COM Outlook - Winter 2016

College of Osteopathic Medicine 31 Elliot M. Sklar , Ph.D., M.S., authored a paper, “Body Image, Weight, and Self-Concept in Men,” that appeared in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine in July. Jill Wallace-Ross , D.O., presented a lecture, “Do Medical Professionals Take Their Patients’ Health Care More Seriously Than Their Own?” at the 35th Annual Florida Society of American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (FSACOFP) Convention and Family Medicine Update held July 29–August 2 in Orlando, Florida. Paula A. Faria Waziry , Ph.D., assistant professor of clinical immunology at NSU-COM’s Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, and her research team recently were awarded an $805,882 grant from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs to investigate the genomic and cellular mechanisms that cause Gulf War illness. “Little is known about what causes the onset and progression of Gulf War illness,” said Waziry of the project, called An Integrated Genomics and Cell Biology Approach to Correlate Novel GWI Indicators of Infections and Neuroinflammatory Mechanisms with Targeted Drug Therapy. “Our aim is to identify specific disease targets that will lead to improved diagnosis and more effective therapeutic interventions for patients. It is our duty to help those who served their country in any way we can, and this is one way we can make a major difference.” In addition to Waziry, who will serve as primary investigator, the research team consists of several other NSU faculty members, including Lubov Nathanson, Ph.D., assistant professor and genomics expert; Nancy Klimas, M.D., professor and director of the institute; Mariana Morris, Ph.D., professor and director of Gulf War illness research; and Gordon Broderick, Ph.D., professor and director of computational biology. (This work was supported by the Department of Defense Gulf War Illness Research Program under Award No.W81XWH-15-1-0163.) Investigating Gulf War Illness