Everest Foundation Gives $1 Million for Research Education
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MARCH 1 • 2013 The theweekly.usc.edu WeeklyPUBLISHED FOR THE USC HEALTH SCIENCES CAMPUS COMMUNITY VOLUME 19 • NUMBER 6 Everest Foundation gives $1 million for research education By Amy E. Hamaker footsteps with a recent gift of $1 mil- benefi ts not only the trainees, but also Supporting graduate medical lion to establish the Edwin Everest the USC faculty with whom they work,” education is a family tradition for A. Foundation Fund at the Keck School of said Edward Crandall, holder of the ‘I believe doctors Michael Everest, head of HN Biotech, Medicine of USC. Kenneth T. Norris Jr. Chair in Medicine, Residents Medical Group consulting The fund supports medical research Hastings Professor of Medicine, and of the future will and chair of the Edwin Everest for volunteer postdoctoral trainees in the chair of the Department of Medicine. Foundation. Department of Medicine. The gift will Everest himself is passionate when need a mix of “The foundation is named after my help train and support new international it comes to helping students at USC. father,” Everest explained. medical graduates entering “I was fi rst introduced to USC through academic and “He was a big believer in research and diagnostic the work of Dr. Uttam Sinha [associate medical education and in careers. professor of otolaryngology and clinical skills, empowering international “I believe doctors of the residency program director, Department medical graduates. In fact, future will need a mix of of Otolaryngology at the Keck and those who how that support would academic and clinical skills, School]—I was drawn to his passion and continue was one of the last and those who diagnose dedication to medicine,” he recalled. diagnose disease conversations we had before disease will be on the forefront “I supported a Ph.D. student in his he passed away.” of medicine,” Everest said. laboratory. Seeing the amazing work she will be on the Everest’s father, who passed “We want to help them while produced led to my special relationship away in October 2008, was A. Michael Everest they’re young, because that’s with USC.” forefront of a lifelong advocate for the where paradigm changes in It also led to Everest’s recent support power of education as a tool to help the way we treat disease will begin.” of the Department of Medicine. medicine.’ future generations become innovators The Edwin Everest Foundation “We have a responsibility to fuel the and leaders. As a doctor, he believed is a Los Angeles-based nonprofi t fi re that supports thousands of research passionately that graduate medical charity organization dedicated to the projects,” Everest added. education should be at the forefront of advancement of graduate medical “The 14th Dalai Lama said that we’re —A. Michael the country’s focus. education. It works exclusively on this earth for around 90 years and “Graduate medical education deals with medical universities, residency that material things will come and go, Everest, chair with both physical and mental health, so programs, and other research programs but the one thing that will remain is strides made there through research and and foundations. when you’ve touched another’s life. The of the Edwin Everest training can be an immeasurable help to “We are committed to help provide success of these new doctors benefi ts society as a whole,” explained Everest. outstanding research experiences for humanity as a whole—and it’s through Foundation “His goal was to touch people’s lives.” the doctors supported by the foundation supporting them that we can change the Everest is continuing in his father’s under this unique program, which world,” he said. Baby shower brings unexpected gifts to Keck School New hospital centers By Amy E. Hamaker provide respite for It’s been 11 years since Edward Zapanta, a founding patients, families member of the Mexican- American Alumni Association By Sara Reeve and the fi rst Latino member For families waiting for a loved one to come of the USC Board of Trustees, out of surgery, or a patient waiting to receive passed away, but his widow, test results, a busy hospital lobby can be a noisy Norene, has remained and overwhelming space. To help patients and committed to her husband’s families who are seeking peace and quiet, Keck support of the Keck School Medical Center of USC has opened two Patient of Medicine of USC medical and Family Resource Centers at Keck Hospital education. For her, supporting of USC. medical education has become a “These are rooms set aside for patients family affair. and families desiring some quiet space,” said Norene Zapanta recently Char Ryan, associate administrator for patient celebrated the birth of her experience. “They can also be used for patient second granddaughter, Grace. and family meetings.” However, Grace is daughter The recently opened centers are located in Jennifer’s second baby girl, and Keck Hospital’s main lobby (next to the chapel) there wasn’t much that the new and Norris Inpatient Tower lobby. Each room mom needed. Rather than forgo features a computer terminal complete with a shower altogether, Norene Internet access and a printer. and Jennifer asked guests if, in According to Ryan, the centers offer families, lieu of baby gifts, they would patients and loved ones a respite from the consider making a donation to active hospital environment and are an example the Edward Zapanta Scholarship of the medical center’s focus on patient- and at the Keck School of Medicine family-centered care. of USC. To date, more than “Spaces like this have been requested by $1,000 has been given. In addi- Norene Zapanta poses with her newest granddaughter, Grace, and Grace’s big sister, patients and families,” said Ryan. “We are tion, in June 2012 Norene made Madeline Rose, who recently turned 5. At Grace’s recent baby shower, in lieu of baby actively listening to the voice of the patient and a $50,000 pledge over the next gifts, Norene and her daughter Jennifer asked guests to consider donating to the Edward family as we center our care around them.” fi ve years to honor Edward’s Zapanta Scholarship at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Other patient- and family-centered resources memory. offered at the medical center include an Edward Zapanta graduated ter. He passed away in 2002 from a $300,000 gift from the James entertainment library, pet therapy services and a from the Keck School in 1963 complications from a malignant Irvine Foundation. The fi rst new partnership with the USC Thornton School and completed his intern- brain tumor related to a stroke. scholarship was awarded in 2002. of Music to provide classical music in waiting ship and residency in neuro- The scholarship, which pro- Over the last fi ve years, there has rooms throughout the year. logical surgery at Los Angeles vides funds for Latino medical been a recipient each year, and County+USC Medical Cen- students, was fi rst endowed by See GIFT, page 4 MARCH 1 • 2013 USC launches Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research Initiative By Suzanne Wu Puliafito, dean of the Keck School of Medicine of for the first year, with the possibility to renew for USC has launched a new initiative to support USC, has put forward $1.2 million for a new set the second year upon review and approval by the collaborative research in regenerative medicine and of seed programs, available to interdisciplinary executive committee. Applications must provide stem cell biology across the university, facilitating research efforts involving groups of faculty from a realistic plan for sustained funding or support the critical move from basic research into clinical across multiple schools at USC. The awards are beyond the end of the award, and must also applications. open to USC faculty of any rank or type. demonstrate that the award will make a difference The USC Regenerative Medicine and Stem “There is no doubt that stem cell research in attracting further research support. Cell Research Initiative—spearheaded by Keck will play a critical role in developing tomorrow’s To support the university-spanning mission of Provost Professor Andrew McMahon—will draw medical breakthroughs,” Puliafito said. “The Keck the USC Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell on existing research strengths and develop these School of Medicine is committed to supporting Research Initiative, USC has launched a new strengths through strategic collaborations that reflect multi-disciplinary science across the university that website gathering together information about the imperative of working across academic units shows promise for one day helping patients at the faculty, research and facilities in stem cell biology and campuses in order to successfully harness the bedside.” and regenerative medicine, drawing on rich promise of regenerative medicine. The USC Regenerative Medicine Initiative content from across the university and its affiliated The initiative includes the launching of a new 2013 Keck School of Medicine Research Team institutions, including the Keck School of Medicine, website covering stem cell and regenerative Awards will support regenerative medicine research the Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC, USC Viterbi medicine research across the university, and the in disease areas for which USC already has core School of Engineering, USC Dornsife College of launch of a new research team award program to strength, including cancer research, neural and Letters, Arts and Sciences, the House Research support regenerative medicine research at USC. sensory research, musculo-skeletal research, Institute and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “I am delighted to have a website that research on the respiratory and circulatory systems, The website http://stemcell.usc.edu features connects across our campuses and departments and research on the digestive and metabolic the latest stem cell news from USC and the wider to forge new collaborations and opportunities,” systems.