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SCHMIDT COLLEGE OF MEDICINE + FAU HEALTH
students + research + graduate medical education + clinical practice
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Celebrating Women in Medicine | |
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This month, we celebrated the amazing women in medicine at FAU Health. They're the doctors who help patients, the researchers building medicine's tomorrow, and the educators shaping future doctors. Their work is truly extraordinary.
We're so proud of all the women featured this year. And guess what? We'll be back next year to celebrate FAU Health's women in medicine all over again!
So here's to the future, to more stories of excellence, to breaking boundaries, and to inspiring generations to come. Thanks for making healthcare better. Let's keep going and honoring these wonderful women!
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Researchers at Florida Atlantic University, Randy D. Blakely, Ph.D., and Maureen Hahn, Ph.D., have received a patent for a novel method targeting the protein MBLAC1 to identify therapeutic agents for addiction treatment. Their work, initially conducted in worms, revealed the role of this gene in regulating dopamine signaling, a key factor in addiction. This breakthrough offers promising avenues for understanding and treating various brain disorders. Read the Full Story
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+ Medical Student Highlights
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Congratulations to Oghosa Urhoghide, M4 for receiving the 2023 Delores A. Auzenne Fellowship! Sponsored by the State University System, this fellowship is designed to encourage students to pursue graduate degrees at FAU in areas where they are underrepresented. Dr. Mario Jacomino and Dr. Lisa C. Martinez recommended Oghosa due to her contributions to research, community service, and leadership skills during medical school. | | | |
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A big thank you to Harbour's Edge, a local retirement community and Taylor Fistel, M2, the Geriatrics Chair of the Internal Medicine and Geriatrics Interest Group for hosting a lovely dinner with FAU's medical students as part of September's Healthy Aging Month!
There are two more dinners planned over the course of the next month, all designed with a singular purpose – to provide our students with the invaluable opportunity to engage with the seniors in our community, absorb their life narratives, and savor the wisdom they graciously share, all while sharing a delightful meal together!
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September is recognized as National Fall Prevention Awareness Month. On September 28th, a Medical Student Falls Education Workshop was organized by FMIG, IMAGE, and the Disability Interest Group. The session featured activities like trivia, virtual reality experiences, practice in conducting physical exams, and much more! Additionally, students were given the chance to undergo the CDC STEADI Empowering Healthcare Providers training, aimed at reducing fall risks. | |
+ Faculty and Staff Highlights
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We are pleased to announce the well-deserved promotion of Dr. Patrick Grant to the position of Chair and Professor of Biomedical Science, as well as Interim Senior Associate Dean for Research. His leadership and expertise have been instrumental in fostering a culture of excellence within our academic community. Dr. Grant will undoubtedly continue to inspire and guide our faculty and students towards even greater heights of innovation and discovery. | |
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Welcome to the College of Medicine Family! We are thrilled to have you with us on our shared journey towards excellence. | |
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Cristina De Paula, Academic Specialist, Clinical Skills Simulation Center
Antoine Arminan Rodriguez, Program Manager, Internal Medicine Residency Program
Christa Eitel, Director of Finance
Kevin Holland, Senior Executive Director of Financial Operations
Gina Seits, Assistant Director of PHSM Administration and Grant Support. Welcome back to COM family, Gina!
Brittany Kimmons, Healthcare Recruiter
Beatriz Bresani, Sponsored Research Administrator
Beatriz is a seasoned Research Programs Coordinator with a proven track record at Florida Atlantic University. She successfully managed a substantial $5.6 million federal grant, overseeing 35 research projects and ensuring their financial health. Her leadership also facilitated seamless technology transfer and led to a 30% funding increase for the Freight Mobility Research Institute. Beatriz excels in pre-award efforts, including proposal submissions and budget analysis, and is adept at post-award financial management within Workday. We're delighted to welcome her back to her alma mater, where she continues to make valuable contributions to research.
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Introducing Dr. Lea Sacca, our September 2023 MedOwl Spotlight!
Dr. Sacca is an Assistant Professor of Population Health and Translational Science. Her guidance in research sparks a sense of curiosity among her M2 students, and her collaborative efforts with fellow professors demonstrate interdisciplinary cooperation.
Click here to read Dr. Sacca’s MedOwls Spotlight.
🎥 Take a sneak peek into everyday little moments that make Dr. Sacca's journey so inspiring!
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Time to shine, MedOwls! Complete ➡️ MedOwls Spotlight Survey and let's continue to celebrate every story of our COM community. | |
Palm Beach County Medical Society Medical Education Symposium | |
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Congratulations to all the dedicated residents and medical students who showcased their poster presentations at the Palm Beach County Medical Society Medical Education Symposium. Our sincere gratitude goes to the hosts at Wellington Regional Medical Center, Dr. Edlira Maska and Dr. Larry Bush.
It is with great pride that we announce the awardees and participants: Christopher Young, 1st place; Yousra Gheit, 2nd place, Dr. Luisa Barrueto, 3rd place, Dr. Natalie Perez-Mendez, Dr. Bibiana Sabates, Dr. Jackie Chung, Miguel Castro, Madeline Forouhi, Madison Tharp, Kathryn Lotharius, Taylor Fistel, Esin Bulut, Samantha Hicks, Shannon Gallup and Dr. Allison Ferris.
We look forward to witnessing your continued success and contributions to the field of medical science.
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1st Place,
Christopher Young, M2
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2nd Place, Yousra Gheit, M2 | |
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3rd Place,
Dr. Luisa Barrueto, PGY3
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2023-2024 GME Council
This month, the GME Resident/Fellow Council held a kickoff mixer for the 2023-2024 designated program representatives at Dada in Delray Beach.
Council meetings are held monthly and are open to all trainees.
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2023 CNS Annual Meeting
September 9 - 13, Washington, D.C.
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We are excited to highlight the remarkable achievements of Dr. Ilknur Telkes at the 2023 Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. Her research High-resolution Spinal Motor Mapping using Thoracic Spinal Cord Stimulation in Patients with Chronic Pain has been selected as the 2023 Top Pain Paper of the Year by Neurosurgery Journal. She presented the above paper along with with "Comparison of Intraoperative Neural Changes during Tonic vs. High-Frequency Spinal Cord Stimulation in Chronic Pain Patients," demonstrating a profound depth of knowledge and dedication to advancing pain management techniques.
Additionally, her poster presentation on "Assessment of Preoperative EEG Features and Pain Levels in chronic pain patients: A hierarchical clustering approach" showcases her commitment to pushing the boundaries of knowledge in neurology. Dr. Telkes' contributions continue to inspire and shape the future of the field. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition!
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In a recent interview with Practical Dermatology, Dr. Latanya Benjamin, Associate Professor of Pediatric Dermatology, offers invaluable insights about today’s treatments and our growing understanding of the pathogenesis of itch in Atopic Dermatitis (AD.)
Click here to read the insightful spotlight on Dr. Benjamin.
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+ Graduate Program Alumnus Highlight
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Dr. Joshua Disatham, Kantorow Lab, has accepted a new position as a Specialty Genomics Bioinformatics Scientist for the Drug Development division of LabCorp. In his new position he provides statistical expertise for development projects as new assays are brought online and validated, he develops new bioinformatics analysis pipelines for next generation sequencing assays, and validates new analysis methodologies. | | |
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Dr. Disatham graduated from the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine Integrative Biology Biomedical Science Ph.D. Program in Summer 2022 and stayed in the Kantorow lab as a Post-Doctoral Researcher sponsored by FAU's Institute for Human Health and Disease Intervention (IHEALTH) until August 2023.
Describing his work at FAU he said, “I delved into the intricate molecular mechanisms governing eye lens development, differentiation, and function. My research leveraged cutting-edge sequencing techniques like ATAC sequencing, RNA-seq, and CUT&RUN to explore how epigenetic features such as chromatin accessibility and DNA methylation are correlated with gene expression during different stages of lens cell differentiation, establishing a link between epigenetics and lens differentiation. I also used bioinformatics-driven multiomic integration or these sequencing data to explore the role of hypoxia and its master regulator, hypoxia-inducible transcription factor 1-alpha (HIF1a), in lens differentiation. These multiomics approaches revealed HIF1a as a key regulator of various genes and cellular pathways essential for lens formation and transparency. Collectively, my work in the Kantorow lab shed light on the complex regulatory networks underpinning lens differentiation and also provided a framework for future studies on tissue-specific gene regulation using multiomics techniques.”
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Dive into the fascinating world of NeuroArts! 🧠🎨 This October, Palm Health Foundation invites you to a series of FREE events that explore the powerful intersection of science, arts, and technology.
➡️ Registration
➡️ Promo video
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The SNBI’s ASCEND program was honored as one of 4 nominees out of over 100 applicants for a Palm Beach Illustrated Education Award in Innovation. The ceremony was held at the Ben Autograph in West Palm Beach on Sept. 7. | |
SNBI “Brain Sparks” was held at the Gardens Mall as part of the mall’s Kid’s Club program on Saturday, Sept. 16. Over 300 kids participated in this fun event! | |
2023-2024 HCOP Mentoring Program | |
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We are thrilled to share a glimpse of the inaugural session of our 2023-24 Healthcare Careers Opportunity Pathway (HCOP) Mentoring Program at the Schmidt College of Medicine. The program was piloted in 2020 by then M2 Dr. Tanya Panwala. HCOP medical student leader, Justin Xie, M2, is directing the program this year with the support of fellow M2 student Kate Anderson.
In this unique initiative, high school students are paired on a one-to-one basis with medical student mentors hailing from the M1, M2, and M3 classes. With 30 students actively engaged in this program, the future of healthcare is in the hands of the promising minds from the following high schools: Atlantic Community HS, Boca Raton Community HS, Boynton Beach Community HS, Inlet Grove Community HS, Jupiter Community High School, Park Vista Community High School, South Tech Academy, West Boca Raton Community HS.
We look forward to witnessing the incredible growth and success that will undoubtedly emerge from this year's HCOP Mentoring Program!
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Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine + Florida Atlantic University
fau.edu/medicine
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