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Media Covers Special Pharmacy Lesson to Save Lives

More than 100 LIU Pharmacy students received a special lecture that taught them how to spot opioid overdoses and how to administer Narcan to reverse an overdose’s effects.

News 12 Brooklyn, along with other media outlets, covered the lesson, which was organized by Dr. Fernando Gonzalez, Director of Pharmacy Practice at LIU Pharmacy.

“That’s basically what I got into health care for,” LIU Pharmacy student Erica Carrasquillo said.  “I want to help people. I want to save lives.”

Though many first responders carry Narcan, it can be minutes before they arrive on the scene. By increasing the pool of trained professionals who can spot and address overdoses, it increases the likelihood of saving lives.

LIU Post Professor Bill Schutt Featured in TED-Ed Lesson

LIU Post Biology professor Bill Schutt is featured in a new TED-Ed lesson that uses the format of featuring the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators.

Click here to see the TED-Ed lesson.

The lesson is based on Dr. Schutt’s work exploring cannibalism in the animal kingdom, which was the subject of his book, “Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History.”

Until recently, scientists thought cannibalism was a rare response to starvation or other extreme stress. Well-known cannibals like the praying mantis and black widow were considered bizarre exceptions. But now we know they more or less represent the rule. Dr.  Schutt shows how cannibalism can promote the survival of a species by reducing competition, culling the weak, and bolstering the strong.

About TED-Ed
TED-Ed — TED’s youth and education initiative — aims to spark and celebrate the ideas of teachers and students around the world. Everything we do supports learning — from producing a growing library of original animated videos, to providing an international platform for teachers to create their own interactive lessons, to helping curious students around the globe bring TED to their schools and gain presentation literacy skills, to celebrating innovative leadership within TED-Ed’s global network of over 250,000 teachers. TED-Ed has grown from an idea worth spreading into an award-winning education platform that serves millions of teachers and students around the world every week.

Psychology Today Reports on LIU Study Whether Fear of Rejection can be Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Psychology Today, one of the nation’s leading publications in the field, recently reported on a study conducted by LIU Brooklyn researchers about whether having a fear of rejection ends up pushing other people away, creating “a self-perpetuating cycle of negative relational outcomes”

The LIU team was co-led by Dr. Kevin Meehan and Dr. Nicole M. Cain, both are Associate Professors in the Department of Psychology and the Ph.D. Program in Clinical Psychology.

The article describes the study, as well as its conclusions, including the fact that by realizing these behaviors in themselves people can adopt strategies to build better, more fulfilling relationships.

Director of LIU Post Veterinary Technology Program Elected President of LI Veterinary Medical Association

Dr. Robin Sturtz, DVM, Program Director of the Veterinary Technology Program at LIU Post, has been elected president of the Long Island Veterinary Medical Association (LIVMA).

This Fall, she will lead the first class of LIU Post’s new Veterinary Technology Program.  The program at LIU Post is one of only a handful of four-year degree programs in Veterinary Technology available nationally, which is important for graduates looking for supervisory and administrative positions as Veterinary Technologists.

Dr. Sturtz came to veterinary medicine through a non-traditional route: she was Senior Audiologist at what was then North Shore Hospital in Manhasset, NY.

“It was not as big a leap as one might think,” Dr. Sturtz said. “My specialty as an audiologist was pediatrics, and in veterinary clinical practice I work with small animals. In both cases, my patients can’t tell me what’s wrong, and there’s both an art and a science to figuring out where the problem is.”

Dr. Sturtz is a 2004 graduate of the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine. While in veterinary medical school, Dr. Sturtz earned a Certificate in International Veterinary Medicine. She worked in Brazil for two weeks as part of a public health project, and in Mexico City for three months, doing research and learning about the Mexican veterinary health system.

Following veterinary school, she returned to New York. She is in clinical practice at The Cat Hospital in Williston Park, NY, where she has worked since graduating veterinary school.

“A significant percentage of my time is spent on outsmarting the cats so I can get my data, another part on diagnosing and treating, and another part on petting,” Dr. Sturtz said.

She has been involved with veterinary technology education since 2007. She was the Director of the Veterinary Technology Program at LaGuardia Community College, and the Associate Director of the Veterinary Technology Program at Mercy College (Dobbs Ferry). In addition to teaching, she has been active in veterinary technology education as a member of the Association of Veterinary Technician Educators.

Dr. Sturtz has a number of publications, including articles and a pilot research study including as co-author of the textbook Assessing Essential Skills of Veterinary Technology Students, and as co-author (with a former student, Lori Asprea, LVT) of the textbook Anatomy and Physiology for Veterinary Technicians and Nurses: A Clinical Approach.

Dr. Sturtz has lectured at the Hills Vet Tech Educators Consortium, and at the Association of Veterinary Technology Educators Biennial Symposium. She presented a poster at the ASAHP conference in Fall of 2017, talking about the “One Health” concept.

About the Long Island Veterinary Medical Association
The mission of the Long Island Veterinary Medical Association is to promote the advancement and promotion of veterinary medicine, the protection of the public health, elevation of standards of integrity, honor and courtesy, and to maintain high ethical standards and the cooperative protection of its members.

 

Long Island University Named to Prestigious National Transfer Honor Roll

Named as One of Just 112 Top Universities in Nation by Phi Theta Kappa

Long Island University was recently recognized by the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society as one of the top four-year universities in the country for creating dynamic pathways to support community college transfer students. Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) is the world’s largest and most prestigious honor society for two-year college students. LIU is among just 112 colleges and universities nationwide recognized as members of PTK’s 2018 Transfer Honor Roll. This is the second consecutive year that LIU has achieved this honor.

LIU will be honored at PTK Catalyst 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri, based on its programs that support transfers, including: increasing the number of Phi Theta Kappa scholars into the University’s Honors College, creating a policy to respond to transfer student admission applications within 48 hours, and providing dedicated academic and admission advisors to transfer students.

“This honor is very meaningful because LIU places high importance on welcoming and supporting transfer students,” said William Martinov, Director of Admissions and Enrollment Strategy. “We value PTK scholars from our local institutions such as Nassau Community College, Suffolk County Community College, and Queensborough Community College, as well as across the country, and we hope they will make LIU their new home for undergraduate and graduate studies.”

Additionally, LIU was recognized for instituting the LIU-PTK Honors Scholarship Program, which provides one of the nation’s highest academic merit scholarships to PTK transfer applicants with a GPA of 3.5 and higher.

“Increasingly, students of all ages and achievement levels are choosing the community college, not only as their first step, but also their first choice in the pursuit of a quality, affordable bachelor’s degree,” said Phi Theta Kappa CEO Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner. “These students are scholars, leaders, and global citizens, and it has been shown over and over that they do as well as students beginning college at a four-year college or university.”

Transfer students considering their next step can learn more at LIU Post’s Transfer Registration Night on Wednesday, May 17, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the B. Davis Schwartz Memorial Library.  For more information, students can contact LIU Post Transfer Admissions at (516) 299-2900 or email post-transfer@liu.edu.

As Confirmation Hearings Approach, LIU Hornstein Poll Highlights Opportunities to Shape Public Opinion on Administration Picks

In Open-Ended Question, Americans Favor Moderate Foreign Policy Voices

Brookville, NY (March 20, 2018)– A new Long Island University Hornstein Center for Policy, Polling and Analysis poll on items ‘in the news’ shows that even in a polarized nation, there remains an opportunity to shape public opinion on key events and issues.

The LIU Hornstein poll showed that a pluarality of Americans (39 percent) had no opinion on President Trump’s decision to replace Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, while the remainder were evenly divided on whether or not they agreed with the decision. An even greater plurality (47 percent) registered no opinion on CIA Director Mike Pompeo serving as the next Secretary of State, while just 30 percent came out in immediate opposition to the pick.

“One premise of recent coverage is that Americans are almost reflexively divided into partisan camps on any decisions regarding the Trump Administration,” said Dr. Edward Summers, Fellow at the LIU Hornstein Center. “This poll shows that on certain issues, however, there remains an opportunity to shape public opinion. As confirmation hearings begin, we can expect a battle to form a narrative and shape opinion on these key nominees.”

Half of Americans expressed no opinion on the selection of Deputy Director Gina Haspel to replace Director Pompeo as head of the CIA, while just 23 percent expressed immediate opposition.

On an open-ended question about who would make a better choice than CIA Director Pompeo to serve as the next Secretary of State, many Americans named well-known, moderate foreign policy voices. More than 10 people named the following—former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney as well as former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

On an open-ended question about who would make a better choice than Deputy Director Haspel to serve as the next CIA Director, no choices were named by 10 or more people. However, reflecting coverage about Deputy Director Haspel’s prior service with the agency, the only double-digit response was a variant of “someone who does not believe in torture.”

The findings are based on a published public opinion poll conducted from March 15-17, 2018, of 1007 Americans with a margin of error of +/- 3 percent.

Dr. Summers, who obtained his Ph.D. in Public Policy, is a Fellow at the Hornstein Center. His career includes experience in public policy, higher education, and opinion research.

Long Island University

Steven S. Hornstein Center for Policy, Polling, and Analysis

National Survey on Items ‘In the News’

March 15-17, 2018:

Q1. Was President Trump correct to ask Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to resign?
Yes, the Secretary of State serves at the pleasure of the president; 20.06% 202
Yes, their policy differences were too severe to bridge; 11.12% 112
No; 30.19% 304
No Opinion; 38.63% 389
Q2. Was President Trump correct to tap Director of Central Intelligence Michael Pompeo
to serve as the next Secretary of State?
Yes; 22.94% 231
No; 29.59% 298
No Opinion; 47.47% 478
Q3. If not Director Pompeo, who would have been a better choice for Secretary of State?
Q4. Was President Trump correct to select Gina Haspel, Deputy Director of the Central
Intelligence Agency, to replace Director Pompeo as Director of Central Intelligence?
Yes; 26.81% 270
No; 23.44% 236
No Opinion; 49.75% 501
Q5. If not Deputy Director Haspel, who would have been a better choice for

Director of Central Intelligence?

 

Q6. With which party to you primarily identify?

I primarily identify with the Republican party; 21.96% 220
I primarily identify with the Democratic party; 34.43% 345
I primarily identify with another party; 5.69% 57
I do not primarily identify with one party; 31.64% 317
Unsure; 6.29% 63
Q7. Are you registered to vote?
Yes; 87.82% 880
No, but I plan to register before the next election; 4.49% 45
No, and I do not plan to register; 5.09% 51
Unsure; 2.59% 26

 

Polling Methodology

This Long Island University Steven S. Hornstein Center for Policy, Polling & Analysis poll was conducted through Suveymomkey March 15-17, 2018 in English to 1007 Americans over the age of 18. Polling data was sorted by age, gender & geographic location in efforts to ensure a nationwide representative sample. This poll has an overall margin of error of +/- 3 points.

 

The Steven S. Hornstein Center for Policy, Polling, and Analysis at LIU conducts independent, fair, and balanced polling, empirical research, and analysis on a wide range of public issues including lifestyle preferences. The Center’s goals include informing the community, public and policy makers about critical issues.

LIU Polk Awards Seminar Features Insider Scoop on Impactful National Stories

Long Island University Polk Awards Seminar Features Insider Scoop on Impactful National Stories
Top Reporters to Discuss “Getting Sources to Talk” Including Coverage of Roy Moore’s Alabama race and Harvey Weinstein’s sex scandal

Brooklyn, NY— Long Island University will celebrate the 69th George Polk Awards during two important events—the David J. Steinberg Seminar, “Getting Sources to Talk,” April 5 at the Kumble Theater at LIU Brooklyn and the 69th Annual George Polk Awards Ceremony Luncheon, April 6 at the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan.

The seminar will highlight three Polk Award-winning journalists discussing how they reported some of the most impactful national stories of the past year.  Award-winning journalist Charlayne Hunter-Gault of PBS will moderate the seminar on “Getting Sources to Talk.”  The panel includes Jodi Kantor of The New York Times, winner of the Polk Award for National Reporting for exposing the decades-long sexual predation of the movie producer Harvey Weinstein and the campaign to cover it up; Stephanie McCrummen of The Washington Post, winner of the Polk Award for Political Reporting for digging into the past of Senate candidate Roy Moore of Alabama to disclose on-the-record accounts of sexual assault upon a 14-year-old girl and the pursuit of other teenagers; and Elle Reeve of VICE News, winner of the Polk Award for National Television Reporting for on-the-scene coverage of the Charlottesville demonstrations that probed the motivations and tactics of the white nationalist leaders who turned a “Unite the Right” rally at the University of Virginia into a tragic weekend.

The Seminar is open to media and the public.

David J. Steinberg Seminar, “Getting Sources to Talk

Featuring panelists and 2018 George Polk Award Winners Jodi Kantor of The New York Times, Stephanie McCrummen of The Washington Post, and Elle Reeve of VICE News.
Moderated by Charlayne Hunter Gault of PBS

Thursday, April 5, 2018, 6:30 p.m.

The Kumble Theatre at LIU Brooklyn
One University Plaza, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Free and Open to the Public.  Space is Limited.  Reserve a seat by emailing Polk.Awards@liu.edu

69th Annual George Polk Awards Ceremony Luncheon
Awards citations read by Charlayne Hunter-Gault of PBS
Friday, April 6, 2018, 11am
The Roosevelt Hotel, 45 E 45th St, New York, NY
Tickets: Must be purchased in advance at https://community.liu.edu/68thPolk

History of the Polk Awards

In 1949, Long Island University established a new journalism prize to memorialize George Polk, a CBS correspondent who was killed while covering the civil war in Greece. The mission of the George Polk Awards, as distinguished from other journalism honors, focused on recognizing not the news organizations or publishers, but investigative reporters themselves.

Much about journalism has changed in the six decades since the inaugural Polk Awards, including the rise of the Internet and the technological disruption it has caused. But one constant has endured and even thrived: intrepid, courageous reporters committed to doing whatever it takes—even at risk of their own life and liberty—to uncover matters of critical importance to an informed public and the very foundation of democratic society.

As the only major American journalism prize that has always honored work across all media platforms, the Polk Awards has consistently been at the fore of the changing ways we access news and information. The list of Polk winners includes some of the biggest names in journalism. Seymour Hersh, Christiane Amanpour, Jimmy Breslin, Walter Cronkite, Thomas Friedman, Edward R. Murrow, Bill Moyers, A.M. Rosenthal, Jane Mayer, Sidney Schanberg, Pete Hamill, I. F. Stone, Studs Terkel, and the teams of Woodward and Bernstein and Barlett and Steele are all Polk laureates.

#  #  #

It’s a “Perfect Match” for LIU Brooklyn Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Students

It was a “perfect match” for LIU Brooklyn on Psychology Internship Match Day.  All of the doctoral students in the LIU Brooklyn Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program who applied for year-long clinical internships got their first choice of training site.

“Our students applied to many of the finest training sites in the nation,” said Dr. Phil Wong, Coordinator, Externship Program, Ph.D. Program in Clinical Psychology. “We are very proud that each of our students was selected among a highly competitive national pool of students and matched for their first choice.”

LIU Brooklyn’s elite Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program is a highly competitive program that is fully accredited by the American Psychological Association. It integrates new developments in the field without changing its core mission to provide doctoral training that gives rise to theoretical and clinically oriented questions which can become the basis for scholarly work and enable students to become excellent clinicians.

The program features a very strong student-faculty ratio. The faculty serve as academic advisors, clinical supervisors and research mentors in an atmosphere of stimulating intellectual dialogues about both clinical and research phenomena. The diversity of the student body at the Brooklyn Campus and the Ph.D. Program’s collaborative relationships with a range of training facilities in the New York area help students to develop their skills in a multicultural learning environment. The Ph.D. Program prides itself on the attention given to its doctoral students and the supportive, intellectually challenging atmosphere it provides.

LIU Brooklyn congratulates the following students on a successful match:

  • Solara Calderon, Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, MA Adult Track
  • Rachel Diamond, SUNY Stony Brook – Counseling Center Stony Brook, NY Psychology
  • Internship ProgramAdam Formal, Kings County Hospital Brooklyn, NY Adult Clinical Psychology Track
  • Sophie Foss, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA Pediatric Neuropsychology
  • Anita George, Lenox Hill Hospital New York, NY Psychology Internship
  • Joshua Haag, Kings County Hospital Brooklyn, NY Adult Clinical Psychology Track
  • Marie Hansen, New York University/Bellevue Hospital Center New York, NY Adult Psychology Track
  • Andrew Hartz, Columbia University Medical Center New York, NY Adult Track
  • Anna Jadanova, VA Hudson Valley Health Care System Montrose, NY Psychology Internship
  • Daniel Judes,  Pennsylvania Hospital Philadelphia, PA Psychology Internship
  • Elspeth Kelly, Mt. Sinai Services/Elmhurst Hospital Elmhurst, NY Adult Psychology Track
  • Monica Sicilia, Oakes Children’s Center San Francisco, CA Psychology Internship
  • Jonah Teitelbaum, Harvard Medical School/Cambridge Health Alliance Cambridge, MA Adult OPD/Adult Acute Services

 

 

LIU Hornstein Poll Highlights that Despite Economic Gains, Many Americans Retain Pessimistic View

Echoing Recent Special Election, Views on Economy Will Impact November Midterms

A new Long Island University Hornstein Center for Policy, Polling and Analysis poll on the economy shows that despite stock market gains and historically low unemployment, Americans continue to have a generally pessimistic view of the economy.

The LIU Hornstein poll found that 44 percent of Americans rate the economy positively (very strong or strong), while 51 percent rate it negatively (only fair or poor).  Similarly, 36 percent believe the economy is getting better, 34 percent believe it is getting worse, and the remainder believe it is staying the same or they have no opinion.

One relative bright spot in the poll, however, is that Americans are seeing improvements in the labor market. 56 percent agree that this is a good time to begin a job search, while 55 percent feel secure in their present employment.

Highlighting one of the reasons the Republicans saw little traction in the recent Special Election in Pennsylvania’s 18th Congressional District on the tax issue, just 29 percent of Americans believe the recently passed tax bill will improve the economy, while 40 percent believe it will weaken the economy, and the remainder believe it will have no impact.

The economy remains a personal issue for many Americans, with just 37 percent saying their feel economically secure, while 47 percent do not.

“As we saw in the Pennsylvania Special Election, if Americans do not think the economy is improving, do not feel economically secure and do not believe the tax bill will improve the economy, the Republicans will have great difficulty winning elections on this issue,” said Dr. Edward Summers, a Fellow at the Hornstein Center. “If the Republican playbook is to run on the economy this Fall, they will either need to dramatically change Americans’ perceptions or draw up some new plays.”

The division on the economy extends to tariffs. While 40 percent of Americans support tariffs because they believe they will protect American jobs and competitiveness, an almost equal 39 percent opposes tariffs because they think these charges will disrupt the markets and negatively impact prices.

The findings are based on a published public opinion poll conducted from March 12-13, 2018, of 1021 Americans, with a margin of error of +/- 3 percent.

Dr. Summers, who obtained his Ph.D. in Public Policy, is a Fellow at the Hornstein Center. His career includes experience in public policy, higher education, and opinion research.

 

Long Island University

Steven S. Hornstein Center for Policy, Polling, and Analysis

National Survey on State of the Economy

March 12-13, 2018

Q1. How would you currently rate the U.S. economy?
Answer Choices Responses
Very strong; 7.86% 81
Strong; 36.31% 374
Only fair; 36.12% 372
Poor; 14.37% 148
No Opinion; 5.34% 55
Answered 1030
Q2. In what direction is the U.S. economy trending?
Answer Choices Responses
The U.S. economy is getting better; 35.73% 368
The U.S. economy is getting worse; 33.50% 345
The U.S. economy is the same; 23.11% 238
No Opinion; 7.67% 79
Answered 1030
Q3. Is it a good time to begin a job search?
Answer Choices Responses
It is a good time to begin a job search; 55.83% 575
It is not a good time to begin a job search; 20.29% 209
No Opinion; 23.88% 246
Answered 1030
Q4. Is it a good time to invest?
Answer Choices Responses
It is a good time to invest; 50.19% 517
It is not a good time to invest; 26.60% 274
No Opinion; 23.20% 239
Answered 1030
 

 

Q5. Do you think the recently implemented tax reforms will improve the economy?

Answer Choices Responses
I think the proposed tax reform bill will improve the economy; 28.83% 297
I think the proposed tax reform bill will weaken the economy; 40.10% 413
I think the proposed tax reform bill will have no effect on the economy; 13.20% 136
No Opinion; 17.86% 184
Answered 1030
Q6. Should the federal government provide subsidies to American companies and producers?
Answer Choices Responses
Yes, subsidies will help keep them competitive in the market and keep prices low; 15.34% 158
Yes, subsidies will help keep jobs in the U.S.; 18.83% 194
No, subsidies disrupt the market and negatively impact prices; 26.50% 273
No, it is unfair to other companies and producers; 15.83% 163
No Opinion; 23.50% 242
Answered 1030
Q7. Do you support tariffs on imported goods?
Answer Choices Responses
Yes, they protect American companies and producers keep them competitive; 22.62% 233
Yes, they protect American jobs; 17.67% 182
No, they disrupt the market and negatively impact prices; 38.93% 401
No Opinion; 20.78% 214
Answered 1030
Q8. Do you feel economically secure in the current climate?
Answer Choices Responses
Yes, I feel economically secure; 37.38% 385
No, I do not feel economically secure; 46.50% 479
Unsure; 16.12% 166
Answered 1030
Q9. Do you feel secure in your current employment given the state of the economy?
Answer Choices Responses
Yes, I feel secure in my employment; 55.15% 568
No, I do not feel secure in my employment; 25.73% 265
Unsure; 19.13% 197
Answered 1030
 

Q10. Are you married?

Answer Choices Responses
Yes; 48.93% 504
No; 46.41% 478
No Answer; 4.66% 48
Answered 1030
Q11. Do you have children?
Answer Choices Responses
Yes; 54.27% 559
No; 42.72% 440
No Answer; 3.01% 31
Answered 1030
Q12. Are you registered to vote?
Answer Choices Responses
Yes; 87.09% 897
No, but I plan to register before the next election; 3.88% 40
No, and I do not plan to register; 5.83% 60
Unsure; 3.20% 33
Answered 1030
Q13. With which party do you primarily identify?
Answer Choices Responses
I primarily identify with the Republican party; 23.79% 245
I primarily identify with the Democratic party; 35.44% 365
I primarily identify with another party; 4.95% 51
I do not primarily identify with one political party; 28.54% 294
Unsure; 7.28% 75
Answered 1030
Q14. Age
Answer Choices Responses
18-29 18.83% 194
30-44 27.09% 279
45-60 25.24% 260
> 60 28.83% 297
Answered 1030

 

 

Q15. Gender

Answer Choices Responses
Male 46.89% 483
Female 53.11% 547
Answered 1030
Q16. Household Income
Answer Choices Responses
$0-$9,999 7.86% 81
$10,000-$24,999 10.19% 105
$25,000-$49,999 18.54% 191
$50,000-$74,999 13.98% 144
$75,000-$99,999 11.26% 116
$100,000-$124,999 7.67% 79
$125,000-$149,999 4.95% 51
$150,000-$174,999 3.88% 40
$175,000-$199,999 2.43% 25
$200,000+ 4.08% 42
Prefer not to answer 15.15% 156
Answered 1030
Q17. Region
Answer Choices Responses
New England 6.48% 66
Middle Atlantic 14.64% 149
East North Central 15.52% 158
West North Central 6.58% 67
South Atlantic 16.99% 173
East South Central 5.50% 56
West South Central 10.12% 103
Mountain 7.96% 81
Pacific 16.21% 165
Answered 1018
Q18. Device Type
Answer Choices Responses
iOS Phone / Tablet 25.92% 267
Android Phone / Tablet 26.50% 273
Windows Desktop / Laptop 38.06% 392
MacOS Desktop / Laptop 7.48% 77
Other 2.04% 21
Answered 1030

 

Polling Methodology

This Long Island University Steven S. Hornstein Center for Policy, Polling & Analysis poll was conducted through Survey Monkey March 12-13, 2018 in English to 1030 Americans over the age of 18. Polling data was sorted by age, gender & geographic location in efforts to ensure a nationwide representative sample. This poll has an overall margin of error of +/- 3 points.

The Steven S. Hornstein Center for Policy, Polling, and Analysis at LIU Post conducts independent, fair, and balanced polling, empirical research, and analysis on a wide range of public issues including lifestyle preferences. The Center’s goals include informing the community, public and policy makers about critical issues.

 

 

 

 

 

 

LIU Post Prof Tejas Bouklas to Present Her Research in Amsterdam on New Superfungus

LIU Post Assistant Professor Tejas Bouklas supervises high school sophomores in an experiment at the Teaching and Learning Center as part of Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District's first Advanced Research Day at LIU Post. (Photo courtesy Brian Stieglitz/Herald Life)

Dr. Tejas Bouklas, assistant professor of biomedical sciences in the School of Health Professions and Nursing at LIU Post, has been invited to present her latest research on an alarming new pathogenic fungus at the Young International Society of Human and Animal Mycology Symposium to be held this summer in Amsterdam.

The title of her abstract is “Newest Kid on the Block: Characterization of the novel multi-drug resistant pathogen, Candida auris.”

“It looks nothing like anything we’ve known before, and it’s completely resistant to any therapy you hit it with,” said Bouklas, who has studied microorganisms that cause disease in patients whose immune systems are weak.

Since Candida auris was first discovered in the ear of Japanese patient in 2009, this superfungus has spread around the world, reaching the United States in 2016 and becoming particularly prevalent in New York. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, out of the 215 known cases in the United States, New York had 129 of them. It can threaten people with HIV and AIDS, as well as organ transplant recipients and diabetics.

“What we have today doesn’t work, so we need more novel therapies,” Bouklas explained. “Part of the research we’re going to show is how fast it multiplies—that’s the scary part.”

Bouklas and her undergraduate research assistants, Lindsey Masone, a senior in the LIU Post Biomedical Technology Program who’s also the campus representative for the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions, and Susanna Mirabelli, a senior in the LIU Post Honors College, obtained 10 strains of C. auris from the CDC to study. In their laboratory, they infected waxworms and mice.

“These students did wonderful work,” said Bouklas, who said she’s honored as a junior faculty member that she gets to go to Amsterdam—her first trip to Europe—and also present research done by undergraduates at LIU Post. Bouklas has been an assistant professor in LIU Post’s Department of Biomedical Sciences since 2016.

The International Society of Human and Animal Mycology (ISHAM) awarded Bouklas a grant to give an oral presentation of her research at this year’s Young ISHAM symposium, which includes ISHAM members who are 40 years old and under. The event will take place in June in Amsterdam, Netherlands.