Emory hosts microbiome symposium

Jennifer Mulle, assistant professor of epidemiology, organized and chaired the first microbiome symposium at Emory in November. The goal of this novel symposium was to foster internal collaborations, generate grant proposals, and jump-start microbiome research at Emory.

While they are much smaller than our own cells, bacteria and other microbes in our bodies outnumber human cells by an estimate of 10 to one. The complexity of the diverse microbial communities that live within the human body is being revealed by an explosion of research interest, facilitated by nextgeneration sequencing technology.

The human microbiome is thought to influence not only digestive health, but also metabolic and autoimmune diseases and possibly psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. Beyond the human body, the microbiome is thought to be so fundamental to health and ecology that an international consortium of scientists has recently called for a global microbiome initiative.

The symposium featured speakers from various schools at Emory as well as from outside institutions. “We were able to attract an amazing lineup of speakers, and more than 260 people attended the event,” says Mulle. “This is an exciting time in microbiome research, and we were thrilled to showcase microbiome research at Emory." n

Arriola joins Dean’s office

Kimberly Jacob Arriola 01MPH, professor of behavioral sciences and health education (BSHE), was appointed associate dean for academic affairs. Arriola is best known for her work developing and evaluating interventions that improve access to transplantation and improve public commitment to organ and tissue donations among African Americans. In addition to her research, she will focus on activities in faculty development and advancement and administration of the school’s doctoral programs. Arriola is a 2010 alumnus of the Woodruff Leadership Academy and a 2012 graduate of the American Psychological Association Leadership Institute for Women in Psychology. In 2014, she received the Emory Williams Distinguished Teaching Award. She will maintain her commitment to teaching courses and mentoring MPH and doctoral students in BSHE and to her funded program of research. Her appointment will broaden the engagement of faculty in school administration. n

Rollins researcher co-authors AHA's first-ever statement on female heart attacks

A woman’s heart attack may have different underlying causes, symptoms, and outcomes compared with those of men, and differences in risk factors and outcomes are further pronounced in black and Hispanic women, according to a scientific statement published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation.

Viola Vaccarino, Wilton Looney Chair of Cardiovascular Research and chair of the epidemiology department, and Nanette Wenger, professor of medicine, were among a small group of co-authors on the statement—the first ever from the American Heart Association on heart attacks in women.

Compared with men, women may have less severe arterial blockages leading to heart attacks, may face greater complications from attempts to restore blood flow, and are less frequently prescribed cardiac rehabilitation. While the most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort for both sexes, women are more likely to have atypical symptoms, such as shortness of breath, nausea, and back or jaw pain.