July 12, 2008
Emory's Race for Research a Success


Thanks to a great team turnout and the organization of Megan Martin-Skurski and Karen Shires of Neurosurgery's Brain Tumor Program, Emory's participation in the 2008 Southeastern Brain Tumor Foundation's Race for Research was a great success!


July 11, 2008
U.S. News & World Report Ranks Emory Among Nation's Top Hospitals

Emory University Hospital again joins the prestigious ranks of America's top medical institutions in the annual U.S. News & World Report guide to "America's Best Hospitals."

Emory ranked among the nation's best hospitals in eight specialties, including seven top 20 rankings -- including a Top 10 ranking for Ophthalmology. Overall, Emory is one of only 170 hospitals, out of more than 5,400 medical centers in the country to be named in even one of the magazine's top 50 specialty rankings. And its eight specialties are more than any other hospital in Georgia.

Emory is recognized in this year's comprehensive report for excellence in:

Specialty	Rank
Ophthalmology	9
Geriatrics	11
Psychiatry	11
Heart and Heart Surgery	13
Neurology and Neurosurgery	13
Ear, Nose and Throat	19
Kidney Disease	20
Cancer	47

"The dedication and commitment to excellence by thousands of physicians, nurses, researchers, medical support staff and employees across the entire Emory Healthcare system is certainly validated by this report today," says John T. Fox, Emory Healthcare president and CEO. "While our mission of delivering compassionate care and scientific discovery is recognized each day by our patients, we are challenged daily by our own success to work even harder, to achieve greater outcomes, and to continue building a more patient and family-focused model of care that will maintain Emory's position as a world leader across all disciplines of medicine and clinical care."

Included in this year's ranking were cancer services. Emory is the only facility in Georgia to be ranked in the top 50 for cancer services.

"This is a reflection of the hard work and dedication put forth by everyone involved in cancer treatment, research and care at Emory University," says Brian Leyland-Jones, MD, PhD, director of Emory Winship Cancer Institute. "In addition, as we continue to work towards NCI cancer center designation we are actively recruiting extraordinary talent in basic, translational and clinical science to enhance the quality and depth of our research and to accelerate the pace of discovery."

Emory Winship is a partner in the Georgia Cancer Coalition, an innovative public/private partnership comprised of Georgia's leading hospitals, universities, biotech firms and non-profit and government agencies to help treat, prevent and save lives from cancer. Close relationships with the neighboring U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as Emory's own School of Medicine, Rollins School of Public Health and the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, enhance the multidisciplinary nature of care and research at Emory Winship.

Emory Winship also was recently designated by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia as a "Blue Distinction Center for Complex and Rare Cancers," focusing on complex inpatient and surgical care. It is the only facility in the metropolitan Atlanta area to earn this designa tion.

The rankings in 12 of the 16 specialties weigh three elements equally: reputation, death rate, and a set of care-related factors such as nursing and patient services. In these 12 specialties, hospitals have to pass through several gates to be ranked and considered a Best Hospital:

1. The first gate determines whether a hospital is eligible to be ranked at all by requiring that any of three conditions be met--to be a teaching hospital, to be affiliated with a teaching hospital, or to have at least six important medical technologies from a defined list of 13.


2. The second gate determines whether a hospital is eligible to be ranked in a particular specialty. To be eligible, the hospital had to either have at least a specified volume in certain procedures and conditions over three years, or had to have been nominated in our yearly specialist survey.


3. The third gate is whether a hospital does well enough to be ranked, based on its reputation, death rate, and factors like nurse staffing and technology.

In the four other specialties--ophthalmology, psychiatry, rehabilitation, and rheumatology--ranking is based solely on reputation, derived from the three most recent physician surveys.

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Summer, 2008
Chief Resident Dr. Sanjay Dhall Selected as CSNS Socioeconomic Fellow

The Department of Neurosurgery's Chief Resident Dr. Sanjay Dhall has been selected as the 2008-2009 CSNS Socioeconomic Fellow. The goal of the prestigious CSNS Socioeconomic Fellowship is to train residents to gain competence in and understanding of the full spectrum of socioeconomic issues impacting Neurosurgery.






March 13, 2008
Awareness during brain surgery

Wendy Wright, MD, assistant professor of neurology and neurosurgery at Emory University discusses whether brain monitors help doctors to know if patients will awaken during brain surgery.
View the video from ABC News here.


February 2. 2007
Brain Tumor Foundation Awards Grants

Four doctors will split more than $270,000 in research grants provided by an Atlanta foundation. The Southeastern Brain Tumor Foundation awarded two researchers from Emory University and two researchers from Duke University the grants at a ceremony at Emory Wednesday.

"It goes without saying that the research this board has approved is going to make strides. We can all rest well knowing that our efforts, hearts and money are in the right place," said Steve Andrews, President of the SBTF Board of Directors.

Much of the money awarded came from the Southeastern Brain Tumor Foundation's Race for Research. 11Alive is one of the sponsors of the 5k race and 2k fun run each summer. More than 1000 runners participated in the race last July. Meteorologist Chris Holcomb and former 11Alive news anchor Tiffany Cochran both fielded teams for the race!

Here's a look at the award recipients:

Dr. Yiting Cao, Duke University, on his work with Dr. Jeremy Rich and the Erythropoietin Regulation of Brain Tumor Stem Cells.

Dr. Charlie Hao, Emory University, on his work of Combination Treatment of GBM with TRAIL and Hsp90 Inhibitors.

Dr. John Sampson, Duke University, on the effect of CTLA-4 Blockade on Immune Phenotype and Tumor Response in GBM.

Dr. Erwin Van Meir, Emory University, on a novel anti-angiogenic function for the p14ARF tumor suppressor in glioma.

The SBTF has already anounced an even larger grant to be awarded next year of more than $300,000. 11Alive will again be a sponsor of the Race For Research to be held at Atlantic Station on July 12, 2008.

Article via Chris Holcomb, 11Alive.com


December 2007
SBTF Grant Awarded to Van Meir Lab

The laboratory of Dr. Erwin Van Meir has received a $75K grant from the Southeastern Brain Tumor Foundation for innovative research in elucidating a novel role for a tumor supressive gene (p14ARF) in the development of malignant gliomas. Successful outcome of the project will establish a new signaling pathway for the control of angiogenesis and provide proof-of-principle for therapeutic strategies aiming at restoring its activity in brain tumors and other solid tumors. Subsequently, drugs mimicking this activity may be developed to treat or prevent the development of malignant gliomas.

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October 29, 2007
Crawford Long Auxiliary Organization Gives Check to Neurosurgery

The Crawford Long Auxiliary Organization donated $135,395.00 to the Neurosurgery Service at Crawford Long Hospital for purchase of OR equipment. Al Blackwelder (former COO of CWL) presented a check to Costas G. Hadjipanayis, M.D., Ph.D.






October 3, 2007
Emory Receives Awards at Georgia Life Sciences Summit



Dr Vladimir Belozerov, postdoctoral fellow and Sarah Cork, graduate student in the Emory University Neuroscience program have received first and second poster award at the recent Georgia Life Sciences Summit held in Atlanta on October 3, 2007. Both are working in the Laboratory of Molecular Neuro-Oncology under the leadership of Dr Erwin G Van Meir Professor of Neurosurgery, Hematology/Oncology and co-Director of the Winship Cancer Institute's Brain Tumor Program. This is the fourth year in a row that Dr Van Meir's trainees work have been recognized by awards at the conference. Prior recipients were Vladimir Belozerov (2006), Fatima Khwaja (2005), Eric Sandberg (2005), Chalet Tan (2004), and Balveen Kaur (2004).

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September 2007
Dr Erwin G Van Meir Recipient of Two RO1 Grants from NIH

Dr Erwin G Van Meir, Professor of Neurosurgery, Hematology/Oncology and co-Director of the Winship Cancer Institute's Brain Tumor Program received two new grants in 2007 from the National Institutes of Health for a total of $4.26 million over 5 years. The goals of the projects supported by the National Cancer Institute are to study Brain Angiogenesis Inhibitor-1, a cell surface receptor expressed on brain cells and its role in the control of new blood vessel formation and tumor prevention in the brain. The second project is focused on the development of a new series of candidate drugs for the treatment of brain tumors based on the inhibition of the hypoxia-inducible factor pathway. Collaborators include Drs Paula Vertino, Mark Goodman, Carlos Moreno, Mourad Tighiouart from Emory University, Dr Binghe Wang at Georgia State University and Ruiwen Zhang at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.


Sept. 26, 2007
Emory Crawford Long Hospital Expands Neurosurgical Service

ATLANTA -- As one of the nation's leading departments for neurosurgical patient care, teaching and research, Emory University's Department of Neurosurgery has expanded its services to better serve its patients and keep up with demand.

The department has moved aspects of its surgical neuro-oncology and intracranial neurosurgery service, including brain, skull base and spinal tumor removal, to Emory Crawford Long Hospital (ECLH).

An additional neurosurgeon has also joined the department to perform these delicate operations at ECLH.

Newcomer Constantinos (Costas) Hadjipanayis, MD, PhD, assistant professor of neurosurgery at Emory, and long-time specialist Jeffrey Olson, MD, professor of neurosurgery, are now performing surgery at Emory's Midtown campus. The doctors specialize in the removal of brain tumors (cancerous and non-cancerous), skull base tumors, spinal tumors and experimental treatments for malignant tumors.

Neurosurgery researchers will collaborate with researchers in the Brain Tumor Program at Emory's Winship Cancer Institute to develop innovative therapies to treat malignant brain tumors. Dr. Olson has led brain tumor clinical trials for several years at Emory.

"It is exciting to be able to expand this branch of our neurosurgical service to Emory Crawford Long Hospital," says Dr. Olson. "By doing this, we can shorten the surgical wait times for patients and treat them more efficiently. Recruiting Dr. Hadjipanayis to our department shows Emory's commitment to surgical neuro-oncology and other benign tumor removal."

Dr. Hadjipanayis comes to Emory from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Presbyterian Hospital. He completed his neurosurgical training at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine where he simultaneously obtained a PhD in molecular genetics and biochemistry. He studied the use of new viral agents in the therapy of malignant brain tumors in combination with radiation therapy. In addition, he spent time after his residency learning intraoperative brain mapping techniques for the removal of brain tumors located in critical areas of the brain.

"Emory has an excellent reputation for its neurosurgery program and I am pleased to be a part of it at Emory Crawford Long Hospital," says Dr. Hadjipanayis. "We hope the clinical work and research we do here will really make a difference for our patients."

Dr. Hadjipanayis's surgical focus includes mapping language function of the brain while the patient is awake (awake craniotomy) to guide the removal of tumors located within or adjacent to language centers in the brain. In addition, he is performing minimally- invasive endoscopic procedures to treat disorders in the brain and endoscopic procedures through the nose for removal of skull base tumors.

Emory's Department of Neurosurgery already utilizes ECLH for various types of spinal surgeries. Gerald (Rusty) Rodts, MD, professor of neurosurgery, heads the spinal neurosurgery efforts at ECLH and, in particular, has vast experience in complex spinal surgery.

"This expansion really emphasizes what Emory's all about -- to provide first-rate clinical care to patients while conducting promising research in our labs," says Dr. Olson. "More brains and more brain power make us a stronger team."

While physicians in the Department of Neurosurgery are trained in multiple aspects of general neurosurgery, each neurosurgeon also has a special area of interest, expertise and training. This allows for the neurosurgeons to sub-specialize in a particular condition and/or procedure, giving them the ability to only focus on one or two disorders. This approach means the best possible care for the patients.

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July 2007
Neurosurgery's Dr. Robert Gross Receives Grant for Development of Novel Electrical Stimulation Approach



Robert E. Gross, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Departments of Neurosurgery and Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, and Steve M. Potter, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, are the recipients of a grant for the development of a novel electrical stimulation approach that directly controls the activity of the brain to attain a more stable state from which seizures will not arise. By continuously controlling the activity of epileptogenic brain areas with distributed low-voltage stimulation, the researchers have shown that small arrays of multiple electrodes can completely suppress epileptic activity in cultured brain tissue. They hope to maintain the brain in a seizure-free or seizure-resistant state, therefore bypassing the need to detect or prevent seizures and are investigating this treatment in animal models of epilepsy. Funding for this program was made possible in part through a gift from the Patricia Bowman Terwilliger Family Foundation Charitable Trust.

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July 13, 2007
U.S. News & World Report Ranks Emory Among Nation's Top Hospitals

For the 18th straight year, Emory University Hospital has joined the prestigious ranks of America's top medical institutions in the annual U.S. News & World Report guide to "America's Best Hospitals."

Emory ranked among the nation's best hospitals in eight specialties, including six top 25 rankings. Its eight specialties are more than any other hospital in Georgia, and no other hospital in the state shares rankings in the same categories as Emory. Overall, Emory is one of only 173 hospitals, out of more than 5,400 medical centers in the country to be named in even one of the magazine's top 50 specialty rankings.

Emory is recognized in this year's comprehensive report for excellence in:

Specialty Rank
Geriatrics (11)
Psychiatry (12)
Heart and Heart Surgery (16)
Ophthalmology (11)
Ear, Nose and Throat (21)
Neurology and Neurosurgery (25)
Kidney Disease (35)
Urology (47)

"To be recognized as one of America's best hospitals across so many disciplines is certainly a reflection of the tremendous level of dedication and commitment to excellence by the thousands of physicians, nurses, medical support staff and employees across the entire Emory Healthcare system," says John T. Fox, Emory HealthCare president and CEO. "Our mission of delivering compassionate care and world class medical research is recognized each day by our patients and their families. The rankings both honor our hard work - and challenge us to reach even higher."

This year, Emory's geriatrics program was ranked 11th nationally. As one of the nation's leading research and clinical care programs encompassing elderly care, end-of-life issues, decision-making and public policy issues, Emory has in the past been recognized by U.S. News as a leading center for geriatric care. In 2006, the publication dropped that category because, according to the magazine, it was "oriented more to primary care than to specialized hospital treatment." The ranking, however, returned for 2007.

Wesley Woods Center at Emory includes Wesley Woods Hospital, a 100-bed geriatric specialty facility. Founded by the United Methodist Church and Emory University, Wesley Woods Center serves more than 30,000 older adults and chronically ill individuals each year.

In addition to the hospital and a 25-bed inpatient hospice service, Wesley Woods has an outpatient primary care clinic, a 250-bed skilled nursing care facility, and a 201-unit residential retirement facility with one floor of 18 units dedicated to personal care.

According to Al Blackwelder, chief operating officer for Wesley Woods, top accolades like Emory's No.11 ranking are indicative of a highly specialized program incorporating the collaboration between clinician, caregiver and administrator - all dedicated toward serving a fast-growing elderly population and the issues faced by those millions of individuals, their families and society as a whole.

"The U.S. Ne ws and World Report rankings of geriatric programs certainly recognizes and reflects upon the inc redible challenge we face in treating an unprecedented growth in elderly patients and the many different fac ets of society that are impacted by this growing population," says Blackwelder.

"I am very pleas ed that our faculty, nursing staff and patient care professionals have been recognized for their incredible work within the many different programs we are uniquely situated and qualified to provide, " says Blackwelder.

All hospital data and the 2007 rankings were compiled by Research Triangle Park, N.C.-based RTI International, on behalf of U.S. News & World Report. To be considered for this year's rankings, a hospital had to satisfy at least one of three requirements: membership in the Council of Teaching Hospitals, medical school affiliation or availability of at least nine out of 18 key technology-related services such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET).

Reputation, mortality ratio, the measurement of a hospital's ability to keep patients alive and a group of other care-related factors, such as RN-to-bed ratios and patient/community services, are also considered. U.S. News looks at entire specialties rather than at specific procedures in an effort to identify hospitals that excel in a variety of tough cases across a specialty.

According to the magazine, hospitals and medical centers make this elite group because their physicians see sicker patients and do greater numbers of tough procedures, they follow - often pioneer - advanced treatment guidelines, conduct bench-to-bedside research, and exploit advances in imaging, surgical devices and other technologies.

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Spring 2007
Bedside: Tansformations in Hospital Nursing [Neurointensive Care]

For critically ill patients, Emory offers immediate, around-the-clock neurointensive care. Our neurointensive care unit (NICU) is specifically devoted to patients with life-threatening neurological conditions ranging from head trauma to stroke.
Read more in Momentum


January 29, 2007
Emory Researchers Find New Way to Track Deadly Brain Tumors

Researchers at Emory University's Winship Cancer Institute have identified the first cerebrospinal spinal fluid (CSF) protein fingerprint that can identify low- and high-grade astrocytomas--a type of brain tumors that were once thought to arise from small, star-shaped cells in the brain called astrocytes.

The finding could lead to potential new tools for the detection, diagnosis, prognosis and follow-up after therapy of these deadly brain tumors. The researchers also found that some of these protein biomarkers may play a critical role in the development and progression of astrocytomas. This knowledge could lead them to identify targets for new therapies.

The study, "Proteomic Identification of Biomarkers in the Cerebrospinal Fluid of Astrocytoma Patients," is published online in the Journal of Proteome Research and will be published in the February issue.

CSF is a liquid that surrounds and protects the brain and acts as a reservoir, which can be sampled for analysis of proteins secreted by tumors in the central nervous system. Using two different proteomic techniques, the researchers analyzed the protein profiles of CSF from 60 patients with grades II, III and IV astrocytomas; with non-astrocytic brain tumors; and from non-tumoral control samples.

"We examined the CSF as a potential reservoir of proteins secreted during brain tumor development. We wanted to determine whether CSF from specific types and grades of brain tumors have a characteristic profile of important protein biomarkers or might give us insights into the process of brain tumor formation," says Erwin Van Meir, PhD, professor of neurosurgery and hematology/oncology at Emory's Winship Cancer Institute and lead author of the study. "And what we found were critical differences in the CSF protein expression profiles of patients with and without tumors. CSF from patients with brain tumors had a specific signature, akin to a fingerprint."

Because the CSF is adjacent to astrocytomas and can be sampled through a spinal tap, the CSF can play an important role in tumor detection. While the brain may be inaccessible without neurosurgery, the CSF can deliver clues as to what is happening inside. However, despite the fact that changes in the CSF's protein composition can be a sensitive indicator of tumor development, the clinical application of tracking these changes has been limited due to the lack of effective techniques.

"There is a pressing need for both a better understanding of brain tumor formation and the development of reliable biomarkers of malignancies," says Dr. Van Meir. "Patients with highly malignant brain tumors, of grade IV, oftentimes have a life expectancy of less than one year even after surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. This highlights the need for developing better means to track brain tumors and develop novel therapies to neutralize them. The rapid development of novel proteomic techniques will accelerate this pressing goal."

The grade of a tumor reflects the level of abnormality its cells exhibit, how quickly the tumor is likely to grow and spread, and is a predictor of patient outcome. Low-grade tumors are slow growing and show little abnormality, whereas high-grade tumors are highly abnormal and grow and spread quickly, making treatment more difficult.

Other authors of the study include Fatima W. Khwaja, PhD, Matthew S. Reed, PhD, Jeffrey J. Olson, MD, Brian J. Schmotzer, MS and Jan Pohl, PhD, Emory University; G. Yancey Gillespie, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham; Abhijit Guha, MD, Arthur and Sonia Labatts Brain Tumor Center; Morris D. Groves, MD, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center; and Santosh Kesari, MD, PhD, Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

The authors would like to thank the patients at Emory University Hospital; the University of Alabama at Birmingham; the University of Toronto, Ontario; MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston; and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston who generously provided their samples to advance scientific research.

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August 23, 2006
Emory University Hospital Receives Certification for Stroke Center

Emory University Hospital (EUH) has been awarded Primary Stroke Center Certification for its rapid response in diagnosing and treating stroke patients using a multi-specialty approach, and for its exceptional efforts to foster better outcomes for stroke care. The hospital recently earned the distinction from the Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).

"Certification is national recognition of our excellence in caring for patients with stroke," says Michael Frankel, MD, professor of neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, and co-director of the Emory MBNA Stroke Center. "Achieving excellence in stroke care at EUH requires a highly coordinated and interdisciplinary effort involving many individuals from almost every department in the hospital. No single person can receive the credit. Everyone who cares for patients with stroke at EUH should be congratulated on their efforts for continuously providing outstanding care."

The certification signifies that the Emory MBNA Stroke Center complies with national standards in the implementation of established clinical practice guidelines, performance measurements and continuous improvement programs for the care of stroke patients. Thus far, only 14 hospitals in Georgia have achieved this distinction.

Emory's multi-specialty approach in caring for stroke patients means treatment begins as soon as they arrive in the emergency room. "When someone comes in with signs of a stroke, we send out a page to our stroke team and all hands are immediately on deck," says Marilyn Margolis, RN, director of nursing for emergency services and neurosciences, Emory University Hospital. "Specialists in neurology, neurosurgery, interventional neuro-radiology, neuro-critical care, pathology (for blood work analysis), emergency medicine, nursing and others convene to assess and treat the patient as soon as possible." Margolis goes on to say that just by bringing the patient to a hospital that specifically treats stroke can begin the life-saving process.

Immediate treatment is essential if someone is having a stroke because "time lost is brain lost," according to the American Stroke Association. Stroke is the nation's number three cause of death, and a leading cause of serious, long-term disability. About 700,000 Americans will have a stroke this year and 168,000 of them will die. Georgia is in the heart of the "Stroke Belt," which records a higher incidence of death and disability due to stroke than any other region in the country.

The stroke program at EUH has 23 neuro ICU beds for stroke patients, along with five neuro step-down or intermediate care beds. It also has 41 acute care floor beds. In December of this year, an expanded, state-of-the-art neuro ICU will open for stroke patients and other patients with intensive neurological needs.

"The benefit of neurocritical care for patients who are admitted to EUH with stroke has been truly remarkable," says Owen Samuels, MD, assistant professor of neurology and neurosurgery and director of NeuroCritical Care at Emory. "Patients are spending less time in the ICU, having fewer complications and are more likely to be discharged home from the hospital rather than going to a nursing home."

"We have one of the few, if not the only, true neuro-critical care teams in the state and the region," says Daniel Barrow, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Emory and co-director of the Emory MBNA Stroke Center. "Because of this multidisciplinary approach, patients suffering from stroke, intracranial aneurysms, and other neurological conditions can expect only the top care at Emory."

Emory doctors and staff have been at the forefront in helping hospitals across the state improve stroke care through The Paul Coverdell Stroke Registry. Since its creation in 2001, the registry tracks the impact of stroke and available treatment for patients admitted with stroke throughout Georgia, in an effort to reduce death and improve outcomes after stroke. This registry was instrumental in data collection and quality improvement for Emory's certification.

"The Stroke Center Certification demonstrates that Emory is committed to providing outstanding and quality stroke care to our patients and our community," says Robert Bachman, Chief Operating Officer, Emory University Hospital. "This specialty service is designed to meet the unique and specific needs of stroke patients and their loved ones."

The Joint Commission's Primary Stroke Center Certification program was developed in collaboration with the American Stroke Association. JCAHO soon will begin its certification process for comprehensive stroke centers, and the Emory MBNA Stroke Center will apply for that designation, as well.


February 20, 2006
New Release: U.S. News & World Report article: "Fixing Your Brain"

Cover story highlights work of Emory neurosurgeon Dr. Robert E. Gross.


November 2005
News Release: GeorgiaTrend article: "Cutting-Edge Techniques"

Story highlights work of Emory Neurosurgery Vice Chair Dr. Nelson Oyesiku