Congratulations are certainly in order to our School’s Senior Associate Dean for Medicine and Research, Dr. Marc Basson, for leading the multi-institution team that we just learned will be receiving a $20.3 million, five-year grant to help counter the high cancer rates in North and South Dakota. The award, given by the National Institutes of Health to UND, NDSU, USD, and our health system partners, will be used to establish the Dakota Cancer Collaborative on Translational Activity (DACCOTA). These organizations will engage in clinical and translational research in an effort to study the link between cancer and the environment and pave the way to develop unique ways to combat cancer in the Dakotas.
This is terrifically important not only because cancer is the leading cause of death for people ages 35-64 in the Dakotas, but because the rates of some cancers are nearly double for American Indians, relative to the rest of the population. According to UND's Vice President for Research and Economic Development Grant McGimpsey, this is the largest "cycle" research award UND has received for biomedical research, so great work Dr. Basson and everyone involved in the application at UND and around the region. The grant also will form the foundation for bringing a variety of institutions together in a clinical and translational research network that will facilitate studying other diseases in addition to cancer.
On a similar note, Dr. Jonathon Geiger, professor in our Department of Biomedical Sciences, is on a multi-university team that has been awarded a four-year grant from the NIH worth a total of more than $2.25 million. This means that Dr. Geiger this summer has held three R01 grants from the NIH simultaneously. NIH R01 grants are considered one of the most prestigious grants for which individuals can apply and funding for these grants is extremely competitive. Congratulations!
You should also be aware of a program the North Dakota Medical Association has undertaken with the North Dakota State Legislature. The "Doctor of the Day" program provides primary care services to legislators at the Capitol and gives NDMA physician-members an opportunity to network with legislators, government officials, and local leaders in Bismarck, all while serving as Doctor of the Day next year. Needless to say, I encourage faculty from each of our SMHS campuses across the state, not to mention our clinical faculty, to register for this opportunity as your schedules allow; you'll be glad you did. The program begins January 7, 2019, and runs through April.
And while you're looking at your calendar, pencil in Thursday, September 6. Have a cup of coffee with me at Java with Josh in the morning, and then come back for a late afternoon jog during Joggin' with Josh. I hope to see you there!
Finally, in the next month or so, the E-News you are used to receiving each week will appear in your email inbox on Fridays with a new look and feel. This "new" publication, which we're calling For Your Health, will retain all the features of your E-News; the only major difference will be in the email's design, which is more in line with the new UND brand standards. We look forward to your feedback on the new e-newsletter and website, which have been designed with UND's help to look similar to the university's UND Today publication.
Joshua Wynne, MD, MBA, MPH
UND Vice President for Health Affairs
Dean, UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences
You are invited to join Dean Joshua Wynne for complimentary coffee or tea at Java with Josh from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 6 in the Tello-Skjerseth Atrium (across the hall from the Family and Community Medicine and Population Health suites) at the SMHS building in Grand Forks.
Dr. Wynne will discuss what’s new at the School and take any questions you may have.
To ensure adequate seating, we ask that you RSVP to Kristen Peterson by Monday, Sept. 3.
We hope to see you there.
UND Vice President for Health Affairs and Dean of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), Joshua Wynne, MD, MBA, MPH, invites the community and all students, faculty, and staff at the School and the University to advocate healthful lifestyles by joining him for Joggin’ with Josh, an informal 5K, 10K, or one-mile walk, jog or run on Thursday, September 6. This is a free public event. Everyone is welcome to participate, so please bring your family and friends.
A registration table will be located in the East Atrium of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the south entrance to the School, 1301 N. Columbia Rd. Event registration and T-shirt pickup starts at 4 p.m. The dean will speak to the group before the event, which starts at 4:30 p.m. To get a head start on your fellow participants, please complete the registration form available online and bring it with you to the SMHS on the day of the event. Forms will also be available in the SMHS East Atrium before the event.
Walkers, joggers, and runners are asked to gather on the patio outside the East Atrium before taking off on a route along the outskirts of campus. A water station will be located at the halfway point of the 5K, and water and healthful snacks will be available after the event.
On Thursday, September 6, Dr. Eric Johnson, associate professor in the SMHS Department of Family & Community Medicine, will host a discussion with theologian and Duke Divinity School professor Kate Bowler. Given her training, Bowler is no stranger to dealing with questions involving life and death. But when she was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer, she began to research the uniquely American concept that tragedy is a test of character. She'll talk to the audience and with Dr. Johnson about her book Everything Happens for a Reason and Other Lies I've Loved in an on-stage discussion.
The event, which is free and will begin at 7 p.m. at the Empire Arts Center in Grand Forks, is part of the 2018 Humanities North Dakota GameChanger ideas festival. Humanities North Dakota (formerly known as the North Dakota Humanities Council) is a statewide nonprofit dedicated to providing communities with programs and events that challenge citizens to ask big questions and become informed about the issues that affect us all. Each year the group selects a new theme for its festival; this year's theme is "The Pursuit of Health and Happiness."
As a follow-up, on Friday, September 7 the Empire Arts Center will host a premiere of the play "A Beautiful Hell," which chronicles the true story of a mother's loss of her young son from cancer. Based on the book of poetry by the same name, the author—local writer and grief counselor Carol Kapaun Ratchenski—will take the stage following the performance to discuss grief and resilience.
UND students, including all SMHS students, can attend the premiere of "A Beautiful Hell," presented by Theatre B, for free by entering the access code "UNDstudent" here to unlock free tickets to the event.
UND's Homecoming 2018 (Sept. 17-22) will soon be here, and as always the SMHS is involved in many of the week's events. Unless otherwise noted, SMHS-related events will be held at the new SMHS building, 1301 N. Columbia Rd., Grand Forks, N.D. For more information on any of the days' events, contact Kristen Peterson at 701.777.4305 or kristen.peterson@med.UND.edu. To register for any of the following events, please visit the SMHS website here.
Continuing Education Symposium
Held in room W201-W202 of the SMHS building from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 21, the Continuing Education Symposium will focus on Infectious Disease. Presenters include physicians from area health systems and SMHS faculty-researchers. Business attire is suggested.
New Building Tours
The Office of Alumni and Community Relations will provide tours of the new SMHS building from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 21. Tours of the new facility start in the main floor lobby.
SMHS Banquet
An SMHS Homecoming banquet will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 21 at the Grand Forks Hilton Garden Inn's Buchli/Bahl Banquet Room, located at 4301 James Ray Drive. Milestone and Biomedical Sciences alumni will be recognized at the event. Business attire is suggested.
2018 Homecoming/Potato Bowl Parade
And don't forget to attend the joint Homecoming/Potato Bowl parade, which starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 22. The parade route will again be in downtown Grand Forks.
Zen in 10 focuses on stretching, breathing, and having fun with coworkers. Go back to work with less stress, more energy, and better body functioning.
Sessions will be held at the SMHS from 10:40 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout September (except Sept. 13) on the East Patio, weather permitting. In case of inclement weather, Zen in 10 will meet in the SMHS auditorium (E101).
Note: If we are indoors on Sept. 25, Zen in 10 will be held in the Tello-Skjerseth Atrium.
Services provided by Kay Williams, Certified Yoga and Relax and Renew Instructor®.
A $20.3 million, five-year grant to the University of North Dakota could help counter high cancer rates in North and South Dakota.
Cancer is the leading cause of death for people ages 35-64 in the Dakotas. Half of men and a third of women who die within this age range have been diagnosed with cancer. Incidence of certain cancers are nearly double for American Indians, relative to the rest of the population.
UND was recently awarded a Clinical and Translational Research grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to work with researchers and medical providers in the Dakotas, including North Dakota State University, the University of South Dakota, Sanford Health, and other hospital systems throughout the region to better understand cancer and its causes, and to develop effective treatments for the disease.
Led by the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), the Dakota Cancer Collaborative on Translational Activity (DACCOTA) will use clinical research methods to study the link between cancer and the environment and pave the way to develop unique ways to combat cancer in the Dakotas.
“Our team’s goal is to develop a highly productive, collaborative and sustainable translational research center that will focus on the cancers that most commonly and disproportionately afflict the citizens of our region, especially American Indians,” said Marc Basson, principal investigator for the grant and senior associate dean for medicine and research and a professor of surgery, biomedical sciences, and pathology at the UND SMHS. “With this funding, we will not only conduct research but will train the next generation of cancer researchers throughout the region. I am grateful to the team of researchers throughout the region who have worked together with us to create this proposal.”
“This prestigious grant moves UND to a higher level in medical research, allowing us to deliver more opportunity to our state and region,” said UND President Mark Kennedy. “It is a concrete demonstration of UND’s success in progressing towards our goal of reaching the highest rank amongst research universities. Congratulations to Professor Basson and everyone else involved in securing it and conducting the discovery it will fund.”
“This award is, to our knowledge, the single largest biomedical research grant in the state’s history,” said Grant McGimpsey, UND vice president for research & economic development. “This is a tremendous vote of confidence from the NIH and will have a transformational impact on the university and on the health of North and South Dakotans. At UND, we are driving research in what we have identified as Grand Challenges. This clinical and translational research grant reinforces our efforts in several of these challenges including Human Health, Rural Communities and Big Data.”
“We are extremely proud that Dr. Basson has, with this grant, brought together the leading educational and health care delivery organizations in the region along with their outstanding researchers and providers to form a consortium that will reduce cancer risk through better understanding and improved therapies,” commented Joshua Wynne, vice president for health affairs at UND and dean of its School of Medicine and Health Sciences. “Cancer is rapidly overtaking heart disease and stroke as the leading cause of death in the U.S., and this collaborative effort will help to stem that unfortunate trend.”
“The NDSU College of Health Professions is excited to be a part of this Dakota Cancer Collaborative with our friends from UND and USD,” added Charles Peterson, dean of the College of Health Professions at NDSU. “By combining the strengths of our regional research universities, we will be able to accomplish so much more than what we could do individually. This grant will provide us with an opportunity to significantly advance the research missions of our universities leading to positive economic and health outcomes for our state and region. This community engagement model of research is unique and will provide access to the latest advances in health care to many medically underserved rural communities in North Dakota and South Dakota.”
“This is an important and useful project, and we appreciate the ability to partner with UND,” said Mary Nettleman, dean of the Sanford School of Medicine at the University of South Dakota.
“Integrating research into patient care is necessary to advance the field of medicine,” said David Pearce, executive vice president of research and innovation at Sanford Health in Fargo. “At Sanford, we’re proud to be a part of this valuable program for the region as we collaborate to develop the treatments of tomorrow.”
The American Medical Association has accepted UND's application to continue as a member of the Accelerating Change in Medical Education (ACE) consortium for the next three years. The consortium provides an innovation ecosystem, allowing schools to continue their projects, investigate new concepts, and impact the national direction of medical education. Membership in this consortium helps the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences remain connected with its peers at other institutions who have also petitioned to remain.
The SMHS project focuses on three initiatives:
"We have our work cut out for us," noted Richard Van Eck, PhD, the David and Lola Rognlie Monson Endowed Chair for Medical Education and associate dean for Teaching & Learning at the SMHS, "but this will be a very exciting and valuable process to build innovative curricula!"
Last weekend, the Department of Biomedical Sciences held a departmental retreat, in part to welcome the incoming class of graduate students. The group was treated to a white coat ceremony, performed to remind students of the importance of the research they will soon conduct as they embark on their scientific journeys.
The new graduate students are:
Also at the retreat, fourth-year graduate student Moriah Hovde was awarded the Student Impact Award, which recognizes exceptional graduate students within the Biomedical Sciences Department who have made outstanding contributions to research, scholarship, and service.
More questions answered regarding the new SMHS website:
Q: How do I spell check the web pages I've been assigned to edit?
A: Like this--
The Evidence-Based Teaching Group (EBTG) will meet on Tuesday, September 4 to discuss "Applying Type-A Tendencies to Teaching: Tips to Coordinate the Chaos and Support Student Success." The meeting will be held from 11 a.m. to noon in SMHS room W201. You are invited to attend!
Research continues to show that practices such as active learning, project-based or case-based learning, formative feedback opportunities, and personalized educational experiences are beneficial to students. Engagement, retention, transfer of knowledge, and positive outcomes are often increased in comparison with traditional course formats. Studies have shown that these benefits are further bolstered when students feel that their professor knows them, cares about their progress, and regards the class and topics as important. But where can faculty find the time to deliver rich content, interact, provide feedback, evaluate, and develop meaningful relationships with students? Day-to-day scheduling constraints and responsibilities related to and beyond teaching make it difficult to find dedicated time to engage. Plus, time zones and technology present as additional obstacles to effective and efficient online instruction.
This session will apply organizational and resource management methods to the "madness." Tips and tools designed to support intentional, meaningful, timely, and personalized interactions with students will be discussed. Furthermore, strategies and tools designed to help faculty efficiently manage the evaluation of authentic learning activities, close the feedback loop, and cultivate rewarding instructor-student relationships will be explored.
The session will be led by Adrienne Salentiny, PhD, Education Resources.
The EBTG hosts events based on topics determined by the expressed interests of its members. The EBTG meets the first Tuesday of every month in rooms W201 or W202 and meetings are free and open to anyone—no RSVP needed! Past topics include assessment, online learning, precepting, active learning, simulation, ADA compliance, and educational scholarship. Many of the past events can be streamed from our website. If you are interested in anything related to evidence-based teaching, join us! If you have any questions, would like more information, or would like to suggest (or lead!) a future meeting topic, please contact Adrienne Salentiny at adrienne.salentiny@med.und.edu.
Sameera Rasheed, MD, will present "Homeless Mental Health” from 12:10 to 1:10 p.m. on Wednesday, September 5, at the UND Southeast Campus auditorium in Fargo. Dr. Rasheed is a fourth-year resident in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science. Alicia J. Hauff, DNP, FNP-BC, Family Nurse Practitioner at the Homeless and Correctional Health, Family HealthCare, Fargo, N.D., will serve as Dr. Rasheed’s discussant.
Upon completion of this program, the learner will be able to:
This grand rounds presentation, sponsored by the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences and the School’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, is broadcast via videoconference to many sites throughout North Dakota and Minnesota and is also streamed via personal computers. If you want information on how to attend, please contact Betty Jo Tostenson at 701.293.4101 or betty.tostenson@UND.edu.
The University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences designates this live activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Michael Dixon, MD, PGY III surgery resident in the Department of Surgery, will present a talk entitled "Current Surgical Treatment for Gastroesophageal Carcinoma” from the UND Medical Education Center in Fargo, N.D., on Friday, September 7, 2018, from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.
The objectives of his talk are:
This Surgery Grand Rounds Conference, sponsored by the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences Department of Surgery, is broadcast via videoconference to many sites in North Dakota and Minnesota.
All are welcome to attend.
The Center for Biomedical Research Excellence (CoBRE) for Host-Pathogen Interactions is inviting UND faculty, staff, and graduate and undergraduate students to attend the Annual Host-Pathogen CoBRE Symposium to be held at the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences on Tuesday, September 25, 2018. The Symposium will bring together experts investigating both microbial infectious agents and host responses to those infectious agents.
Confirmed Speakers for the event are:
In addition, investigators from the University of North Dakota will present their research related to infection and immunity in both oral and a poster sessions.
This event aims to promote interaction and collaboration among researchers in the area and provide opportunities for learning about cutting-edge tools, approaches, and resources to advance their research in broad areas of infection and inflammation.
Researchers investigating host-pathogen questions are encouraged to submit an abstract for poster presentation (to be held in the afternoon on Sept. 25) to Kim Dickman (kim.dickman@med.und.edu) by Friday, August 31. Prior on-line registration is appreciated.
The Symposium will be from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Complimentary continental breakfast and lunch will be provided. The School of Medicine and Health Sciences is located at 1301 North Columbia Road in Grand Forks, N.D.
The American College of Physicians North Dakota Chapter will hold its annual meeting at the Bismarck Event Center on Friday, October 5, 2018. The annual poster competition associated with the meeting will be held at Sanford Medical Center in Fargo on October 3, 2018. All UND medical students and Internal Medicine residents are invited to participate. Poster abstracts will be due on September 14, 2018. The meeting brochure can be found here.
The Great Plains IDeA-CTR Network is pleased to announce an opportunity for pilot funding through an NIH/NIGMS grant for clinical and translational research.
The network is requesting a Letter of Intent (maximum of two pages) for research proposals due Friday Sept. 7, 2018. For more information at on the specifics of the LOI, contact Jonathan Geiger (jonathan.geiger@med.und.edu) or Bonnie Kee (bonnie.kee@und.edu).
Those invited to submit full applications will be notified by September 28, 2018. Solicited applications will be due November 16, 2018. The requirements for invitees are detailed below. Please email your LOI and NIH biosketch as a single PDF document to the Great Plains IDeA-CTR Office at gpctr@unmc.edu. If you have any questions, contact Heather Braddock at heather.braddock@unmc.edu or 402.559.9870.
GP IDeA-CTR research priority areas are:
Highest priority will be given to the strongest science and those projects most likely to lead to successful extramural funding. In addition, projects that make an impact on medically disadvantaged, underrepresented minority, and/or geographically or clinically isolated populations—and can introduce or evaluate new tools or technologies useful in these populations—are of high interest.
Interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches: To increase the likelihood of a strong scientific proposal, applicants are encouraged to engage in new or existing interdisciplinary collaborations, inter-institution proposals, and to develop links to other existing IDeA programs (INBRE and COBRE) in the participating Great Plains region.
Eligibility:
The Great Plains IDeA-CTR (GP IDeA-CTR) is a collaboration of 8 eligible institutions which include: Boys Town National Research Hospital, North Dakota State University, University of Nebraska Kearney, University of Nebraska Lincoln, University of Nebraska Medical Center, University of Nebraska Omaha, University of North Dakota, and University of South Dakota.
The goal of the Pilot Program is to provide support to the most promising and novel clinical and translational research (CTR) projects, and help investigators obtain preliminary data necessary for successful investigator-initiated extramural grants. Successful applicants will receive up to $50,000 in direct costs for a one year project, as well as access to resources of the GP IDeA-CTR to support their research efforts.
The Great Plains IDeA-CTR network is excited to announce a funding opportunity: the Great Plains IDeA-CTR Superstar Competition.
The GP IDeA-CTR group is requesting a brief research pitch (2 pages maximum) to include: project title, principle investigator(s), participating institution(s), study aims, hypotheses, methods (brief overview of design, study sample, measures, budget and statistical analysis plan), one year deliverables, a statement addressing how the project advances CTR, and a lay summary. In addition, we ask that applicants provide a biosketch for PI and all key personnel.
The grant will be awarded at the GP IDeA-CTR Annual Scientific Meeting on October 10, 2018. Funding will be awarded to an innovative research project based on criteria delineated in the full application.
The goal of this opportunity is to raise awareness of CTR by promising scholars who are developing innovative tools and methods for medical research. The winning investigator/team will receive a pilot grant award to catalyze cutting-edge research that may translate to a sustainable product or a larger federal grant.
The winner will receive up to $20,000 for one year, and access to resources of the GP IDeA-CTR to support these research efforts.
The application deadline is September 24, 2018 (5 p.m.). For more information or to find a full application, see the GP IDeA-CTR website.
As the new school year rolls on, please note the changing Library Resources helpdesk hours.
Helpdesk hours for this Labor Day weekend are as follows:
Regular fall 2018 helpdesk hours begin Tuesday, Sept. 4: