News briefs

Registration still open for Coleman Institute conference

There's still time to register for the Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities' ninth annual conference on Cognitive Disability and Technology, set for Nov. 5 at the Westin Westminster Hotel. It's expected to draw between 250 and 300 attendees from across the campuses and across the country, with more than 20 states represented.

The free, all-day event features a slate of noted speakers, headlined by economist James K. Galbraith, Ph.D., former director of the Joint Economic Committee of Congress. Featured speakers also include Ann Turnbull, Ph.D., and Rud Turnbull, Ph.D., both Distinguished University Professors at the University of Kansas.

Also on the presentation agenda: Tamar Heller, Ph.D., of the University of Illinois at Chicago; Jay Lundell, Ph.D., of Intel Corp.'s Digital Health Group. CU President Bruce D. Benson and Reneé Pietrangelo, CEO of the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR), will be special guests.

Roundtable discussions over lunch will enable participants to join in the conversation. Topics range from mobile devices and social networking to the accessibility of museum experiences for people with cognitive disabilities.

To register, contact MaryEllen.Morse@cu.edu. For more information, including a detailed agenda, see the Coleman Institute's Web site.

Teachers of Color and Allies set for sixth annual summit

The University of Colorado at Boulder's School of Education is among the educational entities teaming for the Teachers of Color and Allies Summit, set for 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Nov. 5.

The event in the UMC's Aspen Rooms brings together students, educators of color, and allies to provide collegial support, opportunities for networking and mentoring, and insights into best practices in education.

Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, professor of sociology at Duke University, will be the keynote speaker. Barbara M. Medina, assistant commissioner for innovation and transformation at the Colorado Department of Education, will speak in the afternoon.

Other institutions taking part in the sixth annual summit are Adams 12 Five-Star Schools, Adams 50 Schools, Boulder Valley School District, Brighton School District 27, Denver Public Schools and the St. Vrain School District. For more information, contact Collinus Hutt, Collinus.Hutt@Colorado.EDU, or Christy Moroye, Christy.Moroye@Colorado.EDU.

Anthropology, law and theater come together in weekend reading
The Colorado Shakespeare Festival (CSF) and the University of Colorado Law School will present a free reading of "Unquiet Grave," a play that blends a courtroom drama with a mystery, at 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, at Witemyer Courtroom on the University of Colorado at Boulder campus.

The play was written by law student Brent Jordheim ('09) and based on research by Mimi Wesson and Dennis Van Gerven, professors of anthropology. The story was inspired by an 1892 Supreme Court case involving a dispute over payment of life insurance proceeds. It pitted a young Kansas woman against three giants of insurance, and lasted for nearly 25 years.

The decision was tied to a century-old mystery about the identity of a corpse — a mystery eventually solved via forensic anthropology. The case's impact on rules of evidence remains today.

The reading will be directed by Lynne Collins, who has directed productions of "Macbeth" and "Much Ado About Nothing" for the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, and actors from its core company will read the parts. Jordheim, Wesson and Van Gerven will attend to discuss the play.

This production is funded through the generosity of longtime CSF and Colorado Law donors Ruth and Ken Wright. For more information, click here.

University of Colorado Hospital begins visitor restrictions

In an effort to protect patients, their families and hospital staff this flu season, the University of Colorado Hospital on Oct. 21 began restricting visitors under age 12.

"Our patients and the quality of their care is our highest priority and we want to ensure that we minimize the chances of spreading H1N1 and seasonal influenza among our patient population and our staff," said Bruce Schroffel, hospital president and CEO.  "We understand the restrictions may present some challenges for some patients and their families. But we believe it is in the best interest of our patients and our staff to put these restrictions in place."

Officials also ask that anyone experiencing flu symptoms (fever, cough, muscle aches, stuffy nose, vomiting and diarrhea) refrain from visiting any patient in the hospital. Many patients are highly susceptible to infection. Visitor restrictions will be enforced and the hospital will not allow children unattended in waiting areas.

As the H1N1 and seasonal influenza progress through the community, it is possible restrictions at the hospital will change. Before visiting, please go to uch.edu.

Federal stimulus grant enables free lung tumor genetic testing at Cancer Center

The University of Colorado Cancer Center (UCCC) is among the 14 U.S. centers offering free genetic tumor screenings for lung cancer patients thanks to a $5.2 million grant funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The Lung Cancer Mutation Consortium Protocol project aims to identify mutations in malignant lung tumors for which there are specific, more effective and less toxic oral therapies.

Paul A. Bunn Jr., M.D., lung cancer researcher and the UCCC's founding director, will lead the consortium. Wilbur Franklin, M.D., professor of pathology at the University of Colorado Denver and UCCC member, is the Colorado principal investigator.

"We will be testing the tumors for specific mutations we know happen in lung cancer to understand their frequency, their relationship to each other and their association with the tumor's clinical features," said Bunn, professor of medical oncology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. "We will also be investigating what specific drugs work against these mutations and how often they work."

Patients who enroll in the clinical trial to have tumors tested might also qualify for an existing clinical trial for a specific inhibitor drug.

"Cancer is no longer a one-size-fits-all disease," Bunn said. "We have to have as much information as possible to give the exact right treatment to each and every patient. This project should give us much more information than we've ever had before."

Clinical trial enrollment is open in Colorado. Patients wanting to enroll in the study may schedule an appointment with the UCCC lung cancer team by contacting Mary Jackson, 303-724-1650 or mary.k.jackson@ucdenver.edu.