Nurse Researchers Win Seed Grant from USF Women’s Health Collaborative

University of South Florida’s College of Nursing researchers Drs. Denise Maguire and Maureen Groer were recently awarded a $10,000 seed grant to study infants recovering from opioid exposure from the USF Women’s Health Collaborative.

The grant was part of $60,000 in funds for women’s health research given out at the USF Women’s Health Collaborative’s fifth annual Leading the Way Awards luncheon on May 9 at the Bryan Glazer JCC.  

The research proposal titled “The gut microbiome in infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome” will examine the relationship between feeding method on the microbiome of infants during withdrawal and recovery from opioid exposure.

The research team consists of Dr. Denise Maguire, PhD, RN, CNL, FAAN, an associate professor, Dr. Maureen Groer, PhD, RN, FAAN, a professor, Dr. Feng Cheng, PhD, an assistant professor in the USF College of Pharmacy, and Dr. Maya Balakrishnan, an associate professor in the USF Morsani College of Medicine.

Since the program began five years ago, more than $325,000 in seed grants have been awarded to 88 researchers on 29 seed grant projects.

The $10,000 award was one of five research awards given to USF Health faculty during the luncheon.

The USF Women’s Health Collaborative program provides annual seed grants for interdisciplinary, collaborative research focused on women’s health. Many of the past seed grant projects have resulted in prestigious publications and presentations, as well as additional grants and research awards.

“The research projects supported by this luncheon have created meaningful mentoring and coaching opportunities that have advanced our faculty, especially women, in their careers as academic leaders,” said Catherine Lynch, associate vice president for women’s health and faculty development for USF Health and chair of the USF Women’s Health Collaborative.

USF presented four other research awards at the luncheon:

• PNC Bank, the presenting sponsor of the event, awarded a $15,000 seed grant for“Behavioral training for mothers and pediatric residents: Does it improve managing stressful childhood behaviors?” The research team included Rebecca Plant, Emily Shaffer, Alison Solloum, Russell Kirby and Sharon Dabrow, who will examine ways to improve the use of evidence-based strategies for handling difficult developmental behaviors in young patients.
• “Single-cell genomics and erythropoiesis: Their first high-resolution red blood cell developmental map to address iron-deficiency anemia”received a $15,000 seed grant. Ray H.Y. Jiang, Gloria Ferreira and Elizabeth Sagatys compose the research team.
• “Balance-based torso weighting and core exercise to improve balance and gait in women with Multiple Sclerosis”received a $15,000 seed grant. The research team consisted of Jeannie Stephenson, Derrick Robertson, Stephanie Carey, Doug Haladay and Jason Beckstead.
• USF Women in Leadership and Philanthropy lifetime member Valerie Riddle announced her commitment to endow a new WLP Health Research Award,and she presented College of Public Health Assistant Professor Cheryl Vamos with $5,000 as its first-ever recipient.