March 21 2018 Volume 37 / Number 26 today.uic.edu

For the community of the University of Illinois at Chicago MATCH DAY Emotional milestone for medical students / pg. 5

Photo: Jenny Fontaine

Internships Classroom East Meets offer dedicated West highlights 2 - student voice internatonal to family collaborations 4 - campus news experience of graduates 8 - calendar 3 4 6-7 12 - sports Facebook / uicnews Twitter / uicnews YouTube / uicmedia Instagram / thisisuic & uicamiridis 2 UIC News | Wednesday, March 21, 2018 200 years of ‘Frankenstein’ By Hoda Fakhari — [email protected] As a sophomore in high During an the reader a way of gaining time forts to genetically intervene school, I read Mary Shelley’s event hosted while consuming it. Everyone into the lives of descendants, infamous Frankenstein for the by the UIC has probably encountered framing the novel as a caution- first time. We were asked to Institute for some version of the story and ary tale about irresponsible re- mark passages that highlighted the Human- this transcendence across time search. some of the novel’s themes: the ities for the is what allows for a continuous These diverse readings of role of nature, the relationship 200th anni- supply of newer and more rele- Frankenstein are the reason it between the creator and creat- versary of vant interpretations. Nasser has lived to celebrate its 200th ed, and the relationship be- Franken- Mufti of the UIC anniversary. De- tween man and monster, stein’s publi- English depart- spite being situat- among others. At the time, the cation, I was ment said that ed in a historic message seemed clear: when once again the work express- time, the novel man opposes nature, he is pun- prompted to es the terror of a continues to prove ished. supplement split society and relevant and en- Then, as a freshman in col- what now the attempt to gaging for a mod- lege, I picked the same copy of seems to be reconcile it, simi- ern audience. Most Frankenstein for my course in than they ever were clear. Fran- an elementary understanding of lar to concerns of the literature English literature. I learned that kenstein’s heroic ambition rep- the text with more complex that are promi- taught in high Shelley actually published two resents the driving force of ideas. nent in today’s school likely has very different versions of the scientific discovery, and the Sara Guyer from the Univer- society. Bioethi- the same effect novel and the messages I had novel does not necessarily cri- sity of Wisconsin at Madison cist Tim Murphy from the UIC and if you return to those old previously extracted were, in tique that ambition, but rather discussed how the novel revels College of Medicine related the books, I’m sure you’ll find some- fact, much more ambiguous society’s reaction to it. in uncertainty but only to offer creation to contemporary ef- thing new to think about.

Want to contribute a story? E-mail Christy Levy at [email protected] today.uic.edu UIC News | Wednesday, March 21, 2018 3 Study debunks fears of increased teen suicide risk from popular flu drug By Jackie Carey — [email protected]

A new study published by UIC re- the most consequential of those report- tors, like race or eth- searchers suggests that the drug osel- ed side effects: suicide. nicity.” tamivir — commonly known as Tamiflu “The potential link between a drug The researchers re- — does not cause an increased risk of and suicide is a particularly difficult topic peated the analysis suicide in pediatric patients. to study,” Antoon said. “Many events, with flu diagnosis The U.S. Food and Drug Administra- which can happen simultaneously or alone, without the use tion originally approved the drug in over time, can influence a person to at- of Tamiflu, to see if the 1999, but subsequent case reports of tempt suicide, as can an illness itself — infection itself could abnormal behavior in adolescents who so it can be difficult to study scientifically. have been a confound- used the medication led the agency in “That’s why we used a novel method ing factor associated 2006 to require that all packaging of the called a case-crossover design,” Antoon with suicide risk. drug include a warning label about po- said. “This analysis is different because it “We did not find any tential neuropsychiatric side effects, such allowed us to use each individual sub- association between as hallucinations, delirium, self-harm and ject as his or her own comparison — we exposure to Tamiflu even suicide. retrospectively studied how patients be- and suicide in pediat- However, clinical studies examining haved when on Tamiflu and compared it ric patients,” Antoon the association between the use of Tami- to their behavior when they were not tak- said. flu and neuropsychiatric side effects in ing the drug.” While Antoon be- children, including suicide, have so far The researchers identified 21,047 lieves the findings, been inconclusive and limited by meth- children between the ages of 1 and 18 which are published in odology and potential confounding fac- who attempted suicide during five re- the Annals of Family tors. cent flu seasons (2009-2013) from a Medicine, will help to “When the FDA puts a warning out national administrative claims database. alleviate some fears about a drug, doctors and the public take Of this group, 251 of those children health care providers notice,” said corresponding author James were exposed to Tamiflu, which was de- may have about pre- Antoon, assistant professor of clinical termined based on outpatient pharmacy scribing the medica- pediatrics in the UIC College of Medi- dispensing data. The mean age of this tion in healthy children, cine. “While the warnings are necessary, group was 15 years, 61 percent were he says doctors will they are often not based on conclusive female, and 65 percent had an underly- likely continue to pre- “When the FDA puts a warning out about a drug, doctors and the public take notice,” says UIC researcher James Antoon. clinical data, which can make it difficult ing mental health diagnosis. scribe Tamiflu with for physicians to truly know the potential “For each of the 251 patients, we as- caution. side effects of a drug as they evaluate its signed the 10-day period immediately “I think physicians will welcome a ture. There are also other reasons to use possible benefits for individual patients.” before the suicide attempt as the case large, rigorous study on this topic and caution when prescribing the drug, in- To fill this gap, Antoon and his col- period and we identified up to four earli- factor this information into their deci- cluding resistance and efficacy in chil- leagues in the UIC College of Pharmacy er control periods of the same length, in sion-making process,” he said. “While this dren.” retrospectively studied the association the same flu season,” Antoon said. “This study addresses suicide, there are still Co-authors on the paper are Rachel between the use of Tamiflu — the only helped us to account for within-person many other questions about other possi- Harrington, Sruthi Adimadhyam, Todd commercially available medication ap- confounders, like depression, mental ble neuropsychiatric side effects of the Lee and Glen Schumock from the UIC proved by the FDA to treat the flu — and health, trauma and abuse, and other fac- drug, which we plan to study in the fu- College of Pharmacy.

An international experience without leaving city By Farooq Chaudhry — [email protected]

The UIC Office of Global Engage- Affairs. ed States policies affecting Mexi- achieved.” ment and Office of International Af- “Internships build résumés and can-Americans in the Midwest,” she The internships with the consul- fairs have made it possible for UIC open a world of opportunities to more said. “I’m very excited to spend the ates are just one step in a larger vi- students to gain international experi- career paths than what we usually spring semester interning at the Con- sion McCrillis has for the university. ences without leaving Chicago. think. The case is that international sulate. While I’m the only intern in my “We need to feel, and every stu- Both offices have opened chan- internships are not only for students department, my team has been very dent should feel like, ‘Oh, we’re actu- nels and made connections with planning to be diplomats, we also welcoming and always helpful.” ally connected to the whole world, I international consulates in Chicago need students in business, engineer- Neal McCrillis, UIC’s vice provost for can see it.’ How can we make UIC to provide students with internships ing, in food security or human right global engagement, hopes interna- everything it is and more, and opportunities there. issues,” she said. tional learning is a part of every UIC demonstrate to people that is the Partner consulates currently in- Katherine Taylor, a senior in politi- student’s experience. case,” he said. “They have to see it clude Pakistan, Mexico, Australia, and cal science, says she has benefitted “From my perspective, in terms of and feel it. That’s really what we’re the list keeps growing. tremendously by interning this semes- global engagement, I want every UIC trying to do in terms of internation- Internships are available for stu- ter in the Office of the Consul General student to have the opportunity to di- alization.” dents across a variety of majors — at the Consulate General of Mexico in rectly experience the world,” he said. For more information on intern- not just those studying international Chicago. “Whether it’s going abroad, connect- ships and international experiences, affairs, said Nora Bonnin, senior di- “My position as a political analyst ing with an international student on contact the Office of International rector of the Office of International allows me to prepare reports on Unit- campus, or working with a foreign Affairs at [email protected] or 312-996- consulate. The same end can be 5455 to set up an appointment. 4 UIC News | Wednesday, March 21, 2018 CAMPUS NEWS Med school dedicates classroom to family of graduates, donors Seeking the By Jackie Carey — [email protected] origins of The College of Medicine dedicated the Dr. and Mrs. John C. Mason Sr. and fibromyalgia Dr. and Mrs. John C. Mason Jr. class- By Sharon Parmet room at a ceremony held Dec. 9 at its [email protected] Chicago campus. The classroom honors alumnus Dr. Fibromyalgia — a disorder characterized John Mason Jr., of Danville, Illinois; his by widespread musculoskeletal pain accom- father, the late Dr. John Mason Sr.; and panied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood his entire family. The Mason family, issues — is difficult to diagnose, and pa- which includes three generations of tients’ pain is often dismissed as psychologi- doctors who received their medical cal because there has been no definitive test degrees from the college’s Chicago for it. campus, has a long history of sup- But in 2013, the FDA approved a test for porting the College of Medicine the disease that will help more patients get through active participation in the diagnosed. alumni association and planned giv- Dr. Frederick Behm, the Frances B. Geev- ing. er Professor and head of pathology in the The Mason family has long sup- UIC College of Medicine, partnered with Dr. ported the College of Medicine with Bruce Gillis, CEO of EpicGenetics, to devel- individual gifts and donations from Steve Mason (from left), Jeffrey Mason, John Mason Jr., Michael Mason and John Mason op a test for fibromyalgia called the FM/a both John Mason Sr. and John Mason celebrate the dedication of a new College of Medicine classroom. test. The test looks for protein and blood cell Jr. dating back to 1965, and a com- biomarkers in the blood and was developed bined gift from the whole family in December. out them. They made my education possible, in part, based on findings from a clinical study led “The Mason family continues to show their support due to the affordability at the time.” by Behm at UIC. for the most promising and talented physicians of to- Following military service, Mason Jr., an OB/GYN, Several thousand people have taken the morrow,” said Dr. Charles Ray, acting dean of the col- returned to Danville and went on to practice medicine FM/a test since it has been available. Now, lege, “and we are pleased to recognize their support for 40 years. During this time, he delivered or assisted Behm and Gillis, together with colleagues at and generosity by dedicating this space to them.” in more than 10,000 births and served as a faculty the University of California, Los Angeles, will The classroom is located on the second floor of the member at the Urbana campus. Mason Jr. retired from look for genetic markers in the blood of pa- College of Medicine Learning Center, which was reno- the Carle Clinic Association and Lakeview Medical tients who tested positive for fibromyalgia vated in 2015 and boasts three floors of updated Center in Danville in 1999, and his legacy of giving using the FM/a test. Behm will lead the ge- classrooms and education spaces within the College’s includes the establishment of an endowed scholarship netic sequencing efforts at UIC. historic West Tower. for students in the College of Medicine, which was The group hopes to enroll several thou- John Mason Jr., who was accepted early into medi- founded with the help of his late wife, Donna. Mason Jr. sand people in the study who test positive cal school after fulfilling his pre-med coursework at and Donna Mason also funded endowed and named for fibromyalgia through the FM/a test, and Urbana-Champaign in three years and then graduated scholarships for students interested in medicine at the compare their genetic sequences to those from the Chicago campus medical school in 1955, Danville Community College and the Carle Foundation. without fibromyalgia. says that his education was possible because it was Mason Jr. attended the ceremony with his four chil- “As more and more patients take the test, affordable. Dr. Mason also completed his residency dren — Dr. Jeffrey Mason, Steve Mason, Michael Mason we will have more samples to interrogate for training at the University of Illinois at Chicago. and Dr. John Mason. Jeffrey Mason earned his medical genetic markers that may help us zero in on “The training I received as a medical student has degree from the University of Illinois College of Medi- the cause and ultimately an effective treat- had a lasting influence on my career,” Mason Jr. said. “I cine in 1986. Steve and Michael Mason, both attor- ment, for this debilitating disease,” Behm always felt like the university was my partner in the neys, and John Mason, a dentist, all attended the said. practice of medicine. I would not be practicing with- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Submit campus news items at today.uic.edu/campus-news/submit-your-story-ideas today.uic.edu UIC News | Wednesday, March 21, 2018 5 MEETING THEIR MATCH Match Day an emotional milestone for medical students By Christy Levy — [email protected]

At 11 a.m. Friday, the UIC Forum of Medicine’s Rockford campus, 56 from erupted into cheers and happy tears. Peoria and 24 at the Urbana-Champaign Together, members of UIC’s College campus received their placements on of Medicine Class of 2018 opened enve- Match Day. lopes that held the reward for their hard Elizabeth Zavala cried and hugged work in medical school. On Match Day, UIC faculty members as she learned that the fourth-year medical students learned she had received her first choice and where they will train for their residency would remain at UIC, training in family programs for the next three to seven medicine. years. “The faculty is tremendous, the diver- “It’s four years of blood, sweat and sity and patient population are important tears all culminating into a really mean- to me — UIC is just a leader in family ingful day and excitement for the next medicine,” she said. chapter of life,” said Christiana Katarzyna Rojek and Trevor Thomp- Shoushtari, who will train in internal son opened their envelopes together medicine at Advocate Lutheran General and were thrilled to learn they will both Hospital in Park Ridge. complete internal medicine residencies More than 30,000 students at medi- at the University of North Carolina Medi- cal schools nationwide were matched to cal Center. A couple since the first year residencies this year through the Nation- of medical school, they had requested to al Resident Matching Program. match together. Photo: Jenny Fontaine At UIC, 162 students matched with “We applied on a whim, but we just residency programs, and the top special- fell in love with Chapel Hill,” Rojek said. ty was internal medicine. About 33 per- Arron Cole matched with his first cent of UIC students will stay in Illinois, choice: otolaryngology at NewYork-Pres- and the top placements were UIC, Uni- byterian, a hospital affiliated with Cornell versity of Chicago and Baylor University. and Columbia universities. Cole said his “Today, you’ll see the reward of your training at UIC has prepared him well for dedication and labor,” College of Medi- his residency program. cine interim dean Charles Ray told stu- “UIC really puts you in the field — dents before they opened their we’re in the trenches in a lot of ways,” envelopes. “With you at the helm, the fu- Cole said. ture of medicine is bright.” He’s ready to begin the next stage of “Residency will be tough, but worth his medical career. every effort,” added Robert Barish, vice “This is the first time it’s really starting chancellor for health affairs. to feel real,” he said. “And it’s super excit- Fifty-three students from the College ing.” WATCH THE VIDEO youtube.com/uicmedia Katarzyna Rojek and Trevor Thompson (Photo: Jenny Fontaine)

Photo: Jenny Fontaine Arron Cole (Photo: Jenny Fontaine) 6 UIC News | Wednesday, March 21, 2018

East Meets West is a collaboration of Provost Susan Poser and Vice Chancellor for meets Health Affairs Robert Barish. This monthly column focuses on UIC faculty and students from the east and west sides of campus engaged in interdisciplinary research. Algorithm shows differences between nurse, doctor care By Jackie Carey — [email protected]

A multidisciplinary team of UIC re- said corresponding author searchers has published the first quanti- Andrew Boyd, assistant pro- tative study on the divergent scopes of fessor of biomedical and practice for nurses and doctors. The health information sciences study uniquely leveraged computer sci- in the College of Applied ence technology to compare individu- Health Sciences. “Previous al-level patient care provided by nurses studies on this topic have and doctors using information routinely been limited by their reliance documented in the electronic health re- on qualitative, observa- cord. tion-based data collection or The researchers analyzed the elec- costly survey methods — tronic health records of 58 randomly ours is the first to objectively selected patients who had a medical measure the scope of prac- diagnosis of heart failure and sought tice when nurses and doc- care at a single academic medical cen- tors care for the same ter over the course of eight years. Each patients.” Co-author Karen Dunn WE’VE CREATED A Lopez, assistant professor in the College of Nursing, said MORE UNIFIED the findings help to illustrate how nurses and doctors PICTURE OF HEALTH Barbara Di Eugenio, professor of computer Karen Dunn Lopez, assistant professor of focus on different aspects of science ­(Photo: Roberta Dupuis-Devlin) nursing ­(Photo: Mark Mershon) CARE PROFESSION- patient care. The findings ALS’ PERSPECTIVES also show that synergy be- tween the two groups is needed to Lopez said. “This is the first evidence of for identifying gaps in care and even ON THEIR PATIENTS achieve the best possible patient out- its kind that illustrates how the scope of improving quality and quality reporting.” comes, she says. nursing practice runs parallel to, but in- For example, Boyd says, hospital met- health record included a physician dis- “Patients who are hospitalized need dependent of, ‘doctor’s orders.’” rics typically focus on physician care, charge summary, and nursing plans of hands-on nursing care in addition to the Some of the common terms for doc- not nursing care. “This study offers foun- care were created for the study using treatments ordered by a physician,” tors were highly technical, including “de- dational evidence that quality reporting the information found in the dis- creased translucency” and “radiographic may be more reflective of care and pa- charge report. examination abnormal,” where nursing tients’ experiences if it expands to A computer algorithm devel- terms were more likely to focus on equally include nursing care documen- oped at UIC was used to identify symptoms and responses to illness, tation,” Boyd said. the key biomedical terms used in such as “acute onset of pain.” While the Lopez agrees and views the findings each summary and to link syn- researchers did not expect the language as proof that there is a need for detailed onyms or related terms via a graph across professions to be identical, they nursing documentation. traversal — a network representa- were surprised to see such significant “Without documentation from nurses, tion that shows the integrated re- differences emerge based on documen- health records only show part of the lationships of language and health tation review alone. whole,” Lopez said. “I hope this study is terminology. Barbara Di Eugenio, “The collaboration between nurses viewed as a first step in identifying how professor of computer science in and doctors is unique in a modern set- the combination of nursing care and the College of Engineering, led ting in which multiple nurses work with medical care work together to improve the development of the algorithm. multiple doctors over the course of the patient outcomes.” The researchers found that only numerous shift changes,” Boyd said. The findings are published in theIn - 26 percent of patient records “Because providers are changing, the ternational Journal of Medical Informat- showed an overlap in terms. On dynamics of collaboration are also ics. average, only four terms between changing — this underscores the impor- Additional co-authors on the study the professions were related to the tance of the electronic health record as are Camillo Lugaresi, Tamara Macieira, same concept. Physicians typically perhaps the single most important com- Vanessa Sousa, Sabita Acharya, Abhi- used about 27 terms and nurses munication tool used to coordinate care naya Balasubramanian, Khawllah Roussi about 18 terms. across disciplines in hospitals today,” and Michel Burton from UIC; Yves Lussi- “We’ve created a more unified Andrew Boyd, assistant professor of biomed- Boyd said. “As the algorithm used in the er and Jianrong Li from the University of ical and health information sciences ­(Photo: picture of health care profession- Roberta Dupuis-Devlin) study can be universally applied to any Arizona; and Gail Keenan from the Uni- als’ perspectives on their patients,” health record, it has incredible potential versity of Florida.

Are you involved in an east-west collaboration? Email [email protected] and we may feature your story! today.uic.edu UIC News | Wednesday, March 21, 2018 7

New compound may stop bacteria from causing strep, scarlet fever By Jackie Carey — [email protected]

A study published in the Journal of help study the quorum Biological Chemistry is the first to de- sensing signaling path- scribe a signaling pathway that affects ways. The technology al- communication — a process called quo- lows them to easily monitor rum sensing — between streptococcus specific gene activities bacteria cells. and whether chemicals or This type of bacterium is responsible other conditions affect for illnesses like strep throat, scarlet gene expression. fever, and some cases of soft tissue in- “Dr. Federle’s interest in fections and pneumonia. In extreme quorum sensing dove- cases, or when bacteria become resis- tailed nicely with our inter- tant to antibiotics, these common but est in developing new serious infections can lead to death. ways to make nitrogen- The UIC researchers who wrote the rich heterocycles from aryl paper have been studying streptococcus azides,” said Tom Driver, bacteria and have hypothesized that professor of chemistry in quorum sensing pathways are ideal the UIC College of Liberal drug targets for manipulating bacterial Arts and Sciences. “Once activity and suppressing virulence. Dr. Kiira Ratia, a collabora- “Quorum sensing is how bacteria reg- tor from the Research Re- ulate their behavior as a collective,” said sources Center, identified corresponding author Michael Federle, an N-heterocycle hit, it was associate professor of medicinal chem- easy to bring our two areas istry and pharmacognosy in the UIC Col- of expertise together lege of Pharmacy. “This social regulation thanks to previous collabo- may provide many benefits to bacteria rations facilitated by the and, in the case of bad bacteria, may UICentre for Drug Discov- Streptococcus bacteria (Photo: National Institutes of Health) help promote survival and help defend ery, a campus-wide aca- against the immune system.” demic drug discovery That is why Federle and his col- initiative.” small molecule that promotes quorum thing he considers vital in the face of leagues in the UIC Colleges of Medicine Using this innovative technique, the sensing in streptococci. This molecule rising antibiotic resistance in society. and Liberal Arts and Sciences have UIC scientists have unlocked part of the stabilizes the chemical signal — called a “We’re losing the war with bacteria,” he worked together to develop a tool to communication process and identified a pheromone — transmitted between cells. said. “Every antibiotic we’ve come up More specifically, the com- with has some level of resistance in na- pound works by blocking ture. We need a way to stop bacteria be- the enzyme that would fore they become a threat and require otherwise degrade the treatment.” pheromone before it can Federle said this is analogous to find- deliver a message, thus ing a diplomatic solution or mediating a promoting its ability to act conflict before it causes harm. as a signal. Driver said he is happy to see that “We identified a mole- science from his lab is contributing to cule that disrupts inhibition translational research. of signaling,” Federle said. “As chemists, we typically focus on de- “Now that we identified this signing new reactions, but this collabo- pathway and this chemical ration is one in which we are particularly compound, we can look interested because the potential it has to further for ways to manipu- effect health outcomes,” Driver said. late quorum sensing and The National Institutes of Health even silence the communi- (grants AI091779 and AI125452) and cation between cells.” the Chicago Biomedical Consortium, By silencing this com- with support from the Searle Funds at munication, Federle says it the Chicago Community Trust, funded might be possible “to con- this study, which was co-authored by vince bacteria to remain in Driver, Tiara Perez Morales, Kiira Ratia, Tom Driver (Photo: Jenny Fontaine) Michael Federle (Photo: Roberta Dupuis-Devlin) a non-hostile state,” some- Duo-Sheng Wang and Artemis Gogos.

Are you involved in an east-west collaboration? Email [email protected] and we may feature your story! 8 UIC News | Wednesday, March 21, 2018

CALENDAR MORE CAMPUS EVENTS AT today.uic.edu MARCH 22 THROUGH MARCH 24 SPECIAL EVENT EXHIBIT

THE STATE OF OUR WATER: AN AIN’T EASY TO LOVE AND OVERVIEW OF THE MOST HARDER TO HOLD CRITICAL ISSUES FACING Gallery 400 exhibit features work WATER IN ILLINOIS from MFA students Shir Ende, Speakers with backgrounds in sci- Betsy Johnson, Marlo Koch, Cait- ence, government and nonprofits lin Ryan and Nick Van Zanten. will provide expert updates on water Exhibit hours: supply planning, water pollution, wa- Tues.–Fri.: 10 a.m.–6 p.m. ter infrastructure, water conservation, Sat.: Noon-6 p.m. and more. And by appointment 8 a.m.–1 p.m. / Student Center East Gallery400.uic.edu

MARCH 21 MARCH 23 CONCERT DISCUSSION

JAMEY AEBERSOLD RADIOLOGY READING ROOMS JAZZ CONCERT SERIES OF THE FUTURE Featuring the Eric Schneider Matthew B. Schabath of Moffit Cancer Quartet and presented by Center discusses “Radiomics in Lung the UIC School of Theatre & Cancer Precision Medicine.” Lunch will Music. be provided. 7:30–9:30 p.m. Noon–1 p.m. Recital Hall L285 765 Neuropsychiatric Institute Education, Theatre, Music & Social Work Building

MARCH 22 & APRIL 13, 25 APRIL 3 APRIL 4 SPECIAL EVENT LECTURE SPECIAL EVENT

VELÀZQUEZ, AESOP, AND THE STATE OF UIC ADDRESS WAR UIC Chancellor Michael Amiridis will dis- Lecture by T.J. Clark, professor cuss UIC’s accomplishments, current chal- emeritus of art history at the Uni- lenges and future plans to be Chicago’s versity of California, Berkeley, and premier public research university. 2017-2018 Institute for the Hu- 3:30–4:30 p.m. / UIC Forum manities Visiting Fellow. Sponsored RSVP, bit.ly/2Do8TLi by the Institute for the Humanities. CCSW WOMEN SPEAK 4–6 p.m. / Institute for the Human- The Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of ities, lower level, Stevenson Hall Women aims to ignite a campus conversation APRIL 6–14 on what resources are needed on campus by EXHIBIT female students and employees. Topics cov- ered include opportunities for personal growth, APRIL 3 AS WE RECOMPOSE mentorship, leadership, safety, networking and LECTURE Gallery 400 exhibit features work from MFA more. students Daniel Haddad Troconis, Sarah March 22: 3–4 p.m., 139 College of Nursing VOICES O’Neil, Jennifer Webster, and Emme Wil- April 13: Noon–1:30 p.m., Room 1-470 Daley Lecture by artist Sky Hopinka. liamson. Library 6–7:30 p.m. Exhibit Hours: Tues.–Fri.: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; April 25: 3–4 p.m., Women’s Leadership and Gallery 400 Sat.: Noon–6 p.m.; and by appointment Resource Center, 1101 W. Taylor St., third floor Art and Design Hall gallery400.uic.edu

Send information about campus events at today.uic.edu/submit-an-event today.uic.edu UIC News | Wednesday, March 21, 2018 9 Researchers investigate the role of arsenic in the development of diabetes By Sharon Parmet — [email protected]

A five-year, $2.7 million grant from the water that can seep into un- The researchers will also examine the National Institute of Environmental derground aquifers, function of a specific selenoprotein im- Health Sciences will help UIC research- explained Dr. Robert Sargis, plicated in an increased risk for diabetes ers answer basic questions about the assistant professor in the di- — glutathione peroxidase — to deter- role of arsenic in the development of vision of endocrinology, dia- mine how it impacts arsenic-induced diabetes and examine the mechanisms betes and metabolism in the beta cell dysfunction. by which selenoproteins — found in the UIC College of Medicine and Finally, they will examine whether human body in 25 different forms — principal investigator on the selenoprotein polymorphisms — differ- counter the effects of arsenic. grant. ences in the DNA that code for these Diabetes is a metabolic disease char- “We really need to know proteins — might alter the impact of ar- acterized by either a lack of adequate how arsenic affects the cells senic on beta cells and overall metabo- insulin or insulin resistance, which can that produce insulin in the lism in mice. cause dangerous spikes in blood sugar pancreas and identify factors “If our studies find that there is a spe- levels, as well as long-term complica- that might counteract arse- cific selenoprotein polymorphism that tions such as blindness, kidney failure, nic, such as selenoproteins, causes an increased risk for diabetes, amputations and cardiovascular disease. which we know have a pro- and if we later find that polymorphism in It is projected that diabetes will affect tective effect, but what we a specific population, we could develop more than 693 million people globally don’t know is exactly how interventions to lower exposure to arse- by 2045. they do this,” he said. nic in these populations or develop in- Recent evidence has implicated envi- Sargis and colleagues will terventions to boost good ronmental pollutants, including arsenic, use the grant to examine Robert Sargis (Photo Jenny Fontaine) selenoproteins,” Sargis explained. in the development of diabetes, but little how arsenic behaves in pan- Other investigators on the grant in- is known about how arsenic exerts this creatic beta cells — the cells clude Alan Diamond, Dr. Brian Layden effect. that produce insulin. They will also look “By looking at the locations of these and Barton Wicksteed of the University Arsenic currently contaminates drink- at how arsenic exposure affects mice two players in beta cells at very high res- of Illinois at Chicago; Marcelo Bonini of ing water sources used by more than that selectively lack selenoproteins in olution, we should be able to learn more the Medical College of Wisconsin; Dr. 100 million people globally. More their beta cells. Using synchrotron X-ray about how arsenic poisons beta cells Alexandra Dumitrescu and Manami Hara groundwater sources are expected to be fluorescence microscopy, they will map and how selenoproteins protect or miti- of the University of Chicago, and Ken- affected by arsenic due to fracking, the locations of arsenic and selenium in gate the damage caused by arsenic in neth Kemner of Argonne National Labo- which produces arsenic-tainted waste- beta cells. these cells,” Sargis said. ratory. 10 UIC News | Wednesday, March 21, 2018 Reducing deaths from opioid overdoses By Brian Tibbs — [email protected]

The Illinois Department of Human Services estimates that 1,826 people died in 2016 from opioid related over- doses — an increase of more than 70 percent compared with 2013. The opi- oid crisis is a growing problem through- out the state, and across the nation, but the addiction can follow different path- ways in different areas. “Far and away, most overdoses and opioid-related overdose deaths in Illinois are now caused by heroin use, often in combination with potent synthetic opi- oids such as fentanyl and carfentanyl,” said James Swartz, professor in the Jane Addams College of Social Work. “In states such as Tennessee or Ohio, it’s been more predominantly a problem of prescription opioids, but looking at the data in Illinois, it appears to be increas- ingly heroin/fentanyl.” To combat this growing problem, Swartz has been working with the IDHS Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse on two aspects of the opioid epi- “THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN demic in Illinois: reducing the number of deaths from overdoses and gaining a SERVICES ESTIMATES THAT 1,826 PEOPLE DIED better understanding of the epidemiolo- gy of addiction in Illinois. IN 2016 FROM OPIOID RELATED OVERDOSES”

IMPROVING OUTCOMES FROM OVERDOSE REVERSAL The project is being conducted under for example, where people become ad- state, often disproportionately com- Naloxone is a substance that tempo- a five-year federal grant from the Sub- dicted to opiates via a different pathway,” posed of racial and ethnic minorities, rarily blocks the effects of opioid drugs stance Abuse and Mental Health Ser- Swartz said. have been especially hard hit by this epi- and has proven successful in reversing vices Administration/Center for He explains that a person might start demic,” Swartz said. “And we also know opioid overdoses. For the last year, Substance Abuse Prevention, adminis- by using a friend’s or family member’s that chronic stress and trauma exposure Swartz has been working on a project tered in Illinois by the Division of Alco- prescription opioids, then transition to increase the chance of developing an called “Illinois Prevent Prescription Drug/ holism and Substance Abuse. heroin if those become difficult to obtain. addiction. But addiction is by no means Opioid Overdose Deaths.” In six Illinois Another person might start by snorting bounded by socioeconomic status or counties known to have high numbers of THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF THE OPIOID heroin but then move to injection use to race. Everyone has some susceptibility opioid-related overdoses — Cook, DuP- CRISIS IN ILLINOIS obtain a better high as tolerance devel- to becoming addicted to these potent age, Lake, Madison, St. Clair and Will Swartz is also conducting an epide- ops. drugs.” counties — the project has increased the miological analysis of data from a variety “We don’t at present know the per- The dean of Jane Addams College of availability of naloxone reversal kits, as of sources. centages of people who follow these Social Work, Creasie Finney Hairston, well as training in their use. “I’m trying to collect data from as different pathways,” he said, “let alone adds, “The lives of so many people are Sites within these counties have many sources as I can to help us under- which pathway is more likely to lead to being devastated by the opioid crisis, come up with their own approach to im- stand how the State of Illinois can best chronic use, addiction and high risk for often in communities where access to plementing the project. Each site is also direct its resources to reduce opioid overdose.” health services is very limited. As social implementing unique interventions, such overdoses and use,” he said. Socioeconomic factors may also af- workers, it is our responsibility to ensure as increasing “warm hand-offs” of over- “For example, the state has epidemio- fect a person’s propensity for use and that communities are made whole and dose survivors between the police and logical data on the general population, addiction. well. Only through community well-being other first-responders and health care but it has never been examined side-by- “Many of our poorest neighborhoods and health equity will we achieve social providers, to encourage increased treat- side with data from the criminal justice in Chicago and in other parts of the justice.” ment participation. system, for people screened as they Swartz will analyze data collected enter prison. We’ve also never looked at from each site to determine best practic- veterans, and we really don’t have com- es. prehensive data for the LGBTQ commu- UIC News Staff “Each site is almost like a unique lab- Published on Wednesdays during the Visual Communication & Design nity.” Anna Dworzecka — [email protected] oratory, and we’ll be doing a careful ex- Swartz added that he would also like academic year (monthly during summer) by: Office of Public and Government Affairs Associate Graphic Designer amination of the data to see what to include data collected by the Illinois Megan Strand — [email protected] practices are most effective for reducing Youth Survey. “They collect information University of Illinois at Chicago 601 S. Morgan St., 1320 UH (MC 288) Editorial Associate overdoses and overdose-related deaths on high school age youth, and we want Chicago, IL 60607-7113 Carley Mostar — [email protected] as well as use of opiates,” he said. to look at that because young people Editorial:...... (312) 996-0662 Farooq Chaudhry — [email protected] To help achieve that goal, Swartz will have one of the highest prevalence rates Advertising: . . . . .(312) 996-3456 Editorial Intern collaborate with the UIC Center for Clini- of nonprescription opioid use.” Fax: ...... (312) 996-3754 Jessica Larocque — [email protected] cal & Translational Sciences to create an A better understanding of the social Associate Editor Photography Internet-based app that can be ac- Christy Levy — [email protected] Jenny Fontaine — [email protected] factors that lead to opioid addiction is cessed on computers or mobile devices also needed. Senior Executive Director, Public Affairs Sherri McGinnis González — [email protected] to capture information about naloxone “The social drivers can be very differ- administration from first responders and ent. What drives it in Chicago communi- Editorial Writer Francisca Corona — [email protected] today.uic.edu bystanders in the field. ties is different than in DuPage county, today.uic.edu UIC News | Wednesday, March 21, 2018 11 PEOPLE Tim Johnson Survey expert honored for service, leadership

By Brian Flood — [email protected]

Tim Johnson, professor of public ad- exploring cross-cultural issues in survey ing, conducting and ana- ministration, has been named the recipi- research. Funding for his research has lyzing public opinion polls. ent of the Association of Academic Survey come from the National Institutes of He also serves as presi- Research Organizations’ 2018 John M. Health, the National Science Foundation dent of the American Asso- Kennedy Achievement Award for his ser- and the Robert Wood Johnson Founda- ciation for Public Opinion vice and leadership to academic survey tion. Research, a professional research. “Aside from Tim’s service and academ- organization of public opin- Johnson, who has directed the Survey ic contributions to survey and public opin- ion and survey research Research Laboratory in the College of ion research, he has been a source of professionals in the U.S., Urban Planning and Public Affairs since wisdom to me and many others on how to with members from aca- 1996, was honored earlier this month navigate the often-difficult waters of demia, media, government, during the group’s annual meeting in Los managing a survey research organiza- nonprofits and industry. Angeles. tion,” said Ronald Langley, director of the The Association of Aca- Johnson’s research has focused on University of Kentucky’s Survey Research demic Survey Research measurement and nonresponse errors in Center. “Additionally, his mentorship of Organizations, which was surveys, as well as health behaviors in staff and students, who are regular established in 2008 to disadvantaged populations. Part of his co-authors on articles and conference support and promote ex- investigation in the latter area has in- presentations, shows his dedication to cellence in survey research volved cultural variability in the process- developing the future leaders in our pro- conducted in academic ing of survey questions, which is often a fession.” settings, is made up of factor that contributes to nonresponse Johnson is a frequent presenter at more than 65 academic and measurement errors. conferences around the world and a survey research organiza- The American Statistical Association sought-after expert on best practices and tions from across the coun- Tim Johnson, professor of public administration, directs UIC’s Survey Research Lab. ­(Photo: Jenny Fontaine) named him a fellow in 2015 for his work assessment methods related to design- try.

APPOINTMENTS Charles Ray was appointed interim AWARDS in February. UIC’s group won for best dean of the College of Medicine, effective banner submission for a banner created John Coronado was appointed vice March 16. He has served as acting dean Elise Archias, assistant professor in by Brian Evans, and Lexi Rosenbery chancellor for administrative services, since July 2017 and head of radiology since art history, received the 2018 Frank was named Illinois Communications pending approval by the University of Illi- January 2014. Jewitt Mather Award for Art Criticism Coordinator of the Year. nois Board of Trustees, effective April 9. from the College Art Association for her Coronado most recently was a project Eileen Collins was appointed associate book, The Concrete Body: Yvonne Rain- Joshua Muniz is the recipient of the management analyst at the U.S. Depart- dean for research at the UIC College of er, Carolee Schneemann, Vito Acconci. William J. Grove Award, which is given ment of Energy. He was responsible for a Nursing. The book examines the 1960s perfor- each year to an outstanding M4 medical construction portfolio of 16 projects val- Since 2002, Collins has been a profes- mance work of three New York artists student in the College of Medicine. Stu- ued at more than $26 billion. A native Chi- sor in the department of biobehavioral who adapted modernist approaches to dents are selected for outstanding aca- cagoan, he received his bachelor’s in health science in the College of Nursing. form for the medium of the human body. demic performance, both in the basic general engineering from the University She is internationally recognized for her science and clinical years, and strong of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He re- innovative research in pulmonary rehabili- Margarita Saona, professor and demonstrated leadership qualities in ceived his master’s in civil engineering at tation. She uses exercise interventions to head of Hispanic and Italian studies, College of Medicine activities in com- the University of Florida and attended the increase exercise tolerance in patients with was awarded a 2017 Luces Prize for munity and professional affairs. Advanced Management Program at Duke chronic obstructive pulmonary disease best poetry book in recognition of her University’s Fuqua School of Business. (COPD), diabetes, and chronic renal failure. book, HONORS Corazón de tinplate. The honor, which is based on reader votes for the year’s Walter Podrazik, adjunct lecturer in greatest creators in film, television, communication, was elected to a three- music, theater, gastronomy, literature year term on the board of directors of and visual arts, is presented by Peru’s El the Library of American Broadcasting, Comercio newspaper. housed at University of Maryland-Col- lege Park. Founded in 1967, the li- Krishna Reddy, professor of civil brary’s collection is widely recognized and materials engineering, was named as the preeminent national repository the winner of the 2018 Wesley W. Horn- for broadcast history, policy and tradi- er Award by the American Society of tion. Civil Engineers. He was recognized for his paper, “Modeling Coupled Hydro- Dick Simpson, professor of political mechanical Behavior of Landfilled science, was a plenary speaker at the Waste in Bioreactor Landfills: Numeri- American Political Science Association’s cal Formulation and Validation.” Teaching and Learning Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, where his 2017 UIC’s Residence Hall Association co-edited book, Teaching Civic Engage- took home two awards at the Illinois ment Across the Disciplines, was fea- Residence Hall Association conference tured. 12 UIC News | Wednesday, March 21, 2018 SPORTS Men’s basketball team advances to CIT quarterfinals By Dan Yopchick — [email protected]

UIC will continue its run in the Col- legeInsider.com Postseason Tournament at 7 p.m. tonight when the Flames take on the Austin Peay Governors in Clarks- ville, Tennessee, in a quarterfinal match- up. The Flames (18-15) are coming off a convincing 84-61 victory over Saint Francis in the opening round March 14. It was both the largest margin of victory and the most points scored in a postsea- son game in program history. Six UIC players scored in double figures, led Clint Robinson with 15 points in 18 min- utes off the bench, matching a career high. Tarkus Ferguson added a dou- ble-double with 11 points and 10 re- bounds. The Flames have won seven consecu- tive road games since Jan. 4. It’s the lon- gest road winning streak in program history since the 2003–04 season, which culminated in UIC’s most recent NCAA Tournament appearance. Austin Peay (19-14), which plays in the Ohio Valley Conference, won its first CIT battle over Louisiana Monroe on March 15, 80-66. The Govs got 27 points from Averyl Ugba on 11-of-16 Tarkus Ferguson scored 11 points in UIC’s first-round CIT win March 14 versus Saint Francis. shooting from the floor. After being picked 11th in the confer- ence, Austin Peay finished third in its tournament for the second time in three adding 15.1 points. conference in the regular season and seasons. Ugba is averaging 15.8 points Watch the quarterfinal game online at reached the semifinals of the conference per game, and Terry Taylor has been WatchCIT.com FLAMES Softball player receives award from White Sox @ HOME By Jenn Zoellick — [email protected] Friday, March 23 UIC softball’s Karissa Frazier escaped preseason game Baseball vs. Oakland the cold recently with a trip to Arizona, against the Los An- where the Chicago White Sox presented 4:05 p.m. geles Dodgers. Curtis Granderson Stadium her with the Roland Hemond Award. Fra- “Mike “Kash” zier received the award for her outstand- Kashirsky caught my ing efforts with Gift of Life. first pitch and Saturday, March 24 Frazier, a redshirt junior in public showed me true, Baseball vs. Oakland health, spent a day at the White Sox genuine kindness 2:05 p.m. Spring Training home, Camelback throughout the Ranch. She was given a personalized Curtis Granderson Stadium weekend,” she said. jersey, treated to a tour of the facilities The Chicago and more. White Sox created Sunday, March 25 “It was such an incredible experience,” the Roland Hemond Baseball vs. Oakland Frazier said. “I was blown away by the Award to honor 12:05 p.m. entire Chicago White Sox organization’s those who are dedi- Roland Hemond (from left), Karissa Frazier and White Sox Curtis Granderson Stadium hospitality, class and kindness. I got to cated to bettering Manager Rick Renteria (Photo: Ron Vesley) meet some incredible people including the lives of those Tuesday, March 27 the legendary Roland Hemond himself, around them. bassador in September 2016, the pitch- which was a huge honor.” Frazier earns the distinction for her er has swabbed more than 1,000 Baseball vs. NIU Frazier also met White Sox manager dedicated involvement with Gift of Life, a individuals for the registry and has gone 4:05 p.m. Rick Renteria and threw out the first public bone marrow and blood stem cell to great lengths to facilitate drives and Curtis Granderson Stadium pitch before sitting back to enjoy the registry. Since becoming a campus am- raise awareness.

MORE SPORTS AT uicflames.com