Awards by Sponsor: December 1, 2013 through December 31, 2013 SPONSOR NO. OF AWARDS AWARD AMOUNT National Institutes of Health 56 $8,045,645 National Science Foundation 7 $1,139,781 Department of Education 3 $1,780,205 Department of Defense 28 $3,382,389 Department of Energy 3 $708,750 Department of Agriculture 10 $2,041,413 Department of Labor 1 $324,652 National Aeronautics and Space Administration 2 $112,741 Other Federal 10 $827,588 Total Federal 120 $18,363,164 Industry 238 $3,131,239 State of Ohio 13 $2,637,132 Private Agencies 40 $3,059,772 Colleges and Universities 3 $55,835 Other Non-Federal 5 $142,400 Total Non-Federal 299 $9,026,378 TOTAL 419 $27,389,543

Yoga can lower fatigue, inflammation in breast cancer survivors

Practicing yoga for as little as three months can reduce fatigue and lower inflammation in breast cancer survivors, according to new research conducted at Ohio State. The more the women practiced, the better their results. Participants, who completed all breast cancer treatments before the start of the study, practiced yoga in small groups twice a week for 12 weeks. A control group was wait-listed to receive the same yoga sessions once the trial was over. Results showed that three months after completion of the formal yoga practice, fatigue was 57 percent lower in women who practiced yoga compared to the non-yoga group, and inflammation was reduced by 20 percent. The research team focused on breast cancer survivors because the rigors of treatment can be so taxing on patients. Though many studies have suggested that yoga has numerous benefits, this is the largest known randomized controlled trial that includes biological measures. Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, professor of psychiatry and psychology, is lead author of the study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The research was funded by the National Cancer Institute.
 

Croce and Fan named 2013 Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors

Carlo Croce, chair of the Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology, and Medical Genetics and member of the Molecular Biology and Cancer Genetics Program at the The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Liang-Shih Fan, distinguished university professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, have been named 2013 Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). Croce and Fan join a group of 143 innovators from 94 research universities, government organizations and non-profit research institutions honored for making outstanding contributions in areas such as patents and licensing, innovative discovery and technology, significant impact on society and support and enhancement of innovation. Election to NAI Fellow status is accorded to academic inventors who have demonstrated a highly prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society.

Ohio State researchers to
co-host international symposium

Jeff LeJeune, professor of food animal health at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) in Wooster and a member of the Food Innovation Center, is among Ohio State University food safety researchers selected to co-host the premier international scientific symposium to address the global health concerns of E. coli infections. The 9th International Symposium on Verocytotoxin Producing Escherichia coli infections (VTEC) will be held in Boston in 2015, marking the first time in 18 years that the symposium will be held in the United States. Colorado State University and the Agricultural Research Service’s Food Safety Program are the other conference co-hosts. The 2012 symposium, held in Amsterdam, attracted more than 500 researchers from 39 countries dedicated to information exchange and the formation of dynamic research networks.

Simulation experts creating virtual house for health care training

With funding from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, simulation experts at the Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC), along with researchers at the University of Louisville, are developing a virtual simulation training program for health care professionals providing in-home services. Current training methods used by health agencies and employers lack consistency and do not adequately prepare workers to safely handle potential hazards such as poor lighting, cluttered hallways, mold and inaccessible bathrooms, that might be encountered when providing in-home services. During the first phase of the study, interviews will be held with home health aides, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, agency educators and managers. Their feedback will be used to develop effective and engaging computerized virtual simulation training that can be easily and widely disseminated. Don Stredney, director of OSC’s Interface Lab and senior research scientist for biomedical applications, leads the study for Ohio State.

Researchers awarded $1.5 million to improve pacemaker technology

A research team from the Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute was awarded more than $1.5 million from the National Institutes of Health to study human sinus node disease, a problem found in the natural internal pacemaker of the heart known as the sinoatrial node (SAN). Sinus node disease causes arrhythmias and is a precursor for atrial fibrillation (AF), a condition that currently afflicts over 2.2 million Americans. Co-principal investigators on the study are Vadim Fedorov, assistant professor of physiology and cell biology, Cynthia A. Carnes, professor of pharmacy and associate dean for graduate studies and research in the College of Pharmacy, and Peter Mohler, professor of physiology and cell biology and director of the Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute. The team will use 3D high resolution, near-infrared optical mapping to gain a better understanding of the role of adenosine and adenosine receptors in SAN dysfunction and arrhythmias during heart failure, and to repair SAN dysfunction in patients with sinus node disease instead of relying on electronic pacemakers.

Mary Beckman wins Anneliese Maier Research Award

Ohio State named to new NIH stroke research network

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center joins an elite network of 25 regional stroke centers that will focus on key interventions in stroke prevention, treatment and recovery. Stroke remains the number one cause of disability and the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. As part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Stroke Trials Network (NIHStrokeNet), Ohio State will receive a 5-year, $2 million grant to promote and conduct high-quality, multi-site clinical trials and develop a regional coordinating stroke center. The Wexner Medical Center will coordinate clinical trials at its 24 telestroke hospitals, the Mount Carmel Health System, the University of Toledo and Wright State University. The 25 regional stroke centers selected for the network span the U.S. and include teams of researchers representing every medical specialty in stroke care, such as emergency medicine, neurosurgery, interventional neuroradiology, vascular neurology, neurointensive care, neuroimaging, stroke rehabilitation and pediatric neurology. Michael Torbey, professor of neurology, is the medical director of Ohio State’s Neurovascular Stroke Center.

Statistics students win national data analytics competition

A team of five statistics graduate students won the 2013 Capital One Modeling Competition. The students are Xin Huang, Andrew Landgraf, Liubo Li, Srinath Sampath and Ran Wei. Their faculty advisors are Prem Goel and Chris Holloman, professors in the Department of Statistics. Capital One invited select graduate programs around the country to form teams to compete in a data analytics challenge designed to encourage students to dissect a problem, account for weaknesses in data, select appropriate analytical methods and interpret results – all of which will benefit companies like Capital One as they delve into the world of big data. Thirty-two teams, representing 10 universities including Texas A&M, Southern Methodist University, the University of Delaware and Virginia Tech, participated in the competition. Each team developed a strategy to assign merchant coupons to customers of Capital One’s credit card business. Strong emphasis was placed on creating connections between merchants and new customers. Based on their approach to the task, Oho State was selected as one of the top six teams and presented their work to Capital One’s executive judging panel comprised of statisticians and marketing specialists.

Koletar named 2014 "Women You Should Know" honoree

Susan Koletar, director, Division of Infectious Diseases in the Department of Internal Medicine, was named one of the 2014 Women You Should Know by the Women for Economic and Leadership Development (WELD). Every year, WELD honors 12 women making a positive impact on the economic and leadership development of women in central Ohio by showcasing them and their achievements in a calendar for the upcoming year. The women featured in the calendar are selected based on their extraordinary leadership roles within their respective fields.

Winter named one of the "People to Know in Technology"

Columbus Business First has named Jessica Winter, associate professor, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and associate director of the Center for Emergent Materials, as one of the people to know in technology in Central Ohio. 

Three Ohio State researchers named "Who's Who in Energy"

David Cole, Ohio Research Scholar and professor, School of Earth Sciences; Liang-Shih Fan, distinguished university professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering; and Yebo Li, associate professor of food, agricultural and biological engineering, were named to Columbus Business First's list of Who's Who in Energy 2013. Cole, Fan and Li were recognized as educational impact players in the Columbus energy market. Columbus Business First partnered with the Austin Business Journal, Dallas Business Journal, Denver Business Journal, Houston Business Journal, Pittsburgh Business Times, San Antonio Business Journal and St. Louis Business Journal to identify the top movers and shakers in the American energy industry. Experts on the list represented a variety of fields, including exploration, production, distribution, engineering, finance, education and law.  
 

Tobacco center looking at influences of advertising on youth

The Ohio State University Center of Excellence in Regulatory Tobacco Science (CERTS) was launched last year, thanks to an $18.7 million grant administered by the National Cancer Institute. There are four program components to the award: Urban and rural male youth cohorts study of tobacco use (Project 1); Nicotine and toxicant exposure among users of diverse tobacco products (Project 2); Comprehension of health risks in more and less arousing affective contexts (Project 3); Diversity of tobacco products used and purchased (Project 4). Project 1 is getting underway. Amy Ferketich, associate professor of epidemiology, College of Public Health, and her research team are establishing a cohort of rural (the Appalachian region of Ohio) and urban (Columbus, Ohio) male youth, ages 11-14, and their families, to examine smokeless tobacco (chewing tobacco, snuff, emerging dissolvable products, etc.) and dual use of smokeless tobacco and cigarettes over three years. This project will focus on environmental factors that may lead to smokeless tobacco and dual use initiation, such as retail outlet density and exposure to tobacco marketing. The data collected will be supplied to the Food and Drug Administration to help determine how and if tobacco advertising should be regulated.

Discovery Themes indicator added to ePA-005

The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) has begun tracking proposals and awards that relate to Ohio State’s Discovery Themes. A new section, 3C, has been added to the ePA-005 form to enable investigators to indicate the Discovery Theme(s) to which their proposal relates, if applicable. Given the interrelatedness of the Discovery Themes, a proposal may support more than one theme. The change will have minimal impact on the time required to complete the form and will provide important information about the success of the initiative. Contact your sponsored program officer with any questions.

2014 Denman Forum registration open

Abstract registration for the 2014 Richard J. and Martha D. Denman Undergraduate Research Forum is open. Abstracts must be submitted by Thursday, February 6, at 5 p.m. Guidelines for this year's forum have been updated with new information, so read the registration guidelines carefully before submitting an abstract. The 2014 Denman Forum will take place on Wednesday, March 26, in the Recreation and Physical Activity Center (RPAC).

Faculty judges needed for the Denman Forum

The Undergraduate Research Office is seeking faculty volunteers to serve as judges for the 2014 Richard J. and Martha D. Denman Undergraduate Research Forum on March 26. Register today. Contact denmanforum@osu.edu with questions.

Check out "Strategies for Planning, Developing, and Writing Large Team Grants"

This new resource, made available by the Office of Research, addresses the challenges facing faculty and research offices in transitioning from smaller research grants to large team grants. This book is a step-by-step guide for faculty and research professionals challenged with the planning, development and writing of large team grants. Log in using your Ohio State username and password.

Call for "big data" commentary

Faculty are invited to submit posters and comments in advance of a national conference in March exploring the potential challenges posed by “big data” – the information researchers and policymakers use to address larger problems in society. Big Data Future is an interdisciplinary conference that will be held on the Ohio State main campus March 19-21, 2014. The conference is being organized by the Moritz College of Law, the John Glenn School of Public Affairs, the College of Engineering and others.

New Slovene research initiative takes off

The Center for Slavic and East European Studies is spearheading a new Slovene research initiative to support the advancement of research on Slovenia, Central Europe and Southeastern Europe. The initiative will also allow for the exchange of Ohio State faculty and visiting scholars. An endowment through the Research Center of the Slovene Academy of Sciences and Arts made this initiative possible. The exchange program will begin in May 2014 and offer a full lineup of events during the 2014-2015 academic year. Yana Hashamova, professor of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures, is the center director.