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  • McQueary College of Health and Human Services

Archives for January 2022

Funding the next generation of nurses

January 28, 2022 by Jonah Rosen

BSN Nursing students in the simulation lab at O'Reilly Health Sciences Building

In a time when health care workers are in high demand, The Mid-America Transplant Foundation (MAT) is launching the MAT Scholarship for students enrolled in Missouri State University’s nursing program.  

“We are humbled and honored at the gracious gift given to our students from MAT,” Monika Feeney, Department Head for the School of Nursing, said. “This scholarship will raise awareness for organ donation in the community by enabling nursing students to learn about organ donation and the importance of it to our community.” 

This gift is in recognition of the critical role nurses play in the organ and tissue donation process in Southwest Missouri.

In 2021, Springfield hospitals supported patients and their families who wanted to save and heal lives through organ, tissue, and eye donation. These patients become donor heroes who saved 134 lives through organ donation and impacted up to 20,000 lives through the donation of eyes, skin, tendons, ligaments, heart valves and bone.

Applying for scholarship 

Ten scholarships at $1,000 each will be given to qualified applicants beginning with the 2023-24 academic year. The scholarship is part of the MAT Foundation’s focus on workforce development.  

Nursing students interested in applying must submit an essay. The essay must include:  

  • A discussion of organ donation. 
  • The role nurses play in the organ donor process, including the impact of grief on donor families.  
  • The role that MAT plays in southwest Missouri communities.  

Scholarship recipients will travel to St. Louis to receive a tour of MAT facilities. 

Learn more about MSU Nursing program

Filed Under: Nursing Tagged With: Financial Aid, McQueary College of Health and Human Services, School of Nursing

Choosing the healthiest salmon

January 11, 2022 by Strategic Communication

Salmon is a fish that’s good for you. There are several types, so which one is healthiest?

Natalie Allen, registered dietitian and clinical assistant professor of biomedical sciences at Missouri State University, shares her thoughts with The Healthy.

Filed Under: Biomedical Sciences, Dietetics

Professor’s work featured in ‘Top 10 Insights from the Science of a Meaningful Life in 2021’ list

January 11, 2022 by Strategic Communication

Recently, Dr. Leslie Echols, associate professor of psychology at Missouri State University, worked with Dr. Jerreed Ivanich of the University of Colorado to conduct a Fast Friends study. It looked at using questions and answers to foster friendships among middle school students.

This research was featured in the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley’s recent list of the “Top 10 Insights from the Science of a Meaningful Life in 2021.” The annual list highlights what the center sees as the most important, provocative and inspiring findings published about “the science of a meaningful life.”

Filed Under: Psychology

How technology and environmental studies can affect health

January 10, 2022 by Lauren Stockam

As environmentally conscious as organizations try to be, new technology and other products are still developed that may negatively impact the earth or human health long-term.

That’s why scientists are constantly putting these items to the test and asking questions for the greater good.

Dr. Paul Durham, director of the Center for Biomedical and Life Sciences at the Jordan Valley Innovation Center. and distinguished professor of biology at Missouri State University, talks with Sara Woodman, senior research scientist at the Center for Biomedical and Life Sciences, about several ongoing research projects.

Gas sensor
Water sensor
Hearing and migraines

Exploring a gas sensor project

When you have an accumulation of metals, Durham explains acid rain can cause the metals to leach into the soil, then seep into the groundwater.

“Then animals, including ourselves, can be exposed to that,” Durham said.

In a current study, Woodman says they are experimenting with what this exposure could cause to different organs and tissues.

“If you’re ingesting of some of these metals, you would expect the gut would be one of the first places that you would see it,” she said.

In their study, the colon and gut microbiome are among the most affected.

“If you want to have a healthy brain, you have to have a healthy gut,” he said. “This study has implications on cognitive function down the road.”

Read the transcript from the gas sensor project interview

Keeping water sensors in top condition

Water sensors are developed to detect metals and other contaminants in natural water sources. But these water sensors can become unreliable due to bacteria.

Woodman and Durham are simulating different conditions to test how long these sensors can be reliably used. They’re also wondering what modifications could be made to prevent bacterial growth on the sensors.

Explore the Center for Biomedical and Life Sciences

“We’re doing some shorter term and also some longer term studies,” Woodman said, “on what we can do to prevent malfunctioning of these sensors due to growth.”

Although the water sensor project is ongoing, Durham says the preliminary findings are revealing some unexpected differences between water sources and water collected at different points throughout the year.

“Well water actually is fairly clean. There aren’t as many microorganisms,” Durham said. “You can imagine the pond water is the worst…Pond water in April is not the same pond water in August, though, during the dog days. And the rivers seemed to be a little bit more consistent.”

This information is important to identifying what kind of materials will be better for future water sensor designs, he noted.

Read the transcript from the water sensor project interview

Hearing and migraines

Technology also allows more in-depth study for debilitating health conditions, like migraines, a long-term interest of Durham’s lab.

His lab is now collaborating with Dr. Wafaa Kaf, professor of audiology, on the intersection of migraines and sensitivity to sound, or phonophobia.

“A lot of focus in the research world has been on photophobia and trying to come up with ways to minimize the impact of flashing, strobing and bright lights,” Durham said.

But migraine sufferers often report phonophobia as the most bothersome symptom, according to Durham.

“Migrainers can actually hear a fluorescent light all of a sudden,” he said. “Or there’s a sensitivity to loud sounds. The children’s volume hasn’t turned up. Your sensitivity to it has turned up.”

To better understand the connection between hearing and migraine, Durham and Kaf partnered to purchase a piece of equipment – all in hopes of providing insight to create an effective treatment.

It all starts with sound producers – like ear buds – and probes placed on the near and forehead, Woodman explained.

“These probes will detect how various parts of the brain and the spinal cord respond to different volumes and tones,” she said.

“This cross pollination [of departments] allows you to unlock mysteries of things and understand how things are really happening,” Durham added.

Read the transcript of the interview about hearing and migraines

Filed Under: Communication Sciences and Disorders

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