The Office of Research announces the departure of John Dooley, CORE Research Coordinator, effective May 31. We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors, and thank him for his assistance to the researchers in the CORE.
The Ohio University Board of Trustees approved the creation of the Center for Appalachian and Rural Health Research at the College of Osteopathic Medicine during their April 1999 meeting. The Center will conduct studies examining epidemiological, health-care delivery, education, and policy issues that affect the health of rural Ohioans.
Unlike most health-care research centers, the Center for Appalachian and Rural Health Research will be interdisciplinary, according to the Center's Director, Al Pheley, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Family Medicine. Working with Southeast Ohio communities, researchers from across the University will develop collaborative research projects to address rural health and health-care delivery issues.
The Center for Appalachian and Rural Health Research will encourage the development of interdisciplinary projects among OU faculty while building stronger ties with the community. Located in the heart of Appalachia, OU and OU-COM are in an excellent position to be a leader in understanding the relationship between rural living and health. By bringing faculty together and working with the residents of the region, investigators can look outside the boundaries of traditional rural health research and develop more effective strategies for improving the health status of our region and of other rural areas across the country.
During the summer of 1998, Pheley, and other investigators from the OU campus, conducted a survey of over 1,000 individuals in Southeast Ohio. This project, supported by the Tri-County Community Action Agency and OU-COM, employed medical, college and high school students to collect information using a 12-page questionnaire about health status, visits to health-care providers, and hunger. The results of this evaluation showed much higher rates in Southeastern Ohio of diabetes and tobacco use than the comparable national and state rates, for example, and provided a foundation from which the Center was developed. Although the Appalachian region has seen significant improvements in the quality of life over the past several years, this data has identified several areas where efforts can be directed. Through the new Center, researchers from the University are developing a project for this summer that will look at approximately 5,000 residents in the region to collect additional information that will help guide future projects.
Appalachia consists of counties in 13 states, from New York to Mississippi, that lie in or border the Appalachian mountain range. The Appalachian region of Ohio consists of 29 counties in the southeastern part of the state, with a population of 1.37 million people in 1990. Like most rural areas, Appalachian populations are poorer, older and have more health problems than urban populations. In addition, rural areas tend to have fewer physicians, hospitals and well-developed roads, making it more difficult to obtain health care when it is needed.
The problems related to health and the health-care system in rural areas today - access, cost, availability, education - require creative solutions that can only be the result of the combined efforts of people from many disciplines. The Center for Appalachian and Rural Health Research will work closely with communities, health care organizations and providers, and business and industry leaders to help identify problems, barriers, and solutions.
 Jack Blazyk |
 Jack Brose |
 Al Pheley |
 Lori Arnott |
 Paula Pheley |
 Judi Rioch |
In an effort to help you to better understand the services provided by the Office of Research, we have compiled a list of research-related services that each person in our area provides. Simply click on a pic to see what ticks! If you have any questions, contact Judi at 740-593-2336. She can assist you in determining the best resource for your situation.
The CORE Research Committee has funds available in fiscal year 1999-2000 for organizing and implementing resident and student research projects at CORE hospitals. The awards are competitive, and can be up to $5,000 (smaller projects are encouraged). All projects should have the potential for publication in a scientific journal, and funding will be awarded on a project-by-project basis while funds are available.
The CORE Research Committee will review proposals based on (1) the scientific merit of the project, (2) year of training (residents have priority over students), and (3) the potential for publication. Residents and students are required to have a faculty mentor who will ultimately be responsible for the successful implementation of the project. The selection committee will assist in establishing linkages between students/residents and clinical faculty where appropriate. All selected proposals must be reviewed and approved by the Ohio University Institutional Review Board before funding.
Proposals should be submitted in two stages. The pre-proposal is intended to provide a general idea of the proposed project so that the selection committee can give feedback and, as appropriate, assist in establishing resident/student-mentor linkages. Based on the initial review, selected projects will be invited for submission in greater detail. Each project must include a timetable that will be reviewed by the funding committee. Awarded funds must be expended within the dates specified in the approved timetable.
If you are interested in submitting a pre-proposal, contact Judi Rioch at 740-593-2336 for further details and a copy of the required cover sheet.
Jack Blazyk, Ph.D., Al Pheley, Ph.D., and Chris Simpson, D.O., traveled to Washington, D.C., in February to participate in the Rural Health Policy Institute, sponsored by the National Rural Health Association. The focus of the meeting was to identify the major challenges facing rural health care in America and to bring these matters to the attention of national policymakers in Congress. Dr. Blazyk is the Associate Dean for Research at OU-COM. Drs. Pheley and Simpson are the Director and Assistant Director, respectively, of the newly-created Center for Appalachian and Rural Health Research at Ohio University. The three held meetings with Rep. Ted Strickland, Sen. Mike DeWine, and a health policy staff member from Sen. George Voinovich's office to present the new Center and advance other rural health issues. The OU-COM representatives also visited the offices of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda. There, they discussed the recent program announcement for Osteopathic Clinical Trial Pilot Grants with Dr. Richard Nahin, acting director of NCCAM. Two grant proposals already have been submitted from OU-COM and several more are anticipated in response to this announcement.
TROPHY is a nationwide clinical trial evaluating the feasibility of preventing hypertension in a high-risk group of patients. The University Osteopathic Medical Center is one of 111 sites throughout the U.S. and only one of seven sites in Ohio participating in this trial. Jack Brose, D.O., is the primary investigator at Ohio University. Chris Simpson, D.O., and James Sammons, D.O., are sub-investigators.
This four-year clinical trial will assess the medication's ability to prevent hypertension by interfering with the actions of angiotensin II. Subjects who qualify will receive medical care over the four year period. If the blood pressure becomes elevated during the trial, a clinical endpoint is reached, but their care in the study is continued. Treatment of the hypertension is included in this trial.
Recruitment for the clinical research trials is ongoing. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Lori Arnott, R.N., or Jack Brose, D.O.
In April, Judith Rhue, Ph.D., and Martina Ferraro, MS II, presented a paper at the Southwestern Psychological Association meeting held in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The paper, titled "Multiple Birth Children: Normative Development, Delays, and Parental Interaction," was the result of a study conducted during last summer funded by the Office of Research.
A two-page survey was printed in the quarterly publications of two support groups, The Triplet Connection and Mothers of Supertwins. Data was received from 289 families comprising 261 triplet sets and 28 quadruplet sets. Dr. Rhue is doing a follow-up study that focuses on the development of multiple-birth children as they reach school age.
Ms. Ferraro's participation in the project was through the Research and Scholarly Advancement Fellowship Program, also sponsored by the Office of Research. Additional information about the study can be obtained by contacting Dr. Rhue at 740-593-2224 or rhue@ohiou.edu.
PI: Audrone Biknevicus, Ph.D., Larry Witmer, Ph.D., Steve Riley, Ph.D., Bhavin Mehta, Ph.D.
Agency: NSF
Title: Integrative program in evolutionary bioengineering
Amount: 2,022,637
PI:Jack Blazyk, Ph.D.
Agency: NIH
Title: Design of novel linear cationic antimicrobial peptides
Amount: $144,000
PI: Xiao Chen, Ph.D.
Agency: NIH
Title: Development of a zebrafish model for rapid gene function determination
Amount: $611,120
PI: Richard Klabunde, Ph.D.
Agency: NIH
Title: Mechanisms of cardiovascular dysfunction in septic shock
Amount: $144,000
PI: Al Pheley, Ph.D.
Agency: Agency for Health Care Policy Research
Title: Health risk and utilization profiles of rural communities
Amount: $1,053,333
PI: Linda Ross, Ph.D.
Agency: Deafness Research Foundation
Title: Connexins and cell death in the developing auditory brainstem
Amount: $20,000
Contact Judi Rioch at 740-593-2336 or rioch@ohiou.edu for details
Funds 1) efforts leading to the probable development of a research project, 2) accomplishment of a specific pilot project, and 3) accomplishment of data collection that might lead to development of another research project
Deadlines: July 1, 1999 and January 5, 2000
Award: 90 days after deadline
Amount: $5,000 - $20,000
To encourage investigators to enter the field of cancer research and to enable them to accumulate data that will lead to continued cancer research projects funded by National agencies
Deadline: July 1, 1999
Award: November 1, 1999
Amount: $20,000
Clinical Research Grants and Research Grants
Provide starter or seed money to new investigators working on clinical problems relevant to lung disease
Deadline: November 1, 1999
Award: July 1, 2000
Amount: $25,000
Dalsemer Research Scholar Award
Supports research in interstitial lung disease
Deadline: November 1, 1999
Award: July 1, 2000
Amount: $25,000
Career Investigator Awards and Johnnie Murphy Career Investigator Award
Provide stable salary and/or project support for investigators making transition from junior to mid-level faculty
Deadline: October 1, 1999
Award: July 1, 2000
Amount: $35,000
Four-year career development award by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Deadline: September 30, 1999
Award: May 1, 2000
Amount: $240,000
Support research in the field of headache and pain
Deadline: December 1, 1999
Award: March 1, 2000
Research Project Grants (R01)
Research project grants are awarded to institutions on behalf of a principal investigator to facilitate pursuit of a scientific focus or objective in the area of the investigator's interest and competence. Institutional sponsorship assures the NIH that the institution will provide facilities necessary to accomplish the research and will be accountable for the grant funds. Applications are accepted for health-related research and development in all areas within the scope of NIH's mission.
Deadline: October 1, 1999
Award: July 1, 2000
Amount: Up to $500,000/year for up to 5 years
Academic Research Enhancement Award (R15)
The Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) is designed to enhance the research environment of educational institutions that have not been traditional recipients of NIH research funds. This award provides limited funds for faculty members of these institutions to develop new research projects or expand ongoing research activities in areas related to the health sciences and to encourage students to participate in the research activity.
Deadline: September 25, 1999
Award: July 1, 2000
Amount: $100,000
Supports fundamental as well as applied studies, non-clinical or clinical in nature, including projects in patient management, care and rehabilitation
Deadline: August 1, 1999
Award: April 1, 2000
October 24-27, 1999
Moscone Convention Center
San Francisco, CA
