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FAU faculty and staff offer brief notes on recent activities, accolades and honors. Send submissions to highlights@fau.edu. (Note: Highlights are published in alphabetical order by the faculty/staff member's last name.)
Summer 2009 Listings
Dr. Keith Brew, biomedical science, has received an R01 Grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH). The $2.6 million grant is a five-year renewal representing years 15 through 19 of a long-term project. This project is an international collaboration with scientists in Spain and the UK. The focus of the research will be aimed at developing and evaluating a novel approach for Osteoarthritis treatment employing engineered proteins and other molecules that specifically block the enzymes responsible for degrading cartilage in OA. They will be investigating the mechanisms through which they act and assess their effectiveness using animal models of the disease and human tissues derived from joint replacement surgery. Because there are currently no effective treatments for osteoarthritis except for joint replacement surgery this research may provide new opportunities for the development of therapeutics and treatments to prevent the joint destruction seen in osteoarthritis.
Dr. Ira J. Gelb, biomedical science, was recently nominated for the prestigious 2009 Heroes in Medicine Awards. Dr. Gelb was nominated in the category of Physician Hero-Advancements in the Profession of Medicine which recognizes an M.D. or D.O. who embodies the characteristics of skill, compassion and dedication to the ideals and beliefs of the profession and he or she has contributed in a significant way to the betterment of healthcare locally, nationally and/or globally, as well as physicians who have made outstanding contributions to medical education. Dr. Gelb’s nomination came as a result of his dedication to improving medical education, health care and health awareness in the South Florida Region for more than 16 years. His exemplary dedication and remarkable contribution to the College of Biomedical Science at Florida Atlantic University and the community has significantly impacted the lives of countless students and individuals in innumerable ways.
Dr. Esther Guzman, Harbor Branch, has been awarded a new investigator research grant by the Bankhead-Coley Cancer Research Program. The title of her grant is “The Discovery of Novel Anti-Inflammatory Compounds for Use as Chemopreventatives of Pancreatic Cancer. The award is for $376,999 for the three-year project.
Dr. Charles Hennekens, biomedical science, has published a meta-analysis in the May 30 issue of The Lancet, of the six large-scale randomized clinical trials of aspirin in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease which includes over 95,000 apparently healthy men and women worldwide. Dr. Hennekens is a member of the international writing group that published the meta-analysis and he served as a major investigator in three of the six trials. The Physician’s Health Study was the first to demonstrate that aspirin prevents a first heart attack. The Women’s Health Study was the first to demonstrate that aspirin prevents a first stroke. Two of the trials are from the United Kingdom (U.K.) and Hennekens was the founding project director of one, the British Doctor’s Trial.
Dr. Erika Hoff, psychology, has received a grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, National Institutes of Health, for her research aimed to identify the environmental factors associated with successful bilingual development in children exposed to two languages from infancy. Her research will test theory-driven hypotheses regarding mechanisms of language development against the evidence of within- and across-language interrelations among components of language skill in bilingual children. Dr. Hoff’s research will fill a gap in the knowledge base needed to provide quality educational and clinical services to a substantial segment of the nation’s children and will advance scientific understanding of the process of early bilingual development.
Dr. Richard Shusterman, arts and letters, has been inducted into the French government’s “Ordre de Palmes Academiques” (Order of Academic Palms). The award, given to academics and educators, was originally created by Napoleon to honor eminent members of the University of Paris. It was re-established in 1955 by French President René Coty and is one of the world’s oldest civil awards. Dr. Shusterman has authored six books in French and one co-edited volume with major publishers. His research has been regularly and very favorably reviewed in the premier French daily newspaper Le Monde, and he has appeared on French national TV and radio to speak about his research in philosophy, aesthetics and cultural studies. He has also recently published a new book on literary theory in France titled, “L’object de la Critique Litteraire.” He was interviewed on May 19 on a 30-minute live interview on French national public radio.
Perry F. Sofferman, business, was admitted to the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States in May 2009.
Dr. Don Torok, education, has been selected as the recipient of the Outstanding Community Support Award by the American Lung Association of Florida, South Area.
Dr. Jianning Wei, biomedical science, has received a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to further her research into the molecular mechanisms of Huntington’s disease (HD). Wei and her colleagues are working to identify the pathways in the brain that are altered in response to mutant proteins, as well as to understand the cellular processes impacted by the disease in order to facilitate the development of effective pharmacological interventions.
View archived Highlights here.
