The Health Sciences Center at Prisma Health has awarded Clemson University researchers 16 grants that range from projects on cancer treatments to the use of exoskeletons for health care providers.
The seed funding supports the mission of the center, a collaborative effort between Clemson University, the University of South Carolina, Furman University and Prisma Health to foster cooperative research.
Windsor Westbrook Sherrill, associate vice president of health research at Clemson University and chief science officer at Prisma Health, hopes that these projects will inform best practices within health care research and influence positive change within the health care system.
“This year’s submissions were phenomenal, and we look forward to seeing the results from these 16 funded projects. Having clinicians and academic researchers involved in these projects ensures that the research has the best chance of creating transformation in health care and health outcomes,” Sherrill said. “Since this program began seven years ago, several projects have received large federal funding and results have been implemented at Prisma Health, helping improve the care of their patients.”
Following are details about the one-year grant projects, including the names of Clemson (bolded) and Prisma Health researchers.
Improving the Health of Newborns and Children
Adaptation of a prediction model for neonatal abstinence syndrome in a population of high-risk infants
- Principal Investigators (PIs): Lori Dickes, graduate program director of the Department of Political Science, and Prisma Health physician Jennifer Hudson
Intergenerational impact of adverse childhood experiences on offspring gene expression
- PIs: Moonseong Heo, professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences, and Prisma Health physician Jessica Britt
Evaluation of community appropriateness of a pediatric wellness program
- PIs: Sarah Griffin, interim chair of the Department of Public Health Sciences, and Prisma Health physician Kerry Sease
Helping the Aging Population
Early detection of adults at risk for cognitive and functional decline
- PI: Christine Phillips, research assistant professor in the Department of Psychology
Preventing falls among older adults in Upstate South Carolina through hospital emergency department screenings, referrals and follow-up
- PIs:Brandi Crowe, assistant professor of recreational therapy, and Prisma Health physician Arwen Declan
Strengthening Chronic Disease Management
Expanding community paramedicine at Prisma Health–Upstate: The implementation and evaluation of point-of-care testing on health care utilization and stakeholder satisfaction for chronic disease management
- PIs: Sarah Floyd, assistant professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences, and Prisma Health care providers Wesley Wampler and Jennica Siddle
Quantification of plantar pressure and diabetic foot ulcer healing metrics to evaluate treatment strategies
- PIs: Jordon Gilmore, assistant professor in the Department of Bioengineering, and Prisma Health physician Joel Kidd
Feasibility of the CP iLink Program: A novel telemedicine intervention in which community paramedics connect patients with Hepatitis C virus to treatment
- PIs: Moonseong Heo, a professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences, along with Prisma Health collaborators Mirinda Gormley and physician Phillip Moschella
Improving Provider Well-Being and Patient Care
Investigating the use of exoskeletons for reducing musculoskeletal injuries in surgical care tasks
- PIs: Jackie Cha, assistant professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering, and Prisma Health physician Alfredo Carbonell
Ostomy nursing care tasks and patient outcomes: Pilot study
- PIs: Melinda Harman, associate professor in the Department of Bioengineering, and School of Nursing Assistant Professor Casey Hopkins
Mixed-methods study to evaluate and improve emergency department handoffs based on stakeholder experience
- PIs: Sudeep Hegde, assistant professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering, and Prisma Health physician Ronald Pirrallo
How low can you go? clinician shortages and system resilience in the emergency department
- PIs: Emily Tucker, assistant professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering, and Prisma Health physician Arwen Declan
Cancer Treatment and Genetics Research
Molecular mechanisms of cancer metastasis and new strategies for treatment
- PIs: Luigi Boccuto, a clinical associate professor in the School of Nursing, and Jeffery Edenfield, a Prisma Health physician
Precise taxonomic profiling of the postmenopausal urothelium microbiome associated with recurrent urinary tract infections towards informed probiotic design
- PIs: Vincent Richards, associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, and Prisma Health physician Kimberly Burgess
Transcription profiling of non-coding RNA alternative splicing
- PIs: Congyue Peng, research assistant professor at Clemson’s REDDI lab, and Prisma Health physician Ki Chung
Project GROW – An outreach program to improve lung cancer screening in rural communities
- PIs: Tracy Fasolino, professor in the School of Nursing, and Prisma Health clinician Sarah Tomashefski
View a full list of grants and researchers here.
