Dr. Susan L. Lindquist, a member of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, will deliver the 35th annual West Texas Medical Associates Distinguished Lectureship in Science Honoring Dr. Roy E. Moon on Tuesday, March 22, in the ASU Houston Harte University Center, 1910 Rosemont Drive.

Lindquist’s talk, titled “Using Very Simple Organisms to Help Solve Very Difficult Diseases,” will begin at 8 p.m. March 22 in the University Center’s C.J. Davidson Conference Center. Prior to the public lecture, Lindquist will also meet with ASU students to discuss “Lamarck Redux: Prions, Hsp90, and the Inheritance of Environmentally Acquired Traits” at 2 p.m. Both lectures are open free to the public.

A pioneer in the study of protein folding, Lindquist established that the state of protein equilibrium has profound and completely unexpected effects on normal biology and disease. Her work also established the molecular basis for protein-based mechanisms of inheritance. More recently, she has built tractable genetic models of complex protein misfolding diseases, including Parkinson’s and Huntington’s, which are providing new insights on the underlying causes of these ailments.

The WTMA Lectureship honors Dr. Roy E. Moon, a longtime San Angelo obstetrician and gynecologist, who died in 1976. He practiced for 28 years with Clinic Hospital Medical Associates, now West Texas Medical Associates. The lectureship was established in 1976 and is underwritten by a grant to ASU from members of WTMA.

Paula Baker is a West Texas native who has over 17 years of hospital experience including: Pediatrics, Emergency Room and Newborn care. Ms. Baker has long been recognized as an instructor and course director for emergency pediatric courses such as Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Pediatric Emergency Assessment and Recognition of Shock (PEARS) and Neonatal Resuscitation (NRP). Additionally, she has authored asthma and seizure education modules for The State of Texas- School Health Guidelines - Children With Special Health Care Needs. A graduate of Texas Tech Health Sciences Center in Lubbock, Ms. Baker continues to serve parents and children right here in West Texas.

Ms. Baker says, “My calling and talent are taking care of children and their parents. It is an absolute pleasure to be doing what I love right here in San Angelo, Texas.” She has joined Dr. Penni Cambre and Jennifer Marburger, PNP, at West Texas Medical Associates and is now accepting new patients to her practice.

Ms. Baker is an artist and enjoys painting. She truly is a “baker”, often arriving at the Pedi office with her warm treats. She gets most of her enjoyment from spending time with her family. Ms. Baker’s office is located in the main building of WTMA at 3555 Knickerbocker Rd. If you would like additional information or would like to schedule an appointment you may call 325-224-5151.

Pictured are children Jackson and Jillian who are proud to share their Mommy with you. Her husband, Brad Baker, is a local business owner.

In his spare time Dr. Anderson enjoys fishing, hunting and spending time with his wife and two daughters.

Dr. Anderson’s office will be in the WTMA building located at 3605 Executive Dr. You may schedule appointments by calling 325-224-5121.

At a glance:

Specialty: Podiatry

Education: Undergraduate at Angelo State University and medical school at Des Moines University – Osteopathic Medical Center – College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery, residency at Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Surgical Hospital of Oklahoma, L.L.C.

Vision disorders are often difficult to detect, especially in young children. Most children believe they see the way everyone sees even though they have a vision problem. Many of these problems go undetected until it is too late to correct the problem.

If left undetected and untreated, many vision problems, like amblyopia, can result in permanent blindness. Amblyopia is commonly called “lazy eye” which is a misalignment of a child’s eye and is seen by observers as crossed eyes. In addition, children who have visual impairments may have greater difficulty learning and their social development can be negatively affected.

Having an Enfant® VEP Vision test allows the Pediatrics Department of WTMA to examine your child’s entire vision system starting at 6 months of age. VEP (Visual Evoked Potential) evaluates a child’s response to external stimuli. The Enfant is able to identify optical or neural abnormalities related to vision that a pediatrician could not otherwise detect. Since starting this testing in October 2010, the Pediatrics Department of WTMA has tested 50 children and already found five children with problems. If the test reveals a potential problem with your child’s eyes, you may be asked to visit an eye care professional for further examination.

Dr. Narasimha Rao and her family are new to the San Angelo area. Her hobbies include reading, painting and spending time with her two children.

Dr. Narasimha Rao’s office is located on the 2nd floor of West Texas Medical Associates at 3555 Knickerbocker Rd. To schedule an appointment, please call (325) 224-5191.

WTMA is proud to welcome home Lucas Heartsill, M.D. along with his wife Colleen Kelly Heartsill, M.D. Both will be joining the Department of Anesthesiology at West Texas Medical Associates.

Dr. Lucas Heartsill earned his B.S. from Angelo State University in 2001, his M.D. from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 2006, and completed his anesthesiology residency in 2010 at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Dr. Colleen Kelly Heartsill graduated with a B.A. from Vanderbilt University in 2000, earned her M.D. from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 2004 and completed her anesthesiology residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in 2008. She is board certified in anesthesiology and has held the position of Assistant Professor at UT Southwestern for the past two years.

The Heartsills have moved back to San Angelo with a beautiful four month old daughter, Elizabeth Corinne Heartsill. They are thrilled to be close to family again. In addition to being new parents, the couple also enjoys hot-air-ballooning, ranching, and Texas football.

In her free time, Dr. Jolly enjoys horseback riding, reading, and spending time with her family, friends, and adored pets.

Dr. Jolly’s office will be located at 3605 Executive Drive. If you would like additional information or to schedule an appointment, you may call 325-224-5273.

In the past patients would undergo vein stripping surgery for varicose veins with leg discomfort, but now patients can be treated with the VNUS® Closure® procedure – a minimally invasive and more comfortable alternative to painful vein stripping. Dr. Patrick Gibson is now performing this procedure on patients at West Texas Medical Associates.

Many factors contribute to venous reflux disease. This disease develops when the valves that keep blood flowing out of the legs and back to the heart become damaged or diseased. This can lead to symptoms of varicose veins, pain, swollen limbs, leg heaviness and fatigue, and skin changes and ulcers.

If your physician determines you are a candidate for the closure procedure, it can be performed on an outpatient basis. Using ultrasound, your physician will position the Closure catheter into a diseased vein through a small opening in the skin and a tiny catheter powered by radio-frequency (RF) energy delivers heat to the vein wall. As this energy is delivered, the vein wall shrinks and the vein is closed. Once the diseased vein is closed, the blood is re-routed to healthy veins.