University of Illinois, Chicago: News
Gala for Walter Payton Liver Center at UIC Nets $215,000
The Walter Payton Center Guild raised more than $215,000 at a gala Nov. 7 to support gastrointestinal, liver disease, and transplantation programs at the University of Illinois Medical Center's Walter Payton Liver Center and the UIC College of Medicine.
"Kickoff for the Cure: Saluting the Legacy of Walter Payton," commemorated the 10-year anniversary of the death of the beloved Chicago sports icon. Payton, who was diagnosed with a rare liver disease known as primary sclerosing cholangitis, died from liver cancer in 1999.
At the gala, Brittney Payton spoke about fond memories of her father and shared how so many people could relate with his illness, his positive attitude, his determination to put up a fight, and his relentless desire to beat the odds.
She also announced the guild's plan to directly address the deadly disease that took his life by working with UIC scientists and surgeons to cure liver cancer by 2020.
"This is quite a goal to reach, and we all need to take ownership of this goal -- it needs to belong to all of us," said Brittney Payton as she addressed more than 600 gala attendees.
This year alone, an estimated 22,000 new cases of liver cancer will be diagnosed and 18,000 Americans will die of the disease, according to the American Cancer Society.
In 1997, a group of concerned Chicago-area residents came together to improve the lives of those affected by gastrointestinal diseases such as hepatitis, liver cancer, fatty liver disease, colon cancer and peptic ulcer disease. The volunteers have worked since then to increase awareness of these diseases and raise funds to support the work of UIC physicians and researchers. In 2009, the group of volunteers partnered with the Payton estate to become the Walter Payton Center Guild.
The gala was held at the United Club at Soldier Field. Guests included Connie, Brittney and Jarrett Payton, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, and former Chicago Bears players Steve McMichael, Emery Moorehead, Jim Thornton, Jim Osborne, Bruce Herron and Revie Sorey.
Mike Adamle, NBC-5 Chicago sports anchor, emceed the event. Don Yaeger, co-author of "Never Die Easy: The Autobiography of Walter Payton," was the featured guest speaker.
Photographs of the gala are available at http://newsphoto.lib.uic.edu/main.php/payton/
For more information about UIC, please visit www.uic.edu
"Kickoff for the Cure: Saluting the Legacy of Walter Payton," commemorated the 10-year anniversary of the death of the beloved Chicago sports icon. Payton, who was diagnosed with a rare liver disease known as primary sclerosing cholangitis, died from liver cancer in 1999.
At the gala, Brittney Payton spoke about fond memories of her father and shared how so many people could relate with his illness, his positive attitude, his determination to put up a fight, and his relentless desire to beat the odds.
She also announced the guild's plan to directly address the deadly disease that took his life by working with UIC scientists and surgeons to cure liver cancer by 2020.
"This is quite a goal to reach, and we all need to take ownership of this goal -- it needs to belong to all of us," said Brittney Payton as she addressed more than 600 gala attendees.
This year alone, an estimated 22,000 new cases of liver cancer will be diagnosed and 18,000 Americans will die of the disease, according to the American Cancer Society.
In 1997, a group of concerned Chicago-area residents came together to improve the lives of those affected by gastrointestinal diseases such as hepatitis, liver cancer, fatty liver disease, colon cancer and peptic ulcer disease. The volunteers have worked since then to increase awareness of these diseases and raise funds to support the work of UIC physicians and researchers. In 2009, the group of volunteers partnered with the Payton estate to become the Walter Payton Center Guild.
The gala was held at the United Club at Soldier Field. Guests included Connie, Brittney and Jarrett Payton, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, and former Chicago Bears players Steve McMichael, Emery Moorehead, Jim Thornton, Jim Osborne, Bruce Herron and Revie Sorey.
Mike Adamle, NBC-5 Chicago sports anchor, emceed the event. Don Yaeger, co-author of "Never Die Easy: The Autobiography of Walter Payton," was the featured guest speaker.
Photographs of the gala are available at http://newsphoto.lib.uic.edu/main.php/payton/
For more information about UIC, please visit www.uic.edu
Published Date: November 23, 2009
Restorative Dentistry Leader Receives Top National Honor
Stephen Campbell, professor and head of restorative dentistry at the University of Illinois at Chicago, was named Educator of the Year by the American College of Prosthodontists.
The award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to prosthodontics, overall achievement in academic dentistry, and contributions to the sciences or health professions, was presented at the organization's annual meeting in San Diego.
Campbell has long been a leader in prosthodontics, a dental specialty involving the aesthetic restoration and replacement of teeth, including bridges, crowns, caps, dental implants, dentures, partial dentures, teeth whitening and veneers.
He was influential in modifying the certification program of the American Board of Prosthodontics, and most recently he played an integral role in revising the Commission on Dental Accreditation Standards as they relate to prosthodontics.
Those changes will have a significant impact on the core education students receive while training to be dentists, Campbell said, and will strengthen their preparedness to provide the most appropriate care.
"Over the past several years, prosthodontics has seen a great many changes, and we want to do what is best not only for our patients, but also our students," he said. One of the revisions in the standards was to ensure that all graduating students are competent in screenings for head and neck cancer.
Campbell has also been instrumental in integrating an evidence-based dental medicine curriculum in the UIC College of Dentistry. The practice applies information from clinical studies to assess the quality of evidence, risks, and benefits of treatments for patients.
"Dental education is preparing a new generation of practitioners who will have the skills to integrate the tools of evidence-based dental medicine into their clinical practice, to foster a commitment to their life-long learning and use it as a life tool," he said.
Campbell has been at UIC for 17 years, and during that time he has been "an extraordinary leader not only in our college but nationally as well," said Bruce Graham, dean of the UIC College of Dentistry.
"Steve has consistently encouraged our faculty and me to embrace significant innovations to improve the learning environment of our students," Graham said. "This award recognizes his tremendous contributions to the field of prosthodontics, and he truly sets the standard for excellence in dental education at UIC."
For more information about UIC, visit www.uic.edu
The award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to prosthodontics, overall achievement in academic dentistry, and contributions to the sciences or health professions, was presented at the organization's annual meeting in San Diego.
Campbell has long been a leader in prosthodontics, a dental specialty involving the aesthetic restoration and replacement of teeth, including bridges, crowns, caps, dental implants, dentures, partial dentures, teeth whitening and veneers.
He was influential in modifying the certification program of the American Board of Prosthodontics, and most recently he played an integral role in revising the Commission on Dental Accreditation Standards as they relate to prosthodontics.
Those changes will have a significant impact on the core education students receive while training to be dentists, Campbell said, and will strengthen their preparedness to provide the most appropriate care.
"Over the past several years, prosthodontics has seen a great many changes, and we want to do what is best not only for our patients, but also our students," he said. One of the revisions in the standards was to ensure that all graduating students are competent in screenings for head and neck cancer.
Campbell has also been instrumental in integrating an evidence-based dental medicine curriculum in the UIC College of Dentistry. The practice applies information from clinical studies to assess the quality of evidence, risks, and benefits of treatments for patients.
"Dental education is preparing a new generation of practitioners who will have the skills to integrate the tools of evidence-based dental medicine into their clinical practice, to foster a commitment to their life-long learning and use it as a life tool," he said.
Campbell has been at UIC for 17 years, and during that time he has been "an extraordinary leader not only in our college but nationally as well," said Bruce Graham, dean of the UIC College of Dentistry.
"Steve has consistently encouraged our faculty and me to embrace significant innovations to improve the learning environment of our students," Graham said. "This award recognizes his tremendous contributions to the field of prosthodontics, and he truly sets the standard for excellence in dental education at UIC."
For more information about UIC, visit www.uic.edu
Published Date: November 19, 2009
Public Economist Named Head of Economics at UIC
David Merriman, a public economist who helps state and local governments develop fairer and more efficient ways to raise revenue and implement public policy, has been named head of economics at the University of Illinois at Chicago and professor of economics in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The appointments were approved by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees.
Merriman is professor of public administration in the UIC College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs and in the university's Institute of Government and Public Affairs. He will continue to hold those academic appointments along with his new role in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
"We are not only delighted, but also very fortunate, to have David Merriman serving as the head of our economics department in what is an important moment of growth and transition for that unit," said Dwight A. McBride, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Economics was moved from the College of Business Administration to LAS just last year.
"As a distinguished economist, an astute analyzer of public policy, and a talented administrator, Professor Merriman's leadership will assure a continued upward trajectory for the department as we work to make sure that economics is fully integrated into the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences," McBride said. "I look forward to our work together."
Merriman is a frequent adviser to policymakers. In one recent study, he examined littered cigarette packs to measure the degree to which Chicago smokers avoid cigarette taxes. He has testified before the Illinois legislature and has been involved with property tax reform in Cook County. He has written many articles on flaws in tax increment financing, an economic development tool originally designed to aid blighted communities. He has published a study showing that the federal-state tug-of-war over Medicaid may result in the expansion of health care spending.
Merriman previously taught economics at Loyola University of Chicago, Northern Illinois University and University of Texas at Dallas. His career has included visiting and adjunct appointments at the Urban Institute in Washington and as consultant to the World Bank on intermittent assignments with Human Development Network and has been a visiting scholar at the Institute of Economic Research at Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo. He joined the UIC faculty in 2007.
Merriman earned a bachelor's degree from American University in economics and political science and master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in economics.
For more information about UIC, please visit www.uic.edu
Merriman is professor of public administration in the UIC College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs and in the university's Institute of Government and Public Affairs. He will continue to hold those academic appointments along with his new role in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
"We are not only delighted, but also very fortunate, to have David Merriman serving as the head of our economics department in what is an important moment of growth and transition for that unit," said Dwight A. McBride, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Economics was moved from the College of Business Administration to LAS just last year.
"As a distinguished economist, an astute analyzer of public policy, and a talented administrator, Professor Merriman's leadership will assure a continued upward trajectory for the department as we work to make sure that economics is fully integrated into the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences," McBride said. "I look forward to our work together."
Merriman is a frequent adviser to policymakers. In one recent study, he examined littered cigarette packs to measure the degree to which Chicago smokers avoid cigarette taxes. He has testified before the Illinois legislature and has been involved with property tax reform in Cook County. He has written many articles on flaws in tax increment financing, an economic development tool originally designed to aid blighted communities. He has published a study showing that the federal-state tug-of-war over Medicaid may result in the expansion of health care spending.
Merriman previously taught economics at Loyola University of Chicago, Northern Illinois University and University of Texas at Dallas. His career has included visiting and adjunct appointments at the Urban Institute in Washington and as consultant to the World Bank on intermittent assignments with Human Development Network and has been a visiting scholar at the Institute of Economic Research at Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo. He joined the UIC faculty in 2007.
Merriman earned a bachelor's degree from American University in economics and political science and master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in economics.
For more information about UIC, please visit www.uic.edu
Published Date: November 17, 2009
UIC Joins New National Volunteer Recruitment Registry
A new online registry will connect people interested in volunteering for clinical trials with researchers looking for subjects. The University of Illinois at Chicago is one of 51 institutions around the country and currently the only one in the Chicago area to participate in this first national, all-disease, volunteer recruitment registry.
ResearchMatch.org, an initiative of the National Institutes of Health, is an online not-for-profit website where any interested person living in the U.S. may self-register as a potential research volunteer.
Many clinical trials and research studies take longer than necessary or even close down due to difficulties recruiting appropriate participants, says Dr. Theodore Mazzone, director of UIC's Center for Clinical and Translational Science and principal investigator of the recently awarded Clinical and Translation Science Award to UIC.
At the same time, many people interested in joining a study -- either because of a health problem or an interest in advancing medical science -- have no idea how to connect with researchers, he said.
Anyone may register to be a potential research volunteer at the secure website. Researchers from a participating institution may apply to the site to recruit subjects for approved protocols.
Once a volunteer has been identified as a potential subject for a study, the volunteer is notified and asked whether she or he is interested in being contacted by the researcher. Only when consent is obtained is the volunteer's contact information released to the researcher.
ResearchMatch was designed by the Clinical and Translational Science Awards Consortium, a national network of 46 medical research institutions working together to improve the way biomedical research is conducted across the country.
"This is an exciting development for translational research at UIC and for improving access of our patients to cutting edge multi-center national clinical trials," Mazzone said. "Participation in ResearchMatch is just one of many benefits we have already experienced as a result of our participation in the national consortium of CTSA awardees."
Anyone interested in registering as a potential research volunteer may do so by going to www.researchmatch.org?route=uic. The NIH plans to begin matching researchers to volunteers in January.
UIC ranks among the nation's leading research universities and is Chicago's largest university with 26,000 students, 12,000 faculty and staff, 15 colleges and the state's major public medical center. A hallmark of the campus is the Great Cities Commitment, through which UIC faculty, students and staff engage with community, corporate, foundation and government partners in hundreds of programs to improve the quality of life in metropolitan areas around the world.
For more information about UIC, visit www.uic.edu
ResearchMatch.org, an initiative of the National Institutes of Health, is an online not-for-profit website where any interested person living in the U.S. may self-register as a potential research volunteer.
Many clinical trials and research studies take longer than necessary or even close down due to difficulties recruiting appropriate participants, says Dr. Theodore Mazzone, director of UIC's Center for Clinical and Translational Science and principal investigator of the recently awarded Clinical and Translation Science Award to UIC.
At the same time, many people interested in joining a study -- either because of a health problem or an interest in advancing medical science -- have no idea how to connect with researchers, he said.
Anyone may register to be a potential research volunteer at the secure website. Researchers from a participating institution may apply to the site to recruit subjects for approved protocols.
Once a volunteer has been identified as a potential subject for a study, the volunteer is notified and asked whether she or he is interested in being contacted by the researcher. Only when consent is obtained is the volunteer's contact information released to the researcher.
ResearchMatch was designed by the Clinical and Translational Science Awards Consortium, a national network of 46 medical research institutions working together to improve the way biomedical research is conducted across the country.
"This is an exciting development for translational research at UIC and for improving access of our patients to cutting edge multi-center national clinical trials," Mazzone said. "Participation in ResearchMatch is just one of many benefits we have already experienced as a result of our participation in the national consortium of CTSA awardees."
Anyone interested in registering as a potential research volunteer may do so by going to www.researchmatch.org?route=uic. The NIH plans to begin matching researchers to volunteers in January.
UIC ranks among the nation's leading research universities and is Chicago's largest university with 26,000 students, 12,000 faculty and staff, 15 colleges and the state's major public medical center. A hallmark of the campus is the Great Cities Commitment, through which UIC faculty, students and staff engage with community, corporate, foundation and government partners in hundreds of programs to improve the quality of life in metropolitan areas around the world.
For more information about UIC, visit www.uic.edu
Published Date: November 16, 2009
Grant to Improve Early Literacy Skills in Urban Preschools
A team of University of Illinois at Chicago researchers has received a three-year, $4.1 million federal grant to establish a project to improve early language and literacy skills among urban preschool children.
The U.S. Department of Education grant will fund a partnership formed between UIC, five Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools and their eight full-day preschool classrooms to create early childhood education centers of excellence.
"We are very pleased to be able to continue our work developing instructional strategies, professional development approaches, and classroom support models that result in boosting young children's language and early literacy skills," said Jeffri Brookfield, visiting research and program development specialist in the UIC Center for Literacy, and the project's principal investigator.
The preschool classrooms will serve 160 children each year from low-income, culturally diverse neighborhoods, Brookfield said. Centers are located throughout Chicago's west and south sides.
Co-investigators include William Teale, UIC professor of curriculum and instruction, and Maureen Meehan, director of community literacy programs at the Center of Literacy, also in the College of Education.
The researchers have three goals -- enhance classroom environments to support language and literacy learning; increase the use of scientifically based reading research instructional practices; and ensure that children acquire the oral language, cognitive and early literacy skills associated with academic success.
The project, Instructional Model Program for all Children and Teachers (IMPACT): Early Language and Literacy Excellence, builds on current preschool language and literacy initiatives by these researchers, who have obtained $10.7 million in early literacy grant funding over the past three years.
The project is one of 28 selected for funding by the Department of Education's 2009 Early Reading First Grant Program to establish effective early learning practices throughout the nation.
For more information about UIC, please visit www.uic.edu
The U.S. Department of Education grant will fund a partnership formed between UIC, five Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools and their eight full-day preschool classrooms to create early childhood education centers of excellence.
"We are very pleased to be able to continue our work developing instructional strategies, professional development approaches, and classroom support models that result in boosting young children's language and early literacy skills," said Jeffri Brookfield, visiting research and program development specialist in the UIC Center for Literacy, and the project's principal investigator.
The preschool classrooms will serve 160 children each year from low-income, culturally diverse neighborhoods, Brookfield said. Centers are located throughout Chicago's west and south sides.
Co-investigators include William Teale, UIC professor of curriculum and instruction, and Maureen Meehan, director of community literacy programs at the Center of Literacy, also in the College of Education.
The researchers have three goals -- enhance classroom environments to support language and literacy learning; increase the use of scientifically based reading research instructional practices; and ensure that children acquire the oral language, cognitive and early literacy skills associated with academic success.
The project, Instructional Model Program for all Children and Teachers (IMPACT): Early Language and Literacy Excellence, builds on current preschool language and literacy initiatives by these researchers, who have obtained $10.7 million in early literacy grant funding over the past three years.
The project is one of 28 selected for funding by the Department of Education's 2009 Early Reading First Grant Program to establish effective early learning practices throughout the nation.
For more information about UIC, please visit www.uic.edu
Published Date: November 16, 2009