News
Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Grant Funds New Research at UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine
STRATFORD - Explorations into the causes of Alzheimer’s disease, the impact of strokes and the connection between spirituality and depression in older patients with chronic pain are among the seven research studies by faculty and students at the UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine that are the first to receive funding from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Endowment for Primary Care Research at the medical school.
"I’m pleased to announce these initial awards to our faculty and students," said Dr. Thomas Cavalieri, interim dean of the UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine. "Discovering new ideas and developing cutting-edge knowledge that prevent, treat and cure disease are essential to our school’s mission."
The Osteopathic Heritage Foundation of Columbus, Ohio, funds projects designed to improve health and quality of life through education, research and service consistent with its osteopathic heritage. Two years ago, in recognition of the excellent programs offered through the UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine, the Foundation awarded $2 million to establish the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Endowed Chair in Primary Care Research at the school. The New Jersey Health Foundation, through its affiliate, the Foundation of UMDNJ, provided a 20 percent match for the gift, adding $400,000 to the endowment. The following are the first group of research awards funded by the endowment.
Faculty Research ($7,000 each)
- Dr. David Mason, of Cherry Hill, for "Identification and treatment of somatic dysfunction and its effects on the gait cycle of patients post-CVA."
- Dr. Steven Dinsmore, of Cherry Hill, for "Neuron-binding autoantibodies and Alzheimer’s disease progression, a longitudinal study."
Student Scholars Program ($2,000 each)
- Peter Clifford, of Mantua, for "Disruption of the stably-inherited chromosomal rosette spatial pattern in carcinogenesis."
- Nisha Dave, of Succasunna, for "South Asian elderly and depression: Issues likely to be of concern."
- Mary Ann McLaughlin, of Allenhurst, for "correlating depression and spirituality in geriatric patients with chronic pain."
- Vinita Magoon, of Salisbury, MD, for "Retrospective study of correlation between proton-pump inhibitor use in nursing home patients and clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea."
- Randel Swanson, II, of Martinsville, WV, for " Mechanical signal transduction occurring in fibroblasts during in vivo deformation of superficial fascia and its potential role in osteopathic manipulation."
UMDNJ is the nation's largest free-standing public health sciences university with more than 5,500 students attending the state's three medical schools, its only dental school, a graduate school of biomedical sciences, a school of health related professions, a school of nursing and its only school of public health, on five campuses. Last year, there were more than two million patient visits to UMDNJ facilities and faculty at campuses in Newark, New Brunswick/Piscataway, Scotch Plains, Camden and Stratford. UMDNJ operates University Hospital, a Level I Trauma Center in Newark, and University Behavioral HealthCare, a mental health and addiction services network.
