Tracing Origins of a Deadly Disease
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YOUR SOURCE FOR UNIVERSITY NEWS January 22, 2008 / Vol. 60, No. 16 PROFILE FIRST PERSON PEOPLE: Alumnus premier of Georgia 3 “I see good things Noel Leo Erskine CAMPUS: Founders Week lineup 5 in the future for reflects on the DISCOVERY: Study debunks obesity myth 6 physician assis- 45th anniversary tants,” says Mar- of King’s “I Have FORUM: Putting humanism in context 7 quitha Mayfield. a Dream” speech. Page 2 Page 7 EVENTS: Rushdie on campus in February 8 Tracing origins of a deadly disease By CAROL CLARK id Columbus and his men introduce the syphilis pathogen into Renaissance Europe, after Dcontracting it during their voyage to the New World? Or does syphilis have a much longer history in the Old World? Graduate student Kristin Harper has taken the first phylogenetic approach to this centuries-old debate, heading up a groundbreaking study that provides new support for the Columbus theory of syphilis’ origin. The results of the most comprehensive comparative genetic analysis ever conducted on the Treponema pallidum family of bacteria related to syphilis were published Jan. 15 in the Public Library of Science’s Journal of Neglected Tropical Diseases. Please see DISEASE on page 6 Kristin Harper Bryan MELTZ ‘Evenings with Authors’ Founders Week events will be feast for ears warm up mid-winter By KIM URQUHart Roughly twice a semester, ebrate one another’s accom- By CAROL CLARK of the arts and sciences the community will be invited plishments as scholars,” adds commemorates the founding Life of the Mind, the popu- to attend a reading, discus- Academic Exchange Editor Al- Music, theatrical perform- of Emory College in 1836 lar lunchtime lecture series sion, reception and booksign- lison Adams. ances, art and museum and celebrates the role of the that spotlights Emory’s best ing with Emory scholars. Ono hopes that students exhibition openings, scholarly University in promoting inquiry and brightest faculty mem- “This is a recognition of the and staff will also attend, as lectures, and a mini-film and intellectual life,” says bers, is casting a glow on Em- significant time and scholar- many of the books will be of festival make up the 2008 Sally Wolff-King, assistant vice ory’s authors. ship involved in generating a general interest. Founders Week, Feb. 3-10. The president of the University. Evenings With Emory’s Au- new book, and we want to cel- The series begins Jan. 29 series of events will culminate Emory faculty featured thors Series is a collaborative ebrate that,” says Santa Ono, with Joseph Crespino, assis- with the Founders Ball and a during Founders Week include venture between the Office of vice provost for academic ini- tant professor of history, read- public lecture by Distinguished Harvey Klehr, whose topic the Provost and the Academic tiatives and deputy to the pro- ing from “In Search of Another Writer in Residence Salman “Espionage, Informing and the Exchange designed to recog- vost. Rushdie, titled “Autobiography nize recently published au- “It’s an opportunity for fac- and the Novel.” thors. ulty to come together and cel- Please see AUTHORS on page 4 “The mid-winter festival Please see FOUNDERS on page 4 EMORY REPORT January 22, 2008 2 People LET US SHARE EMORY PROFILE: Marquitha Mayfield YOUR story Emory Report is starting the new year with a new look, designed to serve you better. Each issue of ER chronicles the accomplish- ments, endeavors and aspi- rations of the Emory com- munity, and we wanted to create a design that would best present that story. We hope you’ll tell us what you’d like to see within these pages. Please send your suggestions or feedback to kim.urquhart@ emory.edu. ABOUT US Emory Report serves as an informative, lively and comprehensive resource for news and events of vital interest to staff and faculty. The weekly publication highlights the Emory community’s accomplishments, endeavors and aspirations that reflect the University’s identity and strategic vision. SUBMISSIONS Emory Report welcomes contributions from readers, including “First Person” KAY HINTON opinion pieces, calendar items Marquitha Mayfield, assistant professor and academic coordinator for the physician assistant program, was one of the and story ideas in general. first graduates of Emory’s program. Contact the Emory Report staff by phone at 404-727- 9507; by fax at 404-727- 0646; or by e-mail to kim. [email protected]. Building healthy communities DEADLINES The deadline for copy is Physician assistant pioneer chronicles diverse career path 10 days before the desired publication date. By ALISON AMOROSO time, oral contraceptives were After earning a master’s in new and hormone dosages were education, specializing in train- Marquitha Mayfield nearly Mayfield forecasts higher, which meant doctors ing clinical professionals, May- took her National Merit Schol- ‘good things’ for PAs were seeing more women with field returned to her alma mater, arship to Georgia Tech to study hypertension. As a PA, Mayfield “The whole health care en- of which she is immensely proud. architecture. She came to Emory assisted Hall in his research, vironment is changing. As we “Emory’s PA program was the College as a freshman with plans performing histories, physical move closer toward universal third program in the nation, and to transfer to Tech her junior exams and monitoring patients. health care, we will have to we’ve been consistently ranked year to become one of the few mi- “This position gave me clini- norities and female students on reassess how health care is or- in the top five over the years.” cal skills in gynecology,” says Mayfield is currently assistant EXECUTIVE EDITOR campus. Instead, she became in- Mayfield, “which opened the ganized and delivered. There professor and academic coordina- Nancy Seideman terested in Emory’s pre-med cur- door to directing a family plan- is already a physician and tor for the Emory PA program, [email protected] ricula and stayed to graduate in ning clinic for teens in a commu- nursing shortage. Also, the where she is course director for 1976 with a Bachelor of Medical nity health center. While there I population is aging and many clinical medicine courses. She EDITOR Science in Emory’s fourth class worked closely with the ob-gyn Iraq veterans will need life- of physician assistants. also teaches students physical Kim Urquhart physicians and expanded my long services. The demand for exam skills and how to evaluate [email protected] Mayfield hasn’t given up her clinical skills.” interest in architecture. She and medical services will increase. Mayfield’s research and clini- and manage common diseases. her husband, whom she married In addition to making ac- cal experience also landed her a “My responsibility is to get stu- DESIGNER while they were both college stu- cess to health care available, job at the then “new” Morehouse dents through the didactic cur- Christi Gray dents, set up a partnership to the United States has to have School of Medicine working with riculum,” she says. [email protected] provide housing for homeless vet- enough providers. I think phy- the now renowned doctor, David Emory’s program was one of erans. Over the years, they have sician assistants will play a key Satcher. Satcher, who was at the the first to offer a master’s degree PHOTO DIRECTOR built several houses. Mayfield is time chair of the Department role in the addressing some for PAs. “As a profession, we have Bryan Meltz the construction manager. of Family Medicine, once asked of the manpower issues. The come a long way in a short time [email protected] Their first construction proj- M.D.-PA model has proven to — only 38 years,” says Mayfield. ect involved buying and remod- Mayfield to give a lecture. “At be efficient and effective in “Now all programs are graduate eling a fixer-upper in Decatur, the end, he said, ‘You’re a good STAFF WRITER level and PAs have more clinical says Mayfield, who pursued a communicator. You should be- amplifying the physician’s abil- Carol Clark responsibility than ever. We are remodeling hobby all the while come more involved in the aca- ity to serve more people and intimately involved in all spe- [email protected] raising three children, pursuing demic side,’ and he encouraged to deliver quality services. cialties, not only diagnosing and degrees and working. Mayfield me to teach. So I did.” I see good things in the EDITORIAL ASSISTANT appreciates the options the PA Years later, one of the physi- future for PAs.” treating common disorders but Leslie King profession affords, and chroni- cians left the Morehouse faculty also assisting in the management cles a diverse career path. and offered Mayfield a position of extremely ill patients.” in vascular surgery. Mayfield “The PA profession provides EMory Report (USPS705-780) is “My first position was in clini- cal research at Emory Clinic says her remodeling experience an enormous amount of personal published and distributed free to faculty and professional flexibility along and staff of Emory University, 36 times with an outstanding physician, helped with surgery: “It’s the annually by the Office of Communications Dallas Hall,” she says. “He was same skill set. You look at some- with job satisfaction, diagnosing and Marketing. Periodicals postage is paid involved in clinical research in thing three-dimensionally in and treating diseases with physi- at Atlanta, Georgia. Postmaster: Send off- hypertension, which was becom- your mind’s eye, painting a pic- cian supervision,” adds Mayfield. campus address changes to Emory Report, ing recognized as a major risk ture about how the wound — or “I hope that more Emory students 1762 Clifton Rd., Plaza 1000, factor in cardiac disease.” At the cabinets — should look.” will consider becoming a PA.” Atlanta, Georgia, 30322.