Category: Academics

This spring, Halmos undergraduate biology major Mina Bekheit was a co-author of the publication with Dr. Lubov Nathanson from the Institute for Neuro Immune Medicine (Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine). The article is entitled “Unravelling myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS): Gender‐specific changes in the microRNA expression profiling in ME/CFS” and was published in the Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine. In addition to Mina Bekheit, who significantly assisted in the data analysis, other Halmos undergraduates worked on the project. Leah Orton and Anna Movila participated in the literature search and analysis, Kenza Schreiber and Angelica Darmenko helped with the data input and analysis. Leah, Anna, Kenza and Angelica are acknowledged in the publication.

The articles abstract states: Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a multisystem illness characterized by medically unexplained debilitating fatigue with suggested altered immunological state. Our study aimed to explore peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) for microRNAs (miRNAs) expression in ME/CFS subjects under an exercise challenge. The findings highlight the immune response and inflammation links to differential miRNA expression in ME/CFS. The present study is particularly important in being the first to uncover the differences that exist in miRNA expression patterns in males and females with ME/CFS in response to exercise. This provides new evidence for the understanding of differential miRNA expression patterns and post‐exertional malaise in ME/CFS. We also report miRNA expression pattern differences associating with the nutritional status in individuals with ME/CFS, highlighting the effect of subjects’ metabolic state on molecular changes to be considered in clinical research within the NINDS/CDC ME/CFS Common Data Elements. The identification of gender‐based miRNAs importantly provides new insights into gender‐specific ME/CFS susceptibility and demands exploration of sex‐suited ME/CFS therapeutics.

Postdoctoral scholars comprise an invaluable component of global research communities, yet their support and training systems are poorly aligned with today’s job market. These issues are widely discussed in academia and in lengthy reports and op-eds; still, there is glaring lack of succinct, data-driven publications that provide clear and feasible corrective steps.

To address this deficiency, a team of 13 current and former Michigan State University (MSU) postdoctoral researchers co-authored the paper entitled “Academic ecosystems must evolve to support a sustainable postdoc workforce”. It was published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution and outlines strategic reforms to better support the world’s growing postdoctoral workforce.

“The project sprang from several informal meetings among the study co-authors during overlapping postdoctoral appointments,” said Eben Gering, Ph.D. a former MSU postdoctoral researcher who is now an assistant professor in Halmos College and senior author of the paper. “From there, it continued to gain momentum as interest grew around the issue.”

Following intensive analyses of relevant literature, data and personal experiences, the group identified five overarching goals:

• Align career development with job markets
• Sustain wellness and work-life balance
• Enhance mentoring
• Develop administrative support
• Increase broader support.

To achieve these goals, the group recommended progressive changes that target levels of organization ranging from principle investigators to broader communities that fund and support postdoctoral positions.

About half of the paper’s co-authors have moved on to diverse jobs around the globe. According to the team, the publication’s fruition illustrates two important points.

First, all stakeholders in postdoctoral success (including postdocs themselves) can advocate for reform to enhance the quality and productivity of shared workplaces.

Second, the authors note, progressive aspects of their home institutions ultimately facilitated their success in a collaborative research and writing process.

In addition to facilitating a high-profile publication, the supportive climate appears to have fostered an enduring network of interdisciplinary scholars. The team recently met again on Zoom to toast the final acceptance of the manuscript.

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) has embarked on a large-scale, comprehensive research project designed to transform our understanding of the “twilight zone” of the open ocean (dimly light pelagic waters between 200-1000 m deep), lay the groundwork for informed decision-making by regulatory organizations responsible for the high seas (areas beyond national jurisdiction), and capture the public’s imagination to enhance ocean stewardship. The project comprises scientific discovery, technological innovation, and enhanced engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, including scientific collaborators, the general public, and policy-makers worldwide.

In their 2020 report, they listed Halmos College’s Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences as one of the world’s leading contributors toward better understanding of the twilight zone worldwide. The Halmos faculty involved in NSU’s twilight zone research are Drs. Tracey Sutton, Tamara Frank, Joe Lopez and Mahmood Shivji. Dr. Sutton is currently leading two collaborative deep-sea research projects comprising research scientists from NSU, NOAA, the Naval Research Lab, Florida Atlantic University, the University of South Florida, Florida International University, Texas A&M, Cornell University, and the San Antonio Zoo Department of Conservation.

“Though the deep-pelagic environment (open waters greater than 700 feet deep) in the Gulf of Mexico is by far its largest habitat, (about 91% of the Gulf’s volume), but we have only recently come to understand its inhabitants and the astounding biodiversity there,” said Sutton. “The marine life in this habitat is vital for the overall health of the Gulf, so it is imperative we understand its dynamics in order to protect this fauna for decades to come.”

Funding for Halmos’ twilight zone research has been provided by the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative,  and most recently,  the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies (RESTORE) Act, which authorized NOAA to establish and administer a Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Science, Observation, Monitoring, and Technology Program. The mission of the NOAA RESTORE Act Science Program is to increase understanding of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem, including its fisheries, and to support its restoration and sustainability through research, observation, monitoring, and technology development. Halmos scientists were one of only five research groups funded nationally by RESTORE to study long-term ecosystem trends in the Gulf.

Douglas Flemons, Ph.D. professor in the Department of Family Therapy in NSU’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS), has published an article in the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, Volume 62 (2020). The article is entitled, “Toward a Relational Theory of Hypnosis.” Flemons draws on the ideas of Gregory Bateson, Daniel Siegel, and others, and articulates a relational characterization of mind and self as a vantage from which to reexamine common assumptions about hypnosis and to reconsider several questions still animating the field.

Flemons is the Co-Director of the NSU Office of Suicide and Violence Prevention. His research and teaching interests include suicide assessment, hypnosis and therapy, writing, and psychotherapy.