Roberto C. Heros, M.D., professor and co-chair of neurological surgery and residency program director, has been selected as the 2010 recipient of the prestigious Harvey Cushing Medal.

The Cushing Medal is the highest honor given by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) to a neurosurgeon. The award, established in 1976 and given annually since 1977, recognizes an AANS member for distinguished service in the field of neurosurgery.

In his award letter, AANS president Troy M. Tippett, M.D., praised Heros for his selfless dedication to medicine and neurosurgery. "Your contributions to neurosurgical education, your efforts in helping to bring the XIV World Congress of Neurological Surgery to fruition, and your personal traits, scientific honesty... are models for all neurosurgeons and deserve the highest recognition our specialty can bestow," Tippett wrote.

Dr. Heros, who is internationally known in his field, joined the Miller School in 1995. He served as president of the AANS in 2002-2003, and is a past president of the American Academy of Neurological Surgeons. Dr. Heros also recently completed a four-year term as president of the World Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

"The Cushing Medal is arguably the most prestigious award an American neurosurgeon can receive," said Dr. Heros. "I am humbled but very honored by this recognition from my peers."

In congratulating Dr. Heros, Barth A. Green, M.D., professor and chairman of neurological surgery, says Heros is "truly the prototype of a ‘neurosurgical Renaissance man.'"

"What a wonderful role model for the generations of residents, fellows and students who have benefited from being on board during his long, productive and distinguished academic journey from Boston to Miami," said Dr. Green. "Roberto's work ethic, academic genius and unblemished integrity have now been appropriately topped off with this prestigious recognition. His home team at the Miller School is enormously proud of his selection for the Cushing Medal."

Dr. Heros will receive the Cushing Medal at a special ceremony on May 3 during the annual AANS meeting in Philadelphia.

Translated into numerous languages, the story of how Victor Perez, M.D., a cornea specialist and associate professor of ophthalmology, and his team repaired a severely scarred cornea with a prosthetic lens held in place by a tooth has been featured on almost every local and major broadcast, print and Internet news outlet.

Among them: CNN, FOX, ABC, NBC, MSNBC, NPR, the BBC, USA Today, The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, People magazine, AOL and Yahoo.

Even YouTube has a link to a video about the procedure - the first performed in the United States - and the Sept. 16 Bascom Palmer news conference where Perez thanked Sharron "Kay" Thornton for having the courage to test a "far-fetched idea.''

Indeed, the 60-year-old grandmother from Mississippi was incredulous when broached about becoming the first recipient of a modified osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis (MOOKP) in the United States. But now, just three weeks after surgery, she boasts 20/60 vision in her left eye, making her a believer in miracles, and a beacon of hope for patients around the world blinded by severe corneal scarring.

"Thanks to these doctors I can go home and see my children and my grandbabies,'' said Thornton, whose vision is expected to improve even more as her surgical scars heal. "It's like Christmas every day.''

Thornton was left almost completely blind nine years ago by Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a rare and serious skin disorder that destroyed the cells on the surface of her eyes, leaving them severely scarred. Her right eye could make out light and shadows, but the left one saw nothing but blackness.

Perez, who brought the MOOKP technique pioneered in Italy to the United States, said the procedure could help a select group of patients who are blinded by chemicals, thermal burns or immunological disorders such as Stevens-Johnson, as well as a growing number of soldiers wounded overseas.

Blindness from such injuries is particularly frustrating, Perez said, because the internal structure of the eye still works, but the outer cover is so clouded by scars, vision is blocked.

"This is the best technique available right now to treat corneal blindness for this population of patients,'' he said.

The leader of Thornton's surgical team, Perez completed the multi-step surgery September 4, but the complex process began six months earlier when Yoh Sawatari, D.D.S., assistant professor of clinical surgery in the Miller School's Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, extracted Thornton's eyetooth and the surrounding bone.

He and Perez then shaved and sculpted the tooth and bone into a table-shaped platform, drilling a hole in the middle to hold a transparent cylindrical lens created by Jean-Marie Parel, Ph.D., research associate professor of ophthalmology.

Once the 1/8-inch lens was firmly inserted in the hole, the entire prosthetic package was implanted in a subcutaneous pouch of Thornton's skin for several months, allowing it to "bio-integrate" or fuse into one unit.

In the meantime, doctors prepared the surface of Thornton's eye for the prosthesis. First, they removed the scar tissue surrounding the damaged cornea; then they used a layer of oral mucosa, taken from Thornton's cheek, to cover and rehabilitate the bone-dry surface of her eye. Organically similar to a normal eye's surface, the mucous membrane in the mouth provides a nurturing environment for the tooth -- like turning a desert into a garden, Perez said.

In the last phase of surgery, the prosthesis was retrieved from the skin pocket and inserted into the cornea, through a flap made in the mucosa. Like a telescope, the lens protrudes slightly from the eye surface, allowing light to enter and Thornton to begin seeing as soon as her bandages were removed.

Her first sight: the color of the antibiotic Perez dropped into her eye.

"I said, ‘It's yellow!''' Thornton recalled. "I knew I could see and it's wonderful.''

A patient at Bascom Palmer for the past six years, Thornton was referred to Perez after she was ruled out as a candidate for a more common cornea transplant. The timing was fortuitous. At the time, Perez was exploring the MOOKP procedure and went to Europe last year to train under Italian ophthalmologist Giancarlo Falcinelli, M.D., who modified the original procedure invented by an Italian professor, Benedetto Strampelli, M.D., in the 1960s.

"Through the work of Dr. Perez's team, patients in the United States now have access to this complex surgical technique, which has been available only in a limited number of centers in Europe and Asia," said Eduardo C. Alfonso, M.D., chairman of Bascom Palmer and professor of ophthalmology.

Employees are urged to get free seasonal flu shots now

One by one, Dean Pascal J. Goldschmidt, M.D., and members of his executive team rolled up their sleeves Monday morning to receive their annual flu vaccinations. In almost no time the process, an efficient one organized by the Employee Health Office, was over and everyone was back at work.

With flu season fast approaching, the top administrators made sure to get the shots to protect themselves and send a clear signal to faculty, staff and students that it is imperative they do the same.

"It is absolutely critical for the employees of this University and medical school to get 100 percent vaccination [for the regular flu] so that at a time when we also have to deal with swine flu, nobody is getting the regular flu and contributing to challenging the wellness of our community," Goldschmidt said after he received his flu shot. "We have to be responsible and do what's right to prevent our employees from having the seasonal flu. And once a vaccine becomes available for the swine flu, we will also start a campaign for vaccinations to avoid that problem for our employees."

The seasonal flu vaccine will not protect against the H1N1 influenza virus also known as swine flu. Once the H1N1 vaccine is developed and made available through the Centers for Disease Control - possibly as early as next month - employees will be notified.

Not only can the seasonal flu cause serious illness, but it can also lead to complications including bacterial pneumonia, sinus infections, dehydration and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma and diabetes. Rafael Campo, M.D., professor of medicine and medical director for employee health for the University of Miami Health System-UHealth, said he couldn't stress enough the need for employees to understand the possible consequences of not getting a flu shot - and to get one.

"For us as health care workers, it is especially important because we are protecting ourselves and we are protecting our families and there are several studies that show that if we vaccinate ourselves we do not transmit influenza to our patients, and we can actually reduce their mortality by our getting the vaccine," said Campo. "So this is critically important."

UHealth is making it easy and efficient for thousands of faculty and staff to get free flu shots. The process that started Monday continues today through October 29 at the Employee Health Office and various locations on the medical campus.

You should prepare for the flu vaccinations in three easy steps:

Step one: View the online schedule of free flu shots here: Flu Vaccine Schedule

Step two: Download and complete the consent form: Consent Form

Step three: Bring the completed consent form with you for your free flu shot. Be sure to wear a loose shirt with sleeves that can be rolled up.

Last year, more than 2,400 faculty and staff received a flu shot. "We have recognized that the rate of vaccination of direct health care workers will markedly impact the mortality of our patients in the hospital," said David Lubarsky, M.D., M.B.A., chair of anesthesiology and director of UM's H1N1 (swine flu) task force that is overseeing the flu vaccination program. "We have to get vaccinated if for no other reason than to protect the people we pledge to serve.

Click Flu Vaccine FAQs to view a list of frequently asked questions about the seasonal flu shots. For additional information, send an e-mail to schen@miami.edu.  

To view more information about H1N1, visit www.miami.edu/h1n1.

Telischi Named Interim Chair

Imagine growing up without hearing the sounds of childhood: the bells on an ice cream truck, Saturday morning cartoons, your mother's voice. Hundreds of children from South Florida and around the world have been spared that fate thanks to the groundbreaking work of Thomas J. Balkany, M.D., who recently stepped down as chair of otolaryngology at the Miller School.

Balkany is considered one of the world's leading experts on cochlear implants and has performed more than 1,500, many of those at the UM Cochlear Implant Center he built into one of the busiest and most comprehensive programs in the country.

"My decision to step down as chair was really a personal one," explains Balkany. "It will allow me to focus my efforts on my passions, which are cochlear implantation and the UM Ear Institute."

Balkany joined the Miller School in 1990 as vice chair and director of the institute, a role he will now resume. When he was named chair in 2000, he appointed Fred Telischi, M.D., director of the institute, and in perfect symmetry, Telischi has now been named interim chair of the department.

"Even though I have known Fred since he was a resident, I have never considered him anything but a full, equal partner, and I feel very proud that he's our interim chair," said Balkany.

As Balkany reflects on his almost decade-long tenure, he says the best thing is that he never loses touch with his cochlear implant patients. "As they grow their computers need reprogramming to maximize their hearing, so we are always in touch with patients across the country and around the world."

To get an idea of how far cochlear implantation has come, Balkany says you only need to attend one of the institute's annual picnics. "In the beginning there would be 10 or 20 children attending -- now there are hundreds. It's just incredible to see these children all grown up with children of their own, and they are fully educated and able to listen and talk with their implants turned on. It doesn't get any better than that."

During his tenure the department's national reputation has grown significantly. It is consistently ranked in the top 20 by U.S. News & World Report. In the past year, Balkany has also realized the dream of moving the ear institute into a spacious new facility in the Clinical Research Building.

"Nobody accomplishes good things by themselves; this was a group effort and I share all the credit with our faculty," said Balkany. "By far our biggest accomplishment is the care we provide. The relationship with your patient never varies and is something you can always count on, and that relationship must take precedence over the research, education and administration -- it's the most important thing we do."

Balkany will get no argument about that from Telischi. "We will continue our clinical excellence while we even further expand the research division," said Telischi.

While the UM Ear Institute is near and dear to his heart, Telischi says he also sees great things ahead for other areas in the department such as head and neck cancer services, sinus and voice treatments, pediatrics, and facial and reconstructive surgeries.

"Tom has been a fantastic example of what a chairman should be, and I hope I can build on his successes," said Telischi. "What makes a successful chair is the great faculty that surrounds them, and we have terrific faculty."

Leopoldo Raij, M.D., FAHA, professor of medicine and a nationally recognized hypertension researcher, has been selected to receive the 2009 Irvine Page-Alva Bradley Lifetime Achievement Award in Hypertension. The prestigious award, sponsored by the American Heart Association's Council for High Blood Pressure Research, is presented annually to an individual who has shown a lifetime of outstanding achievements in the field of hypertension and has served as a role model through service, research, teaching and training--a description Raij exemplifies.

"Just imagine how flattered I am to receive such a prestigious national award, and it is given to me by my peers, which is so important, because my peers are the ones who can best evaluate my accomplishments," said Dr. Raij. "I'm very, very happy."

Raij has made significant contributions to the field of hypertension and how it relates to cardiovascular and kidney disease, and has linked those basic research findings directly to clinical care. "Understanding how hypertension accelerates the development of both atherosclerosis and kidney disease is something we have worked on for many years," said Raij. "Through our early research and subsequent research, we identified certain agents used for the treatment of hypertension that can also provide better protection for the kidneys and the cardiovascular system.

More recent work by Raij and his group has demonstrated and extended the understanding of the protective role of statins in both cardiovascular and kidney disease. "Our aim and hope is that through ongoing research, our findings will continue to profoundly affect the lives of patients all over the world."

"By presenting Leopoldo with this incredible award, the council is recognizing a true leader in the field of hypertension research who has had a tremendous impact on the lives of patients with high blood pressure," said Pascal J. Goldschmidt, M.D., senior vice president for medical affairs and dean of the Miller School.

A native of Argentina, Raij joined the Miller School faculty in 2001, where he is director of hypertension in the Renal-Hypertension Division and director of hypertension and nephrology research at the International Medicine Institute. He is also chief of the Nephrology-Hypertension Section at the Miami VA Medical Center.

The impact of Raij's contributions has been underlined by the Council for High Blood Pressure Research in the past with the Lewis Dahl Lecture Award. His latest award from the council will be presented during a special ceremony at the AHA's 63rd High Blood Pressure Conference in Chicago on September 24.

As the debate over health care reform rages, the Miller School's crop of freshman medical students were assured that any such reforms would take place during the years they are preparing to become doctors and even after graduation.

The health policy discussion was part of a welcome event for the Class of 2013 hosted by Pascal J. Goldschmidt, M.D., senior vice president for medical affairs and dean of the Miller School and CEO of UHealth, the University of Miami Health System, and University President Donna E. Shalala. Goldschmidt drew on his long background in academic medicine as he assured the students that the Miller School is the place where they will see health care reform in action and encounter patients early in their education, including some of South Florida's neediest residents.

Medical students, Dean Goldschmidt said, should learn immediately that patients, regardless of their ability to pay, should always come first: "If it's the right thing for the patient, it's the right thing to do," he urged. "Please remember that."

President Shalala, former Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Clinton Administration and one of the nation's most renowned health policy experts, assured the students that even with uncertainty about health care reform, they were in for a wonderful ride studying medicine at Florida's oldest medical school and in one of the most vibrant and international cities in the country.

"You are some of the luckiest people on the face of the earth," Shalala said. "You have an opportunity to study at one of the great schools of medicine in the country and very few people on earth have this kind of opportunity."

On reform, she said the students should not be close-minded about change but be ready to embrace new developments that promise better wellness and health care, including care for the less fortunate.

"If you're open to new ideas and new approaches, and if you're committed to a society in which we offer high-quality health care to every single person, no matter what their means, then this is a perfect opportunity to be part of a great medical school, because you are going to be watching the debate and participating in the changes that are going to transpire," Shalala said. "It is going to change as you are going through medical school and we will try to be nimble enough to make sure you are well-prepared. The best way to prepare you is to prepare you as continual learners. That's what great research universities do."

The 198 freshmen, including 48 participating via video conferencing from the Miller School of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University, listened to the dean and president on August 12, the penultimate day of five days of orientation that included talks from various members of the University leadership, faculty, and the divisions of financial aid, student affairs, computer services, along with senior students and leaders of various student organizations.

"They were very encouraging but they were also thought-provoking and candid about the state of medicine today," said Elisha McKay, a freshman medical student who also received her undergraduate degree from UM. "This is a time of rapid change but all of us here today chose the right institution to prepare us for whatever is to come."

A day earlier, the freshman medical students attended a student organization fair where they learned of the multitude of Miller School student interest and service groups. Dozens of students sought information and signed up for organizations such as Caneshare, the Islamic Society of University of Miami, and the Student National Medical Association, as well as student interest groups for ophthalmology, surgical specialties, and other areas.

Freshman Sean Murphy, also a graduate of UM, said the several days of sessions displayed all the medical school had to offer and reminded students why they decided to enroll at the Miller School.

"Overall, the dean told us we are entering medical school at a unique time in the United States and this medical school is one of the great places where we can begin to make a difference," said Murphy. "As future doctors we'll hold a lot of power but we'll have to respect it and use it wisely. I want to do my part to make the world a better place and I strongly believe I can do that in medicine."

The Class of 2013 was welcomed to the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Thursday by faculty members, staff and senior students who urged them to celebrate the achievements that have brought them this far and look ahead to the hard work necessary to become doctors four years from now.

Medical school, the students were told, is very difficult and will require dedication, but they should always remember to draw on their enormous ability, ask for help, and help others.

"There is no more significant message here on Day One than 'welcome - we expect everybody in the room to succeed.' Don't hesitate to ask for advice, and we're proud and happy that you're here," Laurence B. Gardner, M.D., executive dean for education and policy, said to 150 students gathered in a Miller School auditorium and another 48 at the Miller School at Florida Atlantic University, who watched and listened via video conference.

Faculty members say it is important that freshmen be welcomed with warmth, but they also need to be greeted with real reminders of what it will take to become physicians. Richard Weisman, Pharm. D., associate dean of admissions, who was welcoming the first class under his leadership, said he had full faith in the students who made the cut from 4,922 applicants. Months ago, when they were merely applicants, Weisman and his admissions team spent many hours interviewing them, reviewing their academic records, and getting to know them well.

"It's really amazing to see all of the 198 students capitalizing on what was only a dream that each of them shared during their interviews," said Weisman after the event. "To see 198 dreams come true, and the smiling faces, the enthusiasm, the energy - it's just a feeling that is among the best I can recall in my lifetime. I'm sure, as the years go by, it will be repeated over and over again."

For Joanna Bedell, who was born and raised in Miami and attended Brandeis University, it was a day of excitement because "it was finally happening."

"You spend such a long time preparing - thinking about it in high school, going through pre-med. Now you feel like you're finally taking the really big first step," said Bedell.

Dillon Bannis considers being a part of the Class of 2013 "a dream come true."

"It was really surreal at first but it became real for me when I walked in today and saw the folder with my name on it," said Bannis. "I'm looking forward to everything. I can't wait until classes start. I'm looking forward to four years of learning in a place I wanted to come to because I felt the school's mission statement fell in line with the things I think are important in medicine."

Bannis, an African American with an undergraduate degree from FAU, is among the 43 percent minorities (including 8.5 percent underrepresented minorities) who were admitted to the Miller School's M.D. program this year.

The statistics for the Class of 2013 also include 46 percent women and 28 percent non-Florida residents, with 17 students from California, the largest non-Florida representation. The class has an average GPA of 3.68 and an average MCAT score of 31.1.

Individually the students were all high-achievers in their undergraduate programs and that brings a certain pressure when they are together in medical school, said Robert Hernandez, M.D., senior associate dean for medical student administration. But, he told the gathering, starting medical school marks a life change they should all embrace.

"Over the next four years, all of you will undergo significant transformation. You will grow and develop in this medical school and reach your amazing potential," Hernandez said.

The annual welcome program is scheduled to run five additional days with faculty and administrators speaking on issues such as academic policies, the Code for Honorable and Professional Conduct, student health and wellness, and computer services. Dean Pascal J. Goldschmidt, M.D., and President Donna E. Shalala will address the class tomorrow (Wednesday).

Audiologists from the department partnered with the Overtown Youth Project to provide more than 80 of the center's participants with the hearing screenings, an important diagnostic test because hearing loss affects 12,000 children born in the United States each year, making it the most common birth defect. The easiest way to determine hearing loss is to have an audiogram, which is a calibrated test that assesses how well you hear sounds of different pitch and compares them to normative levels.

"Communication and education depend on the ability to hear normally," says Fred Telischi, M.D., professor and interim chair of otolaryngology. "Our goal is to identify these individuals and make sure their hearing problems are corrected."

Opened in early 2003, the Overtown Youth Center is a joint initiative by local real estate developer Martin Z. Margulies and NBA great Alonzo Mourning to create a safe haven for the children in the heart of Miami's inner city. The center partners with community agencies and institutions like the Miller School to provide opportunities, exposure and options for their students. And, of course, health care.

Since there are numerous causes for delayed hearing loss that can occur after birth, early detection and intervention are critical. "The future of our community depends on the health and well-being of our children," says Hillary Snapp, Au.D., senior audiologist who led the team of three audiologists in performing the screenings. "We are excited to be a part of this initiative and have the opportunity to collaborate with Overtown Youth Center in providing children access to health care. Even minimal and mild hearing losses can have a significant impact on children both socially and academically. By identifying those at risk, we can initiate the process for medical care and provide the families with appropriate resources."

Due to a positive response to our promotional efforts and nationwide challenges with the supply and distribution of the seasonal flu vaccine, the University's supply of the vaccine is low. As a result, all scheduled UM flu shot events have been cancelled until further notice.

We strongly encourage employees who have not received their seasonal flu shot to visit local retail locations for the vaccine. UM/Aetna health plan members can obtain free flu shots at the following locations:

• Target
• Wal-Mart
• Publix
• Minute Clinics (in select CVS locations)
• Take Care Clinics (in select Walgreens locations)
• PCP office

NOTE: CVS and Walgreens do NOT provide free flu shots to Aetna members outside of their walk-in clinics. Please contact your local retailers and doctor's offices prior to your visit to ensure that they have seasonal flu shots available. If you have any issues or concerns please contact Benefits Administration at 305-284-3004.

In previous research, Podack created a lung cancer vaccine by genetically engineering Gp96 to trigger the immune system to attack non-small cell lung cancer. That vaccine is currently in Phase II clinical trials.

For the last two years, Podack has been using an exploratory NIH grant to work on an HIV vaccine that applies the same principle of engineering heat shock protein Gp96. So far, he says it has shown "systemic and mucosal immunity that is exceptionally high compared to any other vaccine in development."

The early results have been so successful that the NIH has gone beyond the normal funding for the next phase, giving $1.35 million over the next three years. In addition to handing the UM researcher this funding award, Podack will also receive an additional $750,000 over the next two years to advance this breakthrough work.