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October 3, 2011 P U B L I C

The newspaper of The Johns Hopkins University H E A L T H

Volume 41 No. 6

O U T R E A C H

Hundreds of helping hands

International Health turns 50—and grows Greg Rienzi

The Gazette

JAY VANRENSSELAER / homewoodphoto.jhu.edu

he Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Department of International Health, the first and largest academic program of its kind, turned a distinguished half-century old last month. To mark the milestone occasion, the department honored two Center for of the world’s leading public health Maternal, philanthropists and unveiled a Newborn new center to save the lives of mothHealth ers and newborns around the globe. announced At a Sept. 24 ceremony in the school’s Sommer Hall, the department presented its first Global Health Leadership Award to Bill and Melinda Gates, citing their “visionary leadership” and the work of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in helping save the lives of millions of people in the developing world. Melinda Gates accepted the award on behalf of the couple. “It has been a privilege to work with Johns Hopkins over the past decade, and Bill and I are honored to receive this award from such a respected partner of the foundation,” said Melinda Gates, co-chair of the foundation. “Johns Hopkins has been a leader in driving incredible progress in women’s and children’s health. Thanks to [its] innovative approach and perseverance, millions of lives around the world have been saved.” The department used the occasion to announce the launch of the International Center for Maternal and Newborn Health, which will address the problem in the developing world of mothers dying during childbirth and newborns not surviving past the first few days of life. Nearly 3.7 million deaths annually occur in the first month of life, and an estimated 340,000 women die during childbirth. Nearly half of all these deaths take place in the developing world. “The highest risk of mortality for women and children is around the time

Nearly 1,000 volunteers assist area nonprofits on President’s Day of Service By Greg Rienzi

The Gazette

he collective power of one university was on full display for the 2011 President’s Day of Service. Nearly 1,000 students, faculty, staff and alumni turned out on Sept. 24 to lend a hand to local nonprofit organizations and community centers in Baltimore and beyond. Participants took part in more than 40 projects. They planted gardens, painted schools, cleaned streams, gathered food, mentored students, organized books and art supplies, supported a mobile HIVtesting unit and much more.

The event, organized by the Johns Hopkins Center for Social Concern, seeks to demonstrate the transformative power of collective action and the positive impact that Johns Hopkins can make in the community. This year’s event drew participants from the Homewood, East Baltimore, Peabody and Applied Physics Laboratory campuses. Roughly 700 of those who registered affiliated themselves with a student group. “We had a very diverse group this year, and that was great,” said Gia Grier-McGinnis, assistant director of the Center for Social Concern. “We had people from fraternities, sororities, faith-based groups, Army ROTC, varsity sports teams, multicultural groups and others.” Bill Tiefenwerth, director of the Center for Social Concern, said that the day had a special energy. “It was a thrilling experience to see so many in blue shirts doing so many things all over town,” Tiefenwerth said, referring to the T-shirts worn by the volunteers. “It’s inspiring.”

Tiefenwerth himself accompanied 15 students to Jubilee Arts, a community program that offers arts classes to the residents of the Sandtown-Winchester, Upton and surrounding neighborhoods. The student volunteers recruited people on the street to sign up for art projects and after-school activities, created advertisements for the program and did whatever else was asked of them. The same group of students volunteered at the site last year. “I thought it was wonderful that they wanted to do it again,” he said. “The experience they had last year clearly impacted them.” Making a positive impact, Tiefenwerth said, is what the day is all about. For more on the President’s Day of Service, go to gazette.jhu.edu/2011/09/19/ johns-hopkins-university-lends-hundreds-ofhands. See more photos online at gazette.jhu.edu.

Continued on page 8

In Brief

Peabody musicians on the radio; symposium honors James West; careers in life sciences

C A L E N D AR

Work and Family Fair; Piano Faculty Liszt Extravaganza; Public Health open house

10 Job Opportunities 10 Notices 11 Classifieds

2 3, 2011 2 THE THE GAZETTE GAZETTE •• October August 15, 2011 I N B R I E F

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Peabody performers booked for new WYPR HD channel

eginning at noon today, Oct. 3, Peabody Intermezzo—an hour of recitals by outstanding Peabody Institute students—will hit the airwaves on Classical WYPR, the radio station’s recently launched high-definition channel. The program can also be heard on WYPR’s website, www. wypr.org. Jeffrey Sharkey, director of the Peabody Institute, is host for the show, which will be recorded live at Peabody. “Peabody Intermezzo gives our students a platform to showcase their work to the public in Baltimore and throughout the world,” Sharkey said. Students in Peabody’s Recording Arts and Sciences Department will manage production of each program. The school plans to further integrate the WYPR programming into its curriculum, with increasing faculty involvement in both production and content. Expansion plans also include performances by Peabody ensembles and thematic programs that focus on particular periods and composers.

James E. West to be honored in two-day symposium

symposium in honor of James Edward West will be held this weekend on the Homewood campus in celebration of his 80th birthday and his contributions to science and to diversity. West, a world-renowned African-American inventor and engineer, is a research professor of electrical and computer engineering and of mechanical engineering in Johns Hopkins’ Whiting School of Engineering. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for the invention of the electret microphone, which now serves as the basis of 90 percent of the more than 2 billion microphones produced annually, including those in professional microphones, cell phones, hearing aids, baby monitors and video cameras. He holds more than 250 U.S. and foreign patents and is a recipient of the National Medal of Technology and the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Engineering. A zealous advocate for increasing diversity in the fields of science and technology, West was instrumental in the establishment of the Corporate Research Fellowship Program at Bell Laboratories. That program and the lab’s Graduate Research Program for Women have funded and graduated more than 400 PhDs over the past 40 years in a wide range of disciplines. The symposium will bring together graduates of the two programs, their mentors, program managers and other feeder Bell Labs

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programs to present their recent research. In addition, several panels will gather representatives of agencies, industry and organizations with similar interests and efforts to promote diversity in STEM training. The event, sponsored by the Whiting School’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, will be held in 210 Hodson Hall on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 8 and 9. Ben Carson, director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins, will be the speaker at Saturday’s dinner. The schedule is online at crfpetal.net.

AAP to host two events on careers in the life sciences

he Krieger School of Arts and Sciences’ Office of Advanced Academic Programs this week is hosting two evening events called Career Opportunities in the Life Sciences and Job Search Strategies. The sessions, to be held on Tuesday, Oct. 4, on the Montgomery County Campus and on Wednesday, Oct. 5, on the Homewood campus, will include networking opportunities and presentations by Toby Freedman, author of Career Opportunities in Biotechnology and Drug Development. Freedman, who holds a doctorate in molecular biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is also the founder and president of Synapsis Search, a biotechnology executive recruiting firm. Freedman will share the findings of her book, which was based on interviews with more than 200 industry executives, and provide an overview of more than 100 different careers in the life sciences, ranging from careers in venture capital to discovery research. Each event takes place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. The Homewood location is 110 Maryland Hall. The MCC session will be in 106 A&R Building. Reservations are requested. To register, go to biotechnology.jhu.edu and click on the desired date under “Upcoming Events.”

‘UFO Hunters’ host Birnes to talk at Barnes & Noble

he host of the History Channel’s UFO Hunters, William J. Birnes, will be at Barnes & Noble Johns Hopkins this week to discuss and sign copies of his new book, The Haunting of Twentieth-Century America. In this sequel to The Haunting of America, Birnes and co-author Joel Martin update the story of how paranormal events have influenced the country’s political, public and military policies. Birnes is also co-author of the New York Times best-seller The Day After Roswell. His talk and book signing are scheduled for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 5.

Contributing Writers Applied Physics Laboratory Michael Buckley, Paulette Campbell Bloomberg School of Public Health Tim Parsons, Natalie Wood-Wright Carey Business School Andrew Blumberg, Patrick Ercolano Homewood Lisa De Nike, Amy Lunday, Dennis O’Shea, Tracey A. Reeves, Phil Sneiderman Johns Hopkins Medicine Christen Brownlee, Stephanie Desmon, Neil A. Grauer, Audrey Huang, John Lazarou, David March, Vanessa McMains, Ekaterina Pesheva, Vanessa Wasta, Maryalice Yakutchik Peabody Institute Richard Selden SAIS Felisa Neuringer Klubes School of Education James Campbell, Theresa Norton School of Nursing Kelly Brooks-Staub University Libraries and Museums Brian Shields, Heather Egan Stalfort

The Gazette is published weekly September through May and biweekly June through August for the Johns Hopkins University community by the Office of Communications and Public Affairs, Suite 540, 901 S. Bond St., Baltimore, MD 21231, in cooperation with all university divisions. Subscriptions are $26 per year. Deadline for calendar items, notices and classifieds (free to JHU faculty, staff and students) is noon Monday, one week prior to publication date. Phone: 443-287-9900 Fax: 443-287-9920 General e-mail: gazette@jhu.edu Classifieds e-mail: gazads@jhu.edu On the Web: gazette.jhu.edu Paid advertising, which does not represent any endorsement by the university, is handled by the Gazelle Group at 410343-3362 or gazellegrp@comcast.net.

October 3, 2011 • THE GAZETTE

Protein ‘switches’ could turn cancer cells into tiny chemo factories By Phil Sneiderman

Homewood

WILL KIRK / homewoodphoto.jhu.edu

ohns Hopkins researchers have devised a protein “switch” that instructs cancer cells to produce their own anti-cancer medication. In lab tests, the researchers showed that these switches, working from inside the cells, can activate a powerful cell-killing drug when the device detects a marker linked to cancer. The goal, the scientists said, is to deploy a new type of weapon that causes cancer cells to self-destruct while sparing healthy tissue. This novel cancer-fighting strategy and promising early lab test results were reported Sept. 19 in the online early edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Although the switches have not yet been tested on human patients, and much more testing must be done, the researchers say that they have taken a positive first step toward adding a novel weapon to the difficult task of treating cancer. One key problem in fighting cancer is that broadly applied chemotherapy usually also harms healthy cells. In the protein switch strategy, however, a doctor would administer a “prodrug,” an inactive precursor to a drug that can be converted into its useful form within the body. Only when a cancer marker is present would the cellular switch turn this harmless prodrug into a potent form of chemotherapy. “The switch in effect turns the cancer cell into a factory for producing the

Marc Ostermeier

anti-cancer drug inside the cancer cell,” said Marc Ostermeier, a Johns Hopkins chemical and biomolecular engineering professor in the Whiting School of Engineering, who supervised development of the switch. “The healthy cells will also receive the prodrug, and ideally it will remain in its nontoxic form,” he added. “Our hope is that this strategy will kill more cancer cells while decreasing the unfortunate side effects on healthy cells.” To demonstrate that these switches can work, the research team successfully tested them on human colon cancer and breast cancer cells in Ostermeier’s lab and in the

laboratory of James R. Eshleman, a professor of pathology and oncology in the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. “This is a radically different tool to attack cancers,” said Eshleman, a co-author of the PNAS journal article, “but many experiments need to be done before we will be able to use it in patients.” The next step is animal testing, expected to begin within a year, Ostermeier said. Ostermeier’s team made the cancer-fighting switch by fusing two different proteins. One protein detects a marker that cancer cells produce; the other, from yeast, can turn an inactive prodrug into a cancer-cell killer. “When the first part of the switch detects cancer, it tells its partner to activate the chemotherapy drug, destroying the cell,” Ostermeier said. In order for this switch to work, it must first get inside the cancer cells. Ostermeier said that this can be done through a technique in which the switch gene is delivered inside the cell. The switch gene serves as the blueprint from which the cell’s own machinery constructs the protein switch. Another approach, he said, would be to develop methods to deliver the switch protein itself to cells. Once the switches are in place, the patient would receive the inactive chemotherapy drug, which would turn into a cancer attacker inside the cells where the switch has been flipped on. Although many researchers are developing methods to deliver anti-cancer drugs

specifically to cancer cells, Ostermeier said that the protein switch tactic skirts difficulties encountered in those methods. “The protein switch concept changes the game by providing a mechanism to target production of the anti-cancer drugs inside cancer cells instead of targeting delivery of the anticancer drug to cancer cells,” he said. The lead author of the PNAS study was Chapman M. Wright, who worked on the project as an assistant research scientist in Ostermeier’s lab and who now works for a private biotech company. Co-authors on the paper were Ostermeier, Eshleman and R. Clay Wright (not related to Chapman Wright), a doctoral student in Ostermeier’s lab. Through the Johns Hopkins Technology Transfer office, Ostermeier and Chapman Wright have filed for patent protection covering the protein switch for cancer technology. The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health. The paper can be viewed online at www.pnas.org/content/early/2011/ 09/12/1102803108.full.pdf+html.

Related websites Marc Ostermeier’s lab:

www.jhu.edu/chembe/ostermeier Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering:

www.jhu.edu/chembe

Uninsured trauma patients more likely to use ED for follow-up Many minor medical needs could have been cared for in outpatient clinic By Stephanie Desmon

Johns Hopkins Medicine

roviding access to an outpatient clinic isn’t enough to keep some trauma patients who have been discharged from the hospital from returning to the emergency department for follow-up care, even for such minor needs as pain medication refills and dressing changes, according to new Johns Hopkins research. Reporting in the Annals of Emergency Medicine, the researchers say that patients with Medicaid or Medicare and those with no insurance were 60 percent more likely to seek such care in the emergency department, or ED. Those living in poor neighborhoods were 70 percent more likely than patients with insurance to head to the ED instead of going to a doctor’s office or clinic. The findings suggest that, for reasons that are not well understood, many patients who could receive less-expensive outpatient care won’t or can’t seek it, the Johns Hopkins

team says. These patients, the researchers say, end up receiving far more costly care in the ED, where they have longer waits and add to the notorious crowding that burdens many emergency rooms. “Just providing patients access to doctors outside of the ER clearly isn’t working, especially for those without insurance,” said study leader Adil H. Haider, an assistant professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “We need better ways to help patients discharged from the hospital receive appropriate follow-up care.” Haider and his colleagues analyzed the records of 6,675 trauma patients admitted to The Johns Hopkins Hospital between 1997 and 2007. Roughly 13 percent of these patients returned to the ED within a month of discharge, yet nearly 90 percent of them were not readmitted into the hospital, suggesting that their ER visit was avoidable and that they could have been treated in an outpatient clinic, Haider says. Among the small number of return patients who were readmitted, the main cause was complications from their original injury and hospitalization. Along with being uninsured or government insured and living in low-income neighborhoods, black patients and those

with more-serious injuries were more likely to return to the ED for follow-up care. Patients who were discharged to a rehabilitation, nursing or acute care facility were significantly less likely to return to the ER than those who were discharged home. The nature of the injury made no difference, the researchers found. Those with penetrating injury, such as stabbing or gunshot wounds, were no more and no less likely to seek repeat care in the ER than those with blunt trauma injuries, such as those sustained in car crashes. All trauma patients discharged from Johns Hopkins receive a free follow-up appointment, regardless of insurance. Therefore, access to care shouldn’t be an issue even for those who have no insurance and are too poor to afford private care, the investigators say. “Clearly, there are more factors at play than just having an appointment or access to care,” said Haider, who is also co-director of Johns Hopkins’ Center for Surgery Trials and Outcomes Research. To mitigate this problem, the Johns Hopkins staff now makes the initial follow-up appointment for the patient before discharge. Yet, even so, the researchers say, some of the poorest patients may find it hard to believe that there is no up-front cost; also,

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they may know that they won’t have to pay before being seen at the ED. Another possible factor, the researchers add, might be that clinic appointment times are inconvenient for those who cannot take time off work or who have no transportation. “It may be that going to the ER, typically considered the provider of last resort, is the easiest option,” Haider said. “Regardless of the underlying cause, further research is needed to investigate how the system can be more efficient in taking care of these vulnerable populations,” Haider said. “Improving follow-up care for these vulnerable patients will not only improve the quality of their care but will also ease the burden on already strained emergency departments and reduce overall health care costs.” Other Johns Hopkins researchers who participated in the study are Karim S. Ladha, J. Hunter Young, Derek K. Ng and David T. Efron.

Related website Adil Haider:

www.hopkinsmedicine.org/surgery/ faculty/Haider

4 3, 2011 4 THE THE GAZETTE GAZETTE •• October August 15, 2011

Books: Taxes exact highest toll Study: Alcohol advertising still reaching youth on the radio from poorest Americans B y A m y L u n d ay

Homewood

oor Americans are shouldering an unfair tax burden, a toll that is exacerbating poverty-related problems, such as obesity, early mortality, low-graduation rates, teen pregnancy and crime, according to the authors of the book Taxing the Poor: Doing Damage to the Truly Disadvantaged (University of California Press, 2011). Through Taxing the Poor, co-authors Katherine S. Newman, a sociologist and the James B. Knapp Dean of the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences at Johns Hopkins, and Rourke L. O’Brien, a graduate student in sociology and social policy at Princeton University, seek to promote greater understanding of the relationship between taxes and poverty-related outcomes. While many scholars have studied the connections between poverty and social problems, Newman and O’Brien are the first to look at how sales taxes contribute to these outcomes. Sales taxes are a prime example of how taxes punish the poor, according to Newman and O’Brien. Though they are often thought of as one of the most equitable ways for a government to raise money, sales taxes, they say, are far from fair in the rural South—and increasingly in the West— where the rates are higher than in other parts of the country and, in many cases, apply to food for home consumption. Personal stories from the families interviewed for Taxing the Poor draw in readers while illustrating key points in the book, such as how high taxes on groceries keep

more-expensive food staples, such as fruits and vegetables, from making it into the shopping cart. People living at or below the poverty line are more likely to choose the cheaper junk food alternatives in order to put meals on the table and, in doing so, are burdened by obesity and its consequences, Newman and O’Brien write. “The deeper the Southern states (and increasingly those in the West) dig into the pocketbooks of low-income families, the more they exacerbate the very problems we associate with poverty in the first place: low levels of educational attainment, single-parent households, crime and the like,” the authors write. “An endless vortex of taxation, social problems, poverty and more taxation seems to follow. Our purpose is to direct attention to regional variation in poverty patterns and to argue that a powerful source of divergence between the Southern states and much of the rest of the United States is to be found in the ways in which they tax the poor.” Newman and O’Brien suggest that the best chance for breaking the cycle of overtaxing the poor is to move social safety nets from state to federal control by promoting nationwide initiatives that would eliminate sales taxes on basic foodstuffs, medicine and clothing; promote the use of earned-income tax credits as a way to put money in the hands of the working poor; federally regulate and finance major safety net programs, such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Medicaid and like programs, such as food stamps and Social Security; and change the way the national poverty line is calculated, accounting for regional variations in cost of living.

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Industry’s voluntary standards remain an issue, CAMY researchers say B y J ay n e B l a n c h a r d

Bloomberg School of Public Health

lmost one out of 11 radio ads for alcoholic beverages in 75 markets across the nation failed to comply in 2009 with the alcohol industry’s voluntary standard for the placement of advertising, according to an analysis conducted by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. In 2003, trade groups for beer and distilled spirits committed to placing alcohol ads only in media venues where underage youth— meaning 20 years old and younger—comprise less than, or are equal to, 30 percent of the listening audience. The analysis by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth, or CAMY, found that 9 percent of the noncompliant ads were aired in the 75 markets in which nearly half the population is 12 and older. Three brands alone—Miller Lite, Bud Light and Coors Light—placed more than half of these violating ads. The National Research Council, the Institute of Medicine and 24 state attorneys general have called on the alcohol industry to beef up its standard and meet a “proportional” 15 percent placement standard, given the fact that the group most at risk for underage drinking—12- to 20-year-olds—is approximately 15 percent of the U.S. population. “A 9 percent failure rate for an already weak standard means that a significant number of young people are being overexposed to alcohol advertising on the radio,” said lead author David Jernigan, an associate professor in the Bloomberg School’s Department of Health, Behavior and Society, and CAMY director. “Reducing the voluntary standard to 15 percent would go a long way to keeping our young people safe and away from the undue influence of alcohol marketing. The influence of radio as a local media venue continues even in this dynamic digital age, as 93 percent of Americans ages 12 and older reported that they owned and/or used an AM/FM radio in 2011.” For this report, CAMY analyzed radio alcohol advertisements in 75 local markets across the United States in 2009, for which full-year data from a consistent survey methodology were available. These markets represent 46.5 percent of the U.S. population age 12 and above. Other key findings include: • In 2009, youth ages 12 to 20 were

more likely per capita than adults to hear 32 percent of alcohol advertising placements. • Distilled spirits were the most common type of alcohol advertisements to overexpose youth audiences in Portable People Meter markets. The PPM is a new method of measuring listening in which survey participants agree to wear a small device that receives a special signal from each radio station. PPM allows for more precise measurement of actual listening because it does not depend on participants’ active recall and does not require them to record their listening behavior in a paper diary. • In diary markets—where the PPM is not yet in use and where people kept a paper diary of radio listening in 15-minute increments throughout the day—beer and alcopops (flavored malt beverages) advertising was most likely to overexpose youth. • Fifteen brands garnered 25 percent or more of their exposure to youth in at least 10 percent of markets from advertising not in compliance with the industry’s 30 percent standard. • In the majority of the 11 markets where Arbitron’s Portable People Meters were deployed for all of 2009, girls ages 12 to 20 were more likely than boys of the same age to be exposed to advertising for alcopops, distilled spirits and wine. The perception that young people are listening to music only on their iPods, cell phones and the Internet is naive, Jernigan said. “Radio is still a source of entertainment for youth, and alcohol ads are still finding their way to too many young ears.” Alcohol use is the leading drug problem among youth in the United States. It is responsible for 4,600 deaths per year among young people under the age of 21. Every day, nearly 5,000 young people under the age of 16 take their first drink, and binge drinking (defined as consuming five or more drinks within two hours) accounts for more than 90 percent of the alcohol consumed by young people. At least 13 longitudinal research studies have found that the more young people are exposed to alcohol marketing, the more likely they are to start drinking or, if already drinking, to drink more. The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth monitors the marketing practices of the alcohol industry to focus attention and action on industry practices that jeopardize the health and safety of America’s youth. The center was founded in 2002 at Georgetown University with funding from The Pew Charitable Trusts and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The center moved to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2008 and is currently funded by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For more information on the center, go to www.camy.org.

Former Hungarian P.M. Bajnai joins SAIS as distinguished fellow By Felisa Neuringer Klubes

SAIS

ordon Bajnai, former prime minister of Hungary, has joined the Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies as a distinguished fellow. Based at the SAIS Center for Transatlantic Relations, Bajnai, who was prime minister from 2009 to 2010, will periodically give lectures to SAIS students. He also will contribute to the center’s ongoing work on strengthening trans-Atlantic relations through NATO and the European Union, and to its Central European Program.

“We are delighted to welcome former Prime Minister Bajnai to the center,” said Dan Hamilton, CTR executive director and the Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation Research Professor. “He brings a great deal of commitment to the trans-Atlantic relationship and strong knowledge of European dynamics, particularly in Central Europe. Our activities will be much enhanced by his engagement.” Bajnai joins CTR distinguished fellows Jose Maria Aznar, former president of the government of Spain, and former Irish Prime Minister John Bruton as European former heads of government now dedicating a portion of their time to the advancement of the trans-Atlantic relationship through SAIS.

October 3, 2011 • THE GAZETTE

E X P L O R A T I O N

Orbital observations of Mercury reveal unprecedented surface detail B y P a u l e t t e C a m pb e l l

Applied Physics Laboratory

COURTESY OF SCIENCE/AAAS

fter only six months in orbit around Mercury, NASA’s Messenger spacecraft—built and operated by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory—is sending back information that has revolutionized the way scientists think about the innermost planet. Analyses of new data from the spacecraft show, among other things, new evidence that flood volcanism has been widespread on Mercury, the first close-up views of Mercury’s “hollows,” the first direct measurements of the chemical composition of Mercury’s surface and the first global inventory of plasma ions within Mercury’s space environment. APL also manages this Discovery-class mission for NASA. The results are reported in a set of seven papers published Sept. 30 in a special section of Science magazine. “Messenger’s instruments are capturing data that can be obtained only from orbit,” said Messenger principal investigator Sean Solomon, of the Carnegie Institution of Washington. “We have imaged many areas of the surface at unprecedented resolution, we have viewed the polar regions clearly for the first time, we have built up global coverage with our images and other data sets, we are mapping the elemental composition of Mercury’s surface, we are conducting a continuous inventory of the planet’s neutral and ionized exosphere, and we are sorting out the geometry of Mercury’s magnetic field and magnetosphere. And we’ve only just begun. Mercury has many more surprises in store for us as our mission progresses.” For decades scientists had puzzled over whether Mercury had volcanic deposits on its surface. Messenger’s three flybys answered that question in the affirmative, but the global distribution of volcanic materials was not well-constrained. New data from orbit show a huge expanse of volcanic plains surrounding the north polar region of Mercury. These continuous smooth plains cover more than 6 percent of the total surface of Mercury. The volcanic deposits are thick. “Analysis of the size of buried ‘ghost’ craters in these deposits shows that the lavas are locally as thick as 2 kilometers [1.2 miles],” said James Head, of Brown University, the lead author of one of the Science reports. “If you imagine standing at the base of the Washington Monument [in D.C.], the top of the lavas would be something like 12 Washington Monuments above you.” According to Head, the deposits appear typical of flood lavas, huge volumes of solidified molten rock similar to those found in the millions-years-old Columbia River Basalt Group, which at one point covered 60,000 square miles in the northwest United States. “Those on Mercury appear to have poured out from long, linear vents and covered the surrounding areas, flooding them to great depths and burying their source vents,” Head said.

This high-resolution view shows a small, fresh 15 km–diameter impact crater (inset) at a high northern latitude on Mercury. Bright material is exposed on the upper part of the south-facing wall, and hollows are present on a section of the wall that has slid partway down toward the floor.

Scientists also have discovered vents, measuring up to 16 miles in length, that appear to be the source of some of the tremendous volumes of very hot lava that have rushed out over the surface of Mercury and eroded the substrate, carving valleys and creating teardrop-shaped ridges in the underlying terrain. “These amazing landforms and deposits may be related to the types of unusual compositions, similar to terrestrial rocks called komatiites, being seen by other instruments and reported in this same issue of Science,” Head said. “What’s more, such lavas may have been typical of an early period in Earth’s history, one for which only spotty evidence remains today.” As Messenger continues to orbit Mercury, the imaging team is building up a global catalog of these volcanic deposits and is working with other instrument teams to construct a comprehensive view of the history of volcanism on Mercury. Images collected by Messenger have revealed an unexpected class of landform on Mercury and suggest that a previously unrecognized geological process is responsible for its formation. Images collected during the Mariner 10 and Messenger flybys of Mercury showed that the floors and central mountain peaks of some impact craters are very bright and have a blue color relative to other areas of Mercury. These deposits were considered to be unusual because no craters with similar characteristics are found on the moon. But without higher-resolution images, the bright crater deposits remained a curiosity. Now Messenger’s orbital mission has provided close-up, targeted views of many of these craters.

“To the surprise of the science team, it turns out that the bright areas are composed of small, shallow, irregularly shaped depressions that are often found in clusters,” said David Blewett, a staff scientist at APL and lead author of one of the Science reports. “The science team adopted the term ‘hollows’ for these features to distinguish them from other types of pits seen on Mercury.” Hollows have been found over a wide range of latitudes and longitudes, suggesting that they are fairly common across Mercury. Many of the depressions have bright interiors and halos, and Blewett says that the ones detected so far have a fresh appearance and have not accumulated small impact craters, indicating that they are relatively young. “Analysis of the images and estimates of the rate at which the hollows may be growing led to the conclusion that they could be actively forming today,” Blewett said. “The old conventional wisdom was that ‘Mercury is just like the moon.’ But from its vantage point in orbit, Messenger is showing us that Mercury is radically different from the moon in just about every way we can measure.” Scientists are collecting data about the chemical composition of Mercury’s surface that could not have been obtained without the sustained observing perspective that Messenger’s orbit provides, and that information is being used to test models of Mercury’s formation and shed light on the dynamics of the planet’s exosphere. Measurements of Mercury’s surface by Messenger’s Gamma-Ray Spectrometer reveal a higher abundance of the radioactive element potassium, a moderately volatile ele-

ment that vaporizes at a relatively low temperature, than previously predicted. Together with Messenger’s X-Ray Spectrometer, or XRS, it also shows that Mercury has an average surface composition different from those of the moon and other terrestrial planets. “Measurements of the ratio of potassium to thorium, another radioactive element, along with the abundance of sulfur detected by XRS, indicate that Mercury has a volatile inventory similar to Venus, Earth and Mars and much larger than that of the moon,” said APL staff scientist Patrick Peplowski, lead author of one of the Science papers. These new data rule out most existing models for Mercury’s formation that had been developed to explain the unusually high density of the innermost planet, which has a much higher mass fraction of iron metal than Venus, Earth or Mars, Peplowski points out. Overall, Mercury’s surface composition is similar to that expected if the planet’s bulk composition is broadly similar to that of highly reduced or metal-rich chondritic meteorites (material left over from the formation of the solar system). Messenger also has collected the first global observations of plasma ions in Mercury’s magnetosphere. Over 65 days covering more than 120 orbits, Messenger’s Fast Imaging Plasma Spectrometer, or FIPS, made the first long-term measurements of Mercury’s ionized exosphere. The team found that sodium is the most important ion contributed by the planet. “We had previously observed neutral sodium from ground observations, but up close we’ve discovered that charged sodium particles are concentrated near Mercury’s polar regions, where they are likely liberated by solar wind ion sputtering, effectively knocking sodium atoms off Mercury’s surface,” noted Thomas Zurbuchen, of the University of Michigan, author of one of the Science reports. “We were able to observe the formation process of these ions, one that is comparable to the manner by which auroras are generated in the Earth atmosphere near polar regions.” The FIPS sensor detected helium ions throughout the entire volume of Mercury’s magnetosphere. “Helium must be generated through surface interactions with the solar wind,” Zurbuchen said. “We surmise that the helium was delivered from the sun by the solar wind, implanted on the surface of Mercury and then fanned out in all directions. “Our results tell us that Mercury’s weak magnetosphere provides the planet very little protection from the solar wind,” he continued. “Extreme space weather must be a continuing activity at the surface of the planet closest to the sun.” “These revelations emphasize that Mercury is a fascinating world that is unmatched in the solar system,” Blewett said. “We have barely begun to understand what Mercury is really like and are eager to discover what Mercury can tell us about the processes that led to formation of the planets as we see them today.”

Open CAMPUS OPEN Minds Open House We invite you to visit our school, not just as an outsider peering in but to really experience The Park School. See our inspired students interacting with our motivating faculty. Discover our campus — a 100-acre hands-on science lab featuring a thriving tributary and woodland ecosystems. Feel the excitement of our athletic facilities — nine playing fields, three competition basketball courts, fitness center, swimming pool, and cross country course. We can tell you all about The Park School, but there’s nothing like experiencing it for yourself.

Tours with Principals October 7, November 4, December 9 8:45 to 10:30 a.m. Parents only Reservations required, 410-339-4130 or admission@parkschool.net

Open House October 9 Lower School 1-3 p.m.; Parents only Reservations required for childcare only, 410-339-4130 or admission@parkschool.net Middle & Upper Schools 3:30-5:30 p.m. Parents and students

PARK Learn to think

2425 Old Court Road • Baltimore, MD 21208 • 410-339-4130 • www.parkschool.net

6 3, 2011 6 THE THE GAZETTE GAZETTE •• October August 15, 2011

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October 3, 2011 • THE GAZETTE

R E C O G N I T I O N

Three from JHU to receive Presidential Early Career Awards By Phil Sneiderman Tim Parsons

and

KEITH WELLER

Katherine L. O’Brien

Noah J. Cowan

Brian S. Caffo

the Whiting School of Engineering; Brian S. Caffo, an associate professor of biostatistics in the Bloomberg School of Public Health; and Katherine L. O’Brien, a professor of international health, also in the Bloomberg School. Cowan directs the Whiting School’s Locomotion in Mechanical and Biological Systems Laboratory. His research team studies how animals process sensory information

to control their movements. The group also designs sensor-based robotic control systems inspired by animal models. Cowan was selected for his innovative research in biologically inspired robotic systems with possible applications in disaster recovery and space exploration, and for motivating students to explore careers in science and engineering. He has studied how weakly electric knifefish use sensory feedback to control their swimming, much like humans use feedback from their eyes and inner ear when they walk or run. He also has discovered how cockroaches use their antennae to guide their movement along surfaces and has used these discoveries to design biologically inspired tactile sensors for robot navigation. Caffo is a statistician in the Bloomberg School’s Department of Biostatistics, where he works on statistical methods for complex data sets, focusing especially on brain imaging. Along with Ciprian Crainiceanu, also in the Department of Biostatistics, he cofounded the Statistical Methods and Applications for Research in Technology group, known as SMART, which looks at difficult analytic problems in technology and health. O’Brien is a pediatric infectious disease

physician, an epidemiologist and a vaccinologist with the Bloomberg School’s Center for American Indian Health. She leads the center’s Infectious Disease Prevention group, which conducts clinical trials of vaccines for diseases of importance to American Indian tribes. She has served as the deputy director of research for the Pneumococcal Accelerated Development and Introduction Plan at Johns Hopkins and now is the deputy director of the International Vaccine Access Center at the Bloomberg School. Her work has focused, both domestically and internationally, on vaccine-preventable childhood illnesses, including epidemiologic and vaccine studies of pneumococcal disease, rotavirus, Haemophilus influenza, respiratory syncytial virus and influenza. For this year’s Presidential Early Career Award program, 16 federal departments and agencies joined together to nominate the scientists and engineers whose early accomplishments show the greatest promise for ensuring the nation’s pre-eminence in science and engineering, and for contributing to the awarding agencies’ missions. Cowan was nominated by the National Science Foundation, Caffo and O’Brien by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Related websites

SMART group:

Noah Cowan:

www.smart-stats.org

limbs.lcsr.jhu.edu/User:Ncowan Johns Hopkins Department of Mechanical Engineering:

www.me.jhu.edu Brian Caffo:

Katherine O’Brien:

www.jhsph.edu/faculty/ directory/profile/1500/ O%27Brien/Katherine Johns Hopkins Department of International Health:

www.jhsph.edu/faculty/directory/ profile/1320/Caffo/Brian

www.jhsph.edu/dept/IH

Johns Hopkins Department of Biostatistics:

Center for American Indian Health:

www.biostat.jhsph.edu

WILL KIRK / homewoodphoto.jhu.edu

ohns Hopkins faculty members who study robotics, biostatistics and international health are among 94 researchers selected this year to receive the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. The awards, announced last week by President Barack Obama, are the U.S. government’s highest honor for scientists and engineers in the early stages of their independent research careers. The program, established by President Bill Clinton in 1996, is coordinated by the Office of Science and Technology Policy within the Executive Office of the President. Awardees are selected for their pursuit of innovative research at the frontiers of science and technology and their commitment to community service as demonstrated through scientific leadership, public education or community outreach. The awards will be presented later this year. This year’s winners from The Johns Hopkins University are Noah J. Cowan, an associate professor of mechanical engineering in

JAY VANRENSSELAER / homewoodphoto.jhu.edu

Homewood and the Bloomberg School of Public Health

www.jhsph.edu/caih

Predicting which ARVD patients are at risk of sudden cardiac death Study provides strategy for deciding who needs implanted defibrillator By Ellen Beth Levitt

Johns Hopkins Medicine

ohns Hopkins experts in arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia, or ARVD, have defined a set of criteria that could be used to assess a patient’s need for an implanted defibrillator to prevent sudden death. In a study published in the Sept. 27 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology that is now online, the researchers report that using those criteria they were able to separate the patients at high and low risk for a life-threatening irregular heart rhythm. ARVD is an inherited cardiac disorder and one of the most common causes of sudden death in athletes and young, apparently healthy adults. ARVD creates scarring of the muscle, mainly on the right side of the heart. The scarring interrupts the normal electrical activity of the heart, causing very fast, abnormal heartbeats that prevent the heart from pumping blood to the rest of the body. Without a shock from an external or an implanted defibrillator, the condition can be fatal. Not everyone who has a diagnosis of ARVD will go on to have a life-threatening arrhythmia, but before the Johns Hopkins study there was very little data to help determine who should have an implanted

defibrillator for primary prevention of sudden cardiac death. The study included 84 patients with definite or probable ARVD. None had a history of life-threatening irregular heartbeats from the lower chambers of the heart, known as sustained ventricular arrhythmias, but all had been given an implanted defibrillator as a precaution and were followed for an average of five years. During that time, 48 percent needed either a shock or rapid pacing from the device to stop a dangerous abnormal rhythm, while the other 52 percent did not experience an arrhythmia that required therapy from the defibrillator. “Whether an ARVD patient should have an implantable defibrillator for primary prevention against sudden death is a critically important decision,” said Hugh Calkins, a professor and head of Cardiac Electrophysiology in the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Calkins runs the Johns Hopkins ARVD program, which includes a large registry of ARVD patients in North America. “These are usually young patients with few or no symptoms, and putting in a defibrillator, which they will have for the rest of their lives, requires careful consideration,” said Calkins, who is the senior author of the study. Since ARVD runs in families, people with relatives who have died from sudden cardiac death, and those who’ve had episodes of abnormally fast heartbeats coming from the lower chambers of the heart, need to be evaluated. For those who meet diagnostic criteria for ARVD, an implanted defibrillator is usually recommended to prevent sudden death. Calkins and his team identified four crite-

ria that should be considered in order to help determine which patients are at higher risk and most in need of the defibrillator. Patients in the study whose devices produced shocks or rapid pacing to stop abnormal rhythms generally met two or more of the criteria thought to put them at higher risk. Lead author Aditya Bhonsale, a research fellow in Cardiology, said, “We found that there was an incremental and additive risk to these patients, the more criteria they met. So if a patient was found to match only one of the four criteria, that person was at lower risk; a patient who was positive on all four criteria was at highest risk.” One of those criteria was whether a sustained irregular heart rhythm could be induced by a procedure in the electrophysiology lab. Two of the other criteria related to findings on a Holter monitor, which patients wear for 24 hours to monitor the electrical activity of the heart. The fourth characteristic that was found to have higher value in predicting risk was whether the patient was the first in the family to be diagnosed with ARVD. None of the study participants who had either zero or one risk factor needed shocks or rapid pacing from their defibrillator to stop a life-threatening arrhythmia during the study period. However, 23 percent of those with two risk factors needed defibrillator therapy. The number increased to 65 percent among those with three risk factors, and to 78 percent for those with four risk factors. “Our goal was to provide a good template for physicians to assess a patient’s risk,” Bhonsale said. “Although we followed some

of the patients for as long as 10 years, we cannot say with complete certainty that their long-term risk would stay the same, but the majority of those who had appropriate shock or rapid pacing got it within one year of their defibrillator implantation,” he said. The researchers say that the study represents an important step in understanding the factors that predict which patients are at highest risk of sudden death and the need for an implanted defibrillator. ARVD is often a progressive disease, and patients need to be followed on an ongoing basis. At Johns Hopkins, ARVD patients from across the country are part of the specialized program and are evaluated every one to three years. Although about half of the study participants overall did not need defibrillator therapy to stop a potentially fatal arrhythmia during the study, Bhonsale points out that for every two ARVD patients with the device, one patient’s life was saved. He says that is a very favorable percentage when looking at the number of people who need to be treated in order to save one life. “ARVD is a mysterious form of cardiomyopathy that kills young people,” Calkins said. “We are working hard to find answers and help patients and their physicians make decisions about therapy. We hope that this data will provide value to those who are engaging in those discussions.”

Related website Johns Hopkins ARVD program:

www.arvd.com

8 3, 2011 8 THE THE GAZETTE GAZETTE •• October August 15, 2011

International of childbirth,” said Robert Black, department chair and the Edgar Berman Professor in International Health. “We want to focus on the unique health problems related to pregnancy and childbirth and bring our collective expertise to bear on these issues.” Mathuram Santosham, professor of international health and pediatrics, will serve as the center’s interim director. For 50 years, the Department of International Health has sought to protect the lives of underserved populations, and has fostered profound global health improvements through development and dissemination of vaccines, diarrhea and pneumonia research, HIV/AIDS prevention, nutrition research and capacity-building for the poorest and most underserved populations. The department grew out of long-standing interests at the School of Public Health in the global health problems of developing countries and in relevant research and program management by international agencies and national governments. The department traces its roots to a 1959 meeting in Minneapolis of the Association of Schools of Public Health, attended by the school’s then dean, Ernest Stebbins. At the meeting, the director of health for the U.S. Agency for International Development presented a proposal to establish a grant program for training in international health. Stebbins asked Assistant Dean Timothy Baker to apply for the grant, which helped form the Division of International Health, launched in 1961 and located within the Department of Public Health Administration. Baker became the division’s acting director. The division started off modestly, with only a handful of faculty and grants. The

LARRY CANNER

Continued from page 1

Michael Klag, dean of the Bloomberg School of Public Health; Robert Black, chair of the Department of International Health; Melinda Gates, recipient with husband, Bill, of the school’s first Global Health Leadership Award; JHU President Ronald J. Daniels.

division’s students and faculty focused mostly on community health and health systems in low-income countries. Over the first five years, Baker was instrumental in faculty recruitment, curriculum development, student mentoring and fundraising. He also established one of the school’s first endowed professorships, the Edgar Berman Professorship in International Health. In 1967, the division became the independent Department of International Health. Carl Taylor, a visionary leader in public health, was named its founding chair. Under Taylor’s leadership, the department focused its research and training on the delivery of global health care at the community level and on health services planning for developing countries. Taylor is largely credited with founding the academic discipline of international health. He launched one of the department’s first major international efforts, the Narang-

wal Project in India, a large health services delivery research study. Since 1985, Black has been at the helm of the rapidly growing, highly successful department. Today, the department’s renowned multidisciplinary faculty are viewed as global health leaders in health research, program implementation and health policy. The department has ongoing projects in, and partnerships with, more than 50 countries. Roughly 300 students from 30 countries are currently enrolled in the department, which has 136 full-time and 415 total faculty. The department is organized into four main program areas: global disease epidemiology and control; health systems; human nutrition; and social and behavioral interventions. It offers a master of science in public health degree and doctoral-level training in its program areas and in public health practice.

The department’s faculty and student research includes implementing cost-effective strategies for global health care delivery, designing health promotion interventions for disadvantaged communities, conducting laboratory studies to develop vaccines, performing clinical trials, developing policy for infectious disease control and other areas. The department also trains students for leadership roles at international agencies, such as UNICEF and the World Bank, and at national assistance organizations, such as USAID. Earlier this year, Black, an international expert in the prevention of childhood mortality and illness, was named a recipient of the 2011 Canada Gairdner Global Health Award. The annual award from the Gairdner Foundation recognizes individuals responsible for a scientific advancement that has made, or has the potential to make, significant impact on health in the developing world. Black received the $100,000 award for his significant contributions to improving child survival and particularly for critical clinical and epidemiological studies to reduce childhood diarrheal deaths. His studies in Bangladesh, India, Peru and Zanzibar demonstrated that daily zinc supplementation significantly reduced the severity of diarrhea and pneumonia. Black said that with the new International Center for Maternal and Newborn Health, the department has shown its ongoing commitment to engaging the most pressing and challenging international health problems. “There are many global challenges in health, and our department continues to identify the important problems and find solutions,” Black said. “This is why we continue to grow, and how we’re able to extend our faculty and recruit more and more students from all over the world.” G For more information on the department and to see a video of Melinda Gates accepting the Global Health Leadership Award, go to www .jhsph.edu/dept/ih.

Stopping infection saves hundreds of kids, millions of dollars B y E k at e r i n a P e s h e va

Johns Hopkins Medicine

ollowing some basic rules of central line hygiene and maintenance, Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and 87 other pediatric hospitals have, over five years, saved hundreds of patient lives and more than $100 million by preventing nearly 3,000 central line bloodstream infections, hospital officials announced on Sept. 12. The results mark a pivotal milestone in an ongoing national pediatric quality improvement program launched in 2006 and spearheaded by the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions, or NACHRI. The program examined whether and how a series of low-tech steps involving proper daily care and maintenance of the central lines can reduce infection rates. These steps

included daily assessment of the need for the line, regularly changing the dressing covering the device, cleaning the line before and after use and washing hands before handling the line, among others. Comparing current infection rates with those before the program’s 2006 launch, experts estimate that, thus far, the initiative has prevented 2,964 central line infections, saved 355 children’s lives and saved nearly $104 million that would have gone toward treating complications stemming from invasive bloodstream infections. Experts estimate that each infection carries a price tag of up to $45,000. The program debuted across pediatric intensive care units, with pediatric hematology and oncology units—two other frequent users of central lines—joining a few years later. In the two years since joining the program, hematology and oncology units have prevented 129 infections and saved 15 lives

and more than $4.5 million in treatment. “These results are a powerful example of how some of the most basic and low-tech practices, if followed unapologetically and without fail, can not only benefit the individual patient immediately but yield dramatic long-term improvement for the health care system as a whole,” said Marlene Miller, director of Pediatric Quality and Safety at Hopkins Children’s and vice president for quality transformation at NACHRI. Allen Chen, director of the Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Program at Hopkins Children’s, said, “Pediatric oncology patients are at risk for severe infections from their lines, as well as from many other sources, so I’ve been delighted to see a dramatic decrease in central line–associated bloodstream infections on our own unit over the past year. “These results from children’s hospitals across the country are proof that what we’re seeing is no accident. Simple strategies can

drive real progress when applied consistently,” Chen added. “I’m eager to see the impact as we apply similar strategies to other medical procedures and devices and settings.” A central line, or a central venous catheter, is a tube inserted into a major blood vessel in the neck, chest or groin to serve as a portal for medication, fluids or blood draws in patients who need them frequently. Because central lines also provide quick direct access into a patient’s bloodstream in emergencies, children in the pediatric intensive care unit, or those undergoing chemotherapy or bone marrow transplants, often have them for weeks to months or, in some cases, years. Inserted incorrectly or not maintained properly thereafter, the central line can become contaminated and provide bacteria and other pathogens easy entry into the patient’s bloodstream. Bloodstream infections can cause organ damage and are fatal in up to one-fifth of children who get them.

Baltimore City one-day homeless youth count reaches 640 B y J ay n e B l a n c h a r d

Bloomberg School of Public Health

esults from the 2011 parallel count of homeless and unstably housed youth in Baltimore City identified 640 adolescents and young adults between the ages of 13 and 25 living out on their own, unaccompanied by a parent or guardian. In 2009, the parallel count number was 426 homeless young people. The count was conducted by Nan Astone, an associate professor with the Center for Adolescent Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Ross Pologe of the Baltimore Homeless Youth Initiative and Fellowship of Lights Inc.

“Part of the increase is certainly due to better methods—specifically, an increase in coverage of participating agencies. But it is also highly likely that it is due to a real increase in the number of homeless young people in the city who are critically in need of services,” Astone said. The parallel count of homeless youth took place on the same date as the Baltimore Homeless Census Point-in-Time Count, Jan. 25, 2011, but was not performed in conjunction with this biannual HUD-mandated count of homeless people in Baltimore City. Sixteen community agencies and organizations provided data on homeless youth who were either served on Jan. 25 or were on the caseload of the organization in December 2010 or January 2011. These sources

included Baltimore City Public Schools, Department of Social Services, Department of Juvenile Justice, Chesapeake Center for Youth Development, Legal Aid and Healthcare for the Homeless. “While the needs of a homeless 13-yearold can be far more challenging than those of a young adult, both are extremely vulnerable populations, which are often underserved,” Astone said. “For most, the cause of homelessness is broken families and relationships. Unfortunately, these critical relationships are more likely to break during challenging economic times.” The information from this year’s Homeless Census Count will be used to improve and enhance existing services for homeless people, as well as to identify gaps in care.

The Center for Adolescent Health will use data from the parallel count to find out just how many youth are on the streets in Baltimore City, since this vulnerable population tends to dwell under the radar and shuns shelters. Data from the parallel youth count will also support efforts to change state policies that may contribute to young people’s being unstably housed. Among the concerns are access to food stamps and lack of recognition and services for relatives and other “informal kin” who may take homeless young people in for short periods of time. For more information about the Baltimore Homeless Census 2011, go to www.jhsph.edu/ adolescenthealth/publications_resources.

October 3, 2011 • THE GAZETTE

Stent added during minimally invasive surgery prevents bulging vessels B y C h r i s t e n B r o wn

lee

Johns Hopkins Medicine

he addition of a simple stent can help prevent potentially lethal blood vessel bulges in the brain from recurring after they are repaired in a minimally invasive “coiling” procedure, according to new research by Johns Hopkins physicians. A report on the research, published in the July Journal of Neurointerventional Surgery, could make coiling a more viable option for the 30,000 people diagnosed with brain aneurysms each year in the United States, the investigators say. Cerebral aneurysms, abnormal outward pouchings of blood vessels in the brain, are traditionally repaired by “open” operations, in which surgeons remove part of the skull, cut into the brain to reach the affected blood vessel and then, to close it down, place a metal clip on the vessel where it

balloons outward. In the past several years, surgeons are increasingly repairing aneurysms through coiling, in which they thread a platinum wire into a small incision in the groin, push it through the body’s network of blood vessels to the bulging one and then pack the wire into the bulge, where a natural clotting reaction closes it off. Though endovascular (through the vessel) coiling has significant benefits compared to clipping, such as a lower risk of infection and a recovery time measured in weeks instead of months, it also comes with a significant drawback: recurrence of the aneurysm about a third of the time, says study leader Alex Coon, an assistant professor of neurosurgery, neurology and radiology and director of Endovascular Surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Traditional aneurysm surgery has a low recurrence rate of about 2 percent. To avoid recurrence and the need for further surgery, some surgeons have experiO C T .

mented with insertion of a stent, or small tube, in the blood vessel near the neck of the aneurysm. The goal is to prop open the affected vessel so that more wire can be packed into the bulge. To learn whether stents actually prevent recurrence or add complications, Coon and his colleagues looked at the medical records of 90 people whose aneurysms were repaired by coiling at The Johns Hopkins Hospital between May 1992 and March 2009. A stent was used in a third of the operations. After two years of follow-up, the researchers found that aneurysms recurred in more than 40 percent of patients who did not have stents. The recurrence rate in the stented patients was only about 15 percent, and stented patients had no more complications than those without stents. Coon notes that endovascular surgery for aneurysms is becoming more common, and that knowing what can prevent recurrence will help surgeons and patients make 3

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Alasdair Steven, NIAMSD/NIH. W1020 SPH. EB “Public Health on Two Wheels—Bicycles, Health and Social Entrepreneurship,” a S.W.E.E.T. seminar with Sophia Magalona, formerly of Bicycles Against Poverty, and Andrew Suchocki, co-founder of Ride for World Health. Sponsored by the Anna Baetjer Society. W3008 SPH. EB Mon., Oct. 3, 12:15 p.m.

“Entangled Bodily Discourses: Black Consciousness and Biomedical Opposition to Skin Lighteners in Apartheid South Africa and Beyond,” a Humanities seminar with Lynn Thomas, University of Washington. 308 Gilman. HW

Mon., Oct. 3, 4 p.m.

“SIRT1 in Metabolism, Stress and AgeAssociated Diseases,” a Biological Chemistry seminar with Xiaoling Li, NIH/NIEHS. 612 Physiology.

Tues., Oct. 4, noon.

EB Tues., Oct. 4, 12:10 p.m. “Psychological Impact of Major Burn Injury,” a Graduate Seminar in Injury Research and Policy with Jim Fauerbach, SoM. Co-sponsored by Health Policy and Management and the Center for Injury Research and Policy. 250 Hampton House. EB

The M. Gordon Wolman Seminar—“Bad Things Happen to Good Power Systems: Models and Experiences in Forecasting Hurricane Power Outages” with Seth Guikema, WSE. Sponsored by Geography and Environmental Engineering. 234 Ames. HW Tues., Oct. 4, 3 p.m.

Tues.,

Oct.

4:30

p.m.

“Decoding Time Set by Neuronal Oscillations Locked to the Input Rhythm: A Neglected Cortical Dimension in Models of Speech Perception,” a Center for Language and Speech Process-

ing seminar with Oded Ghitza, Boston University. B17 Hackerman. HW

Wed., Oct. 5, noon. “HostMicrobe Interactions in the Gut: Homeostasis to Colitis,” a Molecular Pathology seminar with Daniel Peterson, SoM. G-01 BRB. EB Wed.,

Oct.

12:15

p.m.

Mental Health Noon Seminar— “Epigenetic Consequences of Adverse Early Social Experiences in Primates” with Stephen Soumi, NICHHD/NIH. B14B Hampton House. EB “Nanostructured Materials From Multicomponent Bottlebrush Copoly mers,” a Materials Science and Engineering seminar with Javid Rzayev, SUNY University at Buffalo. 110 Maryland. HW

Wed., Oct. 5, 3 p.m.

“Drug Combination Studies: Theory and Analysis,” a Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences seminar with Mark Hixon, Takeda San Diego Inc. West Lecture Hall (ground floor), WBSB. EB Wed., Oct. 5, 4 p.m.

Wed., Oct. 5, 4 p.m. “Generalizing Principal Components Analysis,” a Biostatistics seminar with Genevera Allen, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital and Rice University. W2030 SPH. EB Wed., Oct. 5, 4:15 p.m. “Agrippan Pyrrhonism and the Problem of Disagreement,” a Philosophy seminar with Diego Machuca, CONICET, Buenos Aires. 130D Gilman. HW Thurs.,

Oct.

10:45

a.m.

“Patchy Micelles, Phase-Shifting Peptides and Nanolayer Assemblies for Tailored Delivery,” a Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering seminar with Paula Hammond, MIT. 110 Maryland. HW Thurs., Oct. 6, noon. The Bromery Seminar—“The Odds and Evens of Hg Isotopes: Appli-

Related website Alexander Coon podcast:

www.hopkinsmedicine.org/ neurology_neurosurgery/news/ podcasts/coon-cerebrovascular endovascular.html

1 0

Calendar Continued from page 12

informed decisions about the choice of procedure. “It’s easy to treat someone’s aneurysm, but can you treat it durably and make it last? We’ve now shown in our study that stenting—something that makes sense from an engineering perspective, a clinical perspective and a common sense perspective—truly works,” he said. Other Johns Hopkins researchers who participated in this study are Geoffrey P. Colby, Alexandra R. Paul, Martin G. Radvany, Dheeraj Ghandi, Philippe Gailloud, Judy Huang and Rafael J. Tamargo.

cations for Understanding Hg Biogeochemistry” with Bridget Bergquist, University of Toronto. Sponsored by Earth and Planetary Sciences. Olin Auditorium. HW Thurs., Oct. 6, noon. Advocacy and Action: Local, State, Regional and National Perspectives, the Health Policy and Management Fall Policy Seminar Series—This week’s guest is Liz Fowler, White House health care reform director. The seminar includes a Q&A session and discussion. B14B Hampton House. EB Thurs., Oct. 6, noon. “Actin Cytoskeleton and cAMP-Signaling in Dictyostelium,” a Cell Biology seminar with Edward Korn, NHLBI/NIH. Suite 2-200, 1830 Bldg. EB

“Role of Trefoil Factors in Type 2 Immunity,” a Molecular Microbiology and Immunology/Infectious Diseases seminar with De’Broski Herbert, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. W1020 SPH. EB

Thurs., Oct. 6, 4 to 6 p.m., and Fri., Oct. 7, 9 a.m. to noon. The Futures Seminar—The

Writing Seminars. On Thursday, “Portrait of the Artist as Teacher,” with panelists Charles Baxter, University of Minnesota; and Jane Shore, George Washington University. On Friday, “The End of Writing As We Know It,” a faculty panel discussion. Mason Hall Auditorium (Thursday) and Charles Commons (Friday). HW

Thurs., Oct. 6, 4 p.m. “Functional Genomics Approaches to Define New Components of the Metazoan Endomembrane System,” a Biology seminar with Anjon Audhya, University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School. 100 Mudd. HW Fri., Oct. 7, 11 a.m. “Integration of Image Analysis and Fluid Interface Modeling for Prediction of Flow Properties in Complex Porous Media,” a CEAFM seminar with Masa Prodanovic, University of Texas, Austin. 50 Gilman. HW

SPECIAL EVENTS

Thurs., Oct. 6, noon.

Thurs.,

Oct.

12:15

p.m.

“Health Co-Operatives in Baltimore,” an Anna Baetjer Society for Public Health Practice seminar with Peter Beilenson. Audience questions about health care affordability and delivery are encouraged. Lunch provided. W4030 SPH. EB Thurs., Oct. 6, 1 p.m. “RNA and Local Translation in Axon Guidance: Insights From Chemical Biology,” a Neuroscience research seminar with Samie Jaffrey, Weill Medical College, Cornell University. West Lecture Hall (ground floor), WBSB. EB Thurs., Oct. 6, 1:30 p.m. “Generalizing Principal Components Analysis,” an Applied Mathematics and Statistics seminar with Genevera Allen, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital and Rice University. 304 Whitehead. HW

Wed., Oct. 5, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Johns Hopkins Work

and Family Fair, featuring 30 experts who will provide information and resources related to work-life balance, including child care and parenting, aging parents/ older adults, finances, legal issues, disability services, and health and wellness. Turner Concourse. EB Mon., Oct. 10, noon. “Looking, Moving, Making: Degas’ Little Dancer Aged Fourteen,” a Homewood Art Workshops slide lecture by art historian and curator Richard Kendall. (See image, p. 12.) Co-sponsored by the Painting Department of the Maryland Institute College of Art. Falvey Hall, Brown Center, 1301 West Mt. Royal Ave.

Computer Engineering. 210 Hodson. HW W OR K S H O P S Tues., Oct. 4, 9 a.m. to noon, and 1 to 4 p.m. Technology

Workshop, a meeting to acquaint faculty with research and teaching software and hardware available now and in the future. For information on the agenda, go to www.it.jhu.edu/events/workshop. (IT, library and vendor tables will be located in the Glass Pavilion.) Arellano Theater, Levering. HW

Tues., Oct. 4, 1:30 p.m. “Lecture Strategies,” an Eyes on Teaching workshop open to all grad students, postdoctoral fellows, lecturers and faculty in KSAS or WSE. To register, go to www.cer .jhu.edu/events.html. Sponsored by the Center for Educational Resources. Garrett Room, MSE Library. HW MSE Library workshops, open to all Johns Hopkins affiliates. To register, go to www.library .jhu.edu/researchhelp/workshops .html. Electronic Resource Center, M-Level, MSE Library. HW

•

Tues., Oct. 4, 4 p.m. “Making the Best of Google.”

•

Wed., Oct. 5, 4:30 p.m.

“E-Books for Academics.”

“Navigating the U.S. Job Market for International Students,” a Career Services workshop covering oncampus employment, OPT, STEM extensions, AT, J-1 and H-1B visas and general tips on employment after graduation. Presented by Betsy Lane and Dacia Gauer, JHMI Office of International Student, Faculty and Staff Services, and immigration lawyers Mark Rhoads and Helen Konrad, McCandlish Holton. RSVP to phutchin@ jhsph.edu. W1214 SPH. EB

Tues., Oct. 4, 5:30 p.m.

“Introduction to RefWorks,” a Bits & Bytes workshop. The training is open to full-time Homewood faculty, lecturers and TAs; staff are also welcome to attend. Registration is strongly encouraged; go to www.cer.jhu.edu/events.html. Sponsored by the Center for Educational Resources. Garrett Room, MSE Library. HW

Thurs., Oct. 6, 1 p.m.

SYMPOSIA Sat., Oct. 8, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sun., Oct. 9, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. “Symposium in

Honor of James West,” a celebration honoring Professor West. (See In Brief, p. 2.) For more information, go to www.crfpetal .net. Sponsored by Electrical and

10 3, 2011 10 THE THE GAZETTE GAZETTE •• October August 15, 2011 H U M A N

R E S O U R C E S

B U L L E T I N

Notices Fall Financial Education Seminars —

Hot Jobs Listed below are some of the university’s newest openings for in-demand jobs that we most urgently need to fill. In addition to considering these opportunities, candidates are invited to search a complete listing of openings and apply for positions online at jobs.jhu.edu.

Homewood Office of Human Resources Wyman Park Building, Suite W600 410-516-7196 The Center for Talented Youth offers assessment, programs, services, publications and resources for academically talented pre-college students. We have several new openings for experienced educators, recruiters and program administrators who have experience identifying, providing research on and working with gifted students in grades 2 through 12. For a detailed job description, and to apply, go to jobs.jhu.edu. 49935 49934 49917 49914 49845 49500 48788

CTY Distance Education Instructor, Computer Science CTY Assistant Program Manager Outreach Coordinator CTY Assistant Program Manager CTY Program Manager Senior Technical Support Analyst CTY Program Manager

In conjunction with TIAA-CREF, Johns Hopkins Human Resources is offering five new retirement seminars beginning this month and continuing through December. The seminars, to be held at numerous campus locations, are: • Johns Hopkins University Retirement 101: Annual Update 2011 highlights the benefits of the retirement plan, general retirement planning principles and the importance of investing as much as possible now to achieve future financial goals. • Managing Your Retirement Plan Through a Yearly Review discusses how to monitor retirement savings—review allocations, check risk tolerance and ensure that beneficiary designations are up-to-date. Topics include target date funds and creating a portfolio tailored to an individual’s financial situation. The seminar also provides links to retirement planning tools and calculators that enable users to assess the progress of their investments and savings. • Understanding the Language of Retire-

Office of Human Resources 98 N. Broadway, Suite 300 410-955-2990 We are looking for people with the right combination of experience, knowledge, skill and drive to join in the adventure of transformation across Johns Hopkins Medicine. Seize the opportunity to be part of the exciting field of professional fee or research billing compliance. Join the Office of Billing Quality Assurance or Clinical Research Billing and Quality Assurance teams while we prepare for major health care initiatives, Epic and the transition to ICD-10. Work with great teams, in a professional environment that promotes continuous learning. For a detailed job description, and to apply, go to jobs.jhu.edu. 45465 49609 49455

Compliance Specialist Trainer, Office of Billing Quality Assurance Compliance Specialist Trainer, Office of Billing Quality Assurance Clinical Research Billing Compliance Specialist, Office of Clinical Research Billing and Office of Quality Assurance

Schools of Public Health and Nursing Office of Human Resources 2021 E. Monument St. 410-955-3006 The schools of Public Health and Nursing are seeking skilled applicants for several exciting openings for the positions of programmer analyst. This is a great opportunity to be part of our dynamic team. We are looking for people with the right mix of programming skills and experience. For a detailed job description, and to apply, go to jobs.jhu .edu. 49676 49102 49767 48693 49473

Programmer Analyst Programmer Analyst Programmer Analyst Senior Programmer Analyst Senior Programmer Analyst

Johns Hopkins University is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, other legally protected characteristics or any other occupationally irrelevant criteria.

ment and Investing focuses on knowing the basic terminology used in retirement planning and highlights key features of Johns Hopkins’ retirement plans. Other topics are the difference between employer and employee contributions, a look at the retirement plans’ investment menu, investment fees that can affect long-term returns and sources of information about creating a personalized retirement portfolio. • Charting Your Financial Course: A Guide for Women focuses on the unique challenges women face when saving for retirement, including how to create a budget, establish investment goals and make their money work for them. Also discussed are financial planning strategies for single women and the art of building a financial plan suited to individual investment needs. • What You Need to Know About IRAs will help define individual retirement accounts, highlight the differences between a traditional IRA and a Roth IRA and their unique tax advantages, define Roth IRA conversions and show how to use an IRA to meet estate planning goals. Seminar times, locations and dates, as well as sign-up information, are online at events.signup4.com/JHU.

NICU in children’s hospital to be named for Sutland/Pakula family Gift also creates professorship in newborn medicine, research endowment B y E k at e r i n a P e s h e va

School of Medicine

B O A R D

Johns Hopkins Medicine

he state-of-the-art 45-bed neonatal intensive care unit on the eighth floor of the new Charlotte R. Bloomberg Children’s Center at Johns Hopkins will be named the Sutland/Pakula Family Newborn Critical Care Center to honor the family’s continuing generosity to Johns Hopkins. The most recent gifts from the family include support for construction of the neonatal center, an endowment to support faculty research and a professorship. Josephine and Frank Sutland were longtime supporters of the university and its School of Medicine. The Sutlands’ daughter, Sheila Pakula, and Sheila’s husband, Lawrence Pakula, are also generous supporters, particularly in the area of child health. The gift supported construction of the new NICU, which will open in April 2012. “We appreciate the incredibly generous support we have received from the Sutlands and Pakulas and are grateful for their gift to our new NICU,” said George Dover, director of Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and of the Department of Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “Because of this gift, our neonatal unit will have all private rooms and expanded family accommodations. These funds will also assure that we will be able to perform innovative new research in the care of neonates and to train the leaders of neonatology in the future.” The family also established both the Josephine Sutland Professorship in Newborn Medicine and the Sheila S. and Lawrence C. Pakula, M.D., Endowment for Neonatal Research. The professorship will be held by the director of the Sutland/Pakula Family Newborn Critical Care Center, Edward Lawson, in the Division of Neonatal and Perinatal Medicine. The endowment will be used primarily to support the research endeavors of outstanding junior faculty, who will be known as the Sheila S. and Lawrence C. Pakula, M.D., Fellows. A dedication and installation ceremony was held Sept. 22 to install Lawson and the inaugural fellows, Azadeh Farzin, Adam Hartman and Jenny Yu. Edward D. Miller, the Frances Watt Baker, M.D., and Lenox D. Baker Jr., M.D., Dean of the Medical Faculty and CEO of Johns

Hopkins Medicine, said, “We’d like to thank the Sutland/Pakula family for their contributions to improve newborn health. Their commendable efforts will not only optimize our care of newborns in the NICU but advance overall health by supporting research into growth and development of infants into healthy adults.” “The Sutlands cared deeply about pediatric health care, research and training,” said Ronald R. Peterson, president of The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System and executive vice president of Johns Hopkins Medicine. “We are so thankful the Pakulas carry on the tradition of generous giving started by Mrs. Pakula’s parents.” Along with her family, Josephine Sutland established in 1991 the Dr. Frank V. Sutland Chair in Pediatric Genetics to honor her husband, who died in 1989 at the age of 87. A 1924 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Dental School, Frank Sutland established a network of clinics across New York and Pennsylvania that emphasized dentistry for children and the handicapped. Before her death in 2008, Josephine Sutland was devoted to improving the quality of life for others. In addition to leadership of civic and cultural organizations in the Troy-Albany area of New York, she created beautiful gardens at the family home, which later became the residence of the president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Sheila Pakula is a member of the Women’s Board of The Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Lawrence Pakula is an associate professor of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and a co-founder of Pavilion Pediatrics in Green Spring Station. Both serve on the Hopkins Children’s advisory board and have followed in their family tradition of active involvement in the community. In 2008, Lawrence Pakula was awarded the Community Teaching Award from the Academic Pediatric Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics for being a community pediatrician dedicated to teaching medical students and residents. He provides pediatric consultation to special schools serving children with significant developmental disabilities and medical problems. He also chairs the board of Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital, which is co-owned by Johns Hopkins Health System and University of Maryland Medical System, and serves on the boards of the Hospital for the Consumptives of Maryland (Eudowood) Foundation and the Robert Garrett Fund for the Surgical Treatment of Children, founded by Mary F. Jacobs, which supports pediatric surgery at Johns Hopkins.

October 3, 2011 • THE GAZETTE

Classifieds

M A R K E T P L A C E

lovely kitchen, mins to Hopkins campus, move-in cond, affordable. 410-499-2139.

APARTMENTS/HOUSES FOR RENT

Bayview, 1BR, 1BA apt, 1 min to campus, dining rm, kitchen, AC, hdwd flrs, lg deck, Internet. $380-$480/mo + utils. 443-3868471 or fanauh2o@yahoo.com. Catonsville, medical office in multi-physician bldg, 1,000 sq ft, 2nd flr view of forest, opposite Charlestown Retirement Center. $1,700/mo + utils. 410-321-8889. Charles Village North, 1BR apt in owneroccupied bldg nr Homewood campus, avail Dec. $825/mo. 410-917-2443. Deep Creek Lake/Wisp, cozy 2BR cabin w/ full kitchen, call for wkly/wknd rentals. 410638-9417 or jzpics@yahoo.com (for pics). Ferndale, cozy efficiency in priv home, lg kitchen and BA, nr BWI. $900/mo incl utils, Internet, cable. Marsha, 410-766-8385. Manhattan, 1BR apt, walking distance to Central Park, excel when in town for conference. $2,000/wk. NYC1BR@yahoo.com. Mt Washington, 3BR, 2.5BA condo, dw, W/D, CAC, lg balcony, garage prkng, lg swimming pool and tennis court, nr I-83/ lt rail, avail Nov 1. $1,500/mo + utils. 443220-2138 or hLhuang@gmail.com. Owings Mills, 2BR, 2BA condo, W/D, walk-in closets, storage, prkng, swimming pool/tennis court privileges, backs to woods, conv to metro, walk to grocery, sm pets negotiable ($250 nonrefundable deposit), 1-yr lease. $1,250/mo. 410-336-7952 or ljohnsto@mail.roanoke.edu. Perry Hall, condo in elevator bldg, 3 lg BRs, 2 full BAs, new W/D, balcony, no pets/ no smokers, refs req’d, great location, easy access to I-95/restaurants. $1,300/mo + sec dep (1 mo) + utils. 410-256-8563.

HOUSES FOR SALE

Fells Point (300 blk S Durham St), just renov’d 3-story RH, big yd, 3 blks to JHH. $175,000. Dorothy, 410-889-5338. Owings Mills New Town, 2BR condo, nr metro, ready for immediate sale. www .4409silverbrook.info. Rosedale, 4BR house, 2 full BAs, all appls,

3BR, 2.5BA TH, 10 mins south of Baltimore, just off I-95, fin’d bsmt, fp, bar. ktbsn@mac.com.

Studios - $595 - $630 1 BD Apts. - $710-740 2 BD from $795

on Hickory Avenue in Hampden!

2 BD units from $760 w/Balcony - $790!

Shown by appointment 410.764.7776 www.BrooksManagementCompany.com

Rare Mathushek spinet, 1930s model, not only a superb piano, a beautiful piece of furniture. $500. 410-206-6450.

Clean up for winter, pet-friendly and reliable cleaning service, one time or wkly service, special rates. 443-528-3637.

Women’s vintage leather coats, tweed suit, wool blazers, all like new and cheap, can send photos. wreisig4@comcast.net.

Tutor wanted: F AP statistics tutor w/ prior experience, once a wk on Saturday. tLwang21212@yahoo.com.

Sand beach chairs (2), inkjet printer, oilfilled heaters (3) and baseboard heaters (2), portable canvas chair, keyboard case, 100W amplifier. 410-455-5858 or iricse .its@verizon.net.

Computer data recovery, website, administrative services provided by Jolene Patey. 410-746-8345 or jpatey@jolenepatey.com.

Inversion therapy table by Teeter Hang Up. $200. Marie, 410-825-8349. ROOMMATES WANTED

Share all new refurbished TH w/other medical students, 4BRs, 2 full BAs, CAC, W/D, dw, w/w crpt, 1-min walk to JHMI, 924 N Broadway. gretrieval@aol.com. Share 3BR house 10 mins to E Baltimore campus in the Belair-Edison community. $550/mo. Darrick, 443-226-6497. Nonsmoker wanted for furn’d BR in 3BR house in Cedonia owned by young F prof’l, 700 sq ft, bright and spacious, free prkng, public transportation to JHU, wireless Internet incl’d. $550/mo + utils. 410-493-2435 or aprede1@yahoo.com. Sublet: F wanted for lg 1BR in 2BR, 1BA apt in Charles Village, fully furn’d w/all basic amenities, W/D in unit, 24-hr Hopkins security, nr JHU/shuttle stops, nr MTA bus stop, avail for month and a half. $800 incl all utils and Internet. 443-928-7783.

Samick 6' 1" inch grand piano, professionally maintained. 410-444-1273 or http:// baltimore.craigslist.org/msg/2544736267. html (for photos and complete appraisal). Exterior French doors, music cassette tapes, fitness chair, 21" TV, 35mm cameras, silk flowers and vase, Asian decor pillows, office file units, men’s travel bag, dining rm set, fulllength silver fox coat, Blackberry Bold accessories, other misc items. 443-824-2198 or saleschick2011@hotmail.com. Towson spa eyebrow waxing certificate. Best offer. 410-337-9877 (after 8pm) or i1__@hotmail.com. Baby crib, mattress w/pad cover, in excel cond. $75. 410-633-2064. Conn alto saxophone, in excel cond. 410488-1886. Otto Benjamin violin 4/4, in excel cond. $900/best offer. jessicaswitzman@verizon.net.

’03 Honda Civic Ex, gold, automatic, in very good cond, 119K mi. $6,200. 410-688-6547.

iMac, 21.5" screen, 3.06/2x2GB/500GB/ 9400M-USA, Snow Leopard OS, keyboard, magic mouse, in orig box, excel cond. $750. 443-765-8051.

’89 Chevy 3/4 or 1 ton pickup truck, 4x4, rebuilt motor, new tires. $1,600. John, 410419-3902.

SERVICES/ITEMS OFFERED OR WANTED

CARS FOR SALE

’08 Saturn Vue XE, 4-dr sport utility, automatic, 4-cyl, silver exterior/gray cloth interior, ABS, alloy wheels, AC, CD, cruise control, power everything, AM/FM stereo, rear defroster, overhead/side airbags, ext’d service plan, 45K mi. $14,500. 410-908-9632. ’03 Cadillac Deville, V-8, black exterior and interior, gold emblems, 130K mi. $5,700/ best offer. 443-942-0857.

Spanish spkr wanted, to meet w/couple to practice conversation, taking lessons but need practice, can meet nr JHU campus, flexible times, once a wk, fee to be discussed. 410-9164126 or stan@pcarchiver.com. Personal shopper/stylist, will shop for you or with you, can do gift buying or accompany your teen. 404-200-5009 or tr@ fashionrehabbersinc.com.

Copy of A Practical Guide to Food and Drug Law and Regulation, 3rd edition, by Kenneth R Pina and Wayne L Pines, in mint cond. $169. 410-710-8485, lindaxu66@yahoo.com. Latitude E6400, in great cond, Windows freshly installed w/latest drivers and software from Dell website. $350. matthewaubralewis@gmail.com. Red Cross pins from Europe, 15 different. $28. 443-517-9029 or rgpinman@aol.com.

Kaleidoscope

Classified listings are a free service for current, full-time Hopkins faculty, staff and students only. Ads should adhere to these general guidelines: • One ad per person per week. A new request must be submitted for each issue. • Ads are limited to 20 words, including phone, fax and e-mail.

S PA C I O U S

o ã

Expand your horizons! For information, please call 410-323-5500, ext. 3091 or visit us on-line at www.rpcs.org

RPCS • 5204 ROLAND AVENUE • BALTIMORE, MARYLAND 21210

Affordable and professional landscaper/certified horticulturist available to maintain existing gardens, also designing, planting or masonry; free consultations. David, 410683-7373 or grogan.family@hotmail.com. Licensed landscaper avail for spring or summer lawn maintenance, yd cleanup; other services incl trash hauling, fall/winter leaf or snow removal. Taylor Landscaping LLC. 410-812-6090 or romilacapers@comcast.net. Tai chi: Beginner’s classes starting in Charles Village and Towson. 410-296-4944 or www .baltimoretaichi.com. Mobile auto detailing and powerwash service. Jason, 443-421-3659. Want to lose weight, look great? You won’t be disappointed: Go Ardyss. 443-453-4152 or www.ardysslife.com/healthymanoffaith. Letters written by exp’d writer, all types, first-come free in exchange for references for start-up company. emceea@gmail.com. Piano lessons by Peabody graduate, 50% off this month for private lessons. 425-8901327 or qinyingtan@gmail.com. PhD candidate seeks housesitting opportunity in Charles Village/Hampden area, Jan 8-27, 2012. Julia, 812-334-7938. Grad student looking for help w/data entry/ data review. $12-$15/hr. 202-277-0885. Looking for someone who knows Illustrator and ImageJ, I would like to learn how to make beautiful figures and analyze images; will compensate you for your time/expertise. andrea.j.radtke@gmail.com.

• We cannot use Johns Hopkins business phone numbers or e-mail addresses. • Submissions will be condensed at the editor’s discretion. • Deadline is at noon Monday, one week prior to the edition in which the ad is to be run. • Real estate listings may be offered only by a Hopkins-affiliated seller not by Realtors or Agents.

(Boxed ads in this section are paid advertisements.) Classified ads may be faxed to 443-287-9920; e-mailed in the body of a message (no attachments) to gazads@jhu.edu; or mailed to Gazette Classifieds, Suite 540, 901 S. Bond St., Baltimore, MD 21231. To purchase a boxed display ad, contact the Gazelle Group at 410-343-3362.

G A R D E N A PA RT M E N T L I V I N G I N

R O L A N D PA R K

• Large airy rooms • Hardwood Floors • Private balcony or terrace • Beautiful garden setting

Fall programs for everyone who enjoys learning! Children/Family Matters Fitness Classes Multi-Day Trips and much, much more!

Friday Night Swing Dance Club, open to public, great bands, no partners needed. 410663-0010 or www.fridaynightswing.com.

Woodcliffe Manor Apartments

Lifelong Learning at Roland Park Country School Personal Development Cultural Arts Military History Creative Pursuits

Chinese zither (GuZheng) lessons offered at low price, instrument provided. 573-5294358 or qhgb253@gmail.com.

PLACING ADS

ITEMS FOR SALE

HICKORY HEIGHTS WYMAN COURT Dell Just Renovated! A lovely hilltop setting Beech Ave. adj. to JHU!

• Private parking available • University Parkway at West 39th St. 2 & 3 bedroom apartments located in a private park setting. Adjacent to Johns Hopkins University Homewood Campus and minutes from downtown Baltimore.

410-243-1216

105 West 39th St. • Baltimore, MD 21210 Managed by The Broadview at Roland Park BroadviewApartments.com

12 THE GAZETTE • October 3, 2011 O C T .

–

1 0

Calendar The Homewood Art Workshops of Johns Hopkins and the Painting Department of MICA collaborate to present “Looking, Moving, Making: Degas’ ‘Little Dancer Aged Fourteen,’” a slide lecture by distinguished art historian and curator Richard Kendall. Kendall is a co-curator of the exhibition ‘Degas and the Ballet: Picturing Movement,’ which opened last month at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. In addition to the sculpture ‘Little Dancer,’ left, Kendall will discuss the central themes of the exhibition, including the rise of photography and parallel movements in science. The exhibition will not travel to the United States, making this lecture a rare opportunity to glimpse Degas in the artistic and scientific contexts of his time. See Special Events.

COLLOQUIA

“A Poiesis of Cessation and Continuity: Yolmo Buddhist Engagements With Life, Death and Mourning,” an Anthropology colloquium with Robert Desjarlais, Sarah Lawrence College. 404 Macaulay. HW Tues., Oct. 4, 4 p.m.

Tues.,

Oct.

4:15

p.m.

“Through the Looking-Glass, and What the Quantum Chemist Found There,” a Chemistry colloquium with T. Daniel Crawford, Virginia Institute of Technology. 233 Remsen. HW Thurs., Oct. 6, 3 p.m. “Taking Nellie’s Temperature: Illness, Intimacy and Interiority in Early 20th-Century London,” a History of Science, Medicine and Technology colloquium with Seth Koven, Rutgers University. Seminar Room, 3rd floor, Welch Medical Library. EB Thurs., Oct. 6, 4 p.m. “The Formation and Deformation of Literary Study,” an ELH colloquium with John Guillory, NYU. Sponsored by English. 130D Gilman. HW

DISCUSSIONS/ TALKS

“Leading the Way or Lights Out? Germany’s Nuclear Exit and U.S. Energy Perspectives,” a SAIS Center for Transatlantic Relations panel discussion with Franz Untersteller, environmental minister for Baden-Wurttemburg; Friedo Sielemann of the German Embassy in Washington; Kate Gordon, Center for American Progress; Ken Green, American Enterprise Institute; Dymphna Van der Lans, the German Marshall Fund of the United States; and Jack Janes (moderator), American Institute for Contemporary German Studies at Johns Hopkins. Co-sponsored by the American Bundestag Network and the German Academic Exchange Service. To RSVP, go to www.surveymonkey.com/ s/DAAD-ABN. Rome Auditorium. SAIS

Mon., Oct. 3, 10 a.m.

Mon.,

Oct.

12:30

p.m.

“China’s Regulatory State: A New Strategy for Globalization,” a SAIS China Studies Program discussion with Roselyn Hsueh, Temple University. To RSVP, call 202-663-5816 or email zji@jhu .edu. 806 Rome Bldg. SAIS “South Sudan in the Post-Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) Era: Prospects and Challenges,” a SAIS African Studies Program discussion with Christopher Zambakari, Northeastern University; and Jok Madut, United States Institute of Peace. For information, call 202-663-5676 or email itolber1@jhu.edu. 500 BernsteinOffit Bldg. SAIS Tues., Oct. 4, 4:30 p.m.

“Career Opportunities in the Life Sciences and Job Search

with Toby Freedman, who will discuss the findings of her book, Career Opportunities in Biotechnology and Drug Development, based on interviews with more than 200 industry executives. (See In Brief, p. 2.) Sponsored by the Center for Biotechnology Education.

Strategies,”

•

Tues., Oct. 4, 6 to 8:30 p.m. Academic and Research

Building, Montgomery County Campus. •

Wed., Oct. 5, 6 to 8:30 p.m. 110 Maryland. HW

“BRICs and the International Economic Order,” a SAIS Latin American Studies Program discussion with Paulo Nogueira Batista, International Monetary Fund. (This event is open to the SAIS community and alumni only.) Co-sponsored by the SAIS Finance Club. For more information, call 202-663-5734 or email jzurek1@jhu.edu. A reception follows at 7:30 p.m. Herter Room, Nitze Bldg. SAIS

Tues., Oct. 4, 6:30 p.m.

“LGBT Life: Learning, Teaching and Working at Hopkins,” a Community on Equity, Diversity and Civility panel discussion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender life at Hopkins, with faculty, staff and students. E2014 SPH. EB

Thurs., Oct. 6, noon.

“The Eurozone Crisis: Stumbling Toward Economic Government,” a SAIS European Studies Program discussion with David Cameron, Yale University. For more information, call 202-663-5796 or email atobin1@jhu.edu. Rome Auditorium. SAIS Thurs., Oct. 6, 5 p.m.

“The Challenge of Feeding Nine Billion by Mid-Century,” a SAIS International Development Program discussion with visiting

scholar Robert Thompson. To RSVP, call 202-870-6677 or email developmentroundtable@ jhu.edu. Kenney Auditorium, Nitze Bldg. SAIS F I L M / V I D EO Tues., Oct. 4, 9 a.m. Screening of When Clouds Clear, presented by the Program in Latin American Studies. 104 Shriver. (Oct. 6, 9 a.m. A discussion of the film. 104 Shriver.) HW

about admission requirements, curriculum and course structure, and to talk with the faculty. Sponsored by Advanced Academic Programs. RSVP online at http:// advanced.jhu.edu/rsvp/index .html?ContentID=3339. Mason Hall. HW Thurs.,

Oct.

6:30

p.m.

Information session for the MS in Environmental Sciences and Policy degree program, offering a chance to learn about admission and degree requirements, curriculum design, course structure, and how online education works. Sponsored by Advanced Academic Programs. RSVP online at http://advanced.jhu.edu/rsvp/ index.html?ContentID=3330. Mason Hall. HW L E C T URE S

by Bernd Sturmfels, University of California, Berkeley. Sponsored by Mathematics. HW

The Kempf Lectures,

•

Mon., Oct. 3, 4:30 p.m.

“Multiview Geometry.” 304 Krieger. Tues., Oct. 4, 4:30 p.m.

“Mustafin Varieties.” 302 Krieger.

“Indigenas, Indigenistas e Indigeneidad en el Cine Latinoamericano Reciente,” a German and Romance Languages and Literatures lecture with Claudia Ferman, Richmond College. 479 Gilman. HW

Mon., Oct. 3, 5 p.m.

Wed., Oct. 5, 2 p.m. “Nineteenth-Century Spanish America After Independence,” a Program in Latin American Studies lecture by Alvaro Kaempfer, Gettysburg College. 308 Krieger. HW Mon., Oct. 10, 5:15 p.m. “Half a Millennium of Machiavelli,” a German and Romance Languages and Literatures lecture by Angela Capodivacca, Yale University. 479 Gilman. HW

F ORU M S Fri., Oct. 7, noon to 4 p.m.

“Magic Bullets and Smoking Guns, Flying Pigs and Sitting Ducks: What Can We Learn From the Past for the New Decade of Vaccines?” a Johns Hopkins Vaccine Initiative forum showcasing vaccine-related research by students and faculty at JHSPH, with keynote speaker, Anne Schuchat, assistant surgeon general, U.S. Public Health Service, and director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The event marks Vaccine Day 2011. W1214 SPH. EB I N F OR M A T I O N SESSIONS Tues., Oct. 4, 12:15 p.m. Information session with representatives from ORISE, who will talk about their organization, types of positions and internships being recruited for and more. Sponsored by SPH Career Services. W2008 SPH. EB

Fri., Oct. 7, 12:30 p.m.

Information session for the Master of Arts in Writing degree program, offering a chance to learn

Wed., Oct. 5, 6:30 p.m.

MUSIC Tues., Oct. 4, 8 p.m. Piano Faculty Liszt Extravaganza,with soprano Ah Hong. Part of “Peabody Celebrates Liszt 200.” $15 general admission, $10 for senior citizens and $5 for students with ID. Friedberg Hall. Peabody

Peabody Concert Orchestra performs music by Bernstein, Haydn and Dvorak. $15 general admission, $10 for senior citizens and $5 for students with ID. Friedberg Hall. Peabody

Wed., Oct. 5, 8 p.m.

Peabody Camerata performs music by Stockhausen, Webern and Babbitt. $15 general admission, $10 for senior citizens, $5 for students with ID. Griswold Hall. Peabody

Sat., Oct. 8, 7:30 p.m.

O P E N H OU S E S

Fall Open House for the Bloomberg School of Public Health, an opportunity for prospective students to tour the campus, and meet faculty, department coordinators and current students. Space is limited; advance registration required: www .jhsph.edu/admissions/visit_jhsph/ open_house/openhouseinfo.html.

Mon., Oct. 10, 1 to 5 p.m.

(Check-in is at 12:30 p.m. in the Gallery.) Sponsored by Student Affairs. E2014 SPH. EB REA D I N G S / B OO K T A L K S Wed., Oct. 5, 7 p.m. William Birnes, host of the History Channel’s UFO Hunters, will discuss and sign copies of his new book, The Haunting of Twentieth-Century America. (See In Brief, p. 2.) Barnes & Noble Johns Hopkins. HW

RE L I G I O N Yom Kippur services—Fri., Oct. 7, and Sat., Oct. 8. Con-

servative and Reform services sponsored by Hillel of Greater Baltimore; Orthodox by Chabad of Central Baltimore and JHU. Reform service in the evening only. Pre-fast meal for students, Smokler Center, $12; breakthe-fast meal, Levering, free for students. Advance reservations required for both meals. Register at www.hopkinshillel.org. HW

• Conservative. Led by JHU student Oren Pollak and Jewish Theological Seminary student Alex Salzberg. Glass Pavilion, Levering. Fri.,

Kol Nidre, 6:45

p.m.

Sat., 9:15 a.m. ; Yizkor, 11:30 a.m. ; rabbi’s discussion, 4:30 p.m. ; Mincha, 5:30 p.m. ; Neilah, 6:30 p.m.; Shofar/Havdallah, 7:15 p.m.

• Reform. Led by Rabbi Debbie Pine, director of Hopkins Hillel; Bunting-Meyerhoff Interfaith Center. Kol Nidre, with the Peabody Cello Quartet. 6:45

Fri.,

p.m.

• Orthodox. Led by Rabbi Zev Gopin; Inn at the Colonnade, 4 W. University Pkwy. Fri.,

Kol Nidre, 6:30

p.m.

9:30 a.m. ; Yizkor, approx. 11:30 a.m. ; Mincha/Neilah, 5 p.m.

Sat.,

S E M I N AR S

“Nuclear Export and Virion Maturation: Achilles’ Heels of Retrovirus Replication,” a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology seminar with

Mon., Oct. 3, noon.

Continued on page 9

(Events are free and Calendar open to the public Key except where indicated.) APL BRB CRB CSEB

Applied Physics Laboratory Broadway Research Building Cancer Research Building Computational Science and Engineering Building EB East Baltimore HW Homewood JHOC Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center KSAS Krieger School of Arts and Sciences NEB New Engineering Building PCTB Preclinical Teaching Building SAIS School of Advanced International Studies SoM School of Medicine SoN School of Nursing SPH School of Public Health WBSB Wood Basic Science Building WSE Whiting School of Engineering