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SOURCE ALERT: USC experts available to comment on drug-resistant tuberculosis, energy drinks and lung cancer

November 19, 2012


Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis
R. William DePaolo, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of microbiology and immunology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. He can discuss a recently identified strain of tuberculosis that is virtually untreatable and its implications for public health. "The emergence of a strain of tuberculosis that is virtually untreatable is due to the increase of multi-drug resistant strains over time," said DePaolo. "Given that tuberculosis is already highly contagious, this new strain is a major public health concern because it could cause major outbreaks and potentially a global pandemic."  Contact him at (323) 442-7981 or william.depaolo@med.usc.edu.

Energy Drinks
Sean Patrick Nordt, M.D., is assistant professor in clinical emergency medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and director of the section of toxicology. He is an expert in poison control and drug and alcohol abuse. He can address the dangers and potential reactions of mixing energy drinks with alcohol. "Energy drinks contain various substances and can have as much caffine as two to six cups of coffee per can," said Nordt. "Consuming caffeine in high doses can have serious side effects including abnormal heart rhythms, seizures and death. These effects can be increased by coingesting with similar stimulants like alcohol." Contact him at (619) 818-4593, cell; (323) 226-6667, office; or nordt@usc.edu.

Lung Cancer
Daniel S. Oh, M.D., is an assistant professor of thoracic surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and co-leader of the USC Norris Lung Cancer Program. An expert in the use of minimally invasive robotic surgery, he recently began seeing Korean-speaking patients in a clinic in the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles. "Asian men and women are at especially high risk for lung cancer due to rate of smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke in that community. We wanted to make it easier for non-English speaking Koreans in LA to find the best cancer treatment available to them." Contact him at (213) 400-1319, cell; (323) 442-9066, office; or daniel.oh@med.usc.edu.

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ABOUT KECK MEDICINE OF USC
Keck Medicine of USC encompasses the University of Southern California's medical school and clinical enterprise. It consists of the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the Keck Medical Center of USC.


Contacts: Leslie Ridgeway at (323) 442-2823 or lridgewa@usc.edu; Alison Trinidad at (323) 442-3941 or alison.trinidad@usc.edu