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Elson S. Floyd College of MedicineNewsWSU Health Sciences Spokane

Three new deans join the college

The Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine at Washington State University has added three new administrators.

Ann Poznanski is the associate dean for curriculum at the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine.Ann Poznanski is the college’s new associate dean of curriculum. Ralitsa Akins takes over as associate dean of faculty talent, recognition and enhancement. Dawn Cooper has become the interim assistant dean of medical student scholarship.

Poznanski and Akins both come to WSU from the California Northstate University College of Medicine in Elk Grove, near Sacramento.

In California Ann Poznanski says she helped her medical school … » More …

Goodbye to Roy Almeida

Roy AlmeidaLast week we wrote about a visiting College of Medicine faculty member from Norway (Janne Grønli) who recently departed after two years at WSU Spokane. This week, we add a second name to our “So long, it’s been good to know you” list.

Roy Almeida, DrPH, is an epidemiologist who was the co-chair of the team that is creating the microbiology and infectious disease course for the WSU medical school. He has taught those subjects to University of Washington medical students in Spokane since January 2009.

Now he’s moving south to Florida where he will … » More …

Farewell to Janne Grønli

This is visiting Research Assistant Professor Janne Gronli.

When Research Assistant Professor Janne Grønli (pronounced YAWN-uh GROON-lee) came to WSU Spokane two years ago as a visiting faculty member from Norway, her goal was to gain a deeper understanding of the brain and its role in sleep.

On Friday, she’ll finish her time here having accomplished that. Along the way, she participated in sleep research, co-authored papers with her WSU colleagues and had a wonderful time traveling.

The well-regarded Norwegian sleep scientist – an associate professor at her home institution, the University of Bergen — came … » More …

New grant to study chronic disease in Native/Pacific populations

Dr. Dedra Buchwald is a professor at the WSU College of Medicine.

Congratulations to ESFCOM Professor Dedra Buchwald (left), recipient of a new federal grant to create one of two Transdisciplinary Collaborative Centers for Health Disparities Research on Chronic Disease Prevention. The grant was announced Wednesday by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, part of the National Institutes of Health. The other center will be created at Michigan State University.

For this grant, Dr. Buchwald and her co-investigator, Dr. Spero Manson, will develop innovative ways to work with American Indian, Alaska Native, Native … » More …

WSU Magazine article highlights Dr. Layton’s work

Clinical Associate Professor Matt Layton

We’re calling your attention to a great article by Rebecca Phillips from WSU Magazine that highlights the work done by ESFCOM Clinical Associate Professor Matt Layton and the Spokane Regional Health District. The article highlights the treatment received by people with heroin addiction and the work done to understand the power of that addiction. Dr. Layton is one of the leading addiction researchers in the region.

Stories from the research lab, part three

Research Assistant Professor Jason Gerstner looks at fruit flies through a microscope in his lab.

As he works in the lab, Research Assistant Professor Jason Gerstner is kept company by hundreds of little companions on his bench. Tiny fruit flies bounce off the walls of small, clear vials standing up in cardboard containers.

The flies are the featured actors in research done by Gerstner’s team. They’re exploring the role that specific fatty acid binding proteins can play in improving the quality of life for Alzheimer’s patients.

So how do the fruit flies fit in? Years ago, scientists … » More …

Stories from the research lab, part two

This week we’re telling you about some of the work Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine research faculty members are doing this summer.

Here is a partial list (with apologies to the faculty we’re omitting):

Sleep and Performance Research Center Director Hans Van Dongen and a group of colleagues announced a $1.7 million grant to develop new ways to help fatigued workers make fewer mistakes on the job.

This is a photo of Associate Professor Jonathan Wisor.Van Dongen and several other WSU faculty and staff attended Sleep 2016, the annual sleep research conference, … » More …

Stories from the research lab, part one

This is a photo of Assistant Professor Bin Shan, a cancer researcher at WSU Spokane.

Things slow down on the WSU Spokane campus when most of the students are away. Or do they?

During the summer, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine research faculty members are as busy as ever, applying for grants, doing research projects, writing articles for publication, editing journals and serving on committees.

This week, we’ll highlight a few faculty members and some of their summer activities.

When Assistant Professor Bin Shan works with breast cancer cells in the lab, he tries … » More …

New grant to fund sleep and decision-making research

This is a thumbnail photo of Research Professor Hans Van Dongen.

By Judith Van Dongen, WSU Spokane

Researchers from Washington State University’s Sleep and Performance Research Center received a $1.7 million grant to develop and test cognitive flexibility training to combat the effects of sleep loss on decision-making under rapidly changing circumstances.

Funding for the three-year project comes from the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, a partnership between the U.S. Congress, military and public to fund groundbreaking, high-impact medical research.

The project aims to reduce decision-making errors that contribute to failed military missions, industrial accidents, workplace … » More …

Camp Candoo on Northwest Public TV

Speech and Hearing Sciences Associate Professor Nancy Potter works with one of the children attending this summer's Camp Candoo for children with apraxia on the WSU Spokane campus.

Clinical Professor Amy Meredith, Associate Professor Nancy Potter (above) and several of their communications disorders graduate students have finished this summer’s Camp Candoo. Thirteen children with severe cases of apraxia and their parents came from all over the U.S. to receive two weeks of intense speech-language therapy and instruction.

Meredith and Potter agreed to allow a crew from Northwest Public Television to film the camp for an afternoon. Their … » More …

Elson S. Floyd College of MedicineNewsWSU Health Sciences Spokane