Research

• Provider level barriers to family planning and sexual and reproductive healthcare delivery in Zambian clinics

• Restoring Proactive Integrated Health Support at Larimer County Community Corrections

• Providing Education on the US Healthcare System to Those with Limited Access

• Sleep recommendations and health outcomes for shift workers in healthcare

• Learning Disease Across Species: Developing Anatomic Pathology Skills Through Comparative Mammalian Pathology

• Collaborative Curriculum Building to Improve Health Literacy and Confidence in Unhoused Youth in Northern Colorado

• A One Health Approach to Febrile Illness Surveillance in Guatemala

• Collaborative Curriculum Building to Improve Health Literacy and Confidence in Unhoused Youth in Northern Colorado

• Restoring Proactive Integrated Health Support at Larimer County Community Corrections

• Dried Blood Spot Metabolite Analysis of Infants in Mali to Assess Future Nutritional and Cognitive Outcomes

• Social Determinants of Eye Health.

• Effect of aspirin as an alternative or adjunct to low molecular weigh heparin or subcutaneous unfractionated heparin on the incidence of VTE in trauma patients: A retrospective analysis

• Alignment of patient dietary patterns and USDA nutritional recommendations and its relevance to cardiovascular health and treatment outcomes: a retrospective analysis.

• Tracking Aedes aegypti mosquitoes with novel DNA barcode technology.

• Enhancing quality of life in pediatric idioscoliosis: criteria for vertebral body tethering.

• Implementation of integrative education programs to improve community health

• Stress and heart health: investigating the role of stress risk factors in pediatric cardiovascular disease.

• Rib Plating

 

• Perinatal Experiences, Relationships, and Infancy Study
  
  
• Evaluating the utility of routine urine drug screens in medication assisted treatment
  
  
• The Effects of Therapy Cats on Patient Well-being in a Healthcare Setting
  

• Understanding the Acute Care and Trauma Provider experience using guidelines to improve care outcomes – A mixed-method study.
  

• Assessment of healthcare provider diagnosis of patient flu-like illnesses throughout the calendar year
  
  
• Shedding and Environmental Surveillance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
  

• Sustaining Physical Activity After Cancer Exercise Sessions
  

• Histological and Biomechanical Evaluation of Cryopreserved Human Osteochondral Implants

• Observing patients' perceptions of physicians' cultural competency

Class of 2026 Projects

• Designing and distributing a brochure centered around female-appearing external genitalia

• Emergency medical and trauma systems in Cape Town, South Africa 

• Use of psychedelic substance/psilocybin

• Health and environmental effects of contamination in some of the water sources of Navajo nation

• Effects of equine gait on markers of social engagement in youth with autism spectrum disorders

• Effectiveness of pelvic binders to reduce hemorrhage in patients with unstable pelvic fractures

• Understand the landscape of One Health education in professional schools around the US

• Understand the experience of our patients receiving gender affirming care

• Outcomes and cost effectiveness for several types of arthrodesis for lesser toe abnormalities 

• Administration of bispecific antibody treatment in a community cancer center setting
• Study of physician interest in utilizing virtual and augmented reality in surgical practices

 

Class of 2025 Projects

• Predicting postop outcomes in CT surgery using clinical data
  

• Multiple sclerosis and quality of life
  

• Skin color affecting dermatologic conditions
  

• Medicinal plants in various cultures
  

• Concussion impact on player performance/injury propensity (NHL hockey league)
  

• Pathogen impact on specific populations via local branch of CDC
  

• Obstructive Sleep Apnea in CSU athletes using data from WatchPat devices
  

• Leprosy and Leishmaniasis
  

• Mental health and its interdependence on pets in people experiencing homelessness

 

Publications

Akaraphanth M, Oudakker J, Paulson M, Meledeo MA, Reddoch-Cardenas KM, Xiang L, Schauer SG, Getz T. Narrative review of strategies for blood product shelf-life extension. Transfusion. 2026 May;66 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):S350-S367. doi: 10.1111/trf.70037. Epub 2026 Jan 4. PMID: 41485116; PMCID: PMC13184439.

Garcia-Creighton E, Felan NA, Hartman Budnik JV, et al. Appointment Access and Waiting Times in General and Pediatric Dermatology. JAMA Dermatol. 2026;162(5):539–541. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2026.0120

Manfre MG, Hall B, Stokes D, Nolte C, Keeter C, Bertha N, Serbin P, Frank R. All-Suture, All-Inside Meniscus Repair Is Safe and Provides Favorable Short-Term Clinical Outcomes. Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation. 2025; 7 (6): 101265. Volume 7, Issue 6. DOI: 1016/j.asmr.2025.101265.

Manfre MG, Richman EH, Araujo-Espinoza G, Frank RM. Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries in Female Athletes. Clinics in Sports Medicine, 2025; 45, 409-42. DOI: 10.1016/j.csm.2025.09.008

Akaraphanth M, Cribari C, McGrath S, Rogan M, Walker T. Case Report of Acquired Wandering Spleen Phenomenon with Splenic Torsion in the Context of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura. IJCMCR. 2025; 55(5): 001. DOI: 10.46998/IJCMCR.2025.55.001371

Felan NA, Garcia-Creighton E, Hirpara A, Narváez I, Miller A, Batiste AJ, Stokes DJ, Tseng R, Santiago A, Smyth A, Pulciano NR, Wharton BR, McCarty EC, Muffly TM. Navigating the Orthopaedic Maze as a New Patient: A National Mystery Caller Study on Medicaid Coverage and Access to Specialized Surgeons. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2025 Feb 1;33(3):e181-e190. doi: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-24-00668. Epub 2024 Dec 3. PMID: 39637372.

Felan NA, Burger EL, Lind DRG, Sidrak JP, Stokes DJ, Seawalt T, Tseng R, Manfre MG, Du A, Hartman J, Hatzinger BM, Hawryluk CJ, Botolin P, Muffly TM. Impact of Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance on access to orthopedic surgeons of the spine: a national mystery caller study. Spine J. 2026 May;26(5):913-922. doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2025.12.006. Epub 2025 Dec 22. PMID: 41443373.

Akaraphanth M, Nordgren TM, Gries CM. CXCR2 perturbation promotes Staphylococcus aureus implant-associated infection. J Med Microbiol. 2024 Apr;73(4). doi: 10.1099/jmm.0.001821. PMID: 38567642.

Felker J, Vidal L, Skoda J, Schaub M, Keefer K, Miravalle A. EP0861 Improving health literacy in MS through a multidisciplinary brain health program. ECTRIMS 2022 – ePoster. Multiple Sclerosis Journal. 2022;28(3_suppl): 729-730. DOI:10.1177/13524585221123682.

Franco-Paredes C, Garcia-Creighton E, Henao-Martínez A, Kallgren DL, Banjade R, Dyer JA, Nelson T, Zaesim A, Peluso MJ, Jain V, Lee DH, Minces LR, Wirshup M, Sierra Hoffman M, Katsolis J, Brust K, Giron J, Smiarowski L, Hoosepian-Mer PA, Stryjewska B. Novel approaches in the treatment of Hansen's disease (Leprosy): a case series of multidrug therapy of monthly rifampin, moxifloxacin, and minocycline (RMM) in the United States. Ther Adv Infect Dis. 2022 Nov 8;9:20499361221135885. doi: 10.1177/20499361221135885. PMID: 36387060; PMCID: PMC9647311.

Poster Presentations

Wolff P, Wharton M. A Proposed Decision-Tree Workflow to Identify Tattoo Pigment on Reflectance Confocal Microscopy Imaging. April, 2026. Fort Collins, Colorado.

Garcia-Creighton E, Felan NA, Hartman Budnik JV. Appointment Access and Waiting Times in General and Pediatric Dermatology. March, 2026. San Diego, California.

Garcia-Creighton E, Felan NA, Hartman Budnik JV. Appointment Access and Waiting Times in General and Pediatric Dermatology. July, 2025. San Diego, California.

Ernewein J, Maxwell M, Mazzotta M, Steiner A, McNutt E,  Throckmorton Z. Overview of a novel clinically-focused advanced dissection elective for fourth-year medical students. April, 2025. Denver, Colorado.

Felan NA, Garcia-Creighton E, Hirpara A, Narváez I, Miller A, Batiste A, Stokes D, Tseng R, Santiago A, Smyth A, Pulciano N, Wharton B, McCarty E, Muffly T. Navigating the Orthopaedic Maze as a New Patient: A National Mystery Caller Study on Medicaid Coverage and Access to Specialized Surgeons. February, 2025. San Diego, California.

Alexander D. Incidence and Risk Factors of Transient Global Amnesia in Northern Colorado. Western Medical Research Conference. January, 2025. Carmel, California.

Kalani A. Ascending and Descending Colon Tissue Metabolite Differences of Healthy Adults Across BMI Classes. Poster Presentation. Western Medical Research Conference. January, 2025. Carmel, California.

Ton W. Zn Differently Regulates Microtubule Interactions and Motor Protein Behavior on Microtubules. Western Medical Research Conference. January, 2025. Carmel, California.

Wolff P, Wilson J, Scherner S, Lewey J, Temesgen H, Wilusz J. Reflectance Confocal Microscopy: An Exploration of Expanded Clinical Applications. January, 2025. Fort Collins, Colorado.

Adler M. Analyzing the Predictive Value of an Early 1-hour Glucose Tolerance Test in High-Risk Pregnancies.  Poster presentation. 2024 Student Research Forum. December, 2024. Denver, Colorado.

Felan NA. A Survey of Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality Interest in Medical Settings.  Poster presentation. 2024 Student Research Forum. December, 2024. Denver, Colorado.

Kalani A. Ascending and Descending Colon Tissue Metabolite Differences of Healthy Adults Across BMI Classes. Poster Presentation. 2024 Student Research Forum. December, 2024. Denver, Colorado.

Ton W. Zn Differently Regulates Microtubule Interactions and Motor Protein Behavior on Microtubules. 2024 Student Research Forum. December, 2024. Denver, Colorado.

Wolff P, Wilson J, Scherner S, Lewey J, Temesgen H, Wilusz J. Reflectance Confocal Microscopy: An Exploration of Expanded Clinical Applications. December, 2024. Denver, Colorado.

Maxwell M, Garcia-Creighton E, Shirazi M. Opioid like withdrawal in a case of heavy tianeptine use. November, 2024. Miami, Florida.

Wolff P, Wilson J, Scherner S, Lewey J, Temesgen H, Wilusz J. Reflectance Confocal Microscopy: An Exploration of Expanded Clinical Applications. October, 2024. Boulder, Colorado.

Lilienfeld J, Throckmorton Z. Can Advanced AIs Help First-Year Medical Students Master Gross Anatomy Learning Objectives? Poster Presentation. Colorado University School of Medicine Academy Medical Educators Education and Innovation Symposium. May, 2024. Denver, Colorado.

Wharton M, Jetté M, Harris K, Nokoff N, Loeb D, Axelson Q, Mancuso M, Rothman M, Lee R, Iwamoto S. Exploring Adult Patient Experiences During the First Five Years of the UCHealth Integrated Transgender Program. May, 2024. Boston, Massachusetts .

Wharton M. Exploring Adult Transgender and Gender Diverse Patients€™ Experiences at a Suburban Academic Medical Center. April, 2024. Boston, Massachusetts.

Akaraphanth M, Gries C. CXCR2 perturbation promotes Staphylococcus aureus implant-associated infection. Poster presented at College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Research Day. January, 2024. Fort Collins, Colorado.

Felker J, Miravalle A. Improving health care literacy among patients with multiple sclerosis through a flipped classroom model. Poster presented at College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Research Day. January, 2024. Fort Collins, Colorado.

Mazzotta M, Rowh M. Building a one health differential diagnosis: a comprehensive framework for healthcare providers. Poster presented at College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Research Day. January, 2024. Fort Collins, Colorado.

Akarapanth M, Oudakker J, Paulson M, Getz T. Narrative Review of Strategies for Blood Product Shelf-Life Extension. Poster Presentation. University of Colorado, School of Medicine 38th Annual Virtual Student Research Forum. December, 2023. Denver, Colorado.

Bean C, Hamilton LD, Dunn JA. A survey of augmented reality/virtual reality interest in medical settings. Poster presentation. 38th Annual Virtual Student Research Forum. December, 2023. Denver, Colorado.

Felan NA. Medicaid Insurance and Access to Hip, Knee, and Shoulder Arthroscopic Surgeons.  Poster presentation. 38th Annual Virtual Student Research Forum. December, 2023. Denver, Colorado.

Garcia Creighton E, Franco-Paredes C, Felan NA, Henao-Martínez A, Kallgren D, Banjade R, Dyer J, Nelson T, Zaesim A, Peluso M, Jain V, Lee DH, Minces L, Wirshup M, Hoffman MS, Katsolis J, Brust K, Giron J, Smiarowski L, Hoosepian-Mer PA, Stryjewska B. Novel Approaches in the Treatment of Hansen’s Disease: A Case Series Using Monthly Triple-Drug Therapy of RMM in the United States. Poster presentation. 38th Annual Virtual Student Research Forum. December, 2023. Denver, Colorado.

Girardi N. The Windshield Wiper Sign: A Radiographic Finding of Hip Instability. Poster presentation. 38th Annual Virtual Student Research Forum. December, 2023. Denver, Colorado.

Henderson R, Rich SN, Sprague B, Grano C, McCormick DW, Mosites E, Bostic T, Rowan SE, Marx GE. What Front-line Service Providers for People Experiencing Homelessness Know About Body Lice and Associated Diseases — Colorado, 2022. Poster presentation. 38th Annual Virtual Student Research Forum. December, 2023. Denver, Colorado.

Mazzotta M, Felker J, Mendez Colmenares A, Skoda J, Keefer K, Miravalle A. Improving Health Care Literacy Among Patients with MS through a Flipped Classroom Model. Poster presentation. 38th Annual Virtual Student Research Forum. December, 2023. Denver, Colorado.

Wehbe M, Schuster S. Bispecific Antibody Treatment in the Community Cancer Center Setting. Poster presentation. 38th Annual Virtual Student Research Forum. December, 2023. Denver, Colorado.

Bowling L, Throckmorton Z, Ernewein J. Utilization of Open Access, 3D-printed Osteology Models in Skeletal Anatomy and Skeletal Pathology Education. Poster presentation. Rocky Mountain Biological Anthropology Association annual meeting. October, 2023. Estes Park, Colorado.

Heister HG. Moving Beyond Concept Maps: Using Design Thinking to Reduce Cognitive Load in Medical Education. June, 2023. Savannah, Georgia.

Felker J, Vidal A, Skoda J, Schaub M, Keefer K, Miravalle A. Improving health literacy in MS through a multidisciplinary brain health program. European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis Conference. October, 2022. Amsterdam, Netherlands. ePoster Presentation.

Trikha SRJ, Raab R, Ayala M, et al. Prevalence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Collegiate Football Players at Colorado State University. Poster presented at: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus 36th Annual - Student Research Forum. Denver, Colorado. December 8, 2021.