Rowan University announces $3+ million in funding for research in Camden

Rowan University has announced the first grants of the Camden Health Research Initiative, a $50 million pledge by the University to fund research in and/or impacting the City of Camden during the next 10 years.

Rowan awarded the initial grants, totaling $3.06 million, to faculty working on 24 projects in 16 departments/divisions in the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University (CMSRU), School of Osteopathic Medicine, Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering, College of Science & Mathematics, College of Education, College of Communication & Creative Arts, and Cooper University Health Care. All proposals were externally peer reviewed.

The goal of the initiative, approved by Rowan’s Board of Trustees in December 2017, is to stimulate medical and bioscience research at Rowan and CMSRU and with partners and to bring more top research and clinical faculty to the city to work on developing breakthrough medical cures and treatments.

Dr. Ali Houshmand, president of Rowan, said, “This major investment in research will further advance the emerging health sciences hub in Camden. As we attract top researchers and build more programs we also expect to see the development of more start-ups—and more jobs—in our region, further growing the South Jersey economy.”

The Camden Health Research Initiative is part of a larger investment Rowan has in the City of Camden, where in 2012 it opened the doors to CMSRU, the first new medical school in New Jersey in 35 years.

Currently, Rowan is partnering with Rutgers-Camden and Camden County College on the Joint Health Sciences Center in downtown Camden. The 125,000-square-foot facility will serve as an advanced research and health sciences education and training facility.

Additionally, Rowan/CMSRU in late 2018 began a collaboration with the Coriell Institute for Medical Research and Cooper University Health Care to launch the Camden Opioid Research Initiative (CORI). CORI will investigate the genetic and biological factors that contribute to the development of opioid use disorder.

Dr. Beena Sukumaran, Rowan’s vice president of Research, said that the diversity of the projects addresses a broad range of needs, from heart health devices to health communication campaigns. “The awards reflect the complexity of medical and bioscience research and the impact that research will have on the community,” Sukumaran said. “Every grant recipient has the potential to further important research and possibly to change health care delivery and outcomes.”

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Camden Health Research Initiative Grant Recipients

The recipients of the first grants of the Camden Health Research Initiative are conducting research in four categories: Biomedical Engineering and Science, Cancer, Engineering Healthy Communities, and Neuromedicine. The awardees and their projects are:

Biomedical Engineering & Science

Improving Safety Profile of Flexible Bronchoscopy: Novel Device to Allow Intermittent Oxygen Insufflation.
Investigators: Wissam Abouzgheib, Department of Medicine, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University; Thomas Merrill, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering

Somatic Cell Mutation in Human Temporal Lobe Epilepsy
Investigators: Russell Buono, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University; Thomas Ferraro, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University; Melissa Carran, Department of Neurology, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University; James Barrese, Department of Neurosurgery, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University

Combined Treatment with Ivabradine and Spironolactone as a Novel Strategy to Ameliorate Diastolic Heart Failure
Investigator: Eduard Dedkov, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University

Impact of PEG Treatment upon RNA Expression in Denervated Muscle and Nerve Tissue Undergoing Wallerian Degeneration
Investigators: David Fuller, Department of Orthopaedics, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University; Russell Buono, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University; David Kahan, Fellow, Department of Orthopaedics, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University

Studying the Intravasation Step of Metastasis Using an In Vitro Microfluidic Platform
Investigators: Peter Galie, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering; Mary Alpaugh, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biosciences, College of Science & Mathematics

Targeting Podoplanin to Prevent and Treat Inflammatory Arthritis
Investigators: Gary Goldberg, Department of Molecular Biology, School of Osteopathic Medicine; Andrea Bottaro, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University; Bradford Fischer, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University

Real-Time Cloud-Connected Wearable Heart Health Monitor
Investigators: Francis Haas, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering; Robert Hirsh, Department of Anesthesiology, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University; Wei Xue, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering

A Novel Immunization Strategy to Combat Cocaine Addiction
Investigators: Thomas Keck, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biosciences, College of Science & Mathematics; Bradford Fischer, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University; Ileana Soto Reyes, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biosciences, College of Science & Mathematics; Christopher Lowry, Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder

Molecular Mechanisms of Systemic Inflammatory and Arthritic Joint Pain
Investigators: Michael O’Leary, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University; Bradford Fischer, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University; Andrea Bottaro, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University

Contingency Management Plus Suboxone to Treat Opioid Dependence: Behavioral and Neurological Predictors of Treatment Retention and Sustained Opioid Abstinence
Investigators: Bethany Raiff, Department of Psychology, College of Science & Mathematics; Igor Elman, Department of Psychiatry, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University; Kim Kirby, Department of Psychology, College of Science & Mathematics

Injectable Hydrogels for Delivering Biologics to Reduce the Incidence of Osteoporosis-Related Hip Fractures
Investigators: Sebastian Vega, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering; Tae Won Kim, Department of Orthopaedics, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University

Cancer

Development of an Inflammatory Breast Cancer Tumor Registry
Investigators: Mary Alpaugh, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biosciences, College of Science & Mathematics; Vivian Bea, Department of Oncology, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University; Robert Somer, Department of Medicine, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University; Wendy Woodward, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Improving Quality of Life for Gynecologic Cancer Survivors Through Introducing Early Screening and Intervention for Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
Investigators: Lioudmila Lipetskaia, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University; James Aikins, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University

Sensitizing Cancer Cells to Chemotherapeutic Drugs
Investigator: Randy Strich, Department of Molecular Biology, School of Osteopathic Medicine

Engineering Healthy Communities

A Novel Approach to Smoking Cessation in Schizophrenia-Spectrum Disorders
Investigators: Thomas Dinzeo, Department of Psychology, College of Science & Mathematics; Bethany Raiff, Department of Psychology, College of Science & Mathematics; Dina Silverman, Department of Psychiatry, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University; Consuelo Cagande, Department of Psychiatry, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University

Health Communication Campaign and Practice for Camden: Exploring the Variables Associated with Healthy Dietary Behaviors to Overcome Obesity Among Camden Residents Using Hierarchical Linear Model
Investigators: Seoyeon Celine Hong, Department of Public Relations & Advertising, College of Communication & Creative Arts; Bo Kim, Department of Public Relations & Advertising, College of Communication & Creative Arts; Sungwook Kim, Department of Statistics, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia

Understanding the Ecology of Immigrant Families and their Integration into Camden City: Multiple Systems for Health and Well-Being of Young Children from Birth to Age 5
Investigators: Zeynep Isik-Ercan, Department of Interdisciplinary & Inclusive Education, College of Education; Nicole Edwards, Department of Interdisciplinary & Inclusive Education, College of Education; Huan-Tang Lu, Department of Educational Services & Leadership, College of Education; Richard Selznick, Department of Pediatrics, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University

Art, Engineering and Medicine for Enhancing Orthopedic Resident Entrustability: Bringing Virtual and Augmented Reality Technology to Camden
Investigators: Tae Won Kim, Department of Orthopaedics, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University; Amanda Almon, Department of Radio, TV & Film, College of Communication & Creative Arts; Shreek Mandayam, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering

Understanding the Interconnectivity Between Intersection Traffic Congestion, Hospital Indoor and Outdoor Air Quality, and Patients’ Health for Smart Cities Methodology and Case Study in Camden, New Jersey
Investigators: Yusuf Mehta, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering; Manoj Pandey, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University; Seyed-Farzan Kazemi, Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for Research and Education in Advanced Transportation Engineering Systems, Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering  

A Precision Medicine Approach for the Treatment of Helicobacter Pylori Infection
Investigators: Sangita Phadtare; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University; Lark Perez, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, College of Science & Mathematics; Joshua DeSipio, Department of Medicine, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University

Informed Patients Lead to Healthy Communities: Patient Understandings of Prenatal Testing
Investigators: Amy Reed, Department of Writing Arts, College of Communication & Creative Arts; Robin Perry, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University

Making Camden Safer: The Smart City Sensor Array Flood Estimator
Investigators: Sangho Shin, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering; Robert Krchnavek, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering; John Schmalzel, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering

Neuromedicine

Effect of Cannabis and Cannabinoids on the Immature Brain: Molecular Mechanisms
Investigators: Gonzalo Carrasco, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University; Russell Buono, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University; Bradford Fischer, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University

A Genetic Mouse Model of Adult-Onset Epilepsy
Investigators: Thomas Ferraro, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University; David Devilbiss, Department of Cell Biology & Neuroscience, School of Osteopathic Medicine; Linda Siracusa, Department of Medical Sciences, Seton Hall University