COLLEGES / RESEARCH CENTERS / LIBRARIES / ARCHIVES / STUDENT DISCOUNTS

RESEARCH CENTERS

at Northeastern / Forsyth Institute / Harvard School of Public Health / Mass College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Northeastern University

Northeastern University, believing that high-quality research is an essential part of well-rounded education, maintains a number of interdisciplinary centers and institutes. Among them:

The Advanced Scientific Computation Center
ASCC was founded in 1999 with major external funding from the National Science Foundation and Compaq Computer. The current research capacity of the ASCC is estimated to be 27 GFLOPS; the high-performance server is anticipated to be upgraded by a 4x machine around July 2000. ASCC also supports an Educational Cluster with 15 workstations for holding UNIX or NT classes. The facilities of the ASCC are available to the university community for appropriate research and training activities.

Barnett Institute of Chemical and Biological Analysis, established in 1973, is a center for advanced interdisciplinary research in the molecular sciences. Today the institute is recognized internationally as one of the premier centers for research and advanced training in analytical chemistry, biotechnology, and the synthesis and characterization of advanced materials.

Brudnick Center for the Study of Conflict & Violence seeks solutions to problems of hostility and hatred based on group differences. Involving faculty from a range of disciplines, the center initiates research projects and educational endeavors in the area of inter-group conflict and violence.

Center for Advanced Microgravity Materials Processing
CAMMP is a NASA-sponsored Center for Commercial Development, established with a mission to stimulate innovations in materials technology and to develop commercial products through knowledge gained from microgravity research and materials processing.

Center for the Advancement of Science Education
Addressing ethical responsibility in science education, NUCASE enables science students to reflect upon and investigate ethical concerns in their research and clinical experience and respond to those concerns with informed ethical thinking and decision making.

Center for Cardiovascular Targeting is devoted to the development of novel in vivo targeting approaches for diagnosis and therapy of myriad cardiovascular-related health problems, such as atherosclerotic lesions, myocardial necrosis, brain infarction and various tumors.

Center for Communications and Digital Signal Processing, in collaboration with industry and federal agencies, sponsors advanced basic and applied research in such areas as mobile, wireless, and underwater data communications; speech, radar, sonar, and biomedical signal processing' robotics; target tracking' and the control of power systems.

Center for Community Health Education Research and Service
CCHERS established in 1991, is a partnership between Northeastern University Bouve College of Health Sciences, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, the Boston Public Health Commission and 12 community health centers in the city. CCHERS provides community-based education and service learning experiences for health professions students and conducts research into health issues that impact inner-city communities and urban populations.

The Center for Comparative Democracy is a multi-disciplinary institute intended to study and analyze problems in democratic development and consolidation in both Third World and advanced industrial nations. The focus of concern in both the developing and developed nations would be on the institutional and procedural conditions that sustain a democratic society and the political infrastructure needed to maintain democratic representation.

Center for Criminal Justice Policy Research deals with interdisciplinary public policy and social research issues in such fields as criminal justice, public safety, social welfare, and education.

Center for Effective University Teaching, established in 1990, assists faculty in creating and maintaining effective learning environments for their students. Formerly the Office for the Support of Effective Teaching.

Center for Electromagnetics Research, a cooperative research center sponsored by the National Science Foundation, conducts advanced training research in radio-frequency and electrical-discharge phenomena, electro-optics, plasmas, materials, integrated circuits, computers, and other areas important to the electronics and aerospace industries. The center's activities are supported by the federal government and industry sources.

Center for the Enhancement of Science and Mathematics Education
CESAME brings together the resources of teachers, scientists, engineers, and mathematicians in order to improve Massachusetts school children's access to, excitement about, and understanding of mathematics and science.

Center for Experiential Education and Academic Advising fosters experiential learning opportunities and enhanced academic advising for arts and sciences students.

Center for Innovation in Urban Education supports research related to urban schooling, participates in the development of the University's teacher-education programs, and serves as the University's certification office and its liaison with the Massachusetts Department of Education.

Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Complex Systems
CIRCS was created as a result of the present challenges in conducting interdisciplinary research on some of the most important problems in biology and materials science, with strong components in modern microfabrication and large scale computer simulations.

Center for Labor Market Studies examines a wide variety of employment, training, welfare, and human resource issues, acting as an important regional and national resource for information about educational practices, employment, workers' wages, and the economic and social conditions of American families.

Center for the Software Sciences hosts software-related research and development in the areas of Adaptive, Object-Oriented, Aspect-Oriented and Component-Based Programming.

Center for the Study of Sport in Society seeks to increase awareness of sport and its relation to society, to develop programs that identify problems, offer solutions, and promote the benefits of sport.

Center for Subsurface Sensing and Imaging Systems
CenSSIS

Center for Technology Management - sponsored by corporations in the computer, medical products, information products, and consulting industries - performs applied research in the areas of new product development, advanced information systems for businesses, and technology strategy.

Center for Urban and Regional Policy is a "think and do tank" - a place where people from the university pool their expertise, resources, and commitment to address a wide range of issues facing cities, towns, and suburbs with particular emphasis on the Greater Boston region. CURP staff are involved in a wide array of projects, all aimed at helping policymakers and citizens better understand the dimensions of urban issues. Projects currently under way address housing, workforce development, community economic development, education, information access, and more. Find out more at: http://www.curp.neu.edu

Center for Vertebrate Studies includes laboratories in which faculty, graduate and undergraduate students conduct research projects in ecology and systematics of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals and invertebrates that live in association with vertebrates. There are also a ranking research collection of vertebrates and an herbarium in the center. Projects include studies of the impact of exotic vertebrates on ecosystems, mammalian ectoparasites, habitat use and behavior of urban wildlife, systematics of insular mammals and mammalian zoogeography in New England.

The Domestic Violence Institute is a service, research and education organization dedicated to addressing the needs of battered women and their children in the greater Boston area, and developing innovative educational and service programs with the potential for replication in other communities. The work of the institute is multidisciplinary and community-based, and emphasizes a client-empowered model of service provision.

Electron Microscopy Center provides instruction and supports research activities involving the application of imaging technologies, such as light microscopes, scanning and transmission electron microscopes, computer image analysis, and photographic equipment, to the fields of biotechnology, medical research, engineering, and biology.

Microfabrication Laboratory supports both graduate and undergraduate education by providing student access to microfabrication technology. Microfabrication technology is applied to both MEMS devices and purely electronic devices.

Molecular Modeling Center is a computer graphics center dedicated to the application of three-dimensional molecular modelling in both research and education.

National Education and Research Center for Outcomes Assessment in Healthcare was established in 1991 as a national demonstration center to link research, clinical practice and education in the area of patient-centered, multidimensional quality of life assessment. The center has four major goals: developing multidimensional, patient-centered, quality of life assessment instruments; conducting research in clinical and economic outcomes assessment; disseminating information; and encouraging the use of quality of life measures by health-care providers.

Tobacco Control Resource Center and Tobacco Products Liability Project, founded in 1984 by doctors, academics and attorneys, studies, encourages and coordinates products liability suits against the tobacco industry and spearheads legislative and regulatory initiatives to control the sale and use of tobacco as a public health strategy.

Urban Law and Public Policy Institute aims to equalize, as much as possible, the imbalance of power and knowledge in urban communities. The institute's objective is to ensure that the promises of public participation and transparency of government decision making are, in fact, fulfilled, especially for lower income people and other too-often excluded groups.

World History Center supports basic and applied research, curriculum development and institutional growth in world history. The center supports graduate and undergraduate education and holds a biweekly seminar. Its research activities include a Web-based world history databank in economic, demographic and social history. The center designs and produces multimedia teaching materials, focusing on migration and technology in history. Its World History Resource Center includes a library for teaching and a program of workshops, institutes, conferences and publications for teachers of world history.

The Forsyth Institute

The Department of Clinical Research is dedicated to the improvement of oral health through clinical studies. The Department coordinates a web of interaction between the clinic, laboratories, and the biostatistics group.

Clinical operations revolve around the recruitment, diagnosis and treatment of subjects who have volunteered to participate in clinical studies. Dental plaque, gingival crevicular fluid, blood, saliva, epithelial cells and various other samples gathered during patient visits are distributed to laboratories for processing and quantitation. Specialized techniques such as DNA-DNA hybridization, a process developed by Dr. Sigmund Socransky, is used for identifying large numbers microbial samples on a single support membrane. Bacterial identification may also be carried out by 16S RNA sequencing. Cytokines, antibodies, and other immune regulatory molecules are quantified using sensitive immunoassays. After the laboratory completes the gathering of essential data, investigators analyze the data with the aid of Forsyth's biostatistics group.

Some of the current research in the Department includes:

Studies of the detection, prevention and best methods for treatment of periodontal disease.
The regeneration of bone lost as a result of periodontal disease.
Comparison of various methods of tooth whitening.
The effects of antibiotics on the subgingival microbiota.
The identification of the bacterial microbiota existing on or in epithelial cells.

The Department utilizes a plethora of technologically advanced and specialized services for conduct of clinical trials, providing benefit to both the patients participating in clinical studies and to the sponsors of clinical trials. Specialized clinical techniques include chromametric color measurements, automated gingival temperature probes, and electronic measurements for the detection of bleeding upon probing. These techniques all serve to expedite the process of the collection and processing of data, while providing the most accurate measurements for statistical analysis.

Harvard School of Public Health

The school has established a number of institutes and centers to advance research in areas of importance to health. These efforts tend to be multidisciplinary in their approach, bringing together faculty from several HSPH departments and, in some instances, from several Harvard schools. Faculty members affiliated with the programs offer courses in their field of interest through the school's academic departments and often provide opportunities for student involvement in research.

Center for Biostatistics in AIDS Research
Director: Stephen Lagakos, MPhil, PhD, professor of biostatistics
Executive director: Janet Andersen, MS, SD, senior research scientist
For more information, contact:
Janet Andersen
Phone: 617-432-2814
Fax: 617-432-2843
E-mail: andersen@sdac.harvard.edu

Center for Health Communication
Director: Jay A. Winsten, PhD, associate dean for public and community affairs
For more information, contact:
Terri Mendoza
Phone: 617-432-1038
Fax: 617-731-8184
E-mail: tmendoza@sph.harvard.edu
Web: www.hsph.harvard.edu/chc/

Center for Quality of Care Research and Education
QCARE
Director: R. Heather Palmer, MB, BCh, SM, professor of health policy and management
For more information, contact:
Mary McCann
Phone: 617-432-2027
Fax: 617-432-3199
E-mail: qcare@hsph.harvard.edu
Web: www.hsph.harvard.edu/qcare/

Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease
For more information, contact:
Michelle Bell
Phone: 617-432-1778
Fax: 617-432-2980
E-mail: bell@cvlab.harvard.edu

Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights
Director: Stephen P. Marks, Docteur d'etat, Dipl. IHEI, Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Professor of Health and Human Rights
For more information, contact:
Cevero Gonzalez
Phone: 617-432-0656
Fax: 617-432-4310
E-mail: fxbcenter@igc.org
Web: www.hsph.harvard.edu/fxbcenter/

Harvard AIDS Institute
Chair: Myron E. Essex, DVM, PhD, John LaPorte Given professor of immunology and infectious disease
Executive director: Richard Marlink, MD
For more information, contact:
Phone: 617-432-4400
Fax: 617-432-4545
E-mail: hai@hsph.harvard.edu
Web: www.aids.harvard.edu

Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention
Director: David J. Hunter, MB, BS, MPH, SD, professor of epidemiology
For more information, contact:
Phone: 617-432-0038
Fax: 617-432-1722
E-mail: hccp@hsph.harvard.edu
Web: www.hsph.harvard.edu/cancer

Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies
Acting director: Barry R. Bloom, PhD, dean, Harvard School of Public Health
For more information, contact
Winifred M. Fitzgerald
Phone: 617-495-3002
Fax: 617-495-5418
E-mail: wmfitz@hsph.harvard.edu
Web: www.hsph.harvard.edu/hcpds

Harvard Center for Risk Analysis
Director: John D. Graham, AM, PhD, professor of policy and decision sciences
For more information, contact:
Nkwamzi Sabiti
Phone: 617-432-4497
E-mail: nsabiti@hsph.harvard.edu
Web: www.hcra.harvard.edu

Harvard Center for Society and Health
Director: Ichiro Kawachi, MD, PhD, associate professor of health and social behavior
For more information, contact:
Phone: 617-432-0235
Fax: 617-432-3123
E-mail: csh@hsph.harvard.edu

Harvard Education and Research Center for Occupational Safety and Health
Director: David C. Christiani, MD, SM, MPH, professor of occupational medicine and epidemiology
For more information, contact:
David C. Christiani
Phone: 617-432-1260
Fax: 617-432-0219
E-mail: dchris@hohp.harvard.edu
Web: www.hsph.harvard.edu/erc

Harvard Injury Control Research Center
Director: David Hemenway, PhD, professor of health policy
For more information, contact:
Mary Kate Newell
Phone: 617-432-2123
Fax: 617-432-4494
E-mail: hicrc@hsph.harvard.edu
Web: www.hsph.harvard.edu/hicrc/

John B. Little Center for Radiation Sciences and Environmental Health
Director: John B. Little, MD, James Stevens Simmons professor of radiobiology
For more information, contact:
Martha Cassin
Phone: 617-432-0054
E-mail: mcassin@hsph.harvard.edu

Kresge Center for Environmental Health
Director: Joseph D. Brain, SM, SM, SD, Cecil K. and Philip Drinker professor of environmental physiology
For more information, contact:
Joseph Brain
E-mail: brain@hsph.harvard.edu

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Center for Integrative Therapies in Pharmaceutical Care
June Riedlinger, Pharm.D., Assistan Professor of Clinical Pharmacy; Director
Lana Dvorkin, Pharm.D., Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacy; Drug Information Coordinator

Mission Statement
The mission of the Center for Integrative Therapies in Pharmaceutical Care is to conduct research that establishes the safety and efficacy of substance-based alternative therapy, such as herbals, homeopathic remedies, and nutraceuticals. The Center develops educational programs and databases providing pharmacists with information needed to assess complementary therapies and counsel patients, health consumers, and conventional practitioners regarding appropriate and safe use. The Center also coordinates research and educational programs on non-substance based therapy that affect disease and medication management, such as acupuncture, chiropractic, meditation, and massage.

To fulfill its mission, the Center for Integrative Therapies in Pharmaceutical Care focuses its efforts in three general areas: education, information and research.

Education & Information
Education of pharmacists, students and health professionals by developing training programs, such as scientific symposia and conferences, continuing professional education and certificate programs, course work and experiential education programs. Education of patients, consumers and society by developing educational materials for patients and consumers, members of mass media, policy makers and regulators regarding the safe and appropriate use of alternative therapies Development, maintenance, and delivery of information databases on specific substance-based alternative therapies to pharmacists and health care practitioners. Development of promotional materials for pharmacists to assist in their role as the primary health care providers of information, counseling, product selection, and services. Conducting consultations with professional and consumer interest groups regarding the pharmacist's role in integrative pharmaceutical care.

Research Programs
Identification and coordination of research opportunities for CITPC and MCPHS students and faculty;
Chemical analysis
Chemical identification and quantification studies
Pharmaceutical analysis
Cell culture and tissue assays
In vivo pharmacological studies
Nutraceutical stability studies
Clinical and therapeutic assessment
Human safety studies
Human efficacy studies
Pharmacoepidemiological analysis
Post-marketing studies: surveillance systems for substance-based therapy to monitor adverse reactions, side effects, and drug interactions with pharmaceuticals and other conventional therapies.
Social-cultural studies: Patient and consumer-based surveys on their use of specific products, satisfaction, and social-cultural factors that influence use, marketing, media, societal and regulatory responses to alternative therapies.

The Longwood Pharmaceutical Research, Inc.
Timothy J. Maher, PhD. CEO
179 Longwood Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
Tel: 617-732-2225
Fax: 617-732-2963

To meet the pharmaceutical and healthcare development needs of academic, industrial and government clients, the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences houses a research and development company, the Longwood Pharmaceutical Research, Inc. (LPR). Faculty who participate in LPR's activities utilize the facilities located within the College and represent a critical nucleus of doctorally prepared scientists noted for their research in the pharmaceutical sciences and healthcare issues.

LPR operates a U.S. Food and Drug Administration registered facility for the design, development, and manufacture of a wide range of traditional and novel-drug-delivery systems. Sustained-release and transdermal dosage forms constitute one special area of expertise of the investigators in the industrial pharmacy area. Analytical method development and its validation, in vitro testing, stability testing, process development, excipient evaluation and preparation of regulatory documents are all within the activities of LPR. Phase I and Phase II clinical trial samples are produced in a timely fashion under Good Manufacturing Practices so as to allow for a rapid progression toward the New Drug Application submission and an accelerated time to market.

LPR provides analytical expertise in support of pharmacokinetic investigations. Additionally, medicinal chemists offer innovative synthesis opportunities toward the development of new chemical entities for eventual dosage form design and development. Pre-clinical investigations involving various models of cardiovascular, neurologic, musculoskeletal, metabolic and behavioral disorders are available to support the rational design of pharmaceutical agents by the client.

LPR also offers expertise in the areas of clinical and operational pharmacy management. The range of expertise includes studies involving pharmacoeconomics, pharmacoepidemiology, patient compliance, trends in healthcare and the impact of managed care, patient outcomes and pharmaceutical care. Drug information and continuing education services are also available.