10 — THE BULLETIN — Thursday, August 11. 1994
JWB Staff
What Dr. Jerry Shapiro does to some people is enough to make their hair stand on end.
Shapiro is director of UBCs Hair Clinic: Research, Treatment and Transplant Centre. Since 1986 his clinic has been helping patients deal with hair loss.
Originally from Montreal, Shapiro completed his medical degree at McGili University. After a one-year internship at Hamilton's McMaster University, the young physician came to UBC in 1982 to do postgraduate training in dermatology.
In an interview with The Bulletin, Shapiro said he was motivated to study dermatology because "skin diseases are external, and, therefore, easier to evaluate."
His interest in the subject was encouraged by the division of dermatology at uBC's Faculty of Medicine, to the extent that Shapiro was invited by then-department head Dr. William Stewart to start the hair clinic, the first in Canada to treat hair diseases medically and surgically.
Shapiro estimated that he devotes about one-third of his time to hair clinic patients, and the remaining two-thirds to his private dermatology practices.
Despite a three-month
HAIR EXPERT Dr. Jerry Shap9ro consults with a patient.
treating alopecia areata, a type of hair loss.
The disease, which usually starts with one or more small oval patches on the scalp, affects one in 100 people by age 50. according to a 196Ds Mayo Clinic study. Symptoms range in severity from partial baldness of the scalp to complete loss of hair from all parts of the body.
In 1991, Shapiro began treating alopecia areata patients with diphencyprone
waitmg list, the UBC hair (dpcP), an experimental clmic sees 500 new patients ^rug used successfully in every year. A unique feature ^ ^^^^^ 1953 at the clinic is its expertise m j^e achieved cosmetically
acceptable hair growth in 40 percent of the patients in the study, with improved coarseness, color and thickness.
Dr. Shapiro is currently investigating the potential effectiveness of another drug, cyclosporine, in treating alopecia areata.
When asked the reason for his interest in this particular hair disease, he replied without hesitation: "It's a fascinating disease to study, with a number of different
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aspects to it. And when a patient with the disease responds positively to treatment, the improvement is dramatic."
Given his dedication to studying the disease, it's not surprising Shapiro has become an expert on alopecia areata, speaking on the subject all over the world.
The doctor also estimates he spends about 15 percent of his time doing hair transplants at the UBC cHnic. As the dermatologist describes it, a hair transplant procedure is simple and successful:
"I start by taking a strip of scalp from the back of the patient's head, and cutting it into small pieces." The pieces, called "plugs", contain between one and four individual hairs each. The plugs are then distributed to bald areas," Shapiro explained. "In one sitting, I can transplant 300-400 plugs."
It takes an average of four sittings to fill in one bald area, he pointed out.
Procedures which are not covered by the B.C. Medical Services Plan are paid for by patients. A portion of the revenues from hair transplants goes back to the university for other dermato-logical research.
In addition to running the
UBC hair clinic. Dr. Shapiro acts as a consulting dermatologist at several Lower Mainland hospitals, runs four private practices from West Vancouver to Chilliwack, teaches and undertakes research.
He has also appeared on numerous radio and TV programs discussing and answering questions about hair loss and dermatological problems in general.
"I work long hours, six days a week," Shapiro said. "I drive an average of 1,000 kilometers a week. I'm rarely home." With his busy schedule, Shapiro has not yet found the time to get married. "Perhaps this article will change that," he chuckled.
But even with a busy practice, he has not forgotten his Jewish roots. In October 1993. the Congregation Har El member and his father, Faivish, went on a 10-day visit to Russia, including St. Petersburg.
They visited the elder Shapiro's hometown of Pos-tavy, as well as Miadzol, the Belarus village of Brajna, his late mother. Dr. Shapiro found the visit to Miadzol, a small town which was part of Poland before the Second World War, a moving one.
"My grandparents were murdered there by the Nazis. I said kaddish at a monument which has been erected to the memory of the Jews who were killed in Miadzol."
Deal links libraries
1 » T*
agreement of cooperation between the Jewish National and University Library of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Central Scientific Library of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine will make available to Israeli researchers previously inaccessible material on Jewish history and culture.
The Ukrainian library also signed an agreement of co-operation with the Bloomfield Library for the Humanities and Social Sciences on HU's Mount
RECEIVING LIFE GOVERNOR certificate at LSH AGM is (left) Bert SmoUan. Presenting the award are president Lome Cristall (centre) and past president Chalm Kornffeld.
Lome Cristall was elected president of Louis Brier Home and Hospital at their annual general meeting held June 22.
This is Cristall's third consecutive term in the position.
Herschei Porte, Sam Zal-kow and Stanford Korsch win serve as vice-presidents.
fcsteile Jacobson is treasurer with Sid Greek as financial secretary. Recording secretary will be Valerie
UPCOMING
CHIEF RABBI LAU visits Vancouver. Schedule: Saturday, Schara Tzedeck, Aug. 13, 9 a.m. delivers sermon; delivers Dvar Torah, 8 p.m. at S.T.; Sunday, Aug. 14, dedication ceremony for Lohn Chapel at Schara Tzedeck Cemetery, New Westminster, 11:30 a.m.; luncheon at S.T. main auditorium, 1:30 p.m.; public address at Chabad House, 7:30 p.m_. Details: 736-7607.
SOUTH SURREY/ WHITE ROCK JCC picnic. Bring own lunch. Games and activities. Sunday, Aug. 14, 2-5 p.m. at Centennial Park (16 Ave. and 148 St.) Details with Ted Gerstl. 536-3745.
LOUIS BRIER HOME CALENDARS for 5755 are
Scopus campus. The library nowavailableat LBH, JCC,
is named in honor of Ber- Victoria JCC, The Bulletin,
nard M. and Louis M. La page d'or, Sabra Bakery,
Bloomfield of Montreal. Beth Israel and Eitz Chaim.
Asmoucha.
Bernard Reed continues as past president.
Serving a three-year term on the board of trustees are Andrea Jones, Ike Kolof, Cristall, Porte and Korsch.
Bert Smollan and Joseph Segal were elected as life governors.
Segal, who served as a board member for 9 years, also co-chaired the building expansion project.
Smollan has been treas-• urer for 9 years and was co-chair of the religious committee. He is also president of the Jewish Home for the Aged Foundation.
In an address to the crowd of 80 at the AGM, Cristall lauded the work of the board, citing them as guardians of an important trust — caring for the elderly and the infirm.
He cautioned that difficult times lay ahead due to financial restraints and said that above all else, the interest of LBH residents must remain in the forefront.
Rita Akselrod gave a report on quality assurance. Dr. Josephine Mallek addressed medical issues.
New LBH staff members spoke at the meeting. LBH medical coordinator Dr. Reva Adler, director of care Jan Thomas and social worker Charles Leibovitch presented reports.
Past presidents and life governor Chaim Kornfeld thanked Cristall for "outstanding leadership, devotion and unconditional support" to LBH and its residents.
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