News
Department of Medical Sciences, Health, and Management

From pandemic response to rebuilding after natural disasters, RIT students will draw upon their foundation of community service in their careers after graduation.

For RIT biomedical sciences major Maduka Gunasinghe, compassion for others is a gift he shares freely and community service is the expression of his character. RIT has recognized his commitment to other people’s well-being with a Bruce R. James Distinguished Public Service Award. He will receive the award at a ceremony on April 5.

The National Institutes of Health are funding RIT scientists to explore vesicular stomatitis virus’s (VSV) potential for treating prostate cancer. Associate Professor Maureen Ferran from the Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences secured a three-year, $451,718 Research Enhancement Award (R15) grant from the NIH to investigate prostate cancer cells’ susceptibility to the virus.

RIT and the Global Health Association @ RIT are partnering with humanitarian organization InterVol in an urgent donation drive to aid the people of Ukraine affected by the Russian invasion. InterVol’s Ukraine Relief campaign is accepting donations through Thursday, March 10.

With the help of strong mentors, undergraduate researchers cultivate critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. Conducting research can help students synthesize concepts they learned in their classes to create something new.

Attitudes about the COVID-19 vaccine, how sleep and age can affect memory, and how bodily secretions impact wounds are just three of the varied subjects to be discussed Saturday at the Honors Research and Creativity Symposium.

The COVID-19 impact on collegiate sports changed the storyline for many student-athletes, including RIT alumnus Jimmy Spillane ’20 (biomedical sciences), who has found his way back onto the lacrosse field for the 2021-2022 season.

The $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has expanded RIT’s accredited Priority Behavioral Health and Clinical Psychology Internship program to focus on delivering integrated care for young clients who struggle with substance use, mental health issues, and trauma from exposure to high rates of violence within the community.

Marissa Schroeter’s summer undergraduate research explores a global health issue with a local twist. Her work prospects for new antibiotic compounds produced by two bacterial strains collected from Lake Ontario. She will present her findings at the RIT Undergraduate Research Symposium.

RIT and St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai, India, are partnering to provide training and scholarship in global behavioral health.

A grant from the McGowan Foundation will support a postdoctoral fellowship in RIT’s Priority Behavioral Health and Clinical Psychology Training Program in the College of Health Sciences and Technology.

Ashley Tucker, a graduating senior majoring in biomedical sciences and biology, will travel to Nigeria at the end of the summer on a Fulbright Research award. Tucker will work with a malaria research group at University of Ibadan College of Medicine. Her research will help improve the rapid diagnostic testing for the deadly tropical disease.