91原创

For the Record provides information about recent professional activities and honors of 91原创 faculty, staff, students and alumni.

Recent appointments, presentations, publications and honors in the College of Health Sciences include the following:

Publications

Jessica Madiraca, associate instructor in the School of Nursing and a graduate student at the Medical University of South Carolina, was lead author in the recently published article 鈥淧alliative care interventions in advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: An integrative review.鈥� The article was published by the聽Journal of Palliative Medicine聽with co-authors聽Kathleen Lindell,聽Patrick Coyne, and聽Sarah Miller聽from the Medical University of South Carolina. It focused on analyzing palliative care interventions in patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Through the integrated review, Madiraca and her team discovered that there was no single intervention that was superior to another, and that women are underrepresented in the literature on palliative care interventions. Women typically have worse symptoms, tend to go underdiagnosed and have harsher hospitalization rates. Madiraca stressed the importance of providing palliative care earlier in the disease process that provides emotional, spiritual and mental aid. She aims to make palliative care a larger part of the curriculum at 91原创, recognizing the impact this can have on providing these patients with a full extent of care.

Honors

Several 91原创 students studying聽聽(BIOMS) recently competed at the聽聽on April 28-29 at Penn State Berks Campus in Reading, Pennsylvania, and took home top awards. BIOMS doctoral student聽Rebecca Daniels, who works in聽Kinesiology and Applied Physiology聽(KAAP) Associate Professor Christopher Knight鈥檚聽, took home first place for her graduate podium presentation. Her research, funded by local community聽, focuses on how motor segmentation predicts motor symptoms in people with Parkinson鈥檚 disease. 鈥淚 feel honored that my presentation was recognized in this way considering the high quality of student work on display at the conference,鈥� Daniels said. 鈥淭here was a huge 91原创 presence at this conference, including a lot of really talented students, and I鈥檝e had such a vibrant research experience here at 91原创.鈥� Doctoral student聽Nancy Nguyen, who works in KAAP Assistant Professor Jeremy Crenshaw鈥檚聽, took home first place in the graduate poster competition. 鈥淭his聽conference聽was an outstanding opportunity for students to present and discuss their research as well as network with other researchers and industry partners in the region,鈥� Crenshaw said. 鈥淢any of the students were recognized for the quality of their research, and I think they left the聽conference聽with more confidence, enthusiasm, and ideas for future studies.鈥� Master鈥檚 student聽Zahra McKee, who works in KAAP Assistant Professor Elisa Arch鈥檚聽, took home second place in the graduate poster competition for her work in the Archer lab. Senior聽Jenna Mlecko, an exercise science major, preparing to enter 91原创鈥檚 top-ranked聽Physical Therapy聽Program, placed first in the undergraduate poster contest. Mlecko has been working in KAAP Assistant Professor Jocelyn Hafer鈥檚聽聽using wearable sensors to study knee osteoarthritis since she was a freshman.鈥淚 was shocked to win first place with so many interesting and unique research projects in this competition,鈥� Mlecko said. 鈥淲orking in Dr. Hafer鈥檚 research lab has been one of the best experiences during my time here at 91原创.鈥�

Nicole Boylan, graduate student in the聽Master of Science in Human Nutrition (MSHN) program in the聽Department of Behavioral Health and Nutrition, received the聽Arlette I. Rasmussen Graduate Research Award in Nutrition and Dietetics聽to cover expenses for presenting her research findings at the Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting in Washington, D.C. Boylan collaborated with聽Jillian Trabulsi, chair and associate professor, and聽Alisha Rovner, assistant professor, in the Department of Behavioral Health and Nutrition, to conduct secondary data analyses from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) pertaining to milk feeding practices of infants under 12 months old. The research examined socio-demographic and household characteristics of infants by feeding type: human milk only, infant formula only, or mixed fed (both human milk and infant formula). Compared to infants fed human milk only, a higher proportion of mixed fed infants were Mexican American and non-Hispanic-Black, had an annual household income near the federal poverty line and a lower proportion of caregivers who were married/living with a partner. Feeding any human milk confers health benefits to the infant and efforts to increase the prevalence of human milk feeding should include a focus on, and provide support to, under-resourced households and underrepresented groups. Boylan cites the research experience as being valuable to her career path as a clinical dietitian.

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