Honoring DMU faculty for searching for answers

In addition to being a great day to ask questions, discover new knowledge and interact with highly engaged students, faculty and other scientists, the 10th annual DMU Research Symposium on Dec. 5, 2019, was an opportunity to honor DMU faculty for their work. The honors below pertain to research proposals submitted or awarded from Dec. 1, 2018, to Nov. 30, 2019.

The 2019 DMU Research Symposium drew more than 600 eager learners and scientists for its 10th anniversary.

People’s Choice Award, poster presentation: Martin Schmidt, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry and nutrition, “Effects of Back-to-Back Testing on Student Well-Being and Exam Performance – Preliminary Data”

Original presenter award for faculty member who presented or authored in ALL 10 years of DMU research symposiums: Martin Schmidt, Ph.D., 16 abstracts

10-year Mentor Award for faculty members with 10 years of consecutive student mentorship in the Mentored Student Research Program:

  • Shane McClinton, M.S.P.T., D.P.T., Ph.D., associate professor of physical therapy
  • Marie Nguyen, Ph.D., professor of microbiology and immunology
  • Vassilios Vardaxis, Ph.D., professor of physical therapy

First prime proposal submitted for a sponsored project as a principal investigator at DMU, federal:

  • Maria Barnes, Ph.D., assistant professor of biochemistry and nutrition, “Mechanisms of postmenopausal hypertension”; funding agency: National Institutes of Health, R01
  • Lauren Butaric, Ph.D., assistant professor of anatomy, “SINUSOiD: A new, user-friendly software program and database for positive identifications utilizing frontal sinus morphology”; funding agency: National Institute of Justice
  • Yujiang Fang, Ph.D., assistant professor of microbiology and immunology, “Pomegranate extract as a potential powerful radiosensitizer for prostate cancer”; funding agency: National Institutes of Health, R15
  • Megan Johnson, M.S.N., practice manager, DMU Family Medicine Clinic, “DMU Clinic Medication Management Accelerator Project”; funding agency: Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services
  • Kristin Lowry, Ph.D., associate professor of physical therapy, “Walking a curve: age-related differences and adaptations”; funding agency: National Institutes of Health, R15

First prime proposal submitted for a sponsored project as a principal investigator at DMU, non-federal external:

  • Rachel Dunn, Ph.D., associate professor of anatomy, “Understanding the evolution of fossil mammal aommunities in North America through screen washing for small mammals”; funding agency: National Geographic
  • Tami Swenson, Ph.D., assistant professor of public health, “Improving access to community-based physical activity and nutrition programs for older Iowans”; funding agency: Iowa Cancer Consortium

First sponsored project award received as a principal investigator at DMU, federal: Megan Johnson, M.S.N., practice manager, DMU Family Medicine Clinic, “DMU Clinic Medication Management Accelerator Project”; funding agency: Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services

First sponsored project award received as a principal investigator at DMU, non-federal external:

  • Leslie Wimsatt, Ph.D., associate dean academic assessment quality and development, College of Osteopathic Medicine, “Examining the efficacy of mobile device use in capturing and reporting entrustable professional activity data”: funding agency: AACOM; subaward, $3,750
  • Shannon Petersen, P.T., DSCPT, professor of physical therapy, “Musculoskeletal neck impairments in headaches attributed to rhinosinusitis”; funding agency: AAOMPT, Cardon Rehabilitation; $4,000
  • Pamela Duffy, P.T., Ph.D., vice chair, department of public health, “An evaluation of the effectiveness of Count the Kick stillbirth prevention campaign in educating expectant mothers to monitor fetal movement in an effort to prevent stillbirth”; funding agency: Healthy Birth Day; $12,542

Funding exceeded $100,000 in one award

  • LiLian Yuan, Ph.D., professor of physiology and pharmacology, “Identification of Novel Antidepressant Mechanism of Ketamine by Kinome Profiling”; funding agency: National Institutes of Health, R21; co-investigators, Vanja Duric, Ph.D., associate professor of physiology and pharmacology, and Eric Wauson, Ph.D., assistant professor of physiology and pharmacology; $431,619
Dr. Francesca Di Sole and Dr. Elitsa Ananieva were among the faculty honored at the 2019 DMU Research Symposium.
  • Elitsa Ananieva, Ph.D., assistant professor of biochemistry and nutrition, “Targeting BCAT1 and branched-chain amino acid metabolism for the detection and prevention of SCLC”; funding agency: National Institutes of Health; subaward, $156,262
  • Paul Volker, M.D., FAAFP, assistant professor of family and internal medicine, “Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program”; funding agency: Health Resource Services Administration; subaward, $215,069
  • Rachel Reimer, M.S., Ph.D., chair, department of public health, “An integrated epigenetic ELISA saliva kit for detecting and quantifying both tobacco and nicotine use”; funding agency: Smoke Free World; subaward, $499,560

Funding of $25,000-$100,000 in one award: Chunfe Jie, Ph.D., biostatistician, biochemistry and nutrition, “A new lymphocyte holding potentially important clue into pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases; funding agency: W.M. Keck Foundation

Funding of $25,000 or less in one award

  • Leslie Wimsatt, Ph.D., associate dean academic assessment quality and development, College of Osteopathic Medicine, “Examining the efficacy of mobile device use in capturing and reporting entrustable professional activity data”: funding agency: AACOM
  • Francesca Di Sole, Ph.D., associate professor of physiology and pharmacology, and Elitsa Ananieva, Ph.D., assistant professor of biochemistry and nutrition, “Medical students’ involvement in the study of urinary exosomes as mediators of non-invasive lymphoma diagnostics; funding agency: Iowa Science Foundation
  • Pamela Duffy, P.T., Ph.D., vice chair, department of public health, “An evaluation of the effectiveness of Count the Kick stillbirth prevention campaign in educating expectant mothers to monitor fetal movement in an effort to prevent stillbirth”; funding agency: Healthy Birth Day
  • Simon Geletta, Ph.D., professor of public health, “Social Determinants of High Drug-Related Mortality in Des Moines County, Iowa”; funding agency: Rural PREP
  • Megan Johnson, M.S.N., practice manager, DMU Family Medicine Clinic, “DMU Clinic Medication Management Accelerator Project”; funding agency: Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services
  • Vanessa Gray, M.H.A., CMP, CHCP, director of continuing medical education, “All of me: FY19 continuing medical education credits for workplaces respond”; funding agency: CDC; also, “CO*RE pain management and opioids: balancing risks and benefits”; funding agency: AOA
  • Shannon Petersen, P.T., DSCPT, professor of physical therapy, “Musculoskeletal neck impairments in headaches attributed to rhinosinusitis”; funding agency: AAOMPT, Cardon Rehabilitation
    • Muhammad Spocter, Ph.D., associate professor of anatomy, “Mapping the brain of the African Painted Dog (Lycaon pictus): A collaborative research and graduate student training project in quantitative neuroscience”; funding agency: The Carnegie-Witswatersrand University Alumni Diaspora Programme
  • Rich Salas, Ph.D., chief diversity officer, “SOME Innovation Award”; funding agency: AACOM

Longest proposal title: Pamela Duffy, P.T., Ph.D., vice chair, department of public health, “An evaluation of the effectiveness of Count the Kick stillbirth prevention campaign in educating expectant mothers to monitor fetal movement in an effort to prevent stillbirth”; funding agency: Healthy Birth Day

Dr. Chunfa Jie accepts from research coordinator Lori Byrd the “Plays Well with Others” award – a full candy jar – for his many collaborations.

Shortest proposal title: Maria Barnes, Ph.D., assistant professor of biochemistry and nutrition, “Mechanisms of postmenopausal hypertension”; funding agency: National Institutes of Health, R01

Most students trained award: Yujiang Fang, Ph.D., assistant professor of microbiology and immunology, 19 students trained

“Plays well with others” award – most collaborations with other colleagues both internal and external to DMU: Chunfa Jie, Ph.D., biostatistician, biochemistry and nutrition, countless collaborations

Current grant holders, external awards:

  • Elitsa Ananieva, Ph.D.
  • Michael Carruthers, Ph.D.
  • Jason Cook, Ph.D.
  • Francesca Di Sole, Ph.D.
  • Pamela Duffy, P.T., Ph.D.
  • Heather Garvin, Ph.D.
  • Simon Geletta, Ph.D.
  • Vanessa Gray, M.H.A.
  • Steven Harder, D.O.
  • Chunfa Jie, Ph.D.
  • Megan Johnson, M.S.N.
  • Noah Marcus, Ph.D.
  • Julie Meachen, Ph.D.
  • Rachel Reimer, Ph.D.
  • Rich Salas, Ph.D.
  • Muhammad Spocter, Ph.D.
  • Paul Volker, M.D., FAAFP
  • Eric Wauson, Ph.D.
  • Leslie Wimsatt, Ph.D.
  • LiLian Yuan, Ph.D.

Current grant holders, internal awards:

  • Elitsa Ananieva, Ph.D.
  • Elizabeth Baker, Ph.D.
  • Maria Barnes, Ph.D.
  • Andrew Brittingham, Ph.D.
  • Lauren Butaric, Ph.D.
  • Sarah Clayton, Ph.D.
  • Francesca Di Sole, Ph.D.
  • Katherine Heineman, D.O.
  • Darren Liu, Ph.D.
  • Kristin Lowry, Ph.D.
  • Shane McClinton, M.S.P.T., D.P.T., Ph.D.
  • Kathy Mercuris, D.P.T., D.H.S.
  • Marie Nguyen, Ph.D.
  • Shannon Petersen, P.T., DSCPT
  • Julie Ronnebaum, Ph.D.
  • Tami Swenson, Ph.D.
  • Kim Tran, PhD, M.D.
  • Vassilios Vardaxis, Ph.D.
  • Wayne Wilson, Ph.D.
  • Tim Yoho, D.P.M., M.S., FACFAS

Submitted proposals, internal and external:

  • Elitsa Ananieva, Ph.D.
  • Elizabeth Baker, Ph.D.
  • Maria Barnes, Ph.D.
  • Lauren Butaric, Ph.D.
  • Daniel Christian, Ph.D.
  • Sarah Clayton, Ph.D.
  • Jun Dai, MD, Ph.D.
  • Francesca Di Sole, Ph.D.
  • Pamela Duffy, P.T., Ph.D.
  • Rachel Dunn, Ph.D.
  • Yujiang Fang, Ph.D.
  • Jose Figueroa, D.O.
  • Heather Garvin, Ph.D.
  • Simon Geletta, Ph.D.
  • Jeffrey Gray, Ph.D.
  • Vanessa Gray, M.H.A.
  • Chunfa Jie, Ph.D.
  • Megan Johnson, M.S.N.
  • Kristin Lowry, Ph.D.
  • Julie Meachen, Ph.D.
  • Marie Nguyen, Ph.D.
  • Shannon Petersen, P.T., DSCPT
  • Rachel Reimer, Ph.D.
  • Rich Salas, Ph.D.
  • Martin Schmidt, Ph.D.
  • Muhammad Spocter, Ph.D.
  • Tami Swenson, Ph.D.
  • Kim Tran, Ph.D., M.D.
  • Vassilios Vardaxis, Ph.D.
  • Paul Volker, M.D., FAAFP
  • Leslie Wimsatt, Ph.D.
  • Tim Yoho, D.P.M., M.S., FACFAS
  • LiLian Yuan, Ph.D.
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