Experts | University of the Sciences

Research Day Showcases Faculty and Student Research

From metabolic engineering to computational chemistry and from structural prediction of proteins to rational design of new therapeutics, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia showcased the diversity and growth of research pursuits on campus during its 7th Annual Research Day starting on Thursday, April 2, 2009. Posters representing approximately 120 topics were on display.

Research Day recognizes undergraduate and graduate student research efforts, and highlights aspects of faculty scholarly activity to encourage and promote communication and collaboration among investigators. The University is distinctive in that most undergraduate students conduct research with faculty early in their academic careers.

The diverse research activity on display spans several aspects of the University’s scholarly pursuits, including:

• Biological Sciences: Dr. Jennifer Anthony’s research involving the metabolic engineering of E. coli for the production of vitamin A.
  • Chemistry: Dr. Randy Zauhar’s use of computer-aided drug design to identify new antimicrobial lead compounds.
• Pharmaceutical Sciences: Dr. Bin Chen’s evaluation of the effects of vascular-targeting photodynamic therapy on prostate cancer metastasis.
• Physical Therapy: Dr. Therese Johnston’s usage of treadmill training for children with cerebral palsy.
• Social Sciences: Psychology major Mark Paullin’s (Philadelphia, Pa.) study of mild cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s disease.
• Health Policy: Master in public health major Sekinat Kekere-Ekun’s (Deptford, N.J.) work on the descriptive epidemiology of viral hepatitis in methadone maintenance clients.
• Pharmacy Practice: Doctor of pharmacy students Neha Patel (Fairless Hills, Pa.), Puja Patel (Hillsborough, N.J.), and Isha Shah’s (Bensalem, Pa.) analysis of the usage of ondansetron in non-chemotherapy patients at a community teaching hospital.

The Affect of the Obama Stimulus Plan on Geriatric Healthcare

Change is coming – in the form of the Stimulus Package as well as President Obama’s healthcare reform plan – actually change is clearly upon us.

Where the Billions are Headed for Healthcare (in millions)

Renovation and health IT purchases for community health centers $2,000 Training of nurses, primary care physicians, dentists to practice in underserved communities in the National Health Service Corps $500 National Institutes of Health biomedical research $9,500 National Institutes of Health buildings and facilities repairs and renovations $500 Funding for research comparing effectiveness of treatments funded by Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP $1,100 Grants to states for childcare services for low-income working parents $2,000 "Head Start" programs for low-income preschoolers $1,000 "Early Head Start" programs for low-income infants $1,100 Grants for community employment, food, housing and healthcare projects $1,000 Grants to faith-based and community organizations $50 Grants for elderly nutrition services including Meals on Wheels $100 Extra money for Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology $2,000 Funding for community preventative health campaigns, vaccination programs, healthcare-associated infection reduction strategies >$1,000 Funding to improve IT security at the Department of Health and Human Services $50 Oversight of Department of Health and Human Services spending $17 Incentive payments to hospitals and physicians who computerize medical-records systems $17,559 Federal aid to states for Medicaid spending $90,044

One big area of investment is in Electronic Health Reports (EHR), $20B has been set aside for the purpose of making all health records electronic. To accomplish this the Secretary of Health and Human Services has been tasked with investing in the infrastructure necessary to allow for and promote the electronic exchange and use of health information for each individual in the United States consistent with the goals outlined in the Strategic Plan developed by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Such investment can be used for the acquisition of hardware or software provided the products are certified to permit the full and accurate electronic exchange and use of health information in a medical record, including standards for security, privacy, and quality improvement functions adopted by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. The estimate of this investment is that it will contribute in the form of bonuses $11M to hospitals and between $44K and $64K per physician of course there are significant costs associated with these bonuses.