April - Synapse

at
Professional Opportunities
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
The William T. Grant Foundation seeks
to fund high quality empirical research
with the goal of improving the lives of
youth between the ages of 8 and 25
in the U.S. To that end, the foundation has released its fourth Request
for Proposals on Understanding the
Acquisition, Interpretation, and Use
of Research Evidence in Policy and
Practice. The purpose of the RFP is to
help increase the understanding of how
research evidence is acquired, interpreted, and used in policy and practice
that affect youth. In 2012, the foundation plans to support research projects
with awards ranging from $100,000 to
$600,000 over two to three years. Applications are welcome from researchers
in various fields and disciplines. There
are two opportunities to submit Letters
of Inquiry: April 3 and Aug. 1.
The American Orthotic & Prosthetic
Association has issued a Request for
Pilot Grant Proposals in orthotic and
prosthetic research. For 2012-13, the
association is seeking proposals for
one-time grants in amounts of up to
$15,000 for one year. AOPA is interested in funding original pilot research
that will lead to larger trials that may
qualify for government or other research
funding support. Deadline is April 30.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
has issued a call for proposals for its
Roadmaps to Health Community Grants
program. The grant supports communities working to implement policy
or system changes to address one of
the social or economic factors that, as
defined by the County Health Rankings, most strongly influence health
outcomes in their community. Grantees
will be organizations that participate in
established coalitions or networks spanning multiple sectors and perspectives.
Applicants must secure 100 percent
matching support. Up to 20 grants
will be awarded. Grantees will receive
awards of up to $200,000 each for up
to 24 months. A Web conference for
applicants will be held April 20. Brief
proposals are due May 2.
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
The National Center for Advancing
Translational Sciences, part of the NIH,
is seeking comments “from all key
stakeholders in the scientific and public
health communities on how it can further strengthen the Clinical and Translational Science Awards program to
meet its broad clinical and translational
goals.” Response date is April 6.
CALL FOR PAPERS
The CDC’s National Center for Health
Statistics (NCHS) is sponsoring the
2012 National Conference on Health
Statistics to be held Aug. 6-8, 2012,
in Washington DC. This biennial conference focuses on the critical importance
of public health data. NCHS is also
inviting the submission of abstracts for
the Poster Session at this year’s conference. This year, there is special focus
on student research. Abstract submissions due April 16.
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
The 19th International AIDS Conference, taking place July 22-27 in
Washington, DC, is calling for volunteers. AIDS 2012 is the world’s largest
international meeting on AIDS. Volunteers are given unlimited access to all
conference sessions outside their shifts.
The conference features abstract-driven
breakout sessions; daily plenary sessions; professional development workshops; and components such as the
Global Village and the Youth Program.
Volunteer applications will be available
on the AIDS 2012 website as of April
1: www.aids2012.org/volunteer.aspx or
email volunteer@aids2012.org.
To see these and other announcements,
go to mcaSynapse.org/announcements.
While there, you may also subscribe
to an RSS feed so you may be alerted
every time a new opportunity is posted.
Recent life science job openings
• Senior Director of Quality - TTUHSC
Foster School of Medicine
• Lactation Consultant - Sierra
Medical Center
• Director of IT - Del Sol Medical Ctr
• Founding Dean - TTUHSC Hunt
School of Nursing
• Compensation Analyst - El Paso
Children’s Hospital
Go to jobs.mcaSynapse.org
Synapase is printed by PDX Printing.
Synapse® is a registered trademark and publication of the Medical Center of the Americas Foundation, a 501(c)3
nonprofit organization. The foundation works to advance the development of the Medical Center of the Americas
(MCA) campus and the Paso del Norte community research agenda. The vision is to position the region as the
global leader of health care delivery, education and research concentrating on issues unique to the Hispanic,
border and military populations.
The MCA is an integrated complex of medical facilities currently anchored by University Medical Center of El Paso,
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine and El Paso Children’s Hospital.
It is also site to a developing biomedical research park.
m
ca
Sy
na
ps
Su
e.
or
g
®
bs
fo
cr
rf
re
ib
e
e
em
ai
APRIL 2012
ld
e
l
Issue 9, Vol. 2 ive
ry.
Find complete articles at mcaSynapse.org.
Alzheimer’s education event
William H. Thies, PhD, chief
medical and scientific officer with
the Alzheimer’s Association, will
present “Advances in Alzheimer’s
Research.”
when noon April 12. Reception to
follow at 5 pm with another presentation open to private physicians at
6 pm.
where TTUHSC Foster School of
Medicine, Meisenheimer
Auditorium, 5001 El Paso Dr.
Reception takes place in the Rick &
Ginger Francis Classroom.
rsvP (915) 544-1799 or
Susie.gorman@alz.org
Avoid malpractice lawsuits
Lance Van Deeman, an insurance
representative, will present “How
to Avoid Medical Malpractice Lawsuits.” The presentation offers CME
credit. The session is open to practitioners throughout the community.
when noon to 1 p.m. April 19
where Paul L. Foster School of
Medicine, Clinical Education Building, 4801 Alberta Ave, Auditorium
3500
RSVP Julissa Marquez, (915) 5455760 or julissa.marquez@ttuhsc.
edu
Spectrum of healthcare
The Texas Perinatal Association El
Paso Chapter is having its
annual Spectrum of Healthcare from
Mother to Baby forum. The event
will include an ethics panel discussion and scientific session.
when April 27
where to be announced
register tpaelpaso.org/registration.
html
California company will commercialize its “suitcase ICU” in El Paso
Integrated Medical
Systems (IMS), headquartered in California, has
been selected by the Texas
Emerging Technology Fund for
funding and will be
commercializing their
technology in El Paso. The
University of Texas at El Paso
and Texas Tech University
Health Sciences Center are
partnering with IMS on commercialization of LS-1, which
is a 40-pound portable unit
intended to supply intensive care functionality for adult and pediatric
patients. Dubbed as the “suitcase ICU,” the device is intended to be used in
hospitals, aircraft, ambulances, field hospitals and extended care facilities. In 2011,
Healthcare Design Magazine named the LS-1 among the Most Innovative Products
of 2011. This year, the publication, Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry, selected
LS-1 as a finalist for the 2012 Medical Design Excellence Award in the category of
critical care and emergency medicine products.
NMSU honors millionaire researchers
Earlier this month, New Mexico State University honored researchers who secured
more than half a million dollars in funded research during 2011. NMSU President
Barbara Couture and Vice President for Research Vimal Chaitanya held a
special reception in recognition of 62 outstanding NMSU researchers who
collectively brought in more than $121 million in external research funding in that
period. NMSU’s research expenditures in 2011 exceeded $157 million. In that period,
85.8 percent of NMSU’s external awards were from federal sources, such as 14
percent from the Department of Health and Human Services and 6.3 percent from
the National Science Foundation. For more detailed numbers and a list of this year’s
honored researchers, visit http://research.nmsu.edu/mil12/.
UTEP receives $4M to help address nursing shortage
UTEP’s School of Nursing has received nearly $4 million from the U.S. Department
of Labor to accelerate the training of future registered nurses and address the nursing shortage in Texas. UTEP is spearheading the efforts to create the Successful
Transition and Retention (STaR) Program, a new graduate nurse residency program
that provides education, training and job placement assistance in the registered
nurse occupation. The goal of the STaR program is to raise the professional and
technical skill level of American graduate nurses to reduce the use of temporary
skilled foreign professionals in Texas hospitals. STaR consists of two pathways: the
New Graduate Nurse Immersion Residency, which provides students with on-the-job
training at eight Texas hospitals and enables new graduate nurses to transition to the
role of bedside nurses; and the Specialty Nurse Accelerated Program Fellowship,
which is accelerated training for new graduate nurses in their field of specialty. Other
APRIL 2012
RESEARCH
w w w. m c a S y n a p s e . o r g
HEALTHCARE
…continued from front page
academic and clinical partners involved
in the effort are Texas Tech University
Health Sciences Center Gayle Greve
Hunt School of Nursing, the University of
Texas at Austin School of Nursing, along
with hospitals from the Hospital Corporation of America, which includes Del Sol
and Las Palmas hospitals in El Paso.
With an instructor at her side, a nursing
student practices her skills in UTEP’s
simulation hospital center.
NMSU to inventory wildlife and
catalog habitats at Holloman
Holloman Air Force Base is often booming with F-22s and bustling with pilots
and personnel, but does all this activity
have an effect on the wildlife? Kenneth
Boykin is a research associate professor
for the Department of Fish, Wildife and
Conservation Ecology at NMSU working
with Nicole Harings, a doctoral candidate
in NMSU’s biology department. Boykin
and Harings are preparing to take an
inventory of reptile species on Holloman
and catalogue the different habitats on
the base. In previous studies, Boykin
and other NMSU researchers have only
noted a few observations on Holloman
of the Texas horned lizard, which is a
declining species. Along with the horned
lizard, Harings expects to find close to
50 species of snakes and lizards, including whiptail lizards and rattlesnakes. The
study’s goal is to identify ways decision
makers at Holloman can conserve habitats and maintain the environment.
RECRUITING
Almost $1M raised for New Mexico
cancer research
The collective fundraising efforts of
Cowboys for Cancer Research and
NMSU Aggies Are Tough Enough to
Wear Pink (TETWP) raised a combined
$954,945 in cash and in-kind
contributions this year. The partnership
between the two organizations raises
money for cancer research that takes
place at NMSU and UNM. After
operational expenses, the cash raised is
invested in the Alma Cohorn Memorial/
Cowboys for Cancer Research Endowment at the University of New Mexico
Cancer & Research Center and the
Cowboys for Cancer Research Endowed
Fund at NMSU. Cowboys for Cancer
Research raised $390,590 and TETWP
raised $563,956.
UTEP seeks volunteers for cancer
pain management study
The UTEP School of Nursing RidCancerPain Intervention Research Team is
looking for volunteers to participate in
a pain management program for Hispanic cancer patients. The program will
help alleviate volunteers’ symptoms and
improve communication with their health
care providers. Volunteers must be Spanish speaking, have cancer and must have
pain. To volunteer for the study, contact
the RidCancerPain Study office at 915747-7228.
Las Palmas recognized as
‘Center of Excellence’
Las Palmas Medical Center was
recognized as a “Center of Excellence”
for its Joint and Spine Center by the Joint
Commission Accreditation. The
accreditation means Las Palmas’
employees are meeting best practices
benchmarks. Currently 78 percent of Las
Palmas’ orthopedic nurses are
orthopedic-certified, a status recognized
by the Joint Commission as being the
gold standard in health care.
Beaumont Army Medical Center
upgrades neonatal ICU
Texas horned lizard
William Beaumont Army Medical
Center recently renovated and upgraded
its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to Level
II. The upgrade means that babies born
after 36 weeks of gestation with minor
complications will be able to be cared for
at Beaumont Army Medical Center. Previ-
REAL ESTATE
ously, babies born with minor complications were transferred to local hospitals
for their care. The upgrade comes at a
time when the medical center also
enhances its mammography services.
Gala raises more than
$150,000 for hospital
Hundreds of El Pasoans and dignitaries
attended the second annual Milagro Gala
to raise money for the El Paso Children’s
Hospital. About 1,000 attended and more
than $150,000 was raised in ticket sales
along with more raised through the gala’s
silent auction. America Ferrera, guest
speaker, said El Paso had a dear place
in her heart because her husband, Ryan
Piers Williams, was raised here. Ferrera,
a native of L.A., has starred in films such
as “Real Women Have Curves” and “The
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” and in
the ABC show “Ugly Betty.” Ferrera said,
“I cannot even begin to fathom the kind
of work that has taken El Paso to go from
a dramatically underserved community
to now as one that has one of the most
advanced children’s hospitals in Texas.”
New chief of staff at Beaumont
Army Medical Center does Q&A
The El Paso Inc. published a Q&A with
William Beaumont Army Medical Center’s
new chief of staff Col. Michael Amaral.
The article read, “So far, the Army has
spent close to $200 million overhauling
health care at Fort Bliss. But more than
$1 billion is still to come. Col. Michael
Amaral will oversee much of that spending in his job as William Beaumont Army
Medical Center’s new chief of staff. Amaral uses the word “challenge” frequently.
The greatest of them all, he says, is
recruiting physicians, and he has personal experience as to why. …. But Amaral
visited El Paso and fell in love with the
city. He has only been here five months,
but says he may just stay and retire here,
at a later date. But convincing others has
been a challenge, he says, and recruitment is slow. Access the complete Q&A
article at mcaSynapse.org.
UTEP appoints new director to its
computing virtual research lab
Patricia Teller, Ph.D., has been appointed
as the first director of research computing at UTEP. The newly created position comes as the university begins to
install hardware for its High Performance
MCA NEWS
Computing Virtual Research Laboratory,
for which Teller is the coordinator. UTEP
also continues to take advantage of the
University of Texas Research Cyberinfrastructure initiative, which provides opportunities for high-performance computing,
networking, data storage, education and
training within the UT System.
Demand for oncologists increases in
Las Cruces
The Las Cruces Sun-News reported
recently that Memorial Medical CenterUniversity of New Mexico center in Las
Cruces may be looking to hire a third
full-time physician in its medical oncology
unit. This development is in response to
an increasing volume of cancer patients,
which occurred after last year’s closure of
the Southern New Mexico Cancer Center, a privately owned Las Cruces center
staffed by two physicians. According to
the Sun-News, Memorial Medical Center
(MMC) saw a 20-30 percent increase
in new patients after the private clinic
closed. Albuquerque physicians also saw
an increase in cancer patients traveling
from Las Cruces. According to the SunNews, MMC officials hope to hire a third
oncology specialist by this summer.
UMC to relocate its Eastside
Health Center and expand services
University Medical Center of El Paso
(UMC) will move its Eastside
Neighborhood Health Center from its
current location on Montwood Drive to
the intersection of George Dieter and
Pellicano. The new location is nearly
five times larger and is part of the Dieter
Marketplace shopping center. The new
Eastside Health Center will mean
expanded services. In addition to
providing physician services, the larger
center will feature a UMC pharmacy,
a laboratory and imaging facility. It will
open this fall after contractors finish converting the space from retail space to an
outpatient medical facility.
UTEP opens research and
teaching facility
UTEP has opened its new $69.2 million
Chemistry and Computer Science
Building. The 150,186-square-foot building houses the Department of Chemistry
from the university’s College of Science
as well as the Department of Computer
Science from the College of Engineering.
EDUCATION
The facilities are designed to promote
collaboration between the two colleges
with department offices and labs throughout the building. Specifically, the building
houses UTEP’s new $1.8 million cryoelectron microscope. The new building
also houses a computer science immersion space used for full-body, virtualagent interaction research under David
Novick, PhD, Mike Loya Distinguished
Chair in Engineering and professor of
computer science. In the same laboratory suite are rooms used by Nigel Ward,
PhD, chair of the computer science
department, and his students for
human-computer interactions research.
MCA Foundation will organize
conferences in El Paso
The Medical Center of the Americas
Foundation has begun talks around organizing a biomedical conference as well
as a life science research symposium.
The biomedical conference will highlight
the region’s strengths in biomedical innovation and biomanufacturing, while the
symposium would focus on the region’s
research strengths. No date for the meetings have been set; except it will take
place in El Paso in 2013. In preparation,
the MCA Foundation recently sent a
representative to attend the inaugural
Texas Life Science Venture Forum in
Houston. Moving forward, the MCA will
reach out to scientists, manufacturers, inventors, business people, higher
education leaders and others to recieve
input. For more information or to become
involved, call the MCA at 915-613-2478.
Texas Tech at El Paso launches
medical toxicology fellowship
TTUHSC Paul L. Foster School of
Medicine plans to begin recruiting
fellows in July 2013 for its medical
toxicology fellowship. The fellowship is
a 24-month training program designed
to leverage the breadth of pathology
endemic on the U.S./Mexico border.
Fellows will experience a curriculum that
includes active involvement in managing chemical, biological, radiological and
nuclear exposures. Fellows will gain
experience with toxicological issues
distinctive to the border region. They will
also benefit in leading research. Fellows
will be recruited from within the medical
school as well as from across the U.S.
TECH / TECH TRANSFER
UT launches technology,
commercialization search engine
The University of Texas System launched
a new portal that allows web visitors to
search for information regarding
technology commercialization and
research capabilities, patents and
technologies covering activities at UT
institutions. The Research and Technology Search Engine allows people to
search for an array of data sources,
including research and technology
experts, news, centers, facilities and
laboratory web pages within the UT
System. Users also will be able to search
for patent assets at all UT System institutions matched to a contact link to the
appropriate UT System institution
technology commercialization officer, and
access web pages that feature published
technologies at UT institutions.
Note from the editor
For new readers: Synapse news is colorcoded so you can quickly find the topics
that matter most to you. Be sure to click
on the ribbon online to sort news by
topic. Online, you will also find a
calendar of industry events, a listing of
life science job openings, a page where
career-advancing announcements are
posted, and an editorial column for guest
writers from the life science industry.
Synapse is first and foremost an online
magazine. Subscribe for free digital
delivery to your email inbox once a
month. Sign up at mcaSynapse.org.
For businesses: Synapse accepts sponsors.
A sponsorship offers visibility and
publicity reach into the region’s hard-toreach life science community. Synapse is
the only media outlet that gives access to
this growing niche audience. Call 915613-2478 ext. 2 to learn more.
Founding Editor Noemi Rojas
201 East Main, Suite 1514
El Paso, Texas 79901
(915) 613-2478 ext. 2
synapse@MCAmericas.org
APRIL 2012
RESEARCH
w w w. m c a S y n a p s e . o r g
HEALTHCARE
…continued from front page
academic and clinical partners involved
in the effort are Texas Tech University
Health Sciences Center Gayle Greve
Hunt School of Nursing, the University of
Texas at Austin School of Nursing, along
with hospitals from the Hospital Corporation of America, which includes Del Sol
and Las Palmas hospitals in El Paso.
With an instructor at her side, a nursing
student practices her skills in UTEP’s
simulation hospital center.
NMSU to inventory wildlife and
catalog habitats at Holloman
Holloman Air Force Base is often booming with F-22s and bustling with pilots
and personnel, but does all this activity
have an effect on the wildlife? Kenneth
Boykin is a research associate professor
for the Department of Fish, Wildife and
Conservation Ecology at NMSU working
with Nicole Harings, a doctoral candidate
in NMSU’s biology department. Boykin
and Harings are preparing to take an
inventory of reptile species on Holloman
and catalogue the different habitats on
the base. In previous studies, Boykin
and other NMSU researchers have only
noted a few observations on Holloman
of the Texas horned lizard, which is a
declining species. Along with the horned
lizard, Harings expects to find close to
50 species of snakes and lizards, including whiptail lizards and rattlesnakes. The
study’s goal is to identify ways decision
makers at Holloman can conserve habitats and maintain the environment.
RECRUITING
Almost $1M raised for New Mexico
cancer research
The collective fundraising efforts of
Cowboys for Cancer Research and
NMSU Aggies Are Tough Enough to
Wear Pink (TETWP) raised a combined
$954,945 in cash and in-kind
contributions this year. The partnership
between the two organizations raises
money for cancer research that takes
place at NMSU and UNM. After
operational expenses, the cash raised is
invested in the Alma Cohorn Memorial/
Cowboys for Cancer Research Endowment at the University of New Mexico
Cancer & Research Center and the
Cowboys for Cancer Research Endowed
Fund at NMSU. Cowboys for Cancer
Research raised $390,590 and TETWP
raised $563,956.
UTEP seeks volunteers for cancer
pain management study
The UTEP School of Nursing RidCancerPain Intervention Research Team is
looking for volunteers to participate in
a pain management program for Hispanic cancer patients. The program will
help alleviate volunteers’ symptoms and
improve communication with their health
care providers. Volunteers must be Spanish speaking, have cancer and must have
pain. To volunteer for the study, contact
the RidCancerPain Study office at 915747-7228.
Las Palmas recognized as
‘Center of Excellence’
Las Palmas Medical Center was
recognized as a “Center of Excellence”
for its Joint and Spine Center by the Joint
Commission Accreditation. The
accreditation means Las Palmas’
employees are meeting best practices
benchmarks. Currently 78 percent of Las
Palmas’ orthopedic nurses are
orthopedic-certified, a status recognized
by the Joint Commission as being the
gold standard in health care.
Beaumont Army Medical Center
upgrades neonatal ICU
Texas horned lizard
William Beaumont Army Medical
Center recently renovated and upgraded
its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to Level
II. The upgrade means that babies born
after 36 weeks of gestation with minor
complications will be able to be cared for
at Beaumont Army Medical Center. Previ-
REAL ESTATE
ously, babies born with minor complications were transferred to local hospitals
for their care. The upgrade comes at a
time when the medical center also
enhances its mammography services.
Gala raises more than
$150,000 for hospital
Hundreds of El Pasoans and dignitaries
attended the second annual Milagro Gala
to raise money for the El Paso Children’s
Hospital. About 1,000 attended and more
than $150,000 was raised in ticket sales
along with more raised through the gala’s
silent auction. America Ferrera, guest
speaker, said El Paso had a dear place
in her heart because her husband, Ryan
Piers Williams, was raised here. Ferrera,
a native of L.A., has starred in films such
as “Real Women Have Curves” and “The
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” and in
the ABC show “Ugly Betty.” Ferrera said,
“I cannot even begin to fathom the kind
of work that has taken El Paso to go from
a dramatically underserved community
to now as one that has one of the most
advanced children’s hospitals in Texas.”
New chief of staff at Beaumont
Army Medical Center does Q&A
The El Paso Inc. published a Q&A with
William Beaumont Army Medical Center’s
new chief of staff Col. Michael Amaral.
The article read, “So far, the Army has
spent close to $200 million overhauling
health care at Fort Bliss. But more than
$1 billion is still to come. Col. Michael
Amaral will oversee much of that spending in his job as William Beaumont Army
Medical Center’s new chief of staff. Amaral uses the word “challenge” frequently.
The greatest of them all, he says, is
recruiting physicians, and he has personal experience as to why. …. But Amaral
visited El Paso and fell in love with the
city. He has only been here five months,
but says he may just stay and retire here,
at a later date. But convincing others has
been a challenge, he says, and recruitment is slow. Access the complete Q&A
article at mcaSynapse.org.
UTEP appoints new director to its
computing virtual research lab
Patricia Teller, Ph.D., has been appointed
as the first director of research computing at UTEP. The newly created position comes as the university begins to
install hardware for its High Performance
MCA NEWS
Computing Virtual Research Laboratory,
for which Teller is the coordinator. UTEP
also continues to take advantage of the
University of Texas Research Cyberinfrastructure initiative, which provides opportunities for high-performance computing,
networking, data storage, education and
training within the UT System.
Demand for oncologists increases in
Las Cruces
The Las Cruces Sun-News reported
recently that Memorial Medical CenterUniversity of New Mexico center in Las
Cruces may be looking to hire a third
full-time physician in its medical oncology
unit. This development is in response to
an increasing volume of cancer patients,
which occurred after last year’s closure of
the Southern New Mexico Cancer Center, a privately owned Las Cruces center
staffed by two physicians. According to
the Sun-News, Memorial Medical Center
(MMC) saw a 20-30 percent increase
in new patients after the private clinic
closed. Albuquerque physicians also saw
an increase in cancer patients traveling
from Las Cruces. According to the SunNews, MMC officials hope to hire a third
oncology specialist by this summer.
UMC to relocate its Eastside
Health Center and expand services
University Medical Center of El Paso
(UMC) will move its Eastside
Neighborhood Health Center from its
current location on Montwood Drive to
the intersection of George Dieter and
Pellicano. The new location is nearly
five times larger and is part of the Dieter
Marketplace shopping center. The new
Eastside Health Center will mean
expanded services. In addition to
providing physician services, the larger
center will feature a UMC pharmacy,
a laboratory and imaging facility. It will
open this fall after contractors finish converting the space from retail space to an
outpatient medical facility.
UTEP opens research and
teaching facility
UTEP has opened its new $69.2 million
Chemistry and Computer Science
Building. The 150,186-square-foot building houses the Department of Chemistry
from the university’s College of Science
as well as the Department of Computer
Science from the College of Engineering.
EDUCATION
The facilities are designed to promote
collaboration between the two colleges
with department offices and labs throughout the building. Specifically, the building
houses UTEP’s new $1.8 million cryoelectron microscope. The new building
also houses a computer science immersion space used for full-body, virtualagent interaction research under David
Novick, PhD, Mike Loya Distinguished
Chair in Engineering and professor of
computer science. In the same laboratory suite are rooms used by Nigel Ward,
PhD, chair of the computer science
department, and his students for
human-computer interactions research.
MCA Foundation will organize
conferences in El Paso
The Medical Center of the Americas
Foundation has begun talks around organizing a biomedical conference as well
as a life science research symposium.
The biomedical conference will highlight
the region’s strengths in biomedical innovation and biomanufacturing, while the
symposium would focus on the region’s
research strengths. No date for the meetings have been set; except it will take
place in El Paso in 2013. In preparation,
the MCA Foundation recently sent a
representative to attend the inaugural
Texas Life Science Venture Forum in
Houston. Moving forward, the MCA will
reach out to scientists, manufacturers, inventors, business people, higher
education leaders and others to recieve
input. For more information or to become
involved, call the MCA at 915-613-2478.
Texas Tech at El Paso launches
medical toxicology fellowship
TTUHSC Paul L. Foster School of
Medicine plans to begin recruiting
fellows in July 2013 for its medical
toxicology fellowship. The fellowship is
a 24-month training program designed
to leverage the breadth of pathology
endemic on the U.S./Mexico border.
Fellows will experience a curriculum that
includes active involvement in managing chemical, biological, radiological and
nuclear exposures. Fellows will gain
experience with toxicological issues
distinctive to the border region. They will
also benefit in leading research. Fellows
will be recruited from within the medical
school as well as from across the U.S.
TECH / TECH TRANSFER
UT launches technology,
commercialization search engine
The University of Texas System launched
a new portal that allows web visitors to
search for information regarding
technology commercialization and
research capabilities, patents and
technologies covering activities at UT
institutions. The Research and Technology Search Engine allows people to
search for an array of data sources,
including research and technology
experts, news, centers, facilities and
laboratory web pages within the UT
System. Users also will be able to search
for patent assets at all UT System institutions matched to a contact link to the
appropriate UT System institution
technology commercialization officer, and
access web pages that feature published
technologies at UT institutions.
Note from the editor
For new readers: Synapse news is colorcoded so you can quickly find the topics
that matter most to you. Be sure to click
on the ribbon online to sort news by
topic. Online, you will also find a
calendar of industry events, a listing of
life science job openings, a page where
career-advancing announcements are
posted, and an editorial column for guest
writers from the life science industry.
Synapse is first and foremost an online
magazine. Subscribe for free digital
delivery to your email inbox once a
month. Sign up at mcaSynapse.org.
For businesses: Synapse accepts sponsors.
A sponsorship offers visibility and
publicity reach into the region’s hard-toreach life science community. Synapse is
the only media outlet that gives access to
this growing niche audience. Call 915613-2478 ext. 2 to learn more.
Founding Editor Noemi Rojas
201 East Main, Suite 1514
El Paso, Texas 79901
(915) 613-2478 ext. 2
synapse@MCAmericas.org
at
Professional Opportunities
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
The William T. Grant Foundation seeks
to fund high quality empirical research
with the goal of improving the lives of
youth between the ages of 8 and 25
in the U.S. To that end, the foundation has released its fourth Request
for Proposals on Understanding the
Acquisition, Interpretation, and Use
of Research Evidence in Policy and
Practice. The purpose of the RFP is to
help increase the understanding of how
research evidence is acquired, interpreted, and used in policy and practice
that affect youth. In 2012, the foundation plans to support research projects
with awards ranging from $100,000 to
$600,000 over two to three years. Applications are welcome from researchers
in various fields and disciplines. There
are two opportunities to submit Letters
of Inquiry: April 3 and Aug. 1.
The American Orthotic & Prosthetic
Association has issued a Request for
Pilot Grant Proposals in orthotic and
prosthetic research. For 2012-13, the
association is seeking proposals for
one-time grants in amounts of up to
$15,000 for one year. AOPA is interested in funding original pilot research
that will lead to larger trials that may
qualify for government or other research
funding support. Deadline is April 30.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
has issued a call for proposals for its
Roadmaps to Health Community Grants
program. The grant supports communities working to implement policy
or system changes to address one of
the social or economic factors that, as
defined by the County Health Rankings, most strongly influence health
outcomes in their community. Grantees
will be organizations that participate in
established coalitions or networks spanning multiple sectors and perspectives.
Applicants must secure 100 percent
matching support. Up to 20 grants
will be awarded. Grantees will receive
awards of up to $200,000 each for up
to 24 months. A Web conference for
applicants will be held April 20. Brief
proposals are due May 2.
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
The National Center for Advancing
Translational Sciences, part of the NIH,
is seeking comments “from all key
stakeholders in the scientific and public
health communities on how it can further strengthen the Clinical and Translational Science Awards program to
meet its broad clinical and translational
goals.” Response date is April 6.
CALL FOR PAPERS
The CDC’s National Center for Health
Statistics (NCHS) is sponsoring the
2012 National Conference on Health
Statistics to be held Aug. 6-8, 2012,
in Washington DC. This biennial conference focuses on the critical importance
of public health data. NCHS is also
inviting the submission of abstracts for
the Poster Session at this year’s conference. This year, there is special focus
on student research. Abstract submissions due April 16.
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
The 19th International AIDS Conference, taking place July 22-27 in
Washington, DC, is calling for volunteers. AIDS 2012 is the world’s largest
international meeting on AIDS. Volunteers are given unlimited access to all
conference sessions outside their shifts.
The conference features abstract-driven
breakout sessions; daily plenary sessions; professional development workshops; and components such as the
Global Village and the Youth Program.
Volunteer applications will be available
on the AIDS 2012 website as of April
1: www.aids2012.org/volunteer.aspx or
email volunteer@aids2012.org.
To see these and other announcements,
go to mcaSynapse.org/announcements.
While there, you may also subscribe
to an RSS feed so you may be alerted
every time a new opportunity is posted.
Recent life science job openings
• Senior Director of Quality - TTUHSC
Foster School of Medicine
• Lactation Consultant - Sierra
Medical Center
• Director of IT - Del Sol Medical Ctr
• Founding Dean - TTUHSC Hunt
School of Nursing
• Compensation Analyst - El Paso
Children’s Hospital
Go to jobs.mcaSynapse.org
Synapase is printed by PDX Printing.
Synapse® is a registered trademark and publication of the Medical Center of the Americas Foundation, a 501(c)3
nonprofit organization. The foundation works to advance the development of the Medical Center of the Americas
(MCA) campus and the Paso del Norte community research agenda. The vision is to position the region as the
global leader of health care delivery, education and research concentrating on issues unique to the Hispanic,
border and military populations.
The MCA is an integrated complex of medical facilities currently anchored by University Medical Center of El Paso,
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine and El Paso Children’s Hospital.
It is also site to a developing biomedical research park.
m
ca
Sy
na
ps
Su
e.
or
g
®
bs
fo
cr
rf
re
ib
e
e
em
ai
APRIL 2012
ld
e
l
Issue 9, Vol. 2 ive
ry.
Find complete articles at mcaSynapse.org.
Alzheimer’s education event
William H. Thies, PhD, chief
medical and scientific officer with
the Alzheimer’s Association, will
present “Advances in Alzheimer’s
Research.”
when noon April 12. Reception to
follow at 5 pm with another presentation open to private physicians at
6 pm.
where TTUHSC Foster School of
Medicine, Meisenheimer
Auditorium, 5001 El Paso Dr.
Reception takes place in the Rick &
Ginger Francis Classroom.
rsvP (915) 544-1799 or
Susie.gorman@alz.org
Avoid malpractice lawsuits
Lance Van Deeman, an insurance
representative, will present “How
to Avoid Medical Malpractice Lawsuits.” The presentation offers CME
credit. The session is open to practitioners throughout the community.
when noon to 1 p.m. April 19
where Paul L. Foster School of
Medicine, Clinical Education Building, 4801 Alberta Ave, Auditorium
3500
RSVP Julissa Marquez, (915) 5455760 or julissa.marquez@ttuhsc.
edu
Spectrum of healthcare
The Texas Perinatal Association El
Paso Chapter is having its
annual Spectrum of Healthcare from
Mother to Baby forum. The event
will include an ethics panel discussion and scientific session.
when April 27
where to be announced
register tpaelpaso.org/registration.
html
California company will commercialize its “suitcase ICU” in El Paso
Integrated Medical
Systems (IMS), headquartered in California, has
been selected by the Texas
Emerging Technology Fund for
funding and will be
commercializing their
technology in El Paso. The
University of Texas at El Paso
and Texas Tech University
Health Sciences Center are
partnering with IMS on commercialization of LS-1, which
is a 40-pound portable unit
intended to supply intensive care functionality for adult and pediatric
patients. Dubbed as the “suitcase ICU,” the device is intended to be used in
hospitals, aircraft, ambulances, field hospitals and extended care facilities. In 2011,
Healthcare Design Magazine named the LS-1 among the Most Innovative Products
of 2011. This year, the publication, Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry, selected
LS-1 as a finalist for the 2012 Medical Design Excellence Award in the category of
critical care and emergency medicine products.
NMSU honors millionaire researchers
Earlier this month, New Mexico State University honored researchers who secured
more than half a million dollars in funded research during 2011. NMSU President
Barbara Couture and Vice President for Research Vimal Chaitanya held a
special reception in recognition of 62 outstanding NMSU researchers who
collectively brought in more than $121 million in external research funding in that
period. NMSU’s research expenditures in 2011 exceeded $157 million. In that period,
85.8 percent of NMSU’s external awards were from federal sources, such as 14
percent from the Department of Health and Human Services and 6.3 percent from
the National Science Foundation. For more detailed numbers and a list of this year’s
honored researchers, visit http://research.nmsu.edu/mil12/.
UTEP receives $4M to help address nursing shortage
UTEP’s School of Nursing has received nearly $4 million from the U.S. Department
of Labor to accelerate the training of future registered nurses and address the nursing shortage in Texas. UTEP is spearheading the efforts to create the Successful
Transition and Retention (STaR) Program, a new graduate nurse residency program
that provides education, training and job placement assistance in the registered
nurse occupation. The goal of the STaR program is to raise the professional and
technical skill level of American graduate nurses to reduce the use of temporary
skilled foreign professionals in Texas hospitals. STaR consists of two pathways: the
New Graduate Nurse Immersion Residency, which provides students with on-the-job
training at eight Texas hospitals and enables new graduate nurses to transition to the
role of bedside nurses; and the Specialty Nurse Accelerated Program Fellowship,
which is accelerated training for new graduate nurses in their field of specialty. Other