Lee Berk, DrPH Associate Professor, Allied Health Studies School of Allied Health Professions Associate Professor, Physical Therapy School of Allied Health Professions Assoc Res Prof, Pathology and Human Anatomy School of Medicine Member, Physical Therapy, SAHP, Faculty of Graduate Studies

Research & Grantsmanship 

  Funded Research Project (PI)

• Day of Rest and Relaxation: A Stress Reduction Tool In Medical Student During Final Exams ( 3/2007 - 6/2007 )

• Differences in psychophysiological and religio/spiritual variables in university students that observe a day of relio/spiritual rest versus those that do not observe a day of religio/spiritual day of rest during a weekly cycles.    ( 3/2007 - Present )

  Funded Research Project (CI)

• Combined Effects of Carvedilol and Eprosartan on Attenuating Brain Natriuretic Peptide, Interferon-gamma, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha, ( 7/2005 - 6/2006 )

• . Effects of pravastatin and eprosartan on inflammatory cytokines interferon-gamma, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, and C-reactive protein in diabetic subjects with coronary artery disease. ( 7/2005 - 6/2006 )

• Effects of pravastatin and eprosartan on inflammatory cytokines interferon-gamma, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, and C-reactive protein in diabetic subjects with coronary artery disease. ( 7/2005 - 6/2006 )

• Rosuvastatin and rosiglitazone combination attenuate interferon- gamma, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, macrophage chemotactic protein-1, C-reactive protein, and increase interleukin-4, which may provide cardioprotection for diabetic patients with atherosclerosis ( 7/2005 - 6/2006 )

• Atorvastatin and candesartan effects on interferon-gamma, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, and C-reactive protein in diabetics with atherosclerosis ( 7/2005 - 6/2006 )

• Effects of Composite Group Drumming on Modulation of Immune Parameters ( 7/2004 - 6/2005 )

• Recreational Music-making Orchestrates the Human Stress Response: a preliminary ( 7/2004 - 6/2005 )

• A Study of the Efficacy and Impact of a Specific Recreational Music-making Protocol ( 7/2004 - 6/2005 )

• Validity of a Community Based Pre-Screening Questionnaire for CHD Risk Correlated ( 7/2004 - 6/2005 )

• Validity of a Community Based Pre-Screening Questionnaire for Diabetes Risk ( 7/2004 - 6/2005 )

• Intimacy, Depression, and the Mind/Body Link ( 7/2004 - 6/2005 )

• Stress, Immunity & Cervical Cancer: Biobehavioral Outcomes of a Randomized Trial ( 7/2004 - 6/2005 )

• A Population Based Diabetes Screening Model Using Risk-Assessment Survey, ( 7/2004 - 6/2005 )

• Hypertension survey among faculty, staff, and students in a school of public ( 7/2004 - 6/2005 )

• A mind-body intervention using humor as a complementary therapy for breast ( 7/2004 - 6/2005 )

• A Population Based Cardiovascular Screening Model Using Risk-Assessment Survey, ( 7/2004 - 6/2005 )

• Development of a Spiritual Life Questionnaire for Spiritual Life Intervention Programs ( 7/2004 - 6/2005 )

• Body Weight Reduction Using Dairy Products ( 7/2004 - 6/2005 )

• Effect of Diabetes Education in the Hispanic Community ( 7/2004 - 6/2005 )

• Day of Rest (Sabbath) and Stress Modulation of salivary cortisol and IL-6. ( 7/2004 - 6/2005 )

• Preventive Medicine Residency Senior Research Project: hs-CRP Prescreening for ( 7/2004 - 6/2005 )

• Plasma and Salivary hs-CRP Correlation Studies ( 7/2004 - 6/2005 )

• Validation of clinical complementary alternative medicine interventions with Dr. Shin ( 7/2005 - Present )

  Abstracts Reporting Research -- Peer Reviewed

• Mirthful Laughter, as Adjunct Therapy in Diabetic Care, Attenuates Catecholamines, Inflammatory Cytokines, C - reactive protein, and Myocardial Infarction Occurrence. Berk, LS, Tan, LG, and Tan, SA       Presentation at FASEB 2008 Meetings, April 2008, San Diego, CA   (not previously documented in faculty report)   ( 7/2009 - 6/2010 )

• Cortisol and Catecholamines decrease are associated with the behavior of perceptual anticipation of a mirthful laughter humor experience. Berk LS, Tan SA, Berk DE           Presentation at FASEB 2008 Meetings, April 2008, San Diego, CA   (not previously reported in faculty report)   ( 7/2009 - 6/2010 )

• Charasuraisin, C, Berk, L, Petrofsky, JS, Montgomery, S., Shavlik, D., Hubbard,   R (2008) Can a Single High-Fat Meal Impair Endothelial and Autonomic Function?, #2008-LB-4930-Diabetes.   Presented at the American Diabetes Association Meeting, June, 2008, San Francisco, CA  (not previously reported in faculty report) ( 7/2009 - 6/2010 )

• THE EFFECT OF PERCEIVED STRESS AND RELIGIOSITY AS A MODULATOR OF HS-CRP, A RISK FACTOR FOR CVD     Sally F. Shaw, DrPH, Bruce Nelson, MA, Community Services, Glendale Adventist  Medical Center, Glendale, CA, Lee S. Berk, DrPH, Dept. Physical Therapy, School of Allied Health Professions and Dept. Pathology, School of Medicine, Michelle A. Prowse, MS, School of Allied Health Professions, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, Dana E. King, MD, Family Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC.  Presented at the American Psychosomatic Medicine Meetings, Chicago, IL, March 4-7, 2009.  (not previously reported in faculty report) ( 7/2009 - 6/2010 )

• Perceived Stress, Early Parental Care and Religiosity- Modulators for Cardiovascular Disease Risk. Lee S. Berk 2,3, Bruce Nelson1, Sally Fontamillas Shaw1, Michelle Prowse2, Dana King4   1Glendale Adventist Medical Center, Dept of Physical Therapt, 2School of Allied Health Professions & 3Dept of Pathology School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, 4Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC             Presented at the Association for Psychological Science, San Francisco, CA, May 22-25, 2009.  (not previously reported in faculty report)  ( 7/2009 - 6/2010 )

• Laughercise: Health Benefits Similar to Exercise Lowers Cholesterol and Systolic Blood Pressure Lee S. Berk1,2, Michelle Prowse1, Jerrold S. Petrofsky1, Jennifer Batt3, Michael Laymon3 Gurinder S. Bains1 , Noha Daher1 & Dottie Berk4 Schools of 1Allied Health Professions, Dept of Physical Therapy & 2Medicine, Dept. of Pathology, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA,  3School of Behavioral and Applied Sciences, Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, CA. Presented at the Association for Psychological Sciences, San Francisco, May 22-25, 2009. (not previously documented in faculty report) ( 7/2009 - 6/2010 )

• THE EFFECT OF PERCEIVED STRESS AND RELIGIOSITY AS A MODULATOR OF HS-CRP, A RISK FACTOR FOR CVD Bruce Nelson1, Sally Fontamillas Shaw1, Lee S. Berk 2,3, Michelle Prowse2, Dana King4   1Glendale Adventist Medical Center, Schools of 2Allied Health Professions, Dept. of PT & 3Medicine, Dept of Pathology, Loma Linda University, 4Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC     Presented at the 2nd Annual Meeting of the Society for Spirituality, Theology and Health. Duke University, Durham, NC. June 25-27, 2009.  (not previously documented in faculty report) ( 7/2009 - 6/2010 )

• Mirthful laughter, as adjunct therapy in diabetic care, increases HDL cholesterol and attenuates inflammatory cytokines and hs-CRP Lee S. Berk, DrPH, Stanley Tan, MD, Linda Tan, MD, Dottie Berk, RN Dept of Physical Therapy, School of Allied Health and Dept of Pathology, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350 and OakCrest  Health Research Institute, Loma Linda, CA   Presented at the FASEB 2009 (Experimental Biology 2009), American Physiological Society Section, April 20-25, 2009, New Orleans, LA ( 7/2009 - 6/2010 )

• Berk, L., Prowse, M., Bains, G., Batt, J., Petrofsky, J., Daher, N., Danner, H., Ludeman, L., Lahman, M., Tan, S., and Berk, D. (2010) Humor-associated laughter affects appetite hormones. 2010 Experimental Biology meeting abstracts, Abstract #996.1; http://www.fasebj.org/cgi/gca?SEARCHID=1&VOLUME=24&ISSUE=1_MeetingAbstracts&FIRSTINDEX=0&hits=20&RESULTFORMAT=&gca=24%2F1_MeetingAbstracts%2F996.1&sendit=Get+All+Checked+Abstract%28s%29. Accessed April 27, 2010. A "hot pick" presentation of the American Physiological Society; http://www.the-aps.org/press/releases/10/12.htm. ( 7/2009 - 6/2010 )

• Linda G. Tan, MD, Lee S. Berk, DrPH, Stanley A. Tan, MD, PhD. "Combined Effects of Rosuvastatin and Pioglitazone in Attenuating INF-gamma, TNF-alpha, IL-6, C-Reactive protein, and Increasing IL-4, May Provide Cardioprotection For Patients with Diabetes.." American College of Chest Physicians Annual Meeting unknown.unknown (2007): unknown-unknown. ( 10/2007 )

• Stanley Tan, MD, PhD, Linda Giles Tan, MD, Lee Berk, DrPH, MPH. "Atorvastatin and Pioglitazone Effects on Inflammatory Cytokines and Lipids." AACE NA.NA (2007): NA-NA. ( 4/2007 )

• L.G. Tan, S.A. Tan, L.S. Berk. "Mirthful Laughter, as Adjunct Therapy in Diabetic Care, Attenuates Catecholamines, Inflammatory Cytokines, C - reactive protein, and Myocardial Infarction Occurrence." European Preventive Cardiology Meeting NA.NA (2007): NA-NA. ( 4/2007 )

• Bruce Nelson, Robert Nicoloff, AnneMarie Loes-Gomez, Lee Berk, and James Westengard. "Lessons Learned: Utilization of prescreening surveys and glucose tolerance testing for large-scale diabetes risk screenings." APHA 134th Annual Meeting Abstracts NA.NA (2006): NA-NA. ( 11/2006 )

• Linda G. Tan, MD, Lee S. Berk, DrPH, Stanley A. Tan, MD, PhD. "Combined Effects of Rosuvastatin and Pioglitazone in Attenuating INF-gamma, TNF-alpha, IL-6, C-Reactive protein, and Increasing IL-4, May Provide Cardioprotection For Patients with Diabetes." ACCP NA.NA (2006): NA-NA. ( 10/2006 )

  Abstracts Reporting Research -- Non-Peer Reviewed

• . Rosuvastatin and rosiglitazone combination attenuate interferon- gamma, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, macrophage chemotactic protein-1, C-reactive protein, and increase interleukin-4, which may provide cardioprotection for diabetic patients with atherosclerosis. ( 7/2005 - 6/2006 )