Dr. J. Dawn Abbott joined theDivision of Cardiology at Rhode

Island Hospital in 2004 as an AssistantProfessor of Medicine. Prior to comingto Brown, she completed her postgraduate medical education at the YaleUniversity School of Medicine, includingfellowships in cardiovascular medicineand interventional cardiology, withadvanced training in peripheralendovascular procedures. In addition todeveloping her clinical interests, shepursued two additional years of mentored

basic science research studying the role of chemokines on stem cellrecruitment to the heart. She came to Brown with the goal of buildinga career that encompassed research, teaching and the practice ofclinical cardiology. Still early in her career, she attributes her progressin these arenas to the support of her colleagues and guidance of hermentors, particularly Dr. David O.Williams, Professor of Medicinein the Division of Cardiology.

“While success in research may come in many forms, it has one mainrequirement; passion about the questions you are trying to answer”,comments Dr. Abbott. In the first year of her appointment, Dr.Abbott was the recipient of a career development grant from theAmerican College of Cardiology Foundation to study angiographiccharacteristics and other prognostic variables in patients with acutecoronary syndromes undergoing percutaneous coronary interventionin the ongoing National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute DynamicRegistry. She and her colleagues were the first to describe the highrate of adverse outcomes observed in patients receiving an interventionto a coronary artery supplying collateral circulation. She has alsopublished manuscripts on the effects of both gender and myocardialinfarction type on adverse outcomes in percutaneous coronary

intervention. In order to further explore the mechanism of recurrentischemic events observed in these studies, she designed a trial toexamine whether existing methods of platelet function assessmentcan identify patients who may not respond to the administration ofantiplatelet therapies. She was fortunate to receive funding from theRhode Island Foundation for this project and study enrollment isnear completion. The results will hopefully provide clinically usefuldata on the utility of point-of-care devices and define potentialthresholds for adequate platelet inhibition in patients with coronaryartery disease on dual antiplatelet therapy.

Dr. Abbott also cares for patients with peripheral arterial disease(PAD) in her practice and she is pursuing funding to conduct anobservational registry of lower extremity peripheral interventions.“This is a natural extension of the aims of the Dynamic Registry inpatients undergoing coronary intervention, but applied to PAD”.

Chairman’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Research Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Research News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

A Day in the Life of Oscar the Cat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Division Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Charles C.J. Carpenter, M.D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Memorial Hospital Welcomes New Physicians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Drs. Ed Wing and Lance Dworkin receive honorary appointments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Fred J. Schiffman, MD, named Physician of the Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Graduate Medical Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Grand Rounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

INSIDE

continued on page 2

Fa l l 2007 • Vo lume 8 Issue 3 • Publ ished Q u a r t e r l y

Faculty Spotlight: Integrating Academic and Clinical Medicine

J. Dawn Abbott, MD, FACC

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The house staff training programs in theDepartment of Medicine maintain their

reputation for excellence. As we enter anotherrecruiting season, I want to acknowledge theoutstanding job the program directors and thefellowship directors have done. Dom Tammaro,Fred Schiffman, Kelly McGarry, and JenniferJeremiah at Lifespan, and Eleanor Summerhill atMemorial have done exceptional jobs. They haveworked tirelessly to develop outstanding curricula,to ensure the quality of the teaching faculty, and tosupport the trainees in all aspects of their education.The programs attract students from every sectionof the country and from outstanding schools. All of

the programs have increased their popularity as shown by the number and quality of applicants.I have been taking morning report at the VA hospital and Memorial Hospital as well as theRhode Island and the Miriam. Report at each institution has its own flavor and style and eachis excellent.We are all indebted to the Chief Residents at Lifespan, Eric Gartman, Julie Maher,Leah Marano, Matt Quesenberry, and Sarah Tsiaras and the Chief Resident at Memorial,Purva Agarwal for their outstanding leadership.

I would also like to thank the support and teaching skills of our volunteer faculty who provideinvaluable educational experiences for our residents. Our fellowship directors, James Arrighi,Peter Tilkemeier, DavidWilliams, Paul Gordon and Al Buxton for Cardiology, Mitchell Levyfor Critical Care, NickWard for Pulmonary and Critical Care/RIH, Robert Smith and GeethaGopalakrishan for Endocrinology, Steve Moss for Gastroenterology, Aman Nanda for Geriatrics,Anthony Mega for Hematology/Oncology, Karen Tashima for Infectious Disease, J. GaryAbuelo for Nephrology who have similarly done great jobs. They struggle with ACGME rulesand requirements and maintaining the appropriate balance between service and education.The quality of our 75 fellows is terrific. They come from the very best programs to takeadvantage of Brown’s superb clinical and research opportunities. Upon graduation, manyjoin the faculty or enter practices in the Rhode Island area. We are truly fortunate to havesuch outstanding Divisions in the Department of Medicine, and outstanding residency andfellowship directors.

Together, we will be able to continue to attract top residents and fellows and provide the verybest training in Internal Medicine.

Chairman’s MessageEdward J. Wing, MD

continued from page 1

The Department of Medicine Newsletter is published quarterly. To submit an article or provide information contact

Denise Lavely-O’Hara at 444-5127, e-mail to dlavely-ohara@Lifespan.org or

contact Dan Bryant at 444-6893, e-mail to dbryant@Lifespan.org

This study will serve as a complementto completed and ongoing random-ized trials of PAD by providingadditional information to practitionerson the effectiveness of peripheralinterventions performed in routineclinical practice.

In addition to her research, Dr.Abbott actively participates in suchother academic activities as peerreview and teaching. She has servedon a grant study section for theNortheast Affiliate of the AmericanHeart Association. She currentlyserves on the editorial boards of theAmerican Journal of Cardiology andthe Journal of the American Collegeof Cardiology: CardiovascularInterventions, and also is an ad hocreviewer for five other medicaljournals. Her teaching and mentor-ship roles span the spectrum ofmedical and post-graduate medicaleducation at Brown. She is afaculty preceptor in the OnDoctoring course and the CardiacPathophysiology problem basedlearning, both involving 2nd yearmedical students. In her role as aclinician and educator, she attends inthe Coronary Care Unit for 4 weekseach year where she interacts closelywith the medical housestaff andcardiology fellows. She also mentorsseveral medical residents interestedin cardiovascular clinical research.

Dr. Abbott looks forward toexpanding her horizons atBrown, and to fostering ongoingcollaborations in cardiovasculardisease investigation.

3

Devasis Chatterjee, PhD, from theDivision of Hematology and MedicalOncology, has received a one-year ‘ConceptAward’ funded through the Department ofDefense for his project ‘Inhibition ofSTAT3 Signaling by RKIP in BreastCancer.’With the $75,000 in direct costfunding, the award will be used to test thehypothesis that the induction of Raf kinaseinhibitory protein (RKIP) inhibits STAT3(a self-signaling transcription factor) post-translational modifications and activation.As RKIP is proven to be a clinically rele-vant metastasis suppressor gene of humanbreast cancer, validating whether RKIP is anovel inhibitor of STAT3 signaling couldlead to the basis for molecular targetedtherapeutic strategy for breast cancer.

Suzanne de la Monte, MD, in the Divisionof Gastroenterology and Department ofPathology has received a subcontract fromWomen and Infants on the NationalInstitutes of Health grant ‘PlacentaDevelopment in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome’received by Dr. Fusun Gundogan. Theapproximately $45,000 per year in directfunding for five years on Dr. Delamonte’ssubcontract will be used to investigate howchronic ethanol consumption during preg-nancy adversely affects development of bothfetus and the placenta.

Edward Filardo, PhD, from the Division ofHematology and Medical Oncology, hasreceived a 3-year R01 from the NationalInstitutes of Health for a project titled‘Study of GPR30: a Novel EstrogenReceptor Linked to Breast Cancer.’Withapproximately $200,000 per year in funding,the project will assess the role of GPR30, aseven transmembrane-spanning receptorlinked to specific estrogen binding and rapidestrogen action, as a structurally distinctform of membrane estrogen receptor whosebiochemical actions appear to be distinctfrom the known estrogen receptors. This

will help better understand the biologicalrole of GPR30 in breast cancer.

Peter Friedmann, MD, from the Divisionof General Internal Medicine, has received$139,000 in funds from the NationalInstitutes of Health for his project ‘StabilizeAddiction/Affect, Begin Inmates Interferonfor HCV of Liver.’ Co-occurrence of chronichepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, drugdependence, and psychiatric disorders is agreat challenge to the incarcerated popula-tion. Although in-prison treatments aresafe and effective for inmates serving longsentences, most inmates are incarcerated forless than one-year. This grant will developan integrated model of behavioral healthand HCV treatment that bridges thetransition from prison to community byenrolling a group of inmates and piloting areentry program to facilitate stabilizationand treatment upon release from prison.

Douglas Hixson, PhD, in the Division ofHematology and Medical Oncology, hasreceived a 5-year R01 award from theNational Institutes of Health for the project‘Genesis of Liver Carcinomas with Oval CellTraits.’ Averaging about $240,000 per yearin direct funding, this grant hypothesizesthat CMP-FLEC (cholangiocyte markerpositive, bipotent, fetal liver epithelial cells),will possess a capacity for hepatocytedifferentiation similar to oval cells and willretain this capacity following spontaneoustransformation in vivo and progression toHCC in vivo. These studies will providenew insights into the role of bipotentprogenitors in liver cancer.

Kenneth Mayer, MD, in the Division ofInfectious Diseases has received threesupplemental funded projects from theFogarty International Center and NationalInstitutes of Health.

Supplement #1: $96,102 in funds for theproject ‘Cancer Training and Resource

Development in Western Kenya, MoiUniversity. The funds will be used toimplement contemporary standards ofoncology care and to establish a databasethat will support planned clinical trials ofKaposi’s Sarcoma in HIV/AIDS patientsin western Kenya.

Supplement #2: $96,340 in funds for theproject ‘Cervical Cancer Screening forHIV-seropositive Women, Moi University,Eldoret, Kenya. These funds will test theaccuracy of visual inspection with aceticacid (VIA) versus pap smear as a screeningtool to detect cervical neoplasia.cancer amongHIV-positive women in Eldoret, Kenya aswell as assess prevalence of cervical neoplasia/cancer among this population.

Supplement #3: $100,000 in funds for theproject ‘Brown-Tufts Program for EnhancedHIV Prevention Training of ICMRResearchers.’ Funds will support 2 six-monthand 3 three-month fellows, to be selected bythe Indian Council for Medical Research inIndia, for advanced HIV prevention researchtraining in order to enhance the ability toconduct HIV associated clinical trials tocurtail the HIV/AIDS epidemic in India.

JackWands, MD, Division Director forGastroenterology, has received a five-yearR01 funded by the National Institutes ofHealth for his project ‘Biomarker forHepatocellular Carcinoma.’ Averaging$175,000 in direct cost funding, the grantwill be used to validate a new marker(HAAH) that may be useful in the diagno-sis of Human hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC). The specific aims are to 1) validateHAAH as a biomarker for HCC and 2)further characterize human scFv fragmentsand IgG anti-AAH anti-bodies. Thesestudies may lead to a new method for earlydetection of HCC in the liver, therebyimproving diagnosis and treatment options.

Research Awards

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Wen-Chih (“Hank”)Wu, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at TheWarrenAlpert Medical School of Brown University and staff cardiologist at the ProvidenceVA Medical Center, has been awarded a Merit Review Research Grant from theDepartment of Veterans Affairs on the subject of: “Group Intervention for DMGuideline Implementation” for $900,000 total direct costs for 4 years, 2008-2012.This grant will study delivery of care initiatives for cardiac risk reduction in patientswith diabetes mellitus. Dr.Wu has conducted research work in the areas of cardio-vascular epidemiology and outcomes, and is currently also the recipient of the VAMerit Review Award to conduct a cohort study in the evaluation of “PerioperativeBlood Transfusions and Cardiovascular Outcomes in the Elderly”.

A Day in the Life of Oscar the Cat

David M. Dosa, M.D., M.P.H.

Oscar the Cat awakens from his nap, opening a single eye tosurvey his kingdom. From atop the desk in the doctor’s

charting area, the cat peers down the two wings of the nursinghome’s advanced dementia unit. All quiet on the western andeastern fronts. Slowly, he rises and extravagantly stretches his2-year-old frame, first backward and then forward. He sits up andconsiders his next move.

In the distance, a resident approaches. It is Mrs. P., who has been living on the dementia unit’s third floor for 3 years now. She has longforgotten her family, even though they visit her almost daily. Moderately disheveled after eating her lunch, half of which she now wearson her shirt, Mrs. P. is taking one of her many aimless strolls to nowhere. She glides toward Oscar, pushing her walker and mutteringto herself with complete disregard for her surroundings. Perturbed, Oscar watches her carefully and, as she walks by, lets out a gentlehiss, a rattlesnake-like warning that says “leave me alone.” She passes him without a glance and continues down the hallway. Oscar isrelieved. It is not yet Mrs. P.’s time, and he wants nothing to do with her.

Oscar jumps down off the desk, relieved to be once more alone and in control of his domain. He takes a few moments to drink fromhis water bowl and grab a quick bite. Satisfied, he enjoys another stretch and sets out on his rounds. Oscar decides to head down thewest wing first, along the way sidestepping Mr. S., who is slumped over on a couch in the hallway.With lips slightly pursed, he snorespeacefully—perhaps blissfully unaware of where he is now living. Oscar continues down the hallway until he reaches its end andRoom 310. The door is closed, so Oscar sits and waits. He has important business here.

Twenty-five minutes later, the door finally opens, and out walks a nurse's aide carrying dirty linens.“Hello, Oscar,” she says.“Are yougoing inside?” Oscar lets her pass, then makes his way into the room, where there are two people. Lying in a corner bed and facing thewall, Mrs. T. is asleep in a fetal position. Her body is thin and wasted from the breast cancer that has been eating away at her organs.She is mildly jaundiced and has not spoken in several days. Sitting next to her is her daughter, who glances up from her novel towarmly greet the visitor.“Hello, Oscar. How are you today?”

Oscar takes no notice of the woman and leaps up onto the bed. He surveys Mrs. T. She is clearly in the terminal phase of illness, and herbreathing is labored. Oscar’s examination is interrupted by a nurse, who walks in to ask the daughter whether Mrs. T. is uncomfortableand needs more morphine. The daughter shakes her head, and the nurse retreats. Oscar returns to his work. He sniffs the air, givesMrs. T. one final look, then jumps off the bed and quickly leaves the room. Not today.

Special MentionsKatja Odening, PhD, in the CardiologyDivision, received third place in the JuniorInvestigator Poster Conference at the 7thAnnual Meeting of the Safety PharmacologySociety meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland.The title of her poster was ‘TransgenicLQT` and LQT2 Rabbits Provide a NewModel for Safety Screening for IKr or IKsBlocking Propensity of Drugs.’

Research News

5

GeriatricsThe Division of Geriatrics has been selected as a John A. HartfordFoundation Center of Excellence in Geriatric Medicine andTraining, pending final approval by the Foundation Board (12/07).This project funds advanced training for academic careers in aging.The Division is now the 15th program in the country with bothHartford Center of Excellence and Reynolds Foundation geriatricmedicine grant awards.

Hospitalist Medicine -Rhode Island HospitalThe RIH Hospitalist Program continues to see sustained growththrough demand from the private sector. Additionally to achievecompliance mandated by the Accreditation Council for GraduateMedical Education unassigned patients are being accepted by theservice. As a result of this, three new physicians will be added to thecurrent nine and it is anticipated that incorporation of residentteaching and education will occur over the upcoming academic year.

The Community Physician Alliance Service under operation by thisDivision continues to grow providing support to community physicianswhose patients are on the non-teaching service. In January of 2007weekend day coverage was instituted to provide cross coverage services.The program currently offers cross coverage services during the dayand support for admissions overnight.

Infectious DiseaseKenneth H. Mayer, M.D, Professor of Medicine and CommunityHealth at Brown University/Miriam Hospital Health received the2007 HIVMA Society Citation at the 2007 IDSA HIVMAAnnual Meeting in San Diego, California in October 2007.

The Society Citation is a discretionary award given in recognitionof exemplary contribution to HIVMA, or a lifetime of outstandingachievement in a given area —either in research, clinical investigation,or clinical practice. Occasionally, this Citation acknowledges milestoneinfectious diseases events or activities.

RheumatologyDr. Ted Lally and the Rheumatology faculty welcomed their firstfellow, Jill Mclory, MD, to the program on July 1, 2007. The BrownUniversity Rheumatology Fellowship Program at Rhode IslandHospital received full ACGME accreditation in January 2007.

Kidney Disease and HypertensionIn March 2007, Brown University received a significant, $1.25 millioncontribution to support research in kidney disease at our institutions.The gift was made by the Foundation for Health, which was estab-lished at the time of the sale of the Rhode Island Renal Institutes, anon-profit organization that operated three outpatient dialysis units inour state, to a for profit dialysis provider. Since its inception, theFoundation for Health has actively supported efforts to improve out-comes for kidney patients in our state by making specific grants to anumber of entities. This included direct patient initiatives, and also aNew Investigator Award to a member of the Division of RenalDiseases, Rujun Gong,MD, Ph.D., to support his laboratory researchprogram.This year, the board of the Foundation for Health decided tochange its mode of operation and instead of making small annualgrants, to make this large gift to Brown, to endow a special fund, theincome from which will be used to provide perpetual annual supportfor renal research. An awards process will be established that identifiesone or two individuals who conduct research in kidney disease eachyear as Foundation for Health Scholars, and funds will be allocated tosupport their research programs. Alternatively, funds may be used topurchase needed equipment or for other purposes that directly enhanceresearch in kidney disease at Brown.The University and theDepartment of Medicine are extremely grateful for this generous giftthat will certainly enhance the kidney research program at Brown andits long term goal of improving outcomes for the many patients, in ourstate and around the world, that suffer from of kidney disease.

Division Updates

Visit our website at:www.brownmedicine.org

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Providence, RI – Charles C.J. Carpenter, MD, founder of theImmunology Center at The Miriam Hospital and professor of

medicine at TheWarren Alpert Medical School of Brown University,was recently honored for more than 50 years of excellence in internalmedicine as the recipient of the Robert H.Williams, MD,Distinguished Chair of Medicine Award. The award is given by TheAssociation of Professors of Medicine (APM) and was presented toCarpenter at the APMWinter Meeting in early March.

TheWilliams award is presented annually by the APM, the nationalorganization of departments of internal medicine at medical schoolsand affiliated teaching hospitals. It is given to a distinguishedphysician who has demonstrated outstanding leadership as acurrent or former chair of a department of internal medicine.

In the nomination letters submitted by his peers and former students,Carpenter is hailed for being“one of the giants in American medicine”with a “bedside demeanor that has endeared him to generations ofyounger and older colleagues.” They point to his belief that hispatients and students are at “the center of his universe” referencingthe ease at which he gives out his home number to patients, makeshouse calls, or comes to the hospital in the middle of the night to seeone of his patients in the emergency department. Characteristic ofhis devotion to his medical students, Carpenter has publishedextensively, but has allowed many of his most widely quotedpapers to be first authored by students.

Known more recently for his research and care for patients withHIV, Carpenter’s interest in infectious disease began as a studentand teacher of cholera in the 1960’s. In 1962, he started the JohnsHopkins Cholera Research program in Calcutta, India where hedemonstrated the value of antibiotics and defined the fluid require-ments essential for the treatment of cholera. The advances his groupmade in oral rehydration therapy in developing countries werequickly adopted around the world.

Carpenter remained active in cholera research for the next decadeboth in Calcutta and as a professor of medicine at John HopkinsUniversity and physician-in-chief at Baltimore City Hospital.Subsequently, Carpenter joined the faculty of CaseWestern ReserveUniversity where he developed the first division of geographicmedicine within a department of medicine serving as a model formany U.S. academic institutions.

Arriving in Providence in 1986, Carpenter was named physician-in-chief at The Miriam Hospital and professor of medicine at Brown

University.Within a year, heestablished the ImmunologyCenter at The Miriam Hospitalunder the belief that all individualsbattling HIV deserved access tothe very best care available. TheCenter quickly became a majorclinical research and educationcenter for medical students,residents and fellows, as well ashealthcare professionals fromdeveloping nations.

In the early years of the AIDSepidemic, Carpenter was one ofthe first to see how the virus wasnot only affecting gay men, butalso how it was spreading withinprisons and becoming prevalent in women. In 1987, he initiated aunique program in which Brown University faculty/Miriam Hospitalphysicians assumed responsibility for all HIV care in the Rhode Islandstate prison system.This program now includes elective rotations formedical students, resident physicians, and subspecialty fellows.

Research remains a primary focus for Carpenter and he is the directorof one of the 18 Centers For AIDS Research (CFAR) in the country,headquartered at The MiriamHospital in collaboration with Tufts andBrown University. In addition, he is the principal investigator for theSUN study, a national, multi-site project that is the first longitudinalstudy to attempt to understand the natural history of HIV in theera of effective treatment.

Carpenter has enormous international stature and is a member ofthe International AIDS Society panel, a group comprised of 17 of theworld’s leading physicians who every two years author internationalguidelines published in the prestigious Journal of the AmericanMedical Association ( JAMA) on how to best administer antiretroviraltreatment. Carpenter served as chairman of the first panel in 1995and held the position through 2001.

Carpenter’s teaching efforts reach far beyond Rhode Island as hefrequently makes trips to India,Vietnam, Kenya and Cambodia to helpinstitute and facilitate HIV drug treatment programs and education.

His expertise and guidance continues to be recognized at the highestlevels as he was recently asked by Congress to chair the Treatment

Charles C.J. Carpenter, M.D., Receives nation’s top award in academicinternal medicine and honored for being an exemplary clinician and teacher

Charles C.J. Carpenter, M.D., winner ofthe 2007 Robert H.Williams,M.D.,Distinguished Chair of Medicine Award

continued on page 8

Stefan Gravenstein, M.D., M.P.H.,C.M.D. has joined the Gerontology

Center of Brown University and theGeriatrics Division as a new faculty memberin July 2007. Dr. Gravenstein is a graduateof Ohio State University College ofMedicine in Columbus, OH, completed hismedical residency and geriatric fellowship atthe University of Wisconsin-Madison andWilliam S. Middleton VeteransAdministration Medical Center inMadison. He received his MPH at EasternVirginia Medical School in Norfolk, VAand was elected to Delta Omega in 2002.Dr. Gravenstein is a fellow of the American

Geriatrics Society and the AmericanCollege of Physicians; and a member of theAssociation of Directors of AcademicGeriatrics Programs, Gerontologic Societyof America, among others. Dr. Gravensteinwas tenured as Associate Professor ofMedicine at UW-Madison before leavingfor Eastern Virginia Medical School in1996 to become the John Franklin Chair ofGeriatrics, was promoted to professor, andhe developed and directed the GlennanCenter for Geriatrics and Gerontology,including a geriatrics fellowship, which hedirected until this June. He also has wonmultiple competitive federal grants, includ-ing the VA Associate Investigator Award,K07, K08, and RO1, as well as foundationgrants such as the Geriatric LeadershipScholars Award, Hartford GeriatricAcademic Programs Award and others asprinciple investigator. The scientific focus ofhis research has centered on immune senes-cence and influenza in elderly people, with agrowing emphasis on inflammation. He haschaired NIH review committees, amongothers. He is immediate past president ofthe Virginia Geriatrics Society. Clinically,

Dr. Gravenstein founded and directed thefirst “memory” clinics both at UW-Madisonand EVMS, which primarily served demen-tia patients and their families, especially forthose patients with associated behavioraldisorders. He has been a medical directorat a dementia care unit at the assisted livinglevel, as well as at nursing homes. Amonghis present responsibilities, he serves as thedirector of the American Medical DirectorsAssociation-Foundation Research Networkand the CMS’ quality improvement organi-zation support center (QIOSC) for nursinghomes through Quality Partners of RhodeIsland, a Steering Committee Member andWorkgroup Chair of the AdvancingExcellence in America's Nursing HomesCampaign, and medical director at theTockwotton Home in Providence. Dr.Gravenstein moved to Providence fromVirginia Beach with his wife Mary Ann, topartner with “some of the amazing talent” atthe Gerontology Center at Brown andQuality Partners.

Katherine M. Sharkey, M.D., Ph.D. hasrecently joined the Pulmonary, Critical

Care and Sleep Disorders Medicine Division

as a Sleep Medicine physician. Dr. Sharkey isa graduate of the M.D.-Ph.D. program atRush University in Chicago, IL. During herpre-doctoral training she received an NIMHFellowship to study circadian rhythms andsleep in night shift workers and was electedto Alpha Omega Alpha. She pursued hergraduate medical education in the InternalMedicine-Psychiatry Residency Program atRush University Medical Center where sheserved as Chief Resident for InternalMedicine and Psychiatry in 2005–2006. Dr.Sharkey is a member of the AmericanAcademy of Sleep Medicine and the SleepResearch Society and is an assistant professor

with joint appointments in the Departmentsof Internal Medicine and Psychiatry. She willbe seeing sleep disorders patients at 1 JamesP Murphy Industrial Highway inWestWarwick and will also be involved in researchand teaching activities in the department. ARhode Island native, Dr. Sharkey is delightedto return to the Ocean State where sheintends to have a productive academic careerand to introduce her husband, KeithCallahan, M.D., a family medicine physician,and sons Nick and Alex to the pleasures ofher home state,“especially Narragansett Bay,amazing Italian food, and Del’s!”

7

PROFILES

Katherine M. Sharkey, M.D., Ph.D.

Stefan Gravenstein, M.D., M.P.H., C.M.D.

8

Memorial Hospital Welcomes New Physicians

Joe Yammine,M.D. has joinedMemorial Hospital’s Department ofMedicine/Division of CardiovascularMedicine. Dr.Yammine evaluatespatients with diverse cardiovascularissues with a special emphasis onelectrophysiological problems. He isboard certified in cardiology, echocar-diography and internal medicine.

Dr. Yammine earned his medicaldegree from the Lebanese University,

Faculty of Medicine in Beirut, Lebanon. He completed his internalmedicine residency and his fellowship in cardiology at SUNYUpstate Medical University in Syracuse. He is completing afellowship in advanced cardiac electrophysiology at TheWarrenAlpert Medical School of Brown University.

SabrinaWitherby,M.D. has joinedMemorial Hospital's Department ofMedicine/Division of Hematology/Oncology. Dr.Witherby earned hermedical degree from the Universityof Massachusetts Medical School,Worcester, MA after pursuingundergraduate studies atWesleyanand postgraduate studies at HarvardUniversities. She completed herinternal medicine residency at RhodeIsland Hospital/The Miriam

Hospital/ TheWarren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.She completed a fellowship in hematology/oncology from theFletcher Allen Health Care/University of Vermont, Burlington,VT.Dr.Witherby is board certified in internal medicine and is a memberof the American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Society ofHematology, American Medical Association, and the MassachusettsMedical Society

Dr. Aurora Pop-Vicas, MD,MPH,has joined Memorial's active staff inthe Infectious Diseases Division ofthe Department of Medicine. Dr.Pop-Vicas earned her medicaldegree and completed her InternalMedicine residency at the EmoryUniversity School of Medicine inAtlanta. She completed herInfectious Diseases fellowship atBeth-Israel Medical Center inBoston, and is board certified in

internal medicine and infectious diseases. Dr. Pop-Vicas receivedthe Maxwell Finland Award for Research Excellence from theMassachusetts Infectious Diseases Society.

Dr. Adrian Salmon, M.D. hasjoined the DOM’s IntensivistService at Memorial Hospital. Dr.Salmon earned his medical degreefrom the Universidad Catolica deSantiago de Guayaquil, Equadorand completed his Internal Medicineresidency at the University ofIllinois. He completed his fellowshipin Critical Care Medicine from theUniversity of Pittsburgh MedicalCenter. Dr. Salmon is board certified

in Internal Medicine and is a member of the Society of CriticalCare Medicine, American College of Physicians and the AmericanMedical Association.

Subcommittee to evaluate the effectivenessof the $15 billion President’s EmergencyFund for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

TheWilliams’ award adds to Carpenter’slong list of accolades ranging from local to

international honors - one of the mostnotable being the Order of the SacredTreasure, Gold and Silver Star, given to himby the Emperor of Japan in 1998 for hiscontributions to the Japan-Unites States

Cooperative Medical Science Program.

continued from page 6

9

Recently, a delegation of senior facultyfrom Brown Medical School, including

EdWing, RenaWing, Rujun Gong, andLance Dworkin visited The ResearchInstitute of Nephrology of NanjingUniversity School of Medicine and JinglingHospital, in Nanjing, China. The visit wasan outgrowth of a long-standing collaborationbetween the Division of Kidney Disease andHypertension at Brown and the ResearchInstitute of Nephrology in Nanjing, underthe auspices of the Renal Sister CenterProgram of the International Society ofNephrology. This program pairs kidney cen-ters in developing countries with establishedprograms in the United States or Europe, inorder to facilitate the development worldwideof clinical and academic programs innephrology. The affiliation between the pro-grams began in May 1997 and just celebratedits 10-year anniversary. As a result of thisaffiliation, several post-doctoral fellows fromNanjing have spent 1-2 years working in thekidney division laboratories at Brown.Morerecently, there have been visits to Brown bysenior faculty from Nanjing, the currentdirector of the Research Institute ofNephrology, Dr. Zhi-Hong Liu, and a 3-month observership of our clinical andtraining programs in nephrology by thedirector of clinical programs in nephrologyat the Institute in Nanjing.

Ed, Rena, Rujun, and Lance traveled toChina for two weeks from May 19th toJune 2nd and spent the first week visitingNanjing University. Nanjing is the southerncapital of China, located in the southeastabout 200 kilometers from Shanghai andthe Pacific Ocean. Nanjing is an ancient cityand was the capital of China for 6 dynastieslasting about 1000 years. It is also a moderncity with a population of 8.2 million and amajor center for commerce, culture, andeducation in southern China. Founded in

1902, Nanjing University is one of the top 5universities in China. It includes 17 Schoolsand 50 Departments. It has 18,000 studentsand approximately 2000 faculty. Thirty-three of the faculty are members of theChinese Academy of Science orEngineering, including our hosts Dr.Lei-Shi Li and Dr. Zhi-Hong Liu.

The Research Institute of Nephrology atNanjing is the premier kidney program inChina. It occupies a modern 7 story buildingon the campus of Jingling Hospital, whichhas nearly inpatient 2000 beds, and isequipped with all of the tools of modernmedicine including PET, CT and MRimaging equipment. The kidney programprovides inpatient and outpatient clinicalcare to patients with kidney disease includingacute, chronic and continuous dialysis,hemoperfusion, renal transplantation. Thereare 28 full-time faculty and active PhDtraining programs in both clinical andinvestigational nephrology. The Institutestaffs a 150-bed inpatient renal hospital,which cares for about 3,600 inpatients peryear. Over 3,000 renal biopsies are performedeach year. Dialysis is provided to about 450patients at an on site unit with 90 stations.Approximately 120 renal transplants areperformed each year with a total transplantpopulation of about 1400. The outpatientprogram operates 6 days a week. Remarkably,there are 160,000 renal outpatient visits peryear. The Institute is equipped with state ofthe art clinical and research laboratories.Major areas of investigation include studieson the pathogenesis and treatment ofSystemic Lupus Erythematosis and IgAnephropathy.

During the visit, the faculty from Brownpresented lectures in several symposiums.Most physicians in China speak and under-stand English quite well and all of these

lectures were highly publicized, well attended,and concluded with active question andanswer periods. The delegation also metwith administrative leadership of JinglingHospital, toured the main campus ofNanjing University and met with thePresident of Nanjing University, Jun Chen.He was well aware of the collaboration innephrology and very interested to explorethe possibility of greater associationsbetween our two Universities. Drs. EdWing and Lance Dworkin also receivedhonorary appointments as Professors ofMedicine at Nanjing University School ofMedicine, which was a great honor.

We hope that the visit will foster even greatercollaboration between the two kidneyprograms.To facilitate this process, ProfessorsLi and Liu have been appointed AdjunctProfessors in the Department of Medicine atBrown Medical School. A new post-doctoralfellow, funded by the International Societyof Nephrology, will be arriving in Decemberto work in the renal division labs for twoyears. This will bring total funding for theSister Center Program to over $40,000 peryear, with the possibility of additionalfunding up to about $70,000. Future plansinclude additional, bilateral faculty visitsand a fellows’ exchange program.Collaborative basic and clinical researchprograms are being discussed includingmolecular studies on the huge tissue bank ofhuman kidney biopsy material maintainedin Nanjing. An international conference onglomerular disease, sponsored by ISN andjointly organized by the kidney programs inNanjing and Brown is being organized andwill be held in Nanjing in August, 2008.This program is example of the expandingand diverse opportunities in internationalhealth in our Department and at BrownMedical School.

Drs. Ed Wing and Lance Dworkin receive honorary appointments as Professors ofMedicine at Nanjing University School of Medicine during visit to China

10

Recognizing more than 20 years ofservice, Fred J. Schiffman, MD, has

been named the recipient of the 2007 CharlesC.J. Carpenter, MD, Physician of the YearAward at The MiriamHospital by his peers.Noted as“the heart and soul of The MiriamHospital” by his colleagues, Schiffman waspresented the award at the hospital’s staffassociation meeting on June 18.

“Dr. Schiffman is a gifted physician andeducator who embodies the very essence ofthe mission of The Miriam Hospital -inspiration,” says Kathleen C. Hittner, MD,president and chief executive officer of TheMiriam Hospital.“He inspires his fellowphysicians, medical students, the staff, andmost of all—his patients, to strive for thebest for one another.”

Schiffman has been on the staff at TheMiriamHospital since 1983 and in that timehas been revered for his compassion andcommitment to his patients as well as med-ical residents. A hematologist and oncologistby training, Schiffman was appointed medicaldirector of Lifespan’s Comprehensive CancerCenter in 2000, overseeing the collaborativecancer efforts at Rhode Island,The Miriamand Newport hospitals. Peers who nominatedSchiffman for the award cited him as“worldclass in his treatment of patients” and an“impeccable physician who promotesexcellence in patient care.”

Schiffman’s devotion to academic medicineis evident by his ongoing dedication to themedical residents at The Miriam Hospital.As associate program director of the internalmedicine residency program at TheWarrenAlpert Medical School of Brown University,he plays a fundamental role in providingresidents with the experience and educationnecessary to start their careers as physicians.Well-regarded outside of Rhode Island,

Schiffman is sought out nationally to speakon topics such as, “How to teach yourresidents,” or “Advancing your academicagenda as chief resident.” He has also beenasked to deliver medical grand rounds andserve as a visiting professor at institutionssuch as Washington University andColumbia University.

Schiffman’s compassion extends beyond hispatients to his fellow caregivers as a co-chairof the ongoing “Schwartz Center Rounds”at The Miriam Hospital. Based uponthe Kenneth B. Schwartz Center atMassachusetts General Hospital, therounds offer unique forums for caregiversto give and receive support from one anotherand to ultimately strengthen their relation-ship with their patients. Schiffmanspearheaded the effort to bring the roundsto The Miriam to allow colleagues to speakfreely about emotionally taxing situationsthey may face in providing patient care.

The physician of the year recognition addsto Schiffman’s lengthy list of hospital andacademic honors including numerous BestTeacher Awards, Model Physician Awards,Dean’s Teaching Excellence Awards, MostValuable Physician Awards, and mostrecently, the 2007 Beckwith Family Awardfor Outstanding Teaching given by thedepartment of medicine of TheWarrenAlpert Medical School of Brown University.Admired by medical students alike,Schiffman has been the recipient of multiplesenior class awards, most recently this pastyear, and has been selected to serve asMarshall of Brown’s Alpert Medical Schoolcommencement exercises five times.

Schiffman has more than 100 articles,abstracts, or book chapters to his credit andhas edited a textbook on hematologicpathophysiology. He continues to

conduct and publish research in thehematology/oncology field as well as inmedical education.

A New York native, Schiffman received hisdoctorate from New York University Schoolof Medicine and performed his internship,residency, chief residency, and fellowship inhematology at Yale-New Haven Hospital.Schiffman also spent two years as a researchassociate at the National Cancer Institute inthe laboratory of medicinal chemistry andbiology. He served as an instructor andassistant professor at Yale University Schoolof Medicine before coming to Rhode Islandin 1983.

The Charles C.J. Carpenter, MD, Physicianof the Year Award recognizes a physician,nominated by his/her peers, for outstandingcontributions to medicine, leadership, pro-fessionalism and patient care—qualitiesexemplified by Carpenter. Charles C.J.Carpenter, MD, director of theLifespan/Tufts/Brown Center for AIDSResearch (CFAR) and a professor of medi-cine at Brown Medical School, has achievedwidespread recognition for his work intreating diseases in developing countriesand for training a generation of researchersin the field of international health.

“Heart and soul of The Miriam Hospital” - Fred J. Schiffman, MD,named Physician of the Year

Fred J. Schiffman, MD

11

Fellowships

CardiovascularToddWood, MDAlpert Medical School ofBrown University

Scott Cohen, MDAlpert Medical School ofBrown University

Sarah Tsiaras, MD (2008)Alpert Medical School ofBrown University

Lori Vales, MDBeth Israel Medical Center

Amitoj Marwaha, MDMedical College of Wisconsin

Hanna Ahmed, MD (2008)Harvard Medical School

Jamie Kemp, MD (2008)University of Louisville

Critical Care- PediatricsTraci Wolbrink, MDChildren’s Hospital Boston /Harvard Medical School

EndocrinologyMarla Barkoff, MDUniversity of Chicago

Gastroenterology

Matthew Myers, MDUniversity of ConnecticutHealth Center

JordanWolff, MDUniversity of Maryland

Akshay Shah, MDSt. Luke’s Roosevelt MedicalCenter

GeriatricsRebecca Starr, MDTheWarren Alpert MedicalSchool of Brown University

Jessica Barry, MDUniversity of Hawaii

Hematology-OncologyKimberly Perez, MDAlpert Medical School ofBrown University

Joshua Shipley, MDAlpert Medical School ofBrown University

Marie Suga, MDUniversity of California

Matthew Quesenberry, MD(2008)University of Virginia

Infectious DiseaseGloria Aggrey, MDBoston University MedicalCenter

DanyaWenzler, MD (2008)Boston University MedicalCenter

Jessica Fairley, MDCaseWestern Reserve

Julie Guilbert, MD (2008)New England Medical Center

NephrologyMichael Connor, MDCleveland Clinic

IanWu,MDYale University School ofMedicine

ObstetricsCourtney Clark, MDWoman & Infants Hospital

Pulmonary Diseases &Critical Care MedicineMichael Blundin, MDAlpert Medical School ofBrown University

Eric Gartman, MD (2008)Alpert Medical School ofBrown University

Andrew Levinson, MD (2008)Alpert Medical School ofBrown University

Charles Lane, MDYale University School ofMedicine

RheumatologySheen Yee Lim, MD (2008)SUNY Downstate

HospitalistThao Pham,MDKaiser Permante

John Gelzhiser, MDKent County Hospital

Meghan Gange, MDNewtonWellesley Hospital

Siddharth Kakodkar, MDNorthwestern MemorialHospital

Jamie Kemp, MDNorton Healthcare

Samuel Poon, MDNorwood Hospital

Matthew Tracy, MDSwedish Medical Center

Andrew Levinson, MDTri-County MedicalAssociates, Milford, MA

Medical PracticeMelinda Hooton, MDLaurel Internal MedicineClinic, Salinas, CT

Kathryn Koncsol, MDMedical Associates of RhodeIsland

Leah Marano, MD (2008)Primary Care Practice

Ting Kuang, MDVanguard, Quincy, MA

ResearchLauren Beste, MDHealth Services ResearchFellowship, University ofWashington

Graduate Medical EducationInternal Medicine Residency Programsat Rhode Island Hospital –The Miriam Hospital – VA Medical Center2007 Post Graduate Career Plans

Office of the Chairman of MedicineRhode Island Hospital593 Eddy StreetProvidence, RI 02903

Fall 2007

November 20, 2007:“Fifty Years After Steroids: Advances inRheumatoid Arthritis”Michael E.Weinblatt, M.D., Senior Physician,Department of Medicine, Director, TherapeuticsUnit, Division of Rheumatology and Immunology,Brigham andWomen’s Hospital, John R. RiedmanProfessor of Medicine, HarvardMedical School

November 27, 2007:Nephrology Update“Normotensive Ischemic Acute Renal Failure(NIARF)”J. Gary Abuelo, M.D., Associate Physician,Division of Renal Diseases, Rhode Island Hospital,Associate Professor of Medicine, TheWarrenAlpert Medical School of Brown University

“Update in the Prevention and Treatment ofContrast Nephropathy”Douglas Shemin, M.D., Attending Physician,Division or Renal Diseases, Rhode Island and TheMiriam Hospitals, VAMC, Associate Professor ofMedicine, TheWarren Alpert Medical School ofBrown University

“Nephrogenic Systemic Sclerosis: A NewContrast Associated Disease in Kidney Patients”Lance Dworkin, M.D., Director, Division of RenalDiseases, Rhode Island and The MiriamHospitals, Professor of Medicine, TheWarrenAlpert Medical School of Brown University

December 4, 2007:Morbidity & Mortality Conference

December 11, 2007:“The Rising Tide of Arterial Stiffness-RelatedDisorders”Gary F. Mitchell, M.D., CardiovascularEngineering, Inc.

December 18, 2007:Gastroenterology UpdateJose Behar, M.D., director (Subsection)Upper/Lower GI Motility, Rhode Island Hospital,Professor of Medicine, TheWarren Alpert MedicalSchool of Brown University

Harland Rich, M.D., Director, Rhode IslandHospital Endoscopy Unit, Associate Professorof Medicine, TheWarren Alpert Medical Schoolof Brown University

December 25, 2007:CANCELED - HAPPY HOLIDAY

January 1, 2008:CANCELED

January 8, 2008:Guest Lecture

January 15, 2008:Radiology Imaging Update

January 22, 2008:Morbidity & Mortality Conference

January 29, 2008:Guest LectureMichael S. Barr, M.D., MBA, FACP,VicePresident, Practice Advocacy & Improvement, ACP

Department of Medicine Grand Rounds - Tuesday Mornings at 8:00 AMGeorge Auditorium, Rhode Island Hospital

Hurvitz Board Room 1, The Miriam Hospital, Room 653, VA Medical Center • Library Video Room, Newport Hospital (teleconferenced from RIH)

• The Rhode Island Hospital fully intends to comply with the legal requirements of the Americanswith Disabilities Act. If any participant of this conference is in need of accommodation, please contactthe Rhode Island Hospital CME office at (401) 444-4260.

• The Department of Medicine Grand Rounds series is supported by an unrestricted educational fundas contributed by: Abbott Laboratories, Hoechst Marion Roussel, Merck & Co., The LiposomeCompany, Parke-Davis, Schering, Pfizer,Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company.