News and Events Archive
CCDA Awards 8 New Pilot Research Grants
As of August 1, 2009, the CCDA awarded eight new pilot research grants.
Research Retreat
PCOM’s Center for Chronic Disorders of Aging (CCDA) hosted a research retreat this past summer bringing together researchers from the Philadelphia and Georgia campuses and members of PCOM’s MedNet.
“The goal of the retreat was to be an open forum for researchers to share their work and identify areas in which we can collaborate,” explains retreat organizer Camille DiLullo, PhD, Professor, Anatomy. Dr. DiLullo conceived of the retreat over a year ago as the chair of PCOM’s research committee.
“Now that the Georgia campus has graduated their first classes from the Master of Science and the DO programs, we thought that the time was right to discuss research at both campuses,” says Richard Kriebel, PhD, Professor and Chair, Neuroscience, Physiology, and Pharmacology.
Brian Balin, PhD, Director, Basic Science Research, CCDA, and Professor, Pathology, Microbiology, Immunology, and Forensic Medicine, acknowledged the optimum timing of the retreat. “The CCDA has begun funding pilot grants for collaborative research within the college and with external collaborators,” notes Dr. Balin. “External collaboration increases the critical mass of our research; it makes a small institution much larger.”
The two-day retreat opened with a campus tour, dinner, and welcome by Ken Veit, DO ’76, MBA, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean and was attended by 40 researchers who participated in small group meetings and a poster session.
Gary Watson, PhD, Chair, Basic Science, and Professor, Biochemistry, GA-PCOM, says the retreat was a “wonderful opportunity for the faculty members from both campuses to get to know one another.” He also mentioned the timeliness of the meeting as coinciding with the first year of the Master of Biomedical Sciences thesis research.
One outcome of the meeting was the creation of a faculty development series initiated by Francis Jenney, Jr, PhD, Assistant Professor, Biochemistry, and Dianzheng Zhang, Assistant Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. The meetings that will take place via video conferencing between the two campuses will cover curricular issues and teaching methods in addition to research.
“This retreat was an important first step, and a great success,” says Dr. Kriebel. “The feedback was very positive, and the momentum to continue this type of group interaction is strong.” A research forum is expected to be held on a yearly basis.
Click here to view a PowerPoint® presentation of the researchers and guests at the retreat.
CCDA Funds 19 Pilot Research Grants
As of October 2008, 19 pilot research grants for 1-year periods were funded in the first three cycles, which began in July 27. The total dollar awards were ~$157,000. Of these awards, four were made to faculty members of the CCDA from our sister campus located in Suwanee, GA (GA-PCOM). Click here to view a list of investigators and projects.
July 26-31, 2008
Brian J. Balin, PhD and colleagues attended and presented information about their Alzheimer's disease research at the 2008 International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (ICAD) that was held in Chicago, IL.
April 12, 2008
CME: "Unraveling Chronic Disease in the 21st Century"
March 26, 2008
CME: "The Think Tank on Dementia"
March 25, 2008
CCDA Co-Sponsors 2008 Bruno J. Bromke, PhD Memorial Lecture
CME: "Osteopathic Considerations for the Geriatric Patient"
February 29-March 2, 2008. "Osteopathic Considerations for the Geriatric Patient". Michael I. Kuchera, DO, FAAO, Program Chairman.
Click here to view a PDF with the schedule for this program.
CCDA Funds Second Round of Pilot Research Grants
The CCDA recently awarded grants for pilot projects to Lindon Young, PhD, Michael Kuchera, DO, and Brian J. Balin, PhD. These grants are for one year beginning on January 15, 2008 and were made to support meritorious pilot proposals that met the criteria under the mission of the CCDA.
CCDA Sponsors International Fascia Course
December 15, 2007. The International Fascia Course provided basic science information on healthy aging and the underlying role of fascia in health and disease to students, faculty, physicians, and community healthcare colleagues. The program featured screenings of the First International Fascia Research Congress that was held in Boston October 4-5, 2007.
Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Visits PCOM
October 25-26, 2007. The Osteopathic Heritage Foundation's Board of Directors visited PCOM. The visit, which culminated in the President's Recognition Reception, included presentations by recipients of the CCDA research pilot project funds and a tour of the PCOM campus hosted by CCDA faculty and directors.
Brian Balin, PhD and Michael Kuchera, DO Co-Chair 2007 AOA Research Conference
September 30-October 2, 2007. Brian Balin, PhD and Michael Kuchera, DO co-chaired the 2007 AOA Research Conference: "Chronic Disorders of Aging in the 21st Century: New Insight and Approaches". The conference, held in San Diego, was very successful and saw a turnout of approximately 150 people.
Click here to view a PDF of the conference brochure.
CCDA Receives $2 Million Endowment
The CCDA received a $2 million endowment from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundations to advance the work of the Center. The Columbus-based Osteopathic Heritage Foundation promotes quality of life, community health, osteopathic medical education and research through targeted funding initiatives, research sponsorships and endowments. The endowment is named in honor of three PCOM alumni: Ruth E. Purdy, DO ‘50, George O. Faerber, DO ‘61 and Peter E. Johnston, DO ‘59, all of whom are also associated with the Foundations. The College has provided a 25 percent match of $500,000 to the endowment.