From: Durham, Erika
Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2005 3:00 PM
Subject: UTDB eflash (weekly edition) -- Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Help “bag hunger” and help children

Summer is often the toughest time for families struggling to feed children who eat most meals in a school cafeteria. So as the temperature climbs so does the need for donations to the Houston Food Bank. And you can help!

Dental Branch family: Join the health science center and other Texas Medical Center institutions in the fight to “bag hunger” from now until Tuesday, July 12. Your can or dollar donation during the Channel 11 Spirit of Texas Food Drive, will multiply itself. A $1 donation equals $20 worth of food for the Food Bank and your non-perishable foods will stock shelves across Houston.

Drop single food donations in the collection bin located in the Dental Branch library. If you are filling up and turning in “UT Bags Hunger” sacks, making a monetary donation, or need more information see John O’Black, DB Room 161, (713) 500-4157.

This year’s goal for the health science center is $4,000 and 3,000 pounds of food. To sweeten the pot there will be drawings for two exciting prizes:

• For every five food items donated you will receive a ticket from your area coordinator for a chance to win a Kodak Easy Share digital camera.
• For every $10 donated you will receive a ticket for a chance to win an iPod shuffle.

Visit the university’s food drive Web site at http://www.uthouston.edu/community/food_drive/index.html for more details and a list of coordinators.

New heads of Pediatric Dentistry

By unanimous affirmation the Department of Pediatric Dentistry will welcome their new acting chair, Thomas Wild, D.D.S., associate professor, and acting program director, Robert Tate, D.D.S., associate professor, July 1.

Wild has worked at the Dental Branch since 1977 and once served as chair of the department. Tate has worked at the Dental Branch since March, serving as the undergraduate Clinic Director of Pediatric Dentistry.

“The Dental Branch is most grateful for the generous spirit of both of these talented and dedicated faculty members for assuming these mission critical roles during this period of transition,” said Dean Catherine M. Flaitz, D.D.S.

Faculty publications

The Dental Branch applauds the following faculty for their recent publications:

Drug Therapy for Smoking Cessation: Evidence-based Considerations for Dentistry, by Arthur Jeske, D.M.D, Ph.D., professor and chairman of Restorative Dentistry, and Thomas Servos, D.D.S., clinical assistant professor of Diagnostic Sciences, appears in this month’s issue of the Texas Dental Journal.

This month’s issue of the Texas Dental Journal also features Breaking the Smoking Habit: Behavioral Aspects of Tobacco Cessation, by Deborah R. Franklin, D.D.S., associate professor of Restorative Dentistry.

Endodontics faculty member recognized

Chunlin Qin, D.D.S., Ph.D., assistant professor of Endodontics, has been recognized by the UT Health Science Center at Houston as an outstanding young research investigator. Qin, who was nominated by Dean Catherine M. Flaitz, D.D.S., was honored today during the Young Investigators Appreciation Luncheon at the Trevisio restaurant in the Texas Medical Center Commons.

Welcome to the family: Dr. Bingzhen Huang has arrived
Welcoming new faculty, staff and research postdocs to the UT Dental Branch

Meet: Bingzhen Huang, M.D., Ph.D.

This spring Huang began his position as a research postdoc under the direction of Chunlin Qin, D.D.S., Ph.D., assistant professor of Endodontics. He obtained his M.D. from Peking Medical University in China and his Ph.D. from Okayama University in Japan. Huang, whose research focuses on bone regeneration, said the great scientists who are working at the Dental Branch in this area of study attracted him to come. He is most excited about his possible discovery of a new protein for bone regeneration.

“Dr. Qin and Dr. (William) Butler (Ph.D., professor of Biological Chemistry) are known world-wide in this field and are highly respected. I feel lucky and honored to be working here,” he said.

Huang’s office is located in Suite 3.108. He can be reached at Bingzhen.Huang@uth.tmc.edu or (713) 500-4583.

News that benefits you

Get information on employee annual insurance enrollment noon, Wednesday, July 6, at the Dental Branch, Room 207. Information also will be distributed at the Benefits Fair, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Tuesday, July 12, School of Nursing and Student Community Center first floor Multi-Purpose Room. All benefits changes take effect Sept. 1.

UTDB eflash is an electronic newsletter produced by The University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston. Submit items for consideration to Erika.Durham@uth.tmc.edu by Tuesdays at noon. Items may be edited for length and style.