GUMC Stars Shine at Health Journalism 2008
April 22, 2008
GUMC faculty experts were the main attraction at the annual conference of the Association of Health Care Journalism on March 27-30 in Arlington, Va. GUMC and GUH were the sole event sponsors, which drew 584 journalists and writers from around the country to a variety of panels, roundtables, and discussions on current issues in science and health reporting.
In addition to nearly 20 Georgetown participants from the Medical Center and Hospital, attendees heard from actor Dennis Quaid, who described his newborn twins’ Heparin overdose and addressed medical errors; Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt, who announced HospitalCompare.com, a website with new patient satisfaction data on hospitals across the country; and Elizabeth Edwards, wife of former presidential candidate John Edwards, who spoke about health care reform and the 2008 presidential election.
Georgetown participants spoke to reporters topics ranging from genetic risk profiling, sociological issues surrounding breast cancer, traumatic brain injury in Iraq war veterans, and the flattening federal research budget.
As sponsors, Georgetown hosted 40 journalists in a visit to campus on March 27. At GUMC, Milton Brown led a session and informational tour through GUMC’s Drug Discovery Program, speaking about Georgetown’s unique program and the drug discovery process. Josef Rauschecker provided a tour of the functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) lab. After presenting his current research on neural plasticity in the blind, he conducted a live demonstration with one of his post-doctoral researchers to show how the machine aids in his studies.
GUMC Executive Vice President Howard Federoff, M.D., Ph.D., appeared with NIH and researcher panel members to discuss the impact of the flattening federal research budget. Other Georgetown faculty participants included:
• Max Riesenhuber (GUMC) presented his research that combines computer vision with brain activity analysis for enhanced surveillance capabilities
• Vanessa Sheppard (GUMC) discussed the sociological issues surrounding breast cancer in minority groups and the outreach initiatives she’s developed to reduce resulting health disparities.
• Richard Schlegel (GUMC) and John Marshall (GUMC) spoke at a panel on clinical research into vaccines for cancer moderated by USA Today reporter Steve Sternberg.
• Joy Drass (GUH) discussed the finances behind the health care system in a panel called, “Economics of Health 101.”
• Thomas Fishbein (GUH) spoke about his rare work performing small intestine transplants and his newly published genetic research about small bowel transplantation, which could lead to some patients receiving transplants safer and sooner.
• Adriane Fugh-Berman (GUMC) appeared at a panel to discuss the relationship between pharmaceutical companies and physicians.
• Alan Faden (GUMC) discussed the impact of brain injuries from military combat and research on possible treatments.
• Kevin FitzGerald (GUMC) spoke at a panel about the pros and cons of genetic risk profiling.
• Priscilla Furth (GUMC) appeared at a panel on life after cancer to discuss survivorship planning.
• Joyce Johnson (GUH) discussed the latest innovations in nursing to improve health care and remaining barriers to adopting successful health care practices.
• Lynt Johnson (GUH) discussed ethical and legal controversies surrounding organ transplantation.
• Aziza Shad (LCCC) spoke on "Long-term Follow up Care for Pediatric Cancer Survivors."
• Zofia Zukowska (GUMC) spoke at a session about obesity research called “Obesity Interventions: Science, Policy, Environment.”
“I enjoyed sharing our research and explaining how our Drug Discovery program works. I think it was a great opportunity for the journalists to learn more about what we do around here, and it was interesting to answer their questions and hear their perspectives,” said Milton Brown.
Check out healthjournalism.org for podcasts, video of panels, transcripts and other coverage of the vent and Georgetown's participants.
Submit your news at any time to the GUMC Office of Communications at gumccomm@georgetown.edu.
More Research News
Browse recent items in this category.
-
Georgetown University and Georgetown University Medical Center Researchers Presented More than 100 Scientific Abstracts at Neuroscience 2008
Researchers from Georgetown University and Georgetown University Medical Center’s departments of neuroscience, psychology, physiology and biophysics presented more than 100 research abstracts at the Society for Neuroscience’s 38th annual meeting
12/4/2008 -
Georgetown University Medical Center Hosts Inaugural Baldev R. Bhussry Lecture
Dr. Gerald M. Crabtree of the School of Medicine at Stanford University presented his lecture, “Understanding the Words of Chromatin Remodeling
12/3/2008 -
Georgetown’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center Launches ShopforCancerCures.org to Raise Money for Cancer Research
Lombardi Cancer Center and Mall Networks, the leading provider of merchant-funded loyalty shopping solutions, today announced the launch of a new online shopping mall to raise money for cancer research.
11/18/2008 -
Non-White Medical Students Reject Therapies Typically Associated with Their Culture While White Students Embrace CAM
Survey of medical students measures attitude of complementary and alternative medicine during four years of medical training.
11/18/2008 -
“New” Estrogen Receptor Found to be Key Player in Tamoxifen Resistance
Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center have discovered a novel way in which breast cancer cells become resistant to tamoxifen, the world’s largest-selling breast cancer prevention and treatment drug.
11/18/2008 -
Doo Wop Concert Raises Money for Lombardi Cancer Programs
Marvin McIntyre and Family host D.C.'s first Doo Wop concert to benefit programs at Lombardi
9/29/2008 -
Lombardi's Cancer Survivorship Program Receives Donation from Hyundai Hope on Wheels Tour
Dr. Aziza Shad and her pediatric patients at Lombardi received a generous helping hand last week at the Hyundai Hope on Wheels Handprint Ceremony when Don Reilly, co-owner of Alexandria Hyundai, presented LCCC with a donation of $40,000.
9/29/2008 -
Subha Madhavan Joins Faculty at Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center
Subha Madhavan joined the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center on September 15 as the first Director of Clinical Research Informatics and Research Assistant Professor of Oncology.
9/23/2008
More Education News
Browse recent items in this category.
-
Match Day Marks Emotional Rite of Passage for Medical Students
Georgetown medical students participated in the annual ritual that takes place around the country on the third Thursday in March—Match Day, the process that helps decide where they will spend their four years of residency.
4/1/2009 -
NHS Honors December Grads
NHS honored 95 students who completed their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing in the fall 2008 semester at a completion ceremony on Dec. 13.
12/19/2008 -
School of Medicine Program Featured in "Academic Physician and Scientist"
Check out the latest issue of Academic Physician and Scientist to read the article about the Mind-Body Skills Program at Georgetown University Medical Center's School of Medicine.
12/10/2008