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WVU researcher examines interstate characteristics associated with self-injury mortality

West Virginia leads the nation in overdose deaths, but distinguishing intentional overdoses from accidental ones is far from straightforward. To shed light on the matter, Ian Rockett—a professor emeritus of the West Virginia University School of Public Health’s Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics—led a national study to examine interstate characteristics associated with high rates of self-injury mortality.

WVU Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center partner on cytotechnology master’s program

WVU Medicine has entered into a three-year agreement to serve as a satellite site for the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s (UNMC) Master of Diagnostic Cytology Degree Program. Cytology is the study of cells, and cytotechnologists are disease detectives who study the cells to identify minute abnormalities in cell structure. Cytotechnologists evaluate specially stained slides of human cells under the microscope to aid in the diagnosis of cancer, precancerous lesions, benign tumors, infectious agents, and inflammatory processes. In addition to microscopic interpretations, cytotechnologists also have patient contact by participating in biopsy procedures called fine needle aspirations. Cytotechnologists are employed at the professional level in hospital and private laboratories, university medical centers, and government facilities. Because of the increased utilization of cytologic testing for the confirmation of disease, more cytotechnologists are needed. In entering into this agreement, WVU Medicine becomes the 14th satellite site for the UNMC program and the only cytotechnology training program currently in West Virginia. Other satellite sites are located in Arizona (two locations), California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. “By partnering with the University of Nebraska Medical Center, we will be able to train the cytotechnologists that our Health System and our state so desperately need,” Albert L. Wright, Jr., president and CEO of the WVU Health System, said. “We are honored to bring this first-of-its-kind training program here to West Virginia, and we look forward to welcoming the first group of students, who will, hopefully, join our WVU Medicine family as employees in the future.” The master’s program is a 44-credit hour program that is completed in 16 months. Prospective students must have a bachelor’s degree, preferably a Bachelor of Science degree. Students in the satellite program will be charged the non-resident tuition rate, however, in past admission cycles, all non-resident students received financial support in the form of scholarships and federal financial aid. Stell Patadji, MD, assistant professor in the WVU Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Laboratory Medicine, will serve as the medical director for the program. She will coordinate the students’ schedule of lectures and practicum experiences, facilitate the completion of courses, participate in teaching lab components of the didactic curriculum, and evaluate trainees to verify the achievement of minimum competencies and requirements to complete the program. “We are excited about our new partnership with the University of Nebraska Medical Center. This is an incredible opportunity to showcase the diversity and complexity of our routine cytology case and tele-cytology while training the next generation of cytotechnologists. West Virginians can train to be cytotechnologists without having to leave the state,” Dr. Patadji said. “Post-graduate job opportunities will be numerous, given the shortage of cytotechnologists in West Virginia. We are delighted to enter this partnership with the goal of better serving our community.” The application deadline for the first cohort of students is April 1. Classes will begin in August. For more information on the program, including application information, visit www.unmc.edu/alliedhealth/education/cyto/index.html.

WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute first in U.S. to enroll patient in stroke clinical trial

The WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute was the first institution in the United States to enroll a patient in the Route 92 Medical, Inc. SUMMIT MAX clinical trial. SUMMIT MAX is a randomized, controlled, multicenter trial to evaluate the performance of its next generation Monopoint™ Reperfusion System versus currently available aspiration catheter technology. The trial’s first patient was enrolled at Auckland City Hospital in New Zealand, followed shortly by a patient at the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute. “We are happy to become the first U.S. site to enroll a patient in the SUMMIT MAX clinical trial evaluating the Monopoint System,” Ansaar Rai, MD, WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute professor and Neuroradiology Department chair, said. “Randomized clinical trials such as these offer high levels of evidence and are critical in advancing the field of endovascular stroke therapy.” The SUMMIT MAX study is a randomized clinical trial built upon the recently published results of the SUMMIT NZ study, which demonstrated a very high rate of successful recanalization, or restoration of blood flow, of blocked blood vessels in acute stroke patients for the Route 92 Medical’s 088 Hipoint™ Catheter product. Results of the study are also intended to provide clinical evidence to support an application for FDA clearance. Thanh Nguyen, MD, from Boston Medical Center, Guilherme Dabus, MD, from Miami Cardiac and Vascular Institute and Baptist Neuroscience Institute, and Ajit Puri, MD, from Umass Memorial Medical Center are the principal investigators of the study. “We are honored to partner with the SUMMIT MAX investigators to begin our pivotal clinical trial and look forward to continued enrollment as the study progresses,” Tony Chou, MD, Route 92 Medical co-founder and CEO, said. “We are confident that our Monopoint System featuring the 088 Hipoint™ and Tenzing™ Catheters is a platform positioned to transform neurovascular aspiration thrombectomy for large vessel occlusions.” Route 92 Medical’s HIpoint™ Catheter, Tenzing™ Catheters, and Base Camp™ Sheath System received U.S. FDA 510(k) clearance for neurovascular access in 2020 and have also received CE marking for first-line aspiration thrombectomy in the European Union. Each year, strokes affect about 16 million people and kill an estimated 6 million people globally. In the United States, more than 800,000 patients suffer from acute ischemic stroke each year, with an annual healthcare cost of $104 billion. Stroke is a critically time-sensitive disease, and without appropriate diagnosis and treatment, a majority of patients suffers permanent disability or death. Despite recent advances in life-saving endovascular treatment, only approximately 10 percent of eligible stroke patients are treated endovascularly today.

Women at Work podcast listening event

Please join us for our next virtual Women at Work podcast listening event sponsored by the Office of Research and Graduate Education and WVCTSI Females Advancing Clinical & Translational Science (FACTS) on Feb. 15, 2022 at 4:00 - 4:50 p.m.

WVU employees to receive invitation, link for training module

At West Virginia University, we are guided by our Mountaineer Values of service, curiosity, respect, accountability and appreciation. As part of efforts to promote a positive and inclusive culture, all faculty and staff will receive an email invitation and link to complete an online training module titled “Harassment & Discrimination Prevention & Meridians.”