The year of 2012 witnessed many milestones for the IU School of Medicine, including the school’s move into the top 50 for research nationwide, the launch of a $150 million collaboration between the IU School of Medicine and IU Health, and a groundbreaking ceremony for a new neurosciences research building.

Also among the year’s accomplishments were innovative public-private partnerships with a national health insurance provider and pharmaceutical company, and national designations related to research in cardiovascular care, traumatic brain injury and stroke. The year also saw the renewal of a major grant on global health and the launch of a new school of public health born from a school of medicine department.

The school continued to grow as well, accepting its largest-ever incoming class of medical students and celebrating 40 years for its network of medical education centers across the state, including official expansion plans on several campuses. The medical school also expanded its statewide footprint with the opening of a new eye clinic in Lebanon, Ind.

Faculty excellence was also recognized, netting impressive rankings both nationally and locally.

To learn more, review the top stories from 2012.

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The Division of Diversity Affairs at the IU School of Medicine joined students at Crispus Attucks Medical Magnet High School Dec. 19 to celebrate the opening of the first medical simulation laboratory in an Indianapolis high school with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, reception and open-house.

The Attucks Simulation Laboratory, which replicates the patient care environment and utilizes two state-of-the-art, computer controlled mannequins and an on-site nurse, will be used to supplement classroom training for students studying anatomy, physiology and health. The lab was made possible by a Howard Hughes Medical Institute grant awarded to the Division of Diversity Affairs.

"Diversity Affairs’ involvement in the establishment of this facility is part and parcel with our outreach goal of increasing the number of underrepresented minority students who matriculate into medical school," said Frederick Hamilton, director of the Diversity Outreach Comphrensive Science Initiative and associate director of the Master of Science in Medical Science Program at the IU School of Medicine. “The virtual-reality learning made possible by the lab will heighten students’ awareness of the clinical skills and patient knowledge base required of heath care practitioners and motivate them to persist in the pre-medical pipeline in preparation for health care career choices.”

Crispus Attucks, an Indianapolis Public School, is designed for students interested in careers in the sciences or medical profession. The Attucks Simulation Laboratory will benefit the nearly 700 students who participate in the school’s premedical education programs and certified nursing assistant program each year.

Hamilton added that early intervention that engages students in meaningful, hands-on experiences that expose them to the people, places, tools, and best practices employed in the training of physicians, nurses and allied health professionals is one of the most proven strategies for encouraging enrollment in medical school among underrepresented minorities.

The training technology housed in the lab is similar to that used to teach students from the IU School of Medicine and other health care students at the Simulation Center in Fairbanks Hall, operated by the IU School of Medicine and IU Health.

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The IU Kelley School of Business is launching a Business of Medicine MBA Program to provide practicing physicians with the knowledge and skills they need to lead in times of change.

This two-year, part-time MBA program will meet one weekend a month in Indianapolis, complemented by online sessions. Members of the Kelley MBA physician cohort will experience innovative curriculum designed to bring value to their patients, practices and organization. Members will work collaboratively with like-minded physicians and study how to translate proven business concepts into game-changing health care practices.

The cohort's curriculum is specifically designed for the changing healthcare industry.  This thematic curriculum focuses on collaboration, innovation, analytics, transformation, optimization and sustainability.

Members will not only learn from Kelley business faculty, but will engage with healthcare leaders who are changing the industry. 

IU Kelley School of Business is currently accepting applications for fall semester 2013.  For more information, visit the Business of Medicine Programs website  or call 317-278-9495. 

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David Burr, Ph.D., who served as the chair of the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the IU School of Medicine for 21 years, has been named associate vice chancellor for research at IUPUI.

"I am excited to be working across the campus and across disciplinary lines to promote the research goals of IUPUI," said Dr. Burr, professor of anatomy and cell biology orthopaedic surgery at the IU School of Medicine. "I'm hoping that my broad background across the sciences, social sciences and engineering will help me to work with the diverse constituencies of IUPUI to build new multidisciplinary research opportunities for our faculty."

Over his 23 years at IU, Dr. Burr has been awarded more than $16 million in grants and contracts. His research interests include the impact on bone of drugs used to treat osteoporosis, as well as the impact of diseases such as diabetes and osteoarthritis. He is also considered a leader in skeletal fatigue and “microdamage-mediated" bone remodeling. In addition, Dr. Burr served as one of the founders of the IUPUI Biomechanics and Biomaterials Research Center and was instrumental in the development of the current Biomedical Engineering Program at IUPUI and Purdue.

"IUPUI houses a wealth of expertise in many different areas, and in the long-term I would like to coordinate this expertise with the needs of business, industry and government, which could utilize the unique skills available at IUPUI," he said.  More immediately, Dr. Burr hopes to promote greater interaction among different units engaged in research to continue to develop existing strengths in research, and to build new and innovative research programs. The OVCR is also committed to strategically advancing world class research and creative activities at IUPUI that address important national and global needs.

"We're thrilled to have Dr. Burr join our office," said Kody Varahramyan, vice chancellor for research at IUPUI. "His experience and expertise will be a tremendous asset to our current and future efforts."

Dr. Burr also holds an appointment as an adjunct professor of anthropology at the School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI and the College of Arts and Sciences at IU Bloomington.

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Medical student volunteers are sought to mentor or tutor middle school and high school students in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Pre-College Program at Crispus Attucks Medical Magnet School in the spring 2013 semester.

This program aims to strengthen student skills in mathematics, science, studying and time management as well as stimulate interest in, and improve the ability for students to enter, biomedical science and medical careers. This is an opportunity to earn money while helping students meet their educational goals and succeed. The approximate time commitment is one to two hours a week.

To apply, contact Carrie Harris, IUSM Division of Diversity Affairs, at 317-278-1783 or harriscl@iupui.edu.

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An informational meeting for second-year medical students will be held from 12:30 to 1:50 p.m. Friday, Jan. 11, in the IUPUI Campus Theatre.

This meetings will address a broad range of topics, including the transition from classroom to clerkships for second-year students. John Barone, M.D., part-time professor of clinical pathology and laboratory medicine at the IU School of Medicine-Terre Haute, will present.

Dr. Barone has coached test preparation sessions for the three licensing exams for more than 15 years.

The session will be available via live streaming. For more information, visit the Office of Medical Student Affairs website.

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A limited number of registered seats are available to interested healthcare providers for an online training program in Comprehensive Motivational Interventions.

This online program teaches basic skills and a motivational tool to use for everyday practice that centers on a person's own motivation and commitment to behavior change. These seats are being offered at no charge by the IU Health Physicians Accountable Care Organization Patient Engagement team. The online program is available for registrants to access on their own time, as their schedule permits. 

To request a complimentary seat for the Comprehensive Motivational Interventions online program, send an email to Anne Mark at amark@iuhealth.org with “CMI Seat Request” in the subject line. 

 Email requests will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

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Did you finally receive that Apple or Android device you’ve been hoping Santa would bring to you? The IUSM Library will help faculty, staff, residents, students and other members of the IU School of Medicine community make the most of their mobile devices with a series of workshops from noon to 1 p.m., each day from Monday, Jan. 7, to Thursday, Jan. 10, in the IUSM Library, Room 226.

Information specialists will be available to help set up mobile device with institutional library apps, including drug apps from LexiComp, Micromedex, VisualDx and Pediatric Care Online. This will be an informal time to ask questions and get hands-on help with mobile devices.

Institutional subscription apps provide access and keep needed information at your fingertips. For a complete list of IU School of Medicine mobile resources, visit the IUSM Library website.

For more information, contact Beth Whipple, IUSM librarian, at 317-278-6179 or ewhipple@iu.edu.

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An instructional technology event from the Academy of Teaching Scholars will take place from noon to 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 18, in the IUSM Library Building, Room 226.

In this workshop, Lorie Shuck, instructional technology specialist, will demonstrate the Oncourse Resources and Modules tools and the new Lessons tool to help faculty deliver and organize content.

 To register, visit the Office of Faculty Affairs and Professional Development website.

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The 11th annual Diversity Week Speakers Series has been scheduled for Jan. 22 to 25. Each presentation will take place from noon to 1 p.m. in the Wishard Hospital Myers Auditorium.

This year’s theme is "The Affordable Care Act and Its Effect on Patient Outcomes.”

• Tuesday, Jan. 22: Leroi Hicks, M.D., MPH, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Hicks will present "A Call to Fix the Least Humane of All Inequities.”
• Wednesday, Jan. 23: Alejandro Sweet-Cordero, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Sweet-Cordero will present “The Road Less Traveled: Minorities in Academic Medicine."
• Thursday, Jan. 24: Sade Kosoko-Lasaki, M.D., MSPH, MBA, associate vice president of health sciences and professor of surgery at the Creighton University School of Medicine. Dr. Kosoko-Lasaki will present “The Affordable Care Act: Our Role in Increasing the Primary Care Workforce."
• Friday, Jan. 25: Alicia D.H. Monroe, M.D., vice dean for educational affairs and professor of family medicine at the University of South Florida Health Morsani College of Medicine. Dr. Monroe will present “Redirecting Our Focus to an Exceptional Patient Experience: Linking Best Evidence to Patient Values." She will also deliver a "Stepping Stones Presentation" from 7 to 8 a.m. in Fairbanks Hall, Room 5005.

This event is sponsored by the Division of Diversity Affairs in partnership with the Diversity Council and the Office of Faculty Affairs and Professional Development. All events are free and open to the IU School of Medicine community.

Continuing Medical Education credits will be available and lunch is included. To RSVP, visit the registration page.

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The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Tissue Bank at the IU Simon Cancer Center will host a breast cancer tissue donation event for night shift workers on Saturday, Feb. 9.

During the donation process, a tissue sample is taken from one breast with a needle after applying local anesthesia. The amount of tissue removed is about one gram, or the size of two peas.

Studies have suggested that night shift workers may be at a higher risk of breast cancer. Collecting samples from women without breast cancer who work these hours will help advance research in the field. The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Tissue Bank is the first and only healthy breast tissue bank in the world.

 For full details, visit the IU Simon Cancer Center website.

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Mark your calendars! The National Science Foundation will present a one-day workshop on Monday, Feb. 4, on the IUPUI campus.

This workshop is primarily designed for researchers and educators less experienced in proposing to the National Science Foundation. The workshop will provide an overview of the National Science Foundation, its mission, priorities and budget. It will cover the NSF proposal and merit review process and NSF programs that cut across disciplines.

Representatives from the seven directorates of the National Science Foundation and the Office of International Science and Engineering and the Office of Integrative Activities will also make presentations on their programs and be available in informal and breakout sessions for discussions of potential research proposals.

This is a free workshop but registration is required. Registration will not be available the day of the event. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.

To sign up, visit the registration page. The deadline to participate is Friday, Jan. 25.

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This issue of Scope is the final issue of 2012. Scope will return Thursday, Jan. 10.

In addition, Scope will transition to a new look early in the new year. The new design will provide greater opportunities to share stories and need-to-know information with the more than 5,000 faculty, staff, postdoctoral fellows, residents and students who receive Scope each week via their email inboxes, including the ability to share images and other multimedia content.

This change will not affect Scope’s focus on news and events of interest to the IU School of Medicine community. News tip, stories, events, student activities, grant opportunities, award announcements and other news items are welcome. If possible, please include an image with your submissions. (These images may also be used on the IUSM Homepage or MEDTV, the IU School of Medicine’s campus-wide digital signage system.)

Scope’s redesign has been preceded by the rollout of Inside IU, the newsletter for faculty and staff across all of IU's campuses; Inside IU, for the IU Bloomington campus; and Inside IUPUI, for IUPUI. Scope will also be redubbed “InScope” to align with the names of these publications.

Submit news, questions, comments and story ideas to Kevin Fryling, editor of Scope, at scopemed@iupui.edu. News and tips from the IU School of Medicine’s eight regional campuses are especially encouraged.

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The following notice comes from Jorge José, Ph.D., vice president for research at IU, and D. Craig Brater, M.D., dean of the IU School of Medicine and vice president for university clinical affairs at IU:

IU is committed to ensuring the health and safety of all staff members. For this reason, participation in the Occupational Health and Safety Program for Individuals with Animal Exposure is mandatory for all animal facility personnel and IU School of Medicine employees who have direct contact with animals. In addition, any employees may voluntarily enroll in the program if they are concerned with occupational exposure to laboratory animals.

All animal facility personnel and IU school of Medicine employees who have direct contact with animals must complete the Occupational Health Program requirements by Thursday, Jan. 10. Those who do not complete the program by Jan. 10 will be prohibited from accessing the Large Animal Research Center (LARC) facilities until they have completed the program requirements. 

To enroll in the program, visit the IUPUI Environmental Health and Safety website and select “Log in” to begin.  Requirements of the program entail the completion of an Animal Care and Use Risk Assessment and a Medical Questionnaire.  Other training requirements may be needed as determined by the job hazard analysis/risk assessment. 

Questions about the program or process will be directed to the IU Office of Environmental Health and Safety Management at occsafe@iupui.edu or the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee Office at somiacuc@iupui.edu or 317-278-1789.

For more information, visit the IU Office of Research Administration website.

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The Life-Health Sciences Internship Program is accepting mentor project descriptions for the 2013-14 academic year.

This program connects medicine faculty and staff with IUPUI undergraduate students who will be enrolled as sophomores or juniors in the 2013-14 academic year.

For more information or a project description form, visit the Life-Health Sciences Internship website or contact program director Brandi Gilbert at 317-278-3637 or lhsi@iupui.edu.

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HOST, or Helping Our Students Travel, is designed to help medical students save money and create alumni connections during their travel for educationally related programs or residency interviews.

Students participating in the program benefit from free housing and/or meals, mentor relationships and local insight into the medical community from IUSM Alumni. The generosity of alumni across the country has made this program a success, and has helped save students thousands of dollars in travel expenses over the past five years. 

For more information on how to serve as a local host through the program, or to register as a student participant, visit the HOST Program Web page, or contact Nolan Ryan at 317-274-6588 or iusmalum@iupui.edu.

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Just in time to combat holiday snacking, a new, free mobile app is making it easier – and more fun – for users to create and track their healthy habits.

The My Healthy Habits app is part of an American Heart Association Listen to Your Heart initiative – supported by IU Health – and is available now in iTunes for iPhone and iPad users. It will become available to Android users in early 2013. The app allows users to select from a list of pre-loaded healthy habits or gives you the ability to create your own unique healthy habit to incorporate into your daily routine.

With a calendar to track your progress over 21 days and an option to receive daily push notifications to maintain your new healthy habit, My Healthy Habits makes it easier than ever to add a healthy habit to your life.

For more information about the app, visit IU Health.

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IUPUI Health Services in Coleman Hall will operate on reduced hours or be closed from  Dec. 20 to Jan. 1. Hours of operation are:

• Thursday, Dec. 20: 8:30 a.m. to noon
• Friday, Dec. 21: 7:30 a.m. to noon
• Monday, Dec. 24: 7:30 a.m. to noon
• Tuesday, Dec. 25: Closed
• Dec. 26 to Dec. 31: 7:30 a.m. to noon
• Tuesday, Jan. 1: Closed

IUPUI Health Services will resume normal clinic hours Wednesday, Jan. 2.

In addition, Student Health Services in the IUPUI Campus Center will be closed from Monday, Dec. 17, to Jan. 4. Normal clinical hours will resume Monday, Jan. 7.

During these closures, employees and students with an injury that requires immediate attention should report to the University Hospital Emergency Room. 

Employees and students who experience a needlestick, other contagious disease exposure, or minor injury, or those who are not sure whether their injury requires emergency care, should contact an IUPUI Health Services staff member by paging 317-312-6824.

A staff member will advise the employee or student of the appropriate management of the situation.

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This week on “Sound Medicine,” the program will revisit a 2011 interview with breast cancer treatment pioneer George Sledge, who joined the IU School of Medicine in 1983 and departs soon to direct the hematology oncology program at Stanford University. “George Sledge: a retrospective on a career in breast cancer treatment and research” will review Dr. Sledge’s career thus far, including his role in opening the first breast cancer clinic at IU, during a time when he served as the only oncologist with the school with expertise in the disease.

Also on this week’s show, Kathleen Unroe, M.D., and Greg Sachs, M.D., both of the IU School of Medicine, discuss OPTIMISTIC, a new program to reduce hospitalizations; Stewart Segal, M.D., founder of the Lake Zurich Family Treatment Center in Illinois, discuss the strengths of the American health care system; and an interview with the founder of WhatFriendsDo.com, a free site that allows users to create a profile for friends or family members facing a serious illness.

The Dec. 30 episode of Sound Medicine will feature a “greatest hits” program featuring the most memorable segments from 2012. For more information on this week’s show, visit the IUSM Newsroom.

"Sound Medicine," an award-winning radio program that covers controversial topics, breakthrough research and the application of medical advancements, is co-produced by IUSM and WFYI Public Radio and underwritten by IU Health Physicians and IUPUI. The program next airs at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 23, on WFYI 90.1 FM. Reports on primary health care topics are sponsored by Wishard Health Services.

“Sound Medicine” is available via website, podcast and Stitcher Radio for mobile phones and iPads and posts updates on Facebook and Twitter.

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Applications are open for grant awards from the Ralph W. and Grace M. Showalter Research Trust. The areas of eligible biomedical research are broad and described by the benefactors as “the type of medical research that is most likely to permanently benefit mankind.”  Donor intent prohibits the use of Showalter Trust funds for research in psychiatry, sociology or social studies.

Applications for funding will be reviewed in two stages. An initial review by the IUSM Biomedical Research Committee will select the most meritorious proposals for further discussion and ranking. The committee will then provide a recommended ranking to the Showalter Trustees who conduct a second review. Final funding decisions are made by the Showalter Trustees.

The deadline for applications is 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 9. Funds will be awarded no earlier than July 1. Applications must be received via email by the Dean’s Office of Operations at iusmoper@iupui.edu.

For more information, visit the IUSM Office of Operations website.

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The VA Medical Research Service at the Richard L. Roudebush V.A. Medical Center is requesting applications for small research grants. 

Up to two awards of $25,000 to $30,000 each will be awarded from funding provided by the Indiana Institute for Medical Research Inc.

Applicants should be a qualified VA investigator (M.D., D.O. or Ph.D./R.Ph.) with an academic rank not exceeding assistant professor and no current or prior history as a principal investigator of NIH or VA funding. Applications also should be directed at the study of discrete projects intended to produce preliminary data in support of a future application for a VA Career Development Award or Merit Review grant.

 Applications must remain qualified to apply for VA funding throughout the funding period.

The application deadline is Monday, Jan. 14. Full submissions may still be submitted until Monday, Jan. 28 if an email “letter of intent” with topic and title is received by Jan. 14. Award notifications will be made March 25.

For more information, see the application guidelines or email marta.sears@va.gov.

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The Indiana University School of Medicine Alumni Association is seeking nominations for its three annual awards to be presented during Alumni Weekend 2013:

• The Glenn W. Irwin Jr., M.D. Distinguished Faculty Award
• The Early Career Achievement Award
• The Distinguished Medical Alumni Award

All alumni from the IU School of Medicine, including alumni from the graduate school and former residents and fellows, are eligible for consideration.

Nomination forms are due Friday, Jan. 18. Awards will be presented during the Alumni Association's traditional Strawberry Shortcake Alumni Luncheon Saturday, May 18, at the NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis.

To download a copy of this year's awards application and view past recipients, visit the IUSM Alumni Association Awards website.

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The Indiana Clinical and Translational Research Institute is seeking applicants for special research fellowships in clinical-translational research and predoctoral training awards in translational research.

Young Investigator Awards in Clinical and Translational Research applicants must be full-time junior faculty or research scientists, who would be eligible to apply as principal investigator on an NIH grant or career development award, but who have not to date been a principal investigator on an R01 or equivalent grant, and able to identify co-mentors, who are faculty investigators, from at least two different disciplines. Benefits include partial salary support, as well as tuition and fees for required and elective coursework, pilot research monies and travel funds to attend the national CTSI young investigator meeting.  For more eligibility information, visit the Indiana CTSI HUB or contact Donna Burgett at dfburget@regenstrief.org.

Predoctoral Training Awards in translational research applications must be pre-doctoral graduate students with no less than one and no more than three years of a pre-doctoral training program, co-mentorship by faculty investigators from at least two different disciplines and be engaged in research that is translational in nature. Recipients will be required to participate in a translational science course, attend a national conference and present at several pre-doctoral events during the academic year. Candidates must have completed  For more eligibility information, visit the Indiana CTSI HUB or contact Colleen Gabauer, Ed.D., at 765-494-9256 or ictsi@purdue.edu.

Applications for both awards are due Monday, Feb. 4.

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The IU Office of the Vice Provost for Research and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research offer weekly digests containing information about funding opportunities including those that limit the number of allowable pre-proposal or proposal submissions.

Funding opportunity categories include the sciences, limited submissions, technology and multidisciplinary:

• Sciences
• Limited Submissions
• Multidisciplinary
• Technology

To subscribe to these updates by email, visit this page.

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