News

Athens and Albany medical campuses on target for 2010, accrediting body says

Toni Baker — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:14 -0500

AUGUSTA, Ga. � Resources are adequate for Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine to proceed with a four-year campus in Athens in partnership with the University of Georgia and a two-year residential clinical campus in Southwest Georgia, the accrediting body for U.S. medical schools has confirmed.

New combination therapy could deliver powerful punch to breast cancer

Toni Baker — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:01 -0500

AUGUSTA, Ga. � A powerful new breast cancer treatment could result from packaging one of the newer drugs that inhibits cancer's hallmark wild growth with another that blocks a primordial survival technique in which the cancer cell eats part of itself, researchers say.While they are powerful killers of some breast cancer cells, new drugs called histone deacetylase inhibitors, or HDAC inhibitors, also increase self-digestion, or autophagy, in surviving, mega-stressed cells, Medical College of Georgia Cancer Center researchers reported during the Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics International Conference this week in Boston. The conference is sponsored by the American Association for Cancer Research, the National Cancer Institute and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer.

MCG School of Medicine's future instilled with hope and energy

Jennifer Hilliard — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:11 -0500

The Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine is moving toward the future with an eye on being a growing, progressive partner in one of the nation�s leading academic health centers, Dean D. Douglas Miller said at his State of the School address Friday.

Sleep disorders, head and neck cancer "capture" Dr. Jimmy Brown

Toni Baker — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:07 -0500

Jimmy James Brown grew from being a child afraid of going to the dentist to completing dental and medical school and treating patients with sleep disorders and head and neck cancer.

First-year MCG medical students to host health fair for the homeless Nov. 14

Amy Connell — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:53 -0500

AUGUSTA, Ga. � First-year Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine students will host a health fair for the homeless Saturday, Nov. 14. The free health fair will be held from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Garden City Rescue Mission, 828 Fenwick St., and will feature education about nutrition, stress relief and H1N1. Dental hygiene students will present oral health education. Medical students will offer hand sanitizer, foot powder, socks and information about proper foot care. They also will provide Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-inspired Keep It With You temporary medical information forms that list medical care and other health information for people without stable residencies.

Dean will give State of the School Address

Jennifer Hilliard — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:38 -0500

Dr. D. Douglas Miller, dean of the Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine, will give his bi-annual State of the School Address at noon Friday, Nov. 13 in the Natalie and Lansing B. Lee Jr. Large Auditorium in the Auditoria Center.

Key player identified in cascade that leads to hypertension-related kidney damage

Toni Baker — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:58 -0500

AUGUSTA, Ga. � A key player in a cascade that likely begins with stress and leads to high blood pressure and kidney damage has been identified by researchers who say the finding may lead to better ways to control both. Medical College of Georgia researchers have found endothelin, a powerful blood vessel constrictor and inflammatory peptide, increases the number of T cells in the kidneys, which helps recruit other immune cells, causing inflammation and destruction.

Estrogen therapy likely must be given soon after menopause to provide stroke protection

Toni Baker — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:28 -0500

AUGUSTA, Ga. � For estrogen replacement to provide stroke protection, it likely must be given soon after levels drop because of menopause or surgical removal of the ovaries, scientists report in the Journal of Neuroscience. Animal studies indicate a "critical period" for estrogen replacement and that when therapy is delayed, estrogen receptors on brain cells are significantly diminished along with the neuroprotection estrogen typically conveys, according to scientists from the Medical College of Georgia, North China Coal Medical University and the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio.

MCG resident elected to American Academy of Pediatrics post

Amy Connell — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:56 -0500

AUGUSTA, Ga. � Dr. Joshua Smith, a third-year pediatric resident in the Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine, has been named chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Section on Medical Students, Residents and Fellowship Trainees. The 10,000-member section develops ideas and programs to improve the care of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. Dr. Smith was elected at the organization's annual national conference in October for the yearlong post.

Mrs. McVicker Named Interim President/CEO of MCG Health Inc.

Denis Parrish — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:57 -0500

AUGUSTA, Ga. - Sandra I. McVicker, senior vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer at MCG Health, Inc., has been named interim president and chief executive officer of MCG Health, Inc. effective immediately.