CSI’s DPT Program Celebrates 100% Success Rate

August 18, 2016

DPT Class of 2016

The College of Staten Island (CSI) is proud to announce that this year all 20Clinical Doctorate in Physical Therapy(DPT) graduates passed the Physical Therapy license exam on their first attempt. This marks the first time in the history of the program, which is just under three decades old, that graduates have celebrated a 100% success rate.

“This achievement clearly reflects a team effort of having an outstanding group of dedicated, intelligent, and resourceful students, and now licensed graduates; committed and hard-working highly qualified faculty and staff; and an administratively supportive environment with adequate resources for teaching and research,” noted Dr. Jeffrey Rothman, former Chair of the Department of Physical Therapy.

“As the outgoing Founding Chair, this accomplishment is personally very gratifying. I wish the program faculty and staff, students, and graduates much continued success,” said Dr. Rothman, who stepped down as chair in July.

The Department’s new Chair, Dr. Zaghloul Ahmed, commented, “I am thrilled to lead such an impressive department and I look forward to helping to bring our next class of students to the same lofty achievements as has been accomplished by the Class of 2016.”

School of Health Sciences Dean Dr. Maureen Becker added that, “This is an incredible feat, like taking home an Olympic gold medal! Traditionally, the Physical Therapy license exam results have always been outstanding … bronze and silver medal-worthy … this year, it all came together. I am truly proud of our students, alumni, and faculty, both full-time and adjunct, whose ongoing assessment and improvement implementation has led to this phenomenal outcome.”

The graduates mean scale score was more than 35 points above the mean national scale score (717 to 683) and the passing rate was seven percentage points above the national percentage. The exam was administered nationally on July 19 and the official results were reported by the Federation for State Board Physical Therapy Examiners.

The Clinical Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) program prepares students to become clinician-scientists who can competently apply research to clinical practice, perform all aspects of physical therapy practice, and perform clinical research. It will prepare graduates to examine, evaluate, diagnose, and intervene in the management of impairments, functional limitations, and disabilities of the cardiopulmonary, musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, and integumentary systems.

The program meets the changing national standards as well as community needs for physical therapists working in a multitude of settings. The DPT program is in accordance with the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) recommendation that physical therapists be doctorally credentialed. The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). Graduates will be eligible for the National Physical Therapy Examination.

By Sara Paul

Best Oral Presentations DPT Students (group presentation): Christina Gioeli, Kerry McPartlan, Emily Reid, Matthew Turturro Mentor: Professor Wei Zhang Physical Therapy Title: “Multi-Digit Coordination in Absence of Cutaneous Sensory Feedback During Grasping Tasks”

Inaugural Graduate Research Conference at CSI Draws Crowds

June 06, 2016

Andrew Mancuso

Are parents the ones who should be willing and able to provide sex education for their children? Is your favorite restaurant a healthy and safe choice of eatery?

These are just some of the questions addressed at this year’s first annual Graduate Research Conference (GRC) at the College of Staten Island (CSI). For the first time in CSI history, graduate students were invited to share their research and scholarship at a conference that took place at CSI’s Center for Performing Arts on May 12. The program outlined 14 oral presentations, (moderated by Professors Wei Zhang, Soon Ae Chun and William L”Amoreux) and 45 poster presentations by more than 70 CSI students.

The GRC was coordinated by Maureen Becker, Interim Founding Dean of the School of Health Sciences, Lynne Lacomis, and Joanne DeLucrezia. Dean Becker was extremely proud of the inaugural event commenting that “we far surpassed our expectations in terms of the number and caliber of participants.”

“No matter what the topic, the presenters were all so engaging, so well prepared and experts on their topic areas” said Dean Becker, adding that all schools and divisions were represented at the Conference, which attracted more than 400 people.

Some notable posters included those by Junaid Qaiser, Kaushiki Chatterjee, Randy B. Topper, and Andrew Mancuso.

Junaid Qaiser

Qaiser’s presentation “Smart ‘Healthy’ City Decision Support with New York City Restaurant Inspection Results” analyzed a list of restaurants inspected in a given timeframe in order to address policy making decisions for the city government and to provide information on the health status of restaurants. Qaier’s facuty mentor is Professor Soon Ae Chun.

Chatterjee’s poster “Effects of Resveratol and Pterostilbene on Human Cervical Cancer Cells” studied the effects of two polyphenols, Resveratol and Pterostilbene, on cervical cancer cells. Professor Jimmie Fata serves as Chatterjee’s faculty mentor.

“To What Extent Are Parents Willing and Able to Give Their Children Accurate Comprehensive Sex Education?” was the poster presentation created by Randy B. Topper who looked at specific data showing to what extent parents are the appropriate individuals to communicate information on sex education to their children. Professor Barbra Teater is Topper’s faculty mentor.

Mancuso created two posters.  One in collaboration with Chatterjee and Kamia Punia was titled “Delivering Phytochemical Therapeutics through Polymer Nanofibers.” The group created specific nano fibers to use as an implant for the treatment of cervical cancer and antimicrobial infections.  The faculty mentor for this group is Professor Krishnaswami Raja.

Mancuso, with faculty mentor Professor Raja, also presented on “Novel Polymer Micro-Structures for Drug Delivery Produced by Solution Blow-spinning.” Utilizing the blow-spinning process to create nano fibers in this project allowed greater control over the fabrication process.

The Conference culminated in an awards ceremony in which three of the best poster and oral presenters were selected by audience members. The “People’s Choice Awards” winners are listed below. Each winner received $50 gift card.

Best Poster Presentations

Tied for First Place:

Student: Viktoriya Morozova

Mentor: Professor Alejandra Alonso

Neuroscience

Title: “Uptake of Tau Proteins by HEK Cells”

Student: Carla Ann Kostandy

Mentor: Professor June Como

Nursing

Title: “Diabetes in a Nutshell: A Clinical Nurse Specialists’ Education Project for Healthcare Personnel”

Second Place

Student: Jennifer Williams

Mentor: Professor Eric Ivison

History

Title: “A Double Spouted Jar of the Chimu Culture in the Pre-Columbian Collection of the Staten Island Museum”

Best Oral Presentations (one from each room)

Student: Lauren Scott

Mentor: Professor Judit Kerekes

Education

Title: “Heterogeneous Cooperative Learning and Its Effects on Students’ Understanding of Multi-step Mathematical Word Problems”

Students (group presentation): Christina Gioeli, Kerry McPartlan, Emily Reid, Matthew Turturro

Mentor: Professor Wei Zhang

Physical Therapy

Title: “Multi-Digit Coordination in Absence of Cutaneous Sensory Feedback During Grasping Tasks”

Student: Maiara Bollauf

Mentor: Professor Vinay Vaishampayan

Engineering Science

Title: “Communication Complexity of the Closest Lattice Point Problem”

By Sara Paul

The Business of Healthcare: Michael Dowling presents at CSI

Michael Dowling speaks to an audience at CSI

A Joint Presentation of the School of Business and the School of Health Sciences: Mr. Michael Dowling, the President and CEO of Northwell Health (formerly the North Shore-LIJ Health System) spoke at the College of Staten Island on Thursday, November 12, 2015, to an audience of students, faculty, College administrators, representatives from Staten Island University Hospital, and other members of the healthcare industry along with a member and staff from the New York State Assembly.

The event was organized jointly by the College’s Schools of Business and Health Sciences, and was oriented towards an examination of the growing intersection between these two domains.  A panel discussion followed Mr. Dowling’s presentation where representatives from the School of Business, the School of Health Sciences, the New York State Physical Therapy Association, and Staten Island’s District 63 added their own disciplinary contexts to the President’s remarks.
In her introduction of Dowling, Susan Holak, the Founding Dean of the School of Business, helped to contextualize the event for students and everyone in attendance:  “Healthcare expenditures in the US are on track to hit $3.2 trillion this year – that’s an average of $10,000 per person.  The industry is complex and sensitive to many forces.”  Dr. Holak added, “[healthcare] is one of the fastest growing business sectors worldwide,” that “encompasses a wide range of specialist areas across a broad spectrum of operations, including some that fall into the general domain of business.  It is that intersection that we are examining tonight, through a variety of lenses.”
An extremely engaging and interesting speaker, Michael Dowling addressed the impact of different types of legislation on the healthcare industry, as well as on the effect of ever-changing technologies on the way that patient care is delivered.  Dowling noted that expectations relating to the quality and types of service are affected not only by patients and their families, but also by developments and shifting directions in research as well as in legislative agencies – in addition to changes in the mission of a hospital itself.

Dean Hoak, President William Fritz, Assemblyman Michael Cusick, Michael Dowling, Dr. Maureen Becker

A panel of speakers representing several diverse perspectives took part in a discussion following Dowling’s remarks.  Interim Dean of the School of Health Sciences, Dr. Maureen Becker, collaborated with Dean Holak to invite panelists to contribute unique, disciplinary frames of reference.  Each was asked to open with a few words on their particular point of view before taking questions from the audience.  Michael Cusick, New York State Assemblyman, Dr. Soon Ae Chun, Professor of Information Systems and Informatics at the College of Staten Island, Michael Mattia, President of the New York State Physical Therapy Association, and Dr. Marie Giordano, Assistant Professor of Nursing at CSI – all illustrated the finer points of their own experiences and approached the issues raised by Dowling from their distinct perspectives.
The event highlighted how students at the College of Staten Island, regardless of their field of study, are able to take advantage of the world-class opportunities that are made available by the institution.

By School of Business and School of Health Sciences

CHINA’S SHAOXING UNIVERSITY MODELS NEW PT PROGRAM ON CSI

Dr. William J. Fritz signs the Memorandum of Understanding for the groundbreaking new Physical Therapy program with Yongming Shou from Shaoxing University.

Physical therapy and rehabilitation in China are currently provided by untrained individuals who are mostly physical educators, and the number of individuals requiring rehabilitation in China is staggering.

To help with this situation, delegates from Shaoxing University in the Zhejiang Provence of China met on the College of Staten Island campus with key members of CSI’s faculty and staff, headed by Professor and Chair of the Department of Physical Therapy, Dr. Jeffrey Rothman.

Their goal is to develop a high-quality physical therapy educational program for China that would meet North American standards of accreditation.

With only one physical therapy education program in China located at the Polytech University in Hong Kong, the Shaoxing University delegates are aiming to form relationships with North American colleges and universities that can assist them in collaborating with faculty from Shaoxing on matters related to curriculum, course content, and research with a possible exchange program for students and faculty envisioned for the future.

The delegation was welcomed to CSI by Dr. Rothman and Dr. Stephen Ferst, Executive Director, Center for International Service, as they went on a tour of the CSI Department of Physical Therapy to meet with its faculty members. They soon met with CSI President Dr. William J. Fritz,  Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Fred Naider, Dean of Science and Technology Dr. Alex Chigogidze, and Professor Maureen Becker, Director of Clinical Education, Department of Physical Therapy and Interim Founding Dean of the School of Health Sciences, and signed the letter of intent to memorialize the collaboration and promote relations and mutual understating between the institutions.

“I am excited that our Doctor of Physical Therapy students will be offered the potential of overseas study and experience,” Dr. Fritz told the delegates. “We are proud of the opportunity to play a role to assist China in providing competent physical therapy and rehabilitation services.”

Dr. Fritz also noted that the collaboration will “increase the civic prosperity of Staten Island,” and informed the delegates of the College’s Interdisciplinary High Performance Computing Center and “the opportunities it provides our students.” He also discussed the recent creation of three new schools on campus, the School of Business, the School of Education, and the School of Health Sciences.

Dr. Rothman, working with Dr. Robert Chen, an internationally renowned sports physical therapist, met with the visiting Shaoxing University faculty and administrators in order to begin a valuable relationship that will see CSI’s Department of Physical Therapy program faculty, staff, and students assist in establishing Shaoxing University’s Physical Therapy program to meet the tremendous needs for rehabilitation services for its large population. Dr. Rothman, during his visit with Dr Chen last year, toured several rehabilitation centers in China. It was evident during his visit,

and following discussions with medical staff, that there is a high number of children in China with physical disabilities and adults with a multitude of physical and motoric problems that would benefit greatly from physical therapy services.

This collaboration with Shaoxing University will also allow for faculty and student exchange between the respective universities. In addition, CSI DPT students will be offered the potential for overseas study experience in their professional field, including, but not limited to, strengthening clinical practical training in Shaoxing University’s affiliated hospitals and expertise in Chinese traditional medicine and knowledge.

Shaoxing University considered several other U.S. physical therapy programs including a prestigious Manhattan-based private university, but decided to work with CSI after reviewing the curriculum and program resources, and meeting with CSI’s international office and administrative support.

The meeting with the delegation from Shaoxing was such a success that the University has also expressed interest in collaborating with other academic fields of study at CSI, including Mathematics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Nursing, Education, Engineering, and Business.

By establishing a collaborative relationship with Shaoxing University, CSI has the opportunity to play a monumental role in assisting China in providing competent physical therapy and rehabilitation services that are urgently needed by the Chinese population, while greatly enhancing the international reputation and presence of CSI and CUNY.

Trans-Spinal Direct Current Stimulation

Dr. Zaghloul Ahmed

The past academic year has been exceptionally rewarding for Dr. Zaghloul Ahmed, who has earned four major grants for his work in treating mobility complications due to serious spinal cord injuries.

The grants, two awarded by the New York State Department of Health, one by PSC CUNY, and one by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) total nearly $850,000 toward Dr. Ahmed and his collaborator’s spinal cord injury research.

Dr. Ahmed’s research on spinal cord injuries focuses on using Trans-Spinal Direct Current Stimulation to alter the muscle tone in mice suffering from spasticity due to these injuries. According to Dr. Ahmed, the spasticity causes stiffness of the muscles affected by the nerve damage caused by spinal injuries. This stiffness can cause patients suffering from these injuries to have difficulty moving and going about their daily lives.

Dr. Ahmed’s project aims to discover what types of treatment can lead to long term relief in people who have suffered from spinal cord injuries or even from strokes.

The experiment tasks the researchers to run a very weak direct current through a mouse’s spinal cord suffering from spasticity in order to stimulate the corresponding nerve. What they have found is that depending on several factors such as current duration, intensity, direction and location, there is a significant decrease in muscle tone abnormality which results in an increase in motor movement.

Dr. Ahmed, an Associate Professor with the Department of Physical Therapy (DPT) with theSchool of Health Sciences at the College of Staten Island, commented “I am very happy and grateful that the government has given us this grant. We can now expand our work and get ready for the next application.”

The next step in the research, Dr. Ahmed hopes, will move the work from mice to clinical trials in humans though there are still a few factors that need to be clarified.

“We still need to investigate how long the treatment will be effective, what dosage, and how much current, exactly we need to pass through,” said Dr. Ahmed on the work that his lab is conducting.

“We always have one or two groups working on different levels of this project,” commented Dr. Ahmed on the fluidity of the program, adding that the physical therapy department currently has a system where each of the faculty gets a small group of students to work on their clinical research. There is currently one group of students working on mice and another group working on the human element of the project studying reflexes which will one day apply to Dr. Ahmed’s project once it enters clinical trials in people.

“Our physical therapy students [at CSI] are working very hard,” noted Dr. Ahmed, adding he has also engaged a group of high school students to work on the behavioral aspects of the project.

These grants awarded for Dr. Ahmed’s project, along with his research team’s dedication and hard work, will one day benefit those who have suffered spinal cord injuries and help them once again lead normal lives.

Dr. Zaghloul Ahmed was awarded the 2011 NYC BioAccelerate Prize For a Neural Stimulation System.

By Carlo Alaimo

Understanding the Electrical Pathways of the Nervous System via Trans-Spinal Stimulation Clinical Trials

November 17, 2015

Dr. Knikou (top-center) and her DPT students work collaboratively towards a better understanding of human movement in health and disease.

Dr. Maria Knikou was recently awarded a $400,000 grant by the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation to develop strategies in treating people who suffer from serious spinal cord injuries, and bringing sensation and mobility back into their lives.

“People with spinal cord injuries have motor dysfunction that results in substantial social, personal, and economic costs,” said Dr. Knikou, a neurophysiologist and Professor of the Clinical Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) program with the School of Health Sciences, explaining the impetus for her research. “This uncontrolled muscle spasticity and motor dysfunction can result in disabilities that significantly reduce quality of life.”

This grant will enable Dr. Knikou and her researchers to develop a stimulation protocol in order to, Dr. Knikou explains, “induce functional recovery” in people who are attempting to recover from moderate to serious spinal injury.

Research in action: non invasive transcranial magnetic stimulation assesses connections between the brain and leg muscles.

Dr. Knikou’s research on spinal cord injuries focuses on utilizing non-invasive trans-spinal stimulation of the spinal cord with constant or direct electrical current to strengthen the connections between the brain and spinal cord, thereby improving movement.

The two-year grant was awarded for Dr. Knikou’s project, titled, “Trans-spinal Stimulation to Increase Neuroplasticity and Recovery after SCI,” which seeks to test a new intervention to treat motor dysfunction of people suffering from spinal cord injuries.

Her lab uses Trans-Spinal Constant or Direct-Current Stimulation to alter the signals between the nerves and muscles in people suffering from spasticity due to injuries. According to Dr. Knikou, this spasticity causes stiffness of the muscles affected by the nerve damage caused by spinal injuries. This stiffness can cause patients suffering from these injuries to have difficulty moving and going about their daily lives. Dr. Knikou’s project aims to not only treat subjects who are undergoing the clinical trials but also to research more effective strategies in order to provide long-term treatment.

The treatments are non-invasive and require the subjects to receive 40-minute non-invasive Trans-Spinal Stimulations daily for three weeks. One of the machines used is called Trans-Cranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), which both acts as treatment for the subjects during the clinical trials as well as helps the researchers study the action potential of the stimulation being provided.

Dr. Knikou celebrates victory on understanding the function of the human nervous system via non-invasive electrophysiological methods.

Dr. Knikou elaborated on the methodology that her lab uses, saying “People with motor incomplete spinal cord injury will be randomized to receive trans-spinal stimulation with direct or constant current.” The researchers, many of whom are post-graduates working on their DPT degrees as well as CSI postdoctoral research fellows, also use an EEG machine to map the areas of the brain that are being stimulated in order to better understand which placement and intensity of the electrodes works best with each subject. “Results from the proposed project will provide for the first time evidence on a novel neuromodulation method that has the advantages of being noninvasive, cost-effective, and can be used in different clinical settings to improve motor function and decrease spasticity after spinal cord injury in humans,” Dr. Knikou concluded.

While the overall goal of these clinical trials is to provide relief to people currently suffering, it will also build novel and effective rehabilitation strategies.

Dr. Knikou remains passionate about training the next wave of physical therapy researchers, and she demonstrates this by tasking her lab’s doctoral and undergraduate students with assisting with the clinical trials in a very hands-on manner.

Speaking of her philosophy behind her delegation of her student’s responsibilities, Dr. Knikou says.  “I want them to not only be consumers but also creators of research.”

For more information about the Trans-Spinal Stimulation clinical trials, visitwww.csi.cuny.edu/schoolofhealthsciences.

By Carlo Alaimo & Ken Bach