January 30, 2009

         News Releases


            •  UI Environmental Health Research Projects Funded
            •  OLLI at Iowa Offers Nonfiction Writing Programs
            •  UI Schedules Public Teach-in Panels on Sustainability Feb. 5

         CPH in the News


            •  Smith's Study: Pigs, People Can Share MRSA
            •  Drug-Resistant Staph Strain Found in U.S. Pigs
            •  First Reports of MRSA Isolation in U.S. Pigs, Farmers
            •  Blog: Food Safety Agencies Doing Little for Pork Safety, MRSA
            •  Ramirez Finds Low Rate of Injuries in Disabled Teen Athletes
            •  Field Urges Radon Regulations


         Briefs


            •  Strategic Plan Resources Online, Volunteer by Feb. 3
            •  Prybil Named to Visiting Professorship at University of Kentucky
            •  Wear Red Day CPH Photo
            •  Rebuild Iowa Office Seeks Flood Submissions
            •  Modern "Darwin" E.O. Wilson to Deliver UI Lecture
            •  University Collects Binge Drinking Data

         Research News


            •  Funding Opportunities

         Student News


            •  Deadlines Nearing for International Research Awards

         New Publications


            •  HMP Newsletter
            •  Faculty and Staff Publications

         People


            •  HMP Student Presents Work at International Conference

 

News Releases

UI Environmental Health Research Projects Funded
Four University of Iowa research projects -- including one involving
investigators in the Department of Occupational and Environmental 
Health -- have received funding through the UI Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination Seed Grant Program for 2009.
Read more...

OLLI at Iowa Offers Nonfiction Writing Programs
Adults age 50 and older may enroll in five new writing classes offered
this spring by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute UI Center on Aging. 
Read more...

UI Schedules Public Teach-in Panels on Sustainability Feb. 5
DAVID OSTERBERG, clinical associate professor of occupational and environmental health, is among participants the National Teach-In on Global Warming 2009.  The University of Iowa will present free, public sustainability panels Thursday, Feb. 5, in the Bijou Theatre, Room 166, of the Iowa Memorial
Union.
Read more...

Access all College of Public Health news releases on the CPH web site

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CPH in the News

Please note: Internet access to the full text of articles summarized below may
require on-line subscriptions to the publication.

Smith's Study: Pigs, People Can Share MRSA
(The Gazette, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, 1/23/2009)
UI researchers found a strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
aureus, or MRSA, in workers and hogs at a swine farm. Lead author,
TARA SMITH, associate professor of epidemiology, said the results raise
concerns for swine workers and the general public. Because MRSA is
easily transmitted, workers could spread the bacteria to family members
or others in their communities.
Read more...

Drug-Resistant Staph Strain Found in U.S. Pigs
(Scientific American, 1/23/2009)
A strain of drug-resistant staph identified in pigs in the
Netherlands, which accounts for nearly one third of all staph in
humans there, has been found in the U.S. for the first time, according
to a study led by TARA SMITH, associate professor of epidemiology. The
infection "could be due to movement of animals from farm to farm, or
it could be de novo acquisition of [resistance] on this farm," she
says. "It is such a small sample that we don’t know whether it has
larger significance or not."
Read more...

First Reports of MRSA Isolation in U.S. Pigs, Farmers
(Med Page Today, 1/26/2009)
As they are in other countries, U.S. pigs and their caretakers may be
colonized with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
"Transmission of MRSA on swine farms or in veterinary facilities could
complicate efforts to reduce MRSA transmission statewide and beyond,"
said TARA SMITH, associate professor of epidemiology.
Read more...

Blog: Food Safety Agencies Doing Little for Pork Safety, MRSA
(Seattle Post Intelligencer, 1/23/2009)
Previously posted news of preliminary research, led by TARA SMITH,
associate professor of epidemiology, finding MRSA in swine and swine
workers received “enormous” reaction. Now that Smith's study has been
published, the writer questions whether food safety agencies will
begin testing for MRSA on a national scale and in meat. Smith said her
studies are ongoing, but results reinforce the importance of vigilance
in food handling and cooking procedures.
Read more...

Ramirez Finds Low Rate of Injuries in Disabled Teen Athletes
(Reuters, 1/26/2009)
A new study suggests that most disabled teenagers who take part in
school sports programs have a low rate of injury, though some may be
at relatively higher risk. Overall, MARIZEN RAMIREZ, assistant
professor of occupational and environmental health, and colleagues
found that the injury rate over four years was fairly low: two
injuries for every 1,000 games and practice sessions.
Read more...

Field Urges Radon Regulations
(Medical News Today, 1/26/2009)
The President's Cancer Panel has urged stronger regulations on radon.
WILLIAM R. FIELD, professor of occupational and environmental health
and epidemiology, told the panel, "There is precedent for legislating
practices to limit exposure to toxins in construction. The prohibitive
use of lead-based paint in the U.S. is an example. The requirement of
radon-resistant construction methods, at an approximate cost of $500
per home, is cost-effective when one considers potential savings in
health care expenditures from disease prevention."
Read more...

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Briefs

Strategic Plan Resources Online, Volunteer by Feb. 3
The College of Public Health is embarking on a strategic planning
initiative to develop a 2010-2015 plan. Faculty, staff, and students
are invited to participate in subgroups that will develop a draft plan.
An overview of the process, timeline, and subgroup charges are
available online (HawkID required). If you are interested in participating
in a subgroup please contact Kathy Andrews at kathryn-andrews@uiowa.edu
by Feb. 3.
Read more...

Prybil Named to Visiting Professorship at University of Kentucky
LARRY PRYBIL, professor of health management and policy, has been
named Visiting Professor at the University of Kentucky, an appointment
he will hold for several weeks beginning Feb. 1. Prybil will have a
joint appointment in the UK College of Public Health and the Martin
School of Public Policy and Administration, and will serve on a
committee that has been appointed by the Provost to review some
organizational matters at UK. In addition, he will provide some guest
lectures and advise the UK Master of Health Administration program
faculty in preparing for an upcoming accreditation review by the
Commission on Accreditation Healthcare Management Education.

Wear Red Day CPH Photo
Feb. 6 is Wear Red Day, when Americans nationwide will wear red to
show their support for women's heart disease awareness. If you're
planning on donning red attire or one of the CPH Student Association's
"Wear Red Day" t-shirts, please meet in the EMRB atrium for
a group photo at 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 6.

Rebuild Iowa Office Seeks Flood Submissions
Iowans now have a chance to share a disaster or disaster recovery
story. Rebuild Iowa Office (RIO) has expanded its interactive Web site
by offering a photo and video gallery.
Read more...

Modern “Darwin” E.O. Wilson to Deliver UI Lecture
E.O. Wilson will give the 2008-09 UI Distinguished Lecture on Feb. 11
in the Main Lounge of the IMU. Wilson is a Harvard University
professor of biology and a pioneer in the fields of biodiversity and
sociobiology. Twice awarded Pulitzer Prizes, Wilson has been
hailed by Thomas Wolfe as "the new Darwin," and he was named one of
"America's 25 Most Influential People" by TIME Magazine.
Read more...

University Collects Binge Drinking Data
"A culture that encourages high-risk alcohol use at The University of
Iowa continues to threaten the success and safety of our undergraduate
students," writes UI Provost Wallace Loh. The Center for Research on
Undergraduate Education compiled and shared data on binge drinking at
the University.
Read more...

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Research News

Funding Opportunities
The CPH Research Office web page has been updated with funding
opportunities as of Jan. 30.
Read more...

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Student News

Deadlines Nearing for International Research Awards
The Stanley Graduate Awards for International Research program 
offers up to twenty awards for UI students in the early stages of conducting
research abroad. The deadline is Feb. 25. The Graduate Student
Conference Travel Award invites graduate students to apply for grants
for travel to conferences outside of the United States to present the
results of their research. Deadline is Feb. 11.
Read more...

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New Publications

HMP Newsletter
Find out what's new in the Department of Health Management and Policy
in its winter newsletter.
Read more...

Faculty and Staff Publications
CPH faculty and staff publications compiled in Janurary 2009.
Read more...

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People


HMP Student Presents Work at International Conference
LANCE ROBERTS, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Health
Management and Policy, recently attended the 42nd Annual Hawaii
International Conference on System Sciences, where he presented a
collaborative paper entitled, "Methodological Approaches to Measuring
the Effects of Implementation of Health Information Technology,” which
was awarded the “Best Paper within the Information Technology in
Health Care Track.”
Read more...

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Upcoming Events


College of Public Health

Strategic Planning Initiative Volunteer Requests Due
Date:  2/3/2009
Associated URL: http://www.public-health.uiowa.edu/about/strat_plan/
Contact:  Kathy Andrews, kathryn-andrews@uiowa.edu

Biochemistry Workshop - "The Structural Basis of TLR4 Activation by Endotoxins: Work In Progress"
Presented by: Theresa Gioannini, research scientist and
adjunct professor of biochemistry
Date:  2/3/2009
Time:  12:30 PM
Associated URL: Bowen Science Building, Spivey Auditorium

College of Pharmacy Blood Drive
Sign up online: http://www.uihealthcare.com/bloodcenter
Date:  2/3/2009
Time:  10:30 AM - 3:00 PM
Associated URL: Banker Student Center, College of Pharmacy 
Contact:  Paula Dayton, paula-dayton@uiowa.edu

Obermann Graduate Institute Poster Session
Date:  2/5/2009
Time:  2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Location:  Iowa City Public Library Meeting Room A
Contact:  Diana Baculis, diana-baculis@uiowa.edu

Dance Marathon
Feb. 6-7
Date: 2/6/2009
Location:  Iowa Memorial Union
Associated URL:  http://www.uiowa.edu/~dancemar/

National Wear Red Day - CPH Group Photo
Date:  2/6/2009
Time:  10:30 AM
Location:  EMRB Atrium


Master of Public Health

MPH Seminar - "Winter Break in India"
Presented by MPH Students: Joanna Dawson (Epi), German Ellsworth
(Global Health), Hayley Hegland (CBH), Stephanie Lukas
(PharmD/MPH), Nicole Pearson (Global Health), Alex Shockey
(PharmD/MPH), and George Walton (Global Health)
Date:  2/3/2009
Time:  11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Location:  B111 ML
Contact:  Lexie Just, lexie-just@uiowa.edu


Community & Behavioral Health

CBH Seminar - "A Profile of Unintended Pregnancy in Iowa:
Problems and Interventions"

Presented by: Mary Losch, Ph.D. adjunct clinical associate
professor of community and behavioral health, UI College of Public Health, associate professor, University of Northern Iowa
Date:  2/5/2009
Time:  11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location:  2189 MERF
Contact:  Donna Dorothy, donna-dorothy@uiowa.edu


Occupational & Environmental Health

Tuesday Seminar
Date:  2/3/2009
Time:  4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Location:  123 / 125 IREH, Oakdale Campus
Contact:  Allison Fritz, allison-fritz@uiowa.edu


Epidemiology

EPI Seminar - "Bisphenol A Exposure and Chronic Illness:
Should We Throw Away our Water Bottles?"
Presented by Robert Wallace, M.S., M.D., professor of epidemiology
Date:  2/5/2009
Time:  11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Location:  1117 MERF
Contact:  Kathy Colbert, kathy-colbert@uiowa.edu

Epidemiology Faculty Meeting
Date:  2/6/2009
Time:  2:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Location:  Remington Conference Room
Contact:  Kathy Colbert, kathy-colbert@uiowa.edu


Biostatistics

Biostats Seminar - "Generalized Linear Model Approach for
Estimating and Testing Equality of Conditional Correlations" 

Presented by: Xueya Cai, Ph.D. assistant professor of
biostatistics, Indiana University School
Date:  2/2/2009
Time:  3:30 PM - 4:25 PM
Location:  HP Smith Conference Room W256 GH
Contact:  Ann Weber, ann-weber@uiowa.edu

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The CPH News Digest is an electronic summary of news produced or
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