INDIANAPOLIS — Six researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine have been invited to present their work at the annual Military Health System Research Symposium this week in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
The national event brings together scientists and medical experts from within and outside the military to discuss research underway in areas that could benefit military personnel, such as traumatic brain injury, mental health care, treatment of traumatic wounds, rehabilitation, regenerative medicine and other topics.
“We are pleased to have this distinguished group of scientists from Indiana University present their work at this symposium,” said Jorge José, vice president for research. “Their research offers a great deal of promise for meeting the medical needs of our military personnel and veterans, and their presentations at this event will increase awareness of IU’s outstanding research efforts in these areas.”
IU School of Medicine participants and their presentation topics are:
- Jinhui Chen, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of neurological surgery, who will report on visualizing the “invisible wounds” of mild traumatic brain injury and developing therapeutic approaches for blast-wave-induced mild traumatic brain injury.
- Xiaoming Jin, Ph.D., assistant professor of anatomy and cell biology, who will report on his microscopy imaging studies of circulation problems in the brain following concussion.
- Karl Koehler, Ph.D., postdoctoral research fellow, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, who will describe his lab’s discovery of a new technique for growing inner-ear tissue from stem cells, which will be used in additional research in regenerative therapy to restore hearing.
- Todd McKinley, M.D., professor of orthopaedic surgery, who will report on an imaging-based technique to predict systemic inflammation and organ dysfunction in patients with multiple injuries.
- Sunil Tholpady, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of surgery, who will report on his research into the use of fat-derived stem cells and skin cells to improve skin grafts and so reduce disfigurement in burn victims.
- Fletcher White, Ph.D., the V.K. Stoelting Professor of Anesthesia and professor of pharmacology and of cell biology and anatomy, who will discuss his research into a combination drug therapy that may substantially improve the safety of opioid treatments for traumatic and chronic pain.