The research Rose Ann DiMaria-Ghalili, PhD, RN, CNSC, FASPEN, FAAN is conducting focuses on the role of nutrition in improving health outcomes and quality of life for older adults with acute and chronic conditions across the care continuum using a social-ecological framework. Her interdisciplinary research interests include nutrition assessment, malnutrition, inflammation, sarcopenia, frailty, technology, wound healing and interprofessional nutrition assessment competencies. To date she has received a total of 4.2 million dollars in grant funding as PI or CO-I from the National Institutes of Health, American Nurses Foundation, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program, Coulter-Drexel Translational Research Partnership program, John A. Hartford Foundation and local foundations and seed funding competitions.
Principal Investigator
Rose Ann DiMaria-Ghalili PhD, RN, CNSC, FASPEN, FAAN
Senior Associate Dean of Research
Associate Professor - Doctoral Nursing, Nutrition Sciences
Health Sciences Building, 11th Floor, Room 11E52
60 N 36th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: 267.359.5829
Email: rad83@drexel.edu
Publications
Online Bibliography
Monitoring and Tracking Fluid Consumption in At-Risk Populations: a Social-Ecological Approach
We recently completed a series of studies with funding from CNHP Seed Grant, Drexel-Coulter Translational Seed Grant and National Institutes of Nursing Research Phase I STTR to develop and test the proof-of-concept of a wireless device to track and monitor fluid intake (Smart Cup) in at-risk older adults. Subsequent work is focused on in-depth exploration of nurses’ nutritional care practices and facilitators and barriers of mobile health adoption perceived by nurse executives. Role: Principal Investigator
Enhanced Ultrasound Treatment of Chronic Wounds with Monitoring of Healing and Quality of Life Outcomes (2016-2021)
The two most common types of chronic wounds are venous ulcers, which affect an estimated 500,0000 to 2,000,000 patients in the U.S., and diabetic foot ulcers, which affect an estimated 15-25 percent of patients with diabetes. We propose a novel and unique combination of a lightweight, battery-powered low-frequency ultrasound applicator for chronic wound therapy with noninvasive optical wound diagnostics, and detailed analysis of the nutritional and inflammatory status of patients who respond to the treatment. Our study, which will be first of the kind, will evaluate the effect of the ultrasound treatment on wound healing and health-related quality of life with a randomized clinical trial of 60 patients with venous ulcers and 60 patients with diabetic ulcers. Funded by the National Institute for Nursing Research / National Institutes of Health (1R01NR015995-01A1, PI: Peter Lewin) Role: Co-Investigator. Primarily responsible for leading the clinical implementation of the study and the aims related to quality of life and nutrition and inflammation. Further information at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03041844
Early Detection of Deep Tissue Injury in Critically Ill Surgical Patients (2016-2017)
Our long term objective is to validate a method for early detection of deep tissue injury by measuring blood flow and tissue oxygenation in the dermis and subcutaneous tissue with a non-invasive optical system. The objective of this pilot study is to demonstrate the feasibility of using diffuse near infrared optical spectroscopy probes as a screening tool in the surgical intensive care unit. Funded by the Drexel University College of Medicine Clinical Translational Research Institute, PI: Michael Weingarten Role: Co-Investigator. Primarily responsible for exploring the impact of nutritional status and development of deep tissue injury.
Doctoral Students
Undergraduate Students
- Christine Chen
- Elizabeth Mintz
- Keyanna Bynum
- Adam Slawek
- Jennifer Goldschmidt
- Bryan Scheffer
Internal Collaborators (current funding)
- Peter Lewin, PhD, Biomedical Engineering
- Brendan McCracken, MD, Department of Surgery
- Juan Muniz, PhD, Department of Nutrition Sciences
- Michael Neidrauer, PhD, Biomedical Engineering
- Michael Weingarten, MD, Department of Surgery
- Leonid Zubkov, PhD, Biomedical Engineering
External Collaborators (current funding)
- David Margolis, MD, University of Pennsylvania