WesternU’s Towne & Gown Golf Classic set for June 27
Western University of Health Sciences invites the public to an exciting day of golf to benefit student scholarships.

The 6th annual Towne & Gown Golf Classic will be played Monday, June 27, 2016 at Red Hill Country Club, 8358 Red Hill Country Club Drive, Rancho Cucamonga, California 91730. Registration and lunch starts at 11 a.m., followed by a noon shotgun start. A dinner and awards ceremony will follow.

Click here to read the full story.

Click here to visit the Towne & Gown website and to register for the tournament.

Helicopter Drop
Everyone is invited to join the Towne & Gown Golf Classic Helicopter Drop. Whether you’re at the golf course or not, you will be able to tune in and catch the live streaming action here: https://www.youtube.com/c/ETGWesternU/live. The helicopter team will dump numbered golf balls over a designated hole, and the owner of the ball that lands in the hole (or closest to the pin) will win the 50-50 cash prize. This is another exciting way to benefit the Towne & Gown Endowed Scholarship Fund. Contact Courtney Schultz at 909-469-8495 or cschultz@westernu.edu for more information.

Click here to view the flier.

From the Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences:

WesternU team, international collaborators publish new findings on calpain-1
Western University of Health Sciences researchers, in an international collaboration with colleagues in London, Paris, Tunisia and Belgium, have published a paper demonstrating the role of the calcium-dependent protease calpain-1 in cerebellar ataxia in mice and humans.

The paper, “Defects in the CAPN1 gene result in alterations in cerebellar development and in cerebellar ataxia in mice and humans,” was published June 16, 2016 in Cell Reports. Click here to view the article online: http://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(16)30627-1.

Click here to read the full story.

Kudos on accomplishments
GCBS Associate Professor Fanglong Dong, PhD, in collaboration with Dr. Ivy Tuason (PI), CGN assistant professor, have a poster accepted for the 2016 State of the Science Congress on Nursing Research: Determinants of Health. The title of the poster is “Indicators and predictors of sexual behaviors of Filipinos ages 18-25 in the United States and the Philippines.” They used an online survey to collect data to compare the differences in sexual behavior between the U.S. and Philippines. This presentation will take place in Washington, D.C. Sept. 15-17, 2016.

From the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific:

Gold Humanism Honor Society
The mission of the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) is to recognize individuals who are exemplars of humanistic patient care and who can serve as role models, mentors, and leaders in medicine. Gold Humanism Honor Society (Pomona campus) had their inaugural induction ceremony June 15. Thirty-four third and fourth year DOs who showed outstanding clinical and interpersonal skills were recognized and selected to be members of the GHHS. Those members will have a responsibility to model, support, and advocate for compassionate, patient-centered care throughout their careers. The creation of a GHHS, Pomona chapter, signifies that WesternU is an institution that places high value on the interpersonal skills and attitudes that are essential for the highest level of patient care. http://www.gold-foundation.org/

Click here to view a photo on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/COMPPomona/photos/a.1504806236430911.1073741827.1504797799765088/1785425385035660/?type=3&theater

Kudos on accomplishments
John Enrique Mata PhD, an Associate Professor of Pharmacology at COMP-Northwest, has received a John C. Erkkila Endowment for Health and Human Performance grant for a project titled, “The Use of Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer to Detect Virus in Blood.” The project is a collaboration between researchers Thomas Squier, PhD, Vishwanath Venketaraman, PhD, Michelle Steinhauer, PhD, and Yijia Xiong, PhD, from the Department of Basic Medical Sciences. Other collaborators include David Roberts and Greg Peek from Takena Technologies Inc. of Albany, Oregon and James Summerton from GeneTools, LLC of Philomath, Oregon. The $20,000 award will be used to demonstrate the feasibility of using a low-cost method for the direct detection of the presence of pathogens. Click here to read a Corvallis Gazette-Times story on this project:

http://www.gazettetimes.com/albany/news/local/mid-valley-men-developing-hand-held-virus-detection-tool/article_c356b06a-90e4-5f37-8a3f-14fabac04fef.html

Co-principal Investigators Gail Singer-Chang, PsyD, and Michael Seffinger, DO, received grant funding from the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) for their research titled “Identifying Risk Factors Associated with Declining EQ Traits During DO Training.” This large-scale project includes faculty and programs from across the University campus and beyond.  Additional research investigators from WesternU include Scott Helf, DO, MSIT, Fanglong Dong, PhD (CGBS), Natalie Nevins, DO, Janice Blumer, DO, Sandra Farah-Franco, DDS, Brent Fung, DDS, Sean Rowan, MA, Paul Dobies, OD, Kathleen Satterfield, DPM, and Marcia Luxenburg-Horowitz, DNP.  Inter-institutional partners include Michelle Amizov, MD, and Ronda Doonan, PsyD, from Community Memorial Health Systems DO residency training program, and William Cairney, PhD, from Rocky Vista University and KCUMB.

John T. Pham, DO, Vice Chair of the Department of Family Medicine, was awarded the COMP Distinguished Faculty Award for Leadership and Service this month. This award recognizes a faculty member from COMP’s Pomona and Lebanon campuses for exemplary leadership, service and contributions to WesternU and COMP committees, professional and/or local communities/societies/organizations, the development and implementation of COMP programs, and for demonstrating a commitment to high standards of professional life.

Click here to read the full story.

From the College of Podiatric Medicine:

Kudos on accomplishments
V. Kathleen Satterfield, DPM, had two posters presented at the World Congress of Podiatry in Montreal, Canada. The first was a collaboration with John Becker, PhD, professor of basic biomedical sciences at Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science and dealt with the interprofessional education programs at both WesternU’s CPM and Scholl.

The second, “A Call for an Innovative Teaching Method in Podiatric Medical Education,” was a collaboration with Robert Hasel, DDS, of the College of Dental Medicine and Hooman T. Mir, DPM, MSc, of VirtualU@WesternU. The trio also recently had another poster and abstract presented at the American Professional Wound Care Association meeting in Philadelphia. That presentation and poster are titled “The Role of  3D Virtual Imaging Systems in Curriculum Delivery for a Wound Care Medical Training Course.” Dr. Mir represented the group at both meetings.

Dr. Jonathan Labovitz, DPM, published an article in the Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association, Volume 106, Number 3, May/June 2016.

“Forecasting the Value of Podiatric Medical Care in Newly Insured Diabetic Patients During Implementation of the Affordable Care Act in California”

Click here to view the article:  http://www.japmaonline.org/doi/full/10.7547/15-026

This article is the result of Dr. Labovitz’ dream and desire to become knowledgeable and a leader in population health, access, quality and cost which are the aims of the affordable healthcare act.  This article is the beginning of many to come and serves as an example of how one can grow their interests and expertise in a specific area, attain their goals and bear fruit.

From Western Diabetes Institute:

WDI and Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry in Philadelphia sign collaborative agreement
WesternU’s Western Diabetes Institute and Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry in Philadelphia signed a collaborative agreement to explore joint research opportunities in integrated medical and dental care models. Both institutions share a common interest in establishing bilateral relations to promote academic collaboration and scholarly exchange between their respective faculty and students, which include academic conferences and innovative pilots focusing on “whole-person” diabetes care delivery.

Click here to read the full story.

From the College of Pharmacy:

Kudos on accomplishments
Dr. Fadi Khasawneh’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) R15 Grant Project titled “Investigation of Platelet G-Protein Coupled Receptors” was renewed for three years ending April 2019. The goal of the project is to obtain information regarding the role of specific regions of HT2AR and P2Y1 in thrombosis development and test the ability of peptides and antibody, respectively, to prevent the development of thrombosis. The grant award is approximately $420,660.

From the College of Veterinary Medicine:

Kudos on accomplishments
Dr. Miguel D. Saggese was invited to Santiago de Chile recently by Improve Chile, an affiliate of Improve International, a non-governmental organization with a goal to provide continuous professional development for veterinarians. Dr. Saggese lectured on several aspects of avian medicine. These lectures were part of a year-long course on exotic animal medicine aimed at veterinarians interested in becoming certified in Exotic Animal Practice. In addition to Dr. Saggese, who dictates all the modules on Avian Medicine, this program includes professors from UC Davis, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, the Center for Research and Animal Health in Spain, and University of Georgia, among others. During his visit to Chile, Dr. Saggese was also invited to present about “Common Diseases in Companion Birds” at the CVM-Universidad de las Americas, at its campus of Santiago de Chile.

In May the College of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina also invited Dr. Saggese to make a three-hour presentation on Raptor BioMedicine. The event gathered veterinarians and veterinary students from Buenos Aires and surrounding areas. It was organized by the CVM Exotic Animal Department and the Outreach Secretary.

From University Advancement:

Alumni Networking Mixer
On the evening of Thursday, June 16, WesternU hosted an Alumni Networking Mixer in Sherman Oaks.  Our energetic alumni enjoyed great food and drinks as they rekindled their relationships while others met new friends from across colleges representing classes from 1987 through 2010. The next alumni networking event will take place in Irvine on Thursday, August 11. Visit http://www.westernu.edu/alumnimixers/ for more details.

First-year COMP student Jin Lee, left, receives his  SonoSim ultrasound training probe and software from SonoSim intern Matt Marcelino Wednesday, August 3, 2016 at the WesternU Bookstore during Welcome Week. (Jeff Malet, WesternU)

Hundreds of students from Western University of Health Sciences’ College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP) received SonoSim® ultrasound training probes and software during a distribution day at the University Bookstore.

Medical students will be able to convert their own laptops into full-scale ultrasound training simulators, paving the way for them to be more competitive in the residency market and patient care.

SonoSim distributed the ultrasound probes to first-year medical students Wednesday, August 3, 2016, during the University’s Welcome Week. Second- and third-year medical students and College of Podiatric Medicine students will also be incorporating them into their curriculum and will receive the ultrasound probes and training.

“I think it’s excellent,” first-year COMP student Jin Lee said of the ultrasound training probe. “I was going to join the Ultrasound Club. It’s a good thing to know for a student doctor.”

COMP Director of Clinical Education Natalie Nevins, DO ’97, MSHPE ’97, said the SonoSim ultrasound training solutions would be issued like any other piece of equipment, similar to the way stethoscopes and ophthalmoscopes are used during four years of medical education.

“We are now in the 21st century, and ultrasound has a much larger role in the diagnostic aspects of medical care,” Nevins said. “Ultrasound is literally being used in every arena and every specialty in some way — OB, internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics and the musculoskeletal system.

“This is important because of the unification of the AOA and ACGME for residency training, and (because) the allopathic schools in Southern California, pretty much all of them, are using SonoSim for training,” she continued. “We felt we should provide this additional training for our students so they would be competitive.”

Nevins said students will learn ultrasound as part of their core curriculum in Essentials in Clinical Medicine (ECM) from day one, implementing the probes into the flipped classroom. They also will be integrated into anatomy classes. In the future, radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips can be placed in simulated patients and used in Observed Structural Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) during didactic week.

“It is absolutely in league with our intentions of more flipped classrooms, allowing the students to learn at their own pace, and these modules are completely self-imposed,” Nevins said. “This way, when we bring them back together for small and large groups, they get to spend time doing hands-on exercises, and will be able to apply the skills they have learned, practicing with a probe on a real ultrasound machine.”

SonoSim Vice President Dan Katz, MD, FACEP, said that medical schools such as WesternU are capitalizing on providing ultrasound training to students.

“SonoSim facilitates asynchronous learning, enables self-assessment, allows instructors to track progress, and provides an opportunity to ‘train-the-trainers,’” Katz said. “Students learn how to apply these ultrasound findings toward clinical decision-making.”

WesternU to sponsor “Our Body,” provide free health screenings and flu vaccines at LA County Fair

Western University of Health Sciences students and faculty will provide free health screenings and flu vaccines at the Los Angeles County Fair from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016 in the Crafters Village, 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona, Calif. 91768.

The health screening is free, but admission to the Fair is not. Click here for instructions on out how to buy discount tickets: http://ws.westernu.edu/WesternU-News/docs/LACF.pdf

WesternU is partnering with Inter Valley Health Plan, Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, and Fairplex to once again bring “Our Body: The Universe Within” to the Los Angeles County Fair Sept. 2-25, 2016.

Click here to read the full story.

WesternU students invited to join entrepreneur workshop

Western University of Health Sciences students are invited to a three-day workshop that teaches entrepreneurial skills in a hands-on environment.

WesternU students – as well as faculty and staff interested in serving as mentors – can learn more about this program at an information session at noon Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2016 in HEC Lecture Hall 1. Guest speakers will be Olukemi Sawyerr, PhD, director of Cal Poly Pomona’s Student Innovation Idea Lab, and a representative from 3 Day Startup.

Click here to read the full story.

Global Health Club – Summer 2016 Thailand Medical Outreach

This past June, 29 members of Global Health Club participated in a one-week long medical outreach program in northern Thailand, working with an organization called “Where There is No Doctor” to serve the hill tribe communities in the area. Over the course of the week, students hiked to the remote areas where these tribes are located and set up clinics daily to aid individuals who do not otherwise have access to health care. They stayed with host families, engaged in their culture, and made memories to last a lifetime. Click here to view photos: http://www.photosnack.com/priamc/thailandglobalhealthclubtrip.html

Pumerantz Lecture

Western University of Health Sciences presents the eighth annual Dr. Philip Pumerantz Distinguished Lectureship, 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016 in Health Education Center Lecture Hall I. The guest speaker is Arti Hurria, MD, Professor, Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research, and Director, Cancer and Aging Research Program, City of Hope. This lectureship, in honor of WesternU’s founder and president emeritus, is made possible by a generous donation from Dr. Elaine Sarkaria and the late Dr. Daljit Sarkaria of Orange, California. Please RSVP by Friday, Sept. 16 to Special Events Coordinator Rocki Crisostomo at rcrisostomo@westernu.edu or by phone at 909-469-5439. Click here to view a flier.

From the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific:

Kudos on accomplishments
Mathew Wedel, PhD, of COMP and CPM, co-authored a book, The Sauropod Dinosaurs: Life in the Age of Giants, with Mark Hallett.

Publisher link: https://jhupbooks.press.jhu.edu/content/sauropod-dinosaurs

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Sauropod-Dinosaurs-Life-Age-Giants/dp/1421420287/

Dr. Wedel, Nicole Rouse, NMM-OMM Predoctoral Teaching Fellow at COMP-Pomona, Diana Hung, OMS II, and Tyler Hunt of the Oklahoma Museum of Natural History had a peer-reviewed abstract accepted for the 64th Symposium of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Comparative Anatomy in Liverpool, England, titled, “Physiological challenges of multi-meter neurons in vertebrates.” Dr. Wedel attended the meeting and presented the talk on  Aug. 25.

Congratulations OMSIII Evan Yates for his winning work at the Midwestern Regional Conference of the Society for Hospitalist Medicine in Chicago. Co-presenting with Evan was his friend and business partner, Mark Biro. The two own a 3D printing company where they’re making medical devices focusing on improving medical education. They presented posters for two of their products and won best overall poster for innovation and clinical research.

Medical Anatomy Center news

Brion Benninger, MD, MSc, Professor of Medical Innovation, Technology & Research and Clinical Anatomy, was the invited speaker sponsored by the Departments of Physiology and Neuroscience at the prestigious Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, August 19, 2016. He introduced four new ideas regarding cranial nerves and a new novel category of nerve classification under the peripheral nervous system. He suggested a new global definition to cranial nerves resulting in a new renumbering system where he provides three new names, an alternative modality system, and a new nerve category he coined transitional nerves.

Dr. Benninger was also an invited guest speaker at the Swedish Anatomical Society August, 2016 Linkoping, Sweden. He presented his simultaneous triple feedback concept (Google Glass with ultrasound acquired images from finger probe during physical examination) and integrated anatomy into several innovative imaging and medical education projects and ideas.

COMP Seminar Series

COMP will be holding its monthly seminar from noon to 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16, 2016 in Compatriots Hall, HSC, and streamed to Eastmoreland in Lebanon. Jorge F. Giani, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, will be presenting “Renal tubular angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) is central to the development of hypertension.” The COMP Seminar Series, which is open to everyone on campus, runs once a month from September to May. Lunch will be provided with RSVP by noon Wednesday, Sept. 14 to kking@westernu.edu (Pomona) or hsouthern@westernu.edu (Lebanon).  Click here to view a flier.

From the Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences:

Kudos on accomplishments
MSBS student Jeff Seinfeld published a paper in eNeuro titled “Differential activation of calpain-1 and calpain-2 following kainate-induced seizure activity in rats and mice.” Co-authors are Neema Baudry, Xiaobo Xu, Xiaoning Bi and Michel Baudry. The paper is available on-line at: http://eneuro.org/content/early/2016/08/28/ENEURO.0088-15.2016.

Postdoctoral fellow Dr. Yan Liu published a manuscript titled “Deleting both PHLPP1 and CANP1 rescues impairments in long-term potentiation and learning in both single knockout mice.” Co-authors are Sun, J., Wang, Y., Lopez, D., Tran, J., Bi, X. and Baudry, M. Learning & Memory 23: 399-404. 2016.

From the College of Pharmacy:

Kudos on accomplishments
Dr. Quang Le published the following with COP’s two Outcomes Fellows: Le QA, Bae YH, Kang JH. Cost-effectiveness analysis of trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) – positive advanced breast cancer. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment (IF = 4.085). http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10549-016-3958-x.

Dr. Le was invited for a second three-year term on the Editorial Advisory Board of Medical Decision Making, a very well-respected journal in areas of methodology, statistical and modeling techniques which includes decision psychology, health economics, clinical epidemiology and evidence building.

For the College of Dental Medicine:

Kudos on accomplishments
Professor Jeffrey Elo, DDS, MS, and WesternU CDM student Ho-Hyun Sun, DMD ‘17, co-authored the published book chapter entitled Anesthesia and Sedation in the book, A Textbook of Advanced Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Volume 3, ISBN 978-953-51-2591-4.  Here is a link to the published chapter http://www.intechopen.com/books/a-textbook-of-advanced-oral-and-maxillofacial-surgery-volume-3/anesthesia-and-sedation.

Professor Jeffrey Elo, DDS, MS, and WesternU CDM student, Ho-Hyun Sun, DMD 2017 also worked jointly with other authors to publish the article, Common Oral Manifestations of Select Systemic Diseases: Anemia, Diabetes Mellitus and HIV in the CDA Journal, Volume 44, Number 9, September 2016, p. 553.  The link to this article can be found here:  http://www.cda.org/Portals/0/journal/journal_092016.pdf

Assistant Professor Joel Laudenbach, DMD, was Guest Editor of the CDA Journal, Volume 44, Number 9, September 2016.  In this issue, he authored the featured issue introduction, Oral and Systemic Diseases You May Encounter Throughout Your Career, p. 551, and co-authored the article, Mucocutaneous Diseases: Oral Lichen Planus, Mucous Membrane Pemphigoid and Pemphigus Vulgaris, p. 561 in that same issue.  Links to these articles can be found here:  http://www.cda.org/Portals/0/journal/journal_092016.pdf

From the College of Veterinary Medicine:

Kudos on Accomplishments
Associate Professor Yiling Hong’s manuscript titled “Silver Nanoparticles Exhibit Coating and Dose-Dependent Neurotoxicity in Glutamatergic Neurons Derived from Human Embryonic Stem Cells” has been accepted for publication in NeuroToxicology (NEUTOX_NEUTOX-D-16-00080). Dr. Hong is the corresponding author for this publication.

Associate Professor Yiling Hong has been selected as a mentor for master student Pedro Sorial and undergraduate student Sumara Munoz. Both are funded by California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) bridge grants to work on projects related to stem cell research and regenerative medicine.

From Faculty for Autism Collaboration & Education (FACE):

Save the date – Oct. 15, 2016
WesternU will host the 15^th Annual Trends in Autism Education & Resource Forum: FACE-ing Adult Transition, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016. Featuring the documentary “Autism: Behind the Camera” by Lillian Vasquez from the KVCR Autism Initiative and a panel discussion. Click here to visit WesternU’s Faculty for Autism Collaboration & Education (FACE) website for more information.

From Western Diabetes Institute:

Wellness Extravaganza
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016 on the WesternU Esplanade. Open to students, staff, faculty and patients. The event, sponsored by Western Diabetes Institute, will feature a tutorial on the Fit2Me app, nutrition and exercise advice from WDI, MEDWell activities, Longitudinal Chronic Care Course, and FarmFresh to You: home delivered organic produce company.

From the Department of Environmental Health and Safety:

Emergency response and self-defense training
The Department of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) invites everyone to two upcoming trainings. The first is Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training, which consists of three (7) hour classes on October 1, 8 and 15 in in Diamond Bar. Click here to view a flier.

The second course is a 90-minute “Women’s Self Defense Workshop” offered in Upland, at a cost of only $15. You will come away with more self-confidence with your abilities to protect yourself. Click here to view a flier.

As a reminder, EHS sells pepper spray in its office in the USC building at a cost of $10. Please take advantage of the Student Safety Escorts or ask any guard for someone to walk you to your vehicle or building. We are here for your safety, so if you see something, say something. Don’t forget to sign up and use the LiveSafe mobile app.

From University Advancement:

Alumni News
More than a dozen events for alumni are scheduled between now and the end of the calendar year, including three in the next two weeks:

Sep. 17: WesternU College of Optometry Alumni Dinner during the Vision Expo West Conference in Las Vegas

Sep. 17: WesternU College of Pharmacy 20^th Anniversary Celebration on campus

Sep. 19: WesternU Reception at the American Osteopathic Association’s OMED Convention in Anaheim

For the full list of events, details, and RSVP information, please visit the Alumni Events web page.

Ryan Bart

Four years ago, third-year College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP) student Ryan Bart taught magic to at-risk youth in the dangerous and impoverished slums of Bogotá, Colombia.

On September 25, 2016, Bart will reunite with his former students from Colombia and perform magic in New York at Performing the World, and later that night will perform at The People’s Improv Theater (The Pit) with support from NYC magicians Eli Bosnick and Joshua Jay.

“Our students have overcome major hurdles in their lives, and we are walking with them to overcome the poverty cycle,” Bart said. “There is no better way to reunite with our magic students than on the big stage in NYC this September.”

While attending Gonzaga University, Bart was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to teach English at a university in Colombia. During his Fulbright post-graduate studies, Bart worked with Magicians Without Borders (MWB), establishing a social project to bring magic to the slums and hospitals.

When Bart left, he turned the program over to Colombian magician Carlos Lopez from Connecting Smiles, who now directs MWB Colombia. Bart said he’s excited and proud of the students’ growth as individuals and as magicians.

“Our students are ready for prime time, and I cannot wait to see them,” he said. “They are an inspiration to me every single day.”

Bart also will give a TEDx talk in Spokane, Washington at TEDxSpokane on Oct. 22, 2016. His topic is “Cultivate magic: Plant seeds of sustainability.” Click here and check out Ryan’s video from last year’s TEDxFulbright talk in Santa Monica

Click here to read more about Ryan, who was featured in the Summer 2015 WesternU View magazine.

Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona Unified School District, local dignitaries and Pomona’s Health Promoters held a launch party and ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the new location for Pomona’s Health Promoters Program at Palomares Academy of Health Sciences (PAHS) Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016.

The Promoters are a group of community health workers who volunteer in the neighborhoods where they reside. 

The group had been looking for a new space to hold its workshops. PAHS Principal Dr. Camille Ramos-Beal invited the Promoters to share the space with the Palomares Academy Parent-Teacher-Student Association, according to Shelby Reyes, MPH, CHES, administrative associate for WesternU’s College of Graduate Nursing (CGN).

“Having the space at PAHS allows the Promoters to meet on a continual basis twice a week to enhance their learning and plan their outreach efforts,” Reyes said. “The Promoters will be able to provide workshops and resources for parents at Palomares and the surrounding community.”

Promoters collaborate with WesternU to provide support and outreach at health fairs and other events, and work with CGN’s pre-licensure nursing students.

Alejandra Martinez, Promoters coordinator, worked in the community for more than 10 years trying to start the program, said Reyes.

CGN and CAHP provided funds and training. CGN Assistant Dean of Community Engagement Jan Boller, PhD, RN, found funding for Martinez’s coordinator position through the Fletcher Jones Foundation Endowment for Nursing Safety & Quality. 

Boller, CGN Assistant Professor Ruth Trudgeon, Reyes, and College of Allied Health Professions Assistant Dean of Assessment and Strategic Collaborations Tina Meyer, DHsc, PA-C, have been on the planning committee for the Promoters from the beginning. 

Promoters also are involved with Pomona Health Career Ladder, where they work alongside students to improve patient and community outcomes.

To see a photo gallery from Saturday’s event, check out Pomona’s Health Promoters Facebook page.

Click to play slideshow

Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-Pomona) hosted a roundtable discussion to learn about policy issues, concerns, and ideas related to the Zika virus on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016 at Western University of Health Sciences.

Torres was interested in learning how vector control is reducing mosquito-borne diseases and how public health professionals are preparing to confront Zika.

The roundtable included Robert Warren, DO ’01, Chief Medical Officer of the WesternU Medical Center and assistant professor of family medicine for the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP), and Nishita Patel, MD, COMP assistant professor of internal medicine, division of infectious disease. Also on hand were Kenn Fujioka, PhD, district manager, San Gabriel Valley Mosquito & Vector Control District, and PIO Jason Farned, among others.

Ben Beard, PhD, associate director for Climate Change and chief of the bacterial diseases branch of the Center for Disease Control’s Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, participated via conference call. Beard is based in Fort Collins, Colorado, where he coordinates CDC’s programs on Lyme disease, plague, and tularemia.

WesternU President Daniel R. Wilson, MD, PhD, left, and Associate Vice Provost Elizabeth Rega, PhD, were presented a $25,000 Walmart Foundation’s Community Giving Grant to support the Pomona Health Career Ladder program at WesternU. Walmart’s Market Health and Wellness Directo, Neil Sarreshteh, presented the check Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016. (Jeff Malet, WesternU)

The Walmart Foundation contributed $25,000 to Pomona Health Career Ladder (PHCL) during Saturday’s academy, investing in the community and in the future of health care professionals.

A check presentation was held Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016 during the beginning of the “Forensics” PHCL and American Indian Health Career Ladder academy at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California. It was the second workshop of the academic year.

PHCL brings Pomona Unified School District middle school through high school students and their parents together with WesternU students and faculty to prepare them for careers in the sciences and the health professions. 

Walmart’s Market Health and Wellness Director, Neil Sarreshteh, said she was honored to be representing Walmart Foundation in announcing an investment in the Pomona community.

“I think the greatest gift that we can give our children is an education, and Walmart Foundation is proud to contribute $25,000 to Western University of Health Sciences toward Pomona Health Career Ladder,” Sarreshteh said. “Walmart and Walmart Foundation will help influence a new generation of doctors, pharmacists, optometrists and other health care professionals that are going to one day impact their friends and their neighbors here in the Pomona community.”

While speaking to more than 200 students and their families, Sarreshteh said Walmart has a mission to create opportunities for people to live better, and that the grant and Pomona Health Career Ladder are a big part of that.

On hand for the check presentation were Pomona Unified School District’s Administrative Director of Pupil and Community Resources Fernando Meza, WesternU President Daniel R. Wilson, MD, PhD, WesternU Associate Vice Provost Elizabeth Rega, PhD, PHCL graduate Crystal Sin, PHCL graduate Genesis Hampton, and WesternU College of Pharmacy Director of Diversity Initiatives Mario Jimenez, PharmD.

Bill Burrows, director of development for the College of Pharmacy, and Helen Musharbash, manager of community engagement, took the lead in obtaining the Walmart Foundation funding, which will help fill in the gaps of WesternU’s Pipeline program.

“The Walmart Foundation is contributing to a larger community than just the Pomona Health Career Ladder,” Musharbash said. “With this funding, we will be able to go beyond the monthly academies and expand our efforts into the college level on a more frequent basis. Our program will be able to establish mentorship opportunities and STEM-focused curriculum for our current PHCL students as they go through college, where many of them will be first-generation college students in their families.”

Musharbash said the hope is that PHCL will guide these students through college and become health care professional leaders in their communities.

COMP Assistant Professor Brian Loveless, DO ’02, with some
of his teaching tools in the NMM/ OMM lab. (Jeff Malet, WesternU)

As president of Osteopathic Physicians & Surgeons of California (OPSC), Brian Loveless, DO ’02, says the organization will face two major challenges in the coming year: finding continued growth for osteopathic physicians in the single Graduate Medical Education (GME) accreditation system, and determining how looming changes to the Affordable Care Act will affect California.

Loveless, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP) assistant professor of Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine/Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (NMM/ OMM), has been president-elect of OPSC for the past year, and will be installed as president on Feb. 18, 2017, during the group’s 56^th annual convention President’s Banquet in San Diego.

Task No. 1 for OPSC will be “to make sure that osteopathic physicians retain their distinctiveness while integrating into this new (GME) system,” Loveless said. “Two, what is the Affordable Care Act going to look like over the course of this year? I think we are going to see some fairly rapid changes, because the Republican majority needs to do those changes quickly. How is that going to affect our state?”

Loveless, a COMP alumnus from the Class of 2002, became an active member in OPSC during his second year in residency at Chino Valley Medical Center, through encouragement from mentor and fellow COMP alumnus James Lally, DO ’93.

Loveless eventually joined OPSC’s education committee, was named the association’s OPSC Rookie of the Year in 2009, became chair of the education committee, and became a board member of OPSC before becoming president-elect.

In the past 10 years, Loveless has provided osteopathic manipulative therapy education to more than 2,000 students. After graduating from COMP, he served as a preceptor in private practice and returned to campus to teach NMM/OMM, then was hired at WesternU in 2011.

Students attending Christian Veterinary
Mission in June 2017.

First- and second-year College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) students in the Christian Veterinary Mission club will head to Nicaragua for a summer mission providing animal health care to communities in need.

At least 12 CVM students and CVM Assistant Professor David Forster, along with three veterinarians from Southern California, will be going to Catarina, Nicaragua and surrounding rural areas June 2-10, 2017.

Students will work with cats and dogs, doing physical exams, administering flea and tick preventatives, and performing spay and neuter surgeries. They also will travel to rural areas to provide deworming, vitamin supplementation and vaccinations for cattle, horses and pigs.

“While caring for these animals, our host family will have the opportunity to connect with those who have brought their animals and get to know them and pray with them,” said CVM second-year student Amanda Liggett, student leader for the mission. “This is how we will use our veterinary profession to share the love of Christ.” 

The club is a student chapter of a larger organization, Christian Veterinary Mission, which strives to share the love of Christ through veterinary medicine. The club meets from noon to 1 p.m. Mondays in the HPC North Conference Room for Bible study.

Students are raising money for this mission. To donate, click http://cvmusa.org/give1/short-term/, click “group,” and scroll down in the designation box with a drop-down menu to “Western University Students.”

For more information, contact the club at SCCVMclub@westernu.edu.

The Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences (MSPS) program in the College of Pharmacy has been recognized as a top national program and “hidden gem” at the MS level, according to an external peer review. Scroll through and read the MSPS story below. More stories can be found in the most recent publication of the College of Pharmacy’s RXBound magazine.

Click here to view the whole magazine.

East West Scholarship Dinner

The East West Scholarship Dinner raises money to provide scholarships each year to WesternU students in graduate nursing, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, physician assistant, optometry, podiatric medicine, dental medicine and veterinary medicine. Applicants from all ethnic backgrounds are selected based on academic excellence, community service and financial need.

The dinner will take place at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, April 8, 2017 at Hilton San Gabriel, 225 West Valley Blvd. San Gabriel, Calif. 91776.

Click here to visit the East West Scholarship Dinner web page.

Click here to read more on Facebook.

From the College of Podiatric Medicine:

Dean’s Distinguished Lecture
Higher education and the health sciences share several key traits – including societal good, truth, and honesty – that make them comfortable bedfellows in American culture, The Ohio State University’s president told a WesternU audience Thursday, March 30, 2017.

Michael V. Drake, MD, who assumed Ohio State’s presidency in 2014 after nine years as chancellor at the University of California, Irvine, was the featured speaker at the second annual College of Podiatric Medicine’s Dean’s Distinguished Lecture. Drake, whose medical specialty is ophthalmology, had “Higher Education, Health Care, and the Future of America” as his theme. Click here to read the full story and view a slideshow.

From the Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences:

Kudos on accomplishments
Eight Master of Science in Medical Sciences students, accompanied by GCBS faculty member Christina Goode, PhD, attended the LMSA Western Regional Conference at UCSF March 24-25. Two graduating LMSA Western Regional DO students from COMP were recognized (Ruben Mora-Roman Jr. and Thomas Parisi) and a third, Miguel Amezuca, was elected to a position on the regional board. Funding for the MSMS students to attend was provided by a grant from the LMSA national organization.

The MSMS students are Edward Ng, Evelyn Herrera, Robert Camarillo, Michael Jaso, Nici Odeluga, Myra Gutierrez, Brent Pino and Alex Hurtado.

Drs. Christina Goode (Professor and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, GCBS) and Colleen Talbot, Professor, COMP and GCBS, had a paper published in The Journal of Best Practices in Health Professions Diversity (Volume 9(2) Fall 2016) titled “A Special Master’s Program as a Pipeline to Increase Diversity at an Osteopathic Medical College.” The paper describes the success of the MSMS program housed in the GCBS.

Spring Symposium
The Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences is sponsoring a Spring Symposium, “Translational Research: Success Stories,” from 8:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 8, 2017 in the Health Professions Center, Amphitheater II. Click here to view a flier.

From the College of Pharmacy:

Kudos on accomplishments
MSPS student Shane Anderson in Dr. Brad Andresen’s laboratory has received a travel award to attend the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) Annual Meeting in Chicago next month.

MSPS student Jaaziel Castro won a travel scholarship to attend the 12th Keele Meeting on Aluminum March 4-8, 2017, where he gave a platform presentation titled “Cell-specific response to particulate matter: Potential role of metals such as aluminum, copper, and iron.” Castro presented his own research results based on his first semester experiments in Dr. Campbell’s laboratory.

Ray Symposium
The College of Pharmacy will hold the 2017 Ray Symposium at 4 p.m. Thursday, April 20, 2017 in HEC Lecture Hall I. Keynote speaker Dana Goldman, PhD, Leonard D. Schaeffer Chair and Distinguished Professor of Pharmacy, Public Policy and Economics at the University of Southern California, will talk about “Re-Thinking Value in an Era of Health Reform.” Click here for more information and to register.

From the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific:

WesternU COMP Professor helps organize international tuberculosis meningitis workshop
Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the world’s deadliest diseases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One third of the world’s population is infected with TB. In 2015, 10.4 million people around the world became sick with TB disease, and 1.8 million TB-related deaths were recorded worldwide.

Collaboration and research is vital in addressing this issue, and Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific Associate Professor Vishwanath Venketaraman, PhD, is on the forefront of these efforts. He is helping to organize the Tuberculosis Meningitis: Advancing Immunopathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Treatment workshop May 22-23, 2017 in Rockville, Maryland by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Click here to read the full story.

Medical Anatomy Center news
Dr. Benninger is introducing a new procedure in the COMP-Northwest anatomy lab using fiber optics in a ductoscope he helped develop, which was patented in 2010. The fiber optics provides visualization (not paralleled from any other scopes) of the breast ducts where the majority of breast cancer is identified. Currently, once the pathology is identified with the fiber optic ductoscope, a separate instrument is introduced into another site of the breast to biopsy the pathology under fiber optic ductoscope visualization. Dr. Benninger and his colleague Dr. Mukherjee have developed a biopsy instrument that can be placed down the fiber optic ductoscope preventing a separate invasive procedure for a biopsy instrument and skin scarring while providing greater certainty of biopsy collection. He plans on hosting a CME course with world experts introducing the technology at COMP-Northwest.

From the College of Allied Health Professions:

20^th anniversary celebration
The College of Allied Health Professions will hold its 20^th anniversary celebration from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 19 in the Health Sciences Center Foyer.

From the College of Veterinary Medicine:

Kudos on accomplishments
Click here to read the latest news from the College of Veterinary Medicine.

From LEAD:

Kudos on accomplishments
On March 23, 2017, Dr. Hector Arroyo presented a session titled “Creating an Interprofessional Summer Prep Program” at the National Academic Advising Association Region 9 Conference in Reno, Nevada. The session explained the importance of having an interprofessional program and described best practices for creating an interprofessional summer prep program. The session ended with an audience discussion and question and answer. The presentation stemmed from LEAD’s annual Summer Preparedness and Readiness Course (SPaRC) for incoming WesternU students. 

From University Advancement:

Alumni news
Brooke Alexander, DO ’96, and Diem Pham, DO ’97, both returned to campus last week to speak with WesternU students. On March 27, Dr. Pham spoke to students interested in a career in dermatology during a lunchtime lecture; and on March 29, Dr. Alexander participated in a COMP Alumni Roundtable live web broadcast about her career, including what led her to WesternU and her experiences at and since WesternU. Alumni Director Russel Heskin attended both talks to present each alumna with a thank you gift on behalf of the Alumni Association.

Dave Sevesind, assistant director of Environmental Health and Safety at WesternU and a Pomona Police and SWAT officer for more than 34 years, will be participating in a memorial bike ride for fallen police officers. He is joining a group of officers from California and Texas to bring awareness to violence against law enforcement officers.

Sevesind and others will ride bicycles more than 1,750 miles, with a goal of 250 to 300 miles each day. The journey will begin in Dallas on May 6, 2017, when they will lay five wreaths for officers killed during a sniper attack on July 7, 2016. The team will arrive in Baton Rouge on May 7, 2017, where they will lay wreaths for three officers who died in a shooting on July 17, 2016. The mission will culminate at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial on May 12, 2017 in Washington DC.  

Sevesind is trying to raise $1,000 in sponsorships for the ride. He and Pomona Police officers are working in partnership with the Los Angeles Police Protective League and The Eagle & Badge foundation to make donations tax-deductible.

To donate, go to https://paypal.me/dsevesindmemorialrid. Checks also will be accepted, payable to the Eagle & Badge Foundation. In the note section, write “Dallas-Baton Rouge Ride.”

For more information on the ride or the organization, click here: http://www.dallas-batonrougememorialride.com

From the College of Pharmacy:

Ray Symposium
The College of Pharmacy will hold the 2017 Ray Symposium at 4 p.m. Thursday, April 20, 2017 in HEC Lecture Hall I. Keynote speaker Dana Goldman, PhD, Leonard D. Schaeffer Chair and Distinguished Professor of Pharmacy, Public Policy and Economics at the University of Southern California, will talk about “Re-Thinking Value in an Era of Health Reform.” Click here for more information and to register.

Kudos on Accomplishments
On Thursday, April 6, the College of Pharmacy celebrated its 2017 Honors Day Ceremony.  Dean Daniel Robinson, PharmD, awarded more than $274,000 in scholarship funding from more than 22 separate donor supporters, including nine pharmacy corporations, six individual annual and endowment donors, four pharmacy professional associations, as well as several University College of Pharmacy recruitment awards.

From the College of Dental Medicine:

CDM News
Click here to read the latest news from the College of Dental Medicine. Highlights include CDMs involvement in the many facets of the 2017 ADEA Annual Session and Exhibition March 18 – 21 and Dean Steven Friedrichsenbeing honored by the Chair of the ADEA Board of Directors, Cecile A. Feldman, DMD, for his “Exceptional Service to Dental Education.”

From the College of Allied Health Professions:

20^th anniversary celebration
The College of Allied Health Professions will hold its 20^th anniversary celebration from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 19 in the Health Sciences Center Foyer.

From the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific:

Kudos on Accomplishments
Fourth-year COMP students Rasha Ahmed and Janet Lee, in collaboration with Dr. Edward Barnes of COMP and Dr. Fanglong Dong of GCBS, won the medical student poster competition in clinical research at the 2017 America College of Physicians (ACP) Internal Medicine Meeting. The poster titled “Analyzing the effects of a longitudinal medical student curriculum in diabetic patients,” focused on the lipid profile of type II diabetes patients at baseline, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and one year.  

Dr. Paul Evans has been appointed to the role of Vice Dean for COMP-Northwest. Dr. Evans accepted the position of Director of Physician Leadership Development and Director for the Bryan Institute of Leadership and Education where he was charged with creating and maintaining leadership programs for our faculty members. Prior to his role at COMP-Northwest, Dr. Evans has served in countless leadership positions within the osteopathic medical education community for several decades, most recently serving as Founding Dean of Marian University, College of Osteopathic Medicine. COMP-Northwest looks forward to Dr. Evans bringing his vast experience and wealth of knowledge to this new leadership role.  

Dr. John T. Pham has been appointed Assistant Dean for the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific.   In addition to his new appointment, Dr. Pham will continue his current responsibilities as Associate Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Family Medicine. Since joining COMP-Northwest as an inaugural faculty member in 2011, Dr. Pham has continued to assume leadership positions including Chair of the Admissions Committee and oversight of the COMP-Northwest Office of Medical Simulation.  Dr. Pham is actively involved with the NBOME as a SOAP note rater, and will be training as an accreditation evaluator for the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation in the near future.  

From the Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences:

Kudos on accomplishments
Dr. Fanglong Dong, in collaboration with Dr. Neeki (Arrowhead Regional Medical Center), has 7 posters accepted for the Riverside University Health System Research Symposium (May 10^th 2017). Their clinical research focuses on ED-related topics, ranging from electronic cigarette burns to perilunate dislocation.

From the College of Veterinary Medicine:

Kudos on accomplishments
CVM Associate Professor Dr. Suzana Tkalcic, a native of the Republic of Croatia, recently received the Croatian Women of Influence award from the Croatian Women’s Network. She was selected this year among 75 candidates from the USA and honored among this year’s award recipients for her contributions in the Science and Technology category. Cited achievements of Dr. Tkalcic are her scientific work in marine mammal pathology and ocean health, efforts in comparative pathology and One Health, and her diligent contributions to the advancement of science and collaboration between her alma mater in Croatia and WesternU. The annual Croatian Women of Influence Award recognizes leadership, achievements, innovation and community impact of women of Croatian heritage and include nominees from the Republic of Croatia and from the global Croatian diaspora. While in Croatia to accept the award, Dr. Tkalcic gave a lecture on to the Croatian Academy of Medical Sciences in Zagreb, Croatia. The title of her lecture was “ONE HEALTH in theory and practice: interdisciplinary, interprofessional and global approach to the world’s health.” She presented the history, mission and goals of the One Health Initiative, its global significance, her personal experiences and the ways WesternU follows the initiative in education and practice. Her talk inspired members of the CAMS to organize a regional One Health Symposium in the next year. 

From the College of Graduate Nursing:

Kudos on accomplishments
Dawn Stone, Associate Professor and Director of the MSN Program and the Ambulatory Care Nursing specialty track, had a paper published in the March/April issue of AAACN Viewpoint, the official publication of the American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing titled “HPV Vaccination: An Opportunity for Ambulatory Care Nurses to Promote Health and Wellness.” The article was inspired by Dawn Stone’s NP practice on the Gardasil-9 randomized controlled trial.

From the Office of Environmental Health and Safety:

Help Dave raise funds for the Dallas – Baton Rouge Memorial Ride.
Dave Sevesind, assistant director of Environmental Health and Safety at WesternU and a Pomona Police and SWAT officer for more than 34 years, will be participating in a memorial bike ride for fallen police officers. He is joining a group of officers from California and Texas to bring awareness to violence against law enforcement officers.

Sevesind is trying to raise $1,000 in sponsorships for the ride. He and Pomona Police officers are working in partnership with the Los Angeles Police Protective League and The Eagle & Badge foundation to make donations tax-deductible.

Click here to read more and learn how you can help Dave raise funds for the Dallas – Baton Rouge Memorial Ride.

Click photo to play slideshow

Boy Scouts recently earned Disabilities Awareness badges thanks to a service-learning project planned by College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP) students.

COMP students teamed up with WesternU Harris Family Center for Disability and Health Policy Director Brenda Premo and Dayle McIntosh Center Executive Director Paula Margeson to provide real stories, experiences, and insight into having a disability.

Dayle McIntosh Center is an independent living center in Orange County. Margeson, who is blind, spoke about living with a disability and about certain devices used by a blind person. Premo, who was born with albinism, spoke too.

During Margeson’s presentation, she called upon Ezra Rodriguez, 16, a Boy Scout for about four years with Unit (Troop) 724 of West Covina, to help show the proper way to help guide a blind person.

Rodriguez said it’s great that WesternU students have connected with his troop to help earn merit badges.

“For us Scouts, it’s important to learn about difficulties that we may or may not have in life and learning about other people who live with difficulties and burdens but may not see it as that,” Rodriguez said, who has an interest in becoming a surgeon. “Plus, this is a great experience for both WesternU students and our troop, by bonding, learning and providing a relationship that is like family.”

COMP student David Pilkington, DO ’20, has been a student leader for the Scouts Service Learning project this academic year. He was a Boy Scout and completed his Eagle Scout rank.

He said the goal of the program is to expand the scope of the merit badge courses for First Aid and Medicine to cover the prerequisites for Boy Scouts and Girl Scout Cadets for larger Saturday events on campus, and hopefully have a “Women in Health Care” panel for Girl Scouts to learn how to succeed in the health sector.

“Scouting focuses on building leadership and accountability to one’s community and nation,” Pilkington said. “I grew as a man and citizen through the program, and want to provide the same experience to current and future Scouts. Working with Boy Scouts and Venture Scouts – young men and women who graduated from Scouting and want to continue as leaders – for the past year, I have seen their enthusiasm, desire to learn, and empathy.”

The Scouts Service Learning project started in 2015. COMP Director of Outreach & Strategic Partnership Thomas A. Fox was inspired to start the program after rallying COMP students to volunteer at a table during the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) Open House, where Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts from Southern California can earn a Veterinary Medicine merit badge.

COMP students Nic Tan and Elaine Yu, both DO ’18, were instrumental in helping Fox get the service-learning project off the ground. In the second year, COMP student Aaron Lee, DO ’19, who completed his Eagle Scout rank, became student leader of the program and built upon a foundation, helping with the Medicine badge and creating a standardized patient encounter experience for the Scouts.

Currently, the Scout Service Learning project provides a chance for Scouts to earn merit badges in medicine, first aid and disabilities awareness but Fox sees opportunities for it to expand across the University.

“I would love to see this become a university-wide initiative where we can help Scouts earn as many badges as possible, and build upon the relationship with Western University of Health Sciences,” Fox said. “I thought it would be a fun way to work with the community and inspire future physicians and health care providers.”

Tan, who grew up in Long Beach, California, has been in Scouts since he was 5. He completed his Eagle Scout project in 2007, which was a public health awareness project for the Long Beach Public Health Department.

“When Tom approached me to assist him, I was very excited to see how this project would come to fruition,” Tan said. “One of the most inspiring things about being a Boy Scout was being exposed to all the amazing career fields that existed in the world. As a Scout, I distinctly remember the awe and wonder I felt while doing a series of merit badges at ‘Sea Base Boy Scout Camp’ in Long Beach. The exposure we got in oceanography, marine life, and various other water related activities inspired me to pursue a career as a marine biologist at the time. It was an exhilarating feeling to have a sense of purpose and a concrete goal to work towards as a young man, and I feel that the WesternU scouting program will fill that role for many young adults in a similar way.”

The seventh edition of Western University of Health Sciences’ annual Towne & Gown Golf Classic raised approximately $26,000, increasing the endowment total for student scholarships to about $160,000.

The money raised will add a seventh scholarship to be awarded next year to deserving students. Six scholarships were awarded from the endowment this year.

Click to view a slideshow of WesternU’s Towne & Gown Golf Classic.

Tournament sponsor T.F. Chen, DDS, underwrote all green fees, carts, lunch and dinner for dozens of enthusiastic golfers who participated in the scramble-format tournament on June 12, 2017 at Glendora Country Club.

Bryan Montoya won the helicopter golf ball drop prize. More than 150 numbered golf balls were dropped from a hovering helicopter, and Montoya’s ball landed in the hole.

Joining Dr. Chen as Towne & Gown sponsors:

• Tournament Golf Shirt Sponsor: Mutual of America
• Platinum Sponsor: McKesson
• Platinum Sponsor: Hong-Shue Chen, MD
• Platinum Sponsor: Samaritan Health Services
• Gold Sponsor: Inter Valley Health Plan
• Silver sponsors: ABC Pharmacy, Advanced Office and Bank of the West
• Longest Drive sponsor: Williams Sign Co.
• Straightest Drive: Williams Sign Co.
• Closest to the Pin: Inland Pulmonary Group
• Hole in One sponsor: Symes Cadillac of Pasadena
• Beverage sponsor: DoubleTree, Claremont
• Beer sponsor: MillerCoors, Irwindale

Following the dinner reception, the three teams with the lowest gross scores were awarded trophies:

First Place: Jason Lim, Felix Tsui, Vincent Hsieh and Harrison Wu

Second Place: Kenneth Hernandez, Ralph Morales, Fernando Escobedo and Fernando Guzman

Third Place: Dr. Thomas G. Fox, Dr. Robert Hasel, Hong-Shue Chen and Simon Chang

Three teams were awarded trophies for having the highest gross score, or reverse Stableford:

Third Place: Tim McPheron, Jeff Keating, Thomas A. Fox and Bill Burrows

Second Place: Al Desrosiers, Dana Lampi, Tom McDonald and Mark DeWoskin

First Place: Dr. Phil Nelson, Doris Nelson, Dr. Steven Friedrichsen and Matthew Tapping

WesternU Vice President for University Advancement Diane Abraham, PhD, CFRE, took home a trophy for longest drive – she drove the beverage cart around the course. Along with WesternU Provost and COO Gary Gugelchuk, PhD, the pair carried on the tradition established by WesternU President Emeritus Philip Pumerantz, PhD, and former Board of Trustees member John T. McGwire, DDS.

Drs. Coote and Kersey in China.

In an effort to conserve the giant panda population, a College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) professor and alumna recently provided training and set up research projects in China that they hope will help save other endangered species.

CVM Associate Professor of Physiology David Kersey, PhD, was asked to return to China by the Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP) Dujiangyan Base (DJY) and the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breading (Chengdu Base). He has been providing training in China on giant panda hormone monitoring and breeding for more than a decade.

“I have always envisioned my role as helping out the breeding programs so that there would be a pool for reintroduction,” Kersey said. “The big picture is (that) captive breeding of endangered or threatened species is only part of the equation. The other is ensuring that there is habitat for animals that go back from where they have been extricated.”

For the visit, Kersey invited 2015 CVM graduate Jessica Coote, DVM, who had worked in his lab as a summer intern in 2013 conducting a study to validate endocrine monitoring methods for use in the snow leopard.

“I knew Jessica would be a great fit to assist me in China, because when I had her as an intern she did a wonderful job and worked diligently,” Kersey said.

Over an 11-day span — May 22 to June 2, 2017 — Kersey and Coote provided follow-up training on endocrine monitoring techniques and set up a study to measure hormones in the feces of giant pandas in the wild at CCRCGP.

Studying hormones in the wild means dealing with feces. Kersey, who’s collected fresh feces from captive giant pandas for past research studies, faced a challenge: developing a method to collect samples from the wild while factoring in how environmental factors like humidity, rain and temperature would affect hormone changes.

He and Foote also provided training on hormone monitoring techniques, set up a study to assess the hormone changes associated with parenthood and breeding, and discussed future projects at Chengdu Base.

Pandas International (PI) helped fund the trip to support giant panda protection in China.

Coote provided follow-up training, assisted in setting up new research projects, and conducted wet labs to demonstrate the practical application of the theoretical framework contained in Kersey’s lectures.

Coote – who used personal vacation time from her job as a Supervisory Port Veterinary Medical Officer for the USDA at the Los Angeles Animal Import Center — said the trip was personally and professionally rewarding.

“The ability to see knowledge and skills applied into Dr. Kersey’s research firsthand was career-altering,” she said. “I witnessed the amazing outcomes that can happen from dedication involved in the development and performance of research. Dr. Kersey is pivotal in the development of current giant panda breeding techniques.

“I enjoyed collaborating with professionals in a foreign country, and I am grateful to WesternU CVM for strengthening my understanding of research and cultural competence.”

Western University of Health Sciences will host a special symposium and exhibition about future trends in health and education to launch the University’s new Center for Innovation on Wednesday, September 6, 2017.

The symposium will be from noon to 1 p.m. in WesternU Health Education Center Lecture Hall 1, followed by a technology exhibition from 1 to 3 p.m. showcasing virtual reality education technology, high speed 3-D printing and scanning exhibits, augmented reality stations, the Microsoft Mixed-Reality platform – Hololens, and a gamification booth showing how game-based learning transforms passive learning into dynamic and engaging experiences.

The symposium will feature:

–“Vision” by WesternU President Daniel R. Wilson, MD, PhD.

–“The Center and its Essence” by Nicholas Webb, Center for Innovation Director.

–“Engagement and Outcomes” by Miary Andriamiarisoa, Director of Education Technologies and Innovation at WesternU.

–“Faculty and Innovation” by Steven Friedrichsen, DDS, Dean, College of Dental Medicine.

–“College and Innovation” by Paula Crone, DO ’92, Dean, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific.

–“The Center’s Journey” by Webb.

“Center Director Nicholas Webb is a person of remarkable conceptual and verbal fluency as well as an inventor, technology entrepreneur, health care futurist, international consultant and best-selling author,” Wilson said. “In launching the Center, he and WesternU academic and technology leaders will discuss how our University will drive to further innovation and success.”

The center will focus on future trends in health and education, exploring changes driven by economic, societal, political, technological and consumer forces and providing a wide range of resources to students, faculty and staff to drive innovation in Student Experience Design, Disruptive and Enterprise Innovation, and all manner of innovation within and beyond the University.

“The Center for Innovation is committed to driving collaboration and innovation across the University and throughout the entire health care ecosystem,” Webb said. “We are excited to launch the Center for Innovation to expand on WesternU’s rich legacy as an innovative University.”

Webb will also be keynote speaker during the ninth annual Philip Pumerantz Distinguished Lectureship at 7 p.m. Thursday, September 7. This lecture will expand on innovation and technology discussions yielded by the Center for Innovation launch and exhibition. 

WesternU launching Center for Innovation

Western University of Health Sciences will host a special symposium and exhibition about future trends in health and education to launch the University’s new Center for Innovation on Wednesday, September 6, 2017.

The symposium will be from noon to 1 p.m. in WesternU Health Education Center Lecture Hall 1, followed by a technology exhibition from 1 to 3 p.m. showcasing virtual reality education technology, high speed 3-D printing and scanning exhibits, augmented reality stations, the Microsoft Mixed-Reality platform – Hololens, and a gamification booth showing how game-based learning transforms passive learning into dynamic and engaging experiences.

Click here to read the full story.

From the College of Pharmacy

Kudos on accomplishments
Drs. Ying Huang and Bradley Andresen, MSPS Student Sherry Liang, MSPS Alumna Kristan Cleveland and their collaborators on their most recent publication: Huang KM, Liang S, Yeung S, Oiyemhonlan E, Cleveland KH, Parsa C, Orlando R, Meyskens FL, Andresen B, Huang Y. Topically Applied Carvedilol Attenuates Solar Ultraviolet Radiation Induced Skin Carcinogenesis. Cancer Prevention Research. 2017. Click here to read the abstract.

Drs. Jeffrey Wang and Sunil Prabhu, MSPS Alum Md Arif Wahid and their collaborators on their most recent publication: Ding B, Wahid MA, Wang Z, Xie C, Thakkar A, Prabhu S, Wang J. Triptolide and celastrol loaded silk fibroin nanoparticles show synergistic effect against human pancreatic cancer cells. Nanoscale. 2017;9(32):11739-53. doi: 10.1039/C7NR03016A. Click here to read the article.

From the Pumerantz Library:

Surviving & Thriving: AIDS, Politics and Culture
The Harriet K. & Philip Pumerantz Library is hosting the National Medical Library traveling exhibit “Surviving & Thriving: AIDS, Politics, and Culture” from Aug. 28, 2017 to Oct. 7, 2017. This exhibit explores the response to the AIDS epidemic since its 1981 appearance in the United States. The Opening Reception will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017. The speakers will be Dr. Vishwanath Venketaraman, COMP; Dr. James Scott, College of Pharmacy; and the Reverend Tom Hostetler, Chaplain Hillcrest. For further information call Mary Helen Ellis at Ext. 5321.

The NAMES project AIDS Memorial Quilt was conceived as a celebration of the lives of people lost to AIDS. The Harriet K. & Philip Pumerantz Library and Lorraine Halverson of the College of Allied Health Professions are providing the opportunity for you to create a block for a loved one to be displayed in the library and then added to the Quilt project after the National Library of Medicine exhibit leaves our library.

If you wish to create a block contact Lorraine Halverson for supplies and guidance. lahalverson@westernu.edu or 909-469-5390.

WesternU launching Center for Innovation

Western University of Health Sciences will host a special symposium and exhibition about future trends in health and education to launch the University’s new Center for Innovation on Wednesday, September 6, 2017.

The symposium will be from noon to 1 p.m. in WesternU Health Education Center Lecture Hall 1, followed by a technology exhibition from 1 to 3 p.m. showcasing virtual reality education technology, high-speed 3-D printing and scanning exhibits, augmented reality stations, the Microsoft Mixed-Reality platform – Hololens, and a gamification booth showing how game-based learning transforms passive learning into dynamic and engaging experiences.

Click here to read the full story. Click here to view the Facebook invitation.

Dr. Philip Pumerantz Distinguished Lectureship

You’re invited to the 9^th annual Pumerantz Lecture at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017 in Health Education Center Lecture Hall 1, 701 E. Second St, Pomona, Calif. 91766.

The guest speaker is health care futurist, entrepreneur and inventor Nicholas Webb, LHD.

This lectureship, in honor of WesternU’s founder and president emeritus, is made possible by a generous donation from Dr. Elaine Sarkaria and the late Dr. Daljit Sarkaria of Orange, California. 

The lecture is free and open to all, and will be live streamed to the COMP-Northwest campus. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to attend.

Click here for more information.

From the College of Veterinary Medicine

Kudos on Accomplishments
Associate Professor Dr. Mohammad Mir received the Provost’s Distinguished Scholar Award for the academic year 2016-17 during the Convocation Ceremony of Western University of Health Sciences at Fairplex in Pomona. The Provost’s Distinguished Scholar Award recognizes exceptional scholarly and research accomplishments and achievements, contribution to the research mission of the university, and a commitment to high standards of professional life by a faculty member. Nominations for this award are submitted by the faculty member’s, Dean or department/unit supervisor to the Academic Senate. After careful review of applications by the University’s Faculty Affairs Committee, the award recipient is announced and recognized during the annual Convocation Ceremony. 

The recently funded R15 application of Dr. Mohammad Mir was highly rated and selected as the best application submitted to the NIH system. The application used by NIH is their public domain as an educational model for other researchers.  The content of this application is made available to other researchers as a guide while preparing their applications for NIH system:

https://www.niaid.nih.gov/grants-contracts/sample-applications#r15

Dr. Mohammad Mir served in the Emerging Infectious Diseases study section of the Department of Defense (US Army Medical Research and Material Command). The study section was tasked to review applications focused on novel approaches for diagnosis and treatment of emerging infectious diseases of potential interest to the US Department of Defense.

Dr. Mohammad Mir published a manuscript titled “Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus (CCHFV) Nucleocapsid Protein Augments mRNA Translation.” The manuscript demonstrates a novel mechanism employed by the CCHFV to boost the translation viral mRNA in the host cell during the course of infection. This work has revealed a new target for the therapeutic intervention of this zoonotic viral disease, causing outbreaks with 30 percent mortality in more than 40 countries worldwide. The manuscript is available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28515298

Dr. Tracey MacNamara was recently mentioned in an article by Fox News Opinion (August 19, 2017) titled “Want to keep America safe? Train more veterinarians.” The article states that three-quarters of newly emerging human diseases can be traced back to animals, and highlights Dr. MacNamara’s fight to get someone to look at the crows dying from what was found to be West Nile Virus. Dr. MacNamara identified the first case of the virus in the Western Hemisphere.

Assistant Professors Jijun Hao and Gagandeep Kaur, along with Drs. David Clark, Lyon Lee, and Fanglong Dong were awarded funding from the Vet Cell Therapeutics to study stem cells in the treatment of canine atopic dermatitis.

Veterinary student doctor Won Kim, DVM 2019, was selected to give an oral scientific presentation on “Comparison of Microflora Populations in Conventional and Organic Broiler Populations” at the American Veterinary Medical Association Annual Meeting held recently in Indianapolis, Indiana. His mentor is Professor Teresa Y. Morishita; and his research collaborators include Associate Professor Brian Oakley, and two California poultry industry veterinarians, Drs. Corsiglia and Mountainspring. Won Kim’s research project was made possible through the financial support of the WesternU Office of Research and Biotechnology as Kim was a recipient the 2016 Summer Student Fellowship Grant. This is the first time a veterinary student from WesaternU CVM was selected to present an oral scientific presentation at the American Veterinary Medical Association Annual Meeting/American Association of Avian Pathologists Annual Meeting. CVM’s Office of Research provided travel support.

College of Dental Medicine

Kudos on accomplishment:
Congratulations to Assistant Professor Joel Laudenbach, DMD, who was recently published as follows:

Laudenbach JM.  A Decision-Support Tool for Antibiotic Prophylaxis Before Dental Procedures in Patients With Prosthetic Joints. Expert Viewpoints, Medscape Dentistry, WebMD LLC.
(Published online April 10, 2017 at http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/878211).

Laudenbach JM. Malignant potential of oral lichen planus/lichenoid lesions. Expert Viewpoints, Medscape Dentistry, WebMD LLC. (Published online May 31, 2017 at http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/880491).

From the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific:

Kudos on accomplishment:
Brion Benninger, MD, MSc, Professor of Medical Innovation, Technology & Research and Clinical Anatomy, has been developing a new ultrasound finger probe, which will save time and provide an efficient screening technique with patients involved with trauma. He hopes to transfer this to simulation technologies for all to benefit.

COMP Seminar Series
COMP will be holding its monthly seminar from noon to 1:00 p.m. Friday, September 15, 2017 in Compatriot’s Hall, HSC, Pomona, with live streaming to Eastmoreland in Lebanon.  Michael Petrascheck, PhD, Associate Professor, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, will be presenting “Targeting Aging to Target Age-Related Disease.” The COMP Seminar Series, which is open to everyone on campus, runs once a month from September to May. Lunch will be provided with RSVP by noon Wednesday, September 13, to kking@westernu.edu.  Click here to view the flier.

From the Pumerantz Library:

Surviving & Thriving: AIDS, Politics and Culture
The Harriet K. & Philip Pumerantz Library is hosting the National Medical Library traveling exhibit “Surviving & Thriving: AIDS, Politics, and Culture” from Aug. 28, 2017 to Oct. 7, 2017. This exhibit explores the response to the AIDS epidemic since its 1981 appearance in the United States. The Opening Reception will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017. The speakers will be Dr. Vishwanath Venketaraman, COMP; Dr. James Scott, College of Pharmacy; and the Reverend Tom Hostetler, Chaplain Hillcrest. For further information call Mary Helen Ellis at Ext. 5321.

The NAMES project AIDS Memorial Quilt was conceived as a celebration of the lives of people lost to AIDS. The Harriet K. & Philip Pumerantz Library and Lorraine Halverson of the College of Allied Health Professions are providing the opportunity for you to create a block for a loved one to be displayed in the library and then added to the Quilt project after the National Library of Medicine exhibit leaves our library.

If you wish to create a block contact Lorraine Halverson for supplies and guidance. lahalverson@westernu.edu or 909-469-5390.

WesternU launches Center for Innovation with symposium and expo

WesternU launched the Center for Innovation Wednesday, September 6 with a symposium and technology expo.

The symposium featured:

  – “Vision” by WesternU President Daniel R. Wilson, MD, PhD.

  – “The Center and its Essence” by Nicholas Webb, Center for Innovation Director.

  – “Engagement and Outcomes” by Miary Andriamiarisoa, Director of Education Technologies and Innovation at WesternU.

  – “Health and Education” by Di Lacey, Assistant Vice President, Oregon Campus Operations

  – “Faculty and Innovation” by Steven Friedrichsen, DDS, Dean, College of Dental Medicine.

  – “College and Innovation” by Paula Crone, DO ’92, Dean, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific.

  – “Students and Innovators” by Edward Barnes, MD, Associate Professor and Assistant Dean of LC3

  – “The Center’s Journey” by Webb.

The technology exhibition showcased virtual reality education technology, high-speed 3-D printing and scanning exhibits, augmented reality stations, the Microsoft Mixed-Reality platform – Hololens, and a gamification booth showing how game-based learning transforms passive learning into dynamic and engaging experiences.

Check out WesternU’s Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for live posts from the event.

Click here to view a Facebook gallery.

Dr. Philip Pumerantz Distinguished Lectureship

The 9^th annual Pumerantz Lecture was held Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Guest speaker Nicholas Webb, LHD, is a health care futurist, entrepreneur and inventor.

This lectureship, in honor of WesternU’s founder and president emeritus, is made possible by a generous donation from Dr. Elaine Sarkaria and the late Dr. Daljit Sarkaria of Orange, California. 

Click here to view a gallery.

Sept. 11 Memorial

WesternU students, faculty and staff, as well as Pomona community members, are invited to honor the memory of those who perished in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks at a ceremony held on Monday, September 11, 2017, from noon-1 p.m. in Ethan Allen Park on WesternU’s Pomona campus. The 16th annual memorial event, hosted by the Military Medical Student Association, will feature remarks from WesternU President Daniel R. Wilson, MD, PhD, Pomona Mayor Tim Sandoval, Pomona Police Chief Paul Capraro, and LA County Fire representatives from Station 183.

From the College of Veterinary Medicine

Kudos on Accomplishments
Associate Professor Dr. David Kersey presented a poster titled “Factors Affecting Whole-Body Metabolism in the Male Giant Panda” at the 6^th International Society of Wildlife Endocrinology in Orlando, Florida. This project is the culmination of five years of research on how metabolism is affected by age, environment and reproductive season in the male giant panda. Two CVM alums, Drs. Ainjil Bills, DVM ’15, and Allison Rowland, DVM ’14, were coauthors on the poster.

Dr. David Kersey also was interviewed by Sky News, a London-based agency, about the impending birth of a giant panda cub at the Edinburgh Zoo.

From the College of Dental Medicine

Kudos on Accomplishments
Setareh Lavasani, DDS, MS, a Board Certified Oral Radiologist and Assistant Professor, presented on “Applications of CBCT in implant planning and Surgical guides” to UCLA Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) program residents on August 25, 2017 in Venice, California.
Click here to view a photo of an X-ray related to the presentation.

From the Pumerantz Library:

Surviving & Thriving: AIDS, Politics and Culture
The Harriet K. & Philip Pumerantz Library is hosting the National Medical Library traveling exhibit “Surviving & Thriving: AIDS, Politics, and Culture” from Aug. 28, 2017 to Oct. 7, 2017. This exhibit explores the response to the AIDS epidemic since its 1981 appearance in the United States.

The NAMES project AIDS Memorial Quilt was conceived as a celebration of the lives of people lost to AIDS. The Harriet K. & Philip Pumerantz Library and Lorraine Halverson of the College of Allied Health Professions are providing the opportunity for you to create a block for a loved one to be displayed in the library and then added to the Quilt project after the National Library of Medicine exhibit leaves our library.

If you wish to create a block contact Lorraine Halverson for supplies and guidance. lahalverson@westernu.edu or 909-469-5390.