FROM THE ASSOCIATE PROVOST FOR RESEARCH

FROM THE ASSOCIATE PROVOST FOR RESEARCH

New research portal will improve service to the MUSC community

The Office of the Associate Provost for Research is pleased to announce the development and revision of research related web sites to better serve the MUSC community. The first is a newly constructed web site geared toward external users. This web site will highlight faculty, programs, projects and events to promote awareness of important and exciting research taking place at MUSC. The second web site is a revision of the current Research home page. It was developed with the assistance of the Office of the Chief Information Officer and various faculty members who provided input. It is intended to be a more functional, internal community tool. Both sites will soon be accessible through the current url: http://research.musc.edu/.

Update on Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs application

MUSC is rapidly approaching the completion of our application to the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP). The application deadline is in mid-August, with a site visit to MUSC later in the year. The application process involves formidable review, revision and update of current policies and practices with a focus on strengthening the protection of human research subjects across the MUSC community. The University is applying for this prestigious accreditation in conjunction with the Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center. We will keep you posted on this process as it evolves.

ORI refines and implements electronic compliance application and registration processes

The Office of Research Integrity continues to refine and implement electronic compliance application and registration processes. The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) registration has been in use for almost six months. Input from users has allowed us to continually improve both the application and the instructions to complete the document. Plans call for development of an electronic IBC amendment document in the near future. In addition, the Continuing Review electronic application has been rolled out in limited use to measure user-friendliness and effectiveness. The Continuing Review application will be available to the entire research community in the next few months.

Charleston Dragon Boat Festival – May 3rd

Several divisions and departments on the MUSC campus were involved in the Charleston Dragon Boat Festival on Saturday, May 3rd. Held at Brittlebank Park, the festival featured more than 50 teams from the Charleston area, competing in 250m races, all for the benefit of Hollings Cancer Center (HCC).

MUSC teams participating in the festival include Finance and Administration’s Dragon Assets, several HCC teams, and our own Offices of the Associate Provost team, aptly named ReSurge. Special thanks to Leslie Kendall, Director of the Office of Research Administration, for her leadership in promoting this very special and exciting program.

Further information on the 1st Annual Charleston Dragon Boat Festival can be found at: http://char.racedragonboats.com/. In addition, a stunning overview of Dragon Boats is available at: http://www.awakenthedragon.com/

MUSC will recognize distinguished scientist with honorary degree

The Medical University of South Carolina will present Yoshito Kaziro, MD, PhD with an honorary degree in May this year to recognize his lifetme accomplishments as a mentor and scholar. Throughout his long, distinguished career, Dr. Kaziro has influenced the conceptual development of different fields of science, mentored hundreds of scientists from around the world who have assumed leadership positions in academia and industry, provided leadership in multiple capacities, interfaced with academia and pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and exhibited a sense of graciousness and commitment to excellence that have inspired those around him.

Dr. Kaziro made two fundamental scientific contributions that have had broad impact. The first involved his work in the area of metabolism and the mechanism of CO2 fixation published in a series of papers in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. Following this body of work in basic metabolism, his major research interests concerned the mechanism of protein biosynthesis and signal transduction. His second major contribution involved the role of guanine nucleotides in the control of biological events.

Dr. Kaziro elucidated the role of guanine nucleotides (guanosine triphosphate or GTP and guanosine diphosphate or GDP) in protein biosynthesis. He proposed the concept of GTP/GDP-dependent conformational change as the general mechanism for the function of GTP-binding proteins. Based upon the influence of GTP or GDP on protein translation in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, in 1969 he proposed the concept of a “G-factor” that oscillated between and active and inactive states to control protein synthesis. This was the first demonstration of G-protein. We now know that this elegant, efficient mechanism of signal transfer allows cells to respond to a variety of extracellular stimuli that influence multiple aspects of cell function.

BIOGRAPHY

Yoshito Kaziro received his MD in 1954 and PhD in 1959 from the University of Tokyo. An International Postdoctoral Fellowship from the US Public Health Service brought him to the States to work in the Department of Biochemistry at New York University Medical Center with the late Professor Severo Ochoa during 1959-63.

After returning to Japan, Dr. Kaziro became Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo. He retired from the University of Tokyo in 1990 and relocated to the US to continue his research at DNAX Research Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology in Palo Alto, CA, also serving as Consulting Professor of Biochemistry at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

Dr. Kaziro returned to Japan in 1993 to open a new laboratory at the Faculty of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo Institute of Technology. In 2000, he retired from the Tokyo Institute of Technology and went to Sanyo Gakuen University and College as a Professor. In April 2003, he was appointed as Professor at Kyoto University and Director of the newly created Horizontal Medical Research Organization, which serves as an interdisciplinary research unit for mid-career faculty development.

In addition, Dr. Kaziro served as President of the Japanese Biochemical Society 1984-85 and as a member of the Editorial Board of several international journals, including the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biochimie, Biochimica Biophysica Acta, and Journal of Biochemistry (Tokyo). He served as a Council Member of the Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists (FAOB) from 1980 to 1988, and as a delegate of Japan to the International Union of Biochemistry from 1979 to 1992. He received the Japan Academy Prize in 1999 and the Purple Ribbon Medal in 1995. Dr. Kaziro was elected as a Foreign Associate of the United States National Academy of Science in 2000.