north dakota medicine spring 2007

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SPRING 2007VOLUME 32, NUMBER 2www.ndmedicine.org

Stork Substitute

Tar Wars

Peer Teaching

A Different Frontier

This is a Cell

Beating Bulimia from a Distance

2 NORTH DAKOTA MEDICINE Spring 2007

AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION IS worth a pound of cure. We�ve probablyall heard this quote at one time oranother; it�s one my mother referred toher entire life. My mother lived a robustand healthy 94 years! The UND Schoolof Medicine and Health Sciencesconsiders prevention the backdrop inour training of physicians and allied

health professionals,our core researchprojects and as akey component ofour state outreachprograms that serveNorth Dakota�sneeds. Why?

The medicalschool is a supplierof health careprofessionals forNorth Dakota. Weserve the majorityof communities inthe state ~ and weknow thatpreventing adversehealth conditions isthe solution tomany oftomorrow�s healthcare needs.Imagine the impacton disease if we, asa society, wouldmake broadchanges in ourlifestyles. Imaginehow proper diet

and exercise would affect the rate ofheart disease, stroke, obesity andarthritis, or how stopping the abuse ofillegal drugs, alcohol and tobaccowould positively affect our population.Our school has programs in place andresearch underway that are designed topositively influence school age childrento recognize good choices in healthand nutrition.

By combining and coordinatinghealth education in the classroom, newphysical activity and educationprograms, and healthier food choices inthe cafeteria, the CoordinatedApproach to Child Health (CATCH)

program shows elementary schoolchildren in eight schools across thestate how to be healthy for the rest oftheir lives. Nancy Vogeltanz-Holm,Ph.D. and the Center for HealthPromotion and Prevention Researchreport marked improvements inchildren�s health and we hope toexpand this program to all elementaryschools in the state.

Nearly 90 of our medical studentsbelong to Docs Ought to Care (DOC),working with young people to promotehealthy lifestyles. One of their signatureprojects is �Tar Wars,� (page 10) atobacco-free education program for kidsacross the state to explain the healthhazards and economic cost of smoking.

These programs are just a few thatbenefit the next generation of NorthDakotans. As both a pediatrician and aproud grandpa to the two beautiful girlspictured here (Katherine (left) andMadeline), I am an advocate forchildren. It has always been mypersonal passion to expand theprograms and make them available toevery child in every school in the state.Children are often the spokespeople tothe family � it is often they who takehome the message �Mom, I learned atschool today that we should drink skimmilk, it�s better for us.�

Making the investment now willlead to longer lives and lower healthcare costs for the future of NorthDakota� our children. Now that�ssomething I can stand behind.

H. David Wilson, M.D. Vice President for Health Affairs andDean

DEAN’S LETTER

NORTH DAKOTA MEDICINE Spring 2007 3

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For address corrections:ND Medicine Address Correction UND School of Medicine and Health SciencesOffice of Administration and Finance Attn: Kitty Monley501 North Columbia Rd. Stop 9037,Grand Forks, ND 58202-9037e-mail: [email protected]: 701-777-2431

NORTH DAKOTA MEDICINE and past issues of THE REVIEW are available at www.ndmedicine.org

FEATURESStork Substitute 4

Drs. Steffen Christensen and Stephanie Dahl devote their professionallives to giving patients the unmatchable joy of becoming parents

Tar Wars 10North Dakota kids learn the dangers of tobacco use from UND medical students

Peer Teaching 12Undergraduate students gain valuable teaching experience in labsthrough a unique program offered by the Department of Microbiologyand Immunology

A Different Frontier 14Roxanne Vaughan, Ph.D., associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, and her team of researchers are investigating how the brain enjoys itself

This is a Cell 17Cytology students receive one-on-one training in preparation for hugeresponsibility: early detection of disease

Beating Bulimia, from a Distance 20James Mitchell, M.D., professor and chair of clinical neuroscience,and his colleagues explore promising telemedicine technology fortreating bulimia nervosa patients in rural areas

DEPARTMENTSStudent Profile 22Alumni Profile 24News Briefs 26Alumni Notes 29In Memoriam 29Planning Ahead 30Parting Shots 31

ON THE COVER: Jordan Lee, 11, daughter of Warren and Sharon Lee,Ada, MN, is the first child born to parents who went through theprocess of in vetro fertilization under the care of Steffen Christensen,M.D. (B.S. Med. �71, Fargo (see story, page 4).

NORTH DAKOTA MEDICINE

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES

CHARLES E. KUPCHELLA, President,University of North Dakota

H. DAVID WILSON, Vice President for Health Affairs Dean, School of Medicine and Health Sciences

WRITERS Pamela Knudson, Amanda ScurryCONTRIBUTORS Blanche Abdallah, Wendy OpsahlGRAPHIC DESIGN John Lee, Victoria SwiftPHOTOGRAPHY Chuck Kimmerle, Pamela Knudson,

Megan Sugden, Wanda WeberCOVER ART Dick Larson, John Lee

www.ndmedicine.org

DESIGN Eric WalterCONTENT Amanda Scurry

NORTH DAKOTA MEDICINE (ISSN 0888-1456; USPS077-680) is published five times a year (April, July,September, December, February) by the University ofNorth Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences,Room 1000, 501 N. Columbia Road Stop 9037, GrandForks, ND 58202-9037. Periodical postage paid at Grand Forks, ND.

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All articles published in NORTH DAKOTA MEDICINE,excluding photographs and copy concerning patients, canbe reproduced without prior permission from the editor.

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Drs. Stephanie Dahl and Steffen Christensen give their patients hope and help in their quest to become parents.

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O RECEIVE THE NEWS FROM YOUR physician that you may not be able to conceiveand bear a child is just as devastating as the diagnosis of cancer, studies show. Those who face such a challenge endure the heartache of

so desperately wanting children yet, for some reason, thisnatural and very basic human experience has been deniedto them. If they choose to pursue treatment for infertility,theirs is an emotional rollercoaster journey that may or maynot take them where they hope to go.

Fifteen years ago, Steffen Christensen, M.D. (B.S. Med.�71), left his busy obstetrics-gynecology practice in Fargo topursue fellowship training in reproductive endocrinology atthe University of Illinois/Michael Reese Hospital in Chicagoto acquire the expertise necessary to help people withreproductive problems.

�I felt that, if I didn�t do this, I would always havewished I would have,� he says. �We were seeing a lot of infertile patients and not doing a very good job� oftreating them.

With support from his employer, MeritCare HealthSystem, he invested two years of his professional life tocomplete the training that later, on his return to Fargo in1994, distinguished him as the first obstetrician-gynecologist subspecialist in North Dakota. StephanieDahl, M.D. �99, whom he mentored as a student, joinedhim last June at the MeritCare Reproductive MedicineInstitute (RMI). The RMI opened in January 2006.

Stephanie�s story �I was always planning to do general obstetrics-

gynecology,� says Dahl, who is originally from Bismarckand, as a medical student, received the Humanism inMedicine Award. During her years in medical school atUND, �Dr. Christensen talked to me about it (reproductiveendocrinology, RE).�

During residency, she took a rotation in RE and �fell inlove with it. It�s a very specialized field, with a very selectgroup of patients,� she says. Only 25 to 30 physicianscomplete training in this field annually, and �I know all of them.�

�Being able to help a couple achieve a family or builda family� is most rewarding, she says. �I have two littleboys who mean the world to me.� She and her husband,Joel Honeyman, who works at the Bobcat Co., are parentsto Grant, 4, and Jackson, 16 months.

After four years of residency training at St. JosephMemorial Hospital, affiliated with the University ofMichigan, in Ann Arbor and three years of fellowship

T


�Dr. Christensen has been an integralpart of helping me pursue my career,�says Brianne Kling, fourth-year medicalstudent who will graduate next month andgo on for residency training this summer.�He has been there every step of theway from first year through fourth year.

�I actually heard of Dr. Christensenlong before I met him because an auntand uncle underwent treatment by him,and I now have a nine-year-old cousinwho would not have been here if itwasn�t for Dr. C. That is when I firststarted getting interested in reproductiveendocrinology,� says Kling who is�strongly considering� pursuing afellowship in that field.

In her third year of medical school,Kling was �lucky enough to scrub intosurgery with Dr. Christensen which wasa great experience for any new third-year medical student. He reallydiscusses all the anatomy with you andlets the students first-assist on his casesto make you feel like a part of the team,instead of just an observer,� she says.

�During the entire residencymatching process he has been there tohelp me with everything. He bringsreality into perspective for the students.Often we lose sight of the biggerpicture, that is our career, and are soexcited to be done that we want to goto programs that would not fit what wewere trying to do.

�Dr. Christensen has a way to bringlife down to earth in these cases. Hehas so much experience in the field thathe is able to counsel and advise us onmany aspects of not only obstetrics andgynecology but our lives and careers asphysicians,� she says.

�I strongly believe that the highpercentage of UND students pursuingcareers in obstetrics and gynecology isdue in large part to all of the help andguidance that we get from the OB/GYN(department). Dr. Christensen, Dr.James Kolars, Tracey Steffes and the...faculty... are the best in the business!�

BestBusinessin theThe

training at the University of Cincinnati,the family is finally settled back inNorth Dakota.

�I am thrilled to be home and backin Fargo,� she says. �It�s great to workfor Dr. Christensen; he�s truly a mentor.�

�She�s our new star,� saysChristensen, associate professor and vice-chair of obstetrics-gynecology and assistantdean for student affairs, Fargo. �And itonly took nine years to get her here!�

Giving up obstetrics was probablythe toughest decision for her, hecomments. �She rotated with me as astudent. She�s the first one we�veconvinced to come back here.

�We�re pretty lucky at MeritCare;most of our OBGYNs are grads of UNDor are from North Dakota.�

Their practice delivers personal careThe reproductive endocrinologists

have what Christensen calls �not a verybig practice; we remember most of thepatients� who�ve come to the institutefor help. They handle about 125 invitro fertilization (IVF) cases each year,and have about 500 on-going patients.

�Most of the patients are onmedications,� he explains. �Only about12 to 15 percent will require in vitrofertilization.�

Physicians turn first to oralmedications to treat infertility becausethey are cheaper, easier to administer,cause fewer side effects, and are not asinvasive as the IVF process. Certaintypes of surgery also may be used tosolve infertility problems such as fibroidsthat must be removed or endometriosis.

Brianne Kling, M.D. Class of 2007


Delivering that next level of service as areproductive endocrinologist, SteffenChristensen, M.D., not only adds an extradimension to health care services forwomen in North Dakota, he also is anexcellent role model for medical students.

�They can take an elective with himto see if that�s a subspecialty they want topursue,� says Dennis Lutz, M.D., chairand professor of obstetrics-gynecology,Minot. UND M.D. graduates chooseOBGYN at a rate of 12 to 14 percent,two to three times the national average.Graduates must leave the state fortraining, but the good news, he says, is

�we get about 40 percent coming back�to the state to practice.

�Almost all of the 50 OBGYNspracticing in North Dakota are membersof the medical school faculty,� Lutzsays. The group is split pretty evenlybetween the genders, with no greatvariations statewide. About 60 percentof the faculty are under the age of 50.

�Our specialty was male-dominatedfor a long time,� but the tide is turning asmore women choose to enter the field,he notes. �Seventy-five to 80 percent ofresidents (in training) are female.�

State Benefits as Graduates Return to Practice

Obstetrician-gynecologistsin North Dakota:

Practicing obstetrician-gynecologists

in North Dakota

1977 200714 50

(52% are UND alumni)

IVF is considered a last resort.Christensen estimates that,

annually, at his clinic �about 50couples go through IVF one time anddo not see us again. Another 100couples go through IVF two times, andabout 50 go through it three times.�

The best part of his practice isseeing the successful result of all thecareful work he and his associates havegone through with the patients, he says.�I like seeing the babies when theybring them back.�

The toughest part of his practice is�having to tell the patient that she�s notpregnant or that the process didn�t work.�

There�s tremendous emotion andstress that surrounds the practice ofreproductive endocrinology. Patientsare often sensitive about needing thiskind of treatment and very protective oftheir privacy, thus the RMI is situated ina residential area in south Fargo, apartfrom other medical facilities, and doesnot readily convey the image of a clinic.

To help patients cope with theemotional aspects of their condition,the RMI staff includes the availablity of

psychologists who provide counseling.Also employed at the clinic are a nursepractitioner, Jennifer Kringlie (BSN �95,MSN �02); registered nurses; anembryologist, and laboratory personnel.

Because nurses develop very closerelationships with the patients, andspend a great deal of timecommunicating with them, the nurseburnout rate is high, Christensen notes.

Variety of patientsMost often, patients with infertility

have been referred to the RMI afterundergoing treatment from theirobstetrician-gynecologist that has notresulted in pregnancy. However,patients do not need a referral, unlesstheir insurance requires it.

�The majority of insurancecompanies in our area do cover almosteverything we do,� Dahl says.

Staff at the RMI also sees patientswho have had recurring miscarriages,want to preserve their future fertility, orare cancer survivors.

�Cancer treatments are so muchbetter now,� Dahl says. For example,

Dennis Lutz, M.D., Chair andProfessor, Department ofObstetrics and Gynecology


�we have malepatients withtesticularcancer� whocan becomeparents in spiteof the disease.

To receivecare at theRMI, patientstravel from allparts of NorthDakota andpoints inMontana,South Dakota,and central andnorthernMinnesota.After initialconsultation in-person inFargo,Christensenand Dahl go tooutlying clinicsto see patientsin Bismarckand East GrandForks, MN, aswell asnorthern SouthDakota. Theyare consideringBemidji, MN,as a regionalsite. Somecare also canbe provided viatelemedicine.

IVF patients, the minority of thoseseen at RMI, must travel to Fargo becausethe exacting nature of the process,timing and other factors, is so critical,Dahl says. Both she and Christensenwork closely with the patient�s localphysician as needed for continuing care.

How IVF works (basically) In the IVF process, egg production

is stimulated by hormone therapy. Eggsare harvested from the female, combinedwith sperm in the laboratory to allowfertilization, and returned to the uterusin hopes that nature will take its course.

�We stimulate as many eggs aspossible,� says Christensen, noting thatdetermining the quality of the embryois a critical step in the process. �We tryto choose the � best� embryos.�

His team usually transfers twoembryos into the uterus with the hopethat at least one will attach to theuterine wall and continue to develop.(Patients also have the option offreezing their embryos for later use, animportant and valuable option forwomen who have cancer.)

Patients have a 30 to 40 percentchance of becoming pregnant, he says.Ninety percent of his patients arepregnant within 12 months.

During his years of practice, whatamazes him most are the advances andrefinement in medications, thepromotion of optimal conditions forfertilization to occur, and the laboratoryadvances � changes in the culture media.

�We�re understanding more aboutwhat the embryo needs in those firstthree days� to improve the chances fora successful pregnancy, he says. �Halfthe job is quality control� in the lab.

Does he ever feel he�s tampering interritory reserved for God or nature?

�No,� he says without hesitation.�I�m providing a better environment�for life to begin.

My, how times have changedBefore the development of effective

treatments for infertility, a patient�s onlyoption was adoption which, fordomestic adoption, can run from$15,000 to $20,000. Today, severalother viable options are available.

For example, Dahl says, a patientwho had cancer as a child can receivea donor egg, fertilized by her spouse orpartner, and carry that baby to term.

�So often, genetics gets to be aminute issue,� she says. �When youcarry that baby for nine months, theidea that � it�s not my baby�� soondisappears.

On occasion, but not frequently,the RMI does have to turn away patients,for medical or psychological reasons.The physicians adhere to a professionalcode of ethics and national guidelines

When Jordan Lee was born in 1995, Steffen Christensen, M.D.,called her “the realization of a dream.” She’s the first child hehelped to bring into the world through the process of in vitrofertilization after he completed fellowship training out-of-state andresumed his practice in Fargo.


set forth by the American Society ofReproductive Medicine, as well as theirown personal ethics to guide them inconducting their practices.

When everything comes togetherfor the patient, �it�s fun to be able tohelp families,� Dahl said. �We help as

many women as possible to achievepregnancy... and it�s a joy to see them go through it and have a happy outcome.�

Pamela D. Knudson

Brad and Dawn Stevens were lucky; shebecame pregnant in their first attempt at invitro fertilization, under the care of SteffenChristensen, M.D. (B.S. Med. �71),reproductive endocrinologist, Fargo. But itwas a long and difficult road to get there.

For at least six years, the rural Manvel,ND, couple tried to conceive, using standarddrug therapies prescribed by a physician inGrand Forks. Dawn would see teenagersand others facing unwanted pregnancy, hearnews stories about child abuse and neglect,and feel frustrated, considering how muchshe and Brad wanted children and knowingthey would make great parents.

�As a patient, you can�t diagnose what�swrong. You�re just led to the next thing,�Dawn says, remembering �just the let-downof not getting pregnant on your own; Ipersonally was becoming bitter towardspeople who were pregnant.�

She thought, �Why can�t we? I wantthat answer.�

At the Reproductive Medicine Institutein Fargo, the care they received was�exceptional,� Dawn says. �They are verycompassionate and thoughtful of your feelings.�

�The staff does a good job of blendingthe two aspects of care,� said Brad, �thehuman side of it - what you�re goingthrough, the empathy you need, and thescientific side of it,� what patients need todo, exactly when, how and why.

Since the birth of their son, Lane, now3, the Stevens went through a second roundof IVF, which was not successful, but plan totry again.

It�s quite amazing, Brad notes, �when yousee how complicated it is - even naturally -to conceive a child. All the things that haveto be in place... For all the intervening,there�s still a lot that has to just happen.�

StevensFamily

Brad and Dawn Stevens and their son, Lane (photo credit: Grand Forks Target)


Fourth- and fifth-graders at VikingElementary School in Grand Forkssimulate breathing difficulties causedby smoking by doing jumping jackswhile breathing only through a straw.

THE IDENTIFIABLE THEME FROM THEStar Wars movies fills the room and textbegins to scroll up the screen:

�We are fighting a war against anunrelenting power. A power of strongsoldiers we cannot see or hear. Apower that can be defeated with aspecial army...of knowledgeable andinformed students like you!�

Medical students from the UNDSchool of Medicine and HealthSciences taught the benefits of atobacco-free life to fourth- and fifth-graders throughout the state this winter.

Through �Tar Wars,� a tobacco-freeeducation program for kids from theAmerican Academy of Family Physicians,

nearly 90 members of the UND chapterof Doctors Ought to Care (DOC) splitinto teams and headed to schoolsacross the state to explain the healthhazards and economic cost of smoking.

Battle against a health crisisEvery day more than 4,000 childrenwill try a cigarette for the first time,According to the American Academy ofFamily Physicians. More than 4.5million children younger than 18 arecurrently regular smokers in the U.S.

It was because of this health crisisthat Tar Wars was started nearly 20years ago. Now presented annually toabout 500,000 fourth- and fifth-grade

North Dakota Kids Learn the Dangers of Tobacco Use from UND Medical Students


students in all 50 states, the programfocuses on the short-term, image-basedconsequences of tobacco use and how tothink critically about tobacco advertising.

�What percent of fourth- and fifth-graders do you think are tobacco-free?�Dane Breker, a second-year medicalstudent asks the group gathered in thecafeteria of Viking Elementary School inGrand Forks.

�Hopefully all,� one voice says.�Ninety-eight percent,� reveals

Breker. �How many ninth graders doyou think are tobacco free?�

After a flurry of responses, Brekertells the group that 78 percent of ninth-graders and 77 percent of adults chooseto be tobacco free.

�Why do you think kids start tosmoke?� he asks.

�To be cool,� comes one response.�They were dared to,� says another.Another voice from the back of the

room is heard. �They are a follower.��Good,� replies Breker. �What can

happen to you if you smoke?��You will die,� says one. �You can lose a lung or get a hole

in your neck,� cracks a wise guy in thefar right corner.

�You could lose your singingvoice,� a quiet girl on the left peeps.

�You could lose your friends,�chimes in another.

During the presentation, studentsparticipate in a live demonstration ofthe long-term effects of cigarette use.Each one is given a straw and the entiregroup does jumping jacks whilebreathing only through the straw.

The difficultly the children havebreathing through the straw is what it islike to breathe when you have beensmoking for a long time, Brekerexplains to them.

Each student also has the chance toparticipate in a poster contest aimed atportraying a positive message forremaining smoke-free. A state winnerwill be selected to win a trip toWashington, DC, paid for by the NorthDakota Academy of Family Physiciansand other contributors, where they willpresent their poster at a nationalcompetition. The winner of the national

event receives a free trip to Disneyland.�We are happy to support this

wonderful effort to get out the wordabout a leading cause of distress on ournational health,� said Chuck Breen,M.D. (�90, family practice residency�93) president of the North DakotaAcademy of Family Physicians andclinical assistant professor of family andcommunity medicine at the UNDmedical school. �Tar Wars is a greatway to teach our children andsubsequently our adults the reasons toquit or to never start smoking.�

Tar warriors on the western frontFor the first time this year, third-yearmedical students spread the Tar Warsmessage to the western part of North Dakota.

Previously, the first- and second-year medical students presented the TarWars program to schools in the GrandForks area. Demanding schedules anddistance from the main campusprevented third-year DOC membersfrom doing the program in their clinicalcommunities, said third-year studentJustin Reisenauer.

�I am a strong advocate of the anti-tobacco message,� said Reisenauer,who arranged for Tar Wars to expandthis year. �I was the president of DOClast year, and truly wanted to spread theanti-tobacco message to the children ofwestern North Dakota.�

Several volunteers from his third-year class stepped forward and gave theanti-tobacco presentation to students inthe communities of Hettinger,Jamestown, Williston and Bismarck.

�Tar Wars is a wonderful program,�said Reisenauer. �Ultimately, DOCgoes one step further by discussingtobacco use in families, describing peerpressure, brainstorming with the childrenon ways to deal with peer pressure,and advocating a smoke free lifestyle.�

Amanda Scurry WEB EXCLUSIVE:Read more about AAFP�s Tar Warsprogram, including successmeasurements nationwide, visit: www.ndmedicine.org

At the end of the UND medicalstudents’ presentation, each kidreceived a “UND Smoke Free”armband to help them remember whatthey learned.


�PEER TEACHING IS A � WIN-WIN-WIN�situation,� says Francis Sailer, Ph.D.(MSCLS �92, Ph.D. Microbiology andImmunology �01), assistant professor ofmicrobiology and immunology, GrandForks. �It�s a � win� for the graduateteaching assistants, a � win� for the peerteachers, and a � win� for the studentsthey�re helping to teach.�

Peer teachers are undergraduatestudents who have completed thelaboratory portion of the advancedmicrobiology course and excelled in it.Through an application process, they

are selected to help teach that coursealongside graduate teaching assistants(GTAs) and faculty members.

The peer teachers earn academiccredit and gain experience in teaching,Sailer says. They also receive valuable,behind-the-scenes training in how thelabs are set up in preparation forclasses, and how supplies and media(what bacteria are grown on) areprepared and the use of modernclassroom technologies.

Since the program was initiated in2003 with funding from the UND

Students Try on Role of Teacher

Peer Teaching

Undergraduate student and “peerteacher” for the Department ofMicrobiology and Immunology,Margaret Flanagan (center), a juniorfrom Sebeka, MN, gains valuableexperience helping students graspimportant concepts in themicrobiology laboratory course.


Office of Instructional Development, 23students have participated in the peerteaching program.

�We choose the ones who are best-suited� to the role, she notes. �Mostare pre-professional students, majoringin biology, nursing, pre-med, pre-dentistry or other medical fields.�

The study of microbiology �is verylabor intensive,� Sailer notes. �Itinvolves a lot of demonstration,explaining, mentoring... It can requireone-on-one teaching, if the studentneeds help.�

Students in microbiology learn tobecome adept in the use of themicroscope, sterile techniques, how toculture for an experiment, safety rules,the principles behind the experimentand how to interpret test results.

Generally, in the fall, about 120students are accommodated in five labsand, in the spring, about 75 in threelabs, she says. �A GTA in each labonly goes so far.�

Because peer teachers may beinteracting with their roommates orfriends, safeguards are built into theprogram to prevent them from beingput into a �conflicted� position, Sailersays. They do not write or grade tests.They distribute their help among allstudents as needed.

�It�s really been a good program;and we�ve had really good feedback.Almost all (the peer teachers) stronglyagree it�s been beneficial� for them. Intheir exit evaluation they�re invited todiscuss what they liked about theprogram and offer suggestions.

�We�ve implemented a lot of theirideas,� she says.

Three peer teachers �have gone onto teach labs for us when we were shortof lab teachers,� she adds, and twoothers have opted to continue doinglaboratory research with faculty inmicrobiology and immunology.

�We�ve been extremely happy withtheir performance,� Sailer says. Theprogram �has been a real success, Ihope to continue it. As long as we havethese big, full labs, the peer teachingprogram is very worthwhile for us.�

Students gain valuable experience Kelsey Naze wants to be a pathologyassistant � someone who works withautopsy cases, like the sort of characteryou�d see on the popular CSI TV series.

�When I was about seven I askedfor a microscope,� says the sophomorefrom Adrian, ND. That gift launchedher interest in the world of humanbiology only visible through a high-powered lense.

At UND, she�s majoring incytotechnology, working toward aBachelor of Science degree. If all goesas planned, that diploma will be placedin her hand in the spring of 2009. Herlong-range plan is to work five years inthe field of cytotechnology, arequirement to enter an advancedprogram for pathology assistants offeredby a university out-of-state.

Experience as a peer teacher is partof reaching that goal, she says. Itallows her �to build up references� thatwill strengthen her application tograduate school.

As peer teachers, �we�re seeing itfrom a different side; it�s been interestingto see what our TAs went through,�Naze says. �It�s been lots of fun.�

Peer teacher Margaret Oestreich, anursing major and junior from Bemidji,MN, also wanted the experience for thesake of references. She is hoping, aftergraduation, to work in an AIDS clinic orwith burn patients.

Margaret Flanagan, who ismajoring in cytotechnology, says, �Ireally like microbiology and I wanted tosee what it was like to teach. I want tobe a college professor and a researcherone day.�

Peer teaching �changed my mind,�says the junior from Sebeka, MN. �Idebated about (going on to) medicalschool...� Now she�s sure about herdecision not to pursue a medical careerbecause �I found something I like better.�

She has applied to enter the graduateprogram in UND�s Department ofMicrobiology and Immunology.

Pamela D. Knudson

P“Peer teaching enhancesstudents’ resumés and

strengthens their applicationgraduate school.”


A

Roxanne Vaughan (left)and doctoral studentLaura Parnas (right)

have worked together for five years

investigating thedopamine transporter in

the brain.

DifferentFrontier


THE WORKINGS OF THE HUMANbrain are so complex that it is still afrontier in the scientific world. That isexactly why Roxanne Vaughan, Ph.D.,associate professor of biochemistry andmolecular biology at the UND Schoolof Medicine and Health Sciences choseto study it 16 years ago.

�I love working with neurotransmittertransporters,� explains Vaughan. �Theyare parts of the brain that are not wellunderstood, so there is an opportunityto make a lot of discoveries.�

Vaughan came to UND eight yearsago from the National Institute on DrugAbuse (NIDA), a division of theNational Institutes of Health based inBaltimore, MD.

With two grants totaling nearly $3million from the NIDA, Vaughan andher team of researchers at UND areinvestigating how the brain enjoys itself.

Too Much of a Good ThingDopamine is chemical produced by thebrain that allows you to feel goodwhether it is from the occasionalchocolate indulgence or from abuseddrugs like cocaine.

The dopamine transporter, or DATfor short, is a protein in the brain thatregulates the flow of dopamine. TheDATs work as dimmer switches fordopamine, regulating its flow based onthe need of the brain. This process isessential to life.

However, cocaine and relateddrugs bind to the DAT, stopping it fromdoing its job. This causes too muchdopamine to be present in the brain.Although dopamine is a naturalcompound that allows us to enjoy thepleasures of a piece of chocolate, toomuch dopamine in the brain can result inmental illness and psychotic behavior.

Laura Parnas, a doctoral studentoriginally from Santiago Del Estero,Argentina has been spending the pastfive years working with Vaughan todiscover how these drugs bind withDATs in the first place.

Parnas came to UND through aforeign exchange program to work on amaster�s degree in the Department ofBiochemistry and Molecular Biology.

She soon realized she had the knack forit and decided to stay on to pursue herdoctorate degree.

�Dr. Vaughan is very generous tous,� said Parnas. �She provides us withso many opportunities to help us learnas scientists.�

If Vaughan and Parnas can discoverhow elements of cocaine bind to DATs,that would allow development ofpharmaceuticals that prevent thatbinding and hence, the effects ofcocaine on the brain.

Beyond CocaineVaughan�s lab is also looking at howthe rate of DAT activity is controlled toregulate the levels of dopamine in thebrain. The team is looking at thephysiological processes that increase ordecrease DAT function, and how thesebiochemical pathways are affected bydrugs like cocaine.

However, this research has fartherreaching implications than drug abuse.Naturally-occurring low levels ofdopamine have been linked to depressionand Parkinson�s disease while highlevels of dopamine are associated withschizophrenia and other mental illnesses.

Once Vaughan�s team discovershow dopamine transport is controlled,treatments may be developed toartificially adjust those processes. Thiswould benefit people suffering fromdrug abuse, because it would cause thedrugs to loose their ability to create ahigh, and could also treat mental illnessand other diseases, allowing doctors toput dopamine within normal levels fortheir patients.

On the ForefrontThrough their groundbreaking research,Vaughan�s team has brought UND tothe forefront of the field.

�When we present at meetings wecan really see the impact we are makingon a national and international level,�said Parnas, �right here in North Dakota.�

�It is very gratifying that in a smallway what we are doing here mighthelp people,� said Vaughan.

Amanda Scurry

I“It is very gratifying that in asmall way what we are doing

here might help people.”


School named

THE UND SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND HEALTHSciences has been named a Center of Excellence forDrug Abuse Education by the National Institute onDrug Abuse (NIDA).

UND is one of the first four such centersestablished by NIDA to serve as national models tosupport the advancement of addiction awareness,prevention and treatment in primary care practicestargeting medical students and resident physicians inprimary care specialties such as internal medicine,family practice and pediatrics.

Through the center, the UND medical school�sOffice of Medical Education will identify what medicalstudents and residents should learn about substanceabuse and develop curriculum that will help themidentify, assess and refer patients with drug addictions.

�Our patient-centered learning curriculum allowsus to integrate substance abuse into what the studentslearn,� said Charles Christianson, M.D., associateprofessor of family and community medicine, whoheads the project for the UND medical school. �Wecan add drug addiction to cases the students study eachweek and bring in standardized patients who play thepart of someone with a substance abuse problem.�

UND�s Center of Excellence will focus onsubstance abuse that is prevalent in rural and tribalareas such as methamphetamine, inhalants and misuseof prescription drugs, said Christianson.

NIDA, a division of the National Institutes ofHealth, also funded centers of excellence at CreightonUniversity School of Medicine, Omaha, Nebraska; theUniversity of Pennsylvania School of Medicine incollaboration with Drexel University College ofMedicine; and the Massachusetts Consortium ofMedical Schools, including the University ofMassachusetts Medical School, Tufts University Schoolof Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine andHarvard Medical School/Cambridge Health Alliance.

EducationDrug Abusefor

Center of Excellence


FROM THE VERY FIRST DAY OF CLASSwhen students hear, �This is a cell,�they progress very rapidly.

�Before too long, we�re starting tocompare� the various features of cells,analyzing and discerning what isnormal and abnormal, says Katherine

Hoffman, M.M. (B.S. Cytotechnology�85), cytotechnology program director,Grand Forks. �There�s a constant backand forth with the students. I reallyenjoy that.

�They blossom.� Continued on page 19

Training the Eyes that First Spot the Disease

This Cellis a

Cytotechnology students receive very focused, individual instruction from Katherine Hoffman, M.M. (left), program director, whoemphasizes the crucial importance of their attention to minute detail. Students are (from second-to-left): Hussein Roble, Mogadishu,Somalia; Andrea Martin, Crookston, MN, and Sarah Wehmhoefer, Bismarck.


CausesCytotechnology Cancer

CareerIN 1999, AT AGE 26, MELISSA PAHL (B.S. Cytotechnology �06) was diagnosed with Hodgkin�s disease,a cancer of the lymphatic system. The disease and thebattle she fought took years, involved six months ofchemotherapy and 26 rounds of radiation, and turned herlife in an entirely new direction.

�It totally changed my life,� says the young womanfrom Jamestown who, at the time of her diagnosis, wasoperating a dog-grooming business which she had to closedue to the illness. Doctors advised her that �the chemotreatments were going to be very intense and my immunesystem compromised.�

She became fascinated with the study of cancer � whatoccurs, and what goes wrong, at the cellular level. Sheenrolled at Jamestown College, majoring in microbiologywith a special interest in hematology, the study of blood.

�I came across a book from UND and was flippingthrough it,� she says, when she noticed a section oncytotechnology. Her reaction, �Oh my word! I got chills.

�I hadn�t even heard of � cytotechnology�,� she says, butthis was exactly what she wanted to pursue and in thatdefining moment she decided to go into this field. Sideeffects of her cancer treatment, including a toxicity to oneof the drugs, lasted quite a while. She could only attendschool part time.

On a visit to UND, she met with the faculty, talkedwith students in the program, and �felt right at home here,� she said. �Kathy Hoffman and Kim Droog areexcellent teachers.�

Now having completed her degree in cytotechnology,she says, the quality of the education �was excellent; thereare no words to express it. It�s one-on-one... I learn a lotbetter that way.

�If you have any questions they�re always there to help,especially because we�re such a small class.�

Today, �when I see a slide, and see that it�s cancer, it�snot only the patient. I see the mother, the father, thefamily, the children � everyone who will be affected by it.�

She knows; she�s been there.


This is a Cell (Continued from page 17)

Cytotechnology is one of thesmallest and most unusual programs atUND. In the one-year curriculumleading to a Bachelor of Science degree,Hoffman and Kimberly Droog,education coordinator, provide one-on-one teaching for students.

�It�s different from a lot of programsat the university,� Hoffman says. �Whatyou learn that first day you use forever.�

Accredited for eight students, theprogram accepts qualified students intheir fourth and final year as well asthose who�ve completed abaccalaureate degree in another field,such as biology, and wish to take anadditional year to becomecytotechnologists. Students take twosemesters at the UND medical school inGrand Forks, followed by clinicalexperience in the summer at sites inGrand Forks; Fargo; the Twin Cities;Marquette, MI, and Kalispell, MT.

�It�s highly specialized. You gottalove the microscope,� Hoffman tellsprospective students. �It�s the tool ofour trade. Cytotechnologists spendmore than six hours a day at themicroscope,� usually in a hospital orclinic setting. They may also be drawntoward research and teaching.

Students must also be prepared tomove to metropolitan areas or a largercity in North Dakota when theycomplete their studies, she advises. �Ifyou have to stay in Grand Forks, it�sprobably not the profession for you.�There are only about 25 cytotechnologistsin the entire state; almost all (88percent) are UND alumni.

Under the careful tutelage of theirteachers, the students� work is �verydetailed,� Hoffman says. �They learn torecognize minute differences� in cells,especially the nucleus � its size andshape, how does it stain, where it islocated, are the edges smooth or irregular.

The majority of the cytologist�swork (90 percent) involves reading Papsmears to detect cancer in the femalegenital tract. It also includes analysis ofbenign entities, inflammatory orinfectious cells, and dysplasia (abnormaltissue growth, pre-malignant) cells.

�The Pap smear is the mostsuccessful screening test out there forcervical cancer,� Hoffman says, a diseasethat, fortunately, is going down inprevalence. Slides used for teaching aredonated by area clinics and hospitals.

Cytology is more than the Papsmear; cell samples can come from �allother body systems,� she notes,�gastrointestinal, genitourinary,respiratory and fine needle aspirationsfrom anywhere in the body.�Cytotechnologists sign out normal Papsmears; all specimens designated asabnormal (Pap smear and all specimensfrom the other body systems) are sent tothe pathologist for final diagnosis.

�Sometimes it�s easy to recognizeabnormalities; sometimes it�s not,� shesays.

The cytotechnology program�scontinuing commitment to excellencehas yielded exceptional results, studentsroutinely score very high on the nationalcertification examination. Last year, thenational pass rate was 96 percent;UND�s pass rate was 100 percent.

Pamela D. Knudson


Distancefrom a Bulimia,Beating

Researcher Studies Effectiveness of Therapy via Telemedicine for Rural Patientswith Eating Disorders; Major NIH Grant Funds Project

James Mitchell, M.D., chair and professor of clinical neuroscience, Fargo, is breaking new ground through a televised cognitive

behavior therapy program which has been shown to be effective in treating bulimia patients in rural areas.


WEB EXCLUSIVE:For more informationon this study, visit:www.ndmedicine.org

HOW DO YOU REACH PATIENTS who suffer from eating disorders, andwho live in rural areas, with the kind ofpsychotherapeutic care they need, carethat is generally not available in mostsmaller towns in the Upper Midwest?

A new form of therapy, usingtelemedicine, has been tested by a teamof UND medical school researchers andshown to be a very viable, productivemeans of treating these patients,especially those with bulimia nervosa, aserious eating disorder characterized bybinge-eating followed by self-inducedpurging (vomiting).

Headed by James Mitchell, M.D.,professor and chair of clinicalneuroscience, Fargo, the researchershave demonstrated that �televisedcognitive behavior therapy� is just aseffective, and acceptable to patients, asthe traditional care provided by atherapist who is physically in the sameroom with the patient.

Mitchell, who also serves aspresident of the NeuropsychiatricResearch Institute (NRI), has received amajor grant from the National Institutesof Health (NIH) to continue a projectaimed at helping patients in rural areaswho suffer from eating disorders.

In the first phase of the study, alsofunded by NIH, the researcherscompared cognitive behavior therapy(CBT) delivered via telemedicine andCBT delivered in person, involvingpatients in rural and smaller urban areasin North Dakota and northwesternMinnesota, Mitchell said. The twomethods �were equally effective andacceptable to patients, with goodmaintenance of treatment effects at one-year follow-up.�

CBT is a highly structured form ofcounseling, with the patient givenspecific readings and assignments, henoted. �It�s like a class as much it�s likea therapy session.�

The new five-year, $2.5 milliongrant from NIH�s National Institute ofMental Health funds the next phase ofthe study which involves comparingvariations in telemedicine-deliveredCBT to unsupervised self-help.

�This additional study allows us topursue our goal of developing deliverysystems for effective and cost-effectiveintervention for patients in rural areas,where specialized treatments are usuallynot available,� Mitchell said.

The therapy takes four months, withfollow-up visits at six and 12 months,he said. Because the project is federallysponsored, he and his colleagues areable to provide care at no charge toparticipating patients.

Bulimia nervosa (BN) is a prevalentform of eating disorder that affects twoto three percent of girls and women inlate adolescent and young adulthood,he said. �The age of onset is usually18... Most people who need thistherapy don�t get it.�

Studies reveal that five to six percentof girls and young women �havesymptoms but not full-blown bulimianervosa,� he said. �Most practicingpsychotherapists who treat patients withBN have not been adequately trained todeliver the care that has emerged as arecommended standard.

�Therefore there appears to be agrowing discrepancy between what isbeing used experimentally in academiccenters and recommended byresearchers in the field and what isavailable in the community,� he said.

Internationally recognized for hiswork in eating disorders, such asanorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa andobesity, Mitchell is the author ofnumerous books in his field of studyand has written extensively forpublication in scientific journals.

The recipient of numerous awardsand honors, he was named in 2003 as aMcCann Scholar, a prestigious honorgiven to a select few outstanding mentorsin medicine in the United States. AtUND, he holds the NRI/Lee Christoferson,M.D., Chair in Neuroscience and theChester Fritz DistinguishedProfessorship, the latter is the highestfaculty honor bestowed by UND.

Pamela D. Knudson

W“We need to think of creativeways to help women and

girls become more happywith their bodies

regardless of their size.”


FOR JACQUI NELSON, THERE IS NOreason to be anywhere but theCarrington area.

Originally from McHenry, ND, thehigh school basketball star left theregion only briefly to play her waythrough a nursing degree first at LakeRegion State College and then at theUniversity of Mary in Bismarck. Shepromptly returned to the Carringtonwhere she worked as a registered nursefor more than ten years before shedecided she wanted more.

�I loved patient care and I felt myposition was getting too administrative,�

explained Nelson, who is a seniorPhysician Assistant student at the UNDSchool of Medicine and HealthSciences. �I wanted to challengemyself and be more independent. Iworked firsthand with the mid-levels inCarrington and thought it would be avery interesting career path to travel.�

The UND physician assistantprogram, the only one in North Dakota,is the only one in the U.S. specificallygeared to clinically practicing healthcare professionals, who have at leasttwo years of professional experience.

They reside in their home

STUDENT PROFILE

HometownCare

HometownCare

Jacqui NelsonMaster of Physician Assistant StudiesClass of 2007Hometown: Carrington, ND

T


communities during the trainingexperience, coming to UND only forfour, four-week periods and a week priorto graduation. Most of their 22-monthprogram of study occurs in the hometownclinical setting under the supervision oftheir physician-faculty member. Mostof these students come from ruralcommunities, where, in many cases,they plan to continue working.

�Students who are planning topractice in their home communitiescome into the program with a highdegree of determination,� said MaryAnn Laxen (FNP/PA �91), director of thePA program at the UND medicalschool. �They have grown up in thecommunity; they have seen the need,realize the challenges and are eager tobecome part of the answer. They knowif they further their education, they canhelp fill that need.�

�I did a lot of research on what wasout there,� Nelson said. �I chose UNDbecause it was clinical-based, whichmeant I would spend less time awayfrom my family. A PA here, Mary Hoff(PA �95), had been through the programso I had a good idea of what to expect.�

Timeout�Jackie embodies the type of studentthat we look for,� said Laxen. �She wasalready a longtime member of thehealth care community, she plans onworking in her home community upongraduation, she is committed to life-long learning and she has the supportof her family.�

As a wife and mother of three youngchildren, going back to school was nosmall decision. Her family would loseher full-time nurse�s salary and theywould be taking on the cost of hereducation. She would have to put onhold many of her community activitieslike being captain of the MidkotaAmbulance Service, high schoolbasketball coach and participating inher kids� school boosters and religiouseducation groups.

�My husband really had to stepup,� said Nelson, who was usuallyresponsible for the kids� comings andgoings. �But he tells me all the time

how proud he is of me.�When asked about what her kids

think about all this, Nelson replies, �theyare kind of inspired. I think this taughtmy kids that education is important. Itdoesn�t have to end after high school.�

The next level�The PA program at UND has beengreat,� said Nelson, who will graduate inMay. �I felt challenged and got to meetpeople from other states. Even though Ilearned in the field, the faculty memberswere always good about communicating.�

The program has done what shewanted. Nelson gets even more patienttime at Carrington Health Center whereshe practices. Part of Catholic HealthInitiatives, Carrington Health Center is a25-bed acute care facility that includeslaboratory, radiology, surgery, trauma,and emergency room, and othersupport services.

�I have even closer contact with thepatients,� said Nelson. �I get to knowthem a lot better now.�

�PAs that return to their owncommunities do really well,� saidLaxen. �They are already known in thecommunity and their patients know andtrust them.�

Upon graduation, Nelson willbecome one of the 70 percent ofphysician assistants practicing in North Dakota who are graduates ofthe UND program.

Amanda Scurry

“They have grown up in thecommunity; they have seen

the need, realize thechallenges and are eager to

become part of the answer.”


A NORTH DAKOTA NATIONAL Guard soldier committed to the UnitedStates� military mission in Iraq, Col.Craig Lambrecht, M.D. �87, has broughtpeace and healing to children who areburn victims in that war-torn country.

A 23-year veteran of the NationalGuard, he completed his second tour ofduty in Iraq in January, coming home toBismarck after about four months. Twoyears ago, he was also deployed therefor four months, serving near theIranian border as part of the FirstInfantry Division.

Lambrecht, an emergency medicinephysician at Medcenter One and

clinical assistant professor of family andcommunity medicine at the UND medicalschool, is state surgeon for the NationalGuard, responsible for overseeingmedical training for all members of theNorth Dakota National Guard.

Most recently in Iraq he served assenior medical officer and field surgeonat the Troop Medical Clinic, located atConvoy Support Center, Scania, southeastof Baghdad, and was responsible for themedical care of Multinational CoalitionForces and contract workers, as well asdetainee care.

In addition to his regular duties, hetreated Iraqi children at the Smith Gate

ALUMNI PROFILE

Harm’s Way Healing,

in

Caring for young burn victims provideda “change of cadence” from regularduties in Iraq, said Col. Craig Lamrecht,pictured with a nine-year-old patient atthe U.S. military’s Smith Gate clinicsoutheast of Baghdad. “It makes youfeel good about what you’re doing.”

T


“The most important workI am achieving as a statesurgeon, and in 23 years in the National Guard,

is being able to take careof our state’s troops andthe country’s soldiers.”

Burn Clinic (SGBC), part of themilitary�s Effect�s Mission or civilianassistance mission, he says. Theoutpatient clinic, housed in a smallshipping container located outside thewalls of the operation base, is openusually three days a week.

�We can see one or two patients ata time. We see anywhere from 20 to 60patients a day, primarily pediatric burnpatients. They come from all over Iraq,and some even come from Iran.

�We do a lot of debriding anddressing changes, which can be verypainful,� he says. In Iraq, there is noburn care expertise at the levelprovided at Smith Gate, so �we see arange of patients� with conditionsspanning simple to complex.

Some patients require simpledressing changes, while others mustundergo amputation which cannot bedone at the clinic, Lambrecht says.�Patients will arrive by car, taxi,ambulance, from hospitals. (They) willbe sick, not sick, dying or well - the fullspectrum of health.�

Because they live in anenvironment with little or no electricity,children especially are at high risk forinjury due to exposure to flammablesubstances and fire. Iraqis cook usingopen hearth ovens and store fuel inopen containers next to flames.

Children also suffer burn injuries asa consequence of war, from explosivedevices, as well as their work in brickfactories, he says. They are not victimsof Coalition fire or related action.

Help from home The clinic has received assistance anddonations from organizations andindividuals throughout North Dakota,including basic medical and personalhygiene supplies.

Lambrecht is very grateful to theEdward (�Ted�) Fogarty, M.D., chairand clinical assistant professor ofradiology, Bismarck, for researching aburn ointment, Medihoney, which is�the perfect product for the outpatientmanagement of burns in Iraq,� he says.Medihoney is produced in Australia.

�He even donated thousands of

dollars of the product to convince us touse it!� Lambrecht comments. �It haschanged the way outpatient burn careis being delivered at Smith Gate.�

North Dakota�s contribution �The most important work I amachieving as a state surgeon, and in 23years in the National Guard, is beingable to take care of our state�s troops andthe country�s soldiers,� he says, �andhelping the North Dakota Guard achieveone of the country�s highest overallmedical troop readiness state ratings.�

Lambrecht wants people tounderstand �the profound impact thedoctors of the North Dakota NationalGuard have on how health care hasbeen delivered in Iraq. North Dakotahas given some of its best providers andexpertise to a health care missionwhich has never been without resolveor commitment.

�Doctors Joe Smothers (Minot),Mike Brown (M.D./Ph.D. �92, Bismarck),Don Kosiak (M.D. �79, Wishek, ND),Gordy Leingang (Bismarck), R.J. Moen(M.D. �00, Williston), Stacey Smith(M.D. �98, Detroit Lakes, MN), RachelHawker (M.D. �02, LaCrosse, WI), andTodd Schaffer (M.D. �02, Carrington,ND) are a team personifying whatNorth Dakota physicians do best,serving their patients with quality care,no matter what, where or when thecircumstances, �he says.

�Just as importantly, true battlebuddies have covered for them athome, allowing them to fulfill theirmissions and stay focused.�

What this service means For Lambrecht, his long-term dedicationand service in the North DakotaNational Guard is more than militaryduty, it�s �about the troops and serviceto the country,� he says.

�There can be no doubt thatsupport for this country should bemanifested by shared responsibility,shared sacrifice and shared service. Youcan�t ask someone to do what youare not willing to do yourself.�

Pamela D. Knudson


NEWS BRIEFS

Sue Jeno, Ph.D. (Anatomy �99), PT, assistant professor ofphysical therapy, Grand Forks, is serving as UND�s FacultyAthletic Representative (FAR) to the National CollegiateAthletics Association (NCAA).

Established in 1989, the NCAA�s FARs serve as one of thelinks between the NCAA and its member campuses. FARsmonitor the academic integrity of athletic programs, the athleticperformance of student-athletes, and the student-athleteexperience. They also serve on a variety of campus committeesto provide insight to NCAA regulations and recommendations.

�One of the things the group works to do is to betterintegrate athletics and academics,� said Jeno. �Many timesstudents feel they lead two lives: their athletic life and theacademic life. We are trying to do a better job ofintegrating both aspects of the student-athlete�s campus life.�

Jeno Serves on NCAA Committee

Edward Carlson, Ph.D. (Anatomy�70), chairman and Chester FritzDistinguished Professor at the UNDSchool of Medicine and HealthSciences, Grand Forks, has been namedas the first Dr. Karl and Carolyn KaessProfessor of Anatomy and Cell Biology.

The professorship was createdwith a significant gift from CarolynKaess of San Diego and her husband,

the late Karl Kaess, M.D., a 1938 graduate of the UNDmedical school. It is the second professorship establishedwith a major endowment to support the school.

Dr. and Mrs. Kaess chose to endow the professorship inanatomy because of their esteem for Dr. Harley French, anexceptionally gifted professor who served as anatomydepartment chairman as well as dean of the medical schoolfor 37 years, ending in 1948.

�We are sincerely grateful to Dr. and Mrs. Karl Kaess fortheir remarkable generosity,� said Carlson. �Their gift willdirectly impact my teaching and research career and benefitour department for years to come.�

Professor Carlson, who has served as chairman of theanatomy and cell biology department since 1981, isrespected as an award-winning educator, a highly effectiveadministrator and a creative investigator. His work hascentered on the morphometric analysis of cellular andextracellular ultra-structure, especially as applied to modelsof diabetic retinal and kidney ailments. Results of hisresearch, represented by more than 180 papers andabstracts, have been widely published. In May 2006, hereceived the highest faculty honor bestowed by UND, thetitle Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor.

Carlson Named Kaess Professor ofAnatomy and Cell Biology

Associate Dean Ebadi Announces Retirement Manuchair (Mike)Ebadi, Ph.D., associatedean for research andprogram developmentat the UND School ofMedicine and HealthSciences, Grand Forks,has announced hisplans to retire, effectiveJune 30, culminating a40-year career inacademic medicine.

He is director ofthe Center ofExcellence inNeuroscience and

Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology andof Clinical Neuroscience and also holds the titles, senioradvisor to the president and associate vice president formedical research.

�We wish to thank Dr. Ebadi for his many contributionsto the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences,� saidDean H. David Wilson, M.D. �They have been magnificentand magnanimous.�

Ebadi also has established awards to recognizeoutstanding contributions to the field of neuroscienceresearch (Dean H. David Wilson, M.D., Academic Award inNeurosciences), teaching (Hippocratic Dignity Award), andhealth promotion (Charles E. Kupchella Preventive Medicineand Wellness Award).

Under Ebadi�s leadership, the research enterprise at theUND medical school has increased sixfold and is due, inlarge part, to recruitment and support of talentedresearchers, Wilson said. This year, awards for grants andcontracts totaled nearly $20 million, primarily from federalsources, placing the school among the top entities in termsof research activity in the state.

Since 1999, Ebadi has served the UND medical schoolas administrator, faculty member and researcher. Anauthority in the field of Parkinson�s disease, he has writtenten books on subjects related to his field of study, one ofwhich has been translated into Japanese and one intoChinese. He also wrote a reference book on pharmacology,the study of drugs.

He and his colleagues investigate the nature andunderlying causes of Parkinson�s and otherneurodegenerative diseases, as well as drug addiction. Afellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacology,he conducts research funded by the National Institute ofNeurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS), the NationalInstitute on Aging (NIA) and the Office of National DrugControl Policy which support health-related studies.


NEWS BRIEFS

New Web Site a Gateway to Rural HealthResearch

The sixth White Coat Ceremony for new students in thePhysician Assistant (PA) Program took place on February 16at the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

The class consists of 33 students, 19 women and 14 men,from 16 states. These students, members of the program�s 36thclass, received their white coats and UND School of Medicineand Health Sciences pins. They also received �Guidelinesfor Ethical Conduct for the Physician Assistant Profession.�

�The presentation of the white coat is symbolic of thenew profession the students are entering,� said Mary AnnLaxen, PA program director. The students will wear thesecoats throughout the clinical phase of their training.

Guest speaker for the event was Robert Beattie, M.D.�89, associate professor and chair of family and communitymedicine at the UND medical school.

Physician assistants are health care professionals whopractice medicine with physician guidance and supervision.The UND physician assistant program, the only one inNorth Dakota, is the only one in the U.S. specifically gearedto clinically practicing health care professionals, who haveat least two years of professional experience.

They reside in their home communities during the trainingexperience, coming to UND only for four, four-week periodsand a week prior to graduation. Most of their 22-monthprogram of study occurs in the hometown clinical settingunder the supervision of their physician-faculty member.Most of these students come from rural communities,where, in many cases, they plan to continue working.

More than 70 percent of physician assistants practicingin North Dakota are graduates of the UND program.

UND Physician Assistant Class of 2008Receive White Coats

The UND Center for Rural Health launched a new RuralHealth Research Gateway Web site.

The Web site, funded by the U.S. Department of Healthand Human Services, features rural health research conductedby the federal Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)�s RuralHealth Research Centers on topics such as access to care,health care quality management and improvement, Medicareand Medicaid, health information technology, healthworkforce, patient safety, and public and mental health.

At the Web site, http://www.ruralhealthresearch.org,users can:

● Search for summaries of research projects, both underway and completed.

● Find fact sheets, policy briefs, and other publications resulting from the work of the research centers.

● Access information about the eight ORHP-funded Rural Health Research Centers, including contacts and areas of expertise.

�Rural health care can face significant challenges and itis hard to find solutions when you are operating in a data-free zone,� said Mary Wakefield, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N.director of the Center for Rural Health. �The Rural HealthResearch Gateway will help to move information morerapidly so it can be used to address those challenges.�

The Rural Health Research Gateway is a project of theUND Center for Rural Health, in conjunction with theRUPRI Health Panel and the University of Southern Maine.

In a letter to U.S. Department of Health and HumanServices Secretary Michael Leavitt discussing his visit toNorth Dakota last fall, the chair of the National AdvisoryCommittee on Rural Health and Human Services praisedUND for its �mission of service.�

�The committee was impressed by the work of one ofone of its hosts, the University of North Dakota, which is agreat example for a research university taking to heart itsmission of service,� said Committee Chair David Beasley,former governor of South Carolina. �The university�sprograms and outreach efforts play a key role in supportinghealth and human service delivery in North Dakota. It ishome to the only medical school in North Dakota, whosegraduates supply much of the health care workforce in ruralNorth Dakota.�

In September, the Center for Rural Health at the UNDmedical school hosted members of this committee thatadvises the Secretary on rural issues. During the meetingsin Grand Forks, Devils Lake and Cando, the committeegathered information on rural issues involving substanceabuse, Medicare Advantage and Headstart programs toinclude in their annual report to the Secretary.

Federal Health Panel Praises UND

Kurt Lindquist, M.D., surgeon at theVeterans Affairs Medical Center(VAMC) in Fargo and UND clinicalprofessor of surgery, has beenawarded the 2006 Annual Secretary�sHands and Heart Award. This awardrecognizes his excellence inproviding sustained andcompassionate direct patient care.Only one such award is granted

annually at each facility.Lindquist initiated a vascular surgery program at the

Fargo VAMC, elevating it to the highest standards invascular surgery. Additionally, he initiated an endovascularsurgery program where a recent review of carotidendarterectomy results documented quality of care whichexceeded expected national outcomes.

Lindquist Receives Award


NEWS BRIEFS

The Office of the Dean and the Office of Advancement andAlumni Relations hosted the UND School of Medicine andHealth Sciences National Advisory Council meetingFebruary 16-17, 2007 on campus.

Twenty alumni and friends of national prominenceattended meetings with development consultant, Dr. RalphSilverio of Grenzebach Glier & Associates, Inc., as well asDean Wilson and the Office of Advancement and AlumniRelations staff. The group also toured the SMHS and visitedwith medical students, faculty members and researchers.

Members of the committee include: Jon Tingelstad,M.D. (B.S.Med. �58) Chocowinity, NC, national chair; JohnBerger, M.D. (B.S.Med. �63), San Diego, CA; Tom Berquist,M.D. (B.S.Med. �69), Ponte Vedre Beach, FL; Cecil Chally,M.D. (B.S. �61, B.S.Med. �63), Minneapolis, MN; LloydEverson, M.D. (B.S. �65, B.S.Med. �67), The Woodlands, TX;Kevin Fickenscher, M.D. (B.S.Med. �78), Tiburon, CA; JayGiedd, M.D. �86, Potomac, MD; Julie Gilbertson, M.D. �91,Rochester, MN; Roger Gilbertson, M.D., Fargo, ND; ErnestGodfread, M.D. � 77 (B.S.Med. �75), Bismarck, ND; WesleyHerman, M.D. �76 (B.S.Med. �74), Dallas, TX; RichardHorne, M.D. (B.S.Med. �72) and Donna Horne, M.D.(B.S.Med. �72), Paradise Valley, AZ; John Jarrett, M.D.(B.S.Med. �63), Eugene, OR; George Johnson, M.D.(B.S.Med. �58), Fargo, ND; Kent Johnson, M.D. (B.S.Med.�75), Ann Arbor, MI; Mark Lundeen, M.D. (B.S.Med. �73),Fargo, ND; David Monson, M.D. (B.S.Med. �61), RiverForest, IL; Richard Olafson, M.D. (B.S.Med. �57), Fargo,ND; Bruce Porter, M.D. (B.S.Med. �72), Seattle, WA; RodRohrich, M.D. (B.S.Med. �77), Dallas, TX; Michael Unhjem,J.D. �78, Fargo, ND, and Myron Wentz, Ph.D. (M.S. �66),Indian Wells, CA.

The focus of this committee is to provide leadership forthe national fundraising campaign which will greatly benefitthe School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

National Advisory Council Meeting Heldon Campus

The UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences is seekingnominations for the 2007 Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicineawards presented by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation. Theawards will be presented during the M.D. Class of �07Commencement Awards Luncheon May 13 at UND.

One graduating medical student and one physicianfaculty member will be recognized for excellence in bothcompassionate patient care and scientific achievement.Each recipient will be awarded a $1000 prize.

To nominate a graduating medical student and/or aphysician faculty member, submit a letter to the Student

Performance and Recognition Committee (SPRC) in care ofthe Office of Student Affairs and Admissions, 501 N.Columbia Road Stop 9037, Grand Forks, ND 58202-9037,which outlines why the individual should receive theaward. Please explain how the nominee meets the criteriafor the award which can be found on the medical schoolweb site: www.med.und.edu (click on �Administration� onleft menu, then �Student Affairs�).

Deadline for nominations is April 6. For moreinformation, contact the Office of Student Affairs at(701)777-4221.

Nominations Invited for ‘Humanism in Medicine’ Award

Hill Receives Saiki Prize for Teaching Excellence Thomas Hill, Ph.D., professor ofmicrobiology and immunology, GrandForks, received the UND Foundation/Lydia and Arthur Saiki Prize forGraduate or Professional TeachingExcellence during the Founders Daybanquet Feb. 22 at UND.

Since joining the medical schoolin 1995, he has made majorcontributions to UND and the

medical school in teaching, research and service. He cameto UND �well prepared, having taught and established anactive research program at Drexel (University) and havingbecome an internationally recognized expert in the area oftermination of bacterial DNA replication,� said KevinYoung, Ph.D., professor of microbiology and immunology,Grand Forks. �In addition, his teaching prowess was well-developed and acclaimed.�

Many students, both current and former, wrote letters insupport of Hill�s nomination. A common theme amongthem was Hill�s devotion to teaching, to his students, and tothe patients they will serve.

�Tom�s performance as a lecturer is superb,� says RogerMelvold, Ph.D., professor and chair of microbiology andimmunology, Grand Forks. �His command of theinformation, the preparation of his visual materials, and hisdelivery style sometimes make me, frankly, green with envy.The high regard in which he is held by the students isobvious in the way they interact with him through askingquestions or seeking clarifications, and in their evaluations.�

He excels in teaching graduate students many of whomhave gone on to post-doctoral positions in prestigiousinstitutions, including Harvard and the National Institutes ofHealth. His commitment to research is evident in his workon AIDS, West Nile virus and prions, bringing funding to theUniversity, providing research experience to students, andpublishing on a wide variety of crucially important subjects.


IN MEMORIAM

Malcolm Murdoch, M.D. (B.S.Med. �61) of Merced, CA,died Dec. 27, 2006 at the age of 68. Originally from ValleyCity, he graduated from medical school as a pathologist andwas inducted into the U.S. Navy. After serving in Vietnam,he was a commander at Bethesda Naval Hospital inWashington, D.C., for many years. He started in privatepractice in Madison, WI, and then moved to Merced, CA, in1975. He had been with the Merced Medical PathologyGroup since then.

He is survived by his wife Vicki; his daughter, Mara, andson-in-law, Mark Dal Poggetto; and sister, Nancy Englerth.

Audrey Traub, M.D. (�71, B.S. Med. �73), White Bear Lake,MN, died Jan. 28, 2007 at the age of 57.

Raised on a farm near Garrison, ND, she receivedbachelor�s degrees in both medical technology andmedicine at UND. She completed her medical degree atWashington University, St. Louis, MO, an internship in St.Paul, MN, and residency training at St. Paul-RamseyMedical Center (now Regions) in general surgery.

She joined the medical staff of Unity Hospital in St. Paulin 1981. In addition to serving on dozens of hospitalcommittees, Dr. Traub was selected chief of staff at UnityHospital�s Board of Governors from 1991 to 1992.Additional appointments included serving as medicaldirector of Mercy and Unity�s High Risk Breast DiagnosticTreatment Program and chair of the hospital�s breast cancerboard.

In 2002, in recognition of her dedication and service toUnity Hospital, organized medicine and the community,Unity was proud to present her with the hospital�s highestphysician honor, The William J. Carr Award.

She is survived by her brother, Jerry; her daughter-in-law, Vickie; her cousins, and many close and loving friendsand co-workers.

Robert Lee, Jr. (PA �03), of Groves, TX, died Feb. 6, 2007 atthe Medical Center of Southeast Texas. He was 41.

A native of Lexington, KY, he lived in Groves for 23years and practiced as a physician assistant at WinnieCommunity Hospital for four years. He also served as aformer Port Arthur fireman and paramedic.

Survivors include his wife, Shelley Lee of Groves; twodaughters; four sons, and three grandchildren.

ALUMNI NOTES

�07Richa Priyadarshini, Ph.D.(Microbiology and Immunology�07), began working as apostdoctoral student withChristine Jacobs-Wagner,Ph.D., at Yale University�sDepartment of Molecular,Cellular and DevelopmentalBiology in New Haven, CT.

Priyadarshini recentlycompleted her doctoralstudies under the mentorshipof Kevin Young, Ph.D.,

professor of microbiology and immunology, Grand Forks.Jacobs-Wagner is an internationally known researcher

who is working on cell division in the bacteriumCaulobacter crescentus. She is known for her work on cellwalls and on the recent discovery of a bacterial cytoskeletonprotein that was thought to be present only in the cells ofhigher animals (eukaryotes).

She studies the mechanisms that govern cell cyclecontrol and the acquisition and propagation of asymmetryusing a simple prokaryotic model system. She also studiesthe bacterial cytoskeleton that supports cell shape.

�This is extremely important, very basic work,� Youngsaid. �The cell cycle is extremely important to understand ifwe want to eventually know how to manipulate (kill orinhibit) bacterial growth. Thus the long-term rewards of herresearch would be to identify new ways to interfere with orcontrol bacterial growth for therapeutic purposes.�

�03Andrea Swenson, M.D. �03, plans to begin a fellowship inneuromuscular medicine at the University of Illinois-Chicago in July 2007. She is completing residency trainingin neurology at the University of Iowa in Iowa City.

�02Ryan Holzwarth, M.D. �02, has joined MeritCare in hishometown of Jamestown as a dermatologist. He completedhis residency at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

�57Kenneth Kihle, M.D. (B.S. Med. �57), of Bottineau, ND, hasbeen named �The Outstanding Rural Health Provider� byUND�s Center for Rural Health. This award is granted to ahealth provider that practices in rural North Dakota andwho has made important contributions to their communityand area in an unselfish mannerism. Kihle practiced for 47years in Bottineau and the surrounding area.

’00s

’50s

This feature offers information for physicians and otherhealth care professionals interested in practice opportunitiesin North Dakota. For more information about these listings or loan repayment programs, please contact Mary Amundson, M.A., at 701-777-4018 [email protected] the complete list, go to: www.ndmedicine.org.

ND OPPORTUNITIES


PLANNING AHEAD

Everyone

a Healthy Future!Ensureto

Responsibilityhas the

As children our parents may have given us the task of caring forthe family pet. It taught us how to keep something we lovedhealthy. We grew up learning that good nutrition would keep ourbody healthy and that saving money would keep us financiallysecure. These were good life lessons.

As alumni and friends of UND, you can helpensure the health of the school too. How?

Visit us online at www.med.nodak.edu/alumni today to see how YOU can help!

● By securing additional scholarship funds to students.

● By endowing professorships and chairs to reward faculty for excellence in education.

● By providing renovation costs for facilities, to include naming opportunities for laboratory space, buildings and the school itself.

Contact me for more information!Blanche E. AbdallahDirector of Advancement & Alumni RelationsUND School of Medicine & Health Sciences501 North Columbia Road Stop 9037Grand Forks, ND 58202-9037Phone: 701.777.2004 Cell: [email protected]

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PARTING SHOTS

Robert Beattie, M.D. ’89, associate professor and chair offamily and community medicine, congratulates WendyBrown during the Physician Assistant Class of 2008 WhiteCoat Ceremony.

The UND Alumni Association andFoundation debuted a new andimproved website last month.

www.undalumni.org

April16-22 38th Annual UNDIA Time-Out Week, www.und.nodak.edu/org/undia19 American Indian Research Forum, UND Memorial Union,

8 a.m.-3 p.m., http://www.med.und.nodak.edu/depts/rural/airf/19 Frank Low Research Day, Vennes Atrium, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.20 Dean�s Hour: Darryl Tonemah, Ph.D., National Institutes of Health,

Keller Auditorium, noon - 1 p.m., 701-777-231223 North Dakota Women�s Health Research Conference,

UND Wellness Center, 8 a.m. � 3 p.m.http://www.und.nodak.edu/dept/womenshealth/researchconference.html

23-24 Conference: Hearing Hoofbeats and Thinking ZEBRAS:Screening, testing and management of children with genetic disorders.Ramada Plaza, Fargo, ND. Contact Jayne at 701-777-4276 [email protected].

May9 Dean�s Hour: Jeffrey Ryan, Ph.D., Instructor, Institute for Emergency

Preparedness, Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville, AL,Keller Auditorium, noon - 1 p.m., 701-777-2312

12 UND Spring Commencement, Alerus Center, 1:30 p.m.http://sos.und.edu/commencement/

13 M.D. Class of 2007 Awards Luncheon, Memorial Union, 11:30 a.m.,701-777-2514

13 M.D. Class of 2007 Commencement Ceremony,Chester Fritz Auditorium, 3 p.m., 701-777-2514

21-22 IDeA regional meeting, Radisson Inn, Fargo, ND, www.ndinbre.org

September16-18 3rd Annual Rural Surgery Symposium, Alerus Center.

Contact Geralyn at 701-777-2589 or [email protected] Occupational Therapy Casper campus all-class reunion, Lander, WY24-29 UND Homecoming, www.undalumni.org

Mark Your CalendarCheckITOut!

● Get news.● Support UND.● Register for events.● Read online publications.● Find friends and classmates.● Download fun stuff.● Check out the calendar.● Peruse the alumni directory.● Visit the career center.● Make a donation.● Become a mentor to a student.● Get in touch with nearby alumni.● Design your own UND apparel.● Enjoy!

Second year medical students (from left) Janalee Holmes, ColletteLessard, Stephanie Dvorak and Emily Ament enjoy the annualwinter formal with Patty Vari, Ph.D., associate professor of nursing,and Richard Vari, Ph.D., associate dean for medical education.

University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health SciencesThe Nation�s Leader in Rural Health - Serving North Dakota Since 1905501 North Columbia Road Stop 9037 ● Grand Forks ND ● 58202-9037701-777-2516 www.med.und.edu

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Periodical POSTAGE PAID

Candelaria Martin, M.D. ’04,third-year resident in the UND Family Medicine ResidencyProgram at Minot, is featured along with other young physiciansin the “Aspiring Docs” campaign, a nationwide initiative of theAssociation of American MedicalColleges (AAMC) to encourageminority students to pursue careersin the health professions. Members of minority groups areunder-represented in the medicalfield - a disparity the AAMC is hoping to alleviate through thisand related efforts. Originally fromArizona, Martin attended the UND medical school through theINMED (Indians Into Medicine)Program. She plans to completeresidency training in June and pursueadditional obstetrics training througha family medicine residency.Eric Swensen, M.D. ’02(Psychiatry Residency ’06), whopractices in Belcourt, ND, is alsofeatured in the ad campaign.

north dakota medicine spring 2007

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