Category: Research

Adults with typical hearing who have reduced tolerance for certain sounds are invited to participate in a Misophonia research study. Misophonia is a condition characterized by unusually strong emotions such as rage and disgust in the presence of certain trigger sounds including chewing, toe tapping, breathing, etc.

The purpose of this study is to validate clinical tests for misophonia. Research will take place at the Wichita State campus and will consist of one approximately one-hour visit.

Participants will receive a $15 gift card.

For more information, contact benjamin.kirby@wichita.edu.

Applications to participate in the First Year Research Experience (FYRE) in STEM program are now open. Applications will be accepted now until Oct. 3. The mission of the FYRE program is to introduce research to first-year undergraduates in a practical and accessible way.

Students selected for the FYRE program will be required to enroll in an introductory research seminar course that exposes them to research methods. While there, students will be placed in research positions at Wichita State labs actively involved in scholarly STEM research.

Students can learn more about the First-Year Research Experience (FYRE) in STEM program at an information session led by Moriah Beck at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13 at the Honors College Seminar Room.

For more information, reach out to FYRE Program Director Dr. Moriah Beck at 316-978-5476 or moriah.beck@wichita.edu.

Students and faculty from Wichita State’s Physical Therapy Department is looking for adult participants between the ages of 40 and 60 for a research study comparing balance differences in this population and how it varies with age.

The study will be a one-time test of two balance outcome measures completed in 30 minutes at Ahlberg Hall on the main campus or at WSU’s Old Town location based on participant convenience.

Interested participants are asked to fill out the Qualtrics Survey below. Once finished, the participant will be contacted to be informed of eligibility and their subsequent testing date.

Volunteers who filled out the form before Sept. 12 must resubmit their survey due to a technical error.

University Research/Creative Award (URCA) proposals are due to the Office of Research at 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7. The URCA provides funding of up to $4,500 for faculty to retool or reestablish productive research/creative projects, or as seed money to develop pilot data where external funding is available.

To qualify, proposers must work with an Office of Research grant specialist before submitting and all complete applications will require an endorsement from the chair and dean. Incomplete or late applications will not be reviewed or considered.

For more information, contact proposals@wichita.edu or visit the Office of Research website.

Multidisciplinary Research Project Awards (MURPA) Proposals are due to the Office of Research no later than 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7. The MURPA opportunity provides funding of up to $7,500 for faculty projects that involve two or more investigators from different disciplines that focus on different perspectives and capabilities on complex problems that intersect established areas of study.

To qualify, proposers must work with an Office of Research grant specialist before submitting and all complete applications require an endorsement from the chair and dean. Incomplete or late applications will not be reviewed or considered.

For more information, contact proposals@wichita.edu or visit website for additional information.

Students are invited to participate in research about individual abilities to identify social media posts that contain false information. The results from this study will help to expand the current understanding of how people interact with questionable posts on different social media platforms.

Students are invited to participate in a study to examine their health and wellbeing by gathering information about their health, stress levels and religious attendance. The results of this study will serve to make connections between health, wellbeing and stress levels among college students.

Parents of typically developing children ages 6-12 years are invited to have their children participate in a research study examining how child- and test-specific factors impact performance on an auditory discrimination listening task.

During the research, participants will complete a hearing screening, a standard cognitive assessment, and two versions of an auditory discrimination task. The procedures will be completed during one, one-and-a-half to 2-hour visit. Participants will be compensated $20.

For more information, please contact Dr. Benjamin Kirby.

Parents of typically developing children ages 6-12 years are invited to have their children participate in a research study examining how child- and test-specific factors impact performance on an auditory discrimination listening task.

During the research, participants will complete a hearing screening, a standard cognitive assessment, and two versions of an auditory discrimination task. The procedures will be completed during one, one-and-a-half to 2-hour visit. Participants will be compensated $20.

For more information, please contact Dr. Benjamin Kirby.

Members of the Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Human Performance Studies and Medical Laboratories are requesting volunteers for a study to determine whether blood flow restriction therapy during moderate exercise by people 55 years of age or older results in improved functional activity and health outcomes. The findings may help provide a new approach to promoting health through moderate exercise.

The study will be conducted at the Human Performance Lab (Room 210) in the Heskett Center. During the study, participants will pedal on an exercise bike with or without blood flow restriction therapy for approximately thirty minutes, two times per week over a four-week period. Blood and saliva samples will be collected and tested for proteins related to exercise at the beginning and end of three pedaling sessions.

Lactic acid will also be measured from a drop of blood obtained from participants’ fingertips every five minutes (six times total per visit). A thirty-second sit-to-stand activity will be performed at the end of each visit to assess exercise functional outcomes. Heart rate will also be measured as participants pedal an exercise bike.

Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria:

• Participants must be age 55 or older.
• Participants must have no known muscular disorders.
• Participants must have no known neurological disorders.
• Participants must have no known cardiopulmonary disorders.
• Participants must not use nicotine products.
• Participants cannot have diabetes.

For more information, contact Dr. Nils Hakansson at nils.hakansson@wichita.edu or call 316-978-5909; Chris Deck, at cdeck@providence.org; or Dr. Heidi Bell at Heidi.bell@wichita.edu