The mission of Mercer University School of Medicine (MUSM) is “to educate physicians and health professionals to meet the primary care and health care needs of rural and medically underserved areas of Georgia.”  One important dimension of that mission is the research and scholarship of the faculty on whom fulfillment of that mission depends.  The School has modern research facilities in the form of both individual labs and communal labs divided into individual bays.  In that way, researchers share facilities, equipment, and services.  Faculty have labs that are not necessarily contiguous with those of their discipline colleagues.  Consequently, the labs reflect the interdisciplinary delivery of the basic science curriculum to our students.
		Under the direction of the University President, Mercer University in general and MUSM in particular have placed a renewed emphasis on growth as a research institution.  Over the last two years, this emphasis has been reflected in a determined effort to improve resources available to support research.  We have hired, and are currently in the process of hiring, additional faculty whose primary function will be biomedical research.  In addition, core facilities for confocal microscopy and FACS have been established on the Macon Campus and for genomics and FACS on the Savannah Campus of MUSM. With our affiliated hospitals, we are continuing to foster collaborative efforts between basic science and clinical faculty and to strengthen our efforts at translational research.		Most of the basic medical science faculty conduct collaborative, interdisciplinary research that is funded by both national and local agencies.  Clinical faculty and medical students are regularly involved.  MUSM currently does not offer graduate studies for the Ph.D. or M.S. degrees, but there is an intiative to establish an M.D./Ph.D. program on MUSM's Macon Campus.  Meanwhile, postdoctoral opportunities are occasionally available. Our Dean’s Office is heavily invested in our research goals.  It provides financial support for general laboratory needs, such as animal care, radioactive waste disposal, radiation badging, and labcoat services.  In addition, start-up funds are given to new faculty who want to do research.

Coming Up...

Mercer University School of Medicine

Medical Center of Central Georgia

Joint Research Conference

Presented by:

The Department of Community Medicine

Mercer University School of Medicine

Thursday Sept. 17, 2009

5:00 – 6:00 PM

Trice Auditorium, MCCG

Program

5:00        Krista Wieters, M.P.H. M/McKinley Thomas, Ed.D.

“Workforce Training Needs in Public Health: A State-Wide, Qualitative Study of District Health Directions”

Objectives:             

·         To examine the purpose and nature of competencies as a component of workforce development.

·         To explore limitations of competencies as guides by which academic skill sets are constructed.

·          To discuss the importance of utilizing authentic, real-world ideas when constructing student-centered learning opportunities.

Comments:  Jim Cunnihgham, M.D. Chief Medical Officer, MCCG

                       Others

5:20        Tina Saiani, R.N. M.S.N., FNP-C

“Parental Perception of Their Own and Their Childs Weight”

 Objectives:

·       To understand the scope of the childhood obesity problem

·         To examine the relationship between parent’s weights and child’s weight

·         To determine if physicians are addressing children’s obesity

Comments: John Williams, M.D. Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery

                                Others

5:40        Fan Chen, Dr. P.H., M.D.

“Lung Adenocarcinoma Incidence Rates and Their Relation to Motor Vehicle  Density”

                Objectives:

·         To determine whether the geographical distribution pattern of ADL showed a dose-response relationship with Variations in motor vehicle density.

·         To compare the distribution pattern of squamous cell carcinoma of the lung (SQL) and that of ADL in order to distinguish the role played by smoking on ADL pattern.

·         To show the temporal pattern, we use cancer incidence data to compare with vehicle density date recorded about 10 years ago.

Comments: Richard O. Mines, Ph.D., Professor Environmental Engineering

                                Others

6:00        NETWORKING in the FOYER with SPEAKERS – Jim Thomas, Ph.D.

Introductions:  Martin L. Dalton, M.D.

                        Accreditation

The Mercer University School of Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians. 

Credit

The Mercer University School of Medicine designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.0AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)^tm. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.