International Science a Click Away with CMU's New Health Professions Technology

MOUNT PLEASANT - A scientist in France linked to a microscope at Central Michigan University can view slides of brain cells through the power of telemedicine.

What connected CMU neuroscientist Gary Dunbar with his French colleague is the type of technology typically found in large medical centers at major universities prior to the launch of CMU's Rural Telehealth and Community Education Network.

The telehealth network, part of The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions, is a federally funded program initiated in 2001 to develop a health information resource for students, faculty, staff and the community through advanced technology.

"I think this new technology will soon be an indispensable part of all biomedical research," said Dunbar. "It is important to be able to see and communicate in real time, not only because it is more efficient and effective, but because it also will allow outside experts to assist us in sophisticated brain-tissue transplant surgery, and to teach us new histological techniques more conveniently and with significantly less cost."

Dunbar was linked with Laurent Lescaudron, a faculty member in the department of medicine at the University of Nantes and an authority in the areas of neuroanatomy, brain-tissue transplants and neuromuscular connections.

Lescaudron had technical help from Daniel Bracken, CMU's manager of academic multimedia. Bracken, who was vacationing in Europe at the time helped Lescaudron set up the equipment in France.

The technology in the Health Professions Building isn't normally found on campuses of CMU's size and academic status, said Marvis Lary, dean of the college.

"Health professions programs traditionally don't do this," said Lary. "A few medical schools do, but health professions not associated with medical schools usually don't have the technological resources that the new Health Professions Building will provide. It is an untapped territory."

In May, Lary lectured to an international audience in Pisa, Italy, from her CMU office regarding the impact of technology on health profession's education. She lectured on the advanced technology that CMU has in place and how it will transform education for future CMU health profession's students.

"CMU now has an expanded international presence due to the technology," said Lary.

The technological capability in CMU's new Health Professions Building will transform the way students learn and the way faculty conduct research, said Timothy Pletcher, director of applied technology in the college.

"This interdisciplinary work is fundamental," said Pletcher. "It all came about because of the rural telehealth and community education network. The infrastructure and collaboration allows CMU to extend its reach into whole new fields of research on a worldwide scale."

CMU recently received a $250,000 gift from the Field Neurosciences Institute to help launch the Brain Research and Integrative Neuroscience Center - BRAIN - and to establish a new laboratory and research program in restorative neurology that will be housed in CMU's new Health Professions Building. Dunbar, a leading researcher in neuroscience and psychology department chairman, will oversee the newly funded laboratory and research program along with the BRAIN Center.