Collaborations
Although the geographic base is located at PCOM-Philadelphia, the CCDA reaches beyond the Institution's walls regionally, nationally, and internationally. Research collaborations have been established with individuals at other osteopathic medical schools and research institutions. Preliminary agreements have been made to establish a Neuromusculoskeletal Human Performance Consortium within the regional osteopathic institutions as well as a Geriatric Regional Osteopathic Wellness (GROW) Consortium. The purpose of such collaborative interactions is to increase the ability of all partners to meet our common mission by drawing from the talents of experts with diverse backgrounds and to better target multiple demographic patient populations (both urban and rural). The CCDA role is to serve as an organizing and coordinating center to promote team building and sharing of resources.
Collaborations between Researchers at the CCDA and Other Institutions
The researchers within the CCDA at PCOM have established numerous collaborations with both osteopathic and non-osteopathic medical schools and centers to further the mission of the CCDA. A few examples of these efforts are highlighted:
- The CCDA at PCOM is collaborating on a NIH grant with Dr. Beverly Rzigalinski at the Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM), Blacksburg, VA. The intent of this proposal is to establish a new Center for Radical Nanomedicine to address how to monitor and correct free radical damage of cellular structures. The CCDA through Drs. Balin and Appelt will provide structural analyses of proteins and lipids that undergo free radical oxygen damage in the neurodegenerative process.
- The PCOM Human Performance and Biomechanics Laboratory maintained a collaborative understanding with several of the Veterans Administration Medical Center sites in St. Louis, Denver, Washington DC, and Philadelphia that had participated in its multicenter multiple schlerosis study. Subsequent studies in neurodegenerative disorders are anticipated. Through Dr. Kuchera and pioneer David Simons, MD, educational and research links have been established between the CCDA and the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation residency program at Thomas Jefferson University related to the study of myofascial trigger points.
- Dr. Kuchera recently created a link between the CCDA, the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey School of Osteopathic Medicine (UMDNJ-SOM) and Kuopio University in Finland by establishing a center in Helsinki to conduct pilot studies in the use of postural treatment protocols that combine orthotics and OMT in the treatment of individuals with spondylolisthesis. The CCDA provided partial funding for the standardization and materials used in this multicenter pilot study. It is anticipated that such pilot studies will result in a larger national Finnish trial using the CCDA protocol.