SUMC in the News (08/16/06)

Press release

Boosting key protein in brain could improve seizure treatment, Stanford study finds
A naturally occurring protein in our brains could be the basis for a more promising epilepsy treatment without the nasty side effects caused by many current medications.

Print media coverage

Los Angeles Times, 08/16/06
Call to toughen oversight in California's transplant program
Following problems at numerous hospitals, including Kaiser Permanente in San Francisco, California lawmakers are calling for better oversight of organ transplant programs. David Magnus, director of the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics (SCBE), provides comment.

San Jose Mercury News, 08/16/06
Summer camp perfect for aging baby boomers
The work of Walter Bortz, a member of the adjunct clinical faculty, is discussed in this article on camps for adult adults.

Naples Daily News (Naples, Fla.), 08/16/06
One woman, one robot
This article discusses the CyberKnife, a radiosurgery tool that allows physicians to perform surgery without using a scalpel. The tool was developed by John Adler, professor of neurosurgery, who is quoted here.

Hartford Courant (Hartford, Conn.), 08/16/06
Hidden health benefits can be a lifeline
This Associated Press article discusses insurance companies' targeted cancer programs - which are not always well publicized. It mentions that UnitedHealthcare's Cancer Resources program will pay for treatment at 21 top cancer centers around the country, including Stanford.

Wall Street Journal, 08/16/06
Donors sustain stem-cell effort in California amid funding battle (No online version available)
Although legal challenges have tied up funding at the state's stem cell institute, big-dollar contributions from prominent Californians have kept the effort going. Stanford isn't referenced, but this article may be of interest to readers.

United Press International, 08/15/06
Seizure treatment research progresses
This brief articles discusses the Stanford study showing that a naturally occurring brain protein might be the basis for a promising epilepsy treatment without side effects. Julia Brill, a postdoctoral scholar, and John Huguenard, associate professor of neurology and neurological sciences, are referenced.

Palo Alto Online News, 08/15/06
Menlo Park child, 2, gets heart transplant
Bruce Reitz, the Norman E. Shumway Professor, recently performed three heart transplants within 36 hours at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. Daniel Bernstein, the Alfred Woodley Salter and Mabel Smith Salter Endowed Professor in Pediatrics, provides comment in this article on the patients.

Broadcast media coverage

KGO-TV, 08/15/06
Andrew Zolopa, associate professor of medicine, presented information at the International AIDS Conference in Toronto on a new monitoring device called Trofile. Trofile monitors a patient's immune system and tells doctors how well that person is reacting to the latest antiviral drugs.

KPIX-TV, 08/15/06
During this segment, David Magnus again commented on lawmakers' call for better oversight of organ transplant programs.

KQED-FM, 08/14/06
During Stanford's upcoming Computational Systems Bioinformatics Conference, participants will address computational issues in biological pathways, biomolecular engineering and medical imaging. The conference was referenced during a segment.

Nikkei Industrial News (Japan), 08/02/06
Judy Illes was interviewed for an article on ethical issues surrounding advances in brain science. Illes is a senior research scholar and director of the Program in Neuroethics at the SCBE.