http://www.med.ucf.edu/ UCF College of Medicine News and Updates en-us http://www.med.ucf.edu/css/rss/college-of-medicine-img-rss.jpg http://www.med.ucf.edu/ 140 35 http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=002400413702bfed0124310819fb003639 Dr. Pappachan Kolattukudy, director of UCF College of Medicine Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, has been named among the Orlando Business Journal's 2009 Health Care Heroes. Each year the OBJ recognizes leaders in the community who are making significant contributions to health care in their respective fields. http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=002400413702bfed0124310819fb003f05 Researchers at the UCF College of Medicine Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, in partnership with Florida Hospital, have identified a specific gene marker present in brain tumor stem cells. Knowing how tumor stem cells are different from normal cells, scientists may be able to find ways to stop tumors from developing. http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=002400413702bfed0124310819fb0042c1 Twenty medical students from the University of Central Florida College of Medicine will cook and serve meals to families of ill children Saturday, November 7, at the Ronald McDonald House on the campus of Arnold Palmer Medical Center. It will be the first official community service event for the 41-member charter class, which began classes in August. http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=002400413702bfed0124310819fb00613c University of Central Florida Associate Professor Alex Cole just landed a $100,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Grand Challenges Explorations grant will support an innovative global health research project led by Cole. The research shows promise in reviving a dormant gene found in humans and coaxing it to produce retrocyclin, a protein that resists HIV. http://orlando.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2009/10/19/daily15.html?surround=lfn# The M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Orlando has opened its new research facility in the UCF College of Medicine Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences building. This is the third institution to open its doors at the medical city at Lake Nona. http://www.floridatrend.com/article.asp?aID=51804 The cover story of October's Florida Trend magazine features the medical city at Lake Nona.The article "Medical City is Changing Florida's DNA," discusses Florida's new biotech cluster forming around UCF College of Medicine's new campus. http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=00240041037381429012136c33d7905ab5 UCF College of Medicine Associate Professor and child advocate Cristina Fernandez-Valle just landed two federal grants worth $2 million to research a disease that can leave children and young adults deaf, partially paralyzed, or brain damaged. http://www.ucftv.ucf.edu/where_to_see/ UCF TV will air encore presentations of WFTV special: UCF College of Medicine: Players, Vision, and Future at the following times: Sunday, October 11, 2009, 2:00 p.m.; Friday, October 16, 2009, 8:00 p.m.; Saturday, October 17, 2009, 4:00 p.m. You can watch it on UCF TV/WBCC Digital Channel 68.2, Bright House Networks Digital Cable Channel 1, or Central Florida on Demand Bright House Networks Channel 300. http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=00240041037381429012136c33d7903c63 UCF College of Medicine Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences Microbiology Professor Keith Ireton has uncovered a previously unknown mechanism that plays an important role in the spread of a deadly food-borne bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=00240041037381429012136c33d7903785 University of Central Florida professor Dr. Ella Bossy-Wetzel will discuss the mysteries of aging and neurodegeneration at the upcoming College of Medicine Luminary Series program on Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 at the Orlando Museum of Art. The event is free and open to the public. RSVPs are required. http://www.ucftv.ucf.edu/schedule/ The August 3, 2009 White Coat Ceremony will be rebroadcast as part of UCF Presents on UCF TV (Bright House Cable 1) at the following times: Sunday 9/6/09 at 2:00 p.m.; Friday 9/11/09 at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday 9/12/09 at 4:00 p.m. The program will also be available on Bright House Central Florida on Demand - channel 300 - beginning September 6. http://www.wftv.com/video/20600382/ WFTV-Channel 9 aired a special report on UCF College of Medicine. The UCF Health Sciences Campus at Lake Nona, with the College of Medicine's Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences building and Medical Education building, were key features of the report. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/health/orl-locucf-obesity-finding-082709082709aug27,0,3400953.story A team of scientists from UCF College of Medicine's Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, headed by director Dr. Pappachan Kolattukudy, have discovered the gene that controls development of fat cells and could lead to new treatments for type 2 diabetes and obesity. http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=00240041037381429012136c33d79002dda UCF welcomed the Charter class of College of Medicine students with a community event that featured a surprise announcement, record-breaking achievements, and promises for the future. http://www.clickorlando.com/video/20217324/index.html Orlando's WKMG, Channel 6 ran an episode on UCF College of Medicine's inaugural class featuring interviews with incoming students. "I chose UCF because I was going to be part of making history," student Serena Amin said. Serena and her peers will be part of the White Coat Ceremony on Monday morning. http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=00240041037381429012136c33d790036b3 First students begin classes at the med school August 3. They will begin their first day by participating in a special White Coat Ceremony - a tradition that welcomes students into the medical profession as apprentices. Orange County and Orlando City Mayors Richard T. Crotty and Buddy Dyer declared this date White Coat Day to show their support for the University of Central Florida College of Medicine. http://www.cfnews13.com/MediaPlayer2/MediaPlayer.htm?video=UCFMEDSTUDENTSW_072320090542 Ten days away from the opening of the UCF's highly anticipated new medical school, the college welcomes two students of the Charter class on a walk-through. http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/07/23/curriculum Learning to be a physician used to mean students in lab coats following professors on their rounds through a hospital. At UCF, each student will be introduced to a virtual patient at the beginning of his or her medical school tenure and then work with it throughout their entire four years. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orl-ucf-medical-countdown-070509,0,847612.story The University of Central Florida's new medical school soon will reach another major milestone: the first day of classes in its doctor-of-medicine program August 3, 2009. You can see the days, hours, minutes and seconds ticking down on a countdown clock. Orlando Sentinel takes a look at what's in store through that date and beyond for the young medical school. http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=00240041037381429012136c33d79005018 Medical schools use Standardized Patients (SPs) as an essential part of a doctor's education. SPs simulate real patients in scenarios such as history-taking and physical exams. They may also help evaluate the student's fundamental medical skills. The UCF College of Medicine Clinical Skills Center is seeking potential SPs of any age, gender, ethnic or cultural background, with or without disabilities. The process begins with an orientation session. http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=00240041037381429012136c33d79005996 Nanoparticles engineered by UCF College of Medicine Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences Assistant Professor J. Manuel Perez and his colleagues could someday target and destroy tumors without toxic whole-body chemotherapies. The nanoparticles are modified to carry chemotherapeutic drug only to cancer cells, thus allowing for targeted treatment with less side effects. http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=00240041037381429012136c33d79006ed3 Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences professor William Self's research shows that interrupting the way selenoproteins are made can halt the growth of the superbug Clostridium difficile and Treponema denticola, a major contributor to gum disease. http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=00240041037381429012136c33d79006f92 Stewart New, a Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences student with a double major in Molecular/Microbiology and Biotechnology, recently won a prestigious Beckman scholarship valued at $19,300 for the coming school year. He and UCF co-winner, Ocean Cohen, a Biology major, were recipients of two of only 45 Beckman grants awarded this year. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/orl-edpmyword-ucf-medical-school-05052009may20,0,4392049.story Florida legislative leaders recognized that a potent prescription for the ailing economy was full funding for the UCF College of Medicine. Their work, which was supported by the entire Central Florida delegation, will help ensure the future success of our students, university, and the region. http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=00240041339c48b30120a92dbf2f00747c Following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, UCF advises faculty, staff and students to postpone or avoid any non-essential travel to regions of the world significantly affected by swine flu. http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=00240041339c48b30120a92dbf2f00726c Scientists at the UCF College of Medicine have revived a dormant gene found in humans and coaxed it to produce retrocyclin, a protein that resists HIV. A new cream containing a re-awakened protein could someday prevent the transmission of HIV. http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=00240041339c48b30120a92dbf2f0075b5 Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences students Katherine Ferstadt, Stephanie Morales, Ruth Strakosha, and Thomas Blake VanBrunt Jr. received the Order of Pegasus, UCF's highest student award honoring outstanding undergraduate academic achievement, university involvement, leadership, and community service. The four include one member of the College of Medicine M.D. Program Charter class. http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=002400415ed68c0e012062f28d1100747f This semester, College of Medicine Associate Professor Dinender Singla began offering the first UCF course about stem cell research, something he has dedicated most of his career to and something he is passionate about. He is currently working with stem cells to determine if they can help a heart heal itself. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orl-locucfmed040409apr04,0,3583842.story 30 prospective members of the College of Medicine Charter class were on campus Friday and Saturday for a closer look at UCF's medical education program. They came for an in-depth tour of the College facilities - a second-chance visit to help with final decision due May 15. http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=002400410133cccfb011fd899639b00754e On March 14, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams told a national TV audience the story of the UCF College of Medicine innovative scholarship program. Two NBC crews followed potential med school students as they met our faculty, staff and toured our facilities. Visit www.msnbc.com to view the full report (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#29695061) as well as exclusive web-only footage (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#29696185) online. http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=00240041220e5432011f4dc4e1d3007dfb Scientist Dr. Henry Daniell has launched College of Medicine Luminary series in February with a lecture on Green Technology for Health Care. His presentation can be seen on UCF TV on Bright House channel 1 (DTV 68-2) on March 15 at 6 p.m. and again on March 21 at 6 p.m. or online at www.ucf.tv and on YouTube after the program airs. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/education/orl-ucfmed18x09feb18,0,6477873.story UCF College of Medicine is interviewing candidates in weekly day-long sessions that include a campus tour, up-close look at cutting-edge surgical technology, as well as frank talk about money, rigors of 60- to 80-hour school week, and getting help if it becomes too much. http://www.med.ucf.edu/news/news/2009/january/010509/ UCF College of Medicine Dean Deborah C. German, M.D. was named by the Orlando Sentinel as 2008 Central Floridian of the Year. This prestigious honor celebrates individuals who made extraordinary contributions to the Central Florida community and has been awarded annually since 1983. http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=0024004102082b6ee011e4c7dabcc007f90 The UCF College of Medicine and the nascent medical city could create more than 30,000 local jobs and have an economic impact of $ 7.6 billion, according to an Arduin, Laffer & Moore Econometrics study. http://www.med.ucf.edu/news/news/2008/december/121208/index.asp University of Central Florida President John Hitt, Provost Terry Hickey, and College of Medicine Dean Deborah German participated in a tree topping ceremony at the UCF Health Sciences Campus at Lake Nona. http://chronicle.com/weekly/v55/i16/16a00601.htm The Chronicle of Higher Education has interviewed COHPA and BSBS assistant professor David Segal. Segal, the creator of MyCaseSpace, a web-based program used to present clinical cases to students, discusses simulation in medical education, including use of virtual patients (avatars). Simulation will be an important part of the College of Medicine curriculum. http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=00240041e030fdf011daaca4445007e58 Two new compounds created by Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences Associate Professor James Turkson have been found to disrupt formation and spread of breast cancer tumors in tests on mice. The compounds, S3I-201 and S3I-M2001, break up a cancer-causing protein called STAT3, and researchers have observed no negative side effects so far. http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=002400417681c879011d86dcaaa7007ef5 The College of Medicine has received its 4,000th application for the M.D. program. With an initial class size of 40, it means students wanting to be part of the new medical school will have a 1 in 100 chance of being admitted. This also breaks a statewide record for the number of applications to a public medical school in Florida. http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=002400413020deb011cc2b2d3f90561f UCF is participating in the ambitious National Children's Study through a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Lynn Crespo of the College of Medicine will team with the project's site lead investigator Dr. Thomas Wan of the College of Health and Public Affairs to follow 100,000 children across the country through age 21. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/health/orl-vaccines1008sep10,0,1419005.story Dr. Henry Daniell's research has been highlighted in the Orlando Sentinel. The COM BSBS scientist is working on vaccines grown inside plant cells thanks to funding from the National Institutes of Health and other sources. He recently had success in animal tests of his revolutionary vaccine for bubonic plague. http://ucda.com/competition.lasso UCF Marketing has received one Silver Award for our Medical School for the 21st Century video and five Awards of Excellence at the University and College Designer's Association competition. The competition recognizes the best new design work promoting educational institutions. http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=002400410272bbcd6011abfc696f003c35 To date, the University of Central Florida College of Medicine has received more than 3000 applications from students seeking acceptance to our medical school's Charter class. Students have applied from every major Florida university, as well as most of the nation's top academic institutions. http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=002400416b60fcea011bff74dae20059be Before its doors open, the University of Central Florida College of Medicine is already among the most sought-after and selective medical schools in the country. So far this year, more than 10 percent of those applying to medical schools nationwide have applied to UCF, based on data reported through the Association of American Medical Colleges. http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=0024004102975ad83011b2cc1489c040d Construction of the new UCF College of Medicine at Lake Nona is proceeding at a brisk pace and when complete is expected to obtain the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver certification. http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=0024004122b12132011a7d8ebd2c002cf0 UCF College of Medicine reached another milestone Thursday. From 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., crews began pouring the foundation for the school's classroom building. About 20 construction workers spent 3 hours dumping 350 cubic yrds of concrete - the equivalent of 35 concrete mixer trucks - for the foundation of the classroom building. http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=002400414973f6b011a3a911f67011eb The University of Central Florida College of Medicine announced Friday that it received a $200,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to explore how interactive digital games could be designed to improve players' health behaviors and outcomes. http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=0024004168851b1c011994f92ed00061bc The UCF College of Medicine's Charter class will be able to pursue - free of charge - their dreams of becoming doctors, thanks to 40 scholarships fully funded by our community. No other medical school in the nation's history has offered full scholarships to an entire class. Unburdened by large debts, our students will be free to dream big and turn those dreams into outstanding medical practice and research. http://news.ucf.edu/UCFnews/index?page=article&id=0024004168851b1c011994f92ed00065ac On April 24, 2008, COM Dean Deborah C. German was named the 2008 Central Florida Businesswoman of the Year and 2008 Business Executive, both impressive and prestigious honors awarded at the Orlando Business Journal's Women Who Mean Business celebration. http://www.ucf.edu/comupdate/ The College of Medicine's future home, the Medical City at Lake Nona features a million square foot open-air town center, 9,000 residential units, and a life sciences cluster. It will put future doctors in close proximity to world-class partners and will have a $1.4 billion dollar impact on local economy. http://www.med.ucf.edu/news/news/2008/february/020608/index.asp The College of Medicine reached its most significant milestone to date when the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) notified the college that it has been granted preliminary accreditation. Team Says Aspect of Plan for College has Potential to be National Model. http://www.med.ucf.edu/news/news/2008/january/011708/index.asp It was a year ago, at an Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce Leadership Retreat, that University of Central Florida Dean Deborah German shared an innovative vision for the up-and-coming College of Medicine. http://www.med.ucf.edu/news/news/2007/december/121907/index.asp M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Orlando’s Cancer Research Institute (CRI) and the University of Central Florida (UCF) promise to advance cancer research in the region by coming together at UCF’s new Health Sciences campus at Lake Nona. http://www.med.ucf.edu/news/news/2007/october/102307/index.asp The University of Central Florida’s College of Medicine has signed affiliation agreements with Orlando Regional Healthcare and Florida Hospital. The affiliation agreements will allow medical students to participate in clinical training at Orlando Regional and Florida Hospital campuses. http://www.med.ucf.edu/news/news/2007/july/072607/index.asp The University of Central Flordia College of Medicine learned Friday, June 8, that is has been granted a site visit by the national medical school accrediting organization.