The Supreme Courts Justice Roslyn Atkinson, AO, is among University of Queensland alumni who received awards in the Australia Day 2015 Honours List.

Justice Atkinson became an officer in the General Division, for distinguished service to the judiciary and to law reform in Queensland, through contributions to the legal profession and to promoting awareness of issues of injustice and inequality in Australia and internationally.

A Bachelor of Arts in 1970 was her first UQ degree, followed by a Bachelor of Education in 1974 and a Bachelor of Laws in 1985.

Another new Officer in the General Division is Adjunct Professor Daniel Wood AO, for distinguished service to the mining and resource industry, particularly mineral exploration, through contributions as a geologist and an academic and in executive roles.

His first degree from UQ was a Bachelor of Science in 1967, followed by Honours in 1969 and a Master Science in 1975.

UQ President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Hj congratulated the award recipients and said they epitomised the community spirit that UQ valued so highly.

I thank all these wonderful people for their dedication and congratulate them on their contributions that undoubtedly are making the world a better place, Professor Hj said.

The breadth of UQs teaching and research endeavours and the universal and global issues we address in this University are represented in these awardees.

Professor Sylvia Rodger, AM, is a great example of the specialist knowledge and dedication we are so fortunate to have at UQ.

Sylvia heads a Cooperative Research Centre that is the worlds first such national Autism Spectrum Disorder research effort. The centres work is expected to benefit more than one million Australians, improving their quality of life, education and employment options.

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UQ alumni recognised for contributions to society

Regional News of Friday, 23 January 2015

Source: GNA

The 1997 year group of the Presbyterian Boys Senior Secondary School (Presec) has donated several items to the clinic of the school and undertaken a major facelift of the clinic building in Legon, Accra.

The project executed in January 2015 was funded through contributions from group members in Ghana and the Diaspora which amounted to GH 10, 000 to refurbish the clinic building and donate a stock of materials and drugs to the clinic.

The project involved painting of the external and internal walls of the clinic, replacement of old louvre blades, window nettings and bulbs. Other items provided to the eight-bed clinic were mattresses, bedsheets, pillowcases, curtains, ceiling fans, a fridge and cleaning equipment.

As an outcome of a needs assessment undertaken in 2014 that involved consultations with the headmistress of the school and student leaders, the 1997 Year Group also donated a full years stock of over-the-counter drugs and other medical supplies to the clinic which now caters to over 3000 students every term.

The items included analgesics, antimalarial drugs, antibiotics, ORS, hand sanitizers, cough mixtures and first aid kits.

At a formal event to mark the completion of works and donation of items to the school, Dr Eugene Tettey, the president of the 1997 year group, expressed the groups commitment to working closely with the apex Old Boys Association in making Presec one of the most sought-after secondary schools in Ghana. He shared fond memories of the group members days at Presec and how the schools great legacy had inspired its alumni to great exploits and heights in both public and private sectors in Ghana.

According to Dr Tettey 'the group was taking the first step in helping the school deal with an increase in malaria cases by piloting the use of malaria test kits at the clinic." He also indicated that, the year group is also looking at the possibility of alumni doctors attendding to sick students once every week.

He added that aalthough Presec is better known as one of the best science schools in West Africa, it has spawned many icons in all areas of human endeavor. Indeed, the 1997 year group has produced a good number of budding businessmen and entrepreneurs; an attestation that the school produces more rounded students than it is usually credited for.

Read more here:
Presec School Clinic gets major facelift

Researchers at SUNY Downstate Medical Center have found an apparent link between human population density and vegetation cover in Africa and the spread of the Ebola virus from animal hosts to humans.

Michael G. Walsh, PhD, MPH, assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics in the School of Public Health at SUNY Downstate, notes that there is significant interaction between population density and green vegetation cover in the parts of Africa that have seen outbreaks of Ebola virus disease (EVD).

In contrast, in areas of very low population density, increasing vegetation was associated with a decrease in risk of animal-to-human transmission. The findings were published in the open-access journal PeerJ, on January 20, 2015, in an article titled, "The landscape configuration of zoonotic transmission of Ebola virus disease in West and Central Africa: interaction between population density and vegetation cover."

"These findings cannot be viewed as causal due to the observational nature of the data," says Dr. Walsh, "but they do suggest that the specific landscape configuration of interaction between human populations and forested land may facilitate transmission of the Ebola virus from animals to humans."

He adds, "The reservoir species of the Ebola virus is believed to be fruit bats, with a secondary source being non-human primates. As human populations increase and move into forested areas that are home to these animals, the risk of humans contracting EVD appears to increase, judging from our analysis of EVD outbreaks in Central and West Africa."

The article is available online at: https://peerj.com/articles/735/ .

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SUNY Downstate Medical Center, founded in 1860, was the first medical school in the United States to bring teaching out of the lecture hall and to the patient's bedside. A center of innovation and excellence in research and clinical service delivery, SUNY Downstate Medical Center comprises a College of Medicine, Colleges of Nursing and Health Related Professions, a School of Graduate Studies, a School of Public Health, University Hospital of Brooklyn, and an Advanced Biotechnology Park and Biotechnology Incubator.

SUNY Downstate ranks twelfth nationally in the number of alumni who are on the faculty of American medical schools. More physicians practicing in New York City have graduated from SUNY Downstate than from any other medical school. For more information, visit http://www.downstate.edu.

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

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Transmission of Ebola appears tied to increasing population density in forested regions

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Newswise Researchers at SUNY Downstate Medical Center have found an apparent link between human population density and vegetation cover in Africa and the spread of the Ebola virus from animal hosts to humans. Michael G. Walsh, PhD, MPH, assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics in the School of Public Health at SUNY Downstate, notes that there is significant interaction between population density and green vegetation cover in the parts of Africa that have seen outbreaks of Ebola virus disease (EVD).

In contrast, in areas of very low population density, increasing vegetation was associated with a decrease in risk of animal-to-human transmission. The findings were published in the open-access journal PeerJ, on January 20, 2015, in an article titled, The landscape configuration of zoonotic transmission of Ebola virus disease in West and Central Africa: interaction between population density and vegetation cover.

These findings cannot be viewed as causal due to the observational nature of the data, says Dr. Walsh, but they do suggest that the specific landscape configuration of interaction between human populations and forested land may facilitate transmission of the Ebola virus from animals to humans. He adds, The reservoir species of the Ebola virus is believed to be fruit bats, with a secondary source being non-human primates. As human populations increase and move into forested areas that are home to these animals, the risk of humans contracting EVD appears to increase, judging from our analysis of EVD outbreaks in Central and West Africa.

The article is available online at: https://peerj.com/articles/735/ .

********

SUNY Downstate Medical Center, founded in 1860, was the first medical school in the United States to bring teaching out of the lecture hall and to the patients bedside. A center of innovation and excellence in research and clinical service delivery, SUNY Downstate Medical Center comprises a College of Medicine, Colleges of Nursing and Health Related Professions, a School of Graduate Studies, a School of Public Health, University Hospital of Brooklyn, and an Advanced Biotechnology Park and Biotechnology Incubator.

SUNY Downstate ranks twelfth nationally in the number of alumni who are on the faculty of American medical schools. More physicians practicing in New York City have graduated from SUNY Downstate than from any other medical school. For more information, visit http://www.downstate.edu.

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Animal-to-Human Transmission of Ebola Virus Appears Tied to Increasing Human Population Density in Forested Regions

Norway's largest charitable foundation bestows cash prize for TAU cancer geneticist's research on cell survival and DNA stability

IMAGE:This is professor Yosef Shiloh of Tel Aviv University. view more

Credit: American Friends of Tel Aviv University (AFTAU)

Norway's largest charitable organization, the Olav Thon Foundation, which invests heavily in medical research, awarded its first international research award in the medical and natural sciences to Tel Aviv University's Prof. Yosef Shiloh and Prof. Judith Campisi of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, California. The prize money, NOK 5,000,000 (approximately $660,000), was split between the two winners.

Prof. Shiloh, the Myers Professor of Cancer Genetics and Research Professor of the Israel Cancer Research Fund at TAU's Sackler School of Medicine, was recognized for his pioneering research on the mechanisms that maintain the survival of human cells and the stability of human genetic material.

A member of the Israel National Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Prof. Shiloh was a recipient of the prestigious Israel Prize (considered "Israel's Nobel") in Life Sciences in 2011, the 2011 American Association of Cancer Research G.H.A. Clowes Award, and the 2005 EMET Prize in Life Sciences.

"A prize means scientific recognition," said Prof. Shiloh. "Scientists do not work in order to get prizes or any other monetary benefits, but the award of a prize means that our work is recognized by our colleagues, and this is probably the true reward of a scientist."

Unraveling the genome

Prof. Shiloh has spent much of his career investigating the processes that maintain genome stability and the defense mechanisms against substances that damage our DNA. He has investigated how the harmful effects of such substances can be countered and offered insights into how mammalian cells react to DNA damage produced by environmental factors, such as radiation and carcinogenic chemicals.

According to the Foundation, "The laureates have provided us with new insights into the molecular basis of aging, aging-related diseases, and cellular degenerative processes."

Read this article:
Tel Aviv University's professor Yosef Shiloh Receives first Olav Thon Foundation Prize

By MICAH McCARTNEY

Editor

East Texas Communities Foundation is currently accepting applications from East Texas students for 41 scholarship funds.

In addition to the traditional scholarships offered yearly, the Foundation recently announced the establishment of two new scholarships this year. New scholarships available to East Texas students this year include the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose High School Scholarship and the Frederick Michael Nachman Scholarship.

The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose High School Scholarship, a $5,000 scholarship, is available to graduating seniors from Smith County high schools who exemplify the characteristics of East Texas football legend and National Football League Hall of Famer Earl Campbell. The scholarship also emphasizes the participation of applicants in varsity athletics.

The Frederick Michael Nachman Scholarship, a $1,500 scholarship, is available to graduating seniors from Smith County public and private schools, as well as students graduating from Bellaire High School, located in Bellaire, who have been accepted to attend the University of Texas at Austin and plan to major in business.

As it has in the past, the Foundation will continue to offer East Texas numerous other scholarships offered every year.

The David G. and Jacqueline M. Braithwaite Scholarship for Vocational/Technical Study in Medically Related Fields, a $1,500 scholarship, is available to East Texas students pursuing a vocational or technical associates degree or certificate in a medically related field. The scholarship is renewable for the length of the program.

The David G. and Jacqueline M. Braithwaite Scholarship in Chemistry, a $3,000 scholarship, is available to East Texas graduating seniors planning to major in chemistry in college. The scholarship is renewable for a total of four years.

The David G. and Jacqueline M. Braithwaite Scholarship in Medicine, Biotechnology, and Veterinary Medicine, a $3,000 scholarship, is available to East Texas graduating seniors who plan to major in biology, mathematics, engineering or a related field, allowing them to pursue a future career as a doctor, dentist, veterinarian, or biotechnologist. The scholarship is renewable for a total of four years.

Originally posted here:
East Texas Communities Foundation accepting applications for scholarships

Rice Alumni in Medicine, a network of Rice University alumni in the medical field, officially launched with a lecture and alumni-student mixer the day before Homecoming.

RAM was formally launched this year just before homecoming but has been in the works over the past year as we [recruited] alums [for] the initial leadership body, RAM President Freddy Nguyen said.

Rice alumni in medical and health care professions had expressed a desire to give back more to the Rice community by helping Rice students interested in medicine. There was also a need for alumni to band together to support Rices large body of pre-health professions students, leading to the creation of RAM, according to Nguyen (Lovett 02).

Nguyen said RAM allows Rice alumni in medicine to support Rice pre-health students by mentoring students and hosting networking events, among other activities.

Rice alums already participate in a number of programs throughout campus on an individual basis, Nguyen said.

Some of these programs include Rice Pre-Medical Societys mock interviews for juniors preparing for interviews, as well as RPMSs Big Owl, Little Owl program, where Rice pre-medical students learn about medical school and the medical field from medical students and physicians, according to Nguyen.

RAM will look to further strengthen those programs in working with the Rice Pre-Med Society, Nguyen said. This allows for easier access to these opportunities for alumni instead of reinventing the wheel each time. RAM is also looking into potential opportunities with [the] Rice 360 Institute for Global Health Technologies.

Some pre-medical students said they supported a network for alumni in medicine.

I believe RAM will be helpful because it is kind of like networking and will help the [pre-medical students] have connections even after graduating, Tamer Ghanayem, a Duncan College sophomore, said.

Other students had some ideas for how such a network could best help them.

See the article here:
Medical alums form support network

Couple suing Dr. Atiq Durrani, questioning if he was a licensed doctor

A Tri-State spinal surgeon accused of performing dozens of unnecessary procedures is facing new allegations.

A Taylor Mill couple has filed a new lawsuit against Dr. Atiq Durrani claiming he never went to medical school.

According to his resume, Durrani attended an army medical college in Pakistan from 1986 to 1991.

Watch this story

But the medical college said Durrani is not an alumni and was never registered as a student.

"It really makes me angry. It really does, because this has been an ongoing thing for three years and Im not the one thats been in physical pain, but it's caused a lot of disruption in the family," the victims husband Chris Mann said.

A jury awarded another one of Durrani's patients $750,000 for pain suffered from an unnecessary surgery.

There are more than 200 similar lawsuits against the doctor who fled to Pakistan in 2013.

He also faces federal health care fraud charges.

See the article here:
Couple files suit against Durrani, claiming he isn't licensed doctor

IMAGE:This is Dr. Morton H. Levitt and Cynthia Levitt. view more

Credit: American Friends of Tel Aviv University (AFTAU)

With a generous commitment of more than $2.8 million, Dr. Morton H. Levitt and Cynthia Levitt have established the Dr. Morton H. Levitt and Cynthia Levitt Endowed Scholarship for Medical Education at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University.

Morton Levitt, MD, professor of Clinical Biomedical Science, former chair of the Integrated Medical Science Department and Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs at Florida Atlantic University's Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, is a board-certified pathologist. He is recognized nationally for his expertise in medical and pathology education, advocacy, and medical policy and governance. His professional career includes service in the National Cancer Institute's Carcinogenesis Bioassay Testing Program, service as a hospital executive and chief medical officer, and more than 20 years in the United States Air Force.

The Levitt scholarship continues a familial legacy of support for the Sackler Faculty of Medicine that includes Dr. Levitt's parents, their families, and his great-uncle, Harry C. Bernard. "I am very proud to be a member of the Levitt family -- a family that taught me from an early age that charity, philanthropy, and service were the true measure of a person's success," he says.

Tel Aviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine is the largest medical and research training complex in Israel, serving two million people annually. It comprises 1,400 affiliated doctors, including some 1,000 teachers, in preclinical departments and affiliated clinical departments and institutes in seven major medical centers, six psychiatric hospitals, and a large rehabilitation center. It developed the Sackler Medical School New York State/American Program, Israel's first and only medical school program accredited in North America, widely considered to be the premier example of successful cultural and academic cooperation in the field.

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American Friends of Tel Aviv University supports Israel's most influential, most comprehensive and most sought-after center of higher learning, Tel Aviv University (TAU). US News & World Report's Best Global Universities Rankings rate TAU as #148 in the world, and the Times Higher Education World University Rankings rank TAU Israel's top university. It is one of a handful of elite international universities rated as the best producers of successful startups, and TAU alumni rank #9 in the world for the amount of American venture capital they attract.

A leader in the pan-disciplinary approach to education, TAU is internationally recognized for the scope and groundbreaking nature of its research and scholarship -- attracting world-class faculty and consistently producing cutting-edge work with profound implications for the future.

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

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Levitts endow scholarship for medical education at Tel Aviv University

NEW YORK (WABC) --

Participating in our chat are Dr. Roger W. Yurt, the director at New York-Presbyterian's William Randolph Hearst Burn Center, and Heather Caldwell, marketing and communications manager for Kidde Fire Safety. Yurt has also been a long-time contributor to our special "Operation 7: Save a Life," which airs on Jan. 24 at 7 p.m.

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Roger W. Yurt, M.D., director at New York-Presbyterian's William Randolph Hearst Burn Center: Dr. Yurt is the Johnson and Johnson Distinguished Professor of Surgery and Vice Chairman of the Department of Surgery at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University and serves as the Chief of the Division of Burns, Critical Care and Trauma at the New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center. He is the Director of the William Randolph Hearst Burn Center at the same institution.

Dr. Yurt received his M.D. degree at the University of Miami School of Medicine and performed his initial residency training at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, TX. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Medicine at the Robert B. Brigham Hospital and Harvard Medical School and was Chief Resident in Surgery at the New York Hospital - Cornell Medical Center. He subsequently served on active duty in the Army at the United States Army Institute of Surgical Research for three years.

He has authored over 100 original manuscripts and book chapters dealing with trauma, burns and acute inflammatory response to injury. In addition, he is an ad-hoc reviewer for six professional journals.

In 2003, the American Skin Association presented Dr. Yurt and the William Randolph Hearst Burn Center with the Meritorious Humanitarian Recognition Award. During that same year, the Royal Society of Medicine presented Dr. Yurt with the Richard T. Hewitt Award, recognizing him as an influential contributor to quality assurance in surgery, medical education, public health, and research in the burn and trauma areas.

Dr. Yurt received the Outstanding Physician of the Year Award in 2006 at the New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center. In 2009, he received the Jim Curran Memorial Award given by the Stephen Siller, FDNY "Let Us Do Good" Children's Foundation and was also the recipient of an Excellence in Teaching Award given by the Weill Medical College of Cornell University.

He is a member of the Regional Emergency Medical Advisory Committee of NYC and a past member of the NY State Trauma Advisory Committee. Previously, he served as the Chairman of both the Regional Trauma and the Regional Burn Advisory Committees.

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WEB CHAT: 'Operation 7: Save a Life'