| Faculty research innovations are advancing
diagnostics, treatments and cures for
pervasive health care issues both here and abroad,
including diabetes, obesity, cancer,
neuromusculoskeletal disorders and cardiovascular
disease. One of the only drugs on the market that
effectively treats a physically and emotionally
devastating metabolic disorder called acromegaly was
developed here by one of our faculty members, Dr.
John Kopchick. Studies at OU-HCOM are shedding
light on the role of growth hormones in obesity,
aging and cancer; discovering new species of Arctic
fish and dinosaurs; examining the socio-cultural
influences in choosing obstetric anesthesia; and
studying the effect of osteopathic manipulation on
skin sympathetic nerve activity, among many other
topics and initiatives.
Our emphasis on research in medical education is
intended to improve patient outcomes and inspire new
generations of physicians and surgeons to pursue
careers as physician scientists, taking clinical
observations into the laboratory for study, then
putting those results to work in medical practice.
For students the research experience begins with
OU-HCOM faculty members. Often with the assistance
of medical students and graduate students in related
fields, Heritage College faculty members conduct
- basic, clinical and translational research;
- community-based, participatory research;
- social sciences and humanities research that
improves medical practice, treatment and health
care policies;
- and comparative biology and paleontology
research.
Within our
Department of Biomedical Sciences, our faculty
members are widely published scientists from diverse
biomedical and biological disciplines, dedicated to
basic research in the life sciences, applied
biomedical research and research in medical
education. Our
Department
of Social Medicine
comprises social scientists, humanities scholars and
physicians who study the dynamic interplay of
people, culture, and the environment, and its impact
on health care delivery and health outcomes. In
addition to teaching students and providing care for
patients in their clinical practices, faculty
members within our clinical departments, such as the
Departments of Family Medicine and
Specialty
Medicine, also conduct research, including
clinical trials.
The college supports three research institutes
that are advancing interdisciplinary initiatives:
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Faculty research efforts have earned national and
state recognition, including the following:
- In 2010, Ohio University was named the top
public school in the state for licensing revenue
generated from its research discoveries. It also
was ranked fourth in the nation for research
return on investment based on royalty income.
Those rankings are thanks in large part to the
growth hormone antagonist developed here at the
Heritage College and marketed worldwide by
Pfizer Inc.
- In 2010, Ohio University was named a “Center
of Excellence for Health and Wellness,”
recognizing the university’s—and the
college’s—state and national reputation for
research in diabetes, cancer and biosciences,
its commitment to rural health care and its
track record in generating revenue and jobs
through the development of drugs and
biotechnology start-up firms.
- Our research efforts earned a recent
commendation from the American
Osteopathic Association Commission on
Osteopathic College
Accreditation, which praised several of our
programs and facilities as well as our financial
and administrative support for research.
- In fiscal year 2009-2010, Heritage College
faculty and staff secured more than $3.1 million
in revenue from 56 research grants and clinical
trials.
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