The Doctors of USC Open Satellite Location on the Westside

APRIL 22 • 2011 TheWeekly theweekly.usc.edu PUBLISHED FOR THE USC HEALTH SCIENCES CAMPUS COMMUNITY VOLUME 17 • NUMBER 14 Don Milici

Promoting the new 14,000-square-foot Doctors of USC Beverly Hills satellite office, billboard ads have been placed in strategic locations throughout the Westside. The new office is located at 9033 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. The Doctors of USC open satellite location on the Westside

‘The Doctors of The latest University of Southern School of Medicine’s commitment to Gill, executive director, USC Institute of California satellite has opened on Los advancing the art and science of medicine Urology, will see patients there as well. USC Beverly Hills Angeles’ Westside. The Doctors of USC for our local community. It is an extension Also opening at The Doctors of USC center is a dramatic are bringing their world-class medical of USC’s academic medical center, one of Beverly Hills is the Westside Norris demonstration of expertise in ophthalmology and urology/ two such centers in Los Angeles.” Laboratory, which is the first USC lab to prostate cancer to Beverly Hills. The Doctors of USC physician practice open at a community practice. Now USC the Keck School The Doctors of USC Beverly group is associated with the USC-owned patients who live on the Westside will of Medicine’s Hills—affiliated with the Keck School USC University Hospital and USC Norris have a convenient and alternative location of Medicine—is located at 9033 Wilshire Cancer Hospital. to obtain their lab results. The Norris lab is commitment to Boulevard in Beverly Hills. The new Neda Shamie, a leader in corneal operated by USC Norris Cancer Hospital advancing the art 14,195-square-foot location offers the latest transplantation, will serve as medical Laboratory and is part of the USC Clinical treatments from top specialists in three director of the USC Doheny Eye Laboratories system. Physicians will be and science of key areas of medicine, said Keck School Center. Puliafito, an expert in macular able to have results available to them medicine for our Dean Carmen A. Puliafito. degeneration, also will see patients at the electronically. “This vital center brings the care and USC Doheny Eye Center. Initially established to service oncology local community.’ expertise of The Doctors of USC closer Leading oncologists David Agus patients of Agus and Gross, the lab will to Westside communities,” said Puliafito, and Mitchell Gross will see patients also provide services to the USC Doheny —Keck School of who is one of several physicians who will in the USC Norris Westside Cancer Eye Center, as well as other practitioners see patients at the new location. “The Center, affiliated with the National in the community. Medicine Dean Doctors of USC Beverly Hills center is Cancer Institute-designated USC Norris The initial focus at The Doctors of Carmen A. Puliafito a dramatic demonstration of the Keck Comprehensive Cancer Center. Inderbir See WESTSIDE, page 2

Whittier Foundation awards $3 million nanotechnology grant to Keck School

By Pauline Vu Lee Whittier Woods and The L.K. Whittier the Whittier Foundation Foundation is awarding for their generosity and another $3 million to the foresight in continuing to fund nanobiotechnology initiative nanobiotechnology at USC,” it established four years ago at said Edward Crandall, the the Keck School of Medicine. project’s lead investigator and Steve Cohn Photography The grant will fund the chair of the Department of L.K. Whittier Foundation Medicine. PERFECT PITCH—USC University Hospital patient Kelly Mitchell (above Nanobiotechnology Initiative, “This grant will enable us and left) threw out the first pitch at the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball game on April 17. Mitchell was accompanied by USC hospitals CEO Mitch Creem which is researching new ways to work from bench to bedside and other guests at the match-up between the Dodgers and the St. Louis to use nanotechnology to in multidisciplinary projects Cardinals. Video story is online at http://tinyurl.com/3v2u7o9. fight diseases such as cancer, that span the University Mitchell was diagnosed with a large brain tumor while pregnant with her diabetes and cardiovascular Park (UPC), Health Sciences first child. Charles Liu, associate professor of neurological surgery at the Keck disease. (HSC) and Children’s School of Medicine, successfully removed the tumor eight days after Mitchell The foundation awarded Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) delivered her baby. “It is an honor to represent USC University Hospital the first $1 million installment campuses,” he added. today and be able to throw the first pitch,” Mitchell said. “Thanks to the ex- of the three-year grant in Nanotechnology, or science ceptional care I received at USC, my sight and memory were restored, and I October. and engineering at the very am now the proud mother of a little boy, and I’m expecting a little girl. I was nearly blind a year and a half ago, and now I have 20/20 vision throwing the “We are extremely small nanometer (one billionth first pitch at a baseball game!” grateful to [trustee] Laura See WHITTIER, page 3 APRIL 22 • 2011 USC urologists visit China to lay groundwork for USC-China Program

By Cheryl Bruyninckx Ng, urology fellow. They and bladder diseases. In of various prominent urology on such an initiative for the The USC Institute of conducted a “live surgery” addition, Gill, Desai and Xie departments across China, past decade. Annually since Urology team recently symposium in each of the five delivered multiple state-of- Hong Kong and Singapore. 1998, more than 50 Chinese returned from a 12-day, 5-city cities between March 22 and the-art lectures. USC Institute To explore logistics for clini- urologists have visited USC visit to Shanghai, Beijing, April 3. of Urology brochures and cal referrals, the USC Urology for a week-long instructional Guangzhou, Hong Kong “The goal of this trip physician business cards were team met with the U.S. Con- symposium to observe live and Singapore to lay the was to create a ‘USC-China translated into Chinese for sul General in Guangzhou and surgeries and learn new groundwork for a collaborative Program’ in clinical medicine, these symposia. the CEOs of seven healthcare techniques. program with physicians in which will enhance academic Also attending were many and insurance companies. Possibilities for future China. exchanges and make USC a Chinese dignitaries, including They also met with officials of collaboration being explored Led by Inderbir S. Gill, preferred destination for Chi- the director of Health Bureau the USC-Hong Kong office, include tele-consults and founding executive director of nese patients seeking cutting- of Beijing, dean of the Beijing and Gill was interviewed by e-consults, remote health the USC Institute of Urology edge medical and surgical Medical School, dean of the Chinese media in Guangzhou. monitoring, referring of and professor and chair of the treatment,” said Gill. Chinese University of Hong A contract from one healthcare patients to USC for advanced Joseph & Catherine Aresty More than 1,823 Chinese Kong, president and vice company has been submit- medical care, and building Department of Urology, the urologists attended these sym- president of the Chinese ted to the USC Institute of stronger relationships with USC team also included Mihir posia to witness USC urolo- Urological Association, Urology, which has already Chinese physicians. Desai, Professor of Urology, gists perform 15 advanced president of the Chinese generated patient referrals. A group of physicians from Hui-Wen Xie, professor robotic and laparoscopic Military Hospitals Association, The USC Institute of China are planning a trip to of urology, and Casey surgeries for kidney, prostate, and more than 40 chairmen Urology has been working USC in the near future. WESTSIDE: Initial focus targets ophthalmology and prostate cancer care

Continued from page 1 USC Beverly Hills will be on ophthalmology, urology and prostate cancer care, providing a complete range of sub-specialties to deliver comprehensive diagnostic and treatment services. Advanced care through cutting-edge therapies and clinical trials will be offered, as well as continuing medical education for community physicians. The new clinical center features well-appointed patient exam and treatment rooms, an on-site pharmacy, and valet parking. The USC Boardroom, the Trojan Hospitality Room, and a medical education video Above are the first three pages of the newspaper advertising insert profiling five physicians who will be practicing at the Beverly Hills office. conferencing center are also available. Ad campaign promoting new location highlights ‘world class names’ In addition to seeing patients in Beverly Hills and Along with the new codes of Beverly Hills. areas of expertise and the the marketing campaign at the two USC hospitals, satellite opening, a marketing There will be an eight-page graphics will be in black-and- will be in circulation among The Doctors of USC also see campaign has also launched, insert profiling five physicians white with cardinal highlights, independently owned coffee patients in two other satellite announcing The Doctors of who will be practicing at the mimicking the USC hospitals shops in the area. locations in downtown Los USC Beverly Hills location. Beverly Hills office. Forty ad campaign. A dozen billboards are now Angeles and La Canada The campaign’s theme reflects thousand copies will be A series of print ads will up in the Beverly Hills area Flintridge. Another satellite the message “In a town of inserted into the Beverly Hills run in the Beverly Hills Courier announcing the opening of location is planned to open in world-class names … we’re Courier and 24,000 will be along with a series of physician The Doctors of USC Beverly Pasadena in early 2012. adding a few more” as it inserted into the Los Angeles profiles. Hills. The billboards will be For more information about introduces The Doctors of Times, Westside zip codes only. In addition, 35,000 up and rotating through the The Doctors of USC Beverly USC to the prestigious zip The profiles will mention coffee sleeves reflecting next four months. Hills, please visit doctorsofusc. com/beverlyhills.

TheWeekly Next Issue: April 29

The Weekly is published for the faculty, staff, students, volunteers and visitors in the Univer- sity of Southern California’s Health Sciences Campus community. It is written and produced by the Health Sciences Public Relations and Marketing staff. Comments, suggestions and story ideas are welcome. Permission to reprint articles with attribution is freely given.

Associate Senior Vice President, Health Sciences Public Relations and Marketing: Jane Brust Executive Director of Communications: Ina Fried Assistant Director of Publications: Sara Reeve Jon Nalick Editor: Jon Nalick PROFESSOR EMERITUS EXPLORES “THE SOUL OF MEDICINE”—Norman Contributors: Ryan Ball, Eva Blaauw, Tania Chatila, Carol Matthieu, Levan, former chief of USC’s Department of Dermatology, visited the Health Carole Omoumi, Leslie Ridgeway, Imelda Valenzuela and Pauline Vu Sciences Campus on March 31 to share his life experiences and thoughts on the medical profession. The Office of Religious Life and the USC Levan Institute Senior Vice President, University Relations: Martha Harris for Humanities and Ethics hosted the event as part of the discussion series “The Soul of Medicine.” The 95-year-old practicing physician captivated students and faculty with tales of his service in Okinawa during World War II, as well as his Phone: 323-442-2830 Fax: 323-442-2832 unconventional ideas about medical education. Levan, a USC alum and generous E-mail: [email protected] Web: theweekly.usc.edu RSS: http://www.usc.edu/hscw supporter of the university, recently pledged $10 million in scholarships and chair support to the Keck School of Medicine. Zilkha researchers’ zebrafish study reveals refinement of neural connections

By Pauline Vu through their research conducted on zebrafish. the brain there is a period when exuberant neural Scientists from the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute Their study was published in the April 6 issue of connections are being refined, leading to precisely and Keck School of Medicine said they are the first the Journal of Neuroscience, the weekly journal of the connected neural circuits in the mature brain. to develop a functional approach to studying neural Society for Neuroscience. “Our findings lay a very solid basis for the view of circuitry in the earliest possible developmental stages It finds that during very early development of early development of the neural connectivity. The time window when imprecise neural connectivity is being refined provides the brain circuit with an opportunity to be adapted to the specific sensory environment.” said Huizhong Tao, assistant professor of cell and neurobiology. Previous studies on birds implied that a pruning of neural connections may occur. The current study, using a functional approach, provides direct evidence for a refinement of neural connections. Additionally, the current study examined much earlier developmental stages than the previous studies, with stages as early as only four days after fertilization of zebrafish eggs. The research has implications for the impact of some disease-related genes, such as the gene responsible for the fragile-X form of mental retardation, on the early development of brain circuits.

Ryan Ball The study’s other USC researchers are Min Zhang and Yan Liu, postdoctoral research scientists at the WALKING THE WALK, FOR KECK— The USC University Hospital Zilkha Institute, and Sheng-zhi Wang and Bao-hua Liu, Guild held its fifth annual “Darlene Dafau Reid Walk the 5K for graduate students at the Keck School. The final team Keck” on April 13 to raise money for scholarships for Keck School of member, Wen Zhong, is a researcher from Guang Dong Medicine students and medical research. Above, Candy Duncan, chair Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in of the 5K Walk, displays a shirt being sold to help raise money for the Guangzhou, China. event. Right, walkers enter the home stretch and near the finish line The study was supported by the National Eye

at Harry and Celesta Pappas Quad. Ryan Ball Institute and the Karl Kirchgessner Foundation.

WHITTIER: Foundation now supports eight groundbreaking nanotechnology projects at USC

Continued from page 1 on a project to capture and establish the L.K. Whittier Cancer Center and the Keck of cancer patients. In 2008, of a meter) level, has huge characterize circulating tumor Foundation Innovative School, with the goal of the foundation awarded an potential to transform the cells; Tailored Therapies Initiative helping scientists develop additional $5 million to extend biomedical world, and this • Mark Humayun, professor at USC Norris Comprehensive new approaches to treatment that initiative for five years. award gives USC additional of ophthalmology, biomedical momentum. In October, engineering, and cell and USC trustee and alumnus neurobiology, improving Ming Hsieh announced a treatment of blindness $50 million gift to create by designing minimally With a very a permanent endowment invasive approaches involving to support research and attachment of artificial retinal quick tap, development between devices to retinal nerve cells; engineering and medicine • Rich Roberts, professor in the growing field of of chemical engineering and Madeline had her nanomedicine for cancer. chemistry at the USC Dana The Los Angeles-based and David Dornsife College festival app. L.K. Whittier Foundation, of Letters, Arts and Sciences, which supports innovative developing ‘antibody-mimics’ endeavors in education, that provide a potential route the sciences and health and to clinical therapeutics; medicine, established the • Uttam Sinha, associate Keck School’s biomedical professor and vice chair of nanotechnology program otolaryngology, engineering in 2007 with a $2.7 million a novel gene delivery system grant. At the time, the using nanotechnology that will interdisciplinary program enable head and neck cancer funded four projects. treatments at much lower The initiative has since doses of radiation, thereby expanded to eight projects sparing normal cells; April 30 - May 1 • Free Admission on the three USC campuses • Mark Thompson, involving the following professor of chemistry at USC investigators: Dornsife College, developing • Crandall, who is also sensors made from nanoscale Download our free Los Angeles Times Festival of Books professor of pathology and wires that can detect multiple app for iPhone, iPod Touch and Android to get the most chemical engineering, disease-specific molecules; out of your day. currently developing new and, approaches to design inhaled • Timothy Triche, nanoparticles for increased professor of pathology at See authors bring their latest books to life. biomedical effectiveness in Children’s Hospital Los Free tickets will be available beginning therapeutic systemic drug/ Angeles, developing targeted April 24 at 9 am. © 2011 John Bemelmans Marciano. Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is in gene delivery; nanoparticles for improved association with USC. • Thomas Chen, associate treatment of cancers such as professor of neurosurgery, leukemia and sarcoma. Presented by developing a biological The Whittier Foundation latimes.com/festivalofbooks nanotechnology delivery has a history of generously Follow us @latimesfob system to treat brain tumors; funding medical research at • Amir Goldkorn, assistant USC. In 2002, the foundation Los Angeles Times latimes.com Whenever you want. Wherever you go. To subscribe call 1.800.326.5500 professor of medicine, working donated $5.2 million to APRIL 22 • 2011

Kevin Lohenry tapped as new director of Calendar of Events USC Primary Care Physician Assistant Program

This Calendar of events is also online at By Ryan Ball program has its roots in the www.usc.edu/hsccalendar for the Health Kevin Lohenry has joined Department of Emergency Sciences Campus community the Trojan Family as as- Medicine at the LAC + USC sistant professor of clinical Medical Center, which has family medicine and program provided invaluable training Tuesday, Apr. 26 director for the USC Primary over the years. He hopes to 6 p.m. “Lessons from on Top of the World,” Conrad Anker, Care Physician Assistant (P.A.) strengthen that relationship American mountaineer, environmentalist and author. Geoff Program. Anne Walsh, who while also securing more Tabin, Univ. of Utah. Wine and Cheese Reception at 5:30 p.m. served as the interim program opportunities for physician NRT Aresty Auditorium. Info: (323) 442-1900 director, will remain part assistants at USC University of the faculty and will help Kevin Lohenry Hospital and USC Norris Can- Wednesday, Apr. 27 facilitate the transition in cer Hospital. leadership. continue, which will require In preparing for his role at Noon. ZNI Seminar. “Maternal-fetal Interactions and 5-HT Originally from Wheaton, forging new partnerships and USC, Lohenry met with each Modulation of Fetal Brain Wiring,” Alexandre Bonnin, USC. ZNI 112. Info: (323) 442-2144 IL, Lohenry served in the securing established partner- class in the P.A. program and United States Navy prior to ships for student clinical was inspired. “They’re amaz- 6 p.m. “Life After Prostate Cancer Surgery: Patient Informa- becoming a physician as- education opportunities. ing students,” he said. “They tion Seminar,” Dan Park, USC. Light refreshments will be sistant. He comes to USC “One of the biggest strug- have great stories to tell, they served. NRT Aresty Aud. RSVP to (323) 865-3731 from Midwestern University, gles with growing any P.A. all come from a variety of where he served since 2005 program is the lack of clinical backgrounds and they’re all Thursday, Apr. 28 as associate professor and clerkship sites,” said Lohenry. very passionate about patient program director of the Physi- Lohenry noted that the P.A. care.” 5:15 p.m. Vladimir Zelman, Distinguished and Endowed cian Assistant program on the Lectureship. “Fragile Brains, the Young & the Old,” James university’s Glendale, Arizona Cottrell, SUNY Downstate Medical Ctr. NRT Aresty Aud. 2011 Commencement Ceremonies Reception begins at 4:30 p.m. Info: (323) 409-6856 campus. He is president of the Wednesday, May 11 Timothy Kennedy, New York State Friday, Apr. 29 Physician Assistant Education Senator. A reception will immediately Association, the national orga- Keck School of Medicine – M.S., follow at the Davidson Conference Center, Embassy Room. 6:45 – 8:30 a.m. Anesthesiology Grand Rounds. “Preoperative nization for physician assistant Ph.D., & M.P.H. Aneurysm Management,” James Cottrell, SUNY Downstate educators, and has served on 4 p.m. at the Harry and Celeste Pappas Physician Assistant Program Medical Ctr. MCH 256. Info: (323) 409-6856 its board of directors for nearly Quad. Ursula W. Goodenough, professor of biology, Washington University, St. 10:45 a.m. at the southwest lawn of the five years. Louis. A reception will immediately Allan Hancock Foundation Building at 8 a.m. Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Grand Rounds. the University Park Campus. Fran Pavley, Keck School Dean follow in the upper quad area. “Nevoid Melanoma: Beware!” Scott Binder, UCLA. NOR 7409. California State Senator. A reception will Carmen A. Puliafito com- immediately follow at the same location. Info: (323) 442-1180 Friday, May 13 mented, “Having conducted School of Pharmacy a nationwide search, we are Biokinesiology & Physical Therapy Tuesday, May 3 3 p.m. at the Harry and Celeste Pappas thrilled to have Dr. Lohenry to 11 a.m. at Bovard Auditorium at the Quad. Lucinda Maine, CEO of the 8 a.m. Annual USC Norris Cancer Center Poster Session. NRT lead this program as it expands University Park Campus. Charles M. American Association of Colleges of Magistro, master clinician, educator, LG 503/504. A light lunch will be served. For abstract submis- Pharmacy. A reception will immediately to meet the needs of an aging visionary, and leader in the physical follow in the upper quad area. Tickets sion and instructions, please visit http://uscnorris.com/poster. population and a growing therapy profession. required. Info: (323) 865-0801 number of individuals insured Dentistry under health care reform. Phy- Sunday, May 15 Friday, May 6 11 a.m. at McAlister Soccer Field at the sician assistant is the second University Park Campus. Connie Drisko, Keck School of Medicine – M.D./ fastest-growing profession in dean of the Medical College of Georgia. Ph.D., M.D. 11 a.m. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Special Seminar. A reception will immediately follow at “From Epigenetic Profiling to Understanding Transcription the U.S., and the USC Pri- the same location. 3 p.m. at the Shrine Auditorium in mary Care Physician Assistant Los Angeles. Drew Pinsky, internist Regulatory Mechanisms,” Shirley Liu, Harvard. NRT Aresty Occupational Science and and addictionologist, clinical assistant Aud. Refreshments will be served. Info: (323) 865-3852 Program, under Dr. Lohenry’s Occupational Therapy professor of psychiatry at the Keck direction, will be a leader School of Medicine, radio host, TV 10:45 a.m. in the lawn west of Leavy personality and author. A reception will Tuesday, May 10 in supplying that workforce Library at the University Park Campus. immediately follow at Founders Park at with extremely well prepared the University Park Campus. 10:30 a.m. USC Hospital Guild Speaker Series. “Autism—Chal- health care professionals.” lenges and Research Advances,” Pat Levitt, USC. Private Club Lohenry believes that USC USC Health Sciences in Pasadena. $45 per person. RSVP to (626) 440-0679 Public Relations and Marketing Non-Profit Organization is uniquely positioned to meet 1975 Zonal Ave. KAM 400 U.S. POSTAGE PAID Los Angeles, CA 90033 University of Southern California that growing need. “Many Noon. Psychiatry Grand Rounds. “Optimization of Psychiatric Care: A Look into Behavioral Causes of Medical Co-Morbidi- P.A. programs around the ties,” Robert Cobb, USC. ZNI 112. Info: (323) 442-4065 country struggle with recruiting a diverse class and training Wednesday, May 11 students in underserved communities in the numbers that Noon. ZNI Seminar. “Maturation and Rejuvenation of USC does,” he remarked. GABAergic Transmission in Visual Cortex,” Alfredo Kirkwood, USC’s P.A. program is 33 Johns Hopkins University. ZNI 112. Info: (323) 442-2144 months in length and culmi- nates in a Master of Physician Friday, May 20 Assistant Practice. The P.A. program will graduate a class 11:45 a.m. USC PSOC Seminar. “Histone Variants, Nucleosome Dynamics, and Epigenetics,” Steven Henikoff, Fred Hutchin- of 39 this spring, bringing the son Cancer Research Center. CSC 250. Info: (323) 442-3849 total number of graduates to more than 1,200 since the Tuesday, May 24 inception of the program. The program currently has another Noon. Women In Management Seminar. “Heart Disease in 95 students completing their Women,” Helga Van Herle, USC. NRT LG 503/504. Info: (323) education and is recruiting 54 442-1865 students to begin in the fall. Lohenry said a goal of the program is to see that growth Notice: Deadline for calendar submission is 4 p.m. Mon- day to be considered for that week’s issue—although three weeks’ advance notice of events is recommended. Please note that timely submission does not guarantee an item will In case of an emergency... be printed. Send calendar items to The Weekly, KAM 400 or fax to (323) 442-2832, or e-mail to [email protected]. Call the Emergency Information Phone: 213-740-9233 The emergency telephone system can handle Entries must include day, date, time, title of talk, first and last 1,400 simultaneous calls. It also has a backup system on the East Coast. name of speaker, affiliation of speaker, location, and a phone number for information. Visit the USC Web: http://emergency.usc.edu This page will be activated in case of an emergency. Backup Web servers on the East Coast will function if the USC servers are incapacitated.