Recent lapses in the handling of highly toxic and pathogenic materials at several federal laboratories have prompted the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to announce a new biosafety stewardship initiative.

Numerous Emergency Medicine residents, physicians and staff shaved their heads in support of second-year EM resident Ryan Fritz, M.D., MBA, who is currently undergoing chemotherapy for testicular cancer. Fritz was diagnosed earlier this year and underwent surgery, but routine testing later revealed the cancer had spread, thus warranting further treatment.

Roger Dmochowski, M.D., MMHC, professor of Urology and of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Vanderbilt, has been elected a trustee to the American Board of Urology for a six-year term.

Cynthia Facemire, MMCH, R.D., LDN, administrative director of Vanderbilt University Hospital Expansion and Transition, has been named to receive the Medallion Award from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at the organization’s upcoming Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo in Atlanta.

Bernard Lo, M.D., director emeritus of the Program in Medical Ethics at the University of California, San Francisco, spoke on issues surrounding end-of-life decisions at his recent Flexner Discovery Lecture.

Graduate student Patrice Wagner receives her flu shot at Wednesday’s Flulapalooza mass vaccination event.