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by Brooke Bunch
Neil Aronin, M.D., professor of
medicine and cell biology in the Department of Medicine and
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of
Massachusetts Medical School, recently made the trek from New
England to Appalachian Ohio where he met with OU-COM students,
scientists, colleagues and an old friend at Ohio University.
Since 1999 Aronin has been the
chief of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, which is
responsible for clinical endocrine services in central
Massachusetts and northern Connecticut. The division also
provides for the education of clinical fellows, medical
residents and students in endocrinology and metabolism and is an
important arm of the National Institutes of Health’s Training
Program in Endocrinology and Diabetes at the University of
Massachusetts Medical School.
Aronin has more than 120
publications, including recent articles in The Journal
of Neuroscience, Nature Medicine and Cell.
During a three-day stay
beginning Oct. 19, Aronin discussed cutting-edge medical care
and recent research with students and faculty. He presented new
treatment options for Huntington’s Disease to a lecture hall
full of medical students and medical professionals the evening
of Oct. 20.
“It was aimed for students to
understand the basis for Huntington’s Disease and try to use
what we know about pathogenesis to develop a treatment,” he
says.
Aronin also made a clinical
presentation on the heredity form of endocrine tumors to a group
of students prior to his lecture on Huntington’s Disease.
“I thought the students were
really engaging,” he says. “We discussed various clinical
cases.”
In addition, Aronin shared his
thoughts on research with the faculty at the Edison
Biotechnology Institute.
He also met with Mark Weinberg,
Ph.D., a childhood friend and director of the Voinovich Center,
who updated him on the status of the center.
“He showed me the progress
that’s been made, and it’s really quite remarkable,” Aronin
says. “The whole campus is quite remarkable. The energy here is
great. The scientists are real excited about their research. And
I met with the dean (Jack Brose, D.O.), who also shares
in the excitement of growth.”
Aronin says he was impressed
with how much endocrine research is expanding at OU-COM.
Felicia Nowak, M.D., Ph.D.,
associate professor of biomedical sciences, says his visit was
beneficial for the students.
“I think he has a lot of
expertise in the field,” she says. “It’s a good opportunity for
students to hear about research and think about the tools that
can be applied to disease therapy.”
Frank Schwartz, M.D.,
director of the Diabetes/Endocrine Center and associate
professor of endocrinology, says Aronin’s visit is part of a
series they’re hoping to expand.
“We want leading investigators
to come from all over the world as visiting professors,”
Schwartz says. “They can meet with students and give them a
personal interaction with a primary investigator.”
“Bringing eminent researchers
like Dr. Aronin to the OU campus,” says Jack Blazyk, Ph.D.,
associate dean for research, “provides learning opportunities
for our faculty and students in the latest developments in
medicine.”
“Cultivating personal
relationships with the people who influence the funding
decisions at federal granting agencies like NIH and National Science Foundation is
important in gaining national exposure for our faculty and
programs.”
News for the week of Nov. 8 – Nov. 13
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