School Of Medicine

As people live longer and suffer from more chronic diseases, the risk of inappropriately using drugs or overmedicating increases among the elderly, says Susan Zieman, geriatric cardiologist and assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Most elderly people are on multiple medications and frequently metabolize drugs differently from younger people, she says. The drugs may build up in their systems and interact with other drugs in unexpected ways.

James Yager, senior associate dean for academic affairs at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, has been named the Edyth H. Schoenrich Professor in Preventive Medicine. A professor of toxicology in the department of environmental health sciences, and an expert on the mechanisms of estrogen carcinogenesis, Yager focuses his research on the genetic and environmental susceptibility factors related to breast cancer. Yaeger's professorship is named in honor of Schoenrich, credited with developing one of the nation's premier preventive health programs at Bloomberg.

Dr. Robert Austrian, an internationally known expert in the prevention of pneumococcal diseases whose research led to the development of the pneumonia vaccine that has saved countless lives worldwide, died Sunday of a stroke at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. The former Baltimorean was 90. "Bob was a pioneer in understanding pneumococcal diseases. He was very studious, competent and a model of the academic research physician," said Dr. Richard S. Ross, a longtime friend, and dean emeritus of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

When it comes to dating and mating, how much more can we learn from what we smell? More than you might think. Lab mice, for example, can't invite each other out for a drink. But new research suggests they can communicate how dry they are through a previously unknown sensory mechanism in their noses. The discovery might help scientists gain new understanding of how other mammals, including humans, share information about their health, genetics and sexual availability by reading chemical signals picked up by the nose.

Dr. Jeffrey P. Sternlicht has been named chairman of emergency medicine at Greater Baltimore Medical Center. Sternlicht, an emergency medicine physician, has practiced at GBMC since 1998 and also is the hospital's primary disaster physician. He served as clinical director of emergency medicine before his promotion. Dr. Zeng-Jin Yang, research fellow at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, has been named the winner of the first American Heart Association-Philips Resuscitation Fellowship award.

Thomas Johnson "Tim" Byrd, a retired Baltimore City firefighter who also worked for BGE, died of myelofibrosis, a blood disease, Friday at a hospital in Glendale, Ariz. The former White Hall resident was 66. Mr. Byrd was born in Baltimore and raised on Yolando Road in Ednor Gardens. He graduated from City College in 1958 and was captain of the football team. After graduation, he worked as a lineman for BGE before joining the Baltimore Fire Department in 1970. He was an apparatus driver for Engine Company 18 and Truck Company 5. He retired in 1990.

The jumping in place left a few kids winded, at least one boy need to push off from the seat in front of him to clear the floor, and, when the fitness people asked what their favorite activities were, the first answer was the video game Grand Theft Auto. But as the saying goes, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Or in this case, 13,000 steps, which is the daily goal that wellness experts gave the students at Westside Elementary School yesterday -- along with pedometers to see how close they come -- as they launched a fitness initiative to target the growing problem of childhood obesity.

Dr. Beatrice L. "Bea" Selvin, former clinical director of the department of anesthesiology at what is now University of Maryland Medical Center and professor of anesthesiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, died of a cerebral hemorrhage Nov. 6 at Anne Arundel Medical Center. She was 85. Dr. Selvin, who used her maiden name professionally, was born and raised in Hartford, Conn. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan in 1941 and her medical degree from New York Medical College in 1945.

The Society of Manufaturing Engineers has named Warren R. DeVries, dean of engineering and information technology at the University of Mary land, Baltimore County, as the 2007 winner of the SME Albert M. Sargent Progress Award for significant ac complishments in the field of manufacturing pro cesses, methods and systems. DeVries, an expert in materi al removal processes and manufacturing systems, served as the National Sci ence Foundation's division director for the Division of Design and Manufacturing Innovation before coming to UMBC.

Dr. Robert J. Wilder, a retired thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon who also specialized in emergency medicine, died Sunday of prostate cancer at his South Hutchinson Island, Fla., home. The former Baltimore resident was 82. Born Robert J. Wilderman and raised in Newark, N.J., he legally changed his name to Robert J. Wilder in 1952. During World War II, he served in the Army as a staff sergeant in Europe and was decorated with the Purple Heart. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1948 from Columbia University and his medical degree in 1952 from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Ravens center Matt Birk has agreed to donate his brain and spinal cord tissue to a widening study of brain trauma. The Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at the Boston University School of Medicine announced Monday that Birk, Lofa Tatupu of the Seattle Seahawks and Sean Morey of the Arizona Cardinals are the first active NFL players to make plans to donate their brains after death. More than 150 former athletes, including 40 retired NFL players, are in the program's brain donation registry.

Dr. Worth Bagley Daniels Jr., a retired prominent internist and Baltimore philanthropist, died of congestive heart failure July 9 at his Roland Park home. He was 84. Dr. Daniels, the son of physician parents who both graduated from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 1924, was born in New York City and raised in Washington. He was the grandson of Josephus Daniels, publisher of the Raleigh, N.C., News & Observer, who was secretary of the Navy during World War I. A 1942 graduate of St. Albans School in Washington, Dr. Daniels attended Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Dr. Charles A. Barraclough, a retired physiologist and neuroendocrinologist from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, died of cancer April 19 at St. Joseph Medical Center. The Towson resident, who lived in the Campus Hills community for more than 46 years, was 82. Born in Vineland, N.J., Dr. Barraclough was raised in Hammonton, N.J. He graduated from Hammonton High School and then earned a degree in biology in 1947 from St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia. After two years pursuing a music career, Barraclough earned master's and doctorate degrees in endocrinology from Rutgers University in New Jersey.

* MidAtlantic Cardiovascular Associates is expanding its women's cardiovascular program with additional locations in Catonsville and Rosedale. Dr. Shannon Winakur will oversee cardiovascular care at the Catonsville location, 3449 Wilkens Ave., and Dr. Dawn Kershner will oversee cardiovascular care at the Rosedale location, 9105 Franklin Square Drive. Winakur received her medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and completed her fellowship in cardiology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Travel season is approaching, and those flying to Europe or heading to the West Coast can expect to experience jet lag. The fatigue, stomach upset and disorientation that occurs is normal, says Dr. Andrea Meredith, assistant professor of physiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She offers some suggestions on how to deal with the discomfort. Why do people feel so crummy when they move across time zones? Jet lag, which is what you are referring to, is a disruption of the circadian rhythms.

John Nicholas Diaconis, a Baltimore radiologist and medical professor who had been acting chairman of the department of radiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine during the 1970s, died Sunday of cholangiocarcinoma, a cancer of the bile ducts, at Gilchrist Hospice Center. The longtime Timonium resident was 74. Dr. Diaconis was born in Pittsburgh and moved with his family to Folcroft Street in East Baltimore after his parents established an Eastern Avenue bakery. He was a 1951 graduate of City College and earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland in 1955.

* Debbie Fleischman, a member of the Howard County General Hospital care team for 19 years, has been appointed director of the hospital's clinical education. She will be responsible for patient and staff education, quality improvement initiatives and grant and policy development, as well as community/business partnerships. Fleischmann is formerly the administrative director of Emergency Services. She holds a bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Maryland and a master's degree in public administration from the University of Baltimore.

* Dr. Gina M. Perez, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, has been named assistant dean for student affairs at the school. Perez will advise and mentor medical students on a variety of issues to promote their physical and mental wellness, including help in managing their finances, keeping a strong support system, balancing demands on their time and keeping physically active. Perez will also continue to see patients and teach.

Whooping cough sounds like one of those old-fashioned diseases that only the heroines of Victorian novels get. But whooping cough, or pertussis, is a serious and sometimes fatal illness that has been on the rise in the United States in recent years, says Virginia Keane, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and president of the Maryland chapter of the Academy of Pediatrics. What is whooping cough? A bacterial infection caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis.

On February 4, 2009, LAURA MEACHAM WILSON, of Brooklandville, beloved wife of Bruce P. Wilson; devoted mother of Jay M. Wilson, Barbara W. Schweizer, Katharine W. Denby and Laura W. Werntz; cherished grandmother of 12 and great-grandmother of six. The family will welcome friends at a reception at The Elkridge Club, 6100 N. Charles St., on Saturday, February 14 from 4 to 6 P.M. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Laura's name may be made to...