Inside Einstein
TB Tested – Drs. Bill Jacobs and Paras Jain report their development of a new diagnostic tool for Mycobacterium tuberculosis Mtb) infection in a recent online edition of the Journal of Clinical Microbiology. They generated the bacteriophage F2GFP10, an Mtb-specific virus, that injects its DNA and causes the bug to fluoresce 100-fold brighter than what can be achieved with existing tools. This exceptionally bright fluorescence allows, for the first time, Mtb detection at the low levels that are present in clinical sputum samples. It also proved to be very effective for rapid drug susceptibility testing of Mtb to several relevant antibiotics. Dr. Jacobs is professor of microbiology & immunology and of genetics and is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. Dr. Jain is an associate in microbiology & immunology.
Sweet Rewards – Dr. Meredith Hawkins has received the 2012 Junior Physician-Investigator Award from the American Federation for Medical Research (AFMR). The award recognizes young investigators that incorporate teaching and clinical medicine programs with outstanding scientific research. In addition to her investigations into nutritional regulation of the chronic inflammation in adipose tissue and the associated features of metabolic syndrome, she founded and directs Einstein’s Global Diabetes Initiative. Dr. Hawkins is professor of medicine in the Diabetes Research and Training Center.
Prestigious Honor — Dr. Bruce Schwartz, professor and vice chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Einstein and deputy chair at Montefiore Medical Center, will lead the American Hospital Association’s (AHA) Section for Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Services. During his one-year term, Dr. Schwartz and a 16-person governing council will address matters of AHA policy, advocacy, and member resources in order to improve the quality and efficiency of psychiatric and substance abuse services.