tag:globalhealth.nd.edu,2005:/news-events/newsEck Institute for Global Health | News2024-03-25T17:52:00-04:00tag:globalhealth.nd.edu,2005:News/1607752024-03-25T17:52:00-04:002024-03-25T17:55:38-04:00Cancer therapies show promise in combating tuberculosis<article class="post">
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<p>A study from the University of Notre Dame, Massachusetts General Hospital and the National Institutes of Health has identified a combination of medications that may improve blood flow within granulomas, benefiting drug delivery. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study leverages decades of cancer research to study tuberculosis-affected lung tissue and improve treatment.</p>
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</article><figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/assets/563104/meenal_datta_1200x675.jpg" alt="Meenal Datta" width="600" height="338">
<figcaption>Assistant Professor Meenal Datta (Credit: Wes Evard)</figcaption>
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<p>What could cancer teach us about tuberculosis? That’s a question <a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/meenal-datta/">Meenal Datta</a> has been chasing since she was a graduate student.</p>
<p>Once the body’s immune system is infected with tuberculosis, it forms granulomas — tight clusters of white blood cells — in an attempt to wall off the infection-causing bacteria in the lungs. But more often than not, granulomas do more harm than good.</p>
<p>Charged with analyzing the similarities between granulomas and tumors, Datta discovered that both are structurally and functionally abnormal. In 2015, she and other researchers <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.1424563112">looked at the vascular structures of granulomas</a> and showed that they are compromised and leaky just like tumor blood vessels, which limits drug delivery and successful treatment in both diseases.</p>
<p>“It was the first time we showed definitively that there was this pathophysiological similarity between these two diseases that present with different causes and symptoms,” said Datta, assistant professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering at the University of Notre Dame. “Cancer doesn’t sound anything like an infectious disease. And yet, here are two different diseases with the same problem of dysfunctional blood vessels.”</p>
<p>Now a study from the same team at the University of Notre Dame, Massachusetts General Hospital and the National Institutes of Health has identified a combination of medications that may improve blood flow within granulomas, benefiting drug delivery. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study leverages decades of cancer research to study tuberculosis-affected lung tissue and improve treatment.</p>
<p>“Much like in tumors, many of the blood vessels in granulomas are compressed or squeezed shut — just like if you stepped on your garden hose,” said Datta, the first author on the study. “In cancer, we know that happens because of the growing tumor mass and the supportive protein scaffolding it puts down, called matrix. We thought maybe the same thing was happening in tuberculosis.”</p>
<p>The study confirmed that a similar phenomenon is occurring in granulomas — too much cell mass and protein scaffolding. This impaired function makes blood flow through blood vessels nearly impossible, crippling the ability to get a medication to the tuberculosis disease site.</p>
<p>Datta and her collaborators used losartan, an affordable drug used to treat high blood pressure. However, it also has the beneficial side effect of reducing the amount of matrix being created inside a granuloma, thus opening the compressed blood vessels and restoring blood flow.</p>
<p>Researchers then combined losartan with bevacizumab, a drug used by cancer patients to stop the overproduction of poorly formed blood vessels. With this two-pronged medicinal approach, Datta and the team were able to make the granuloma blood vessels function and behave more normally.</p>
<p>When the researchers applied the host-directed therapies losartan and bevacizumab along with antibiotics, they showed improved drug delivery and antibiotic concentration within granulomas.</p>
<p>Additionally, Datta’s graduate student Maksym Zarodniuk analyzed genome sequencing data produced by the team, and found that even without antibiotics, there was a reduction in tuberculosis bacteria within the granulomas.</p>
<p>“When we gave just those host-directed therapies, we were getting good treatment benefit even without adding the antibiotics. Those therapies were promoting the body’s inflammatory response to fight against the bacteria, which we did not expect,” Datta said.</p>
<p>For Datta, this study caps off a stretch of tuberculosis research that started when she began her doctoral research at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in 2011, and has spanned multiple phases of her career. Tuberculosis, although largely controlled in the U.S., is still considered one of the deadliest infectious diseases worldwide.</p>
<p>“The advantage of the host-directed therapies we selected is that these agents or very similar drugs of the same class are already approved by regulatory agencies around the globe, and they are affordable,” Datta said. “We hope that our preclinical results will be found compelling enough to start a clinical trial to benefit tuberculosis patients.”</p>
<p>Today, <a href="https://timelab.nd.edu/">Datta’s lab</a> at the University of Notre Dame primarily focuses its <a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/understudied-cell-in-the-brain-could-be-key-to-treating-glioblastoma/">research on understanding glioblastoma</a>, a rare treatment-resistant brain cancer. Datta said that being an engineer allows her to cross into other areas of research and with a different perspective, making an excellent case for the importance of multidisciplinary research.</p>
<p>“I do believe that really is an advantage of being an engineer. It’s easier for me to sometimes make connections between contexts that seem disparate,” Datta said. “We depend on our life science and clinical colleagues to walk through those details, but engineers are very good at approaching complex problems from a simplified systems approach.”</p>
<p>The study, “Normalizing granuloma vasculature and matrix improves drug delivery and reduces bacterial burden in tuberculosis-infected rabbits,” was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. Datta is an affiliated member of Notre Dame’s <a href="https://precisionhealth.nd.edu/">Berthiaume Institute for Precision Health</a>, <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/">Eck Institute for Global Health</a>, <a href="https://harpercancer.nd.edu/">Harper Cancer Research Institute</a>, <a href="https://lucyinstitute.nd.edu/">Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society</a>, <a href="https://nano.nd.edu/">NDnano</a> and <a href="https://drugdiscovery.nd.edu/">Warren Center for Drug Discovery</a>. Datta is an assistant professor in the following doctorate programs: aerospace and mechanical engineering, bioengineering, and materials science and engineering.</p>
<p><em><strong>Contact:</strong> Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, <a href="mailto:brandiwampler@nd.edu">brandiwampler@nd.edu</a></em></p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Brandi Wampler</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/cancer-therapies-show-promise-in-combating-tuberculosis/">news.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">March 25, 2024</span>.</p>Brandi Wamplertag:globalhealth.nd.edu,2005:News/1607202024-03-24T08:00:00-04:002024-03-22T17:58:41-04:00Notre Dame faculty conduct translational research to address tuberculosis in lung cells<p>For over 8,000 years, the “white death,” tuberculosis (TB), has plagued humankind.</p> <p>Its effects are described in Biblical verses and appear in mummies from Ancient Egypt. Those infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which causes TB, can now be cured thanks to modern health advancements —…</p><p>For over 8,000 years, the “white death,” tuberculosis (TB), has plagued humankind.</p>
<p>Its effects are described in Biblical verses and appear in mummies from Ancient Egypt. Those infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which causes TB, can now be cured thanks to modern health advancements — but there is still work to be done. Limited access to care, ineffective diagnostic tools, and lack of an effective vaccine have resulted in <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tuberculosis">millions</a> still suffering and dying from TB in underserved communities every year.</p>
<p>But today, researchers at the University of Notre Dame are conducting translational research at the cellular level to develop advanced methods for diagnosis and prevention to help create a future without TB.</p>
<figure class="image image-right"><a href="https://biology.nd.edu/people/jeff-schorey/"><img src="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/assets/562845/300x/jeff_schorey.jpg" alt="Jeff Schorey headshot" width="300" height="300"></a>
<figcaption>Jeff Schorey, George B. Craig Jr. Professor, <br>Department of Biological Sciences</figcaption>
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<p><a href="https://biology.nd.edu/people/jeff-schorey/">Jeff Schorey</a>, George B. Craig Jr. Professor in the <a href="https://biology.nd.edu/">Department of Biological Sciences</a> and faculty affiliate for the <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/">Eck Institute for Global Health</a> works with researchers in his lab to study cellular communication during TB infection.</p>
<p>Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an intracellular pathogen, Schorey explains. “When you breathe it in, it is transmitted not only into your lungs but into the cells in your lungs.” He compares intracellular pathogens to a closed door in a room. “If you have your door closed, people walking down the hall can’t see you. We might expect the same with TB, which would make it less likely for the immune system to recognize and respond to it.”</p>
<p>Except, the immune system can identify TB within each cell, and offers a protective response for the majority of people. Schorey’s lab is studying one of the mechanisms by which this response is triggered. “It turns out,” he says, “that during an infection of a cell, some of the components of TB are released within the macrophage — white blood cells that can be found within the lungs.” The components are then incorporated into membrane vesicles, which play a key role in how cells communicate with each other throughout the body. The result of this packaging the TB components into the membrane vesicles is better detection by the immune system.</p>
<p>The Schorey Lab was one of the first labs to explore the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2200902/">relationship</a> between the immune system and membrane vesicles. The discovery of this connection is changing how TB is diagnosed.</p>
<p>The current diagnostic method for identification requires sputum samples, samples of mucus collected from an active cough of someone infected with TB. “This is problematic,” Shorey says, because “many people, such as HIV patients, children, and even adults who are malnourished, may not generate a sputum.” To address this challenge, his team is developing a comprehensive diagnostic assay that uses blood samples to identify mycobacteria RNA and proteins within the membrane vesicles. The analysis will aid in recognizing latent TB infection from individuals with an active, transmissible disease. It may also help researchers to develop a vaccine with a robust immune response.</p>
<figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/assets/562841/bj_5.1.19_prof_jeff_schorey_4443.jpg" alt="Professor Jeff Schorey speaks with Research Assistant Professor Yong Cheng in his lab in Galvin Life Science." width="600" height="400">
<figcaption>Schorey speaks with Yong Cheng, Research Assistant Professor <br>in his lab in Galvin Life Science.</figcaption>
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<p>The current TB <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tb/publications/factsheets/prevention/bcg.htm#:~:text=BCG%2C%20or%20bacille%20Calmette%2DGuerin,tuberculous%20meningitis%20and%20miliary%20disease.">vaccine</a> is administered to infants and young children in countries where TB is prevalent but does not provide protection from the disease once it has been transmitted inside the lungs. Shorey and others hope that by using a unique way of packaging mycobacterial proteins, a consistent protective immune response can be achieved, which can then be developed into a vaccine.</p>
<p>“Every day, in underserved communities, tuberculosis infects more than <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tuberculosis">20</a> people every minute and kills roughly 3500 people. The University of Notre Dame is committed to supporting world-class research that can stop the spread of tuberculosis in these communities, and around the world,” says Dr. Bernard Nahlen, director of the Eck Institute for Global Health and professor of biological sciences. “Supporting the work of Jeff’s team moves us one step closer towards this goal.”</p>
<p>The 2024 World Health Organization’s <a href="https://www.who.int/europe/news-room/events/item/2024/03/24/default-calendar/world-tb-day-2024#:~:text=World%20Tuberculosis%20(TB)%20Day%2C,We%20can%20end%20TB%E2%80%9D.">World Tuberculosis Day</a> slogan is, “Yes! We can end TB.” To end the disease, Schorey hopes that each observation can contribute to the larger picture of prevention and treatment.</p>
<p>“I think of science as a jigsaw puzzle,” he says. “The entire science community, even people who are doing research in cancer or in other fields, may provide a piece that you can put into your puzzle.’”</p>
<p>Future research will apply the observations from The Shorey Lab to <a href="https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/373828/9789240083851-eng.pdf?sequence=1">high burden countries</a> for tuberculosis. Joshua Ongalo, a current Ph.D. student working within The Schorey Lab, will use lab <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Joshua-Ongalo-2">investigations</a> to target projects within his home country of Kenya in 2024 and 2025.</p>
<p>For more information about tuberculosis research and other global health projects supported by the Eck Institute for Global Health, please visit the <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/">website</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Contact:</strong></p>
<p>Christine Grashorn, Communications Specialist<br>Notre Dame Research / University of Notre Dame<br>cgrashor@nd.edu / 574.631.4856<br>research.nd.edu / @UNDResearch</p>
<p><strong>About the Eck Institute for Global Health</strong></p>
<p>The Eck Institute for Global Health (EIGH), an integral part of Notre Dame Research, builds on the University’s historical strength in infectious disease research, including vector-borne diseases, while broadening the interdisciplinary expertise into other key global health areas including maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH); community health; mental health; nutrition and non-communicable diseases; the environment and health; health analytics and technologies; and health systems and organizations. Our team of interdisciplinary researchers and their students holistically address health disparities around the world. EIGH <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/affiliates/?service=undefined&location=undefined&name=&title=&school=undefined&id=&dept=&area=">faculty affiliates</a> recognize health as a fundamental human right and promote research, training, and service to advance health standards for all people, especially those in resource-poor countries who are disproportionately impacted by preventable diseases. The EIGH is <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/education-training/">training the next generation</a> of global health researchers and leaders through undergraduate, Master of Science in Global Health, doctoral, and postdoctoral programs.</p>Christine Grashorntag:globalhealth.nd.edu,2005:News/1603602024-03-04T15:04:30-05:002024-03-04T15:04:30-05:00Notre Dame, St. Joseph County to partner for maternal health ‘one-stop shop’<p>Researchers at the University of Notre Dame are engaging community partners in St. Joseph County, Indiana, to improve access to health care services for pregnant and postpartum women in underserved areas of the community with the Pop Up Pregnancy & Family Village program.</p><p>Today, giving birth to a child is no longer the most dangerous part of becoming a mother.</p>
<p>Eighty percent of <a href="https://reviewtoaction.org/sites/default/files/2022-12/Indiana%20MMR-Report-September-2022_0.pdf">pregnancy-associated deaths</a> occur in the postpartum period (up to one year following a birth), according to the Indiana Department of Health. And unlike complications during birth, the vast majority of postpartum deaths are preventable. These risks require immediate interventions aimed at improving the health and well-being of mothers.</p>
<p>Researchers at the University of Notre Dame are taking action by engaging community partners in St. Joseph County, Indiana, to help improve access to health care services for pregnant and postpartum women in underserved areas of the community.</p>
<figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://news.nd.edu/assets/560731/300x/joyce_adams_square.jpg" alt="Female professor with long dark braids wearing a bright blue blouse and gold earrings." width="300" height="296">
<figcaption>Yenupini Joyce Adams/University of Notre Dame</figcaption>
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<p><a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/about/core-team/?service=undefined&location=undefined&name=&title=&school=undefined&id=yenupini-joyce-adams&dept=undefined&area=undefined">Yenupini Joyce Adams</a>, the <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/education-training/maternal-newborn-and-child-health-mnch-initiative/">Maternal, Newborn and Child Health</a> lead for the <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/">Eck Institute for Global Health</a> at Notre Dame, is spearheading these efforts by implementing new approaches to postpartum care in St. Joseph County.</p>
<p>Adams, who is an assistant professor of the practice for the Eck Institute and concurrent assistant professor of the practice at the <a href="https://keough.nd.edu/">Keough School of Global Affairs</a>, has received funding from <a href="https://www.in.gov/localhealth/stjosephcounty/health-first-indiana/">Health First St. Joseph County</a> to pilot the Pop Up Pregnancy & Family Village program, a monthly “one-stop shop” of existing, evidence-based programs that are currently operating in St. Joseph County communities.</p>
<p>“The goal of the Pop Up Pregnancy & Family Village is to establish a trusted, consistent, monthly ‘one-stop shop’ for mothers and families to access connection to care, resources and support that will address social drivers of health, well-being, and mental health, in addition to physical health during pregnancy and the postpartum period, in one convenient location,” Adams said.</p>
<p>The Pop Up Pregnancy & Family Village program will begin in August and September at locations in South Bend and Mishawaka. There will be no cost for participants to attend and receive care.</p>
<p>Adams will provide a free information session at the St. Joseph County Public Library in April for area health professionals and wellness organizations interested in participating in this important initiative, which is expected to expand to other northern Indiana communities through support from <a href="https://impact.beaconhealthsystem.org/">Beacon Community Impact</a>.</p>
<p>Building partnerships within St. Joseph County is well-aligned with the <a href="https://strategicframework.nd.edu/notre-dame-2033-a-strategic-framework/">University’s commitment</a> to supporting the health and well-being of others through translational research that can advance the local community. Support from the St. Joseph County Health Department, Beacon and Saint Joseph health systems and several community-based organizations for the pop-up project will supplement other <a href="https://hwi.nd.edu/funding/emerging-opportunities-in-health/#:~:text=Emerging%20Opportunities%20in%20Health%20is,Notre%20Dame%20and%20community%20organizations">University-sponsored</a> programs in the South Bend community.</p>
<p>Partnerships with the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute and Beacon Health System are enabling Adams to leverage insights from <a href="https://yjadams.nd.edu/projects/focused-postpartum-care-project-focused-ppc/focused-ppc-an-integrated-postpartum-care-education-and-support-model-for-women-in-ghana/">her work in Ghana</a> to address maternal mortality through group postpartum care programs that will be implemented in Indiana. While group prenatal care programs that offer peer support to expectant mothers are common within U.S. health care systems, group postpartum care models have yet to be implemented. The group postpartum care model developed by Adams will be among the first to be integrated into a health care system in the U.S.</p>
<p>With several ongoing efforts to improve the health of mothers and children, the Eck Institute <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/news-events/news/eck-institute-welcomes-new-partners-to-enhance-the-impact-of-its-maternal-newborn-and-child-health-mnch-work-group/">recently announced a Maternal, Newborn and Child Health working group</a> that is mobilizing University researchers and campus partners to inspire maternal health advancements within the South Bend community.</p>
<p>“The University of Notre Dame is dedicated to working with community partners to develop local programs that accelerate our impact for good in low- and middle-income communities,” said <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/about/core-team/?service=undefined&location=undefined&name=&title=&school=undefined&id=bernard-nahlen&dept=undefined&area=undefined">Bernard Nahlen</a>, director of the Eck Institute for Global Health and professor of biological sciences. “As part of this continuing alliance, the Eck Institute is fully committed to supporting global and local research that seeks to improve maternal health outcomes.”</p>
<p>In the United States, the <a href="https://journals.lww.com/obstetricanesthesia/abstract/2019/03000/postpartum_care_in_the_united_states__new_policies.14.aspx">standard for postpartum care involves just one doctor visit at six weeks post-birth</a>. Adams hopes that by establishing a consistent monthly event that is conveniently located within local communities, “we can reduce health access barriers that have historically led to postpartum health complications and death.”</p>
<p>“Access to postpartum care services should be available to anyone, anywhere,” Adams said. “I am hopeful that we can reduce Indiana’s maternal mortality rates with our partners at the University and in the community. No woman should have to sacrifice her life to give life.”</p>
<p>To learn more about upcoming Maternal, Newborn and Child Health events or to join the working group, visit the <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/education-training/maternal-newborn-and-child-health-mnch-initiative/">Eck Institute for Global Health website</a>.</p>
<p><em><strong>Contact:</strong> Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, <a href="mailto:brandiwampler@nd.edu">brandiwampler@nd.edu</a></em></p>
<p><em><strong>Contact:</strong> Erin Blasko, associate director of media relations, 574-631-4127, <a href="mailto:eblasko@nd.edu">eblasko@nd.edu</a></em></p>
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<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Christine Grashorn</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/notre-dame-st-joseph-county-to-partner-for-maternal-health-one-stop-shop/">news.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">March 04, 2024</span>.</p>Christine Grashorntag:globalhealth.nd.edu,2005:News/1601702024-02-27T10:25:00-05:002024-02-26T11:25:43-05:00Global Health graduate researcher Henry Kamugisha works to reduce malaria in the Ethiopian Highlands<p>Although two hundred <a href="https://malariajournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12936-019-2724-z#:~:text=Since%20the%20isolation%20in%201820,drugs%2C%20rendering%20them%20less%20effective.">years</a> have passed since the development of the first antimalaria treatment and over 140 years since…</p><p>Although two hundred <a href="https://malariajournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12936-019-2724-z#:~:text=Since%20the%20isolation%20in%201820,drugs%2C%20rendering%20them%20less%20effective.">years</a> have passed since the development of the first antimalaria treatment and over 140 years since the parasite was seen for the first time under a microscope, malaria remains one of the most critical health problems in Sub-saharan Africa–and numbers are on the rise in the Ethiopian Highlands.</p>
<p>Henry Kamugisha is on a mission to find out why.</p>
<figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/assets/559778/300x/kamugisha_ethiopia_2023.3.jpg" alt="photo of blood samples for malaria testing" width="300" height="400">
<figcaption>Kamugisha collecting blood samples</figcaption>
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<p>A student in the Master of Science in Global Health program at the University of Notre Dame, Kamugisha hopes that innovations in malaria testing will explain why malaria is emerging at increasingly higher numbers in the rugged regions of central Ethiopia. He works with the research team in the lab of <a href="https://biology.nd.edu/people/cristian-koepfli/">Cristian Koepfli</a>, assistant professor in the <a href="http://biology.nd.edu/">Department of Biological Sciences</a>, who is developing novel testing methods to identify emerging variants in malaria parasites.</p>
<p>Kamugisha’s passion for studying malaria began in childhood. “Growing up in rural Uganda, I witnessed firsthand the profound impact of disease, how it affects villages and entire communities,” he says. “I want to make sure that even though I could not help my grandmother, who passed away from malaria, I can make sure that I am doing everything I can to prevent the suffering of future generations in my community–that’s why I am blessed to be a part of this program, to be able to contribute to this research.”</p>
<p>Kamugisha’s current research project examines the results of over 900 blood samples he collected during the summer of 2023 in the Gondar Zone of Ethiopia. Working closely with Koepfli’s long-term collaborators from the University of Gondar, he collected the blood samples from people at a bus stop as they traveled from the low country back to the Ethiopian Highlands. While at the bus stop, he tested voluntary participants with rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) designed to identify positive cases of malaria from two malaria parasites, Plasmodium falciparum, the most common malaria parasite in Sub-saharan Africa, and Plasmodium vivax, which is common in the Horn of Africa.</p>
<p>Even with the announcement of two malaria vaccines in 2021 and 2023 to prevent the disease, there is still much work to be done to treat patients who have contracted malaria. “Sometimes medications don't work because different species of these parasites respond uniquely to treatment regimens,” Kamugisha explains. “For example, healthcare workers may administer a drug that has commonly demonstrated effectiveness in treating Plasmodium falciparum because the patient presents with common symptoms,” he says. “Only later, when the patient is much sicker, do healthcare workers realize the patient has a different type of malaria parasite.” Rapid diagnostic testing can help doctors select the right course of treatment early on.</p>
<figure class="image image-left"><img src="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/assets/559777/300x/kamugisha_ethiopia_2023.1.jpg" alt="photo of people volunteering for malaria testing" width="300" height="225">
<figcaption>Volunteers registering to be tested<br> for indications of malaria</figcaption>
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<p>Testing is also helping to solve the mystery of malaria transmission. During his fieldwork, Kamugisha was surprised that although clinicians found a high number of positive malaria cases through RDTs, nearly everyone reported few to no symptoms. Kamugisha is now confirming the infections detected by RDTs by using highly sensitive molecular polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing in the laboratories at the University of Notre Dame.</p>
<p>“If the RDTs are accurate, we can prove that movement of people from endemic regions to non-endemic regions in the Ethiopian Highlands is contributing to the spread of infections,” he says. Providing this information to public health authorities may improve future intervention options that control the spread of malaria.</p>
<p>Koepfli is optimistic about the outcomes of Kamugisha’s work. “Ethiopia is a malaria-endemic country where isolated regions are experiencing significant challenges. There is a need for passionate researchers with a keen interest in working with the Ethiopian research community to develop innovative ideas together,” he says. “Henry has dedicated an immense amount of time in administering RDTs, and analyzing their results so that we can guide officials on how to reduce transmission and ultimately eliminate malaria for good.”</p>
<p>Kamugisha will continue this research in the University’s <a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/degree-programs/biological-sciences-phd---doctoral/">doctoral program</a> in biological sciences, which he will begin in the fall of 2024.</p>
<p>Applications for the Master of Science in Global Health program are currently open. “The two-year Master of Science in Global Health is a best-in-class program, designed to train students to be leaders in global health,” says Bernard Nahlen, Director of the Eck Institute for Global Health. “The Eck Institute welcomes all to apply who, like Henry Kamugisha, have a passion for advancing health standards and reducing health disparities for all.”</p>
<p>To learn more about how to apply, please visit the Eck Institute for Global Health <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/education-training/masters/">website</a>.</p>
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<p><strong>Contact:</strong></p>
<p>Christine Grashorn, Communications Specialist<br>Notre Dame Research / University of Notre Dame<br>cgrashor@nd.edu / 574.631.4856<br>research.nd.edu / @UNDResearch</p>
<p><strong>About the Eck Institute for Global Health</strong></p>
<p>The Eck Institute for Global Health (EIGH), an integral part of Notre Dame Research, builds on the University’s historical strength in infectious disease research, including vector-borne diseases, while broadening the interdisciplinary expertise into other key global health areas including maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH); community health; mental health; nutrition and non-communicable diseases; the environment and health; health analytics and technologies; and health systems and organizations. Our team of interdisciplinary researchers and their students holistically address health disparities around the world. EIGH <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/affiliates/?service=undefined&location=undefined&name=&title=&school=undefined&id=&dept=&area=">faculty affiliates</a> recognize health as a fundamental human right and promote research, training, and service to advance health standards for all people, especially those in resource-poor countries who are disproportionately impacted by preventable diseases. The EIGH is <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/education-training/">training the next generation</a> of global health researchers and leaders through undergraduate, Master of Science in Global Health, doctoral, and postdoctoral programs.</p>Christine Grashorntag:globalhealth.nd.edu,2005:News/1596682024-02-02T13:02:08-05:002024-02-02T13:02:08-05:00Notre Dame postdoctoral scholar working to improve cancer diagnosis through groundbreaking technology<p><br>Karla Gonzalez Serrano, postdoctoral scholar for the University of Notre Dame’s <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/">Eck Institute for Global Health</a>, has always wanted to join a team that helps doctors provide better care.</p> <figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/assets/556439/fullsize/gonzalez.jpg">…</figure><p><br>Karla Gonzalez Serrano, postdoctoral scholar for the University of Notre Dame’s <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/">Eck Institute for Global Health</a>, has always wanted to join a team that helps doctors provide better care.</p>
<figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/assets/556439/fullsize/gonzalez.jpg" alt="Gonzalez Serrano" width="150" height="200">
<figcaption>Karla Gonzalez Serrano</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>“There are a lot of physicians in my family, and I have always wanted to help them have the tools that they wish they had to provide better care in their communities,” Gonzalez Serrano explains.</p>
<p>As a graduate student at <a href="https://tec.mx/es">Tecnológico de Monterrey</a> in Monterrey, Mexico, Gonzalez Serrano participated in a collaborative program with the University of Notre Dame’s College of Engineering. She received her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame in 2022 and was then offered the opportunity to join the research team of <a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/thomas-osullivan/">Thomas O’Sullivan</a>, associate professor of Electrical Engineering in the <a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/">College of Engineering</a>.</p>
<p>Gonzalez Serrano is testing <a href="https://fightingfor.nd.edu/2023/fighting-for-breast-cancer-patients/?utm_source=Social&utm_medium=Organic&utm_campaign=WWYFF&utm_term=Breast+Cancer+Patients">NearWave</a>, a wireless, handheld light-based imaging device recently developed by O’Sullivan and his then Ph.D. student, Roy Stillwell, to characterize breast abnormalities.</p>
<p>In early 2023, a partnership between the Eck Institute and the <a href="https://harpercancer.nd.edu/">Harper Cancer Research Institute</a> (HCRI) offered her the opportunity to receive additional support to extend the device's application toward global health concerns. In limited-resource settings, there is a dire need for an approach to screen and diagnose breast cancers without causing significant false positive results that would consume already scarce resources. NearWave is portable, easy to use, relatively low cost, and does not require significant infrastructure to function, making it ideal for use in under-resourced communities where it could aid in tumor diagnosis, potentially decreasing the volume of false positive indications.</p>
<figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/assets/556441/300x/light_600.jpg" alt="Light 600" width="300" height="163">
<figcaption>NearWave imaging data</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Testing and refining the device’s imaging procedure is necessary to produce an interface that is easy for clinicians to use and interpret for rapid pre-screening of breast lesions in diverse environments.</p>
<p>Partnerships with healthcare facilities in the United States are planned for the initial pilot study that will help to optimize the imaging procedure. Then, the device’s usability and quality of imaging scans of patients from a Mexican hospital will be evaluated. After integrating any necessary improvements identified in the US and Mexico, the device will be tested in a marginalized community with limited access to health care. Gonzalez Serrano also hopes to perform a more extensive clinical study to assess and inform diagnostic thresholds for distinguishing benign and malignant breast lesions.</p>
<figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/assets/556442/300x/nearwave_device_en2_0091_960x533.jpg" alt="Nearwave Device En2 0091 960x533" width="300" height="167">
<figcaption>The NearWave scanner</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>“We want this device to be effective and accessible to clinicians in various environments,” Gonzalez Serrano emphasizes. Her dedication to the project is inspired by personal commitments toward providing positive impacts in her home country of Mexico, “because in limited-resource settings like many of the rural communities in Mexico, this device could identify breast cancers at earlier, more treatable stages and help these communities’ limited health care systems provide better breast cancer care.”</p>
<p><a href="https://chemistry.nd.edu/people/m-sharon-stack/">Sharon Stack</a>, who is the Ann F. Dunne and Elizabeth Riley Director of the Harper Cancer Research Institute, says she is pleased with Gonzalez Serrano’s work to advance NearWave’s application. She says, “As an early supporter of Tom O’Sullivan's basic research that enabled the development of the current NearWave device, HCRI is delighted to see this important product move into the clinic.” Stack, who is also the Kleiderer-Pezold Professor of Biochemistry for the <a href="https://chemistry.nd.edu/">Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry</a>, explains that “early detection is by far the best way to improve cancer survival. Translation of this technology to low resource settings will mean that the opportunity to survive a cancer diagnosis can be significantly expanded in the medically underserved community.”</p>
<p>Gonzalez Serrano’s work as part of the O’Sullivan Research Group is essential for ensuring the device is properly tested before wider application in healthcare settings. “Postdoctoral scholars, like Karla Gonzalez Serrano, are critical for advancing translational research,” said O’Sullivan. “Creating the connection between the devices that are developed in the lab, and how they are used in health care settings, is what defines our work as a force for good.”</p>
<p>For more information about this project and about O’Sullivan’s biomedical photonics laboratory, please visit the O’Sullivan Research Group <a href="https://osullivangroup.nd.edu/team/thomas-o-sullivan/">website</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Contact:</strong></p>
<p>Christine Grashorn, Communications Specialist<br>Notre Dame Research / University of Notre Dame<br>cgrashor@nd.edu / 574.631.4856<br>research.nd.edu / @UNDResearch</p>
<p><strong>About the Eck Institute for Global Health</strong></p>
<p>The Eck Institute for Global Health (EIGH), an integral part of Notre Dame Research, builds on the University’s historical strength in infectious disease research, including vector-borne diseases, while broadening the interdisciplinary expertise into other key global health areas including maternal, newborn, & child health (MNCH), community health, mental health, nutrition and non-communicable diseases, the environment and health, health analytics and technologies, and health systems and organizations. Our team of interdisciplinary researchers and their students holistically address health disparities around the world. EIGH <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/affiliates/?service=undefined&location=undefined&name=&title=&school=undefined&id=&dept=&area=">faculty affiliates</a> recognize health as a fundamental human right and promote research, training, and service to advance health standards for all people, especially those in resource-poor countries who are disproportionately impacted by preventable diseases. The EIGH is <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/education-training/">training the next generation</a> of global health researchers and leaders through undergraduate, Master of Science in Global Health, doctoral, and postdoctoral programs.</p>
<p><strong>About the Harper Cancer Research Institute</strong></p>
<p>Investigators in the Harper Cancer Research Institute (HCRI) are dedicated to conducting innovative and integrative research that confronts the complex challenges of cancer. Our programmatic structure fosters multi-disciplinary cancer research by promoting interactions among research groups with distinct expertise and by training early career scientists to work across scientific fields. Clinical partnerships provide key translational insight and strengthen the mission of discovery. Collaboration is a foundational principle of the Institute. Harper research teams are comprised of faculty from multiple departments within the College of Science, College of Engineering, and the College of Arts and Letters at Notre Dame in addition to IUSMSB faculty.</p>
<p> </p>Christine Grashorntag:globalhealth.nd.edu,2005:News/1589672024-01-05T15:27:00-05:002024-01-05T15:29:40-05:00Notre Dame faculty reveal a relationship between anemia in mothers and their babies<p>In India, iron-deficient anemia (IDA) among children less than five years old is on the rise, leading to higher “hidden” morbidity and mortality. IDA causes headaches, fatigue, and developmental delays, including physical and cognitive impairment among children. Anemia prevalence in young children…</p><p>In India, iron-deficient anemia (IDA) among children less than five years old is on the rise, leading to higher “hidden” morbidity and mortality. IDA causes headaches, fatigue, and developmental delays, including physical and cognitive impairment among children. Anemia prevalence in young children can be as high as 70% in many rural parts of India.</p>
<figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/assets/552625/india_10.jpg" alt="India 10" width="600" height="400"></figure>
<p>A <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165176523000484">study</a> published in Economics Letters by researchers at the University of Notre Dame reveals an intergenerational link of anemia between mother and child: Mothers with anemia during pregnancy are more likely to pass on the condition to their children.</p>
<p><a href="https://keough.nd.edu/people/santosh-kumar/">Santosh Kumar</a>, associate professor of development and global health economics at the <a href="https://keough.nd.edu/">Keough School of Global Affairs</a>, made the discovery while working closely with Dr. <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/about/core-team/?service=undefined&location=undefined&name=&title=&school=undefined&id=bernard-nahlen&dept=undefined&area=undefined">Bernard Nahlen</a>, director of the <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/">Eck Institute for Global Health</a> and professor of <a href="https://biology.nd.edu/">biological sciences</a>. Together, Kumar and Nahlen analyzed data from the <a href="https://rchiips.org/nfhs/#:~:text=The%20National%20Family%20Health%20Survey,sample%20of%20households%20throughout%20India.">National Family Health Survey</a> (NFHS), a multi-round survey conducted throughout India to provide state and national information on the health and well-being of Indian families. The results of their analysis may help in the creation of preventative health policies to reduce the long-term impacts of anemia.</p>
<p>Kumar and Nahlen established a causal relationship between the anemic status of mother and child. The data was collected from the 2015-16 NFHS, which had gathered samples from over half a million women and households. Of those sampled, 58% of children and 56% of women were categorized as anemic.</p>
<p>A statistical analysis method known as an instrumental variable estimation was then used to identify a causal relationship between mother and child anemic status, which factored in the mother’s height and the family’s socioeconomic status. The analysis categorized the anemic status of mothers and children based on the hemoglobin cutoff developed by the World Health Organization. Children were categorized as anemic if the hemoglobin levels were less than 11.0 grams per deciliter (g/dL) while the cutoff for pregnant and non-pregnant women is 11.0 g/dL and 12.0 g/dL, respectively.</p>
<p>The results show a strong correlation between the hemoglobin levels of mothers and children. For example, a one-gram increase in hemoglobin levels for a mother increases hemoglobin levels in children by 0.4 g/dL. Similarly, children of anemic mothers are 26% more likely to be anemic.</p>
<p>Kumar, who leads the Global Health Economics and Policy course which is taught each spring as part of the <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/education-training/masters/curriculum/">Master of Science in Global Health</a> and <a href="https://keough.nd.edu/master-of-global-affairs/">Master of Global Affairs</a>, explains that biological and social factors play an important role in determining which mothers develop and pass on anemia. Changes in food systems—including the increasing convenience of processed foods over natural foods and the decrease in the availability of nutrient-rich staple foods—are making it harder for mothers to consume the recommended amounts of iron required to prevent the risk of anemia.</p>
<p>Kumar further explains that since early life health conditions affect employment, wages, and chronic diseases in adulthood, “It is possible that the genesis of poverty can be traced back to the high level of morbidity caused by micronutrient deficiencies that we see very early in life.”</p>
<p>Micronutrients, including iron, are vital for human growth and development. In communities where women cannot access micronutrient-rich foods, low hemoglobin levels for nine months of pregnancy will transmit the same deficiencies to growing babies. The household dietary patterns that limit the mother’s nutrition while pregnant are likely to become part of the young child’s daily food routine.</p>
<p>The study will contribute to future research projects planned in Sub-Saharan Africa. By identifying correlations between women and their children's health status, the planned studies will work to design early intervention models, providing state and local nutritional recommendations to families. Kumar hopes that applying preventative health policies to reduce anemia will improve early child development.</p>
<p>“If children can begin their lives healthier, we can improve their opportunities for success, we can improve their future, and we can improve the lives of their future children,” said Kumar. “This can break the cycle of poverty.”</p>
<p>Nahlen, who has spent years researching health conditions that disproportionately impact people in under-resourced communities, views the interdisciplinary project as an essential step toward designing preventative actions to reduce anemia. "Any efforts to reduce health disparities requires a better understanding of the complex factors associated with intergenerational transmission of poor health," he said. "This provides the basis for the development of new tools and strategies to improve the future health of these communities."</p>
<p>For more information on other global health research projects and opportunities, please visit the Eck Institute for Global Health <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/research/">website</a>.</p>
<p><strong><br>Contact:</strong></p>
<p>Christine Grashorn, Communications Specialist<br>Notre Dame Research / University of Notre Dame<br>cgrashor@nd.edu / 574.631.4856<br>research.nd.edu / @UNDResearch</p>
<p><strong>About the Eck Institute for Global Health</strong></p>
<p>The Eck Institute for Global Health (EIGH), an integral part of Notre Dame Research, builds on the University’s historical strength in infectious disease research, including vector-borne diseases, while broadening the interdisciplinary expertise into other key global health areas including maternal, newborn, & child health (MNCH), community health, mental health, nutrition and non-communicable diseases, the environment and health, health analytics and technologies, and health systems and organizations. Our team of interdisciplinary researchers and their students holistically address health disparities around the world. EIGH <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/affiliates/?service=undefined&location=undefined&name=&title=&school=undefined&id=&dept=&area=">faculty affiliates</a> recognize health as a fundamental human right and promote research, training, and service to advance health standards for all people, especially those in resource-poor countries who are disproportionately impacted by preventable diseases. The EIGH is <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/education-training/">training the next generation</a> of global health researchers and leaders through undergraduate, Master of Science in Global Health, doctoral, and postdoctoral programs.</p>
<p><strong>About the Keough School for Global Affairs</strong></p>
<p>The Donald R. Keough School of Global Affairs advances <a href="https://keough.nd.edu/integral-human-development/">integral human development</a> through research, policy, and practice; transformative educational programs, and partnerships for global engagement. The Keough School addresses some of the world’s greatest challenges, with particular emphasis on the design and implementation of effective and ethical responses to poverty, war, disease, political oppression, environmental degradation, and other threats to dignity and human flourishing. Through the <a href="https://keough.nd.edu/master-of-global-affairs/">Master of Global Affairs</a> program, The Keough School educates and trains global affairs professionals, preparing students for effective and ethical professional leadership in government, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector. By building long-term partnerships within the academy, business, government, and civil society, the Keough School integrates disciplines and best practices to identify solutions responsive to the interconnected nature of global challenges.</p>Christine Grashorntag:globalhealth.nd.edu,2005:News/1587872023-12-15T10:59:00-05:002023-12-15T10:59:28-05:00"Paradise in wilderness": Celebrating 90 years of science and stewardship at Notre Dame’s Land O'Lakes<figure class="image image-default"><img src="https://research.nd.edu/assets/551292/fullsize/2016_land_o_lakes_152.jpg" alt="2016 Land O Lakes 152" width="1200" height="800"></figure> <p>“Paradise in wilderness” is how Rev. John Francis (later Cardinal) O’Hara, C.S.C, described the property today known…</p><figure class="image image-default"><img src="https://research.nd.edu/assets/551292/fullsize/2016_land_o_lakes_152.jpg" alt="2016 Land O Lakes 152" width="1200" height="800"></figure>
<p>“Paradise in wilderness” is how Rev. John Francis (later Cardinal) O’Hara, C.S.C, described the property today known as Land O’Lakes on the Wisconsin-Michigan border after his first visit to the area. The year was 1934, the same year he became President of the University of Notre Dame. Soon after O’Hara’s visit, the owner of Land O’Lakes, Martin J. Gillen, promised to bequeath his “paradise” to the University. O’Hara’s plan was for members of the University’s founding religious order, the Congregation of Holy Cross, to use it as a retreat location. Gillen also hoped the site could be a boon for the “scientific purposes of Forestry, Botany, Biology and allied sciences.”</p>
<p>Gillen would go on to spend much of the rest of his life enlarging the property and securing it as a resource for the future. He arranged deals with the federal government and with lumber companies to add thousands of additional acres to his original gift. He even served as the legal counsel for the University in opposing efforts to turn a fire lane on the property into a public road.</p>
<p>As a result of Gillen’s efforts to safeguard Land O’Lakes, it remains a unique location—nearly eight thousand acres pristine in environmental quality. Its mix of wetlands and forests dotted with over two dozen lakes stretches along the border between Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula and is bisected by Tenderfoot Creek.</p>
<p><strong id="docs-internal-guid-cb31035e-7fff-5255-4e24-ca1c5f818c1c"><img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/pTrKcdHiegCrDPDjTOGSBEAhz8y60IlQ3bOwC_qSk5Ir4hb8afPJjUW9RxIMq1ZIQMBUx9x8xRF1KPgrL57Y11JKAgvy3PV4rHpnAXwJXaVMZpbe5ZbyhjSzwAR49BQ3nlS1u4cYV0-kD0CSEaUK_Bc" width="624" height="416"></strong></p>
<p>Its location—a day's drive from the University’s main campus in South Bend, Indiana—meant that Land O’Lakes was suitable only for specific types of research prior to the construction of scientific facilities on site. Nevertheless, Edward Birge, former President and professor of biology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, recognized the Notre Dame site as “the finest and most unique piece of scientific property in the north, for experimental purposes” in biology, botany, and zoology. In 1951, Arthur D. Hasler, a pioneering freshwater ecologist at UW-Madison, used the site to perform the first whole-lake ecosystem experiment by using a dike to divide the two sides of an hourglass-shaped lake. He used one side of the lake as a reference ecosystem to determine the effects of alterations on the other.</p>
<figure class="image image-default"><img src="https://research.nd.edu/assets/551288/fullsize/2016_land_o_lakes_106.jpg" alt="2016 Land O Lakes 106" width="1200" height="280"></figure>
<p>In 1968, the University announced new plans to expand research at Land O’Lakes, and throughout the 1970s, research by Notre Dame faculty began to accelerate on site. The driving force behind much of that research was George B. Craig, Jr., who was one of the world’s foremost experts on mosquitos and the first Notre Dame faculty member to be elected to the National Academy of Sciences. For more than two decades, Craig brought Notre Dame students to study and work at Land O’Lakes, where they could catch his “contagious” passion for biological research.</p>
<p><strong id="docs-internal-guid-4ee9b8ee-7fff-cb69-38a8-56372c333d8f"><img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/JaDJbyiqIeI5SJLevUZE7hbWhS16fao6PwKd27fW45wTQC5IJc1rdzQ4fpKxJNPNnEEEfhlhL5HLZnhOnIeDEnekPdPkzKdYVet6NPgVYLZr2Qlmwu2WnGopX6SQNsAT7KaySEC9TyEhHIhejsC9y84" width="624" height="416"></strong></p>
<p>Eventually, with support from class of 1951 alumnus Bernard J. (Jerry) Hank, the University constructed a modern research center at Land O’Lakes known as the <a href="underc.nd.edu/">University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center</a> (UNDERC), which coordinates research activities on the site. UNDERC’s signature educational offering is its summer field biology program, which enables students to live and study for ten weeks at Land O’Lakes for an unparalleled, hands-on experience in field biology. In addition, graduate students and faculty from other universities, including Duke, Yale, and more use the site to investigate the interactions between organisms, the environment, and planetary health.</p>
<p>Students receive a structured introduction to vertebrate ecology, invertebrate ecology, aquatic ecology, and forest ecology while also gaining an understanding of Native American perspectives on the environment. More experienced students work with an UNDERC-affiliated faculty mentor on an ecology research project of their own. Years of assiduous protection of the Land O’Lakes property have ensured that students can study vibrant populations of flora, including aspens, pines, mosses, and ferns, and fauna, including beavers, porcupines, black bears, and deer. Scientists have used the site’s <a href="https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/underc">iNaturalist page</a> to register sightings of threatened species, such as the common loon, and species of special concern, such as the trumpeter swan, as well as endangered species, such as the cougar.</p>
<p>In recent decades, Land O’Lakes has also emerged as a key site for national efforts to document environmental change. In 2008, the site was included as the core terrestrial and aquatic site for the Great Lakes region in the National Science Foundation’s National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), a network of field research sites that provides open data on ecosystems across the United States. Land O’Lakes was selected because it represents the "ecoclimate characteristics" of the Great Lakes region with "little or no degradation from humans." NEON conducts extensive ecological monitoring at the site, ranging from field data collection to remote sensing to passive data collection via a canopy tower.</p>
<p><strong id="docs-internal-guid-4319cdf9-7fff-1d3e-0a6f-951c960546bb"><img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/K3yKYDoRLcQZmdnQjjO9J3jnTGkfhwIwOp6Au5CdFTt5f49JZLRUi9-YaVesK9uBKI68adopCZVNgJSQetFSIjmo2EqztEXiap7gURNa8jAYVwZ3QvIoPlGfd2DJoWNotyJSz4qhzXOK4WPc8kFyRUA" width="624" height="416"></strong></p>
<p>UNDERC is also part of a project funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that pairs images from the International Space Station with genomic research on trees in an effort to gain a picture of overall forest health. The use is also part of a Smithsonian Institution ForestGEO program of long-term forest monitoring around the world, where nearly 80 research groups use standardized methods of tagging, measuring, and identifying tree species.</p>
<p><a href="https://research.nd.edu/people/jeffrey-rhoads/">Jeffrey F. Rhoads</a>, vice president for research and professor in the <a href="https://ame.nd.edu/">Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering</a>, explains that “the combination of natural resources and data infrastructure available at Land O’Lakes has made the site more valuable than ever to environmental research. Since the property has been preserved and protected for decades, the data researchers collect there serves as a crucial baseline to compare with ecological systems elsewhere.”</p>
<p><strong id="docs-internal-guid-cf704b61-7fff-9dbc-2df8-3ea18830b47a"><img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/vmYscW19t85rDe-mW6UwsyqWvJ_PA_Q_EVaXxhOqotQOeV-emoLn_BPhQJMTEppMZibetXUrxeB--217lnQnqDkoCrdrDScOo7vW0IcCMPWyaH6EY10BvG038Eo2Q6f3mmi0X2s2vTll-Qg-xeTcNdI" width="624" height="416"></strong></p>
<p>Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., former president of Notre Dame, recognized that Land O’Lakes might have its greatest role in helping the University have a voice in efforts to understand and respond to human alteration of the natural environment. Hesburgh called it a “perfect giant agar [Petri] dish for the study of the environment” that stood in contrast to the threats of “water we could not drink, air we could not breathe, climate we could not tolerate, and land we could not farm.”</p>
<p><a href="https://biology.nd.edu/people/nathan-g-swenson/">Nathan Swenson</a>, a biological sciences professor and the director of UNDERC, says the Petri dish metaphor is an apt one: “To make use of this land, to learn from it, we have to protect it from human encroachment,” he says. “That is our challenge today—just as it has been the challenge of those who have gone before us—to be both scientists as well as stewards of this truly unique place.”</p>
<p>Contact:</p>
<p>Brett Beasley / Writer and Editorial Program Manager</p>
<p>Notre Dame Research / University of Notre Dame</p>
<p>bbeasle1@nd.edu / +1 574-631-8183</p>
<p>research.nd.edu / @UNDResearch</p>
<p>About Notre Dame Research:</p>
<p>The University of Notre Dame is a private research and teaching university inspired by its Catholic mission. Located in South Bend, Indiana, its researchers are advancing human understanding through research, scholarship, education, and creative endeavor in order to be a repository for knowledge and a powerful means for doing good in the world. For more information, please see research.nd.edu or @UNDResearch.</p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Brett Beasley</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://research.nd.edu/news-and-events/news/paradise-in-wilderness-celebrating-90-years-of-science-and-stewardship-at-notre-dames-land-olakes/">research.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">December 12, 2023</span>.</p>Brett Beasleytag:globalhealth.nd.edu,2005:News/1587082023-12-12T09:53:00-05:002023-12-12T09:53:53-05:00Understudied cell in the brain could be key to treating glioblastoma<p>In a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41525-023-00381-w">new study in NPJ Genomic Medicine</a>, researchers at the University of Notre Dame have found that a largely understudied cell could offer new insight into how the aggressive, primary brain cancer is able to resist immunotherapy.</p><p>Glioblastoma is one of the most treatment-resistant cancers, with those diagnosed surviving for less than two years.</p>
<p>In a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41525-023-00381-w">new study in NPJ Genomic Medicine</a>, researchers at the University of Notre Dame have found that a largely understudied cell could offer new insight into how the aggressive, primary brain cancer is able to resist immunotherapy.</p>
<p>“A decade ago, we didn’t even know perivascular fibroblasts existed within the brain, and not just in the lining of the skull,” said <a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/meenal-datta/">Meenal Datta</a>, assistant professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering at Notre Dame and senior author on the study. “My lab’s expertise is examining tumors from an engineering and systems-based approach and looking at the novel mechanical features in rare cancers that may have been understudied or overlooked.”</p>
<p>Using standard bioinformatics and newer AI-based approaches, Datta’s <a href="https://timelab.nd.edu/">TIME Lab</a> began analyzing different genes expressed in the tumor microenvironment related to the extracellular matrix — or the scaffolding cells create to support future cell adhesion, migration, proliferation and differentiation — and other various cell types. What they found was a surprising, fairly new cell type: perivascular fibroblasts. These fibroblasts are typically found in the blood vessels of a healthy brain and deposit collagen to maintain the structural integrity and functionality of brain vessels.</p>
<p>“It was a serendipitous discovery,” said Maksym Zarodniuk, graduate student in the TIME Lab and the bioengineering doctorate program, and first author on the study. “We started in a completely different direction and stumbled upon this population of cells by using a combination of both bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing analyses of patient tumors.”</p>
<p>In their data, researchers were able to identify two groups of patients: those with a higher proportion of perivascular fibroblasts and those with significantly less. They found that brain cancer patients with more perivascular fibroblasts in their tumors were more likely to respond poorly to immunotherapies and have poor survival outcomes.</p>
<p>When exploring how this is possible, the researchers found that perivascular fibroblasts support the creation of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, allowing the cancer to better evade the immune system. The fibroblasts may also help the cancer resist therapies — such as chemotherapy that targets dividing cells — by promoting stem-like cancer cells that rarely divide, which are believed to be a major source of tumor relapse and metastasis.</p>
<p>“Moving forward, we want to do new experiments to confirm what we found in this paper and provide some good ground to start thinking about how to improve response to immunotherapy,” Zarodniuk said.</p>
<p>Because perivascular fibroblasts are a part of a healthy brain’s vasculature, Datta believes that these cells are breaking off and getting close to or infiltrating the glioblastoma tumor. However, instead of supporting healthy brain function, these fibroblasts are getting reprogrammed and helping the tumor instead.</p>
<p>“Most people think about the brain as being very soft, with soft cells and a soft matrix. But by putting down these fibroblasts and making these very fibrous proteins, it gives us an entirely different perspective on the structure of the brain and how it can be taken advantage of by cancer cells originating in the same organ,” Datta said.</p>
<p>In addition to Datta and Zarodniuk, other Notre Dame collaborators include <a href="https://acms.nd.edu/people/jun-li/">Jun Li</a>, professor of applied and computational mathematics and statistics, who developed deep learning algorithms in support of this work; <a href="https://biology.nd.edu/people/xin-lu/">Xin Lu</a>, the John M. and Mary Jo Boler Collegiate Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at Notre Dame; and Xander Steele, undergraduate student in the TIME Lab and a <a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/departments-programs/grand-challenge-scholars-program/">Grand Challenges Scholar</a>.</p>
<p>Datta is an affiliated member of Notre Dame’s <a href="https://precisionhealth.nd.edu/">Berthiaume Institute for Precision Health</a>, <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/">Eck Institute for Global Health</a>, <a href="https://harpercancer.nd.edu/">Harper Cancer Research Institute</a>, <a href="https://lucyinstitute.nd.edu/">Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society</a>, <a href="https://nano.nd.edu/">NDnano</a> and <a href="https://drugdiscovery.nd.edu/">Warren Center for Drug Discovery</a>. Datta is an assistant professor in the following doctorate programs: <a href="https://ame.nd.edu/graduate/phd-in-aerospace-and-mechanical-engineering/">aerospace and mechancial engineering</a>, <a href="https://bioengineering.nd.edu/">bioengineering</a> and <a href="https://mse.nd.edu/">materials science and engineering</a>.</p>
<p>This work was funded by the National Cancer Institute.</p>
<p><em><strong>Contact:</strong> Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, <a href="mailto:brandiwampler@nd.edu">brandiwampler@nd.edu</a></em></p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Brandi Wampler</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/understudied-cell-in-the-brain-could-be-key-to-treating-glioblastoma/">news.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">December 12, 2023</span>.</p>Brandi Wamplertag:globalhealth.nd.edu,2005:News/1584822023-12-04T12:36:00-05:002024-03-05T16:02:35-05:00Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., elected 18th president of the University of Notre Dame<p>The Board of Trustees of the University of Notre Dame has elected <a href="https://www.nd.edu/about/leadership/council/rev-robert-a-dowd-csc/">Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C.,</a> as the University’s 18th president, effective June 1. He will succeed <a href="https://president.nd.edu/about/">Rev. John</a>…</p><p>The Board of Trustees of the University of Notre Dame has elected <a href="https://www.nd.edu/about/leadership/council/rev-robert-a-dowd-csc/">Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C.,</a> as the University’s 18th president, effective June 1. He will succeed <a href="https://president.nd.edu/about/">Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.</a>, who announced in October that he will step down at the end of the 2023-24 academic year after serving as president for 19 years.</p>
<p>“We are thrilled that Father Dowd will be Notre Dame’s next leader,” said Jack Brennan, chair of Notre Dame’s Board of Trustees. “His character and intellect, along with his broad academic and administrative experience and his deep commitment to Notre Dame, make him an ideal person to lead the University into the future. Since its founding, Notre Dame has been led by a priest-president from the Congregation of Holy Cross, the religious order to which Father Sorin, the University’s founder, belonged. The University has had only three presidents in the last 70 years, each exceptional in their own right — Father Jenkins, Father Edward Malloy, C.S.C., and Father Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C. Father Dowd continues in this rich tradition.”</p>
<p>“I am deeply humbled and honored by the Board’s decision,” Father Dowd said. “We can all be grateful for Father Jenkins’ selfless and courageous leadership for almost two decades. Working together with others, his efforts have positioned the University extremely well in every way. We will build on those efforts. Informed by our Catholic mission, we will work together so that Notre Dame is an ever-greater engine of insight, innovation and impact, addressing society’s greatest challenges and helping young people to realize their potential for good.”<br><br>“I thank and congratulate our Board of Trustees on selecting Father Dowd as Notre Dame’s next president,” Father Jenkins said. “An accomplished scholar, a dedicated teacher and an experienced administrator, Father Bob is also a faithful and generous priest. He will lead the University to being even more powerfully a force for good in the world.”</p>
<p>Father Dowd currently serves as vice president and associate provost for interdisciplinary initiatives at Notre Dame, a position he has held since 2021. He is also an associate professor of political science and serves as a Fellow and Trustee of the University and religious superior of the Holy Cross community at Notre Dame.</p>
<p>A native of Michigan City, Indiana, Father Dowd graduated from Notre Dame in 1987, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology and economics, and entered Moreau Seminary in the fall of that year to explore his vocation to religious life and priesthood. During his time in the seminary, he asked to be assigned to East Africa and spent 18 months there. After professing final vows in the Congregation of Holy Cross in 1993 and being ordained a priest in 1994, he worked in Campus Ministry at Notre Dame, serving as associate rector of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and as an assistant rector in one of the University’s residence halls.</p>
<p>He began his graduate studies at UCLA in 1996, earning an M.A. in African studies in 1998 and a doctorate in political science in 2003. In 2004, Father Dowd joined Notre Dame’s political science department as a member of the faculty. Specializing in comparative politics, his research has focused on how Christian and Islamic religious communities affect support for democratic institutions, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. He has published articles in leading academic journals and a book with Oxford University Press.</p>
<p>In his current role, Father Dowd oversees several institutes, centers and other academic units at Notre Dame, including the Center for Social Concerns, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, Fitzgerald Institute for Real Estate, iNDustry Labs, Institute for Educational Initiatives, Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society, McGrath Institute for Church Life, Notre Dame Technology Ethics Center, Office of Military and Veterans Affairs, ROTC programs and the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art. He also directs the approval and review process of institutes and centers.</p>
<p>He was previously an assistant provost for internationalization with Notre Dame International, where his primary responsibilities included overseeing the Dublin Global Gateway and Kylemore Abbey Global Centre in Ireland and the São Paulo Global Center in Brazil, and establishing an office in Nairobi, Kenya, to promote and support Notre Dame’s research and educational partnerships in Africa.</p>
<p>He is the founder of Notre Dame’s Ford Program in Human Development Studies and Solidarity at the Kellogg Institute for International Studies, which is animated by Catholic social teaching and dedicated to forging community-engaged research partnerships in the Global South. He is a fellow of the Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion, the Kellogg Institute for International Studies, the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies and the Nanovic Institute for European Studies in the University’s Keough School of Global Affairs. He also serves as a trustee of Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts, and a board member of Brother Andre Hospital in Nairobi.</p>
<p>Father Dowd’s research has focused on African politics, identity politics, and religion and politics. His research has also explored the effects of religious beliefs and institutions on the integration of migrants/refugees in Europe and the effects of faith-based schools on citizenship and civic engagement in Africa. He is the author of the book “Christianity, Islam, and Liberal Democracy: Lessons from Sub-Saharan Africa.”</p>
<p>Over his 19-year tenure as president, Father Jenkins is credited with advancing Notre Dame’s mission as a Catholic research university; attracting and supporting superb faculty; fostering dramatic growth in research at the University; securing Notre Dame’s admission in the Association of American Universities; ensuring the University’s financial strength; admitting a talented, diverse student body; promoting continued excellence in undergraduate instruction; expanding Notre Dame’s global engagement; and offering students an in-person education during the COVID-19 pandemic. A longtime member of the Commission on Presidential Debates, he is recognized nationally as an advocate of civil discourse, and he is a leading voice on the future of college athletics.</p>
<p>A video announcement is available <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NskCBvWjOms">here</a> and a history of the University’s presidency is available <a href="https://president.nd.edu/about/history-of-the-presidency/">here</a>.</p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Notre Dame News</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/rev-robert-a-dowd-c-s-c-elected-18th-president-of-the-university-of-notre-dame/">news.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">December 04, 2023</span>.</p>Notre Dame Newstag:globalhealth.nd.edu,2005:News/1581512023-11-20T09:50:00-05:002023-11-20T10:53:16-05:00Success of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes in fighting dengue may be underestimated<p>Researchers at the University of Notre Dame have conducted an analysis of the World Mosquito Program’s randomized control trial of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes in Indonesia, looking at how excluding transmission dynamics impacted the original interpretation of the trial’s results.</p><figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://news.nd.edu/assets/546851/300x/professor_alex_perkins_10511.jpg" alt="Professor Alex Perkins 10511" width="300" height="200">
<figcaption>Alex Perkins</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The fight against dengue fever has a new weapon: a mosquito infected with the bacteria Wolbachia, which prevents the spread of the virus. These mosquitoes have now been deployed in several trials demonstrating their potential in preventing disease transmission.</p>
<p>Now, researchers at the University of Notre Dame have conducted an analysis of the World Mosquito Program’s randomized control trial of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes in Indonesia, looking at how excluding transmission dynamics impacted the original interpretation of the trial’s results.</p>
<p>“Randomized controlled trials are the gold standard for evaluating the efficacy of any medical or public health intervention. That is very difficult for vector interventions against dengue because incidence of the disease can be somewhat unpredictable and sporadic, requiring very large-scale trials,” said <a href="https://biology.nd.edu/people/alex-perkins/">Alex Perkins</a>, associate professor of biological sciences at Notre Dame and senior author on the study. Perkins is affiliated with Notre Dame's <a href="globalhealth.nd.edu">Eck Institute for Global Health</a>, where affiliated faculty and students holistically address health disparities around the world.</p>
<p>The study published in <a href="https://gh.bmj.com/content/8/8/e012169">BMJ Global Health</a> used mathematical models to analyze dengue virus transmission during the Indonesia trial. They explored three biases, or sources of potential error, that the trial is subject to: human movement, mosquito movement and the combined transmission dynamics between human and mosquito movement.</p>
<p>Out of all the biases, the researchers explain that the most problematic to control for is transmission coupling. While bias due to human and mosquito movement can be mitigated through trial design and other statistical methods, transmission coupling requires mathematical modeling that is not traditionally part of clinical trial analysis.</p>
<p>The study found that the amount of bias introduced in any given trial is likely to be greater when the population receiving the intervention in the trial is larger. In the case of the Indonesia trial, nearly half the population was treated with Wolbachia mosquitoes. “That makes the bias that we uncovered due to transmission coupling especially important for this trial,” Perkins said.</p>
<p>Even though the Wolbachia trial in Indonesia showed an impressive reduction of dengue infections by 77 percent, Perkins’ team predicts that those results are likely underestimated. Consistent with their prediction, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03346-2">a recent trial in Colombia</a> demonstrated a drop in dengue fever incidence by 94 to 97 percent, using an interrupted time series approach.</p>
<p>“Although we did not pinpoint a precise revised estimate of the Indonesia trial, we showed that a true efficacy approaching those observed in the interrupted time series analyses from Colombia is theoretically possible,” Perkins said. “I was pleasantly surprised to see these updated time series results, which make the Wolbachia approach continue to look encouraging.”</p>
<p>Perkins also noted that the reductions in dengue fever cases may not carry on indefinitely and that events such as births, deaths and immigration will increase susceptibility to the disease, affecting case numbers in the long-term.</p>
<p>As for future vector-borne disease research, Perkins explained that it’s important to incorporate transmission dynamic modelling in the designing and the interpreting of trials to ensure researchers understand the true impact of any interventions.</p>
<p>“Our findings can apply to the efficacy of any vector-control method that has the potential to contaminate its own study populations, such as gene drive mosquitoes or ivermectin as interventions against malaria,” Perkins said.</p>
<p><em><strong>Contact: </strong>Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, <a href="mailto:brandiwampler@nd.edu">brandiwampler@nd.edu</a></em></p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Brandi Wampler</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/success-of-wolbachia-infected-mosquitoes-in-fighting-dengue-may-be-underestimated/">news.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">November 06, 2023</span>.</p>Brandi Wamplertag:globalhealth.nd.edu,2005:News/1578282023-11-08T10:00:00-05:002023-11-07T17:01:37-05:00Eck Institute Announces 2023-2024 Graduate Research Fellows<p>Four PhD students at the University of Notre Dame have joined the <a href="http://globalhealth.nd.edu/">Eck Institute for Global Health</a> as <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/funding/phd/fellowships/">graduate research fellows</a>. The Institute will support the students as they pursue topics in global health, including…</p><p>Four PhD students at the University of Notre Dame have joined the <a href="http://globalhealth.nd.edu/">Eck Institute for Global Health</a> as <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/funding/phd/fellowships/">graduate research fellows</a>. The Institute will support the students as they pursue topics in global health, including infectious disease and maternal health research.</p>
<p>The Eck Institute’s graduate fellowship program provides training, mentorship, and opportunities for collaboration with Notre Dame’s internationally recognized global health experts. Graduate fellows also have access to interdisciplinary opportunities, including the <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/education-training/global-health-case-competition/">Notre Dame Global Health Case Competition</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/about/staff/bernard-nahlen/">Dr. Bernard Nahlen</a>, director of the Eck Institute for Global Health, said “We are excited to have our <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/funding/phd/fellowships/fellowship-previous-awardees/">2023-2024 cohort of graduate fellows</a> join the Eck Institute this year as they are all exceptional scholars.” Nahlen added that, “they have an extraordinary opportunity to contribute their research expertise toward understanding existing and emerging global health challenges.”</p>
<p>The Institute’s 2023-2024 graduate fellows are:</p>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<p>Alyssa La Bella: La Bella’s research project is titled “Dissecting the Efg1 Virulence Network of Candida albicans in the Catheterized Bladder.”</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<p>Elizabeth Lau: Lau’s project is titled “Validation of a Clinical Screening Tool for Postpartum Depression in Rural United States.”</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<p>Bradley Jones: Jones’ research project is titled “Defining the Roles of Lysine Acetyltransferases MMAR_3740 and MMAR_3692 in Mycobacterial Pathogenesis.”</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<p>Alexis Waldschmidt: Waldschmidt’s research project is titled “The Multiple Disease-Vectoring Roles of NORPA β-Class Phospholipase C Signaling in Aedes Mosquitoes.”</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>The Eck Institute supports multidisciplinary research from graduate students across the University of Notre Dame who have a specific interest in global health. Graduates of the program have gone on to lead federal and academic research programs.</p>
<p>The Global Health Fellowship program for doctoral students will not accept new applications for the upcoming academic year.</p>
<p>Please visit the Eck Institute for Global Health <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/funding/phd/fellowships/">website</a> for information regarding the fellowship program, and updates on program availability.</p>
<p><strong>Contact:<br></strong>Christine Grashorn, Communications Specialist<br>Notre Dame Research / University of Notre Dame<br>cgrashor@nd.edu / 574.631.4856<br>research.nd.edu / @UNDResearch</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>About the Eck Institute for Global Health<br></strong>The Eck Institute for Global Health (EIGH), an integral part of Notre Dame Research, builds on the University’s historical strength in infectious disease research, including vector-borne diseases, while broadening the interdisciplinary expertise into other key global health areas including maternal, newborn, & child health (MNCH), community health, mental health, nutrition and non-communicable diseases, the environment and health, health analytics and technologies, and health systems and organizations. Our team of interdisciplinary researchers and their students holistically address health disparities around the world. EIGH <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/affiliates/?service=undefined&location=undefined&name=&title=&school=undefined&id=&dept=&area=">faculty affiliates</a> recognize health as a fundamental human right and promote research, training, and service to advance health standards for all people, especially those in resource-poor countries who are disproportionately impacted by preventable diseases. The EIGH is <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/education-training/">training the next generation</a> of global health researchers and leaders through undergraduate, Master of Science in Global Health, doctoral, and postdoctoral programs.</p>Christine Grashorntag:globalhealth.nd.edu,2005:News/1572002023-10-12T15:35:00-04:002023-10-16T09:14:38-04:00Notre Dame’s Eck Institute and Institute for Latino Studies professors partner to help students explore Hispanic/Latino health<figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/assets/543676/300x/bj_9.21.16_nd_trail_9968.jpg" alt="Bj 9" width="300" height="200"></figure> <p>For the 2.2 million U.S. farm workers who <a href="https://www.ncfh.org/facts-about-agricultural-workers-fact-sheet.html#:~:text=The%20majority%20(78%25)%20of,workers%20self%2Didentify%20as%20Hispanic.">identify</a>…</p><figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/assets/543676/300x/bj_9.21.16_nd_trail_9968.jpg" alt="Bj 9" width="300" height="200"></figure>
<p>For the 2.2 million U.S. farm workers who <a href="https://www.ncfh.org/facts-about-agricultural-workers-fact-sheet.html#:~:text=The%20majority%20(78%25)%20of,workers%20self%2Didentify%20as%20Hispanic.">identify as Hispanic</a>, long working hours and rapidly changing climates are leading to serious health challenges. Efforts to address these health concerns often face additional obstacles such as limited options for care, language barriers, and financial instability.</p>
<p>The interrelatedness of these issues led Clayton Glasgow, a <a href="https://latinostudies.nd.edu/undergraduate/supplementary-major/#Minor%20requirements">Latino Studies</a> and <a href="https://susminor.nd.edu/">Sustainability</a> double minor with an Environmental Science major through the <a href="https://biology.nd.edu/">Department of Biological Sciences</a>, to enroll in a course called “Latino Health: Social, Cultural, and Scientific Perspectives.” The seminar, aimed at upper-level undergraduates, is cosponsored by the Latino Studies and <a href="https://reilly.nd.edu/undergraduate/health-humanities-and-society-minor/">Health, Humanities, and Society </a>(HHS) academic programs.</p>
<p>Glasgow addressed these health challenges to fulfill the capstone requirement for Latino Studies with his final paper, "Doubly Burdened: Latinx Farmworker Health in a Changing Climate," which won the <a href="https://latinostudies.nd.edu/news-events/news/students-recognized-for-their-contributions-to-latino-studies/">José E. Limón Best Paper Award</a> competition for contributing exemplary research in the field of Latino studies. “The primary threat right now for farmworkers is extreme heat and heat-related illness, but shifting vector-borne and fungal disease distributions, more intense storms, and food insecurity are emerging issues that need to be considered,” he explains.</p>
<p>The idea for this unique, cross disciplinary course was born out of conversations in 2021 between <a href="https://latinostudies.nd.edu/people/personnel/karen-richman/">Karen Richman</a> and <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/about/core-team/?service=undefined&location=undefined&name=&title=&school=undefined&id=nydia-morales-soto&dept=undefined&area=undefined">Nydia Morales-Soto</a>. Richman, a cultural anthropologist, is Director of Undergraduate Studies at the <a href="https://latinostudies.nd.edu/">Institute for Latino Studies</a> (ILS), and affiliated faculty in HHS, the Eck Institute for Global Health, as well as the Kellogg Institute for International Studies. Morales-Soto, a microbiologist and molecular biologist with global health expertise, is Assistant Director of the Eck Institute for Global Health, and affiliated faculty in ILS and HHS.</p>
<figure class="image image-left"><img src="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/assets/543677/300x/mc_9.14.23_ils_class_02.jpg" alt="Mc 9" width="300" height="200"></figure>
<p>Recognizing the strong interest in Latino health by many undergraduate students like Glasgow, who were pursuing majors or minors in Latino Studies, they envisioned a course that offers students the unique opportunity to critically analyze health challenges that intersect with both socio-cultural and scientific discussions. The “Latino Health: Social, Cultural, and Scientific Perspectives” course is a result of the collaboration between Richman and Morales-Soto and their institutes.</p>
<p>Julia Ruelle, a <a href="https://biology.nd.edu/">Biological Sciences</a> major with minors in the Glynn Family Honors Program, HHS and Latino Studies, is currently enrolled in the course while working in the <a href="https://sites.nd.edu/vania-smith-oka/areas-of-study/">Culture of Medicine Lab</a> directed by <a href="https://anthropology.nd.edu/people/faculty/vania-smith-oka/">Vania Smith-Oka</a>, a professor in the <a href="https://anthropology.nd.edu/">Department of Anthropology</a>. Smith-Oka, director of HHS Program of the <a href="https://reilly.nd.edu/">Reilly Center for Science Technology and Values</a>, who is a faculty fellow of the Eck Institute and the <a href="https://kellogg.nd.edu/">Kellogg Institute for International Studies</a>, has conducted extensive <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/news-events/news/notre-dame-researchers-receive-indiana-ctsi-awards-to-tackle-maternal-health-mosquito-borne-diseases/">research</a><a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar?as_ylo=2022&q=vania+smith+oka&hl=en&as_sdt=0,15"> </a>on cesarean section decision-making in Latin America.</p>
<p>Ruelle’s work in the lab uses a classification system to compare high rates of cesarean sections in Saint Joseph County as well as in Puebla, Mexico. “This semester I have learned so much more about the gender dynamics that are present in various Latino cultures, especially Mexico,” says Ruelle. Tying her work in the lab back to the course, she further explains, “these dynamics can influence the societal valuing of women’s health, especially as it relates to decision-making during childbirth.”</p>
<p>Richman explains that, “by applying our combined expertise in the classroom, we are creating a multifaceted, integrative approach to Latino health, which considers both the scientific bases of specific diseases affecting Latinos as well as the social, cultural, economic, and environmental factors that increase risk and limit access to therapy.”</p>
<figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/assets/543675/300x/mc_9.14.23_ils_class_01_1_.jpg" alt="Mc 9" width="300" height="200"></figure>
<p>Richman and Morales-Soto are optimistic that the course curriculum is educating a new generation of scholars that are committed to a deeper understanding of health inequity in minority communities, and inspired by the potential to apply these skills to future health-related careers.</p>
<p>“This collaboration is enabling Notre Dame students to explore the complexities of community health while offering the unique opportunity to critically examine challenges that disproportionately affect Hispanic/Latino populations,” says Morales-Soto. She adds that the course is, “fostering a more inclusive and informed generation of leaders irrespective of their fields of study.”</p>
<p>The course is offered to all undergraduate students each fall. For more information on other courses offered through the ILS, please visit their <a href="https://latinostudies.nd.edu/undergraduate/courses/">website</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Contact<br></strong>Christine Grashorn, Communications Specialist<br>Notre Dame Research / University of Notre Dame<br>cgrashor@nd.edu / 574.631.4856<br>research.nd.edu / @UNDResearch</p>
<p><strong>About the Eck Institute for Global Health</strong></p>
<p>The Eck Institute for Global Health (EIGH), an integral part of Notre Dame Research, builds on the University’s historical strength in infectious disease research, including vector-borne diseases, while broadening the interdisciplinary expertise into other key global health areas including maternal, newborn, & child health (MNCH), community health, mental health, nutrition and non-communicable diseases, the environment and health, health analytics and technologies, and health systems and organizations. Our team of interdisciplinary researchers and their students holistically address health disparities around the world. EIGH <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/affiliates/?service=undefined&location=undefined&name=&title=&school=undefined&id=&dept=&area=">faculty affiliates</a> recognize health as a fundamental human right and promote research, training, and service to advance health standards for all people, especially those in resource-poor countries who are disproportionately impacted by preventable diseases. The EIGH is <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/education-training/">training the next generation</a> of global health researchers and leaders through undergraduate, Master of Science in Global Health, doctoral, and postdoctoral programs.</p>
<p><strong>About the Institute for Latino Studies</strong></p>
<p>The Institute for Latino Studies (ILS) advances understanding of the fastest-growing and youngest population in the United States and the U.S. Catholic Church. It strengthens the University of Notre Dame’s mission to prepare transformative leaders in all areas of society, including the arts, sciences, business, politics, faith, and family life. The vision of ILS is to foster a deeper understanding of Latino communities to empower faculty, students, and society to make better strategic decisions as to what kind of a country is being created for children and grandchildren. The ILS strives to achieve its mission by providing faculty and student support in the areas of Research, Academics, Leadership, Community Engagement, and Latino Spirituality.</p>
<p> </p>Christine Grashorntag:globalhealth.nd.edu,2005:News/1566372023-09-28T10:00:00-04:002023-10-04T16:11:24-04:00Eck Institute welcomes new partners to enhance the impact of its Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) Work Group<figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/assets/540489/300x/img_8187_ethiopiaewood.jpg" alt="Img 8187 Ethiopiaewood" width="300" height="400"></figure> <p>Each day, over 6,500 newborns and nearly 800 pregnant and postpartum women die from complications globally, according to data collected in 2020…</p><figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/assets/540489/300x/img_8187_ethiopiaewood.jpg" alt="Img 8187 Ethiopiaewood" width="300" height="400"></figure>
<p>Each day, over 6,500 newborns and nearly 800 pregnant and postpartum women die from complications globally, according to data collected in 2020 by <a href="https://data.unicef.org/topic/maternal-health/maternal-mortality/">UNICEF</a>. In order to help combat these sobering statistics, researchers and staff at the University of Notre Dame’s <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/">Eck Institute for Global Health</a> (EIGH) are forging new partnerships in order to target the healthcare needs of pregnant and postpartum women and their children.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/education-training/maternal-newborn-and-child-health-mnch-initiative/">Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH)</a> Working Group mobilizes individuals across the University who work on maternal, newborn and/or child health research, and is looking to further expand its reach by welcoming interested campus partners to address these complex health challenges. Its goal is to generate interdisciplinary collaborations and to inspire advancements within the South Bend community and around the world to reduce maternal and infant morbidity and mortality.</p>
<p>The MNCH Working Group is one of EIGH’s several strategic and ongoing efforts to improve the health and well-being of mothers, newborns, and children. “It is our goal that these collaborations will make a difference in the lives of women and their children by improving access to maternal health information and by providing decision-making support tools,” said Yenupini Joyce Adams, assistant professor of the practice for both the Eck Institute for Global Health and <a href="https://keough.nd.edu/">Keough School of Global Affairs</a>, as well as a faculty fellow of the <a href="https://kellogg.nd.edu/">Kellogg Institute for International Studies</a>.</p>
<p>Adams, who is leading EIGH’s MNCH work, researches postpartum care and has developed the Focused Postpartum Care (<a href="https://yjadams.nd.edu/projects/focused-postpartum-care-project-focused-ppc/">Focused-PPC</a>) model, which recognizes the serious complications that can occur during the postpartum period.</p>
<p>“Many women do not receive adequate postpartum education, and are therefore unable to recognize the warning signs of infection, depression, hemorrhaging, or other complications,” Adams explained.</p>
<p>Adams has completed a Focused-PPC group postpartum care model in Ghana, which provided integrated postpartum care, education, and support to women after the birth of their children for up to 12 months after delivery. Women enrolled in Focused-PPC experienced less stress, demonstrated better knowledge of good nutrition and were more likely to eat healthy meals than those receiving usual care. She is working on a Focused-PPC model in the South Bend community.</p>
<p>The MNCH team is also working with community, national, and global partners to organize events aimed at improving maternal and child health standards.</p>
<figure class="image image-left"><img src="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/assets/540491/300x/eigh_05.04.23_maternal_mental_health_42.jpg" alt="Eigh 05"></figure>
<p>The EIGH hosted a maternal mental health event along with two community partners in the Spring of 2023; the St Joseph County Department of Health and Beacon Community Impact. The event offered continuing education to healthcare providers. It reinforced the need for advanced detection and treatment methods to address depression and anxiety during the perinatal period, and it offered practical resources to frontline healthcare professionals.</p>
<p>The MNCH team at the EIGH also <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/news-events/events/2023/03/31/mnch-speaker-series-pop-up-villagea-one-stop-shop-for-services-to-reduce-pregnancy-care-related-inequities-in-san-francisco/">launched</a> a speaker series during the spring of 2023, featuring <a href="https://profiles.ucsf.edu/patience.afulani">Patience Afulani</a>, assistant professor at the University of California, San Francisco. Upcoming speakers in the MNCH speaker series will advance awareness for local and global maternal health-related issues that disproportionately impact under-resourced communities. The schedule will be available on the Eck Institute for Global Health website at <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/news-events/events/">globalhealth.nd.edu/events</a>.</p>
<figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/assets/540464/300x/mnch_beidinger_leadpoisoning.jpg" alt="Mnch Beidinger Leadpoisoning" width="300" height="171"></figure>
<p>Dr. Bernard Nahlen, professor of biological sciences and director of the Eck Institute for Global Health, is optimistic about the interdisciplinary collaborations that will grow from the MNCH Working Group. “Creating campus and community partners who are passionate about MNCH research will accelerate our impact in low- and middle-income communities with healthcare disparities,” Nahlen said. He added, “The MNCH Working Group is elevating the health and well-being of mothers and their children as a priority. I welcome anyone who is interested in getting involved, or who has questions regarding MNCH to reach out to us.”</p>
<p>To join the EIGH’s MNCH Working Group, please complete this <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeuRzwtXS8iDuZQATwvyQvUsbygX3E-ulRiK9p8E7-BFMDWyg/viewform">form</a>.<br><br></p>
<p><strong>Contact</strong></p>
<p>Christine Grashorn, Communications Specialist<br>Notre Dame Research / University of Notre Dame<br>cgrashor@nd.edu / 574.631.4856<br>research.nd.edu / @UNDResearch<br><br></p>
<p><strong>About the Eck Institute for Global Health</strong></p>
<p>The Eck Institute for Global Health (EIGH), an integral part of <a href="https://research.nd.edu/">Notre Dame Research</a>, builds on the University’s historical strength in infectious disease research while broadening the scope of our expertise to include Epidemiology, Molecular biology and microbiology, Computational science, Community health, Genetics and genomics, Biochemistry, Non-communicable diseases and Social sciences. Our team of interdisciplinary researchers and their students holistically address health disparities around the world. EIGH <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/affiliates/?service=undefined&location=undefined&name=&title=&school=undefined&id=&dept=&area=">faculty affiliates</a> recognize health as a fundamental human right and promote research, training, and service to advance health standards for all people, especially those in resource-poor countries who are disproportionately impacted by preventable diseases. The EIGH is <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/education-training/">training the next generation</a> of global health researchers and leaders through undergraduate, Master of Science in Global Health, doctoral, and postdoctoral programs.</p>Christine Grashorntag:globalhealth.nd.edu,2005:News/1551702023-08-23T11:00:00-04:002023-09-22T12:34:01-04:00Postdoctoral scholar joins Eck Institute for Global Health and Environmental Change Initiative in fight against cholera<figure class="image-right"><a href="https://ourworldindata.org/water-access" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/assets/527643/500x/2010_kellogg_uganda_4.jpg" alt="Uganda 4 2010 boy gathers water" width="500" height="333"></a></figure> <p>Globally, one in four people lack access to clean drinking…</p><figure class="image-right"><a href="https://ourworldindata.org/water-access" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/assets/527643/500x/2010_kellogg_uganda_4.jpg" alt="Uganda 4 2010 boy gathers water" width="500" height="333"></a></figure>
<p>Globally, one in four people lack access to clean drinking water, according to the World Health Organization and UNIFEF’s <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/water-access" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation</a>. In low and middle income nations such as India, where safely managed drinking water is limited, microbial contamination, which can increase the likelihood of disease, is responsible for over 6% of the nation’s deaths each year. By developing innovative methods to predict the outbreak of water-borne bacterial diseases, researchers at the University of Notre Dame are working to address clean water disparities and to advance local sanitation standards.</p>
<p>“My dream has always been to contribute research toward addressing the most crippling conditions of low and middle income countries,” explains Neda Jalali, biostatistician and postdoctoral fellow for the <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/">Eck Institute for Global Health</a> and the <a href="https://environmentalchange.nd.edu/">Environmental Change Initiative</a>, “and cholera is most certainly one of these conditions.” Jalali joins the research group of <a href="https://biology.nd.edu/people/sean-moore/">Sean Moore</a>, Research Assistant Professor of the Department of Biological Sciences in investigating diarrheal diseases such as cholera, which account for the death of <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diarrhoeal-disease" target="_blank" rel="noopener">over half a million children</a> under the age of five annually.</p>
<p>Cholera is caused by exposure to the bacterium Vibrio cholerae through contaminated food or water. In some cases, cholera causes severe dehydration and death within only a few hours. Prevalent in communities throughout parts of Bangladesh, Eastern Africa, and India with poor or limited sanitation, cholera can be preventable where safely managed water standards, hygiene practices, and infrastructure are in place.</p>
<figure class="image-left"><a href="http://perkinslab.weebly.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/assets/527647/300x/neda_headshot.jpeg" alt="Neda Jalali, postdoc headshot" width="300" height="300"></a>
<figcaption>Neda Jalali, postdoctoral scholar</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Jalali’s research goals are to achieve a better understanding of the global burden of cholera and to provide direction on how to improve community sanitation standards. International reporting of cholera outbreaks currently contain only small amounts of information due to limitations in surveillance systems, concerns of potential impacts on tourism, and the inconsistencies in patient-reported symptoms.</p>
<p>To address the global burden, Jalali’s work will rely on her doctoral experience in modeling infectious diseases. She received her PhD from the University of Florida in 2021, and has implemented mathematical and statistical methods of analyzing infectious diseases, including the analysis of COVID-19 contact tracing data while working at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Jalali and Moore will use a database of 20 years of collected cholera research in combination with the analysis of a wider range of choleric-indicative factors—including changes in climate, socioeconomic, and environmental co-variants—to develop a disease forecasting model to provide predictive information on endemic cholera hotspots.</p>
<p>The results of this research may have far-reaching applications in forecasting other diarrheal and water-borne diseases. By 2030, the <a href="https://www.gtfcc.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Global Task Force on Cholera Control</a> has a goal of eliminating cholera worldwide. Jalali’s work will contribute towards this objective.</p>
<p>For more information about this project, and other mathematical and statistical applications for studying infectious disease, please visit the <a href="http://perkinslab.weebly.com/">Perkins Lab website</a>.</p>
<p>The Eck Institute for Global Health and Environmental Change Initiative’s joint postdoctoral fellowship invites outstanding postdocs to pursue research and training which targets the intersection of the environment and global health. Interested scholars can find more information about eligibility and the submission process on the Environmental Change Initiative <a href="https://environmentalchange.nd.edu/opportunities/postdoctoral-fellowships/">website</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Contact:</strong><br>Christine Grashorn, Communications Specialist<br>Notre Dame Research / University of Notre Dame<br>cgrashor@nd.edu / 574.631.4856<br>research.nd.edu / @UNDResearch<strong><br></strong></p>
<p><strong>About the Eck Institute for Global Health</strong><br>The Eck Institute for Global Health (EIGH), an integral part of <a href="https://research.nd.edu/">Notre Dame Research</a>, builds on the University’s historical strength in infectious disease research while broadening the scope of our expertise to include Epidemiology, Molecular biology and microbiology, Computational science, Community health, Genetics and genomics, Biochemistry, Non-communicable diseases and Social sciences. Our team of interdisciplinary researchers and their students holistically address health disparities around the world. EIGH <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/affiliates/?service=undefined&location=undefined&name=&title=&school=undefined&id=&dept=&area=">faculty affiliates</a> recognize health as a fundamental human right and promote research, training, and service to advance health standards for all people, especially those in resource-poor countries who are disproportionately impacted by preventable diseases. The EIGH is <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/education-training/">training the next generation</a> of global health researchers and leaders through undergraduate, Master of Science in Global Health, doctoral, and postdoctoral programs.</p>
<p><strong id="docs-internal-guid-21efd94e-7fff-5bf2-41e5-e4c353d65357">About the Environmental Change Initiative<br></strong>The Notre Dame Environmental Change Initiative (ND-ECI) includes faculty across several disciplines who are pursuing research solutions for the environmental challenges of our time. ND-ECI focuses on globally significant, multidisciplinary research that can be translated into management and policy solutions to help make the world a better place for humans and the environment upon which people depend. ND-ECI faculty are spearheading innovative research focused on how environmental change intersects with hydrology, ecology, climate change, agriculture, and environmental genomics. By fostering an interdisciplinary community, ND-ECI engages faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and graduate and undergraduate students who work to provide solutions that minimize the trade-offs between human welfare and environmental health.</p>Christine Grashorntag:globalhealth.nd.edu,2005:News/1545052023-08-08T09:11:00-04:002023-08-08T09:11:27-04:00Eck Institute for Global Health launches global health minor in fall 2023<figure class="image-right"><img src="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/assets/518890/msgh_past_student_capstone_photo_training.png" alt="Msgh Past Student Capstone Photo Training" width="600" height="450"></figure> <p><a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/">Eck Institute for Global Health</a> launches global health minor in fall 2023…</p><figure class="image-right"><img src="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/assets/518890/msgh_past_student_capstone_photo_training.png" alt="Msgh Past Student Capstone Photo Training" width="600" height="450"></figure>
<p><a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/">Eck Institute for Global Health</a> launches global health minor in fall 2023</p>
<p>Beginning in the fall of 2023, the Eck Institute for Global Health (EIGH) will launch a new 15-credit Global Health minor, open to all Notre Dame undergraduate students who are interested in studying global health.</p>
<p>Students in the minor will take a gateway course called “Foundations of Global Health.” The program will also feature a research methods course that can be chosen from a variety of fields and two other electives within the subject area. The list of courses for the electives is intentionally extensive to allow students to customize the minor in alignment with their interests. The final requirement will be a capstone project, which encompasses the practical application of global health.</p>
<p>“Because there are so many ways of practicing global health, we wanted to give students an opportunity to do different things,” associate teaching professor <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/about/core-team/?service=undefined&location=undefined&name=&title=&school=undefined&id=marie-donahue&dept=undefined&area=undefined">Marie Donahue</a> explained.</p>
<p>Students can write a thesis on a chosen topic, collaborate with faculty on a research project, or complete an internship. The final projects will be shared with the respective collaborators and at a special colloquium held in the spring of each year.</p>
<p>While other health-related minors are available to undergraduate students at the University of Notre Dame, the Minor in Global Health is unique in providing students with the opportunity to promote research, training, and service that advances health equity with an international focus in mind.</p>
<p>“Global health is multidisciplinary,” Donahue said. “A lot of people think health is just limited to people who want to do clinical practice, but I always say ‘if you give me a major, I can tell you how it fits with global health.’”</p>
<p>The minor will be led by Donahue, who was previously a pediatric nurse practitioner before broadening her work to include public health — championing equitable healthcare across the globe. She is currently a faculty member for the EIGH, where she has been developing and instructing global health courses for more than four years.</p>
<p><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJUgYSgJmpB9XeIh60RVc1Nc7VPLu2avnn9608dBJoxsFN6w/viewform">Applications</a> are available to students to enroll in the minor as early as the spring semester of their first year. Students are welcome to complete their applications throughout the calendar year for acceptance into the program.</p>
<p>“There has never been a more exciting time for undergraduate students to be engaged in global health,” said Dr. Bernard Nahlen, Faculty Director of the EIGH and Professor of Biological Sciences. “For example, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us again not only how quickly diseases can spread globally but also how innovative research can rapidly provide effective tools for diagnosis, prevention and treatment. The ongoing challenge is to make sure that all people, everywhere, are able to benefit equally from tools developed to alleviate the global burden of disease. We welcome students to become players in this global effort and I encourage anyone interested to reach out to us for more details.”</p>
<p>Learn more about the Minor in Global Health at <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/minor">globalhealth.nd.edu/minor</a>.</p>
<p>Contact:<br>Christine Grashorn, Communications Specialist<br>Notre Dame Research / University of Notre Dame<br>cgrashor@nd.edu / 574.631.4856<br>research.nd.edu / @UNDResearch</p>
<p>About the Eck Institute for Global Health<br>The University of Notre Dame's Eck Institute for Global Health (EIGH) serves as a university-wide enterprise that recognizes health as a fundamental human right and works to promote research, training, and service to advance health standards and reduce health disparities for all. The EIGH brings together multidisciplinary teams to understand and address health challenges that disproportionately affect the poor and to train the next generation of global health leaders.</p>
<p> </p>Christine Grashorntag:globalhealth.nd.edu,2005:News/1545282023-07-12T13:09:00-04:002023-07-12T13:09:00-04:00Eliminating public health scourge can also benefit agriculture<p>Schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease that causes organ damage and death, affected more than 250 million people worldwide in 2021, according to the World Health Organization.</p> <p>One of the world’s most burdensome neglected tropical diseases, schistosomiasis occurs when worms are transmitted from…</p><p>Schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease that causes organ damage and death, affected more than 250 million people worldwide in 2021, according to the World Health Organization.</p>
<p>One of the world’s most burdensome neglected tropical diseases, schistosomiasis occurs when worms are transmitted from freshwater snails to humans. The snails thrive in water with plants and algae that proliferate in areas of agricultural runoff containing fertilizer. People become infected during routine activities in infested water.</p>
<p>Researchers from the University of Notre Dame, in a study recently published in Nature, found that removing invasive vegetation at water access points in and around several Senegalese villages reduced rates of schistosomiasis by almost a third. As a bonus, the removed vegetation can also be used for compost and livestock feed.</p>
<p>“Disease, food, energy, water, sustainability and poverty challenges intersect in many ways, but are typically addressed independently,” said lead author <a href="https://biology.nd.edu/people/jason-rohr/">Jason Rohr</a>, the Ludmilla F., Stephen J. and Robert T. Galla College Professor and Department Chair in the <a href="https://biology.nd.edu/">Department of Biological Sciences</a> at the University of Notre Dame. “We sought to break down these silos and identify win-win solutions, while demonstrating their cost effectiveness so that residents would hopefully adopt them widely.”</p>
<p>Rohr and his team spent seven years on the project, with research conducted in 23 villages and clinical trials in 16. They found that villages with substantial fertilizer use had more submerged vegetation. These villages had more snails and a higher prevalence of schistosomiasis infection in children, said Rohr, who is affiliated with the <a href="https://environmentalchange.nd.edu/">Notre Dame Environmental Change Initiative</a> and the <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/">Eck Institute for Global Health</a>.</p>
<p>Researchers hypothesized that removing vegetation could reduce infections while providing greater access to the open water that is crucial for daily activities and recreation. So, they conducted a three-year randomized controlled trial in 16 communities, where children were treated for their infections and the researchers removed more than 400 metric tons of vegetation in water access points from half the villages. These removals resulted in a decline in snail abundance as well as schistosomiasis infection rates being nearly a third lower than those observed in control villages.</p>
<p>Rohr’s team also tried to profitably improve food production by partly closing the nutrient loop, returning nutrients captured in the removed plants back to agriculture. So, they worked with local farmers to compost the vegetation for use on pepper and onion plants, increasing their yields, and demonstrated that the vegetation could be effectively used as cattle, sheep and donkey feed. Alexandra “Lexi” Sack, who worked as a postdoctoral researcher in Rohr’s lab from 2021 to 2023, assisted Senegal’s in-country team with the care and design of the sheep-feeding trials, and performed much of the analysis of the vegetation removal results.</p>
<p>“This is important work because it encompasses many different disciplines by combining schistosomiasis prevention and food security,” Sack said. “Often these interventions are separate when the neglected tropical diseases, which includes schistosomiasis, are contributing both to and resulting from poverty.”</p>
<p>With the expertise of co-authors Christopher B. Barrett, an economist at Cornell University, and Molly Doruska, a doctoral student also at Cornell, the research team demonstrated that the benefits of removing the vegetation and using it in agriculture were nearly nine times higher than the costs.</p>
<p>“We took this public nuisance, which is reducing health, and converted it into a private good that improves income,” Rohr said.</p>
<p>The team was also able to illustrate how to scale the project using artificial intelligence and satellite imagery to identify snail habitat and thus hotspots for schistosomiasis, which will allow them to target their intervention training to areas that need it the most.</p>
<p>Villagers helped with removing vegetation once they understood the public health benefits of the intervention, but in the long run, relying on voluntary labor may not be as effective as the researchers removing the vegetation.</p>
<p>“In the next steps, sociologists and economists on the project will quantify how the innovation affects quality of life and whether it is biased based on wealth, gender and/or age,” Rohr said.</p>
<p>The team will also investigate how biodigesters might be implemented to turn the aquatic vegetation into fertilizer and gas that can be used for cooking or to fuel generators for electricity production. Rohr said they hope to leverage investments by the Swiss government, which has committed to installing 60,000 biodigesters in Senegal for carbon credits.</p>
<p>The ongoing research could not be accomplished without all of the partners who contributed, especially the Senegalese citizens, Rohr said.</p>
<p>Christopher Haggerty, a postdoctoral student at Notre Dame during the study, contributed to this research. A complete list of co-authors can be found on <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06313-z">the paper at Nature</a>.</p>
<p>The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute and a Stanford seed grant.</p>
<p><strong>Contact: </strong><em>Jessica Sieff, associate director, media relations, 574-631-3933, <a href="mailto:jsieff@nd.edu">jsieff@nd.edu</a></em></p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Deanna Csomo Ferrell</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/eliminating-public-health-scourge-can-also-benefit-agriculture/">news.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">July 12, 2023</span>.</p>Deanna Csomo Ferrelltag:globalhealth.nd.edu,2005:News/1544012023-07-06T08:26:00-04:002023-07-06T08:26:54-04:00Health Equity Data Lab awards launch data science innovations at Notre Dame in addressing healthcare disparities<p><a href="https://lucyinstitute.nd.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society (LFIDS)</a> has announced the first round of Health Equity Data Lab (HEDL) awards to four new research projects led by multidisciplinary teams of researchers and community stakeholders.…</p><p><a href="https://lucyinstitute.nd.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society (LFIDS)</a> has announced the first round of Health Equity Data Lab (HEDL) awards to four new research projects led by multidisciplinary teams of researchers and community stakeholders.</p>
<p>The Health Equity Data Lab was <a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/notre-dame-partners-with-accenture-to-grow-health-equity-data-and-analytics-to-improve-health-care-for-vulnerable-populations/">launched</a> in late 2022 to identify and address healthcare disparities, and to enable equitable community health and well-being. With support from Accenture, a <a href="https://lucyinstitute.nd.edu/about/funding-opportunities/2023-request-for-proposals-for-health-equity-data-lab-grants/">request for proposals</a> from LFIDS faculty affiliates was announced to advance interdisciplinary research with the goal of addressing projects in health literacy, health access, precision social determinants of health, and health equity indicators.</p>
<h3>The four projects that were selected for the first Health Equity Data Lab grants are:</h3>
<p><strong>1. Indigenous Cancer Disparities: Multi-Modal Data Integration of Social and Biological Determinants of Health</strong> led by <a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/meenal-datta/">Meenal Datta</a>, Assistant Professor in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering and <a href="https://mendoza.nd.edu/mendoza-directory/profile/margaret-traeger/">Margaret Traeger</a>, Assistant Professor in the Department of IT, Analytics, and Operations.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px;">Dr. Datta and Dr. Traeger are actively recruiting and will co-mentor an <a href="https://apply.interfolio.com/126980">Institute postdoctoral fellow</a> to study the role of racial disparities and social determinants of health in cancer incidence and outcomes using a variety of data science techniques including social network analysis, bioinformatics, and machine learning.</p>
<p><strong>2. Emergency Room Usage and Hospitalization Study of Motels4Now Low-barrier Shelter Program Participants</strong> led by <a href="https://theology.nd.edu/people/margaret-pfeil/">Margaret Pfeil</a>, Teaching Professor in the Department of Theology and the Center for Social Concerns, with community partners Donald Zimmer, MD, Memorial Hospital Emergency Department, Katharine Callaghan, MD, Associate Director of Family Medicine Residency Program at Memorial Hospital, and Sheila McCarthy, Director of Motels4Now at Our Lady of the Road.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px;">The team will partner with the Institute’s Center for Social Science Research to measure the impact of the emergency low-barrier housing program Motels4Now on participant Emergency Room usage and hospitalization rates at Memorial Hospital.</p>
<p><strong>3. Bridging the Data Gap Between Parental Adversity and Infant Health Outcomes</strong> led by <a href="https://preventsuicide.nd.edu/">Theodore Beauchaine</a>, William K. Warren Foundation Professor in the Department of Psychology, with community partners <a href="https://medicine.iu.edu/faculty/4780/fox-mark">Mark Fox</a>, MD, Associate Dean of the Indiana School of Medicine South Bend and Deputy Health Officer at the St. Joseph County Department of Health, Kimberly Green Reeves, Executive Director of Community Impact at Beacon Health System, and Cassy White, Lead Project Specialist at Beacon Community Impact.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px;">The team will work to more efficiently address health-related social needs and risks for pregnant individuals, infants, and families in St. Joseph County by integrating new and existing data between various local healthcare providers and building predictive models for identifying parental social determinants of health.</p>
<p><strong>4. Housing - Health Equity Nexus: Better Housing as Health Risk Mediator (HOUSE4HEALTH)</strong> led by <a href="https://www.minghuarch.com/">Ming Hu</a>, Associate Professor in the School of Architecture and <a href="https://cse.nd.edu/faculty/chaoli-wang/">Chaoli Wang</a>, Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px;">Dr. Hu and Dr. Wang will partner with South Bend community organizations to develop a machine learning-aided model to evaluate built environment indicators concerning climate change-accelerated health risks, specifically focusing on housing conditions.</p>
<p>“We are excited that these projects have the potential to be truly transformative for community health and well-being in the South Bend/Elkhart region and beyond,” said Nitesh Chawla, the Institute’s founding director and the Frank M. Freimann Professor of Computer Science and Engineering. He added, “they also represent a wonderful opportunity for trainees to be co-mentored at interdisciplinary interfaces.”</p>
<p>For more information about the Health Equity Data Lab, please visit the Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society <a href="https://lucyinstitute.nd.edu/">website</a>. </p>
<p><strong><br>Contact:</strong></p>
<p>Christine Grashorn, Communications Specialist<br>Notre Dame Research / University of Notre Dame<br>cgrashor@nd.edu / <a href="tel:574.631.4856">574.631.4856</a><br>research.nd.edu / @UNDResearch</p>
<p><strong>About the Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society</strong></p>
<p>The Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society is a hub for students, faculty, postdoctoral and visiting scholars, and staff to explore how data can be harnessed for societal benefit. We act as an incubator for data research as well as a liaison to the government and business communities. Our mission is to enable a positive impact on society and individual lives through innovative domain-informed and data-driven methods and applications.</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Christine Grashorn</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://lucyinstitute.nd.edu/news-events/news/health-equity-data-lab-awards-inspire-data-science-innovations-at-notre-dame-in-addressing-healthcare-obstacles/">lucyinstitute.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">July 05, 2023</span>.</p>Christine Grashorntag:globalhealth.nd.edu,2005:News/1540972023-06-16T09:52:00-04:002023-06-16T09:52:14-04:00Human activities cause for buzzkill: Notre Dame biologist’s research determines insects are on the decline<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Public discourse in recent years about an “insect apocalypse”—sometimes described as the loss of 75 percent of insects during the past 50 years—might sound overblown, because research has not been</span></span>…</p><p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Public discourse in recent years about an “insect apocalypse”—sometimes described as the loss of 75 percent of insects during the past 50 years—might sound overblown, because research has not been comprehensive and some studies have minimized the notion altogether.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">After completing research using federally funded biodiversity monitoring datasets from streams across the United States, however, University of Notre Dame biologist <a href="https://biology.nd.edu/people/jason-rohr/" target="_blank">Jason Rohr</a> has accepted the buzz: Insects, he concluded, are on the decline in U.S. streams.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Rohr, the Ludmilla F., Stephen J., and Robert T. Galla College Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Biological Sciences, and collaborators published their <a href="https://science.nd.edu/assets/519814/sciadv.adf4896_1_.pdf" target="_blank">recent findings</a> in </span></span><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><em style="font-style:italic">Science Advances</em></span><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">. Their comprehensive work showed that human activities are likely contributing to changes in insect populations in streams, and that current efforts to protect and restore them are not sufficient.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Previous studies had more limited biodiversity and spatial scope and had not taken into account complex sampling designs, land use, and improvements in the ability of scientists to identify macroinvertebrates (which include insects, snails, and worms) and insects to genus and species, Rohr said.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">“If you don’t account for the fact that the scientists got better at identifying organisms down to genus levels through time, it looks like the density and number of species is increasing,” said Rohr, who is affiliated with the </span></span><a href="https://environmentalchange.nd.edu/"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink:none">Environmental Change Initiative</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">. “That’s one of many methodological artifacts that we ended up controlling for in our study, in addition to using a more comprehensive dataset than most previous studies. These factors allowed us to be more confident about our conclusion that aquatic insects are declining.”</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">The results of their study are multifaceted. Declines in insect populations depended on location, metrics, and several other factors. Rohr and collaborators holistically evaluated multiple facets of biodiversity in streams across the country, using 27 years of data from the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/" target="_blank">United States Geological Survey</a> (USGS) and the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/" target="_blank">Environmental Protection Agency</a> (EPA). The data helped them determine that macroinvertebrates have suffered losses in some areas but gains in others, depending on the genus and type of stream.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Researchers found that during almost three decades, the density of macroinvertebrates has decreased, while the diversity of these species has increased. But the differences in richness—the number of genera—and composition between streams that drain from forests, wetlands, and grasslands and those that drain from urban or agricultural areas has increased over time. According to the study, urban and agricultural streams lost organisms that are sensitive to disturbances, such as many insect species. These streams then gained other organisms that are more tolerant of human disturbance, like worms and snails. This caused the streams with higher disturbance to be more similar to each other over time.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">“All of those sensitive taxa are disappearing and being replaced by more of the ‘weedy’ taxa,” Rohr said.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">The team has not determined causation, so issues surrounding insecticide use, fertilizer, and any other type of potential disturbance are variables for another study.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">While most people don’t love insects, their decline is a bellwether for the environmental health of freshwater in the United States. Although the Clean Water Act of 1972 should have improved freshwater quality and insect biodiversity in U.S. streams, increased agriculture, urbanization, and other human disturbances seem to be contributing to a continued decline over time, Rohr said.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">“We need to pay attention to these heavily impacted streams, and think about mitigation measures and restoration,” he said. “Otherwise we will see continued changes in biodiversity in the direction of ‘weedy’ disturbance-tolerant species that could more adversely impact the functions that freshwater ecosystems provide to humans.”</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Other researchers on the paper include Samantha Rumschlag, first author and former postdoctoral researcher in the Rohr Lab, now for the EPA in Duluth, Minnesota, as well as Michael B. Mahon and Devin Jones, also former postdoctoral researchers in the lab. Other authors include researchers from the EPA; Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana; the USGS; Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; the University of Namur, Namur, Belgium; University of Koblenz-Landau, Landau, Germany; Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York; University Angers, Angers, France; and Regis University, Denver, Colorado.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">The research is supported by the John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis, funded by the USGS.</span></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Deanna Csomo Ferrell</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://science.nd.edu/news-and-media/news/human-activities-cause-for-buzzkill-notre-dame-biologists-research-determines-insects-are-on-the-decline/">science.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">June 15, 2023</span>.</p>Deanna Csomo Ferrelltag:globalhealth.nd.edu,2005:News/1538692023-06-07T10:25:00-04:002023-06-07T10:25:22-04:00Taking Research to Heart<p><em>Over 16 years as vice president for research, Robert Bernhard has guided Notre Dame's research programs through historic growth. The key, he says, has been building research infrastructure so that faculty and students can do what they do best while staying true to the University's mission.</em></p><h4><em>Over 16 years as vice president for research, Robert Bernhard has guided Notre Dame's research programs through historic growth. The key, he says, has been building research infrastructure so that faculty and students can do what they do best while staying true to the University's mission.</em></h4>
<p><br>
When Robert J. “Bob” Bernhard accepted the newly-created position of vice president for research at the University of Notre Dame in 2007, it was a moment four decades in the making for him. He had said "No" (reluctantly) to Notre Dame three times before.</p>
<p>The first "No" was for undergraduate admission.</p>
<p>Having grown up in a small Catholic community in northern Iowa, Bernhard was a fan of Notre Dame football. (He recalls drawing his father's ire when he was late to take his turn on the tractor on his family farm because he was watching the end of the famous Notre Dame-Michigan State “Game of the Century” in 1966.) But it was only after the persistent urgings of his American Government teacher, a nun named Sister Eugene, a double Domer, that he began considering Notre Dame as an academic destination. Sister Eugene would occasionally tap Bernhard on the head with a pencil during class and ask, “Robert, have you applied to Notre Dame yet?”</p>
<p>Bernhard did apply. And eventually he received his acceptance letter in the mail. But the cost of attendance at Notre Dame ($5,000 a year at the time) sounded too steep to his father, who encouraged him to accept an offer (and in-state tuition) instead at Iowa State University.</p>
<p>The second "No" was for a teaching job.</p>
<p>Bernhard had flourished at Iowa State, earning his Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 1973. He had then worked as an engineer at Westinghouse Electric Company in Baltimore, where he also earned a Master's in mechanical engineering at the University of Maryland before returning to Iowa State to pursue a PhD. By 1982, he had his diploma in hand and several interview invitations to consider.</p>
<p>One was at Notre Dame. But his plans to visit campus were postponed due to an early January blizzard. Plans to reschedule also fell through, and Bernhard ultimately said "Yes" to an offer from Purdue University.</p>
<p>The third "No" was for a deanship.</p>
<p>At Purdue, Bernhard’s research and teaching portfolios grew. He was eventually asked to direct Purdue’s Herrick Laboratories. Later, he accepted a position as Purdue’s Associate Vice President for Research. Just after starting the new job, Bernhard received a call from Frank Incropera. Incropera had been Bernhard's colleague and mentor at Purdue before becoming dean of the <a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/">College of Engineering</a> at Notre Dame. He planned to step down as dean and wanted to recommend Bernhard as his replacement. But having recently accepted his new position, Bernhard said he had made too many promises to consider a new offer, and he declined.</p>
<p>The fourth time, one might say, was the charm—though, in reality, luck had little to do with it. When Bernhard was asked in 2007 to become Notre Dame’s first vice president for <a href="https://research.nd.edu/">research</a>, he considered what was important for what he expected to be his “last job.”</p>
<h2>Catching a Vision</h2>
<p>The new position was one of the first major research initiatives of University President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C. Jenkins had begun his presidency in the fall of 2005 by announcing a vision for building “a Notre Dame that is bigger and better than ever” in his <a href="https://president.nd.edu/homilies-writings-addresses/inaugural-address-of-rev-john-i-jenkins-c-s-c/">inaugural address</a>. He situated this new chapter in Notre Dame’s history by reminding his audience of a moment in the University’s past.</p>
<p>He spoke of the statement by Notre Dame’s founder and first President, Rev. Edward Sorin, C.S.C., in 1879 after a fire swept through the University’s main building, reducing it to rubble. “I came here as a young man and dreamed of building a great university in honor of Our Lady,” Sorin said, “But I built it too small, and she had to burn it to the ground to make the point. So, tomorrow, as soon as the bricks cool, we will rebuild it, bigger and better than ever.”</p>
<p>“Later that same day,” Jenkins explained, “the students saw Father Sorin, then 65 years old, stepping slowly through the ruins of his life’s work, bent slightly forward, pushing a wheelbarrow full of bricks, getting ready to rebuild.”</p>
<figure class="image-default"><img alt="Bob Bernhard Mccourtney Hall Groundbreaking Applause" height="1333" src="https://research.nd.edu/assets/518504/fullsize/bob_bernhard_mccourtney_hall_groundbreaking_applause.jpg" width="2400">
<figcaption>Robert J. Bernhard, vice president for research and a professor in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, attends the ceremonial groundbreaking event for McCourtney Hall. (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The “bigger and better” Notre Dame Jenkins was dreaming of would not be built of bricks alone. While remaining true to its commitment to unsurpassed undergraduate education, the University would now elevate its research to a new level of prominence—not only to advance the state of scholarship but also to make discoveries that improve lives around the world, to be “a healing, unifying, enlightening force for a world deeply in need.”</p>
<p>For Jenkins, this new Notre Dame was “a great Catholic university for the 21st century,” and that meant also being “one of the preeminent research institutions in the world.”</p>
<p>Jenkins knew that achieving this lofty goal would be a big job. He needed someone to lead the effort—someone who could not only help generate more resources for research and grow Notre Dame’s research infrastructure dramatically but also someone who could help build a more cohesive research culture at Notre Dame.</p>
<p>The broad set of experiences Bernhard had gained on his winding path to Notre Dame taught him a lot, including about vision and culture, especially the way that shared vision and values lead groups to succeed. So he recognized the shift that Jenkins was making in Notre Dame's research culture. Jenkins was convinced that Notre Dame could be better at what it was already known for—excellent teaching and service—and that research could not only exist alongside these strengths but enhance them.</p>
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="600" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GlGkzb63dys?rel=0" width="1200"></iframe></p>
<p>It was a vision Bernhard shared. And so, he found, did many of the faculty. He recalls that when he arrived, many faculty members were inspired by Jenkins’s vision. “I kept hearing the phrase echoed back to me—I’m here because I want to be a force for good.’ Faculty kept saying that over and over again,” Bernhard says.</p>
<p>Yet, as Bernhard listened to faculty discuss the University's aspirations, he also sensed a note of hesitation. It was less a question of what the goal should be but more about how it could be achieved. “Many people don’t buy into a vision unless they understand how you will get there. Our faculty had the aspiration, but they needed a roadmap,” Bernhard says.</p>
<p>Ironically, one of the biggest early wins was related to some of the smallest items studied on campus: nanoelectronics. Just six months after Bernhard’s arrival, Notre Dame was chosen as the home for MIND—the <a href="https://mind.nd.edu/about/Overview.htm">Midwest Institute for Nanoelectronics Discovery</a>, one of four multi-university consortia funded by the Semiconductor Research Corporation. MIND aimed to identify fundamentally new ways of constructing transistors, which would unlock ways of designing smaller, faster computers.</p>
<p>Being selected for a nationally competitive center like MIND sent a message—and leaders at the state and national levels were listening. The ribbon cutting for the new facility included Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels and U.S. Representative Joe Donnelly, who declared it the most significant economic development in the region since the Studebaker family launched its vehicle-making empire in South Bend in the 19th century.</p>
<p>The real success of MIND was not just in its initial message but also in the way it translated into momentum for research at the University. “It’s one thing to go after something and win,” Bernhard explains, “but then you have to deliver, and our faculty did.” The research leadership provided by MIND was so well-received that the University would go on to win funding for two additional nanoelectronics centers—the <a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/least/">Center for Low Energy Systems Technology</a> and the <a href="https://ascent.nd.edu/">Applications and Systems-Driven Center for Energy-Efficient Integrated NanoTechnologies</a>—for a total of 15 years of continuous funding for nanoelectronics research.</p>
<h2>From Strength to Strength</h2>
<p>Bernhard was eager for more successes like MIND. But he also knew that there was no single blueprint that would work for every faculty member or every area of research. The key would be empowering faculty to generate ideas and think entrepreneurially about how to grow their projects into collaborative, multi-disciplinary enterprises.</p>
<p>Thomas G. Burish, then the University’s provost and a professor in the <a href="https://psychology.nd.edu/">Department of Psychology</a>, had formed the Strategic Academic Programs Committee. Its goal was to listen to faculty and identify the most groundbreaking research ideas—those with the potential to become world-class research centers. Bernhard became the steward of those research investments. He worked with staff, administrators, and outside consultants to grow these programs and formulate ambitious projects aligned with Notre Dame’s strengths and unique mission.</p>
<p>At the end of the process, the committee had selected a slate of projects ranging from global development to cancer research to turbomachinery to computing. Each represented an area where Notre Dame had existing strengths to build upon.</p>
<figure class="image-default"><img alt="Bob Bernhard Global Development Forum" height="1725" src="https://research.nd.edu/assets/518503/fullsize/bob_bernhard_global_development_forum.jpg" width="2400">
<figcaption>Notre Dame Vice President for Research, Robert J. Bernhard, opens the Notre Dame Forum on Global Development in Washington D.C. (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Bernhard mentions the Notre Dame Initiative for Global Development (NDIGD) as an example. Notre Dame faculty members had expertise in making evidence-based assessments of development strategies around the world. But Notre Dame is also a values-based organization with a vision of human flourishing that allows it to understand and work with a wide variety of partners—including faith-based organizations like Catholic Relief Services—to successfully implement solutions for reducing poverty and improving life in the developing world.</p>
<p>NDIGD started small in 2012, initially supporting its operations piecemeal with a series of small grants. But by 2015, it was a part of nearly half of all of Notre Dame’s grants and contracts related to international development. In 2017, it became one of seven centers and institutes to join Notre Dame's new Keough School of Global Affairs and gained a permanent home in the purpose-built Jenkins Nanovic Halls. In 2019, it received an endowment from the Pulte Family Charitable Foundation and was renamed the <a href="https://pulte.nd.edu/">Pulte Institute for Global Development</a>. Today, it is internationally recognized as a leader in addressing global inequality through policy, practice, and partnership.</p>
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="600" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n81ETsuqcYg?rel=0" width="1200"></iframe></p>
<p>The changes within Notre Dame's research culture also aligned with a shift in the broader landscape of academic research. "When I was first hired as a faculty member in the 1980s," says Bernhard, "higher education had a culture of independence. The key was to 'grow your lab.' You were supposed to be independent, to build your own program." But Bernhard reflects that the culture of independence was being replaced by a culture of interdependence. There was a new emphasis on interdisciplinary programs, collaboration, and team research.</p>
<p>So his initial investments as vice president for research focused on shared facilities, places that would spread benefits across campus and could bring like-minded faculty together in cross-cutting collaborations. This also meant that these core facilities could own and maintain the world-class equipment and instrumentation operated by expert staff instead of lower-quality instruments held at many separate labs across campus.</p>
<p>Bernhard began to build a high-performing team within Notre Dame Research (NDR). On one of his initial drives on the road to Notre Dame from Purdue, he developed an acronym he has used ever since to describe NDR's culture: REF. Bernhard asked staff to be REFies—responsive, effective, and friendly—to build a service-oriented culture.</p>
<figure class="image-default"><img alt="Bob Bernhard Refie Awards" height="2475" src="https://research.nd.edu/assets/518509/fullsize/bob_bernhard_refie_awards.jpg" width="2400">
<figcaption>Bernhard presents Notre Dame Research’s REF-ie awards during department’s annual We Love July (WLJ) party. Bernhard asked staff to be REFies—responsive, effective, and friendly—to build a service-oriented culture. (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p> </p>
<figure class="image-default"><img alt="Bob Bernhard Refie Awards 2" height="2475" src="https://research.nd.edu/assets/518512/fullsize/bob_bernhard_refie_awards_2.jpg" width="2400">
<figcaption>Bernhard with one of the REF-ie award winners, Sherry DePoy, during We Love July 2018 at Four Winds Field. (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Within NDR, faculty and staff employees offer support throughout a research project’s life cycle, from developing an initial proposal for funding to communicating the results of a finished project. To support faculty as they conduct research, NDR oversees more than 30 core research facilities. With specializations ranging from field biology to nanotechnology, each core facility is a centralized resource where faculty can turn for help with microscopy, machining, computer-aided design, drug discovery, and even scientific glass-blowing.</p>
<p>The movement toward more interdisciplinary research also allowed Notre Dame to build on its strengths in a wide range of disciplines.</p>
<p>"As a Catholic institution, we seek truth in all areas—applied or basic research—and in every discipline, and that includes not just engineering and science but also the social sciences, arts, humanities, and professional programs," Bernhard says.</p>
<p>One most ambitious interdisciplinary ideas to come out of the original Strategic Academic Programs Committee’s work is the <a href="https://ndias.nd.edu/">Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study</a> (NDIAS). It convenes a group of scholars from many disciplines—the arts, engineering, the humanities, law, medicine, and the natural and social sciences—to collaborate around an annual theme. The year’s theme involves a question of public interest about leading a valuable, meaningful life. Fellows selected from across the University and from other institutions explore the question together in a residential environment through seminars, lectures, symposia, and conferences. Fellows have included prominent cultural and political figures such as politician Pete Buttigieg, fashion designer Thom Browne, poet and legal scholar Reginald Dwayne Betts, and CEO of AI for the People Mutale Nkonde.</p>
<h2>Sustaining Success</h2>
<p>A standard way to measure a University’s research awards activity is to look at the total amount of funding from foundations, government agencies, corporations, and other outside sources. In 2007, that number was $70 million. In fiscal year 2022, it reached a record high of $244 million, making Notre Dame one of the fastest-growing research institutions in the nation.</p>
<figure class="image-default"><img alt="Bob Bernhard Mccourtney Hall Groundbreaking" height="1333" src="https://research.nd.edu/assets/518505/fullsize/bob_bernhard_mccourtney_hall_groundbreaking.jpg" width="2400">
<figcaption>Bernhard at the construction site for McCourtney Hall during the ceremonial groundbreaking event. (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Over time, Bernhard came to recognize that not just to build success but sustain it, NDR’s culture would also need balance. In addition to being responsive, effective, and friendly, NDR needed to be a great place to work, one where staff were intrinsically motivated to succeed, where they felt they belonged and were comfortable raising concerns.</p>
<p>Bernhard also sought balance in supporting local concerns even as the University’s global reach expanded. He encouraged a new level of international research, not just through the Pulte Institute but also through the <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/">Eck Institute for Global Health</a>, through grants for faculty to conduct research at the University’s Global Gateways operated by Notre Dame International, and through a host of other global research projects. At the same time, Notre Dame became more deeply engaged in regional concerns, eventually receiving both a $42 million grant for supporting economic development in the South Bend Elkhart region and a $35 million grant to establish a regional health hub at Notre Dame from the Lilly Endowment, Inc. Partnerships with the City of South Bend deepened as well, with Notre Dame contributing technology for local energy and wastewater management. The University also invested in research facilities in the city, including the <a href="https://ndtl.nd.edu/">Notre Dame Turbomachinery Laboratory</a> (NDTL), a 25,000-square-foot facility in downtown South Bend’s Ignition Park, and <a href="https://ideacenter.nd.edu/innovation-park/">Innovation Park</a>, an 80,000-square foot entrepreneurship center that serves as a hub and launchpad for local startup companies.</p>
<figure class="image-default"><img alt="Notre Dame Turbomachinery Lab Ribbon Cutting" height="1313" src="https://research.nd.edu/assets/518874/fullsize/6.7.16_nd_turbo_ribbon_cutting_10.jpg" width="1969">
<figcaption>Bernhard cuts the ribbon at the ceremonial opening of the Notre Dame Turbomachinery Laboratory. (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Bernhard says his job as vice president for research at Notre Dame has also been about maintaining a balance between playing both “offense and defense” on our Catholic identity. The “offense” is about identifying unique opportunities and possibilities for a Catholic research university related to studying and addressing the full range of questions that concern human beings. The “defense” is about correcting misconceptions about a Catholic research university by demonstrating that “being in a Catholic university isn't limiting. The University can be involved with today’s most pressing issues. In fact, the issues of greatest concern today are where our voice is most needed.”</p>
<p>Another misunderstanding he has played "defense" against is the view that focusing on research will lessen faculty members' commitment to teaching undergraduates.</p>
<p>Bernhard mentions an internal study that revealed a correlation between a faculty member's research activity and student evaluations of their teaching. "We find that the best teachers have a passion for doing research and for understanding new things, and discovering new things,” Bernhard says. “As one of my colleagues said, research is the ultimate learning experience. When you conduct research, you are learning something that no one else has ever learned. Our best researchers translate their excitement and passion to the classroom."</p>
<p>Although research has always been a core part of graduate students' learning experiences, an increasing number of undergraduates are active in labs and field research sites. Today, over a third of Notre Dame undergraduates work actively alongside faculty on research projects either on campus labs or at a field research site.</p>
<h2>The Pandemic Pivot</h2>
<p>By 2020, Bernhard had begun a third term as vice president for research, and all his efforts to build and sustain success had gained momentum. “By twelve years in,” he recalls, “we thought most of the big moments were behind us—that we were adjusting to business as usual.” But a shock was about to upset the balance he had built.</p>
<p>During the spring break of 2020, Bernhard and his wife, Deb, were visiting his elderly parents in Iowa. On the drive back, they received a call from his mother saying their visit had been just in time; the assisted living community where they lived was now closed due to the pandemic.</p>
<p>He soon received another call from Burish about Notre Dame’s response to the pandemic. In mere days, Notre Dame had moved classes online, requested students not return to campus from spring break, and asked all non-essential staff to work remotely. Bernhard had to quickly assemble a task force and shut down all the labs and other research facilities on campus. He appointed 200 essential personnel to come to campus to ensure vital facilities and specimens could be preserved through a shutdown. Eventually, the team assembled a new set of protocols for resuming research with the bare minimum of staff available when the University allowed partial reopening.</p>
<p>In the last days of May 2020, Fr. John Jenkins <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/26/opinion/notre-dame-university-coronavirus.html">announced</a> his decision to reopen the University in the fall, writing in the <em>New York Times</em>, “We have availed ourselves of the best medical advice and scientific information available and are assiduously planning a reopening that will make the campus community as safe as possible. We believe the good of educating students and continuing vital research is very much worth the remaining risk.”</p>
<figure class="image-default"><img alt="Bob Bernhard Wlj Party Covid" height="2125" src="https://research.nd.edu/assets/518511/fullsize/bob_bernhard_wlj_party_covid.jpg" width="2400">
<figcaption>Bernhard speaks at NDR’s We Love July 2020, a socially-distanced, drive-in movie night. (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As the University formulated plans to reopen, it asked NDR’s <a href="https://genomics.nd.edu/">Genomics and a Bioinformatics Core Facility</a> (GBCF) to set up a facility capable of providing COVID-19 tests. Liz Rulli, associate vice president for research, led the efforts. Michael Pfrender, a professor in the <a href="https://biology.nd.edu/">Department of Biological Sciences</a> and director of the GBCF, and Melissa Stephens, the assistant director of the GBCF, handled the technical details. With just two months' notice, the team developed the capacity to test nearly the entire Notre Dame student body each week, along with essential personnel and individuals who thought they might have been exposed to the virus.</p>
<p>At the same time, labs kept running—first at 25% density levels, then at 50% as restrictions eased. Many labs had to alter processes and procedures, but all found ways to adapt and continue to conduct research.</p>
<p>“We didn't realize it until the end of that school year,” says Bernhard, “but there was tremendous productivity. When we came to the end of the year, we found that faculty somehow had done more proposals and ultimately received more funding awards than they had in any other year that we had on record despite teaching hybrid classes, adapting their research to pandemic protocols, and dealing with all of their personal challenges. It was an amazing example of the resilience of Notre Dame faculty and students. It is noteworthy though that the impacts of the pandemic were not uniform. Many of our faculty and staff felt the effects very disproportionately and it has taken time for them to recover.”</p>
<p>Notwithstanding the tragedies and heartbreaks of the pandemic—Bernhard lost his own father to COVID-19—he remains proud of leading Notre Dame’s research programs through a dark chapter. “There were lots of challenging moments, but I am grateful I was prepared to step in and meet the challenges, to have the right answers to the questions that were being asked.”</p>
<h2>Distinguished and Distinctive</h2>
<p>Bernhard had initially planned to retire in the summer of 2022 at the end of his third term as vice president for research, but Fr. Jenkins asked him to stay on for one final year while Notre Dame searched for his replacement. Bernhard’s own personal “Game of the Century” was, as he put it, “going into overtime.”</p>
<p>He says his final year has given him more time to consider his tenure and the qualities that will carry Notre Dame’s research program into a new chapter. He has reflected more on a word that has guided him for the past 16 years: mission.</p>
<figure class="image-default"><img alt="Bob Bernhard Obama" height="1555" src="https://research.nd.edu/assets/518510/fullsize/bob_bernhard_obama.jpg" width="2400">
<figcaption>Robert J. Bernhard, vice president for research and a professor in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, with the 44th President of the United States Barack Obama at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)</figcaption>
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<p>“During my third term, I started to focus on mission more directly,” Bernhard says. “It was always there, but I thought about ways to make it more pronounced. What I found through a long process of investigation and consultation is that our mission to be a powerful means for doing good in the world is the key to our strategy. Notre Dame is very distinctive. What became more clear to me is that we can build a distinguished reputation on the foundation of our distinctiveness.”</p>
<p>Bernhard says this message crystallized for him during a recent external review of Notre Dame’s research programs. One former president of a major research university who was taking part in the review told Bernhard, “Your mission is your great gift.” Bernhard recalls, “It was a ‘drop the mic’ moment. It told me our mission is what we need to build around and embrace, whether in science, math, philosophy, or any other discipline. At a Catholic university, we seek knowledge everywhere and are confident that faith and truth are consistent. That is where I think the greatest potential lies for Notre Dame.”</p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">On the first of June, 2023, just as Bernhard's tenure as vice president for research was entering its final month, the University received a significant recognition of its research trajectory. The Association of American Universities (AAU) <a href="https://research.nd.edu/news-and-events/news/notre-dame-selected-to-join-association-of-american-universities/">announced</a> that it had selected Notre Dame for membership. A consortium of leading North American research universities, the AAU includes 71 of the most prominent universities in the United States and Canada. It admits new members by invitation only and its admission criteria include qualitative and quantitative measures of the breadth and the quality of a university’s research, as well as its graduate and undergraduate programs. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">For Father Jenkins, the election was a new milestone in the efforts begun at the beginning of his presidency. He said, “While Notre Dame has long been known for its undergraduate education, we have striven to be a preeminent research institution with superb graduate education, all informed by our Catholic mission. We are honored to be invited to join the AAU and heartened by the AAU Board’s recognition of our progress as a research university, and we look forward to participating in this august organization.”</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Bernhard remarked, "From the beginning of my tenure, largely at the urging of Tom Burish, we have measured our programs against those of the AAU universities. This approach seemed audacious in the beginning. But as time passed, we continued to make progress, on both quantitative and qualitative metrics. The election to the AAU has been a validation of both the strategy and the effort." He also added that the election was not just a recognition but also a new call to serve and shape higher education. "Notre Dame will add a distinctive and complementary voice within the AAU," he said, "and I am confident that the AAU will be increasingly pleased to have Notre Dame as a member. Notre Dame delivers."</span></span></p>
<p>For all of the growth in Notre Dame’s research enterprise, Bernhard insists that full maturity still lies ahead. “Today, you could say we're at an adolescent stage. We are still in a phase of unevenness, some young aspects and some mature aspects.” Bernhard finds the most confidence for the future when he considers the research culture that has grown at Notre Dame over the last 16 years.</p>
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="600" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XHIfEZsinn8?rel=0" width="1200"></iframe></p>
<p>When Bernhard looks back, he mainly expresses his gratitude for all of the people who have taken Notre Dame’s mission to heart. “It has been a privilege to work with people who are authentic, honest, and hardworking—and who are excited about the mission of the University,” he says.</p>
<p>His personal highlights range from big to small. He mentions trips—especially those with Notre Dame’s Advisory Council on Graduate Studies and Research to East Africa, the Vatican, and CERN’s Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland—and he also mentions the onboarding lunches he has had with many of Notre Dame Research’s 260 staff members.</p>
<figure class="image-default"><img alt="Bob Bernhard 2020 Graduate School Commencement" height="1601" src="https://research.nd.edu/assets/518507/fullsize/bob_bernhard_2020_graduate_school_commencement.jpg" width="2400">
<figcaption>Bernhard speaks at the 2020 Graduate School ceremony. (Photo by Peter Ringenberg/University of Notre Dame)</figcaption>
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<p>And, of course, he mentions meeting up again with Sister Eugene. After making a few calls, Bernhard got in touch with her at her retirement home in Dubuque, Iowa, to let her know, “After 40 years, I finally made it to Notre Dame.” When Sister Eugene visited campus the following year, the two were able to attend a Notre Dame football game and sat together to cheer on the Irish.</p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Brett Beasley</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://research.nd.edu/news-and-events/news/taking-research-to-heart/">research.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">June 07, 2023</span>.</p>Brett Beasleytag:globalhealth.nd.edu,2005:News/1538032023-06-03T11:31:00-04:002023-06-03T11:31:47-04:00Notre Dame selected to join Association of American Universities<p>The University of Notre Dame has been selected for inclusion in the Association of American Universities (AAU), a consortium of the nation’s leading public and private research universities, Notre Dame’s president, Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., announced today.</p><figure class="image-default"><img alt="Nd Grad Student Research 1200" height="800" src="https://news.nd.edu/assets/518605/fullsize/nd_grad_student_research_1200.jpg" width="1200"></figure>
<p>The University of Notre Dame has been selected for inclusion in the <a href="https://www.aau.edu/">Association of American Universities</a> (AAU), a consortium of the nation’s leading public and private research universities, Notre Dame’s president, Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., announced today.</p>
<p>“While Notre Dame has long been known for its undergraduate education, we have striven to be a preeminent research institution with superb graduate education, all informed by our Catholic mission,” Father Jenkins said. “We are honored to be invited to join the AAU and heartened by the AAU Board’s recognition of our progress as a research university, and we look forward to participating in this august organization.”</p>
<p>“This is a major milestone in the history of Notre Dame,” said John J. Brennan, chair of the University’s Board of Trustees. “Much credit goes to Father Jenkins, his administration and, especially, to the University’s superb and dedicated faculty who engage in teaching and research that make a difference in our world.”</p>
<figure class="image-right"><img alt="Aau Logo" height="233" src="https://news.nd.edu/assets/518603/aau_logo.jpg" width="600"></figure>
<p>Founded in 1900, the AAU seeks, according to its mission statement, to “collectively help shape policy for higher education, science and innovation; promote best practices in undergraduate and graduate education; and strengthen the contributions of leading research universities to American society.” Membership is by invitation only and based on an extensive set of quantitative indicators and qualitative judgments that assess the breadth and quality of a university’s research and graduate and undergraduate programs.</p>
<p>Five other universities — Arizona State University; George Washington University; the University of California, Riverside; the University of Miami; and the University of South Florida — also were added to the AAU membership roll today, joining the association’s previous 65 U.S. and Canadian members. </p>
<p>“We are very proud to have these six distinguished universities from across the United States join AAU,” AAU President Barbara R. Snyder said. “We are particularly proud that two of our new members — Arizona State and UC Riverside — are designated as Hispanic-serving institutions because significant shares of their student bodies are composed of individuals from Hispanic backgrounds. We look forward to working with all of these universities to continue advancing higher education and laying the scientific foundation that helps keep our economy strong and our nation healthy and safe.”<br>
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“I’m excited to invite these six diverse institutions to AAU,” AAU Board Chair and University of Southern California President Carol L. Folt said. “AAU members are distinguished by the quality of their education and research. It is a testament to our higher education system that we have this many leading research universities in every corner of our country. Congratulations to the faculty, staff and students for this recognition of their hard work and their leadership in research and education. We look forward to our joint efforts to continue to transform lives through higher education.” </p>
<p>Long recognized as one of the nation’s leading undergraduate universities, Notre Dame has made significant strides in recent years as a research institution. Since 2007, research awards received by Notre Dame have grown 194 percent. Among the awards were:</p>
<p>● <a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/notre-dame-awarded-transformational-lilly-endowment-grant-to-accelerate-regional-innovation-and-workforce-and-economic-development/">$42.4 million from Lilly Endowment Inc.</a> to form the Labs for Industry Futures and Transformation (LIFT) Network with industry, community and education partners throughout the region. The program links and enhances cutting-edge expertise, technologies and workforce development programs with local manufacturing and advanced technology sectors</p>
<p>● <a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/notre-dame-receives-its-largest-research-award-to-study-spatial-repellents-against-mosquito-borne-diseases/">$33.7 million from Unitaid</a> to study new approaches to preventing mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue and Chikungunya</p>
<p>● <a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/notre-dame-receives-40-million-federal-award-to-improve-global-education-outcomes/">$40 million from the U.S. Agency for International Development</a> to improve global education outcomes</p>
<p>● <a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/notre-dame-to-lead-25-million-spectrumx-project-first-nsf-spectrum-innovation-initiative-center/"> $7.5 million of an anticipated $25 million to the Wireless Institute from the National Science Foundation</a> to establish SpectrumX, a wireless spectrum innovation center</p>
<p>Additionally, Notre Dame has served as the home to several national centers supported by the Semiconductor Research Corporation, been the recipient of over $10 million in Department of Defense support for hypersonic research facilities, and over the past 20 years, has been awarded more National Endowment for the Humanities fellowships than any other private university. Other areas of research excellence include theology, philosophy, chemical engineering, astro and nuclear physics, and sacred music.</p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Dennis Brown</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/notre-dame-selected-to-join-association-of-american-universities/">news.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">June 01, 2023</span>.</p>Dennis Brown