Institutionally-Supported Translational
Health Research Seed Grant Program

Interventions that Address Chronic Diseases in Rural Health Populations Reducing Chronic Disease Risk among Rural Adults

Laurie Abbot, PhD (PI, Nursing)
Lucinda Graven, PhD (Co-I, Nursing)
Michael Killian, PhD (Co-I, Social Work)
Jessica DeLeon, PhD (Co-I, COM)
Mia Lustria, PhD (Co-I, CCI)

Publications

• Effects of a group-based online lifestyle medicine intervention among rural participants: A randomized controlled trial
• Impact of a web-based lifestyle medicine intervention: A qualitative study among rural participants

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Implementation Science Approaches to Treating Pain Development of Novel Biopsychosocial Approaches to Pain Management Integrated in Community Orthopedic Clinics

Heather Flynn, PhD (MPI, COM)
Nicole Ennis, PhD (MPI, COM)
Gilbert Chandler, MD (MPI, Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic)
Phillip Worts, PhD (Co-I, Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic)
Hychol (Brian) Ahn, PhD (Co-I, Nursing)
Kevin Johnson, PhD (Co-I, COM)
Jeff Harman, PhD (Co-I, COM)
F. Andrew (Andy) Kozel, PhD (Co-I, COM)

Pesticides Implications for Rural Children’s Health Disparities

Robert (Bob) Hickner, PhD (PI, Health and Human Sciences)
Jessica Bahorski, PhD (Nursing)
Laurie Abbott, PhD (Nursing);
Gregg Stanwood, PhD (COM)

Disaster Rebound and Recovery: A Translational Research Project for the Florida Rural Panhandle

Tanya Renn, PhD (PI, Social Work)
Ellen Piekalkiewicz, MA (Co-PI, Social Work)
Michael Killian, PhD (Co-PI, Social Work)
Julia Jones, MS (Co-PI, doctoral student in the Marriage and Family Therapy program)
James Clark, PhD (subject matter expert, Provost)
Elena Reyes, PhD (subject matter expert, COM)
Savannah Smith, MSW (project staff, Social Work)

All-inclusive Hurricane Resilience to Bridge the Resilience Divide for Special Needs Populations Living in Rural Communities

Eren Erman Ozguven, PhD (PI, Engineering)
Jessica De Leon, PhD (COM)
Mark Horner, PhD (Geography)
Scott Pickett, PhD (COM)
Tisha Holmes, PhD (Urban & Regional Planning)
Ellen Piekalkiewicz, MA (Social Work)
Marcia Mardis, EdD (CCI)
John Mathias, PhD (Social Work)

Projects

• Rural Resiliency Hubs: A Planning Approach to Addressing the Resiliency Divide. Mardis, M. A. (PI), Horner, M. W. (Co-PI), Ozguven, E. (Co-PI), Piekalkiewicz, E. (Co-PI), and Pickett, S. M. (Co-PI). January 2021–June 2023. 
  Funded by National Science Foundation: 2041039
  Total award: $49,924

• Excellence in Research: Bending the Curve for Vulnerable Populations: A Data-Analytical and Socio-Technical Decision-Making Framework for Sheltering in Hurricane-Pandemics. Vanli, A. (PI), Ozguven, E. (Co-PI), Mathias, J. (Co-PI), and Piekalkiewicz, E. (Co-PI). September 2021–August 2024. 
  Funded by National Science Foundation: 2101091
  Total award: $542,167

• SCC-CIVIC-FA Track B: Rural Resiliency Hubs: An Integrated, Community-Centered Approach to Addressing the Resiliency Divide through Rural Public Libraries. Mardis, M. A. (PI), Horner, M. W. (Co-PI), Ozguven, E. (Co-PI), Piekalkiewicz, E. (Co-PI), and Pickett, S. M. (Co-PI). October 2021–Mar 2024. 
  Funded by National Science Foundation: 2133308
  Total award: $734,128

Publications

• Understanding People's Safety Perceptions During a Recent Evacuation: the Case of Hurricane Ian (2022)
• Large-scale modeling of hurricane flooding and disrupted infrastructure impacts on accessibility to critical facilities

Using Reward-network Guided Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Increase Reward-Sensitivity

Derek Nee, PhD (PI, Psychology)
Greg Hajcak, PhD (Co-PI, Psychology)

Project Awards

• Manipulating the Reward Circuit with TMS. Nee, D. (PI), Hajcak, G. (MPI), and Kozel, F. A. (Co-I). May 2022–April 2024.
  Funded by the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health: 1R21MH129653-01
  Y1 total award: $186,400

Publications

• Manipulating reward sensitivity using reward circuit-targeted transcranial magnetic stimulation

Early Phase Feasibility Trial: Examining the Effects of Diet on Genetic and Psychosocial Risks for Alzheimer’s Disease

Julia Sheffler, PhD (PI, COM)
Bahram Arjmandi, PhD (Co-I, Health and Human Sciences)
Sylvie Naar, PhD (Co-I, COM)
Cynthia Vied, PhD (Co-I, Translational Science Laboratory)
Jamie Quinn, PhD (Co-I, Florida Center for Reading Research)
Paul Katz, PhD (consultant, Geriatrics)
Neda Akhavan, PhD (consultant, Health and Human Sciences)

Publications

• Feasibility of an MI-CBT ketogenic adherence program for older adults with mild cognitive impairment
• Subjective, neuropsychological and neural markers of memory in older adults
• Multi-sample assessment of stress reactivity as a mediator between childhood adversity and mid- to late-life outcomes
• Adverse childhood experiences and poor sleep quality in older adults: The influence of emotion regulation
• The role of physical activity on the relationship between pain, anxiety, and sleep quality in older age
• The P300, loneliness, and depression in older adults

Identification of Microbiome Profile Alterations in Fecal Samples from Children with Recurrent Abdominal Pain

Devendra Mehta, MD (Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, FSU College of Medicine Orlando Clerkship Faculty)

Molecular Determinants of Radiotherapy Efficacy in Keloid Treatment

Akash Gunjan, PhD (Biomedical Sciences)

Community-Based Clinical Pilot Study of a Topical Microbiome Therapeutic in Adult Atopic Dermatitis

Eva Berkes, MD (Hawthorne Clinic and Research Center, FSU College of Medicine Sarasota Clerkship Faculty)

Study to Test Anti-Zika Therapeutic Candidates in Human Brain Organoid and Animal Models

Yi Zhou, PhD (COM)
Hengli Tang, PhD (Biological Sciences)

Publications

• Emetine inhibits Zika and Ebola virus infections through two molecular mechanisms: inhibiting viral replication and decreasing viral entry

Study on Suppression of Fibrosis of Keloid Fibroblasts and Validation of a Novel Antifibrotic Compound and Analysis of Prognostic Markers

Branko Stefanovic, PhD (COM)

Publications

• Discovery and evaluation of inhibitor of LARP6 as specific antifibrotic compound
• Technology for discovery of antifibrotic drugs: Phenotypic screening for LARP6 inhibitors using inverted yeast three hybrid system

Study Assessing Risk Progression of T2DM/NASH in Obese Patients

Lloyd N. Werk, MD (Nemours Children's Hospital, FSU College of Medicine Orlando Clerkship Faculty)