Announcements
WVU awarded NIH grant to integrate HIV, hepatitis C and opioid-use-disorder care
West Virginia University researcher Judith Feinberg has partnered with colleagues at Yale University to integrate services for opioid use disorder, the hepatitis C virus and HIV in 20 primary care clinics across West Virginia. The National Institute on Drug Abuse expects to award over $6.6 million during the five-year project.
Offering help when it’s needed most: After a disaster, research shows mental health services should be available in long-term recovery phase
In the immediate aftermath of natural disasters, help is easy to find. Local churches cook hot meals. National and state recovery efforts offer aid. Community members band together. But in the months that follow, after the recovery crews have packed up and gone home, hopelessness and isolation set in for many disaster victims. These are the times when mental health support is needed most, according to a West Virginia University researcher.
West Virginia peer recovery program proves effective in fight against opioid crisis
About 90% of Americans who need treatment for a substance use disorder don’t get it. West Virginia University researchers have developed a program that allows people who have already walked the path of substance use disorder through recovery to be their guides to a healthier life.
Psychological capital may be the antidote for working in a pandemic, WVU study suggests
Just like the COVID-19 vaccine protects against contracting the contagious virus, the collective elements of self-efficacy, optimism, hope and resiliency helps inoculate employees from the negative effects of working through a pandemic, according to a new West Virginia University study.
‘It’s really a scary time:’ WVU researcher works to keep high school athletes safe across U.S.
As they settle into a new school year, student-athletes don’t just have to protect themselves from COVID-19. They also have to protect themselves from the heat, cardiac arrests, traumatic brain injuries and several other catastrophic injuries. West Virginia University researcher Samantha Scarneo-Miller and her colleagues at the University of Connecticut investigated the policies that high schools across the country use to protect their student-athletes from the most common safety threats. They also are traveling from state to state to meet with policymakers to ensure that life-saving policies are adopted nationwide. Their findings appear in the American Journal of Sports Medicine.
WVU researcher studies inflammatory effects of toxic chemicals
Many of us face safety risks at work, but those serving in the military or working in law enforcement and industrial settings are at greater risk for dangerous chemical exposures. This risk is significant, as nearly 10% of occupational illnesses or injuries that lead to death are caused by exposure to chemicals. Jonathan Boyd—a West Virginia University School of Medicine researcher—is investigating the inflammatory responses produced by exposure to chemical agents. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency recently awarded him over $2 million for the project.
Sniffing out an alternative: WVU scientists developing nasal mist vaccine targeting COVID-19
The only approved way to get vaccinated against COVID-19 is through a good ‘ol shot in the arm. Eventually, West Virginia University medical researchers could change that narrative. Scientists say they’ve developed a nasal mist that you would inhale through your nose and would offer protection against SARS-CoV-2 and its emerging variants. “The more I watched the vaccine race as a bystander, I kept thinking, ‘We should really test the idea of a nasal mist,’” said Heath Damron, director of the WVU Vaccine Development Center.
WVU, CDC gain greater insight into university students’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviors regarding mask usage
As West Virginia University kicks off a new academic year amid a recent spike in COVID-19 cases across the country, public health researchers at both WVU and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now have a better understanding of university students’ knowledge and perceptions of mask-wearing.
WVU researcher develops copper-infused mask for hospitality and tourism industry
Employees manning the frontlines of customer service, whether behind the hotel front desk or the restaurant counter, come face-to-face with folks from all walks of life for hours on end.
WVU Cancer Institute Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium
Please join us for the 2021 WVU Cancer Institute Summer Undergraduate Research Program Symposium on Tuesday, August 3rd, 2 - 4 p.m. in the Cancer Center Hoylman Atrium. We will have short poster-style presentations of seven undergraduate students working in the Cancer Institute labs over the summer.