The Official USU Newsletter

Volume 6, Issue 1 n January 10, 2011

www.usuhs.mil
Photo by Ken Frager

Courtesy Photo

On the cover

Navy Religious Programs Specialist 

2nd Class Ayanfemi Ayanwale helps 

to prepare the National Naval Medical 

Center Chapel for one of the day’s 

religious services. (See story page 3)

Sharon Willis

Deputy Vice President for External 

Affairs and Managing Editor

Ken Frager

Public Affairs Specialist

Staff Sgt. Matthew Rosine

Production Editor

MC1 Chad Hallford

Writer

Christine Creenan-Jones

Contributing Writer

Lori Fields

Layout and Design

Production

Editorial content is edited, prepared 

and provided by the USU Office of 

External Affairs unless otherwise 

indicated. The Pulse staff may 

include or exclude articles based 

upon news value, impact on the 

university and space availability.

Submissions

The Pulse will be published 

bi-weekly on Mondays. The 

deadline for submissions is at 4 p.m. 

Tuesday prior to the publication 

date. Submissions can be sent to 

usunewsletter@usuhs.mil or by 

calling 301-295-0895.

Safety Award presented to USU-led team

by Ken Frager

2 the pulse January 10, 2011

Navy Lieutenant Commander (Dr.)

Anthony Artino, assistant professor in the Department of Preventive 

Medicine and Biometrics, led a team 

of researchers who were presented 

the 2010 SAFE Association Award 

for Team Achievement. The award, 

which recognizes their work on the 

Naval Aviation Survival Training 

Program Reduced Oxygen Breathing Device (NASTP ROBD) Training 

Development project, was presented 

during the 48th annual SAFE Symposium, held recently in San Diego.

The research team was selected 

for their work to significantly 

change and vastly improve the way 

the Navy provides aviation physiology and survival training. “This 

team has been working together 

effectively for several years and 

we have made great strides,” said 

Artino, “and saved lives. It’s an 

honor that we were selected for the 

recognition, but our work continues here at the Uniformed Services 

University of the Health Sciences 

and at our affiliated program sites.”

According to the selection 

committee, as a result of their 

efforts, the U.S. Navy is the world 

leader in the delivery of simulatorbased hypoxia training, having 

trained thousands of aviators from 

all services and dozens of countries 

with one-on-one hypoxia recognition 

and recovery using aircraft-specific 

procedures and equipment for the 

utmost in training realism. The 

ROBD training concept, as developed by the NASTP ROBD Training 

Development Team, has been widely 

adopted within the U.S., by both the 

Air Force and civilian aviation, and 

is now being exported to improve 

aviation safety abroad.

Lt. Cmdr. (Dr.) Anthony Artino, (left) monitors a naval aviator’s heart rate and 

blood-oxygen saturation during dynamic hypoxia training in a F/A-18 tactical 

operational flight trainer.
Photo by Thomas Balfour

The Official USU Newsletter 3

Citizen Sailor’s prayers answered 

by Christine Creenan-Jones

Religious Program Specialist 2nd Class (Fleet Marine 

Force Warfare) Ayanfemi Ayanwale grew up in a tightknit family with many traditions and customs. Music and 

laughter filled his home, but life was still hard in Lagos, 

a bustling city on the south western coast of Nigeria. 

Poverty was rife in his community and opportunities 

were scarce, but Ayanwale – a student at the time – dreamed 

of a better life. 

“America is full of possibilities,” he said. “I wanted to 

come here from the time I was a little boy because I knew I 

could find what I was looking for – a great education and the 

chance at prosperity.”

The search for these ideals began when Ayanwale was 

still a young man attending a local Nigerian university. 

A gifted scholar, he was invited to the United States 

through a visa lottery. He travelled more than 5,000 

miles across the Atlantic Ocean and eventually settled 

in Houston, Texas. There, he attended school and took 

various jobs, including work as a corrections officer in the 

Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Ayanwale’s image of America wasn’t tarnished by his job 

in a grim prison system full of rigors and despair. He fell in 

love with his new home and everything it represented. 

“There is freedom here that people don’t get to experience 

in other parts of the world,” he said. 

Protecting this freedom became Ayanwale’s next goal. 

Like many, he was struck deeply by the September 11 terror 

attacks on America. 

“I wanted to serve the country that had done so much for 

me,” he said. 

To Ayanwale, this meant enlisting in the Navy. He joined 

under a special provision allowing non-citizens into the 

armed forces in 2004. 

“I am so proud to call myself a Sailor,” Ayanwale said. 

“The Navy is a part of who I am today.”

Religion is also very much a part of Ayanwale’s life. 

On campus, he works with the chaplain to create spiritual programs for USU’s servicemembers and their 

families. As an RP, he may also travel with the chaplain, 

often times to remote parts of the world where deployed 

military can use an extra dose of moral support.

“I chose this line of work because I am very religious 

myself and I like helping people,” Ayanwale said. “I love my 

job, but there are challenges. I’m away from my family a lot, 

and the separation can be hard, but it feels good knowing 

I make a difference.”

Over the years, Ayanwale has travelled to many different 

places including war zones like Iraq, he’s spent months on 

ships and foreign shores, and in between duty assignments, 

Ayanwale also became part of the heritage he was fighting to 

protect.

“I became an American citizen on March 21, 2005,” he 

said. “It was one of the best days of my life because now 

I wasn’t just serving a country I admired, I was serving a 

country I was a part of.” 

He’s experienced many other triumphs throughout his 

military career. Service awards have followed promotions, more education has taken Ayanwale to new heights, 

and marriage and three children have completed his 

American dream.

“There have been many struggles in my family’s 

journey. Life hasn’t always been easy,” Ayanwale said. 

“But the payoff has been huge and worth every hardship 

along the way.” 

Religious Program Specialist 2nd Class Ayanfemi Ayanwale 

supports the USU’s chaplain in all matters, from coordinating 

services to protecting him on the frontlines of battle. “My job is 

very rewarding,” he said. “I work with the chaplain to increase 

morale and make people feel good. It’s important to know 

that I’m making a difference.”

“I am not just serving a country I admire, 

I am serving a country I am a part of.”

— RP2(FMF) Ayanfemi Ayanwale
4 the pulse January 10, 2011

Brothers both assigned to USU

by MC1 Chad Hallford

When Army Capt. Justin Beam 

reported to the Uniformed Services 

University of the Health Sciences 

(USU) in the summer of 2009, he 

wasn’t entering the environment as a 

complete stranger. As luck would have 

it, Beam’s older brother, Keith, an Air 

Force second lieutenant who started 

his career in the Army Nurse Corps 

before pursuing medicine and switching services, was already settled on the 

USU campus. 

The brothers began having lunch 

almost every day, spending time 

together in the joint service command 

and sharing memories, including the 

birth of Keith’s daughter only two weeks 

after Justin arrived at USU. With their 

current assignments at USU, Justin and 

Keith have closed a gap in their relationship caused by past assignments and the 

commitments of military service.

“Captain Justin Beam is my 

younger brother and today does 

outrank me. However, he remembers 

the day three short years ago, when 

I outranked him, and he remembers 

some brotherly banter,” said Keith. 

“We appreciate and respect each 

other for where we’ve been, where 

we’re at and where we’re going. My 

brother is my best friend. I pay due 

respects to him in public and around 

his troops, but he’s my brother first 

and foremost.”

While the brothers have blazed 

their own distinct paths en route to 

USU, they are thankful for the result 

of their journeys.

Justin’s tour is as the company 

commander for the School of 

Medicine’s Army medical students. 

He is responsible for “everything 

non-academic in his students’ 

lives,” from directing development 

as military officers, to guiding and 

governing of personal finances and 

government travel cards.

 Of Justin’s four years before 

landing the company commander 

role at USU, two were spent deployed 

in Iraq with the 4th Brigade Combat 

Group. But he knew that operational 

tempo/deployments would be difficult to maintain over a 20-year career.

“My reason for seeking this position 

was two-fold,” said Justin. “First, it 

holds the most authority while being 

tied-in with the troops — I love being 

tied-in with the troops. Second, the USU 

position attracted me because it was so 

different from the world I was used to — 

a traditional company combat role.”

As Justin’s career has been developed 

out of combat seen as an officer in the 

Army Medical Service Corps, Keith’s 

calling developed a little differently. 

“The decision (to attend USU) was 

very easy for me,” said Keith. “We 

come from a military family and 

have only known military medicine. 

Our father was an Army general 

surgeon and our mother was a nurse, 

so to follow them into medicine and 

practice in the military has always 

been my desire.” As a third-year 

medical student on rotation at varying 

military treatment facilities, Keith is 

learning and discovering from each 

opportunity of student clerkship.

While brotherly time at USU won’t 

last forever, with shared lunches 

and family meals becoming fewer in 

number with each passing day, Keith 

flies with heavy wings through the 

remaining months of medical school 

before his hopeful walk across the 

graduation stage, a diploma and his 

practice of military medicine in the 

immediate future.

But, more memories are in the 

making for the brothers, as Justin and 

his wife are expecting the arrival of 

their first-born child in March 2011. 

Keith’s graduation will hopefully 

follow in May 2012, and if the stars 

align properly and the services 

allow, their next assignments will be 

together in San Antonio. 

Army Capt. Justin Beam (left) and Air Force 2nd Lt. Keith Beam are currently both 

assigned to USU. The brothers are taking advantage of the opportunity to spend 

time together during this joint service command assignment.

Courtesy Photo
The Official USU Newsletter 5

High school students explore 

medical careers at USU

by Staff Sgt. Matthew Rosine

HPRC Health Tips

The Human Performance 

Resource Center Health Tips 

is a new column intended to 

provide the USU community 

with information to help develop 

and maintain a healthy lifestyle. 

Check out the HPRC website at: 

http://humanperformancere

sourcecenter.org.

Is it time for your sneakers 

to hit the road? 

According to the American 

Council on Exercise (ACE), your 

sneakers are ready to be replaced 

after three to six months of regular 

use, or approximately 350 to 500 

miles of running. Looking at the 

wear patterns can provide good 

indicators that your sneakers need 

to be replaced.

When the time comes to replace 

your sneakers, ACE has specific 

suggestions to help you find the 

perfect, and affordable, pair. They 

suggest that you buy sport-specific 

shoes, test for stability, try on shoes 

at the end of the day when feet are 

their largest, and allow room for 

socks. Although some sports scientists will advise you to consider your 

foot type when purchasing sneakers, there is conflicting scientific 

evidence on this recommendation.

All the hype about fiber: 

it’s true! 

Fiber has amazing health benefits: 

it aids digestion, helps lower cholesterol, and protects against some 

cancers. There are two types of 

fibers: soluble and insoluble. Both 

are good for your body. Choose 

oatmeal, oat bran, barley, beans, 

dried peas, nuts and citrus fruits for 

soluble fiber. Insoluble fiber is found 

in whole wheat products, vegetables, 

and fruits. Eat a variety of fiber-rich 

foods to help your body work better.

Visit www.humanperformance

resourcecenter.org/performance

news/healthy-tips for more details.

Army Col. (Dr.) Richard Conran, USU associate professor of Pathology, holds a 

human ovarian cystadenoma while encouraging a discussion among visiting JFK 

High School students about the field of pathology.

Photo by MC1 Chad Hallford

More than 20 John F. Kennedy High 

School students visited USU as guests 

of the Pediatrics Interest Group.

The students are all interested in 

pursuing medical careers, possibly in 

the military. 

The event was an educational, 

interactive and fun way for these high 

school students to get a hands-on feel 

for medicine from some of USU’s best 

and brightest. 

“I think the best part of coming 

here for the students, is for them to see 

people like them doing this tremendous work,” said Barbara Marchwicki, 

the high school’s medical careers 

program instructor and a former 

nurse. “It is something they can really 

relate to and it plants the seeds of 

excellence for their future.” 

After arriving at the campus, the 

students received an introductory 

visit by USU faculty and staff. Then 

the students had a medical career 

question-and-answer period before 

splitting into small groups. These 

groups then dispersed and interacted 

with USU subject matter experts in a 

variety of areas, including radiology, 

pathology, dental and the basic lifesavers course. 

In each of these areas the students 

were able to get hands-on insight 

into each of these medical career 

areas. They also interacted with 

University experts and were able to 

address areas of interest for their 

own futures in medicine. 

Students like Matthew Walters and 

Megidelawit Yirefu said their visit was 

everything they had hoped. 

“I loved the Pathology portion of 

our visit,” said Yirefu, an 11th grader 

who plans on becoming a physician. 

“This is one of the best parts of the 

medical career program. We wanted to 

see what it is really like and this school 

has done exactly that.”

Walters agreed.

“This was a great experience and I 

think USU is a great place to get into 

a career in military medicine,” said 

Walters, a junior, who wants to join the 

Air Force as a pararescueman. “Being 

here has allowed me to actually see my 

future and what to expect.” 
6 the pulse January 10, 2011

Maher awards presented

By MC1 Chad Hallford

The Pulse Spotlight: 

CFC Update!

Name: 

Kelly Harrison

Duty title: 

Residency Coordinator, General 

Preventive Medicine, Occupational and 

Environmental Medicine

How long have you worked with USU? 

A little over two years.

What brought you to USU?

I heard of USU and its mission when I was 

searching for a job which would give me 

the opportunity to give back. USU offers 

a place where we can all support the 

military personnel who serve our country. 

A friend of a friend handed my resume 

to the leadership of the two residency 

programs at USU. They called me in for 

an interview and I was impressed with the 

sense of community and family at USU. I 

was excited to take the job. It was one of 

the best decisions I ever made. 

What is your favorite part of USU? 

My favorite part of USU is the sense of 

community and family. Just walking 

down the hall a myriad of different 

individuals call greetings and always offer 

a helping hand if you need anything. 

What advice would you pass on 

to people new to USU?

Don’t be afraid to talk to people that you 

don’t know. Introduce yourself to people 

you meet and foster the connections 

that you make in various departments. 

There are so many different people here, 

each with their own little bit of expertise 

to offer, so you’re bound to experience 

greater success if you recognize that. 

In turn, offer your own little brand of 

expertise when people ask you for help.

The USU Department of Medicine 

presented the 2010 John F. Maher 

Awards for Research Excellence, Nov. 2, 

to two USU assistant professors.

Army Major (Dr.) Ganesh Verrappan and Dr. Amy Weintrob received 

the award, now in its 13th year, in 

recognition of their prominent research contributions. 

Dr. Verrappan is assigned to the 

Division of Digestive Diseases. His 

study, upon which the award was 

based, was published in the April 

2009 issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Dr. Verrappan determined the prevalence and clinical predictors of an inflammatory condition of the esophagus 

called eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) 

in an outpatient population undergoing upper Endoscopy. The characteristic findings of EoE patients included 

male gender, history of asthma, and 

the presence of classic findings of EoE 

on endoscopy, which is the strongest 

predictor of this disease process.

Dr. Weintrob, who works with the 

Infectious Disease Clinical Research 

Program, received her award based on 

her paper published in the April 15, 2010 

issue of Journal of Infectious Disease. 

Dr. Weintrob noted that some people 

infected with HIV progress to AIDS 

and death quickly, while others may be 

infected for decades without symptoms 

of disease. Her group conducted a 

whole genome association study looking for human genetic variations that 

influence how African Americans, an 

understudied population, respond to 

HIV infection. They found that a variation in the HLA-B gene was strongly 

associated with control of HIV infection. Individuals with HLA-B*5703 

have lower levels of virus in their 

blood. Understanding why this genetic 

variation is beneficial in controlling 

the virus may lead to better treatment 

of people infected with HIV.

The award was established in memory of Professor John F. Maher, inaugural Director, Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine. Maher 

was an outstanding teacher, clinician, 

researcher, and mentor to students 

and faculty. The research must represent a significant contribution to the 

understanding, remedy or prevention 

of disease, or an innovative contribution to medical education. The author 

must also vigorously support the USU 

mission. Nominations are submitted 

each winter and reviewed by a panel 

of Department of Medicine faculty 

selected by the chair. 

To learn more about their research, 

go to www.usuhs.mil/med/MaherAwardees2010.html.

153K

Goal

165K

150K

135K

120K

105K

90K

75K

60K

45K

30K

15K

165K

USU is at approximately 93% of the $165,000 goal 

as of January 7 according to CFC Leadership. The 

USU deadline has been extended to coincide with 

the National Capital Region’s final date of January 

17. Contact CFC Leadership, your department CFC 

keyworker or usucfc@usuhs.mil if any questions or 

concerns still remain on donating to the CFC.
The Official USU Newsletter 7

Briefs

Town Hall meeting

The USU President is holding a town 

hall meeting Jan. 19, 2011, 3:00 - 4:00 

pm. The new Assistant Secretary of 

Defense (Health Affairs), Dr. Jonathan 

Woodson, will be a guest speaker.

Award nominations due

The award nomination packages for 

the upcoming Leonard and Wu Awards 

for Excellence in Research must be 

submitted by Jan. 31, 2011. 

The Wu award is for excellence in the 

Basic Sciences and the Leonard award is 

for excellence in the Translational and 

Clinical Sciences.

Nominees must be either a member 

of the full-time faculty or an AFRRI 

scientist at USU. 

The award recipients will present 

their award lectures during the University’s Research Week. Each recipient 

will also receive a memento and a cash 

award of $2,500. 

For more information about requirements in submitting a Leonard and Wu 

award package, contact Susan Rasmussen, Ph.D., at (301) 295-3303 or by 

e-mail at srasmussen@usuhs.mil. 

Inclement weather policy

During the upcoming winter season, weather conditions may impact 

on the University’s operating status.

If the USU operating status 

changes, it will be updated immediately on the University’s homepage, 

www.usuhs.mil.

Additionally, a broadcast to the 

USU community via email and recorded phone message will be available.

To access the phone message, call 

(301) 295-3039.

In some cases, USU’s status will 

be made available via local news and 

radio stations. However, all USU 

students, staff and faculty are encouraged to check the University’s Web 

site regularly. 

Using computer resources 

Security incidents continue to be 

a drain to limited USU Information 

Assurance manpower. The following 

highlight current DoD policy and 

best practices: 

Personnel must not install 

self-coded or non-licensed software 

on network resources; add, remove, 

configure, or attempt to modify 

USU computer operating systems 

or programs; move audio/visual or 

network cables, computers or attempt 

to connect personal computers to 

the network including MDL and 

lecture hall spaces; connect personal 

devices except for those previously 

authorized by NOC; download 

pornographic material and store or 

display offensive material, such as 

racist literature, sexually harassing or 

obscene language or material; store 

or process classified information on 

any USU system. 

Personnel must not permit 

unauthorized individuals access to a 

government-owned or governmentoperated system or program; access 

online gambling, games and social 

engineering sites. 

ESC meetings

The Enlisted Social Committee 

holds its monthly meetings on the 

first Tuesday of every month.

Meetings are held at 9:30 a.m. in 

the cafeteria’s small dining room.

Being a part of the ESC is an excellent way for USU enlisted personnel 

to actively pursue volunteer opportunities at USU.

50th Anniversary Web site 

The Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute will be launching a new 

Web site to help celebrate the institute’s 

50th Anniversary. 

The Web site is scheduled to 

launch this year and highlights 

AFRRI’s rich history and heritage. It 

also provides users with the opportunity to learn more about the unique 

mission at AFRRI. 

Media Briefs

From the strain of deployment 

to the risks of hospital-acquired 

infections, USU research has made 

news recently.

A study led by Navy Commander 

(Dr.) Gregory Gorman, an assistant 

professor of Pediatrics at USU and 

a practicing pediatrician, found 

children of active-duty military 

personnel make 18 percent more 

trips to the doctor for behavioral 

problems and 19 percent more visits for stress disorders when a military parent is deployed, compared 

with when the parent is home. The 

study of children ages 3 to 8 was 

published in the December issue of 

the journal Pediatrics.

The study was featured on several 

radio programs including Health 

Dialogues, a production of the San 

Francisco affiliate of National Public 

Radio, CBS Radio, an American 

Academy of Pediatrics radio broadcast, Military Times, and by many 

print and online media outlets.

USU Department of Pediatrics 

assistant professor Dr. Cade Nylund, an Air Force Major, published 

research findings in the Archives of 

Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 

one of the JAMA/Archives journals, that found an increase in the 

number of hospitalized children 

being infected with the Clostridium 

difficile bacteria, based on data 

gathered from the Agency for 

Healthcare Research and Quality. 

Nylund’s study, done mostly while 

a gastroenterology fellow at the 

University of Cincinnati Children’s 

Hospital, showed that not only were 

more children becoming infected, 

they were dying at a higher rate. 

Nylund’s findings were highlighted by the Wall Street Journal, 

CNN’s Empowered Patient, Reuters 

News Service, WebMD, American 

Medical Association News, the 

Los Angeles Times, Armed With 

Science, SixtySecondParent.com, 

Infection Control Today and other 

online outlets.