The Official USU Newsletter

Volume 10, Issue 12 July 13, 2015

www.usuhs.edu

Learning to Care for Those in Harm’s Way
2 the pulse July 13, 2015

Dr. Donna Fox, Associate Dean for Student 

Affairs at George Mason University (center) 

presents EMDP2 student Army Sgt. 1st Class 

Steve Radloff (right) with academic honor 

cards, while Dean of the GMU College of Science 

Peggy Agouris (left) looks on. (photo by Sharon 

Holland) See photos, page 7. 

On the cover

Sharon Holland

Deputy Vice President for External 

Affairs and Managing Editor

Eric Ritter

Writer and Editor

MC3 Laura Bailey

Writer and Photographer

Alexis Christman 

Communications Intern

Kiernan Kiser 

Communications Intern 

Danielle Snowden 

Communications Intern

 

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 is published 

biweekly on Mondays. The deadline 

for submissions is at 4 p.m. 

Tuesday prior to the publication 

date. Submissions can be sent to 

eric.ritter2@usuhs.edu or by calling 

301-295-3338.

Yvonne Maddox to Lead 

USU Research Program 

By Sharon Holland

Charles L. Rice, M.D., president of 

the Uniformed Services University of the 

Health Sciences, announced the selection 

of Yvonne T. Maddox, Ph.D., former 

acting director of the National Institute on 

Minority Health and Health Disparities at 

the National Institutes of Health, effective 

June 15, 2015.

“Dr. Maddox comes to USU with a 

wealth of expertise in both Federal and 

academic research and an unparalleled 

record of leadership in research 

administration primarily at the National 

Institutes of Health,” Rice said. “She is an 

internationally recognized authority on 

science and research policy and will bring 

to USU an increased focus on collaborative 

research, global health issues, and 

population health---all key issues for the 

DoD and USU.”

As Vice President for Research at 

USU, Dr. Maddox will oversee a robust 

clinical and basic science research 

portfolio important to both the military 

and public health, including infectious 

diseases, trauma and critical care 

medicine, health maintenance, posttraumatic stress, traumatic 

brain injury, and cancer. Dr. 

Maddox will also oversee 

new efforts in state-ofthe-art fields that cut 

across disciplines, such as 

genomics, proteomics, and 

drug-delivery mechanisms. 

In addition to her 

position with the NIMHHD, 

Dr. Maddox served as the 

deputy director of the Eunice 

Kennedy Shriver National 

Institute on Child Health 

and Human Development, 

acting deputy director 

of NIH, and in various 

leadership positions within 

other NIH Institutes and 

divisions.

Dr. Maddox received 

her B.S. in biology from 

Virginia Union University, 

Richmond, and her 

Ph.D. in physiology from 

Georgetown University. 

She began her career at NIH in 1985 in 

the National Institute of General Medical 

Sciences as a health science administrator, 

directing the trauma and burn injury 

program, moving from Georgetown 

University Medical Center where she 

was a research assistant professor. She 

studied as a visiting scientist at the French 

Atomic Energy Commission, Saclay, 

France, and graduated from the Senior 

Managers in Government Program of the 

Kennedy School of Government, Harvard 

University. 

 “It is an honor to have been chosen 

to help steer the USU research enterprise,” 

said Dr. Maddox. “I look forward to 

working with the faculty and staff to 

advance research opportunities that 

will impact positively on the health and 

wellness of military men and women, their 

families and communities.” 

 Yvonne T. Maddox, Ph.D (courtesy photos)
3 the pulse July13, 2015

USU Professor Speaks Out on Male Breast Cancer 

By Sharon Holland

“Typical doctor, typical male.” 

That’s how Dr. Norman M. Rich 

described his attitude when he first 

discovered a lump on his breast five years 

ago. Rich, a retired Army vascular surgeon 

and emeritus chair and professor of the 

Uniformed Services University of the 

Health Sciences surgery department that 

bears his name, simply ignored it. He had 

had lumps before and paid no attention to 

them. 

However, when he later discovered 

a lump under his right arm, and noticed 

nipple retraction, he knew it might be an 

indication of a tumor and consulted his 

physician. 

“Although I have spent years as 

a vascular surgeon, I remembered my 

general surgery training, and I knew it 

was not good. I called [Army Col.] Dr. 

Pat O’Malley, my primary physician, who 

thought I might have cancer of the breast. 

He referred me to Dr. Craig Shriver.”

Army Col. (Dr.) Craig Shriver heads 

the Murtha Cancer Center at the Walter 

Reed National Military Medical Center. 

Shriver ordered biopsies on the mass in 

Rich’s breast and under his arm, and both 

tested positive for breast cancer. 

Breast cancer in men is rare. 

According to a 2012 report by the American 

Cancer Society, only about 2,100 cases 

of male breast cancer are diagnosed each 

year, compared to more than 226,000 in 

women. In recent years, there has been an 

increase in the number of cases reported, 

and recognition that there are differences 

based on gender – men and women react 

differently to different treatments – but 

relatively few scientific studies. Rich says 

there are no significant benchmarks for 

breast cancer in men. As a result, all of his 

treatment options are based on those used 

for females.

“What should be obvious has no 

scientific basis,” said Rich. 

In fact, the only two substantive 

studies on male breast cancer that Rich 

could find were from 2004 and 2007. In 

July 1, 2004, an article in the journal Cancer, 

“Breast carcinoma in men: a populationbased study,” by Giordano, et. al., showed 

the incidence of breast cancer in men was 

increasing. The study looked at data from 

the National Cancer Institute Surveillance, 

Epidemiology and End Results 1973-1998 

Database, and showed an 

increase in breast cancer 

from .86 to 1.08 per every 

100,000 men. Another 

study reported in Cancer in 

2007, “Male breast cancer 

in the veterans affairs 

population: a comparative 

analysis,” by Nahleh, et. 

al., looked at male breast 

cancer in the Veterans 

Affairs (VA) population 

and also found the 

incidence was continuing 

to rise. 

In the latter study, 

researchers used the VA’s 

Central Cancer Registry 

and looked at VA patients, 

both male and female, 

who had breast cancer 

diagnosed between 1995 

and 2005. The study 

compared 612 male breast 

cancer patients with 2,413 

female breast cancer 

patients and found that the 

average age for diagnosis in 

men was 67, while in women was 57. Black 

men were more likely to be diagnosed with 

breast cancer and had a higher disease stage 

and more lymph node-positive disease. The 

study also found that men generally lived 

seven years after diagnosis, while women 

lived 9.8 years longer, although there were 

no statistically different survival rates for 

patients with stage II or stage IV disease. 

However, in stage I, survival rates in men 

were 6.1 years and 14.6 years for women. 

Rich attributes the later diagnosis in 

men to denial. “Men tend to overlook the 

signs or discover it too late to address it,” he 

said. “It’s easy to deny and develop excuses 

for what you know it is.”

Or, it may be that men don’t know that 

it’s even possible to contract breast cancer 

or understand the risk, and relatively few 

are likely to conduct self-breast exams. But 

in fact, although they aren’t developed, men 

have milk ducts and their ductal system 

may be just as susceptible to breast cancer 

as a woman’s is; however, a diagnosis is 

often not sought or made until cancer 

has developed and spread into the lymph 

nodes, bones, or beyond. Men tend to 

develop larger tumors later in life, and more 

than 400 men die of breast cancer each year.

According to Rich, the tumor board 

at Walter Reed-Bethesda evaluates the 

treatment plans for all cancer patients at 

the hospital, and the board recommended 

he get a modified right radical mastectomy 

and lymph node dissection. Rich said six of 

his 37 axillary lymph nodes tested positive, 

so if the cancer was successfully removed, 

these procedures would be important 

for his longevity. The tumor board also 

recommended chemotherapy followed by 

radiation, followed by hormone therapy, 

although his medical oncologist told Rich 

that chemotherapy would only add two 

percent to his longevity.

“I can’t describe chemotherapy. 

Only people who have gone through 

chemotherapy can understand what it’s 

like,” Rich said, questioning why, for only 

a small return, anyone would subject 

themselves to the procedure. However, the 

oncologist told him it’s because it’s “part of 

the package deal.” Chemotherapy prepares 

the body for the radiation treatments, 

which prepare the body for the hormone 

Dr. Norman M. Rich, professor and emeritus chair, Department 

of Surgery, USU (Photo by Tom Balfour) 

Breast Cancer, Cont. Page 4
4 the pulse July 13, 2015

Former CNRM Co-Director Named Head of NINDS 

by Sharon Holland

Breast Cancer from page 3

therapy, and collectively they are the best 

opportunity for longevity – at least based 

on breast cancer studies in women.

Rich is in his third year of remission. 

He suffers from lymphedema – swelling, 

or “ballooning” -- as a result of having no 

drainage from his lymph nodes in the upper 

right extremity, but he is very compliant 

with his physical therapy regimen. “I know 

the significance of not complying,” he said. 

“I will never be cured since it had 

already spread [before diagnosis]. Will 

it come back? Yes. It’s more likely to in 

men. Women tend to pick it up early on 

mammograms. They can find a small, 

isolated area and test the sentinel node to 

see if it has spread or not.” Rich had a PET 

scan to detect whether it had spread to the 

bone and other areas and the results were 

negative.

He isn’t quite sure how he developed 

breast cancer, but he has an idea.

“I had no family history of breast 

cancer. If there is a family history of women 

getting breast cancer, the men’s chances are 

increased. We didn’t have any and I went 

back five generations. No cancer anywhere. 

We took a family vote to see how everyone 

felt about me going through genetic testing, 

and everyone agreed I should do it. There 

were no mutations of BRCa1 or BRCa2 

(which show an increased incidence of 

breast cancer in families). This may be 

political, but in Vietnam, I was exposed to 

Agent Orange. In 1965-’66, it was sprayed 

all over the highlands around me. No 

one was thinking about its potential toxic 

effects. I used to watch planes spewing it 

all over. I remember wiping it off my arms 

a few times,” said Rich. “In the VA system, 

there are so few cases of breast cancer, there 

aren’t any benchmarks. They have identified 

an increase in prostate cancer due to Agent 

Orange, but not breast cancer.” 

Rich has been taking tamoxifen, 

which blocks estrogen receptors that lead 

to breast cancer. He says he must take for it 

for five years. 

“Studies in women say it prevents 

chest wall cancer recurrence,” he said. 

“Studies recommend that women take it for 

10 years. It’s not a pleasant medication. It 

has resulted in a 30-pound weight gain in 

six weeks that I can’t take off. It’s part of 

the price to pay to keep the cancer off the 

chest wall.”

Rich goes to the Murtha Cancer 

Center’s Breast Care Center on a regular 

basis for appointments. “It’s a superb 

organization and everyone is phenomenal,” 

he said. “I get a lot of stares from a lot of 

people, but it doesn’t bother me. Everyone 

is just surprised. They don’t think men can 

get it. This is a very important message for 

men. Everyone who gets a lump should get 

checked out right away. Early diagnosis and 

awareness is very important. Macho men 

have to put that attitude aside and recognize 

both women and men have breast tissue 

and can get cancer in the breast tissue.

“If you just walked out on the street, 

the vast majority would not know men 

could have cancer of the breast,” said Rich. 

“Being a physician and being concerned 

about health in general, if I’m able to alert 

a few more people and a few more people 

will get diagnosed as a result of sharing my 

story, it’s worth the effort.”

Maybe not so typical after all.

Walter J. Koroshetz, M.D., former codirector of USU's Center for Neuroscience 

and Regenerative Medicine (CNRM), 

was recently named as the new head of 

the National Institute of Neurological 

Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National 

Institutes of Health (NIH).

NIH Director Francis S. Collins, 

M.D., Ph.D., made the announcement 

June 11, 2015. "I am very pleased that 

Dr. Koroshetz has accepted the enormous 

responsibility of being the NINDS director," 

said Collins. "His deep grounding in 

clinical neurology and basic neuroscience 

research makes him the ideal candidate to 

lead NINDS into the future and to fulfill 

the Institute's mission to seek fundamental 

knowledge about the brain and nervous 

system and to use that knowledge to reduce 

the burden of neurological disease."

In 2008, Koroshetz was selected to 

serve as the co-director of the CNRM, 

where he facilitated collaborative research 

in traumatic brain injury between USU, 

WRNMMC, and intramural NIH until his 

appointment as acting director of NINDS 

in October, 2014. 

As the new director of the NINDS, 

Koroshetz will oversee an annual budget of 

$1.6 billion and 1141 scientists, physicianscientists, and research administrators. The 

institute supports research by investigators 

in public and private institutions across the 

country, as well as by scientists working in 

its intramural laboratories and branches 

in Bethesda, with studies in areas ranging 

from the structure and function of single 

brain cells to research on the causes, 

prevention, diagnosis and treatment of 

neurological disorders and, most recently, 

the translational research that is helping to 

bridge the gap.

Koroshetz earned his undergraduate 

degree from Georgetown University and 

his M.D. degree from the University of 

Chicago. He trained in internal medicine 

at the University of Chicago and in both 

internal medicine and neurology at 

Massachusetts General Hospital. He later 

completed postdoctoral studies in cellular 

neurophysiology at Massachusetts General 

Hospital and the Harvard neurobiology 

department. From 1990 until 1997, 

he led neurology resident training at 

Harvard Medical School, where he also 

held a faculty appointment as professor of 

Neurology. Prior to his arrival at NIH in 

2007 to become deputy director of NINDS, 

Koroshetz served as vice chair of Neurology 

at Massachusetts General Hospital, Director 

of Stroke and Neurointensive Care, and a 

member of the Huntington's disease unit.

"We are extremely pleased with Dr. 

Koroshetz's selection as the new director 

of NINDS. He has been a tremendous 

leader for efforts to advance treatment 

in neurological diseases, particularly 

traumatic brain injury," said Regina 

Armstrong, Ph.D., CNRM director.

Former CNRM Co-Director, Dr. Walter J. 

Koroshetz named head of NINDS. (Photo 

courtesy of National Institute of Neurological 

Disorders and Stroke)
5 the pulse July13, 2015

CDP Summer Institute Prepares Doctoral 

Students for Military Careers in Psychology

by Kiernan Kiser 

Doctoral students in clinical and 

counseling psychology from around 

the country were presented with an 

opportunity to learn about behavioral 

health careers in the military during an 

intensive six-day course offered at the 

Uniformed Services University for the 

Health Sciences (USU). The course, held 

June 8-13, was sponsored by USU’s Center 

for Deployment Psychology (CDP), and is 

one of the first programs of its kind.

Students enrolled in “The 

Summer Institute: Preparing for a 

Military-Focused Career” examined how the military culture and 

deployment cycle can impact military personnel and their families 

and their help-seeking views. CDP 

instructors provided information 

on roles, responsibilities, assessments and other activities distinct 

to military psychologists that can 

create unique career opportunities. 

They also reviewed common deployment-related conditions such 

as chronic pain, insomnia, traumatic brain injury, and posttraumatic 

stress disorder. In addition, the 

course examined military ethics 

and the positive impact of deployments including resilience and 

camaraderie.

The course provided students 

interested in military internships with 

the opportunity to hear from former 

military psychologists about their varied 

experiences. They also were exposed 

to evidence-based practices used in 

military settings including motivational 

interviewing and cognitive-behavioral 

therapy. To supplement the class lectures, 

students participated in a war memorial 

tour on the National Mall led by USU 

doctoral students and had the opportunity 

to hear about clinical psychology internship 

programs in the military. 

 The 23 graduate psychology 

students who attended the course had all 

completed at least two years of doctorallevel education, along with clinical hours 

specializing in adult care. Several were 

Health Professions Scholarship Program 

(HPSP) students in the Air Force, Army 

or Navy, while others were from various 

civilian psychology doctoral programs. 

 Dr. Paula Domenici, the director of 

Civilian Training Programs for the CDP, 

believes this pilot program is a great way 

for graduate students to get a sneak peek 

at what it would be like to work with the 

military population. 

 “We wanted students genuinely 

interested in military internships and 

seriously considering careers as military 

psychologists to take the course, not those 

just looking to improve their resumes,” 

states Domenici. “Since this was our first 

time offering this course, we were excited 

that so many qualified students applied 

who expressed strong interest in working 

with the military and their families.”

 Based on preliminary findings from 

the daily knowledge assessments and 

final program evaluations, Domenici says 

the course results and student feedback 

were very positive. Participants reported 

a significant increase in their readiness 

to pursue a military-focused career in 

psychology after completing the course. 

They also showed significant gains in 

knowledge across the majority of course 

topics. As one student commented in 

feedback Domenici shared, “I am so 

thankful for this opportunity! This was 

one of the best events of my academic 

career. This institute was so professional 

and inspiring. I was excited to go active 

duty before the institute and now I can't 

wait. The aspect that surprised me the most 

was the fact that the instructors seemed to 

convey a personal interest in our success.”

 The CDP will incorporate the 

feedback from the pilot program and, if all 

goes as planned, offer the course again next 

summer. 

 “We hope to have just as much 

interest as we did the first time. It’s a unique 

experience for students to learn about 

serving as a psychologist in the military and 

what the opportunities are,” said Domenici.

Center for Deployment Psychology Director David Riggs, Ph.D., talks to participants in 

USU's first "Summer Institute: Preparing for a Military Focused Career." (Photo by R. 

Forster)
6 the pulse July 13, 2015

USU FMIG to Receive AAFP Program of Excellence Award 

by Sharon Holland

The Uniformed Services University of 

the Health Sciences (USU) Family Medicine 

Interest Group (FMIG) was recently 

selected as one of 10 programs nationally to 

receive the American Academy of Family 

Physicians’ Program of Excellence Award. 

This marks the third time the USU group 

has been selected for the honor, and the 

second consecutive year. 

The FMIG Program of Excellence 

Award recognizes family medicine interest 

groups for their efforts to stimulate interest 

in family medicine and family medicine 

programming. According to the AAFP, an 

“FMIG must demonstrate that it is wellrounded with competency in a number of 

key areas, including FMIG structure and 

operation, community service, exposing 

students to family medicine and family 

physicians, promoting the value of family 

medicine as primary care, professional 

development, and measures of success. 

The FMIG must also illustrate significant 

changes or enhancements -- what was 

learned from the previous years' activities, 

what new innovations have been or will 

be developed, and what elements of 

programming were modified to meet the 

needs of members.”

There are two types of FMIG Program 

of Excellence Awards. The first, Overall 

Awards, are given to 10 overall winners 

who are selected for demonstration of 

well-rounded, exemplary FMIG activity 

and operation, and who address all aspects 

of the key award areas explained above. 

USU’s FMIG, under the leadership of Air 

Force Maj. (Dr.) Christopher Bunt and 

Navy Cmdr. (Dr.) Adam Saperstein, will 

be presented with the Overall Award again 

this year.

The second, Special Consideration 

or Categorical Awards, are given to FMIGs 

who demonstrate excellence in one area, 

or who qualify for special consideration 

because they are a first-time applicant or 

an FMIG that has overcome significant 

obstacles. These may include excellence 

in community service, professional 

development, exposure to family medicine 

and family physicians, promoting the value 

of family medicine as primary care, firsttime applicant, or most improved FMIG.

Recipients of the award are 

acknowledged during the opening session 

at the AAFP National Conference of Family 

Medicine Residents and Medical Students, 

which will be held July 31 in Kansas City, 

Missouri. This year, Army 2nd Lt. Tiffany 

Chang, a first-year medical student, and 

Navy Ens. Megan Ohmer, a second-year 

medical student, will receive the award for 

USU’s FMIG.

“The USU FMIG is the largest and 

most successful student-run organization 

on campus. Committed to professional 

development, scholarship and community 

service, the USU FMIG continues a proud 

legacy of excellence that reflects well on 

the Department of Family Medicine and 

the University,” said Navy Capt. (Dr.) Mark 

Stephens, chair of the F. Edward Hébert 

School of Medicine Department of Family 

Medicine at USU. In 2008, Stephens, along 

with student leader 2nd Lt. Brooke Sciuto, 

helped USU’s FMIG earn the prestigious 

award. Last year, Bunt, along with Air 

Force 2nd Lt. Brooke Pati, the FMIG 

student leader, were the driving forces 

behind receipt of the award. 

Buckenmaier to Receive NIH Director’s Award

By Alexis Christman, Communications Intern

Retired Army Col. (Dr.) Chester 

“Trip” Buckenmaier will receive the 

prestigious National Institutes of Health 

(NIH) 2015 Director’s Award for his 

contributions to pain management.

Buckenmaier, director of USU’s 

Defense and Veterans Center for Integrative 

Pain Management and a member of the 

National Pain Strategy Group, will receive 

the award from NIH Director Francis 

S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., at the annual 

Director’s Award Ceremony, Sept. 24, at the 

Natcher Conference Center, NIH. 

The NIH Director's Award 

recognizes individuals who exhibit 

outstanding contributions, beyond 

regular attendance, to a special committee 

or task force dealing with NIH-wide 

policies, procedures or operations; an 

unusual display of leadership promoting 

the advancement of the understanding 

or application of scientific phenomena, 

processes or problems; extraordinary 

achievement in the application of scientific 

Retired Army Col. (Dr.) Chester “Trip” 

Buckenmaier will receive the prestigious 

National Institutes of Health (NIH) 2015 

Director’s Award for his contributions to 

pain management. (Courtesy Photo)

principles and methods to improve the 

efficiency or extend the benefits of the NIH; 

discovery or invention of a new principle, 

process or device of a scientific nature 

resulting in substantial benefit; remarkable 

competence, compassion, or heroism in an 

emergency situation at NIH; sustained and 

exceptional performance beyond regular 

duty requirements in carrying out a difficult 

task; or superior skill and leadership in 

science. 

“Dr. Buckenmaier has been 

instrumental in addressing the nation’s 

serious problems of pain -- especially 

chronic pain -- and its associated 

complications from conventional 

approaches, especially chronic opioid use. 

The Tri-Service and VA partnerships he has 

helped build are making a difference,” said 

Army Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Eric B. Schoomaker, 

vice chair for Centers and Programs in the 

Department of Military and Emergency 

Medicine at USU.
7 the pulse July13, 2015

USU President Dr. Charles Rice addresses the memvers of the EMDP2 class at a ceremony held at George Mason University June 29. 

The EMDP2 is a 24-month preparatory program for qualified enlisted members interested in careers as military physicians. (Photo by 

Sharon Holland)

U.S. Army Medical Command Sgt. Major Gerald C. Ecker, Senior 

Enlisted Advisor to the Army Surgeon General, congratulates Enlisted 

to Medical Degree Preparatory Program student Sgt. 1st Class Joshua 

Richter on completion of a successful academic year at George Mason 

University. Richter is in the charter class of students in USU's EMDP2 

program. (Photo by Sharon Holland)

USU's EMDP2 inaugural 

class is comprised of 5 

Army enlisted and 5 Air 

Force enlisted service 

members. Last month, the 

Marines announced they 

will also send students to 

the program. (Cupcakes by 

Dr. Donna Fox; Photo by 

Sharon Holland)

USU President Dr. Charles L. Rice congratulates Air Force 

Sgt. Joseph Merfeld on his promotion to Technical Sergeant. 

Merfeld is one of 10 enlisted service members in USU's 

charter EMDP2 program class. (Photo by Sharon Holland) 
8 the pulse July 13, 2015

Final Frame

Army Private Dennis Aguilar, a veterninary technician in the research department of Laboratory Animal Medicine at the Uniformed Services 

University (left), performs pull-ups during his exercise routine at the USU gym, July 10, 2015. His goal is to one day join an Army Special 

Forces Unit. (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Laura Bailey)