Duo Get Grant to Study Oral Health in L.A
Photo/Brian Goodman
Recent reports by Special Olympics International and the U.S. Surgeon General have revealed significant disparities and unmet health needs encountered by persons with developmental disabilities who have more dental disease, more missing teeth and more difficulty obtaining dental care than other segments of the population.
Among the factors contributing to these disparities are lack of properly trained providers, inadequate financing of dental services and the availability and accessibility of dental care services.
The goal of this pilot study is to develop and test a viable research model at the South Central Los Angeles Regional Center that will result in general data about the oral health needs and related behavioral and access issues among the developmentally disabled.
Researchers anticipate the effort will help them expand data collection in future studies with all seven regional centers in Los Angeles County.
“This research project will address the concerns of people with special needs, who are considered to be the most underserved population in the U.S.,” Schneiderman said.
“It’s a terrific service-learning opportunity for students from both the schools of social work and dentistry, who will work together as a multidisciplinary team providing counseling and oral health education designed specifically for those with developmental disabilities and their families.”
The USC Urban Initiative provides grant money to the development of interdisciplinary research on urban environments.
The methods and results of this study will be used to support an application for a program announcement by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, “Oral Health of Special Needs and Older Populations,” and for the Community Program Development Grant Fund offered by the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities.
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The Wall Street Journal highlighted the $200 million naming gift from USC Trustee and alumnus David Dornsife and wife Dana Dornsife to the USC Dornsife College, and the $110 million gift from USC Trustee and USC Viterbi School alumnus John Mork and wife Julie to create the USC Mork Family Scholars Program.
KPCC-FM reported that this fall USC will offer Persian language courses for the first time. A $250,000 grant from the Farhang Foundation helped to establish the program. Bruce Zuckerman of the USC Dornsife College said he has many students interested in the Persian language, culture and region. “The Iranian region is one that has great impact on our lives today and has had great impact going back into ancient times,” he said. The story noted that USC and the Farhang Foundation hope to raise more money to create an Iranian studies minor. Payvand also featured the new courses.
American Songwriter ran a Q&A with Christopher Sampson of the USC Thornton School about the school’s Popular Music program, which Sampson founded. He noted that the program has been available as a major in Songwriting since 2009, and has incorporated a diverse range of musical genres. “We have now established a consistent track record of students having professional success to know that the program gets results,” Sampson said. He also highlighted the achievements of Songwriting faculty members Lamont Dozier, Andrea Stolpe and David Poe of the Thornton School.
The Economist featured research by Valter Longo of the USC Davis School finding that short periods of fasting could help cancer patients better tolerate chemotherapy, and may even make treatment more effective. The Globe and Mail (Canada) reported that cancerous tumors are essentially energy hogs. “They need to burn lots of energy just to stay alive,” Longo said. The study was also covered by Irish Independent (Ireland), Magyar Tavirati Iroda (Hungary), Anadolu Ajansi (Turkey), Son Haber (Netherlands), Vietnam+ (Vietnam), Turkish Radio and Television (Turkey) and Romania Libera (Romania).
L.A. Weekly featured research by USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies, which has developed video games based around physical movement for people recovering from strokes or other injuries. The games develop strength in specific body parts. Traditional video games weren’t right for these patients, said the institute’s Belinda Lange. “Often, the fun parts of the game would only be unlocked after a series of other levels, which our patients often couldn’t achieve,” she said. The games are now being tested with physical therapists in three major clinics.
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