Warren symposium follows legacy of geneticist giant

If we want to understand how the brain creates memories, and how genetic disorders distort the brain’s machinery, then the fragile X gene is an ideal place to start. That’s why the Stephen T. Warren Memorial Symposium, taking place November 28-29 at Emory, will be a significant event for those interested in neuroscience and genetics. Stephen T. Warren, 1953-2021 Warren, the founding chair of Emory’s Department of Human Genetics, led an international team that discovered Read more

Mutations in V-ATPase proton pump implicated in epilepsy syndrome

Why and how disrupting V-ATPase function leads to epilepsy, researchers are just starting to figure Read more

Tracing the start of COVID-19 in GA

At a time when COVID-19 appears to be receding in much of Georgia, it’s worth revisiting the start of the pandemic in early 2020. Emory virologist Anne Piantadosi and colleagues have a paper in Viral Evolution on the earliest SARS-CoV-2 genetic sequences detected in Georgia. Analyzing relationships between those virus sequences and samples from other states and countries can give us an idea about where the first COVID-19 infections in Georgia came from. We can draw Read more
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Woodruff Health Sciences Center

Medicine Through the Ages

Sometimes treasures are hidden in plain sight. Take for example the enormous mosaic that graces Emory’s Woodruff Health Sciences Center Administration Building, conveying the history of medicine through the ages through 2.5 million small mosaic chips.

Installed in 1996, the mosaic is the work of Italian-born artist Sirio Tonelli.  Dr. John Skandalakis (1920-2009) of Emory University was familiar with the artist through previous work on the Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Atlanta. It was Dr. Skandalakis, director of the Centers for Surgical Anatomy and Technique, who was a key force in commissioning the mural.

Yet this piece of campus, 66 feet long and three stories high, remains largely unknown on the Emory University campus. Interested in seeing the mural in person? WHSCAB, at 1440 Clifton Road on Emory’s Atlanta campus, is open to the public during normal weekday hours. A brochure available in the lobby not only gives background information but provides a key to the identities of the over 30 historical figures and events pictures on the mosaic.

Posted on April 22, 2011 by Wendy Darling in Uncategorized Leave a comment

Health sciences on the A-List

Parade magazine’s back-to-school survey in the August 22 issue and website included Emory on its A-list of colleges with excellent programs in the health sciences.

“Good health programs combine strong academic preparation with a hands-on approach and offer a wide variety of choice,” said the magazine.

“Emory University, a stand-out in health sciences, has the Centers for Disease Control virtually next door.”

Emory also made the A-list for its pre-med programs:

“At Emory, students interested in the field of medicine have the opportunity to gain first-hand exposure to the daily routine of the physician through their House Staff Assistant program. Students witness all aspects of the job and become integral parts of the medical team, which consists of attending physicians, resident physicians, and medical students.”

The list of outstanding schools was based on the recommendations of 43 top guidance counselors across the country.

Posted on September 20, 2010 by admin in Uncategorized Leave a comment

Studying the doctor and nursing shortage

An increase in the number of the nation’s elderly and the aging population of doctors is causing a doctor shortage in the United States, with estimates that the demand for doctors will outstrip supply by 2020, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.

The Association of Colleges of Nursing notes a similar dilemma for the nation’s registered nurses. Read Knowledge@Emory for the full article. 

Fred Sanfilippo, MD, PhD

Fred Sanfilippo, MD, PhD, executive vice president for health affairs at Emory, CEO of Emory’s Woodruff Health Sciences Center and chairman of Emory Healthcare, says, “There is an ever-changing cycle of shortages. Advances in technology and treatment can reduce or increase demand for specialists needed in one area or another much more quickly than it takes to train or absorb them.”

For instance, the demand for cardiac surgeons has slowed dramatically as a result of better medications and stents. Changes in insurance and Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement can also impact specialties, he says.

“Since medical school graduates now carry so much debt, the specialty they choose is often influenced by potential income, which is most evident in the low numbers going into primary care.”

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Posted on March 24, 2010 by admin in Uncategorized Leave a comment

Experts review global health care programs for answers

A recent Knowledge@Emory article looks at a new book titled The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care, by author and journalist T.R. Reid. The book provides an in-depth look at the health care systems in a number of Western nations, including Germany, France, the U.K, Japan and Canada. The countries he profiles offer a mix of public and semi-public health care options.

In addition to interviewing Reid, experts from Emory Healthcare, Emory’s Woodruff Health Sciences Center and the Rollins School of Public Health Department of Health Policy and Management, weigh in on the problem of U.S. health care reform and what can be learned from the examples abroad.

Joseph Lipscomb, PhD

According to Joseph Lipscomb, PhD, a Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Cancer Scholar and a professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management, quality of care, outcomes and cost analysis must be factored into the reform process. Looking abroad, Lipscomb gives generally high marks to the outcome and cost analysis done by the National Health Service and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in the U.K. He applauds NICE’s ongoing efforts to estimate the cost-effectiveness of new, expensive technologies by using decision processes that are transparent and solicit input from private citizens, providers and industry.

Read more

Posted on January 19, 2010 by admin in Uncategorized Leave a comment