Volume 10, Issue 3 n February 12, 2015

www.usuhs.edu

The Official USU Newsletter

Learning to Care for Those in Harm’s Way
For an astounding third consecutive year, F. Edward Hébert 

School of Medicine faculty, in 

conjunction with the Uniformed 

Services University and The Henry 

Jackson Foundation (HJF) technology transfer team, have been 

selected as recipients of the Federal Laboratory Consortium’s (FLC) 

Award for Technology Transfer.

Dr. Alison O’Brien, professor 

and chair of the SOM’s Department 

of Microbiology and Immunology, and Dr. Louise Teel, associate 

professor in the Department of 

Microbiology and Immunology, 

were selected as this year’s award 

recipients.

The award was presented based 

on the development of monoclonal antibodies by O’Brien to two 

immunologically distinct types of 

Shiga toxin, Stx1 and Stx2, which 

are responsible for numerous 

disease manifestations from the 

consumption of undercooked meat, 

raw milk and milk products, unpasteurized juices, lettuce, spinach, 

chili peppers, etc. The monoclonal antibodies were then used by 

O’Brien and Teel to develop a Shiga 

toxin diagnostic assay that provides a method to detect the Shiga 

toxins produced by Escherichia coli 

(STEC). 

The development of two Shiga 

toxin diagnostic assays, “Shiga 

Toxin Chek” and “Shiga Toxin Quik 

Check,” provide rapid tests that 

are able to detect and differentiate 

Stx1 and Stx2 toxins from STEC, 

allowing for the timely diagnosis of 

STEC and for the implementation 

of an appropriate treatment plan.

Drs. O’Brien and Teel join last 

year’s recipient, Dr. George Peoples and 2013 recipient, Dr. Christopher Broder as award winners.

Dr. Peoples, a professor of surgery in the School of Medicine at 

USU, and chief of surgical oncology 

at the San Antonio Military Medical Center, received the FLC award 

for work to license a promising 

vaccine to reduce breast cancer 

recurrence rates.

Dr. Broder, professor of Microbiology and Immunology, along 

with his USU team and collaborators, developed the first treatment 

for and the first vaccine against the 

deadly Hendra and Nipah viruses.

Sharon Holland

Deputy Vice President for External 

Affairs and Managing Editor

Gwendolyn Smalls

Chief, Media Affairs

Master Sgt. Oshawn Jefferson

NCOIC of VPE and Deputy Chief, 

Media Affairs

Christopher Austin

Editor/Layout Design

MC3 Laura Bailey

Writer and Photographer

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 

christopher.austin@usuhs.edu or by 

calling 301-295-3338.

Shiga Toxin Rapid Diagnostic Assay Earns USU-HJF 

Third Consecutive Tech Transfer Award

by Sharon Holland, deputy vice president for external affairs/ managing editor

2 the pulse February 12, 2015

On the cover

Students in The Domestic Disaster 

Management and Response course attend a 

panel on chemical, biological, radiological, 

nuclear, and high-yield explosive (CBRNE) 

disaster response. Learn more on pg. 5. 

(photo by Christopher Austin)

Dr. Louis Teel (left) and Dr. Alison O’Brien (right) display the “Shiga Toxin Quick Check.

(photo by Christopher Austin)
The Daniel K. Inouye Graduate 

School of Nursing celebrated the 

Army Nurse Corps 114th birthday 

in lecture hall F of building E at 

Uniformed Services University on 

Feb. 3.

“The Army Nurse Corps talks 

about embracing the past, engaging the present and envisioning 

the future, “said Dr. Carol A. 

Romano, the dean of the Daniel K. 

Inouye Graduate School of Nursing. “When you embrace the past, 

you’re celebrating what’s gone 

before us. When we engage the 

present, we think about what we’re 

doing today in Army nursing and in 

our lives. But we also envision the 

future happy birthdays for another 

114 years.”

The event began with a brief 

history of the Army Nurse Corps, 

highlighting its origins in 1898 

with the announcement of the 

Spanish-American War when 

female nurses were hired by the 

government for $30 per month and 

a daily ration, and being formally 

established on Feb. 1, 1901 by a 

congressional bill.

“Go back and read your Army 

Nurse Corps history. It is replete 

with firsts for the Army. We set the 

standard in so many ways for the 

Army Nurse Corps because we are 

built of such wonderful individuals,” said Army Col. (Dr.) Paul C. 

Lewis, an assistant professor at the 

GSN. “You’re all driven, you’re all 

professionals and we strive for the 

best that we can possibly do. That’s 

what makes the Army Nurse Corps 

the best corps in the army.”

3 the pulse February 12, 2015

GSN Celebrates The Army Nurse Corps’ 

114th Birthday

by Christopher Austin, editor/ layout design

In Army Nurse Corps tradtion, the most junior Army Nurse Corps officer in the room, Army Capt. 

Mark Benito (left), and the most senior, Army Col. Paul C. Lewis (right), use a saber to cut the cake 

at the Army Nurse Corps 114th Anniversary celebration. (photo by Army Sgt. Jeffrey Dillon)

SAVE THE DATE

10th Annual Amygdala, Stress and PTSD Conference: Of Mice and Man

April 21, 2015, USU, Sanford Auditorium

The Amygdala, Stress and PTSD Conference at the Uniformed Services University brings together scientists and clinicians 

working toward solving the biological basis of stress, fear, and posttraumatic stress disorder. The conference is sponsored by 

Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress (CSTS) of the Uniformed Services University in collaboration with the USU Department 

of Psychiatry, USU Neuroscience Program, USU Department of Family Medicine, and the Walter Reed National Military Medical 

Center, Department of Psychiatry. 

To learn more and to register please visit: http://www.amygdalaptsdconference.org.

 Registration will remain open through 14 April 2015. This event is free and open to the public. Continuing Education credits will be offered. 
Research links shift work, increased cancer risk 

by Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class, writer and photographer

4 the pulse February 12, 2015

Dr. Melannie Alexander, a 

research associate at Uniformed 

Services University gave a lecture 

in January titled “Occupational 

Exposures and Epigenetic Alterations,” highlighting her research 

on the possible link between shiftwork, one of many occupational 

exposures, and the increased risk 

of developing cancer. 

“It is believed that there are 

certain genes within the deoxyribonucleic acid sequence that when 

turned off, will stop the processes 

in the body that prevent cancer,” 

said Alexander. “Genes are turned 

on and off by attaching chemical 

tags.”

Chemical tags could be produced as a result of occupational 

exposures and attach to the DNA 

sequence, and control the level of 

products produced in the body, 

she said. While the DNA sequence 

itself stays the same, the chemical 

tags attaching themselves to the 

sequence become mutable. These 

are known as epigenetic alterations 

and this effects one’s risk for developing cancer. 

“So when you attach these 

chemical tags to a gene that is 

considered a tumor suppressor, 

you’re turning that gene off,” said 

Alexander. “That’s when a person’s risk for cancer is theoretically 

increased.” 

In contrast, oncogenes, which 

promote cancer, can be turned on 

and their activity increased, she 

added. 

While other factors such as diet 

and exercise, family history, etc., 

must be considered, linking shift 

work and increased cancer risk can 

be backed up by science. 

Those who engage in shift work 

sleep during the day and work at 

night, she said. That means they 

spend less time in the sunlight and 

therefore may produce less melatonin 

than a non-shift 

worker. 

“Melatonin follows a circadian 

pattern,” said Alexander. “It has also 

been shown that 

melatonin has some 

anti-cancer effects, 

but if you’re not 

waking up at proper times to receive 

sunlight during the 

day, it effects the 

circadian pattern. 

Pretty much every 

system inside the 

body follows a 24-hour rhythm and 

when you mess that up, it sort of 

predisposes one’s risk to cancers.” 

Shift workers, in particular, may 

have an increased risk of developing cancer because they lack 

enough melatonin in the body to 

aid in the bodily processes that 

ward off cancer, and there are other studies that back up this theory, 

she said. 

The International Agency for Research on Cancer published a press 

release Dec. 5, 2007, that said they 

considered shift work a probable 

carcinogen to humans. 

In separate studies, researchers 

looked at the epigenetic patterns 

in both shift workers and non-shift 

workers and found differences 

in the genes that regulate body 

rhythms. Compelling research findings show tumors growing faster in 

shift workers than they do in day 

workers. In the article, “Night-shift 

work and risk of colorectal cancer 

in the nurses health study” published June 2003 in the Journal of 

the National Cancer Institute, data 

suggests that shift work of at least 

three nights per month for 15 or 

more years may increase the risk of 

colorectal cancer in women.

Researchers continue to investigate the possible link between shift 

work and cancer risk, but it is a 

study still in its youth, according to 

Alexander. 

“More experimentation is 

needed,” she said. “Epigenetics in 

relationship to cancer is a lot more 

complicated than what we first realized. At some point I would really 

like to see a dose response effect 

in terms of how much shift work 

could exert these changes in DNA.”

While doing so may not necessarily show damage to the sequence, it could possibly reveal 

epigenetic alterations, she added. 

Maybe then they could figure out 

how much shift work could be considered appropriate and influence 

policy changes. 

“There needs to be better protection for shift workers against occupational exposures,” said Alexander. “I would hope we’re not doing 

all of this for nothing. It’s up to us, 

to researchers, to work with policy 

makers. We need to talk with people in evaluation, people who are in 

prevention. It’s a team effort.”

Melannie Alexander, a research associate at the Uniformed Services 

University, who holds a doctorate in public health, gives a lecture on 

Occupational Exposures and Epigenetic Alterations at USU, Jan. 22. 

(photo by MC3 Laura Bailey)
Experts Lead Panel to Prepare Students for 

Managing Disasters

by Christopher Austin, editor/layout design

5 the pulse February 12, 2015

The Domestic Disaster Management and Response course is 

an elective course in the Graduate Public Health Program being 

taught at Uniformed Services University this year to better prepare 

students for handling domestic 

disasters.

Led by Navy Capt. (ret.) (Dr.) 

Kenneth Schor, and Navy Lt. 

Cmdr. Tifani Grizzell, the course 

featured a chemical, biological, 

radiological, nuclear, and high explosives (CBRNE) response panel 

on Jan. 23 that provided testimony 

on some of the realities that go into 

disaster management. 

“The challenge for us is to be 

extraordinarily energetic and 

enthusiastic about planning for 

that which will likely never come,” 

Schor told the class. “Keeping that 

enthusiasm every single day is a 

challenge because the taxpayers 

will, hopefully, never need to see 

a return on this preparedness. We 

don’t ever expect an improvised 

explosive device going off, and everybody dismisses it as never going 

to happen.

“But what if it does?” Schor 

continued. “And they look at us as 

the people who should have had 

a really good plan to mitigate its 

impact and it’s awfully hard to do 

that when all the experience you 

have is from national exercises and 

tabletop exercises and discussions 

about the what-ifs.”

The uncertain nature of disasters 

was a constant theme through the 

discussion with emphasis placed 

on the importance of exercises and 

introducing surprises into them to 

improve their authenticity. 

Navy Lt. Cmdr. (ret.) James 

Area, an industrial hygienist, 

environmental health officer and 

a speaker during the class, talked 

about how he ran viral response exercises and changed the criteria for 

the exercise in the middle of it so 

that the participants had to drive to 

another state at a moment’s notice 

and perform the exercise there.

“I’m never worried about our 

guys being able to move rocks, 

being able to decontaminate people 

or work their equipment,” Area 

said. “I’m more worried that if 

something were to happen in the 

middle of getting there it would be 

a game stopper. Our guys would 

be stopped in the road never being 

able to move anywhere.”

“Murphy’s Law applies, anything 

that can go wrong will go wrong,” 

said Army Col. (Dr.) Mark Kortepeter, the associate dean of Research at USU’s F. Edward Hébert 

School of Medicine. Kortepeter was 

there to speak as an army consultant in bio-defense.

Another topic focused on the 

panel was the importance of flexibility in working with CBRNE, particularly in terms of how the effects 

of one event can require a response 

normally associated with another.

“When we talk about CBRNE, 

any disaster you might have – 

whether it be a ten kiloton nuclear 

bomb going off or some sort of 

bio event – they’re all going to run 

together. They’re all going to relate 

in some say,” said Area. “Every 

nuclear incident is a huge chemical disaster as well. We look at all 

those separate elements and put 

them together and that’s CBRNE.”

All topics covered dealt with 

preparing for CBRNE disasters by 

having a plan that can be altered. 

Students were encouraged to build 

a relationship with the civilian areas around their bases so that they 

can cooperate in an event; know 

their role in the chain of command 

including those who report to 

them; and know there will be times 

when they will be limited in what 

they can do to help.

“The things we talked about 

weren’t surprising but you don’t 

think about them as much,” said 

Navy Lt. Hadley Sulpizio, a Master 

of Public Health student. “They’re 

all intuitive so nothing’s coming 

as a surprise. Last class we talked 

about mental health and disasters. 

Our speaker talked about after 

Hurricane Katrina about people 

who stayed there. Drug addicts 

and so forth. I had never thought 

about that; those people who were 

staying there because their dealers 

were there. So it’s something to 

keep in mind.” 

Navy Lt. Cmdr. (ret.) James Area, Navy Capt. (ret.) (Dr.) Kenneth Schor, Army Col. (Dr.) Mark 

Kortepeter, and Army Col. (Dr.) Neil Page lead the CBRNE panel for the Domestic Disaster Management and Response course. (photo by Christopher Austin)
Romano, DeJong named University of Maryland School of Nursing Visionary 

Pioneer Award Recipients

by Sharon Holland, deputy vice president for external affairs/ managing editor

Dr. Carol A. Romano, dean of 

the Daniel K. Inouye Graduate 

School of Nursing, And Air Force 

Col. Marla DeJong , interim GSN 

dean of Research, are among 25 

University of Maryland School of 

Nursing (UMSON) alumni named 

as Visionary Pioneers in nursing 

for 2015.

As part of its 125th anniversary 

celebration, UMSON will honor 

outstanding alumni, both living 

and deceased, as Visionary Pioneers who have become expert 

clinicians, educators and leaders in 

Maryland, the nation and around 

the world. Those selected have 

made a significant impact on and 

contributions to the nursing profession based on their leadership, 

innovation or entrepreneurship. 

“We are excited to announce our 

inaugural Visionary Pioneer Award 

winners during this momentous 

year in the School of Nursing’s 

history. All of these outstanding 

alumni have had an impact on the 

nursing profession and health care, 

and we are extremely proud of 

them,” said Dr. Jane M. Kirschling, 

dean of the School of Nursing.

Romano, who earned her Bachelor of Science in nursing in 1977, 

her Master’s degree in 1985, and 

her Ph.D. in 1993 from UMSON, is 

recognized as a pioneer in nursing 

informatics. She helped design and 

implement one of the first computerized medical information systems in 1976, which provided electronic medical orders and clinical 

documentation for physicians and 

nurses in ambulatory and hospital 

environments. She was co-architect of the world’s first graduate 

curriculum in nursing informatics 

at UMSON. Romano served as 

advisor to the World Health Organization on the management of 

manpower and health information 

in developing countries. She has 

served in a variety of leadership 

positions in the U.S. Public Health 

Service in the Office of the Surgeon 

General (OSG), including acting 

Deputy Surgeon General, acting 

Chief of Staff OSG, director of the 

Office of Reserve Affairs, and Chief 

Nursing Officer.

De Jong, who earned her Master 

of Science degree from UMSON in 

1996, has had a stellar 25-year career in the Air Force. She has held 

numerous leadership positions 

and her extraordinary skills have 

been recognized through early promotions to the ranks of Lieutenant 

Colonel and Colonel. Her contributions have shaped military and 

civilian nursing clinical practice, 

the delivery of health care, nursing 

education and management, research, and health policy. DeJong 

previously served as director of the 

Tri-Service Nursing Program at 

USU, and dean, United States Air 

Force School of Aerospace Medicine. 

“USU is enormously proud 

of this recognition of two of our 

outstanding nursing scholars,” 

said Dr. Charles L. Rice, president 

of USU. “They are superb leaders 

of the Daniel K. Inouye Graduate 

School of Nursing.”

Romano and DeJong will be 

honored at the UMSON’s 125th

Anniversary Gala, April 18, in Baltimore, Md. 

6 the pulse February 12, 2015

Dr. Carol A. Romano, dean of the 

Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of 

Nursing. (photo by Thomas Balfour)

SAVE THE DATE

31st Packard Award Lecture

March 11, 2015, 3:00pm, USU, Sanford Auditorium

 Honored Guest Speaker: Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

Sponsored by the USU Faculty Senate

Col. Marla DeJong , interim dean 

of Research at the Daniel K. Inouye 

Graduate School of Nursing. 

(photo by Thomas Balfour)
Research Shows Stress Linked to Increased 

Risk of Heart Disease

by Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Laura Bailey, writer and photographer

Current studies at the Uniformed Services University indicate that stress can have short term 

as well as lasting effects on overall 

heart health and hospitalizations 

for heart problems. 

It’s no wonder then, that mental health is at the heart of many 

military campaigns, education and 

training objectives, said Dr. David 

Krantz, a professor for the Department of Medical and Clinical 

Psychology at USU. Encouraging 

mental well-being among service 

members could possibly improve 

heart health and offset health costs 

associated with heart diseases in 

the long term.

“Right now the problems having 

to do with psychological health 

and deployment are getting a lot 

of attention and they warrant this 

attention because of the psychological consequences of deployment and of war and of combat,” 

said Krantz. “An area of increased 

interest is the increased risk of 

cardiovascular disease (CVD) associated with post-traumatic stress 

disorder.”

A project that he and other 

individuals at USU – in radiology, 

cardiology and psychiatry – are 

getting involved in looks at the 

short and long term cardiovascular 

effects of both PTSD and traumatic 

brain injury. As it turns out, one of 

the links between PTSD and CVD 

is the same link between stress and 

coronary artery disease (CAD), he 

added. 

“It’s this repeated stress, anxiety 

and “fight or flight” activation of 

the sympathetic nervous system 

that causes damage to coronary 

arteries and promotes the development of coronary artery disease 

or CAD,” said Krantz. “CAD is 

the largest cause of death in the 

country, but I believe it is also 

the largest cause of death among 

military dependents and retirees 

as well. To the extent that it is the 

largest cause of death, it’s relevant 

to TRICARE and the overall military health care system.”

Another type of heart disease 

that is of concern is heart failure, 

he said. Heart failure occurs when 

the heart tissue gets damaged, 

usually after a heart attack, to the 

point that the heart is unable to 

pump the blood that it needs. As 

a result, symptoms manifest in 

shortness of breath or the inability to walk. Heart failure usually 

occurs in older individuals and 

results in many hospitalizations. 

“This particular heart problem is 

not so much a particular problem 

for military readiness, it’s a problem for care of military dependents 

and retirees,” said Krantz. “Heart 

failure is a major cause of cost – 

excessive cost, because patients 

with heart failure get hospitalized 

repeatedly.”

While there is mounting evidence supporting the link between 

stress and heart disease, stress 

alone is not the cause of heart 

disease. 

“Age is a big risk factor, along 

with elevated cholesterol, blood 

pressure, and smoking and then 

stress puts it over the edge to 

where heart symptoms develop,” 

said Krantz. “You hear of ticking 

time bomb situations where somebody has all of these risk factors 

and they have this underlying heart 

disease, but they may not know it. 

Then suddenly they encounter a 

stressful situation and they either 

have a heart attack or they die suddenly. It’s not because the stress 

caused the entire disease process. 

It’s because they had a fuse and it 

just needed to be lit.”

Various non-drug treatments 

such as mediation, yoga and regular exercise can be very effective 

for reducing stress. Doing things 

that you find enjoyable can also be 

helpful, he said. 

As part of a comprehensive prevention plan, stress management 

can effectively reduce one’s risk for 

heart disease, he said. The military 

realizes this and that’s why stress 

management and successful coping 

are emphasized regularly. It’s not 

just a gimmick.

“A healthy lifestyle, stopping 

smoking, controlling your blood 

pressure, exercising and reducing stress,” said Krantz, “is the 

best way to ensure heart health 

throughout one’s life.” 

Dr. David Krantz, a professor for the department of medical and clinical psychology at 

USU. (photo by Mc3 Laura Bailey)

7 the pulse February 12, 2015
Final Frame

8 the pulse February 12, 2015

Navy Lt. Lindsay McQuade, family nurse practitioner student at the Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of Nursing, 

examines a child at the Val G. Hemming Simulation Center. (photo by Thomas Balfour)