Satcher completed a fellowship in musculoskeletal oncology in 2001 under Dr. Mark Scarborough, professor and division chief of orthopaedic oncology at the College of Medicine. It is the second time a physician with ties to the University of Florida has flown onboard the Space Shuttle. Dr. William Fisher, a 1975 COM graduate, was a mission specialist for the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1985.

Satcher invited former mentors and colleagues to the Space Coast for a reception held the night before the launch and to watch the lift-off from VIP seating. Scarborough; his wife Dr. Kayser Enneking, chair of the department of anesthesiology; his father-in-law Dr. Bill Enneking, distinguished service professor and founding chairman of orthopaedic surgery at UF; his mother-in-law Margaret Enneking and his son Andrew Scarborough, were there to see the spectacular launch.

“It was awe-inspiring,” Kayser Enneking said.

Satcher, originally from South Carolina, received a bachelor’s degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1986; a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from MIT in 1993 and a medical degree from Harvard Medical School in 1994. He completed an internship and residency in orthopaedic surgery at University of California, San Francisco in 2000; and postdoctoral research fellowships at MIT in 1994 and University of California, Berkeley in 1998 before coming to UF for a year to train in orthopaedic oncology.

Photos below are courtesy of NASA.

The clinic is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Founders Gallery at the Health Science Center. Vaccines will be administered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Vaccines also will be available at UF’s Student Health Care Center Occupational Medicine clinic, in Room D2-49 of the Dental Building. Call 352-392-0627 to make sure vaccines are still available before going to the clinic. Employees must present their ID badges to receive shots.

Please note: Shands HealthCare employees working in UF’s health system hospitals and clinics are receiving instructions from Shands Occupational Health Services about H1N1 vaccination. Additional H1N1 vaccine doses continue to be delivered to the Alachua County Health Department each week. Shands Occupational Health Services will announce expanded employee eligibility for the vaccine as doses become available and per directive of the health department.

For more information, call Kat Lindsey at 352-273-4550 or e-mail katlin@ufl.edu.

Organized by the office of UF Medical Alumni Affairs, the Alumni Reunion weekend began Friday, Nov. 6 with a class party held at the UF Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Institute where more than 200 alumni from the classes of 1964, 1969, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999 and 2004 came together.

The weekend events continued Saturday afternoon with a late lunch catered by Hill’s BBQ at Wilmot Gardens. Alumni and their families were outfitted in “Beat Vandy” stickers and professionally painted Gator-themed faces as a prelude to the Florida-Vanderbilt game. More than 600 alumni, faculty, staff and students turned out for the event and enjoyed music by Bella Luna – some of whom are COM faculty by day and jazz musicians by night.

On Sunday, alumni and their families were bid a fond farewell with a big breakfast before returning to homes as far away as Oregon and Maine and some from right here in Gainesville and Ocala.

Each year, the fourth-year medical class organizes a career-related activity. This year’s activity provided mock residency interviews to help prepare graduating students for the real thing.

Students were matched with a faculty member in a specialty different from their own to prevent them from practicing with a potential, future interviewer.

“Mock residency interview participants are required to wear interview attire and turn in their CV and personal statement beforehand to make sure the faculty member who’s interviewing them has enough background information,” saidBeverly L. Vidaurreta, Ph.D., program director of the College of Medicine’s student counseling and development office.

The faculty interviewer has 30 minutes with the student– 20 minutes to ask questions and 10 minutes for feedback. At the end of the meeting, students are given a videotape of their interview.

“It’s very helpful to view themselves to see some of the things they might not have noticed,” explained Vidaurreta. “For example, how you are sitting. People normally don’t think about those things, but once you actually see it, you can fix it.”

Although the event is optional, 50 senior class students participated in the mock residency interview activity this year. The November session was the third session this fall.

“The students that came in September and October found this event very helpful,” said Vidaurreta, who was inspired to coordinate this event at the UF COM after learning about similar activities during an Association of American Medical Colleges meeting.

Dr. Nancy Hardt, senior associate dean for external affairs, interviews JR Taylor III, academic chair for the class of 2010, during the College of Medicine’s mock residency interview event Wednesday, Nov. 4, at the Harrell Center.

According to the Alachua County Health Department that the list of health-care workers eligible to receive the H1N1 injectable vaccine has been extended.

H1N1 vaccines are now available through the University of Florida to the following UF staff:

• Front-line health-care workers who have direct patient care, including general medical personnel, adult and pediatric outpatient clinic staff, surgeons and home care staff.

• Hematology and oncology, bone marrow transplant, OB/GYN, emergency, infectious disease, pediatrics, labor and delivery, mother/baby and oncology department staff as well as those staffing intensive care units.

• Pregnant employees. However, because the multidose influenza vaccines contain thimerosal, pregnant employees should contact their obstetricians or the Alachua County Health Department to determine if they should be vaccinated with thimerosal-containing vaccines.

• Those who are under the age of 50 and care for children age 6 months and younger also may be vaccinated. Shands Occupational Health Services cannot provide H1N1 vaccine to this population at this time because of the limited number of doses in stock.

Vaccines are available while supplies last for UF employees of the specified departments at UF’s Student Health Care Center Occupational Medicine clinic. The clinic is located in room D2-49 of the dental building. Please call 392-0627 to make sure vaccines are still available before going to the clinic. Employees must present their ID badges to receive shots.

Please note: Shands HealthCare employees working in our health system hospitals and clinics are receiving instructions from Shands Occupational Health Services about H1N1 vaccination. It is expected that doses will be limited during November. Additional H1N1 vaccine doses continue to be delivered to the Alachua County Health Department each week. Shands Occupational Health Services will announce expanded employee eligibility for the vaccine as doses become available and per directive of the health department.

Our ultimate goal is to vaccinate all members of the UF and Shands community who wish to be vaccinated. Thank you for your patience.

Dr. Desmond Schatz, associate chairman of pediatrics at the UF College of Medicine and medical director of the UF Diabetes Center of Excellence

The University of Florida is one of 14 nationally recognized diabetes clinical centers selected to participate in the TrialNet research network aimed at preventing or delaying the onset of type 1 diabetes.

The $3 million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health provides funding for TrialNet studies at UF and represents a continuation of resources that have supported type 1 diabetes research at UF for more than 20 years.

The TrialNet consortium of 14 centers in the United States and five international centers is funded jointly by the NIH and private diabetes foundations. Through the research network, scientists hope to improve the understanding of the natural history of type 1 diabetes, screen and identify persons at risk and conduct clinical trials to evaluate promising new therapies that prevent, slow or reverse the progression of the disease.

“Involvement in TrialNet is critical because these kinds of studies require participation from hundreds of patients if we are to really understand what treatments are effective,” said Dr. Desmond Schatz, associate chairman of pediatrics at the UF College of Medicine and medical director of the UF Diabetes Center of Excellence. “One center cannot recruit enough patients to reach these numbers, so we are successful only if we work together.”

Abigail Neal was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 4. At the time, she was the youngest patient to receive an insulin pump at Shands at UF.

Type 1 diabetes, previously known as juvenile diabetes, is usually diagnosed in children and young adults. It is an autoimmune disease in which the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas are destroyed by the immune system, requiring daily insulin replacement and frequent blood sugar checks by patients. Type 1 diabetes is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases diagnosed in children in the United States.

UF’s TrialNet investigators include Schatz, Dr. Michael Clare-Salzler, chairman of the department of pathology, immunology and laboratory medicine; Mark Atkinson, professor of pathology and the American Diabetes Association eminent scholar chair; and Dr. Michael Haller, assistant professor of pediatric endocrinology.

As one of the original institutions participating in TrialNet, UF has been a top performing center in the network. TrialNet studies at UF include a vaccination study that aims to preserve insulin production in patients with newly onset diabetes, a study to determine the risk of diabetes for family members of children with type 1 and research into the prevention or delay of diabetes through the administration of insulin.

Christiaan Leeuwenburgh, Ph.D., chief of the biology of aging division at UF's College of Medicine and a member of the Institute on Aging and Jinze Xu, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in Leeuwenburgh's group.

Age-related hearing loss is the most common sensory disorder among the elderly. But scientists are still trying to figure out what cellular processes govern or contribute to the loss.

Now a University of Florida team and researchers from University of Wisconsin and three other institutions have identified a protein that is central to processes that cause oxidative damage to cells and lead to age-related hearing loss.

The findings help point the way toward a new target for antioxidant therapies and will be published online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

One theory of aging holds that free radicals damage components of mitochondria, the energy center of cells. Such damage accumulates over time, leading to a destabilization of the mitochondria, which leads to release of certain proteins.

“Within the mitochondria these proteins cause life, but when they’re out they’re deadly,” professor Christiaan Leeuwenburgh, Ph.D., chief of the biology of aging division at UF’s College of Medicine and a member of the Institute on Aging.

The cell death triggered by the escaped proteins lead to physical effects we associate with aging, such as hearing loss.

More than 40 percent of people in the United States older than 65 suffer from age-related hearing loss, according to data from the National Health Survey. It is estimated that the condition will affect more than 28 million Americans by 2030.

“Because of the high prevalence of this disorder, AHL is a major social and health problem,” said Shinichi Someya, first author of the paper and a postdoctoral fellow in the group of Tomas Prolla of University of Wisconsin.

Age-related hearing loss involves the death of certain sensory hair, nerve and membrane cells in the inner ear. Since the hair and nerve cells do not regenerate in humans, their death leads to permanent hearing loss.

One protein called Bak is known to play a role in the weakening of the mitochondrial membrane. The more of the protein present, the leakier the mitochondrial membrane becomes, allowing harmful proteins to travel out into the rest of the cell.

Bak is typically induced by oxidative stress and its levels increase as people age. The researchers wanted to see whether its absence would prevent the age-related hearing loss that is associated with the death of certain sensory hair, nerve and membrane cells in the inner ear.

Hearing tests showed that Bak-deficient middle-aged mice were found to have hearing levels comparable to that of young mice. In addition, fewer of the critical hearing cells died, compared with so-called wild type mice that did not have the protein deficiency.

To examine how resistant the inner ear cells of the Bak-deficient mice were, the researchers exposed cells to a chemical that causes oxidative stress. Such stress generally induces Bak expression in inner ear cells.

There was only minor loss of cochlear cells at all doses of the stressor chemical, in contrast with the level observed in wild-type animals. The researchers concluded that Bak promotes cochlear cell death in response to oxidative stress.

“This paper clearly shows us that oxidative stress causes hearing loss,” said Jinze Xu, a postdoctoral fellow in Leeuwenburgh’s group, and second author of the paper.

So if oxidative stress triggers damage and death of hearing-related cells, enhancing the antioxidant defenses of the mitochondria should reduce such damage.

The researchers found that both in animals that had excess amounts of an enzyme that scavenges reactive oxygen species, as well as in those who were fed certain antioxidants orally, onset of age-related hearing loss was delayed.

“It looks like a viable biological target that may be applicable to drug use,” Leeuwenburgh said. “The issue is always timing — when to start antioxidant interventions at what combination and what dose.”

Caloric restriction, another way to reduce oxidative damage, has previously been shown to extend life and prevent age-related hearing loss in the type of mice used in the study. With the new findings, the investigators propose that one of the ways that restriction of calories acts is by reducing the level of cell death that is induced by the protein Bak.

“This extends research into life extension by caloric restriction into a whole new area that hasn’t been looked at before,” said Huber Warner, Ph.D., associate dean for research a University of Minnesota College of Biological Sciences and former director of the biology of aging program at the National Institute on Aging, who was not involved in the study. “The work shows that rather than caloric restriction just having an overall effect on metabolism of nutrients, bak modulation can have segmental effects on particular physical systems that have age-related problems in humans.”

Dr. Seeger, an internationally recognized leader in the field of vascular surgery, devoted his career to advancing patient care, educating future surgeons, and conducting research to solve medical and surgical problems. Committed to the success of the UF College of Medicine, he dedicated all but one year of his medical practice to Shands at UF and the UF Health Science Center.

“The UF College of Medicine has lost a great leader, skilled surgeon, compassionate physician, gifted teacher, inquisitive scientist and good friend,” said Dr. Michael L. Good, interim dean. “Jim’s dedication and contributions to UF, his patients and students were unparalleled, spanning decades, touching and improving the lives of thousands.”

Though he was passionate about all aspects of vascular surgery, his brilliant analytical mind and his obsession for details were gifts that allowed him to be an innovative leader in the business practice of surgery, said Dr. Kevin Behrns, chairman of the department of surgery.

Dr. James M. Seeger, professor and chief of vascular surgery and endovascular therapy.

“His determined work behind the scenes led to many changes in surgical practice and improvements in the care of patients,” Behrns said.

Dr. Thomas S. Huber, professor of vascular surgery for the College of Medicine and acting division chief said Seeger’s colleagues admired him for his work ethic, honesty and commitment to patient care and education.

“Dr. Seeger was the consummate academic surgeon in all aspects,” Huber said.

Dr. Seeger joined the University of Florida in 1982 as an assistant professor of surgery and rose rapidly through the academic ranks, serving most recently as associate chairman of the department of surgery. In 1989 he established the division of vascular surgery, serving as its first and only chief, leading a dynamic team of surgeons and staff committed to improving patient care and advancing surgical science. In 2008 Dr. Seeger was appointed the Cracchiolo Professor, a professorship position endowed by the Cracchiolo Foundation.

He also served as chief of vascular surgery for the Malcom Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center from 1982 to 1999. He contributed as a Research Career Development program specialist in surgery for the Veterans Administration Central Office in Washington, D.C. from 1989 to 1991.

Dr. Seeger contributed widely to advances in the field, including the areas of lower extremity disease, arterial occlusive disease and endovascular stent grafts. He performed the first endovascular stent graft repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm at Shands at UF and through his leadership fostered a team of vascular and cardiovascular surgeons who currently rank in the top 10 nationally in performing minimally invasive repairs in both the abdominal and thoracic aorta.

His greatest passion was the vascular surgery fellowship program. Under his tutelage as director, more than 25 physicians went on to become accomplished vascular surgeons, many of whom are current leaders within the field. While devoting himself to training future surgeons graduating from UF programs, he also made an impact on the national level, maintaining an active presence in the Association of Program Directors in Vascular Surgery and most recently serving as chairman of the Clinical Curriculum Committee.

Dr. Seeger’s research interests included peripheral arterial disease and aortic surgery. He worked for several years on the postoperative inflammatory response associated with major aortic reconstruction, and the role of this inflammatory response in the development of single and multi-organ failure after aortic repair. Past investigations, in conjunction with the UF Center for Biomaterials in the College of Engineering, sought to develop new techniques for use of endovascular stents for drug delivery. Dr. Seeger held an adjunct professor position in the UF Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

He was a member of more than 20 professional organizations, including the American Surgical Association, Society of Vascular Surgery and the American College of Surgeons. His leadership roles within medical societies were extensive, serving as president of the Southern Association for Vascular Surgery, Florida Vascular Society, and the Association of Program Directors in Vascular Surgery. He served for six years on the Vascular Surgery Board of the American Board of Surgery. He was serving his second term on the Society for Vascular Surgery’s board of directors.

Dr. Seeger wrote numerous book chapters and published and presented extensively on his work. From 2002 to 2008 he served as co-editor of the Journal of Vascular Surgery. For more than 15 years, he served as Associate Editor of the Yearbook of Surgery, which provides a selection of published research articles that represent significant advances and statements of important clinical principles in surgery.

Dr. Seeger received his bachelor’s degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia. He completed his general surgery residency training at the University of Utah Affiliated Hospitals. Between completing his internship and general surgery residency, he served as a General Medical Officer in the United States Navy. Following his residency, he completed a Vascular Surgery Fellowship at the Eastern Virginia Graduate School of Medicine.

Dr. Seeger is survived by Carolyn, his wife of more than 36 years.

Lasker Prize-winner Leroy Hood, a renowned systems biologist and inventor of the sequencing technology that led to the decoding of the human genome, described how medicine will become much more proactive within a few short years.

Click here to listen to him explain it in his own words from his presentation at the UF Genetics Institute’s annual symposium in October.

Leroy Hood, Lasker Prize-winner

During November, the University of Florida will shine a “blue” spotlight on diabetes during Diabetes Awareness Month, which  Shannon Lyles, a registered nurse in the pediatric endocrinology department at UF, says is a very good idea.

“Diabetes is a disease that everyone seems to have misconceptions about, like only older people get diabetes and diabetes is caused by eating too much sugar,” said Lyles, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 16.  “Education and awareness are necessary to help people understand type 1 diabetes and why we need research to help find a cure.”

Lyles knows firsthand what her patients go through as they live with type 1 diabetes and how hard it can be for children to constantly check their blood sugar, count carbohydrates and take insulin shots. Her own experience as a teen coping with diabetes led her to her career path.

Shannon Lyles, a registered nurse in the pediatric endocrinology department at UF, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 16.

“I never looked back once I decided that I wanted to be a diabetes nurse,” she said. “My patients continually motivate me to find ways I can help them in their personal fight with diabetes.

“I hope people can begin to see that diabetes is a very important issue that needs attention,” Lyles said.

This year’s Diabetes Awareness Month kicks off next week at UF and in Gainesville with free diabetes screenings, a festival for children with diabetes and their families, a ceremony at which the Century Tower on the UF campus will be lit blue and even a chance to win airline tickets for two to anywhere Southwest Airlines flies.

Events are sponsored by the University of Florida Diabetes Center of Excellence, Health Gators 2012, the department of pathology, immunology and laboratory medicine, pediatric endocrinology at UF, the Rotary Club of Gainesville, GatorWell and the College of Medicine.

Diabetes Awareness Month Activities

Free Blood Sugar Screenings
When: Tuesday, Nov. 10, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Reitz Union Colonade
Thursday, Nov. 12, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Shands at UF Atrium
Details: The UF Diabetes Center of Excellence encourages you to “Know Your Numbers.”All UF faculty, staff, students, and community members are encouraged to join us at one of these events for free blood sugar screening.

Type 1 Diabetes Screening
When: Friday, Nov. 13, 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Location: Children’s Medical Services – building A , 1701 S.W. 16th Ave.
Details: Free screenings will be offered for moms, dads, siblings, and cousins of people with type 1 diabetes.

Century Tower Lighting Ceremony
When: Friday, Nov. 13, 5:30 p.m.
Location: University of Florida campus
Details: Join Gainesville Mayor Pageen Hanrahan, Rep. Chuck Chestnut and the rest of the Gator Nation as we light the Century Tower in recognition of World Diabetes Day.

Fall Festival for Children with Diabetes and their Families
When: Saturday, Nov. 14, 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Location: Westside Park, 1001 N.W. 34th St.
Details: Meet and greet with families who live with diabetes while enjoying carnival games, arts and crafts and sports. Speak with medical professionals and directors of the Florida Diabetes Camp.

First Annual World Diabetes Day Walk
When: Saturday, Nov. 14
Location: Begins at the Kirby Smith Administration Building