Rounds

$2.3 million awarded for anticancer drug trials

Patricia LoRusso, DO, was awarded $2.3 million from the National Institutes of Health for "Phase I Trials of New Anticancer Agents." Drugs under investigation include bryostatin, flavopiradol, pyrazoloacridine and acetyldinaline.

"This application proposes to incorporate our laboratory expertise in pharacokinetics, drug metabolism and hematotoxicology into efficient and rapid phase I clinical trial designs," said Dr. LoRusso, associate professor of internal medicine. Wayne State researchers will be responsible for all phases of the clinical trials, including patient recruitment, determining initial dosage and dosage escalation, studies of drug metabolism, data management and quality control.

"We anticipate that these trials will have a significant impact on cancer treatment and patient survival," she said.

Prolonged life for HIV/AIDS patients

Physicians at Wayne State University/Detroit Medical Center used an innovative procedure to treat a deadly infection that affects HIV/AIDS patients. The study was published in the February edition of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes and Human Retrovirology. The infection, known as cryptococcal meningitis, can cause a blockage of spinal fluid, resulting in elevated pressure on the brain. This could lead to severe illness and death in many HIV/AIDS patients.

The procedure, called cerebrospinal fluid diversion, allows doctors to drain fluid from the spine on a continuous basis using a bedside lumbar drainage system. Richard Fessler, MD, assistant professor of neurosurgery and principal investigator for the study, said the results were dramatic. "With additional research and study, this could become a standard procedure that helps to increase the life span and quality of life for those with HIV/AIDS and cryptococcal meningitis," he said.

Mack Lecture discusses "Leading Change"

The 1998 Robert E. Mack, MD, Lecture was presented by Andrew Wallace, MD, dean of Dartmouth Medical School and vice president for health affairs at Dartmouth College. The April lecture was entitled "Leading Change" and addressed the responsibilities of medical schools and health care leaders in this time of great transition.

The annual lecture has been established in honor of Dr. Mack to promote education and continuing discussion of administrative and management issues in academic medicine.

Associate chair appointed for child and adolescent psychiatry

Beth Ann Brooks, MD, has been appointed professor and associate chair for child and adolescent psychiatry in the department of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences. She received her medical degree from the University of Nebraska College of Medicine and earned a master of science in health administration from Central Michigan University.

Dr. Brooks will manage all child/adolescent psychiatric and mental health operations of the department. In addition, she will oversee the child psychiatry and psychology department at Children’s Hospital of Michigan.

Dr. Brooks has served as a member of the editorial board of The Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She is currently a member of the residency review committee for psychiatry and the committee on certification in child and adolescent psychiatry of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Dr. Thomas gets "locked up"

Jane Thomas, PhD, assistant dean for student affairs, was "arrested" at this year’s Great American Lockup. Because she did not resist arrest, she was spared handcuffs, but was escorted out of Scott Hall by two Detroit police officers who drove her to an arraignment hearing. In lieu of bail, she was ordered to collect $750 in pledges for the American Cancer Society. Trying to outshine the other prisoners, Dr. Thomas did even better than that. She raised $1500 and was later returned to the student affairs office, safe and sound.

WSU celebrates Brain Awareness Week

This March, faculty members and PhD students from the WSU School of Medicine brought Brain Awareness Week presentations to the community and the classroom. The departments of anatomy & cell biology and psychiatry & behavioral neurosciences visited more than 25 schools in Detroit and Oakland County, in addition to hosting an exhibit at the Detroit Science Center. Presentations included close-up views of human brains, discussions of how to maintain a healthy brain, and information concerning how substance abuse and certain diseases affect the brain.

Brain Awareness Week activities were coordinated by Paul Walker, PhD, associate professor of anatomy and cell biology. "We want to get the word out that neuroscience and careers in neuroscience are vital to the treatment of disorders such as drug and alcohol addiction, depression, epilepsy and more," he said. "We’ve made enormous progress in the 1990s towards understanding and treating these problems. That’s due in large part to key contributions of neuroscience."

Reach Out to Youth educates children

The Ninth annual Reach Out to Youth program invited Detroit elementary and middle school children to learn about the human body. The program, which is sponsored by the Black Medical Association of Wayne State, touts volunteer medical students and faculty members who answer kids’ questions such as, "What happens when I move?" and "Where do babies come from?" Approximately 350 Detroit students and 100 parents participated this year.