VCU news

Kenneth Daniels, Ph.D., professor of finance, School of Business

Daniels has been invited to speak at the prestigious Sovereign Investor Institute Investor Roundtable in Cape Town, South Africa, Feb. 25–27. The Sovereign Investor Institute represents sovereign wealth funds from around the world and allows funds managers to engage in open dialogue about the current investment environment.

Daniels, chairman of the board of the Richmond Retirement System, has participated in several investor roundtables sponsored by institutional investors. Virginia Commonwealth University's participation in such internationally sponsored events signals the rising quality of the Department of Finance, Insurance and Real Estate at the School of Business.

Steve Negus, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, VCU School of Medicine

Negus was invited to co-author an article for the journal Neuropsychopharmacology this month on pros and cons for agonist medications in treating cocaine-use disorder. He and his co-author examine the use of amphetamines to treat cocaine addiction, which is analogous to the use of methadone to treat opioid addiction or nicotine formulations to treat dependence on tobacco products.

The article is particularly timely because the question of treating cocaine addiction has attracted accelerating attention and controversy. Growing data supports the use of amphetamine maintenance (published by Negus and others), but the practice faces opposition. Amphetamine maintenance is widely used in other patients such as those who suffer from ADHD and are prescribed Adderall.

“My research on medications development is founded on the premise that consideration of any medication for any indication depends initially on evidence for therapeutic efficacy,” Negus argues in favor of the practice, writing, “My advocacy for consideration of agonist medications to treat cocaine-use disorder stems from the growing body of preclinical and clinical evidence for their therapeutic efficacy.”

The article represents a new approach the journal is taking in which a hot topic is identified and a pair of co-authors offer opposing views. This is the third time the journal has taken the pro/con approach to a controversial topic. Negus’ co-author is Jack Henningfield, Ph.D. professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins University.

To read the full article, visit http://www.nature.com/npp/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/npp2014322a.html.

Patricia Kinser, Ph.D., assistant professor, and Candace Burton, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Family and Community Health Nursing, School of Nursing

Kinser and Burton have been elected to the distinguished fellowship in the National Academies of Practice (NAP). Designation as a distinguished practitioner, scholar and policy fellow within NAP is a high honor that acknowledges outstanding achievements. Members are elected by their peers from ten different health professions. The NAP is a nonprofit organization founded in 1981 to advise governmental bodies on health care. Members work together as an interdisciplinary force to influence national health policy and legislation, as well as promote quality health care through cooperative advocacy, practice, education and research. A formal induction ceremony will take place at the NAP annual meeting and forum, which is set for April 17-19.

Jerome Strauss III, M.D., Ph.D., dean, VCU School of Medicine

Strauss has been appointed chair of an Institute of Medicine committee that will review the state of the science in ovarian cancer and formulate recommendations for action to advance the field. Under Strauss’ leadership, the committee will identify gaps in the evidence base for ovarian cancer research and the challenges to addressing those gaps, consider opportunities for advancing ovarian cancer research, and examine avenues for the translation of new findings and communication of new information to patients. The committee has its first meeting this month and will make recommendations for public and private sector efforts that could facilitate progress in reducing the incidence of and mortality from ovarian cancer.

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