Sept. 26: Joshua Wynne presents Faculty Lecture, ‘From Throat Ache to Heartache’
“From Throat Ache to Heartache – A Tale of Rheumatic Fever Through Time and Across Continents” will be presented Wednesday, Sept. 26, by Dr. Joshua Wynne, Vice President for Health Affairs and Dean of the School of Medicine & Health Sciences. A 4 p.m. reception will precede the 4:30 p.m. lecture at the Memorial Union Lecture Bowl.
Left untreated, the bacteria that causes strep throat can result in rheumatic fever—which can damage heart valves, leading to the need for heart surgery. Although antibiotics have all but eliminated rheumatic fever in developed countries, the condition remains widespread elsewhere in the world. But a study by Dr. Wynne and his colleagues demonstrated that a balloon device similar to one used in angioplasty is as effective as surgery at opening narrow heart valves on patients with heart damage caused by rheumatic fever. Plus—it’s cheaper, offers a shorter recovery period, and is typically safer.
After receiving his medical degree from Boston University, Wynne completed residencies in internal medicine and cardiology at Harvard Medical School’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Following two decades in Michigan, in 2004 he was recruited to UND to serve as Executive Associate Dean and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences (SMHS). Wynne was named UND’s Vice President for Health Affairs and Dean of the SMHS in 2010. He has authored or co-authored more than 80 peer-reviewed manuscripts, 60 review articles, several book chapters, and one book.
This lecture is free and open to the public. Free parking is available south of Columbia Hall, across University Ave from the Memorial Union.
