Falk College strives to achieve excellence in education not only through good teaching but also through participation in active research. Our students benefit by learning from researchers who are working at the cutting-edge of knowledge, within well-equipped laboratories, and in projects that are both domestic and abroad. We encourage both undergraduates and graduate engagement to achieve not only a rewarding educational experience but also enhanced career opportunities upon graduation. Learn more about the different types of research awards.
Extramural AwardHigh-altitude Environments and Spleen Function in Humans
Sherpa highland natives in Nepal are known worldwide for their extraordinary physical abilities at high altitude. They are derived from Tibetan populations that may have experienced natural selection over thousands of years in response to hypobaric hypoxia (i.e., low oxygen environments). This project seeks to understand the role of the spleen and natural selection in determining the exercise capacity and hypoxia tolerance of Sherpa at altitude…
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Extramural AwardDoctoral Dissertation Research: Oxygen Transport Phenotypes and the Different Evolutionary Trajectories of Andean Versus Tibetan Highland Native Populations
The Andes region of South America and the Himalayas region of Asia both have populations of humans who have resided at high-altitude (3,000-5000m) for thousands of years. These populations are well-adapted to the hypoxic conditions of the mountains, but curious differences also exist for certain hematological, ventilatory, and genomic traits. This study is the first direct comparison of several of these traits (with a focus on exercise capacity and blood flow) between matched groups of Quechua from Peru and Sherpa from Nepal. The study uses the same measurement protocols in locations that are at nearly the same altitude (i.e., the city of Cerro de Pasco, Peru, and the village of Pheriche, Nepal, both at ~4,300m).
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2023-2024 Falk Tenure-Track Assistant Professor Seed Grant AwardPatterns of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Drug Use, Abuse, and Dependence
Sara Vasilenko (HDFS) PI and Xiafei Wang (SWK) co-PIPatterns of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Drug Use, Abuse, and Dependence Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with substance use, abuse, and dependence, making them an important pu…
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2023-2024 Falk Tenure-Track Assistant Professor Seed Grant AwardInvestigating the Role of Fish oil in Altering the Genetic Markers in Sperm of Obese Mice
Latha Ramalingam (NFS-NSD) PI, Investigating the Role of Fish oil in Altering the Genetic Markers in Sperm of Obese Mice Maternal obesity has been a primary focus in the study of early-life nutrition and children’s health. The effect of paternal obesit…
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2023-2024 Falk Tenure-Track Assistant Professor Seed Grant AwardInvestigating the Complex Pathway from Environmental Adversity during Childhood (9-11 years of age) to Young Adult (age 18-20) Social Functioning and Behavior
Stefanie Pilkay (SWK) PI and Xiafei Wang (SWK) co-PI, Investigating the Complex Pathway from Environmental Adversity during Childhood (9-11 years of age) to Young Adult (age 18-20) Social Functioning and Behavior Based on a sample from the Syracuse Lea…
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2023-2024 Falk Tenure-Track Assistant Professor Seed Grant AwardCollaborator, Is Our Living Environment Safe? Longitudinal Changes of Neighborhood Crime, Maternal Parenting Stress, and Immigration in Fragile Family
Fei Pei |Fei Pei (SPM) PI and Steve Dorus (BIO), Collaborator, Is Our Living Environment Safe? Longitudinal Changes of Neighborhood A robust body of previous studies discussed the cross-sectional relationships between various types of neighborhood factors and i…
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2023-2024 Falk Tenure-Track Assistant Professor Seed Grant AwardSocial Work in Palliative Cancer Care: A Mixed-Method Study
Ting Guan (SWK) PI, Social Work in Palliative Cancer Care: A Mixed-Method Study Palliative care is an interdisciplinary model of care with the goal of improving the quality of life for patients with cancer and their families. Social workers are vital i…
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2023-2024 Falk Tenure-Track Assistant Professor Seed Grant AwardEsports for All: Measuring the Rates of Toxicity Towards Women and Girls in Esports and Gaming
Lindsey Darvin (SPM) PI, Esports for All: Measuring the Rates of Toxicity Towards Women and Girls in Esports and Gaming Excitement over the tremendous growth and opportunity that gaming has experienced is largely overshadowed by the persistent misogyny…
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Extramural AwardImproving Financial Wellness among African Americans through Financial Literacy Education
Luvenia Cowart (PHP) PI and Maria T. Brown (SWK/ASI) co-PI. Improving Financial Wellness among African Americans through Financial Literacy Education: Advancing Health Equity in Underserved Communities, Health Research Inc. / NYS Department of Health,…
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Extramural AwardA Peer-to-Peer Intervention to Help College Students Apply and Transfer Effective Learning Strategies across STEM Courses
Margaret Usdansky (HDFS) PI, Rachel Razza(HDFS) co-PI, Leonard Lopoo (MAX) co-PI, and John Tillotson (A&S – Science Teaching) co-PI, Collaborative Research: Coaching to Learn: A Peer-to-Peer Intervention to Help College Students Apply and Transf…
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Extramural AwardDevelopment and Validation of a Measure to Assess Book Banning Views and Identification of Key Predictors of Those Attitudes
Matthew Mulvaney (HDFS) PI, Development and Validation of a Measure to Assess Book Banning Views and Identification of Key Predictors of Those Attitudes, Institute for Humane Studies – Small Project-Based Grant Program. 1/15/23-8/31/23 This research se…
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Extramural AwardADA Participation Action Research Consortium (ADA Parc)
Katherine McDonald (PHP) PI, Bhavneet Walia (PHP) co-I, and ADA experts from the Southeast ADA Center (Michael Morris, Barry Whaley, Pamela Williamson), ADA Participation Action Research Consortium (ADA Parc), TIRR Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center…
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Extramural AwardField Trials and Optimization of Dried Attractive Bait Stations in Puerto Rico
David Larsen (PHP) PI, Field Trials and Optimization of Dried Attractive Bait Stations in Puerto Rico, CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) / DHHS. 9/30/22-9/29/24 Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are the principal disease vectors for dengue, Zika,…
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Extramural AwardAgroecosystem Responses to Climate Change, Biodiversity Loss and Food Insecurity in the United States and Latin America
María Estelí Jiménez-Soto (NFS – FST) PI, Agroecosystem Responses to Climate Change, Biodiversity Loss and Food Insecurity in the United States and Latin America, Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR). 9/1/22-9/1/25 Climate change, biodiv…
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Extramural AwardBiosocial Pathways And Dementia Across Diverse Populations
Catherine Garcia (HDFS / ASI) PI,Pilot Project – Network On Education, Biosocial Pathways And Dementia Across Diverse Populations, University of Maryland / NIH / NIA, sub-award. 7/15/22-4/30/23 Hispanics/Latinos are the fastest-growing segment of older…
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Extramural AwardCamden Life Center Project, Center for Family Life and Recovery
Camden Life Center is an impact center with multiple agencies that offer coordinated care for the community. Camden Life Center provides mental health care, addiction treatment, case management, food resources, and pregnancy and parenting services for a rural area plagued by opioid overdose, adolescent suicide, and intergenerational trauma.
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Extramural AwardHow FSA CRP Program Managers Incorporate Science, Feasibility, and Acceptability in Guidelines for Conserving Grass and Breeding Birds on CRP Land
A recent legal settlement (NWF v. Veneman, Civil No. 04-2169) requires assessing and revising guidelines for permitted haying and grazing relative to the primary nesting season (PNS) of Breeding Grassland Birds (BGB) on USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) enrolled lands.
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Extramural AwardImpact of Paternal Omega-3 Fatty Acids Supplementation on Offspring Metabolic Health
Obesity in mothers has been the focus in the study of early life nutrition and children’s health, while obesity in fathers has been largely overlooked. In the United States, about 2 in 3 males of reproductive age are either overweight or suffer from obesity.
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Extramural AwardSocioenvironmental Influences on Health Among Older Island Puerto Ricans
Research on the socioenvironmental context in Puerto Rico has been extremely limited and little is known about the pathways that link the residential environment to health among older adults
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Extramural AwardCultivating Self-Regulation and Healthy Food Intake: Parental and Caregiver Engagement to Support Mindful Eating Behaviors Among Young Children
To cultivate food acceptance and enhance food preferences in young children, our research team has developed an intervention model to incorporate mindful eating and self-regulation within family and childcare settings.
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Extramural AwardCoast to Cow to Consumer
Optimizing agricultural productivity to sustainably meet rising global food demands requires innovative agricultural methods. Up to 12% of dietary gross energy may be lost through enteric methane (CH4) production, limiting cattle performance. . .
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Extramural AwardFeeding Seaweed to Advance the Sustainability of Organic Dairy and Aquaculture Systems
Organic dairy is faced with oversupply and fluctuating prices that threaten long-term financial viability. Identifying and adopting management strategies that improve production efficiency are critical to the industry.
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Extramural AwardRoot Causes of Bias-based Harassment in Schools: Risk and Protective Factors across Multiple Levels of the Social Ecology
Hate directed at youth with marginalized identities has increased in recent years, and there is a dearth of research that focuses on social-ecological factors associated with bias-based victimization and perpetration. . .
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Extramural AwardELC Wastewater Surveillance
The New York State Department of Health has contracted Syracuse University to scale a wastewater surveillance network for SARS-CoV-2 and other public health threats. . .
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Extramural AwardNYS Wastewater Surveillance Network
New York State Wastewater Surveillance Network – Phase 2. The New York State Department of Health has contracted Syracuse University to build the data and technical infrastructure for a statewide wastewater surveillance network. . .
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