色界吧

On April 22, the College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) hosted its first State of Health Policy and Research Symposium.

Organized by NYITCOM鈥檚 Center for Health Policy Research (CHPR), the event was held at NYIT de Seversky Mansion. Here, NYITCOM students鈥攊ncluding students in the Biomedical Sciences, M.S. program鈥攈ad the opportunity to convene with academic leaders, policy experts, and researchers for interdisciplinary discussions on pressing issues affecting healthcare and the biomedical research landscape.

鈥淎s physicians, we have a duty to advocate for the well-being of our patients,鈥� NYITCOM Dean Nicole Wadsworth, D.O., told 色界吧 News. 鈥淭hose who engage in health policy and biomedical research during their medical education are well-positioned to extend their impact beyond individual patients to entire populations鈥攕haping systems, advancing equity, and ensuring that clinical insight informs how care is delivered. These scholarly experiences prepare our students to champion the needs of their future patients and the medical profession as a whole.鈥�

Former President of Mount Sinai Health Network and NYITCOM Dean Advisory Board member Arthur Klein, M.D., moderated the morning panel on health policy, which featured expert insights from esteemed alumnus Joseph A. Puma (D.O. 鈥�85), cardiologist and president of Sorin Medical, and Jordan Lowmark, M.P.H., director of digital health at Sachs Policy Group. The afternoon panel, moderated by CHPR Founding Director and Professor of Biomedical Sciences Joerg Leheste, Ph.D., M.Sc., examined trends and challenges in research. Speakers included Jennifer Tassler, J.D., vice president of government relations and strategic affairs for the Associated Medical Schools of New York, and Paul W. Ference Thurman, D.B.A., associate professor at Columbia University鈥檚 Mailman School of Public Health.

During the afternoon鈥檚 poster presentation session, research projects by NYITCOM students and faculty mentors covered a wide array of public health and medical issues. Among other topics, projects examined federally funded biomedical research, mental health stressors, measles vaccination, orthopedic treatments, and Alzheimer鈥檚 disease, with Leheste serving as a faculty mentor on nearly a dozen studies. Among others, NYITCOM faculty mentors included Brian Beatty, Ph.D., Vladimir Grubisic, M.D., Ph.D., Satoru Kobayashi, Ph.D., Qiangrong Liang, M.D, Ph.D., Kaie Ojamaa, Ph.D., Alfred M. Phreley, Ph.D., Raddy L. Ramos, Ph.D., Randy Stout, Ph.D., and Haotian Zhao, M.D., Ph.D.

Student researchers who presented findings on behalf of their larger research teams and faculty mentors included:   

Emily Angelillo-Burton: 鈥淯nderstanding Choroid Plexus Differentiation Using Organoids Derived from Human Stem Cells鈥�

Robert Colbath: 鈥淢easles Resurgence and MMR Vaccine Policy in the United States: A Health Policy Brief鈥�

Chandrema Hossain: 鈥淟ive Cell Imaging Reveals Upregulation of Mitochondria-Lysosome Contact Dynamics and Lysosomal Motility in Doxorubicin-induced Cardiotoxicity鈥�

Syed Hussainy: 鈥淪tructural and Pathophysiological Changes in the Enteric Nervous System of 5xFAD Mouse Model of Alzheimer鈥檚 Disease鈥�

Anusha Imran (three projects): 鈥淧reparation of Human Achilles Tendon Sections Using Cryotome and Cryotape for Histological Analysis;鈥� 鈥淩egional Condylar Component Influences Femoral Prosthetic Wear in Total Knee Arthroplasty;鈥� 鈥�3-D Topography Reveals Regional Femoral Wear Independent of Patient Demographics in Total Knee Arthroplasty鈥�

Deep Kaur: 鈥淐linical-Based Approach to Understanding Menopause Symptoms鈥�

Palwasha Khan: 鈥淒efining the Baseline: Quantitative Mapping of Human Skin Texture Variation with GelSight鈥�

Chloe Kim: 鈥淒emographic and Behavioral Determinants of Skin Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of NHANES 2017鈥�2020鈥�

Dokyeong Kim: 鈥淪ocioeconomic Trends within Patient Population of Hypertriglyceridemia and Acute Pancreatitis: A 7-Year Study鈥�

Amelia Lam: 鈥淔ort Peck Native American Health Education Continuum: Strong Spirits, Healing Paths鈥�

Zoe Leung: 鈥淓xploring Astrocyte Morphology in a Thyroid Deficient Model鈥�

Katie Mata: 鈥淭he Dormant Trigger: Is Parkinson鈥檚 a Chronic Intracellular Infection?鈥�

Shwana Noorani: 鈥淏ridging Silos: An Interdisciplinary Educational Approach for Ambulatory Care Expansion on Long Island鈥�

Wendy Qu: 鈥淚mpact of Colonoscopy Timing on Clinical Outcomes in Low-Risk Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A National Retrospective Cohort Study鈥�

Deonarine Rampershad: 鈥淎re Binucleate Neurons Present in the CNTNAP2 Mouse Models of Autism?鈥�

Antony and Andrew Rizk: 鈥淲hale Carcass Immersion Therapy for Arthritis: A Historical Anecdote Revisited Through Modern Biomedical Lenses鈥�

Jonathan Rodriguez: 鈥淢icro CT Evaluation of Alveolar Dimensions That Differ Between Smokers and Non-Smokers鈥�

Cristina Ruiz: 鈥淕eographic Information Systems on Long Island: Evaluating Environmental Risk Factors for Autism Spectrum Disorder to Inform Groundwater Policy鈥�

Andres Salazar (two projects): 鈥淪urface Topography Analysis of Wear Patterns in Retrieved Resurfaced Patellae;鈥� 鈥淒emographic Factors Predict Distinct Surface Wear Patterns in Resurfaced Total Knee Arthroplast Patellae鈥�

Nardine Samuel: 鈥淭he Impact of NIH Budget Cuts on NIAID-Funded Research and Biomedical Innovation鈥�

Maria Shenouda: 鈥淐linical Characterization and Inpatient Outcomes of Hospitalized Adults with ASCVD and Coded Elevated Lipoprotein(a): A National Inpatient Analysis鈥�

Katelyn Shibilski: 鈥淐ortical Representation and Criminality: Assessing Facial Motor Control as a Biomarker for Violent Predisposition鈥�

Suhina Srivastav: 鈥淎utonomy vs. Access: Evaluating the Ethical Framework and Legislative Evolution of Medical Aid in Dying鈥�

Solange Tchounwou: 鈥淐utting at the 鈥淪TEM鈥� (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics)鈥�

Alisha Tiwari: 鈥淲hen Pediatric Care Ends: How Youth with MEDB Conditions Fare Nationally Versus in New York State鈥�

Suruchi Verma: 鈥淗eat of the Crisis: A Health Policy Approach to the Impact of Climate Stressors on Mental Health in Los Angeles County鈥�

Paige Vinch: 鈥淔rom Mentee to Mentor: The Role of Mentorship in Shaping Evidence-Based Medical Students鈥�

Michelle Zhang: 鈥淲hen Demand Outpaces Supply: Impact of Semaglutide Shortages on Diabetes Care Access鈥�