Wayne State in the news

Second hearing on Detroit drug-search case shows deep divisions on Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has scheduled a second hearing in the case of a search for illegal drugs conducted by the Detroit Police in a private residence. The case was appealed in Michigan on the grounds that the police obtained the evidence with a warrant, but failed to "knock and announce." Exchanges between presiding justices and David A. Moran, the defendant's lawyer and associate dean of Wayne State's Law School, are included in the story.

Radio executive pleads no contest

The head of Detroit\'s public radio station WDET pleaded no contest Thursday to an embezzlement charge stemming from his former post at Michigan Public Media in Ann Arbor. Michael Coleman made the plea at a pretrial hearing in Ann Arbor, said Kevin Piotrowski, WDET public relations and promotion director. He is charged with one count of misdemeanor embezzlement for allegedly accepting meals and other perks. Louis Lessem, vice president and general counsel for Wayne State University, commented in a statement. "It's welcome news that Michael has successfully resolved this situation with the University of Michigan. We are looking forward to continuing the momentum we are seeing at WDET under Michael\'s leadership.\" A photo of Coleman is included.

Rapid diagnosis of mini-strokes saves time and money- with no harm to patients

Researchers from Wayne State University and William Beaumont Hospital presented a paper at the 2006 Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Annual Meeting describing rapid protocol to Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA), which is also known as a "mini-stroke." As many as 30,000 Americans a year are diagnosed with TIA. The researchers looked at the use of an Accelerated Diagnostic Protocol, as well as other treatment methods, and how these protocols might lower treatment costs and shorten hospital stays.

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The Michigan Technology Leaders event gave its 2006 Michigan Corporate Partnership Award to SpaceForm Inc., a spinout company of Delphi Technologies Inc., a unit of Delphi Corp. The award is intended to identify, create, support and honor significant partnerships between Michigan companies and local individuals or groups benefiting the technology community. It is noted that SpaceForm has collaborated with organizations and institutions such as Wayne State University, NASA and Automation Alley in its commercialization of Delphi\'s patented \"deformation resistance welding\" technology.

Kresge Foundation makes $3 million challenge grant to Wayne State

Wayne State University has been awarded a $3 million challenge grant by The Kresge Foundation for construction of the Richard J. Mazurek M.D. Medical Education Commons. The medical school will receive the money provided it can raise an additional $20 million to fund the project. "Education is a very strong category in our grant program," said Kresge President John Marshall III. "When public universities do fundraising with individuals and corporations, that's tapping into a potential for gift support that we are very happy to assist."

NPR gives WDET-FM a boost

More people listened to WDET this winter than last fall, according to Arbitron. That means the station has more listeners now than before the programming changes put through by station manager Michael Coleman in mid-December. In simple numbers, the station\'s average quarter-hour share (people listening for at least five minutes during any 15-minute period) is now 161,000 listeners, compared to 149,600 in the fall book. \"Certainly we have some work to do, but we\'re very encouraged by the numbers,\" says Kevin Piotrowski, WDET\'s public relations director. \"Knowing that some listeners went away, but we still have a net gain of more than 11,000 listeners, that means that those listeners were made up for, plus, plus.\"

WSU Gets Grant For Planned Medical Complex

Detroit\'s Wayne State University School of Medicine will use a $3 million grant from The Kresge Foundation to help fund a new 34,000-square-foot, two-story complex to serve students and the community. The planned Richard J. Mazurek M.D. Medical Education Commons is to offer School of Medicine students "one-stop shopping" for all administrative, support and learning services. In addition, the complex will serve the community by offering educational programs, health information services and the commitment of WSU medical students to serve those in need.

Karmanos Cancer Center completes collaboration deal with Turkish center

A medical collaboration between the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute and a cancer center in Istanbul, Turkey, will give international patients the opportunity to seek medical advice in the U.S. John Ruckdeschel, president and CEO of Karmanos, signed an agreement Wednesday with Bilger Duruman, president and CEO of Metropolitan Florence Nightingale Hospital and Cancer Center, and Cemsid Demiroglu, chair of the center's management board. The agreement allows doctors at Karmanos to review patients' cases in Turkey and recommend treatment. "This agreement broadens the base for patients," Ruckdeschel said. "It also allows us the opportunity to do the process of international patient care right." Ruckdeschel was introduced to the Turkish cancer center through Eti Gursel, chief of plastic surgery at Wayne State University, who is from Turkey. "Karmanos is a very good institution," Duruman said. "Wayne State is also a good university and to collaborate with these places is a wonderful thing."

Asterand Releases New Weapon for Fighting Breast Cancer

Detroit-based human tissue bank Asterand Inc. last week announced that it has made available a new cell line that offers researchers an important tool in the study of breast cancer. Asterand Chief Scientific Officer James Eliason said the cells were derived from normal mammary cells that developed cancer, representing a form of breast cancer that accounts for about 25 to 30 percent of newly diagnosed cases. The cell line is being made available to researchers under an exclusive license from the Karmanos Cancer Institute, which is affiliated with Wayne State University. It is expected to be valuable for the testing of chemopreventive agents and for screening cancer-causing agents, in addition to screening anti-cancer drugs.