Impact Report Penn State Health & Penn State College of Medicine 2023-2024

I’ve realized that my true calling lies in medical research rather than clinical practice. I am driven by the desire to develop treatments for diseases that currently have no cure, and to make these treatments widely accessible to those in need. I am also committed to mentoring the next generation of scientists, fostering a collaborative and innovative research community.

My scholarship donors’ generosity has not only facilitated my current research but has also reinforced my dedication to contributing to the field of science and medicine.

Kashif Ahmed Shaikh '24 • PhD student, Biomedical Sciences

Judy S. Finkelstein Memorial Research Award

Childhood Cancer

A little boy named Tyler, who died after a battle with neuroblastoma, was the first patient Giselle Saulnier Sholler, MD, MSc ever lost. Sholler, then a pediatrics fellow, was deeply affected by his death and considered quitting her work. A thank you letter from Tyler’s mother helped Sholler find her path and from that day forward, she focused on finding a cure for neuroblastoma.

Decades later, through years of clinical trials, Sholler and her colleagues discovered a drug, called eflornithine (DFMO), that can stop neuroblastoma from coming back. One child who has benefited from the DFMO clinical trials is seven-year-old Ava, who traveled from Sweden with her family to participate. Following treatment with DFMO, Ava is so-far, cancer-free. And in December 2023, Sholler and the Beat Childhood Cancer Consortium at Penn State College of Medicine earned U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for DFMO.

Thanks to support from thousands of donors, including funding through the Beat Childhood Cancer Foundation and Four Diamonds, we can realize more scientific breakthroughs that save lives.

Photo caption: Dr. Giselle Sholler with Meenakshi Shukla, a research technologist, in Sholler's lab at Penn State College of Medicine.

ALS and Motor-neuron Disorders

Nikolay Dokholyan, PhD, MS, the G. Thomas Passananti Professor and professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Penn State College of Medicine, led a team that investigated how a toxic version of a certain protein may affect brain, spinal cord and skeletal muscle tissues differently and lead to the complex development and progression of ALS. The study represents a step forward in understanding the physiological processes that may give rise to ALS and identifies a potential therapeutic target for future treatments for ALS. Learn more.

Photo caption: Brianna Hnath, left, is a doctoral candidate in biomedical engineering at Penn State and co-author of the study.

Strengthening Rural Communities

With a ratio of one primary care provider for every 586 rural residents, Pennsylvania’s rural providers treat a wider range of conditions in a higher number of patients than their urban counterparts and experience higher rates of professional isolation. The pilot Rural Health ECHO series (November 2023 – March 2024), funded by Ross and Carol Nese, focused on training rural Pennsylvania providers to address high-need health concerns such as obesity, heart disease, substance use, liver disease, dementia and depression. More than 40 physicians, nurses and community health workers spanning 20 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties registered for the series.

In addition to supporting existing rural health providers, the Neses are also helping to nurture and support College of Medicine students interested in practicing in rural communities through a family and community medicine scholarship fund and the Nese Rural Scholars Pathway program, which enables students to hone their skills in primary care practice and in turn, to apply this knowledge and experience to benefit rural and underserved populations in need.

Growing the Commonwealth’s Health

Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine’s “Food as Medicine” initiative, in collaboration with more than 100 community partners, pursues research and outreach and provides clinical care and education to prevent chronic illness and promote health equity. Thanks to generous support from donors, including Rite Aid Healthy Futures and 2021 Corporate Partner of the Year, The GIANT Company, the program, which started from humble beginnings, is now taking flight and establishing Penn State as a Commonwealth and national leader in food access programming and nutrition education.

Founded in 2014, the Food as Medicine initiative comprises ten distinct programs—including community gardens and community fridges—operating at 80 locations across Berks, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry and York counties. Each program offers education and services to address a different social, economic or clinical dimension of healthy food access. Through the Veggie Rx program, for example, clinicians prescribe patients vouchers redeemable for fresh produce at local farmers’ markets, and through the Pantries and Wellness Support program, patrons of local food pantries receive health education, screening and case management from Penn State Health nurses.

Read more about how donor support helps us grow the Commonwealth’s health in Penn State’s 2023-24 President’s Report on Philanthropy and Endowments.

Photo caption: Penn State Health staff distribute free produce at the Chestnut Street Community Center in Lebanon, Pa.

Addressing Inequalities in Maternal Health Care

In October 2023, Dr. Tonya S. Wright ’11, chief, Division of Academic Specialists in Obstetrics and Gynecology and assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and her husband, Ato Wright, PhD ’08 established the Maternal Health Endowment at Penn State College of Medicine to support research, education and community projects to help address health care inequalities among high-risk patient populations, especially BIPOC and LGBTQ populations that historically face barriers to care access and experience higher rates of unintended pregnancy, preterm births, infant deaths and maternal mortality. The endowment was funded in part by proceeds from a special fundraising event the Wrights held at their home. The couple commissioned 29 artists from around the world to create an art piece on the theme of motherhood to be auctioned during the event, which raised $50,000.

Photo caption: Dr. Tonya Wright, center, her husband Dr. Ato Wright, left, and Dr. Richard Legro, University Chair in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Improving Technology to Power Testing Capacity and Accuracy

A brand new, $1.5 million automated lab system upgrade, made possible through philanthropy, will increase fivefold the capacity of the powerhouse clinical testing lab at Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center. The Beckman Coulter DxA 5000 system, which went live in April 2024, can test 4,500 samples every hour, improving accuracy and alleviating manpower issues at the lab. What St. Joseph Medical Center’s lab does inhouse already powers laboratory analysis for much of Penn State Health and beyond. The lab serves over 500 clients, including Penn State Health Hampden, Holy Spirit and Lancaster medical centers and many Penn State Health Medical Group outpatient locations.

Meet Izzy

At six months old, Izzy’s parents noticed that she was struggling to breathe. They took her to their local hospital, where she was airlifted by Life Lion to Penn State Health Children’s Hospital.

At the hospital, Izzy went into cardiac arrest and was placed on a CMN-funded ECMO machine to help her heart and lungs. Within 24 hours, she underwent lifesaving open-heart surgery. A few years later, unrelated to her first hospitalization, Izzy returned to the Children’s Hospital due to an aneurysm that required emergency brain surgery.

Izzy’s parents believe she has a special purpose. They remind her, “You are brave and strong,” recognizing her unwavering spirit.

Services funded by Children’s Miracle Network, including music therapy and the Patient Assistance Endowment, brought comfort and support to Izzy’s family. Today, she delights in dancing and going to school.

Gifts through Children’s Miracle Network help fund equipment, research and programs that give kids like Izzy the gift of growing up.

Photo caption: Izzy with Dr. Ephraim Church, following a pre-surgical exam for a cranial angiogram and cranioplasty on July 3, 2024.

Meet Kennedy

Kennedy was only three years old in March 2019, when a trip to the grocery store with her mom and sister turned into an emergency room visit to determine the cause of the nausea, vomiting and headaches she had been experiencing. A few hours later, Kennedy and her family went from their home in Bellefonte, Pa. to Penn State Health Children’s Hospital.

Doctors diagnosed Kennedy with medulloblastoma—a cancerous brain tumor—and performed an emergency eight-hour surgery to remove the tumor. Following the successful surgery, Kennedy remained in the hospital for four months, enduring multiple rounds of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant. At every step, Four Diamonds was there to make sure Kennedy and her family received superior care and comprehensive support.

Considered cancer-free one day before turning 4 years old, Kennedy still has regular follow-up care and scans. This summer, she celebrated her ninth birthday and five years cancer free on a beach trip with her parents and sister, and she loved every moment!

Your support helps cover the cost of treatment for Four Diamonds families and funds the latest breakthroughs in cancer research to help more kids like Kennedy conquer childhood cancer. Thank you for being our Partner In The Fight™!