Research Projects

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Research Projects

If you are interested in collaborating with Osher Center faculty on any of these research projects, please reach out to Ying Wang, MD, PhD, Research Director, or Harini Pallerla, MS, Research Associate.

Integrative Medicine

acupuncturist performing acupuncture on patient

Integrative Medicine in Pain Management in Sickle Cell Disease: Assessing the Clinical Efficacy and Neurobiological Impact with Acupuncture/Acupressure (NIH R01 project)

Principal Investigator: Ying Wang, MD, PhD

Determine the clinical efficacy and neurobiological mechanisms using numerous measurements including clinical outcome measures, circulating inflammatory biomarkers, quantitative sensory testing (QST, assessing mechanical/thermal/deep tissue hyperalgesia), neuroimaging tools (MRI and EEG) characterizing the alterations in brain characteristics and specific brain biomarkers (activity/connectivity/metabolites), in sickle patients with chronic pain and/or recurrent acute pain episodes, following acupuncture -implemented integrative medicine for managing pain and comorbidities.

To Enroll
Call: (513) 653-0746
Email: ywanglab@ucmail.uc.edu

Learn more about this study.

Evaluation of the use and effectiveness of Integrative Health and Wellness Interventions and Programs for patients seen at Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Cincinnati

Principal Investigator: Mladen Golubic, MD, PhD

The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the health impact of lifestyle and Integrative Medicine (IM) modalities offered via group medical visits (GMVs) and individual patient encounters seen at the IM clinics.

Culinary Medicine

vegetables and fruits in the foreground on a countertop with the learning kitchen and two people talking in the background

Identifying barriers to create behavior change: An evaluation of a community-based learning kitchen

Principal Investigator: Stephanie White, EdD

The purpose of this activity is to collect pre/post survey feedback from participants of culinary medicine programming taking place in the John & Carrie Hayden Learning Community Kitchen

Pamela Sharpe helping participants at a teaching kitchen event

The Cooking to Fight Fatigue Intervention Focused on the MIND Diet for Adults with Cancer-Related Fatigue (CRF)

Principal Investigator: Pamela Sharpe, APRN, FNP-BC

To assess the feasibility (recruitment, retention, attendance) and acceptability (satisfaction) of a culinary nutrition intervention consisting of 3-classes for cancer survivors with CRF. To explore short-term changes in fatigue severity, dietary quality, and knowledge and self-efficacy related to the MIND diet and food literacy skills.

Build It Bites: Feasibility and Immediate Impact of a Family-Centered Culinary Medicine Program in Pediatric and AYA Oncology

Principal Investigator: Carina Braeutigam, MD

This study evaluates a family-centered culinary medicine program in the pediatric oncology setting for feasibility and acceptability and immediate impact, participants complete anonymous pre- and post-session surveys. These evaluations are designed to capture changes in knowledge, confidence, and attitudes related to nutrition and cooking, as well as overall satisfaction with the program.

Music & Arts as Medicine

Survivorship Soundtrack: Co-designing a Songwriting and Singing Intervention to Support Autonomic Regulation and Connection with Breast Cancer Survivor (BCS)

Principal Investigator: Betsey Zenk Nuseibeh, PhD

To test the feasibility and acceptability of a co-designed, songwriter-led music creation and group-singing intervention with BCS. Assess preliminary (pre–post) changes in stress, anxiety, and social connection, and in autonomic regulation, among breast cancer survivors participating in a co-designed group singing intervention.

Learn more about this study.

The CALM Study: Cancer survivors' Active Listening for Modulation of Stress, A pilot protocol for in-the-moment autonomic nervous system measurement

Principal Investigator: Betsey Zenk Nuseibeh, PhD

The purpose of this study is to measure the feasibility, acceptability, and potential psychophysiological impact of a single music listening session on the symptoms of stress and anxiety in cancer survivors.

Music, Wellness, and Community Survey at the Freeman Center

Principal Investigator: Betsey Zenk Nuseibeh, PhD

The purpose of this descriptive study is to inform the development of future music, wellness, and sensory-informed community programming for adults with developmental disabilities and their caregivers.

woman clapping with people creating music

Music Engagement and Autonomic Stress Regulation in Epilepsy (MEASURE-EPI)

Principal Investigator: Betsey Zenk Nuseibeh, PhD

The purpose of this study is to measure the feasibility, acceptability, and early efficacy of a co-designed, songwriter-led music creation and group-singing intervention with people with epilepsy.

a person playing guitar with two people listening

The AMPLIFY Study (Arts-based Methods for Participant-Led Insight and Community Feedback)

Principal Investigator: Betsey Zenk Nuseibeh, PhD

This study aims to better understand how arts engagement can be structured to support meaningful participation, social connection, and accessibility for adults with IDD and their caregivers in community-based arts settings.

two people seated creating art through art therapy

Art therapy and epilepsy: exploration of impact on quality of life, stress and psychosocial comorbidities

Principal Investigators: Emily Nurre, MD and Meera Rastogi, PhD

The purpose of this study is to explore impact of art therapy on quality of life, mindfulness, perceived stress, loneliness, social isolation, and on seizure frequency. Also explore the impact of art therapy on epilepsy comorbidities including sleep disturbance, anxiety and depression.

Past Osher Center Research Projects

2017-2025

Mind-Body Skills Program: 9-week 2-hours/week experiential course that provides students, faculty, and staff with self-care and reflection skills combined with group support to adaptively deal with stressors and build resilience. Faculty and staff facilitators are trained to lead groups during a 3-day immersive, experiential retreat. This course has trained faculty/staff in the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Allied Health, Law, DAAP, CCM, CECH, Arts & Sciences, Blue Ash, and CCHMC. Mixed method data collected pre-post 9 week program and at one-year follow-up.
1. Novak, B. K., Gebhardt, A., Pallerla, H., McDonald, S.B., Haramati, A., & Cotton, S. (2020). Impact of a university-wide interdisciplinary mind-body skills program on student mental and emotional well-being. Global Advances in Health and Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1177/2164956120973983
Mindful Stress Reduction at the Free Store Food Bank Cincinnati COOKS! Program: 6-week group stress reduction program modified from the evidence-based Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program developed by Dr. Jon Kabat Zinn.This program has been piloted at Cincinnati COOKS!, a second-chance job training program offered through the Free Store Food Bank. Mixed method data collected pre-post each program series.
College of Medicine Student Wellness Assessment: annual assessment of all College of Medicine medical students to develop and test a cross-institutional standard evaluation for student emotional and mental well-being. Currently we are on year 4 of longitudinal cohort data collection.
Build it Bites: BUILD-IT-BITES workshops created at Cincinnati Children’s by Dr Carina Braeutigam combines hands on teaching kitchen practices with mindfulness to avoid overall malnutrition and create positive culinary experiences for young children/adolescents with cancer and their families. Post-intervention mixed-method evaluations are collected.
Parkinson’s wellness program: To promote wellness through the prevention and treatment of Parkinson’s disease with lifestyle and behavioral approaches including nutrition, physical activity, stress reduction and connectivity, and evidence-based integrative therapies. All integrative health clinical programs are evaluated for feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness using a practice-based research approach.
Creating Caring Communities: 7-week 1-hour/week program that provides students, faculty, and staff with group support and encourages self-care and wellness. This program is designed to create an environment to connect in a safe, authentic setting that allows participants to speak freely about how they are adjusting professionally and personally in these virtual times and to share challenges, joys, and to be there for each other.
1. UC Creating Caring Communities Program: Additional Information (PDF)
2. Evaluating ‘Creating Caring Communities’: A medical student pilot wellness program to aid in the transition to medical school during COVID 19 (PDF). Emily Williams, Harini Pallerla, MS Susan McDonald, MA, Laura Malosh PhD, Sonali Doshi, Sian Cotton PhD. Poster Presented at the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health Virtual Symposium. April 11-13, 2021.
Practice-Based Integrative Health Research: To promote wellness through the prevention and treatment of various diseases with lifestyle and behavioral approaches including nutrition, physical activity, stress reduction and connectivity, and evidence-based integrative therapies. All integrative health clinical programs are evaluated for feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness using a practice-based research approach.
1. Integrative Medicine Modality Usage and Impact on Patients with Chronic Pain Conditions in an Urban Clinic Setting.
2. Efficacy of Integrative Medicine Therapies on Chronic Headache Severity: A Retrospective Study.
Alternatives to opioids for pain in the emergency department: Implementing Integrative Health approaches and expanding local nerve block initiatives: In partnership with Emergency Medicine, this SAMHSA-funded grant will expand the use of available evidence-based options for pain management in the emergency department (ED), focusing on pain relief and empowering people with tools to use for pain management while minimizing the risk of potential harms from opioid exposure. A full menu of integrative health and medicine techniques will be introduced and available for novel outpatient follow-up (e.g., acupuncture, yoga), with patients receiving information on mindfulness and stress reduction techniques to use immediately. Mindfulness and resilience training sessions will be offered to ED prescribers in an effort to decrease personal burnout through experiencing the benefits of this mind-body modality firsthand and allowing them to be more informed when offering these interventions to patients.
Workplace Mindfulness: 5-week or 8-week virtual programs, one-hour presentations, and half or full-day retreats options, for businesses to support associate wellness focused on building resilience and managing stress. All programs are evaluated with input from the client to address pain points and growth/change after the mindfulness training is implemented. Includes programming through the Universal Provider Grant through the University of Cincinnati Provost’s Office and programming with clients such as P&G, Cincinnati Regional Chamber of Commerce, Cincinnati Bar Association, Kilgour Elementary School, and Withrow High School.

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