Low Molecular Weight Opioid Peptide Esters Could be Developed as a New Class of Analgesics

Low molecular weight opioid peptide esters (OPE) could become a class of analgesics with different side effect profiles than current opiates. OPE may have sufficient plasma stability to cross the blood brain barrier (BBB), undergo ester hydrolysis and produce analgesia. OPE of dipeptides, tyr-pro and tyr-gly conjugated to ethanol have a structure similar to the anesthestic agent, etomidate. Based upon the analgesic activity of dipeptide opioids, Lipinski’s criteria, and permeability of select GABA esters to cross the BBB, opioid peptides (OP) conjugated to ethanol, cholesterol or 3-glucose are lead recommendations. Preliminary animal data suggests that tyr-pro-ethyl ester crosses the BBB and unexpectedly produces hyperalgesia. Currently, there are no approved OP analgesics available for clinical use. Clinical trials of good manufacturing practice OP administered to patients suffering from chronic pain with indwelling intrathecal pumps could resolve the issue that OP may be superior to opiates and may redirect research

Equity in informal science learning: a practice-research brief

This briefi ng paper reports fi ndings from the Youth Access & Equity in Informal Science Learning (ISL) project, a UK-US researcher-practitioner partnership funded by the Science Learning+ scheme. Our project focuses on young people aged 11-14 primarily from under-served and non-dominant communities and includes researchers and practitioners from a range of ISL settings: designed spaces (eg museums, zoos), community-based (eg after school clubs) and everyday science spaces (eg science media)

Pathways in informal science learning: a practice-research brief

This briefing paper reports findings from the Youth Access & Equity in Informal Science Learning (ISL) project, a UK-US researcher-practitioner partnership funded by the Science Learning+ Phase 1 scheme. Our project focuses on young people aged 11-14 primarily from under-served and non-dominant communities and includes researchers and practitioners from a range of ISL settings, including designed spaces (eg museums, zoos), community based (eg afterschool clubs) and everyday science spaces (eg science media)

News in Brief

Promotions and Advancement Luis Eraso, MD, (Division of Vascular Surgery), and John Kairys, MD, FACS (Division of General Surgery), have each been promoted to Associate Professor of Surgery. Orlando Kirton, MD, FACS, has been named Vice Chair, Chief of Surgery at Abington Hospital. Jack Sariego, MD, FACS, has been named Vice Chair, Chief of Surgery at Aria. Alliric Willis, MD, FACS, has been named Vice Chair for Faculty Affairs & Faculty Development. Save the Date Please join us on Tuesday, November 28, 2017, at the 15th Annual Jefferson Gala. Chair of Surgery, Charles J. Yeo, MD, FACS, will receive the Achievement Award in Medicine. For information about sponsorship opportunities, tickets or other questions, please contact the Office of Protocol and Special Events at [email protected] or 215-955-9100. Jefferson.edu/Gala New Faculty Rajesh Aggarwal, MD, PhD, FACS, has joined the Division of Minimally Invasive, Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and sees patients at both Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Methodist Hospital. Dr. Aggarwal is also Sr. Vice President of Strategic Business Development for the Innovation Pillar at Jefferson. The Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery recently welcomed the following new faculty members: George M. Comas, MD, FACS, completed a fellowship in Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and is dual certified in Surgery and Thoracic Surgery. He sees patients at Abington Hospital. Vakhtang Tchantchaleishvili, MD, recently completed an Advanced Fellowship in Mechanical Circulatory Support & Cardiac Transplantation at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. He sees patients at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Serrie Lico, MD, is dual certified in Surgery and Thoracic Surgery and specializes in minimally invasive cardiac surgery. He sees patients at affiliate sites including Aria and Einstein

Beacons In Brief

This second issue in P/PV's In Brief series focuses on the San Francisco Beacon Initiative and P/PV's recently released evaluation results. The Beacon Initiative established after-school programs in eight public schools in low-income San Francisco neighborhoods. P/PVs 36-month evaluation examined key developmental and academic outcomes. Beacons In Brief summarizes our findings and discusses their implications in the context of larger questions about the after-school field

News in Brief

Alec Beekley, MD, FACS (Division of Acute Care Surgery), and John Entwistle, MD, FACS (Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery), have each been promoted to Professor of Surgery. Howard Todd Massey, MD, has joined the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery as the Surgical Director of Cardiac Transplant. Dr. Massey completed his general surgery residency at the University of Louisville and his thoracic and cardiovascular surgical residency at the University of Texas Southwestern. He then completed a fellowship in Heart and Lung Transplantation and Adult Cardiac Surgery at the Duke University Medical Center. Dr. Massey is dualcertified in Surgery and Thoracic Surgery. Under the leadership of Dr. Massey and Andrew Boyle, MD, Medical Director of Advanced Heart Failure, Jefferson has reactivated its Heart Transplant Program with the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). On March 1, the Jefferson Center for Injury Research and Prevention (JCIRP) proudly hosted the 2017 Vision Zero for Philadelphia Conference presented by the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and Uber. Stanton B. Miller, MD, MPH, Founding Director of JCIRP, welcomed an audience including urban designers, transportation planners, and representatives from AAA, AARP and several city and state agencies. Participants will collaborate and implement research-based initiatives to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2030, through education, engineering and enforcement. JCIRP was established in 2013 within the Division of Acute Care Surgery, led by Murray J. Cohen, MD, FACS, Director of the Level I Regional Resource Trauma Center at Jefferson. Charles J. Yeo, MD, FACS, Samuel D. Gross Professor and Chair of Surgery, has been named Senior Vice President and Chair – Enterprise Surgery for Jefferson Health, and Editor-in-Chief of the new Journal of Pancreatic Cancer. On April 29, Theresa Pluth Yeo, PhD, MPH, ACNP, Adjunct Associate Professor in the Jefferson College of Nursing and Co-Director of the Jefferson Pancreas Tumor Registry received the 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award from Cornell University – New York Hospital School of Nursing. Save the Date: Jefferson will host the 12th Annual Pancreatic Cancer and Related Diseases Symposium on Saturday, November 11, 2017 from 9 am to 2 pm. The event gives patients and their loved ones an opportunity to connect with expert physicians, scientists and staff and learn about the latest developments in research and treatment. Seating is limited for this free event. Registration is required. Please contact, Kelly Austin at 215-955-6383 to request an invitation. For more information, visit Jefferson.edu/PancreasEven

Amachi In Brief

This first issue in P/PV's In Brief series focuses on the Amachi program, which partners faith-based organizations with public agencies and nonprofit service providers to identify the children of prisoners and match them with caring adult volunteers.Amachi In Brief touches on the program's development and recruiting strategies, its early results and its expansion into new cities

News in Brief

Matthew P. Jenkins, MD, has joined the Division of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Jenkins completed his general surgery residency at Temple University Hospital in 2013 and remained there for fellowship training in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He is board certified and sees patients at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Anirudh Kohli, MD, has joined the Division of Acute Care Surgery. Dr. Kohli completed his general surgery residency at the Montefiore Medical Center at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, followed by a fellowship in Surgical Critical Care at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, NJ. He is board certified and sees patients at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and on the Main Line. Matthew W. LaPorta, MD, has joined the Division of Acute Care Surgery. Dr. LaPorta completed his internship and four years of surgical residency at INOVA Fairfax Medical Campus in Falls Church (IFMC), Virginia. After residency, Dr. LaPorta remained at IFMC to complete a fellowship surgical critical care. He is board certified and sees patients at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and on the Main Line. Louis E. Samuels, MD, FACS, has joined the Division of Cardio-thoracic Surgery. Dr. Samuels completed a general surgery residency, followed by a cardiothoracic residency at Hahnemann University. He has had a faculty appointment as a Professor of Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University since 2012. As a member of the full time staff here at Jefferson, he will now have a teaching relationship with our surgical residents and fellows. Dr. Samuels sees patients at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Gerald A. Isenberg, MD, FACS, Professor of Surgery, has been named Editor in Chief of ACS Case Reviews in Surgery, a new journal from the American College of Surgeons. The inaugural issue will be published in winter of 2017. Congratulations to Jonathan Brody, PhD, on his promotion to Professor of Surgery and Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology. Dr. Brody is the Vice Chair for Research and Director, Division of Surgical Research. Congratulations to Geoffrey Ouma, DO, on his promotion to Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine and Surgery. Dr. Ouma is a vascular medicine specialist at the Jefferson Vascular Center. Congratulations to Francesco Palazzo, MD, FACS, on his promotion to Associate Professor of Surgery. Dr. Palazzo is Vice Chair of the Department of Surgery and Chief of Surgery at Methodist Hospital. Congratulations to Zi-xuan (Zoe) Wang, MD, on her promotion to Associate Professor of Pathology and Surgery. Dr. Wang is Scientific Director of the Molecular & Genomic Pathology Lab