Research and Grants Furthering the Pursuit of Innovation and Exploration in Healthcare and Education An important resource for students, faculty and staff, the Office of Research provides support and guidance for research activities, such as statistical consulting, an intramural grant program, and a searchable database of extramural grant opportunities.
Publications Amanda Brooks, PhD, Director of Research and Scholarly Activities, published a paper with her graduate students and colleagues entitled “Development and processing of novel heparin binding functionally modified spider silk coating for a catheter, providing dual antimicrobial and anticoagulant properties” in the journal Materialia. It describes not only the connection between infection and thrombosis but also the novel use of a biologically inspired molecule, a heparin binder, to disrupt both pathologies. The heparin binding molecule was embedded in a spider silk protein to produce a robust surface coating. The team found that such an approach could prevent both blood clot formations, as well as adhesion of bacteria and infection of the surface.
Fernando Gomez, MD, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Professor of Pathology, published research in Allergy and Asthma Proceedings titled, “COVID-19 in children: Pathogenesis and current status.” The article reviews and critically assesses published studies on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and COVID-19 disease in children. It covers the clinical presentations, immunology, and pathogenesis of two distinct but overlapping phases of COVID-19 disease in children: the first phase is triggered by the SARS-CoV-2 infection and some patients progress to a second phase termed multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) caused by a host hyper immune response. The article highlights that although MISC may have symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease it is a distinct entity from Kawasaki disease.
Dr. Brooks also published a paper entitled, “Echogenic exosomes as ultrasound contrast agents” in the journal Nanoscale Advances, a member journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry. In the article, Dr. Brooks and her colleagues describe how exosomes, which are naturally secreted bilayer vesicles, can be isolated and modified to be echogenic, a particularly useful modification for ultrasound imaging. The work is continuing toward preclinical evaluation at the University of Washington and North Dakota State University. Dr. Brooks also published an extensive review entitled, “Additive Manufacturing Techniques for Fabrication of Bone Scaffold for Tissue Engineering Applications.” The review considers the utility of 3D printing and other similar techniques for bone tissue engineering. The article was published in the journal Recent Progress in Materials. Jesse Dewey, OMS IV, has published research in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. His research, titled, "Man with recurrent necrotic papules," describes two patients who presented with various lesions. These lesions began as erythematous nodules, became ulcerated with central eschar, healed without scarring, then recurred in new locations.
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Marcus Oliver, OMS IV, Ben Robbins, OMS IV, and Eryn Reager, OMS III, published research, titled "BMI & Body Fat Changes in Medical Students," originated from SD Oliver's own observations. After noticing unhealthy weight changes in fellow classmates and himself, he became interested in conducting a research project about how medical school can affect a student's body weight in the first year. The research, which was presented by the student doctors to various Utahan physicians in August, delved into those changes, the potential long-term sequelae, and where it is headed.
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