Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Can We Teach Creativity?

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

Creativity is an increasingly important skill for navigating the 21st century. But how do human beings acquire that skill? Can it be taught? Richard W. Hass, PhD, assistant professor of psychology, believes it can. “I want to understand the processes through which we solve problems creatively,” he says, “and then use those processes as the basis for curricula that prepare students to hone creativity as a tool for managing life in a swiftly changing economy, society and environment.”

Teaming Up On Autism

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) - The most common neurodevelopment disorder of childhood— is characterized by challenges with social skills and communication, repetitive behaviors and sensory sensitivities.

The Jefferson Autism Research Program is comprised of a team investigating the molecular, genetic, synaptic and functional aspects of ASD. Program researchers and clinicians translate newly gained knowledge into treatments and behavioral interventions intended to improve the function and quality of life of those with ASD.

Roseann Schaaf, PhD, professor of occupational therapy, leads a multi-project study investigating ASD-associated sensory perception and integration difficulties. These often include hypersensitivity to sounds, sights and tactile sensations …

Stem Cells As A Pathway To Neuro Regeneration

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

Bioscientists' ability to create induced pluripotent stem cells—which can be differentiated into many kinds of cells has opened new pathways for research and treatment of many medical conditions. One of the most notable areas of advancement by stem cell researchers at Jefferson is in treatment for conditions affecting the central nervous system.

For more than 20 years, Lorraine Iacovitti, PhD, professor of neuroscience, neurology and neurological surgery, has been making major research contributions in stem cell biology and the use of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to pursue therapies for stroke and neurodegenerative disease. Her breakthrough discovery for prompting stem …

Public Health Study Aims To Increase Hpv Vaccinations

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

Too often, cultural, educational and demographic barriers hamper the public’s use of vaccines. Among the most prominent examples is the human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV): roughly half of U.S. adolescents are not vaccinated and remain vulnerable to the virus and the cancers it causes.

“You’d have a hard time finding a parent who doesn't want to protect their child from cancer,” observes Amy Leader, DrPH, MPH, associate professor of population science. “Still, many parents are missing an opportunity to protect their children from HPV, the most common sexually transmitted infection and a leading cause of cancers.”

Dr. Leader is deeply engaged …

Vaccines Fighting Viruses & Cancer

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

A group of Jefferson viral vaccine researchers led by Jefferson Vaccine Center (JVC) director and professor of microbiology and immunology Matthias Schnell, PhD have been using rabies vaccine as a potent tool for understanding and fighting hemorrhagic viruses—such as Ebola, Marburg, Sudan and Lassa Feve—as well as coronavirus. By the end of 2019, the team had developed a tetravalent vaccine that uses an established dead-virus rabies vaccine modified with specific antigens for the viruses. In animal models, the immune system develops a reaction to the vaccine that is specific and can defend against rabies and some viruses. Soon after COVID-19 …

A New Look At Cancer Care Disparities

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

The death rate from cancer is notably higher for African Americans than Caucasians, which derives from disparities in screening, diagnosis, engagement in clinical trials and therapeutic efficacy and less use of hospice and palliative care among African Americans.

“The causes of these complex disparities reflect social, cultural and economic inequalities more than biological differences,” says Lisa Whitfield- Harris, PhD, MSN, MBA, assistant professor of nursing. “Addressing them effectively will require interventions that are developed in full partnership with the African American community.”

She and two Jefferson colleagues—Clara Granda- Cameron, DrNP, MSN, assistant professor of nursing, and Jeannette Kates, PhD, CRNP, …

Can A Primrose Compoud Fight Uveal Melanoma?

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

Uveal melanoma is the most common eye cancer in adults. It metastasizes to the liver in 50 percent of patients, and there are no effective therapies to treat those metastases. Yet.

Jeffrey L. Benovic, PhD, Thomas Eakins Endowed Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, is globally recognized for research uncovering the mechanisms of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling and how GPCR dysregulation contributes to disease. GPCRs regulate a variety of biological functions—from neurotransmission and sensory perception to the movement of cells in response to chemical stimuli. They have also been implicated in diseases ranging from cancer to neurological disorders.

How To Re-Stress Pancreatic Cancer

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

What is the molecular basis for pancreatic cancer's aggressive nature and resistance to treatment? Elda Grabocka, PhD, assistant professor of cancer biology and surgery, is working to find out. Last year, she received both a Margaret Q. Landenberger Research Foundation grant—which supports promising early-stage medical researchers—and her first NIH/NCI R01 grant. She has also received a V Foundation Scholar Research Award and a W.W. Smith Charitable Foundation grant. Her research investigates pancreatic cancer’s ability to hijack the mechanisms by which normal cells adapt stressors. Ratcheting up that mechanism allows tumors to grow under adverse conditions and it enhances their resistance …

Real World Data Review Sheds Light On Medical Treatment

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

In the largest population-based retrospective study on combination therapies for high-risk prostate cancer, a team led by Grace Lu-Yao, PhD, MPH, professor and vice chair of medical oncology, found that more patients live longer if treated with prostate removal (prostatectomy) plus radiation therapy. The study was the first to show that removing the whole prostate and following up with radiation therapy is associated with greater overall survival than simply treating the prostate with radiation plus hormone-blocking therapy.

Advancing Cellular And Immune-Based Cancer Therapies

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

The NCI-designated Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center (SKCC) is the heart of Jefferson’s broad-based cancer research program. SKCC investigators are currently pursuing hundreds of basic science, translational and clinical studies on cancer cell biology and signaling, molecular biology and genetics, and specific diseases ranging from brain cancer to uveal melanoma. Among the most exciting efforts are partnerships between SKCC basic scientists and clinician-researchers to both advance new immune-based therapies and continuously improve current approaches.

Fusing Discovery, Imagination And Application, Mark L. Tykocinski, Md

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

Thomas Jefferson University is a unique institution, marked by dualities: simultaneously new and deeply experienced; steeped in tradition and heedless of traditional boundaries; professionally focused and committed to knowledge-creation.

We conduct research both for itself and as an essential part of the educational process. In doing so, we fuse discovery, imagination and application—weaving together the pursuit of basic knowledge with its innovative translation and creative application. We strive to redefine the term “humanly possible” in disciplines ranging from immunology and vaccine development to design and creation of functional fabrics.

Thomas Jefferson University Research - Fusing Discovery, Imagination And Application

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

These 60 pages offer just a glimpse of the range and depth of studies undertaken across the Thomas Jefferson University research enterprise.

To learn more about Research at Jefferson, go to Jefferson.edu/Research2020.