You can find our award-winning faculty sharing their expertise with the national press, publishing in the most respected peer reviewed journals and even testifying before the United Nations. Our alumni continue to raise the standard for compassionate and professional health care around the globe. They are working to fight diseases and improve human health through research and the promotion of new evidence-based practices.
John DeFrancisco, a second-year graduate student in the physician assistant program, has been selected as a 2024-25 Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) Student Health Policy Fellow.
The prestigious fellowship recognizes exceptional PA students who are committed to making a significant impact on the healthcare system, profession and education for future generations.
August 19, 2024
Physical therapy students help patients with their treatment at EQUIP (Quinnipiac University Interprofessional Practice) Rehabilitation Clinic, a student-run organization located on the North Haven Campus founded in 2012 to serve the PT needs of patients who are uninsured or underinsured in the Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences building.
Students and faculty teach a variety of exercise classes, including yoga, aerobics, TaiChi and strengthening on our North Haven Campus as a part of EQUIP Rehabilitation.
Students in the School of Health Sciences regularly team up with their peers in the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine to teach children with disabilities how to ski.
It’s all part of the 7-week Skiers Unlimited program, which dates back more than 30 years. During the program, volunteers use adaptive equipment such as snow sliders, outriggers and tethers to help the children control balance as well as turns and speed.
“With a lot of the kids, you can see the confidence building,” said Steve Balcanoff, manager of non-clinical community programs at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. “They feel enthused and proud. The parents will tell you it’s making an impact at school and in the home. Frequently, the parents get inspired to learn how to ski when they are out here. It can have a lasting effect on families.”
Quinnipiac became involved with the program 2 decades ago when Richard Albro, now associate professor of physical therapy emeritus, discovered the ski program while on sabbatical and was so impressed that he got students involved.
“It is great for our students to see the kids in a holistic manner and just having fun like other kids,” said Martha Sanders, associate professor of occupational therapy. “It’s really one of the goals of therapy that we rarely get to see.”
For two weeks each summer, high school students from across the Northeast came to Quinnipiac to take part in the Healthcare Career Exploration Academy. Along with CPR training, students learned basic first aid, suturing techniques, DNA testing, the Heimlich maneuver and more.
On one particular morning, it was all about saving lives with CPR at the Recreation and Wellness Center on the Mount Carmel Campus. Meghan Lewis, clinical associate professor of health science studies, walked around the classroom as she gave instructions for the proper CPR technique.
Course projects enable students to learn through a combination of experiences. By applying knowledge and skills from different disciplines, students are able to challenge themselves through learning in a hands-on and creative way. Through self-driven or team projects, students are able to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Faculty in the School of Health Sciences are devoted educators who set a precedent for the students they teach and mentor. Our faculty are practicing researchers and clinicians who regularly showcase their work at conferences, sit on panels and publish in a variety of research journals. They advise, guide and encourage students to pursue meaningful research and independent study that leads to reports, presentations and even publications of their own.
Professor Martine Mirrione brings the experience of a research institution to Quinnipiac — with her focus on neuroscience, pharmacology, neuroimaging and behavior. She is currently examining the link between neuronal circuits and depression symptoms, and the effectiveness of deep brain stimulation therapy for treating depression in individuals. Mirrione’s research has been published in national journals, including Nature, The Journal of Neuroscience and Synapse. She regularly speaks at conferences and has received many scholarships and awards for her work, including one from the National Science Foundation.
For Mirrione, an associate professor of biomedical sciences, the lab is not a solitary place for individual pursuits, but one where she expands her role as an educator. She is most inspired — personally and professionally — when mentoring undergraduates on their own research projects, or guiding graduate students through their thesis projects.
Mirrione frequently uses visuals to aid in the learning of important principles and concepts. She also believes in connecting ideas through hands-on experiments, which in turn exposes her students to emerging technology and techniques in the process.
“Technology and research methods are constantly changing,” she said. “It is important that our students are not intimidated by that change.”
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