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ALL IS WELL

Chancellor Albert Carnesale, who underwent aortic heart valve replacement surgery Dec. 13 at UCLA Medical Center, is in stable condition at this time, said Hillel Laks, chief of cardiac surgery. "The chancellor's surgery went well, and he is making a rapid recovery," Laks said. Considered low risk for someone in good health, the operation was needed to correct a congenital condition that led to a narrowing of a heart valve. While Carnesale found out about the condition during a routine physical eight years ago, he learned last October that doctors felt surgery was necessary. He is expected to remain at UCLA Medical Center for less than a week.

LABOR NEWS

University of California officials announced they have reached tentative agreement with three labor unions recently: the California Nurses Association, CWA Local 9119 representing support professionals and technical employees and the University Council – the American Federation of Teachers on a new contract for UC's librarians. Details of the agreements will be made available following ratification of each of the contracts at IC’s Web site: http://atyourservice.ucop.edu/employees/policies/labor_relations/index.html

LONGER SURVIVAL TIME

Pairing the targeted therapy Herceptin with chemotherapy in patients with early-stage breast cancer significantly increases disease-free survival time in women who test positive for a genetic mutation that results in a particularly aggressive form of the disease, according to large, international study. The study also tested Herceptin with a chemotherapy combination that eliminated Adriamycin, an anthracycline commonly used to treat breast cancer but a drug that, when used with Herceptin, can result in heart damage. That regimen also significantly improves survival. Conducted by the Breast Cancer International Research Group, this study is the fourth large clinical trial to show that Herceptin plus chemotherapy significantly reduces risk of disease recurrence in early breast cancer. Results were presented Dec. 8 at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium by Dennis Slamon, co-chairman of BCIRG, director of Clinical/Translational Research at UCLA’s Jonsson Cancer Center and the scientist whose laboratory and clinical research laid the groundwork for the development of Herceptin. Herceptin is effective in women with HER-2 positive breast cancer, about one in four diagnosed with the disease every year.

$1-MILLION PLEDGE

The School of Law has received a pledge of $1 million from the international law firm Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP (Paul Hastings) to establish the Paul Hastings Endowed Chair in Corporate and Securities Law. This is the first endowed chair UCLA Law has received from a law firm and the first endowed law firm chair in Los Angeles.

“Their generous gift enables us to enhance our faculty and thereby attract the best and brightest students. said Michael Schill, dean of the law school. The Paul Hastings Chair will support the teaching, scholarship and service activities of a distinguished faculty member by underwriting important research projects and funding graduate research assistant support, among other things. This particular endowed chair will enhance UCLA School of Law’s scholarly leadership in critical areas such as corporate law, securities law and regulation, and corporate governance. “UCLA School of Law professors are among the finest legal scholars in the nation, and we’re pleased to support the school’s efforts to continue raising the bar on the caliber of its faculty,” said Greg Nitzkowski, managing partner of Paul Hastings, and a 1984 alumnus of UCLA School of Law. “We hope our gift will inspire other law firms around the country to support UCLA School of Law.

KATRINA RELIEF

The UC is giving employees two ways to assist with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. The Emergency Vacation Leave Sharing Program allows an employee to donate accrued vacation credits to another employee if that person is needed to assist family or friends who have been directly affected by Hurricane Katrina. It can also be used to help an employee who is participating in disaster relief work but is not eligible for administrative leave with pay or leave of absence with pay and does not have sufficient vacation balances or other paid leave credits to cover his or her absence. Requests may be granted until June 30, 2006. Application of the program to exclusively represented employees is subject to union notice procedures. The Temporary Vacation Leave Conversion Program specifies that through Dec. 31, 2006, employees may convert accrued vacation credits into cash contributions for donations to qualified tax-exempt organizations providing disaster relief. The donations will be made by the university directly to the organizations on behalf of the employees. A request form, which lists the requirements of the program, is available at http://atyourservice.ucop.edu/employees/policies/other_programs/index.html. Anyone with questions regarding the Emergency Leave Sharing Program should contact the Hurricane Katrina Program Coordinator Hilu Bloch at (310) 794-0421, Healthcare Human Resources at (310) 794-0500 or the Academic Personnel Office at (310) 206-8004. For questions regarding the Temporary Vacation Leave Conversion Program, contact Lucy Eugenio in Payroll Services at (310) 794-8706.

POSTDOCTORAL STARS

The Graduate Division is accepting nominations from all faculty for the Chancellor’s Award for Postdoctoral Research. This award will provide a prize of $3,000 each to UCLA postdoctoral scholars recognized for their outstanding research. Chairs and unit directors are encouraged to establish a point-person(s) in each department to ensure that no more than two nominations are submitted to the final selection committee. Large departments that have compelling reasons for submitting more than two nominations may contact the Graduate Division to discuss additional nominations. Deadline for departments to submit nomination materials to the Graduate Division is Jan. 23, 2006. For details on the dossier required, contact Kyle Cunningham, coordinator of Postdoctoral and Visiting Scholar Services at (310) 825-0636 or kcunning@gdnet.ucla.edu.

A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY

Nominations are now being accepted for the Gold Shield Faculty Prize, which recognizes and rewards faculty members who have demonstrated extraordinary accomplishments in teaching (especially undergraduates) and in research or creative activity, together with an appropriate level of public service within the university. The 2005-06 prize given by the Gold Shield, Alumnae of UCLA is $30,000. This formerly biennial prize will now be awarded on a yearly basis, with the award alternating between north and south campus units. The 2005-06 winner, from the north campus, must be a full professor in a field that offers an undergraduate program. Guidelines appear on the nomination form. Deadline for receipt of nominations is Feb. 27, 2006. For further information, contact Cathy Davis at cdavis@senate.ucla.edu, or (310) 825-3853 or Gold Shield Faculty Prize Committee Chair Mary Miller (mary_miller@earthlink.net, or (310) 825-7749. More details are at http://www.senate.ucla.edu/committee/GSFP/gold_shield.htm.

NEW TREATMENT FOR ADDICTION

A new study led by researchers at UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior suggests the antidepressant bupropion may help treat methamphetamine addiction. No medications presently are approved for treating methamphetamine addicts. Appearing Nov. 23 as an advance online publication of the peer-reviewed journal Neuropsychopharmacology, the study finds bupropion blunts the methamphetamine “high” and reduces cravings prompted by visual cues such as ambient drug use. The research team hypothesizes that bupropion reduces the effects of methamphetamine by preventing the drug from entering brain cells, where it can trigger the release of neurotransmitters that cause feelings of euphoria. “Finding new, effective ways to treat methamphetamine addiction is a key component of bringing the ongoing epidemic of abuse under control,” said Professor Thomas F. Newton, the study’s principal investigator.

WHO BECOMES A HEAVY DRINKER?

In a new study, UCLA researchers, while noting that heavy drinking declined with age, found it fell more slowly among men compared with women and among smokers compared with nonsmokers. A higher probability of heavy drinking was associated with being unmarried, having less than a high school education, having an annual income below the median and living outside the Southeastern United States. Heavy drinking also declined faster among those who got married or quit smoking between follow-ups. “Our study suggests that more educated people and those with higher income use alcohol regularly and moderately, while those with less income and education are more likely to drink heavily,” said Arun Karlamangla, assistant professor of geriatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine and the study’s lead author.

REDUCE STRESS

Want to feel more energetic, empowered and motivated at work and in your life?

The Staff and Faculty Counseling Center is presenting two sessions on “Reducing Stress in the Workplace.” You can sign up for either one or both if you wish. On Jan. 4, Andrew Erlich of Erlich Transcultural Consultants will lead “Discovering and Expressing Your Potential: Freeing the Gian, a True Story,” sharing a true story about his uncle, once known as “the tallest man in the world.” On Feb. 10, Krista Foster, director of Yoga Works at Work, will teach you the small steps you can take to create a healthy work environment. Learn how to stretch to relieve tension. Both sessions will be held noon to 1 p.m. at the Semel Institute Auditorium, Room C8-183. Call (310) 794-0245 to reserve. Deadline to RSVP for the Jan. 4 talk is Dec. 29; deadline for the Feb. 10 session is Feb. 3.

WEIGH IN ON UC'S FUTURE

President Robert C. Dynes has launched a long-range planning process that is focusing on what UC will need to do by the year 2025 to meet the needs of the state and to preserve academic quality. Members of UC’s Long-Range Guidance Team are seeking input from critical UC stakeholders, including alumni and staff members, on the issues they see facing the university in the year 2025. An opportunity to have an electronic dialogue with UC leaders is scheduled for staff on Jan. 11. To participate in the Web chat, visit: www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/uc2025/webchat2025.html. The panelists responding to questions and comments will include Senior Vice President for University Affairs Bruce Darling and Acting Provost Rory Hume. The moderated web chat will begin at 4 p.m. and end at 5 p.m. Participants may submit questions beginning at 3:45 p.m. A transcript of the chat will be available on this site following the discussion.