FALL/WINTER 2008 • UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER MEDICAL CENTER • SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND DENTISTRY ROROCHESTERCHESTERMEDICINEMEDICINE New Graduate Dean The Ph.D. Experience Edith Lord aims for stronger programs, Students find different paths to better scientists, better lives Rochester and their future in science ON THE COVER Edith Lord, Ph.D., Senior Associate Dean for Graduate Education e certainly will remember 2008 effective at reducing the inflammatory Wfor the financial challenges that erupted reactions that can lead to organ failure during the year. But here at the and death. Although these variants are University of Rochester Medical Center, a long way from being approved, Kim’s we also should remember 2008 as a time versions of the protein may show of exciting and promising discovery. enhanced efficacy. In the journal Nature, Hartmut Harold C. Smith, professor of “Hucky” Land, Ph.D., chair of the biochemistry and biophysics, aims to Department of Biomedical Genetics, and develop drugs for HIV and AIDS that his team reported they had found a prom- would not lose their effectiveness ising way to pinpoint the genes essential because of drug resistance. He has a new in turning normal cells to cancerous cells. way of screening compounds that utilize The Nature article described the dis- a completely different pathway to attack covery of approximately 100 genes that HIV. If successful, this method signifi- work downstream of known cancer- cantly reduces the chances of drug causing mutations, providing new targets resistance. In 2008, Smith received a for intervention. Grand Challenges Explorations grant The National Cancer Institute from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foun- Science Take Out, a Medical Center start- believes in the potential of this dation for this work. The grant is up company that provides science kits for discovery, awarding a $2.7 million grant designed to help scientists “explore bold, high school students. Some students have to Land to map the network of genes new solutions for health challenges in difficulty meeting the state minimum that can cause colon cancer. The money developing countries.” requirement of 20 hours of laboratory will support work for the next five years Charles A. Thornton, M.D., pro- activity to qualify to take a science exam in the laboratory of Land, who is scien- fessor of neurology, and his team are need to get a diploma. The company tific director of our James P. Wilmot attacking muscular dystrophy. They already has developed nine individual Cancer Center. have developed a method to screen science lab kits that can be used either at Many athletes — professionals and compounds for RNA that can stop the home, in schools with limited lab facili- gym rats — have had damaged cartilage progression of the disease and reverse ties, or by teachers who do not have the or a torn meniscus. There is no known some of the damage. Thornton already time for lab preparation. medical treatment for their protection or has found several compounds that We will face many serious repair. Randy Rosier, M.D., Ph.D. (M’78, appear effective in treating Type 1 myo- economic hurdles in 2009. But we also PhD’79), professor of orthopaedics, has tonic dystrophy. know that we can count on the Medical discovered a cellular pathway that For many years, Chawnshang Center faculty and scientists for the provides a target for a drug that can Chang, Ph.D., director of the George discoveries, inventions and ideas that repair and regenerate articular cartilage Whipple Laboratory for Cancer Research, will give us confidence in the future and and fibrocartilaginous tissues. has studied the role of the androgen enable us to leap those hurdles. Sepsis remains a deadly condition receptor in prostate cancer. Chang says with a mortality rate greater than it’s likely that the androgen receptor 30 percent. Recently, a recombinant works differently in different cells. He is form of Activated Protein C has been developing a new therapeutic approach approved by the U.S. Food and Drug to target the androgen receptor differ- Administration as a treatment for severe ently in different cells, turning off the sepsis. While this protein “drug” shows receptor in some cells while keeping it benefit, the increase in survival rates is on in others, to fight prostate cancer. Bradford C. Berk, M.D., Ph.D. not large. Minsoo Kim, an assistant In 2008, we also saw a different (M’81, PhD’81) professor of microbiology and immu- kind of step forward for science. Dina CEO, University of Rochester nology, however, has identified variants Markowitz, Ph.D., associate professor Medical Center; of Activated Protein C that are more of environmental medicine, launched Senior Vice President for Health Sciences FALL / WINTER 2008 1 ost people think of a for biomedical research, we both remain Mmedical school as a place where medical very optimistic for the future, primarily students learn how to become phys- because of the high caliber and enthu- icians. At the University of Rochester siasm of our graduate students. School of Medicine and Dentistry, we In this issue, you also can meet six have about 400 such medical students. graduate students who expect to receive But our School is also a place where their Ph.D. this year. Several already graduate students learn how to become have landed postdoctoral appointments. scientists. Did you know that we train And they each feel very positively about more graduate students than medical the education and training they received students? Currently, we have more than at our school. Ann Rossi, who will do 440 Ph.D. students and 135 master’s her postdoctoral studies at the Uni- degree candidates in a wide variety of versity of Chicago Medical Center, fields. describes well what we try to do: “The Graduate school teaches a number greater value in getting my Ph.D. from of lessons that often aren’t learned in the School of Medicine and Dentistry medical school: the importance of is in my training to be a scientist. gaining first-principles knowledge as a Rochester, I would say, is very ‘student- means of thinking creatively about the centric.’ There is a real focus on the production of new knowledge; the student — teaching how to ask and importance of writing clearly; an under- answer the right questions, how to standing of how raw data translate into present your work, how to collaborate results, leading to an analytic (and with others in your field and outside sometimes skeptical) perspective on of your field.” published data; the importance of time The School of Medicine and and of multiple failed research directions Dentistry has awarded many students a taught and trained Ph.D. students four as critical ingredients in the germination Ph.D. or a master’s degree — more than decades ago, clearly maintained his of a truly novel finding; and, more 1,500 in the last decade alone. An album affection for the School of Medicine and important, the joy of figuring something in this issue also includes brief portraits Dentistry over the years and demon- out that was not previously known. of six alumni whose careers began with a strated it with an unexpected gift. This This issue of Rochester Medicine Ph.D. from our school. should inspire us in 2009. focuses on graduate education at the I also want to cite articles in this School of Medicine and Dentistry. In issue about two remarkable gifts to the these pages, you will meet Edith Lord, School of Medicine and Dentistry. Ph.D., professor of microbiology and Robert Brent, M.D., Ph.D. (M ’53, PhD immunology and of oncology, who is our ’55), and his wife, Lillian, have made an new senior associate dean for graduate inspiring pledge for a scholarship fund education. You can read about her ideas they hope someday will make the school David S. Guzick, M.D., Ph.D. for improving an already excellent tuition free. And Thomas R. Noonan, Dean of the School of Medicine program. In spite of constrained support M.D., a former faculty member who and Dentistry 2 ROCHESTER MEDICINE ROCHESTER MEDICINE CONTENTS FEATURES 4 Edith Lord: New graduate dean 8 The Ph.D. Experience: Students find different paths to Rochester and a future in science 18 PhD Alumni: Six careers started in Rochester DEPARTMENTS 24 Medical Center Rounds 32 Alumni News 36 Reunion 2008 40 Philanthropy 42 Class Notes 46 In Memoriam Rochester Medicine is published by: The University of Rochester Medical Center, Department of Public Relations and Communications, in conjunction with the Department of Alumni Relations & Advancement for the School of Medicine & Dentistry. Associate Vice President for Public Relations and Communications Teri D’Agostino Editor Michael Wentzel Contributing Writers Lori Barrette, Karin Christensen, Heather Hare, Mark Michaud, Leslie Orr, Germaine Reinhardt, Tom Rickey, Leslie White and Greg Williams Art Director Mitchell Christensen Photographers Richard Baker, Ken Huth, Christina Murrey, and Vince Sullivan Alumni Council Liaison Leslie Chambers For questions or comments, contact: Department of Alumni Relations and Advancement for the School of Medicine & Dentistry 300 East River Road, Rochester, NY 14627 800–333–4428 585–273–5954 Fax 585–461–2081 Comments on this issue, e-mail: [email protected] FALL / WINTER 2008 3 New graduate dean sees better scientists and better lives for students By Michael Wentzel Lord EdithLord 4 ROCHESTER MEDICINE Edith Lord, Ph.D., professor of microbiology and immunology and of oncology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, does not hesitate when asked about the students who earn a Ph.D. working in her laboratory. “I could put my students in any of the top laboratories in the country and they would succeed,” Lord said.