Jefferson Research

?? Meet Jacelyn Biondo, PhD, MPH, MA, BC-DMT, LPC, assistant professor in the Department of Health Science and Clinical Practice. She earned her master’s in public health from Thomas Jefferson University. Schizophrenia is one of the most complicated and difficult to treat mental illnesses affecting 1 in 300 people worldwide. ?? Dr. Biondo is one of the leaders working to break down the stigma around schizophrenia by using the power of dance therapy. Although unconventional, her research seeks to bring awareness and to amplify the voices of individuals with schizophrenia. This she believes will not only open more pathways for inclusion for these individuals, but will also help dispel misconceptions about the illness. ?? Click here to learn more about the ?magic? of dance therapy and her work: https://lnkd.in/ex9peUGc

Children are the most vulnerable to lead exposure, which can lead to learning difficulties and developmental delays. ?? However, through a mouse model, Thomas Jefferson University neuroscientist Dr. Jay Schneider suggests in a new study that the toxic effects of lead can be mitigated by attentive maternal care and an enriched environment. ?? In the study, infant rats exposed to lead either received low- or high-quality maternal care, which was measured by the amount of licking, grooming and nursing that the pups received. After they were weaned, the rats either lived in standard lab cages or in a large cage, filled with toys and climbing structures. The researchers found that high quality maternal care plus an enriched environment reduced lead’s effects on performing tasks that require memory. ?? Read more about how this research could help inform how early life lead exposure could be modified in human children on The Nexus written by Jill Adams: https://lnkd.in/ebA5eFc3

Dr. Divya Ayyala, from the Division of Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, recently contributed to a The New York Times article addressing the rise in alcohol use during the pandemic. Dr. Ayyala, a co-author of a study published in Annals of Internal Medicine, highlighted how pandemic stressors—such as isolation and limited access to behavioral health services—led some to turn to alcohol as a coping mechanism, a trend that continues to have serious health implications. https://nyti.ms/3UMgeix Lehigh Valley Health Network Jefferson Research

In the U.S., the number of pregnant women with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) has increased by more than four times between 1999 and 2014. Thomas Jefferson University researchers, led by Meghan Gannon, PhD, MSPH, investigated how community-based supports, like doulas, can be integrated into health care for mothers who use opioids. They also looked at how resilient the mothers’ current support system is. The results suggest that more supports are needed because from the time of pregnancy to after childbirth, half of the participants felt that their social support decreased over time. To get these moms through this vulnerable time, Dr. Gannon hopes to create a model in the future where peers in recovery could be trained to provide doula support to new mothers with OUD. ?? Read more about how having additional social support can increase trust and lead to positive outcomes for mothers with OUD on The Nexus written by Deborah J. Balthazar: https://lnkd.in/eiX3DWhf

Thomas Jefferson University researchers recently investigated barriers to digital health among the Latino populations in Philadelphia in partnership with Esperanza Health Center. The researchers, led by Dr. Kristin Rising, found that many patients had difficulty navigating online portals in English and they had a lack of trust in telehealth platforms. Other issues include limited digital literacy and concerns about quality of care through virtual visits due to lack of privacy in shared living spaces. ?? Read more on how researchers addressed these challenges to create culturally competent tools on The Nexus written by Queen Muse: ?https://lnkd.in/eVSaQTKY

?? Interested in learning more about the latest advancements in nutrition sciences? Come to the Thomas Jefferson University GRAND Symposium, a gathering of passionate MS/RDN students who are interested in the latest and greatest advancements in nutrition research. ?? Topics include: ??Looking at how probiotics, prebiotics, and Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) can influence mental health. ??How medically tailored meal programs can benefit patients with malnutrition and congestive heart failure and reduce medical expenses. ??And even a look at the evolving role of dieticians and nutritionists with GLP-1s (like Ozempic). ?? Whether you’re a healthcare professional, student, researcher, faculty or just curious about nutrition, this symposium will help you expand your knowledge and your professional network. This in-person event will be held at the Hamilton Building on Center City’s campus Saturday, November 16 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. Learn more and get your free tickets here: https://lnkd.in/eT453a_8

In a recent editorial, Sidney Kimmel Medical College Dean Dr. Said Ibrahim and Jefferson Health President Dr. Baligh Yehia, MD, MPP, MSc discuss equity in veterans’ access to care under the VA Community Care Program. Recent research sheds light on primary care utilization and wait times, highlighting disparities and the impact of policy changes. ?Read more in JAMA Health Forum: https://lnkd.in/e2he2Mb9

??From rapidly analyzing X-rays to diagnose collapsed lungs to predicting Parkinson’s disease outcomes, AI can help physicians deliver better, more personalized care. ????However, experts across Jefferson including Drs. Nicholas Lim, Chengyuan Wu, Ryan K. Lee, MD, MBA, and Trish Henwood, MD emphasize the need for responsible AI use, ensuring unbiased data and transparency to avoid perpetuating health disparities. ??Read more on how AI is shaping healthcare in the Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine: https://lnkd.in/efVAyT3k?

Black men are nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed and over two times more likely to die from prostate cancer compared to white men. Writer and Thomas Jefferson University researcher Moriah Cunningham encountered this personally when her father and other family members had prostate cancer. That personal impact has driven Moriah to research the biological underpinnings of this racial disparity. She, however, faced a big challenge: the scarcity of data on Black prostate cancer patients in clinical and basic science research. ??The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Jefferson seeks to diminish this disparity by drawing on community outreach programs and transdisciplinary research as ways to fight cancer. ? Read the full story in this year’s Research Magazine cover story by Karuna Meda: https://lnkd.in/gf8N9FYf ?Recently Cunningham and other Jefferson researchers led by Dr. Amy Leader published their findings on the impact of training research students in community outreach and engagement. Read the new study here: https://lnkd.in/g7FVJdU8 ? Thank you to the wonderful cover art ?? illustration by diana ejaita?

?? Happy Halloween from Jefferson Research!? ? ??Here is an image from the 2023 Research as Art Contest, but don’t worry, it only looks scary!??? ? ?? “The Ghost in the Liver” image is a fluorescent micrograph of a rat liver portal triad, which looks like the face of a “ghost.” The ghost's eyes symbolize the hepatic artery and the bile duct through which blood and bile flow and the big mouth represents the portal vein, which receives the nutrients absorbed from the digestive system. The portal triad distributes the nutrients to the surrounding liver cells (nuclei: blue, cell boundary: green) to maintain liver function.?? ? ?? Thank you to Ankita Srivastava, Ph.D who studies liver disease and liver transplantation at Sidney Kimmel Medical College for her submission.? ? ??Check out last year's winners and the rest of the submissions here: ? https://lnkd.in/e76JnW94