Research
Research is an integral part of the mission-driven work of the Doisy College of Health Sciences. Students and faculty at Doisy work together to make important contributions to research in the health sciences. Through inquiry, synthesis and dissemination, new knowledge and cutting-edge findings are applied to clinical settings and patient care. Our research targets and promotes cura personalis, care for the whole person.
At Doisy College, research is incorporated into our courses, lab experiences, research assistantships and thesis work. Building on the legacy of Edward A. Doisy, health sciences research and scholarship promote and encourage interdisciplinary collaboration to better the human condition.
Faculty and students alike at the Doisy College of Health Sciences advance health science scholarship through both basic and applied research projects. Research in the Doisy College of Health Sciences is mission-driven, hands-on and leverages student-centered experiences to design and implement novel, integrative methods for understanding health and disease, and for improving healthcare in diverse settings across the lifespan.
Areas of Research
Neuroimaging and Behavior Lab
Principal investigator: Jason Longhurst, Ph.D., D.P.T.
The mission of the Neuroimaging and Behavior Lab is to improve the health and quality of life of individuals living with neurodegenerative diseases (with a focus on Parkinson's disease) by
- increasing our understanding of the mechanisms and factors that contribute to complex behaviors and;
- developing targeted mechanistic and behavioral interventions
Jason Longhurst leads the NIB Lab in studying the interaction between gait, postural control, and cognition, particularly in the context of Parkinson’s disease. The NIB Lab uses a range of techniques to study these interactions, including measuring cortical activation during movement and conducting biomechanical assessments. This work has led to several key areas of research focus, including:
- Fear of falling and activity restriction
- Community engagement and participation
- Early identification of disease and syndromes
Affiliated faculty: Jennifer Anderson, D.P.T., and Annie Zinselmeier, D.P.T.
Learn more about the Neuroimaging and Behavior Lab
Translational Injury Prevention Lab
Principal investigator: Olu Owoeye, Ph.D.
The Translational Injury Prevention Lab is committed to advancing sports and exercise injury prevention and musculoskeletal health through high-quality knowledge translation research and practical solutions that enhance the safety and well-being of athletes and active individuals worldwide. The TIP lab conducts multidisciplinary research aimed at evaluating the relationship between load and lower-limb injuries and proffering pragmatic solutions for load management and resilience in collegiate soccer and basketball student-athletes. Owoeye and the TIP Lab strive to contribute generalizable knowledge toward reducing sport and exercise injuries and associated chronic health consequences.
Musculoskeletal Movement Science
Principal investigator: Gretchen Salsich, Ph.D.
Salsich's research focuses on identifying biomechanical and movement factors that contribute to lower extremity musculoskeletal pain and pathology conditions, and testing the effects of rehabilitation strategies based on this knowledge. Disability related to chronic pain is prevalent and costly; understanding mechanisms of and developing interventions for chronic pain will improve health outcomes and ultimately lower the societal cost. The Salsich lab develops partnerships to broaden the scope and impact of their research by incorporating the social-ecological model to include real-time measures of pain, physical activity, and the built environment. Salsich's research uses 3D motion analysis (joint angles and forces), digital video, electromyography (muscle activation), clinical measures of muscle strength and joint mobility, and self-reported measures of pain and function.
Intersections of Athletic Training and Public Health
Principal investigator: Katie Sniffen, Ph.D.
Sniffen’s research aims to demonstrate the value of athletic training services on the health of populations through the application of health outcomes research. Her work explores the public health advantage of access to athletic training services by investigating downstream factors, including health service utilization, quality outcomes and injury risk mitigation. Additionally, Sniffen contributes to research at the intersections of athletic training and public health, including injury surveillance, youth sport safety and policy/program implementation.
Intrinsic Foot Muscle Training
Principal investigator: Kitty Newsham, Ph.D.
Intrinsic foot muscle (IFM) training can improve foot posture and single-leg balance. Blood slow restriction (BFR) can accelerate muscle gains during submaximal exercise. IFM training is submaximal exercise, making the addition of BFR a simple process with interesting potential. This research assesses the benefit of adding BFR to traditional training methods on foot posture, dynamic balance, and muscle morphology.
How Policies Impact the Delivery of Health Services
Principal investigator: Mike Markee, Ph.D., D.P.T.
Markee's research focuses on how policy affects the delivery of health services. Specifically, he focuses on disparities in healthcare, social determinants of health, and the impact of payment models on quality care. His current funded research investigates the relationship between socioeconomic status and clinical outcomes following orthopedic surgery.
Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema
Principal investigator: Kim Levenhagen, D.P.T.
Breast cancer-related lymphedema is a common adverse event following treatment that can negatively impact an individual's quality of life. As a member of the American Physical Therapy Association's Academy of Oncologic Physical Therapy guideline development group, the Levenhagen lab develops clinical practice guidelines to aid rehabilitation clinicians in diagnosing breast cancer-related lymphedema and identifying evidence-based interventions for individuals with the condition.
Occupation-Based Practice
Principal investigator: Wendy Stav, Ph.D.
The Occupation-Based Practice Project aims to promote and enhance the use of occupation-based practice. The therapeutic use of occupation is unique to the profession of occupational therapy and distinguishes practice from that of other health and rehabilitation disciplines. The Occupation-Based Practice Project is grounded in the Dynamic Model of Occupation-Based Practice, a theoretical perspective that conceptualizes the constructs and influences on occupation-based practice.
Learn more about Occupation-Based Practice
The Virginia Gore NeuroOccupation Lab
Principal investigator: S. Omar Ahmad, O.T.D., Ph.D.
The VGNOL, started by S. Omar Ahmad, provides sterological services in the university, pharmacy, foundation, and governmental grants and contracts. The lab performs stereology, neuroanalysis, neuron quantification, study design assistance, grant quotes and more. The VGNOL lab conducts research in the areas of public health, oxidative stress disorders, exercise and its effects on degenerative diseases, corrections officer health and education. All the research is guided by the Model of Neuro Occupation, which braids neuroscience and occupational performance.
Speech Communication Lab
Principal investigator: Yi-Fang Chiu, Ph.D.
The Speech Communication Lab addresses the communication breakdowns that Parkinson's patients face in everyday noisy environments and aims to develop new strategies to facilitate communication success in such challenging situations. The lab also works closely with physical therapy, neuropsychology and neurology to expand the interdisciplinary work that will identify early signs of motor and non-motor symptom development in an attempt to prolong independence.
Childhood Language and Literacy Disorders
Principal investigator: Sara Steele, Ph.D.
Steele's research team seeks to positively impact the lives of school-age children with developmental language disorder and related disorders. Employing a whole-person perspective that honors children's cultural backgrounds, preferences, and lived experiences and autonomy, the Steele lab pursues clinically meaningful research related to assessment and intervention practices.
Yes/No Protocol Using Neurodiverse Teaching
Principal investigator: Mitzi Brammer, Ph.D.
The goal of Brammer's research is to determine the effect of a yes/no protocol using neurodiverse teaching techniques compared to a teaching methodology based on behavioral principles.
Low-Cost Diagnostics and Sickle Cell
Principal investigator: Tim R. Randolph, Ph.D.
The Randolph lab researchers the development of diagnostic lab testing methods for underdeveloped countries, establishing a method to measure anti-sickling properties of compounds, identifying biomarkers to risk-stratify people with sickle cell trait, developing clinically useful algorithms for CBC assessment and characterizing the clinical laboratory workforce in Missouri.
Antibiotic Resistance
Principal investigator: Rita Heuertz, Ph.D.
Heuertz focuses on antimicrobial resistance and bacterial biofilms. In her research, she develops assays for biofilm identification, assessment and quantification; and determines the effects of nutrients, phytochemicals and innate immune responses on biofilm.
Cell Research
Principal investigator: Uthayashanker Exekiel, Ph.D.
The Ezekiel lab is focused on understanding the fundamental processes, such as cell growth, metastasis, epigenetics and signaling mechanisms that distinguish normal cells from cancerous cells. The major avenues of research in the lab are the identification of anti-cancer activities of phytochemicals when used singly or in combination. The Ezekiel lab also focuses on reprogramming somatic cells into iPSCs, which possess unique self-renewal properties and differentiation into various cell types. The lab is focused on deriving iPSC from patients with neurodevelopmental disorders. The iPSC lines are differentiated into neurons for developing disease models and understanding the underlying defects that cause pathogenesis.
Social, Cultural, and Environmental Determinants of Dietary Quality
Principal investigator: María José Romo-Palafox, Ph.D.
Romo-Palafox's research focuses on the cultural, political, and environmental factors that shape the food preferences/eating habits of parents and their young children. Her lab studies the dynamic influences of cultural and environmental factors influencing material-child health. Additionally, Romo-Palafox's research focuses on social aspects involved in the prevention and treatment of impaired metabolic health, chronic disease, and comorbidities. Her research agenda is informed by immigration patterns, public policy, and food marketing and their influence on population health.
The Transgender Health Collaborative
DCHS Faculty Collaborators: Whitney Linsenmeyer, Ph.D. and Rabia Rahman, Ph.D.
The Transgender Health Collaborative is a network of researchers and clinicians working with the transgender community throughout Saint Louis University and partner organizations. The collaborative was established to promote the health of the transgender and genderqueer community through clinical services, research, and clinical education. The Transgender Health Collaborative includes faculty across a variety of disciplines.
Learn more about the Transgender Health Collaborative
Interprofessional Education and University Core Curriculum
Principal Investigator: Anthony Breitbach, Ph.D.
SLU's IPE team is engaged in a collaborative process aligning undergraduate IPE courses with the University Core Curriculum. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research team is assessing outcomes associated with individual courses, which include university undergraduate core attributes. Aligning IPE with the University Core Curriculum has strengthened the IPE courses and enhanced their value for the health professions and across the University.