Wake Forest Baptist March Awards and Recognitions

March 20, 2012

Wake Forest Baptist Receives $770,000 Grant from AHA

to Support Heart Disease Research Projects

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - March 20, 2012 -Wake Forest School of Medicine, part of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, has received $770,000 from the American Heart Association (AHA) to support five cardiovascular disease research projects.

The research projects supported by the grant are:

  • Hepatic CGI-58 Links Inflammatory Signaling to Insulin Resistance.
  • A New Mechanism for Age-Dependent Decline in Cardiac Function and Beta-Adrenergic Reserve.
  • Streptococcal Colonization of the Human Throat Mucosa and the Regulation of Biofilm Dispersal.
  • Epigenetic Regulation of Macrophage Polarization by Saturated Fat.
  • VKOR, Hyperglycemia and Vascular Calcification.

 "The American Heart Association has been a proud supporter of Wake Forest Baptist's cardiovascular researchers for more than 41 years, funding numerous research studies here, totaling more than $20.3 million," said Gordon Tomaselli, M.D., president of the AHA's National Board of Directors. "We are proud to be making this investment in the important work of researchers here at Wake Forest Baptist, who are helping us achieve our goal of building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke."

Wake Forest Baptist Researcher Receives Young Investigator Grant

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - March 20, 2012 -Junjie Feng, Ph.D., assistant professor, Center for Cancer Genomics at Wake Forest School of Medicine, part of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, is one of 15 researchers from around the world to receive a three-year Young Investigator grant from the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF).

These awards recognize investigators for transformational research focused on prostate cancer treatments to improve patient outcomes. Each Young Investigator receives $225,000 over a three-year period. Funding is matched dollar-for-dollar by each recipient's research institution.

The PCF Young Investigator program, which spans six countries and 42 research institutes with a total of 89 investigators, also aims to promote long-term careers in the field of prostate cancer.

Wake Forest Baptist Physician to Receive Transplantation Award

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - March 20, 2012 - Patricia L. Adams, M.D., emeritus professor of internal medicine, nephrology and transplantation, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, has been chosen to receive the 2012 American Society of Transplantation (AST) Senior Achievement Award in Clinical Transplantation.

Adams, a member of the Wake Forest Baptist staff for more than 30 years, will receive the award at the AST's annual meeting in Boston in June.

The American Society of Transplantation is an international organization dedicated to advancing the field of transplantation and improving patient care by promoting research, education, advocacy and organ donation.

Wake Forest Baptist Faculty Member Receives Distinguished Educator Award

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - March 20, 2012 - Michael T. Fitch, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor, Emergency Medicine, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, has been named the recipient of the annual Distinguished Educator Award presented by the Academy for Scholarship in Education in Emergency Medicine, part of the Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors (CORD).

The award recognizes educators who have an exemplary record of achievement in emergency medicine education and who advance the development of a network of mentors for future growth in emergency medicine education scholarship.

Fitch will receive the award at CORD's annual meeting in Atlanta in April.

Wake Forest Baptist Faculty Member Assists in Opening of Maternity Operating Room at Hospital in Ghana

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - March 20, 2012 - Medge Owen, M.D., director, Maternal Infant Health Program, part of the Office of Global Health at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, and president of Kybele, Inc., recently participated in the formal opening of a maternity-dedicated operating room at Ridge Regional Hospital in Ridge, Ghana.

The new facility was the result of a collaborative effort among Kybele, the Ghana Ministry of Health, U.S. Agency for International Development and Ghana International Women's Club. The well-equipped operating room will allow the hospital to better serve the women of the greater Accra region.

Owen also is a professor of obstetrical anesthesiology at Wake Forest Baptist and is certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology.

Wake Forest Baptist Staff Member Selected as Point of Light Honoree

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - March 20, 2012 - Christopher Craig, MMS, PA-C, General Surgery Academic Office, part of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, has been selected as a Daily Point of Light honoree by the nonprofit Points of Light Institute for his volunteer work.

Craig has done volunteer service with the National Medical Response Team, Special Operations Response Team, State Medical Assistance Team, Forsyth County Sheriff's Office Special Tactics and Response Team and other organizations.

The Daily Point of Light award recognizes individuals and groups for creating meaningful change in communities across the nation.

 Wake Forest Baptist's Pediatrics - Westgate is Awarded NCQA Certification

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - March 20, 2012 - Pediatrics - Westgate, part of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, has been awarded certification by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for the Physician Practice Connections® (PPC) Patient-Centered Medical Home program.

NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations based on their support and demonstration of the delivery of high-quality care. 

PPC certification recognizes practices that use systematic processes and information technology to enhance the quality of patient care.

Wake Forest Baptist Faculty Member Receives Laureate Award

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - March 20, 2012 -Kevin High, M.D., M.S., FACP, FIDSA, professor, Infectious Diseases, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, has been awarded the Laureate Award from the North Carolina Chapter of American College of Physicians.

This award honors those who have demonstrated commitment to excellence in medical care and education or research. Recipients have not only been acknowledged for their distinguished service and longstanding professional standards, but also for peer approval in the field of internal medicine.

High's laboratory currently focuses on translational research of mechanisms and the clinical relevance of immune senescence.

Media Relations

Megan Lee: news@wakehealth.edu, 336-713-4587

Chad Campbell: news@wakehealth.edu, 336-713-4587