Learning to Care for Those in Harm’s Way

Volume 9, Issue 8 n May 12, 2014 

www.usuhs.edu

The Official USU Newsletter
Photo by MC3 Laura Bailey

On the cover 

The Center for Disaster Assistance

and Humanitarian Assistance

Medicine hosted a live rescue

demonstration with BethesdaChevy Chase firefighters to 

illustrate to Senegalese officials 

how U.S. experts respond to

emergencies. Read more on page

6. 

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

Christine Creenan-Jones

Editor and Layout Design

MC2 Brittney Cannady

Writer and Photographer

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 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 

christine.creenan-jones@usuhs.edu 

or by calling 301-295-3338.

2 the pulse May 12, 2014

9th Annual Amygdala Conference: 

“From Bench to Bedside”

by MC3 Laura Bailey, writer and photographer

The Uniformed Services University’s Center for the Study of 

Traumatic Stress held the 9th 

Annual Amygdala, Stress and 

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder 

Conference at the Uniformed 

Services University, April 22. 

 This year’s theme, “From 

Bench to Bedside,” focused on 

uniting scientists (bench) with 

clinicians (bedside), according 

to assistant chair of Research 

and assistant professor Army 

Lt. Col. (Dr.) Gary Wynn, Department of Psychiatry, USU, 

and scientist, Center for the 

Study of Traumatic Stress. 

 This year’s guest speakers 

included Dr. Israel Liberzon, 

University of Michigan; Dr. 

Alexander Crawford, Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine; Dr. Joshua Corbin, 

Children’s National Medical 

Center; Dr. Joel Gelernter, Yale 

University; and Dr. Joel Kleinman, Lieber Institute for Brain 

Development.

 Participants freely discussed 

PTSD across invisible boundaries that sometimes stand 

between scientists and clinicians, said Dr. Robert Ursano, 

a professor of psychiatry and 

neuroscience and chairman of 

the Department of Psychiatry 

at USU. No question was off 

the table which allowed attendees to ask anything. 

 “We’re trying to take that 

somewhat technical information and deliver it in an interpretable and usable way for 

clinicians both to see what’s 

happening, where we’re at 

and maybe where we’re going 

in the future so they’ll know 

what’s coming down the pike 

in general,” said Wynn. 

 Besides the sharing of information, the conference was a 

chance for scientists and clinicians to get a fresh perspective. 

A renewed vision can have a 

direct impact on care delivery, 

according to Wynn, who also 

said it benefits the people they 

serve -- the service members 

and their families.

 “You come to a conference 

like this having been grinding 

on a regular basis and you’re 

doing great care, but you’re 

sort of seeing the same thing 

over and over again,” said 

Wynn. “People who attend 

conferences, at least for myself 

when I’ve attended conferences, I walk away with sort of 

a reinvigoration.”

 The hope was that scientists 

and clinicians would walk away 

with at least three pearls of 

wisdom from the conference to 

share with someone else such 

as their spouse, partner, colleague or friend. 

 This year’s conference also 

included scientists and clinicians from Naval Medical 

Center San Diego thanks to 

a virtual teleconference call, 

which allowed NMCSD to 

listen to what was happening 

in real time. Using VTC could 

mark a new trend that may be 

utilized at next year’s Amygdala conference. 
3 the pulse May 12, 2014

USU research seeks better diagnostics, therapy for patients with lupus

by Christine Creenan-Jones, editor

Uniformed Services University Commencement Exercises

May 17, 2014

10:30 a.m.

Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall 

 Like most autoimmune diseases, lupus can 

wreak havoc on the human body. It attacks 

healthy cells and damages joints, blood vessels 

and vital organs, including the kidneys, liver, 

heart and brain. In extreme cases, lupus can 

even be fatal.

 Although the cause of lupus is still a mystery, 

research suggests genes and sex hormones play 

a factor because women – particularly minorities – are especially prone to contracting lupus 

during their childbearing years. 

 For this reason, lupus is an important focus 

area for military-trained rheumatologists like 

Dr. Charles Via, a professor in the Department 

of Pathology at the F. Edward Hébert School of 

Medicine. He spent eight years on active duty in 

the U.S. Army and 16 years taking care of patients at Veterans Affairs hospitals before coming to USU.

 “A lot of service members are affected by lupus,” he said. “And with more women joining 

the military each year, it will become an even 

bigger problem for the Department of Defense 

until science gets a better handle on lupus.”

 Via is working toward this goal by conducting 

research at USU that seeks both an earlier diagnosis and better therapies for lupus. 

 “Lupus has several manifestations, and it can 

seem like many different diseases. Therefore, 

it’s often misdiagnosed or overlooked. Treating 

lupus is also problematic because immunosuppressive drugs are commonly used, and they 

lower a person’s resistance to infection,” he said. 

 In response to these shortcomings, Via’s lab 

is exploring ways to shift the body’s immune 

response toward cell mediated immunity, a process involving T-cell activation to target and kill 

harmful pathogens. Unlike current treatment 

for lupus, Via’s method does not shut down all 

or part of the immune system, thereby compromising the body’s ability to heal itself. Rather, it 

changes the balance of the immune response by 

inhibiting the lupus-promoting response. 

 While conducting this research, Via’s team also 

discovered T-cell responses vary among individuals. Some are lupus prone, but most are not.

 “There are genetic differences in the T-cell 

response to a pathogen. A subset will give a 

lupus response instead of a normal response to 

eliminate it. So now we’re trying to identify the 

genetic makeup of lupus-prone T-cells with the 

goal of developing a blood test that can identify 

lupus-prone individuals,” Via said.

 Such a test could indicate which patients are at 

risk for more severe disease. 

 “I’ve taken care of lupus patients for more 

than 35 years now. I’ve seen their suffering and 

disability firsthand,” he said. “Lupus strikes 

people, particularly women in the prime of their 

life when they are trying to juggle career and 

family responsibilities. To be able to give them 

better treatment options, and hopefully prevent 

lupus flares in the first place is a goal all lupus 

researchers share.”

Dr. Charles Via

Photo by Christine Creenan-Jones
4 The Pulse The Official USU Newsletter The Official USU Newsletter 4

USU takes part in campus cleanup

by MC2 Brittney Cannady, writer and photograPhoto by MC2 Brittney Cannady

 After an especially tough winter, personnel 

from the Uniformed Services University came 

together for a campus cleanup to celebrate Earth 

Day, April 29. The brigade-sponsored event was 

organized to demonstrate the university’s commitment to a clean and environmentally friendly 

campus.

 “Participation in the cleanup was important 

because it brought awareness to the health of our 

environment and appearance of our local communities,” said Air Force Tech. Sgt. April Copeland, who helped coordinate the event.

 The cleanup marked a chance to tidy university 

grounds ahead of important events during spring 

and summer months that draw more visitors to 

campus like Research Days and Commencement. 

The cleanup began with teams surveying common areas where debris and trash can be found, 

including the breezeways between Buildings B 

and C and the exterior of USU. Personnel also 

cleaned portions of the campus that can be easily 

overlooked such as the parking garage and bike 

storage areas. 

 Although the campus cleanup was successful, 

keeping USU clean requires year-round effort 

from all members of the community.

 “The important thing is to just take action,” 

said Copeland. “If you see trash lying around, 

pick it up. If you see something you think may 

cause harm or be harmful to your environment, 

correct it. If it’s something you can’t resolve on 

your own, find out who can because your effort 

can make a difference.”

Personnel at the Uniformed Services University 

took part in a campus cleanup, April 29.

Section 508 compliance: It’s the law

by Christine Creenan-Jones, editor

 Not all digital files and web- sites are created equal. In fact, 

many include significant bar- riers that prohibit access to 

people with disabilities. 

 In order to right this wrong, 

Congress passed Section 508 

– an amendment to the United

States Workforce Rehabilita- tion Act of 1973 – to ensure all 

federally created or maintained 

information technology is universally accessible. 

 Like most new laws, Section 

508 has led to sweeping changes, including many at the Uniformed Services University.

 “In order to post a file to 

USU’s server, it will need to 

pass an accessibility test after 

every edit. Although the pro- cess may seem cumbersome 

at first, a lot of resources exist 

that walk users through 508 

compliance conversion tech- niques,” said Marla Wright, 

USU’s webmaster. “In fact, 

USU has its own Accessible 

Documents Training that can 

be downloaded from our OneStop End-User Support Library 

and a document that provides 

step-by-step instructions for 

using accessibility check tools 

in Acrobat and Microsoft products.”

 These tools illustrate ways to 

remediate common accessibil- ity errors, including formatting 

issues and information voids. 

 “Compliance isn’t a choice 

for USU, it’s the law with a lot 

of great benefits. By adher- ing to Section 508 guidelines, 

our website is becoming more 

usable to a broader audience. 

We should be making every 

effort to increase accessibility. 

We want our site visitors to be 

focused on the relevance and 

appeal of the information that 

we provide, not the issues involved in gaining access to it,” 

said Wright.
5 The Pulse The Official USU Newsletter

American Laser Society names Anders new president

by Sharon Holland, managing editor and deputy vice president for External Affairs

 The American Society for Laser Medicine & 

Surgery, Inc. has named Dr. Juanita Anders, 

professor of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics and professor of Neuroscience at the F. 

Edward Hébert School of Medicine, as its new 

president. Anders took office at Laser 2014, the 

ASLMS annual scientific conference held recently in Phoenix, Ariz., and will serve for one 

year.

 Anders, who specializes in peripheral and 

central nervous system injury and repair 

mechanisms and light tissue interactions, is an 

expert on photobiomodulation and has held 

positions within ASLMS since 1991 including president-elect, vice president, committee 

chair, and board member. 

 Anders serves on the executive councils and 

scientific advisory boards of many laser societies, and is the past president of the North 

American Association of Light Therapy and a 

founding member of the International Academy of Laser Medicine and Surgery. She serves 

on the editorial boards of Photomedicine and 

Laser Surgery, Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, 

Lasers in Medical Science and Physiotherapy 

Practice and Research. 

SoM alumnus wins research awards, competes for top prize

by Christine Creenan-Jones, editor 

 Army Capt. (Dr.) Jonathan 

Sexton, an F. Edward Hébert 

School of Medicine alumnus, 

won first place for his panel 

presentation at the Military 

Surgical Symposium sponsored 

by the Society of American Gastroenterological and Endoscopic Surgeons. The event, held in 

Salt Lake City, April 3-4, was 

a showcase of original military 

medical research across key 

surgical areas. Sexton, a general surgery resident at Walter 

Reed National Military Medical 

Center, prevailed in the trauma 

and critical care section of the 

competition. 

 As a result of his win, Sexton’s 

research was also entered in the 

American College of Surgeons 

Committee on Trauma Resident Research Competition. 

He placed first in the Basic 

Science Category for the U.S. 

Army, which means Sexton will 

have an opportunity to present 

at the Military Health System 

Research Symposium in Fort 

Lauderdale, Fla., this August, 

where he will compete against 

Navy and Air Force symposium 

winners to present at the ACS 

annual meeting.

 “Both of these efforts continue a long-standing tradition of surgical innovation in 

translational research which is 

relevant to our overall mission,” said Navy Capt. (Dr.) 

Eric Elster, chairman of USU’s 

Norman M. Rich Department 

of Surgery and the principal investigator for Sexton’s research 

project. 

F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine alumni, Army Captains 

(Drs.) Jonathan Sexton (left) and Vincente Nelson (right), 

presented at the Military Surgical Symposium sponsored by 

the Society of American Gastroenterological and Endoscopic 

Surgeons. Navy Capt. (Dr.) Eric Elster (center), chair of 

USU’s Norman M. Rich Department of Surgery, oversaw their 

research, for which Sexton won first place in the trauma and 

Photo by Thomas Balfour
CDHAM hosts live rescue demonstration, Senegal delegation

by MC3 Laura Bailey, writer and photographer

 The Center for Disaster and Humanitarian 

Assistance Medicine at the Uniformed Services 

University hosted a live rescue demonstration for senior-ranking members of Senegal’s 

disaster management focal points, including 

first responders from the National Brigade of 

Firemen, at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue 

Squad, April 3. 

 The demonstration was part of a week-long 

working session on disaster preparedness and 

response sponsored by the U.S. Africa Command Disaster Preparedness Program, one of 

several federally funded programs implemented 

by CDHAM. 

 “The Disaster Preparedness Program is 

unique in several ways,” said Dr. Charles 

Beadling, director of CDHAM. “First, we work 

with very senior members of the host nation 

government, ministers, deputy ministers and 

general officers. Second, our engagement with 

them is sustained for years, building strong 

relationships and partnerships. This is how we 

achieve the strategic objective of security cooperation.”

 Using special cutters on one of BCCRS’s 

Heavy Duty Rescue Squad trucks, which is commonly known as a “giant toolbox on wheels,” 

Senegal’s first responders were able to experience firsthand what it’s like to cut a car open 

by practicing on a staged vehicle. The BCCRS’s 

volunteer firefighters were there to demonstrate 

and assist with the tools. 

 This was an opportunity for the Senegalese 

delegation to see how the U.S. responds to 

calls, according to Capt. Dave Peary of BCCRS. 

Sharing this experience with Rescue One is an 

example of how relationships can be built with 

another country. They can then use this information to enhance rescue methods that will 

work in their country’s unique environment. 

 “The plan is that they’ll be able to be self-sustaining,” said Raymond Handel, an operations 

manager at CDHAM. 

 While they may not have the same equipment 

or resources to work with in Senegal, CDHAM’s 

demonstration provides a good informational 

foundation for them to build upon. It also 

fosters cooperation between U.S. and Senegal’s 

first responders that could be helpful in the 

event of a future disaster. 

 “The way our program works is what we call a 

sustained engagement, meaning we work with 

them over years, consisting of a series of activities,” said Beadling.

 Since 2011, the interaction between CDHAM 

and Senegal has been consistent with several 

activities taking place to discuss Senegal’s 

progress and develop, write, revise and review 

contingency plans within their national government and armed forces. 

 “So, the Senegalese visit to CDHAM was 

just one piece of a complex partnership,” said 

Beadling. “It is a very important part though, as 

it enables them to see some of our approach to 

disaster management and to focus without the 

daily distractions of their normal jobs.”

Photo by Thomas Balfour
7 The Pulse The Official USU Newsletter The Official USU Newsletter 7

Ritter named new NCC Surgery Program Director

by Sharon Holland, managing editor and deputy vice president for External Affairs

 Air Force Lt. Col. (Dr.) Matthew Ritter, associate professor of Surgery at the F. Edward 

Hébert School of Medicine, has been selected as 

the new National Capital Consortium General 

Surgery program director. 

 Ritter, a 1997 Uniformed Services University 

School of Medicine graduate, was chosen “from 

amongst a tremendously talented and stellar 

group of applicants,” according to Army Col. 

(Dr.) Craig Shriver, chief of General Surgery 

and director of the Murtha Cancer Center at 

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, 

in his announcement of Ritter’s selection. Ritter 

will replace Shriver, who also currently serves 

as the NCC General Surgery program director.

 The NCC General Surgery residency program 

based at WRNMMC is the military’s largest 

general surgery training program and also 

one of the largest in the nation. In addition to 

WRNMMC, the program offers clinical rotations to more than 50 residents at a number of 

military and civilian hospitals throughout the 

area, including Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, University of Maryland Shock Trauma 

Center, Washington Hospital Center, Children’s 

National Medical Center, Suburban Hospital, 

and INOVA-Fairfax Hospital. Residents spend 

six years in the program and are granted a dedicated 12 months 

of research upon 

completion 

of their third 

year of training. Residents 

also have the 

opportunity to 

train in a variety 

of WRNMMC’s 

specialty sections including 

advanced laparoscopy, bariatric surgery, breast 

surgery, colon 

and rectal surgery, endocrine surgery, general 

surgery, surgical oncology, pediatric surgery, 

and trauma surgery and critical care. 

 “Dr. Ritter will serve as program director 

while remaining in his role here at USU as vice 

chair for education in the surgery department. 

This will further align the undergraduate medical education and graduate medical education 

missions as well as USU and WRNMMC,” said 

Navy Capt. (Dr.) Eric Elster, chair of USU’s 

Norman M. Rich Department of Surgery.

 Ritter will begin his new duties July 1, 2014.

 

 

Navy Lt. Jaime Lee and 

her classmates at the Naval 

Postgraduate Dental College at the 

Uniformed Services University took 

part in a table clinic presentation, 

April 11. At the clinic, Lee 

discussed the causes, symptoms 

and treatments for Oromandibular 

Dystonia, a disfiguring disease 

characterized by uncontrollable 

muscle contractions in the mouth 

and body.

PDC students showcase 

research at table clinic

Photo by Christine Creenan-Jones

Air Force Lt. Col. (Dr.)

Matthew Ritter

Photo by Thomas Balfour
Photo by MC3 Laura Bailey

Final Frame