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 Awards:
Extramural AwardREU: Training Diverse Undergraduate Teams of Veterans and Non-Veterans to Conduct Trauma Research with Veterans, NSF
Kenneth James Marfilius | Bryce Hruska | Brooks B. Gump | Katherine McDonald | Tracey Musarra Marchese |Undergraduate Trauma Research Training, a National Education for Undergraduates (REU) program, is a National Science Foundation-funded joint effort between Syracuse University, SUNY Oswego, and SUNY Upstate Medical University. The objective is to train student veterans and non-veterans to conduct trauma-related research with veteran participants. . .
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Extramural AwardSyracuse Urban Food Forest Project (SUFFP)
The Syracuse Urban Food Forest Project (SUFFP) began in 2019 as a Syracuse University-SUNY Environmental Science & Forestry (ESF) collaboration, weaving together ecological sciences, landscape design, and urban food policy into an innovative approach to assess potential urban food forest potential as connective ecological-social infrastructure. . .
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Extramural AwardIncluding Adults with Intellectual Disability in Precision Medicine Research – Project ENGAGE
Adults with intellectual disability experience significant health disparities and may benefit from precision medicine research advances. However, they are underrepresented in research and understanding of solutions to the ethical, legal, and social consent-related challenges that present barriers to their inclusion in this research is limited. . .
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Extramural AwardResearch Ethics for All: Accessible Research Ethics Education for Community Research Partners
As part of a broader disability rights movement, adults with developmental disabilities are increasingly influencing scientific research. In these roles, adults with developmental disabilities help decide what to study, how to study it, what it all means, and what to do with the new information….
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Extramural AwardDevelopment and Evaluation of Community-based Approaches and Donor Care Intervention Models for Improving Availability and Safety of Blood for the Management of Severe Anemia in Ghana
This NHLBI-funded study aims to design, implement and evaluate community-based strategies for increasing the blood-donor pool in Ghana. It is one of three consortia funded under the NHLBI’s BLOODSAFE program to improve the availability and safety of blood in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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Extramural AwardUnderstanding and Supporting Pregnancy Decision-Making among Women with Developmental Disabilities that Affect Cognition
Pregnancies among women with developmental disabilities that affect cognition are often unplanned, which may contribute to their elevated rates of adverse outcomes. These women have limited reproductive knowledge, face substantial barriers to preconception care, are rarely engaged as active participants in reproductive decision-making, and are frequently discouraged from considering pregnancy or motherhood. This combination of disadvantages leaves them ill-prepared to make informed decisions about pregnancy planning and places them at risk of unintended pregnancies and adverse outcomes. Interactive web-based decision aids can help individuals with healthcare and health behavior choices.
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Extramural AwardThe Role of Peanut Intake and Nutritional Status on Pediatric Inflammation via DNA Methylation
Children living in poverty experience chronic stress from the instability of basic needs such as housing, food, and safety. In particular, food insecurity can lead to consumption of affordable, available foods, which are often ultra-processed. Exposure to chronic stress during childhood contributes to a higher risk of developing inflammation and oxidative stress. This can lead to other physical and mental health consequences such as increased likelihood of asthma, depression, and obesity. The goal of this study is to identify the nutritional effects on inflammation and oxidative stress in 4-year-old children living in poverty in New York state.
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Extramural AwardNYS Wastewater Surveillance Network
Wastewater surveillance is a useful tool for ensuring health security via confirmation that COVID-19 is at low levels of transmission and alerting to increasing levels of transmission. Dr. Larsen is leading efforts to develop a wastewater surveillance network for the state of New York, including building the surveillance system infrastructure, training local health departments regarding wastewater surveillance, and informing the public. Initially this network will serve in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the future, this network will support the public health response to the opioid crisis, monitor trends in antimicrobial resistance, and potentially surveil other infectious diseases such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus as well as environmental toxins such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Numerous research opportunities are available for students.
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Extramural AwardHepatitis E Vaccine Roadmap
This project aims to leverage experts from across the international Hepatitis E virus community to build global consensus around the knowledge and research gaps surrounding this important, yet neglected cause, of maternal mortality. We are working to identify an optimal country context and vaccine trial strategy to maximize the policy impact of an HEV vaccine at WHO and country levels. We are also engaging with vaccine manufacturers to ensure capacity, readiness, and interest in securing WHO prequalification for use in routine and emergency situations.
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Extramural AwardCollaborative Research: SCH: Psychophysiological Sensing to Enhance Mindfulness-based Interventions for Self-Regulation of Opioid Cravings
Dessa Bergen-Cico, professor Public Health is the co-principal investigator along with principal investigator Asif Salekin, assistant professor Electrical Engineering and Computer Science on a novel grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) titled Psychophysiological Sensing to Enhance Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Self-Regulation of Opioid Cravings. This study aims to support recovery from opioid use disorder (OUD), a leading public health problem in the U.S. Dr Bergen-Cico and Dr. Salekin will lead the development of wearable physiological sensing technologies that will help identify individual predictors of craving and relapse risk while also teaching participants how to use mindfulness-based practices to manage cravings and reduce neurophysiological responses associated with stress and relapse risks.
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Extramural AwardAccess to Healthcare for People with Disability: Physical Accessibility of Primary Care Providers
This project, with Mary Lou Breslin of DREDF, seeks to learn the frequency and geographic distribution of disability-accessible medical examination equipment (MDE) in primary care offices, and match location of MDE to potential need. With audit data from Medicaid managed care participating practices in Los Angeles County, the number of practices with MDE within a zip code is mapped against the Census zip code count of persons with mobility impairments. Regression analysis is used to assess zip code population demographics as predictors of the presence/absence of MDE. The sparse number and distribution of MDE suggest that few patients with mobility impairments will receive healthcare using accessible MDE. This disability-related access barrier affects equity of care and is an essential social determinant of health disparities of people with disabilities.
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Extramural AwardCommunity Schools Optimal Health Initiative
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is investing $3 million in the Community Schools Optimal Health Initiative, a partnership between Wayne County Community Schools and Peaceful Schools in Syracuse. Assistant Professor Ryan D. Heath in the School of Social Work will help implement and study the initiative, which aims to expand a system of supports that fosters healthy development for students across nine public school districts. The project will utilize community school systems and multitiered systems of support to identify existing assets, coordinate resources between schools and community agencies, and expand both school-based interventions and out-of-school programs.
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Extramural AwardEmpowering Black Pastors to Amplify Colorectal Cancer Prevention Messages in Underserved Communities
Empowering Black Pastors to Amplify Colorectal Cancer Prevention Messages to Underserved Communities is a culturally sensitive, faith-based health education intervention. The purpose of this project is to increase awareness of colorectal cancer, risk factors and the importance of prevention and early detection among African Americans in the city of Syracuse, New York. Project activities include structured Pastoral education, provision of a Pastoral toolkit, and development and distribution of a culturally competent brochure. These activities will lead to greater awareness and understanding about colorectal cancer, and increased participation in screening activities in underserved communities. Project partners include: Onondaga County Health Department, American Cancer Society, Inter-denominational Ministerial Alliance and Pastors’ Health Council of Central New York -Genesis Health Project Network.
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Extramural AwardInterdisciplinary Collaborative Training for Integrated Behavioral Health Care, Health Resources & Services Administration
Xiafei Wang | Kenneth James Marfilius | Tracy Walker | Kristin Esposito | Matthew C. Spitzmueller | Nancy R. Mudrick | Kendra DeLoach McCutcheon | Carrie J. Smith |Like communities across the United States, Central New York faces an acute shortage of mental health professionals, particularly those who work with children and families. The stigma of mental health issues, combined with long waits to see psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors and social workers, often means that families don’t seek help until they face a significant crisis. That’s why the School of Social Work in the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, the School of Education’s Department of Counseling and Human Services, the Department of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences, and Upstate University’s Psychiatry Faculty Practice have joined forces to create a collaborative training program to serve high-need and high-demand populations in urban and rural areas in the Central New York region.
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Extramural AwardDean’s Consortium of Schools of Social Work Evidence-based Practice in Mental Health
The Schools of Social Work Project for Evidence Based Practice (SW EBP Project) is a partnership between the New York State Office of Mental Health (NYSOMH) and university schools/departments of Social Work in New York State. Second-year master’s in social work (MSW) students receive training and education in recovery oriented, evidence-based practices for adults diagnosed with Serious Mental Illness (SMI).
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Extramural AwardThe Influence of Contextual and Constitutional Emotional Processes on Speech Motor Control and Speech Motor Learning in Early Childhood Stuttering
The goals of this project are to advance the understanding of stuttering development in preschool-age children and inform future fluency treatment. Specifically, the researchers are interested in how different aspects of emotional reactivity influence children’s speech motor control and speech motor learning.
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Extramural AwardMaria Brown and Mary Helen McNeal partner with Vera House in Preventing Elder Abuse Project
Vera House in collaboration with Maria Brown, Research Assistant Professor in Social Work and Aging Studies Institute and Mary Helen McNeal, Professor in College of Law, will establish the Expanding CORE (Community-Based Options to Respond to Elder Abuse) Program in three apartment buildings in Syracuse.
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Extramural AwardThe Impact of College Conference TV Networks on College Football and Basketball Attendance
Sport Analytics senior Sam Marteka and junior Mackenzie Mangos are working with assistant professor Jeremy Losak on research being conducted as part of an ACC Initiatives Grant. As more sporting events become available on live television, an obvious question is the extent to which television acts as a substitute or complement for in-stadium attendance. This is especially true at the collegiate level where ticket sales and other game day revenues make up a significant portion of total revenues. Using a panel dataset from 2002-2019, this project will examine the effects of new conference networks and the increase of televised events on attendance for college football NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and college basketball NCAA Division 1 schools.
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Extramural AwardPiloting a SARS2 Early Warning Wastewater Surveillance Platform
In response to the coronavirus, Syracuse University researchers have teamed with SUNY ESF, SUNY Upstate, and industry partners to pilot a statewide wastewater surveillance platform for New York state. This project will examine the usefulness of wastewater surveillance as an early warning of increasing coronavirus transmission and establish wastewater sampling standards for the state of New York.
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Extramural AwardExploring FIFA Video Games as a Channel to Promote Football Participation, Football Literacy, and Psychosocial Well-being
This project is proposed to (1) investigate how FIFA video games usage is associated with football participation and psychological well-being, and (2) develop strategies to better utilize the video game series in stimulating football participation. Two survey-based studies are designed for the project, targeting adults in the U.S. and Canada. In Study 1, we compare four groups [FIFA video games usage (Y/N) x physical play in football (Y/N)] on their football enjoyment/involvement and physical and mental health. In Study 2, we focus on those who only play football online, and introduce/test the concept of ‘football literacy’ as a mediator explaining the football participatory effects of playing FIFA video game series.
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Extramural AwardDeveloping an Instrument to Assess Intergenerational Digital Communication by Older Adults: Expanding the Solidarity Model
The purpose of this project is to develop a reliable and valid instrument that measures the use and efficacy of various forms of intergenerational digital communication and integrate those measures within the intergenerational solidarity inventory, the gold standard for measuring intergenerational family relationships. The researchers incorporate these new forms of communication into the intergenerational solidarity paradigm and its measurement tool by conceptualizing and empirically developing a new dimension of solidarity labelled “digital solidarity.”
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Extramural AwardCommunity and Work Participation Disparities: A Program of the ADA Participation Action Research Consortium (ADA PARC)
ADA PARC is a multi-site research collaboration bringing together the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) centers to examine the factors that influence the participation of people with disabilities in their communities to identify key participation disparities and strategically act to address them. We are conducting a multiregional strategic gap analyses across three primary participation areas community living, community participation, and economic equity. In some areas, such as community living and work, this will involve mining existing large population and community datasets so we can inform the benchmarking of key participation disparities and promising practices at state, regional and community levels. The ADA PARC will create a tool and a systematic process for assessing community participation at the community level for people to assess their communities.
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Extramural AwardIntergenerational Antecedents of Care to Older Adults Approaching the End of Life With and Without Dementia
In this project, researchers examine vulnerability of older adults in relation to the care-careers of their adult children over the family life cycle. Results will inform theory about how and when children respond to their parents’ early investments in them. Goals of the research are to: (1) link early transfers of valued resources of time, money, and emotion to rates of change in the amount of care adult children provide to their vulnerable older parents; (2) test a novel methodological approach—the “countdown model”—that uses time-to-death to represent global vulnerability that triggers the delivery of care to older parents; and (3) identify whether care to older parents is more strongly associated with time-to-death from Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia-related causes compared to other causes.
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Extramural AwardPaternal Risk Factors and Preschoolers Academic and Social Skills in Kenya; The Mediating role of Protective Factor
Using propositions within developmental psychopathology and parenting theories and frameworks, this study examines the associations between paternal risk factors (intimate partner violence, paternal depression, destructive conflict resolution behavior, and harsh parenting) and childhood outcomes (literacy and numeracy skills and internalizing and externalizing behaviors) and the mediating role of protective factors (social support, ethnic socialization, and constructive conflict resolution behavior) on these associations in Kenyan families. Participants are 350 fathers, their wives/partners and preschool-aged children, and their children’s teachers. Researchers hope that findings will inform the development of parenting policies and intervention programs that target risk and protective factors and paternal parenting and childhood development in low- and middle-income countries.
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Extramural AwardSocial Work Practice Fellow Program: Three-Model Implementation
Syracuse University School of Social Work Continuing Education Program has been awarded $21,000.00 in a collaborative grant with Adelphi University from the Health Foundation of Western and Central New York. The 18-month study intends to compare three models of Social Work Practice Fellow (SWPF) program delivery exclusive to social work supervisors. Process and outcome data would be used to assess feasibility, acceptability, and impact of the program in each delivery model as well as in a comparison across models.
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