Summer Assistantship Faculty Sponsor List Summer 2016
Below is a list of Brown faculty who have expressed an interest in working with medical students this
summer. We urge you to contact them early in your application process to discuss potential
collaborations. Please note that that you are not limited to faculty on this list – you may identify other
faculty mentors independently.
Faculty were asked if they would be able to provide funding for student work outside of the Summer
Assistantship process. Their answers are included below.
Barbara S. Stonestreet, MD
Professor, Department of Pediatrics
101 Dudley Street, Providence, RI
(401) 274-1122, x 47429
bstonestreet@wihri.org
(1). Neuroprotective strategies in neonatal brain injury.
Brief Description: Hypoxia-ischemia (HI) is the leading cause of neurodevelopmental morbidities in
preterm and full term infants. The only therapeutic strategy to treat HI encephalopathy (HIE) is
hypothermia for full term infants, which is only partially protective, and treatment does not exist for HI
exposed preterm infants except for supportive care. Based upon the Stroke Therapy Academic
Industry Roundtable (STAIR) criteria, sufficient dose-response and therapeutic time windows,
adequate histological and behavioral outcomes, and understanding mechanism(s) of action for
neuroprotectants are necessary for preclinical drug development to facilitate translation of
neuroprotective strategies from animals to humans. The basis of this proposal is the identification of
novel immunomodulatory proteins, Inter-alpha Inhibitor Proteins (IAIPs) that are currently in
development as effective therapeutic agents in systemic inflammation/shock syndromes. Results
should yield novel preclinical information to accelerate IAIPs use as neuroprotective agents to treat
HI-related brain injury in human premature and full term infants.
(2). Neuroprotective strategies in the fetus and neonate.
Brief Description: Students can be involved in work with rodents that includes surgery, behavioral
studies, and histopathological evaluation of important anti-inflammatory neuroprotective studies in
neonatal hypoxic ischemic rats. Other exciting work includes translational studies in fetal sheep again
to develop therapies to protect the premature brain from injury.
Qualifications: some biology and neuroscience background
Funding: None
Eli Y. Adashi, MD, MS, CPE, FACOG
Professor of Medical Science
eli_adashi
Multiple health policy projects. No funding available.
Sun Ho Ahn, MD, FSIR
Assistant Professor of Radiology
Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Director IR Fellowship
Associate Editor MHRI
sun_ho_ahn@brown.edu
Mike (Mai) He, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
101 Dudley Street, Providence, RI
(401) 274 – 1122 x 41310
mai_he@brown.edu; mhe@wihri.org
Title: D-dimer Levels during Pregnancy
Description: Pregnancy is associated with increased risk of deep-venous thrombosis. The natural
course of D-dimer levels during and after pregnancy has not been well studied so there are no
established normal reference ranges for the antepartum and postpartum periods.
This is a prospective study using residual blood sample combined with chart review.
Qualification/previous experience: None needed.
Funding: Yes. Again, we may need two and able to fund two.
Dr. James Padbury
Department of Pediatrics
401 2741122,x147405
james_padbury@brown.edu
Description: Preterm delivery and preeclampsia are the leading causes of maternal and newborn
morbidity and mortality. We are employing a Pathway Analysis based approach whereby we are
curating the medical literature, public databases and archives of expression and genetic data for
genes with demonstrated relationship to preterm labor and preeclampsia. We have built a robust,
web-based, semantic data mining tool to curate published literature on preterm birth and
preeclampsia. The curators review each article, identify the genes clearly associated with preterm
delivery or preeclampsia, assign the correct Human Genome Database unique gene ID number for
each relevant gene in the article, review the citations in the article for additional publications that may
not have been captured in the database query, provide annotations on the individual articles and,
lastly, extract SNPs in the genomic region and SNPs in the 10 kb of sequence in the upstream 5’
region of the gene and 5 kb of sequence downstream of the genomic region using the UCSC genome
browser and dbSNP. This is a robust educational experience. Bioinformatics is an important new
discipline that is allowing researchers interested in clinical and translational projects to manipulate
large data sets and large amounts of information. This is a very contemporary approach and an
invaluable skill set. This will further be valuable as a scientific experience with extensive exposure to
genetics, cell and molecular biology. Students develop substantial expertise in genetics, genomics,
understanding of gene structure, understanding the sources of genetic variation between individuals
and participation in the publication process.
Joseph Bliss, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
101 Dudley St., Providence, RI
(401) 274-1122 x 47484
jbliss@wihri.org
Title: Effect of Dietary Medium Chain Triglyceride Intake on Colonization of Preterm Infants with
Candida
Description: A pilot clinical trial in which premature infants who are colonized with the yeast, Candida,
are randomly assigned to receive a nutritional supplement to determine whether it reduces their
colonization. Candida can cause serious invasive infections in premature infants who are colonized.
Qualifications: Prior experience with human subject research and/or clinical trials is a plus, but not
required.
Funding: None available.
Wael Asaad MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery and Neuroscience
wael_asaad@brown.edu
Project Title: Human Neuromodulation Research
Project Description: Our lab studies human subjects in the setting of neuromodulation to better
understand the basic manifestations and mechanisms of neurological diseases as well as normal
brain function, and to understand the mechanisms of neuromodulation (deep brain stimulation) and
devise ways to improve upon it.
Qualifications: Strong interest in neuroscience; coding in Matlab or Python a plus (for data analysis
and experimental task design).
Funding: Students in our lab would be eligible to apply for a Doris Duke Fellowship for an entire year,
but we currently have no mechanism just for summer funding.
Jun Feng, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Surgery Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery Research Lab.
1 Hoppin Street, Providence RI 02903
(401) 793-8065
jfeng@lifespan.org
Title: Diabetic Regulation of SK/IK Channels and Endothelial Function
Description: My current research interests focus on the role of potassium channels in coronary
microcirculation and endothelial function in both animals and humans. My current project is focusing
on the effects of diabetic regulation of calcium-activated potassium channels and human coronary
endothelial function. My strong background in cardiovascular physiology, pharmacology,
microvascular physiology, cell biology and bio-informatics combined with my specific training and
expertise make me well suited for the key research areas for this application.
Qualification: Medical Students with or without Lab experiences
Funding: None.
Jerrold Rosenberg, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor of Orthopaedics
jerrold_rosenberg@brown.edu
Description: Our project would be measuring functional improvement in patients undergoing
rehabilitation.
Qualifications: No specific qualifications. A student interested in PM&R would be preferred but not
required.
Funding: None.
Phyllis A. Dennery, M.D.
Sylvia Kay Hassenfeld Professor of Pediatrics
Chair, Department of Pediatrics
Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Pediatrician-in-Chief, Rhode Island Hospital
Medical Director, Hasbro Children’s Hospital
593 Eddy Street
Providence, Rhode Island 02903
401-444-5648 - phone
401-444-6378 - fax
David Egilman MD, MPH
President GHETS
Clinical Professor of Family Medicine
Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University
8 North Main Street
Attleboro, Massachusetts 02703
Cell 508-472-2809
Office 508-225–5091 Ext 11
degilman@egilman.com
Project description: This person will be responsible for providing critical support in family medicine
program development in Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America. They will provide logistical and
programmatic support to our partners at various medical institutions for a variety of projects including
curricula development projects, faculty exchange and training projects, as well as projects seeking to
improve primary care. It is a great opportunity for a student seeking hands on experience in global
health.
Qualifications: An ideal candidate will possess strong interpersonal skills, and be extremely organized
and detail-orientated. The ideal candidate will also possess prior experiences in cross-cultural
settings, field experience in a developing country, foreign language skills, and a background or
demonstrated interest in public health, development, media, or social justice.
Funding: None available.
Beatrice E. Lechner, MD
Neonatologist, Department of Pediatrics
Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island
101 Dudley Street, Providence, RI 02905
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University |
401-274-1122, ext. 47438
2 possible projects:
1.
Defining the role of proteoglycans in preterm birth. In this project, a cell culture scratch test
model will be used to assess the role of various proteoglycans in the maintenance of intact fetal
membranes throughout pregnancy, including rescuing the phenotype. Some experience in basic
research methods, ideally cell culture, is helpful.
2.
A survey based analysis of the communication gap between healthcare providers and parents
of sick newborns in the neonatal intensive care unit. In this study, a survey will be developed and
administered to healthcare providers as well as parents. Some experience in qualitative research
methods is helpful.
Funding: none available
Lindsay M. Orchowski, Ph.D.
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior
Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Staff Psychologist, Rhode Island Hospital
146 West River Street, Suite 11B, Providence RI 02904
Lindsay_Orchowski@brown.edu
(p) 401-444-7021; (f): 401-444-7109
Description: Dr. Orchowski serves as the Deputy Title IX Coordinator for the Medical School, and is
the PI of 2 CDC funded evaluations of sexual assault programming for middle and high school
students, and the PI of a Department of Defense funded evaluation of sexual assault prevention for
men in the military. Medical students would have the opportunity to contribute to study tasks on one of
the projects of their choosing, may opt to work with Dr. Orchowski on developing a publication relating
to sexual violence from existing project data, or develop a review of the literature addressing violence
prevention.
Qualifications: No prior research experience is necessary. Individuals who are motivated to learn
about sexual violence prevention and evaluation research would be a good fit for our research team.
Funding: None available.
Mark J. Fagan MD
Department of Medicine
593 Eddy St.
Providence, RI 02903
401-444-8472
mfagan@lifespan.org
Title: Using Morbidity and Mortality Conference to Teach Third year Medical Students about Patient
Safety and Diagnostic Error
Brief Description: The purpose of this project is to design, implement, and evaluate a tool for students
to use when attending Morbidity and Mortality conference during the internal medicine clerkship. The
tool would prompt students to identify and classify patient safety issues that occurred in the case and
propose remedies to address the identified safety issues. The student’s role would be to conduct a
literature review, design and pilot test the tool, submit the project for IRB approval, and create a plan
for implementation and evaluation of the tool in the internal medicine clerkship.
Qualifications: Ideally, the student would have some experience with survey design and the IRB
submission process.
Funding: None available.
Roland C. Merchant, MD, MPH, ScD
Associate Professor
Emergency Medicine and Epidemiology
Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Rhode Island Hospital
(O): (401) 444-5109 (F): (401) 444-4307
Researchers from the Departments of Emergency Medicine and Psychiatry and Human Behavior are
seeking a highly motivated medical student for an interesting study on an emergency medicine-based
intervention to decrease risk of sexually transmitted infections. The research involves direct contact
with adult emergency department patients at Rhode Island Hospital during summer 2016. The
medical student chosen for the study will recruit adult emergency department patients to watch a
video about sexually transmitted infections and complete a survey. The study particularly aims to
recruit racial/ethnic minority patients into the study. The intent of the study is to determine the efficacy
of this type of intervention in the emergency medicine setting. The ideal candidate for the position will
be someone who can work independently, is comfortable with approaching patients and recruiting
them to the study, is interested in the topic under study, and has an interest in racial/ethnic minority
health promotion.
Elizabeth Goldberg, MD
593 Eddy Street
Claverick 209
Providence, RI 02903
401-444-7975
egoldberg1@lifespan.org
Title: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Physician Quality Measures and Hypertension
Screening of At Risk Individuals in the Emergency Department
Qualifications: Applicants should be interested in health services research or cardiovascular risk
prevention strategies. Competency in excel and statistical data analysis is preferred, but not
necessary. Attention to detail and excellent communication skills will be important. The RA will assist
the PI with analyzing CDC data on elevated blood pressure visits in the ED setting and will help
design tables that show change over time of hypertension by age, gender, and other demographic
variables.
Description: The principal investigator will meet weekly to discuss study progress, concerns, and
address research questions. The student is welcome to shadow the PI during adult emergency
medicine shifts and will have the opportunity to assist with recruiting adult emergency department
patients in another ongoing hypertension study. Students will receive career mentorship about
physician scientist and academic faculty tracks.
Funding: None available.
Mary M. Flynn, PhD, RD, LDN
Biomed – Brown University
Department of Medicine, The Miriam Hospital
164 Summit Ave
Providence, RI 02906
401.793.4707
Mary_Flynn@brown.edu
Title: Food is Medicine
Description: The student(s) would be involved in the Food is Medicine program I have started at
Lifespan Community Health Institute. The program involves delivering a 6-week cooking program of
plant-based, olive oil recipes to low-income patients. There will be at least 2 cooking programs
underway the summer of 2016. One involves patients from clinics at RIH and TMH who have type 2
diabetes. The other cooking program will involve overweight/ obese 10-15 year olds that are referred
from the Pediatric Endocrinology clinics at Hasbro. The student(s) will be involved in data entry and
basic statistical analysis for both programs, under my guidance (mentor).
Desired previous experience: some work with low-income populations would be preferred; work
experience that involved working with people; basic cooking skills
Academic qualifications: completion of a at least one college level nutrition course preferred;
completion of CITI training or willingness to do so for anyone taking this assistantship.
Funding: None available.
Neha P. Raukar, MD, MS FACEP
CAQ Primary Care Sports Medicine
Assistant Professor
Director, Division of Sports Medicine
Department of Emergency Medicine
Consulting Physician, Brown University Athletics
Warren Alpert School of Medicine
nraukar@lifespan.org
Title: Does awareness lead to change?
Description: Regarding mentoring, the team (including the student), will meet weekly. These meeting
will focus on feedback and guidance on research activities (which include patient recruitment,
consent, and administration of the intervention; patient follow ups; basic data analysis; literature
reviews and abstract and manuscript development) and discussion about career interests and plans;
weekly progress reports; focused readings on the topic.
The SRA student will be mentored in the interpretation of clinical data, and the pursuit of research
questions with important, practical clinical and public health implications. The SRA student will benefit
from weekly journal clubs presented by SRA program PIs which furnish insights to communication
and interoperation of research findings in clinical and scientific communities.
Students will have the opportunity to gain clinical perspective by electing to observe clinical
Emergency Medicine and spending time alongside residents/attendings at a level I trauma center.
Qualifications: Write well; Have some background in research; Are goal oriented and can get tasks
done; Are organized; Have outstanding attention to detail and ability to multi-task; Self-motivated;
Have strong interpersonal skills and can quickly develop rapport; Have familiarity with citation
software (e.g., EndNote)
Funding: None available.
Elizabeth Lowenhaupt
Departments of Psychiatry and Human Behavior (Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry) and
Pediatrics (Division of Adolescent Medicine)
elowenhaupt@lifespan.org,
401-444-3743
RIH, 593 Eddy Street, POB-122, Providence 02903.
Title: Rhode Island Training School - Juvenile Correctional Treatment Services.
Description: A student working with me would identify a specific project relating to either medical or
psychiatric treatment of adolescent currently incarcerated at the Rhode Island Training School
(RITS). The experience would include the development of a new program or service at the Training
School, analysis of available data relating to medical and psychiatric factors of incarcerated youth in
RI, and/or clinical observation in the medical and psychiatric clinic as well as some individual and
group therapy interventions at the RITS. The student should talk with me prior to applying for summer
funding so that we could identify a more specific interest and topic for the project.
Funding: none available; although students could apply to the American Academy of Child &
Adolescent Psychiatry for possible additional funding.