News Archive for 2013

December 10, 2013
Scientists identify more powerful approach to analyze melanoma's genetic causes
There may be a better way to analyze the genetic causes of cutaneous melanoma (CM) according to a study published in Human Genetics conducted by researchers Yale and Dartmouth. A statistical analysis using the natural and orthogonal interaction (NOIA) model showed increased power over existing approaches for detecting genetic effects and interactions when applied to the genome-wide melanoma dataset.
December 6, 2013
Dartmouth Medical Alumnus Named Dean of University of Minnesota Medical School
The University of Minnesota has named Dartmouth alumnus J. Brooks Jackson, MD, MBA (Tu '77, MED '82) dean of the University's medical school and vice president for Health Sciences.
November 26, 2013
Medical School Graduate's $1 Million Gift for Scholarships Opens New Paths to a Dartmouth Medical Education for NH Students
Four decades ago, Norm Payson, MD, would not have become a doctor and healthcare leader had it not been for scholarship support. Dr. Payson, a 1973 graduate of Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine, now wants to make sure aspiring physicians are not held back from their dreams because of the heavy cost of a medical education.
November 21, 2013
Geisel Overseer Peter Slavin Named Chair Elect of AAMC Board of Directors
Congratulations to Geisel Board of Overseers member Peter L. Slavin, MD, on his appointment as chair-elect of the Board of Directors of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).
November 20, 2013
US Partners with Rwanda to Dramatically Expand Health Workforce Dartmouth Among Leading Medical Institutions Bridging Human Resource Gaps
On November 21, 2013, the New England Journal of Medicine releases a Special Report detailing the largest-scale global health partnership ever initiated between American universities and a low-income country.
November 8, 2013
Dartmouth researcher finds novel genetic patterns that make us rethink biology and individuality
Professor of Genetics Scott Williams, PhD, of the Institute for Quantitative Biomedical Sciences (iQBS) at Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine, has made two novel discoveries: first, a person can have several DNA mutations in parts of their body, with their original DNA in the rest—resulting in several different genotypes in one individual—and second, some of the same genetic mutations occur in unrelated people.
November 6, 2013
Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine Receives Full Eight-Year Accreditation
The nation's sole medical school accrediting body, the Liaison Committee for Medical Education (LCME) has granted the Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine a full eight-year term of accreditation—the longest available from the LCME.
October 16, 2013
Dartmouth's John E. Wennberg Honored With Distinguished Professorship Endowed in his Name
Dartmouth College has established the John E. Wennberg Distinguished Professorship in honor of the founder of The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice and The Dartmouth Atlas at the Geisel School of Medicine.
October 8, 2013
Geisel School of Medicine Board Member Wins Nobel Prize
The Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine congratulates Geisel Board of Overseers member Dr. Randy Schekman, who was selected this week as a recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for 2013.
Market and Demographic Factors in Forming ACOs
Accountable care organizations are rapidly being formed with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, and they are being established in areas where it may be easier to meet quality and cost targets, researchers at The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice said in a study published in the journal HSR.
October 7, 2013
$18 Million NIH Grant Accelerates Geisel's Translational Research
Dartmouth has been awarded $18 million in the highly competitive National Institutes of Health's Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) program, joining an elite group of U.S. research universities conducting translational research.
October 3, 2013
Dartmouth researcher finds a new role for the benefits of oxygen
In a study published in published in EMBO Molecular Medicine, a Dartmouth researcher found that dying heart cells are kept alive with spikes of oxygen.
September 30, 2013
Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine Researchers Receive $5.9 Million Grant from NIH for Lung Research
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded a $5.9 million grant to support an Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Lung Biology Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth.
September 11, 2013
Dartmouth Researchers' Discovery of Cell Division "Master Controller" May Improve Understanding and Treatment of Cancer
In a study to be published in the journal Nature, two Dartmouth researchers have found that the protein cyclin A plays an important but previously unknown role in the cell division process, acting as a master controller to ensure the faithful segregation of chromosomes during cell division.
September 9, 2013
Dartmouth Medical Researchers Receive 5-Year NIH Fogarty Grant Establishing First HIV-TB Research Institute in East Africa
Researchers from the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth have been awarded a five-year, $1.4 million grant from the Fogarty International Center at the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) to create a first-of-its-kind, HIV-TB-specific research institute in East Africa.
September 5, 2013
Geisel Researchers Use Media to Promote Healthy Behaviors to Preschoolers
Researchers at the Hood Center for Children and Families at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth have received a two-year, $275,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop and test a program that uses children's educational TV characters to promote healthy eating and physical activity among preschoolers.
September 4, 2013
Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine Names Harold Swartz
Alma Hass Milham Distinguished Chair in Clinical Medicine

Harold Swartz, MD, PhD, professor of radiology, medicine (radiation oncology) and physiology at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, has been appointed as the Alma Hass Milham Distinguished Chair in Clinical Medicine.
August 23, 2013
Increasing Our Leadership Capacity at Geisel
Every organization has an inherent leadership capacity that can be increased through practice and hard work. The quality and quantity of leadership is an organic energy that circulates through the bloodstream of an organization and is arguably the most important predictor of organizational performance and success.
August 13, 2013
Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine Welcomes New MD Class
Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine officially welcomes 85 new students to its MD program this week. The students bring with them not only high academic achievements, but also a diversity of experience in work and service from around the world.
August 9, 2013
Janet Corrigan Named Distinguished Fellow
The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice has named a national leader in health care, Janet Corrigan, PhD, MBA, as a Distinguished Fellow.
July 18, 2013
Research Means Hope Highlights Impact of Federally Funded Medical Research
The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has introduced a new social media resource, a Research Means Hope Tumblr feed, to highlight federally funded medical research advances being made by scientists and physicians at the nation's medical schools and teaching hospitals, including Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine.
Dartmouth and Geisel School of Medicine Researchers Aim to Discover the Unknown Causes of Premature Birth
Researchers from Dartmouth's Institute for Quantitative Biomedical Sciences (iQBS), the Center for Integrative Biomedical Sciences, and the Center for Genomic Medicine at the Geisel School of Medicine are studying the unknown causes of premature birth.
July 17, 2013
Dartmouth's Jason Moore selected as a Kavli Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences
Professor Jason H. Moore of Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine has been selected as a Kavli Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) for 2013.
Dartmouth Biochemistry Researcher Duane Compton Receives NIH MERIT Award
Obtaining research funding is a constant challenge for scientists in any field, yet faculty at Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine continue to secure prominent grants to continue biomedical research that paves the way for better treatment for patients.
July 11, 2013
Cancer Researchers at Geisel School of Medicine Receive Waxman Foundation Grant
Chromosomal instability (CIN) is a major player in the development of cancerous tumors, including lung cancer, and understanding the mechanisms and contributions of CIN has long been elusive.
July 5, 2013
Scientists from 14 Countries Gather for International ISOTT and EPR Conferences
The EPR Center of the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College in association with the Department of Radiology and Norris Cotton Cancer Center recently hosted two international conferences, back-to-back for the first time, in Hanover NH.
June 27, 2013
Researchers Uncover Cellular Mechanisms for Attention in the Brain
The ability to pay attention to relevant information while ignoring distractions is a core brain function. Without the ability to focus and filter out "noise," we could not effectively interact with our environment. Despite much study of attention in the brain, the cellular mechanisms responsible for the effects of attention have remained a mystery... until now.
June 10, 2013
Geisel School of Medicine Honors Class of 2013 Graduates
The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth celebrated the accomplishments of 210 new graduates, including the school's largest ever graduating MD class, at Class Day ceremonies on June 8th.
June 6, 2013
The Geisel Experience
Each spring, a diverse group of more than 80 newly minted physicians graduate from Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. They are part of a proud 216-year tradition that includes a legacy of more than 4,500 alumni. Inspired physician leaders, they are poised to solve our most pressing challenges in health care.
May 31, 2013
Geisel School of Medicine Introduces Newest Members of Academy of Master Educators
Nine new members of the Geisel School of Medicine's prestigious Academy of Master Educators were introduced during Dean Wiley "Chip" Souba's annual State of the Medical School address on Thursday, May 30, 2013.
May 20, 2013
Eight Students at Geisel School of Medicine Named New Hampshire-Vermont Schweitzer Fellows
Congratulations to the eight students at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth who were named 2013-2014 New Hampshire-Vermont Schweitzer Fellows by the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, named for the famous physician-humanitarian.
May 13, 2013
Dr. Abraham Verghese to Speak at Geisel School of Medicine Class Day
Abraham C. Verghese, MD, MACP, who places great value on humanism in medical education, is the featured speaker at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth's 2013 Class Day activities, Saturday, June 8, at 9 a.m. in the Class of 1978 Life sciences Center Courtyard. Verghese is professor and senior associate chair for the theory and practice of medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University.
May 1, 2013
Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine to lead the US campaign for all clinical trials to be registered and results reported
Today the AllTrials Campaign announced that Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine and the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice signed on to be the first US academic center in this important campaign and will take the lead in urging all medical schools and patient advocacy groups in the US to add their voices at AllTrials.net.
April 26, 2013
Two Geisel School of Medicine faculty recognized by the Association of University Radiologists
The Association of University Radiologists (AUR) has named Jocelyn Chertoff, MD, President of the association and acknowledged Petra Lewis, MBBS, for teaching excellence.
April 22, 2013
Dartmouth iQBS Researchers Help Discover Three Unique Gene Variants That Influence Body Size and Obesity in People of African Ancestry
Researchers from Dartmouth's Institute for Quantitative Biomedical Sciences (iQBS) and the Center for Genomic Medicine have helped to discover three unique genetic variations that influence body size and obesity in men and women of African ancestry. This study, a meta-analysis that examined 3.2 million genetic variants in over 30,000 people with African heritage for links to body-mass index or BMI—by professors Jason Moore, Christopher Amos and Scott Williams—was the largest ever done on this population to date.
April 11, 2013
Curriculum Redesign: Building on excellence
The Geisel School of Medicine's reputation for providing an outstanding educational experience within a close-knit community is one of the many reasons aspiring doctors choose Geisel.
April 8, 2013
Targeting Systemic Sclerosis: From bioinformatics to clinical research
Systemic sclerosis (SSc), also known as scleroderma, is a rare autoimmune connective tissue disorder that's difficult to treat. However, thanks to new research at Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine and Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, doctors may be able to treat some patients more effectively.
April 1, 2013
National Day of Action to Protest Budget Cuts to Medical Research
Researchers at academic medical centers across the nation—including the Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine—could see a significant reduction in federal research funding awards and a slow down in discoveries that benefit patients as a result of sequestration.
Dr. Elliott S. Fisher Named Director of The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice
The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth has named Elliott S. Fisher, MD, MPH, as the Director of The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice. An internationally recognized leader in health services research and health policy, Dr. Fisher is currently the Director for Population Health and Policy at The Dartmouth Institute, as well as the James W. Squire Professor of Medicine and Community and Family Medicine at the Geisel School of Medicine. He is also Co-Director of the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care.
March 18, 2013
It's Match Day for Medical Students at Dartmouth
At the much-anticipated annual Match Day event, 103 students at Dartmouth's Geisel School of medicine learned where they will start their residency training after graduation. Nationally, more than 17,400 graduating medical school students participated in this year's match program.
March 11, 2013
Dartmouth Researchers Receive $12 Million COBRE Grant From The National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded a $12 million grant to support an Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Center for Molecular Epidemiology that will transform the research capacity at Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine.
March 7, 2013
Geisel School of Medicine Physicians for Human Rights Chapter Receives National Awards
The Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) chapter at Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine has been honored with two prestigious, national awards. The Geisel PHR chapter, under the leadership of students Anna Huh '15 and Afton Chavez '15, received the Physicians for Human Rights annual Best Chapter award, sharing this honor with the chapter at the St. Louis University School of Medicine.
March 5, 2013
Tosteson Named Norris Cotton Cancer Center and Geisel Medical School James J. Carroll Professor in Oncology
Anna N.A. Tosteson, ScD, has been appointed the James J. Carroll Professor in Oncology at the Norris Cotton Cancer Center and the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. The chair is awarded to a faculty member nationally recognized for a commitment to work at the leading edge of cancer research, an inspiring educator, a supportive mentor, and an astute and judicious institutional leader.
Ernstoff Named Norris Cotton Cancer Center and Geisel Medical School O. Ross McIntyre Chair in Oncology
Dr. Marc Ernstoff has been appointed to the O. Ross McIntyre Endowed Professorship at the Norris Cotton Cancer Center (NCCC) and the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth.
February 25, 2013
Former Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop, Pioneering Pediatric Surgeon, Public Health Leader and Dartmouth Graduate, Dies at 96
Former Surgeon General of the United States C. Everett Koop, MD, a pioneer in the field of pediatric surgery, a leader in the fight to create a smoke-free nation, and founder of the C. Everett Koop Institute at Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine, died peacefully in his home in Hanover, N.H. on Monday, February 25, 2013. He was 96 years old.
February 20, 2013
Preparing medical students for a changing profession
A critical component of the Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine 2020 Strategic Plan for Excellence is the development of an innovative, world-class medical school curriculum.
February 8, 2013
Dartmouth's Med School Plunges Into Icy Waters for Health Equity
A frigid day during Dartmouth's 2013 Winter Carnival was no match for the fiery passion of the Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine to improve lives.
February 7, 2013
Dartmouth Geisel Med Students take on National Leadership Roles
Three students at Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine are demonstrating the school's commitment to developing physician leaders by helping to lead three prominent, national medical organizations.
January 29, 2013
Dr. Joe O'Donnell Honored with Inaugural Dartmouth Social Justice Award
Joseph O'Donnell, MD, professor of medicine and psychiatry at Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine, will be honored with the inaugural Holly Fell Sateia Award on Friday, Feb. 1 as part of the college's Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Social Justice Awards.
January 24, 2013
Discovery by Dartmouth researchers may improve understanding of neurodegenerative diseases
In a study published in the January 25th issue of the prestigious journal Science, researchers at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth reported the discovery of the key role played by the protein INF2 in the division of mitochondria, the organelles that produce energy for cells. The finding may lead to a better understanding of the development of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease.
January 22, 2013
National Academy of Sciences Paper: Dartmouth researchers take novel approach to fighting treatment-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia
In a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers at Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine described a novel approach to killing chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells without harming normal cells, an approach that could help fight off the disease in patients who have developed resistance to standard treatment.
January 14, 2013
Building Trust and Health Equity in All Communities:
2013 Geisel Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration

One constant in our culture has been mistrust in the healthcare system, especially in under-resourced communities and communities of color in the United States. With the uncertainty revolving around health care reform and how the changes will affect underserved communities, this inherent mistrust may grow.
January 4, 2013
Understanding an unexpected outbreak
Since September, more than 500 cases of fungal meningitis have been diagnosed across the United States, all of them caused by contaminated steroid injections. More than 35 people have died from the infection. But the fungus that has caused almost all of the cases, Exserohilum rostratum, seems an unlikely threat. Robert Cramer, Ph.D., an assistant professor of microbiology and immunology and an expert on fungi, talks about the outbreak.
January 3, 2013
Role of plasmalemma vesicle associated protein (Plvap/PV1) critical to formation of the diaphragms in endothelial cells
Dartmouth scientists have demonstrated the importance of the gene Plvap and the structures it forms in mammalian physiology in a study published in December by the journal Developmental Cell.

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