Campus Notes: Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Gamma knife radiosurgery is topic of community health education lecture
The Yale-New Haven Hospital Auxiliary will sponsor a community health education lecture on Thursday, Oct. 16, 6-8 p.m., in the hospital’s East Pavilion cafeteria, at the 20 York St. entrance.
The lecture, “Gamma Knife: An Alter-native to Surgery for Management of Brain Tumors, Trigeminal Neuralgia and Related Procedures,” will be presented by Dr. Veronica Chiang and Dr. Jonathan Knisely, co-directors of the Yale-New Haven Hospital Gamma Knife Center.
Gamma Knife radiosurgery is a noninvasive, bloodless neurosurgical procedure that focuses 201 radiation beams to a target in the head, with minimal or no damage to surrounding healthy tissues. The Gamma Knife Center is the only stereotactic radiosurgery facility in Connecticut dedicated to the treatment of head and skull base disorders with external radiation.
The program is free and open to the public. A light supper will be served and free, secure parking is available. To register, call (203) 688-2000 or toll-free (888) 700-6543. To register online, visit www.ynhh.org/calendar/calendar.html.
Neurologist a featured speaker at Pain Congress
Dr. Stephen G. Waxman, the Bridget M. Flaherty Professor of Neurology, chair of the Department of Neurology, and professor of pharmacology and neurobiology, delivered a plenary lecture at the 12th World Congress on Pain in August.
The congress was organized by the International Association for the Study of Pain. It took place in Glasgow, Scotland.
Waxman’s lecture was titled “Fugu, Phantoms and Fire in the Feet: The Multiple Roles of Sodium Channels in Experimental and Human Pain.” He discussed research on the roles of sodium channels in neuropathic and inflammatory pain, and highlighted his lab’s discoveries on the involvement of sodium channels Nav1.7 and Nav1.8 in human neuropathic pain.
Three new coaches join lacrosse team
A trio of former players from nationally ranked programs will join the coaching staff of the women’s lacrosse team.
The new coaches, Kendall McBrearty, Brigid Strain and Lauren Taylor, bring with them a combined 15 games of NCAA Tournament experience and 10 conference championships.
McBrearty, who made a pair of appearances in the NCAA National Championship game with Virginia in 2005 and 2007, will work with Yale’s goalkeepers.
Strain, who made a pair of NCAA Elite Eight appearances and won two CAA regular season and tournament championships with James Madison in 2004 and 2006, will work with the Bulldogs’ defense.
Taylor finished her Yale playing career with 198 goals and 246 points, placing second on the Bulldogs’ all-time lists in both categories.
Shaywitz joins board of Recording for the Blind Dyslexic
Dr. Sally Shaywitz, the Audrey G. Ratner Professor in Learning Development at the School of Medicine and co-director of the Center for Dyslexia Creativity, is one of three new board members of Recording for the Blind Dyslexic (RFB).
RFB is the nation’s educational library for students of all ages who cannot effectively read standard print because of a learning disability, visual impairment or other physical disability. More than 237,000 students and professionals currently rely on RFB’s accommodation to access the printed page and achieve educational success. Volunteers record RFB’s audio textbooks in 29 recording studios across the country.
Shaywitz has devoted her career to better understanding and helping children and adults who are dyslexic. Her research provides the basic framework, conceptual model, epidemiology and neurobiology, for the scientific study of dyslexia. She is the author of over 200 scientific articles, chapters and books, including the bestseller, “Overcoming Dyslexia: A New and Complete Science-Based Program for Reading Problems at Any Level.”
Braverman honored by Dermatology Foundation
Dr. Irwin M. Braverman, professor of dermatology, was honored by the Dermatology Foundation with a Lifetime Career Educator Award at its recent annual meeting.
The award recognized the contribution Braverman has made to the specialty of dermatology and to celebrate his distinguished career and the high standard he has set for the next generation of teachers in all areas of dermatology.
