OMM and Back Pain

Studies combined treatment of OMM and phototherapy in providing greater pain relief than either treatment alone or standard medical management for patients with chronic lower back pain.

Primary investigator: Associate Professor, Patricia Kooyman, D.O.

 

Dynamic Decision-Making with the Upper Limb

Behavior occurs in a constantly changing environment where a pursued option can become untenable and others become available. The Kurtzer lab seeks to understand how the nervous system supports target re-selection reaching movements, including the relative contributions of visual, mechanical, and goal-related information.

Primary investigator: Assistant Professor, Isaac Kurtzer, Ph.D.

 

Effect of OMM on Neurologic Disorders

Studies the efficacy of OMM and exercise therapy (Rock Steady Boxing) to treat a variety of neurologic disorders, with a particular interest in Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders.

Principal Investigator: Associate Professor & Director, Adena Leder, D.O.

 

Exploring Health Disparities through Independent Health Policy/Public Health Research and Advocacy

Health policy research explores the attainment of health goals and the impact of policy and implementation processes on outcomes. It combines various disciplines such as economics, sociology, anthropology, political science, public health, and epidemiology to understand how health systems and policies interact and influence each other, within the socio-economic network of health. Dr. Leheste's research program welcomes students at all levels to explore health disparities and independently create their own health policy and public health research projects. The program aims to cultivate scholars who actively advocate for their chosen cause and population through engaging presentations, impactful publications, and meaningful service.

Primary investigator: Associate Professor, Joerg R. Leheste, MSc, Ph.D.

 

OMM and Parkinson’s Disease

Studies efficacy of OMM in the treatment of constipation in Parkinson’s disease and exploring its effect on the oral and gut microbial flora.

Primary investigator: Associate Professor, To Shan Li, D.O.

 

Mitochondrial Quality Control and Heart Failure

Pathological disorders become evident when mitochondrial dysfunction reaches a cell-specific threshold. The Liang lab studies the role of mitochondrial “quality control” processes in heart failure under various conditions including diabetes, cancer chemotherapy and caloric restriction, exploring the possibilities for various mechanism-based therapeutics for the treatment of heart failure.

Primary investigator: Professor, Qiangrong Liang, Ph.D.

 

OMM and Athletic Performance, Movement Disorders, and Autonomic Function

Studies the effectiveness of OMM in the prevention of athletic injuries, in the treatment of cervical dystonica, and altering heart rate variability.

Principal Investigator: Assistant Professor, Jayme Mancini, D.O., Ph.D.

 

Ergonomics in Medical Students

Studies the use of smartphones, tablet computers, laptop computers, and desktop computers on development of head, neck, and upper back pain in the medical student population.

Primary investigator: Associate Professor, Michael Terzella, D.O.

 

Microbiology of Tick-Borne Diseases

Lyme disease, one of the most common tick-borne diseases, has been rapidly spreading in parallel with the expansion of the range of its tick vector. There are no vaccines currently available for preventing Lyme disease. The current research focus of the Pavia Lab aims to better define the antigens that would comprise an effective vaccine. A portion of this project is being done in collaboration with the Zhang (Dong) Lab.

Primary investigator: Professor, Charles Pavia, Ph.D.

 

OMM and Neural Function

Studies the ability of OMM to improve neural function. Projects include examining the effect of OMM on Parkinson's disease symptoms and the progression and recovery from concussions.

Principal Investigator: Professor & Chair, Sheldon Yao, D.O.