On December 5, 12 graduate students in 草莓社区鈥檚 MS in Biomedicine program defended their original research in a virtual oral presentation. Their work ranged from laboratory experiments with cardiac proteins and African clawed frogs to public health inquiries on and off campus.

Since 2013, the master鈥檚 in biomedicine program has helped graduates prepare for careers as health professionals. The research component is just one unique curricular offering. Students also benefit from a unique approach to cadaver dissection, which many alumni say has provided optimal preparation and a strong background for the rigors of medical school. Several articulation agreements with professional health schools enhance opportunities to matriculate and continue with career goals.

Each oral defense is evaluated by professors in the MS in biomedicine program, committee members, other faculty and other graduate students.

The research component brings graduate students into mentoring relationships with faculty, alumni and other professionals across many disciplines. Committee members for this round of research projects included Doug Graber Neufeld, professor of biology; Daniel Showalter, professor of mathematics; Jeff Copeland, professor of biology; Scott Barge, vice president of institutional effectiveness; Kristopher Schmidt, professor of biology; Ryan Thompson, director of the psychology program; and Tara Kishbaugh, director of the biomedicine program.

Master’s candidates and their research topics include:

Josephine Awotoye: Predictors of not having a primary care provider in the United States: a cross sectional analysis of the 2018 behavioral risk factor surveillance system;

Mecca Baker: Direct and indirect regulation of cell cycle genes by HLH-25 in Caenorhabditis elegans;

Luz Contreras: Health literacy and demographics in Spanish speakers in Harrisonburg, Virginia: a two-part survey questionnaire with self-reported sections;

Cesar Corona Gutierrez: Which neurons play a role in lifespan extension in Drosophila melanogaster;

Jessica Hindle: The effects of nicotine and glyphosate-based herbicide on orofacial cleft;

Carmen Meacham: The effects of progesterone and estrogen on the feminization of Xenopus laevis;

Jennifer Rojas: The effects of electronic cigarette liquids on immunity and lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans;

Jessica Saunders: Investigating young Black Christians’ attitudes towards medicine in America;

Sukriti Silwal: Effect of bovine milk and NovaMin on the demineralization and remineralization capacity of teeth;

Kristen Snow: analysis of cardiac troponin levels as an indicator of recovery time and myocardial infarction reoccurrence;

Gene St. Val: Influences of transportation, insurance and demographics on DSM-5 cross cutting symptom measures and treatment adherence;

Benjamin Wright: The role of unc-53 in ced-3 mediated apoptosis in Caenorhabditis elegans.

From laboratory experiments to quantitative research gathered on campus and in communities far away 鈥� 12 graduate students in 草莓社区鈥檚 MS in Biomedicine program participated in an oral defense of their research projects at the end of the fall 2019 semester.

The research 鈥渉elps students not only to develop mastery in the natural sciences but also to incorporate other disciplines such as social science and ethics. They are able to connect their personal interests with academic studies and other networks beyond EMU,鈥� said Professor Laurie Yoder, who provided research oversight.

For students applying to medical school or other professional health schools, such research projects provide 鈥渁n important and unique experience that sets them apart from other applicants,鈥� said Dr., program director. 鈥淪tudents learn an incredible amount by taking an original research project from start to finish.鈥�

Since 2013, the master鈥檚 in biomedicine program has helped graduates prepare for careers as health professionals. The research component is just one unique curricular offering. Students also benefit from a unique approach to cadaver dissection, which many alumni say has provided optimal preparation and a strong background for the rigors of medical school. Several articulation agreements with professional health schools enhance opportunities to matriculate and continue with career goals.

Each oral defense is evaluated by professors in the MS in biomedicine program, committee members, other faculty and other graduate students. Family members, invited professionals and alumni, and other students also attend, Yoder said.

The research component brings graduate students into mentoring relationships with faculty, alumni and other professionals across many disciplines. Committee members for this round of research projects included Esther Tian, professor of engineering; Carolyn Stauffer, professor of social work; Tara Kishbaugh, professor of chemistry; Ryan Thompson and Gregory Koop, professors of psychology; Kristopher Schmidt, professor of biology; Laura Yoder, professor of nursing; and Julia Halterman, director of the biomedicine program.

Master鈥檚 candidates and their research topics include:

Adeola Adesuyi, An exploration of the factors that contribute to patient perception of branded and generic drugs;

Donatine Afful, The UNC-53 gene negatively regulates levels of RAC BTPase CED-10;

Heidi Byron, Associations between personality types and their responsiveness to gamification in mobile applications amongst faculty and staff at 草莓社区;

Hosam Hadid, Acute and post-traumatic stress symptoms may depend on burn injury type;

Alexus Holbert, The psychological impact of genetic testing;

Anna Jemi-Alade, The erosive potential of kombucha, Coke and apple juice on bovine teeth;

Cyndra Jones, Investigating attitudes of first responders toward individuals with opioid use disorders and cocaine use disorder: a survey of police officers and emergency medical technicians in an urban city in central Virginia.  

Bowen Lian, Assessing the need for a mild cognitive impairment screening tool in medical and surgical patients at Sentara Rockingham Memorial Hospital;

Claire Reilly, Linking dentists鈥� education level to their recognition of patients with dental anxiety;

Krystalee Revanna, Gene expression of BAX and BCL-2 in liver and kidney medulla Sprague Dawley rat tissues in response to high salt and high fructose diets;

Nathan Ropelewski, The effects of short-term diets on cognitive function in Mus musculus;

Michelle Van Horn, Comparison of virtues reflection vs. mindfulness-based stress reduction in undergraduate students at 草莓社区.

(VCOM) has created new opportunities for 草莓社区 pre-med students in recognition of their academic preparation, commitment to community service, and aptitude to succeed and serve in the medical field.

The Rocovich Scholar Early Admissions Program grants selected EMU scholars with early acceptance to VCOM in their third year of undergraduate studies and guaranteed admission upon satisfactory completion of the undergraduate degree. 

Additionally, qualified graduates of EMU鈥檚 undergraduate programs and of the MS in Biomedicine program are also eligible for the Guaranteed Admissions Interview Program.

鈥淰COM values candidates from 草莓社区 who perform well and anticipates they will be well-prepared to succeed in the rigorous medical curriculum at VCOM,鈥� said John Rocovich Jr., VCOM founder and board chair.

Established in 2002 to alleviate the critical shortage of physicians in the Appalachian region, VCOM鈥檚 mission is to prepare globally-minded, community-focused physicians to meet the needs of rural and medically underserved populations and promote research to improve human health. The institution has campuses in Blacksburg,Virginia; Spartanburg, South Carolina; Auburn, Alabama; and a new campus currently under construction in Monroe, Louisiana. 

鈥淓MU students preparing for medical careers are exposed to a rigorous curriculum and equipped with the skills to serve diverse populations,鈥� said Dean Tara Kishbaugh, of EMU鈥檚 School for Science, Education, Arts and Nursing. 鈥淰COM has collaborated on similar agreements with EMU for many years and we鈥檙e honored that these new partnerships will continue to open pathways for our graduates to serve in the medical field.鈥�

The new admissions agreements expand an 11-year partnership between the two institutions. Several EMU graduates have graduated from VCOM. Two graduates of the MS in Biomedicine program are current students.

Anca Chirvasuta Dauer, who graduated from EMU in 2012 with a degree in biology, said of her education at VCOM: 鈥淪tudying at VCOM has been everything I expected and more. I expected an academically rigorous program, which VCOM definitely provided, but I did not necessarily expect the atmosphere of support and camaraderie that I have experienced from fellow students and staff like the kind I enjoyed as an undergraduate at EMU. From daily classroom interactions, to anatomy labs and outreach projects, I have become close to many of my classmates and will feel honored to one day work as colleagues with such well-rounded, smart, and genuine people.鈥�

More on VCOM

The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) is a four-year private osteopathic medical school offering the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree. VCOM provides state-of-the-art medical education and research that prepares globally minded, community-focused physicians who improve the health of those most in need. 

With campuses in Blacksburg, VA, Spartanburg, SC, and Auburn, AL, VCOM has graduated over 3,100 new physicians since its founding in 2001, with over 65% going into primary care specialties such as family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics and obstetrics/gynecology. The fourth campus in Monroe, LA, will open in the summer of 2020.

VCOM has become one of the largest medical schools in the country, yet each campus maintains the nurturing small private college atmosphere for the student. VCOM partners with many community-based hospitals throughout Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama for clinical rotations. The College is known for its national award-winning programs in primary care and global medical outreach, as well as a sports medicine department that cares for athletes at Virginia Tech, Auburn University, and Radford University. The College sustains an environment for innovative, impactful research that is well-positioned for long-term success. VCOM and its partners collaborate on research that will improve the quality of healthcare in its communities and throughout the world.

Paper lanterns rose into the night sky last week behind the Suter Science Center at 草莓社区. The 16 students who released them gathered to honor those who had donated their bodies to science, providing their anatomy lab with cadavers to study.

READ MORE: EMU alumni currently in medical school talk about the experience of cadaver dissection.

鈥淢ost likely, tonight, there are people out there missing them,鈥� Professor Julia Halterman said, opening the memorial. But this service was very different from a funeral, she explained, as 鈥渨e celebrate how we have learned from them in their death.鈥� 

They only know the cadavers鈥� first names: Anna, Jeane, Richard, and Earl. Yet several students referred to them as their 鈥渟ilent teachers.鈥� They made surprising discoveries, in some cases 鈥� one of the men had three lobes in his left lung, making him one of just 3 percent of people with the condition.

Students shared reflections on and gratitude for the dissection experience. Then they sang 鈥淎mazing Grace鈥� along with classmates Caroline Lehman on violin and Jonathan Nielsen on baritone saxophone, before trekking out into the cold to release the lanterns.

鈥淗er sacrifice allowed me to learn and grow,鈥� one student reflected. 鈥淚 pray that you all rest peacefully.鈥�

鈥淚n so many classes, we just learn the theoretical concepts,鈥� another said. He enjoyed getting to 鈥減ass on鈥� the gift of his donor鈥檚 sacrifice by leading prosections with underclassmen.

Another was thankful that someone would choose 鈥渇or a student somewhere to get to experience this.鈥�

Krystalee Revanna, a second-year graduate student in the MS in Biomedicine program, helped organize the memorial service. A teaching assistant for the anatomy classes, she is also a leader of EMU鈥檚 Pre-Students of Osteopathic Medicine Club, which hosted a suture clinic immediately prior to the service. In one of their last interactions with the cadavers this semester, students practiced suturing skills.

鈥淗onoring our donors for the first time was a special experience,鈥� Ravenna said. 鈥淚 hope this is a tribute that continues long after I graduate. Having students tell me they now feel closure truly touched me. Our donors gave us a learning opportunity in the lab, but more importantly, they taught us the importance of humility.鈥�

The anatomy lab is only offered in the fall. The cadavers will remain at EMU through the spring semester, to be used by neuropsychology and lower-level anatomy and physiology students. 

Their bodies would then be transported to Kyger Funeral Home in Harrisonburg  for cremation, and their ashes sent to the donors鈥� families, Halterman said.

鈥�NO cadavers. Zero,鈥� a former 草莓社区 professor wrote recently about the large university where she now teaches. 鈥�A FEW students rely on a single cadaver that they travel to the local community college to see. Kudos to EMU for its unique and outstanding program.鈥�

Dissecting cadavers at EMU, as the professor and alumni attest, is a unique and powerfully formative opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students. Again and again, alumni who dissected cadavers at EMU have said that:

• EMU grads enter medical school with more 鈥� and more in-depth 鈥� cadaver dissection experience than their medical school classmates.听
• Other universities, EMU grads have been told by their peers, often offer only prosection dissections, demonstrations, or access to pre-dissected cadavers, in much larger student groups.
• EMU grads鈥� experiences dissecting cadavers 鈥� hands on, in small groups, with more labtime access 鈥� gives students increased confidence and knowledge.
• EMU grads often become leaders in their medical school cadaver dissection teams.
• How EMU professors approach the cadaver experience 鈥� through extensive study, celebration and honoring of the human body, and with great appreciation for body donors 鈥� contributes to how alumni express their medical calling.

鈥淭he human body is truly amazing,鈥� said Jessica Simms Morris MA 鈥�17, now a first-year medical student at Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine. 鈥淭he experience was invaluable, especially going into medical school. It has allowed me to be a step ahead in the anatomy lab, and allowed me the opportunity to focus on the smaller details of the cadaver dissection.鈥�

Other EMU alumni who dissected cadavers as undergraduate students or in the master鈥檚 in biomedicine program share these sentiments. Here鈥檚 what they said about cadaver dissection at EMU:

Carissa Harnish 鈥�15, Penn State College of Medicine

I found the experience to be very valuable and humbling. It is an honor to be trusted by others to take care of and learn from their bodies following their deaths. I am always amazed that people are willing to donate their bodies to scientific discovery, and am thankful that they do. Learning human anatomy in this way helped me to be more prepared for anatomy in medical school. I was more confident during anatomy lab than fellow medical students and became a leader in my anatomy groups. It also helped me to remember information more quickly during medical school, as it was my second time dissecting a cadaver.  | Some of my colleagues had studied from cadavers at other places, but it was certainly the minority of the students. Most had attended larger universities without a cadaver program available to undergraduate students. | I enjoyed demonstrating the body parts to visiting high school students. Learning anatomy from a cadaver is a group activity 鈥� you have to work together and teach each other. My lab group definitely bonded over the experience.

Samantha Kauffman 鈥�18, Washington University School of Medicine

Studying cadavers at EMU was one of my first introductions to just how complex and beautiful the human body is.  | From what I can tell, most of my classmates did not have the opportunity to work directly with cadavers before starting medical school. I found it really helpful during my medical school anatomy class to have a little bit of a head start. My dissection skills still aren鈥檛 perfect, but I definitely felt more comfortable in lab and with the material than I would have if I hadn鈥檛 been able to work in the cadaver lab at EMU, especially when it came to studying the muscles. 

Katharine Lehman 鈥�18, The Ohio State University College of Medicine

The human body is remarkably complex and beautifully constructed…this is a reality that a person can conceptually glean from a physiology class or by leafing through an anatomy atlas, but actually seeing and touching the structures is a far more powerful experience. Going into anatomy class, I already knew I was interested in studying medicine, but anatomy lab reinforced my passion for learning about the human body.  | One element of the EMU cadaver program that I have appreciated the most was the reverence for human life that was emphasized throughout the course. On our first day of dissection, our class did a devotional together to celebrate the miracle of human life and to express gratitude for the incredible gift that the donors had given. The concepts that were cultivated in the anatomy lab continue to shape the way I think about my calling to medicine.  |  Now, as a first year medical student, I鈥檓 back in the anatomy lab. Many of my peers have had no dissection experience: most undergraduate anatomy programs have only prosection samples if they have any human specimens available at all. Even my classmates who did have anatomy dissection labs before medical school had far less hands-on time than I got at EMU, and the amount of experience they鈥檙e getting now is still less individualized than my undergraduate anatomy class was: Our lab groups in medical school are twice the size of the group I was in at EMU!  | Cookies and Cadavers is an annual event at EMU where pre-professional health students and other interested students on campus have the chance to visit the anatomy lab and look at the dissections the advanced human anatomy class has done. I was one of the students who organized that event fall of my senior year, and I taught my peers about anatomy. In addition to students from the sciences, there were students from literature, mathematics, language, and the theater department represented, and they were all getting really into it 鈥� asking questions, taking turns holding the heart, and pointing out interesting structures with enthusiasm. It was such an incredible experience to have the lab full of students from a diverse range of disciplines enjoying the miracle of the human body.

Hannah Weaver Roth 鈥�16, physician assistant working in surgical urology in Wichita, Kansas

I was so excited to learn anatomy on a real human body, and it was definitely as cool as I imagined. I remember feeling a lot of wonder during our labs and thinking 鈥淲ow, that鈥檚 actually what I look like inside!鈥�  | There鈥檚 a HUGE difference between learning anatomy from a textbook and exploring the body in a hands-on environment. Studying cadavers challenged my deductive reasoning as a student and showed me that the human body is far from cookie-cutter. I鈥檓 beginning my first job as a PA working in surgery, and a large part of my knowledge of how to find and identify structures came from learning with cadavers in my undergraduate and graduate education.  I had much more hands-on experience and help from instructors in my undergrad cadaver lab than many of my PA school peers. Having personal direction from instructors is incredibly helpful when you鈥檙e trying to find and identify delicate structures that can easily be missed or have anatomic variations.  | I remember seeing gallstones in my cadaver and diverticulosis on the other cadaver we had. I still bring up those mental images when I see patients with those disease processes. I also remember listening to the obituaries of our cadavers at the end of the semester and thinking what a generous gift it is to donate your body so that others can learn.  | EMU did a great job of preparing me academically for PA school. I had an excellent physiology class in PA school, and I was able to excel in it (and help my peers out) because of a strong foundation I got in Roman Miller and Julia Halterman鈥檚 class. The same is true for many of my other undergrad science classes both at Hesston College and EMU. Keep up the good work!

Jason Spicher 鈥�15, Penn State College of Medicine

It was a powerful experience to do a human dissection. I felt that my professor did an excellent job framing the conversation about cadaver dissection prior to us entering the lab.  | With the anatomy lab being a classic introduction to the first year of medical school, having done a full dissection prior to starting school was very helpful. I knew what to expect mentally entering into the lab and had information I could share with my classmates.  | Other classmates of mine often would only do prosections, where they would look at structures that were previously dissected by anatomy grad students. Another common theme was that they would often have more students assigned to work on one cadaver. In my class at EMU, we only had teams of four dissecting a cadaver, so as a student I felt more involved and likely learned more from the experience.  | I remember our professor reading a poem to us as a class about the gift of a cadaver. We spent the majority of the class period talking about the humanities associated with cadaveric dissection and that stuck with me as I entered into medical school. 

David Abraham MA 鈥�15 (biomedicine), Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine

The fact that individuals donate their bodies to science so that I and my classmates can better understand the human body and treat patients once day speaks a lot to the selflessness of those donors. Working with the donor bodies was a huge honor at that point in school because I felt that for many of us, the donors were our first patient. It is incredible to see structures within the body in their natural state that most people will only experience by looking at pictures in textbooks. Working with the donors made me feel like I was living medicine and not just another student reading a textbook and learning anatomy through illustrations. Not a lot of graduate students in post-bac programs get an hands on anatomy experience with donors, so I felt unique in that sense.  | Using the donors at EMU made the transition into Anatomy much easier in medical school. Anatomy was the most difficult and time consuming class my first semester in med school, so having the experience of working with donor bodies made it so much easier to learn. I learned how to dissect in grad school so by the time I got to medical school, I could spend more time looking at structures and learning rather than trying to dissect it out. I鈥檓 in a surgery rotation right now and I get pumped everyday on various structures that we learned in Anatomy. When coming up with differentials to diagnose a patient, I go back to my fundamentals of anatomy and think about the different organs in that region the patient may be experiencing pain in and the possible pathologies of those organs. Anatomy is fundamental to medicine and the more experience I had with the cadavers, the easier thinking through problems became.  | Everyone who shared a donor body or a donor body around me during medical school had never had experience working with donor bodies previously. This gave me a leg up during medical school because I knew how to dissect and what I would be encountering each day. It made anatomy during medical school easier for me than it did my peers and it provided me opportunities to teach my classmates when we first started dissecting.  | Anatomy was one of my fondest memories at EMU. Looking back and comparing it to anatomy during medical school, it is a completely different experience. The small class size and having fewer people to each donor body than in medical school made it a hands-on personalized experience. Julia, the instructor at the time, was incredible and turned a class that could be so daunting into an amazing educational experience that we were all excited to show up for. On our last day with the donors at EMU, we got to dissect whatever we wanted that we had not done yet. I鈥檓 glad I took opportunities that day to dissect some of the things I did that day because in medical school we were never given that option.

Adrian Hackney 鈥�07, MA 鈥�10 (conflict transformation), West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine 

Nothing else really puts into light so powerfully the notion that we are 鈥渇earfully and wonderfully made.鈥�  | Cadaver dissection allows you to understand, inspect, and contemplate the human body and all its parts and functions at the most basic level, and simultaneously appreciate what miraculous and awesome machines we are. It was also meaningful as an exercise in materialism, vanity and viewing death and physical decomposition not as a thing to fear, but rather, as a beautiful and natural process of our existence and transition from a physical life to a purely spiritual one. It was deeply humbling to consider the people who chose to gift their bodies to us as students for this purpose.  | In my class of over 200 students in medical school, I was only one of two or three students who had previous experience working with cadavers. There is a learning curve, and because I was coming in with previous experience not only in direct human anatomy but also in dissection technique, I was able to work with my classmates to help them and to ensure we were all getting the most out of the experience possible from the very beginning.  | There simply is no replacement for the kind of learning you can achieve by the process of dissection, inspection, touch and sight of the human body. When you can look inside the body at all the organs, the relationship of each part to another, the relative size, shape, and three-dimensional aspect of each piece, you really begin to understand all the theoretical pieces of knowledge you鈥檝e garnered from your books and lectures and how they work together as corresponding systems to keep the body alive, functional, and thriving.  | I have a much more thorough understanding of the human body, and it is something that I can explain to my patients that helps them understand themselves and their experiences. It is an amazing gift that continues to be of value every day. 

Kenny Hyden, Jr. 鈥�07, MA 鈥�14 (biomedicine), West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine

It was not my first experience with cadavers, as we had used some for training in my EMS career. It was, however, the first time I was able to go through the entire human body [and it continues to help with] being able to place things in real 3D in my mind when thinking about anatomy. Most of my medical school colleagues did not have the opportunity nor were required to do gross anatomy for their degree programs prior to medical school. This put me ahead of them in the anatomy lab. I often times was helping them understand and identify things. Also, my dissecting skills were better.

Vincent Morra MA 鈥�15 (biomedicine), West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine

Learning anatomy in a textbook or via digital apps is one thing, but learning it from a human donor is something completely different. Having the hands-on experience is very valuable, because when you personally dissect and study the human body you learn and see so much more. On top of that, no human body is 鈥渢extbook perfect.鈥� We all have our differences, and it鈥檚 not until you have the opportunity to personally dissect donors that you can visualize and learn from these differences.  | The thing that sets EMU鈥檚 anatomy lab apart from most other universities is the fact that students have the opportunity to dissect and learn from cadavers at the undergraduate level. Most of the time it is not until one鈥檚 professional schooling that students have the opportunity to personally dissect. | Dr. Halterman was (and still is!) an awesome anatomy professor! I thoroughly enjoyed learning from her when I was at EMU! 

Shanae Ikeea Scott MA 鈥�17 (biomedicine), University of Pikeville, Kentucky College of Optometry

The experience was fantastic. I think it鈥檚 great to learn the anatomy and physiology first hand with something other than textbook or internet sources. It also allows students to both see and understand the body in terms of how delicate or how tough/rigid the body can be.  | Although my focus now is on eyes, a lot of systemic conditions can be seen in the eyes, even before there are signs and symptoms elsewhere. It is essential to understand how the body is all linked together as a unit.  | From my understanding, many students from other universities have not received the opportunity to do cadaver dissections. They may or may not have done smaller animal dissections, so it certainly gives the program as well as the student great benefit by having had the exposure before entering a professional school or another graduate program.  | It was great just having a visual other than a picture for the purposes of exam day. Many students including myself are visual learners. Seeing it first hand, along with having done the dissection, helped to answer examination questions. 

Ruchir Shah MA 鈥�16 (biomedicine), Howard University College of Dentistry

This experience really helped me solidify my decision to be a healthcare professional.  | As a student, I felt blessed to partake in an experience, which many aren鈥檛 fortunate to have. It was relevant to every course I took during my masters program.  | As a healthcare professional, I use the knowledge gained within this experience to help educate my clients on how anatomical structures relate to others. As a future dental student, I believe this experience will serve as a foundation for the rest of my education.  | Studying cadavers at EMU was an unparalleled experience. At EMU, you鈥檙e able to study the person in depth and connect on a personal level. You have the luxury of being able to dissect the individual outside of class and spend as much time as you desired. | My current colleagues who took anatomy at different universities had a completely different experience. For example, the cadaver was dissected for them and they had extremely limited time to spend with the individual. They told me that most students at these universities took the class to 鈥渇ulfill requirements rather than enjoy the subject.鈥� Others said that they did 鈥渕ore memorizing of the names of the muscles than actually studying the body.鈥� I was truly fortunate to have the opportunity to study cadavers at EMU.  | My fondest memory of cadaver dissection was chiseling open the mouth and extracting a tooth. I have dreamed of being a dentist for the past decade and I performed my first extraction on an individual I had been connecting with for five months. It was truly an unforgettable experience.  | The course I took was a reflection of the professor. Dr. Halterman鈥檚 ingenuity and collaborative teaching style allowed for all of her students to properly learn from this course.

Chang Tan MA 鈥�18 (biomedicine), Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine

I believe that I have gained appreciation toward medicine (particularly surgery) through learning and visualizing the human body system structurally and functionally.  | This was one of the unique experiences that I brought to my medical school interviews.  | I have studied anatomy as an undergraduate student at [a larger university] and felt that the bigger class size there in both lecture and laboratory settings made it difficult for me to fully appreciate the subject, as everyone would just be crowding around one cadaver that is already being dissected. The cadaver experience at EMU was much more valuable to my learning goals and I enjoyed every moment of it. 

Based in Tennessee, has offered dental, vision and medical care at over 1,000 clinics in the United States since 1985. In Harrisonburg for the first time, the clinic, which relies on volunteer providers and workers, provided 371 dental, 307 medical, and 287 vision care appointments to 601 people over two days at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds, organizers said. 听

鈥淚n addition to alleviating the needs of many community members, this clinic was an opportunity for our students to gain valuable experience seeing how a community can join together to provide free health services to anyone who walks through the door,鈥� said Professor Julia Halterman, who directs the EMU . 鈥淓MU pre-health students display a deep compassion for serving others, and this RAM clinic was a great opportunity for students to give back to the community. 鈥�

Nathan Ropelewski helped with clinic setup, and Sitasma Khatri assisted patients on the clinic鈥檚 first day. Both biomedicine graduate students and members of EMU鈥檚 Pre-Student Osteopathic Medical Association, they were 鈥渂lown away鈥� by the clinic鈥檚 magnitude and the high numbers of both patients in need and eager volunteers.

鈥淚t was huge,鈥� Ropelewski said.

Some patients, Khatri noted, traveled for hours to be seen, sleeping in their cars and waiting in line for hours through the night. One had even walked there from Timberville, a trek of over 20 miles and eight hours, according to organizers.

Retired ophthalmologist and Rockingham County resident Calvin Miller 鈥�66, who has volunteered at RAM clinics for 15 years and was featured in a , said that his decades of practicing in medically underserved areas have exposed him to 鈥渓ots and lots of folks鈥� without full access to eye care.

鈥淩AM makes it so easy to offer services that I鈥檓 still trained to do, so I do it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 liked what I was doing, and it鈥檚 a way to keep my fingers in the field that I was trained and that I worked in.鈥�

Many other volunteers, too, flocked to the clinic, including from across state lines.

鈥淲hen I got there at 5:30 [the first day] morning, the line for the volunteers was already out that door,鈥� Khatri said. 鈥淧eople got there at 4 or 4:30 in the morning to ensure that each station had enough people. I thought that commitment from people who were willing to drive out on a Saturday morning to serve others was incredible.鈥�

A new articulation agreement with Shenandoah University鈥檚 provides annual priority enrollment for up to five undergraduate students and five graduate students in EMU鈥檚 who meet admissions requirements.

Criteria include Pharmacy College Admission Test composite score and cumulative GPA requirements, completion of prerequisites required with a specified GPA, two letters of recommendation from EMU program faculty members and a letter from a healthcare provider.

Undergraduate students must also complete an interview and secure a letter of recommendation with the pharmacy school dean or a designee. Completion of an undergraduate degree program is not required; students who have earned at least 63 credit hours are eligible to apply.

“We believe it’s important to form relationships between EMU and local professional health schools such as the Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy at Shenandoah University,鈥� said Professor Julia Halterman, director of the graduate听产颈辞尘别诲颈肠颈苍别 program. 鈥淣ot only does this provide a direct avenue for our students to enter pharmacy school, but it also benefits the local economy by recruiting and training healthcare practitioners here in the state of Virginia.”

Shenandoah University鈥檚 School of Pharmacy opened in 1996 in the Health Professions Building on the campus of the Winchester Medical Center. In 1998, the school was renamed for Bernard J. Dunn, a pharmacist in Manhattan, New York. His son, scientist and entrepreneur Bernard J. Dunn Jr., gave a $10 million endowment to honor his father, who died when he was 9 years old.

Other articulation agreements

EMU鈥檚 MS in Biomedicine program also holds articulation agreements with Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Mary Baldwin University’s Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences, and Southern College of Optometry, among others.

Undergraduate students from EMU who have completed appropriate prerequisites have opportunities under articulation agreements with Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine and Mary Baldwin University’s Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences for the听Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD), Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), and Master of Science in Physician鈥檚 Assistant (PA) programs.

Whitney Snider and Mehdi Hasan 鈥� and the other five in their cohort 鈥� defended their theses in early December. The seven will graduate from the in the spring of 2018.

Snider, a 2014 graduate of Texas A&M University, spent a month in a research lab. The purpose of the pilot study was to find common biomarkers between chronic enterocolitis in monkeys and inflammatory bowel syndrome in humans. This research will contribute to future development and testing of a therapeutic vaccine.

Snider said she made some 鈥渞eally great connections鈥� for possible gap-year jobs before continuing her studies to become an orthopedic surgeon.

Hasan, a 2014 graduate of the University of Mary Washington, conducted a survey at EMU to explore the relationship of health literacy 鈥� the ability to make sense of health information 鈥� and consumer behavior as it pertains to acetaminophen, a common over-the-counter medicine that is the leading cause of acute liver failure in the United States, due to overdosage.

He found that higher health literacy scores did not significantly improve consumer behavior regarding acetaminophen 鈥� but that participants with lower health literacy scores did receive lower acetaminophen awareness scores.

鈥淢y findings allowed me to understand that those individuals that had lower health literacy had a higher probability of making a more inappropriate health decision which could lead to more negative health outcomes,鈥� Hasan said. 鈥淭here definitely needs to be a stronger focus in understanding the efficacy of health promotions.鈥�

The value in his research for Hasan鈥檚 own career path, he said, was learning to understand the complexity of statistical analysis and 鈥渓earning how to use the right tools.鈥�

鈥淓verything鈥檚 not black and white,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hat understanding statistics will help me do is help me understand the gray area鈥� 鈥� in part, he hopes, to improve health promotion as a family practitioner in a free clinic.

Biomed master鈥檚 program: a pathway set apart

For students applying to medical school or other professional health schools, such research projects provide 鈥渁n important and unique experience that sets them apart from other applicants,鈥� said Dr. , who co-directs EMU鈥檚 biomed program with Dr. . 鈥淪tudents learn an incredible amount by taking a research project from start to finish.鈥�

Since 2013, the master鈥檚 in biomedicine program has helped graduates prepare for careers as health professionals. The research project brings together students with faculty advisors and community mentors as they develop and conduct original research.

鈥淲e provide students with the opportunity to conduct research that is original and hypothesis-driven,鈥� said Stauffer. 鈥淭his equips each student with a unique niche that they can optimally leverage when applying for professional health schools. Original research opens doors and can make all the difference as a springboard for a student鈥檚 future.鈥�

Additional research

Other master鈥檚 candidates, their undergraduate institutions and their research topics include:

Salma Alhusayni听(Ibn Sina National College, Jedda, Saudi Arabia): 鈥淎nalysis from a psychological perspective on tobacco consumption among adults living in Saudi Arabia.鈥�

Uzair Ali (Drexel University): 鈥淭he perception of Naloxone on opioid overdose in Union and Bergen Counties, New Jersey by first responders and healthcare professionals.鈥�

Thi Do Lovo听(University of Virginia): 鈥淥steoporosis risk awareness along gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic lines in Harrisonburg, Virginia.鈥�

Ty Steve听(James Madison University): 鈥淎nalyzing single gene positive DermTech reports to determine a more effective and accurate way to discuss results with patients.鈥�

Chang Tan (James Madison University): 鈥淗IV testing among LGBTQIA+ individuals: The impact of outness and peer openness.鈥�

鈥淪tudents learn an incredible amount by taking a research project from start to finish,鈥� said Dr. , who co-directs the program with Dr. . 鈥淎s they enter their final semester here at EMU, many are applying to medical school or other professional health schools, and their research projects give them an important and unique experience that sets them apart from other applicants.鈥�

Since 2013, the MA in Biomedicine program has helped 27 graduates prepare for careers as health professionals. The research project is an important and distinctive curricular challenge, bringing students together with faculty advisors and community mentors as they develop and conduct original research.

鈥淓MU’s Biomedicine program provides students with the opportunity to conduct research that is original and hypothesis-driven,鈥� says Stauffer. 鈥淭his equips each student with a unique niche that they can optimally leverage when applying for professional health schools. Original research opens doors and can make all the difference as a springboard for a student’s future.”

Jessica Morris hopes to become a doctor of osteopathic medicine or earn a PhD in medical scientific research. Milan Sheth is most interested in the field of emergency medicine. The research project offered the opportunity to delve into topics relevant to their career goals.

Morris, a George Mason University graduate, investigated the impact of the Affordable Care Act on Shenandoah Valley residents falling into the 鈥渃overage gap鈥� created by Virginia鈥檚 limited Medicaid benefits.

She came away with a new knowledge of the objectivity required to conduct research, a healthy skepticism about media coverage of health issues and how that affects patient knowledge.

Sheth, an Ohio State University graduate who is interested in emergency medicine, researched the factors involved in responses of patients undergoing rapid induction of a common anesthetic, ketamine.

His research has specific applications for first responders and other medical personnel, who need identify patients who may be most susceptible to potential adverse effects associated with rapid sequence intubation of ketamine.

He says he鈥檚 gained new skills, such as identifying relevant published research and interpreting statistical results, and a new appreciation for the impact of clinical research on patient treatment. 鈥淚 have a deeper appreciation for researchers and the dedication they put forth towards finding breakthroughs and cures,鈥� he added. 鈥淢y passion for medicine continues to grow and this project solidified my purpose for entering the healthcare field.鈥�

Student research

A comprehensive list of researchers, their projects and committee members follows:

听Nkem Asianua: 鈥淎frican American鈥檚/African鈥檚 Awareness of Their Increased Risk of ACE Inhibitor Induced Angioedema in Ventura County, Ca.鈥� Committee members: Professors Esther Tian and Greta Ann Herin.

Lujain Binyahya: 鈥淎n Analysis of Patient Experience at Sentara-RMH.鈥� Committee members: Professor Carolyn Stauffer, Steve Nelson.

Sanjay Dick: 鈥淔elis Catus and Chronic Renal Disease: A Comparison of Clinical Treatments Found at Rural and Urban Animal Hospitals in Southeastern Pennsylvania.鈥� Committee members: Professor Tara Kishbaugh and Jennifer Lyle, D.V.M.

Alexandar Hetrick: 鈥淪tudent Influenza Vaccination Rate and Risk of Infectious Disease at 草莓社区.鈥� Committee members: Professors Carolyn Stauffer and Jeffrey Copeland.

Jessica Morris: 鈥淩eforming Health Care: The Impacts of The Affordable Care Act on the Health Insurance Status of Individuals Residing in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.鈥� Committee members: Professors Kim Brenneman and Jenni Holsinger.

Melody Nyoni: 鈥淓xamination of STI awareness among transitioning youth in the Valley Youth House (VYH) Program in Allentown, Pa.鈥� Committee members: Professor Kim Brenneman, Elizabeth Allen.

Nikita Patel: 鈥淭he Value of Time and Patient Satisfaction during Physician-Patient Visits in Central Virginia.鈥� Committee members: Professors Carolyn Stauffer and Ann Hershberger.

听Noor Qureshi: 鈥淢ental Health Attitudes in the Dallas Pakistani Community.鈥� Committee members: Professors Jeffrey Copeland and Gregory Koop.

Chanel Sampson: 鈥淧ossible Risk Factors of Uterine Fibroids Evaluated through a Self-Assessment of Symptom Severity.鈥� Committee members: Professors Greta Ann Herin and Cathy Rittenhouse.

Shanae Scott: 鈥淩outine Eye Exams and Awareness of Ocular Disease Associated with Diabetes in Harrisonburg, Va.鈥� Committee members: Professors Esther Tian and Tara Kishbaugh.

Ruchir Shah: 鈥淒etermining the Link Between Smile Symmetry and Character Perception at 草莓社区.鈥� Committee members: Professors Gregory Koop and Ann Hershberger.

Milan Sheth: 鈥淜etamine-induced Changes in Blood Pressure and Heart Rate in Pre-hospital Intubated Patients.鈥� Committee members: Professors Daniel Showalter and Matthew Siderhurst.

Benjamin Stern: 鈥淓ssential Competencies for the Rural American Doctor.鈥� Committee members: Professor Kim Brenneman and Randall Longenecker, MD.

鈥淭his agreement with Temple is exciting because it’s guaranteeing two spots to our biomedicine students in their program each year, as long as our students meet the required metrics,鈥� says Professor , co-director of the program. 鈥淚t’s a big deal for our program and our students. Not many professional health schools guarantee spots like this.鈥�

Conditions include

• meeting Temple University’s coursework , grades and standardized test admissions criteria;
• attaining a 3.3 graduate GPA from EMU; and
• scoring in the top 45th percentile on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT).

Emeritus professor Dr. Roman Miller, who formerly directed the MA in Biomedicine program, initiated the agreement last year. After his retirement, 鈥淚 continued the relationship and saw the agreement to completion this year,鈥� says Halterman.

EMU’s MA in Biomedicine program also has existing admissions agreements with the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, the Southern College of Optometry, the University of Pikeville-Kentucky College of Optometry, and Mary Baldwin University’s Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences.

The articulation agreement is with the Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD), Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), and Master of Science in Physician鈥檚 Assistant (PA) programs.

Applicants from EMU who meet the criteria will receive an interview and fee waiver. The agreement requires that EMU graduate or undergraduate students seeking admission have a 3.4 or higher cumulative GPA and have completed all required prerequisite coursework.

“We believe it’s important to form relationships between EMU, our MA in Biomedicine program and local professional health schools such as Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences,鈥� says Professor Julia Halterman, who co-directs EMU鈥檚 program. 鈥淣ot only does this provide an avenue for our students to enter a professional health school, but it also benefits the local economy by promoting Virginia schools and the training of future healthcare practitioners.”

Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences opened in June 2014 with a fully enrolled charter class of 70 students and a new 55,000 square foot facility with classrooms, simulation suite and life skills laboratory. The campus is located in Fishersville, Virginia.

鈥淲e are delighted to provide academically outstanding EMU students with an opportunity to interview with one of our graduate health sciences programs,鈥� says Linda Seestedt-Stanford, founding vice president for the Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences. 鈥淭here is a tremendous need for physical therapists, occupational therapists and physician assistants to serve our region.听 This articulation agreement provides a pathway for qualified EMU students to听reach their goal of becoming a healthcare professional.鈥�

EMU鈥檚 MA in Biomedicine program holds with the following professional health schools:

• Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Southern College of Optometry
• University of Pikeville-Kentucky College of Optometry

The articulation agreement with Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine also includes opportunities for EMU undergraduate students who have completed appropriate prerequisites.

Harnish, who performed research under the supervision of Professor , studied the “Neuronal Basis for Aging in Drosophila melanogaster.”

Herman won for his presentation of research on the effect of a high salt and high fructose diet on rats (his research was titled 鈥淭he Effect of a High Salt and High Fructose Diet on the Expression of the NFAT5 Gene in Kidney and Intestine Samples of Sprague-Dawley Rats鈥�). Herman works with Professor in support of her .

Forty projects were presented. Some individuals worked specifically under . Others participated as part of required coursework. Professor 鈥檚 alternative energy class, for example, presented a range of research on the topic.

The poster show, which is held in both spring and , provides undergraduates and graduate students with the opportunity to practice presentation skills in an informal setting. Several students have presented research in the campus setting before moving on to .

Professors (biology, biomedicine) and (physics, engineering) headed the judging panel, which also included Professor (biology), Professor (mathematics) and Professor , a biology professor at James Madison University.

In the upperclass division, Kaylee Ferguson and Jared Fernandez, who also studied changes in gene expression related to dietary changes in rats with Halterman, finished in second place. Ferguson is a junior biology major and Fernandez a second-year MA in Biomedicine graduate student.

Third 鈥媝lace went to Katherine Lehman for her research on Judas beetles. She is a research student with Siderhurst.

In the underclass division, Mason Stoltzfus and Maria Yoder won second place for their general chemistry project on the abilities of English ivy and forsythia to phytoremediate copper.

Phoebe Coffie and Maisie Kirkley won third place for their project on the variation of copper concentrations in contaminated soils between sunflowers and beans.

Both of these projects were for a general chemistry II class taught by Professor .

Quiz show elite win 鈥楾he Romie鈥�

The quiz show team of 鈥淢ind AJAR鈥� were the first recipients of 鈥淭he Romie,鈥� a bobblehead trophy celebrating Professor , for which the annual games are named. Miller retires this spring after 31 years at EMU (read about his long and dedicated career .)

Mind AJAR consisted of Robert Propst, Aubrey Shelly, Ayu Yifru and Jonathan Patterson. All teams must include a senior, junior, sophomore and first-year student.

Second place was Stephan Goertzen, Noah Haglund, Hannah Weaver and Hannah Daley.

Third place went to Hannah Chappel-Dick, Tyler Denlinger, Maria Yoder and Kat Lehman.

Honorable mention went to the team of David Nester, Grayson Mast, Derek Harnish and RJ Ocampo.

This nudged the second-year graduate student to more investigation: Was vaping as healthy as manufacturers claimed?

For Fernandez, as well as four master鈥檚 in biomedicine candidates at 草莓社区 who defended their theses on Dec. 5, the research process was much more than the sum of the parts.

鈥淚 appreciated applying scientific concepts to real world questions that were medically and socially relevant,鈥� said Fernandez, who has received acceptance letters from two medical schools for next year.

Independent research guided by professors

Professor , Fernandez鈥檚 advisor, teaches the summer research methods and the fall data methods courses that guide students through the research project, which is the culmination of the five-semester course of study.

鈥淚n the summer, the students develop their topic, go through the Institutional Review Board process, create methods and gather data,鈥� she explained. 鈥淚n the fall class, we look at data analysis and the writing of the manuscript.鈥�

A committee of three professors from different disciplines guides each student through the rigors of research. 鈥淲e advise carefully, because this is a big investment of time and energy from the student, and an important learning experience,鈥� Halterman said. 鈥淵ou really don鈥檛 know how to do research until you create a project of your own and go through the process. There鈥檚 troubleshooting, and navigation of politics of different institutions and organizations, and learning how to work with people.鈥�

The process-oriented, hands-on approach is excellent preparation for careers in biomedicine or for medical school, Halterman says. 鈥淢ost students don鈥檛 have any experience with original hypothesis-driven research and this really makes them stand out when they apply to medical or dental school.鈥�

The research project is the final component of a four-part program that includes coursework, a cross-cultural experience and a practicum experience. Transdisciplinary approaches to problem-solving are used and encouraged as students and faculty engage in a curriculum that integrates the natural and medical sciences with faith and ethics, Halterman says, a unique training that also positions students to be collaborative and holistic investigators.

Fall 2015 Research Projects

Rachel Thomas: 鈥淎 Data Analysis on Demographic Information of Patients with ADHD at [local medical practice]鈥�

Thomas, who works in healthcare and has a goal of becoming a physician鈥檚 assistant, says her interest arose from her own awareness of the high rates of ADHD diagnosis. She analyzed demographical data from an area medical practice to identify correlations between adult ADHS and gender, race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. In demographical analyses of childhood ADHD already done by other researchers, ADHD was more frequently observed in Caucasians and in males. The data set included more than 970 patients ranging in age from 18-65+ and confirmed that a diagnosis of adult ADHS was more likely to be seen in Caucasion men than in other populations. Her research will be used to help identify and treat adult patients with ADHD. Committee members: Drs. and

Hannah Bell: 鈥淲omen鈥檚 Awareness of Risk Factors Linked to Breast Cancer in Harrisonburg, Virginia鈥�

Bell conducted a survey in which 60 female respondents self-reported their knowledge about obesity and breast cancer. She found that women in Harrisonburg did not fully understand the risk factors of breast cancer, including the role of postmenopausal obesity. Though the survey only covered a small population, it affirmed the need to raise awareness among the local population about the risk factors. Committee members: Drs. and

Vipul Nayani: 听鈥淭he Effect of Collegiate Athletic Training Duration on Athlete Injury Incidence鈥�

Nayani, a 2014 Virginia Tech graduate who plans to become a family physician, developed this project with an interest in 鈥渕ultifactorial鈥� causes and individual proclivities toward injury. He observed a correlation between training time and injury, with evidence suggesting that more than 18 hours of weekly athletic training were 23% more likely to develop athletic injuries than athletes that trained for fewer than 18 hours per week. Committee Members: Drs. and Carolyn Stauffer.

Tareq Yousef: 鈥淐ost Analysis of Dental Services Before and After the Implementation of the Affordable Care Act in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area and the Shenandoah Valley Region of Virginia鈥�

Yousef, who has an undergraduate degree from George Washington University in public health, wanted a research topic that integrated current political events with healthcare, and specifically dentistry, his future profession. He studied the effect of the Medical Device Excise Tax, which supports the Affordable Care Act and is levied on device manufacturers, on the cost of oral health services in dental offices and labs. Statistically significant changes in cost of services were reported for all of the lab services as well as some dental procedures. Committee members: Drs. and Roman Miller.

Jared Fernandez: 鈥淐arcinogenic Compounds Created by the Vaporization of Electronic Cigarette Liquid: Effects of Variable Voltage within the Modified Electronic Cigarette鈥�

Fernandez鈥檚 research, outlined briefly above, hypothesized that there would be positive correlation between the voltage setting of the modified E-cig and the amount of carcinogens within the vapor produced from one modified E-cig design. While no detectable amounts of carcinogens were produced in his data set, Fernandez found that the content of the vapor is significantly different depending on the voltage. Furthermore, increased voltage may increase inflammatory responses in human lungs regardless of flavoring additives due to increased concentrations within inhaled vapors. These findings suggest additional research is required to further characterize E-cig effects on human health. Committee members: Drs. and .

Eight presentations were made by 14 biology, , and students that showcased the breadth and depth of research opportunities available at EMU.

The symposium provided an opportunity for students to share their research with an audience of general science majors, said department chair and professor of chemistry . One of the skills of a scientist, she says, is 鈥渢o be able to present technical terminology and processes in accessible language. It鈥檚 great if a scientist can study climate change, for example, but if we can鈥檛 explain the results of a climate change study to someone who doesn鈥檛 have the background, that doesn鈥檛 help us share and discuss our findings.”

The evaluation 鈥� led by , professor of chemistry at James Madison University 鈥� included three criteria: collection of data, thoroughness of research design and analysis, and clarity and accessibility of the oral presentation.

Second place was awarded to junior Hannah Daley for her presentation about her National Science Foundation-sponsored research, in partnership with two professors at James Madison University, on the effects of caffeine on athletes.

Sophomore Kat Lehman and junior Diego Barahona were awarded third place for their research on utilizing radio-tracking to locate coconut rhinoceros beetles鈥� breeding sites, which was conducted under the direction of chemistry professor in Guam. Siderhurst has worked for several years on research projects involving the development of attractants for invasive and agriculturally important pests.

Students find their niche in grant-funded studies

Research projects often pair students with professors engaged in long-term studies. The competition winners, Ferguson and Fernandez, were research assistants to Professor , who earned a $100,000 Jeffress Trust grant to study a multi-year investigation into the causes of hypertension. In Ferguson and Fernandez鈥檚 project, rats were fed a high fructose, high salt, low salt, and no salt diet and measured the activation of genes involved in disease.

The STEM symposium is also offers students like Hannah Daley and Janaya Sachs, who both earned grants to engage research opportunities off campus, to share what they鈥檝e learned. Sachs explored a new ligand for synthesizing copper, a summer project she engaged in through the National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates. She worked at .

The bioorganic copper project is just one of several research opportunities she鈥檚 been involved in. Her freshman year, she joined , led by , director of the MA in biomedicine program, and supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She and Hannah Daley are both currently involved in evaluating the effects of hydrofracking on stream and well water, a project under the direction of and Kishbaugh.

Among the research shared, a unique transdisciplinary project was conducted by biology major Samuel Miller and computer science major Alex Bender, advised by Siderhurst and computer science professor . Miller conducted a chemistry project that involved identification and quantification of volatiles released by the noni fruit during ripening that provided a complex data set that was difficult to analyze. Bender and Miller have both used a mathematical technique called Principal Component Analysis to analyze the results in a simpler manner.听 Bender is documenting their methodology for PCA usage, simultaneously evaluating software programs Cluster 3.0 and SPSS for their ability to simplify the data set.

Flavenoids, genetics, mold…

Professor , who teaches courses in genetics, cell biology, microbiology and immunology, advised several research projects. Biology major Chris Miller researched the effect of anthocyanins, richly concentrated plant colorants that may have protective effects, on mouse fetal development when the mice are exposed to a significant amount of alcohol.

Derek Harnish and Eli Wenger presented their research on the neuronal basis of aging in flies. Harnish, a biology major, and Wenger, a biology and biochemistry double major, worked with Copeland on his ongoing project to identify specific types of that have the potential to extend lifespan in flies when the mitochrondrial electron transport chain is disrupted.

Biology majors Viktor Kaltenstein and Seth Suttles teamed up to study mold growth in a vacated section of the Suter Science Center campus using the Environmental Relative Moldiness Index (ERMI).

She shares her experiences in a book, (Carolina Academic Press, 2014), and in an upcoming Suter Science Seminar titled 鈥淭he Changing World of Transplant Ethics鈥� at 草莓社区. She speaks Monday Sept. 21, at 4 p.m. in the Suter Science Center.

鈥淚t is critical for students in our undergraduate and to critically evaluate bioethical issues such as those espoused by Dr. Fry-Revere,鈥� said professor , PhD, who teaches in both programs. 鈥淚t is an honor to have the opportunity to learn of the global issues surrounding this topic from an expert, especially since we will be discussing transplant ethics in our graduate MA in biomedicine seminar this semester.鈥�

Fry-Revere’s seminar is co-sponsored by EMU鈥檚 . “We’re committed to ethics and social justice here at EMU, and in developing in our students the critical analysis and communication skills to analyze these issues in a variety of professions,” said , vice president and dean of graduate studies. “Fry-Revere brings important lessons to our learning community in both of those topics.”

Proposing a solution to the organ shortage

Currently a medical ethicist on the Organ and Tissue Advisory Committee of the Washington Regional Transplant Community, Fry-Revere runs two nonprofit organizations and has been widely tapped as an expert in many medical issues in a variety of national and international media outlets.

Her 2014 begins with the story of her 10-month-old son, who developed kidney cancer. She was a willing donor, Fry-Revere shares, but not everyone is so fortunate: 鈥淭he world average is about four organs available for every 100 people in need,鈥� she said. 鈥溾�� Because more than 99 percent are too ill, too injured, or too far from a hospital when they die for their organs to be of use for transplant, so until we can grow organs in a lab, our only realistic option for reducing the organ shortage is to increase the number of living organ donors.鈥�

How can we do this without risking exploitation of poor people at home and abroad? she asks.

Fry-Revere says Iran has a 鈥渨ell-funded, legal and safe alternative鈥� to a black market system. In Iran, the donation process is managed by non-profits and donors are compensated both with cash but also other benefits like health insurance, loans and education, should be replicated.

‘Dying needlessly’

One goal of her life鈥檚 work is 鈥渉elp people think realistically about helping the more than 100,000 Americans actively waiting for a kidney before they die needlessly after languishing on dialysis,鈥� the author shares in a .

Fry-Revere is founder of , dedicated to finding practical answers to the difficult questions of medical ethics and health policy, including politicized issues of organ shortage, doctor/patient-directed pain management, the state of medical care available to veterans, and end-of-life healthcare. She is also founder of , a nonprofit organization working to increase live organ donation and reduce the number of Americans purchasing organs on the black market.

An alumna of Smith College with a degree in philosophy and government, Fry-Revere earned her MA, JD and PhD from Georgetown. She has practiced bioethics, health and Federal Drug Administration-related law, and held academic positions related to bioethics at University of Virginia鈥檚 Center for Biomedical Ethics and George Mason University鈥檚 College of Nursing and Health Science. She was most recently director of bioethics studies at the Cato Institute.

The series features regular lectures by experts in their field. The next lecture is Oct. 2 with author, activist and educator Todd Wynward.