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NEOUCOM
MAGAZINE
VOL11.2
Summer2008
A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E N O RT H E A S T E R N O H I O U N I V E R S I T I E S C O L L E G E S O F M E D I C I N E A N D P H A R M A C Y
discovering new
knowledge
applying
new
Research
Auditory neuroscience researchers help us to understand how
and why we hear that which is nearest and dearest to our hearts
Senior Medical Students’ Final Class Act
10
16
Front row, from left: Dr. Daniel McMahon, Dr. Hugh Schuckman, Dr. Jeffrey Junko, Dr.Carl Schaub, Dr. Matthew Saltarelli.
Back row, from left, Dr. Jay Williamson, associate dean for clinical sciences, Dr. Robert Ricchiuti, Dr. David Peter, Dr. Anthony Kantaras,
Dr. Richard Memo and Dr. James Fox. Not pictured: Dr. Raymond Clarke.
Emergency Medicine
Orthopaedics
Pathology
Urology
James Fox, M.D.
David Peter, M.D.
Hugh Schuckman, M.D.
Jeffrey Todd Junko, M.D.
Anthony Kantaras, M.D.
Raymond Clarke, M.D.
Matthew Saltarelli, M.D.
Carl Schaub, M.D.
Daniel McMahon, M.D.
Richard Memo, M.D.
Robert Ricchiuti, M.D.
More than 1,800 physicians from northeast Ohio volunteer to train
and mentor NEOUCOM students and residents in clinical skills.
Each spring NEOUCOM expresses its appreciation to outstanding
volunteer clinical faculty at a special recognition dinner. Faculty from
clinical departments are recognized on a rotating cycle.
NEOUCOMMagazine
DEPARTMENTs
4
5
7
15
21
23
26
From the President
Lois Margaret Nora, M.D., J.D., shares
the Colleges’ new mission, vision and
values statement and some of the many
ways that NEOUCOM brings this statement
to life every day.
High Notes, Appointments,
Promotions and Honors
William F. Demas, M.D., FACR, receives
the 2008 NEOUCOM President’s Award
in recognition of his distinguished and
generous service to the Colleges of
Medicine and Pharmacy.
Vital Signs
The health of NEOUCOM’s Class of 2008
is very good: Sixty-three percent of the
NEOUCOM’s Class of 2008 will remain in
Ohio for medical residencies, and 46 percent
will continue their medical training in primary
care fields. A list of residency matches of
members of the Class of 2008 is included.
Every Gift Makes a Difference
Paul Thomas of Lincoln Financial Services
discusses his multi-year sponsorship of the
NEOUCOM Foundation’s annual golf outing.
Alumni News
Read about alumni who have been recently
recognized for special achievements and
news from former classmates.
FEATURES
traveling the river of
applied research
Walter E. Horton Jr., Ph.D., vice president for
research, likens the flow of applied research
to the flow of a river. From its beginnings
as basic scientific discovery, the research
river starts to branch out and become more
defined, then gains momentum, and,
through industry collaboration, commercial
applications are developed.
By Mark Bosko
12
Hearing with our Hearts
Two NEOUCOM auditory neuroscience researchers,
Dr. Brett R. Schofield and Dr. Jeffery J. Wenstrup,
are investigating how amygdala and the brainstem
help us to hear that which is nearest and dearest to
our hearts.
By Carole Harwood
The Final Class Act
The entire Class of 2008 participated in a weeklong
service project with Habitat for Humanity of Portage
County as part of the final course of the medical
curriculum. Working side-by-side as colleagues for
the benefit of the community, the students directly
reflect NEOUCOM’s core values: Competence,
Communication, Caring, Character and Community.
By Carole Harwood
Stay Connected
A League of Their Own
Stay connected with the Colleges of
Medicine and Pharmacy through upcoming
events, both on and off campus.
Bowling: It is the newest, most popular form of
recreation and social connection among students at
the Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine
and Pharmacy. More than 80 students are members
of the NEOUCOM Bowling League. Bowling expertise
is, by no means, a prerequisite for membership and
bowlers’ skill levels vary greatly. But the one clear
common denominator: Everybody is having fun.
Continuing Professional
Development
New free, online continuing professional
development courses are available through
the Office of Continuing Professional
Development.
MAGAZINE
NEOUCOM
By Carole Harwood
10
16
18
Summer2008 3
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Northeastern Ohio Universities
colleges of medicine & pharmacy
The Northeastern Ohio Universities
Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy
partner with The University of Akron,
Kent State University, Youngstown
State University, Cleveland State
University, 7 major teaching hospitals,
10 affiliated hospitals, two health
departments and associated
community pharmacies.
NEOUCOM Magazine
is published twice a year by the
Office of Public Relations and Marketing.
Lois Margaret Nora, M.D., J.D.
President, Northeastern Ohio
Universities Colleges of
Medicine and Pharmacy
Lindsey Hugh Loftus
Vice President, Institutional Advancement
Mark Bosko
Director, Public Relations and Marketing;
Editor
Carole Harwood
Coordinator, Public Relations;
Associate Editor
Vondea Sheaffer
Contributing Writer, Alumni News
Editorial Advisory Board
Michelle L. Cudnik, Pharm.D.
Priscilla Moss
Mark A. Penn, M.D.
Clint W. Snyder, Ph.D.
Jay C. Williamson, M.D.
NEOUCOM Board of Trustees
Thomas J. Cavalier*
R. Douglas Cowan
Steven P. Cress**
William F. Demas, M.D., F.A.C.R.
John A. Fink, M.D.
Lester A. Lefton, Ph.D.
Dianne Bitonte Miladore, M.D. (’81)
Luis M. Proenza, Ph.D.
David C. Sweet, Ph.D.
*Vice Chairperson
** Chairperson
Publication Design
Innis Maggiore
Canton, Ohio
Northeastern Ohio Universities
Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy
are equal opportunity
educators and employers.
Direct all written inquiries to:
NEOUCOM
Office of Public Relations and Marketing
4209 State Route 44, P.O. Box 95
Rootstown, Ohio 44272-0095
E-mail: [email protected]
©2008 NEOUCOM
4 NEOUCOMMagazine
PRESIDENT’SMESSAGE
By the time this magazine is published, the announcement of my decision to transition the leadership of NEOUCOM
has been “public” for almost 60 days, and hopefully all of you are aware of my recommendations to our Board of Trustees.
(Editor’s note: You can read Dr. Nora’s leadership transition documents at www.neoucom.edu.)
It is important for me to note again that even though I will not extend my contract as President and Dean of Medicine
beyond December 31, 2009, I have no plans of slowing down or focusing my energies anywhere except for the job at
hand – leading NEOUCOM into the next decade of excellence by ensuring we fulfill the tenets of our mission. And,
should you visit our Rootstown campus—and I hope that you will soon—you will see our new Mission, Vision, Values
statement proudly and prominently displayed.
Mission: The Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy improves the health, economy
and quality of life in northeast Ohio through the medical, pharmacy and health sciences education of
students and practitioners at all levels; the development of new knowledge through research in the
biomedical, community health and behavioral sciences; and the provision of community service and
health education throughout the northeast Ohio region.
Vision: To be the premier community-based interprofessional health sciences university in the United States.
Values: Our values are reflected in the Five Cs of our educational, research and work environment: Competence,
Communication, Caring, Character and Community.
We are living out our mission, vision and values every day,
We are improving the health, economy and quality of life in northeast Ohio: Sixty-three percent of the members of the
Class of 2008 will continue their medical training in residency programs in northeast Ohio. The College of Pharmacy
was awarded candidate status from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, a very significant step toward
full accreditation. It affirms the remarkable progress of our program and the hard work and dedication of our faculty,
staff and students. The Orthopaedic Research Cluster of Northeast Ohio (ORCNEO), a collaboration of researchers and
physicians from Akron Children’s Hospital, Akron General Health System, Case Western Reserve University, the
Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy (NEOUCOM), the Lerner Research Institute of the
Cleveland Clinic, Summa Health System and The University of Akron, led by NEOUCOM’s vice president for research
Dr. Walter E. Horton Jr., was awarded an $8.675 million grant from the Ohio Research Scholars Program. Securing
this grant creates an exciting opportunity for northeast Ohio to become a center of excellence in orthopaedics and
polymer excellence and to execute high-level research focused on bone, joint and connective-tissue problems.
Ultimately, this will help to improve the health, quality of life and economic vitality of our region.
We are developing new knowledge through research in the biomedical, community health and behavioral sciences:
Dr. William M. Chilian, chairperson, Department of Integrative Medical Sciences, began a two-year term as chairperson
of the prestigious National Institutes of Health’s Myocardial Ischemia Study Section; Drs. Jeffrey Wenstrup and Brett
Schofield, two of our auditory neuroscience investigators, are collaborating to explore the relationship between the
auditory and limbic systems; and our Department of Psychiatry has a planning grant to establish a Best Practices in
Schizophrenia Treatment Center (BeST Center). The BeST Center offered its first conference in July.
We are providing community service and health education throughout the northeast Ohio region: There are countless
examples of our alumni, students, faculty and staff serving our communities in ways that make a very positive difference.
You can read about the senior medical students who spent their final week of medical school volunteering with Habitat
for Humanity on page 16; the ever-popular, student-driven health fair for the community on the back cover; and alumni
like Crystal Mackall, M.D. (’84), who is chief of the National Cancer Institute’s Pediatric Oncology Branch in its Center
for Cancer Research; Gary Gorby, M.D. (’83), who made a special sacrifice to further the life of a colleague; Joseph
Congeni, M.D. (’84), who was honored by the Ohio Athletic Trainers Association as Outstanding Team Physician of
the Year; and Teresa Wurst, M.D. (’93), the medical director of a clinic for migrant workers on pages 21 and 22. For
the third consecutive year, the graduating class presented a monetary contribution to efforts for the medically
underserved in Portage County as its class gift.
As I review the contents of this issue of the NEOUCOM Magazine, I am reminded that NEOUCOM is an active, vibrant
learning community, intent on improving the health and quality of life for our patients and our communities. No one is
hesitating to do his or her part to help NEOUCOM realize its mission, vision and values. And this is wonderful indeed.
Sincerely,
Lois Margaret Nora, M.D., J.D.
NEOUCOM President
Dean, College of Medicine
high notes
highnotes
This section of the NEOUCOM Magazine is devoted to sharing news highlights from the
Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy (NEOUCOM).
To stay connected with daily news at NEOUCOM, please visit www.neoucom.edu.
William F. Demas, M.D., FACR, Receives President’s Award
William F. Demas, M.D., FACR, was presented with the Northeastern Ohio Universities
Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy’s 2008 President’s Award in recognition of his very
generous service to the students, faculty and staff of the Colleges of Medicine and
Pharmacy. Demas served with distinction as chairman of the College’s Board of Trustees
and its Executive Committee, and as a member of the Board of Trustees since 2003.
He provided leadership to the Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy while giving
generously of his time in support of trustees, students, faculty and staff, including
strong support for diversity in the health professions and the establishment of the
College of Pharmacy. Demas is also a NEOUCOM professor of radiology.
Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Pharmacy
Awarded Candidate Status  Dr. Lois Margaret Nora, NEOUCOM president and dean
for the College of Medicine; Richard W. Lewis, secretary
to the board of trustees and director of governmental
relations; and Steven Cress, chairperson of the
NEOUCOM Board of Trustees, congratulate Dr. William F.
Demas, recipient of the NEOUCOM President’s Award.
The Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Pharmacy was awarded candidate
status from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). “Attaining
candidate status is a significant milestone on the road to full accreditation. It affirms
the remarkable progress of our program and the hard work and dedication of our
faculty, staff and students,” says David D. Allen, R.Ph., Ph.D., FASHP, dean for the
College of Pharmacy.
“Candidate status is a stamp of approval for our curriculum, faculty, student services
and facilities, and verifies that we have processes in place to sustain program quality,”
says Lois Margaret Nora, M.D., J.D., president of the Northeastern Ohio Universities
Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy and dean for the College of Medicine.
The ACPE accredits doctor of pharmacy programs offered by colleges and schools
of pharmacy in the United States and selected non-U.S. sites. ACPE accreditation for
new programs generally involves three steps: precandidate status, candidate status and
full accreditation. To achieve candidate status, a doctor of pharmacy program must have
students enrolled. Full accreditation is awarded to programs that have met all ACPE
accreditation standards and graduated their first class.
NEOUCOM Foundation Elects Officers
The members of the NEOUCOM Foundation Board of Directors assist in developing
and increasing the resources of the Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine
and Pharmacy to provide broad educational opportunities and service to its students,
faculty, alumni and the citizens of Ohio.
At its May meeting, the foundation board elected the following officers: pictured,
first row, from left, Frank Provo, past president; Judith Barnes Lancaster, J.D., presidentelect; Samuel Roth, president; and Karen Cessna, treasurer; back row, from left, Lindsey
Loftus, vice president for institutional advancement and executive director of the
NEOUCOM Foundation; Dr. Earnest Perry, FACS, Development Committee chair; and
Derek Misquitta, Committee on Directors chair. Not pictured: Stuart Giller, secretary.
Summer2008 5
Appointments, Promotions and Honors
high notes
NEOUCOM Chairperson Leads NIH Myocardial Ischemia Study Section
 Dr. William M. Chilian
William M. Chilian, Ph.D., professor and chair of Integrative Medical Sciences, is heading up the National
Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Myocardial Ischemia and Metabolism Study Section (MIM). In July, he began a two-year
term as chairperson. As section chairperson, Chilian leads the peer-review of research grant applications that
involve basic and applied aspects of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion, coronary circulation and myocardial
metabolism. The MIM group reviews studies that use molecular, genetic, cellular, biochemical, pharmacological,
genomic, proteomic and physiological approaches to define normal and pathological processes and to develop
therapeutic strategies.
“We are very proud that one of our researchers has been selected for such an important and prestigious
appointment with the NIH,” says Walter E. Horton Jr., Ph.D., NEOUCOM’s vice president for research. “The
study section’s thoughtful review of proposals ensures that the most promising of research will be funded and,
ultimately, that the most promising therapies developed to benefit the millions of Americans who suffer from
myocardial ischemia and related disorders.”
Vice President for Strategic Alliances Appointed
 Kathleen C. Ruff
Kathleen C. Ruff, who has served as NEOUCOM’s Chief of Staff since October 2003, has assumed additional
responsibilities as vice president for strategic alliances. As vice president, she provides leadership and vision for
internal and external strategic alliances and facilitates new partnership opportunities. She works with government
officials, community representatives and business leaders to advance strategic initiatives of the institution. She also
leads the colleges’ strategic planning efforts and ensures effective and efficient operations.
Wenstrup Appointed Chairperson of Anatomy and Neurobiology
 Dr. Jeffrey J. Wenstrup
Jeffrey J. Wenstrup, Ph.D., is chairperson of the newly integrated Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology.
Wenstrup, who has been a member of the NEOUCOM faculty for 18 years, was previously a professor of neurobiology
and director of NEOUCOM’s Auditory Neurobiology Research Focus Group. He is internationally known for his work
on echolocation in bats and its relationship to auditory processing in the central nervous system. His research has
been disseminated through publication in top-ranked, peer-reviewed journals, and he is routinely invited to serve
as a reviewer for grants for the NIH National Institute of Mental Health, NIH National Institute on Deafness and other
Communication Disorders, the National Science Foundation and numerous prominent books and journals.
Susan P. Bruce, Pharm.D., Is New Chair of Pharmacy Practice
 Dr. Susan P. Bruce
Susan P. Bruce, Pharm.D., BCPS, joined the College of Pharmacy as chair, Department of Pharmacy Practice
July 1. Previously, Bruce was acting chair, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Albany College of Pharmacy (ACP) in
Albany, New York. She also served Albany College of Pharmacy as vice chair and associate professor, Department of
Pharmacy Practice, and co-director, Pharmacotherapy Residency Program. Prior to ACP, she served as assistant
professor at Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy in Downers Grove, Illinois. She was also a clinical
pharmacist at the Center for Rheumatology, Capital District Internal Medicine, DuPage Medical Group and several
community pharmacies in New York and the metropolitan Chicago area.
NEOUCOM Employees’ Service Recognized
NEOUCOM award recipients, from left,
Debbie Heeter, Mary Jane Kelly Award;
Susan Labuda Schrop, Olson/Blair Award
for Administrative Excellence; and Heather
Jalbert, Community Service Award.
6 NEOUCOMMagazine
The Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy (NEOUCOM) recently recognized the
outstanding service of three employees.
Deborah L. Heeter, administrative coordinator, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, received the Mary
Jane Kelly Award for Service Excellence. Heeter is constantly searching for ways to advance and improve the image
of the department and the colleges, and takes the initiative to bring about positive changes with her characteristic
cheerfulness and effectiveness.
Heather Jalbert, clerical assistant, received the Community Service Award. This award is endowed by Dr. Glenn
and Mrs. Ruth Saltzman in memory of their son, Jon. Jalbert is well-known for her distinct passion for charity work
with numerous area charitable organizations and College committees.
Susan Labuda Schrop received the Olson/Blair Award for Administrative Excellence. Labuda Schrop is associate
director for administration with the Department of Family Medicine. She initiates, writes, monitors and oversees
grants, directs research projects and since 1990 has been either the principal investigator or co-investigator for
21 grants – grants that have brought $4.5 million in revenue to the Department of Family Medicine. She is a leader
in a number of regional and national professional organizations.
FEATURE
vitalstatistics
On national Match Day, March 20, senior medical students at the Northeastern Ohio
Universities College of Medicine (NEOUCOM) learned where they will continue their
medical training in residency programs following graduation. The vital signs for the
NEOUCOM Class of 2008 are:
63%
NEOUCOM's graduating class that will
remain in Ohio for their residencies
33%
Students who will complete
their residencies within the
NEOUCOM consortium
46%
Class members who will continue
their training in a primary care field
primarycare
Family Medicine
8%
internal Medicine
24%
internal Medicine – preliminary
2%
obstetrics / gynecology
22%
pediatrics
10%
service | other specialties
9% anesthesiology
2% dermatology
4% diagnostic radiology
8% emergency medicine
2% neurology
surgery | surgery subspecialties
9% general surgery
1% surgery – preliminary
1% neurological surgery
2% ophthalmology
2% pathology
2% physical medicine & rehabilitation
4% pSychiatry
11% transitional
2% orthopaedic surgery
1% plastic surgery
3% urology
Summer2008 7
residencymatches of the NEOUCOM Class of 2008
Denise Powell Abernethy
Emergency Medicine
Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated
Hospitals – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Puja Aggarwal
Neurology
The Ohio State University Medical Center
Columbus, Ohio
Shravan Agrawal
Psychiatry
NEOUCOM Affiliated Hospitals
Akron, Ohio
Malini Anand
Family Medicine
University of Arizona – Tucson, Arizona
Wendy V. Anandajeya
Preliminary Internal Medicine
Christ Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio
Ophthalmology
Georgetown University Hospital,
Washington,D.C.
Andrew William Appis
Internal Medicine
Rush University Medical Center
Chicago, Illinois
Jeffrey Allen Archinal
Pediatrics
West Virginia University School of Medicine
Morgantown, West Virginia
Joy Barnes
Family Medicine
Toledo Hospital – Toledo, Ohio
Rebecca Bartkowski
Pediatrics
Miami Children’s Hospital – Miami, Florida
Jacqueline Quinn Bowers
Family Medicine
Carolinas Medical Center
Charlotte, North Carolina
Cortney Cristen Braund
Pediatrics
McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern
University – Chicago, Illinois
Teresa Jean Burgei
Pediatrics
Michagan State University
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Dominic Michael Buzzacco
Transitional
Riverside Methodist Hospitals
Columbus, Ohio
Ophthalmology
Columbus, Ohio
Philip Cataline
Western Reserve Care System/NEOUCOM
Youngstown, Ohio
8 NEOUCOMMagazine
Christina Carolyn Cernik
Transitional
Summa Health System/NEOUCOM
Akron, Ohio
Dermatology
Roger Williams Medical Center
Providence, Rhode Island
Sameer Paul Draviam
Preliminary Surger y
Orlando Regional Healthcare
Orlando, Florida
Alexis Jackson
Family Medicine
Akron General Medical Center/NEOUCOM
Akron, Ohio
Allan Chen
Internal Medicine
Case Western Reserve University/
University Hospitals of Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Silena Christine Elizabeth Dukes
Pediatrics
Naval Medical Center
Portsmouth, Virginia
Sudy Elizabeth Jahangiri
Internal Medicine
Akron, Ohio
Rebecca Elizabeth Duncan
Family Medicine
Akron, Ohio
Gina Marie Jiamboi
Emergency Medicine
Michigan State University
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Jameel Ramzan Chohan
Internal Medicine
Akron, Ohio
Christopher Joseph Dussel
Emergency Medicine
Akron, Ohio
David R. Jury
Anesthesiology
Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Cleveland, Ohio
Christopher Lee Clancy
University of Toledo – Toledo, Ohio
Nicole Marie Elsey
Akron, Ohio
Anesthesiology
Columbus, Ohio
Jyoti Prabha Kapil
Pathology
George Washington University
Washington, D.C.
Jonathan Paul Congeni
Internal Medicine
Columbus, Ohio
Hannah Lynn Conley
Emergency Medicine
Columbus, Ohio
Moriah Lynn Conner
Internal Medicine
Akron, Ohio
Collin James Conway
General Surgery
Western Pennsylvania Hospital
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Teresa Czaplicki
Pediatrics
Akron Children’s Hospital/NEOUCOM
Akron, Ohio
Jonathan James Dargo
Psychiatr y
Henry Ford Hospital – Detroit, Michigan
Colleen Darnell
Internal Medicine
University Hospital/University of Cincinnati
College of Medicine – Cincinnati, Ohio
Monilla M. Dent
Obstetrics/Gynecology
Grand Rapids Medical Education and
Research Center – Grand Rapids, Michigan
Mita S. Deoras
Akron, Ohio
Neurology
Cleveland, Ohio
Karla Diaz
Internal Medicine
Texas Tech University – El Paso, Texas
Julius Anthony Feitl
Internal Medicine
Akron, Ohio
Gopi A. Kesaria
Internal Medicine
Cleveland, Ohio
Allison Marie Finley
Emergency Medicine
Akron, Ohio
Carolyn Kim
Transitional
Mount Carmel – Columbus, Ohio
Anesthesiology
New York University School of Medicine
New York, New York
Jay Gollamudi
General Surgery
Wright State University Boonshoft
School of Medicine – Dayton, Ohio
Amanda K. Kinney
Internal Medicine
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Puja Goswami
Internal Medicine
Cleveland, Ohio
Morgan Rebecca Koepke
Transitional
Akron, Ohio
Esha Angeline Gupta
Rush University Medical Center
Chicago, Illinois
Diagnostic Radiology
St. Luke’s – Roosevelt Hospital
New York, New York
Michael James Hays
Anesthesiology
Columbus, Ohio
James Hill, Jr.
Transitional
Akron, Ohio
Anesthesiology
MetroHealth Medical Center
Cleveland, Ohio
Laura Margot Krausher
Anesthesiology
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Lexington, Kentucky
Neilendu Kundu
General Surgery
Fairview Hospital – Cleveland, Ohio
Vidhya A. Kunnathur
Internal Medicine
University of Florida College of Medicine
Gainesville, Florida
Britni Lookabaugh
Family Medicine
Akron, Ohio
Adam Michael Luchey
Preliminary Surgery
Urology
Joshua Blaine Nething
Preliminary Surgery
Akron, Ohio
Urology
Akron, Ohio
Casey Jean Maks
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island
Jacqueline Okere
Internal Medicine
University of South Florida
College of Medicine
Tampa, Florida
Nicholas Marcanthony
Anesthesiology
Cleveland, Ohio
Himabindu Mikkilineni
Transitional
Aultman Hospital/NEOUCOM
Canton, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Jill Elizabeth Miracle
Internal Medicine
Akron, Ohio
Donald Joseph Misquitta
Internal Medicine
Mount Auburn Hospital
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Jonah Moon
Transitional
Akron, Ohio
Canton, Ohio
Anish Nanavati
Internal Medicine
Georgetown University Hospital
Washington, D.C.
Noreen Tehniyat Nazir
Internal Medicine
Cleveland, Ohio
Gina Joanne Oviedo
Emergency Medicine
Orlando Regional Healthcare
Orlando, Florida
Shilpa A. Padia
General Surger y
St. Elizabeth Health Center/NEOUCOM
Youngstown, Ohio
Tanveer Kaur Pannu
Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Anesthesiology
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland
Kush S. Patel
Preliminary Surgery
Tulane University School of Medicine
New Orleans, Louisiana
Urology
Tulane University School of Medicine
New Orleans, Louisiana
Purvi Patel
Internal Medicine
Georgetown University Hospital
Washington, D.C.
Peter George Pavlidakey
Pathology
Cleveland, Ohio
Rebecca Lynne Payne
Anesthesiology
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Jonathan S. Pedrick
Riverside Methodist Hospitals
Columbus, Ohio
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Columbus, Ohio
Alicia Bridget Perry
Internal Medicine
Naval Medical Center
San Diego, California
Anil Perumbeti
Internal Medicine
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
Alisha Nicole Plotner
Dermatology
Jonathan Vincent Pulido
General Surgery
Mount Carmel – Columbus, Ohio
Neha Puppala
Emergency Medicine
Akron, Ohio
Vinod Rao
Pediatrics
Pitt County Memorial Hospital/
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina
Scott Joseph Rapp
Plastic Surgery
Erin Nicole Ricciardi
Pediatrics
Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Columbus, Ohio
Patrick Michael Riley Jr.
Orthopaedic Surgery
Akron, Ohio
Stephanie Jane Robertson
Internal Medicine
Wake Forest University
Baptist Medical Center
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Lonna Louise Safko
Family Medicine
Canton, Ohio
Kamal Shemisa
Preliminary Surgery
Neurosurgery
Brandon Matthew Smith
Pediatrics
Akron Children’s Hospital/NEOUCOM
Akron, Ohio
Charles Spirtos
Transitional
St. Elizabeth Health Center/NEOUCOM
Youngstown, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Brady Scott Steineck
Family Medicine
Canton, Ohio
Keri Ann Streby
Pediatrics
Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Columbus, Ohio
Sheridan L. Stull
Psychiatry
Cleveland, Ohio
Rishi Esvy Subbarayan
General Surgery
Mercy Hospital – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Jason Tank
Orthopaedic Surgery
Akron, Ohio
Rehan Waheed
Internal Medicine
Cleveland, Ohio
Megan Kathleen Walsh
Internal Medicine
Columbus, Ohio
Michelle Dawn Walters
Emergency Medicine
Akron, Ohio
Brandon Daniel Weeks
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Columbus, Ohio
Steven Mark Willard
Obstetrics/Gynecology
Canton, Ohio
Salina Marie Wydo
General Surgery
Akron, Ohio
Christin Lynne Spahn
General Surgery
Akron, Ohio
Summer2008 9
hearing
with our
hearts
By carole harwood
Auditory Neuroscience
Research Focus Group
Members
Marie Gadziola
Kent State University, NEOUCOM
Alexander Galazyuk, Ph.D.
NEOUCOM
Olga Galazyuk
NEOUCOM
Donald Gans, Ph.D.
Carol Grose
NEOUCOM
Yong Lu, Ph.D.
NEOUCOM
Susan Motts
Diana Peterson, Ph.D.
NEOUCOM
Brett R. Schofield, Ph.D.
NEOUCOM
Shobhana Sivaramakrishnan,
Ph.D., NEOUCOM
Colleen Sowick
NEOUCOM
Megan Storey-Workley
NEOUCOM
Jeffrey J. Wenstrup, Ph.D. NEOUCOM
Ying Xiao, Ph.D.
NEOUCOM
Asuman Yavuzoglu
10 NEOUCOMMagazine
My father was born at the height of the Great Depression. The youngest of eight children, he was
raised on his parents’ dairy farm in rural upstate New York. With little money and few attractions in
town, high school sports were a central part of community life. My dad’s whole family, indeed, the whole
town, looked forward to his athletic events, particularly his wrestling matches.
Excitement mounted as the wrestling season progressed. My father did not disappoint. The team
was undefeated. And so was he.
Despite his considerable wrestling talent (he later won an athletic scholarship to the University of
Delaware and served as captain of the UD wrestling team), my father seldom spoke of his wrestling
career when I was growing up. I only remember him telling one wrestling story.
He told me that when he was on the mat, he could hear a singular voice above the shouts and cheers
of the crowd. And that voice was his father’s. “Watch your legs, Vince,” his father would call out in a low,
muffled voice, thick with an Italian accent.
Decades later, I was amazed when my husband told me almost precisely the same story. He too
wrestled on Friday nights in front of a packed gymnasium. And while he grappled on the mat, he heard
only one voice over the crowd: the encouraging voice of his father.
I often wondered how my dad and my husband could both hear the sounds of their fathers above
and apart from all other sounds. It was the auditory neuroscience researchers at the Northeastern Ohio
Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy (NEOUCOM) who helped me to understand why:
It is because we hear with our hearts.
Perhaps you have had a similar experience. You are at a party. Music is playing and there are multiple
conversations going on simultaneously. You strain to hear the person with whom you are speaking.
And, suddenly, you hear your name above the
din. Your attention is immediately directed
toward finding out who is talking about you.
In 2005, NEOUCOM selected auditory
neuroscience as an area for focused research
and targeted investment. “We realized that we
had a small but focused group of investigators
at NEOUCOM who were studying how the higher
centers of the brain affect hearing and how
lower areas of the brain process it,” says Jeffrey
J. Wenstrup, Ph.D., chairperson of the
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology
and leader of the Auditory Neuroscience
Research Focus Group. “Our group uses both systems and cellular approaches to study the function
of the central auditory system,” he adds.
The group includes researchers from basic neuroscience, communication and clinical audiology
and its members engage in innovative basic science research and look forward to developing clinical
applications for hearing disorders.
Recently Wenstrup and Brett R. Schofield, Ph.D., associate professor of anatomy and
neurobiology and member of the auditory neuroscience research focus group, have engaged in a
research effort to understand how the emotional centers and the brainstem arousal system regulate
the brain’s processing of complex sounds. Their research addresses what happens to the auditory
system when the emotional parts of the brain are aroused by intense emotions such as danger,
excitement, anger or the heightened adrenaline of a high school wrestling match.
To truly understand the interplay between our hearts and our hearing, one must first understand
something about the descending pathways in the brain. “The descending pathways from the brain’s
cortex play critical roles in a wide variety of functions, including selective attention, learning,
frequency selectivity, sound localization and
discrimination of speech sounds,” says Schofield.
Auditory
“Basically, these pathways influence what we
Cortex
hear, and conversely, what we do not.”
Research shows that the amygdala, a group
Inferior
of neurons located deep within the medial
Colliculus
temporal lobes, plays a primary role in how
emotions are processed and remembered. The
amygdala is considered part of the limbic system,
PPT
a set of brain structures that support emotion,
behavior and long-term memory. The brainstem
arousal system is best known for maintaining
Circuit diagram illustrating a neural pathway from
the auditory cortex, where sound is perceived to
consciousness and controlling sleep, but also
the brainstem arousal center (pedunculopontine
affects sensory processing.
tegmental nucleus or PPT) and from there to another
Specifically, Wenstrup and Schofield are
auditory processing center, the inferior colliculus.
Data illustrating this previously unknown pathway
looking at how projections from the amygdala
are shown in the photographs at right.
and brainstem affect the inferior colliculus, a
cluster of cells found in the brainstem that is
responsive to sound. Wenstrup and Schofield believe that nerve cells in the inferior colliculus actually
change the way they process sound when stimulated by these other brain areas.
Wenstrup is looking at neural mechanisms and modulation by emotional centers in the analysis
of complex communications. Schofield is exploring both anatomical and neurochemical aspects of
descending auditory pathways and the brainstem arousal system. “The collaborative aspect of the
auditory neuroscience research focus group is one of its major strengths,” says Wenstrup.
“The auditory neuroscience group brings together investigators from throughout the NEOUCOM
consortium who will allow the research team to make significant advances in specific fields of
study,” says Walter E. Horton, Jr., Ph.D., vice president for research. “The group looks forward to
working with basic and clinical scientists from across the consortium to better understand the
auditory system and to develop treatments for hearing disorders.”
Series of pictures taken with a
fluorescence microscope showing
a neuron about 20 µm long and the
surrounding area in the brainstem
arousal center of a guinea pig.
The first three images show the same
area viewed with different filters; the
fourth image is a composite.
The arrowhead points to the body of
a neuron in the arousal center and the
arrows point to some dendrites of this
neuron. The blue color identifies this
neuron as one that sends an axon to
the inferior colliculus.
This panel shows that the same neuron
was stained with a green antibody that
specifically marks cells that use
acetylcholine as a neurotransmitter.
This panel shows a red-labeled axon
that has swellings, or boutons (arrows),
that indicate sites of synapses between
neurons. The red tracer identifies this
axon as originating in auditory cortex.
I never knew my father’s father. His funeral was held the day I was born. We lost my husband’s
father in May 2007. But in our memories – and in our hearts – we hear them still.
 Both Wenstrup (right) and Schofield (left) have been highly successful in maintaining federal and local research funding. Schofield’s
research on the functional anatomy of auditory pathways has been funded continuously since 1996 by grants authorized by the
National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. His current NIH grant will continue through 2010. Wenstrup
has received 17 consecutive-year grant renewals from the National Institutes of Health. His current NIH funding extends through
2011 – bringing the total years of continuous funding to 21 years.
In March 2008, Wenstrup received NEOUCOM’s Liebelt/Wheeler Award for Faculty Excellence, and Schofield received the 2008
Faculty Research Award.
The fourth composite panel shows that
the axon swellings contact the bluelabeled dendrites.
Summer2008 11
traveling the
river
of applied research
By mark bosko
12 NEOUCOMMagazine
A river: That is how Walter E. Horton, Jr., Ph.D., vice president for research, describes the
concept of applied research.
“I liken it to a river. At the beginning, you have pure research, basic scientific discovery. An unbiased
search is what feeds the process. As it moves along, some of that research becomes more defined,
and in this middle stage it bends a bit, branching toward an identifiable outcome. Upon entering
the third stage, the research gains momentum and a refined focus toward commercial application
through collaboration with industry, much like the original waters of a river may enter a hydroelectric
plant with electricity as the powerful outcome.”
Researchers at the Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy (NEOUCOM)
have been part of this “river” for some time. But, as with academic institutions worldwide, the model
of translational research is rapidly becoming more visible as funding agencies, industry and society
all look for increased applications of science.
“This is a culture change for universities, and the caution is to get it right,” says Horton. “We cannot
just say to our investigators ‘you must commercialize, or pattern your research to a commercialized
outcome.’ If a scientist commits to high quality, state-of-the-art research, he or she is a success and
we are extremely proud; there is no pressure to commercialize. However, if we can create a culture
 Dr. Gary Niehaus, professor of physiology, tests a sample using the pathogen detection device that he and his colleagues have developed for the rapid detection of harmful microbes.
where science is great, and at the same time
encourage, in cases that make sense, for that
science to be commercialized – then value is
added to the work.”
NEOUCOM began a more focused approach
to basic and applied research as part of its
Research Visioning initiative, which began with
the identifying research focus areas in which
the institution already had strengths.
“We looked across the broad spectrum of
work being done, identifying those areas in
which we already had a critical mass of
scientists, at the same time continuing to
allow investigators to pursue the research that
they were passionate about. That was really
the starting point for the eventual process of
commercialization,” says Horton. “Again, it is
 NEOUCOM scientists engaged in developing potential commerical applications for their research
vital to reinforce the idea that translational
include, from left, Dr. Gary Niehaus, professor of physiology; Dr. Neels Van der Schyf, professor and
chair of pharmaceutical sciences and professor of neurobiology; Dr. Mary Cismowski, associate
research cannot happen, and should not happen,
professor of biochemistry and pharmacology; and Dr. Walter E. Horton, Jr., vice president for research.
unless we are able to stay true to our mission
of fundamentally creating new knowledge,
which comes from basic research.”
The work of Mary Cismowski, Ph.D., associate professor of biochemistry and pharmacology,
is a great example of “feeding the river” of research. Her work involves using simple baker’s yeast
to learn more about what human genes do.
Applied research
In 1996, yeast became the first eukaryote (an organism whose genetic material is enclosed in
a cell nucleus) to have its entire genome sequenced. Ever since, it has remained at the forefront of
transforms scientific
genetics research, and Cismowski has been creating screening systems in yeast to investigate how
human cells integrate cellular stimuli to produce coordinated biological responses.
discoveries arising
“In spite of the obvious differences in size and way of life, the proteins in yeast (as a model
organism) carry out many of the same core functions as in humans, even to the point where a
from laboratory,
human protein can replace the yeast protein,” says Cismowski. “This is vital in allowing me to
identify very specific nonreceptor modulators of G-protein signaling.”
clinical or population
Cismowski is studying G-proteins as they are important signal transducing molecules in cells.
Diseases such as diabetes, certain forms of cancer and other pathologies are believed to develop
studies into clinical
due to the derangement of G-protein signaling. Because G-proteins function as a “molecular switch,”
Cismowski hopes to use screens to locate the key proteins in pathways that are short-circuited in
or population-based
these diseases.
The work of Cornelis “Neels” Van der Schyf, D.Sc., DTE, professor and chair of pharmaceutical
applications to improve
sciences and professor of neurobiology, is farther “downstream” on the applied research route. He
has several projects originating from his laboratory that are in the process of undergoing what is
health by reducing the
known as “T1” development.
“The Institute of Medicine’s Clinical Research Roundtable defines T1 research as the first of two
incidence of disease,
‘translational blocks’ in clinical research,” says Van der Schyf. “This focuses on the transfer of new
understandings of disease mechanisms gained in the laboratory into the development of new methods
morbidity and mortality.
for diagnosis, therapy and prevention and their first testing in humans. Additionally, such translational
developments require collaborative efforts between investigators at academic and commercial
institutions, which is the stage we are in presently.”
Summer2008 13
 Dr. Neels Van der Schyf, professor and
chair of pharmaceutical sciences and
professor of neurobiology, modifies the
NGP1-01 structure in his laboratory using
a process called chemical pyrolysis.
14 NEOUCOMMagazine
One of the outcomes of this process is NGP101, a compound discovered in Van der Schyf ’s
laboratory. He characterizes this discovery
as a “multimodal agent that may prevent the
progression of several neurodegenerative
diseases.” Such diseases include Alzheimer’s
disease, Parkinson’s disease, stroke and many
others – most often (but not always) associated
with aging.
NGP1-01 is under intellectual property
protection through a provisional patent by
NEOUCOM and developed through partnering
with a Texas-based company and Texas Tech
University Health Sciences Center.
Another translational project emanating
from Van der Schyf ’s laboratory has recently
been funded collaboratively through The
University of Akron’s (UA) Integrated Biosciences
Program with Sergei Lyuksyutov, Ph.D.
(Physics Department, UA) as the co-principal investigator. This project will investigate the use of
state-of-the-art imaging technologies in diagnosing stress factors in the brain cells that may be
precursors of imminent neurodegeneration.
Following the receipt of a $6.7 million award (which represents a $3 million Wright Project grant
from the Ohio Department of Development and $3.7 million from other sources) Gary Niehaus,
Ph.D., professor of physiology, finds the pathogen detection device that he and his team developed
at the final stage of the applied research trip – commercialization.
NEOUCOM and Kent State University (KSU) researchers combined their diverse expertise in
biomedical sciences and liquid crystals to invent this important new technology. A subsequent
collaboration with industry partners is commercializing the device and will create new jobs and
economic development in northeast Ohio.
NEOUCOM and KSU licensed the pathogen detection technology to Pathogen Systems Inc.
(PSI) of Boulder, Colo., for development and commercialization. PSI will expand its research program
and establish its manufacturing, sales and marketing operations in northeast Ohio within the next
18 months.
The pathogen detection instrument can quickly identify harmful microbes, such as anthrax or
plague, and will be used for applications as diverse as homeland security, food and environmental
safety and rapid medical diagnoses.
“By working across institutions and disciplines, our research team created a totally new technology
capable of identifying specific disease-causing agents within minutes,” says Niehaus. “The biosensor
works when selected antibodies cause pathogens (bacteria or viruses that cause disease) to form clumps
in an aligned liquid crystal matrix. The clumps distort the matrix. The PSI device has automated the
detection process to use light to detect rapidly the matrix distortion and identify the responsible pathogen.”
In addition to Niehaus, members of the real-time pathogen detection system research team are
Christopher J. Woolverton, Ph.D., professor of biological sciences, KSU; Oleg D. Lavrentovich,
Ph.D., director of KSU’s Liquid Crystal Institute; Kathleen Doane, Ph.D., associate professor of
anatomy, NEOUCOM; Steven Schmidt, director of surgical research, Summa Health Systems, and
Steven Signs, formerly of NEOUCOM.
“This investment by the state of Ohio and collaboration among academic, governmental and
educational bodies enables us to bring a university-based technology out of the laboratory and
into the marketplace, where it will address important public health concerns and create jobs in
Ohio,” says Horton. “That is the ideal end result of an applied research effort, and we’re excited to
have more of these projects in the pipeline.”
Paying It Forward: Paul Thomas
GIVING TO NEOUCOM
“I believe it is our obligation to give back, to recognize the fact that most of us are better
off in life because of the often charitable contributions of others, and we must continue that
cycle to better our communities,” says Paul Thomas.
A proponent of “paying it forward,” Thomas believes in and lives by the simple notion of
doing good works for others to repay the good that has happened to him.
“I have been fortunate in life,” says Thomas. “My parents showed me the power of giving time,
talent and treasure – in fact, my mother still stays busy volunteering today. It is important for me to
carry on that philosophy, because I know that my contributions will benefit us all many times over.”
Serving as the title sponsor of the NEOUCOM Foundation’s Annual Golf Outing since 2006,
Thomas became an advocate and donor because he believes in and relates to the Colleges’ mission.
He likes NEOUCOM’s service-oriented community, its focus on keeping graduates in Northeast
Ohio and the small-town “vibe” of the institution.
“I know it is crucial to keep doctors in the region. And soon, to keep graduating pharmacists here,
too,” says Thomas. “When students become doctors and pharmacists the hope is they’ll remember
the generosity of others and do the same with regard to giving back in their lives.”
Thomas began his career as an automobile salesman, a challenge put forth by his father who
believed if his son could succeed at selling cars, he could pretty much do anything. The senior
Mr. Thomas was right.
“I actually did very well. I was determined to make a go at it regardless of the obstacles, and was
determined to succeed and learn from others right at the outset,” he says.
Turning that same determination toward financial advising (which he found he had a knack for),
Thomas built his now-burgeoning practice on trust and the same small-town values he admires
in the NEOUCOM community.
“Some guys in my business only look for the big fish. Not me. I know if I cater to the customers’
needs, always going above and beyond regardless of the size of their portfolios, they’ll keep coming
back. It is that service commitment that has led to my accomplishments, and I want to apply that
attitude toward every facet of my life.”
You can make an immediate impact on the quality of health professions education by making a gift
to the NEOUCOM Foundation. Gifts may be designated to help specific areas such as scholarships
or research, or may be contributed to the Blue Fund to assist where needs are greatest. Honor or
memorial gifts are thoughtful ways to recognize a person, achievement or life event.
DEVELOPMENT nEWS
every gift makes a difference
Paul Thomas, a multi-year sponsor of the 
NEOUCOM Foundation’s Annual Golf Outing,
is a proponent of “paying it forward.” He
believes that by doing good works for
others, he will repay the good that has
happened to him.
Gifts to the NEOUCOM Foundation can be:
Cash or Credit Card Gifts – Gifts can be made by mail, online at www.neoucom.edu,
during phonathons or in the envelope enclosed with this magazine.
Non-Cash Gifts – These may include securities, personal property, real estate or giftsin-kind. Please contact Institutional Advancement for stock transfer instructions.
Matching Gift – You may have the opportunity to double or triple your donation if your
employer offers a matching gift program.
Planned Gifts – These may include annuities, bequests, trusts and wills. Please contact
Institutional Advancement for specific bequest language.
Corporate and Foundation Gifts – Your corporation or foundation can provide important
support for academic programs, research or scholarships.
The Institutional Advancement team welcomes the opportunity to discuss giving
opportunities that meet your personal philanthropic and financial needs. Please call
330-325-6671 to schedule a private meeting.
Summer2008 15
THE FINAL CLASS ACT
By carole harwood
16 NEOUCOMMagazine
It is Monday morning, April 28. There is a
chill in the air and although it is not pouring
rain, there is a steady drizzle. This is the last
week of classes for members of the Northeastern
Ohio Universities College of Medicine’s Class
of 2008. Commencement is just around the corner.
Today, the senior class begins its last
curricular activity. The entire Class of 2008
will participate in a weeklong service project
as part of the Clinical Epilogue, the final
course of the medical curriculum.
Students will be working with Habitat
for Humanity of Portage County. Habitat
for Humanity International is a nonprofit,
ecumenical housing ministry that seeks
to eliminate impoverished housing and
homelessness. Habitat invites people of all
backgrounds, races and religions to build houses
together in partnership with families in need.
Sweats and oversized hoodies are the
predominant attire for the day. The Stanley Works
has generously donated tools to support this
project. Hoffman’s Ace Hardware of East Akron
has provided paint and other supplies, and area
churches are bringing lunch. So after a quick
trip to the Dollar Store for cleaning supplies (and
a few $1 snacks to stave off the grum-bellies
until lunch), everyone is ready to begin.
The weather has not dampened anyone’s
spirits. There is meaningful work to be done,
a community to be cared for, a difference to be
made — and NEOUCOM students are eager
to take part.
“The purpose of the service project is to
have students work side-by-side as colleagues
in the community, for the benefit of the
community and to directly reflect NEOUCOM’s
core values: Competence, Communication,
Caring, Character and Community,” says
Elisabeth H. Young, M.D. (’85), professor of
internal medicine, who arranged the community
service project. “Symbolically, students have a
capstone community experience as a reminder
that the physicians they are about to become
have a responsibility to their patients and to
their communities,” she adds.
Students will be working at four project
sites, with 25 students at each site. They will
be painting, salvaging materials from an
abandoned house for resale, building shelves,
helping to organize Habitat’s ReStore facility
and making tool boxes for future volunteers.
The Portage County Habitat ReStore is a
large facility located at 3391 State Route 59 in
Ravenna, Ohio. It is filled with donated building
materials – both new and not-quite-so-new –
that are for sale at a discount. You can purchase
lighting fixtures, hardware, appliances, flooring,
tiles, doors, trim and furniture. A gas dryer
re-sells for $75; an upholstered chair is $15;
a gallon of paint is $2. The ReStore is open
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m.
to 5 p.m., for shopping or receiving donations.
“We use the proceeds from everything we
sell at the ReStore to build new homes,” says
Larry Thorton, the manager of the ReStore
facility and general contractor for Portage
County’s Habitat for Humanity. “We don’t
build houses for people, we build homes with
them,” says Thorton. “Our goal is to teach our
partner families the skills they need to take
care of their homes. They can buy things they
need here at a discount.”
“We have worked a lot with NEOUCOM
students; there are generally 8 to 12 students who
volunteer on Saturdays,” Thorton adds. Students
build or renovate houses or help at the ReStore.
“It works out great,” says Thorton. “They get
really dirty,” he adds with a laugh, “but they do
whatever it takes.”
“It is great to be together with our classmates
one last time,” says senior Hannah Conley.
“We are having fun and doing something good.”
Donald Misquitta and Allan Chen agree:
“This is definitely a good cause. It is nice to
work together on a worthwhile project, and
with all this manpower we can really get
something done.”
And getting things done they are: Within four
or five hours students have unloaded a truckload
of donations, cleaned and organized nearly
everything in the store, priced items for resale
and built storage shelves from scrap lumber.
“It looks so much better,” says Joann Hayes,
curriculum specialist, Office of Health Professions
Education. “By the end of the day, everything
in the ReStore facility was organized.” Hayes
and Mary Hilton, program assistant, helped
Dr. Young to organize all of the service activities.
While one group of students transforms
the ReStore from top to bottom, another group
heads to a quiet, tree-lined street in Ravenna
to help Tim Davis, a Habitat partner, to renovate
a house that he, his daughter and sister plan to
move into in early June. On the front lawn is a
hand-painted sign: “Another Quality Home by
Habitat for Humanity” and “Changing Lives,
One House at a Time.”
Small groups are in each room, painting
every inch with new bright white paint. In the
basement, another group is shellacking doors
and trim. Tomorrow the students will put in a
gravel driveway and landscape.
Davis is thrilled with the progress: “We
have so many students here. It’s just great,” he
says. He asks the students to sign their names
on a poster that he will mount in his home to
remember those who helped him. On Friday,
he cooked a lunch/feast for the entire group.
“These students are used to doing things
well and efficiently,” says Dr. Young. “They
have exceeded my expectations. I am so
proud of what we accomplished together.”
Dr. Elisabeth Young (’85), provided leadership for the final 
class act, the Class of 2008’s Habitat for Humanity of
Portage County community service project.
Summer2008 17
By carole harwood
A League of Their
wn
Bowling: It is the newest, most popular form of recreation and social connection among
students at the Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy.
Yes, bowling. More than 80 students are members of the NEOUCOM Bowling League. On
Wednesdays at 10:30 p.m. they head to Kent Lanes in Kent, Ohio, to lace up their bowling shoes,
most of which are half-green, half-brown with red laces.
The league, the brainchild of Blair Wormer, Class of 2010, is made up of 20 four-person teams.
“We had a NEOUCOM bowling night, so
we began with a pilot bowling league in 20062007,” says Wormer. “At first we had eight
teams of four. Everybody came and loved it.”
Soon the eight teams morphed into 12.
By the fall of 2007, there were 20 teams. And
NEOUCOM bowling made its official transition
from a pilot project to a bona fide bowling league.
Bowling expertise is, by no means, a
prerequisite for membership in the NEOUCOM
Bowling League. “There are no great bowlers
here,” says Wormer. “This is just about enjoying
the company.” Students like being a part of the
bowling league because it provides them with an
opportunity to meet students from other classes.
Approaches to bowling vary, as do the
results. Some students bowl with precisely
choreographed hand-eye coordination and
concentration. Their bowling balls glide toward
the gleaming white pins, knocking them
down in a single motion. Others use a technique that resembles a combination of throwing and
dropping – their balls land with a thunderous thud and lumber into the gutter. Most of the bowlers
in the NEOUCOM league have a bowling level somewhere between these extremes. But there is one
clear common denominator: Everybody is having fun.
Teams self-select their members and then play other teams. “Handicaps help to even up the
teams,” says Wormer.
Kent Lanes is more than a bowling alley: It is an experience. The energy is almost tangible.
There are flashing lights of every color – red, orange, green, blue. The music is energizing. There
are high-fives, clapping, dancing, coaching and cheering. You can watch the WWE on television,
18 NEOUCOMMagazine
 The NEOUCOM Bowling League is the brainchild of Blair
Wormer, Class of 2010.
play the Sopranos game or down an energy drink (they offer six varieties, including
a low-carb version) or munch on some Frame Fries.
But these attractions seem to garner little attention: On NEOUCOM night, bowling takes
center stage. “It is awesome. It is a great stress relief in the middle of the week. It forces you to go
out. You show up for your team,” says Wormer.
“I have hosted a lot of groups. NEOUCOM students are the most respectful, the most polite,”
says Kent Lanes owner Jim Palmer. “And they really know how to have a good time.”
Are NEOUCOM students joining bowling leagues because bowling is an activity they enjoyed
in the past? It does not seem so. While most of the students in the league had bowled previously,
most hadn’t done so more than a couple of times. Only a handful even own bowling balls or
bowling shoes; the majority rent them from the lanes.
No one seems to know for sure if late-night bowling is a trend among health professions
students, but few speculate that it is.
The best explanation for the NEOUCOM bowling craze seems to be, as Class of 2010 bowler
Cory Barrat says, “It’s fun.”
Summer2008 19
ALUMNI NEWS
INmemoriam
Kip Edward Wells, M.D. (’92)
Kip Edward Wells, M.D. (’92) 
Sadly, the NEOUCOM community learned that alumnus Kip E. Wells, M.D. (’92), passed away
June 18. Dr. Wells’ brother, Kenneth W. Wells, M.D., is a NEOUCOM graduate from the Class of 1989.
Dr. Wells passed away peacefully in his sleep at his residence in eastern New Mexico. He was an
honor student at Tallmadge High School where he played varsity football. He graduated second in
his class at Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine and was a member of the Medical
Honorary Society. He trained in cardio-thoracic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
and was also boarded in general surgery.
In passing he leaves his wife, Tina; children, Nathan, Hope and infant son, Max; parents, Charlie
and Lou Wells of Tallmadge, Ohio; brothers and sisters-in-law, Kenneth W. Wells, M.D., and Lisa, and
Kacy C. Wells and Michelle; and many loving aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Memorial gifts may be made to the Kip/Tina Wells Family Memorial Fund, c/o Fifth-Third Bank,
40 North Ave., Tallmadge, Ohio 44278.
Susan H. Pierson, M.D., (’86) P.T.
Susan H. Pierson, M.D., (’86) P.T. 
20 NEOUCOMMagazine
We are sorry to inform the readers of NEOUCOM Magazine that Dr. Susan H. Pierson, Class
of 1986, passed away at Cape Cod Hospital July 15.
Susan’s husband, David Cutler, and her children, Helen and Cal, will forever be embraced in the
love of Susan's parents, Marshall and Mary Helen; her siblings, Marshall (Julia), Jack (Jan), David
(Karen), Mary (Bill), Michael (Ginny), Anne and Robert (Val) and her many nephews and nieces.
Susan graduated from Our Lady of the Elms in Akron, Ohio in 1972. She received her degree in
physical therapy from The Ohio State University and worked as a physical therapist at the Robert
Breck Brigham Hospital in Boston. After graduating from Northeastern Ohio Universities College
of Medicine, she completed an internship in internal medicine at Mount Auburn Hospital of the
Harvard Medical School. She also completed her residency in neurology at Boston University Medical
Center and a fellowship in neurologic rehabilitation at Braintree Hospital in Braintree, Mass.
Susan was named staff neurologist at Braintree Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital,
a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. She served as the medical director at Hillside
Rehabilitation Hospital in Warren, Ohio, and as director of Neurorehabilitation at Heather Hill
Rehabilitation Hospital in Chardon, Ohio. At Drake Hospital in Cincinnati, Susan served as staff
neurologist, vice president - Drake Center Corporation, and clinical director for The University of
Cincinnati Waddell Center for Multiple Sclerosis. Her most recent position was director of the Stroke
Program for Cape Cod Health Care in Hyannis, Mass.
For almost two years, in the midst of rigorous medical procedures, Susan continued her professional
speaking engagements, counseled colleagues, performed research and hosted her family and friends.
Most notably, she continued her role as wife and mother. Better than anyone, Susan knew the eventual
outcome of her illness, yet she never focused on the inevitable conclusion.
In lieu of flowers, Susan has encouraged donations to the charity of your choice.
ALUMNI NEWS
ALUMNInEWs
highlights
Let us know what is happening … recent successes, career advancements, honors,
volunteer work and family news. We will gladly share your news in our Class Notes section.
Simply contact the alumni office at 330-325-6664, 330-325-5923 (fax) or e-mail
[email protected].
National Cancer Institute Names Crystal Mackall, M.D. (’84),
Chief of Pediatric Oncology
Dr. Crystal Mackall (’84) 
C a l l fo r N om i n a t i on s
DistinguishedAlumniAward
Nominations may be submitted for the
2009 Distinguished Alumni Award. For
more information, contact the Office of
Alumni Relations at 330-325-6663
or [email protected].
Crystal Mackall, M.D. (’84), is chief of the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Pediatric
Oncology Branch in its Center for Cancer Research (CCR). Mackall has earned a reputation
as a leader in pediatric oncology translational research; her primary research focus is the
development of effective immune response therapies for pediatric cancer.
Mackall is internationally recognized for her work in the study of immune reconstitution.
Her research collaborations with the CCR’s Experimental Transplantation and Immunology
Branch and other immunologists have contributed greatly to understanding the reconstitution
of the lymphoid system following extensive chemotherapy and are an important component
of the CCR’s Center of Excellence in Immunology. In 2003, she received an NCI Director’s
Award and U.S. Public Health Service Commendation Medal for her research efforts.
“I enjoy very much working on the cutting edge of translational research in pediatric
oncology,” says Mackall. “The NIH is a very special place where exciting new clinical
trials are conducted alongside basic scientific research allowing us to directly translate
from bench to bedside and back again.”
In addition, she is dedicated to mentoring and teaching younger investigators. She
received the NIH Distinguished Clinical Teacher Award in 2000 and the NCI Mentor of
Merit Award in 2003.
A Match Day of Another Kind
On March 31, Gary Gorby, M.D. (’83), participated in a Match Day that was altogether
different from the Match Day he participated in while at NEOUCOM. While nine family members
and friends volunteered to donate half of their livers to a colleague of Gorby’s who had an
inherited liver disease, Gorby turned out to be the best match. He underwent surgery at the
Nebraska Medical Center to donate a portion of his liver to Dr. Joann Schaefer, the chief
medical officer for the state of Nebraska.
Gorby and Scheafer have known each other for more than a decade; they live in the
same neighborhood. For several years Gorby had observed Schaefer’s health deteriorating,
but was unable to do anything about it until a transplant opportunity presented itself.
According to the Omaha World-Herald, Schaefer could have had up to a two-year wait
for her transplant had she received a liver from a deceased donor.
“One rarely gets the chance to save the life of a friend, and I believe one shouldn’t let
those kinds of opportunities pass by. Although Joann looks at my donation as a huge gift to
her, it was also a gift to me to have that privilege,” he says.
Gorby is the chief of the Infectious Diseases Department at Creighton University
School of Medicine. He and his wife, Kathleen, live in Omaha, Neb., with their two sons,
Connor and Hunter.
 Both Dr. Joann Schaefer, at left, and Dr. Gary Gorby (’83), at right, are doing well following surgery.
Summer2008 21
ALUMNI NEWS
Joseph Congeni, M.D. (’84), Honored as Ohio Team Physician of the Year
The Ohio Athletic Trainers Association honored Joseph Congeni, M.D., for his commitment to
Ohio athletes by presenting him with the Outstanding Team Physician of the Year Award at a special
recognition dinner held in Fairlawn, Ohio, in May.
The association recognized Congeni for caring for athletes and educating high school trainers and
coaches in how to provide immediate, effective responses to medical emergencies and a variety of
injuries. He has been the medical director of the Sports Medicine Center at Akron Children’s Hospital
and the team physician for Archbishop Hoban High School for nearly 20 years, and he is also an
associate team physician for The University of Akron, medical advisor to the Akron Area Christian
Youth Organization and a NEOUCOM assistant professor of pediatrics.
“While at NEOUCOM in 1984, I would have had a hard time imagining a medical career I'd enjoy
more. Being able to help young athletes grow and learn life’s lessons and reach for their dreams in
sports while attempting to make sure they keep things in perspective and protect their health is pure
enjoyment for me,” says Congeni.
For Dr. Teresa Wurst, Caring for Migrant Workers is an Affair of the Heart
TOPDOCS
Teresa Wurst, M.D. (’93), medical director of the Hartville Migrant Health Clinic, received Stark
County Minority Health Coalition’s 2008 Minority Health Award in recogntion and appreciation of her
dedicated service to the Hartville migrant community.
The Hartville Migrant Health Clinic provides a broad range of health care services to the men,
women and children who migrate to Hartville annually to tend the agricultural crops.
For Wurst, a family medicine doctor who also serves as assistant director of the Family Medicine
Residency Program at Aultman Hospital, the Hartville Clinic is an affair of the heart. She provides her
patients with everything from preventive health to Well Child exams to responding to life-threatening
emergencies.
When bacteria infected and damaged one worker’s lung and surgery was required to remove part
of his lung, Wurst and other physicians from Aultman Hospital detected the problem and helped him
throughout the surgery and recovery. The worker credits Dr. Wurst, whom he calls “El Doctora,” with
saving his life.
22 NEOUCOMMagazine
Congratulations to the following alumni who were recognized as Top Docs in the March 2008 issue
of Cleveland Magazine and/or the June issue of Akron Life and Leisure:
Karen Barton, M.D. (’02)
Family Medicine
Adarsh E. Krishen, M.D. (’86)
Family Medicine
Camille Sabella, M.D. (’87)
Pediatric Infectious Disease
James H. Bates, M.D. (’84)
Ophthalmology
Anthony J. Locostro, M.D. (’86)
Ophthalmology
Andrea L. Sikon, M.D. (’97)
Internal Medicine
Nancy J. Cossler, M.D. (’83)
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Vinit K. Makkar, M.D. (’89)
Medical Oncology and Hematology
David M. Sperling, M.D. (’85)
Family Medicine
John A. DiSabato, M.D. (’87)
Family Medicine
Christopher R. McHenry, M.D. (’84)
Surgery
Carl V. Tyler Jr., M.D. (’82)
Family Medicine
Dawn Hubbard, M.D. (’95)
Family Medicine
Stephen G. Noffsinger, M.D. (’87)
Forensic Psychiatry
Sandip P. Vasavada, M.D. (’91)
Urology
David L. Jackson, M.D. (’86)
Family Medicine
Raymond P. Onders, M.D. (’88)
Surgery
Gary D. Williams, M.D. (’86)
Pediatrics
Ian H. Kalfas, M.D. (’82)
Neurology
Francis A. Papay, M.D. (’84)
Otolaryngology
Joseph Zarconi, M.D. (’81)
Nephrology
Marsha H. Kay, M.D. (’86)
Pediatric Gastroenterology
Rochelle Rosian, M.D. (’82)
Rheumatology
Cynthia B. Zelis, M.D. (’96)
Family Medicine
CLASSnOTEs
1980s
Barry Steinberg, Ph.D., M.D., D.D.S. (’91), is a
Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves. He is
serving with a surgical team in Iraq.
Thomas S. Lehner, M.D. (’82), is medical director of
Evercare Cleveland. Evercare is part of Ovations, a subdivision of United Health Group.
Christopher Sheppard, M.D. (’82), was inducted
into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society
by the Zeta Chapter of Ohio in April.

Gertrude Cotiaux, M.D. (’93), is on staff at Towpath
Trail Family Medical.
Robert J. Paul Jr., M.D., FACR (’84), was elected
president of the Ohio Radiological Society, the state
professional society for radiologists, radiation oncologists
and medical physicists, which has approximately 900
members. In May 2007 he was named a Fellow of the
American College of Radiology. Tom Tanphaichitr, M.D. (’94), is a member of the
medical staff of Wadsworth-Rittman Hospital and
practices in association with Akron Nephrology Associates.
Laurine (Fleder) Tibaldi, M.D. (’95), and Nicholas
Tibaldi, M.D, adopted a son, Nicholas Salvatore. Nicholas
was born Oct. 25, 2007.
Vipul Panchal, M.D. (’96), and Nina Vasavada
Panchal, M.D. (’97), celebrated the birth of their third
child, Rikhil, in March 2008. Rikhil joins four-year-old
sister, Sonia, and two-year-old brother, Amir. They reside
in Louisville, Ky.
Keith Fuller, M.D. (’87), has been named section head
of internal medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Solon Family
Health Center. He also coordinated the Cleveland Clinic
residents and Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of
Medicine students who were precepting in the Solon
Family Health Center. In April, he was elected as a
fellow of the American College of Physicians.
Gabriella HuanHe Roller
Augustine Manadan, M.D. (’97), and wife, Preeti,
welcomed their third child, Leena.

Jason Schatzel, M.D. (’97), is in an internal medicine
practice in North Dayton. Nalini Aggarwal Schatzel,
M.D. (’97), is in a private group pediatrics practice in
Springboro. They have two daughters: Marissa, 8, and
Sarah, 5.
Marita Volk, M.D., FACEP (’87), was elected Chief
of Staff of Euclid Hospital in January and will serve a
two-year term.
Pelin Batur, M.D. (’98), and husband, Chris Zook,
celebrate the birth of their twin daughters, Ajda Victoria
and Azra Sophia. They join a brother, Bora Zachariah.
Michael A. De Georgia, M.D. (’89), is director of the
Reinberger Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit and Maxeen
Stone and John A. Flower Professor of Neurology at
University Hospitals Case Medical Center. He is also
the director of the Center for Neurocritical Care and
co-director of the Cerebrovascular Center of the UH
Neurological Institute.
Rajesh A. Joseph, M.D. (’98), is a staff
gastroenterologist/hepatologist with The Cleveland Clinic.
He and Neena James, M.D., were married April 28,
2007. She is a rheumatology fellow at Metro Health
Medical Center/Case Western Reserve University.
Kathie T. Greene, M.D. (’90), joined Pioneer Physicians
Network-Columbia Woods Medical Group, a family
medicine practice in Norton, Ohio.
Ravi Ghanta, M.D. ('99), and Sumita Roy-Ghanta,
M.D. (’01), and big sister Aleena welcomed Anjali Rani
Ghanta Aug. 30, 2007. Ravi is a gastroenterologist
with Digestive Disease Associates outside of Philadelphia.
Sumita is a member of the faculty at University of
Pennsylvania/Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and
she is conducting translational research and clinical care.
Arun Nagpaul, M.D. (’90), was appointed medical
director and director of the hospitalist program of NewarkWayne Community Hospital in Newark, New York.
Jennifer Lin, M.D. (’99), continues to practice in
Tucson, Arizona. Her daughter, Piper, was born Dec.1,
2007. Piper was welcomed by her brother, Greyson.
1990s
Christopher Sheppard, M.D. (’82)
David Hahn, M.D. (’95), is the medical director of
Adult Inpatient Psychiatry at University Hospitals Case
Medical Center and assistant professor at Case Western
Reserve University School of Medicine.
Duane J. Taylor, M.D. (’85), has been appointed to
the Montgomery County, Maryland, Commission on
Health. He advises on county, state and metropolitan
area health issues and reports on the county’s
Department of Health and Human Services’ performance.
Keith Roller, M.D. (’87), and his wife, Elizabeth,
adopted a five-year-old daughter, Gabriella HuanHe,
from China. Enjoy the story of her arrival at www.
journeytome.com, adoption stories, Journey to
Gabriella HuanHe.
Rodney Ellis, M.D. (’92), was inducted into the Alpha
Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society by the Zeta Chapter
of Ohio in April.
1980s-90s
Summer2008 23
CLASSnOTEs
2000s
Noreen Durrani, M.D. (’00), and Christopher Vashi,
M.D. (’00), were married in May. Noreen is an assistant
professor of trauma/critical care and acute care surgery
at the University of Florida - Jacksonville. Christopher
is an assistant professor of plastic and reconstructive
surgery at The University of Florida - Jacksonville.
Heather Eck, M.D. (’00), is an assistant professor of
anesthesiology at The Ohio State University Medical Center.
Norah Celeste Naber
Rajiv Lapasia, M.D. (’00), is vice president at
BlackRock, where he focuses on public equity
investments in health care.
Ryan Longstreth, M.D. (’00), is the co-author of a
book, Bouncebacks! Emergency Department Cases:
ED Returns.
Krishna Mannava, M.D. (’00), and Deepa Reddy,
M.D. (’04), were married in November 2006. He
completed a vascular and endovascular surgery
fellowship at the Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New
Orleans. In July 2007 he accepted an assistant
professor of surgery and radiology position at Loyola
University Medical Center in Chicago.
2000s
Ali Merchant, M.D. (’00), accepted a cardiac-MRI
fellowship at The Ohio State University for the 2008-2009
academic year.
Charles Tarbert, M.D. (’00), and Lisa M.S. Tarbert,
M.D. (’00), are both practicing in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
They have two daughters: Lauren Grace, 3, and
Morgan Marie, 2.
Darlene Eckert, M.D. (’01), joined Hunters Creek
Pediatrics, a private office in Orlando, Fla. In July she
and her husband, Omar Hanafi, welcomed their third
daughter, who joins twins Zulaika and Karima.
Summer James, M.D. (’02), is on staff in the OB/GYN
Department of John Sealy Hospital in Galveston, Texas.
Kenneth R. Lee, M.D. (’02), completed a general
surgery residency and was certified by the American
Board of Surgery. He then completed a three-year plastic
surgery residency at the University of South Florida.
He is with M.D. Anderson Cancer Center - Orlando,
where he focuses on microvascular perforator flap
breast reconstruction and other complex oncological
reconstruction.
Aruna Mani, M.D. (’02), graduated from The Ohio
State University's Medical Oncology Fellowship
Program and is a breast medical oncologist for
Memorial Healthcare System in Hollywood, Fla. 24 NEOUCOMMagazine
 Jennifer Maag Naber, M.D. (’02), and husband,
Michael, welcomed a daughter, Norah Celeste, Dec.
10, 2007. They reside in Erie, Pa.
Blake Ann Weidaw Ofobike, M.D. (’02), and
husband, Emeka, celebrated the birth of Kamili, born
Dec. 28, 2007. Ofobike is an assistant professor in
OB/GYN at the University of Texas Health Sciences
Center in San Antonio. Urmil Pandya, M.D. (’02), and Aradhi Doshi
Pandya, M.D. (’02), welcomed a daughter Jan. 11.
Urmil completed a fellowship in trauma surgery and
joined a trauma surgery practice in Columbus, Ohio. Aradhi is a hospitalist in Columbus, Ohio.
Mark Rea, M.D. (’02), completed a cardiology
fellowship at Metro Health Medical Center in Cleveland
and is completing an interventional cardiology fellowship
at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center.
Thomas Bakondy, M.D. (’03), completed radiology
residency and is in a one-year fellowship in women’s
imaging at U.C. Irvine Medical Center.
Reid Boyce, M.D. (’03), is in Brooklyn, N.Y., completing
a year of orthopaedics and will be completing a
fellowship in limb deformity in Baltimore.
Sameer Khandhar, M.D. (’03), and Anu Munshi, M.D.
(’03), were married in Columbus, Ohio, July 1, 2006. Sameer is a cardiology fellow at University of Pittsburgh
Medical Center, and pursuing interventional and heart
failure/transplant cardiology. Anu is a hospitalist at
UPMC working in the Division of Critical Care Medicine.
Leah Maderia, M.D. (’03), and Eric Adkins, M.D.,
were married May 3.
Thomas Scharschmidt, M.D. (’03), and Angela
Rouse Scharschmidt, M.D. (’03), announce the
birth of their daughter, Zoe, who was born May 13.
She joins brother Ty, born February 2006. Tom is
completing an orthopaedic oncology fellowship at the
University of Washington and Children’s Hospitals in
Seattle. Angela is in private practice as an OB/GYN.
James Shina, M.D. (’03), and wife, Janice, welcomed
their first child, Landon James, May 7. He is in private
practice in Austintown, and is medical director for
Austintown local schools. He is also the team physician
for Austintown Fitch and Youngstown State University.
Deepa Reddy, M.D. (’04), and Krishna Mannava,
M.D. (’00), were married November 2006. She
completed a residency in ophthalmology at the John
H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County, near Chicago, and
is in a cornea and refractive surgery fellowship at the
University of Minnesota.
Stacy A. Shundry, M.D. (’06), completed an
international elective in Ethiopia and was elected chief
resident for the 2008-2009 academic year for the
Department of Emergency Medicine at Summa Health
System. She is the regional representative to the
Emergency Medicine Residents Association.
Pradeep Kodali, M.D. (’04), married Preeti Prasad,
an internal medicine resident at Loyola University, on
April 26. Pradeep is an orthopaedic surgery resident
at Northwestern.
Randy Allison, M.D. (’07), and wife, Jeana, welcomed
a son, Mason Guy, Feb. 8.
Thomas Plesec, M.D. (’04), and wife, Katie, announce
the birth of their son, Jack Matthew, born March 7.
Niraj Desai, M.D. (’05), and Ankita Bharat Patel,
M.D. (’06), were married Aug. 31. Niraj completed
residency in internal medicine at Rush University
Medical Center in Chicago and is with the National
Institutes of Health in Washington, D.C. Ankita is a
second-year pediatric resident at Children's National
Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
David Lang, M.D. (’05), is completing a rheumatology
fellowship at Virginia Commonwealth University
Medical Center.
Natalie Driessen, M.D. (’07), and Mike Messina, 
M.D. (’07), announce the birth of their daughter,
Katelyn, who was born in January.
Sukhmani Padda, M.D. (’07), completed a clinical
lung cancer research fellowship at Stanford. She is an
internal medicine resident at Stanford University.
Jeffrey Archinal, M.D. (’08), and Elizabeth Moore were
married in May. They live in Cranberry Township, Pa.
Moriah Timko, M.D. (’08), and Ronald Conner Jr.,
M.D. (’07), were married at St. Bernard’s Church in
Akron March 15. Both are internal medicine residents
at Summa Health System.
John Scrocco, M.D. (’05), was inducted into the Alpha
Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society by the Zeta Chapter
of Ohio in April. He completed an internal medicine
residency at Summa Health System in Akron, and will
serve as chief resident for the 2008-2009 academic
year. He and Diana Lin Awad were married May 25.
Tiffany Turner, M.D. (’05), began a pediatric
pulmonology fellowship at St. Louis Children’s
Hospital/Washington University School of Medicine
in St. Louis, Missouri.
Sevasti Anagnostou, M.D. (’06), and Dean Yeropoli,
M.D. (’06), were married in May 2007.
Erin K. Broderick, M.D. (’06), was elected the
Department of Emergency Medicine’s chief resident
for the 2008-2009 academic year and is serving as a
house staff officer for Summa Health System.
Summer James, M.D. (’06), completed an OB/GYN
residency at Akron General Medical Center in 2006,
and is a third-year fellow in reproductive endocrinology
and infertility at the University of Texas Medical Branch
in Galveston, Texas. She and Heth Earnhardt were
married in October 2007.
Frank Lazzerini, M.D. (’06), received the Family
Medicine Clerkship Outstanding Teacher Award from
Akron General Medical Center. It was presented by Mark
Horattas, M.D. (’85) and James Dougherty, M.D. Lazzerini
is a NEOUCOM clinical instructor of family medicine.
ALUMNI NEWS
Tina Davis Smith, M.D. (’04), and Adam Smith,
M.D. (’04), celebrated the birth of their son, Paul
Alexander, May 31. Tina joined Blue Care Network as
a pediatrician. Adam completed his general surgery
residency and is a plastic surgery fellow at Rush
University Medical Center.
Katelyn Messina
StayConnected
September 20
NEOUCOM Alumni and
Friends Reception,
AAFP Annual Meeting
Manchester Grand Hyatt
San Diego, California
October 2, 4-6 p.m.
Dedication of the
James S. Tan, M.D., MACP,
Memorial Conference Suite
Multidisciplinary Laboratories
NEOUCOM’s Rootstown Campus
September 29, Noon
Chatrchai Watanakunakorn,
M.D., Lecture
Richard Wenzel, M.D., M.Sc.,
Professor and Chairperson,
Department of Internal
Medicine at the Medical
College of Virginia Campus,
Virginia Commonwealth
University, is this year’s
Watanakunakorn Lecturer.
October 12
NEOUCOM Alumni and Friends
Reception, AAP Annual Meeting
Boston, Mass.
November 3, 6-8 p.m.
NEOUCOM Alumni and
Friends Reception, AAMC
Grand Hyatt San Antonio
Republic C Room
San Antonio, Texas
December 10
Joseph Paul Harvey, M.D., &
Mary Collins Harvey Lecture
Jacqueline Noonan, M.D.,
a pediatric cardiologist best
known for her characterization
of a genetic disorder now
called Noonan’s Syndrome,
is this year’s Harvey Lecturer.
February 28, 2009
Aesculapius Ball/
Alumni Reunion
Glenmoor Country Club
Canton, Ohio
May 11, 2009
NEOUCOM Foundation
Annual Golf Outing
Firestone Country Club
Akron, Ohio
Please contact the Office of Alumni Relations at
[email protected] or 330-325-6663 for more information.
Summer2008 25
cPD NEWS
cPDnews
For a full list of live and online programs, visit www.neoucom.edu/cpd or contact the Office
of Continuing Professional Development at 1-877-325-1212 (toll-free) or 330-325-6575.
Continuing Your Education at Your Computer
“What’s hype? What’s right? Information Mastery Practicum: How to Select and Use the Best
Hunting and Foraging Tools” and its follow-up course, “Assessing New Information from
Pharmaceutical Reps to the Latest Journals,” are available online and free of charge. These
conferences, presented by David C. Slawson, M.D., and Allen F. Shaughnessy, Pharm.D., teach
participants how to use the best information-gathering tools to stay current on clinical topics and
medicine and provide optimal patient care.
These conferences are made possible by a grant from the state Attorney General Consumer and
Prescriber Education Grant Program, which is funded by the multi-state settlement of consumer fraud
claims regarding the marketing of the prescription drug Neurontin.
Health Professions Education Rounds Build Upon Success
The state Attorney General
Consumer and Prescriber
Education Grant Program
has created a Web site
with online programs
specifically for physicians
who care for migrant
workers.
The site features 100 online
programs chosen from a pool
of 500; NEOUCOM’s Office
of Continuing Professional
Development is excited to
announce the courses created
as part of its CPGP grant have
been selected for this Web site,
which is available nationally.
“We believe the tools and
information taught in these two
online courses are essential
to the everyday practice of
physicians and pharmacists.
We are honored the courses
have been chosen for this
program,” says Clint Snyder,
Ph.D., associate dean for
health professions education.
26 NEOUCOMMagazine
To showcase best practices in interprofessional education and to support faculty development, a series of
bi-monthly teaching rounds was introduced. More than 165 individuals participated in interactive workshops
presented by nationally acclaimed speakers on topics ranging from “The Integrated Steps Curriculum:
the Case of the Nesting Silos” to “A Cultural Competence Workshop: Beginning a New Conversation.”
“Next year, the program series will continue to focus on interprofessional education,” says Mark Penn,
M.D., senior vice president for academic affairs and the College of Medicine’s executive associate dean.
To learn more about Health Professions Education Teaching Rounds, visit the Faculty Development
page of the NEOUCOM Web site at www.neoucom.edu/audience/faculty/ProfDev/development.
Online Dermatology Courses
A new series of dermatology activities created from NEOUCOM’s popular Annual Dermatology Tutorial
Conference is available online and free of charge. Courses are “Diagnostic Dilemmas,” “Dermatologic
Therapy: How to Add to Your Treatment Palette,” “Infectious Disease and Skin: Clinical Pathologic
Correlation” and “Eyes and Skin Disease.” Both medical and pharmacy continuing education credits
are available.
To learn more, visit www.neoucom.edu/ce and click “Online Courses.”
NEOUCOM’s Office of Continuing professional development
Schedule of Classes
DEC 5-7
26th Annual Infectious Disease Seminar for the Practicing Physician
Edgewater Beach Hotel | Naples, Florida
april 1-3
26th Annual Infectious Disease Seminar for the Practicing Physician
Hilton Oceanfront Resort | Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
MAIN EVENT SPONSOR
Paul Thomas of Lincoln Financial Advisors
SPONSORS
Akron Children's Hospital Foundation
Aultman Hospital
Butler Wick & Co., Inc.
Cantine-Nora Family
COMDOC
David D. Allen, R.Ph., Ph.D., FASHP
David S. Currier, M.D. ('92) and
Jeanette M. Cho, M.D. ('92)
Gasser Chair Company
Giant Eagle
Mr. Harvey and Mrs. Linda Wagner
Humility of Mary Health Partners
Huntington Bank
Jay C. Williamson, M.D.
Klein's Pharmacy
Marvin S. Platt, M.D.
Marymount Hospital
Mercy Medical Center
Michael J. Miladore, M.D. ('82)
NEOUCOM Alumni Association
Ohio Imaging Associates, Inc.
Rite Aid Corporation
Summa Health System Hospitals
The University of Akron Foundation
US Foodservice
Walgreens
Proceeds from the NEOUCOM Foundation Golf Outing benefit the Blue Fund
and support academic programs, scholarships, research, equipment and many
other needs related to the interdisciplinary training of health professionals
at the Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy.
Summer2008 27
Competence, Communication, Caring, Character and Community

Back on campus by popular demand … Students from the Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy held the
annual “The Body and Beyond” Health Fair for the community, Saturday, May 10 in the Ralph Regula Conference and Event Center. The
health fair, which was free and open to the public, included free health screenings, interactive educational activities, expert presentations
on important health topics and special fun activities for children. Northeastern Ohio Universities
colleges of medicine & pharmacy

knowledge - Northeast Ohio Medical University

Transcription

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