- Pelotonia fueling breakthrough efforts in cancer battle
In 12 years, Pelotonia has raised more than $225 million. Even with COVID-19 shutdowns in 2020, Pelotonia riders planned their own individual or socially distanced small-group activities and raised $10.5 million. It's also funded these five initiatives that have produced some amazing work and breakthroughs.
- Recruiting your own immune system to fight cancer
When traditional means of fighting cancer — surgery, chemotherapy — don’t work, doctors sometimes try a more novel approach: immuno-oncology or immunotherapy. Currently, only about 20% of cancer patients are able to use immunotherapy to fight cancer. But that number is rising, according to Dr. Zihai Li, founding director of Ohio State’s Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO).
- Video games with a healing touch
How can gaming technology — or virtual reality — be a rehabilitation tool that engages someone recovering from a traumatic brain injury? How can it get them to enjoy the rigorous work? That’s the world Lise Worthen-Chaudhari lives in. Her revolutionary gaming therapy, Embedded Arts, helps patients recovering from brain injuries increase their range of motion control by creating abstract art through motion sensors.
- SAGE advice for aging brains
What if there’s a test that spots the early signs of mental deterioration, such as Alzheimer’s and dementia? Turns out, a doctor at Ohio State has developed such a system. The SAGE test is uncomplicated, nearly 80 percent effective, free and, most importantly, can help diagnose cognitive issues early, which leads to better treatment.
- Convergence creates innovation
Back pain is the most debilitative condition worldwide, affecting more than 1.3 billion people. In the United States, the painful affliction causes more than 100,000 workdays to be lost and $100 billion in expenses to treat. It’s also the No. 1 reason people take opioids. Why is back pain such a difficult problem to treat?
- A new way to keep homebound seniors and their pets healthy
We all care deeply about our pets, but what if you're unable to make it to the vet? That's where the Pet Owner and Pet Care Program comes in. A joint effort launched in 2019 by Ohio State’s colleges of Nursing, Veterinary Medicine and Social Work, the program brings students and supervising faculty members to homebound adults who can’t afford or physically access care for their pets.
