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By The Numbers

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

Statistics about Jefferson University

Rna Like You've Never Seen Before

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

New methods to ‘see’ unstudied types of RNA reveal an incredibly abundant regulatory molecule that plays a role in disease and health alike.

The Heart's "Little Brain"

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

Researchers develop the first ever 3D map of the heart’s nervous system, providing a foundation for understanding the complexities of heart health.

A Path Towards Digital Equity

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

Telemedicine is a vital tool in health care, but it’s leaving some patients behind. Jefferson researchers are on a mission to improve ‘digital readiness’ in under-resourced communities to bridge inequities.

Inflecting The Narrative On African Studies

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

Inflection points can be powerful events. They can prompt an individual to take on a new career challenge. And on occasion, that individual’s decision can redound to the benefit of thousands of others. Such may be the case for Marcella McCoy-Deh, PhD, associate professor of American Studies and director of the Philadelphia University Honors Institute.

A Journey Of Adaptation

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

Consider Haloferax volcanii, a single celled organism that thrives in extreme conditions such as the very salty Dead Sea. Scientists study it for clues about potential life on Mars and about how organisms may adapt to Earth’s changing climate. Much like the organism she studies, H. volcanii researcher Manuela Tripepi, PhD, is an expert at adapting to challenging situations.

Covid Briefs

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

• Intellectual Disability a High Risk for COVID-19 Death
• Design Solutions for COVID-19 Problems
• The Secret Sauce in COVID-19 Vaccines
• At Home with Dementia during the Pandemic
• Predicting the Severe Cases of COVID-19

Enveloping Buildings In Textiles

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

There are myriad elements that determine how well a building functions. One of the most important and complex is the design and composition of its envelope. Similar to the human skin, the building envelope is the boundary between interior and exterior, and it has multiple functions: protecting the indoor environment, facilitating climate control and reducing the building’s energy consumption.

Learning From Drowsy Flies

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

Who knew that fruit flies slept—or that humans might benefit from studying their sleep? Kyunghee Koh, PhD, does. The associate professor of Neuroscience uses fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) to identify the cellular and molecular mechanisms underpinning sleep. Two of her lab’s recent studies offer results that are both interesting and potentially far-reaching

Cancer Prediction Model Misses High-Risk Black Patients

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

Black men are more likely to die from lung cancer than persons of any other racial or ethnic group. A new study suggests that better detection could reduce that disparity.

Antitrust Laws Don't Hinder Foreign Investment

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

Using data on the period from 1970 to 2019 from the World Bank’s World Development Indicators, this study considered the question of whether anti-trust laws encourage or diminish foreign investment in developing and transition countries

Bursts Of Power

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

Mitochondria fire oxidants to communicate with organelles nearby, a communication that could be important in various diseases.

Reaching Across The Globe And To The Stars

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

From maternal health to science in space, Jefferson’s global initiatives are attacking pressing problems through connected learning and investigation.

Research blooms in an interconnected world. Research that is open to the rich knowledge, experience and culture of collaborators across the globe is stronger for it. Thomas Jefferson University is building international partnerships to tackle health disparities and innovations in medicine, and to broaden access and opportunities that have lasting impact. Read about Jefferson’s global footprint.

Thomas Jefferson University Research - A Path To Digital Equity

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

Inside this issue:

04 Editorial

05 Leadership Message

06 Global Jefferson

08 Bursts of Power

09 Antitrust Laws Don’t Hinder Foreign Investment Cancer Prediction Model Misses High-Risk Black Patients

10 Enveloping Buildings in Textiles Learning from Drowsy Flies

12 COVID Briefs

13 Jefferson by the Numbers

14 Inflecting the Narrative on African Studies

16 Journey of Adaptation

18 A Path Towards Digital Equity

24 JeffSolves: A New Way of Thinking

30 The Heart’s "Little Brain"

36 RNA like You’ve Never Seen Before

38 Online Content

Thomas Jefferson University Research - Convergent Thinking, Creative Application

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

One way we accomplish our distinctive programmatic approach to research is by organizing as multidisciplinary centers and institutes around specific challenges. Led by visionaries and staffed by experts, these entities enable us to more quickly move discovery to translation and application; and they are excellent environments for training colleagues and students to address the practical challenges the world presents.

Sending Jefferson Research To Space

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

Three of Jefferson’s collaborative research projects will become part of the upcoming Rakia space mission, the first-ever private mission to the International Space Station. Scheduled for early 2022, Rakia will include 44 research projects to help scientists explore topics including the effects of low-gravity and space travel on the human body.

“The Rakia mission selected all three of the projects submitted by Jefferson and its institutional collaborators—Sheba Medical Center, the Ramon Foundation and the Israeli Space Agency at the Ministry of Science and Technology,” explains Zvi Grunwald, MD, James D. Wentzler Professor of Anesthesiology and executive director of the Jefferson …

Anticipating Risk For Joint Replacement Problems

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

Research teams led by Javad Parvizi, MD, clinical research professor and vice chair of orthopedic surgery, have identified risk factors associated with two major postoperative issues for patients undergoing total hip or knee replacements.

Despite ongoing improvements in technology and perioperative protocols, some patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty (TJA) experience serious medical complications requiring postoperative intensive care. With TJA increasingly being performed in ambulatory surgical settings, it is important to understand which patients are most at risk for such complications. Dr. Parvizi and his colleagues conducted a study to identify patient risk factors for admission to an intensive care unit …

Jeffsolves With Student Innovation

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

The JeffSolves MedTech program teams industrial design and medical students to develop innovative solutions to specific healthcare problems. Having chosen particular, concrete challenges faced by medical patients, student teams collaborate to conduct in-depth user research and problem identification, develop potentially marketable solutions and create prototype products. “The solutions these teams create are consistently remarkable and effective,” says Bon Ku, MD, assistant dean for health and design at Sidney Kimmel Medical College.

A Design For Mitigating Patient Hypothermia

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

General anesthesia during surgery can impair the body’s autonomic temperature regulation and lead to patients having dangerously low body temperature. That, in turn, increases an array of clinical risks, including poor wound healing and infection, excess blood loss, cardiac arrhythmias and impaired renal function. Unfortunately, current surgical gowns— which have very little thermal capability—provide no significant protection against heat loss.

For that reason, a cross-disciplinary team of Jefferson students and faculty—with expertise in anesthesiology, mechanical engineering, textile engineering, textile technology and fashion design—is creating a new type of patient garment that is intended to mitigate the problem of surgically related …

Does Art Reduce Bias Among Healthcare Providers?

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

Katherine Cambareri, who earned an MPH from Jefferson in 2019, works as a clinical research coordinator at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. She is also a serious photographer and deeply interested in exploring the synergies between public health and art.

In 2016, Cambareri created a photographic exhibition by documenting the clothes worn by survivors of sexual violence when they were assaulted. The exhibit’s photographs—individually straightforward, collectively powerful—were created with the intention of increasing understanding of sexual assault and challenging false assumptions of those who blame the victim. The exhibition titled “Well, What Were You Wearing?” has been presented across the country …

Measuring Empathy Among The Healthcare Team

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

We live in a time when empathy seems more important than ever. Two recent studies assess opportunities and challenges for training physicians and nurses to develop stronger skills in empathy.

Jefferson research professor of psychiatry and human behavior Mohammadreza Hojat, PhD, led a nationwide study of empathy in nearly 11,000 osteopathic medical students in the United States. The study used the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE), a validated measurement tool developed at Jefferson and used in 85 countries and translated into 56 languages. Among its findings were that women tended to score higher on the empathy scale than men, and …

Canine Intervention For Ptsd

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

Strong anecdotal evidence suggests that trained service dogs can help mitigate symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). In particular, they may help reduce incidence of substance abuse and suicide in military veterans with PTSD and TBI. Two Jefferson College of Nursing faculty members— assistant professor Jennifer Shiroff, PhD, and instructor Jacquelyn O’Rourke-Fulford, MSN— have begun the process of formally assessing the effectiveness of service dogs as a therapeutic intervention for veterans with PTSD or TBI.

Assessing Trauma’S Effects On Children

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

“Children who are exposed to adverse experiences early in life may not think, feel or behave the same way that typically developing children do,” says Kirby L. Wycoff, PsyD, associate professor of counseling and behavioral health and director of Jefferson’s Community and Trauma Counseling program. “If behavioral health professionals are not cognizant of the effects of trauma in the lives of children, they may actually be providing ineffective and inefficient care—and doing a disservice to the children and their families.”

Brain Implant Aims To Restore Movement After Stroke

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

In the United States, someone has a stroke every 40 seconds. Often, these victims have long-term physical disabilities—the inability to use an arm and hand properly, for example. While rehabilitation can restore some function, improvements typically plateau well short of full recovery. Seeking to help stroke patients gain a fuller return-to-function, a research group led by assistant professor of neurology Mijail Serruya, MD, PhD, has begun a clinical trial of a brain implant and motorized robotic brace that could enable greater mobility. The work represents a convergence of disciplines, including computer science, fashion design, mechanical engineering, neurology, physics and rehabilitation …

Immune Signals In Parkinson’S Disease

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

The Jefferson Comprehensive Parkinson’s Disease Center is one of the Parkinson’s Foundation’s 33 Centers of Excellence in the United States. Its director, Richard Smeyne, PhD, professor of neuroscience, and his research group are examining the cell signaling and cascade of events that leads to initiation of Parkinson’s disease (PD), seeking important clues about ways to arrest the condition’s progression. Mutation within the Leucine-rich Repeat Kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene is thought to underlie about 20 percent of all PD cases. Two of the group’s recent studies suggest that immune signaling from T-cells and B-cells in the blood plays an unexpected and …

How Does Calcium Impact Cardiac Mitochondria?

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

The ability of a cardiac cell to work hard and continuously depends on the energy-producing function of its mitochondria. Calcium is key to proper mitochondrial function—but only in the right amounts. Too much calcium leads to cell death; too little suppresses production of the fuel a cell needs to function.

Research collaborators Shey-Shing Sheu, PhD, professor of medicine, and Gyorgy Csordas, MD, research associate professor of pathology, anatomy and cell biology, are studying the mechanisms by which cardiac mitochondria use calcium and other molecules. And they are shedding light on how dysfunction in those mechanisms contribute to ischemic heart disease, …

Paradigm-Changing Immunotherapy For Multiple Sclerosis

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

In multiple sclerosis (MS), the body’s immune system attacks the myelin sheath, the protective layer surrounding nerve axons. Current MS therapies act by suppressing the immune system broadly—with sometimes serious side effects, including infection and cancer. However, a team of researchers led by Abdolmohamad Rostami, MD, PhD, professor and chair of neurology, has found a way to prevent immune cells from attacking myelin—while leaving the rest of the immune system intact. In mouse models of MS, their approach has halted disease progression.

Studying Hiv Antiretroviral Therapy

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

Combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) has turned HIV infection into a treatable, chronic condition, rather than one that is almost inevitably fatal. As a result, as they age, people with HIV often begin taking other medications to treat medical conditions ranging from heart disease to gastrointestinal problems to cancer. The increased number of medications creates a risk for drug-drug interactions. Jason Schafer, PharmD, professor and vice chair of pharmacy practice, is exploring combinations of ART drugs that can reduce the number and severity of those interactions.

Exploring Dna Damage Repair

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

A cell’s ability to repair damaged DNA is key to its maintaining normal biology and protecting against cell death. But the repair process can be a two-sided coin: keeping a normal cell healthy is beneficial; keeping a malignant cell healthy can promote cancer. The mechanisms by which cells recognize and attempt to repair damage are myriad and complex; and individual DNA-repair proteins can be involved in multiple pathways. Jefferson researchers across several fields are working to understand the genomic and molecular processes at work in DNA repair—and the problems created when those processes go awry.

Images Of Exploration And Discovery

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

There are many ways of capturing the phenomenon and processes that biomedical researchers investigate. Steady advances in imaging technologies provide windows into microscopic forms and functions—views that can be appreciated, in different ways, by scientists and nonscientists alike. Here are a small sample of the images that emerge from the work of Jefferson researchers