Category Archives: Physiology

Physiology

Kenneth Wallace Promoted to Full Professor at Clarkson University – Clarkson University News

Kenneth Wallace

Clarkson University President Tony Collins has announced that Kenneth Wallace has been promoted from associate professor to full professor of biology in the School of Arts & Sciences. Promotion to professor is considered to be virtually the highest honor that a university can bestow upon its faculty.

Wallace's research focuses on the development of the digestive system and effects of nanoparticles exposure. Wallace uses zebrafish, which are an excellent model research organism, with extensive similarities to the genetics and physiology of human organ development with broad implications for human development and disease states.

The intestinal epithelium continuously replaces cells that undergo apoptosis. Cells proliferate in the crypts at the base of the villi to replace lost epithelial cells. While there is intense investigation into the signals controlling proliferation of crypt epithelial cells, little is known about the formation of the developing stem cell niche. Wallace is investigating epithelial cells that play a role in regulation proliferation of the developing stem cell niche using zebrafish as a model system.

Wallace's research also investigates the effects of nanoparticle exposure using the zebrafish model system in collaboration with Chemistry Professor Silvana Andreescu. Developmental defects and physiological changes are assessed following exposure to nanoparticles with different physiochemical properties. Electrochemical sensors developed in Dr. Andreescus lab are used to detect nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species following exposure.

Wallace has published numerous highly cited papers and has delivered presentations at many international conferences. He is currently funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health. He was previously funded by the National Institute if Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases as well as the NSF. He was inducted to the million dollar club in 2019 (Clarkson). Wallace has mentored 12 graduate students and 50 undergraduates in research.

Wallace has been a faculty member in the Department of Biology at Clarkson since 2004. Prior to that he was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Department of Medicine.

He received his Ph.D. in molecular genetics from Ohio State University and his bachelor of science degree in molecular genetics from the University of Rochester.

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Kenneth Wallace Promoted to Full Professor at Clarkson University - Clarkson University News

Physiology

New interview series examines the future of energy amid COVID-19 | Stanford News – Stanford University News

Stanford Universitys Precourt Institute for Energy will launch a series of live interviews with global thought leaders on the future of energy every other Tuesday starting June 9.

Former U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz will be the Global Energy Dialogues first guest on June 9. (Image credit: Bryce Vickmark)

The first three guests will be Ernest Moniz on June 9, Steven Chu on June 23, and Charles Chad Holliday on July 7. Moniz, an emeritus professor of physics and engineering at MIT, was the 13th U.S. secretary of energy from 2013 to 2017. Chu, a professor of physics and of molecular and cellular physiology at Stanford, was the 12th U.S. secretary of energy from 2009 to 2013. Holliday is chair of the board of directors of Royal Dutch Shell, former chief executive officer of DuPont, as well as former chair of Bank of America Corp. and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

The Global Energy Dialogues will focus on how the energy sector can help the world recover from the economic crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Arun Majumdar and Sally Benson, co-directors of Stanfords Precourt Institute for Energy. Benson and Majumdar will together interview Moniz and conduct many of the subsequent interviews.

While the short-term health and economic challenges of COVID must be addressed immediately, it would be prudent to also tackle mid- to long-term issues that are likely to remain unchanged, said Majumdar. Energys environmental impacts must be reduced with fierce urgency to prevent their adverse impacts on human life and our global economy, not unlike COVID-19. Addressing this dual challenge of energy access and environmental impact is the defining issue of the 21st century.

Many of the guests were scheduled to speak at Stanfords Global Energy Forum in May, but that conference has been postponed due to the pandemic. The new series will be free and open to the public online. Registration is required.

The discussions will address recovering from the pandemic while making our energy systems sustainable, secure and affordable for everyone, said Benson.

There seems to be a growing consensus that COVID-19 is such a shock to the world that we may well be entering a new and, as yet, undefined normal, said Benson. This may offer a rare opportunity to rethink our approach to the dual challenge of making modern energy accessible to everyone while greatly reducing energys environmental impact.

Some of the questions the new series hopes to answer include: How can we recover from such an economic crisis and how long will it take? Since energy use is the foundation of all modern economies, can the energy sector play a role in this recovery process and, if so, how? What will the new normal be, and what steps should we take now to prepare ourselves for this new future? Are there lessons from history from past crises that can inform us now? Will some of the current changes, for example, the increased use of digital technology, become somewhat permanent, and if so, what effect will that have on the energy sector?

The live interviews, which will be webcast usually from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. PST, will also be recorded and posted online for future viewing. The interviews will be conducted by Stanford faculty, staff or a member of Precourt Institutes advisory council. The interviews will also involve a discussion with Stanford students. Viewers can ask questions, but the questions will be filtered and managed by a team before they are put forward to the session moderator.

The Global Energy Dialogues are funded by the Stanford Global Energy Forum.

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New interview series examines the future of energy amid COVID-19 | Stanford News - Stanford University News

Physiology

Thomas Jefferson University-led group creates first 3D map of heart neurons – Optics.org

02Jun2020

New imaging technique Knife-Edge Scanning Microscopy gives insight into neurons' role in heart attacks and other conditions.

As an added layer of control, the heart has its own little brain, called the intracardiac nervous system (ICN), which monitors and corrects any local disturbances in communication. The ICN can even protect cardiac muscle during a heart attack.

How the ICN carries out these roles has not been well understood because the organization and location of neurons was not known. But now, in a study published in iScience, researchers at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, and collaborators have been able to answer these questions in significant detail.

The ICN represents a big void in our understanding that falls between neurology and cardiology, said co-senior author James Schwaber, PhD, director of the Daniel Baugh Institute for Functional Genomics and Computational Biology (DBI) and co-senior author of the study.

The only other organ for which such a detailed high-resolution 3D map exists is the brain, commented co-senior author Raj Vadigepalli, PhD, Professor of Pathology, Cell Biology and Anatomy. What we have created is the first comprehensive roadmap of the hearts nervous system that can be referenced by other researchers for a range of questions about the function, physiology, and connectivity of different neurons in the ICN.

The study drew on technologies and expertise from different research groups (from Jefferson and University of Central Florida) and industry partners Strateos and MBF Bioscience, eventually creating a dual-approach pipeline.

Novel imaging technique

One approach involved a novel imaging technique called Knife-Edge Scanning Microscopy (KSEM) that allowed the researchers to build a precise 3D model of the entire rodent heart; it is the first use of this technology for cardiac research.

The second approach used a technique called laser capture microdissection to sample single neurons for gene expression analysis, as well as to precisely map their individual positions within the 3D structure of the heart.

The 3D map revealed hitherto unknown complexity of the ICN. The researchers found that the neurons that make up the ICN are found in a coherent band of clusters on the base (top) of the heart, where the hearts veins and arteries enter and leave, but also extend down the length of the left atrium on the back of the heart.

The gene expression analysis of individual neurons also pointed to previously unknown diversity of molecular identities or phenotypes. We found that there are several different types of neuromodulators and receptors present, said Dr. Vadigepalli. This means that we dont just have neurons in the heart that shut on and off activity, but also those that can fine-tune ICN activity.

Sex-specific differences

When comparing male and female rat hearts, the researchers also found sex-specific differences in the way neurons were organized. Co-authors Alison Moss, PhD Candidate in Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, and Shaina Robbins, a senior research assistant, are pursuing further analyses based on these findings.

It could help us explain some of the differences in heart disease in men and women, says Moss. Were now trying to create a 3D model of the intrinsic nervous system of the pig heart, which is even more anatomically comparable to the human heart, to explore those questions further.

This project is part of a NIH research program called Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions, or SPARC, which aims to promote development of therapeutic devices that modulate electrical activity in nerves to improve organ function. Eventually the hope is to create a 3D map for the human heart, both in health and disease, concluded Dr. Schwaber. Weve created the foundation for an endless possibility of future studies.

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Thomas Jefferson University-led group creates first 3D map of heart neurons - Optics.org

Physiology

Living on higher altitudes can reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19: Study – Northeast Now

Researchers have found that people living in higher altitudes, especially 3000 metres above sea level, reported a lower number of coronavirus cases than their lowland counterparts.

According to a study published in the journal Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology on Monday, high-altitude environmental factors may contribute to reducing the virulence of novel coronavirus.

In order to carry out the study, the researchers examined the epidemiological data from Bolivia, Ecuador and Tibet.

According to the researchers, the Tibetan plateau region, comprising of Tibet, Qinghai and part of Sichuan, has a significantly lower number of cases in comparison to the rest of China.

The impact of COVID-19 on the plateau region (of 9,000,000 inhabitants) has been drastically low compared to the rest of China, the study stated.

Indeed, only 134 confirmed cases were reported for the plateau region, it added.

Examining the epidemiological data, the researchers also found that the number of COVID-19 cases was three times lower in the Bolivian Andes than in the rest of the country and four times lower in the Ecuadoran Andes.

The researchers claimed that the reason for the decreased severity of the global COVID-19 outbreak at high altitude could relate to both environmental and physiological factors.

A high-altitude environment is characterized by drastic changes in temperature between night and day, air dryness, and high levels of ultraviolet (UV) light radiation.

In particular UV light radiation A (UVA) and B (UVB) are well known to be capable of producing alterations in the molecular bonds of the DNA and RNA, and thus UV radiation at high-altitude may act as a natural sanitizer, the study said.

In relation to SARS-CoV-2, while complete disinfection cannot be achieved by UVA and UVB, these radiations should shorten the half-life of any given virus, it added.

According to a pulmonologist Clayton Cowl, prolonged exposure to altitude triggers a chain reaction in the lungs involving a protein known as ACE2 that might prevent pulmonary shunting, a problem common among COVID-19 patients.

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Living on higher altitudes can reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19: Study - Northeast Now

Physiology

Op-Ed: This is how global warming can kill you right now – Digital Journal

Human beings have built-in air conditioning. Your body can regulate its temperature, but only to a point. When temperatures rise above 35C, roughly body temperature, you sweat to cool down. However That 35C is also a benchmark. If your body cant keep your temperature below 35C, its in trouble. This means it cant cool down and overheats. Humidity is one of the deadly factors which can tip people over the limit. Most people loathe humid weather, with good reason. It does make it extremely difficult to cool down, and working in that sort of weather is murderously unpleasant. Any kind of exertion triggers heating. Theres a very interesting explanation of how this works on Inverse.com, which explains the process in depth. The good news so far is that even in massive heatwaves, getting into that condition isnt easy to do. Most people can survive simply by sweating and reducing body temperature. The bad news is that cases of hitting this brick wall are becoming more common, and are raising obvious health risks. Heatwaves and historyThe big heatwaves of the last decades or so tell a very grim story. If you check out this list of heatwaves, youll see a range of patterns. One of those patterns is emerging large-scale heatwaves covering very large areas. This is the simplest way to define the heat risk factor for humans. Theres another factor which isnt as well-known, and its called residual heat. Air and physical objects dont automatically lose heat or lose it rapidly in a hot ambient environment. The hot temperatures dont just go away. Heat transfer is slower than usual. Temperatures remain high overnight, adding further physiological stress. Then the hot night becomes a hotter day. This puts a lot of strain on heat regulation by the body. Losing sleep on ridiculously hot nights doesnt help a lot, either, adding more physiological stress, and worse, reducing the effectiveness of sleep as a recovery method. Sustained heat stress, therefore, is now statistically likely to become more common, more widespread, and last longer. The human body simply isnt designed for this type of climate. New risks for new generationsThere are clear large-scale risks for the very young, in particular. Its quite impossible to predict how abnormally high temperatures will impact the next generations, but there are clear risk factors. Babies may well be on the wrong end of this situation. Immature physiology can be tricky enough without added risks, and how it reacts to extreme heat isnt at all clear. The possibility of serious health damage to infants cant be ignored. This is the age when things need to go right, and this new heat is a big possible risk. According to the WHO, 166,000 people died worldwide from heatwaves in the years 1998-2017. To scale, with increasing populations, that number could go up drastically, and soon. The future is looking way too sunny. theres another issue More heat means people need more water. Thanks to massive global maladministration of water supplies for decades, water must now be considered an existing high risk factor for future generations. This is just one example of the huge threats to future humanity posed by heat. Good luck, kids. Youre going to need it. You might try some sanity, too. At the very least, itd be a nice change.

This opinion article was written by an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not necessarily intended to reflect those of DigitalJournal.com

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Op-Ed: This is how global warming can kill you right now - Digital Journal

Physiology

Can We Flatten the Second Wave Without Universal Masking? – MedPage Today

With the U.S. recently passing the milestone of 100,000 deaths from COVID-19, MedPage Today Editor-in-Chief Martin Makary, MD, of Johns Hopkins University, discusses reasons behind a potential spike in cases in our nation's Sun Belt states, what China has taught us about the value of masks, and what vaccines and treatments in the pipeline are most exciting to him.

Click here to watch part one of this discussion on what we've learned and how it can help us prepare.

The following is a transcript of their remarks:

Greg Laub: You've mentioned that second wave. If there is a second wave, with such a small fraction of the population being infected at this point, do you think a second wave would infect basically the same amount of people in the fall, in the winter?

Marty Makary: It turns out the other four major coronaviruses that have been around for years are seasonal. This may, in fact, be the fifth seasonal coronavirus. Now, we've had very promising news with the therapeutics and vaccines, but it is likely -- and most experts would say that it is likely -- that this is going to come back in the fall.

We've already seen selective pockets where there are outbreaks during warm weather. Remember, while this coronavirus appears to be seasonal, we don't know to what extent. Early on, the Sun Belt states did not get hit nearly as hard as was projected. Now, almost in a mini second wave within the first wave, we are starting to see cases not just increase, but hospitalizations increase, which I think is the best metric of how epidemic an infection is in that particular community.

It does lag behind -- about 8 to 14 days behind the infections -- but hospitalizations are still going up right now in Alabama. In Montgomery, Alabama, in particular, where the mayor there said last weekend that the ICUs are full, that there are no more available ICUs as of last weekend. Mississippi is seeing an increase in hospitalizations. Parts of Wisconsin, Minnesota, the District of Columbia, and Georgia.

Why are we seeing increases with warm weather right now? That is concerning. Because as we reopen the country, cases and hospitalizations will go up. We've known that. But we were hoping to have a lower baseline rate of infection as we reopen the country. We did not see a rapid decline. Most of the models used, what we call, a symmetric epidemic curve, which is a steep increase and a rapid decline. We didn't have that. That was not our experience.

The models were based on the experience in Wuhan, China, but they had very harsh and draconian shutdown conditions. Maybe that's why they had the rapid decline. Our experience has been more like the European experience, where we've seen a slower decline, and in some parts of the country -- where there may be, say, a disregard for the risk of the infection -- a long plateau and a very slow decline.

Even potentially, in some areas now, we're seeing a second mini-wave within the first wave, so I am concerned about that. I am worried about the fall. I think we can look at the other seasonal coronaviruses and say, "This is a threat."

At the same time, look at Brazil. Brazil is very concerning right now, over 1,000 deaths a day and increasing for a country a little larger than half our size. The most concerning feature is that it's warm in Brazil. It's in the 60s and 70s. Part of Brazil is at the equator. For them to have such a bad epidemic in Brazil with warm climate is a concern for what we could have when the cold season comes back and magnifies the problem.

Laub: With 100,000 deaths, the COVID-19 cloud is very dark. But if there is a silver lining, or multiple silver linings, what would they be?

Makary: I think there are a couple good silver linings that have come out of this horrible tragedy. One, for example, is that we will probably save thousands of people from influenza year to year because of the best practices that the public has now finally accepted, adopted, and believes in. That's important.

We've been oddly complacent about influenza deaths year to year: 81,000 deaths 33.5 years ago, just from seasonal influenza, so that is, I think, one positive. Maybe we thought we were too cool for masks in the past and we're now recognizing the value.

For me, this has been an evolution and a change in my own thinking. I'm kind of amused at the discussion around masks because I have been wearing a mask most of my adult life as a surgeon, but it turns out there's tremendous value in places where people can't maintain social distance.

I talked to a surgeon in China who has been sort of reassigned to Wuhan during the ICUs being overwhelmed there. I asked him, after the fact, once the epidemic had really calmed down, I said, "Wuhan is a city of 11 million people. You had a terrible outbreak there. How were you able to essentially manage the broader population of China, over 1.1 billion, without the same thing that happened in Wuhan happening around the rest of the country?" The virus is certainly not 100% extinguished. How were they able to manage the coronavirus in China, in a country of 1.1 billion, after the outbreaks in Wuhan and Harbin? You know what he said? He said, "It's because of masks. Everybody wears a mask." I thought, "You know, that is powerful."

The data has come out and the CDC guidance has come out, even last week, that the risk of droplet airborne transmission from person-to-person contact, breathing, from speaking, even, from that airborne droplet transmission, is far greater than from the transmission of the virus through surfaces. We're increasingly learning the value of wearing masks in a situation like that and I think it's powerful.

Laub: Now, everyone discusses the economic cost of a shutdown and how many people are suffering, but there's varying data on the cost medically of a shutdown. What are the true medical costs of a shutdown?

Makary: The public health data traditionally lags behind some of the more immediate claims. It turns out in this situation maybe the data on the public health consequences of the shutdown might actually be worse than some of the initial predictions.

It turns out that some New York hospitals have already reported a 30% to 50% drop in new cancer patients. Not existing cancer patients, but new cancer patients. Most hospitals are describing a reduction in cancer screenings to the point of a near-elimination of screenings.

In one study by Epic, the electronic health records company, through their Epic health research network, they identified an overall reduction in cancer screenings between 86% and 94%. That's cervical cancer, colon cancer, and breast cancer screenings, so there are going to be downstream effects of that.

Laub: Finally, the thing everyone has been talking about and looking forward to is vaccines, treatments. What are some of the most exciting treatments going on now? What do you see in the future?

Makary: If you would have told me three months ago we'd be this far along where we actually have multiple vaccines that have demonstrated that they can produce a neutralizing antibody by May, I would have told you, "I really don't think so. That sounds overly ambitious." But it turns out we're here. That's exactly what we have.

Many pharma companies have sort of deserted the vaccine business because of the liability and the low margins. There's been a big effort now to consolidate resources, and so you've got a lot of great news coming out right now.

There is a virus that J&J just announced with an adenovirus carrier. It's the viral carriers of the portion of the genetic code that can generate an immune response. They appear to generate a more robust immune response than simply using a protein coat, which some companies like Novavax are doing, an Australian company.

AstraZeneca and the Oxford mRNA vaccine has already demonstrated effectiveness in rhesus monkeys, which is basically the closest physiological lab compared to a human being. It's as close as we get in terms of a human's physiology.

That's impressive, generating neutralizing antibody in rhesus monkeys to the point where the monkeys have actually been exposed to the virus and don't get sick. Whereas the monkeys exposed to the virus and were not vaccinated with that mRNA virus or vaccine did not get sick. I mean, that's pretty impressive, once again, showing that we're beyond the feasibility of this. Now, it's really going to be a matter of figuring out the right dosage.

We've got multiple companies. Merck has been a little quiet with what they're doing. Sanofi is using the traditional approach. Pfizer has a lot of experience making vaccines, so we're seeing a lot of companies put their heads together.

The vaccine helps, even if it's 5% or 10% of people. Even if it's those who are high-risk. Even if it's selectively given to cashiers, TSA agents, healthcare workers, and those who are known vectors of transmission. All of that helps.

All of it's good news, along with remdesivir, and some of the new stuff now like some of the medications like Actemra, which are designed to work with remdesivir to reduce the cytokine storm. It's basically an immune modulator, so it's a new approach to this infection.

A lot of exciting things and I think it's impressive. When we let the scientific community do its work, it's pretty impressive what it can produce.

Laub: I want to thank you, Dr. Makary. It's been a pleasure having you here at your home, MedPage Today. Thanks for joining us.

Makary: Good to be with you.

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Can We Flatten the Second Wave Without Universal Masking? - MedPage Today

Physiology

NIC now offering biology education digitally – My Campbell River Now

NIC 160 bio students meet for a virtual question and answer session with instructor Emaline Montgomery (bottom right). (Supplied by North Island College)

North Island College is transitioning to online biology labs.

Its biology faculty is among the first in the province to move its lab courses to digital delivery.

Students taking BIO-160 Human Anatomy & Physiology I say they are enjoying the flexibility, accessibility and quality of online learning at NIC.

It was challenging at first to get used to, but theyve given us so much material and resources, its worked really well, said Jade Denbigh, who took the course to get ahead on her Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.

Im actually finding that the flexibility of online learning, especially as Im working full time, has been a big benefit.

Classmate Megan Truby is taking classes in preparation for studying radiology and says the online platform made labs less intimidating.

It can be stressful to be in a lab setting in real life, whereas the online labs are very accessible and less intimidating, said Truby.

Its a good introduction to university-level sciences without being overwhelming.

Truby notes taking online courses this summer is also providing her with other skills that will come in useful as she transitions to medical school.

Soft skills like time management and organization are so important learning online is helping to really strengthen those skills, which I know will help a lot when I have a full course load this fall at NIC and in all my future studies.

Faculty worked with NICs Centre for Teaching and Learning to develop online lab components for the course, which has topics such as biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, and includes an extensive laboratory component that students would be able to complete from home.

This course was actually the perfect test case for doing labs online, because its about the human body, said Sandra Milligan, course developer and biology instructor.

Most of the work we do in lab involves the students observing their own body measuring heart rate, movement of joints, so we realized very quickly that most of it could be done from home.

Milligan discovered NIC was ahead of the curve in the transition to digital learning when she attended a virtual meeting with her fellow science faculty from across the province.

I was shocked that so many institutions had cancelled their spring offerings NIC was one of the few in the province to be running biology labs this spring and summer, she said. Weve shared our curriculum, which is being used as a template for others.

Milligan notes NICs history as a distance education institution, and its size, positioned it well to make the change quickly.

The commitment from faculty and the leadership and support from our amazing Centre for Teaching and Learning team was key in our being able to pivot so fast, she said. The transition wasnt perfect, but, looking back, its incredible what weve been able to accomplish and roll out in a matter of weeks.

The transition has been welcomed by fellow instructor Dr. Emaline Montgomery, who has watched her students adapt to the online labs.

Learning about themselves as learners has been a key part of this, she said. They are learning their own capabilities to push through boundaries and increasing their confidence with the online space and technology. Theres great online engagement with each other and with me as the instructor.

Both instructors say theyve noted other benefits to digital learning, as well, including being able to keep an eye on how students are progressing through the materials to more quickly identify those who may need help and the change in evaluation fewer invigilated tests and more reflection-based exercises have helped student who struggle with test anxiety.

The lessons learned through the online spring and summer delivery will also help inform how NICs fall classes are adapted to the digital environment.

I am optimistic and in full support of online learning especially hybrid and blended options where there are opportunities for the students and instructors to interact but also lots of opportunities for student-driven learning, said Montgomery.

For more details on all NICs science programs and courses, visit http://www.nic.bc.ca/university-studies.

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NIC now offering biology education digitally - My Campbell River Now

Physiology

Office of Faculty Affairs announces faculty promotion and tenure – The South End

The Wayne State University School of Medicines Office of Faculty Affairs and Professional Development announced promotions and tenure status for more than 75 faculty members.

This year we had a record number of School of Medicine faculty members who received the well-deserved recognition of being promoted to a higher academic rank. Among these were faculty members who distinguished themselves as scientists, educators, renowned clinicians, dedicated citizens and community leaders, said Vice Dean of Faculty Affairs Basim Dubaybo, M.D. It is gratifying but not surprising that even during a debilitating pandemic, our university continues to fulfill its academic and service missions without hesitation. This reflects our commitment to our students and our community, where a large number of physicians who participate in our academic mission have received the recognition and promotion they have earned.

Five faculty were granted tenure, including Associate Professor of Oncology Asfar Azmi, Ph.D.; Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Visual and Anatomical Sciences Elizabeth Berger, Ph.D.; Associate Professor of Physiology Robert Wessells, Ph.D.; Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology Nerissa Viola, Ph.D.; and Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology Nardhy Gomez-Lopez, Ph.D.

I am honored to receive the promotion of tenure at the Wayne State University School of Medicine. I am grateful to be part of the Perinatology Research Branch, whose translational research is dedicated to improving the lives of mothers and children, Dr. Gomez-Lopez said. This accomplishment was largely due to the successful collaborations that I have established in the intellectually-stimulating environment within the Perinatology Research Branch. I am particularly grateful to (PRB Chief and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology) Dr. Roberto Romero and (Professor and Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology) Dr. Chaur-Dong Hsu for their continuous support of women in science.

A complete list of promoted faculty is now available at https://facaffairs.med.wayne.edu/ptawards

A formal celebration will be held at a later date.

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Office of Faculty Affairs announces faculty promotion and tenure - The South End

Physiology

ABI researchers to develop a more personalised approach to ventilator monitoring – New Zealand Doctor Online

Ventilators save lives, but treating patients with mechanical ventilators is not without risk.

Dr Haribalan Kumar, Auckland Bioengineering Institute (ABI), University of Auckland, plans to reduce that risk with a technology that will allow for more precise and dynamic monitoring of lung function at the bedside of a patient being treated with a ventilator. He and his team have received $150,000 from the Health Research Councils Explorer Fund to do so.

A ventilator takes over the bodys breathing process when the lung begins to fail as it does when a patient has lung disease such as pneumonia, which has affected many Covid-19 patients. This gives patients time to recover from their condition.

However, mechanical ventilation involves using high pressures to pump oxygen into the tiny air sacs of the lung, which can save peoples lives but also cause lung injury, particularly if a patient requires long term treatment.

The monitoring of lung function (and adjusting the ventilators in response) is crucial to avoiding ventilator-related injury, particularly in critical care patients.

Such patients need bedside monitoring, but this is currently limited to measurements taken externally: pressure, volume and blood gases. This makes it very difficult for clinicians to track how a patient is responding with any precision, says Dr Kumar.

It means they can only respond to significant changes in a patient; without more precise monitoring, the greater the risk to the adverse effects of mechanical ventilation, which can affect the patient for life.

Building upon New Zealands reputation in modelling lung physiology and working with international collaborators, he and his team (including Professor Merryn Tawhai and Dr Alys Clark) hope to resolve this issue by combining patient-specific models of the lung with low-cost dynamic imaging.

Electrical Impedance Tomography (or EIT) is a technology that allows for imaging of the lungs inside the chest wall, by measuring signals from a belt of electrodes placed around the chest. EIT offers an imaging solution for continuous monitoring but EIT has not been taken up widely because it has much lower resolution than other established imaging methods and it can be difficult to interpret, says Dr Kumar.

He points out that differences in individual physiology (age, size, height, underlying health conditions etc.) mean that one lung is not like another, and this complicates the translation of measurements into a meaningful image.

Dr Kumars approach, if successful, will personalise the imaging information and improve its clinical value. We hope our research will transform EIT from a potentially useful but difficult to interpret technology, to one that is personalised and easy for clinicians to use and interpret, says Dr Kumar.

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ABI researchers to develop a more personalised approach to ventilator monitoring - New Zealand Doctor Online

Physiology

How to Become a Physical Therapist Benzinga – Benzinga

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Have you dreamed of working as a physical therapist someday? Its a viable career choice that allows you to help patients improve body movements and minimize pain. Plus, you can help prevent injuries and disabilities that impede the optimal functionality of the human body.

Maybe youre ready to launch your career but dont know where to start. Benzinga will show you the ropes in this detailed guide on how to become a physical therapist.

Before you take the first step toward becoming a physical therapist, you should know what the role entails and how much you can expect to be compensated. Its also best if you have an idea of the education requirements. Most importantly, you want to know if the demand for physical therapists will increase over time.

Weve included this information and more to help you determine if a career as a physical therapist is right for you.

Physical therapists play an integral role in the preventive care, rehabilitation and treatment process for their patients. Their primary goal is to help patients improve movement in the area thats injured or impacted by a chronic condition or illness.

Other core roles and responsibilities include:

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, these industries employ the largest number of physical therapists:

In May 2019, the average annual salary for physical therapists was $89,440, notes BLS.gov. Heres how it breaks down by industry:

You need a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree to work in the field. Before you can be admitted to a program, you will need a bachelors degree under your belt. Youre not limited to majors but its best to consider options that include courses on anatomy, biology, chemistry, physics and physiology. An undergraduate degree in exercise science is also ideal.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for physical therapists is slated to increase by 22% through 2028. This is good news for aspiring physical therapists, as the projected growth rate is 17% higher than the average for all other occupations.

Follow these steps to become a physical therapist.

You want a bachelors degree program thats offered by a reputable college or university. It should also be accredited and feature small class sizes that allow you to receive individualized attention. Dedicated student support resources for distance learning students are also ideal.

Consider an online course to learn more about the physical therapy profession or supplement your knowledge. Affordable options are available for all skill levels, and you can work through the course material at your own pace.

The program you select should be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). Expect to spend 3 years working through the program.

When you graduate from the DPT program, you can participate in a clinical residency program. Doing so allows you to gain additional experience in the field and focus on a particular area of care. If you want to gain even more specialized expertise, consider a fellowship program. View your options through the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Educations website.

Before you can practice as a physical therapist, you must pass the National Physical Therapy Examination to get licensed. It is facilitated by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy.

These online exercise science degree programs will help you meet the education requirements needed to be admitted to a DPT program.

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How to Become a Physical Therapist Benzinga - Benzinga