Learn more about UPIKE and why it is the right choice for you.
See if UPIKE is a good fit for you and take the next steps in becoming a student.
The vision for the College of Dental Medicine is to be known and respected for service, innovation, clinical excellence and interprofessional education.
We are practitioners of the healing arts defining the standard for excellence in optometric education and vision care.
Our D.O. medical school is nationally ranked and recognized for a reputation of excellence in rural medicine and family healthcare. UPIKE’s osteopathy program gives you a clear path to success in the medical field.
Explore our online undergraduate and graduate programs and learn more about earning your degree at UPIKE.
Institutional Review Board 147 Sycamore Street Pikeville, Kentucky 41501 (606) 218-5527 Email: RitaThacker@upike.edu
Research is the repeated systematic process of testing hypotheses to develop theories. It can include basic science, clinical, social science or translational research and encompass testing on human subjects and animals.
Before beginning, the researcher may need to complete several certifications and gain approval from the university’s Institutional Review Board. These processes are in place to protect the participants and researchers.
For more information:
Creswell, J. W. Research design: Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches. 4th Ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2014.
Statistics is a tool that helps researchers relay the meaningfulness of the subject by organizing the collected data (descriptive statistics) and make statements about how characteristics of that data are applicable to new settings (inferential statistics). Which statistical tests are selected depends on the question to be answered.
In support of the research process, IBM SPSS Statistics software is installed on a set of computers in Allara Library.
Statistics textbooks that may be of benefit in research include: Salkind, N. J. (2017). Statistics for people who (think they) hate statistics ( 6th Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. [ISBN: 978-1-5063-3383-0]
Trochim, W. M., and Donnelly, J. P. (2006). The Research Methods Knowledge Base (3rd Ed.). Cincinnati, OH: Atomic Dog Publishing, Inc. [ISBN: 978-1-5926-0291-9]
The University of Pikeville’s Office of Advancement supports the grant writing efforts of faculty and other campus researchers. Grant writing services include searching for funding opportunities, developing proposals, developing budgets, editing and managing awarded grants.
Contact Grant Writers Denise Thomas or April Tabor at denisethomas@upike.edu or apriltabor@upike.edu for help funding research interest or study.
For more information about funding opportunities, visit: Grants.gov National Institutes of Health National Eye Institute National Science Foundation Kentucky Academy of Science Kentucky Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network Ledford Scholarships American Academy of Optometry American Osteopathic Association
Minutes 24-August-2026 Minutes 12-May-2026 Minutes 28-April-2026 Minutes 16-April-2026 Minutes 18-March-2026 Minutes 11-Feb-2026
KYCOM and the University of Pikeville host the research of students from all areas of academia.
The University of Pikeville – Kentucky College of Osteopathic College (KYCOM) has been growing and sustaining a successful research program located on campus. The research program at KYCOM provide students, faculty, and staff an opportunity to engage in a culture of inquiry through ethical and safe biomedical research. Located in the Coal Building, the state-of-the-art 2,600 square foot laboratory provides students and faculty with all the equipment and resources needed to conduct successful research. In addition to the research laboratory, KYCOM also has a 10-room clinic located in the Coal Building that is available for clinical research studies.
Click on the options below to expand the information:
The research program at KYCOM strives to serve as a continuation of the mission of the college and provide solutions for problems that are prevalent in the rural areas of Appalachia.
The combination of research, scholarship, and teaching are all valuable aspects needed in the training of osteopathic physicians. Student fellowships for research are available to KYCOM students in good academic standing.
In addition to providing valuable information to the medical community, students who participate in research, gain valuable information about experimental designs, data collection, and analysis as well as important techniques for biomedical research.
The research program at KYCOM aims to advance biomedical knowledge, give students opportunity to grow beyond the curriculum framework, and produce future physicians who will continue improving health in Appalachian communities.
The clinical research priority areas include osteopathic manipulative treatment, osteopathic patient care, clinical case research, community health research, and research for primary care in underdeveloped areas.
The biomedical science research priority areas include cancer prevention and treatment, cardiovascular physiology, aging of the immune system in the context of thymic structure and function, mammalian macroevolution, diabetes research, black lung, and medical education research
Research Interests: Dr. Simm’s research tests the hypothesis that the residual function of the thymus persists in humans until the end of life and helps optimize immune function. Because of a scarcity of human tissue and a lack of standardized markers of thymic cellular activity in that age group, there is a noticeable void in the knowledge about the function of the thymus in elderly humans. Dr. Simm’s group conducts systematic studies on the immunological fitness of the thymus from elderly human body donors used for gross anatomy training at KYCOM, whose age at the time of death spans 50 to 100+ years. Applying immunocytochemistry techniques, Dr. Simm’s team found that at the time of death, some individuals had a functional thymus with well-preserved thymic epithelium and thymocytes. The team also reported that the involution process might occur unilaterally, thus preserving the function of one of the thymic lobes until the end of life. Looking at the expression of genes mediating the organ’s function in the young human population, the research team has found that these genes were also expressed in some elderly individuals. Dr. Simm wants to determine if these genes’ protein products may serve as molecular markers of thymic function in the late stage of human life. Dr. Simm’s research is highly collaborative and student-oriented. The research team incorporates members of the KYCOM Gross Anatomy and Immunology departments and Student Fellows.
Publications: To see Dr. Simm’s publications from this and previous research projects, visit the bibliography at the National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/malgorzata.simm.2/bibliography/public/
Research Interests:
Dr. Saima Ejaz’s research focuses on the intersection of cardiovascular disease, neurodegeneration, and protein quality control systems, with a particular emphasis on Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Cardiovascular Physiology, and translational therapeutic approaches. She has over a decade of experience in biomedical research and medical education, with expertise spanning molecular genetics, cardiovascular physiology, neuroscience, and proteostasis.
At the University of Pikeville, she leads translational research exploring novel therapeutic targets, including G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER1), while mentoring undergraduate and graduate students in biomedical research. Her long-term goal is to develop innovative strategies to prevent and treat neurodegenerative disorders and improve human health. She is committed to integrating research into medical education and fostering the development of future physician scientists.
Selected Publications:
1. Rangachari, Brahmaiahchari MDa; Sasidharannair Chandrakumari, Abilash MD, PhDb,*; Rao, Lakshmi MDc; Singaravelu, Shree L.D. MD, PhDd; Ejaz, Saima PhDe. Clinicopathological correlation in lupus nephritis: a 5-year tertiary center experience using the International Society of Nephrology/Renal Pathology Society classification. Annals of Medicine & Surgery ():10.1097/MS9.0000000000004787, February 12, 2026. | DOI: 10.1097/MS9.0000000000004787
2. SaimaEjaz, JackO. Sternburg, Khosrow Rezvani, Md.Salim Ahammed, Samiksha Giri, Jinbao Liu, Hongmin Wang, Xuejun Wang. Ser14-phosphorylated Rpn6 Limits Proteostasis Impairment and Pathology in Both Brain and Heart of Tauopathy Mice.2025; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.03.24.645024 (BioRxiv)
3. Anand Chakroborty, Saima Ejaz, Jack O. Sternburg, Yasin Asadi, Mingqi Cai, Abena Asua Dwamena, Samiksha Giri, Oluwagbemisola Adeniji, Md Salim Ahammed, Erin Abigail Gilstrap, MdGiash Uddin, Caroline McDowell, Jinbao Liu, Hongmin Wang, Xuejun Wang. 2025; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.03.28.645869 (BioRxiv)
Research Interests: Dr. Han’s research interests are in the fields of female hormone effects on the cardiovascular system and breast cancers (wet lab approach) and the effects of osteopathic manipulation therapy (OMT) on physiology and disease (human subjects). In the field of female hormones and the cardiovascular system, Han’s research team (Drs. Bao, Bukhari, N. Ghayur, A. Ghayur) studies the role of individual estrogen receptors in coronary blood flow regulation and the interplay of different receptor signaling pathways. Han’s research team applies comprehensive research approaches in our investigation. Isometric tension study for measuring vascular tension in a chamber that provides a controlled environment for an arterial ring under study. Biochemistry and molecular biology approaches are employed for investigating the molecular basis of functional changes. The crosstalk between ERα/Erβ and GPER is the most significant area to explore in the field, and the findings will shed light on the current understanding of estrogen effects in the cardiovascular system and in most organs and tissues where estrogen receptors are present, thus helping the prevention and treatment of coronary heart disease, especially in the high-risk population of older women. The breast cancer research project is a collaboration research with Dr. Phillip Jen. In the field of OMT effects on physiology and disease, Han’s research team (Drs. Stiles, Crawford) studies the effects of OMT on the autonomic nerve activities and functional changes of the heart, blood vessels, lungs, and airways, skeletal muscles, and memory.
Selected Publications: 1. Xuan Yu, Peter Nguyen, Nioka C Burns, Cristine L Heaps, John N Stallone, Farida Sohrabji, Guichun Han. Activation of G protein-coupled estrogen receptor fine-tunes age-related decreased vascular activities in the aortae of female and male rats. Steroids 2022 Jul;183:108997. doi: 10. Q, Zhao Y, Schwarz BJ, Stallone JN, 1016/j. PMID: 35314416. 2. Yu X, ZhangHeaps CL, Han G. Activation of G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 induces coronary artery relaxation via Epac/Rap1-mediated inhibition of RhoA/Rho kinase pathway in parallel with PKA. PLoS One. 2017 Mar 9;12(3):e0173085. doi: 10.1371/journal. pone.0173085. eCollection 2017. 3. Yu X, Zhang Q, Zhao Y, Schwarz BJ, Stallone JN, Heaps CL, Han G. The activation of G protein- coupled estrogen receptor induces relaxation via cAMP as well as potentiates contraction via EGFR transactivation in porcine coronary arteries. PLoS One. 2018 Jan 23;13(1):e0191418. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0191418. eCollection 2018 4. Yan H, Yang W, Zhou F, Li X, Pan Q, Shen Z, Han G, Newell-Fugate A, Tian Y, Majeti R, Liu W4, Xu Y, Wu C, Allred K, Allred C, Sun Y, Guo S. Estrogen Improves Insulin Sensitivity and Suppresses Gluconeogenesis via the Transcription Factor Foxo1. Diabetes. 2018 Nov 28. pii: db180638. doi: 10.2337/db18-0638
Dr. Cole’s research focus will be related to Osteopathic Manipulative Treatments and how they relate to the reduction of pain and potentially the reduction of opioid/non-opioid pharmacologic management of acute and chronic pain. He is also interested in medical education research, including healthcare disparities, marginalized patient groups, access to care, and LGBTQIA+ education.
Quality Improvement. Subjects would include any topics dealing with quality of care with respect to patients in any setting as well as the reduction of medical errors, process improvement, throughput improvement, creation and implementation of patient safety protocols, and analysis/improvement of current protocols to improve patient safety. Another research interest will be any topics that deal with physician wellness and mental health. Topics would include physician satisfaction, access to therapy, suicide prevention, and the impacts of poor patient outcomes/deaths. The focus will be on improving and advocating for mental health in clinical professionals.
Recent publications:
Rural–Urban Suicide Mortality Disparities in High-Burden U.S. States: An Intersectional Analysis
Smith, B.; Marcum, K.; Sowards, M.; Caudill, C.; Sidle, M.W.; Cole, D. Rural–Urban Suicide Mortality Disparities in High-Burden U.S. States: An Intersectional Analysis. Healthcare 2026, 14, 533. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14040533
Research Interests: Dr. McWhorter’s scholarly work uses the scientific problem-solving method in medical education. Independent and dependent study variables use experimental or descriptive techniques to maximize internal and external validity to investigate and explain medical educator and student behaviors and academic performance in the preclinical setting. Academic interests include answering questions that have practical significance to medical educators and students and preparing medical students to become proficient consumers and producers of medical education research.
Recent publications: 1. Hunter, J., Pierce, Z., Fleming, C., Haffner, J., Hudspeth, E., Bayird, S., and McWhorter, D. First- year Medical Students’ Perceptions of a Peer-directed Simulated Anatomy Lab Practical System. Clinical anatomy. 2019, 33: E80. 2. Schick, Garrett and McWhorter, D. Factors influencing non-required lecture attendance for first- and second-year medical students. Clinical anatomy. 2020, 34: E84. 3. Schick, Garrett and McWhorter, D. Instructor Methods and Curricular Effects on Students’ Value of Lectures. Med Sci Educator. 2021,32, 175-182. 4. Sarah A. Keim, Derek J. Harmon, James R. Martindale, Elisabeth N. Lopez, Charles Sanky, William S. Brooks, Meghan M. Cotter, David L. Davies, Majid Doroudi, Jeffrey C. Fahl, Anna Farias, Guinevere Granite, Kelly M. Harrell, Rekha Kar, Kenneth L. Kramer, Jon Jackson, Shiloh Jones, Wendy Lackey-Cornelison, Jeffrey T. Laitman, Kimberly Latacha, Steven R. Lewis, Amy Lovejoy Mork, Hassan Marzban, Thomas G. McNary, David L. McWhorter, Aftab Merchant, Jason C. Mussell, Melissa M. Quinn, Danielle Royer, Alan Sakaguchi, F. Kip Sawyer, Daniel B. Topping, Bruce Wainman, Lawrence E. Wineski, Ann C. Zumwalt, Mark H. Hankin. Essential Anatomy for Clerkships: A Clinical Perspective. Anatomical Sciences Education. March 2023. https://doi.org/10.1002/ase.2272 Antoinette Justice, D.O. Dr. Justice’s research ideas are associated with expanding her research on pulmonary fibrosis with OMT and also some other OMT studies. https://ofpjournal.com/index.php/ofp/issue/view/104/29?userid=07f8a60a-140c-418e-ac7e-e840f7f349c5
Research Interests: Dr. Bukhari’s research area is focused on exploring the role of Epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), novel endothelial products, in the regulation of vascular tone in the cardiovascular system. (EETs) are cytochrome P450 metabolites of arachidonic acid that are produced by the vascular endothelium and have diverse physiological actions including vasodilator, neuroprotective, renal and cardio-protective properties. There are four EET isomers produced by the endothelium: 14,15EET, 11, I2-EET,8,9-EET, and 5,6-EET. EETs are metabolized to inactive DHET by soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH). Recent preclinical and clinical studies have shown that sEH is overexpressed in certain disease states such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. sEH Inhibition enhances EETs function, and it is a promising therapeutic target for the management of hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases. Our recent research studies have revealed a substantial beneficial impact of the inhibition of this enzyme on obesity and diabetes-induced metabolic and cardiovascular complications in animal models. A growing number of research studies have shown that sEH inhibition produced profound anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, coronary dilator, renal and neuroprotective effects. Dr. Bukhari’s research interests also include natural product pharmacology (Neuropharmacology, pain, and inflammation research) aimed at substantiating medicinal plants/herbal products for their therapeutic potential in various health conditions and drug discovery.
Selected publications: 1. Bukhari IA, Mohamed OY, Mahmood A, Alfadda AA, Almotrefi AA. 1- trifluoromethoxyphenyl-3(1- propionylpiperidin-4-yl) urea (TPPU), a soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitor attenuates high fat diet-induced cardiovascular and metabolic disorders in rats. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2021 Jan;25(10):3835-3847. 2. Shah SA, Mehmood MH, Khan M, Bukhari IA, Alorainey BI, Vohra F. Inhibition of soluble epoxide hydrolase offers protection against fructose-induced diabetes and related metabolic complications in rats. J Physiol Pharmacol. 2020 Oct;71(5). 3. Bukhari IA, Alorainey BI, Al-Motrefi AA, Mahmoud A, Campbell WB, Hammock BD. 1- trifluoromethoxyphenyl-3-(1-propionylpiperidin-4-yl) urea (TPPU), a soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitor, lowers L-NAME induced hypertension through suppression of angiotensin-converting enzyme in rats. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2020 (15):8143-8150. 4. Bukhari IA, Shah AJ, Gauthier KM, Walsh KA, Koduru SR, Imig JD, Falck JR, Campbell WB. 11,12,20- Trihydroxy-eicosa-8(Z)-enoic acid: a selective inhibitor of 11,12-EET-induced relaxations of bovine coronary and rat mesenteric arteries. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2012 Apr 15;302(8):H1574- 83. 5. Bukhari IA, Shah AJ, Khan RA, Meo SA, Khan A, Gilani AH. Gut modulator effects of Conyza bonariensis explain its traditional use in constipation and diarrhea. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2013 Feb;17(4):552-8.
Research Interests: Dr. Ibeawuchi focuses on advancing cancer research by applying computational biology and bioinformatics tools for a more in-depth investigation of the molecular basis of diseases and cancer genomics. Her lab uses current tools and methods for the analysis of large-scale genomic data related to cancers and their comorbidities. Ibeawuchi has already demonstrated this in her ongoing research project, where she has identified genes that escape X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) in adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells. The research involved the use of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) for the assessment of allele specific expression in individual cells, with subsequent identification of escapee genes. It utilized the advantage of scRNA-seq data to identify different cell populations and stratified the analysis by cell types. The expressed variant allele fraction at heterozygous single nucleotide variant positions on the X-chromosome were assessed, and the genes that escape XCI were identified. These included some genes not previously described as escapees in other tissues. Currently, the project aims to identify the role of the escapee genes and their association with clinical abnormalities. Since XCI is known to be heterogenous in different tissues, this may be suggestive of a possible influence on phenotypic variance of X-linked single cell disorders and female sex bias in many diseases including cancer. Understanding cancer genomics and identifying cancers’ characteristics based on genetics can provide patients with a more precise diagnosis and more personalized treatment modalities. Ibeawuchi collaborates with researchers at George Washington University and other institutions.
Selected Publications: 1. N M P, Liu H, Dillard C, Ibeawuchi H, Alsaeedy T, Chan H, Horvath AD. Improved SNV Discovery in Barcode-Stratified scRNA-seq Alignments. Genes (Basel). 2021 Sep 30;12(10):1558. doi: 10.3390/genes12101558. 2. Liu, H., Prashant, N. M., Spurr, L., Bousounis, P., Alomran, N., Ibeawuchi, H., Sein, J., Slowinski, P. M., Tsaneva-Atanasova, K., & Horvath, A. (2021). ScReQTL: an approach to correlate SNVs to gene expression from individual scRNA-seq datasets. BMC Genomics 22, 40. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-020-07334-y 3. Prashant, N. M., Hongyu Liu, Pavlos Bousounis, Liam Spurr, Nawaf Alomran, Helen Ibeawuchi, Justin Sein, Dacian Reece-Stremtan, and Anelia Horvath. 2020. “Estimating the Allele-Specific Expression of SNVs from 10x Genomics Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Data.”Genes 11 (3). MDPI AG. doi:10.3390/genes11030240. 4. Sein J, Spurr L, Bousounis P, Prashant NM, Liu H, Alomran N, Bernot J, Ibeawuchi H, Reece- Stremtan D, Horvath A. RsQTL: correlation of expressed SNVs with splicing using RNA-sequencing data. Bioinformatics 2019. Under Review https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/840504v1
Research Interests: Dr. Nabeel Ghayur has an interest in the area of medicinal plant pharmacology. Combining his experience with medicinal plants, Dr. Ghayur has worked with plants and plant-derived chemicals for their effectiveness in regulating smooth muscle contractility. His research interests have evolved but have remained within the umbrella of natural products pharmacology. From muscarinic agonists that can stimulate the gastrointestinal (GI) tone to calcium channel blockers that not only can slow down the GI tone but also have bradycardia as an effect and reduce the blood pressure. Most recently, while working with muscarinic agonists, the research showed that some muscarinic agonists can also exhibit acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity. This observation led the researchers to look into the enzyme inhibitory potential of certain plants and plant-derived chemicals that might actually have the potential for use in dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Full list of publications:
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ESSTakEAAAAJ&hl=en
Research interest: Dr. Afolabi’s area of research is focused on how anatomical variation in human cadaveric dissection has furthered clinical practice, with a continued interest in such applicable research. Human anatomy, despite being similar, has subtle variations which impact the practice of medicine, such variation is commonly found post-mortem. With documentation, such variation can be better anticipated, and the knowledge utilized in clinical practice. More recently, Dr. Afolabi has been examining research areas in Medical Education, cadaveric dissections- the Incidence of the absence of the palmaris longus and plantaris in cadaveric specimens, and in osteopathic clinical practice- the physiologic changes in osteopathic clinical manipulations.
Selected Publications: 1. Abayomi Gbolahan Afolabi, Adegbenro Omotuyi John Fakoya, Emilio Aguinaldo, Natalia M Velasco-Nieves, Erica Barnes, Zachary T Vandeveer, Nannette Morales-Marietti, , Thomas McCracken. A unique communicating arterial branch between the celiac trunk and the superior mesenteric artery: a case report, July 2022. Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences PMCID: PMC6698107 PMID: 31456840 2. Abayomi Gbolahan Afolabi, Adegbenro Omotuyi John Fakoya, Neha Subedi, Jennifer Beniquez Martir, Byron Chique Carreras, Thomas McCracken. Anomalous Origin of the Superior Thyroid Artery from the Internal Carotid Artery. Feb 2021. Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences. doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2021.4549 3. Abayomi Gbolahan Afolabi, Adegbenro Omotuyi John Fakoya, Emilio Aguinaldo, Natalia M Velasco-Nieves, Zachary T Vandeveer, Nannette Morales-Marietti, Shannon Mathew, , Thomas McCracken. Unusual splitting of medial cord of the right brachial plexus and its relation to the axillary artery and subscapular artery: A case report. Jun 2019. Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences PMCID: PMC6684438 PMID: 31406546 doi: 10.3889/oamjms.2019.561 4. Abayomi Afolabi, Adegbenro Omotuyi John Fakoya, Luis Manuel Perez-Protocarrero, Yulia Kungurova, Mariana Ndrio, Xiomara Marty-Ramirez, Derek Mizael Rodriguez-Pinero, Luis Eduardo Rentas-Figueroa, Nahu Gulelat Dimitri, Juan Manuel Collzao-Roman, Graham Robert Demsey- Corbett, Thomas McCracken, David Otohinoyi. Multiple Gastrointestinal Vascular Variations in a Male Cadaver: A Case Report and Literature Review of Embryonic, Genetic, and Clinicosurgical Implications of Pathogenicity. Aug 2020, Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences 5. Abayomi Afolabi, Adegbenro Fakoya, Jessica Heymans, Amanda McCrary, Omar Rodriguez, Abdiel Cardona, Thomas McCracken. Hyperostosis frontalis interna: A case report. July 2020, Journal of Health Sciences doi.org/10.17532/jhsci.2020.903
Dr. Avilova’s research focuses on human anatomy, anatomical variation, clinically applied anatomy, and medical education. Her work integrates cadaveric dissection, morphological investigation, and educational research to advance the understanding and clinical application of human anatomy.
A major area of her research is the investigation of anatomical variations and their clinical significance. Through cadaveric studies, Dr. Avilova documents rare variations of muscles, vessels, and organs and examines their potential implications for surgical procedures, diagnostic imaging, and clinical practice.
Dr. Avilova also researches anatomy and medical education, including cadaveric dissection, near-peer teaching, technology-enhanced learning, and innovative approaches to anatomy education including virtual reality approach. Her educational research examines strategies that improve students’ anatomical knowledge, clinical understanding, engagement, and learning through dissection. Her earlier research also focused on experimental morphology and toxicology, including morphological and ultrastructural changes in the thymus and spleen under different experimental conditions.
Dr. Noble’s research is centered around human anatomy and development, particularly the development of the skeletal system, and what its variations between humans and non-human primates can tell us about human evolution and function. Her work primarily uses CT scan data as the basis for 3D geometric morphometric analysis and is currently focused on the bones of the shoulder girdle. Future directions include an interspecific analysis of postnatal vertebral development and the creation of a biomechanically accurate shoulder model at various stages of childhood.
Dr. Evans’ research interests focus on the interaction between gram-positive bacteria and the host immune system. With antimicrobial resistance ushering in the post-antibiotic era, new therapies and concepts must be developed. Dr. Evans studies the interaction between innate immune cells, such as RAW 264.7 murine macrophages and Gram-positive bacteria. Cannabinoids such as cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabigerol (CBG) have been identified as bactericidal against some gram-positive bacteria. Meanwhile, the highly anti-inflammatory nature of these compounds indicates immune modulation. Her current study sits at this intersection, identifying the role cannabinoids have as antimicrobials during B. cereus infection and the impact on the macrophage cells at the same time.
Research Interests: Dr. Bao’s work has been focused on three lines of investigation. First, control of gene expression. This project utilizes various model systems to study how genes coding for Nephrin and Neph-1 are regulated and to identify the components of the Nephrin and Neph-1 signaling pathways. Nephrin and Neph-1 are two transmembrane adhesion receptors and components of the slit diaphragm in the mammalian kidney. Second, the roles of noncoding RNAs in memory. This project studies the expression patterns of selected noncoding RNAs in hippocampus and anterior cingulate cortex in mice before and after learning. In addition, Dr. Bao’s team is working to deplete those noncoding RNAs that show unique spatial and temporal expression patterns and assess their impact on memory using the standard contextual fear conditioning (CFC) test. This project is carried out in collaboration with Dr. Dana Ziegler from the University of Pikeville and Dr. Louise Risher from Marshall University. Third, methods to improve student learning and methods to assess the success of medical curricula. This is educational research focused on curriculum development and assessment. This project aims at identifying factors that affect student learning, establishing assessment methods that have a lower variability and higher sensitivity than conventional methods, and applying these methods to identify course deficits.
Selected Publications: 1. Sujin Bao* (2022). Use of simplex learning index to identify a course deficit. Advances in Physiology Education 46, 509-515. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35834233/ 2. Jie Ni, Sujin Bao, Ruth I Johnson, Bingbing Zhu et al (2016). MAGI-1 Interacts with Nephrin to Maintain Slit Diaphragm Structure Through Enhanced Rap1 Activation in Podocytes. Journal of Biological Chemistry 291, 24406-24417. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27707879/ 3. Sujin Bao*, (2014). Cell adhesion in the assembly of the Drosophila eye. Journal of Neurogenetics 28, 282-290. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24678921/ 4. Sujin Bao* (2014). Notch controls cell adhesion in the Drosophila eye. PLOS Genetics 10: e1004087. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24415957/ 5. Sujin Bao*, Qiang Zhuang, Libin Zhu, Lucia Wang, Ian Holzman, Pin-xian Xu and Jing Lin (2013). Localization dynamics of lactobacilli in the gastro-intestinal tract of neonatal rats. PLoS One 8, e60007. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23544119/
One of the Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine (KYCOM) research program aims is that it is student-led.
The program seeks to reinforce KYCOM’s mission statement by encouraging students to participate in research and cultivating an appreciation of lifelong scholarly activity by providing students with the opportunity to learn research techniques and practices. One of the ways this is accomplished is through the KYCOM summer research program.
KYCOM students can apply for the summer research program through the KYCOM Student Research Application. Students selected for the summer research program will receive a stipend and work closely with a UPIKE mentor faculty member throughout the summer. They can also find their mentor outside the university if they desire. Students wishing to seek an outside mentor should complete the Student’s Research Information for Projects Conducted Outside UPIKE-KYCOM.
As of the summer of 2022, KYCOM will fund 15 students for the summer research program. Students work with very knowledgeable faculty that will assist them and ensure that the research is successful.
Students have an opportunity to present their research work at regional, national and international conferences and during KYCOM Research Day.
Prospective students are encouraged to view the faculty research tab to discover topics of interest.
Students Summer Research:
2025: • Uchechukwu Agali, OMS-1 Violent Injury in the Neuropsychiatric Conditions Population • Anisha Polimati, OMS-1 Evaluation of Thymic Activity in Spleen Samples by Detection of TREC DNA • Carrigan Causby, OMS-1 Colorectal Cancer Outcomes Associated with Rare Genetic Mutations • David R. Leffler, OMS-1 ER-alpha Expression and Cardiogenic Protection in Congestive Heart Failure • Kaegan Dove, OMS-1 Assessing Normal Hearing Using New Software and a Novel Test • Humza Bashir, OMS-1 Assessing Normal Hearing Using New Software and a Novel Test • Joseph Boujaoude, OMS-1 Evaluating Cardiovascular Outcomes After Personalized Osteopathic Manipulative Treatments • Harley Ledbetter, OMS-1 Evaluating Cardiovascular Outcomes After Personalized Osteopathic Manipulative Treatments • John Mullins, OMS-1 Investigating the Role of GLUT1 Deficiency and SLC2A1 Gene Dysregulation in Cancer Development and Progression • Yash Kansara, OMS-1 Frequency of Convergence Insufficiency and Associated Risk Factors Among Children in Rural Appalachia • Kati Heinemann, OMS-1 GPER Signaling in Porcine Coronary Artery SMC • Kaylah McAnally, OMS-1 Vaso-relaxing Effects of Substance P on Porcine and Bovine Coronary Arteries • Lauren Jung, OMS-1 Immunological Fox-N1 Studies on Thymic Structures Following Involution • Liberty Hombe, OMS-1 Receptor Expression Changes of β1, β2-Adrenergic Receptors and G Protein-Coupled
2024 • Adhel Medina, OMS-1 Investigating the Roles of Estrogen Receptors (GPER, ERα, and ERβ) in eNOS Activation and Nitric Oxide Release • Akul Mitra, OMS-1 Auditory Verbal Comprehension Test • Deesha Patel, OMS-1 Establishing the Interplay of ERα, ERβ, and GPER Estrogen Receptors with an Isometric Tension Study on Porcine Coronary Arteries: Scientific Advancement in Hormone Replacement Therapy and Women’s Cardiovascular Health • Elizabeth Leach, OMS-1 Exploring Gait Variability in Individuals with Down Syndrome as a Clinical Marker of White Matter Integrity • Elshaday Sendek, OMS-1 Evaluating Cardiovascular Outcomes after Personalized Osteopathic Manipulative Treatments • Hashir Bukhari, OMS-1 Exploring the Effects of Substance P in Bovine Coronary Arteries; a Possible Vasodilatory Role via Endothelial Nitric Oxide Pathway • Jacob Doman, OMS-1 The Effects of Estrogen on GPER as a Potentially Novel Treatment for Diabetes Mellitus • Noah Mitchell, OMS-1 Factors Influencing the Formation of Professional Identity in Clinical Students in the Appalachian Area • Mosammat Perveen, OMS-1 Role of Long Noncoding RNAs GM17111 & GM15690 in Contextual Fear Memory • Sreya Yalamanchili, OMS-1 Narrative Inquiry on Nicotine and Alcohol Use in the UPIKE Community, Including Family Medical History, Childhood Experiences, and Substance Abuse Education in Pike County • Zachery Dyer, OMS-1 Design and Synthesis of Endocannabinoid Enzyme Inhibitors for Ocular Indications
2023:
2022:
2021:
2020:
2019:
2018:
2017:
2016:
Peer-Review Publications:
Poster Presentations:
Selective Laser Trabeculoplaty (SLT) vs Combigan
Name of researcher(s): Ian McWherter, O.D.
Project Title: Selective Laser Trabeculoplaty (SLT) vs Combigan
Project Description (250 word limit): This study aims to compare the effectiveness in intraocular pressure (IOP) lowering between SLT and Combigan in primary open angle glaucoma patients who are uncontrolled on a topical prostaglandin analog.
Contact Information: ianmcwherter@gmail.com
Photo: none
Accepting new research interns: no
Cataract Surgery Activity Study
Name of researcher(s): Duane Corbett, Ph.D and Ian McWherter, O.D.
Project Title: Cataract Surgery Activity Study
Project Description (250 word limit): This study will investigate the effects of cataract surgery on the daily activities levels in elderly patients.