FCER Announces Fellowship Support

Norwalk, Iowa—Recognizing the need for the chiropractic profession to develop its own research infrastructure, the Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research (FCER) took the lead many years ago to develop a research Fellowship program. To date, FCER has provided financial assistance to 148 promising scholars who had expressed a desire to study various aspects of chiropractic methods of care. FCER is therefore pleased to announce the Foot Levelers and National Board of Chiropractic Examiners financial support of FCER’s 2006 Fellows, as well as the recipients of those awards. Renewed Fellows All four of the renewed FCER Fellows have demonstrated achievements that continue to impress the FCER Research Committee. The renewed Fellows are: Kathleen Linaker, D.C., is seeking her Ph.D. in higher education: leadership foundations and counseling psychology at Loyola University in Chicago, IL. In the last year, Dr. Linaker has completed a first draft of a Masters of Diagnostic Imaging program at Life University; the program has been submitted to the Board of Directors for review. In addition, the compilation of radiology pathology files which she has overseen for use by interns and residents at National University of Health Sciences now contains over 1300 cases. She has co-developed a Case Review Panel for upper quarter students at Life University. She is preparing a paper on treating musculoskeletal injuries with monochromatic infrared light, to be submitted to the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, and she is completing two other studies—on facet tropism and a correlation of L4 and L5 spondylolisthesis with S1 spina bifida occulta—which will also then be prepared for publication. Jacqueline D. Bougie, D.C., seeks a DPH in preventive care at Loma Linda University in California. The transcripts provided by Loma Linda University show Dr. Bougie displaying a near perfect record thus far in her program. She brings an extensive clinical research background to the program and has won the admiration of her colleagues and professors. Anthony D’Antoni, D.C., M.S, seeks his PhD. in health sciences at Seton Hall University, in South Orange, NJ. Dr. D'Antoni completed a research investigation with Dr. Arthur Croft on the prevalence of herniated intervertebral discs of the cervical spine in asymptomatic subjects using MRI scans that is to be published in the Journal of Whiplash and Related Disorders; it was also presented at the ACC-RAC X conference in March 2006. He has been asked to write a review paper on the topic of applying mind-mapping technique for the Journal of Chiropractic Humanities. Dr. D'Antoni also presented a paper called "Federico di Montefeltro's Hyperkyphosis: A Visuohistorical Case Study with Applications for Chiropractic Education" at FCER's Conference on Chiropractic Research (CCR) in September 2006. Stephen Burnie, BSc, D.C., seeks his MSc in Rehabilitation Sciences from McMaster University, Hamilton, ONT. Showing a perfect record on his transcripts from the University in biostatistics and rehabilitation sciences, Dr. Burnie was also recognized as a Canadian Institutes of Health Research "Strategic Training Fellow in Rehabilitation Research" in October 2005, and he was a guest lecturer at Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College. His proposed to complete his thesis on the systematic review of the literature on neck manipulation for pain and he will use the results to formulate a dose-response study for treating neck pain with adjustments. New FCER Fellowship Support In order to obtain an FCER Fellowship, applicants must show financial need in addition to providing satisfactory documentation that establishes superior transcripts; detailed, insightful and enthusiastic letters of recommendation; and a feasible, lasting interest in research. The purpose of the FCER Fellowship awards is to provide the chiropractic profession with a steady supply of high-quality, dedicated researchers and to increase the research base of the profession. The 2006 FCER Fellows are: Steven Passmore, D.C., seeks his PhD in Human Biodynamics at McMaster University. Before entering chiropractic college at NYCC, Dr. Passmore earned his Masters of Science in kinesiology, specializing in human motor behavior, and was therefore able to design an IRB approved research study while at NYCC. The results of this study were published as an abstract in the Journal of Sport and Exercise Physiology, presented at the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity, and will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. As a student intern at the Buffalo Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Dr. Passmore reports that he was able to design and implement clinical research projects at multiple sites with the Veterans Health Administration populations. He intends his current program's thesis to focus on developing appropriate quantitative measures to evaluate chiropractic intervention based on patient performance. Paul Nolet, D.C., seeks his MPH at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, ONT. As a private practitioner with multiple publication in the Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association, Dr. Nolet now intends to continue his education at Lakehead. He proposes to work with Dr. Pierre Cote and use the data from the Saskatchewan Health and Back Pain Survey to do a prospective, longitudinal cohort study comparing neck pain and headaches n the general population of Saskatchewan to those in the province who have a history of neck trauma due to motor vehicle collision. Sydney Rubinstein, D.C., is pursuing a PhD in Epidemiology at the Institution for Research in Extramural Medicine, one of the research institutes at the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Dr. Rubinstein has one of the most extensive and distinguished bibliographies ever seen from an applicant for FCER Fellowship. He is currently one of the principal investigators of a prospective cohort study of 580 chiropractic patients in The Netherlands who are undergoing cervical manipulation. With Dr. Scott Haldeman, Dr. Rubinstein has developed a model and attempt to explain the etiology of dissection with specific reference to manipulation. He plans to examine why the medical profession views cervical manipulation as dangerous in the absence of definitive information. "Nothing less than the future of chiropractic research rests with these individuals who have chosen this demanding yet rewarding career path," said FCER’s Director of Research and Education, Anthony L. Rosner, Ph.D. "Their achievements at this stage already rival those of far more senior faculty, and we are as proud as hopeful that these Fellows show every indication that their contributions to the research literature will be recognized for years to come." Information on FCER, its programs, funded research, products that support further research, and more may be found at