Research: Participants

Events/Meetings | Participants | Research/Publication | Area of Interest | Links

1. Wil Alexander, PhD

Director of the Center for Spiritual Life and Wholeness, Professor of Religion (Faculty of Religion).

Area of Interest: Witnessing in Health-care Context

Research Currently Involved with: Witnessing to Patients

2. Siroj Sorajjakool, MATS, PhD

Associate Professor of Religion (Pastoral Psychology)

Area of Interest:

a. Spirituality and Health
b. Spirituality in Recovery from Depression

Research Currently Involved with:

Religion and Health among Diabetic Patients

Publication:

"Gerontology, Spirituality and Religion," Journal of Pastoral Care, 1998
"Ontology and Spirituality: Jungian Perspective," Pastoral Psychology, 1998

3. Linda Hyder Ferry, MD, MPH

Associate Professor, School of Medicine and Public Health
Program Director of Preventive Medicine Residency
Chief, Preventive Medicine Section, JL. Pettis VAMC, Loma Linda, CA
President, Foundation for Innovations in Nicotine Dependence (FIND)

Area of Interest: Spirituality and Addictions Recovery

Research currently involved with:

a. Nicotine Dependence
b. Genetics of Nicotine and other drug use (with City of Hope)
c. Medical Students personal health practices and spiritual practices
   (healthydoc project with Emory University)

4. Daniel Castro, MD

Assistant Professor of Medicine, School of Medicine;
Chief, General Internal Medicine, Loma Linda VA Med Center

Current research:

Identifying predictors of which patients desire prayer with their physician and whether physicians can identify which patient desires prayer with them. Ethnographic interviews have also been done to explore how patients might wish to have spirituality affect their medical care. All the data has been collected. We have 600 patient surveys and over 20 patient interviews. Analysis is being done, and the second phase of reporting is in progress. We should have a Poster for this coming APC in March of 2000.

Publications

1. Castro D; "Contemporary Internal Medicine Research and the Writings of Ellen G. White." Christ in the Classroom: Adventist Approaches to the Integration of Faith and Learning. Volume 19:1997. HM Rasi, Compiler; Institute for Christian Teaching, Education Department.
   
   
2. Castro D; Contemporary Internal Medicine Research and Ellen G. White. Dialogue: Submitted and accepted; (In Press).

5. Curtis Fox, PhD

Assistant Professor of Marriage and Family

Area of Interest: Religious Coping

Current Research: Religious Coping among Diabetic Patients

Publication:

Fox,Curtis, Blanton, Priscilla W. and Morris, M.Lane, "Religious problem-solving styles: Three styles revisited," Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. 1998 Dec; Vol 37(4): 673-677.

6. Leigh Aveling, DMin

Chaplain, LLUMC and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Religion

Current Research: Religious Coping among Diabetic Patients

Area of Interest: Religious Coping and Divorce and Recovery

7. James Greek, DMin

Chaplain, LLUMC and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Religion

Area of Interest: Spiritual Care for Patients

8. Eric Ngo, MD, MPH

Department of Preventive Medicine, Southern California Permanente Medical Group
Associate Clinical Professor, School of Medicine, School of Public Health, Loma Linda University

Area of Interest: Spirituality, Religion and Preventive Care

9. Lee Berk, DrPH

Associate Director of the Center for Neuroimmunology

Area of Interest: Neuroimmunology/relationship between health and religion

Publication (selected):

1. "Stress from Maximal Exercise Modifies T-Helper and T-Suppressor Lymphocyte Subpopulations and Their Ratio in Man," Lee Berk, Stanley Tan, David Nieman, and William Eby, paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine,1987.
   
   
2. "Effects of Long-Endurance Running on Immune System parameters and Lymphocyte Function in Experienced Marathoners," D. C. Neiman, L. S. Berk, M. Simpson-Westerberg, K. Arabatzis, S. Youngberg, S. A. Tan, J. W. Lee, and W. C. Eby, International Journal of Sports Medicine, no. 5, vol. 10, October 1989.
   
   
3. "The effect of Long Endurance Running on Natual Killer Cells in Marathoners," Lee Berk, David Nieman, Wesley Yongberg, Konstantinos Arabatzis, Maryellen Simpson-Westerberg, Jerry Lee, Stanley Ta, and William Eby, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, no. 2, vol. 22, 1989.
   
   
4. "New Discoveries in Psychoneuroimmunology" an interview with Dr. Lee Berk, Humor & Health Letter, Humor & Health Letter, vol 3, no. 6, 1994.
   
   
5. "The Laughter-Immune Connection: New Discoveries," Lee S. Berk, DPH, Humor and Health Journal, vol. 5, no. 5, 1996.
   
   
6. "Neuroendocrine and Stress Hormone Changes During Mirthful Laughter," Lee Berk, DHSc, Stanley Tan, MD, PhD, William Fry, MD, Barbara Napier, BS, Jerry Lee, PhD, Richard Hubbard, PhD, John Lewis, PhD, William Eby, MD, PhD, The American Journal of the Medical Sciences, vol. 298, no. 6, 1989.

10. David Felten, MD, PHD

Area of Interest: Psychoneuroimmunology

Current Research: Dr. Felton is one of only a handful of researchers to receive two 10-year MERIT awards from separate institutes at the National Institutes of Health (aging and mental health). He currently has several research grants, including support from the Army Breast Cancer Program, National Institute of Health, and National Sciences Foundation.

Publication:

1. Co-author of the definitive scholarly text in the field, Psychoneuroimmunology
2. Co-editor of the major journal in the field, Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, with Robert Ader, PhD, MD (hc), and Nicolas Cohen, PhD, of the University of Rochester.
3. Author of nearly 200 journal articles on links between the nervous system and immune system, and has given more than 100 major addresses and presentations at national and international symposia and scientific meetings, including many prestigious named lectureships.

11. Ruth Weber, RN, PHD

Area of Interest: Spirituality and Patient Care

12. Johnny Ramirez, MA, EdD

Current research

As principal investigator--with IRB approvals
"Four Inter-cultural Engagement Skills: A cognitive Approach to Cross Cultural Communication."
SAC Norton Latino Patients' Cultural Understanding of Health: An Ethnographic Study of Decision Making Processes Determining the Use of Medical and Paramedical Resources, IRB approved.
Dental ethics research at School of Dentistry, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California

Previous research

1997 SAC Norton Latino Patients' Cultural Understanding of Health: An Ethnographic Study of Decision Making Processes Determining the Use of Medical and Para-Medical Resources, IRB approved.

Publication

Ramirez, Johnny, "A Case Study: The Impact of Religion/Humanities Curriculum on Diversity," Journal for Minority Medical Students, Spring, Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 21-22, 72., 1997.

Ramirez, Johnny, William Hooker, J. S. Kim, "Preliminary Report of Wholeness Research of LLUSD Alumni," Journal of School of Dentistry, Spring, 1999.

D Castro, LK Loo, LE Skoretz, DD Trinh, DL Stottlemyer, J Ramirez, SJ John, "Prayer with Patients: Can Physicians Predict Who Wants It?" Society of General Internal Medicine, 22nd Annual Meeting, 1999.