Rohit Varma honored for life achievement

Rohit Varma, MD, MPH, interim dean of the Keck School of Medicine of USC and director of the USC Gayle and Edward Roski Eye Institute, received the Life Achievement Honor Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). The AAO, which held its annual meeting Oct. 14-18 in Chicago, presents the award to recognize “contributions to the Academy, its scientific and educational programs, and to the advancement of ophthalmology.” In a letter announcing the award, the AAO states that Varma’s “contributions have been instrumental in supporting the Academy’s mission to protect sight and empower lives.”

Study: Modified natural cycle IVF more cost-effective and affordable than traditional IVF

Researchers at USC Fertility at Keck Medicine of USC have determined that modified natural cycle in-vitro fertilization (IVF) is a more cost-effective fertility method than controlled ovarian stimulation and traditional IVF. Depending on the treatment strategy, modified natural cycle IVF could save up to $7,000 over conventional IVF for each live birth. This provides hope to women and couples who would normally be deterred by the high up-front costs of the more widely used treatments. The findings were presented today at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine 2016 Scientific Congress. “We know that of the one in six couples who will experience difficulties getting pregnant, a significant portion of them will not be able to afford the treatments that could help them conceive,” said Richard Paulson, MD, professor of obstetrics & gynecology and senior author of the study. Paulson is one of the preeminent fertility physicians in the world to use modified natural cycle IVF. “Modified natural cycle lowers the barrier of entry for these couples and affords them the opportunity to grow their families.”

Open Enrollment period begins

USC’s benefits open enrollment period for 2017 runs from Monday, November 7 to Sunday, November 20 at 11:59pm (PST). All benefit changes, new rates, etc. take effect January 1, 2017. The Health Sciences Campus Benefit Fair will be held on Thursday, from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., in the Pappas Quad.

Thursday, November 10

10:30 a.m. - Noon. Amgen and the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC. "R&D Insights from Lab Bench to Patient Bedside." Broad CIRM Center First Floor Conference Room. Info: qliumich@usc.edu, karenw03@amgen.com. RSVP: www.usc.edu/esvp, Code: amgenlecture.

Noon. Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute Seminar. “Communicating Your Research: Demystifying the Editorial and Peer Review Processes at Nature Research Journals,” Brett Benedetti, PhD, assistant editor, research manuscripts at Nature Medicine. Herklotz Seminar Room, ZNI 112. Info: Emily Chu, (323) 442-3219, Emily.Chu@med.usc.edu, http://www.usc.edu/zni.

Noon - 2 p.m. Office of Research Workshop. “Negotiating Tac.tics for Women in the Sciences,” Peter Carnevale, PhD, USC Marshall School of Business. CHP 157, Sullivan Technology Center. Info and RSVP: (213) 740-6709, usccer@usc.edu, https://research.usc.edu/negotiating-tactics-for-women-in-science/.

1:30 p.m. Keck Medicine of USC Stroke Support Group Meeting. “Speech and Language Treatment After Stroke,” James Pazak, speech pathologist. Keck Hospital, 3 North, Day Room (3261A). Info: Melody Sharifi, (323) 442-0049, msharifi@med.usc.edu. Snacks provided and parking validated — all are welcome.

Sunday, November 13

1 p.m. - 4 p.m. Institute for Genetic Medicine. “Exhibition Opening: A Different Kind of Light by Naomi Scully, Alexandre Maroutian, Joanna Kos,” Naomi Scully, artist, Institute for Genetic Medicine Art Gallery. Harkness Auditorium. Info: Lynn Crandall, (213) 705-7489, lynn.crandall@gmail.com, http://artAngels.org/. RSVP: Jill Miller, (310) 795-3650, jilen@msn.com.

Tuesday, November 15

Noon. Department of Psychiatry Grand Rounds. Herklotz Seminar Room, ZNI 112. Lunch will be provided.

Noon. Department of Radiology Grand Rounds. “Interventional Radiology.” NRT LG503/4 – Harlyne Tower. Info and RSVP: Rosy Diaz, (323) 442-7469, rosaura.diaz@med.usc.edu, http://keck.usc.edu/radiology/divisions. Lunch will be provided, reservations requested.

5:30 p.m. Department of Ophthalmology Grand Rounds. Brandon Wong, MD. HCC4 Conference Room, 6th Floor. Info: Lina Poyzner, (323) 442-6383, Lina.Poyzner@med.usc.edu, http://eye.keckmedicine.org.

Wednesday, November 16

Noon. The Saban Research Institute Seminar. “Novel Host Gene Expression Signature for Diagnosing Sepsis,” Jerry J. Zimmerman, MD, PhD, University of Washington School of Medicine. Saban Research Building Auditorium, 4661 Sunset Blvd. Info: Ritu Gill, (323) 361-8715, tecpad@chla.usc.edu, http://chla.org/tecpad.

Noon - 2 p.m. USC Institute for Global Health and GlobeMed at USC Discussion. “Redefining Leadership: A Conversation on the Future of Global Health,” Jessica Mack, MTS. Soto Street Building (SSB) 115/116. Info: Larissa Puro, (323) 442-7233, puro@usc.edu, http://globalhealth.usc.edu/redefining-leadership.

On November 1, Hooman Djaladat, MD, associate professor of clinical urology, was interviewed live on KCBS about the importance of Movember and being vigilant about men’s health. “Prevention is better treatment…early detection plays the most important role, so check it out,” Djaladat said.

On November 1, Mary Samplaski, MD, assistant professor of clinical urology, was interviewed by USC Annenberg Media about a recent clinical trial for male birth control. “I believe that eventually this male birth control will be available for men, but it will take a couple years,” Samplaski said.

A Nov. 3 story in Yahoo Finance announced that John Lipham, MD, chief of the Division of Upper GI and General Surgery, performed the first minimally invasive surgery to install a device for acid reflux disease in a patient in the United States as part of a clinical trial. “There is a significant need for an effective and less invasive procedure for reflux that will potentially help a large number of patients unsatisfied with current therapy options,” Lipham said. The story was also covered in Pharma Biz.

A November 4 story on the Today Show online quoted Raj Dasgupta, MD, assistant professor of clinical medicine, about how to avoid common sleeping mistakes during Daylight Savings Time. “If you get up start your day; be exposed to bright light,” Dasgupta said. He was also quoted in GQ about ways to avoid snoring.

A November 7 story in the Daily Mail featured research from Roksana Karim, MD, PhD, assistant professor of clinical preventive medicine, that found women who get pregnant after age 35 may retain more cognitive function as they age. “It has been suggested that functional brain changes induced by reproductive experiences have lifelong effects, particularly in terms of improvement in memory and learning. Therefore it is biologically plausible that a late pregnancy might offer protection against cognitive decline in later life,” the study states.