Sept. 26, 2014
MEDICAL UNIVERSITY of SOUTH CAROLINA
Vol. 33, No. 6
The changing image of stroke recovery $10.8 M COBRE/NIH grant funds stroke recovery center BY MIKIE HAYES Public Relations
Y
ou lived through the stroke. That’s the good news. When you woke up that morning you had no idea you would be in for the fight of your life. Fortunately, a loved one recognized the warning signs and got you to MUSC’s Comprehensive Stroke Center where the Brain Activation Team was able to administer a thrombolytic agent to bust the clot or rushed you to surgery to undergo a thrombectomy to remove it. But now you are in for a different fight. In terms of hoping to resume a good or even reasonable quality of life, what comes next can be nearly as important as making it through the stroke: rehabilitation and recovery. The lifetime risk of stroke is 1 in 6. That amounts to 795,000 Americans suffering a new or recurrent stroke every year. South Carolina falls into an area known as the “stroke belt,” a name given by public health officials to a region of the southeastern U.S. that has an unusually high incidence of strokes. The state also has the distinction of being included in the “buckle” of the belt as 16,000 South Carolinians suffer a stroke each year. The state also has a couple of other disadvantages: It has one of the highest incidences of stroke mortality in the nation and the age at stroke onset is younger here than the national average. Stroke is one of the most disabling conditions in the U.S. and one of the main causes of long-term disability. When a person lives through a stroke, often the effects of the stroke will negatively impact quality of life. In the U.S., 50 percent of stroke patients will have a
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Road Closures Parking Management details temporary road closures.
photo by Sarah Pack, Public Relations
Stroke survivor Patricio Gombs checks out his gait while in MUSC’s locomotor rehabilitation laboratory that houses a ZeroG mobile body weight support system (only the 6th one installed nationally) designed to retrain walking ability using a split-belt treadmill. resultant deficit (weakness of one side), 30 percent will be unable to walk without assistance, 26 percent will be dependent in activities of daily living, and up to 38 percent will have aphasia. According to the National Center on Biotechnology Information, aphasia, which is defined as an impaired ability to communicate, is at
3
the top of the list of symptoms people fear most about stroke. Today, there are more than 7 million people in the United States who have survived a stroke and are living with the aftereffects. With these types of serious
See Stroke on page 6
An Intern’s Experiences
2
Applause
P.R. intern gains skill and confidence in her craft.
5
Meet Geraldine
8
Cyber Awareness Month
READ THE CATALYST ONLINE - http://www.musc.edu/catalyst
2 THE CATALYST, Sept. 26, 2014
Applause Program The following employees received recognition through the Applause Program for going the extra mile: Medical Center
Bernice Collins Scott, Psychiatry; Travis Patterson,Residents-Orthopaedic Surgery; Sandra Zambetti, Hollings Clinics; Kim Rodenberg, Hollings Clinics; Buffy Ruppe, Main OR; Jonathon Taylor, OCIO; Mandy Wright, ART 3W; Helen Hicks, Hollings Chemotherapy; Susan Barnes, Discharge Call Program; Melissa McFee, Children’s Services; Allan Perry, OCIO; Zack Pulver, OCIO; Krutesha Prime, ART 4E; Don Neuroth, Outpatient Pharmacy; Sylvia Odom, Clinical Documentation; Alison Rogers, ART MSICU; Iris Rosemond, RT Children’s; Nick Garn, Guest Services; Jayson Zeigler, MUSC Children’s Therapy Center; Patrick Loveland, OCIO; Lynn Mathewes, Ambulatory Preop Clinic; George Chajewski, Dietetic Services; Holly Lane, Respiratory Therapy; Darian Epps, Meduflex Therapy; Elizabeth McRae Hame, ART Chest Pain Center; Ann Kelley-Zabawa, ART OR lab; and Andrew Barrett, Logistics Support University
Rick Albenesius, Dental Faculty Practice; Stacy Bramlett, College of Dental Medicine/AEGD; Angie Brown, Parking Management; Lora Clekis, College of Medicine/Dean’s Office; Lester Dempsey, Engineering & Facilities; Lisa Fowler, Dental Faculty Practice; Carlton Jenkins, Parking Management; Gloria Kinard, College of Dental Medicine/Scheduling; Rob
Editorial of fice MUSC Office of Public Relations 135 Cannon Street, Suite 403C, Charleston, SC 29425. 843-792-4107 Fax: 843-792-6723 Editor: Cindy Abole catalyst@musc.edu Catalyst staff: Mikie Hayes, hayesmi@musc.edu
Nance, Parking Management; Anthony Scott, Psychiatry/CDAP; Sara Thigpen, College of Dental Medicine/AEGD; Lauren Trammell, College of Dental Medicine/AEGD; Beth Trout, College of Medicine/Reception; and Vivian Wertz, Dental Faculty Practice Nominate employees who “go the extra mile” to provide quality service, education, research and patient care via MUSC’s Applause Award. Visit http:// academicdepartments.musc.edu/ hr/university/forms/applause.htm or tinyurl.com/py3fmw8.
MUSC Lupus Education Event set for Sept. 27 The Division of Rheumatology & Immunology will sponsor its annual seminar for patients who suffer from rheumatic diseases and their families on Sept. 27 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will take place in the Drug Discovery Building Auditorium, Room 110 and is free. The seminar will present the latest discoveries in the field of lupus, coping strategies, speakers and an opportunity to ask medical professionals about the disease and insights into quality of life. To register, visit http://www.musc. edu/lupus<http://www.musc.edu/ lupus>) and go to “Click here to register.”
The Catalyst is published once a week. Paid adver tisements, which do not represent an endorsement by MUSC or the State of South Carolina, are handled by Island Publications Inc., Moultrie News, 134 Columbus St., Charleston, S.C., 843-849-1778 or 843-958-7490. E-mail: sales@moultrienews.com.
Temporary road closures set around President Street garage area Staff Reports
SCE&G is performing electrical work along Bee and President streets to improve their electrical service to MUSC and our neighbors. This work will result in temporary street closures over the next two weeks. The closures will have some effect on the approaches to the President Street garage but access to the garage will be maintained. Road closure information is as follows: q Sept. 22 to Sept. 26 — Closure of one lane of Cannon Street between Wescott and President streets. President Street garage parkers may not be able to use the Cannon Street entrance at times during this week. q Friday, Sept. 26 — Closure of one lane on President Street between Cannon and Spring streets. Two-way traffic will continue but caution is advised. q Saturday to Sunday, Sept. 27 to Sept. 28 — Closure of both lanes on President Street between Cannon and Spring streets. If approaching campus
from the east and north by way of the Crosstown, access to the President Street garage will be by way of Ashley Avenue and Bee Street and Courtenay Drive and Bee Street. Exits for parkers with northernly and easterly destinations will use Bee Street and Cannon streets. For information, contact Parking Management at 792-3665 or visit http:// academicdepartments.musc.edu/vpfa/ operations/Parking.
MUSC Employee Benefits Fair set for Sept. 26 The University and MUHA medical center benefits staff will host the Annual Benefits Fair, 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Friday, Sept. 26, around the Colbert Library and Education Center. Benefits staff and plan representatives will be available to answer questions. For information, contact University HR at 792-2071 or Medical Center HR at 792-0826.
Nominations accepted for honorary degrees until Oct. 31 The Office of the President is accepting nominations for people to receive honorary degrees from MUSC to be awarded at MUSC’s Commencement ceremony in May 2015. In general, honorary degrees go to individuals in the following broad categories: q Contribution(s) to the nation q Contribution(s) to science q Contribution(s) to the state or MUSC.
Individuals can submit nominations of candidates along with supporting materials such as letters, articles, curriculum vitae, etc., in the above mentioned categories. The nominations should be forwarded to Marcia Higaki, Office of the President, Colcock Hall, 179 Ashley Ave., MSC 001, higakimc@ musc.edu. Submissions are due no later than Oct. 31. Note that nominations of MUSC alumni are generally discouraged.
THE CATALYST, Sept. 26, 2014 3
Intern with PR ties grows with campus experiences BY EMILY UPSHUR Public Relations This summer, I had the privilege of interning at the MUSC Office of Public Relations as a writer for The Catalyst. I have deep roots at MUSC, having started my life there nearly 22 years ago alongside my twin sister, Christine. We were born 11 weeks early and spent several weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit before going home. My grandmother, Jane Upshur, M.D., also served for many years as a pathologist and professor at the university, and my mother, Lori Upshur, works as an IT manager for the Department of Pediatrics. When the time came for me to find an internship in order to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in English from Clemson University, MUSC seemed like the perfect option. Thankfully, the Office of Public Relations needed writers to work on The Catalyst for the summer, and the staff was gracious enough to bring me on as an intern. It was a privilege to work with such intelligent and capable individuals. These people do their jobs well, for which I am grateful because it gave me an example of how I should conduct myself in a work setting. It also gave me the opportunity to interact and learn from people who have chosen writing as a profession. I believe this has helped me greatly in my
photo provided
Public Relations intern Emily Upshur shares an enthusiastic thumbs up regarding her summer internship experience at MUSC. development as a writer and has also enabled me to gain a better appreciation for journalistic writing and editing. As an English student, my writing experience and
interests leaned more toward academic papers on literature and writing original fiction. I was uncertain if I could report news as well as I could write fiction, especially in describing real people and events as opposed to characters and plot devices. But it was amazing for me to learn how many character-driven stories are being lived out in the day-to-day work at MUSC. The people I interviewed were varied, fascinating individuals. I learned so much more about them beyond their involvement in the subject matter of the interviews. This helped me clearly convey their voices and provide a sense of reality to the articles that can often be hard to achieve in fiction. Along with the Public Relations staff, I was able to work with some remarkable interns. One was a grad student from the College of Charleston, and another, a University of South Carolina undergrad. It was an enjoyable experience to work with these ladies on The Catalyst. One time I teamed up with one of the interns on a story about the MUHA Employee of the Year event. We took photographs and were able to celebrate the hard work and efforts of several employees. Gathering information for stories took me all over the main campus which gave me the chance to see so much more of MUSC than I ever had previously. I interacted
See Intern on page 10
4 THE CATALYST, Sept. 26, 2014
MUSC Medical Center Communications Corner Employees’ voices heard through Communications Advisory Group
The Communications Advisory Group has been researching employee preferences regarding how clinical leadership communicates a range of clinical and non–clinical news and data, and it is already creating significant change within the medical center. The CAG, formed last December by medical center Chief Executive Officer Dr. Patrick Cawley and chaired by Chief Operating Officer Matt Wain, is comprised of representatives from all areas and all levels of the medical center. The goals of the Communications Advisory Group are to 1) identify topics of interest and concern to employees, 2) serve as on ongoing “focus group” to determine the medical center’s communications needs from the employee’s perspective, and 3) solicit and report employees’ perspectives concerning communication methods and content. CAG members want the committee to be seen as a credible, trustworthy, effective venue for employee issues and concerns. Therefore, the CAG must:
q Identify employee issues and concerns q Improve existing communications devices now, while developing a major overhaul q Provide employee–to–leadership channels q Devise methods to segment messages by importance and relevancy to specific work areas or job functions Have your voice heard through the Communication Advisory Group. Speak to the CAG members in person, email CAG members individually, or email MUHAinfo@musc.edu. Get to know your representative, and let them know what’s on your mind!
The original notion of “advising” has grown into “action.” As a result of CAG recommendations, Town Hall meetings have been restructured to be more relevant and accessible. Cawley and Wain will present the medical center-wide Town Hall meetings, and administrators will present service line–specific meetings that help employees better connect the dots between the overarching issues and what they do in their jobs every day. Town Halls are offered at times convenient for evening and night shifts, and for those who cannot leave the unit, town halls are recorded on Tegrity for later viewing. All employees also will have direct access to leadership with a follow–up session to discuss and clarify topics discussed in the Town Halls. Cawley and Wain will host this Employee Q & A Forum on Employee Q & A Forum with CEO Patrick Oct. 21. Cawley and COO Matt Wain Each unit or area is asked to select one Tuesday, Oct. 21 from 3 to 4 p.m. or two high performers to represent Open to all employees the concerns of that unit and to take Units to select high performers to back answers to people’s questions. Be • Express concerns and ask questions sure your unit has representation. • Report back to unit or area staff Other work groups within the CAG are hard at work as well. The Social Media Workgroup has identified and is testing business–friendly social media to improve two–way communications between leadership and employees, using Yammer and Lync. Yammer is essentially a closed, secure Facebook for businesses. It allows for communications and collaboration across a large audience or small workgroups such as units or IMPROVE teams. Lync is a multifunctional tool that is part of Office 2013; its features include video conferencing, chat groups and instant messaging. Lync is being pushed out by OCIO to all Lynx desktop computers and employees are able to access Lync from Outlook through one button, eliminating the need for a separate login.
Name
Department
Email Address
Beth Burton
MUSC-P/East Cooper
burtone@musc.edu
Megan Fink
CS / Epic
finkm@musc.edu
Kelly Hedges
Volunteer Services
hedgesk@musc.edu
Betty Kaup-Stuart
CS / Surgery
kaupstu@musc.edu
Amber Patterson
HV / Cardiac Care Unit
pattea@musc.edu
Tom Robinson
Institute of Psychiatry / Marketing robinsw@musc.edu
Sally Shields
Women’s Care
shieldss@musc.edu
Kristen Stoltz
CS / Lab (Outreach)
stoltz@musc.edu
Faye Connor
DDC
connorf@musc.edu
Johnetta Buncum
MACC / 8 West
buncomjl@musc.edu
Andrea Coyle
CS / Administration
coylea@musc.edu
Michelle Foreman
Human Resources
foremanm@musc.edu
Marc Gerber
SACC
gerberm@musc.edu
Laura Haley
Children’s Hospital / PCICU
haleyl@musc.edu
•
FYI if it’s for information only;
James “JJ” Johnson
FS / BioMed
johnjam@musc.edu
•
ACT if the recipient is to take an action based on the information included;
Janie Miller
MUSC-P / West Ashley
milleja@musc.edu
•
REPLY if the email is soliciting ideas, suggestions or decisions.
Julie Rhone
Ambulatory Care
collinsj@musc.edu
The CAG is looking for nominations to replace two members (and chairs of workgroups) who have left, and to ensure that it is inclusive of all employee functions.
The Mobile Applications Workgroup has worked with OCIO to purchase mobile app development software, enabling us to communicate through smartphones and tablets. The Web Workgroup is coordinating large–scale, MUSC–wide web projects to improve the functionality of the MUSChealth.org clinical patient and musc.edu academic sites, as well as the intranets that employees use to find information they need. You may have recently been surveyed about your MUSC email habits by the CAG’s Email Workgroup. This group, comprised of an interprofessional team of MUHA employees and interns, roamed the cafeterias and floors of the main hospital, ART and other various departments/facilities, collecting information from MUHA employees, which will be used to make suggestions to senior leadership on ways to improve current email mass communications. Thanks to those who gave feedback. Some ideas include consolidating emails to reduce frequency, identifying subject matter by relevancy to clinical or non–clinical staff and providing links to archives so employees can check back when they have time to read topics of interest. A best practice other organizations use is to include in the subject line an indication of why the recipient is receiving the email. For example:
The Promotion Workgroup’s purpose is to spread news to all employees about CAG initiatives and ensure that all employees know how to channel their communications ideas (via The Catalyst, Broadcast Messages, social media postings, etc. ) to leadership.
THE CATALYST, Sept. 26, 2014 5
MEET GERALDINE
Geraldine V. Gourdine Department Main Operating Room — Fourth Floor How you are changing what’s possible at MUSC Through teamwork How long at MUSC 40 years MUSC areas in which you’ve worked throughout your 40-year career Housekeeping, Pathology & Lab Services, Patient Transportation and Main OR Family and pets Mother, Elizabeth Bradley; husband, Bernard; daughters, Nicole and Deyna; and son-in-law, Clay Who was president when you started working at MUSC President Richard M. Nixon Favorite place in the world The Bahamas Greatest moment of your life Getting married on my birthday Words of advice Always put God first.
6 THE CATALYST, Sept. 26, 2014
S.C. Research Center for Recovery from Stroke Stroke is one of the most disabling conditions in the U.S., yet few options exist to treat and give hope to those who’ve suffered from one. Taking an innovative approach, the Medical University of South Carolina’s new stroke recovery research center aims to improve the treatment and long-term quality of life for stroke survivors.
1 in 6
7 million
a stroke in their
U.S., with a disproportion-
lifetime
ate number residing in the
people will have
stroke survivors in the
stroke belt
16,000
South Carolinians
have a stroke each year. Although S.C.
25%
73.7 billion
in medical and disability costs for stroke in the U.S. in 2010
1 billion
in yearly
expenses for stroke-related hospitalizations and rehabilitation in S.C.
of strokes occur
under the age of 65, with the
residents represent only 1 in 66 of the U.S.
age of onset younger in S.C.
population, they represent 1 in 50 stroke cases
than the national average
4 out of 5
families in the U.S. are touched by stroke
Illustrations by Wade Harris
STROKE
Continued from Page One
residual effects, stroke can hinder a person’s ability to reintegrate into society. Even the simplest tasks that typically get taken for granted: walking to the kitchen, talking to loved ones, lifting a glass, remembering a grandchild’s name can become virtually impossible. Steven Kautz, Ph.D., chairman of the Department of Health Sciences Research and co-director of the Center for Rehabilitation Research in Neurological Conditions (CRRNC), has dedicated his career to making stroke rehabilitation more effective and developing interventions that will help these individuals regain their independence and return to their lives and careers. That goal — improving the recovery of stroke victims — became the basis for the submission of a Center Of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) grant application aimed at establishing a center for the study of stroke recovery that would bring together experts from MUSC’s front lines of stroke rehabilitation research to work together in an interactive, collaborative setting. The goal of a COBRE grant is to strengthen an institution’s biomedical research infrastructure through the establishment of a thematic multi-disciplinary center — in this case, the theme being stroke recovery. COBRE awards are supported through the National
Institutes of Health’s Institutional Development Award program. The IDeA program fosters healthrelated research by increasing the competitiveness of investigators at institutions located in states, such as South Carolina, that historically have had low success rates for NIH grant awards. Through this program, a critical mass of investigators will be developed, through a mentoring program for junior investigators, to allow them to establish themselves and their work and enable them to obtain major funding in the future. In addition, several science cores will be established to support the work of the junior investigators and other investigators studying stroke recovery to further strengthen the MUSC research program. POTENTIAL IMPACT In early July, the MUSC College of Health Professions received news that it was the recipient of a $10.8 million COBRE grant from NIH — the largest such grant awarded to MUSC to date. The grant established the South Carolina Research Center for Recovery from Stroke from which important developments are expected. MUSC President David Cole, M.D., FACS, said of the award, “This COBRE grant award reflects a significant collective expertise on the forefront of stroke rehabilitation research at MUSC. We are very excited about the potential impact
that the South Carolina Research Center for Recovery from Stroke will be able to make in the field of stroke rehabilitation because of this award. The MUSC College of Health Professions and the outstanding team involved in the grant deserve high praise — this level of investment from the NIH is a strong statement to the state and nation of the potential impact this research center will unquestionably have.” Rehabilitation is the most critical part of recovering from a stroke, and in many cases, patients can relearn basic skills such as talking, gripping, eating, dressing, and walking as well as improve their strength, flexibility and endurance. The goal is to help them regain as much confidence and independence as possible. According to Kautz, the center will invest substantially in advancing the fields of neural plasticity, rehabilitation and brain stimulation. This combination will best position the team to make a substantive impact on the practice of stroke recovery. “We believe that the future for stroke recovery will be pairing great new physical experience–based interventions with treatments to enhance the brain’s plasticity, be those treatments cell–based, like stem cells, or new drugs or other nervous system manipulations like harnessing electrical or magnetic brain stimulation.”
See STROKE on page 9
THE CATALYST, September 26, 2014 7
Four Synergistic Scientific Cores QBAR
BSTIM
The Quantitative Behavioral Assessment and Rehabilitation Core
The Brain Stimulation Core Electricity is the currency of change in this core. Taking
This core answers the question: “What are patients’
advantage of the pioneering work MUSC does in brain
impairments?” It develops critical standards and novel
stimulation treatments, this core provides the expertise
quantitative measurements of behavior and function
necessary for researchers to develop unique tools and
using the latest in high-tech, state-of-the
methods to measure brain function and plasticity
art equipment including motion capture,
in the journey of figuring out how to induce
electromyography and accelerometer-
brain changes to potentially treat damage
based devices.
caused by a stroke.
STROKE RECOVERY
NI
CTTR
RESEARCH CENTER
Neuroimaging Core
The Clinical & Translational Tools and Resources Core
This core leverages resources within the Center for Biomedical Imaging to show through sophisticated
Harnessing the power of biomedical informatics and
imaging techniques how treatments and research
biostatistics, this core leverages stroke data and research.
trials may work to augment the brain’s plasticity. Using
The Stroke Clinical Registry Database is the centerpiece
neuroimaging to explore patients’ specific deficits will
of this core and creates a powerful research tool and
enable researchers to help stroke survivors have a better
informational clearinghouse for researchers.
response to traditional and developing treatments.
Aims The center accelerates research by:
1
Providing a structure for the mentoring of junior scientists who will hold the keys to future breakthroughs.
2
Developing core resources that will empower researchers to easily tap into multiple disciplines that hold the most promise to accelerate research from the lab to the patient.
3
Promoting the vision of finding solutions for stroke recovery through a comprehensive center that integrates the best work that is happening in the field.
8 THE CATALYST, Sept. 26, 2014
Cyber Awareness Month: Information security begins with me BY MELANIE RICHARDSON & DAN FURLONG OCIO
I
nformation security is a shared responsibility. We each have an ethical, moral and legal duty to protect the privacy and security of our patient, student, employee, and organizational data that is entrusted to our care. October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, and to help promote information security awareness, MUSC is hosting Information Security Awareness Pledge Centers. Tables will be located around campus where you can sign a pledge agreeing to follow good information security practices. For those who sign a Cyber Security Awareness Pledge Card, a limited supply of promotional items will be available. Pledge names will also be entered into a drawing for two iPad Air tablets, 25 — $20 gift cards and 50 — $10 gift cards to the MUHA cafeteria and Starbucks. You can also get a fun, limited edition mouse pad if you take a brief Cyber Awareness quiz while pledging. The pledge is not a contract — it is simply a promise
Info Security Awareness Pledge Centers October is National Cyber Awareness Month
q Main Hospital (lobby and Children’s) q Library q Ashley River Tower q Harborview Office Tower q College of Health Professions q Rutledge Tower q Parkshore Centre that you will “Stop, Think, and then Connect!”
I PLEDGE TO SECURE MY WORK AND PERSONAL COMPUTERS
q Always lock my devices when not in use q Safeguard my computer and encrypt sensitive data q Maintain up-to-date computer software I PLEDGE TO THINK BEFORE I CLICK
q Refrain from clicking on hyperlinks in suspicious emails
q Never open an emailed Zip file q Never reply to an email asking for any password I PLEDGE TO BE CYBERBASE SAFE q Always use a strong password or passphrase q Report all cyber security concerns to 792-9700 q Avoid storing non-encrypted files on local, removable or cloud-based drives I PLEDGE TO PROTECT MY MOBILE DEVICES q Protect my mobile devices like any other computer q Install MDM on any mobile device used to access MUSC systems, including email q Password protect all mobile devices Do you know a champion of good cyber security practices? If so, nominate them as a “Security Mentor.” Send nominations to beginswithme@musc.edu. Twenty dollar cafeteria/Starbucks gift cards will be given to 25 nominees and 25 nominators randomly drawn at the end of October. The deadline to submit nominations is Oct. 24. Stop by a pledge center to pledge, or email us at beginswithme@musc.edu and we will attend one of your staff meetings to obtain pledges. Visit the MUSC website, BeginsWithMe.musc.edu, for more information about your role in Cyber Security at MUSC.
THE CATALYST, Sept. 26, 2014 9
STROKE
Continued from Page Six
The COBRE grant allows a team of senior investigators with different skills to all work together to train and mentor the cadre of junior scientists involved in the grant who will then become skilled in multiple areas giving them the multidisciplinary toolbox they will need to become the next leaders in the field. They will be developing and translating new, mechanism-based interventional strategies in an effort to improve functional recovery from stroke. Kautz believes the grant represents a significant step forward in stroke recovery research and the ability to create a maximally synergistic approach, offering hope not only to the people of South Carolina but well beyond. “Rehabilitation is critical to long-term recovery and while research related to the prevention and treatment of stroke is plentiful, research to help those left with chronic disabilities after stroke has long been underemphasized. This provides an opportunity for us to coalesce research, new clinical interventions as well as product and process development to address this critical regional and global need.” He continued, “The combination of the high volume of stroke cases in South Carolina and our ability to care for strokes that were once deadly has pushed the need for better, more robust rehabilitation approaches past the tipping point. This research center, which is dedicated to improving the recovery of stroke patients, would ideally position MUSC to impact public health in South Carolina, as well as the nation, over the next decade,” said Kautz. THE CENTER’S CORES The center is divided into four distinct scientific cores that define the work of the center as well as a fifth core that concerns administration of the grant, duties of which fall to Kautz. Kautz also heads up the Quantitative Behavioral Assessment and Rehabilitation Core which will provide standardized experience and quantitative measurement of behavior and function. Determining where a patient is preand post-rehabilitation is critical to understanding the effects of stroke and rehabilitation in order to develop the
photo by Sarah Pack, Public Relations
Dr. Lindsay Perry, research analyst, and Katy Holthaus, MUSC research analyst, right, hook Patricio Gombs up to record data during physical therapy. best standards of care. It also allows researchers to continue to generate new ways to quantitatively diagnose patients with the goal of providing clinicians with meaningful biomarkers of behavior. Using sophisticated, state-of-the-art equipment that is capable of capturing extremely detailed full-body movement, researchers assess a patient’s capabilities at any specific moment in time. The Brain Stimulation (BSTIM) Core, led by Mark George, M.D., the Layton McCurdy endowed chair, director of the Brain Stimulation Laboratory and Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, will provide a plasticity modifying tool for treatment as well as quantitative measurement of plasticity and neurophysiology. Brain stimulation methods are emerging as cutting-edge interventions for increasing the sensitivity and plasticity of underlying neural circuitry for recovery from stroke. MUSC is widely recognized as a world leader in brain stimulation methodology in other diseases and the team expects the BSTIM Core will advance current applications and pioneer novel applications for post-stroke brain stimulation, enabling collaborators to perform research that would be
impossible at most institutions. The Neuroimaging Core, under the direction of Truman Brown, Ph.D., the Stephen S. Schnabel endowed chair in radiology, and professor in the Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, will provide quantitative measurement of plasticity and structural and functional connectivity. This core will use complex imaging to create and analyze pictures of the brain and provide quantitative measurement of the plasticity and structural and functional connectivity in the brain of stroke survivors. This will help the team develop new ways to determine the damage after stroke in order to help diagnose what is the best course of treatment for a patient. Robert Adams, M.D., SmartState biomedical endowed chair in stroke, director of the South Carolina Stroke Center for Economic Excellence, director of the South Carolina REACH Stroke Network and REACH MUSC, will direct the Clinical & Translational Tools and Resources Core which will facilitate the progression of research from experimentation into practice through development and use of unique patient resources and data tools. Kautz looks forward to spreading the
word about the center and the impact of its studies. “We have great potential to assume a national leadership role in recovery from stroke,” he said. “The complexity of research in stroke recovery necessarily includes basic, translational and clinical investigations. We will be unique in our combination of expertise in human clinical research using quantitative behavioral assessment and rehabilitation, brain stimulation and neuroimaging techniques, and basic science research related to developing interventions for recovery from stroke. Our studies will answer important questions, open new areas for further study, and result in important changes to existing interventions and development of innovative new interventions, which will have the potential to revolutionize clinical practices related to recovery from stroke.” He continued, “MUSC will soon be in position to lead and contribute to major programmatic initiatives and clinical trials to conceptualize and test potential enhancers of plasticity such as brain stimulation and cell-based therapies. Lisa Saladin, PT, Ph.D., dean of the College of Health Professions, agrees with those assertions and has high hopes for the future of the center. “I congratulate the entire research team on the COBRE for their collaborative and novel translational approach for addressing stroke recovery in South Carolina. The new South Carolina Research Center for Recovery from Stroke will provide citizens of South Carolina and beyond access to innovative clinical trials that have the potential to enhance outcomes and improve recovery post-stroke. At this time, it is also my pleasure to formally announce that Dr. Steve Kautz, a leader in stroke rehabilitation research and PI for the COBRE, will be the recipient of the first endowed chair in the College of Health Professions, the Christie Family endowed chair in stroke rehabilitation research.” The Christie family, in December 2013, contributed a personal gift that established the endowed chair which will fall under the CRRNC. On Thursday, Nov. 6, the college will host an open house to celebrate the SCRCRS, the CRRNC and the chair.
10 THE CATALYST, Sept. 26, 2014
Alcoholism med development contract awarded to researcher Staff Report Director of MUSC’s Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Howard Becker, Ph.D., received a $3.5 million contract award over five years from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to support studies using preclinical models for testing novel drugs that might have potential for treating alcohol use disorders. This competitive contract award is connected to the Medications Development Program at NIAAA. Becker has developed models of dependence and drinking that have not only advanced our understanding of consequences of heavy drinking, but also provide a platform for evaluating potential mediations. This research award falls
directly in line with the overall theme of the Charleston Alcohol Research Center, which addresses research on treatment and treatment implications for alcohol use disorders. “The Center focuses on pre-clinical evaluations of novel therapeutics and has always been engaged in translational research – embracing a ‘bench to bedside’ approach that integrates experimental studies, clinical laboratory studies and clinical trials,” Becker said. Alcoholism is a serious disease that affects the lives of millions of Americans. More than half of all adults have a family history of alcoholism or problem drinking. Excessive alcohol use contributes to illness in each of the top three causes of death: heart disease, cancer and stroke. Recent research indicates that
alcoholism and alcohol abuse alone cost the nation’s economy approximately $185 billion each year in medical consequences, lost earnings, reduced workforce productivity, accidents, violence, and premature death. This project will play a role to NIAAA’s goal of developing new treatment strategies for individuals suffering with alcohol use disorders. The Charleston Alcohol Research Center provided the foundation to successfully compete for this award. Led by Becker, researchers at the Center are at the forefront of the alcohol research field, making significant research contributions and leading the way towards developing safer and more effective treatments for alcohol use disorders and alcoholism.
INTERN
Continued from Page Three
“The best part of my internship at MUSC was a the chance to contribute to ann organization that has had such an impact on my life. ” Emily Upshur with members of the Volunteer and Guest Services Department in Ashley River Tower, spoke with the staff of the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit in the Main Hospital and listened to visiting undergraduate students present their summer research in the Basic Science Building. Part of my internship also gave me the chance to do two externships outside of the Public Relations. I was able to work with some of the staff of the South Carolina Area Health Education and Consortium, helping edit their newsletter. I also spent three days over at MUSC’s Office of Student Programs, interacting with students and helping prepare for August orientation. Both were very good opportunities for me to see the different ways communications professionals operate in various parts of MUSC. Ultimately, the best part of my internship was the chance to contribute to an organization that has had such an impact on my life. I was able to learn more about MUSC and communicate what I learned to a wide audience of people. I was able to write about the wonderful things that go on at the university and hospital, and felt a sense of accomplishment every time the new Catalyst came out. This has been an awesome experience, and I am very thankful for the opportunities it has given me.
THE CATALYST, Sept 26, 2014 11
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12 THE CATALYST, Sept. 26, 2014