Staff Highlights

Honors and Awards

CAPT Leslie Cooper, ERB, DESPR, was deployed (March 17 -19, 2004) as part of the United States Public Health Services Commissioned Corps Readiness Force. The Washington, DC Department of Health (DC DOH) requested Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) assistance in responding to reports of elevated lead levels in residential tap water. The DC Emergency Medical System Administration was activated and requested assistance from Vice Admiral, Richard Carmona, United States Surgeon General to deploy officers from the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (USPHSCC) to respond to this public health crisis. Captain Cooper served both as an epidemiologist and a nurse doing data collection and venipunctures during this deployment.

Dr. Nemeth-Coslett, DTR&D, has accepted the nomination as the Vice President of Education for the Executive Toastmasters Club, 2004-2005.

In March 2004, CAPT Steve Oversby, DTR&D, was awarded a Certificate of Recognition from Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense, and also received a Letter of Commendation from the President of the U.S. Naval War College, upon completion of the Joint Maritime Operational Warfare graduate course.

Dr. Dorota Zolkowska, IRP, Visiting Fellow in the Integrative Neuroscience Section, Behavioral Neuroscience Branch, NIDA/IRP, was a recipient of the 2004 FARE Award for presentation of her research entitled: "Prevention of the Neurotoxic Effect of Dynorphin by Use of a Targeted Proteomics Approach" at the Annual Society for Neuroscience Meeting in New Orleans, LA.

Dr. Mu-Fa Zou, IRP, Medicinal Chemistry Section, Medications Discovery Branch was promoted to Staff Scientist in January 2004.

Staff Changes

Helen Cesari, M.Sc., Associate Director, CAMCODA, has been on assignment detail with the Office of the Director as Special Assistant to the Deputy Director since February 10, 2004.

Thomas Kresina, Ph.D, Deputy Director, CAMCODA, has been on assignment detail with Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) SAMHSA since April 5, 2004.

Azeekat Abu joined OPRM's Grants Management Branch as a Grants Management Specialist on March 21, 2004.

Veronica Holland-Lawrence, CAMCODA, accepted a new position with NIDDK, April 19, 2004.