Repairs to close 8th, 9th streets near UTMB

As part of the ongoing upgrade to facilities at the University of Texas Medical Branch, a large construction crane is scheduled to lift heavy equipment to the roof of the John Sealy Hospital during three upcoming weekends.

Market Street between Eighth and Ninth streets will be closed from 6 a.m. Saturday to 8 p.m. Sunday on the following weekends: Aug. 27-28, Sept. 10-11, Sept. 17-18. The main entrance to John Sealy Hospital will remain open at all times.

Through Sept. 7, sidewalks will be closed occasionally along Harborside Drive at Fourth Street to repair existing light fixtures and foundations.

Signs will be in place to direct pedestrian flow, and flagmen will assist with traffic control.

Original Performance

“The Long Journey Home: Caring for a loved one with dementia,” an original play in two acts written by Oma Morey, assistant professor of geriatrics in internal medicine at the medical branch, will be presented free to the public in Galveston at Central Middle School, 3014 Sealy St., at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and Sept. 9-10 and 2:30 p.m. Sunday and Sept. 11.

For information, call 409-772-3233. This presentation is made possible by the UTMB President’s Cabinet.

Caregiver Seminar

This seminar is designed for caregivers of people who have memory loss.

The three-hour presentation starts at 1 p.m. Friday at the Multispecialty Center and Stark Diabetes Clinic at Victory Lakes Town Center, 2660 Gulf Freeway S., League City.

The seminar is free, but preregistration is required.

For information or to register, contact Adele Herzfeld, geriatric clinic social worker, at 409-948-8862 or asherzfe(at)utmb.edu.

CPRIT Scholar

Dr. Carol Nilsson has been appointed a professor in the department of pharmacology and toxicology.

She is internationally recognized for her expertise in high resolution mass spectrometry and its application in neuroscience, neuro-oncology and vaccinology.

Nilsson is the recipient of a $1.8 million investigator award from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas and will be the CPRIT Scholar in Cancer Research at the medical branch.

She has developed a powerful platform for global analysis of phosphoproteins in glioblastoma cancer stem cells in a continuing collaboration with the department of neuro-oncology at UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Center for addiction research

Kathryn Cunningham, center director and Chauncey Leake Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology, has received a senior scientist research and mentorship award of more than $550,000 for her project, “Addiction and the neuropharmacology of psychostimulants.”

Dr. Fernanda Laezza, assistant professor in the department of pharmacology and toxicology, was awarded a $60,000 research starter grant from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America Foundation for her project on “Bioluminescence assays for voltage-gated sodium channel drug discovery.”

Radiology Recognition

Dr. Roy Riascos, associate professor, received the Cum Laude Award at the 2011 American Society of Neuroradiology meeting for his exhibit,“Troubleshooting stroke mimics and concealed strokes: The neurologist and the neuroradiologist’s perspective.”

“Role of the fetal MRI in detection and depiction of congenital anomalies,” a presentation by Dr. Joao Kazan Tannus, assistant professor and director of abdominal imaging, was awarded Best Poster at the 2011 Texas Radiological Society meeting.

Appointments

• In radiation oncology, Steven Morrill was appointed to the Claude Davis Professorship.

• Gary Kesling, clinical associate professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, was named University Student Services ombudsperson.

• In the surgery department, Dr. William Tarry was appointed the Robert Earl Cone professorship in urology, and Dr. Sydney Worsham was appointed the Stephen A. Worsham, M.D. professorship in urology.