Each month we provide an overview of University of Missouri authored articles in medicine and related fields, and a featured article from a School of Medicine author with the highest journal impact factor.
This month’s featured article, CFTR potentiators: from bench to bedside , was co-authored by Dr. Tzyh-Chang Hwang, Professor of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology. The article was published in Current Opinion in Pharmacology (impact factor 5.363 in 2016).
This month’s open access article features Dr. Nicole Nichols, PhD., Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and an investigator with the Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center. Her research focuses on the central nervous system, specifically the control of breathing in models of motor neuron death.
Dr. Nichols, and her team, chose to use the open access option, which gave them the “ability to provide immediate, open and free access to their work without the standard 12-month embargo that applies to subscription access.” Their article, Monitoring undergraduate student needs and activities at Experimental Biology, was published in the peer-reviewed journal Advances in Physiology Education, which promotes and disseminates educational scholarship in order to enhance teaching and learning of physiology, neuroscience and pathophysiology.
This article was published in conjunction with her responsibilities while serving as the Respiration Section Representative on the American Physiological Society Trainee Advisory Committee. One of the co-authors was also on the committee with her and the other co-author M. Matyas works at the American Physiological Society. Their research “sought to develop and test a pilot survey of undergraduate students to determine how they got involved in research and in presenting at the Experimental Biology (EB) meeting, what they gained from the scientific and career development sessions at the meeting, and how the American Physiological Society (APS) can best support and engage undergraduate students.”
When asked why her team decided to publish in an open access journal, Dr. Nichols said, “we chose to publish this article in the Journal of Advances in Physiology Education because the target audience for this article are Physiology educators. Most physiology educators read this journal and, some, may not have access to non-open access journals.” Dr. Nichols is no stranger to open access avenues, as she had previously published the last piece of her PhD in PLoS One “because the study spanned many different fields and felt that it would be best to publish it in an open access journal.” The instant access to information is the reason why Dr. Nichols would consider publishing in an open access journal again.
My name is Erin, and I am a second year distance student in the BSN-to-PhD program at the MU Sinclair School of Nursing. My interest in researching type 1 diabetes (T1D) began three years ago, when my son (who was 9 years old at the time) was diagnosed with T1D. I have particular interests in data science and precision medicine, and my long-term goals involve the identification of pathophysiologic subtypes (i.e., phenotypes) of type 1 diabetes.
I am currently participating in a research practicum with Dr. Sonal Patil (MU Department of Family and Community Medicine) and as a part of this practicum, I am completing a systematic search of the literature pertaining to diabetes caregivers. Setting up and executing systematic searches can seem like such a daunting task (especially the first time around!) and Dr. Patil and my PhD advisor, Dr. Bonnie Wakefield, suggested that I talk with the health sciences librarians to ask for their assistance with developing appropriate search strategies. So I took their advice and went to the Health Sciences Library when I was on campus in early October.
Rebecca Graves
When health sciences librarian Rebecca Graves heard that I was at the library and that I had questions about how to begin my search, she stopped the work that she was doing that afternoon so that she could attend to my questions. Although I didn’t ask her to do that, my needs were important to her and she made time to give me the assistance I needed. She proceeded to work with me for quite some time, advising me on how to carry out a literature search, and walking me through a search in one database so that I could begin the process myself when I got back home.
During the last couple of weeks, I have had many additional questions about how to set up searches in other databases and Diane Johnson is the health sciences librarian who has helped me craft these other search strategies. Individuals who know me well know that I ask a lot of questions and Diane has been incredibly patient in answering my questions and concerns. For example, when I was having trouble acquiring search results in one database, Diane recognized that the issue was caused by a problem with the search syntax in that database (rather than by something I was doing wrong). She contacted the support specialists for that database,explained the issue, and she went on to craft a workaround for me that I could use to complete my search in the meantime! Her advice about fashioning appropriate searches in each database has been invaluable. She has even met with me online on two separate occasions so that I could share my computer screen with her, show her my search strategies, and request her assistance.
Diane Johnson
Effectively using research databases is challenging because the search syntax is different in each database. We are fortunate here at MU to have access to truly exceptional health sciences librarians who bring with them many years of experience and who possess the expertise that students need to be successful. Before you begin your research, do yourself a favor: reach out to the librarians and consult with them about your research needs. I’d also like to encourage graduate students to access the many additional resources available at the library including online and on campus classes and workshops , the after-hours “Ask the Librarians!” chat feature, and library email updates. Distance students can use MU Connect to schedule a time to consult with a librarian. These resources exist to help students be successful — so be sure to take advantage of them!
Cycle of Success is the idea that libraries, faculty, and students are linked; for one to truly succeed, we must all succeed. The path to success is formed by the connections between University of Missouri Libraries and faculty members, between faculty members and students, and between students and the libraries that serve them. More than just success, this is also a connection of mutual respect, support, and commitment to forward-thinking research.
If you would like to submit your own success story about how the libraries have helped your research and/or work, please use the Cycle of Success form.
Michelle Kraft, director of libraries at the Cleveland Clinic Health System Libraries, chose to attend Mizzou for her graduate degree in library science because she wanted the opportunity to work in several different campus libraries and put what she was being taught in the classroom into practice.
During her time at Mizzou, Kraft worked at Ellis Library as an electronic resources assistant, helping students with online resources. She also completed her practicum at the J. Otto Lottes Health Sciences Library. She sums up her experience, “Training I got from staff at both libraries was indispensable. Their mentoring and guidance gave me real world knowledge and skills not only to work in libraries but also to thrive in my career.”
Her passion for providing library resources to medical caregivers and researchers led Kraft to her role as the president of the Medical Library Association in 2015-2016. During that year of service, she advocated for unrestricted, affordable, and quality health information on behalf of the National Institutes of Health and the National Library of Medicine to members of Congress.
If there was one piece of advice that she could give to future Tigers, Kraft said, “find your passion and get involved. You grow and learn through your involvement with others at Mizzou and that learning, energy, and knowledge can carry forward to your life after college.”
Funding of $1000-$10,000 is now available to faculty who adopt, adapt or create free or low-cost textbooks and course materials for their classes. Priority will be given to grants for high-impact courses with a large number of students, and to courses with exceptionally high textbook costs. The amount awarded to successful applicants will be based upon the amount of savings to each student, and the number of students in the class.
Grants are available for several different activities, including:
Adopting, adapting and/or creating open and affordable materials
