Newsmakers - October 2015

Ophthalmologist receives Research to Prevent Blindness grant

The Department of Ophthalmology has received a grant from Research to Prevent Blindness to support the early-career eye disease research of Dr. John Hulleman, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology.

The Career Development Award, which provides up to $300,000 over a four-year period, supports Dr. Hulleman’s research into age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Ongoing funding is contingent upon a productive mid-grant report.

Dr. Hulleman, who joined the faculty in 2014 and holds a secondary appointment in Pharmacology, was recruited from The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California. In addition to AMD, his research interests include inherited retinal dystrophies and degeneration, ocular protein-misfolding diseases, stress-responsive signaling, chemical biology, and drug discovery. Dr. Hulleman is studying the role of protein misfolding in the development of AMD.

The RPB Career Development Award Fund was established in 1990 to attract early-career physicians and basic scientists to eye research. To date, the program has given awards to 183 vision research scientists in departments of ophthalmology at universities across the country. Since 1969, including multiple Career Development Awards, RPB has given grants to the UT Southwestern Department of Ophthalmology totaling over $4.3 million.

RPB is the world’s leading voluntary organization supporting eye research. Founded in 1960, it has committed hundreds of millions of dollars in grant support to provide scientific manpower, technological equipment, and eye research laboratory facilities across the country.

Jacobe to hold Gilliam Chair in Dermatology

Dr. Heidi Jacobe, Associate Professor of Dermatology, has been named holder of the James N. Gilliam, M.D. Chair in Dermatology.

Dr. Jacobe, who leads the Phototherapy unit, has research interests that include morphea and scleroderma.

Dr. Jacobe, a faculty member at UT Southwestern since 2002, earned her medical degree at Baylor College of Medicine in 1996, and completed an internship in internal medicine at the same school. In 2000, she completed her dermatology residency at UT Southwestern. She graduated from UT Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in 2008.

Le named holder of Shields Professorship in Dermatology

Dr. Lu Le, Associate Professor of Dermatology, has been selected to hold the Thomas L. Shields, M.D. Professorship in Dermatology.

Dr. Le leads a research group that focuses on cancer biology, investigating early, initiating genetic and microenvironmental events that regulate tumorigenesis. His major research goals are to understand mechanisms that initiate neurofibroma genesis and drive their malignant transformation as well as developing novel therapeutic targets for neurofibroma. His clinical interests include acne, chronic cellulitis, skin cancers, and transplant patients.

Dr. Le, a participant in the University of California, Los Angeles’ Medical Scientist Training Program, received his Ph.D. degree in microbiology, immunology, and molecular genetics as well as his medical degree at UCLA. He completed an internal medicine internship at UCLA/St. Mary Medical Center in 2003, a dermatology residency at UT Southwestern in 2007, and a postdoctoral fellowship in cancer biology at UT Southwestern in 2009.

McAdams receives 2015 Klerman Prize honorable mention

Dr. Carrie McAdams, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, has received a 2015 Klerman Prize honorable mention from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation.

She was recognized for her work examining brain activity related to social behavior in adolescents with anorexia nervosa, a continuation of her previous work that found the brain activity during social tasks in adults recovering from anorexia nervosa differed compared to healthy adult women.

The Klerman Prize recognizes exceptional clinical and basic research by scientists who have been supported by a NARSAD Young Investigator Grant, which Dr. McAdams received from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (formerly called NARSAD) in 2012.

Dr. McAdams’ research determined that adolescent girls with anorexia had different brain activity in only some of the brain regions identified in her previous study of adults. These findings suggest that differences in certain brain regions may affect social behavior in ways that promote the development of anorexia, whereas differences in other brain regions may change later, after the disorder has advanced. This work helps identify which brain regions and related social behaviors may be early indicators of anorexia, as well as possible targets for intervention.

Dr. McAdams earned her medical degree with honors and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Baylor College of Medicine. She then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School and a residency in psychiatry at UT Southwestern.

Minter named holder of Baldwin Chair in Surgery

Dr. Rebecca Minter, Professor of Surgery, has been named holder of the Alvin Baldwin, Jr. Chair in Surgery at UT Southwestern.

Her clinical interests include gallbladder and bile duct disease, pancreatic cancer and disease, stomach cancer, and surgery for gastrointestinal cancer.

Dr. Minter earned her medical degree from UT Southwestern in 1996. She completed her fellowship in molecular biology at the University of Florida College of Medicine in 2000, as well as her residency in surgery at the University of Florida in 2003.

Sadek to hold Schoellkopf Chair in Cardiology

Dr. Hesham Sadek, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, has been selected to hold the J. Fred Schoellkopf, Jr. Chair in Cardiology.

His research interests include cardiac regeneration and stem cell metabolism.

Dr. Sadek earned his medical degree from Ain Shams University in 1995, and completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at University Hospitals of Cleveland in 2002. He went to graduate school for physiology at Case Western Reserve University, receiving his doctorate in 2004. He also completed a fellowship in cardiovascular disease at the University Hospitals of Cleveland in 2005 before continuing his training with a two-year research fellowship in cardiology at the Donald W. Reynolds Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center.

Plastic surgeon Thornton completes 29-year military career

Dr. James Thornton, Professor of Plastic Surgery, officially retired from the U.S. Navy’s medical corps recently.

A captain in the U.S. Navy Reserve, Dr. Thornton most recently served in a Fort Worth-based VTU 7070 squadron, actively involved in flight and squadron support. Dr. Thornton served the country for 29 years in the Navy, including being called up for active duty during Desert Storm.

At the Medical Center, Dr. Thornton specializes in teaching plastic surgery residents about facial and nasal reconstruction.

“Dr. Thornton’s values and core beliefs center around his military experiences he gleaned from the Navy and most importantly, his father,” said Dr. Jeffrey Kenkel, Chairman of Plastic Surgery and holder of the Betty and Warren Woodward Chair in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and the Rod J. Rohrich, M.D., Distinguished Professorship in Wound Healing and Plastic Surgery. “Our country has benefited from his service but no one more than us in Plastic Surgery, as he has cared for patients and taught residents and students over the years.”

Dr. Thornton earned his medical degree from UT Southwestern and completed his general surgery residency at Parkland Memorial Hospital. Dr. Thornton then served a plastic and reconstructive residency at Emory University.

He is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and is a member of the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons, the American Society of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeons, and the AO North America (Craniofacial Faculty).

Dr. Thornton has published numerous articles about nasal reconstruction and lectures nationally about nasal and facial reconstruction. His research has been published in Annals of Plastic Surgery, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and the Journal of Craniofacial Surgery, among others.

Pathologist Zheng to hold Gibson Distinguished Professorship

Dr. Wenxin Zheng, Professor of Pathology and of Obstetrics and Gynecology, has been named holder of the Mark and Jane Gibson Distinguished Professorship in Cancer Research.

Dr. Zheng attended Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, earning his medical degree in 1982. He then completed both an internship (1983) and a residency (1986) in obstetrics and gynecology, at the Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Fudan University. His training also included two fellowships – molecular reproduction at Columbia University (1989) and gynecologic pathology at Brown University’s Women & Infants’ Hospital of Rhode Island (1996) – as well as another residency in pathology at Cornell New York-Presbyterian Hospital (1995).