Grant Awards

John Beasley, MD (co - Principal Investigator) and Karsh BT (Principal Investigator) were awarded the AHRQ grant in the amount of $199,147 for their project "Proactive Risk Assessment of Primary Care of the Elderly."

Jennifer E. Frank, MD, FAAFP received a NEW-AHEC grant in the amount of $10,000 for the Fox Cities Integrated Maternity and Infant Care Model. This project will be done in cooperation with the local community health clinic. It introduces a group prenatal care and well child care model into a group of at-risk pregnant patients. It will also introduce an integrated electronic health record for prenatal charts into Appleton.

Aleksandra Zgierska, MD, PhD was the principal investigator on the "Mindfulness Meditation for Alcohol Relapse Prevention: a feasibility pilot study." This 16-week pilot study (prospective case series, n=19) evaluated study methods feasibility and gathered preliminary data on the efficacy of mindfulness meditation relapse prevention therapy (8-week course) for alcohol dependent adults in an early recovery. Outcome measures included self-reported alcohol consumption (primary measures) and mental health data, and stress-responsive biomarker levels (interleukin-6, cortisol). Results suggest study methods feasibility and the possibility of efficacy of meditation as an adjunctive therapy for relapse prevention in alcohol dependence.

Three grant awards were received to conduct this study:

• American Academy of Family Physicians - Foundation, Research Stimulation Grant Award, $5,000, March through December, 2007.
• Wisconsin Academy of Family Physicians, Research Stimulation Grant Award, $5,000, January though December, 2007.
• Department of Family Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Small Grant Award, $4,000, March, June, 2007.

James Davis, MD was the principal investigator, and Aleksandra Zgierska, MD, PhD the co- principal investigator on the study "Functional MRI Evaluation of the Effects of Mindfulness Meditation Relapse Prevention in Recovering, Alcohol Dependent Adults." This is planned to be a pilot study (prospective case series, n=10) evaluating study methods feasibility and gathering preliminary data on the effects of mindfulness meditation relapse prevention therapy for alcohol dependent adults in an early recovery; outcome measures will include self-reported alcohol consumption and mental health data, and functional MRI central nervous system changes, as assessed pre- and post-proposed intervention. They plan to seek IRB approval and conduct this study in 2008. Grant support for this project is from Aurora Family Grant $10,000, January through December, 2008.