Isabel Stabile

Research Activities

 

 

  1. Morphbank: An Open Web Depository for Biologic Material

 

Many biological disciplines such as comparative morphology, anatomy, and histology draw important conclusions from images. However, many of these images cannot be published in journals due to page constraints, and thus they are not widely available. MorphBank is for these images what GenBank is for genetic data - an easily accessed storehouse with added functionality tailored to the disciplines using the resource.

 

Dr. Stabile has been appointed Lead Scientist responsible for expanding MorphBank into the field of human sciences. Her role is to coordinate the collection of human anatomy images in all formats into an open web depository to form the basis for international collaborative studies. A number of  research and teaching initiatives based on these data are ongoing.

 

For link to the web site see: http://morphbank.scs.fsu.edu/About/Introduction/#

 

 

 

 

  1. Office of Medical Education and Research (OMER)

 

OMER  brings together expertise on medical education from different academic disciplines, from policy makers and from practitioners. It promotes partnerships between researchers and others, whilst retaining the independence to engage in analysis and constructive critique of policies and practice in medical education.

 

The overall goal of this long term research programme is to improve the educational process by encouraging scholarly inquiry related to medical education and by promoting the dissemination and practical application of research results. A number of different studies are proposed over the next several years.

 

Student support and mentoring

  • The learning experience of international students
  • Strategies used by medical students to combat anxiety/stress

 

      Teaching and learning

  • An evaluation of peer to peer teaching and learning
  • Student behaviour and learning in small group settings
  • Using year 2 students as patient simulators for Year 1 teaching/learning
  • The impact of teaching Living Anatomy (surface anatomy and imaging skills) on preparedness of Year 3 students for clinical learning
  • Long term effectiveness of anatomy teaching: Do clinical students remember any anatomy?
  • Student use of station-time allotments in 2 hour anatomy dissection sessions

 

Curriculum development

  • Medical education and curriculum development: A case study

 

Assessment

  • Does cadaver dissection (student projects) improve performance on summative examination (practical/written)

 

Post-graduate education

  • When do Maltese students/doctors decide about specialty career?
  • Gender differences in choice of speciality
  • Student/Doctor mobility

 

 

3. Exploratory Analysis of Medical Data Using GUHA Method

 

The goal is to set up international collaborative research projects together with Prof. Rauch of the Faculty of Informatics at the University of Economics, Prague. The purpose of this collaboration is to examine the correlations between sonographic images of the normal and abnormal human pelvis and clinical parameters with knowledge-based diagnostic systems using fuzzy relational computations, LISP Miner and GUHA. For link to the web site see: http://lispminer.vse.cz/

 

 

  1. Human Sciences Research Network

 

Faced with the twin dilemmas of a static or declining financial base and a changing student population, institutions of higher education have to do more with less while still maintaining quality which leads to the growth and learning of all involved. Many institutions have responded to the challenge by adopting an interdisciplinary approach to teaching and research.

 

Dr. Stabile conceptualised this network and serves as coordinator to:

 

  • Develop a database of on-going and completed research studies on Human Sciences from all relevant faculties
  • Organise Human Sciences Research Seminars showcasing on-going and completed research conducted by students and staff at the University of Malta
  • Foster inter-disciplinary work in Human Sciences

 

  1. MEDTRA: Occupational Medicine Training Programme

The objective of this EU Tempus – Erasmus Mundus four-year (Euro 492,940) project is to set up  a MSc. course for medical trainees, with the aim of  developing expertise in analysing workplace and  working modalities in connection with  workers health conditions and the potential set of professional pathologies. Dr. Stabile has been selected to serve as coordinator of the Consortium of Italian and Syrian Universities collaborating on this project, which is divided into three phases:

Phase 1: Analysis and Planning: in - depth analysis of Syrian situation, with special attention to working dynamics and relevant risks within Damascus University, with the aim of defining the  didactical contents of the foreseen training modules.

Phase 2: Delivery of the MSc. course:  selection of the trainees and delivery of training modules. At the end of this phase the trainees will be able, using  an innovative health risk evaluation form, to plan and design future experiences of health monitoring, in connection with the professional exposure of those subjects involved in  study  activities (e.g. archaeological digging or applied botanics), research (teachers of scientific disciplines such as engineering, physics or chemistry) and assistance (medical doctors and nurses working in hospital wards).

Phase 3: Practical training phase: in this phase the participants will apply the acquired knowledge during the theoretical training into practice,  by visiting, together with Italian occupational medicine doctors, subjects exposed to professional risks, the syrian trainees  will visit  university workers already involved in the current  monitoring  programmes implemented by “La Sapienza” University of Rome.

At the end of the training course, Damascus University will have the experts,  the competencies and the operational tools needed to exploit and implement its own autonomous initiatives of health monitoring, aiming at minimising the  health  risks of the exposed workers and, in perspective , Damascus University will be capable of setting up its own Occupational Medicine Centre.