UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA MEDICAL SCHOOL A PUBLICATION OF THE MINNESOTA MEDICAL FOUNDATION MEDICAL THE MINNESOTA OF A PUBLICATION
Great expectations U researchers take stem cell science from Petri dish to patient
FALL 2009 Faculty combats disparities that lead to diabetes Federal funds foster stimulating lessons in cancer biology The father of chronobiology explains why timing is everything About the Medical School
THE UNIVERSITY of Minnesota Medical School encourages collaborations that spur innovations—discoveries that advance biomedical knowledge, patient care, and educational programs. The Medical School now trains 920 medical students and more than 800 residents and fellows and is home to 1,600 faculty physicians and scientists.
About the Minnesota 8 Medical Foundation
THE MINNESOTA Medical Foundation is a nonprofit organization that raises millions of dollars annually to help improve the quality of life for the people of Minnesota, the nation, and the world ON THE WEB by supporting health-related research, education, and service at the University Find web-exclusive content in the online version of the of Minnesota, including many Medical Medical Bulletin at www.mmf.umn.edu/bulletin. School initiatives. Stem cell discoveries Biological rhythms Find videos and a news story Watch a video of Dr. Franz Frank B. Cerra, M.D. about the use of stem cell Halberg explaining how his Medical School Dean and therapies to treat various cancers, chronobiology research can Senior Vice President for Health Sciences Parkinson’s disease, and other improve medicine today. Mark S. Paller, M.D., M.S. major illnesses. Executive Vice Dean, Medical School Alumni Reunion Weekend Becky Malkerson Disparities and diabetes Find your classmates in a President and CEO, View a slideshow from slideshow from this fall’s Minnesota Medical Foundation the Bright Start obesity Medical School alumni reunion. prevention study on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. FALL 2009 Contents
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Features ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
8 GREAT EXPECTATIONS 2 Medical School News The potential to transform medicine looms large as 6 Global Outreach the Stem Cell Institute embarks on its second decade Medical student Amanda Noska of discovery combines medicine and human rights to help Haitian women 14 CLOSING THE GAP quit prostitution University researchers combat health disparities that put some groups at higher risk for diabetes 22 Alumni Spotlight Joy Ngobi, M.D., M.P.H., crafts 18 STIMULATING LESSONS hope for her native Uganda Masonic Cancer Center scientists make the most 24 Alumni Connections of federal funds to engage teachers and students in hands-on research 26 Scholarship Winner A career-defining detour leads Rebecca Johnson to a pathology career
E-mail us at [email protected] to receive the 30 A Look Back Medical Bulletin by e-mail instead of as a paper copy. Franz Halberg, M.D., reflects on chronobiology, the science he pioneered Medical School News PHOTO: SCOTT STREBLE
Medical School makes leadership changes
ark S. Paller, M.D., M.S., a physician and Dean Frank Cerra, M.D., and executive vice dean Mark S. Paller, leader in the University of Minnesota’s M.D., M.S., now lead the Medical School’s strategic direction and M daily operations, respectively. research efforts for the last 27 years, in July
became executive vice dean of the As dean, Cerra will handle long-term Medical School Dean Emeritus University of Minnesota Medical School. strategic direction, foster strong external Deborah Powell, M.D., is now serving As the Academic Health Center’s relationships with clinical partners, and as AHC associate vice president for (AHC’s) assistant vice president for promote financial stability. As executive new models of medical education. The research since 1999, Paller has devel- vice dean, Paller will focus on the criti- position will allow her to continue her oped programs to encourage faculty cal day-to-day operations of t