Department News

Snitz Study is Lead Article for December JAMA
A study by Beth Snitz, PhD, Research Associate in the Department of Neurology was selected by the Journal of the American Medical Association as its lead article for the December 23-30, 2009 issue. Titled “‘Ginkgo biloba for preventing cognitive decline in older adults,” the study was based on the multi-site Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory (GEM) study led by former department chair Steven DeKosky, MD, who was the GEM PI and lead author for the JAMA article. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial followed over 3000 participants for 8 years to determine ginkgo biloba’s effect on long-term cognitive functioning. Publication of the article has generated significant media interest. Read the study here. (01/10)

Zigmond named Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Michael Zigmond, PhD, Professor of Neurology has been named an AAAS Fellow in honor of his efforts to advance science. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world's largest general scientific society, recognized him for his contributions to understanding the factors that influence neurodegenerative disease and for his service to academia, including his promotion of professional development and ethics training.  In addition to his research efforts, Zigmond is actively involved in several educational activities. He was the founding director of the Survival Skills and Ethics Program which provides workshops on professional skills and responsible conduct, and directs two training grants in the neurosciences sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. (1/10)

Graham Receives NIH Grant Renewal
Steven Graham, MD, PhD, Professor of Neurology and Vice Chair for Research has been awarded a competing renewal of his R01 grant Cyclooxygenase 2 and ischemic neuronal injury. This study targeting the role of COX2 in cell death following stroke has been extended through July 2013. (1/10)

Lopez Article Chosen by Time Magazine
An article co-authored by Oscar Lopez, MD, Professor of Neurology and Deb Barnes, PhD, Psychiatry, UCSF has been selected by Time Magazine as the most important article on Alzheimer’s disease for its annual summary The Year in Health 2009. Read the full article here from PubMed.

Clemens, Other Researchers Set Standard of Care for Duchenne’s
Paula Clemens, MD, Associate Professor of Neurology was one of the lead authors in an exacting study guided over three years by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to produce international comprehensive recommendations for clinicians treating persons with Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy. A link to e-pub version of the study from Lancet Neurology has been provided by Treat-NMD. Printed release of the study will follow in January 2010.

Perez Interviewed for The Science Studio
Ruth G. Perez, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurology was interviewed for The Science Studio by Dr. Keith Pannell on KTEP, an NPR station in El Paso, Texas on November 24th before she presented her scientific research seminar at the University of Texas at El Paso Department of Psychology.  The Science Studio presents in-depth interviews to enrich listeners’ understanding of science. Listen to the interview here: http://www.ktep.org/files/archive_1346.mp3 (12/09)

Lopez Featured in Post-Gazette
Oscar Lopez, MD, Professor of Neurology and Director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center was featured in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as part of an occasional series on one man’s battle with Alzheimer’s disease and the hope offered by medical research. Read the article here.

Bagic Featured in Tribune-Review Article
Assistant Professor Anto Bagic, MD, MSc is participating in a collaborative study with Richard Randall, Assistant Professor of Music Theory at Carnegie-Mellon University on how music affects the brain. Read more about it here.

The department has received a new NINDS Program Project Grant, "Mitochondrial Proteins in Parkinson's Disease", which provides $6.5 million in research funds over 5 years. Directed by Tim Greenamyre, the program includes collaborative projects headed by Drs. Greenamyre, Jun Chen and Teresa Hastings. The program is supported by a Molecular Core headed by Dr. Guodong Cao and a Neuropathology Core headed by Dr. Charleen Chu.

Dr. Tim Greenamyre has received a new "Challenge Grant" from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences entitled "Gene-environment interactions in transgenic rat models of Parkinson disease". The grant provides $1 million in research funds to Dr. Greenamyre and his collaborator Chenjian Li at the Cornell University Medical College.

UPMC Stroke Institute, Telemedicine Featured in Wall Street Journal
More hospitals are using video to connect patients with specialists far away to speed treatment. The Wall Street Journal has published an article on the front page of today's Marketplace section. Read Doctor, Can You See Me Now?

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