Stony Brook Medical Student Receives Prestigious AMA Seed Grant for Junior Investigators
Muath Bishawi is one of only 43 awarded nationwide
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| Muath Bishawi, a second year medical student, with his research project advisor, Dr. A. Laurie Shroyer. |
STONY BROOK, N.Y., May 1, 2012 –
Muath Bishawi, a second year student at Stony Brook University School of Medicine, is a recipient of the
American Medical Association (AMA) Foundation’s
2012
Seed Grant Research Program
. The $2,500 award is given to outstanding junior investigators for their basic science or clinical research projects. Only 43 individuals nationwide received the grant, which includes medical students, residents, and fellows. Muath is researching health-related quality of life as a predictor of long-term survival of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).
Muath’s study is a follow-up and expansion of his summer 2011 research project as a member of the School of Medicine’s
MD with Recognition in Research Program
. The program provides select students with a summer research stipend to work with an advisor. Muath investigated quality of life and long-term survival of CABG patients under the direction of A. Laurie Shroyer, Ph.D., Professor of Surgery, and Assistant Dean for Medical Educational Research.
Dr. Shroyer is the Co-Principal Investigator of the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs Randomization On-versus Off-Bypass (ROOBY) trial at the Northport VA Medical Center. The follow-up for this clinical trial is evaluating longer term outcomes of veterans undergoing non-emergent CABG procedures. Muath’s AMA research project will evaluate how a CABG patient’s perception of their quality of life before CABG surgery, at three months after, and at one year post-CABG might predict their longer term survival (up to 10 years).
Muath points out that advances in heart surgery procedures, such as CABG, and cardiovascular care over the past two decades has greatly improved patient survival. Prior research has demonstrated that quality of life of the patient before CABG may be an important predictor of short-term survival. Using the data from the ROOBY trial patients, Muath hopes to discover whether the perception of quality of life is a predictor of long-term survival of CABG patients. Findings could impact ways to improve continuity and/or enhance monitoring for post-CABG patients.
“Under the direction and mentorship of Dr. Shroyer, this project is an amazing opportunity to design a study, conduct the analysis, and communicate the findings on a topic I feel passionate about,” says Muath. “The experience is invaluable and preparing me for a career as a physician scientist.”
According to the AMA Foundation, the Seed Grant Research Program is designed to fund projects that are applicant-conceived. It also aims to build the grant writing and research skills of junior investigators. Recipients often go on to publish their work, present at national medical conferences, and secure larger grants to continue their research advancements.
About Stony Brook University School of Medicine:
Established in 1971, the Stony Brook University School of Medicine includes 25 academic departments. The three missions of the School are to advance the understanding of the origins of human health and disease, train the next generation of committed, curious and highly capable physicians, and deliver word-class compassionate healthcare. As a member of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and a Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accredited medical school, Stony Brook is one of the foremost institutes of higher medical education in the country. Each year the School trains nearly 500 medical students and over 480 medical residents and fellows. Faculty research includes National Institutes of Health-sponsored programs in neurological diseases, cancer, cardiovascular disorders, biomedical imaging, regenerative medicine, infectious diseases, and many other topics. Physicians on the School of Medicine faculty deliver world class medical care through more than 30,000 inpatient, 80,000 emergency room, and approximately 350,000 outpatient visits annually at Stony Brook University Hospital and affiliated clinical programs, making its clinical services one of the largest and highest quality on Long Island, New York. To learn more, visit
www.medicine.stonybrookmedicine.edu
.
