NEW: NIH changes requirements for use of Clinical Research Unit Services

Congratulations to the May 2015 CTSC Core Utilization Pilot Award Recipients!

Erica Berggren, MD, MS

MetroHealth Medical Center

"The Impact of Gestational Weight Gain on Maternal Energy Expenditure Changes in a Pregnant Cohort"

Mark Cameron, PhD

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

"Transcriptomic Signatures of Increased Susceptibility to TB with Aging"

Ernest Chan, PhD

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

"Sequencing Individuals for CYP2D6 Polymorphism Associated with Primaquine Effectiveness"

Stephanie Hagstrom, PhD

Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine

"In Vivo Modeling of Mutant TULP1"

The SEPA held by the CTSC and GLSC funds the BioMedTech: Students Translating and Exploring Medicine (BMT:STEM) program. Each year, BMT:STEM coordinates several public outreach events at GLSC and distance learning programming in cooperation with WVIZ/Ideastream with the support of CTSC faculty and staff. Additionally, BMT:STEM supports an internship program that places Cleveland high school students with mentors at CTSC institutions. Over the past 4 years, hundreds of students and adults have benefited from these programs. Valence Davillier and Tracey Meilander, PhD, from the GLSC, and Antoinette Hillian, PhD, representing the CTSC, had the opportunity to attend the conference and share updates about the BMT:STEM program with others in the field. They were able to network with those coordinating similar programs and learn new ideas and that could be incorporated into the existing BMT:STEM program or a future grant. Additionally, they co-hosted a session on the importance of collaborations between academic medical centers and local science museums. These kinds of collaborations represent a unique opportunity for healthcare and research professionals to support informal science education in the community. New mentors or program participants are always welcome; for additional information or to sign up, please contact Antoinette Hillian (antoinette.hillian@uhhospitals.org).

Antoinette Hillian, PhD (left) and Tracey Meilander, PhD (right) during a poster session at the NIH Science Education Conference in Washington DC, May 2015

Charmaine Jeff, a junior at the Cleveland School of Science and Medicine at John Hay, completed her internship with the Center for Health Care Research and Policy and the Center for Reducing Health Disparities at MetroHealth with Dr. Eileen Seeholzer, Janeen León, and other team members in Fall 2014. (L-R: Eileen Seeholzer, MD, MS; Charmaine Jeff; Janeen León, MS, RD, LD).

Obese children show health benefits from plant-based diet

In 2013, Dr. Michael Macknin performed a small study on the effect 

Dr. Michael Macknin

of diets on thirty obese, hypercholesterolemic children and one of their parents.  The child and parent pairs were randomized to either a plant-based, no fat added diet (PB) or the American Heart Association diet (AHA).   THE AHA is less strict and permits non-whole grains, low-fat dairy, selected plant oils, and lean meat and fish in moderation. Participants followed the diet for 4 weeks and had a two hour class each week on following their assigned diets.

To get results for the study Dr. Macknin utilized the Clinical Research Unit (CRUS). THE CRUS helped coordinate the collection and analysis of blood, urine, stool, and breath samples and multiple body measurements for all study participants at the start and end of the study. From their analysis, it was concluded that the children and adults benefited from BOTH diets.  However, there were more statistically significant beneficial changes in the plant-based adults and children.  This was shown by their loss of weight, decreases in inflammatory markers related to heart disease, cholesterol, blood pressure and other factors. Overall, the study suggested that the known benefits for adults being on a PB or AHA diet are also seen in children.

Administration for Children and Families - National Center for Afterschool and Summer Enrichment

Application Deadline: July 20, 2015

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), solicits applications to operate a National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment (National Center). The National Center will develop and disseminate high-quality, research-informed-resources and provide training and technical assistance (T/TA) to states, territories and Tribes to support expanded access to and supply of high quality afterschool and summer programs that foster children's development and learning, especially for low-income children and families. The Center will design and implement a work plan that includes, but is not limited to, identifying needs and best practices that will help expand quality learning opportunities for school-age children; supporting state implementation of new health, safety, and quality provisions in the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014, as appropriate in school age care settings; identifying and promoting family engagement approaches that positively involve parents in afterschool and summer programs; and coordinating with early childhood and school-age stakeholder groups and other federal programs to maximize effective service delivery models. 

Application Deadline: July 20, 2015 

For more information visit the Grants.Gov webpage.