COM Outlook . Spring 2015
37
Dr. Lubov Nathanson Receives
NIH Research Grant
Lubov Nathanson, Ph.D., M.Sc.
, assistant professor
in the college’s Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine (INIM),
recently applied for a $318,864 grant from the National
Institutes of Health and received notification of an impending
award to fund her research study entitled “Genomic Approach
to Find Novel Biomarkers and Mechanisms of Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME).”
Current management of CFS/ME relies solely on symptom
management to improve quality of life but does not address
the underlying mechanisms, the onset, or the progression
of the disease. In an effort to provide insight into the key
biological targets involved in CFS/ME presentation, the main
objectives of Dr. Nathanson’s
research are to identify novel
biomarkers and therapeutic
targets of CFS/ME and pro-
vide insight into disease onset
and progression. Her research,
which will be conducted over
a three-year timespan, aims to
use peripheral blood mono-
nuclear cells from patients
recruited for the institute’s
recent research study funded
by the National Institutes of Health.
“We aim to expand our research efforts by using modern
genomic technologies, such as RNA sequencing, copy-number
variation, and genomic DNA methylation, which lead to a
better-targeted therapeutic intervention,” Dr. Nathanson said.
Jacob Triplet Wins COSGP
Student Researcher of the
Year Award
OMS-III Jacob Triplet
was selected as the inaugural
winner of the Council of Os-
teopathic Student Government
Presidents (COSGP) Student
Researcher of the Year Award.
The award was established to
recognize an osteopathic medi-
cal student researcher who
demonstrates a high degree of
quality in the realm of basic
science, translational, or clinical research.
Between his second and third year at NSU-COM, Triplet was
accepted into the college’s one-year Predoctoral Research Fellow-
ship Program, which allowed him to work at the Holy Cross Or-
thopaedic Research Institute with the shoulder and elbow team.
As a result of this experience, he was able to excel in his research
endeavors and currently has five first-author publications and an
additional two as coauthor that have been published in high-
impact journals such as the
Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery
.
Over 40 highly qualified students submitted applications;
however, the selection committee unanimously agreed that
Triplet was the most deserving. “This award is a tremendous
honor and reflects upon the level of commitment and support
NSU-COM provides to help students achieve excellence,”
said Eric Glaser, who served as chair of the COSGP Student
Researcher of the Year Selection Committee.
RESEARCH/SCHOLARY ACTIVITY - Faculty and Student Achievements
AOA President Dr. Robert Juhasz
Visits NSU-COM
On February
19,
Robert S.
Juhasz, D.O.,
FACOI, FACP
,
the 118
th
president
of the American
Osteopathic As-
sociation (AOA),
visited NSU-COM
to interact with
students and fac-
ulty members and discuss the unique contribution and impact
the osteopathic profession offers to the practice of health care.
As AOA president, Dr. Juhasz plans to facilitate more
osteopathic medical research, which he said would provide
D.O.s fact-based research when communicating their distinc-
tiveness to their patients, their colleagues, and the world.
Pictured (from left) are Elaine M. Wallace, D.O., M.S., M.S.,
M.S., NSU-COM dean, Dr. Robert Juhasz, and Howard Neer,
D.O., FACOFP, associate dean of alumni and student affairs and
HPD executive associate dean for professional affairs.
