal the severity of the cancer andhelp tailor treatment for individual patients.EVMS researchers believe that particular biomarkers canpredict how quickly a cancer will progress.“The biggest question facing men with prostate cancer is,what should I do?” Dr. Semmes says. “Some prostate cancersare deadly, but many are not. Our efforts to find biomarkersthat can identify those cancers that are not ‘significant’ wouldprevent unnecessary surgery. The same markers will helptailor decision-making for those cancers that are aggressive.”Prostate surgery can cause incontinence and impotence,making it desirable to differentiate between those who truly needsurgery and those who are candidates for “watchful waiting.”Another arm of the research is identifying better ways todiagnose cancer. Proteomics could yield less invasive screeningand detection tools, such as a simple blood test versus aninvasive biopsy.“Newer protein-based diagnostics will either be less invasiveor will strive to render more comprehensive information ifinvasive,” Dr. Semmes says.While research can take years to translate from the labbench to the bedside, Dr. Semmes and his team are involvingphysicians and scientists in the research effort with the goal ofpersonalizing detection and treatment of these cancers withinthe next decade.3HUMAN MILK DOESA BODY GOODMove over, ibuprofen. Human breast milk, according toE. Stephen Buescher, MD, professor of pediatrics at EVMS,is demonstrating some interesting anti-inflammatorycharacteristics in his lab.Inflammation is essentially the immune system’s response toinfection, disease or foreign substances, like bacteria or a virus.If something triggers an inflammatory response, white bloodcells change shape, bind to germs and attack them.“These are critically important cells in the body’s ability todefend itself,” Dr. Buescher says.However, Dr. Buescher has discovered that when these cellsare exposed to human milk, the milk prevents calcium,which creates the spark necessary for a responselike inflammation, from entering the cell. Ineffect, human milk actually turns off thebody’s inflammatory response.“It takes the function of thesecells out of the picture and indoing that results in significantanti-inflammatory capabilities ofhuman milk,” Dr. Buescher says.In effect,human milkactually turnsoff the body’sinflammatoryresponse.Today, doctors treat the symptoms of inflammation —redness, swelling, pain, stiffness and fever — with medication,such as aspirin or ibuprofen. Dr. Buescher says his goalis to create something as safe as breast milk to prevent thesymptoms of inflammation. He has reached a point in hisresearch of purifying this anti-inflammatory product and isseeking to patent it.Dr. Buescher’s research could lead to more effectivetreatments for inflammatory autoimmine diseases, such asarthritis or Type 1 diabetes.“A mother’s milk is safe, obviously, but it’s also a mix ofmedicines,” Dr. Buescher says. “Is this a model for how weshould approach inflammation? If we understood more aboutthe milk, we could use this as a template for taking otherapproaches to tackle inflammation safely.”MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHSwww.evms.edu FALL 2010 31

4 TREATING DEADLY VIRUSAFor most individuals living with herpes simplex virus(HSV), sporadic outbreaks of cold sores or fever blisters arethe only symptoms. Many experience no symptoms atall. However, in rare cases, the HSV infectioncan travel up through the sinuses andinto the brain, instead of towards theskin, causing an infection calledherpes simplex encephalitis(HSE). Most people canhandle this form of braininfection with minorconsequence, but some aregenetically predisposedto an excessively strongimmune response to theinfection.Currently, there is noway to help save patientswho arrive at the hospital withHSE. Even with aggressive antiviraltherapy, the immune systemcauses excessive inflammation thatdestroys brain tissue and typically resultsin severe debilitation and even death.“Imagine a neighborhood drugstore being robbed,” saysPatric Lundberg, PhD, assistant professor of microbiologyand molecular cell biology at EVMS. “Do you call the localpolice officer or do you call for the U.S. Army to drop abomb on the whole neighborhood?”Dr. Lundberg is trying to determine why the responseto HSE can be so dramatically different in each individual— why the body sometimes calls for an all-out assault, orbomb, while other times it is a more localized response,the police officer.While encephalitis is very rare, the herpes virus is oneof the most common sexually transmitted diseases in theU.S., affecting one in five Americans. Dr. Lundberg saysas many as 70 to 80 percent of people carry the latentvirus in their nerves, but only about a third with the virusexperience symptoms. No more than 1,000 patients eachyear develop the life-threatening form of HSE.By understanding a patient’s genetic makeup, physicianscan begin to provide personalized medicine to individualswith HSE, saving lives and reducing sickness, Dr.Lundberg says.Understanding the immune system’s response to thevirus not only helps save the lives of those with HSE, butit may yield some insight into other viruses that infect thebrain and diseases that cause brain inflammation, such asAlzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.While encephalitis isvery rare, the herpesvirus is one of the mostcommon sexuallytransmitted diseases inthe U.S., affecting one infive Americans.32 FALL 2010 www.evms.eduMEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS

5FINDING A CUREFOR DIABETESDiabetes is a serious, lifelong condition affecting anestimated 23 million Americans. As one of the leading causesof death and disability in the U.S., diabetes often comes witha host of dangerous complications, including heart disease,blindness, nerve damage and kidney problems. For patientsliving with diabetes, the future means a lifetime of keepingthese symptoms at bay.“Everything we do for people with diabetes is like a Band-Aid,” says Aaron I. Vinik, MD, PhD, director of researchat the EVMS Strelitz Diabetes Center. “It doesn’t get to theunderlying disease.”But that may be about to change. The Strelitz DiabetesCenter, a leader in diabetes research, is working on a rangeof studies that challenge conventional knowledge on diabetestreatment.One of the most exciting areas of research focuses on Type1 diabetes, where the immune system attacks and kills thebeta cells that manufacture insulin in the pancreas. Insulinhelps the body convert glucose from food into energy.Researchers are particularly interested in the role of anenzyme called 12/15-lipoxygenase (12/15-LO) found in theinsulin-producing beta cells. Fats produced by 12/15-LOencourage inflammation and can damage or kill beta cells,says Jerry L. Nadler, MD, director of the Strelitz DiabetesCenter and chair of internal medicine at EVMS.Dr. Nadler – working with Margaret Morris, PhD, aresearch assistant professor of internal medicine – recentlydiscovered that when they delete the gene that produces12/15-LO in laboratory mice,almost none of the test mice goon to develop Type 1 diabetes.“Targeting 12/15-LOexpression at the appropriatetime could provide a new wayto stop the killing within thepancreas and allow the beta cellsto regenerate,” Dr. Nadler says.Currently there are no suitable12/15-LO inhibitors available forhuman testing. Dr. Nadler; SwarupChakrabarti, PhD, research assistantprofessor of internal medicine; and David Taylor-Fishwick, PhD, associate professor of internal medicine,are collaborating with a medicinal chemist at the Universityof California and the National Institutes of Health (NIH)to develop several new 12/15-LO inhibitors. Dr. Nadlerhas received funding from the Juvenile Diabetes ResearchFoundation and NIH for this work.To facilitate the research, Dr. Nadler has receivedpancreatic and spleen tissue from people with Type 1diabetes or at risk of developing the disease. These samplesare provided by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation(JDRF) and the Network for Pancreatic Organ Donors withDiabetes (nPOD). Dr. Nadler has recently been added as oneof the 30 diabetes investigators in the world to be part of thenPOD JDRF program to obtain rare and difficult-to-obtaintissues for research.“We hope to have a new 12/15 LO inhibitor for pre-clinicaltesting by next year,” Dr. Nadler says.As one of the leading causes of death anddisability in the U.S., diabetes often comeswith a host of dangerous complications,including heart disease, blindness, nervedamage and kidney problems.MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHSwww.evms.edu FALL 2010 33

alumni1982 Grad HelpsPhysicians Learn“New Language”of MedicineBetty Bibbins, MD, wasn’t expecting toget into medical school. The Portsmouthnative already had a bachelor’s in zoologyfrom Connecticut College and a nursing degreefrom Norfolk State University, and was workingon her master’s in public health at HamptonUniversity. But she always found herself wantingmore.“The harder I worked, the more I wanted toget my doctorate,” Dr. Bibbins says. So she appliedto Eastern Virginia Medical School, thinking shecould always return to Hampton University tocontinue working on her master’s degree.“I was really expecting to be rejected,” Dr.Bibbins says. “But guess what? My name is DoctorBetty Bibbins.”Inspired by her father, a dentist and one offew African-American health-care providers inPortsmouth at the time, Dr. Bibbins says she neverconsidered any career outside of health care.“I had a lot of exposure to the needs of peoplethrough what my father did,” she says. “He hadthe philosophy never to turn a patient away if youcould help it.”That sentiment drove Dr. Bibbins’ career, asshe went on to graduate from EVMS in 1982,complete her residency at the University of Texasin Galveston and establish her own ob-gyn practicein Louisville, Ky.“The courses at EVMS changed my life,” Dr.Bibbins says. “It was something that opened me upto the idea, ‘I can do it.’ That is the greatest feeling.They showed me that I can do it.”Dr. Bibbins ran a thriving ob-gyn practice inLouisville for 10 years, but in the early 1990s, shenoticed a disturbing trend — insurance companieswere making it increasingly difficult to receivereimbursement.So Dr. Bibbins educated herself on best practicesfor documenting patient care to ensure properreimbursement. She then began working at aconsulting firm, showing other physicians how justa small change in wording on a patient’s medicalrecord could make a big difference in the insuranceclaims process. During her tenure as a consultant,she worked her way from a part-time position toassistant vice president, and in 1999, opened herown firm — DocuComp LLC.“Documenting patient care is difficult andcomplicated,” says Dr. Bibbins. “If a physicianleaves just one diagnostic, descriptive word out of amedical record note, it can result in a denied claim.”DocuComp LLC educates physicians on thenuances of documentation and helps hospitalsimplement certified Clinical DocumentationImprovement (CDI) programs, improving thedocumentation process from the physicians to thecoders, case managers and nurses.“We as physicians have been left out of the loopof the third-party payer,” Dr. Bibbins says. “Thereis a whole other language, the documentationof the practice of medicine, that is in completeopposition to what we learned in medical school.”Dr. Bibbins has now dedicated herself to herconsulting firm, traveling around the countryeducating physicians, keeping in touch with formerclients and growing her business. She hopes shealso inspires physicians to embrace documentationas a necessary aspect of practicing medicine.“We need to become activists in health care,” shesays. “We need to participate in documenting,know what the rules are, and if some rules aren’tcorrect, we need to voice our opinions. It may seemlike tweaking, but that tweaking can make orbreak a hospital.”34 FALL 2010 www.evms.edualumni

Fanning the flamesOf An Old TraditionJust days before their graduation in May, EVMSfourth-year medical students came together fora special ceremony to mark the transition fromapprentice to practitioner.With administrators and alumni looking on,the students took the waist-length white coats theyhad worn as students for four years and placed thegarments into a ceremonial fire. Their graduationfrom medical school permits them to dress in thelong white coat of the physician.The White Coat Retirement Ceremonyformalizes a practice that graduating students haveundertaken for decades.“This is a great start to a new tradition incarrying on an old tradition,” said Daniel A.Neumann, MD, incoming president of the EVMSMedical Alumni Association, as he watched flamesconsume the coats.The alumni association sponsored the ceremonyat a farm in Windsor as part of a celebratory eveningthat served to welcome the newest class ofmedical graduates. The soon-to-be graduatesenjoyed a barbecue feast, tried their hand at thecorn hole boards and danced into the eveningto the tunes of the local band Ampersand. Thealumni provided buses to carry the students to andfrom the farm in the western reaches of HamptonRoads.Dean Gerald J. Pepe, PhD,oversaw the white coat retirement.He said the ceremonywas patterned after the ritualused to retire an Americanflag.“We recognize the starsand stripes as perhaps themost enduring symbol ofour nation,” Dr. Pepe toldthe crowd. “In much thesame way, the white coat isrecognized as the universalsymbol of medicine.”Dr. Pepe called the studentsforward by specialty to placetheir coats on the fire.“Today your coats show the wear of four longyears of toil and difficulties, but also four years ofenlightenment and joy,” Dr. Pepe said. “They’vebeen your constant companions and have servedyou well along the way. But it’s now time to leavethese fond symbols behind.“With immense respect, we commit thesecoats, worn in worthy service, to the purgingflame,” he read. “By so doing, we mark the end ofone important chapter in your lives, but also thebeginning of another.”The EVMS Medical Alumni Association sponsored the White Coat RetirementCeremony. Among those on hand for the event were, from left, Joan Rose, MD, Classof 1981; 2010 Class President Patrick Cronyn, MD; Alumni Association PresidentDan Neumann, MD, Class of 1997; Alumni Relations Director Melissa Lang; MollySmith, MD, Class of 2001; and Devon Shick, MD, Class of 2010.In a tribute to the graduates, the alumni associationpresented Class President Patrick Cronyn witha long white coat. The class president received thecoat as recipient of the EVMS Alumni AssociationSenior Student Award.The students reciprocated with a presentationof their own. Mr. Cronyn presented Melissa Lang,director of alumni relations, with a framedfragment of a burned coat.See more photos and video of the ceremony online atwww.evms.edu/magazine.alumniwww.evms.edu FALL 2009 35

Medical Alumnireunion2010Then meets now: George Sakakini, MD, right, amember of the school’s first MD class in 1976,poses with Neil Reddy, a first-year MD student.Jonathon Bojarski, left, andJaysun Cousins joined theirclassmates from the Class of2000, the best-representedclass at the reunion.The Class of 1980 had a greatturnout for the reunion. Classmembers who attended were,front row, from left, NelsonGreene, Maria Reeves Cundiffand John O’Shea; back row, fromleft, were Phillip Stover, ThomasYun, Patrick Haggerty, RichardFoster and David Maxwell.President Lester greets Kevin Knoop, MD, Class of 1985,and his wife, Mary Jo Chandler, MPA, Class of 2008.After his CME presentation, Jerry Nadler, MD, director ofthe EVMS Strelitz Diabetes Center and chair of internalmedicine, speaks with Class of 1980 graduate DouglasSnyder, MD, left.Miriam Atkins, MD, Class of 1990, center, speaks withDean Gerald J. Pepe, PhD, and Melissa Lang, directorof alumni relations.alumniassociationswelcome newboard membersSix graduates of the EVMS medicalprogram or the School of Health Professionsrecently joined the boards of their respectivealumni associations.New to the board of the Health ProfessionsAlumni Association are Paul Snow, MPA,Class of 2009; and Trudy Kim, AT, Class of2002.New to the Medical Alumni Associationboard are President-Elect Bruce Britton, MD,Class of 1990; Edna Griffenhagen, MD, Classof 1979; Ed Trapani, MD, Class of 2000; andMargaret Stiles, MD, Class of 1997.The Medical Alumni Association also sawa recent leadership transition as DanielNeumann, MD, Class of 1997, becamepresident of the organization. He followsMichael Bono, MD, Class of 1983.Alumni Information Send your class notes and news to Alumni@evms.eduSavethedate:April 16, 2011Annual School of HealthProfessions Alumni Banquet,Norfolk Yacht & CountryClub, 6:30 p.m.May 13, 2011White Coat RetirementCeremony.Have you updated your Alumni profile lately? Visit www.evmsAlumni.com to make sure your information is current.August 5-7, 2011MD Alumni ReunionWeekend celebrating theclasses of 1976, 1981, 1986,1991, 1996, 2001, 2006.36 FALL 2010 www.evms.edualumni

Board members of the Health Professions Alumni Association paused for a photograph before their meeting in April. Frontrow, from left, are Taegen McGowan, Alumni Relations Director Melissa Lang, Kelly Walls, Rita Fickenscher and Trudy Kim.Back row, from left, are Kerry Kruk, Paul Snow, EVMS President Harry Lester, Association President Aaron Lambert andBrad Boyette.Health Professions Alumni AssociationCelebrates second yearGraduates of the EVMS School of Health Professions came togetherin April, a year after the creation of the alumni organizationEVMS President Harry T. Lester, left, poses with HealthProfessions Alumni Association President Aaron Lambert andhis friend Shannon Mintz.Don Combs, PhD, vice provost for planning and health professions, speaks withTaegen McGowan, center, MPH Class of 2007 and a board member of the HealthProfessions Alumni Association, and Taegen’s mother, Carolyn Greene.alumniwww.evms.edu FALL 2009 37

to your healthAre you aweekendwarrior?Instead of poundingthe pavement, it feelslike the pavementis pounding you. EVMSSports Medicine, whichspecializes in the prevention,diagnosis and treatment ofsports- or exercise-relatedinjuries and is housed within thedepartment of physical medicineand rehabilitation, can help.Peter G. Gonzalez, MD,director of EVMS Sports Medicineand assistant professor of physicalmedicine and rehabilitation, discussesthe “weekend warrior” phenomenonand ways to treat and prevent sportsrelatedinjuries.What is a weekend warrior?Many weekend warriors don’t do muchphysical activity during the week, then goout on the weekends and run eight milesor bike 20 miles. If, say, they were a tennisplayer that played a bunch of sets when theyusually don’t, then they suddenly have anacute or a new injury.What are the most common mistakes thatweekend warriors make?Improper training, improper mechanics ortechnique, or faulty equipment like ill-fittingshoes for a runner, can cause injuries. Let’s sayyou always run on the streets on asphalt, andthen decide to run Mount Trashmore for the nexttwo days because you have time off from work.That would be an abrupt change from what yourbody has been used to, so that could often bring onan injury. I think people try to push through theseinjuries, which can make it worse.At what point should a weekend warriorconsult a physician about an injury?The general recommendations for an injuryare to follow the R.I.C.E. protocol: rest, ice,compression and elevation. I would give the injurytime to resolve through conservative measures ofrest, but then, when something doesn’t resolve oryou can’t get back to your activity, that’s when Iwould see someone.Peter Gonzalez, MDWhat would an appointment with you entail?I would try to evaluate the cause of the pain. It may include a physicalexam, potentially imaging studies. In our office we have musculoskeletalultrasounds, which provide a unique imaging modality to identify any softtissue or tendon issues, particularly inflammation.What are some tips for preventing injuries for weekend warriors?If most of the errors are training errors, modify how you go about doingsomething and gradually get into an activity. Increase intensity and durationslowly. Make sure you have proper equipment — which could be runningshoes for a runner or a racket with proper grip size for a tennis player.How can EVMS help runners?EVMS offers an individual runner’s clinic that entails a bio-mechanicalassessment, an assessment of footwear (running shoes) and a treadmillevaluation. I ask patients to run, and I evaluate any kind of running-typeerrors.With football season upon us, there may be a whole new crop ofweekend warriors. What advice would you give to football players?Earlier this year, I participated in a coaches mini-camp in conjunctionwith the Washington Redskins and USA Football. It was an education onsports concussion for the local high-school coaches of Virginia, Marylandand the Washington, D.C., area held at the Washington Redskins’ trainingfacility.A concussion could be a mild ding or it could be a loss of consciousness.You need to monitor for the symptoms of concussions — headache,dizziness, blurred vision, confusion and balance issues. If you get aconcussion, you should be removed from practice, removed from play andevaluated by medical staff.For more information about EVMS Sports Medicine,visit www.evmshealthservices.org or call 757.446.5915.38 FALL 2010 www.evms.eduto your thealth

Shireen Kirk poses with her father, H. Desmond Hayes, MD, a pioneer ingeriatrics education at EVMS. Shireen and her husband, Bill, picturedbelow at right, created an endowed fund to honor Dr. Hayes.philanthropyHayes Endowmenthonors pioneer in geriatricsAs a longtime faculty member at EasternVirginia Medical School, H. Desmond Hayes, MD,played an instrumental role in shaping geriatriceducation and helped lay the groundwork for theGlennan Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology.Now, one of his children has created a $100,000endowment in his honor to benefit the center andmedical students interested in geriatrics.The H. Desmond Hayes, MD, ProfessorEmeritus Endowment, established by Dr. Hayes’daughter Shireen Kirk and her husband, Bill, willprovide copies of the comprehensive clinical guide“Geriatrics at Your Fingertips” to all third-yearmedical students, starting this fall. Earned interestfrom the endowment also will pay for a second-yearresident to attend the annual national conferenceof the American Geriatric Society and supportactivities of the student-run Geriatrics Club.The gift continues Dr. Hayes’ drive to attractmore physicians to geriatrics, a growing need as thepopulation ages and current doctors retire.“He has realized for years that we as a nationare having challenges bringing qualified studentsinto this field and into communities that desperatelyneed them,” says Connie L. Hedrick, director ofdevelopment at EVMS.Dr. Hayes joined EVMS as a faculty member infamily and community medicine in 1975. In 1990,he and John Franklin, MD, an internal medicineprofessor, spearheaded an effort to create two-weekclerkships in geriatrics for all fourth-year medicalstudents. That led to a geriatrics division withinthe Department of Internal Medicine and later tothe EVMS Glennan Center, which opened in 1996.Today, the center helps seniors across the region liveindependently for as long as possible.Dr. Hayes, now79 and still livingin Norfolk, says hehopes his daughter’sgift will help moreBill Kirk and his wife, Shireen,created the endowment inhonor of Shireen’s father.students see the benefits of a career in geriatrics.“Older patients bring incredible life experiencesand often pose tremendous medical challenges,”Dr. Hayes says. “It’s not a glamorous specialty, butit is mind-boggling how many people are goingto need care and how important their doctors aregoing to be.”Shireen Kirk was happy to collaborate with herfather on creating the endowment. “We are honoringhis passion for bettering this field of medicine, whichis becoming more and more important by the day,”Mrs. Kirk says. “We are so proud to continue thelegacy he began at EVMS.”PHILANTHROPYwww.evms.edu FALL 2010 39

Beazley Foundationgives $1 millionto EVMS cancer centerThe Beazley Foundation gave a big boost tothe cancer program at EVMS. The $1 milliongift will enhance a new cancer research centerand name it in honor of a long-time Beazleyboard member, the late Leroy T. “Buddy”Canoles Jr.Based in Portsmouth, the BeazleyFoundation is named for Fred W. Beazley.The foundation has a long history ofsubstantial support to regional health-careinitiatives, most recently funding the BeazleySchool of Nursing at Tidewater CommunityCollege.“In that tradition, the foundation hassupported EVMS from its inception,recognizing its extraordinary value to thehealth, educational and economic strength ofthe entire area,” says Judge Richard S. Bray,president and CEO of the Beazley Foundation.“Today, EVMS — blessed with excellentleadership, faculty and staff — has evolved intoa nationally recognized institution that includesa highly credible cancer research program,” hesays. “To at once fund such important work andhonor our former trustee and dear friend andcommunity leader, Buddy Canoles, is truly anopportunity for the Beazley Foundation.”The foundation’s focus on community meshes well with EVMS’scommunity health and education mission, says Ashton Lewis, Beazleyboard member.“EVMS is forefront in our commitment to supporting educationand health care,” Mr. Lewis says. “It was a perfect match for us.”Mr. Lewis has a strong connection to EVMS. “It’s my petcommunity asset, there’s no doubt about that,” he says. “I’m just totallycommitted. They’ve done a lot for health care and quality of life inHampton Roads, and I want to make sure we support it as much aswe can.”As a former member of the EVMS Board of Visitors and Boardof Trustees, Mr. Lewis learned a great deal about the school. But heLeroy T. “Buddy” Canoles Jr.“The Beazley gift willbe a critical jump-startto the growth of cancerresearch at EVMS.”— O. John Semmes, PhDgained a greater education when the school neededan acting president in 1987 during a presidentialsearch. He served as president for 10 months untilEdward E. Brickell, EdD, came to the helm.Marian Canoles says she and her family are gratefulfor the gift made in memory of her late husband.“We look for the new cancer research center tohave a positive effect on the community he loved,”she says. “And although he will never see the farreachingimpact of this gift, his family will havethe joy of following the center’s progress as it findsnew ways to improve cancer treatment for countlesspatients.”O. John Semmes, PhD, Anthem professor forcancer research and director of the newly namedLeroy T. Canoles Jr. Cancer Research Center atEVMS, said these sorts of gifts are essential tothe establishment of a world-class cancer center inHampton Roads.“The Beazley gift will be critical to the growthof cancer research at EVMS,” Dr. Semmes says.“We will utilize these funds for hiring outstandingresearchers and the acquisition of critical resourcesneeded for translational cancer research.”The EVMS cancer program is already conductingcutting-edge research that will benefit fromimproved resources thanks to the Beazley gift. Inaddition to a focus on prostate and breast cancer, the work includes researchon cancer diagnostics and identification of biomarkers, as well as furtheringscientific understanding of other forms of cancer.Mr. Lewis says the foundation was happy to support the medicalschool while honoring one of their most active board members. Leroy T.Canoles Jr. was a founding partner of the prominent Kaufman & Canoles,P.C. law firm and committed much of his life to professional and civicorganizations.“EVMS has produced some great doctors and specialists and its researchsuccess has been unbelievable. They also provide great patient care,” Mr.Lewis says about the factors the foundation considered in awarding thegift. “The end result is a great quality of life in Hampton Roads.”40 FALL 2010 www.evms.eduPHILANTHROPY

Gifts support establishment ofWestminster-Canterbury Endowed ChairContributions to the establishment of aWestminster-Canterbury Endowed Chair, aneffort to recruit an additional faculty memberspecializing in geriatrics, have neared the halfwaypoint. That’s thanks to nearly $30,000 in giftspledged earlier this year.When contributions reach $1 million, EasternVirginia Medical School will create an endowedchair and look to fill the position with a topexpert in geriatric medicine. The chair wouldbe named for the Westminster-Canterburyretirement community in Virginia Beach, whichhas partnered with EVMS on the initiative to“Endowed chairs provide apermanent source of support forsalaries and academic activities,allowing our students to work underthe guidance of world-class leaders.”— Connie L. Hedrick, EVMS director of developmentWestminster-Canterbury residents George and Nancy Austin proudly show their diplomas from Mini-Medical School.advance programs in geriatric education, researchand patient care. The efforts to establish theWestminster-Canterbury Endowed Chair beganin April 2006.The wave in donations came after Jerry L.Nadler, MD, professor and chair of internalmedicine and director of the Strelitz DiabetesCenter, spoke to about 45 Westminster-Canterburyresidents during a cocktail party. EVMS alsoThanks to the dedication of Eastern VirginiaMedical School faculty and staff and thetremendous support of the Hampton Roadscommunity, the EVMS Annual Fund once againexceeded expectations for the 2010 fiscal year.Donors contributed a total of $1,203,286, or 7percent over goal, and 21 percent ahead of 2009.Also, the number of contributors rose a full 30percent, while the number of donations surgedmore than 40 percent. The annual fund supportscritical programs like scholarships, technologyugrades, and faculty recruitment.PHILANTHROPYfrequently partners with the retirement communityon other health initiatives, including monthlyprograms on living well and managing chronicillnesses such as osteoporosis and diabetes.Adding another professor to the EVMSGlennan Center for Geriatrics and Gerontologyshould help recruit more qualified new doctorsinto the field — a necessity considering today’smedical students may need to devote about 75annual fund pushes past goal“This is a really outstanding performanceduring a time when many non-profits are gettingfewer donations than in past years,” EVMSPresident Harry T. Lester says. “EVMS is goingthrough a lot of change, and I think support forthe Annual Fund shows that people on campusand in the community like where we’re headed.”The school experienced an even greaterincrease in support for the pressing needs at theStrelitz Diabetes Center. Donations rose by morethan 50 percent compared to last year, and thenumber of donors nearly doubled to 802.percent of their time to caring for the geriatricpopulation.“This kind of effort is so vital, as the geriatricpopulation is the largest group of people that willneed treatment,” says Connie L. Hedrick, directorof development at EVMS. “Endowed chairs providea permanent source of support for salaries andacademic activities, allowing our students to workunder the guidance of world-class leaders.”Wayne Wilbanks, center, co-chair of the EVMS Annual Fund,celebrates the success of the campaign with his wife, Ashlin, andRector John Rathbone at an end-of-the-fiscal-year celebration.www.evms.edu FALL 2010 41

In FOCUSPhotos from the EVMS Golf Classic, the Cookout for the Cure, the 12th annual Mike Cavish Golf Tournament,the Year-End Celebration and the Wine, Women and Fishing billfish tournament.21659101142FALL 2010www.evms.edu

347 81. The EVMS Charity Golf Classic was held on May 25 at Bayville Golf Club in Virginia Beach. All proceeds benefited theEVMS Foundation.2. Linda Church, Jerry Davis, Jennie Capps and Paige Ray attend the Year-End Celebration.3. Claudia Keenan, vice president for external affairs, and Harry T. Lester, president, welcome golfers to the 12th annualMike Cavish Golf Tournament at Elizabeth Manor Golf and Country Club April 26.4. Volunteers at the 8th annual Wine, Women and Fishing tournament, sponsored by the Chesapeake Bay Wine Classic,react during the Crazy Crew contest. The event raised over $20,000 for cancer research at EVMS.5. Susan Pender receives her hole-in-one plaque from golf pro Dean Hurst at the EVMS Golf Classic on May 25.6. EVMS Foundation Board of Trustees members Paul Hirschbiel, Jr., left, and Alan Wagner, MD, celebrate at the Year-End Celebration.7. Scott Pritchett, left, and Michael Glover watch teammate Jerry Pollack sink the putt for Monarch Mortgage at the MikeCavish Golf Tournament.8. Wine, Women & Fishing tournament winners from Team Tippecanoe reel it in for cancer research.9. A member of the grill team representing the International Longshoremen’s Association Local 1736 grills chicken inpreparation for the Cookout for the Cure on June 17, hosted by the ILA and the Hampton Roads Shipping Association.10. Cookout for the Cure judges, from left, Bonita Sohn, Seymour Teach, Brian Bland and David Brandt tabulate scoresfor the winning dishes.11. Barbecue lovers attend the 16th Annual Cookout for the Cure event held at Fleet Park to benefit the EVMS StrelitzDiabetes Center.upcomingEVMS Service & RecognitionAwards Ceremony— November 4EVMS will honor nearly 400 faculty and employees whoreach milestones of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 years ofservice by the end of November. The event also will recognizeseveral people with individual awards. The festivitiesbegin at 6 p.m. at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott.Donor appreciation event— November 10Eastern Virginia Medical School invites its supporters toa reception in appreciation of their generous contributionsto the school. Their contributions enable EVMS to continueto pursue its mission of teaching the next generation ofmedical and health professions students, conduct groundbreakingresearch and providing high-quality medical careto the people of Hampton Roads and beyond. The event willbe held in the Brickell Medical Sciences Library atriumbeginning at 5:30 p.m.www.evms.edu FALL 2010 43

L E A RP.O. N I N G Box . D1980I S C O V E R I N G . A N D C A R I N G .Norfolk, VA 23501-1980Change Service RequestedOur MissionEastern Virginia Medical School is an academic health centerdedicated to achieving excellence and fostering the highest ethicalstandards in medical and health professions education, research,and patient care. We will strive to improve the health of ourcommunity and to be recognized as a national center ofintellectual and clinical strength in medicine.Our VisionEastern Virginia Medical Schoolwill be recognized as themost community-orientedmedical school inthe nation.Our values:Excellence.Collegiality.Integrity.