Public Health News
Wastewater Surveillance
When epidemiologist David Larsen learned last spring that scientists in the Netherlands had detected SARS-Coronavirus-2 in sewage and isolated its RNA, he immediately recognized the significance of their research. “I knew from my experience in global health that it was a big game-changer for the pandemic,” says Larsen, an associate professor of public health at Syracuse University’s Falk College.
In the battle against COVID-19, the ability to monitor local transmission levels is crucial to controlling the virus. Wastewater surveillance—which was implemented a few decades ago to target poliovirus in some countries—acts like a smoke detector, Larsen says. Preliminary research shows it can provide an early alert for COVID-19, allowing public health, medical and health care systems to prepare for an imminent outbreak. Likewise, the absence of the virus in wastewater can help communities make informed decisions about re-engaging in social and economic activities. “It’s all about understanding what real transmission is like in our community—and even potentially showing there’s no transmission,” Larsen says. “That’s where wastewater surveillance can be so useful.”
The idea of establishing an early warning wastewater surveillance platform set Larsen in motion. In March, he reached out across campus and the community to assemble an interdisciplinary team of scientists from Falk, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and SUNY Upstate Medical University. In partnership with Onondaga County and supported by grants from Syracuse University and SUNY-ESF, the team established surveillance efforts in the county and on campus. In August, the New York State Department of Health awarded the team $500,000 to launch a six-week pilot program to expand the platform. By early October, in collaboration with the New York State Association of Counties, they were monitoring 14 counties and 12 universities—and their testing method was proving to be effective. In several instances, including on campus and at various SUNY colleges, they identified the virus in samples, and students were saliva-tested and quarantined until their individual results were known.
The team features experts in microbiology, chemistry, epidemiology, statistical modeling and information science and includes scientists from the state health department and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As the project expanded, Larsen’s group struck partnerships with Syracuse-based Quadrant Biosciences and the international engineering firm Arcadis, enabling them to meet the growing demand for wastewater sampling and analysis.
Determining a Detection Technique
Many universities and areas around the world have implemented surveillance programs that use different techniques to isolate the virus’s RNA. After exploring several approaches, the Syracuse team locked in on a method that places a sucrose solution underneath a wastewater sample in a test tube and spins it in an ultracentrifuge. “The sucrose cushion purifies out some of the low-density particles and helps purify the RNA that is pelleted to the bottom of the tube,” explains SUNY-ESF environmental microbiologist Hyatt Green, who developed the method with SUNY Upstate clinical microbiologist Frank Middleton. Their technique is comparable in its sensitivity to other methods, requires only a small wastewater sample, and is cost effective and fast, Green says. “A sample can be analyzed in as little as six hours compared to other methods that take 24 to 48 hours.”
Since the novel coronavirus is shed in feces, another key component of their process is determining the amount of a bacteriophage—a common, benign virus that inhabits human gut bacteria—present in their samples. This particular bacteriophage is shed at a known rate, so researchers can draw correlations between that and the virus. “We can use it to account for dilution, population density, and potential decay of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the wastewater,” Green says. “At the bare minimum, it can be used as a quality control to ensure the recovery of viral RNA.”
Wastewater’s Wealth of Information
According to team member Teng Zeng, analyzing wastewater presents a number of challenges. “Every single wastewater sample is different, and somehow we have to account for the variabilities,” says Zeng, an assistant professor of environmental engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science.
Those samples also provide a wealth of information about any given population, Zeng says. For instance, through chemical analysis over a 12-week sampling period, 26 substances were identified, providing information on pharmaceutical consumption patterns and areas where people have underlying conditions and may be more susceptible to the virus. “We can understand whether differences in the population health or behavior could potentially affect the vulnerability and also morbidity of the population to this particular viral attack,” says Teng, who analyzes samples from Onondaga County’s six wastewater treatment plants. “We will see what else we can pick out from a sample, and we can analyze it to get additional data to complement the public health data that most people are interested in.”
Every piece of information gathered can further our understanding of the virus. “When we detect a certain amount of virus in the wastewater, what does it mean for the number of infections in the population?” asks team member and epidemiologist Brittany Kmush, an assistant professor of public health at Falk College. “We don’t really know that yet. It will depend on all sorts of factors, so we’re trying to work on modeling exactly what this signal means for the number of infections.”
Researchers also underscore that wastewater surveillance is just one tool for taking on the virus. As part of its proactive strategy, Syracuse University tests 21 dormitories and several off-campus locations through its surveillance program led by project manager Pruthvi Kilaru ’18, G’20, a Falk public health master’s graduate who was instrumental in designing the program. Kmush, who oversees the saliva-testing program on campus, emphasizes that knowledge about the virus continues to grow and our response to the evolving information requires vigilance. “Science is always changing,” she says. “This virus didn’t exist last November, so we’re constantly learning about it and using what tools we have available to make our most informed decisions. Sometimes we get different or better answers, and then we have to change our course of action to follow the latest science.”
An SU Story by Jay Cox, originally published on October 27, 2020.
University Scientists Selected to Implement COVID-19 Early Warning System in Upstate New York
The New York State Department of Health has selected the SARS-CoV-2 Early Warning Wastewater Surveillance Platform (SARS2-EWSP) to pilot a statewide coronavirus transmission early warning system.
With $500,000 in state pilot funding, the SARS2-EWSP project will expand into Albany, Newburgh, and Buffalo, and increase the frequency of surveillance in Syracuse and Onondaga County. Other interested municipalities can also participate in the platform, although at this time they will have to self-fund.
Once fully operational, the early warning system will enable these municipalities to better track increases and decreases in coronavirus transmission and make more informed decisions regarding reopening and closing businesses and schools.
Gov. Cuomo announced the project on August 14, 2020 as one of a series of new initiatives related to COVID-19 testing.
The SARS2-EWSP project started as a collaboration in mid-March between scientists from Syracuse University, SUNY ESF, and SUNY Upstate. Seeking to expand to a statewide platform, the scientists teamed with industry partners Arcadis and Quadrant Biosciences to provide expertise and scale in wastewater sampling and laboratory analysis.
“Tracking the coronavirus in wastewater provides a cost-effective method of understanding community-level transmission dynamics,” said Syracuse University epidemiologist Dr. David Larsen, who leads the SARS2-EWSP team. “We now need to coordinate and scale this type of monitoring into a centralized and statewide platform to better inform responses to the coronavirus pandemic.”
In addition to Larsen, the team includes Drs. Hyatt Green and Mary Collins from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry; Dr. Frank Middleton from SUNY Upstate Medical University; Drs. Brittany Kmush and Teng Zeng from Syracuse University; Dr. Qian Du from Quadrant Biosciences; and others.
“Wastewater-based epidemiology has been around for some time, but because of the scale of this pandemic and recent technological advances, never has it shown so much potential to help save lives and livelihoods,” said SUNY ESF environmental microbiologist Green, whose team along with SUNY Upstate’s Middleton developed the analytical methods to detect the virus in wastewater.
The SARS2-EWSP platform monitors the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater, the virus that causes COVID-19, alerting the state and participating cities to increases and decreases in viral transmission. These real-time trends provide critical information for reopening and closing decisions.
SARS-CoV-2 is spread by symptomatic and asymptomatic carriers. Monitoring the wastewater collection system can help a community understand where the virus is present at a low per-capita cost, even in the absence of physical symptoms and challenges or delays in testing.
Early detection of increasing transmission allows state and local officials to take precautionary safety measures that can prevent future spread while maintaining a layer of anonymity for residents. And when transmission decreases, monitoring wastewater confirms the decline and eases anxiety about missing cases or transmission in the health system.
“The power of this partnership is in the unique blend of engineering and epidemiology coming together to safeguard public health through rapid detection,” said Alex Rothchild, Arcadis’ CEO in North America. “As communities move to reopen safely, this collaborative effort will be instrumental in helping the state and local communities make informed decisions to protect residents’ physical and economic well-being.”
To maximize results for the state, team members will lean heavily on their respective strengths. Arcadis’ wastewater engineers and scientists will use knowledge of collection systems to identify strategic sampling locations and use best-in-class techniques for safe sample collection. Samples will be analyzed by Quadrant Biosciences, using an ultracentrifugation method developed by SARS2-EWSP scientists. The team will use a new data modelling methodology developed by SARS2-EWSP scientists to understand and report on how virus transmission in communities is changing to inform state officials.
“This can be a real game-changer in the detection and monitoring of COVID-19,” said Quadrant Biosciences CEO Richard Uhlig. “Information from this testing will allow municipalities to estimate COVID-19 transmission in real time, provide instant feedback on social distancing and reopening phases, help predict hospitalizations and provide confidence for locations with zero transmission to resume normal activity.”
About the SARS2-EWSP Team
The SARS2-EWSP team is a collaboration between scientists from Syracuse University, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and State University of New York Upstate Medical University. With a variety of expertise in epidemiology, microbiology, chemistry, computer science, and information science, the team has worked since March on developing an early warning wastewater surveillance system to aid in the coronavirus pandemic.
Falk College welcomes new faculty and staff
Syracuse University’s Falk College is pleased to welcome four new staff members who have joined Falk College in the past academic year: Donna Fecteau, Administrative Assistant in the Department of Exercise Science; Julia Fuqua, Office Coordinator in the Department of Exercise Science; Heather Mauro, Internship Placement Coordinator in the School of Social Work, and; Melissa Tobin, Counselor, Academic Services in the Office of Student Services.
In addition, Falk College is pleased to announce the appointment of six new faculty members, Bernard Appiah, Maria Erdman, Kenneth Marfilius, Miriam Mutambudzi, Latha Ramalingam, and Maryam Yuhas, in addition to six faculty who join Falk College with the Department of Exercise Science, Tiago Barreira, Tom Brutsaert, Keith DeRuisseau, Kevin Heffernan, Joon Young Kim, and Kristen Konkol.
Bernard Appiah
Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health
Bernard Appiah joins the Department of Public Health in Falk College as Assistant Professor in Fall 2020.
Prior to joining Syracuse University, Appiah was Assistant Professor at Texas A&M University’s School of Public Health in the Departments of Environmental and Occupational Health and Public Health Studies. He was the Founding Director of the Research Program on Public and International Engagement for Health. Previously, Appiah served as a Drug Information Pharmacist/Publications Manager at the National Drug Information Resource Centre (NDIRC) for the Ministry of Health in Ghana. He has taught courses such as environmental and occupational health communication, social context of population health, and comparative global health systems.
Appiah’s research interests lie in socio-behavioral approaches for exploring public health issues, global health and environmental health with emphasis on socio-behavioral change communication, public/community engagement interventions, and dissemination of information/knowledge through culturally appropriate communication channels. He is published in several journals, including Psychiatry Research, BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) mHealth and uHealth, and authored book chapters, technical reports, and many articles for mass media. He has presented at the International Workshop for Practitioners of Engagement Between Health Researchers and Schools in Kilifi, Kenya, the West African Society of Pharmacologists (WASOP) Conference in Ghana, and the Academy for Future International Leaders (AFIL) Open Session Seminar on Global Health Issues.
Appiah’s research has received support from the Wellcome Trust, UK, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada, USAID Ghana, and Texas A&M University. Among the most recent supporters of his research is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health. Appiah is the recipient of numerous teaching and research fellowships and other honors including being named as a Carnegie African Diaspora Fellow in 2018 and 2016. He currently serves as Head of Capacity Building and Research Programmes for the Pan-African Network for Popularization of Science and Technology and Science Communication (African Gong); member of the Healthcare Safety and Quality Expert Committee of the U.S. Pharmacopeia, and; reviewer for Public Understanding of Science.
Appiah earned his Dr.PH in Health Promotion and Community Health Sciences in 2013 and his M.S. in Science and Technology Journalism from Texas A&M University’s School of Public Health and College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, respectively. He earned his master’s in Development Communication from the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) and his B.Pharm in Pharmacy from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana.
Tiago Barreira
Assistant Professor, Department of Exercise Science
Tiago Barreira joins Falk College as Assistant Professor in the Department of Exercise Science in Fall 2020. He teaches courses such as systemic physiology and exercise, research methods in exercise and sports science, measurement and evaluation in exercise science, physical activity and public health, and obesity and body composition.
Prior to joining Falk College in 2020, the Department of Exercise Science was positioned within Syracuse University’s School of Education, where Barreira has served as Assistant Professor since 2014. Barreira is also the Director of the Kinesmetrics Laboratory at Syracuse University. Prior to joining Syracuse, he completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. Barreira’s research focuses on the measurement of physical activity: establishing validity and reliability evidence of physical activity measurement tools; determining how to use physical activity measurement tools to obtain reliable and accurate information on physical activity patterns; the use of physical activity measurement tools as a motivation to promote increased physical activity levels, and; investigating the relationship between physical activity and cardiovascular disease risk factors. His work is published in several journals, most recently in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, Disability and Rehabilitation, Artery Research, and the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness among others. He has given presentations for the International Biometric Conference, The American College of Sports Medicine, and the International Conference on Ambulatory Monitoring of Physical Activity and Movement, among others.
Past research has received support from the National Institutes of Health, American Heart Association, Institute for Educational Sciences SHAPE America, Fight for Hearts, among others. Barreira is a journal editor for the Physical Activity section of Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise and is a manuscript reviewer for several journals and publications. He currently serves as Co-Chair of the Measurement and Evaluation Special Interest Group from SHAPE America and a member of the American College of Sports Medicine Mid-Atlantic Chapter Research Committee.
Barreira earned his Ph.D. in Human Performance with a concentration in Kinesmetrics in 2010 from Middle Tennessee State University, where he also earned his M.S. in Exercise Science. He also earned a B.A. Physical Education and B.S. in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
Tom Brutsaert
Professor, Department of Exercise Science
Tom Brutsaert joins Falk College as Professor in the Department of Exercise Science in Fall 2020. In the department, he teaches courses such as energy metabolism and exercise, physiology of exercise, environmental physiology, high altitude physiology and biology, and human biological variation.
Prior to joining Falk College in 2020, the Department of Exercise Science was positioned within Syracuse University’s School of Education, where Brutsaert has served as Professor since 2016 and previously as Associate Professor since 2009. At Syracuse, Brutsaert is the Director of the Altitude Simulation Laboratory, holds a courtesy appointment in the Department of Anthropology, and helps to coordinate the Human Performance Laboratory. Before joining Syracuse University, he held several positions at SUNY Albany. There, he was a Fellow in the Center for Social and Demographic Analysis, and was Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology from 2005 to 2009 after being promoted from Assistant Professor. He also served as Co-Director of the Human Biology Program from 2003 to 2004. He completed an NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of California at San Diego’s School of Medicine in the Division of Physiology.
Brutsaert has broad research interests in how gene and environment interact to produce variation in human athletic ability and health and disease. His work is published in several publications, most recently in Frontiers in Genetics, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, European Journal of Applied Physiology, the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, and International Journal of Molecular Sciences, among others. He has given presentations at the International Conference on Genomics, Leh High Altitude Symposium, World Congress on High Altitude Medicine and Physiology, for the Center for Physiological Genomics, and others.
Past research has received support from the National Science Foundation (NSF Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Geographic Foundation, and a Fulbright Specialist Award. Brutsaert serves on the Advisory Editorial Board for Sports Sciences for Health and the Editorial Board for High Altitude Medicine and Biology, and previously served in editorial and reviewer roles for other journals, books, and grants.
Brutsaert earned his Ph.D. in Biological Anthropology in 1977 from Cornell University, where he also earned his M.S. in Human Nutrition and M.A. in Biological Anthropology. He earned his B.A. in Biology from Northeastern University.
Keith DeRuisseau
Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Exercise Science
Keith DeRuisseau joins Falk College as Associate Professor in the Department of Exercise Science in Fall 2020. He is currently the Chair of the department and teaches courses such as introduction to exercise science, physiology of exercise, and skeletal muscle physiology.
Prior to joining Falk College in 2020, the Department of Exercise Science was positioned within Syracuse University’s School of Education, where DeRuisseau has served as Associate Professor since 2012 and previously as Assistant Professor since 2006. Before joining Syracuse University, he was a Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology at the University of Florida.
DeRuisseau’s research investigates potential mediators of skeletal muscle dysfunction under conditions that include disuse, aging, and trisomy (a model of Down syndrome). An emphasis is placed on how iron, oxidants, and antioxidants contribute to skeletal muscle mass and functional responses. He is published in several journals, most recently in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, the Journal of Applied Physiology, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, European Journal of Sport Science, and Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology. He has presented his work at Experimental Biology annual meetings and for the American College of Sports Medicine.
Past research has received support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and National Institute on Aging (NIA), the Diabetes Group of the Hill Collaboration on Environmental Medicine, the Syracuse University Gerontology Center, and others. DeRuisseau is a 2015-16 Fulbright U.S. Scholar Grant awardee for the Fulbright-Saastamoinen Foundation Grant in Health and Environmental Sciences. He is a member of the American Physiological Society and invited manuscript reviewer for publications such as Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, and the Journal of Applied Physiology, among others.
DeRuisseau earned his Ph.D. in Movement Science from Florida State University in 2002. He earned his M.S. and B.S. in Exercise Science, both from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Maria Erdman
Associate Teaching Professor, Department of Nutrition and Food Studies
Maria Erdman joins the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies in Falk College as an Associate Teaching Professor in Fall 2020. At Syracuse, Erdman will teach in the nutrition program.
Prior to joining Syracuse University, Erdman was employed at Morrison Healthcare at Upstate University Hospital as a Clinical Outpatient Dietitian at the Upstate Cancer Center since 2014. Prior to that time, she was a Clinical Inpatient Dietitian. Previously, she was a Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant at Syracuse University, and also worked as a Laboratory Manager and Research Technician at UC Davis, Yale College, and Syracuse University.
Erdman’s research on nutrition on college campuses is published in Public Health Nutrition and Health Promotion. She has presented at the Food and Nutrition Conference and Exposition of the American Dietetic Association (2010) and NYSDA Annual Meeting (2009). She has given many nutrition lectures and educational sessions at Oasis/Healthlink Learning Center at Upstate Medical University, Upstate Cancer Center, Upstate Healthlink On Air Radio Program, and Upstate Medical University Physical Therapy, among others.
She is the recipient of several awards, including the Upstate Cancer Center Nutrition Services Fund, a grant from the Upstate Foundation to pay the nutrition counseling bills of cancer patients at Upstate Cancer Center, as well as the 2016 President’s Employee Recognition Award, Clinical Team of the Year. She also received the 2010 Outstanding Dietetics Student Dietetic Internship Award from the New York State Dietetic Association (NYSDA) and the Outstanding Graduate Student in Nutrition Science from Syracuse University. She has served in several volunteer positions for the CNYDA, including president, and has served in volunteer roles at the Crouse Hospital Clinical Dietetics Department, Syracuse City School District, and Community Supported Agriculture of Central New York, among others.
Erdman earned a M.S. in Nutrition Science at Syracuse University in 2009, where she also completed her Dietetic Internship, and a B.S. in Genetics at the University of California, Davis.
She earned certifications as a Board Certified Specialist in Oncology Nutrition (CSO) 2015-20 and a Board Certified Nutrition Support Clinician (CNSC) 2012-17.
Kevin Heffernan
Associate Professor, Department of Exercise Science
Kevin Heffernan joins Falk College as Associate Professor in the Department of Exercise Science in Fall 2020. In the department, he teaches courses such as exercise and aging, cardiac rehabilitation, and advanced cardiovascular exercise physiology.
Prior to joining Falk College in 2020, the Department of Exercise Science was positioned within Syracuse University’s School of Education, where Heffernan has served as Dean’s (Distinguished) Associate Professor since 2011. He currently serves as the Director of the Human Performance Laboratory at Syracuse University. Previously, he completed a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the Tufts Medical Center, Molecular Cardiology Research Institute and the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging from 2008 to 2011.
Heffernan’s research examines the interaction of diet, nutritional supplementation and exercise, with an emphasis on resistance exercise, on vascular function in health, disease and disability throughout the human lifespan. His work is published in several journals, most recently the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, JAMA Cardiology, and the Journal of Applied Physiology. He has presented recent work on exercise and cardiovascular health at the American College of Sports Medicine and the North American Artery Society scientific conferences as well as work related to health disparities in cardiovascular disease risk to members of the Congressional Black Caucus. He is Past-President of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine.
Past research has been funded by the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association. Current work is funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, part of the National Institutes of Health. Heffernan serves on the Syracuse University Institutional Review Board, Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Faculty, is an Aging Studies Institute Research Member and a Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion Faculty Fellow.
Heffernan earned his Ph.D. in Kinesiology/Exercise Physiology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2008. He holds a M.S. in Applied Physiology and Nutrition from Columbia University, and a B.S. in Exercise Science from the University of Scranton.
Joon Young Kim
Assistant Professor, Department of Exercise Science
Joon Young Kim joins Falk College as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Exercise Science in Fall 2020. In the department, he teaches courses such as pediatric obesity and systemic physiology and exercise.
Prior to joining Falk College in 2020, the Department of Exercise Science was positioned within Syracuse University’s School of Education, where Kim has served as Assistant Professor since 2019. He currently leads the Clinical Research Laboratory at Syracuse University. Previously, he was a National Institutes of Health-supported T32 Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Postdoctoral Associate at the UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh from 2015 to 2019.
Kim is a Ph.D.-scientist and a clinical researcher in exercise physiology with specific focus on childhood obesity, metabolism, and type 2 diabetes. His research focuses on pathophysiology of youth-onset prediabetes/type 2 diabetes, identification of novel phenotypic biomarkers and genetic targets of obesity and type 2 diabetes, and effects of lifestyle intervention on type 2 diabetes risk in obese youth. His work is published in several high-impact journals including Diabetes Care, Diabetes, and the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. He has given presentations at the American Diabetes Association, American College of Sport Medicine, Endocrine Society, and others.
Past research has been funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and the Arizona State University Research Support Program. He has received scholarships and awards from Yonsei University and Arizona State University, as well as the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes and the Endocrine Society. He currently serves as an Advising Member for the American Diabetes Association’s Exercise Physiology Interest Group Leadership Team, an Organizing/Scientific Committee Member for the World Obesity and Weight Management Congress, and an Editorial Board Member for the Journal of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome.
Kim earned his Ph.D. in Kinesiology/Exercise Physiology from Arizona State University in 2015. He holds a B.S. in Physical Education from Yonsei University in South Korea.
Kristen Konkol
Assistant Teaching Professor, Department of Exercise Science
Kristin Konkol joins Falk College as an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Exercise Science in Fall 2020. She has a dual appointment in the School of Education. In the department, she teaches courses such as structural kinesiology for performance enhancement and injury prevention, structural kinesiology, scientific principles of conditioning, and concepts of fitness. She also runs the internship and experience credits for the department.
Prior to joining Falk College in 2020, the Department of Exercise Science was positioned within Syracuse University’s School of Education, where Konkol has served as Assistant Professor since 2018, and formerly as part-time faculty. Previously, Konkol was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Performance, Exercise Science/Physiology at the Minnesota State University, Mankato, where she taught courses such as individualized exercise, aerobic conditioning, and concepts of fitness, among others. She also held an adjunct faculty position there, as well as coaching positions at the Gustavus Adolphus College. At the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal in South Africa, Konkol held several titles, including lecturer, lab instructor, manager in the Human Performance Laboratory, and performance specialist for professional athletes.
Konkol’s research interests include sport specific training; speed, agility, and quickness training; athletic performance testing; strength and conditioning; exercise immunology; and global perspectives in human performance. Konkol’s work is published in the Cardiovascular Journal of Africa, Sport Sciences for Health, Children, Sports and Exercise Medicine Open Journal, and International Journal of Exercise Science.
Konkol currently serves at Syracuse University as the I-Move Program Coordinator and Dance Minor Coordinator. From 2004 to 2006, she served as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer in Guyana and South America. Konlol is a Certified Performance Enhancement Specialist through the National Academy of Sports Medicine.
Konkol earned her Ph.D. in Sports Science from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa in 2013. She earned an M.A. in Kinesiology with an Exercise Physiology emphasis and a graduate minor in Complementary and Alternative Therapy and Healing Practices from the University of Minnesota in 2001. She earned her B.S. in Exercise Science with a Cardiac Rehabilitation emphasis from the University of Toledo, where she was a Division I collegiate basketball athlete.
Kenneth Marfilius
Assistant Teaching Professor, School of Social Work
Ken Marfilius joins the School of Social Work in Falk College as an Assistant Teaching Professor in Fall 2020.
Prior to his new appointment at Syracuse University, Marfilius served as a Visiting Teaching Professor in Falk College’s School of Social Work since 2018, and as an Adjunct Faculty Member from 2016 to 2018. Marfilius will serve as the School of Social Work’s Undergraduate Director. He has taught courses on topics such as social work intervention, military culture and social work practice, psychopathology, and others. While active duty, Marfilius served in the U.S. Air Force Biomedical Science Corps in multiple roles: active duty clinical social worker, mental health therapist, family advocacy officer in charge, and as manager of the alcohol and drug prevention and treatment program. He was commissioned in 2013 and was discharged in 2016 having obtained the rank of captain. At the Barksdale Air Force Base, Marfilius served in a variety of mental health roles related to sexual assault prevention and response, suicide prevention, and traumatic stress. Marfilius has also worked for the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs at the Syracuse VA Medical Center in the Healthcare for Homeless Veterans Program, and as a Disruptive Behavior Committee Member.
Marfilius has given several presentations and trainings, topics ranging from veteran cultural competence to trauma-informed care, at the Association for Humanistic Counseling National Conference, the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice, and the United States Department of Veteran Affairs, among others.
Marfilius is honored with a National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal. He is a recipient of the U.S. Air Force Health Professions Scholarship and the U.S. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and has twice been awarded the Barksdale Air Force Base Medical Operations Squadron Company Grade Officer of the Quarter. Marfilius currently serves on several committees at Syracuse University, including his service as Chair of the Council on the Social Work Education Self-Study Steering Committee.
Marfilius earned a Doctorate in Clinical Social Work (D.S.W.) and Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) from the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice. He earned a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Public Health from Syracuse University. He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of North Carolina and is certified in Prolonged Exposure Therapy.
Miriam Mutambudzi
Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health
Miriam Mutambudzi joins the Department of Public Health in Falk College as Assistant Professor in Fall 2020.
Prior to joining Syracuse University, Mutambudzi served as a Research Associate in the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, and a Guest Epidemiology Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine at the University of Antwerp in Belgium. Previously, she was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health at the University of Texas Medical Branch, and a Senior Research Program Coordinator at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Medicine.
Mutambudzi’s research focus is on chronic disease and occupational epidemiology. Much of her research has largely been directed towards the use of longitudinal data to assess disparities in morbidity, disability, and mortality, with particular interest in onset and progression of chronic diseases, work-related health outcomes, and social determinants of health in vulnerable populations and older adults in Europe and the U.S. She has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals including the European Journal of Ageing, Journal of Gerontology: Medical Science, and the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, among many others. She has presented at the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP), Epidemiology in Occupation Health Conference (EPICOH), and the Population Association of America (PAA).
Mutambudzi is the 2020 recipient of the Kammer Emmett Award from the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) for the most outstanding article published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine in 2019. Past research support includes funding from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). She is an Editorial Board Member of the Journal of Aging and Health and has served as an editorial peer reviewer for many other journals. She is a member of the European Association for Population Studies.
Mutambudzi earned her Ph.D. in Public Health from University of Connecticut in 2012. She also holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) and a B.A. in International Studies from the West Virginia University.
Latha Ramalingam
Assistant Professor, Department of Nutrition and Food Studies
Latha Ramalingam joins the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies in Falk College as Assistant Professor in Fall 2020. She works broadly in areas of metabolic disease, which include obesity and diabetes.
Prior to joining Syracuse University, Ramalingam was a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at Texas Tech University since 2014. Previously, she served at Indiana University’s School of Medicine as a Postdoctoral Fellow and a Research Assistant.
Ramalingam’s research interests include strategies, both in vitro and in vivo, to investigate the effects of Bioactives (omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin D) in maternal obesity using animal models. She also has projects investigating the mechanism behind the role of Renin Angiotensin System (RAS) in beta cells. She has published in several journals, including Scientific Reports, Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, Nutrients, and Diabetes. She has presented her work at the American Society of Nutrition, American Heart Association and Obesity Society.
Ramalingam’s research has been supported by the American Heart Association, the USDA, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, the Obesity Society, and Texas Tech University. She is the recipient of several awards, including Early Career Travel Award for International Congress of Nutrition, Argentina 2017, and 2016 IJO Young Investigator Award, 13th International Congress of Obesity, Vancouver, Canada and the Early Career Grant Challenge from Obesity Society among other awards. Currently, she serves on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, International Journal of Diabetes, and Obesity and Nutritional Disorders.
Ramalingam earned her Ph.D. at the Indiana University’s School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, in 2014. She also holds a M.Tech from Vellore Institute of Technology’s School of Biotechnology in Vellore, India and a B.Pharm from Sri Ramachandra Medical College’s School of Pharmacy in Chennai.
Maryam Yuhas
Assistant Professor, Department of Nutrition and Food Studies
Maryam Yuhas joins the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies as Assistant Professor in fall 2020. At Syracuse University, Yuhas will teach in the nutrition program.
Prior to joining Syracuse University, Yuhas served as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, Department of Public Health Sciences, since 2019. Previously, she has practiced as Registered Dietitian in two different clinical settings and has held roles as Graduate Research Assistant for the University of Virginia’s Department of Public Health Sciences, Virginia Tech’s Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, and for Oklahoma State University’s Department of Nutritional Sciences. She has also held other intern, extern, and teaching assistant roles. Yuhas’s research is rooted in the socioecological perspective and focuses on working with minority, low-income, and rural communities to implement and evaluate nutrition- and physical activity-based interventions. She is published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) mHealth and uHealth, Journal of Appalachian Health, Contemporary Clinical Trials, Preventive Nutrition and Food Science, and Nutrition and Metabolic Insights. She has given scientific presentations at The Obesity Society, Experimental Biology, and the Oklahoma Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, among others.
Current research projects for which Yuhas serves as Postdoctoral Research Associate are supported by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and by the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). Yuhas is the recipient of several awards, including the 2013 Weber Gerontology Scholarship Award at Oklahoma State University and the 2016 Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Program Award at Virginia Tech, among others. She currently serves as a reviewer for several journals including the Journal of Medical Internet Research, the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the Journal of Adolescent Health. She is a member of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and several community-based advisory boards and coalitions.
Yuhas earned her Ph.D. in Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise from Virginia Tech in 2019, specializing in Behavioral and Community Sciences. She earned her M.S. in Nutritional Sciences from Oklahoma State University and her B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics from Benedictine University. She completed her Dietetic Internship at Oklahoma State University and earned her Registered Dietitian (RDN) credential from Commission on Dietetics Registration in 2014.
Amelia Dome, Gursimar Singh named 2020-21 Remembrance Scholars
Singh, who is studying public health, is inspired by who the Remembrance Scholars represent. She feels it’s an honor and a responsibility to build on the legacy of the Remembrance Scholars who came before her.
“They personify the type of role model who cares about the greater good and less about their own personal interests,” Singh says. “Over the years, I’ve had the great pleasure to know many of them on a deeper level, and have seen the impact they have made on the student body, including myself, as well as others in need.”
Singh is involved in OrangeSeeds, an organization on campus that focuses on uplifting the surrounding Syracuse community through service work. Her experiences with OrangeSeeds led her to intern for a local non-profit, Refugee and Immigrant Self-Empowerment (RISE), where she worked with children after their school day fostering their emotional intellectual and physical development.
“This journey has allowed me to implement the principles of my faith, helping others and putting their needs before my own,” Singh notes. “As a cohort, my hope is that we can shine the light on those whose lives were taken, rather than on our own personal achievements. Being a Remembrance Scholar is less about us as individuals, but more about acting forward in the memory of those lost.”
Amelia Dome is studying public health in Falk College and policy studies in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Dome recalls her freshman year at Syracuse University when she became aware of the incredible role of a Remembrance Scholar and knew she wanted to become one. She is extremely honored to be selected and attributes her public health education from Falk College as inspiration to improve the health of those who have had traumatic experiences.
“As a Remembrance Scholar, I would like to raise awareness about the impacts of trauma on health. I believe that I was selected as a Remembrance Scholar because of my commitment to community service in the Syracuse area over the past three years,” Dome said. “My experiences at Syracuse have led me to pursue a career as a nurse practitioner and clinical nurse leader to further dedicate my life to improving the health of others.”
Dome said she is looking forward to working with the other Remembrance Scholars during the 2020-2021 academic year.
“I hope that we can work together to give back to communities and continue to educate Syracuse University students about the Pan Am Flight 103 attack,” Dome said. “I would like to thank all of my professors and specifically, Dr. Maureen Thompson who has always encouraged and helped me to achieve my goals.”
The scholarships were founded as a tribute to—and means of remembering—the 35 students who were killed in the Dec. 21, 1988, bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Those students, who were returning from a semester of study in London and Florence, were among the 270 people who perished in the bombing. The scholarships are funded through an endowment supported by gifts from alumni, friends, parents, and corporations.
Learn more about the Remembrance Scholarship
Why coronavirus appears tied to fewer heart attacks
Falk faculty members Brooks Gump, Falk Family Endowed Professor of Public Health and Kevin Heffernan, Professor of Exercise Science and director of the Human Performance Laboratory, co-authored an op-ed that appears in U.S. News & World Report that explores a new anomaly with the rise in COVID-19 cases – namely, a concurrent decline in the number of hospital admissions for heart attacks and other cardiac events. They cite a number of possible explanations for this drop while helping readers understand the etiology of both cardiovascular disease and, separately, cardiac events.
Congratulations 2020 Falk Student Research Celebration Winners
The Falk Student Research Celebration is an annual event that takes place to highlight undergraduate and graduate student research projects Students submit posters for display and are judged by a committee of faculty, staff, and peers. Participants compete for educational funds to present their posters on a larger stage, to attend a conference to gain further insights into their respective fields, or for other educational endeavors. This year’s celebration took place virtually.
Undergraduate Winners
Sentiment Analysis and Video Assistance Referees (VAR) in Professional Soccer
Name: Dylan Blechner
Program/Major: Sport Analytics
Faculty Research Mentor: Rodney Paul
Insecticide Treated Nets and Insecticide Resistance on Malaria Prevention in sub-Saharan Africa
Name: Rachael Church and Dr. David Larsen
Program/Major: Biology Major with a Public Health Minor and Environment & Society Minor
Faculty Research Mentor: David Larsen
Examining Wealth Trends in Kombewa, Kenya
Name: Alizée McLorg, Dr. David Larsen, Dr. Andrea Shaw, Dr. Bhavneet Walia, Kennedy Omolo, and Peter Sifuna
Program/Major: Public Health
Faculty Research Mentor: David Larsen
Energy Availability in Female Collegiate Athletes: A Pilot Study
Name: Jessica Neidel and Dr. Jessica L. Garay
Program/Major: Nutrition Science
Faculty Research Mentor: Jessica L. Garay
Graduate Winners
The Role of Diet Quality and Micronutrient Content on Sleep Parameters in Children Aged 9-11
Name: Nicholas Marino and Dr. Margaret Voss
Program/Major: Nutrition Science
Faculty Research Mentor: Margaret Voss, Lynn Brann, and Brooks Gump
Father Involvement, Couple Relationship Quality, and Maternal Postpartum Depression: The Role of Ethnicity among Low-income Families
Name: Ying Zhang and Dr. Rachel Razza
Program/Major: Human Development and Family Science
Faculty Research Mentor: Rachel Razza
Public health professor shares insights on economic recovery
In a recently published op-ed by assistant professor of public health, Bhavneet Walia share insights on economic recovery in light of the coronavirus pandemic. “As we are doing our part and following public health guidelines to protect not only our families but also our neighbors and fellow world citizens at a global level, there is also a need to understand and do our part toward economic recovery. As we all fight this battle against a mostly unknown virus, we are wondering how and when the economic recovery will start.” Fortunately, Walia says, past economic struggles and challenging times have taught us lessons that can possibly bring us some relief. Professor Walia’s areas of specialization include health economics and health econometrics.
In our current health crisis, consumers are staying at home and not spending as much money as they normally do in a non-pandemic and expanding economy. Either they do not have a lot of money, or they are uncertain about their future financial situation and hence are saving at a higher rate. Producers are not producing at regular levels for two reasons: their shops are shut down, and consumers have gone into saving mode.
The government is still buying and selling, but at a slower rate in many respects because of the shutdown. The government is delivering policies that it hopes will make the economic recovery smoother and faster once the public health crisis slows down. The highest-impact policy as of now made by the government is the stimulus checks sent to a large swath of the population. When consumers are worried about their future financial situations, they save at a higher rate and do not spend money. Stimulus checks are a way for the government to encourage individuals to spend money in the economy without dipping into their savings.
If individuals spend their stimulus check to buy necessities and put money back into the economy, this will lead to more production and higher employment. Thus, the stimulus funds will promote economic recovery. However, if the beneficiaries of the stimulus money do not spend and instead save it, economic recovery will be slower.
Read the full commentary at Syracuse.com
Masking the Problem
Based on a Syracuse University Story by Rob Enslin originally published on May 8, 2020.
Dr. David Larsen, a professor in Falk College’s Department of Public Health, studies patterns of sickness and disease in human populations. He is particularly interested in the outbreak of a novel strain of coronavirus because of its personal relevance. “I’ve never worked on a disease system that directly impacts my community,” says Larsen, an expert in malaria research. “I see a lot of parallels between the response to COVID-19 in the United States and to malaria in Zambia.” Experts predict that until an effective vaccine is created and populations develop immunity to COVID-19, stopping or controlling the spread of the disease will be difficult.
Syracuse University’s Rob Enslin recently caught up with Larsen to discuss myths and misconceptions about public masking and why do-it-yourself masks are “better than nothing.”
What kinds of masks are used for COVID-19 protection?
There are three kinds: surgical masks, N95 respirators and cloth masks.
Surgical masks are disposable and loose-fitting, and should be discarded after use. They’re mostly fluid-resistant.
N95 respirators are oval-shaped and form a seal around your face. Because they’re tight-fitting, they filter out about 95 percent of all particles, including viruses and bacteria. It’s important to fit-test a respirator before using or reusing it.
Cloth masks are what most of us wear and should fit snugly against the side of the face. It’s important not to touch your nose, eyes or mouth after removing a cloth mask. It can be washed and reused many times.
The CDC considers surgical masks an “acceptable alternative” to N95 respirators. Do you agree?
It’s confusing, that’s for sure. Research indicates that surgical masks are less protective than N95 respirators. This may explain why front-line health care workers account for 11 percent of all COVID-19 infections. Shortages of N95s and other surgical masks affect the very people who need them most.
Initially, scientists thought COVID-19 was spread by large air droplets, making surgical masks viable. We now know that the virus can be spread by minuscule droplets that hang in the air for up to 16 hours. N95 respirators, if properly fitted, can block most of these air particles. Surgical masks cannot.
What are the public’s options?
I encourage people to make their own masks. They may not be perfect, but they’re better than nothing. I use a pre-quilted cotton fabric. T-shirts, bandanas and denim jeans also work.
There’s been a research breakthrough on the effectiveness of nylon material. Studies show that pantyhose, used in conjunction with a cloth mask, create a tight seal around the wearer’s face. An inner layer of nylon against the skin can match or exceed the filtering capacity of most surgical masks.
Are there any changes in masking guidelines?
The number one rule is to never touch the outside of your mask, only [touch] the straps or ear loops. If you wear glasses, make sure there’s a tight seal above the nose. Otherwise, they fog up.
Viral droplets are emitted from people coughing, sneezing or talking. These particles are very small, less than one-hundredth of a millimeter in size, but are quite resilient. Instead of dropping to the ground, they float or drift in the air before entering someone’s nose or mouth. Having a tight seal is imperative for protection against COVID-19.
Are you suggesting that we practice social distancing in addition to public masking?
I am. It’s not an either/or proposition.
One myth is that we don’t need social distancing if we’re wearing a mask. Masks may reduce transmission, but they’re not completely effective. That’s why we also practice social distancing and hand hygiene.
Many of us may walk through clouds of viral particles without even knowing. As a result, we might not be aware that we’re sick or carrying something. Public masking protects me from you. It shows me that you take my health—and the pandemic—seriously.
Congratulations Class of 2020
Congratulations and best wishes to the Class of 2020 from the students, faculty, staff, advisory boards, alumni and friends of Falk College! The courage and resiliency you have demonstrated in these challenging times prove you are prepared to respond to society’s greatest needs. Now more than ever, our world needs all you have to offer. We look forward to hearing about your achievements as our newest Falk alumni and eagerly await the future in-person celebration at Falk Convocation and Syracuse University Commencement.
The Dean’s video message to the Class of 2020 was recorded late last year when we were fully expecting our traditional campus celebrations to take place this spring. Since then, the global coronavirus pandemic has impacted all of us in many difficult ways. We recognize how hard this has been for all of our students, and particularly the Class of 2020. While we will celebrate with you at distance for now, we look forward to celebrating together in person when it is safe to do so.
Join the Syracuse University community for the Class of 2020 Virtual Degree Conferral.
Addiction Studies CAS prepares students for work in prevention, policy, and sustainable recovery
By Emma Henzes
Falk College offers a 12-credit Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) in Addiction Studies that examines the intersectionality of substance use and addictive behaviors with emphasis on prevention, policy, and sustainable recovery. Combining addiction studies with competencies in mental health counseling and public focused graduate programs prepares students to address this complex social problem while enhancing their marketability for employment.
Laura K. Thompson, Ph.D., LPC, CAC 1 completed her CAS in Addiction Studies while working on her Ph.D. in Counseling and Counselor Education at Syracuse University. Thompson says addiction touches so many lives and that understanding human nature is critical for proper care. “The CAS in Addiction Studies does a great job of exposing students to information about the root causes of addiction and ways to work with those who are struggling,” Thompson says. “This knowledge has been imperative in my work as a mental health counselor.” She currently works at Regis University in Denver, Colorado as a staff counselor with a substance abuse specialty. Thompson teaches as an affiliate faculty member in the graduate program of Counseling at Regis and as an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Applied Psychology at New York University.
Addiction Studies coupled with Syracuse University graduate degree programs such as social work, marriage and family therapy, psychology, and mental health counseling provides valuable skills for clinical practice. Graduate students enrolled in programs such as public administration, public affairs, public health, education, human development and law will benefit from coursework emphasizing prevention or policy, taking knowledge and skills to the community and societal level, influencing change on a broader scale.
Bergen-Cico and Ijere note that pursuing a graduate degree and a CAS simultaneously can provide an employment advantage upon graduation. The Addiction Studies CAS is also available as a stand-alone certificate to provide professionals with advanced education or enhance a bachelor’s degree. Thompson shares that her Addiction Studies CAS helped her career significantly, providing her with a standout specialty area when applying for positions in University Counseling Centers nationwide.
Faculty who teach in the Addiction Studies CAS are actively engaged in diverse research areas such as; mindfulness-based prevention and recovery, drug policy, behavioral addictions, new psychoactive drugs, harm reduction, medical cannabis, and traumatic stress as a risk factor. Interested students have the opportunity to engage in faculty research or receive mentoring for their independent research interests. Thompson advises students to immerse themselves in their education experience. “Dig into the information and find ways to apply what you’re learning through internships or work experiences,” Thompson says. “As one of my professors used to say, ‘practice makes permanent!’” She continues to remain in contact with several of her professors at Falk. “They have served as mentors to me, and I am grateful for this.”
Falk’s Addiction Studies program also has longstanding collaborative relationships with leaders in global drug policy and the Council of Europe’s Pompidou Group to Combat Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. This partnership brings together scientists and practitioners from across the globe to examine emerging trends and innovative drug policies rooted in public health. Students have opportunities to participate in annual international executive education training offered by the Pompidou Group’s Drug Policy Academy. Recently these trainings have been conducted in the Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Norway, and Italy.
All courses are approved by the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) for credentialing and continuing education. Completion of the certificate, with the inclusion of prevention science and ethics elective courses, meets the education training requirement for OASAS Credentialed Prevention Professional (CPP); and partially meets the requirements for Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC).
Learn more about the Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) in Addiction Studies
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