Resurg UC Davis

Meet Amanda Aquilio! Amanda just completed her first quarter with RESURG as a research assistant and she’s here to tell us how it went. Here is what she has to say: During my first quarter with RESURG, I have acquired numerous skills such as communicating between faculty and other research professionals, performing research ethically, as well as strengthening my interpersonal communication skills. Working on my first study, I realized how important research is in terms of be...ttering healthcare, follow-up, and overall patient care, and it has inspired me to continue research in my future career. RESURG also provided me with amazing educational opportunities, including observing processes of informed consent and even observing a surgery! There is no doubt RESURG helped me feel more prepared to enter the workforce and to become the best researcher and communicator I can be. To anyone considering joining this program, you will be amazed by the mentorship, support, friendship, and professionalism RESURG provides. I am grateful for all the opportunities provided to me and cannot wait to continue working with the program! -Amanda Aquilio See more

Research Study Spotlight: Improving Access to Primary Care Resources for Trauma Patients We would like to present one of the studies that RESURG is currently working on: 'Improving Access to Primary Care Resources for Trauma Patients.’ One of our Research Assistants, Elias Jbeily, is working on this study and he’s here to tell you about it. Keep reading to hear from Elias and check out the attached infographics to see more detailed information about the study logistics and... why we are studying this! "Hi, my name is Elias Jbeily and I am the lead Research Assistant for Dr. Galante's study on 'Improving Access to Primary Care Resources for Trauma Patients' - or TAC for short. This is a prospective study in which we screen the medical charts of admitted trauma patients and look to enroll patients that are either uninsured or have MediCal coverage and had incidental findings - previously undiagnosed conditions - during their admission. What I do with these patients is I call them both 30-days and 60-days following discharge and I run through a survey with them. We will then use these survey responses to determine whether inpatient counseling with or without referral to free student-run health clinics improves their access to primary care resources and influences them to get much needed follow-ups on their medical condition. In addition to showing me a great deal about what professionalism in the medical field looks like, this study has exposed me to some of the socioeconomic barriers faced by some patients in today's healthcare system. As a result, I look forward to seeing the direction that research and healthcare takes in an effort to break down these barriers." -Elias Jbeily

Alumni Spotlight Meet Marc Friedman! Marc is a former member of RESURG who is now working as a Jr. Specialist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. He’s here to tell us about what his time in RESURG was like and how our program has impacted him: Hi RESURG Community! My name is Marc Friedman, I'm a recent UC Davis grad and a RESURG alumnus who's currently working as a Junior Specialist for the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. As a resear...ch assistant, I would say that my favorite aspect of the program was the insight it provided into the medical and clinical research fields. During my time there I had the opportunity to shadow a drug and alcohol counselor in the emergency room, a trauma nurse practitioner, and a trauma surgeon. Furthermore, my time in the program exposed me to many aspects of clinical research. I observed and participated in both the front end of enrolling patients and the back end of developing IRB protocols. As far as career development goes, I found that the nursing roles in the OR and ER were the most interesting and rewarding to me. Shadowing and observing them made me want to pursue a career as a research nurse, a career path that I wouldn't have known about were it not for RESURG. -Marc Friedman See more

Research Study Spotlight: COVID-19 Among Obese Patients Meet Kevin Ly! Kevin is a Research Assistant with RESURG and he’s currently working on one of RESURG’s studies: COVID-19 Among Obese Patients. He’s here to tell you about the study and what it’s been like to work on this study. Keep reading to hear from Kevin and check out the attached infographics to see more detailed information about the study logistics and why we are studying this! My study is called COVID-19 A...mong Obese Patients and I get to work very closely with Dr. Ahmed, who is a surgeon at UCDMC. My job is to gather data through EMR on the patients that have been admitted into UDMC and have tested positive for COVID-19. This data consists of patient information such as their symptoms, any comorbidities, and any interventions or outcomes that they may experience during their time in the hospital. This is a retrospective and prospective study, meaning I draw data from patients that have been admitted in the past AND those who will be admitted in the future as well. By doing this, we hope to determine the overall mortality of morbidly obese patients requiring hospital admission due to COVID-19 and determine if mortality and other patient outcomes correlate with BMI. Obesity has been shown to lead to worse outcomes in the critical care settings and during the H1N1 pandemic was linked to increased severity of disease. To date, there is little data on the effect obesity has on COVID-19 disease progression or outcomes and by continuing our investigation, it will hopefully lead to better understanding of COVID-19, and assist in clinical decision making during this global pandemic. - Kevin Ly, RA See more

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! In light of Thanksgiving, we asked some of our students what they are thankful for. Check out the video to see what they had to say and let us know what you are thankful for in the comments! #happythanksgiving #thankful