In her keynote address, Nora Volkow, MD, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse and 2018 recipient of the Cura Personalis Award, explained her motivation for advancing our understanding of drug addiction.
Recognizing that addiction is a complex problem requiring a comprehensive, multi-pronged solution, experts from the fields of medicine, ethics and public policy joined Nora Volkow, MD, for a colloquium on the opioid epidemic.

GUMC honored Phyllis Magrab, PhD, an endowed professor of pediatrics and director of the Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development, with the Lifetime Contribution Award at the Eleventh Annual GUMC Convocation.

At the Eleventh Annual GUMC Convocation, Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia joined GUMC leadership to honor faculty and students for their unique and outstanding achievements in teaching, research and service. 

After coming to Washington, D.C. in 1952, the late Margaret Hodges made a significant impact. At the 32nd Annual Lombardi Gala, an event she founded, Hodges was recognized for her decades of service and philanthropy.
Established in honor of Georgetown Lombardi's founder, the John Potter Award recognizes the achievements of an early career researcher. Filipa Lynce, MD, medical oncologist and associate professor of medicine, received the John Potter Award at the 32nd Annual Lombardi Gala for her work to reduce health disparities associated with race and socioeconomic status.

Over the last decade, the Hoya MedAlliance has earned a reputation for advocacy, service, mentorship and supporting the LGBTQ community at the Georgetown University School of Medicine.
 




Congratulations to our GUMC faculty members promoted during the most recent academic year. Achieving this milestone is a reflection of the important contributions they have made to our research and education missions at the Medical Center and signals a dedication to achieving high standards of excellence. Read the list of promoted faculty members here.

GUMC welcomes James W. Hawkins, PhD, MBA, as director of the M.S. in Biotechnology Program. Hawkins brings 25 years of both industry and scientific insights to the leadership role, including 15 years of experience as the CEO for early stage biotechnology companies. During the past ten years, he was managing director in the health care and life sciences group at FOCUS Investment Banking in Washington, DC. Hawkins holds a PhD in molecular biology from Baylor College of Medicine and completed his postdoctoral work at the National Institutes of Health. He also holds an MBA from George Mason University. A professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, Hawkins takes the helm of the Biotechnology Program after its founder, Jack G. Chirikjian, PhD, died in September.

Sonya Malekzadeh, MD, was elected president-elect of the Otolaryngology Program Directors Organization during their November meeting in Washington, D.C., held in combination with the Society of University Otolaryngologists and the Association of Academic Departments of Otolaryngology. Malekzadeh also served on the meeting's planning committee and spoke on a panel about innovation. In addition to Malekzadeh, Stephen Ray Mitchell, MD, participated on a panel about recruiting medical students to the otolaryngology field, Aviad Haramati, PhD, taught the faculty development course on mind-body skills, and Mike Reilly, MD, joined a panel about cultivating leaders.

Mary Schmiedel has been appointed inaugural Senior Director of the recently-launched Office of Research Oversight (ORO). Previously, Schmiedel served as associate dean for research administration, and as conflict of interest officer, both on the main campus. Recently, she held the positions of interim research integrity officer and interim medical center conflict of interest officer.

Amrita Cheema, PhD, a professor in the department of oncology and biochemistry and molecular & cellular biology, has been honored by the Radiation Research Society (RRS) with the J.W. Osborne Award. This recognition honors an RRS member who has contributed significantly to the understanding of normal tissue radiation responses. Cheema's extramurally funded research program is focused on delineating small molecule biomarkers that are predictive of exposure to ionizing radiation as well as for adverse outcomes of radiotherapy. Her laboratory has also developed several tools and workflows for furthering metabolomics-based molecular phenotyping for clinical and translational research. Cheema's work has been documented in more than 55 peer-reviewed publications and five biomarker patents.

Michael J. Donnelly, MD, has been appointed academic chair and chief of service for the department of pediatrics for the School of Medicine and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital respectively. Donnelly is board certified in both internal medicine and pediatrics. He is both a professor of medicine and pediatrics, and sees patients at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. In addition, Donnelly now holds the University's Philip L. Calcagno, MD, and Jeane and James Dixon Endowed Chair in Pediatrics.

Richard Cecil (S'21), proposal development manager in GUMC's Office of Sponsored Research; Brian Floyd, the assistant dean of the School of Nursing & Health Studies; Meredith PakPour, clinical research associate in GUMC's Clinical Research Management Office; and Rebecca Waldrop, program manager in student academic affairs at the School of Nursing & Health Studies, received the 2018 President's Excellence Awards for Staff and AAP Members at Georgetown University. The award recognizes distinguished staff and AAP members who have gone above and beyond in their work and have made significant contributions to the University that have enhanced the quality of life on our campuses in substantial and lasting ways.

Duo, a new two-factor authentication sign-in system, is now required for all University-compensated faculty, staff and students. You must enroll by Saturday, December 22 to avoid being locked out of Georgetown accounts. Learn more about enrolling in Duo here. Email University Information Services at [email protected] or call (202) 687-4949 with questions.

 




   

Parkinson's News Today Inhibiting USP13 Enzyme Can Help Destroy Toxic Alpha-Synuclein Clumps, Mouse Study Finds with Charbel Moussa, Nov. 20, 2018

The New Yorker The Mystery of the Havana Syndrome with James Giordano, Nov. 12, 2018 (Nov. 19 issue)


AARP Bulletin Which Medical Tests Should You Get? with Kenneth Lin, Nov. 14, 2018

NPR Shots How Doctors And Nurses Cope With The Human Toll Of Gun Violence by Mara Gordon, Nov. 14, 2018

The Washington Post Alleged white nationalists in liberal D.C. show hatred can be found anywhere with Liza Gold, Nov. 19, 2018

The Philadelphia Inquirer Jefferson adds a new employee perk: Free genetic testing with Beth Peshkin, Nov. 13, 2018

 




A comprehensive analysis published by a team of researchers including scientists from Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center indicates that cigarette smoking among youth and young adults dramatically decreased between 2013 and 2017 just as e-cigarette use became more popular with these age groups.

Nora Volkow, MD, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a part of the National Institutes of Health, received Georgetown University Medical Center's highest honor, the Cura Personalis Award, at a ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 13.

Adolescents with a particular variant of an opioid receptor gene have less response in a part of the prefrontal cortex that evaluates rewards, which may make them more vulnerable to substance abuse in later years, say researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center.

A team of neurologists at Georgetown University Medical Center have identified a protein that can control the build up and breakdown of Lewy bodies, a defining feature of Parkinson's disease and other similar forms of neurodegeneration.

 




In part moved by her experience with Eisenmenger's Syndrome, Shavini Fernando (G'18), a graduate student in the Communication, Culture and Technology (CCT) program, is a finalist for the Leonsis Family Entrepreneurship Prize for her work on a life-saving wearable device. Her device, O2Wear, alerts people when their vital signs go out of normal range and calls 911 for help.

 





Monday, November 26
2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Maguire Hall, Room 304

Featuring Sam Halabi, JD. RSVP here. Hosted by the Global Health Initiative.

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Wednesday, November 28
1:20-3:20 p.m.
Hotung Faculty Lounge, Eric E. Hotung Building, Georgetown University Law Center


Thursday, November 29
11:30 a.m. Doors open
12:00 p.m. Lunch and Panel Discussion
The Mayflower Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Ave N.W., Washington, D.C.

Lunch provided. To RSVP, email [email protected].

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Saturday, December 1
8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Social Room, Healey Family Student Center

Register here (required).

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Wednesday, December 5
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Warwick-Evans Conference Room, Building D


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Wednesday, December 5
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Dahlgren Memorial Library, BACC Classroom, Lower Level

Learn to create effective visualizations with Tableau Desktop. RSVP here.
 
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Wednesday, November 28
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Dahlgren Memorial Library, BACC Classroom, Lower Level

Learn how to use PubMed to find articles more efficiently and easily. Register here.

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Thursday, November 29
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
President's Room (Riggs Library), Healy Hall

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Friday, November 30 - Saturday, December 1
Washington Hilton, 1919 Connecticut Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C.


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Saturday, December 1
1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Research Building Auditorium

Celebrate and honor the life of the late Jack G. Chirikjian, PhD. RSVP here by  Monday, November 26 at 11:59 p.m.

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Monday, December 3
6:30 p.m.
Social Room, Healey Family Student Center

A screening and discussion of the documentary FIXED, which explores how  technologies have changed our perception of disability. Co-sponsored by MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital.

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Thursday, December 6
5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Lombardi Atrium

Register here. 

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