Monthly newsletter of the BU Medical Campu

Boston University Medical Center

O'Brien, Jennifer C.

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Campus Update: August 1991 v. 3, no. 7

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Boston UniversityOpenBU http://open.bu.eduBU Publications Campus Update1991-08Campus Update: August 1991 v. 3,no. 7https://hdl.handle.net/2144/19000Boston UniversityB O S T O N U N I V E R S I T Y M E D I C A L C E N T E R Boston University Medical Campus August 1991 Vol. 3 No. 7 GSGD founder, Dean Emeritus Goldman, dies Henry M. Goldman. D.M.D. G S G D Dean Emeritus Henry M. Goldman, D . M D . , the founder of the world's first school for graduate dentistry, and a recognized visionary in the field of periodontal scien-ces, died on July 23 after an extended illness. He was 79. A n internationally known specialist in periodontology and oral pathology, Goldman conceived of and estahlished the School of Graduate Den-tistry in 1963, making it the first institution to offer postgraduate education and training in all the recognized dental specialties. He retired as dean of the School in July 1977, hut was active as dean emeritus until his death. The School was renamed in his honor in 1978. Goldman was a professor of oral pathology at the den-tal school, professor and chairperson of the Depart-ment of Stomatology at the School of Medicine and chief of the periodontal service at The University Hospital. He Goldman continued on page 2 Campus U P D A T E iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Steel to lead global elderiy-health-care program R. Knight Steel, M.D., who estahlished the Department of Medicine's Section of Geriatrics 14 years ago, has heen appointed hy the World Health Organization (WHO) as director of the Pro-gram on Health of the Elder-ly, in Geneva. Steel, who is a professor of medicine and socio medi-cal sciences and community medicine, as well as chief of The University Hospital's Section of Geriatrics and director of the Home Medi-cal Service, wi l l assume his new role in Octoher. He is looking forward to the joh. "It's daimting hut very excit-ing!" he said. The W H O Program on Health of the Elderly is the outgrowth of a smaller-scale jrogram that the W H O has lad for several years. In his post. Steel wi l l oversee cross-national epidemiological studies on four areas con-cerning the aged: dementia, osteoporosis, immunology and "successful" aging. Con-cern over the health of the elderly constitutes a new direction for the W H O , which traditionally has^ focused primarily on health issues concerning hahies and children and the control of infectious diseases, such as malaria, smallpox and polio. "Thanks to the W H O , smallpox, [for instance,] has basically been eradicated," Steel said. Now the WHO, which is an agency of the United Nations, is also ad-dressing such issues as oc-cupational health and the health of the elderly, both of which have significant pohti-cal and economic ramifica-tions. In the study of "success-ful" aging, W H O researchers wi l l seek an understanding of what constitutes growing old with maximal function R. Knight Steel, M.D. and capability. Evidence indi-cates that disease, not aging, is the primary factor leading the body to fail. People who manage to avoid disease ap-pear to have an excellent chance of living a long life. "If it's primarily environmen-tal factors [i.e., disease] that cause aging, they are poten-tially addressable," Steel said. Steel continued on page 4 What's happening ? Did your coworker just run a marathon backwards? Has your office recently embarked on a noteworthy project that your colleagues would be in-terested in learning about? Did your campus softball team win again? Campus Up-date would like to pass on such news to our readers. Please call Jennifer O'Brien, editor, 638-8491 (x8491) with any tips. • Henry 'Hank" L. Brown, center, the head of me Medical Center Con-trol Center for nine years and a member of me office for 14 years, retired in July. At a cookout held in his honor. Brown's daughter, Tricia, received flowers from employees on hermomer's behalf, while Brown received a gift donated by his colleagues. On hand were Phil Kenney, director of The University Hospital maintenance depart-ment, back right, and John Ciift, foreground, manager of operations and maintenance in me MecScai Campus Faciiities Management department. Campus Update August 1991 /2 l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l Employee profile llllllllllllllllllllllllll Goodglass: His dedication to study of aphasia hasn't dimmed Harold Goodglass, Ph.D. From his office on the 14th floor of the Veterans Ad-ministration Medical Center in Jamaica Plain, Harold Goodglass, Ph.D., a professor of neurology, talks about his research with the ardor of a fledgling scientist. A 26-year Culbert named the dean of student affairs Arthur J. Culbert, Ph.D., an associate professor of pubhc health and socio-medical sciences and community medicine, has been named the associate dean for stu-dent affairs. He wil l fill the role formerly held by William F. McNary Jr., Ph.D., who died in May. Campus Update wil l carry a more in-depth story on Culbert in the September issue. • Arthur J. Culbert, Ph.D. veteran of the School of Medicine's Department of Neurology, he has dedicated his career to trying to come to grips with a devastating medical condition rarely heard of by the layperson: aphasia. Aphasia is characterized by a variety of speaking disor-ders resulting from injury to the left side of the brain. It leaves a person whose intel-lectual capacity often is fully intact imable to communi-cate, either partially or com-pletely. While the condition takes a variety of forms, depending on the location and type of damage, in general the capacity of the victims to use language is seriously debilitated. Some victims lose completely the ability Goldman continued from page 1 also was a member of the board of trustees of The Hospital. "In naming the School for Henry Goldman, Boston University recognized his unprecedented role as the only begetter of one of the premier schools in the world," said Boston Univer-sity President John Silber, Ph.D. "Goldman was a great physician, a great educator and a great ad-ministrator, as well as a generous adviser, wise coun-selor and valued friend. The creator of the Graduate School of Dentistry, Dr. Goldman lives on in the lives and work of the hundreds of health profes-sionals trained and educated here." Spencer N . Frankl, D.D.S., M.S.D., dean of the Goldman School, described Goldman as "a leader, a scholar, a researcher and a mentor." He revolutionized to talk; others recognize an object but use the wrong word to describe it; others use nonsensical words imwit-tingly, while stiH others have difficulty reading or writing. Some cannot communicate, even through gesture. Aphasia is most commonly caused by stroke, though head injury, tumors, infections and other diseases also can cause the condition. As the director of the University's Aphasia Re-search Center, a section of the Department of Neurology, Goodglass oversees an inter-disciplinary department that both pursues theoretical studies of aphasia and provides rehabilitation therapy for patients. His staff includes researchers, physicians and research-clinical speech therapists who specialize in such fields as linguistics, neuroanatomy and speech pathology. Much of the staffs progress in un-derstanding aphasia and developing effective therapies has been achieved through their empirical studies on patients. While aphasia remains a crippling affliction for many, the outlook for recovery has improved over the last two decades, thanks in large part to the work at such institu-tions as the University's Aphasia Research Center. The longest-running organization for the study of aphasia in the nation, the Center currently is begin-Goodglass continued on page 4 the teaching and practice of dentistry by making it an in-tegral part of medicine, Frankl said. "His outstanding achievements, vision and energy have left a legacy of excellence that wi l l continue to flourish." Goldman: "A great idiysidan, a great educator, a valued friend" Goldman published count-less articles on periodontol-ogy, as well as numerous den-tal textbooks, including Periodontia, a standard textbook. During the course of his career, he served as editor of the Journal of Periodontology and Perio-dontics. He received honorary degrees from Boston Univer-sity, Brown University, University of Pennsylvania, New Jersey College of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Marseilles (France) and Central Univer-sity of Venezuela. His leadership roles also were numerous. He served as president of the American Society of Periodontists, presi-dent of the American Academy of Oral Pathology and chief of the Dental Pathol-ogy Section of the U.S. Army. He also was a consultant to the National Institutes of Health, the Surgeon General, the American Dental Associa-tion, the National Institute of Dental Research, the National Research Council, and the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command. A native of Boston, Goldman graduated from Bos-ton Latin School, received his bachelor's degree from Brown University in 1931 and his D.M.D. degree from Harvard School of Dental Medicine in 1935. Goldman, who was a resident of Chestnut Hil l , Mass., is survived by his wife, Dorothy, two sons, Richard and Gerald, and six grandchildren. • Campus Update August 1991 /3 Hard work and tuition remission Glaucoma screening results prove Informative pgy off for employeo graduatGs One hundred fifteen Medical Center employees and their families participated in a free glaucoma-screening clinic on June 20, sponsored by The University Hospital's Gundersen Eye Center. This year's screening was broadened to include employees of Boston City Hospital and the Solomon Carter Fuller Mental Health Center, as well as their families. Among the 115 people screened at the clinic, 6 per-cent showed evidence of glaucoma; 63 percent showed no evidence of glaucoma, and 31 percent who also showed no indica-tion of glaucoma were ad-vised to arrange for follow-up examinations due to other findings made during the screening, reports MaryeUen Sheehan, assis-tant clinical supervisor at the Gtmdersen. Of those participants who showed evidence of glaucoma, 57 percent reported a faniily history of the disease. Of those who showed no indication of the disease, 16 percent reported a family history of glaucoma. Twenty-six per-cent of those who showed no evidence of glaucoma, but were advised to seek foUow-up, reported a family history of the disease, Sheehan notes. A total of 22 percent of all participants reported a family history of the disease. According to Sheehan, the mean age of those who showed evidence of glaucoma was 48 years. The mean age of all 115 par-ticipants was 41 years old. • This past spring, seven School of Medicine employees, pictured below, received graduate degrees from the School of Medicine's Master in Public Health program, under Boston University's tuition-remission plan. The plan fimds up to 100 percent of the tuition for employees and dependent children enrolled in most Boston University courses, and up to 50 percent for spouses of employees. University-wide, 42 Boston University employees graduated with masters degrees in various programs this spring. • Jane Marie Geracl, M.D. Research Fellow, General Internal Medicine Master in Pubiic Health in epidemioiogy and bio-statistics. School of h4edicine Geraci is now an attending physician at the Houston V A Medical Center in Texas. Charles Arthur Pickering Assistant Radioisotope Safety Officer, Radioisotope Center, Radiation Protection Office Master in Pubiic Health in en-vironmentai heaith. School of Medicine. Second University dental faciiity opens Boston University's new Dental Facility at 930 Common-wealth Avenue West, which serves employees enrolled in the new Boston University Dental Health Plan, opened officially on Jime 17. The center has a full dental staff affiliated with the Goldman School of Graduate Dentistry. The University's other state-of-the-art dental facility is located at the Goldman School, at 100 East Newton Street. • Marybeth Mercer Administrative Assistant, Dermatoiogy Master in Pubiic Health in sociai and behaviorai sciences. School of Medicine Mercer worked toward her degree on a part-time basis during the last three years, and currently is doing a part-time internship with the visiting Nurses Association of Greater Lynn in their HIV/AIDS pro-am. She hopes to find a job as a health educator, teaching people about AIDS. Elise L. Ayers Administrative Assistsmt, Sociai and Behaviorai Sciences Master in Public Heaim in health law and health services. School of MedScine Ayers plans to pursue a career in public pohcy and mental health in Washington, D . C . She earned her degree in two years, while working two jobs. Scott Elliot Sherman, M.D. Research Fellow, General Internal Ivfedicine Master in Public Health in epidemioiogy and bio-statistics. School of Medcine Sherman is now an attend-ing physician at the V A Medical Center in Sepul-veda, Calif. Constance Phillips Director, Biochemistry Master in Pubiic Heaith in heaith services. School of Medicine Phillips, who is director of the Program in Biomedical Laboratory and Clinical Sciences at the School, said she decided to get her masters degree the day she started her job and found out there was tuition reimburse-ment. "In monetary terms, it's a $20,000 degree for a couple of hundred dollars," she said. Not pictured: Marianne B. Sutton, M.D. Physician, Pediatrics Master in Pubiic Health in heaith sciences. School of Medicine Campus Update August 1991 /4 Steel's WHO program will focus on cross-national studies on elderly steel continued from page 1 But even looking at those without chronic illnesses, some people appear to age more successfully than others. "We're therefore studying successful aging to try to determine how we all might alter our lives so as to maximize our function until the latest possible time," Steel said. By studying the mem-bers of multiple societies, researchers hope to find clues as to what factors promote not only longevity but successful aging. As part of their study, re-searchers wil l attempt to ascertain what these factors are and how information learned can be applied universally. Some in-dicators are already in. "One of the correlates—not necessarily a cause—of living for 80 years is main-taining normal blood pres-sure," Steel said. Strides in disease preven-tion and treatment already have had an enormous im-pact on life expectancy. In 1947, people in China could expect to live only until they were about 40 years old; today they can expect to live imtil they're 70 years old. In the United States, people bom in 1900 had a life expectancy of 47 years; in contrast, Caucasian women bom today can expect to live for about 80 years. One of the goals of the Program on the Health of the Elderly is to promote research and appropriate policy development for the elderly of each society. Steel is ready for the chal-lenge. "I hope most earnest-ly that in a few years our program at the World Health Organization wi l l be able to provide some clues to the causes of some of the most widespread diseases of the elderly, such as demen-tia and osteoporosis," he said. "In addition," he added, "may it contribute significantly to the more ef-fective use of the resources available in both developed and developing countries to promote and maintain the health of all elderly persons in all parts of the world." • i l l ^ I. I i 1' n 'if • Just two montfis away from completion, the building under construc-tion at 609 Albany Street will be home to the Department of Derma-tology, as well as to the Medical Campus Department of Security. The dermatology department will be located on the first five floors, while the Medical Campus Office of security wiii be located in the basement. The sixth fioor wiii serve as a research iatxoratory for the Goldman School of Graduate Dentistry. Smoking-cessation program is set for September Medical Campus employees seeking group support in their attempts to quit smok-ing wi l l have the opportunity to participate in the Amer-ican Lung Association's Freedom from Smoking pro-gram this fall. Sponsored by the Office of Personnel, the seven-session clinic wi l l be led by a member of the department. Employee Rela-tions Representative Sandy Piatt, who is a former smoker and a trained American Lung Association Freedom from Smoking facilitator. A fee of $20, to be paid at the orientation meeting, wil l cover the cost of materials supplied by the American Lung Association. A mailing with further in-formation about the pro-gram wi l l be sent to all employees shortly. Employees with questions about the program may con-tact Piatt at 638-4610 (x4610). • Goodglass continued from page 2 ning a $600,000-per-year, five-year. National Institutes of Health grant. "We're busier now than ever before," Goodglass said. In studying aphasia, re-searchers are seeking answers to fundamental ques-tions about how the brain works. By learning why some patients physically can utter words but use language nonsensically and why other patients can come up with names of objects and body parts but not other types of words, researchers are gain-ing insight into the way in which language is processed. While fundamental ques-tions remain, researchers have made significant head-way in understanding and even in treating the condition. One of the Center's most significant theoretical breakthroughs, spearheaded by Goodglass, was determin-ing in the early 1950s that lan-guage is generated almost en-tirely on the left side of the brain. "The whole notion of cerebral dominance that is so popular now came out of ob-servations on aphasia," many of which were made at the Center, Goodglass said. "It used to be thought that if a person is left-handed, lan-guage is based in the left side of the brain, if right-handed, on the right side. I was possib-ly the first to publish a major piece of work that showed that was not so." Goodglass also was the first to suggest that left-handed people have a proclivity for developing aphasia, a theory that is still accepted. Another important con-tribution of the Center was the development of a rehabilitation technique called Melodic Intonation Therapy, which enables some patients who are unable to ex-press words through speech to utter the same words by chanting them rhythmically. Research indicates that melody is produced in the right hemisphere of the brain, which may explain why this technique works. This therapy has enabled many patients to break through the bondage aphasia has inflicted upon them. Such breakthroughs in understanding language dis-orders put researchers that much closer to under-standing the process of naming functions in healthy people, Goodglass pointed out. With each new insight, the web that makes up the language processes of the brain becomes more under-standable. "That's why people stay in the field," Goodglass said. • Campus Update is published monthly by the Boston University Medical Campus Office of Business Affairs: William J. Gasper, as-sociate vice president. Article ideas may be addressed to Mr. Gasper or to Michael J. Donovan, director of Personnel. The pub-lication is produced by the Office of Publication Services: Owen J. McNamara, director; Jennifer C. O'Brien, editor/writer; Catherine LeBlanc, designer. 

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Campus Update: August 1991 v. 3, no. 7

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