Volume 6, Issue 8 n May 2, 2011

www.usuhs.mil

The Official USU Newsletter
On the cover

Mr. David Green, (pictured left) chief, 

Industrial Hygiene and Environmental 

Division, distributed free tree seedlings 

to USU personnel in honor of Earth Day 

2011. (See story page 5)

Cover Photo by Ken Frager

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.

2 the pulse May 2, 2011

Continued on page 6

Photo by Thomas Balfour

From Opponent to Proponent: 

A Look at Curriculum Reform at UCLA

by Roberta A. McIntyre, Program Specialist, Office of Curriculum Reform

They say ‘change is hard’—but being 

able to discern the benefits that await the 

end of the process can make it easier to 

bear. It was tough for those involved with 

the UCLA School of Medicine’s curriculum reform project, but in the end - and 

given the perspective of hindsight - it 

wasn’t that bad and the results have been 

more than worth it, according to Jeffery 

F. Miller, Ph.D., chair of the UCLA 

Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular 

Genetics Department.

USU faculty and staff were presented 

with an inside look at curriculum 

reform at the UCLA School of Medicine 

when Dr. Miller spoke at USU in April. 

Dr. Miller admitted he was not a fan 

of curriculum reform at the outset, but 

when the process was finished, he had 

definitely come on-board.

When asked what changed his mind, 

Dr. Miller replied, “Doing it. It was an 

opportunity to interact with really great 

colleagues, especially those who knew 

more about putting molecular mechanisms into a program students would 

enjoy learning.” He also noted that 

Problem Based Learning (PBL) could be 

used to make learning motivating and 

fun, and this made a greater impact than 

any pedagogic argument offered by their 

educationally trained Ph.D.s. And how 

long did that take? “I saw this after the 

implementation,” said Dr. Miller.

Reform at UCLA was spurred by the 

arrival of a new dean of medical education, who patterned the effort after the 

reform she had just been through at 

Harvard, setting up a task force to review 

best practices and develop guiding 

principles. Although curricular reform 

at UCLA was seven years in the making, 

Dr. Miller noted it really didn’t need 

to take that long. Their process was 

started by a small group and included 

an extended discussion phase that lasted 

for four years, before being put into 

place one year at a time. Since so many 

medical schools have now transformed 

their curricula, Dr. Miller felt that 

USU should be able to learn from their 

experiences, thereby cutting down the 

time needed for implementation.

At UCLA, as at many medical 

schools, one advantage of the traditional, 2+2 (2 years of pre-clerkship 

training + 2 years of clinical training) 

program was that individual departments had control over specific courses, 

with full accountability for the same. 

As Dr. Miller pointed out, “there were 

many lectures and many lecturers, and 

things ran like a well-oiled machine.” 

The downside, however, was the lack 

of integration; for instance bacterial 

structure (Microbiology and Immunology) was taught in early September, 

while antibiotics (Pharmacology) came 

in November. There was also little 

communication between departments. 

This created a passive learning environment, with low student involvement.

The first two years of the new UCLA 

model is known as the Human Biology 

and Disease Curriculum. The guiding 

principles of their curriculum are: 

• Integration of basic, clinical and social sciences is essential to clinical 

practice and research.

Jeffery F. Miller, Ph.D.
The Official USU Newsletter 3

Continued on page 6

Juliano named 2011 Wu lecturer

by Ken Frager

Sharon Juliano, Ph.D., professor, 

Department of Anatomy, Physiology 

and Genetics, has spent the last several 

years conducting research on the 

mechanisms underlying formation of 

the cerebral cortex and the migration 

of cells into their target sites. 

This research has earned Dr. Juliano 

selection as the 2011 Henry C. Wu 

Award recipient. 

The cerebral cortex, the region 

within the brain that receives all 

ascending projections and sensory 

information, originates all motor 

output, and is the site where thoughts 

are generated. Dr. Juliano has been 

continuously funded by the NIH, 

largely for the study of this model 

since 1986. She and her team developed a model of cortical dysplasia in 

animal models in which a population 

of neurons fails to migrate successfully 

into the neocortex and mimics the 

effects seen in human disorders such 

as autism, ADHD and epilepsy.

“I feel honored that the work I 

have been doing for so long is receiving this esteemed recognition,” said 

Dr. Juliano. “USU is my home and 

it is so nice to be appreciated by 

my colleagues. My hope is that the 

long-term implications of this basic 

research will improve the study and 

treatment for traumatic brain injuries 

Photo by Thomas Balfour

and enhance the development of treatments to help heal the brain.”

Dr. Juliano was nominated based 

on her current study (Poluch et al 

2010, PLOSOne), which demonstrates 

that Radial glial cells play an essential 

role during development of the brain, 

or cortical dysplasia. through their 

function as neural precursors and guides 

of neuronal migration. Both reelin 

and neuregulin1 (NRG1) maintain the 

radial glial scaffold and induce expression of Brain Lipid Binding Protein 

(BLBP), a well known marker of radial 

glia. Although radial glia in normal 

animal models express both vimentin 

and BLBP, this co-expression diverges 

at three days postnatal (P3); vimentin is 

expressed in the radial glial processes, 

while BLBP appears in cells detached 

from the ventricular zone. 

The Juliano lab developed a model 

of cortical dysplasia in the animal 

model, resulting in impaired migration 

of neurons into the cortical plate and 

disordered radial glia. This occurs after 

exposure to the antimitotic methylazoxymethanol (MAM) on the 24th day 

of development (E24). When treated at 

E24, the result was an overall decrease 

of BLBP expression. Radial glia that 

continue to express BLBP, however, 

show only mild disruption compared 

with the strongly disrupted vimentin expressing radial glia. When E24 

MAM-treated sections are exposed to 

reelin or NRG1, the severely disrupted 

vimentin+ radial glial processes are 

repaired, but the slightly disordered 

BLBP+ processes are not. 

The realignment of vimentin+ 

processes was linked with an increase 

of their BLBP expression. BLBP 

expressing radial glia are distinguished 

by being both less affected by MAM 

treatment and by attempts at repair.

These findings are important as 

they suggest at least two distinct 

populations of radial glial cells exist 

that respond differently to damage 

and attempts at repair. 

Henry C. Wu Award for 

Excellence in Basic 

Science Research

The Henry C. Wu Award 

for Excellence in Basic Science 

Research is named for Henry 

Wu, Ph.D., who was Professor 

and Chair of the USU Department of Microbiology. 

Dr. Wu came to USU in 1980 

from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in 

Farmington, Ct. He brought 

with him an internationally 

recognized research program in 

bacterial lipoprotein biosynthesis, 

and an unquenchable enthusiasm for science that was a major 

factor in the recruitment of many 

other faculty to the University. 

Dr. Wu provided advice and 

encouragement to all of his 

colleagues and was an unwavering supporter of doctoral 

programs in the basic sciences. 

Dr. Wu died in 1996. The Award 

was established in his memory 

in 2003. Past winners of the 

Wu Award include Drs. Ignacio 

Provencio, Michael Daly, Anthony 

Maurelli, Teresa Dunn, Chou-Zen 

Giam, Christopher Broder, Alison 

O’Brien and Ann Jerse.

Dr. Henry C. Wu

Sharon Juliano, Ph.D.

Courtesy Photo 
4 the pulse May 2, 2011

Cancer survivorship research garners 

recognition for Leonard Award lecturer

by Ken Frager

Courtesy Photo

Michael Feuerstein, Ph.D., MPH

Michael Feuerstein, Ph.D., MPH, 

professor, Departments of Medical 

and Clinical Psychology and Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, is the 

2011 recipient of the Leonard Award for 

Clinical Research. Dr. Feuerstein has 

made significant contributions in the 

area of cancer survivorship, including 

essentially standing up an entirely new 

field of research in a short period of 

time by virtue of his research and scientific activities.

“Recognition by my scientific 

colleagues and leadership that my 

endeavors have clinical value and implications is gratifying,” said Dr. Feuerstein. “Certainly my own interests in 

this area have increased my efforts to 

improve survivorship healthcare and 

services, and I am proud that it is being 

acknowledged.”

In his research, Dr. Feuerstein has 

pursued research related to occupational outcomes in individuals living 

with the aftermath of cancer diagnosis 

and treatment. His ongoing work is 

focused on optimizing the function of 

cancer survivors (particularly individuals with brain tumors and breast cancer) 

after cancer treatment. 

Dr. Feuerstein’s team observed that 

both breast and brain tumor survivors 

who continue to work report higher 

levels of symptom-burden three to 

four years post-treatment compared to 

non-cancer comparison groups. These 

cancer survivors are generally considered 

less impaired than those not at work. 

However, symptoms of fatigue, 

cognitive limitations, and depressive symptoms are greater than in 

a non-cancer comparison group 

working in similar jobs and with 

similar job satisfaction. More importantly, there is a significant relationship between this fatigue and work 

productivity in the breast cancer 

survivors while in the non-breast 

cancercomparison group it is depression that is related to work output.

While his research on its own would 

warrant consideration for this recognition, Dr. Feuerstein’s nomination, by 

David Krantz, Ph.D., chairman, and 

Tracy Sbrocco, Ph.D., an associate 

professor in the Department of Medical 

and Clinical Psychology, notes that “the 

work is even more impressive if it is 

placed in a personal context. Specifically, Mike is himself a cancer survivor. In 2002, while a faculty member at 

USU, he was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and given a poor 

prognosis. Over the past seven years, he 

has used the insights gained from his 

personal experiences to lead a new area 

of research—optimizing work performance for cancer survivors.”

Dr. Feuerstein’s research has been the 

first of its kind in the important area of 

optimal work and cognitive functioning in cancer survivors—especially 

those who desire or must work in order 

to continue insurance coverage or for 

income. Although there have been a 

number of papers related to this topic 

that he and his students have published 

in the past three years, the Leonard 

Award nomination was based upon J 

Occup Environ Med. 2008;50:777–784 

and J Occup Environ Med. 2010; 

219-227, which provide examples of this 

program of research.

The Leonard Award 

for Clinical Research

The Leonard Award for 

Clinical Research is named for 

the founding Chair of the 

Department of Medicine, James 

Leonard, M.D., an internationally 

respected cardiologist. 

Dr. Leonard came to USU in 

1976 from the University of Pittsburgh. He was perhaps best known 

for his classic research on the 

physiological basis of heart sounds. 

Dr. Leonard was a leader in cardiac 

research and was instrumental in 

establishing undergraduate clinical education at USU and graduate medical education programs 

at USU-affiliated hospitals. His 

broad view of medicine and his 

open door made him a favorite of 

students and colleagues alike. Dr. 

Leonard retired in 1996 and was 

named Chair Emeritus.

The Leonard Award for Clinical Research was established in his 

honor in 2003. Dr. Leonard died in 

2005. Past recipients of the Leonard 

Award include Drs. Andre DuBois, 

George Tsokos, Mark Haigney, 

Carol Fullerton, Shiv Srivastava, 

David Tribble, Thomas Darling and 

Marian Tanofsky-Kraff.

Photo by Thomas Balfour

Dr. James Leonard
The Official USU Newsletter 5

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.

Exercise 101

Don’t forget to exercise your 

heart. As with all fitness requirements, warfighters need extra cardio 

fitness for optimal performance.

The American College of Sports 

Medicine and the American Heart 

Association recommend doing 

moderate-intensity cardiovascular 

exercise for 30 minutes a day, five 

days a week. Elite athletes and tactical Warfighters need to train more 

to achieve higher levels of fitness. 

See the Navy Seal Fitness Guide 

and the Building the Soldier Athlete 

Manual for more information.

Improve performance

According to the National 

Sleep Foundation, more than 

one-third of U.S. adults are not 

sleeping enough. Compared to 

those who reported sleeping 7-8 

hours regularly, those who slept 

less than 7 hours reported significantly more trouble performing 

the daily tasks including:

• Ability to concentrate

• Memory

• Working on a hobby

• Driving or taking public transport

• Taking care of financial matters 

• Performing at work

Brigade Climate Assessment released

by MC1 Chad Hallford

The Brigade Commander released 

the results of an annual Defense Equal 

Opportunity Management Institute 

(DEOMI) Organizational Climate 

Survey in a commander’s call recently.

“Big picture, this survey is saying 

the brigade and University are doing 

many things right — that we have a 

very positive command climate,” said 

Navy Capt. (Dr.) Tanis Batsel Stewart.

The DEOMI Directorate of 

Research at Patrick Air Force Base, 

Fla., compiles anonymous aggregate 

command survey data. This includes 

responses to open-remark questions, 

scaled questions, true-false and other 

style questions mainly from broadranging topics ranging from sexual 

harassment to equal opportunity and 

religious discrimination. Brigade 

leadership at USU encouraged 

maximum participation across the 

board from staff, faculty and students 

and had heightened response in attendance at the recent call.

“Our teamwork concept is strong; 

this to me is one of the most important concepts for the command, and 

the trust in leadership is strong. 

In many areas USU rates well, but 

there is always room for improvement,” said Capt. Batsel Stewart. “It 

is always important to assess the 

working environment and understand how your people perceive.”

The statistics from this survey 

overwhelmingly support the claims 

that USU is a thriving command. But 

on certain questions, the disparity 

index, or the difference among how 

population groups rate a response to 

a question, was larger than command 

leadership would like.

“There can be a tremendous gap 

— so we give people the opportunity to comment, to offer suggestions 

of improvement and even criticize 

if they like. What I have found very 

rewarding is the number of positive 

comments,” said Capt. Batsel Stewart. 

“Surveys tend to elicit responses from 

more disgruntled employees and less 

from the happy employees, and our 

experience was no different.” 

While scientific-based surveys can 

be skewed statistically or possibly reveal 

an incomplete command picture, Capt. 

Batsel Stewart attests that when they are 

used as a tool among many to gauge and 

monitor command morale and attitude, 

they enable an approach designed to 

improve the command-at-large.

“Our intent is to focus more on 

ensuring the command message is 

delivered from top to bottom, unadulterated. We will do our best to assure 

our junior staff that their efforts are 

noticed and appreciated, and contribute 

to the overall mission of the University,” 

said Capt. Batsel Stewart.

Re-greening the earth, one tree at a time

In recognition of Earth Day, USU 

employees were offered tree seedlings 

for planting. Indigo bush, Redbud, 

and Red Osier Dogwood were 

available. The distribution, sponsored 

by NSA Bethesda’s Environmental 

Office, aligned with the global Canopy 

Project, the Earth Day Network’s 

Billion Acts of Green® effort. The 

goal of the project is to measurably 

reduce carbon emissions and support 

sustainability. While the USU effort 

was small, the trees distributed by USU 

will be pledged towards the United 

Nations Environment Programme’s 

Billion Tree Campaign, a worldwide 

tree-planting initiative.
6 the pulse May 2, 2011

Continued from page 3

Juliano honored...

In addition, distinct signaling 

elements appear to initiate movement 

out of the ventricular zone, but do 

not play a role in allowing further 

movement toward the cortical plate. 

Dr. Juliano was nominated by 

Harvey B. Pollard, M.D., Ph.D., 

professor and chair, Department of 

Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics. “The paper, which is extensively 

discussed here, is emblematic of a 

revolution in neurobiology, in which 

repair processes in damaged brain 

appear to recapitulate a developmental process based on a very simple, yet 

fundamental structural principal in 

brain development,” said Dr. Pollard. 

“If a symposium were to be organized 

by Dr. Juliano, it would attract a large 

and very appreciative audience with 

individual interests in the neurobiology revolution.”

Packard lecturer highlights implications 

for improved blood use

by Ken Frager

The Faculty Senate and USU President Dr. Charles L. Rice sponsored 

Dr. Lena Napolitano, a distinguished 

trauma/critical care surgeon, as the 

26th annual David Packard Lecturer, 

recently. Dr. Napolitano is professor 

of Surgery and chief of the Division of 

Acute Care Surgery at the University 

of Michigan. 

Dr. Napolitano’s cutting edge 

research related to blood and blood 

product transfusion may have direct 

implications to improve the quality 

of blood used and ultimately improve 

outcomes following trauma and acute 

care surgery. 

Dr. Napolitano spent an additional 

day at NNMC, where she presented 

Advanced Management of ARDS, 

followed by trauma/critical care rounds 

and visits with wounded warriors ad 

the ICU. She also visited the Andrews 

Air Force Base flight line to witness 

patient transport innovations.

This joint Packard activity 

was a first, yet important, step in 

the integration of USU into the 

envisioned world class academic 

medical center on the Bethesda base. 

The Packard lecture was recorded 

and will be made available on the USU 

Web site. 

• Application of knowledge 

requires both mastery of facts and 

deep understanding.

• Learning for a lifetime is central to 

professional practice and research.

Much like the new USU schedule, the UCLA plan replaced separate 

basic science courses with multidisciplinary “blocks,” organized around 

scientific themes and organ systems. It 

also replaced the traditional approach 

of teaching predominantly normal 

anatomy and physiology in the first year 

of medical school and abnormal structure and function in the second year. 

This more blended approach, where 

normal and abnormal pathology are 

presented early, can be used to stimulate 

a more comprehensive understanding 

of both basic and clinical science. 

UCLA’s pre-clerkship schedule is 

similar to the one being developed at 

USU in that it includes plans for a total 

of 24-28 formal contact hours per week. 

Like USU, the UCLA program 

also includes a greater emphasis on 

small groups versus large lectures, 

and encourages the use of independent study and self-directed learning. Content area “threads” running 

through the blocks represent yet another 

similarity between the two programs.

Dr. Miller believes one of the most 

positive outcomes of the updated 

curriculum at UCLA is the opportunity for faculty to actively engage in 

interdisciplinary teaching. Not only 

has this been rewarding, but faculty 

members have found PPBL to be an 

effective tool for facilitating active and 

interactive learning. 

Internal satisfaction polls also have 

shown students like the increased integration and class attendance has gone up.

It was noted, however, that developing and implementing PBLs is 

labor-intensive, and some of the best 

teachers are actually those who are both 

M.D.-Ph.D.s. 

Knowing how to measure success 

is also a challenge. When asked “How 

do you measure success?” Dr. Miller 

replied, “It’s down the road....”

Continued from page 2

Curriculum reform...

Photo by Thomas Balfour

Dr. Gary Wind, professor of Surgery and president of the USU Faculty Senate (left),

 and USU president Dr. Charles L. Rice, present Dr. Lena Napolitano with the 

commemorative Packard Lecture award.
Briefs

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 selfcoded 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, dates or times.

Helpdesk Closure 

The NOC helpdesk is closed for training on Thursdays from 10 to 11 a.m. 

During this time, you can leave 

a voicemail message at 295-9800, 

utilize the HEAT Self Service (http://

www.usuhs.mil/uis/forms/trouble.

html), or email help@usuhs.mil. 

If an emergency should arise, 

please call 295-9870.

Exercise/Fitness Areas 

Physical Fitness training should be 

conducted in designated areas. 

The only authorized space for PT 

within the university is room G060. 

The campus’ Student Community 

Lounge area is also authorized, 

but only during specified PFT dates 

or times.

Professional activities

The Department of Defense and 

USU policy requires that all employees, both military and civilian, receive 

approval for engaging in any activity outside their work environment, 

which involves their professional 

expertise or government occupation, 

and involves compensation.

This approval is required prior to 

engaging in the activity. 

In order to get approval, any 

employee can complete a USU Form 

1004. This completed form must be 

approved and signed by each department chair or activity head. 

These forms are available in the 

General Counsel’s office or online at 

the USU OGC Web site.

Completed forms must be turned in 

to the General Counsel’s office. The form 

will be routed to the appropriate dean, 

brigade commander or USU president. 

Once processing is completed, a copy 

of the approved form will be returned to 

the employee for the employee’s records. 

The Official USU Newsletter 7

 The USU Merit Review 

Committee is accepting applications for the fiscal year 2012 USU 

Intramural Research Funding.

Applications may be submitted for Pilot, Standard and 

Exploratory grant funding. New 

or revised applications will be 

accepted. Competing continuations are no longer funded. These 

applications are for basic, clinical 

or behavioral research.

Projects will be evaluated for 

demonstrated relevance to military 

concerns and/or are specific to the 

USU mission.

Eligibility for funding from the 

University’s intramural program is 

restricted to USU-billeted civilian 

and uniformed faculty members 

with full, associate or assistant 

professor titles.

Late applications will not be 

accepted and incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

Applications must be submitted 

by June 17, 2011. 

For additional information: 

http://www.usuhs.mil/research/

intramuralfunds.html or contact 

the Office of Research at 

(301) 295-3303.

Funding Applications

Time Change For Commencement 

Please note, the start time for USU’s 32nd Commencement has changed. 

The ceremony will now begin at 10:30 AM on May 21, 2011 instead of 11:00 AM 

as originally planned.