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Institutional Review Board 147 Sycamore Street Pikeville, Kentucky 41501 (606) 218-5421 Email: RitaThacker@upike.edu
Research is the repeated systematic process of testing hypotheses to develop theories. It can include basic science, clinical, social science or translational research and encompass testing on human subjects and animals.
Before beginning, the researcher may need to complete several certifications and gain approval from the university’s Institutional Review Board. These processes are in place to protect the participants and researchers.
For more information:
Creswell, J. W. Research design: Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches. 4th Ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2014.
2024 Research Symposium was held Friday, April 12th, 2024 in HPE Building 7th Floor.
The University of Pikeville – Kentucky College of Osteopathic College (KYCOM) has been growing and sustaining a successful research program located on campus. The research program at KYCOM provide students, faculty, and staff an opportunity to engage in a culture of inquiry through ethical and safe biomedical research. Located in the Coal Building, the state-of-the-art 2,600 square foot laboratory provides students and faculty with all the equipment and resources needed to conduct successful research. In addition to the research laboratory, KYCOM also has a 10-room clinic located in the Coal Building that is available for clinical research studies. Click on the options below to expand the information:
The research program at KYCOM strives to serve as a continuation of the mission of the college and provide solutions for problems that are prevalent in the rural areas of Appalachia.
The combination of research, scholarship, and teaching are all valuable aspects needed in the training of osteopathic physicians. Student fellowships for research are available to KYCOM students in good academic standing.
In addition to providing valuable information to the medical community, students who participate in research, gain valuable information about experimental designs, data collection, and analysis as well as important techniques for biomedical research.
The research program at KYCOM aims to advance biomedical knowledge, give students opportunity to grow beyond the curriculum framework, and produce future physicians who will continue improving health in Appalachian communities.
The clinical research priority areas include osteopathic manipulative treatment, osteopathic patient care, clinical case research, community health research, and research for primary care in underdeveloped areas.
The biomedical science research priority areas include cancer prevention and treatment, cardiovascular physiology, aging of the immune system in the context of thymic structure and function, mammalian macroevolution, diabetes research, black lung, and medical education research
Malgorzata Simm, Ph.D., MSc Research Interests: Dr. Simm’s research tests the hypothesis that the residual function of the thymus persists in humans until the end of life and plays a role in optimizing immune function. Because of a scarcity of human tissue and a lack of standardized markers of thymic cellular activity in that age group, there is a noticeable void in the knowledge about the function of the thymus in elderly humans. Dr. Simm’s group conducts systematic studies on the immunological fitness of the thymus from elderly human body donors used for gross anatomy training at KYCOM, whose age at the time of death spans 50 to 100+ years. Applying the immunocytochemistry techniques, Dr. Simm’s team found that at the time of death, some individuals had a functional thymus with well-preserved thymic epithelium and thymocytes. The team also reported that the involution process might occur unilaterally, thus preserving the function of one of the thymic lobes until the end of life. Looking at the expression of genes mediating the organ’s function in the young human population, the research team has found that these genes were also expressed in some elderly individuals. Dr. Simm wants to determine if these genes’ protein products may serve as molecular markers of thymic function in the late stage of human life. Dr. Simm’s research is highly collaborative and student-oriented. The research team incorporates members of the KYCOM Gross Anatomy and Immunology departments and Student Fellows.
Publications: To see Dr. Simm’s publications from this and previous research projects, visit the bibliography at the National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/14KAgwqly6EkP/bibliography/public/
Shumaila Hanif, Ph.D., MSc, MBA Research Interests: Tuberculosis remains the most serious global infectious disease caused by a single causative microorganism, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). One-fourth of the world’s population has been infected with MTB. Moreover, the incidence of co-infection with HIV and multiple and extensively drug- resistant tuberculosis presents an imminent threat to global health. No new drugs have been launched in over thirty years, and no new vaccines in 92 years. Consequently, the search for new drugs, vaccines, and therapies, in general, is an urgent need in global health. Thus, Dr. Hanif’s research interest is in Infectious Diseases, especially in developing new diagnostic methods, drugs, and vaccines for TB. Dr. Hanif is also interested in educational research involving students. Dr. Hanif is working on three projects as a Principle Investigator: “The usefulness of Micro-Immuno quick quizzes in preparing Osteopathic Medical Students for COMLEX-USA Level 1.”; “Osteopathic Medical Student Preferences for PowerPoint Presentation Structure” and “Osteopathic Medical Student’s Preferences for Lecture Delivery.” Dr. Hanif also involves students in writing editorials, research reviews, book chapters, and case studies on infectious diseases.
Publications: 1. Khan S, Zargaham MK, Lail A, Naqvi SF, Hanif SNM. Endogenous and Exogenous Natural Sources of Inhibition of Arachidonic acid-induced Platelet aggregation. Phytopharmalogical Communications. 2022; 2. (https://rootspress.org/journals/index.php/PPC/article/view/47/475 2. Sydow E, Mustafa AS, Hanif A, Tunio J, Hanif SNM. Recent Updates on mRNA Vaccines. Vaccines 2022, 10, 1209. (https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10081209). 3. Hargrave A, Mustafa AS, Hanif A, Tunio JH, Hanif SNM. To dateStatus of HIV-1 Vaccines. Vaccines (Basel). 2021; 9(9):1026. doi: 10.3390/vaccines9091026. PMID: 34579263; PMCID: PMC8471857. 4. Hargrave A, Mustafa AS, Hanif A, Tunio J, Hanif SNM. Book title: “Immunosuppression and Immunomodulation.” Chapter title: “Immune Responses to HIV-1 Infection and Vaccine Development” ISBN 978-1-83768-072-6. Book edited by Rajeev K. Tyagi. IntechOpen Publisher 2023. (http://www.intechopen.com/books/immunosuppression-and-immunomodulation). 5. Whitlow E, Mustafa AS, Hanif SNM. Book title: “Vaccines for Neglected Pathogens: Strategies, Achievements and Challenges.” Chapter title: “Progress in the Development of New Vaccines against Tuberculosis.” Book edited by Myron Christodoulides. ISBN 978-3-031-24357-8 Springer Publisher, 1: 211-232 2023. (https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24355-4)
Guichun Han, M.D., Ph.D. Research Interests: Dr. Han’s research interests are in the fields of female hormone effects on the cardiovascular system and breast cancers (wet lab approach) and the effects of osteopathic manipulation therapy (OMT) on physiology and disease (human subjects). In the field of female hormones and the cardiovascular system, Han’s research team (Drs. Bao, Bukhari, N. Ghayur, A. Ghayur) studies the role of individual estrogen receptors in coronary blood flow regulation and the interplay of different receptor signaling pathways. Han’s research team applies comprehensive research approaches in our investigation. Isometric tension study for measuring vascular tension in a chamber that provides a controlled environment for an arterial ring under study. Biochemistry and molecular biology approaches are employed for investigating the molecular basis of functional changes. The crosstalk between ERα/ERβ and GPER is the most significant area to explore in the field and the findings will shed light on the current understanding of estrogen effects in the cardiovascular system and in most organs and tissues where estrogen receptors present, thus, helping the prevention and treatment of the coronary heart disease, especially in the high-risk population of older women. The breast cancer research project is a collaboration research with Dr. Phillip Jen. In the field of OMT effects on physiology and disease, Han’s research team (Drs. Stiles, Crawford, Lazenka) studies the effects of OMT on the autonomic nerve activities and functional changes of the heart, blood vessels, lungs, and airways, skeletal muscles, and memory.
Selected Publications: 1. Xuan Yu, Peter Nguyen, Nioka C Burns, Cristine L Heaps, John N Stallone, Farida Sohrabji, Guichun Han. Activation of G protein-coupled estrogen receptor fine-tunes age-related decreased vascular activities in the aortae of female and male rats. Steroids 2022 Jul;183:108997. doi: 10.1016/j. PMID: 35314416. 2. Yu X, Zhang Q, Zhao Y, Schwarz BJ, Stallone JN, Heaps CL, Han G. Activation of G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 induces coronary artery relaxation via Epac/Rap1-mediated inhibition of RhoA/Rho kinase pathway in parallel with PKA. PLoS One. 2017 Mar 9;12(3):e0173085. doi: 10.1371/journal. pone.0173085. eCollection 2017. 3. Yu X, Zhang Q, Zhao Y, Schwarz BJ, Stallone JN, Heaps CL, Han G. The activation of G protein- coupled estrogen receptor induces relaxation via cAMP as well as potentiates contraction via EGFR transactivation in porcine coronary arteries. PLoS One. 2018 Jan 23;13(1):e0191418. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0191418. eCollection 2018 4. Yan H, Yang W, Zhou F, Li X, Pan Q, Shen Z, Han G, Newell-Fugate A, Tian Y, Majeti R, Liu W4, Xu Y, Wu C, Allred K, Allred C, Sun Y, Guo S. Estrogen Improves Insulin Sensitivity and Suppresses Gluconeogenesis via the Transcription Factor Foxo1. Diabetes. 2018 Nov 28. pii: db180638. doi: 10.2337/db18-0638
Damian Cole D.O., FACEP, AAO Research Interests: Dr. Cole’s research focus will be related to Osteopathic Manipulative Treatments and how they relate to the reduction of pain and potentially the reduction of opioid/non-opioid pharmacologic management of acute and chronic pain. He also has a research interest in Quality Improvement. Subjects would include any topics dealing with quality of care with respect to patients in any setting as well as the reduction of medical errors, process improvement, throughput improvement, creation and implementation of patient safety protocols, and analysis/improvement of current protocols to improve patient safety. Another research interest will be any topics that deal with physician wellness and mental health. Topics would include physician satisfaction, access to therapy, suicide prevention, and the impacts of poor patient outcomes/deaths. The focus will be on improving and advocating for mental health in clinical professionals.
David L. McWhorter, Ph.D. Research Interests: Dr. McWhorter’s scholarly work uses the scientific problem-solving method in medical education. Independent and dependent study variables use experimental or descriptive techniques to maximize internal and external validity to investigate and explain medical educator and student behaviors and academic performance in the preclinical setting. Academic interests include answering questions that have practical significance to medical educators and students and preparing medical students to become proficient consumers and producers of medical education research.
Recent publications: 1. Hunter, J., Pierce, Z., Fleming, C., Haffner, J., Hudspeth, E., Bayird, S., and McWhorter, D. First- year Medical Students’ Perceptions of a Peer-directed Simulated Anatomy Lab Practical System. Clinical anatomy. 2019, 33: E80. 2. Schick, Garrett and McWhorter, D. Factors influencing non-required lecture attendance for first- and second-year medical students. Clinical anatomy. 2020, 34: E84. 3. Schick, Garrett and McWhorter, D. Instructor Methods and Curricular Effects on Students’ Value of Lectures. Med Sci Educator. 2021,32, 175-182. 4. Sarah A. Keim, Derek J. Harmon, James R. Martindale, Elisabeth N. Lopez, Charles Sanky, William S. Brooks, Meghan M. Cotter, David L. Davies, Majid Doroudi, Jeffrey C. Fahl, Anna Farias, Guinevere Granite, Kelly M. Harrell, Rekha Kar, Kenneth L. Kramer, Jon Jackson, Shiloh Jones, Wendy Lackey-Cornelison, Jeffrey T. Laitman, Kimberly Latacha, Steven R. Lewis, Amy Lovejoy Mork, Hassan Marzban, Thomas G. McNary, David L. McWhorter, Aftab Merchant, Jason C. Mussell, Melissa M. Quinn, Danielle Royer, Alan Sakaguchi, F. Kip Sawyer, Daniel B. Topping, Bruce Wainman, Lawrence E. Wineski, Ann C. Zumwalt, Mark H. Hankin. Essential Anatomy for Clerkships: A Clinical Perspective. Anatomical Sciences Education. March 2023. https://doi.org/10.1002/ase.2272 Antoinette Justice, D.O. Dr. Justice’s research ideas are associated with expanding her research on pulmonary fibrosis with OMT and also some other OMT studies. https://ofpjournal.com/index.php/ofp/issue/view/104/29?userid=07f8a60a-140c-418e-ac7e- e840f7f349c5
Anzhelika Ivasenko, MD, PhD Research Interests: The research interests of Dr. Ivasenko lie in the areas of medical humanities, proper ways to educate patients about their health issues, and recommendations for healthy lifestyles. She will be applying patients’ own stories as a context to create effective educational content. The design of her research projects will be patient-specific and educational-centered. It is expected that the outcome of her research will shed some light on existing patient education and improve the patient-doctor relationship, as well as students’ communication skills and empathy.
Sujin Bao, Ph.D. Research Interests: Dr. Bao’s work has been focused on three lines of investigation. First, control of gene expression. This project utilizes various model systems to study how genes coding for Nephrin and Neph-1 are regulated and to identify the components of the Nephrin and Neph-1 signaling pathways. Nephrin and Neph-1 are two transmembrane adhesion receptors and components of the slit diaphragm in the mammalian kidney. Second, the roles of noncoding RNAs in memory. This project studies the expression patterns of selected noncoding RNAs in hippocampus and anterior cingulate cortex in mice before and after learning. In addition, Dr. Bao’s team is working to deplete those noncoding RNAs that show unique spatial and temporal expression patterns and assess their impact on memory using the standard contextual fear conditioning (CFC) test. This project is carried out in collaboration with Dr. Dana Ziegler from the University of Pikeville and Dr. Louise Risher from Marshall University. Third, methods to improve student learning and methods to assess the success of medical curricula. This is educational research focused on curriculum development and assessment. This project aims at identifying factors that affect student learning, establishing assessment methods that have a lower variability and higher sensitivity than conventional methods, and applying these methods to identify course deficits.
Selected Publications: 1. Sujin Bao* (2022). Use of simplex learning index to identify a course deficit. Advances in Physiology Education 46, 509-515. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35834233/ 2. Jie Ni, Sujin Bao, Ruth I Johnson, Bingbing Zhu et al (2016). MAGI-1 Interacts with Nephrin to Maintain Slit Diaphragm Structure Through Enhanced Rap1 Activation in Podocytes. Journal of Biological Chemistry 291, 24406-24417. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27707879/ 3. Sujin Bao*, (2014). Cell adhesion in the assembly of the Drosophila eye. Journal of Neurogenetics 28, 282-290. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24678921/ 4. Sujin Bao* (2014). Notch controls cell adhesion in the Drosophila eye. PLOS Genetics 10: e1004087. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24415957/ 5. Sujin Bao*, Qiang Zhuang, Libin Zhu, Lucia Wang, Ian Holzman, Pin-xian Xu and Jing Lin (2013). Localization dynamics of lactobacilli in the gastro-intestinal tract of neonatal rats. PLoS One 8, e60007. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23544119/
Les Keniston, Ph.D. Research Interest: Dr. Keniston’s main research focus has long been in the area of multisensory integration. In other words, this research looks into exactly how different sensory modalities (like sight, sound, or touch) become integrated as a unified experience in the nervous system. This emergent property of the nervous system is found in both higher-order species like in man and in lower-order organisms like insects. A widely conserved function, multisensory integration helps organisms make sense of the world around them, helps determine cause and effect, enriches experiences, and aids in avoiding threats. More recently, Dr. Keniston has been examining the functional properties of the neural architecture that performs these integrations in both cortical and subcortical areas. While maintaining a long interest and research effort in multisensory processing, Dr. Keniston is always open to discussing new research ideas and holds wide interests. Some of his more favored areas include Consciousness and Theory of Mind, Information and Graph theory, Nociception, Sensorimotor Transform, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Emotional Affordance, and Neuroplasticity.
Selected Publications: 1. Chang S, Xu J, Zheng M, Keniston L, Zhou X, Zhang J, Yu L. Combining visual information into the auditory cortex promotes sound discrimination through choice-related multisensory integration. J Neurosci. 2022 Sep 22. 2. Lim HK, Keniston LP, Cios KJ. Modeling of multisensory convergence with a network of spiking neurons: a reverse engineering approach. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 2011 Jul;58(7):1940-9. 3. Keniston LP, Henderson SC, Meredith MA. Neuroanatomical identification of crossmodal auditory inputs to interneurons in somatosensory cortex. Exp Brain Res. 2010 May;202(3):725- 31. 4. Allman BL, Keniston LP, Meredith MA. Adult deafness induces somatosensory conversion of ferret auditory cortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Apr 7;106(14):5925-30. 5. Mao J, Price DD, Lu J, Keniston L, Mayer DJ. Two distinctive antinociceptive systems in rats with pathological pain. Neurosci Lett. 2000 Feb 11;280(1):13-6. Pubmed list
Ishfaq A Bukhari, Ph.D., B.Pharm., M.S Research Interests: Dr. Bukhari’s research area is focused on exploring the role of Epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), novel endothelial products, in the regulation of vascular tone in the cardiovascular system. (EETs) are cytochrome P450 metabolites of arachidonic acid that are produced by the vascular endothelium and have diverse physiological actions including vasodilator, neuroprotective, renal and cardio-protective properties. There are four EET isomers produced by the endothelium: 14,15EET, 11, I2-EET,8,9-EET, and 5,6-EET. EETs are metabolized to inactive DHET by soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH). Recent preclinical and clinical studies have shown that sEH is overexpressed in certain disease states such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. sEH Inhibition enhances EETs function and it is a promising therapeutic target for the management of hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases. Our recent research studies have revealed a substantial beneficial impact of the inhibition of this enzyme on obesity and diabetes-induced metabolic and cardiovascular complications in animal models. A growing number of research studies have shown that sEH inhibition produced profound anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, coronary dilator, renal and neuroprotective effects. Dr. Bukhari’s research interests also include natural product pharmacology (Neuropharmacology, pain, and inflammation research) aimed at substantiating medicinal plants/herbal products for their therapeutic potential in various health conditions and drug discovery.
Selected publications: 1. Bukhari IA, Mohamed OY, Mahmood A, Alfadda AA, Almotrefi AA. 1- trifluoromethoxyphenyl-3(1- propionylpiperidin-4-yl) urea (TPPU), a soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitor attenuates high fat diet-induced cardiovascular and metabolic disorders in rats. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2021 Jan;25(10):3835-3847. 2. Shah SA, Mehmood MH, Khan M, Bukhari IA, Alorainey BI, Vohra F. Inhibition of soluble epoxide hydrolase offers protection against fructose-induced diabetes and related metabolic complications in rats. J Physiol Pharmacol. 2020 Oct;71(5). 3. Bukhari IA, Alorainey BI, Al-Motrefi AA, Mahmoud A, Campbell WB, Hammock BD. 1- trifluoromethoxyphenyl-3-(1-propionylpiperidin-4-yl) urea (TPPU), a soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitor, lowers L-NAME induced hypertension through suppression of angiotensin-converting enzyme in rats. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2020 (15):8143-8150. 4. Bukhari IA, Shah AJ, Gauthier KM, Walsh KA, Koduru SR, Imig JD, Falck JR, Campbell WB. 11,12,20- Trihydroxy-eicosa-8(Z)-enoic acid: a selective inhibitor of 11,12-EET-induced relaxations of bovine coronary and rat mesenteric arteries. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2012 Apr 15;302(8):H1574- 83. 5. Bukhari IA, Shah AJ, Khan RA, Meo SA, Khan A, Gilani AH. Gut modulator effects of Conyza bonariensis explain its traditional use in constipation and diarrhea. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2013 Feb;17(4):552-8.
Helen Ibeawuchi, M.D. Research Interests: Dr. Ibeawuchi focuses on advancing cancer research by applying computational biology and bioinformatics tools for a more in-depth investigation of the molecular basis of diseases and cancer genomics. This can be achieved by using current tools and methods for the analysis of large-scale genomic data related to cancers and its comorbidities. Ibeawuchi has already demonstrated this in her ongoing research project, where she has identified genes that escape X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) in adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells. The research involved the use of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) for the assessment of allele specific expression in individual cells with subsequent identification of escapee genes. It utilized the advantage of scRNA-seq data to identify different cell populations and stratified the analysis by cell types. The expressed variant allele fraction at heterozygous single nucleotide variant positions on the X-chromosome were assessed and the genes that escape XCI were identified. These included some genes not previously described as escapees in other tissues. Currently, the project aims to identify the role of the escapee genes and their association with clinical abnormalities. Since XCI is known to be heterogenous in different tissues, this may be suggestive of a possible influence on phenotypic variance of X-linked single cell disorders and female sex bias in many diseases including cancer. Understanding cancer genomics and identifying cancers’ characteristics based on genetics can provide patients with a more precise diagnosis and more personalized treatment modalities. Ibeawuchi collaborates with researchers at George Washington University, National Cancer Institute, and other institutions.
Selected Publications: 1. N M P, Liu H, Dillard C, Ibeawuchi H, Alsaeedy T, Chan H, Horvath AD. Improved SNV Discovery in Barcode-Stratified scRNA-seq Alignments. Genes (Basel). 2021 Sep 30;12(10):1558. doi: 10.3390/genes12101558. 2. Liu, H., Prashant, N. M., Spurr, L., Bousounis, P., Alomran, N., Ibeawuchi, H., Sein, J., Slowinski, P. M., Tsaneva-Atanasova, K., & Horvath, A. (2021). ScReQTL: an approach to correlate SNVs to gene expression from individual scRNA-seq datasets. BMC Genomics 22, 40. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-020-07334-y 3. Prashant, N. M., Hongyu Liu, Pavlos Bousounis, Liam Spurr, Nawaf Alomran, Helen Ibeawuchi, Justin Sein, Dacian Reece-Stremtan, and Anelia Horvath. 2020. “Estimating the Allele-Specific Expression of SNVs from 10x Genomics Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Data.â€Genes 11 (3). MDPI AG. doi:10.3390/genes11030240. 4. Sein J, Spurr L, Bousounis P, Prashant NM, Liu H, Alomran N, Bernot J, Ibeawuchi H, Reece- Stremtan D, Horvath A. RsQTL: correlation of expressed SNVs with splicing using RNA-sequencing data. Bioinformatics 2019. Under Review https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/840504v1
M. Nabeel Ghayur, PhD., B.Pharm., M.S Research Interests: Dr. Nabeel Ghayur has an interest in the area of medicinal plant pharmacology. Combining his experience with medicinal plants, Dr. Ghayur has worked with plants and plant-derived chemicals for their effectiveness in regulating smooth muscle contractility. His research interests have evolved but have remained within the umbrella of natural products pharmacology. From muscarinic agonists that can stimulate the gastrointestinal (GI) tone to calcium channel blockers that not only can slow down the GI tone but also have bradycardia as an effect and reduce the blood pressure. Most recently, while working with muscarinic agonists, the research showed that some muscarinic agonists can also exhibit acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity. This observation led the researchers to look into the enzyme inhibitory potential of certain plants and plant-derived chemicals that might actually have the potential for use in dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
Selected Publications: 1. Khalid A, Abdalla M, Saeed M, Ghayur MN, Kalauni SK, Al Bratty M, Alhazmi HA, Mesaik MA, Gilani AH, Ul-Haq Z (2022). Sarcorucinine-D inhibits cholinesterases and calcium channels: molecular dynamics simulation, and in vitro mechanistic investigations. Molecules 2022 May 24; 27(11): 3361. 2. Ghayur MN, Abdalla M, Khalid A, Ahmad S, Gilani AH (2022). Trigonella foenum-graecum methanolic extract on isolated smooth muscles and acetylcholinesterase enzyme: an in vitro and mechanistic in silico investigation. BioMed Research International 2022 Apr 5; 2022:4849464. 3. Ghayur MN, Gilani AH (2021). Species-specific spasmolytic effect of Aspalathus linearis aqueous crude extract. Pharmacognosy Communications 11 (4): 205-209. 4. Ghayur MN, Ahmad S, Gilani AH (2021). Spasmolytic effect of Grewia asiatica fruit extract on isolated smooth muscles is mediated via multiple pathways. Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2021 Sep 13; 2021:5583372. 5. Ghayur MN, Butt NW, Parekh MA, Ahmad S, Gilani AH (2021). Gastrouterine smooth muscle tone modulatory action of neem fruit extract is mediated via muscarinic receptors and Ca2+ channels. Pharmacognosy Communications 11(3): 162-167. DOI:10.5530/pc.2021.3.31
Selected Publications: 1. Abayomi Gbolahan Afolabi, Adegbenro Omotuyi John Fakoya, Emilio Aguinaldo, Natalia M Velasco-Nieves, Erica Barnes, Zachary T Vandeveer, Nannette Morales-Marietti, , Thomas McCracken. A unique communicating arterial branch between the celiac trunk and the superior mesenteric artery: a case report, July 2022. Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences PMCID: PMC6698107 PMID: 31456840 2. Abayomi Gbolahan Afolabi, Adegbenro Omotuyi John Fakoya, Neha Subedi, Jennifer Beniquez Martir, Byron Chique Carreras, Thomas McCracken. Anomalous Origin of the Superior Thyroid Artery from the Internal Carotid Artery. Feb 2021. Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences. doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2021.4549 3. Abayomi Gbolahan Afolabi, Adegbenro Omotuyi John Fakoya, Emilio Aguinaldo, Natalia M Velasco-Nieves, Zachary T Vandeveer, Nannette Morales-Marietti, Shannon Mathew, , Thomas McCracken. Unusual splitting of medial cord of the right brachial plexus and its relation to the axillary artery and subscapular artery: A case report. Jun 2019. Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences PMCID: PMC6684438 PMID: 31406546 doi: 10.3889/oamjms.2019.561 4. Abayomi Afolabi, Adegbenro Omotuyi John Fakoya, Luis Manuel Perez-Protocarrero, Yulia Kungurova, Mariana Ndrio, Xiomara Marty-Ramirez, Derek Mizael Rodriguez-Pinero, Luis Eduardo Rentas-Figueroa, Nahu Gulelat Dimitri, Juan Manuel Collzao-Roman, Graham Robert Demsey- Corbett, Thomas McCracken, David Otohinoyi. Multiple Gastrointestinal Vascular Variations in a Male Cadaver: A Case Report and Literature Review of Embryonic, Genetic, and Clinicosurgical Implications of Pathogenicity. Aug 2020, Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences 5. Abayomi Afolabi, Adegbenro Fakoya, Jessica Heymans, Amanda McCrary, Omar Rodriguez, Abdiel Cardona, Thomas McCracken. Hyperostosis frontalis interna: A case report. July 2020, Journal of Health Sciences doi.org/10.17532/jhsci.2020.903
One of the Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine (KYCOM) research program aims is that it is student-led.
The program seeks to reinforce KYCOM’s mission statement by encouraging students to participate in research and cultivating an appreciation of lifelong scholarly activity by providing students with the opportunity to learn research techniques and practices. One of the ways this is accomplished is through the KYCOM summer research program.
KYCOM students can apply for the summer research program through the KYCOM Student Research Application. Students selected for the summer research program will receive a stipend and work closely with a ºûµûÖ±²¥ mentor faculty member throughout the summer.Ìý They can also find their mentor outside the university if they desire.Ìý Students wishing to seek an outside mentor should complete the Student’s Research Information for Projects Conducted Outside ºûµûÖ±²¥-KYCOM.
As of the summer of 2022, KYCOM will fund 15 students for the summer research program.Ìý Students work with very knowledgeable faculty that will assist them and ensure that the research is successful.
Students have an opportunity to present their research work at regional, national and international conferences and during KYCOM Research Day.
Prospective students are encouraged to view the faculty research tab to discover topics of interest.
Students Summer Research:
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Peer-Review Publications:
Poster Presentations:
Statistics is a tool that helps researchers relay the meaningfulness of the subject by organizing the collected data (descriptive statistics) and make statements about how characteristics of that data are applicable to new settings (inferential statistics). Which statistical tests are selected depends on the question to be answered.
Meg Sidle, Ph.D., director of institutional research and effectiveness, assists faculty and students with statistical analysis of their research projects.
For assistance, contact Meg Sidle at:ÌýÌý Office: Record Memorial Building 600 Phone: 606-218-5290 E-mail: MargaretSidle@upike.edu
In support of the research process, IBM SPSS Statistics software is installed on a set of computers in Allara Library.
Statistics textbooks that may be of benefit in research include: Salkind, N. J. (2017). Statistics for people who (think they) hate statistics ( 6th Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. [ISBN: 978-1-5063-3383-0]
Trochim, W. M., and Donnelly, J. P. (2006). The Research Methods Knowledge Base (3rd Ed.). Cincinnati, OH: Atomic Dog Publishing, Inc.Ìý [ISBN: 978-1-5926-0291-9]
The University of Pikeville’s Office of Advancement supports the grant writing efforts of faculty and other campus researchers. Grant writing services include searching for funding opportunities, developing proposals, developing budgets, editing and managing awarded grants.
Contact Grant Writers Denise Thomas or April Tabor at denisethomas@upike.edu or apriltabor@upike.edu for help funding research interest or study.
For more information about funding opportunities, visit:
Selective Laser Trabeculoplaty (SLT) vs Combigan
Name of researcher(s): Ian McWherter, O.D.
Project Title: Selective Laser Trabeculoplaty (SLT) vs Combigan
Project Description (250 word limit): This study aims to compare the effectiveness in intraocular pressure (IOP) lowering between SLT and Combigan in primary open angle glaucoma patients who are uncontrolled on a topical prostaglandin analog.
Contact Information: ianmcwherter@gmail.com
Photo: none
Accepting new research interns: no
Cataract Surgery Activity Study
Name of researcher(s): Duane Corbett, Ph.D and Ian McWherter, O.D.
Project Title: Cataract Surgery Activity Study
Project Description (250 word limit): This study will investigate the effects of cataract surgery on the daily activities levels in elderly patients.