From More than 180 Covid-19 Studies Launched at Stony Brook Since Start of Pandemic on Stony Brook University News, May 28, 2020
Investigations involve faculty from 45 academic departments and eight schools
STONY BROOK, NY, May 28, 2020 – In just the two plus months since Governor Cuomo declared a State of Emergency because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Stony Brook University researchers have launched more than 180 Covid-19 related studies in order to battle the virus and examine circumstances where it has or will change our societal landscape. The body of work spans 45 academic departments from eight different colleges and schools within the University. The research not only includes investigating prevention and treatment of the virus but also focuses on topics such as the psychological impacts of social distancing measures, tracking levels of community distress, and examining the impact of the pandemic on students.
“It is the responsibility of a research-intense academic medical center, such as Stony Brook Medicine, to not only provide outstanding care for patients afflicted with Covid-19, but also to mine all the clinical data, generate hypotheses helping to explain the interaction of virus and host, understand the pathophysiology of the various manifestations of the disease, and explore novel approaches to the best possible treatment for the disease,” said Kenneth Kaushansky, MD, Dean of the Renaissance School of Medicine and Senior Vice President for Health Sciences.
“The overwhelming response from our researchers in this time of need shows the breadth of Stony Brook’s expertise, which spans healthcare, physical and social sciences and many other academic disciplines,” said Richard J. Reeder, Vice President of Research at Stony Brook University. “Their innovative work during this crisis will help to solve many of the challenges we face now and in the future because of Covid-19.”
Researchers have started 52 clinical trials centered on prevention, treatment and care of patients with Covid-19, all in the effort to fight the disease now. Other research involves the collaborative work of scientists and faculty looking toward the near future and long-term on the effects of the pandemic.
The following are summaries and examples of some of research taking place within each school and collaboratively:
School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences
The New York State Center for Clean Water Technology has begun monitoring of nCoV in sewage to provide data to assess temporal dynamics in outbreaks of COVID-19 in communities. Because viral load in sewage can pre-date symptoms, it is a potential leading indicator of infection which communities could be targeted for heightened intervention. The Center is collecting samples of sewage from multiple Long Island communities to track densities of the nCOV. According to Dr. Chris Gobler, “this approach has the potential to identify second waves of infections emerging in communities before patients begin to show up and overwhelm hospitals.” The goal is to develop a system for pathogen detection that can serve as an early warning system for any “Second Wave” of nCoV before people are getting sick.
Dr. Daniel Knopf is using instrumentation at the SoMAS’ Aerosol Research Laboratory to assist medical colleagues in the Renaissance School of Medicine in the performance evaluation of N95 masks that have been heat treated for sterilization purposes.
Renaissance School of Medicine
Seventy-five studies have been launched by researchers across 20 different departments. These topics range from examining the impact of convalescent plasma on COVID-19 complications, whether dry heat can disinfect N95 masks, using Artificial Intelligence to detect COVID-19 and predict outcomes, assessing physician mental health during the pandemic, use of estrogen as a treatment for COVID-19, assessing the effectiveness of telemedicine, establishment of a biobank for COVID-19 patient samples, and the development of antibody tests.
College of Arts and Sciences / School of Medicine
Researchers have formed collaborations on two different Covid-19 related research studies. One study focuses on exchanging lipids in the viral coat, and another study is examining SARS-CoV2 proteins in plants for scaled-up production of antigens.
College of Arts and Sciences
More than 40 studies are underway by researchers across 10 disciplines, and over half of these are in the Department of Psychology. Topics include the impact of social isolation on well-being; keeping the economy afloat while waiting for a vaccine; and a study that expands on a currently funded National Science Foundation Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) program to examine trainee experiences with online teaching and learning.
College of Engineering and Applied Sciences / School of Medicine
Leveraging the strong research relationship between the College and School of Medicine, researchers are currently conducting 10 Covid-19 related studies. Studies include investigating Artificial Intelligence to aid in the drug discovery of antiviral candidates against Covid-19, the effects of the virus on coagulation, developing informatics solutions for high throughput analysis of Covid-19 imaging, and longitudinal biomonitoring for frontline healthcare providers.
College of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Researchers from four different departments have launched six studies. These studies focus on topics including decision support for cancer treatment during the COVID pandemic, tracking levels of community distress, vaccine design for unknown targets, and creating a diagnostic tool for rapid Covid-19 infection detection.
School of Social Welfare
More than 20 studies have been launched by researchers in the School of Social Welfare. The studies focus on several different topics including, the impact of social distancing on mental health and substance abuse, the impact of isolation on older adults during the Covid-19 crisis, the impact of the crisis on first-generation college students, and an examination of family violence during it.
School of Health Technology and Management
Research includes a study examining the impact of COVID-19 on occupational participation and satisfaction with life.
School of Nursing
A team of researchers is examining the effect of the pandemic on student nurses involved in the response of the Covid-19 crisis.
College of Business
A research study examining the impact of the socioeconomic status in the context of Covid-19 related decisions is one study underway in the College.
Additional information on specific research taking place in any of the schools can be provided, and faculty are available to discuss their research projects and why they are relevant to the Covid-19 crisis and the pending aftermath.
