Produced by the Office of Communications // June 28, 2012

John P. McGovern Award
Gabriel M. Aisenberg, M.D.

Dr. Gabriel Aisenberg, assistant professor of internal medicine, has been named the winner of the John P. McGovern Award as the exceptional clinical teacher.

The John P. McGovern Award is given annually to the outstanding clinical faculty member as chosen by the senior class. The award is made possible by an endowment from the McGovern Foundation.

“I felt grateful for this enormous honor and proud of making a difference in our students' lives,” he said.

Aisenberg graduated from the University of Buenos Aires School of Medicine and did a residency in internal medicine at Sanatorio Mitre in Buenos Aires, followed by an infectious diseases fellowship at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and an internal medicine residency at the Medical School.

“My view is that there should be no other medicine than academic medicine,” he said. “Teaching and learning creates a constant connection between colleagues; the fuel that feeds the engine to become better, and ideally wiser.”

Joining the Medical School in 2010 as an assistant professor of medicine, Aisenberg was named director of general internal medicine at LBJ Hospital a few months later. He is a physician teacher in the internal medicine core curriculum.

He said he outlines a simple prescription for his students at the start of their ward month:

• Be happy: if you are not happy, you can’t help others.
• Be curious: the only way to fill a gap in your knowledge is to discover that you have such gap.
• Be generous: share what you’ve learned with your teammates.
• Be outspoken but respectful: you are part of a team, and as inexpert as you can be, your opinion counts.
• Imagine you are the attending: feel with your guts that the patient is yours. I truly enjoy when I see the patients relate to you as if you were the boss. Yet, let the patient know what your role is.

The instruction seems to be working with the students.

“Dr. Aisenberg was by far the best teaching attending I had during my third and fourth years. He devoted more time to teaching during rounds than any attending I encountered. He takes time to teach clinical, ethical, and practical matters every day during rounds and emphasizes the importance of continued reading throughout our professional careers,” wrote one of his student nominators.

“He corrects without being overbearing, demands a high level of work, and inspires his teams. I came quickly to view him as an excellent clinician, adept teacher, role-model physician, and ultimately a mentor,” wrote another.

Previous recipients of the award include Eugene Toy, M.D., 2012, 2009, 2002; Octavio Pinell, M.D., 2010, 2008, 2006, 2004, 2001, 1999, 1997, 1995; Alberto Puig, M.D., Ph.D., 2007, 2005; Frank Arnett, M.D., 2003, 2000; Edward Yeomans, M.D., 1998; John F. Donnelly, M.D., 1996, 1993, 1990; James T. Willerson, M.D., 1994; John M. Passmore, M.D., 1992; and Herbert L. DuPont, M.D., 1991.

— Darla Brown, Office of Communications, Medical School

Post Comment

Peking University Urological Training College visits Medical School

En route to the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Urological Association in Atlanta, the Medical School hosted 40 urology professors from China, who are enrolled in the Peking University Urological Training College, for morning presentations May 16.

The Peking University Urological Training College is the highest level of training institute in China for urology chairmen. Each year, selected urologists from major hospitals in China join the Peking University Urological Training College for a weeklong course held by a world-class urology department in the United States or Europe to learn about advances in urological basic and clinic science.

Lectures were conducted by local urologists from the Medical School, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Vanguard Urological Institute. The visitors were honored by a presentation from Dr. Joseph Corriere, who was the first Cecil M. Crigler, MD, Chair in Urology and past president of the American Urological Association, and particularly enjoyed having Dr. James “Red” Duke stop by with his stories of the beginnings of the Medical School.

The Medical School’s Division of Urology hosted the first U.S. training class in Houston for the Peking University Training College six years ago. Both programs were chaired by Dr. Run Wang, professor of surgery and Cecil M. Crigler, MD, Chair in Urology. Wang is also an honorary professor of the Peking University Training College.

Post Comment

Researchers study supplemental treatments for bipolar disorder

A commonly available pharmaceutical drug with anti-inflammatory properties and a nutritional supplement thought to have antioxidant effects are now being tested at the Medical School as add-on therapies for people diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Aspirin will be tested for its potential to decrease inflammation in the brain that may be involved in the development of symptoms in bipolar disorder. The study will also test N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), an over-the-counter antioxidant that is being studied to treat a wide range of disorders and diseases, including autism spectrum disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, renal failure, and diabetes.

In two placebo-controlled Australian studies, NAC was shown to reduce the symptoms of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The exact mechanism is not known, but researchers believe that NAC’s antioxidant properties may improve the functioning of brain cells and chemicals involved in bipolar disorder and depression.

“The study is interesting because we’re looking at a commonly available medication that might help bipolar disorder. There’s a growing body of literature that suggests depression involves some mild inflammation, and stress has a role as well,” said Dr. Jair Soares, principal investigator and chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. “NAC may help the brain remain fresher longer. Aspirin, by alleviating possible inflammation in brain neurons, may keep these cells healthier and functioning better.”

Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out daily tasks, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health. According to the NIMH, it affects 5.7 million adults in the United States. It has two mood episodes: an overly joyful or excited state called a manic episode and an extremely sad or hopeless state called a depressive episode. Current medications are successful in treating 50 to 60 percent of patients, Soares said.

“Bipolar depression causes substantial problems for people, affecting their concentration, memory, sleep, and energy level,” said Soares, co-director of the UT Center of Excellence on Mood Disorders. “Sometimes they try the medications currently available with poor results. This is an adjunctive treatment to see if it helps in combination with the medications they are already taking.”

The study is double-blinded, randomized, and placebo-controlled. In addition to their current medications, patients will receive NAC, aspirin, placebo, or NAC and aspirin together.

The study is funded by the Stanley Medical Research Institute, a nonprofit organization supporting research on the causes of, and treatments for, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

For more information about the study, please call 713.486.2627.

— Deborah Mann Lake, Office of Advancement, Media Relations

Post Comment

Sarraj named ASA new investigator

A Medical School researcher recently was recognized with a prestigious award by the American Stroke Association (ASA) for innovative research in stroke.

Dr. Amrou Sarraj, program year six vascular neurology fellow, received the Mordecai Y.T. Globus New Investigator Award in Stroke at the ASA’s international meeting in New Orleans in February.

The Globus Award is named for the late renowned cerebrovascular researcher Dr. Mordecai Y.T. Globus and is given annually to a researcher still in training.

Sarraj’s work, “Optimizing Prediction Scores for Poor Outcome After Intra-arterial Therapy for Anterior Circulation Acute Ischemic Stroke” was presented at the ASA’s International Stroke Conference. The study suggests that combining clinical and radiographic variables can better predict poor outcome after patients undergo intra-arterial clot busting. This work resulted in the Houston Intra-Arterial Therapy 2 “HIAT2” score.

Created in 1997, the American Stroke Association is dedicated to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment to save lives from stroke—America’s number four killer and a leading cause of serious disability.

Post Comment

Thanks for the memories

The classes of 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, and 2007 were celebrated at Reunion Weekend June 23 at the Houston Hyatt Regency, with the Distinguished Alumnus Award going to Dr. Vivian Porche, ’85.

— Dwight C. Andrews, Office of Communications, Medical School

 

-->

 

 

---